Gabriella Makar, B. Comm, MBA
- RE/MAX Real Estate Centre
14717 40 AV, Edmonton, Alberta
14717 40 AV, Edmonton, Alberta
Tuesday, July 3, 2012 - Order up! Restaurant receipts hit record high
In another sign that Alberta?s economy was heating up this past spring, the amount of money spent on meals and beverages hit a record high!
In April, Albertans racked up nearly $641 million in sales at restaurants and drinking establishments. That?s an increase of 0.9 per cent over the previous month and compared to April of 2011, receipts are up a whopping 8.0 per cent. Annual price inflation at restaurants and bars in the province was only 1.4 per cent and Alberta?s population growth was 2.4 ...
Full Article...
posted in General at Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:28:37 -0600
Wednesday, June 27, 2012 - Grilling Safety
Now that the summer season is kicking off, it's time to get back in the grilling groove. According to the National Fire Protection Association, gas and charcoal grills cause more than 8,000 house fires each year. Before firing up the grill, homeowners should consider these safety tips:? Grills should be located no closer than 10' (3m) from any structure. Never use a grill under a porch, deck, overhang, carport, or in a garage. Make sure the grill rests on a stable surface and can't be tipped ...
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posted in General at Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:36:27 -0600
Wednesday, June 27, 2012 - Alberta family incomes
Alberta?s two largest cities have enjoyed a healthy rivalry in many ways over the years, but in at least one area? average family income?Cowtown has enjoyed a slight advantage. However, over the last decade Oiltown has been catching up.
Median family income (before taxes) in Calgary was $89,490 in 2010. That is up from $60,800 ten years ago and second only behind Ottawa-Gatineau in the country among major cities. Edmonton, hot on Calgary?s heels, ranked number three in the country with median ...
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posted in General at Wed, 27 Jun 2012 09:36:04 -0600
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - Inexpensive Ways To Reduce Your Energy Bill
? Do you need the air conditioner on all the time during the summer months? Consider turning it way up, or completely off, at night when it's cooler outside.? Invest in a programmable thermostat. That way, you'll be able to set up a schedule that uses less heating/cooling energy while you?re out of the house.? Let the sunshine in through windows in the winter (and block the sun where possible in the summer.) "Passive heat gain" cancontribute to up to 20% of the heat in your home. Best of all, ...
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posted in General at Tue, 26 Jun 2012 22:03:39 -0600
Thursday, June 21, 2012 - Alberta (In)Bound
Once again, Alberta is the place to be! This, based on the latest population and migration data released this morning. The province?s population as of April 2012 was 3,847,119?an increase of 2.4 per cent from a year ago and by far the fastest pace of provincial growth in Canada. The primary driver of this population growth: inter-provincial migration.
In the first quarter of the year, an estimated 26,910 people moved to Alberta from other provinces. At the same time 13,514 packed up their own ...
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posted in General at Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:01:37 -0600
Thursday, June 21, 2012 - HARPER GOVERNMENT TAKES FURTHER ACTION TO STRENGTHEN CANADA'S HOUSING MARKET
As part of the Government?s continuous efforts to strengthen Canada?s housing finance system, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, today announced further adjustments to the rules for government-backed insured mortgages.
?Our Government stands behind the efforts of hard-working Canadian families to save by investing in their homes and their future,? said Minister Flaherty. ?The adjustments we are making today will help them realize their goals, build on the previous measures we ...
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posted in General at Thu, 21 Jun 2012 09:19:56 -0600
Monday, June 18, 2012 - Just Sold - E3303867
posted in Listings at Mon, 18 Jun 2012 06:00:00 -0600
Wednesday, June 6, 2012 - Housing: Investment or consumption?
While a wasteful public sector has driven Greece, and to a lesser extent Italy, to the edge of fiscal abyss - for the most part, Spain and Ireland?s problems had a different cause. The sovereign debt crisis in those two countries was mostly related to the over-investment in housing, necessitating a public intervention.
It?s important to make a quick distinction, as residential investment isn?t the same as other forms of investment in the economy, such as the investment in capital goods, ...
posted in General at Wed, 06 Jun 2012 11:07:55 -0600
Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - New Listing - E3303867
posted in Listings at Tue, 05 Jun 2012 06:00:00 -0600
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - When is the best time to sell your home?
