Home Buying Blogs – Calgary

Whether buying your first home or selling a home, everyone should hire a real estate agent in order to get the best experience possible. However, it can be difficult for buyers and sellers to know which real estate agent is right for them. There are so many different agents all marketing themselves as the best, but not every agent is the best for every buyer or seller. When Varsity Calgary homeowners are looking for a real estate agent to work with, here are some things to keep in mind.

Read Reviews from Past Clients

Just about all real estate agents and agencies will have a page on their website dedicated to client testimonials to tell everyone how great they are. If a testimonial page can’t be found on their website or Facebook page (some

The exact opposite of the McMansion, the newest trend in housing is the tiny home. A tiny home is a home that is 500 square feet or smaller. They are often mobile, so homeowners can hitch them to a truck and move them, and they are usually a fraction of the cost of a traditional home. Because of this, many people are tempted to buy their own tiny home. However, tiny homes may have some issues that buyers need to know before investing in one. Here is what every buyer interested in tiny homes should know before they purchase one.

Tiny Homes Often Don’t Have Traditional Plumbing

When a Varsity Calgary home is 500 square feet or smaller, there isn’t a lot of space for the traditional things homeowners like having, such as plumbing. Normal flushing

It is all too easy to get wrapped up in the idea of buying an Upper Mount Royal home. Unfortunately, in the excitement buyers can ignore signs of one or more potential issues that may raise their heads down the road. This can be of particular importance to those new owners who may already be maxing out their budget with a purchase, and may not have the extra funds to address issues occurring right after becoming a homeowner. Use the following suggestions to know when to make an offer and when it is best to move on.

Too Good to Be True

A home that is listed below the average asking price when compared to recent comps may be a windfall or be cause for concern. Considering that a homeowner is not only buying a home but is generally going to reside

There are many things that a home buyer must take into consideration when they're trying to decide whether they're ready to buy a home, especially if it's a first home. Debt-to-income ratio (DTI) is one of those factors.

If you're thinking about buying a home sometime in the next several months, now is the time to find out what your debt-to-income ratio is, how it will impact your ability to buy a home, and what you can do to change your debt-to-income ratio (if it's too high). Understanding these matters can help you plan for the future, so you can position yourself to borrow money if you're planning to borrow a mortgage.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed mortgage professional before proceeding with any real

Foreclosed homes can be attractive to some new Varsity home buyers but not to others. In Alberta, foreclosed homes go up for sale on a regular basis. Foreclosed homes can be a good deal for the right person. If you're a home buyer who is interested in purchasing a foreclosed property, it's important for you to understand what that means. It's also important for you to know what a foreclosed home is likely to be like.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a certified tax expert before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

How Foreclosure in Alberta Works

It's important to fully understand the foreclosure process. Foreclosure in Alberta begins when a homeowner misses a mortgage payment. The first missed payment is

Buying a home involves making a lot of choices. For some people, choosing the architectural style is as difficult as choosing the location. There are many varied and interesting architectural styles. Knowing the difference between them can help home buyers choose the right home for them.

Victorian

The Victorian era lasted from the mid 1800's to the beginning of the 20th century. Victorian houses are noted as being multiple storey homes with a symmetrical form. They're known for their creative use of texture and colour on the home's exterior. Strangely shaped shingles and elaborate fretwork are common on these homes.

Victorian houses today can be expensive to maintain, as they come from an older time when insulation was less of a

A home bidding war can be stressful for home buyers, and getting caught up in the excitement can lead to mistakes. Anyone who is trying to buy a home in a competitive neighborhood should have a game plan for navigating a bidding war. This way, if they find themselves caught up in one, they'll be able to control their spending and hopefully make an offer that will be accepted.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Make the First Offer

One of the easiest ways to win a bidding war is to make a good offer as soon as the home enters the market. Being the first to make an offer on a home usually involves seeing the home first. Home buyers can

There are quite a few falsehoods being purveyed about millennial homebuyers, with ‘experts' and armchair statisticians alike purporting to know why this generation is hesitant to buy homes. However, millennials are one of the fastest growing generation of home buyers—far outpacing baby boomers. Here's another dose of reality that debunks three of the most common millennial Lynx Ridge home buying myths.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed mortgage professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Myth: Millennials Hold Too Much Student Loan Debt for Home Buying

The fact is that it's true that about 40 percent of millennials are graduating from college with hefty student loan debt, but this isn't

Buying or selling a home can take some time from the accepted home offer to closing. The time period that occurs after a seller signs a contract to sell their home and before the home has changed ownership is called the "escrow" period. The term "escrow" refers to the neutral third party that holds on to the buyer's earnest money while the arrangements for the home purchase are made. In Canada, this money maybe held by an attorney or a title company. Home buyers should be aware of the escrow period before they start the purchase process, so they'll know what needs to happen when escrow begins.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed mortgage professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

When Does

Getting started in real estate investment can feel daunting for a newcomer. Not only is there a lot to learn about the practical aspects of investment, but investors also feel pressure to perfect both their instincts and their timing. Before making any major moves, use the following guide to learn the principles behind buying property and how they can be used to an investor's advantage.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a financial advisor before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

The Human Touch

It's easy to think of Britannia real estate investment as a sheer numbers game. All investors need to do is add up property taxes, maintenance costs, and interest fees before deciding if the property is right for them.