Lethbridge Real Estate: Recent Mortgage Changes A phrase we hear a lot in Canada: "There's been recent mortgage changes".  Well there's been talk about these changes for ages, here's the summary: No more 35 year amortizations.  30 year MAX! Loan to Value Ratio's allowed are also being decreased from 90% to 85% The truth of the matter is that these aren't absurd changes.  What we don't want to see is buyers getting in over their heads and winding up in foreclosure. There's been talk about these changes for probably over a year, but I think it's a wise move. 01/18/2011

Happy Canadian Buyer results in Happy Ukrainian Widow If you've read my blog before, you are aware that for every real estate transaction completed I start and continue a Kiva Loan.  Kiva is a micro-finance organization that funds needy business owners in developing countries.  Today's loan is super cute.  Miroslava is a widow in the Ukraine who was laid off from a factory.  Over the last 12 years she has developed and grown a womens underwear business.  On the left is the home that my wonderful buyer has obtained (congrats D.A.), and on the right is Miroslava. For more information about Kiva visit my Lender Page. 01/17/2011

The Recycled Donation! I am excited to announce that because of repayed Kiva Loans from homes I have previously sold, I am able to start another Kiva Loan. This loan in particular is for 60 year old Mary Wamuta (as shown below) from Kitale Kenya who is borrowing money to obtain a motorcycle in order to transport dairy to the market for sales.  It is only because of my wonderful loyal clients that I am able to reach my 167th Kiva Loan.  Kiva is a micro-finance organization that funds loans to needy people in developing countries.  I start and continue one loan for every real estate transaction.  For more information please visit My Lender Page. 01/11/2011

My Donation for another Home Sold! I am excited to announce that because of this home (shown on left) being sold, I am able to start my 157th Kiva Loan. Thank you C & K for being wonderful clients and best of luck on your move. It is because of client loyalty that I am able to start and continue a Kiva Loan for every real estate transaction I complete.  Kiva is a micro-finance organization that lends to needy people in developing countries who otherwise would not qualify for loans.   This particular loan starts with a group from La Romana, Dominican Republic, namely Louise, Enelcida, Edith, Alicia and Milagros (shown on right), Haitian Emigrants who are borrowing the money to pay for supplies for their bakery business. I wish them best of luck in their endeavors.  For more information o... 01/11/2011

Where do my Lethbridge Property Taxes go? My friend Breanne told me a story once of how she "copes" with traffic tickets.  She said she tells herself: "Okay, this money is going to some poor cop who needs to feed his poverty stricken family," or, "this is so they can clear the snow on Mayor Magrath Drive to prevent a fatal accident".  Basically something to make her feel better about her recent donation to the government.  This got me thinking - Where do Property Taxes go? I looked it up and you will be happy to know in Lethbridge property taxes are used to fund policing, snow removal, fire protection, road maintenance and other city enhancement.  A portion also goes to the Provincial Education System, and the Green Acres Foundation which manages seniors' facilities and programs. Makes ... 01/10/2011

Lethbridge Property Assessment Taxes 2011 - Part II At the beginning of the year realtors will often receive an increase in requests for property evaluations.  This is typically due to home owner's dissatisfaction with the governments assessment of their property value as shown in the 2011 taxes.   You might be suprised to find out that Lethbridge realtors are instructed to ask the intentions of a home owner's request for a property evaluation.  If realtors are aware that it is for tax purposes, we are not allowed to provide a market evaluation. There are a few reasons for this.  Realtors are researching based on what a potential home buyer would be willing to pay for a property like yours.  The government will assess based on value at the June of the previous year.  This time period li... 01/09/2011

When the New Year rolls around, so does Tax Assessment.  Homeowners receive that little letter in the mail usually stating an increase in property taxes.  Some home owners are joyous! Was their property one of the only ones in Alberta that miraculously increased in value since 2010?  Unlikely. It's unfortunate that this is not reflected in the actual real estate market.  No, home sellers have been watching the slow slide over the past couple years.  But in all honesty, home prices are right about where they should be for our economy.  It is affordable for first time home buyers to get into the real estate market. Most people considering selling a home will look to a realtor for guidance when pricing their home. Do you want to know what your home is worth?  Contact me today.  I will pers... 01/07/2011