If you've been thinking about selling your home, you might be waiting until the "market is right". After all, if the local market suddenly booms, your property will likely sell for a higher price.That may be true. However, there are other factors to consider in your decision to list.
For example, will you be buying a new home as well? If so, then the higher selling price will probably be offset by the higher cost of the new property.
In addition, there may be characteristics of your home that ...
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posted in General at Wed, 16 May 2012 10:48:03 -0600
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - How to decide if you should replace your windows
One of the most prominent features of any home is the windows. When they are well maintained they have a positive impact on the impression people (such as potential buyers) will have of your property. The opposite occurs, of course, when your windows look old and worn. So does that mean you should replace your windows?
That depends on a number of factors. Window replacement can be an expensive renovation. Here are a few things to consider before making your decision.
? Do your windows get frost ...
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posted in General at Wed, 16 May 2012 10:45:51 -0600
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - Do You Know the Basics of Home Security?
Most people feel confident about the basics of home security. For example:
Keep all doors locked. Have a light on in the house while away. Never hide a key outside in an obvious place, like under the mat.
? Yet, almost a million and a half properties get burglarized inNorth America each year. So how can you prevent that fromhappening to your home? Here are a few less known homesecurity basics:
? Actually, never hide a key outside. Thieves know all the hidingplaces. Instead, make sure all family ...
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posted in General at Wed, 16 May 2012 10:39:36 -0600
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 - Just Sold - E3292619
posted in Listings at Wed, 16 May 2012 06:00:00 -0600
Monday, May 7, 2012 - Just Sold - E3297598
posted in Listings at Mon, 07 May 2012 06:00:00 -0600
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - Alberta and Saskatchewan lead CanadaĆ¢Ā?Ā?s growth in 2011: StatsCan
New GDP data from Statistics Canada shows Alberta led the country in growth in 2011, followed closely by Saskatchewan.
The Canadian economy as a whole expanded 2.6% in 2011, slowing somewhat after a 3.4% expansion in 2010.
But in Alberta, the economy picked up speed, buoyed by high energy prices that encouraged extraction and exploration in the oil and gas patch.
Alberta's economy surged 5.2% last year, after a more tepid 3.3% expansion a year earlier.
Saskatchewan grew 4.8%, thanks to strong ...
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posted in General at Tue, 01 May 2012 16:33:04 -0600
Monday, April 23, 2012 - New Listing - E3297598
posted in Listings at Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:00:00 -0600
Wednesday, April 11, 2012 - Just Sold - E3287178
posted in Listings at Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:00:00 -0600
Monday, March 19, 2012 -
Alberta may top the other provinces in a lot of economic and social indicators, but in terms of enrolment in post-secondary education programs, Wild Rose Country is lagging behind most of the others.
According to numbers released today by Statistics Canada, only 4.95% of Albertans were enrolled in some type of post-secondary education in 2009/2010. That compares with a national average of 5.56%. Quebec topped all other provinces with 6.15%; New Brunswick was at the bottom of rankings, with ...
posted in General at Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:57:11 -0600
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 - New Listing - E3292619
posted in Listings at Wed, 14 Mar 2012 06:00:00 -0600
Thursday, February 23, 2012 - Earnings Outpace Inflation
Alberta continues to be the place to be for job seekers in Canada. And not only are jobs more plentiful, they pay (on average) the most and are rising more quickly than the Canadian average.
In December, the average weekly earnings of employees in Alberta rose to $1.064.80?a 5.2% increase over the level a year ago. Average earnings in Canada rose by less than half that amount (+2.4%), and among the provinces, only earnings in Newfoundland and Labrador rose faster (+5.8%).
Statistics Canada?s ...
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posted in General at Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:50:34 -0700
Monday, February 6, 2012 - Just Sold - E3287232
posted in Listings at Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0700
Sunday, January 29, 2012 - New Listing - E3287232
posted in Listings at Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0700
Friday, January 27, 2012 - New Listing - E3287178
posted in Listings at Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 -0700
Friday, January 20, 2012 - 15 SECRETS OF HOME STAGING by Leah Hennen
Highlight your home's strengths, downplay its weaknesses and appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers with these home-staging tips:
1. Bye, Bye ClutterThe most important thing you can do to prepare your home for sale is to get rid of clutter. Make a house rule that for every new item that comes in, an old one has to leave. One of the major contributors to a cluttered look is having too much furniture. When professional stagers descend on a home being prepped for market, they ...
