OTTAWA, February 28, 2014 — Following the annual review of its insurance products and capital requirements, CMHC will increase its mortgage loan insurance premiums for homeowner and 1 – 4 unit rental properties effective May 1, 2014.

The increase applies to mortgage loan insurance premiums for owner occupied, self-employed and 1-to-4 unit rental properties, including low-ratio refinance premiums. This does not apply to mortgages currently insured by CMHC.

For the average Canadian homebuyer requiring CMHC insured financing, the higher premium will result in an increase of approximately $5 to their monthly mortgage payment. This is not expected to have a material impact on the housing market.

Effective May 1^st, CMHC Purchase (owner occupied 1 – 4 unit) mortgage insurance premiums will increase by approximately 15%, on average, for all loan-to-value ranges.

CMHC reviews its premiums on an annual basis and, going forward, plans to announce decisions on premiums in the first quarter of each year.

Based on a 5 year term @ 3.49% and a 25 year amortization

Based on a 5 year term @ 3.49% and a 25 year amortization

The residential home inventory on the Edmonton Multiple Listing Service® (MLS® System) rose 16% in January. Typically just over 1,800 homes in the Edmonton  come onto the market in January. Last month’s listings of 1,842 were higher than the 783 listed in December. Sales figures were higher than a typical January and higher than sales in December and January 2013. The increased inventory  kept prices stable in all housing categories.

Compared to December, the all-residential average3 price of $347,847 was down just $1,226 or
-0.16%. Single family detached (SFD) home prices were down 1.5% at $416,344. Condominiums were priced on average3 at $230,463 (down 1.5%) and duplex/rowhouses showed the biggest movement and were down 5.3% at $336,220.

Price stability and more property available for sale results in a balanced market.Right now both buyers and sellers have time to consider all their options and housing needs. More homes are listed every day and Irina Mierzewski your russian speaking REALTOR® can advise you of a suitable property as soon as it comes available.

The residential sales-to-listing ratio was 45% and the average days-on-market was 61 days in January compared to 73 days in January 2013. There have been four property sales over a $1 million already this year but half of the SFDs sold in January were sold at or below $385,000.

Strong economic indicators such as low unemployment, higher hourly wages and positive in-migration all support an optimistic view of the Edmonton and area housing market. Consumers are confident in their economic future and prepared to risk a first-time or move-up purchase. Low rental vacancies and the potential for higher rental rates are also attracting investors into the market.

Irina Mierzewski – your  russian/ukranian speaking REALTOR in Edmonton will be happy to answer all your questions and give her professional advise whether you sell or buy property in the near future.

The all-residential average price for the first three quarters of the year in the Edmonton CMA is $350,741 as compared to $340,090 in 2012. In September, the all-residential average was $352,057, up 5.4% from a year ago and inching up from $351,455 in the previous month.

Year-over-year sales were also up 19.4% with 1,466 (adjusted, 1,357 actual) all-residential sales in September. There were 13,691 residential sales in the Edmonton CMA in the first three quarters of 2013 as compared to just 12,876 sales at the same time last year.

The market is very active with many properties attracting multiple offers.The increases in the Alberta population are driving the market and because of the steady sales there are inventory shortages at the lower price ranges.

There were 926 (adjusted, actual 857) single-family detached sales in September at an average price of $408,642 (up 3.9% Y/Y) as compared to 773 sales a year ago at an average price of $393,374. Condos sold on average in September for $243,655 (438 adjusted sales, 406 actual), up from $224,330 last September (up 8.6%). Duplex/row house sales were up with 79 (adjusted ,73 actual) sales, valued on average at $338,250 ($316,973 last year).

Average sales prices are the highest they have been in five years,Combined with the highest sales numbers since 2012, we have year-to-date residential sales values totaling $4.8 million. Strong market fundamentals, increasing population and the persistence of low mortgage rates have convinced many buyers that an investment in real estate is secure.

The September sales-to-listing ratio of 65% was the result of 2,089 residential listings and 1,357 residential sales. The inventory of available homes on the Edmonton MLS® System was down from 5,557 units in August to 5,111 units in September. It took 54 days on average (up one) to sell a home in the Edmonton area. Irina Mierzewski has access to all the latest market data and effective marketing tools and is the best source of real estate advice for both buyers and sellers.