Lethbridge Real Estate - Welcome to 2011 Are you thinking about buying or selling real estate in Lethbridge or area in 2011?  Can I help you?   If you are looking to buy or sell a home or an investment property this year, it is important that you have the strongest assets available working on your side.  This includes surrounding yourself with individuals who can make the process easier, more efficient, and most of all more profitable for you.   A skilled and experienced real estate broker is one of the most important assets you can have at your disposal.  I have clients who I have been helping and advising for 18 years, and who have consistently made profitable real estate deals.  Let me share the experience of hundreds of families moved, hundreds of real estate transactions, and thous... 01/02/2011

Lethbridge SEO - Some Useful Links   These are some useful links for my local small business clients who are interested in reading more about search engine optimization on a local level.  For those who are interested I also have some printed (yup on paper) reports on what is going on in the local marketplace.   Probably the biggest change is the fact that there are now dozens of idiots running around town proclaiming themselves to be SEO experts.  Half of these fools went to community college, the other half bought some $49 course off of Ebay, and now they all want to take your money.   As a general rule, these idiots have no idea what they are doing.  Most of them have no track record of results, no client list, no portfolio of websites which they have ranked in Google or kept ranked f... 12/07/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate - Paradise Canyon Condo For Sale   Hello my internet friends, just wanted to take a second and send out this information to you all.  I just listed this great Lethbridge condominium located in Paradise Canyon subdivision in Lethbridge, Alberta.  For those who do not know the area, Paradise Canyon is a world class golf course nestled in the sheltered scenery of the Oldman River Valley near West Lethbridge.   The particular condo is #36 Canyon Court and is a top floor unit.  The views from the large bright windows are amazing and you can see the golf course, the river, and an assortment of wildlife on a regular basis.  Sitting out on the large balcony is even more amazing, as you are right in the middle of all that beauty.   The details on the condo are as follows. ... 11/30/2010

Lethbridge SEO and Your Home So what on earth does SEO (search engine optimization) and your Lethbridge real estate have in common?  Well for many of you, NOTHING. However, the reality is that more and more buyers and sellers are turning to the internet for information regarding buying, selling, renting, leasing, and listing their Lethbridge real estate.  When they turn to Google (as about 80% or more in our region do) and they start searching, can they find your real estate agent?  Can they find your property listing?  Can they find information that they want that makes them want to do business with you?  Chances are that the answer to those questions is NO.  More accurately, it is probably HECK NO.   I encourage you to open a Google search and type the following into it:  Lethbridge S... 11/16/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate - November Market Watch   As the winter sets in on southern Alberta, the local real estate market prepares for the weather to start to play a more dominant role.  Typically, when the snow and cold comes the traffic to open houses, the number of showings on listed homes, and the number of home buyers who want to go out shopping always dwindles to smaller numbers.  As a result of this weather dependant behavior, home owners who are hoping to sell their properties need to be prepared for these changes.  Be a smart seller, gather real estate info. When the weather is good, showing revolve almost entirely around the buyers work schedule, which means that evening and weekends are the busiest.  When the weather gets bad, it starts to dictate that schedule even more.   So... 10/31/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate Recent statistics on the local real estate market in Lethbridge seem to give somewhat conflicting evidence in comparison to what many of my fellow industry members have been telling me lately about the status of many of their property listings.  For the past month the number of showings by potential home buyers has been notably less.  This is despite the fact that we recently hosted our annual Parade of Homes event which showcases all of the new home construction by the Lethbridge home builders.  This often something which stimulates market interest and gets many home owners out of the house and in the mood to go shopping for a new residence. The inventory of houses for sale in Lethbridge is still way to high and as a result the prices of homes is still not solidl... 10/19/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate - Financing Modular and Mobile Homes:   Some details about financing for mobile homes include: ·         All financing for mobile homes is done through an insurer. ·         Financing is at posted rates, no discounts are available. ·         Maximum age of the mobile is 20 years. ·         Amortization is a maximum of 25 years for units on leased land, and can go to 35 years for units on owned land. Amortization may be reduced based on age and remaining economic life. For used units, please provide us with information on upgrades to support the remaining economic life and requested amortization. ·         Mobiles can be located on owned land or on lease lots in mobile home parks. ·         If the unit is located in a mobile home park, then the full lease pad renta... 10/13/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate - Where are Prices Headed?   I get asked at least once a week from a curious friend or past client to predict where prices are going in this crazy market.  Most often they are simply curious and not actually interested in buying real estate or selling real estate, but they are interest in making conversation about the issue.   Quite frankly, the economy in Lethbridge is strong.  Our unemployment rate is low, our vacancy rate is low, and most consumers are optimistic.  However, the same cannot be said of the rest of the world or our neighbors an hour south in the USA.   As the US market continues to crash, and I believe that it is only about half done so far, the Canadian Dollar will continue to rise.  I expect to see the Canadian Dollar reach $1.20 by next summer,... 10/12/2010

