Calgary Real Estate Market - Home Sales Charts - Year-Ending Dec 31, 2021

The first chart is the total home sales for Calgary in all three main categories of home types. The three types in the Calgary MLS Database system are Detached Single Family Homes, Attached Homes and condos. The Calgary Real Estate Market is considered a sellers or a buyers market when we are above or below three months of supply. Look at any chart to see how many properties were sold last month. If we have three times that number in current listings we are in a balanced housing market in Calgary. Less than 3 months favours Sellers over Home Buyers. More than three months and Buyers Rule the day. The supply and demand of homes in the three distinct home types in Calgary are the net effect of everything else happening in the world. Mortgage Interest Rates, Employment, new homes being built, politics, etc. all eventually show up in the actual supply and demand numbers. These are the only charts you ever need to see to get an overall glimpse of today's Calgary Real Estate Market.

Single Family Detached Homes continue to favour Home Sellers

My prediction is this will continue for some time. It's very hard to flood the market with detached single-family homes even in a lousy economy. 

Attached Homes Sales have picked up as many Detached house buyers are forced to look elsewhere

Attached homes are second on the list for most home buyers and sales usually reflect that. In the current market attached homes are enjoying the short supply in detached homes

Condos get the least amount of love in the Calgary Real Estate Market

Condos are at the bottom of most people's wish list for a Calgary home and the supply and demand numbers back that up. Condos have got a bit of a bump as the tide of the overall market rises. But still lag badly as a home choice for Calgarians and Real Estate Investors. I wonder if all these buildings that converted to condos years ago might start to revert to rental buildings. If you are buying a condo, don't forget you will own your portion of the entire structure along with its liabilities. Buyer Beware applies to everything and more so to condos in my opinion.

January 2022 Calgary Real Estate Newsletter

Listing Before a Repair or Fix-Up is Done?

If you’re thinking of selling your Calgary home, you may have walked through it and discovered that you’ve been ignoring work that should be done to make your home look its best. For example, you may have been living with a cracked floor tile that needs to be fixed, or a damaged closet door that requires replacement.

Is it a good idea to get these maintenance issues dealt with before you list? Typically, yes. You want your home to show well. Anything unsightly or concerning will get noticed by and discounted by Calgary Homebuyers.

Fortunately, investing the time and money to get the work done will pay off. It will help you sell your home faster and for a better price than selling As-Is.

However, there may be circumstances in which you need to list before repairs and other improvements are completed. For example, if you need to sell within the next few weeks, you may simply not have enough time. In that case, there are a couple of options. Either you can arrange for the work to be done and let buyers know that it’s been scheduled; or, you can let buyers know about the issues and let them know you’re selling as is. Or You could let Us Make You A Cash Offer to Buy Your Home.

Fire Safety Checks You Should Do at Least Once a Year

Chances are, you know that you should change the batteries in your smoke detectors at least once a year — even if you suspect the batteries are still good.

But that isn’t the only fire safety check you should do annually. Here are some other recommended tips to help keep you and your family safe.

• Clean your stove burners and oven regularly. Hard grease build-up can become combustible.
• Check your cupboard for cleaning products, paints and other liquids that are flammable. Read each label carefully. Use and store each product only as recommended.
• If you keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen — and you should — confirm that it is still good. Extinguishers are like food. They have expiry dates!
• Go over your fire escape plan with your family. Make sure everyone knows exactly what to do if a smoke detector goes off or if there’s a fire.
• Check that all windows open easily, especially upper floor windows.
• Check appliances you use often, such as hair dryers, for worn or frayed cords.
• Regularly clear away lint build-up in the clothes dryer. Check the outside dryer vent annually to make sure it’s clear and working correctly.
• If you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove, get it cleaned and inspected by a licensed technician once a year.

Many local fire departments offer homeowners free tips and even in-home advice and inspections at no cost. Contact your Calgary Fire Department and ask about programs available to you.

Getting an Early Start on Selling your Home

You’ve probably heard the expression, “The early bird gets the worm.” It refers, of course, to those who get in early and reap the rewards. For example, if you arrive early to a retail store for a big blowout sale, you’re likely to get the deals before the inventory runs out. The stragglers who come later will miss out.

