Summer 2013

Summer 2013 has been one to remember, and it is only half over! Near the end of June, several of our neighbouring communities were the victims of the worst flooding that we have on record. High River received major damage to residential properties and business, Calgary received major flooding that almost cancelled the Calgary Stampede, and our friends at Hidden Valley Resort have seen the devastation first hand due to the flooding. The Town of Vulcan stood up to the plate and offered refuge to flood victims. We have emergency centres, and many local residents opened up their homes and took in those people who had no place to go. A big hats off to the businesses and residents of Vulcan! So, now as those flood victims, many who still cannot go home yet, Vulcan is seeing the after effects of the flood. Our local rental market is packed. We have waiting lists for people looking for a place to stay here. Actually, we were almost full before the floods. The wind mill farm is also in the process of going up so there are many people looking for places to rent. Our residential real estate market has been very busy. Buyers are looking for places under the $150,000 or $170,000 marks. Many of these folks are from Hidden Valley Resort. I am guessing that we will see in increase in activity from people who live/lived in High River. Right now, much of their equity/investment is under water. However, once things are sorted out with insurance companies, as well as assistance from provincial and federal governments, I would expect to see several of those people looking to Vulcan as a new place to call home too. This has been an unprecented event. No one knows for sure what the outcome will be until we actually see it. It is horrible for those victims of the flood. Many have lost everything. We should be thankful that more lives were not lost though. One is too many, but it could have been much worse.

Alberta Flood 2013

The County of Vulcan did have an emergency alert for the Travers Reservoir and Little Bow, but as far as I have seen, there has been no major damage, unlike many other neighbouring communities. I know that the town of Vulcan itself, while not being a victim of the floods, has been very active in help those who have had their lives drastically changed due to the floods. We have had free breakfasts, and lunches for those who have no where else to go, and have collected clothing and other supplies for those in need. Flood victims can register at our Cultural and Recreational Centre and then come pick up clothing and supplies in different areas. Local residents have also opened up their homes to those who have no home to go back to, until they get the word that they can go back. It is strange, to say the least. Things like this only happen on TV and we become numb to it all. But now that it has happened so close to home, it puts a whole new perspective on things. At least it does for me.

Rain and cool in Calgary does not mean it isn't sunny and warm here...

So often we read, see, or hear on the news how the real estate market is doing. On the street, talk to one person and they think that the market is booming, and then talk to another and they will say that the market is slow. We have heard how the Canadian Real Estate market is slowing down, but then we hear how things are booming in Alberta and Saskatchewan. So...what are we supposed to think??? Check with the local real estate agents, your local town office, or local trades people. Just because it is raining cats and dogs and the temperature is cool in Calgary, that does not necessarily mean that the weather is not sunny and warm here in Vulcan. The same goes for the real estate market. Yes, I spoke with a real estate friend this past week and she is getting sick of all of the multiple offer situations that she is dealing with. She gets text messages in the middle of a showing, letting her know that there has just been an accepted offer on the property. Calgary has a different economy, a much larger population, and a much more diverse working population. In Vulcan, we are currently seeing an increase in activity in the local residential real estate market, however, due to our large inventory of properties on the market and a low amount of jobs available, our market is still rather soft. For example, when we figure out what our absorption rate is for the local market, it is taking the average property almost a year on the market to sell. Some are taking less time, while other are taking more than a year to sell. When we do get a couple of sales, everyone seems to get excited because "Things are moving again", "The market is starting to take off". My advice to sellers is to be patient. It is still a soft market. When we do actually get an offer in writing, that is at least a start. An offer in writing is a place to start negotiations. Potential buyers talking about putting an offer in, or just wanting to submit a verbal offer, are more often than not, wasting a seller's time. "I have friends who want to buy your place but just aren't ready yet" does not pay off one's mortgage. "We are waiting to see what the market does before we write an offer," does not make the monthly payments. As the saying goes' "In God we trust, all other must pay cash", this holds true for real estate as well. An offer is only as good as the paper it is written on. If it's not on paper, it's not really an offer. People's minds can change, remembering things differently, and so on. And one last piece of advice for the day, enjoy your time with friends at the coffee shop, but take their advice with a grain of salt. Like I said before, just because someone heard that the market is doing great in one place, does not mean that it's necessarily doing great in another. Different regions have different influences on their own market. Do your homework before coming to your own conclusions.

Pool opening soon!