Just taking a quick look at the interest rates available out there today.  My current best available rate for a 5 year fixed rate mortgage is 3.49%   Of course this rate is dependant upon strong credit and income and for the purchase of typical residential real estate.   I also have several mortgage products available ranging from 3.59% to 3.99% which cover everyone who simply does not fit into the traditional mortgage products.  If you are self employed, a business owner, a farmer, looking for rental property, etc then this sort of product might be right for you.   Either way, the inventory of homes available is high and the interest rates are low.  That makes it a fine time to do a refinance of your existing home or consider adding investment real estate to your strategy.   Here are s... 10/06/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate - Want to Sell?   So you are the owner of some property in Lethbridge and you are thinking of selling it, or worse, you absolutely need to sell it.  If this situation sounds like yours, you might want to read the rest of this post.   There are tons of new gimmicks, techniques, and innovative methods that people are trying to convince home sellers will get their house sold faster and for more money.  The reality is that ALL of these methods are complete crap.  Sounds harsh?  It is true.   You can do all sorts of fancy stuff, you can put a flashing sign on the lawn, you can add text messaging to your marketing, you can make ten fancy virtual tours and take 200 photos, you can try all sorts of price guarantees, buy back guarantees, etc.  However, if the house is not ... 10/04/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate - Character Homes For Sale Our city is not a very old city relative to most other cities in the world.  The oldest houses in our city are just now over 100 years old, and we do not have a huge number of them.  These original founding houses all come with a great history and are often in demand by buyers who are seeking turn of the century classic Lehtbridge character homes.   The quality of the construction of these old houses is excellent.  Most of them have hard wood finishing on the interiors, usually big wide trims on the doors and casings, fancy ceilings with coving or designs, etc.  Even the light fixtures, cabinetry and door knobs are cool.   The only down side to purchasing a character home is that they are often found with out updates to the mechanical sy... 09/27/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate - West Lethbridge, Westside Hill   One of the things that comes along with purchasing a home in West Lethbridge is the westside hill.  This roadway, which is actually known as Whoop Up Drive, is the primary method of commuting into the center of the city.  There is another access road which travels to the North, however it is used almost exclusively by those heading North out of the city or possibly to the Lethbridge industrial park on the far North end.   Driving on the Westside Hill can be crazy at times.  Some residents of that part of town complain that the sun is in your eyes when you are heading East to work in the mornings and also when you are returning home in the evenings.  This is sometimes the case, and sometimes this has proven to be the source of tra... 09/26/2010

Lethbridge Real Estate -Nicholas Sheran Park on the West Side The original residential development that is now known as West Lethbridge is an area that is buit around Nicholas Sheran Park.  The large green park has a lake in the center, lots of walking paths, and now has mature trees.  Green spaces like this are one of the reasons that this area of the city is popular with home buyers.  Located in the area is also an elementary school, playground, and a community centre which houses a public swimming pool and also an ice arena.   Housing that is located around the park was the first housing that was constructed on this side of the river valley.  The homes were built in the early 1970's around the same time that the University of Lethbridge was also Constructed.  Since that time, this ar... 09/26/2010