Edmonton Real Estate Blog 
We're changing domain names!
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 at 8:12am. 21 Views, 0 Comments.
Hi All,
There are some big changes coming in the near future! We have decided to stop using the www.FirstHomePros.com domain name, and we're changing it to www.GoEdmontonHomes.com. But don't worry your searches will still be available on our new website, and we promise that our new website will be better than ever! Thank you for all of your support!
If you have any questions you can alwasy call or text me at 780-709-0811.
Cheers,
Chris Proctor
Edmonton Real Estate Market Update for June
Friday, July 8th, 2011 at 1:59pm. 408 Views, 0 Comments.
As reported by the Edmonton Journal, last
month Edmonton home sales jumped a healthy 7.6% compared to a year
ago, according to the Realtors Association of Edmonton. In total, the June
housing market saw 54% of listed homes sell for a total of $584 million (1,768
sales; 3,260 listings).
A couple of key factors behind this boost in sales are, of course, the hot Alberta economy and those good ol’ historically low interest rates – which make home ownership a reality for many people, especially first time home owners and former renters.
However, another factor that is boosting home sales appears to be a slight dip in average selling prices, which further makes ownership affordable and attractive. The average price for a single family home…
Mortgage Rate Hikes on the Horizon
Friday, June 3rd, 2011 at 8:53pm. 607 Views, 0 Comments.
As reported by the Canadian
Press, home buyers and sellers should gear up for mortgage rate hikes sooner
instead of later.
That’s because, while the Bank of Canada this week declined to change its current 1% overnight rate (which banks use to formulate their mortgage and other lending rates), it announced in a statement that the economic recovery, if it continues, will inevitably lead to hikes in the near future.
"To the extent that the expansion continues and the current material excess supply in the economy is gradually absorbed,” the Bank of Canada noted in its statement, “some of the considerable monetary policy stimulus currently in place will be eventually withdrawn."
For those who have been closely following the Bank…
New Rules for Home Inspectors in Alberta
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011 at 1:11pm. 732 Views, 1 Comments.
As
reported earlier this month by the Edmonton
Journal, the Provincial government has passed some much-anticipated new
rules affecting home inspections in Alberta.
Under the Home Inspection Business Regulation, Home Inspectors must:
- meet minimum qualification and education standards in order to be licensed by the province (those who already hold a Registered Home Inspector or Certified Master Inspector certificate are pre-qualified)
- carry $1 million in “errors and omissions” insurance
- post a $10,000 security fee in case of negligence or incompetence
Home Inspectors who don’t meet these requirements can apply a conditional licence, which expires in March 2013.
In addition, the new regulations put an end to…
Open Houses for May Long weekend!!
Thursday, May 19th, 2011 at 12:40pm. 391 Views, 0 Comments.
Hi Everyone,
Come check out our open houses this weekend!
STUNNING, renovated Terwillegar Towne 2-storey. Saturday May 21 2-4 p.m.
1917 Tanner Wy
Unbeatable Location of this Parkallen GEM! Sunday May 22 2-4 p.m.
11123 70 Ave
Can't wait to see you there!!
-Chris
First Time Home Buyers Driving Real Estate Market: Report
Saturday, May 14th, 2011 at 9:13am. 234 Views, 0 Comments.
According
to a recent Re/Max report, first time home buyers across the country are
driving the real estate market forward.
There are a few factors behind this trend. The first is the prospect that higher mortgage rates are just around the corner. In fact, most of the major banks have already hiked their standard five-year, fixed rates.
The second is the Government’s new mortgage rules, which reduce the maximum amortization period for government-insured mortgages from 35 years to 30 years. What’s very interesting here is that instead of preventing first time home owners from taking the plunge into the housing market, the new rules are simply compelling many people to change their expectations. They’re willing to bend a bit when it…
Edmonton Home Prices Stable: Report
Monday, May 9th, 2011 at 12:14pm. 268 Views, 0 Comments.
According to a report by the REALTORS
® Association of Edmonton,
housing prices remained stable in April vs. March. And after a shaky 2010 and
an even more volatile 2009, stability in the housing market seems like just
what the doctor ordered if you ask me!
Here’s the statistical snapshot:
- All-residential average price decreased $310
- Single family home prices decreased $425
- Condo prices rose $1,305
- Residential sales were down 7.8%
- Residential listing activity rose 9.8%
- Inventory of homes on the Multiple Listing Service® increased 4.6%
- The average days-on-market in April was 49 days.
- The residential sales-to-listing ratio was 45% in April
So what do all these numbers mean for buyers and sellers?…
Edmonton Scores High on Nationwide “Livability” List
Saturday, April 9th, 2011 at 12:31pm. 529 Views, 0 Comments.
While
our Oilers may not be making the playoffs (again…sigh) and the Eskimos haven’t
had a parade in more years than I’d care to remember, there’s one place where Edmonton is doing extraordinarily well – and that’s on the
MoneySense “livability” list.
Of course, it’s NO surprise to me that Edmonton has solidified 8th spot on the list of Canada’s Best Places to Live – ahead of Toronto, Vancouver, Regina, Montreal and – wait for it…Calgary!
Edmonton has always been a world class city and home of the friendliest people I’ve ever come across. And while I have no doubt we’ll climb our way up the ladder and reach number one (a spot currently held by Ottawa-Gatineau), I think 8th place is a fine showing. …
Choosing the RIGHT Neighbourhood for your next Edmonton Home
Thursday, February 17th, 2011 at 3:42pm. 688 Views, 0 Comments.
When buying a home in Edmonton, obviously you’ll be looking at key details like
square footage, price and condition. However, just as important to your home
buying decision is the neighbourhood.
Now, everyone who knows me knows that I love Edmonton, and there are “gems” (some of them hidden) in every neighbourhood. So I’m not suggesting here that one area is necessarily better than another. It all depends on your unique needs, lifestyle, and future plans.
However, when it comes to choosing the right neighbourhood for your next home – which, again, is the neighbourhood that is RIGHT for you –here are some important things to pay attention to:
Schools: Many families narrow down their home search by focusing on school…
REALTORS Association of Edmonton President Predicts Market Stability in 2011
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011 at 7:27pm. 349 Views, 0 Comments.
At the beginning of a new
year, it’s always fun to play “what might happen in the 12 months ahead?” and
then see, in time, if you were right.
But there are instances where correctly guessing trends is more than fun – it’s fantastic – and incorrectly guessing them is…well, not fantastic. In fact, it can be really lousy.
One such instance is trying to get a handle on the Edmonton real estate market. Frankly, when it comes to either buying or selling, you really don’t want to be on the wrong side of any trend – because it can cost you tens of thousands of dollars, not to mention add all kinds of stress to your life.
Fortunately, there are experts who have the knowledge, credentials and experience to help Edmonton home…
