Russian Edmonton Real Estate

Edmonton, November 2, 2012: Even with ghosts, ghouls, and goblins running through the streets, homeowners could find refuge in the local housing market. The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton reports that housing prices in October were up compared to a year ago and are the highest in October in the past five years. The all residential average price for the Edmonton Multiple Listing Service® was up 0.6% at $324,924 when compared to October 2011. The average price of a single family detached home was $372,061 up 2.1% over a year ago. Condos were priced on average at $234,177 which was an uptick of 1.8% from a month ago and up 5.4% from last October. Duplex/row house prices were down 1.1% Y/Y at $305,777.

Homesellers are pleased that their property may be worth more than it has been in the past five years but homebuyers can plan their financing in an environment of small, steady price increases. The housing market is be-deviled in other centres but here in Edmonton both buyers and sellers find it heavenly. The pace of sales is steady, prices increase year-over-year, there is sufficient inventory and average days-on-market is reasonable.

REALTORS® listed an average of 72 homes each day in October and sold an average of 44 per day. There were a total of 2,228 residential listings in October, with sales of 1,375 properties. As a result of lower listings and larger sales volumes, the month end residential inventory was down (-7.9%) from last month with 6,406 properties available. Days-on-market was an average of 61 and the sales to listing ratio was 62%. There was $447 million worth of residential property, $53 million of rural and $23 million of commercial property sold through the Edmonton MLS® in October.

Life happens to us all, unless you are an investor, the best time to buy or sell your home is when your lifestyle changes. No matter what your personal circumstances, Irina Mierzewski – your REALTOR® is here when life happens.

Edmonton, October 2, 2012: The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton reports that residential listings and sales have trended lower in the third quarter after an active start to the year. In September, there were 1,269 residential sales in the greater Edmonton market as compared to 1,442 in September 2011. Despite the recent cooling trend, residential sales year-to-date are still up 7.2% as compared to last year at this time. There have been 14,565 residential sales to the end of the third quarter as compared to just 13,729 last year.

“There were changes to the mortgage qualification rules in March,” said REALTORS® Association of Edmonton President Doug Singleton. “We did not see an effect on the local market at that time but it seems to have had a cooling effect in the past quarter.”

The average1 price for a single family dwelling (SFD) has remained higher than last year for each of the past nine months. In September, the SFD average price of $376,678 was up just 0.23% from the previous year and is up 2.78% from the January 1 price. The all-residential average price is down 2.6% from last year at $323,369. This is the first month this year that the all-res price has dipped below the 2011 figure for the same month.

Condominium and duplex/rowhouse prices are more volatile and vary widely from month to month. In September average condo prices were down 3.1% ($229,246) while duplex/townhouse prices on average were up 2.75% ($307,739). Still, after nine months both current prices are up from the January 1, 2012 prices for the category.

Total MLS® System listings this year are up 104 units as compared to last year at 33,295 properties but Total MLS® System year-to-date sales are 16,487 units as compared to 15,378 at the end of the third quarter in 2011. There are 6,956 residential properties in the inventory compared to the 8,062 last year at this time. Rural and commercial property sales are both up marginally compared to last year although listings have dropped. The residential sales-to-listing ratio was down from 56.7% to 52.3% and residential days-on-market was up to 59 in September from 54 in August.

“Sales always fall month-to-month at the end of the year; that’s just normal market fluctuation,” said Singleton. “But overall, the market has been stable with little market advantage for either buyers or sellers. Edmonton is still one of the best places in North America to own property and I urge consumers to talk to their local REALTOR® when they are in a position to buy or sell property.”

Edmonton, September 5, 2012: Residential property sales in August slowed both month-to-month and year-to-year, mirroring a trend that has evolved nationally all summer. Sales of all types of residential properties in August (1,430) were down 17.4% from July and down 10.7% from a year ago. The number of people offering their properties for sale also slowed but not as sharply as sales. There were 2,732 residential properties listed on the Multiple Listing Service® in August; down 2.2% from a month ago and down just 5.6% from a year ago. The available inventory was reduced 2.9% to 7,458 properties.

“Housing sales across Canada have dropped slightly since May,” said REALTORS® Association of Edmonton President Doug Singleton. “The sales activity varies from market to market and it appears, when compared to last year that Edmonton is slowing faster than the national trend after a very active spring. Never-the-less, housing prices are still up from a year ago and consumer confidence is high.”

Despite the slowdown in sales, prices were up as compared to August 2011. The average* selling price of a single family detached home (SFD) was down marginally (-0.15%) at $384,477 from last month but up 3.8% from a year ago. Condo prices were also down marginally (-0.9%) from last month at $237,042 but up from last year. The all residential average price was $334,395 (down 0.5% m/m) which is up 3.2% from August 2011.

Average prices are affected by the difference in price of similar properties as well as the market composition or mix of homes sold. Compared to a year ago, a typical bungalow in August sold for 2.2% more while a typical 2-story home sold for about 3.2% more. While the price of an individual home was rising, the market composition was also changing. In August 2012, 53% of SFDs sold were priced below $375,000 as compared to 59% in 2011. In addition, the number of sales of homes over $500,000 was up from 11% in 2011 to almost 15% this year.