MLS® System Activity (for all-residential sales in Edmonton CMA1)

1 Census Metropolitan Area (Edmonton and municipalities in the four surrounding counties)
2 Single Family Dwelling
3 Average: The total value of sales in a category divided by the number of properties sold
4 Median: The middle figure in an ordered list of all sales prices
5 Residential includes SFD, condos and duplex/row houses
6 Includes residential, rural and commercial sales

3 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 sales 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. The RAE trading area includes communities beyond the CMA (Census Metropolitan Area) and therefore average and median prices may include sold properties outside the CMA. For information on a specific area, contact Irina Mierzewski – your local REALTOR®

Edmonton, June 4, 2013: Housing sales activity in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) slowed in May. Housing sales dropped 10% when compared to May 2012. Sales of single family detached homes (SFD) were down 14.4% Y/Y and duplex/rowhouse sales were down 20.3%. In contrast, during the same period, condo sales were up 4.9% compared to May 2012.
There is a lot of activity in the real estate market at this time of year but some buyers are having difficulty finding their perfect home. While inventory levels are rising they are still below traditional norms and there is a shortage of attractive SFD inventory available at the lower priced end of the market. That has held some buyers back. First time buyers may have had to buy in the condo market where they can still find a home in their price range.
There were an estimated 1,169 SFD sales in May (based on 1,082 reported sales) through the MLS® System with 512 estimated sales of condos (474 reported) for total residential sales of 1,824 units (on reported sales of 1,689). Sales figures in the month are estimated to account for late reported sales and to ensure accurate comparison to prior period sales figures.
Listing activity picked up in May with 1,969 SFDs listed (up 1.3% Y/Y) and 963 condos (up 0.3% Y/Y) for an overall total of 3,188 residential properties coming into the MLS® System in May. At the end of May there were 6,028 residential properties available; up from 5,294 from last month. There were an additional 1,569 rural properties in the MLS® System inventory.
The demand for housing has buoyed up prices in the Edmonton area. The all-residential average price was up 2.4% from April and up 1.3% from a year ago at $356,807. The average price of SFDs was up 3.9% to $418,110 in May but condo prices dropped 2.4% from a month ago to $237,664. The condo average price is down 3.97% in May compared to last year.
Increased activity at the higher end of the market drove up the average price of SFDs. At the same time, the wide variety and number of options in the condominium sector continued to exert downward pressure on the average price of condominiums. There is housing available for everyone at every price point but buyers may have to adjust their expectations to be able to buy right now. T
The average days-on-market for residential property was down to 45 days and the sales-to-listing ratio was 53% in May.
-30-
MLS® System Activity (for all-residential sales in Edmonton CMA1)
May 2013 M/M % Change Y/Y % Change
SFD2 average3 selling price – month $418,110 3.94% 5.35%
SFD median4 selling price – month $387,750 2.31% 3.40%
Condominium average selling price $237,664 -2.40% -3.97%
Condominium median selling price $228,000 0.00% -0.87%
All-residential5 average selling price $356,807 2.37% 1.32%
All-residential median selling price $339,500 1.34% 2.11%
# residential listings this month 3,188 15.13% 1.59%
# residential sales this month 1,689 10.90% -9.97%
# residential inventory at month end 6,028 13.86% -6.67%
# Total6 MLS® System sales this month 2,365 17.43% -8.83%
$ Value Total residential sales this month $719 million 16.88% -7.62%
$ Value of total MLS® System sales – month $837 million 17.91% -8.95%
$ Value of total MLS® System sales – YTD $3.2 billion 14.13% -10.67%
1 Census Metropolitan Area (Edmonton and surrounding municipalities)
2 Single Family Dwelling
3 The total value of sales in a category divided by the number of properties sold
4 The middle figure in a list of all sales prices
5 Residential includes SFD, condos and duplex/row houses.
6 Includes residential, rural and commercial sales

The real issue is how much money you have and how much you’re prepared to spend in order to secure the house of your future.
If you are prepared to own two homes for an extended period of time, you could buy the new Canadian house and simply wait until you sell your primary residence.