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posted in General at Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:53:35 -0700
Friday, January 20, 2012 - Softening housing market a positive sign, economists say
The slowdown is good because it should avoid a more severe correction
By James Langton | January 16, 2012 17:10
The latest data on Canada's housing market shows that conditions are clearly softening, and that's a good thing economists say. "There are clear signs that the Canadian housing market is softening," says CIBC World Markets in a new report. It notes that while sales activity rose by 1.8% in December 2011, the number of new listed homes roses by 3%, leading to a decline in the national ...
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posted in General at Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:07:32 -0700
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - Albertans Driving Vehicles Sales in Canada
Car lot owners have been amongst the biggest beneficiaries of the rebounding Albertan economy. The most recent data on new vehicle sales in Alberta might show a slight monthly dip, but the trend over the past year puts sales near pre-recession levels.
Statistics Canada estimated that slightly below 20,000 new vehicles (cars and light trucks) were sold in Alberta in November, a dip of 3.6% over October, but 12.9% higher than November 2010. For some perspective, when the recession hit seasonally ...
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posted in General at Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:10:13 -0700
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 - More Of The Same From The Bank of Canada
Consumers and businesses in Canada have benefitted greatly from very low interest rates since the economy took a tumble in late 2008. And according to the Bank of Canada?s (BoC) first rate announcement of 2012, rates are remaining near rock-bottom lows.
The BoC surprised no one this morning and left the overnight interest rate unchanged at 1.0%. The overnight rate is the rate that banks in Canada lend money to each other for one day or ?overnight,? and is used to determine many consumer ...
posted in General at Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:04:03 -0700
Friday, January 13, 2012 - Canadian mortgage rates at record low
Mortgage rates for a five-year term have dipped below 3% for the first time in Canadian history at a major bank.
Bank of Montreal has lowered the rate on a five-year-fixed rate mortgage by 50 basis points to 2.99%.
?That?s the lowest anybody has ever seen from one of the major lenders ever,? said Rob McLister, editor of Canadian Mortgage Trends.
He said the BMO product called the ?low rate mortgage? comes with some reduced flexibility. Instead of being able to pay 20% of the mortgage down in ...
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posted in General at Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:37:17 -0700
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 - Western cities to top Canadian growth in 2012: report
Cities in Western Canada will lead the country in growth and prosperity over the next couple of years, according to an outlook released Wednesday by the Conference Board of Canada.Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Regina are at the top of the Ottawa-based economic forecaster's new metropolitan outlook.Next year, Vancouver joins the leaders and Toronto ties Regina for fifth place in the outlook.
The Conference Board says western cities are benefitting from resource riches and attracting migrants, ...
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posted in General at Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:05:41 -0700
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - Housing Starts Go For A Strong Finish
Almost all the Alberta economic indicators were on the uptrend in 2011 with one of the few exceptions being housing starts. But while the number of homes being built remained subdued, it was at least moving in the right direction towards year end.
Contractors and developers started construction on 26,300 homes in December, down slightly from 27,500 in November and 30,400 in October. While starts in December slipped from the previous two months, Q4 as a whole was by far the strongest of the year ...
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posted in General at Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:35:56 -0700
Monday, November 21, 2011 - Just Sold - E3281633
posted in Listings at Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:00:00 -0700
Friday, November 18, 2011 - Inflation Demons Rear Their Head
Inflation has been fairly benign in Alberta since the 2008 downturn;however, in October prices in this province jumped and inflation rose above the national average for the first time in two and half years.
Alberta?s overall price level rose by 1.0% in October bringing the annual inflation rate to a lofty 3.4%. This is the highest inflation rate the province has experienced since August 2008 when lofty energy prices were driving inflation around the entire world.
While October?s jump in prices ...
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posted in General at Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:01:48 -0700
Friday, November 18, 2011 - Inflation Demons Rear Their Head
Inflation has been fairly benign in Alberta since the 2008 downturn;however, in October prices in this province jumped and inflation rose above the national average for the first time in two and half years.