“August sales illustrate the changes in the composition of the market,” said Singleton. “More consumers are purchasing homes at the higher end of the market. This is an indicator of consumer confidence and a long term view that this market is stable. ”

The average days-on-market in August was up two at 54 days. The sales-to-listing ratio was down, moving down from 62.0% in July to 52.3%.

Edmonton, May 2, 2012: According to figures released by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton, there is a sea of calm in the local real estate market. Residential sales through the Multiple Listing Service® System in April were up 5.3% from the same month last year but below average for April. There were 1,713 residential sales in April as compared to the 5-year average of 1,940 sales. There were 7,334 residential properties available in inventory at the end of April which is up 7% from last month.

“There is plenty of choice in the market at this time,” said REALTORS® Association of Edmonton President Doug Singleton. “Single family prices have risen slightly each month this year which is encouraging sellers to list their property.” He urged home buyers to remain calm, to confirm their financing arrangements and to study the market with their REALTOR®. “Of course, when your REALTOR® shows you the ideal home you should move decisively to make an offer and begin the home buying process in case another buyer is also interested.”

In April, the average1 residential price was up just 0.8% from last month at $337,363. The average price of a single family detached home was $382,384, up 0.9% from the previous month. The average price of a condominium in April was $235,036, up 1.3% from March. Duplex and rowhouse properties sold on average for $329,025; a 3.6% rise from the previous month. Residential prices were also up when compared to a year ago:

• Single family up 0.4%
• Condominium up 1.1%
• Duplex/Row house up 8.9%
• All residential up 2.99%

The average days-on-market in April was 50 days (down three from March) and the sales-to-listing ratio was 53% (up 2% from last month); both indicators reflecting increased market activity. REALTORS® participated in the sale of $578 million worth of residential property last month and total MLS® activity for the year is $1.5 billion (up 15% from 2011 YTD).

“If a change in your lifestyle requires a change of address, then this a great market to be in,” said Singleton. “Choice of neighbourhoods, variety of housing types and stable pricing may not be available in every market but they are features here in the Edmonton area.”

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Activity (for   all residential sales on Edmonton MLS® System)

2 Residential includes SFD, condos and duplex/row houses
3 Single Family Dwelling
4 The middle figure in a list of all sales prices
5 Includes residential, rural and commercial sales

1 Average prices indicate market trends only. They do not reflect actual changes for a particular property, which may vary from house to house and area to area. Prior period figures have been adjusted to include late reported sales and cancellations and therefore reflect a more accurate view of the period than previously reported at month end.

Clothesline® program holding clothing and electronics collection event with goal of collecting 1 million kilograms in donations

TORONTO, ONTARIO (April 24, 2012) – The days are longer, the grass is greener—and spring cleaning season is upon us!  This spring, support the Clothesline® program by donating your gently used clothing and small electronics to help reach a goal of collecting one million kilograms of donated items across Canada.   The second annual ‘Fill A Truck’ event will take place nationwide in 70 communities on Saturday, May 19 and every donation qualifies you to win.  Visit diabetes.ca/fillatruck to find an event near you and for full contest rules and regulations.  All net proceeds raised by the Clothesline® program directly support the Canadian Diabetes Association and their leading-edge diabetes research, education and advocacy efforts.

Donating to Clothesline® not only helps the more than nine million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes, but also helps our environment by diverting materials that may otherwise end up in landfills.

If unable to donate on May 19, donors can always schedule a free pick-up right from their front door by visiting diabetes.ca/promise or by calling the toll-free number 1-800-505-5525.  Donors can also drop off a sealed clothing and cloth-based donation at any one of our 1,875 red Clothesline® donation bins located across Canada (visit diabetes.ca/dropbox to locate your nearest donation bin).  Clothesline® happily accepts reusable clothing, all cloth-based items, shoes, boots, books, jewelry, toys, cell phones, cameras, laptops and much more (all electronic items should be sealed in a separate plastic bag).

“We are very proud to celebrate more than 27 years of service in communities across Canada as well as supporting the millions of Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes,” says Janelle Robertson, Vice President, Clothesline®.

About Clothesline®
Each year, Clothesline® diverts more than 46 million kilograms of clothing and household items from our landfills. This translates into a savings of 840 million kWh of energy and reduces our donors’ carbon footprint by 115 million kilograms of CO2 emissions. This energy savings is equivalent to planting 8.2 million trees!

About the Canadian Diabetes Association
The Canadian Diabetes Association is a registered charitable organization, leading the fight against diabetes by helping people with diabetes live healthy lives while we work to find a cure. Our professional staff and more than 20,000 volunteers provide education and services to help people in their daily fight against the disease, advocate on behalf of people with diabetes for the opportunity to achieve their highest quality of life, and break ground towards a cure. Please visit diabetes.ca, join us on facebook.com/CanadianDiabetesAssociation, follow us on Twitter @DiabetesAssoc, or call 1-800-BANTING (226-8464).