Well, this same wisdom can be applied to selling your home. Starting the process early — even if that means simply doing some initial planning — gives you the edge in several ways.

First of all, you get extra time for preparation. That means you can get your home cleaned, uncluttered and staged without feeling rushed. You also get more time to find out how much your property will likely sell for on today’s market. That’s important information, especially if you’re also looking to finance a new home.

Secondly, there’s less stress. You’ll have more time to make the right decisions. The last thing you want is to be scrambling around, last minute, trying to get your home ready for sale.

Finally, with your initial preparations done, you’ll be able to put your home on the market at a moment’s notice. That’s a huge advantage that’s likely to lead to selling your property more quickly and for the best price. In fact, by getting an early start on the process, you might even find that this is the best time to list — and you’ll be able to do so, with confidence.

How Much Mortgage Will A Home Rental Payment Carry?

If you cannot pay for a home in full, you are renting. Either you are renting someone else's home or you are renting the money to be able to call it your own home. The big difference is in who gets the equity from your monthly payments. You can rent money via a mortgage and keep the equity or you can add to the landlord's equity every month. Much better to pay yourself by renting the money to buy a home.  

What can you afford? Well, you are probably paying rent plus utilities plus insurance and maybe minor repairs. So chances are good you can afford a mortgage payment based on your rent payments.

This first calculation should be How Much Mortgage would your current home rent payment carry. It's easy to figure out yourself with an excel spreadsheet. Or you could just ask me. Jerry@JerryCharlton.com

But here are the instructions to do it yourself.

You need the formula for a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet based on Canadian Mortgages.

This present value formula is for Canadian Mortgages with Interest Calculated Semi-Annually.

Replace Mortgage Rates with your rate or a cell reference. Same for Amortization and Payment You Can Afford.

=-((PV((1+Mortgage Interest Rate/2)^(1/6)-1,Amortization in Years*12,Monthly Payment You Could Afford)))

The next step is to divide the mortgage amount by the amount you need to finance.

Example 223,231.11 / 95% - 223,231.11 = the 5% Down You Need $11,749.01

Down Payment Plus Mortgage equals $234,980

Here's a quick reference table for you to see the possibilities. Of course, you still would need to qualify for a mortgage, but at least you would know what monthly payment range would be comfortable for you.

We have highly qualified Calgary Mortgage Agents standing by to help you.
Get started today and make yourself rich... not your landlord.

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What's your home worth in today's Calgary Real Estate Market?

Home values in Calgary are moving targets. We can give you a snapshot of the value of your home today. Tomorrow it could change. Home values are determined by the basics of supply and demand with location and condition added in. As a homeowner, you have no control over Supply or Demand or Location. The location is the location and you can't move it. Supply and demand are not controlled by anybody or anything. But do react to mortgage interest rates, time of year, employment stats, migration in and out, politics, fear and greed just to name a few things that cause the supply and demand to change like the weather.

Looking at the chart below of average prices we see that prices do go up, down and sideways in the short term for homes in Acadia Calgary. But the long-term trend is up. Just like the price of a loaf of bread is not the same as it was twenty years ago, neither is a home. The problem with investing in bread is it has a short shelf life. Not so with Acadia Calgary Real Estate.

Home Price Profile for Acadia Homes in Calgary

Many people find this chart below very interesting as it tells the story of a typical Calgary Community with homes built in the early sixties. Acadia is home to over 2,000 bungalows that are of a similar size and on very large plots of land compared to newer Calgary Communities. These homes are getting older and losing value at the same time as the location of the land and lot sizes are gaining in value. The building goes down in value and the land goes up in value over time. And this chart shows that very clearly as the spread in pricing gets wider. Older homes that have never been updated are at the low end of the price scale. The homes at the high end are homes where someone has taken charge of the only thing you really have control over - The Condition. Knowing the price profile for any Calgary Community is very valuable and easy - Just Contact Me at 403 831 0842 or Jerry@JerryCharlton.com