Alberta?s overall price level rose by 1.0% in October bringing the annual inflation rate to a lofty 3.4%. This is the highest inflation rate the province has experienced since August 2008 when lofty energy prices were driving inflation around the entire world.
While October?s jump in prices ...
Full Article...
posted in General at Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:01:47 -0700
Thursday, November 17, 2011 - EI Beneficiaries Continue Downward Trend
Alberta?s labour market has seen dramatic improvements over the past 12 months. As a result, increasingly fewer Albertans are receiving employment insurance benefits these days.
A total of 29,900 Albertans received EI benefits in September, the first time that number has dipped below the 30,000 mark since the recession. In September the number of regular beneficiaries fell by 2,370, the 12th consecutive monthly drop. Furthermore, compared to a year ago the number of beneficiaries is down ...
posted in General at Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:38:29 -0700
Monday, November 14, 2011 - Leaving on a Jet Plane
Despite a lot of turbulence in the economy over the past three years, air traffic at Alberta?s three major airports has been remarkably calm.
According to Statistics Canada data, Calgary?s International Airport saw 20,854 planes depart in September of 2011. That is very close to the three-year monthly average of 19,614. Calgary was Canada?s third-busiest airport in September, beating out Montreal?s Trudeau Airport (but trailing distantly Toronto?s Pearson Airport and the Vancouver International ...
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posted in General at Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:39:00 -0700
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - Calgary Real Estate Stable
Equities, commodities, and currency markets around the world are being batted around lately with much volatility. However, at least one market in our own backyard is decidedly stable.
The median price of a residential property (including condos) sold in Calgary in October was $360,000, down slightly from September, and essentially unchanged (+$1,000) from October of 2010. There were 1,740 total sales, down a bit from September, and the inventory of unsold homes on the market was stable at ...
posted in General at Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:50:31 -0600
Wednesday, November 2, 2011 - New Listing - E3281633
posted in Listings at Wed, 02 Nov 2011 06:00:00 -0600
Friday, October 28, 2011 - Alberta Housing Prices Flat
New home prices in Canada have powered past their pre-recessionpeaks thanks largely to activity in Vancouver and Toronto. In contrast, prices in Alberta are still well below their peak sitting relatively flat for the better part of two years. The result is somewhat counter-intuitive given that the Alberta economy is outperforming the Canadian average by a wide margin.
The extent to which Alberta's housing sector boomed leading upto the recession helps explain why new housing prices in the ...
posted in General at Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:16:59 -0600
Friday, October 28, 2011 - Bank of Canada Releases Monetary Policy Report
Despite all the good news emanating from Europe, The Bank of Canada splashed some cold water on market forecasters this week with a new set of much more pessimistic forecasts on the Canadian economy.
The BoC now expects Canada?s economy to grow by just 2.1% thisyear and 1.9% next year, compared to their previous forecast of 2.8% and 2.6% respectively. Growth is then expected to rise in 2013 to 2.9%.
Central to the BoC?s new outlook is further headwinds blowing from the global economy and in ...
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posted in General at Fri, 28 Oct 2011 11:11:41 -0600
Thursday, October 27, 2011 - Canadian dollar back above parity
The Canadian dollar again surpassed the value of its U.S. counterpart currency on Thursday morning, as a positive tone to global markets resulted some sell-off of the U.S. dollar.
The loonie was as high at $1.0083 U.S., after closing at 99.52 cents U.S. on Wednesday.
European leaders reached a deal to provide $1.4 trillion U.S. to bailout governments in that region swimming in debt. Stock markets around the world were surging, as were commodities such as crude oil, which was up $2.80 to $93 ...
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posted in General at Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:30:25 -0600
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - Canadians Think Economy is OK
A quick scan of recent international business news headlines suggests much more worry than optimism, and that worry is reflected in a global survey of attitudes. Canadians, however, stand out with relatively upbeat attitudes.
IPSOS?s ?Global Economic Pulse? is a survey of participants in 24 countries around the world, assessing the current economic situation in each country. The survey was conducted between September 9th-19th.
In Canada, 66% of survey participants judged the Canadian economy to ...
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posted in General at Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:36:35 -0600
Friday, October 7, 2011 -
Over 2011, Alberta?s job creation figures have impressed even the most optimistic observers. And according to data out this morning, the jobs picture just keeps getting better and better.
