Christmas 2008

On behalf everyone at Magnuson Realty Ltd., I wish you all a Merry Christmas and all the best in 2009!

Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly

More doom and gloom, that's what I read in the newspapers and see on the evening news. You hear about it on the radio and at the local coffee shops. Why would anyone invest in real estate these days in these conditions? "That's just crazy!"

Well here is some food for thought - within the Brooks Real Estate Board, the average house price has risen 5.1% over the past year. Yes, I said risen! How are your stocks doing? I am too scared to look at mine! There are a larger number of houses available on the market now than in past years, but as a buyer, this is a good thing. Take a look at the past few years when buyers had to just take what they could get and make an offer now or risk losing out. Today, buyers can shop around and search for the best deal, take the time for a property inspection, and take time to negotiate. Sounds less stressful to me. Just a thought for all those who think that the sky is falling.

A Time to Remember

In a time where everyone is talking negatively, whether its about the economy, the Canadian dollar, recession, whatever, how about taking this day to be thankful and proud. Thankful and proud of those who have served and those who are currently serving in the armed forces for our country, Canada. Many of those soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I could be here today. So that we can enjoy the freedom that we take so much for granted each day.

Yes, we have all heard it before and perhaps we don't always pay as much attention or give thanks like we should, but how about today...bow your head, take that moment of silence our of respect, and let you heart swell with pride and smile, knowing how great and lucky we are to be Canadian!

Autumn 0f 2008

Inventory is up, sales have been slower than they were the past few years. Does this mean time to panic? Is the economy going down the tubes and we are all going to lose our shirts? Of course not.

Don't you remember your social studies classes, or in my case, my university economics class? Everything goes in cycles. How would anyone ever expect the housing market to maintain such strong growth for so long? Buyers were being priced out of the market place. Things had to slow down.

Will the market ever turn around again? Of course it will, it's just a matter of when. What do you think about this coming spring? Spring is when the flowers start to bloom and the grass turns green. The days get longer and the weather gets warmer. PLUS, the US will have a new government. With a new government comes optimism. With optimism comes happy people, confident people, with a brighter outlook on life! Here in Canada, we too could have a new government. Looks more like it will be the same party, but a majority this time. They will actually be able to do something with the worry of losing power in a non-confidence vote. More optimism!

Of course there are no guarantees and my crystal ball broke, so my predictions are not worth a whole lot, but I do like the theory. Let's see if is right. Hmmmm...perhaps I should go get a 6-49 ticket. I mean what if I can predict the future....

September 2008

Listings from Brokerages within the Brooks Real Estate Board indicate that there are 14 single family residential listings in the Town of Vulcan as of September 8, 2008. This is a large selection of homes for sale as the past few years have had a very low inventory. There are 6 acreages listed within the County of Vulcan and 6 parcels of farmland.

Time for Harvest

The crops are turning and farmers are out harvesting. The golden crops make for a magnificant sight!

There is a good selection of houses for sale in Vulcan, giving Buyers a better choice than they had about 18 months ago.

Keeping it Green

Thanks to Mother Nature, we are keeping it green in the county. The rains have been coming at just the right time and the grass is soaking it up! Mind you, some of the rain has come with some thunder and other fun stuff, but who are we to complain?

In general, the real estate market has slowed down, which is a good thing for buyers. You have more inventory to choose from than last year. As a seller, you have to be more competitive with your property, both in pricing and what you have to offer. The market is levelling out which helps make the economy more sustainable. This is a general theme not just in Vulcan, but in the real estate market throughout much of Canada.

Food for thought

Someone was quoted in stating "Many people wish to wait until next year, when prices may be lower, which of course, is a risk in and of itself. Prices may be lower, or may be higher. How many times have you waited for that special sweater at your favourite store to be marked down, only to discover that it was snapped up by someone else before you had the chance to purchase it?

If may be a simple analogy, but the principle is the same: Sometimes you snooze, you lose. If that's okay with you, then go ahead and wait it out. Hopefully you won't want to kick yourself a year from now."

The truth is, none of the experts can accurately predict the real estate market any better than the experts can accurately predict the stock market or what as prices will be a year from now. If you purchasd real estate in 2006 or 2007, you most likely got a great home at a terrific price with a low interest rate. Provided you stay in your home for several years, you will benefit when property values eventually rise again.

If you are selling now, you may be selling a little lower to buy lower. Same as a year or two ago, if you were selling, you were selling higher, but more than likely buying higher as well.

The best thing to do now is to determine what you can afford, decide what's important in a house and neighborhood, and start looking for a new home.

After all, it is a good time to buy!

Still a good residential market, despite the rest of the province

The Vulcan residential real estate market is still fairly strong for sales, despite the large amount of inventory in other real estate markets. Calgary and Edmonton have many more listings now, compared to the same time last year. Actually, this is happening throughout the province. Vulcan, however, is still a centrally located community with all of the necessary facilities (hospital, schools, recreational facilities including 18 holes golf course) with affordably priced housing. You can still afford to "live long and prosper"!

Municipal Commercial Garbage Collection Program

As of May 1, 2008 the Town will no longer be providing garbage bin collection for businesses.

Currently the Town is charged $50.00 for each bin pick up and is billing back the busineeses only a portion of this cost. In fact approximately $45,000 per year for this service is subsidized through the general tax.

After considering different options, Council recommended that the individual business owners negotiate themselves with the providers of the bin collection services.

The above information was taken from the Town Of Vulcan Newsletter dated April 15, 2008 Volume 24.

Canadian Real Estate Association AGM

I was in Gatineau, Quebec last week, representing the Brooks Real Estate Board at the CREA AGM and Leadership Conference. First of all, if you are ever in Gatineau, you must stay at least one night in the Hilton Lac-Leamy. VERY NICE!

The conference itself was very informative and interesting. We had speakers from IPSOS, telling us about trends in today's market, Risk Management, and we had Justin Trudeau. Justin seems to be a very smart, personable individual. My guess is that he will follow in his father's footsteps and become PM one day. I do, however, think that he will be more of an open minded leader.

We were told that the declining US market will have an effect on the Canadian market, basically with some American plants shutting down and some Canadian businesses who depend on the American consumers may feel the pinch. As far as real estate goes, Canada seems to have a much better system in place to keep our market in check. Good to hear! We are the envy of the US with our MLS system. It IS great to be a Canadian!

February 2008

Where is a great place to go golfing for the day? Vulcan. Where are there still affordable lots for sale to build by a golf course? Vulcan. Where is there available commercial property affordably priced in a high traffic area? Vulcan. Where is farmland available? County of Vulcan.

Golf season already?

People must be getting the itch and polishing their golf clubs. More and more people are calling about lots in Vulcan which are located by the golf course. Do they have the right idea, getting prepared for spring?

One thing that I am surprised about Vulcan is the businesses, or perhaps the potential of new businesss. Vulcan is located along the highway, is the central town in the County of Vulcan, and is located between Calgary and Lethbridge. We have people moving out of the city to come here to live. Wouldn't Vulcan be a great place to move or set up a new business? Just putting it out there!