The homeseller understands the way to any potential homebuyer’s heart is through the
kitchen. Over the years, the kitchen has shed its once humble beginnings as a
place to simply prepare and serve meals, to more of a place where friends can
socialize over a glass of wine or where children can do their homework. With
the kitchen becoming one of the most multi-dimensional and functional rooms in
the house, kitchen renovations have attracted the attention of many who are
looking to increase their home’s resale value or would simply just like to
enjoy the improvements to their home.

Nevertheless, many sellers would rather not deal with the expense and length of
the project before they sell their home. But for many, kitchen renovation can
mean top return for the prospective home sellers. According to the Appraisal
Institute of Canada, kitchen renovations represent a 75% – 100% return on
investment, which is the second highest return in the home, next to bathroom
renovations.
Fortunately, home renovation is not as difficult as one might expect; the
recent expansion of renovation centres across the country has led to a
burgeoning “do-it-yourself” project culture. The “do-it-yourself” renovation
can be a cost-effective way to increase the value of your home without the high
price of a trained professional.

Here are a few steps you can take to increase the equity in your home.
According to Rona.ca, kitchen cupboards are one of the best investments one can
make in terms of return on investment on the home. Many homebuyers’ first
impressions of the home take place in the kitchen, and much of that is
highlighted by the kitchen cupboards. By spending a few more dollars on high
quality cabinetry and hardware (knobs and handles on cabinets), you can expect
your investment to reward you handsomely.

By either painting the walls and/or cabinets, it will update the look of the
kitchen with minimal costs and make the room more spacious

Lighting is often one of the last fixtures to be considered, and often
forgotten when the kitchen is remodeled. But by adding new light sources to the
kitchen, it can be a great way to bring together architectural and decorative
balance to a room. Good lighting can highlight certain features of a kitchen
such as the backsplash to create a more colourful and robust look.

Every kitchen needs a sink and faucet. But when it comes to the resale of the
home, few home sellers see the value of replacing the sink. “The faucet and
sink are one of the most important features of a kitchen. When homebuyers enter
the room, they naturally gravitate toward the sink and test out the faucets”,
says Mike Mazza of Mazza Renovation Group Inc, “it provides a sense of hearth
for many buyers because they spend a majority of their time in the kitchen”.

Financing your “do-it-yourself” project can be quite overwhelming. Many
renovation centres offer financing options, but usually charge up to 18%
interest rate after the introductory “interest-free” period is over. For a more
prudent option to finance your project, visit your local financial institution.
By going to your local financial institution rather than the
renovation centre for your financing needs, you can save hundreds of dollars on
interest.

Housing sales and prices stable at the end of the first quarter – REALTORS®

Edmonton, April 2, 2012: At the end of the first quarter, the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton reports that the average residential price in the Edmonton area is up 2.2% when compared to a year ago. The all-residential average1 price, at $335,187 compared to $328,094 in March of last year. Single family detached (SFD) and condominium average prices were stable year-over-year with SFD prices up 0.2% and condos down 0.7%.

“Other markets, such as Toronto, are reporting feverish real estate activity involving multiple offers and unconditional offers but our market is calm, orderly and slowly evolving,” said REALTORS® Association of Edmonton President Doug Singleton. “Listing activity is up when compared to last year but sales and inventory are down which could indicate that market activity will pick up markedly as the summer progresses.”

On the Multiple Listing Service® System, sales and listings by REALTORS® in March were up, with 3,271 residential listings (up 23.5% from February) and sales of 1,533 (up 24.5% from the previous month). As a result, the inventory of residential properties available for sale was up 14.6% at 6,851 properties. At the current sales level, there are four and half months of inventory available. In total, there are 10,640 properties of all types (commercial, rural and residential) on the Edmonton and Area Multiple Listing Service®.

Market stability is reflected in the sales-to-listing ratio which is unchanged from month-to-month. The average days-on-market dropped in March by one day from 54 to 53 and residential properties are selling at about the same pace as this time last year on a year-to-date basis (46%).

In March, the average price of a single family detached home was $380,083, up 1.3% from the previous month. The average price of a condominium in March was $231,629, down 1.4% from the February price (last month the price of condos advanced over 8% in a month). Duplex and rowhouse properties sold on average for $319,020; a 4.1% improvement from the previous month.

“April is the start of the real estate season when people who want to buy and sell real estate are most active,” said Singleton. “There is speculation that mortgage rates will start to rise which makes it more difficult for first time buyers. However, there is lots of choice in our market with new properties coming available daily. Whatever your housing situation you can trust the advice of your local REALTOR® who is here when life happens.”

Activity (for   all residential sales on Edmonton MLS® System)

2 Residential includes SFD, condos and duplex/row houses
3 Single Family Dwelling
4 The middle figure in a list of all sales prices
5 Includes residential, rural and commercial sales

1 Average prices indicate market trends only. They do not reflect actual changes for a particular property, which may vary from house to house and area to area. Prior period figures have been adjusted to include late reported sales and cancellations and therefore reflect a more accurate view of the period than previously reported at month end.