Employers in this province added a further 8,600 net positions to payrolls in September, the fifth consecutive month of positive job creation. The last time Alberta saw job gains for five consecutive months was in mid-2006. The unemployment rate also declined in September to 5.4%, matching its low mark of the ...
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posted in General at Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:23:30 -0600
Wednesday, October 5, 2011 - American Workers a Good Fit for Alberta
It might sound bizarre to talk about labour shortages given the current economic climate, but even with markets gyrating Alberta?s long-term labour supply issues have not gone away. And given the current job market in the United States, one solution to Alberta?s job shortages may lie to the south.
Alberta Employment and Immigration recently identified occupations in this province which are, or are likely to be, short of workers. Used in the analysis were various indicators such as the ...
posted in General at Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:40:00 -0600
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 - Agriculture Boosting Exports
While the rest of the Canadian economy appears to be getting hit with a drop in exports, Alberta?s international sales remain strong. And even if you peel away the hydrocarbons, exports from this province appear to be on the upswing.
Exports of non-energy products from the province totaled $2.13 billion in July of this year. That is the highest sales for that month since July of 2008, just prior to the massive global recession. Over the past twelve months combined, non-energy exports were ...
posted in General at Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:14:17 -0600
Monday, September 26, 2011 - Good News for Clothing Shopaholics (Like me)
Last week, Statistics Canada reported that Alberta?s annual inflation rate jumped to 2.9% in August. And while no one likes paying more for goods and services, thankfully prices for some retail items have been moving in the right direction for consumers.
The average price of women?s clothing in Alberta has fallen 12.4% over the past twelve months, while the average price of men?s clothing has been largely unchanged (-0.2%). Over the same period, footwear prices are down 1.4% and children?s ...
posted in General at Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:47:33 -0600
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 - Just Sold - E3251384
posted in Listings at Wed, 14 Sep 2011 06:00:00 -0600
Wednesday, July 6, 2011 - Capital City Housing Activity Cools in June
Spring is almost always the busiest time of the year for real estate agents. But while the Edmonton housing market saw a large rise in activity in May, data just released by the Realtors® Association of Edmonton shows activity pulled back slightly in June.
A total of 1,768 residential properties changed hands in Edmonton in June, down from 1,857 in May but up from 1,619 sales in June 2010. Meanwhile average and median prices were fairly stable with the overall median residential price at ...
posted in General at Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:51:43 -0600
Thursday, June 30, 2011 - Canadian Headline Inflation Reaches 8 Year High
Thanks to the fact that commodity prices have cooled recently and Greece had stolen the spotlight, the market had become less concerned with inflation. But, the monthly price report released this morning may bring inflation concerns in Canada back to the forefront.
Canadian headline inflation rose for the fourth consecutive month in May to 3.7%. This is the highest level for headline inflation since March 2003 and is up substantially from just a few short months ago.
Interestingly, in Alberta ...
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posted in General at Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:39:59 -0600
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 - Alberta's Youthful Advantage
Canada?s population is slowly aging and with it there are a number of unavoidable consequences, chief amongst them being that the dependency ratio (non-working age population relative to the working age) will increase substantially. But of all the provinces, Alberta will have the best relative transition.
Why is a rising dependency ratio a problem? Governments are concerned with this ratio because their two largest expenditures are consumed predominantly by the young and elderly (healthcare and ...
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posted in General at Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:00:46 -0600
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 - Just Sold - E3263867
posted in Listings at Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:00:00 -0600
Wednesday, June 1, 2011 - Five Easy, Inexpensive Paint Projects To Quickly Beautify Your Home
When time and money are in short supply, it?s hard to think about big remodeling projects. But with a little imagination and a small outlay for top quality 100% acrylic latex paint, you can quickly make big changes in the appearance of your home?s interior or exterior. Here are five ways to economically remodel with paint, courtesy of the experts at the Paint Quality Institute.
Idea #1: Paint just an accent wall. Instead of painting an entire room, consider painting just one wall in a different ...
Full Article...
posted in General at Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:01:44 -0600
Saturday, May 28, 2011 - New Listing - E3263867
posted in Listings at Sat, 28 May 2011 06:00:00 -0600
Friday, May 27, 2011 - Are Interest Rates Set to Rise?