The Town of Vulcan andd it's workers are in the process of getting the outdoor pool ready to open next weekend! There is water now in the pool and they are doing their final preparations! I am really looking forward to it this year as I am going to be in the Tinman Triathlon in Vulcan on June 1 this year, and I REALLY need to work on my swimming!

Springtime Selling Tips

Springtime selling tips Inventory almost always rises in the spring. Why? Because the largest number of buyers are actively searching for a new home during the months of April, May and June – although Calgary’s spring is arriving a little late this year. Your clients may be asking how they can make their homes stand out among the sea of new listings. Here are some tips to share with them: • Wash windows inside and out: Sparkle sells homes. A potential buyer may not realize why a home seems so inviting but will feel drawn to it if the windows are spotless and reflect sunlight. • Rake the yard / trim back bushes: Clean out dead leaves and debris. Don't let overgrown vegetation block windows or the path to the entrance. • Mow diagonally and edge lawn along driveway / sidewalks: Artfully manicured lawns show the seller pays attention to the details. Diagonally mowed lawns make a yard appear larger. • Transplant tulips and daffodils or buy flowers in containers: Research shows that yellow flowers stimulate buying urges and induce feelings of happiness and contentment. • Clean drapes, curtains & blinds and open every window: Wash, dry and press window coverings. Toss blinds into a soapy bathtub for a quick wash. Get rid of all accumulated dust and spider webs. Crisp linens and a spring-time breeze through the windows invites the season inside. • Set out fresh-smelling flowers such as just-clipped lilac branches or peonies: Natural scents are more appealing than artificial and trigger fewer allergies. • Polish floors to a high gloss: Hardwood floors should be refinished, if necessary. Make ceramic and linoleum floors twinkle and shine. Bleach dull grout. Thoroughly clean all area rugs. • Utilize towels, throws, pillows in light colors – yellows, pinks, pale blues, lavenders: Towels, linens, throws and sofa pillows are inexpensive accents. Replace aging items. • Offer an outside mat for cleaning shoes: Spring weather is often unpredictable, it can be 18 degrees one day and snowing the next – as Albertans well know!

Greengate Power sells Blackspring Ridge Wind Project

This is a news clip from the Vulcan Advocate - published April 8, 2013: Greengate Power Corporation has announced that it has completed the sale of its construction-ready 300 MW Blackspring Ridge Wind Project to Enbridge Inc. and EDF EN Canada Inc. Greengate will provide development services to Enbridge and EDF EN Canada during the construction of Blackspring Ridge. Located in Vulcan County, Blackspring Ridge is expected to be Western Canada’s largest operating wind energy project upon completion in 2014. Enbridge and EDF EN Canada will each own 50 per cent of the Project. Blackspring Ridge represents the largest investment in wind energy in Alberta at approximately $600 million. The sale of Blackspring Ridge follows the successful sale of Greengate’s construction-ready 150 MW Halkirk Wind Project in June 2011. Halkirk is currently the largest operating wind energy project in Alberta, but will be surpassed by Blackspring Ridge once it is operational. These two projects, totalling 450 MW, are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 million tonnes over 25 years, provide a clean source of power to approximately 200,000 homes and result in nearly $1 billion of investments in wind energy in Alberta. “The sale of Blackspring Ridge to Enbridge and EDF EN Canada ensures that Western Canada’s largest wind energy project will be constructed and that the associated economic and environmental benefits will be realized,” said Dan Balaban, President and CEO of Greengate. “This successful project is another example of the world-class development capabilities of our team.” CIBC World Markets Inc. acted as financial advisor to Greengate in connection with the sale of Blackspring Ridge. With the sale of Blackspring Ridge completed, Greengate will now focus its attention on advancing the development of the other projects in its portfolio. This portfolio includes the 150 MW Paintearth Wind Project which is immediately adjacent to Halkirk, the 150 MW Wheatland Wind Project which is immediately adjacent to the operating 88 MW Wintering Hills Wind Power Project, and the 150 MW Stirling Wind Project which is in close proximity to the operating 30 MW Chin Chute Wind Power Project.

And they're off....!!!!

The residential real estate market in Vulcan has not been all that busy since the start of the year. Let me rephrase that...buyer's putting pen to paper for residential properties so far this year has been slow. We have had people shopping around, but as far as sales go, not too much has been going on. As least that was the case up until a week or so ago. Three offers on Monday and another Wednesday had me hopping! And since then, my day timer has been filling up with showing appointments. Commercial property interest is still active, and agricultural land has lots of interest as farmers are gearing up for the planting season. It's about time!