But if you’re just waiting to find the right house so that you can retire, owning two homes could be a substantial setback to your plan. And if you can’t really afford to own the two houses at once, you might be better off making sure you have a buyer for your current home before trying to buy a home.

The problem is that you still might own these two homes for some time to come. To understand how much of a liability you face, you’ll have to do an indepth study of homes that have recently sold and those that are on the market.
You can do this by looking up the prices of homes that have closed. But if you are unsure of where the real estate market is in your area, just ask me to get my thoughts on the market and how to position your home for sale.

Since you may not have your home ready to sell for almost a year, the market today could be very different from the market next summer. If the real estate market in your area is better now, you might want to consider selling soon. If the real estate market in your area is poor now, it may or may not get better next summer.

Your decision to buy hinges on whether you can see into the future to determine where the real estate market might be. I do know that owning two homes and having the expenses for those two homes is a big burden to bear particularly when you are trying to retire and scale down your home and your way of life.

With the a later than expected arrival of spring, average prices for housing in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) decreased month-over-month in April after a surprising uptick in March. The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton reports that the all-residential price (including single family detached, condominiums, duplexes and row-houses) decreased 1.8% over March to $348,535. Compared to April 2012, the all-residential price was up 2.0%.

“The second quarter is the most active time of year for real estate sales,” said President Darrell Cook. “Both buyers and sellers want to complete the transaction before school starts in September and get settled into the new neighbourhood.” About 33% of annual sales happen in April, May, and June, while 25% occur in Q3 and 19% in the last three months of the year. In April, there were an estimated 1,645 (1,523 actual) total residential property sales through the Edmonton Multiple Listing Service® as compared to 1,656 (actual) in April 2012.

Estimated SFD sales of 1,037 units (960 actual) were down 4.4% from last year but condominium sales increased 4.1% year-over-year to 459 estimated sales (425 actual). There were 118 estimated sales of duplex/rowhouse properties (109 actual) in April (up 15.4% y/y). Sales numbers are estimated to account for late reported sales and provide meaningful comparison to previous year actual sales.

Market activity picked up in April according to both market activity indicators. The sales-to-listing ratio was up at 55% in April while days-on-market was down from 50 in March to 49 in April. Inventory continues to be relatively low with 5,294 residential properties of all types available on the MLS® System at the end of April. There were 2,769 residential properties listed for sale in April (up just 0.5% from April, 2012). “As many as 100 additional homes are listed everyday so motivated buyers need to maintain contact with their REALTOR® to ensure that they are notified the moment that a suitable property becomes available,” said Cook.

In April, the average price for a single family detached home was $402,270 (down 3.5% from March). The average priced condo sold for $243,503 (down 1.3% m/m) and duplex and rowhouses prices were up 2.8% to $324,975 on average. It is important to note that the average price encompasses all properties and can be driven upward by a higher than average number of expensive sales in any given month. Contact your REALTOR® to get an accurate evaluation of your home.

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MLS® System Activity (for all-residential sales in Edmonton CMA1)

April 2013 M/M % Change Y/Y % Change
SFD2 average3 selling price – month $402,270 -3.47% 2.88%
SFD median4 selling price – month $379,000 -0.26% 2.99%
Condominium average selling price $243,503 -1.25% 3.45%
Condominium median selling price $228,000 -0.65% 1.38%
All-residential5 average selling price $348,535 -1.75% 2.03%
All-residential median selling price $335,000 1.61% 2.29%
# residential listings this month 2,769 14.33% 0.47%
# residential sales this month 1,523 9.88% -8.03%
# residential inventory at month end 5,294 11.66% -12.35%
# Total6 MLS® System sales this month 2,014 10.54% -9.16%
$ Value Total residential sales this month $616 million 8.08% -6.20%
$ Value of total MLS® System sales – month $710 million 10.37% -7.06%
$ Value of total MLS® System sales – YTD $2.3 billion 10.24% -7.35%
1 Census Metropolitan Area (Edmonton and surrounding municipalities)
2 Single Family Dwelling
3 The total value of sales in a category divided by the number of properties sold
4 The middle figure in a list of all sales prices
5 Residential includes SFD, condos and duplex/row houses.
6 Includes residential, rural and commercial sales

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Calgary+real+estate+investment+market+Canada/7535200/story.html

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%.

