May 2021 Calgary Real Estate Newsletter

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How To Get The Home You Want in a Competitive Market

Regardless of whether the overall Calgary Real Estate Market is up, down or sideways, there can be fierce competition when it comes to buying a great home in a desirable neighbourhood. So, if you want to live in a “hot’ area, how do you gain an advantage? Here are some useful tips:

• Schedule viewings of homes for sale in the neighbourhood as soon as they go on the market. Have you ever heard the expression, “The early bird gets the worm”? It’s often true.

• Arrange to get alerted, via email or text, to brand new listings the moment they are available.

• Make sure you have your financing pre-approved, so you can make a quick and credible offer right away.

• Prepare your current home for sale, so you can list it quickly (if it isn’t already listed.)

• Know how to make an enticing offer that a buyer will take seriously. It’s not always the highest price that wins the deal.

Even in a competitive Calgary Real Estate Market, you don’t want to end up overpaying. That’s why savvy offer preparation, presentation and negotiation are also keys to getting the home you want. We can help you reach your real estate goals in any market.

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Connected Calgary Homes Make Smart Choices

It’s been long predicted, but the time has finally come when whole-home systems can provide a network to allow the electronic features and fixtures of your home to talk to one another. Often a family’s first such network involves controlling and sharing subscription services for movies, TV and music among personal devices.

Home hubs are the next logical step beyond streaming services. They provide instant communication between household utilities. It is now possible to connect a single master control to automate decisions on your behalf regarding security, HVAC, plumbing, lighting, media & entertainment – and even monitor diet, physical activity and personal health. 

The result is greater efficiencies and less environmental impact. This connectivity will only get better with the purchase of new appliances. Your next refrigerator and/or stove could be capable of reading product labels, providing recipes according to the food you have on hand, planning meals, cooking, and ordering groceries – not to mention reminding you to get exercise and take your medication.

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Should You Buy the “Except for…” Home?

Imagine finding a Calgary home that is perfect in every way, except for one nagging thing. That “thing” might be a smaller kitchen than you want, fewer closets than you need, or flooring that you dislike. Should you buy it anyway? How do you know if you should take a pass? It’s not an easy decision to make and depends on a number of factors.

Trying to answer these questions might help:

• How likely is it that you’ll find another home that better meets your needs?

• How soon do you want to move? (If you’re in a time-crunch you may need to adjust your expectations.)

• Is the “except for...” something that can be fixed, perhaps with a renovation? For example, there are many ways to expand a small kitchen.

• If the home’s shortcoming is fixable, approximately how much will that cost? It might turn out that the improvement is a good investment.

• Can you live with the nagging “thing”, especially when the home is otherwise perfect?

It can be tough to work through a decision like this, especially if you’re in a situation where you need to make an offer quickly. Call today for our professional help.

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