According to the OECD?s Global Economic Outlook released this week, the Bank of Canada should begin the process of tighteningmonetary policy at its next meeting on May 31st, increasing rates by 25 basis points. This mirrors calls by the CD Howe?s non-partisan Monetary Policy Council who have also been calling on the BoC to embark further down the path of normalizing interest rates. In total, the Monetary Policy Council would like to see the key policy rate increased 125 basis points, to 2.5%, ...
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posted in General at Fri, 27 May 2011 11:52:27 -0600
Friday, May 27, 2011 - Loonie spends May on its heels
It?s a sign of the times. Who would have ever thought that when theCanadian dollar dips below $US 1.02, it would be described as ?tanking? as it was this week?
But considering that the mighty loonie was soaring well beyond 5¢ above parity with the US greenback as recently as May 3rd, the Canadian dollar does actually seem a little bit feeble these days.
What?s going on? And what might happen next?
Currency markets are about as difficult to make any sense of as arecommodity markets. And in ...
posted in General at Fri, 27 May 2011 11:48:04 -0600
Tuesday, May 24, 2011 - Participation by Region
Albertans are known to be hard workers, and the improving economy is generally making it easier to find work. But the degree to which individuals are connected to the work world outside the home varies?not only by region of the country, but also within the province.
The participation rate is one of the main economic indicators tracked by Statistics Canada in the monthly Labour Force Survey. It estimates the number of people over the age of 15 that are either working, or are looking for work. In ...
Full Article...
posted in General at Tue, 24 May 2011 16:48:34 -0600
Thursday, May 19, 2011 - Just Sold - E3257589
posted in Listings at Thu, 19 May 2011 06:00:00 -0600
Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - Edmonton Housing Market
As Alberta?s economy builds momentum in 2011, all eyes are on the residential real estate market. Debates rage between optimists who believe prices will continue to grow, and pessimists who fear prices are in for a downward correction. New data for Edmonton?s housing market in April tend to support the optimists.
The median price of all residential properties sold through the MLS® in Edmonton was $315,000 in April, a gain of $4,000 (1.3%) over the previous month. Sales fell slightly with a ...
posted in General at Wed, 04 May 2011 15:57:51 -0600
Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - Not All Wages Rising
Average hourly earnings in Alberta continue to rise and now outpace the national average by about 10%. But hourly earnings are not rising for everyone in Alberta, and in fact, for some of the lowest-income workers, earnings are shrinking.
The average hourly earnings of Albertans working in food and accommodation industries were $13.37 in March of 2010. That is the lowest of all industries in the province, where employees earned on average $25.23 per hour.
Between 2006 and 2009, earnings in this ...
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posted in General at Tue, 03 May 2011 09:11:10 -0600
Friday, April 29, 2011 - Interest Rate Hike likely coming in October
While many economists are calling for a July hike, Merrill now sees the BoC waiting until the fall, it says in a new report.
BofA Merrill Lynch is pushing back its forecast for a Bank of Canada rate hike to October from May.
See more at http://ow.ly/4JRtQ
posted in General at Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:51:40 -0600
Saturday, April 23, 2011 - First Quarter Housing Sales on Normal Track; Prices Up
Edmonton, April 5, 2011: REALTORS® expect the local real estate market to follow a well-worn annual sales track.....See full article at http://ow.ly/4FIVX
posted in General at Sat, 23 Apr 2011 14:56:44 -0600
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - Bank of Canada keeps key rate unchanged despite improving economy
The Bank of Canada has decided to give households at least another seven weeks of low interest rates while offering no clue as to when it might start its long-awaited tightening trend.
The decision Tuesday to keep the policy rate at 1% came despite a mostly upbeat assessment of the Canadian economy from the central bank that predicts faster growth and a quicker return to full capacity.
The bank?s next scheduled date for an interest rate announcement comes May 31.
Meanwhile, it said the economy ...
Full Article...
posted in News at Wed, 13 Apr 2011 20:53:11 -0600
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - New Listing - E3257589
posted in Listings at Wed, 13 Apr 2011 06:00:00 -0600
Thursday, March 10, 2011 - Some Good News!