Путь к продаже вашего дома лежит через Кухню

Продавцы
понимают, что путь к сердцу потенциального покупателя лежит через кухню. За многие
годы, кухня стала тем самым местом, где за большим столом собирается вся семья,
где готовится завтраки обеды и ужины, где собираются друзья и конечно же где
дети делают свое домашнее задание. Таким
образом,  одним из самых многомерных и
функциональных комнат в доме является кухня.

Её ремонт и привлекает внимание многих
покупателей, которые хотят увеличить стоимость перепродажи  дома в будущем, или просто улучшить свои
условия и уют в доме.

Хотя,
надо сказать, что продавцы чаще не хотят связывать себя в дополнительным
расходом и вложением времени перед продажей дома. Согласгл проведенным
исследованиям, ремонт кухни приносит 75-100% возврата на вложенные деньги, т.е.
второй после ремонта ванной.

К счастью. Ремонт дома не такой уж сложный проект как некоторым может показаться.
С увеличением центров «сделай сам» можно экономически эффективным способом
увеличить стоимость вашего дома без высоких цен на квалифицированного
специалиста.

Вот несколько шагов, которые вы можете предпринять.

По
Rona.ca, кухонные шкафы являются одной из лучших инвестиций, которые можно
сделать в доме. Для многих покупателей недвижимости первые впечатления происходят
на кухне. Потратив чуть больше на качественныекухонные шкафы и  ручки для них, можно ожидать, что ваши
инвестиции в вознаградят вас сторицей.

Покрасив стены и шкафы на кухне, в случае еслы вы не собираетесь их менять,
можно изменить внешний вид кухни с минимальными затратами и сделать комнату
более просторной.

Светильники и люстры часто являются одними из последних вариантов улучшения на
кухне, но часто про них забывают, когда кухня отремонтирована. За счет
добавления новых источников света на кухне, можно объединить архитектурный и
декоративный баланс в комнате. Хорошим освещением можно выделить некоторые
особенности кухни, такие как Backsplash или рабочую стенку сделаную камнем или
мозаикой, чтобы создать более яркий и привлекательный вид.

Каждой кухне нужна раковина и смеситель. Но когда речь идет о перепродаже дома,
только некоторые из  продавцов  видят ценность в замене раковины. Кран и
раковина является одним из наиболее важных особенностей кухни. Когда покупатели
входят в комнату, они, естественно тяготеют к раковине и проверяют краны.Это
дает чувство домашнего очага, особенно потому, что они тратят большую часть
своего времени на кухне.

И напоследок, статистика по Эдмонтону и
прилежащих районах:

В Апреле 2012 года вышло на рынок 3253
резидентских листинга. Из них продалось 1713. Это значит, что продается 53%
домов.

Среднее количество дней на маркете
составило 50.

С акрейджами и вне городскими продажами
чуть сложнее – выставлено было 648 участков с домами, продалось только 165 –
т.е. 25%. Среднее количество дней составило 82.

Самыми популярными районами в Эдмонтоне
стали северо-центральный со 153 продажами и ср ценой $347,645, Юго-восток
города – 134  продажи со ср ценой $357,040
и юго-западный со 117 продажами и ср ценой $521,778

На конец апреля активных листингов по
эдмонтону и районам – 7,334. Если в среднем продается с среднем 1800 домов в
месяц, то инвентории у нас сейчас предостаточно на следущие 4 месяца.
Покупатели, у вас все еще есть большой выбор!

Если у вас есть вопросы – пишите,
звоните, я всегда отвечу.
Удачных сделок!!!

Ирина Миерзевски

780-991-9764

www.irinahomes@live.com

irinahomes@live.com

РИЭЛТОР® ABR®

Realty Executives Polaris

New
FreeAPP for iPhone “Edmonton MLS®” search for your new home on your mobile!

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.