Sales activity remains strong in November!

City of Calgary, December 1, 2020 –

For the sixth month in a row, sales in the Calgary market recorded a year-over-year gain.

Sales growth over the past several months has been the strongest seen in the past five years, but the activity has not been strong enough to offset the pullbacks from the spring. Year-to-date sales remain over three per cent lower than last year's levels.

New listings continue to slow, reducing inventory in the market. On a year-to-date basis, new listings have eased by nearly ten per cent and are at the lowest level recorded since 2001. This has reduced the oversupply that has been impacting the market for nearly five years.

"The gains in sales in the latter part of…

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Black Friday

ATB Economics | November 27, 2020

A little Black Friday trivia

   

It being “Black Friday” today, The Owl is taking a break from its usual Alberta-focused statistical content to share a little trivia about “the busiest shopping day of the year.” (Please note that the references to Thanksgiving are to the U.S. holiday rather than Canadian Thanksgiving.)

1. What was the first department store to advertise a post-Thanksgiving sale?
2. What percentage of Americans shopped (either in person or online) on Black Friday 2019?
3. What percentage of Black Friday shoppers in the U.S. admit to…

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From November 17th 2020 (Today) to January 31st 2021, Let's create an impact in the fight towards Diabetes. Help us fill our office with your gently used clothes, household items and electronics by donating them to Diabetes Canada.

If you're like us and you know that the Holiday Season is right around the corner, you're already beginning to purge your household items that you no longer need. Instead of throwing them away, bag them (we will even provide you with the bags) and then let us know when they're ready to be picked up. We will take care of the rest for you, simple as that!

What can be donated you ask?

â—¦ TEXTILES

â—¦ Accessories and bags

â—¦ Clothing (all types)

â—¦ Curtains

â—¦ General cloth items - bedding and bath items

â—¦ Shoes…

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Helping Your Child Adjust to a New Home and School

Moving to a new home and new school can be upsetting for some children. Helping them to prepare for the move will make the adjustment less stressful.

~ Get them excited about moving. Show them pictures of their new room, and give them ideas of where things can go. If you are painting, let them help choose the colour, and give them some freedom to decorate.

~ Be prepared that the first night sleeping in a new place might end up becoming a sleepless night. Reassure your child that it takes time to get used to a new home.

~ Take a tour of the school. Helping them to become familiar with what the school looks like and how to get to their classroom, the lunch room, etc., will ease any stress…

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The Top 7 Reasons to Buy a Home in the Winter Featured Image 

Think the only time to buy a home in Edmonton is in the spring or summer? Think again! Here are seven great reasons why wintertime may be the BEST time to hit the market (seriously!).

1. Eager Sellers

We think it’s pretty fair to say that no one WANTS to move in the middle of winter (especially in Alberta). If someone has put their home on the market in thirty-below weather, you can (almost) bet they are selling now because waiting for balmier temperatures isn’t an option.

As a result, you can look forward to highly motivated home sellers who may be more willing to negotiate on sale price, terms of sale, closing date, closing costs and much more. 

2. Less Competition

People aren’t just less enthusiastic to sell in the winter, they’re…

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When you’re shopping for a new home, you probably want the property to be
as “move in ready” as possible. That way, you can... well... just move in!
However, there are a lot of fantastic properties on the market that need some
work. For example, you might see a home that has everything you need, but
the kitchen is long overdue for a renovation. Or, you might view a property
that requires a lot of repairs and painting — tasks that, at first glance, seem
overwhelming.
You don’t want to just pass on a property that might be a great buy. On the
other hand, you don’t want to purchase a home, only to end up with more
renovations, repairs and expenses than you anticipated.
What’s the solution? Here’s an idea.
When you view a home that needs work, make a note of exactly…

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When you are buying your new home, you are faced with a bewildering array of specs, guidelines, options, and pricing. Some builders take advantage of this, and put in something that LOOKS like what you've come to expect.  One of the substitutions COSTS the builder less, but COSTS you much more in the long run.  Hot water heaters:

 hot water heaters

 

Notice any differences?  Let's eliminate the tankless and the small units (more for offices), and show just 2 options:

They LOOK almost identical.  The biggest difference is one is ELECTRIC and the other is NATURAL GAS.  If you aren't paying attention, you won't notice the lack of exhaust or the missing gas line on the electric.

The electric one is cheaper to buy (Rheem 40 Gal electric is $448 @ Home…

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