The Canadian housing sector continued to show solid growth in February as housing starts moved up about 6.5% from the previous month. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says the seasonally adjusted annual rate of starts came in at 181,900 units. That?s up from 170,600 units in January.
The federal agency says the rise was due primarily to increased activity in the multi-family starts in Ontario and the Prairies. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts increased by 9.4% to 161,000 ...
Full Article...
posted in General at Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:57:32 -0700
Thursday, March 10, 2011 - Let the Hiring Begin!
Job creation in Alberta lagged behind most other provinces in the 2010 recovery period, but stronger employment growth started to pick up around the turn of the year. What are Alberta employers anticipating this spring?
According to the latest survey of employers from Manpower Canada, companies in Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer are expected (on balance) to add to their payrolls in the second quarter of 2011. The survey calculates the difference between the percentage of firms expecting to ...
posted in General at Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:54:26 -0700
Thursday, March 3, 2011 - Variable Rate Loans Remain Bargain Bin Cheap
Keeping in line with the expectations of the market, Canada?s central bank left interest rates unchanged for the fourth consecutive time this morning.
The Bank of Canada (BOC) left the Canadian overnight interest rate, which is the rate that banks use to lend money to each other in the overnight market, at 1.0% this morning. As a result the prime rate, which is used to set variable rate mortgages and many other consumer and business loan products, remains at 3.0%.
In a press release that is ...
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posted in General at Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:16:17 -0700
Thursday, March 3, 2011 - Edmonton's Housing Market Slowly Unthawing
Things have been pretty slow in the capital city housing market since last spring, and although the market wasn?t a hotbed of activity in February, it did show some life.
The number of homes sold in Edmonton during February was 1,044, up from very low level levels in both December (784) and January (735). Meanwhile housing prices were flat, with the overall median residential price (includes all types of homes) slipping slightly to $305,000 from $307,000 in January 2011 and exactly unchanged ...
Full Article...
posted in General at Thu, 03 Mar 2011 13:08:49 -0700
Friday, February 25, 2011 - Interest Rates as of Feb. 24, 2011
The following table provides the most current interest rates available. Remember, all rates are subject to change without notice.
TERM
INTEREST RATE
6 Mo
3.80%
1 Year
2.50%
2 Year
3.20%
3 Year
3.35%
4 Year
3.84%
5 Year
3.84%
7 Year
4.70%
10 Year
5.10%
Variable Rate Mtg
2.20%
Prime
3.00%
* Please speak to your bank or mortgage company to see if these rates are still current and applicable to your specific situation. Information quoted is not guaranteed and may change at any time.
...
Full Article...
posted in News at Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:52:56 -0700
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - New Listing - E3251384
posted in Listings at Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:00:00 -0700
Friday, November 19, 2010 - Just Sold - E3232328
posted in Listings at Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:00:00 -0700
Friday, October 29, 2010 - Just Sold - E3240060
posted in Listings at Fri, 29 Oct 2010 06:00:00 -0600
Monday, September 27, 2010 - New Listing - E3240060
posted in Listings at Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:00:00 -0600
Thursday, July 15, 2010 - New Listing - E3232328
posted in Listings at Thu, 15 Jul 2010 06:00:00 -0600
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - Great Job Canada!
Nice Job, Canadian Affiliates!
RE/MAX is incredibly proud of their Affiliates in Canada, and a report last week provided another reminder of just how phenomenal Canadian brokerages are.
RE/MAX filled 130 slots in the first-ever REAL Trends Canadian Top 200 rankings, which means we have 65% of the country's most productive firms, based on closed transaction sides. The closest competitor had only 28 brokerages on the list.
The RE/MAX per-agent average of 17.9 transaction sides was 3 sides higher ...
Full Article...
posted in News at Wed, 19 May 2010 13:07:56 -0600
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - Staging Tips
Wallpaper means work in the buyer's eyes. Work to remove, work to clean, more work to repair possible damage and work to re-paint. Having a wallpapered property screams to the buyer that this home is outdated and will cost money and time to fix up.
Unless a buyer is an investor looking to purchase a home at a great deal, most buyers will simply move on as they are not interested in that much expense and effort. Typically removal of wallpaper means money in a seller's pockets.
It is essential ...
Full Article...
posted in General at Wed, 12 May 2010 12:25:06 -0600
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