21 More Days Till Christmas!

Winter has arrived! Brrrrr!!!! Yet amazingly, this past Saturday I had a very good turnout for an open house in the Uplands area. I was thinking that Mother Nature might cause me to be shut out at the open house, but we had almost 10 different parties walk thru. The house showed very nice and is in a prime area. There is a good selection of properties for buyers to choose from. And, due to the traditionally slow time of year, some sellers are a little more motivated to move on their price.

New houses

I have shown a variety of houses this past week. Some very nice open floorplans in the Meadowlake section of Brooks. And some of these houses are selling around $300,000. A decent price for a new house and in a great location - close to the golf course!

I have also shown some properties in the $150,000 range. I did not think that these was much quality in houses available in the price range, but I have been proven wrong. Some of these properties have been fixed up and are half decent. A person could move in, fix up the basement and still do this for under $200,0000. Maybe it's a good time to pick up another revenue property myself....hmmmmmm.

Listings everywhere!

I was at the Alberta Real Estate Board Presidents and EOs meeting in Edmonton last week. With Fort McMurray being the exception, all real estate boards in Alberta are experiencing a high number of listings, around double or even more listings than this past May. The explanation...well the market is correcting itself after a wild year last year...but that's all I can think of. Is it thanks to a slowing of the oil patch? I am not really sure. Anyhow, it's a great time to buy as you can take your time and shop around for the best deal.

Over 90 Listings!

Great time to be a buyer in the Brooks market! The inventory has built up again compared to last year.

We have had a beautiful summer and now it's time for back to school. Remember to slow down in school zones and give your kids an extra hug as they head out the door. They grow up WAY too fast!

Traditionally, sales start picking up again this time of year as people want to be settled in to their new homes by Christmas. Like I said, there is lots of selection so now is the time to be shopping around!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

The summer has been a hot one! And dry! Fire bans are on throughout the southern part of the province so let's hope everyone uses extra care while out camping. Have a great long weekend!

Inventory building up

It is summer time and sales are slow, as per usual at this time of year. Listings are picking up though so this is good news for those looking for a new place to call home. A wide selection benefits the buyers.

Hail Storm!

Brooks fell victim to a big wind/hail storm last Friday. The north half of the city has suffered some wide spread damage. Old trees by the cemetary have been blown over, and most houses in the Uplands area look like they have been hit with machine gun fire. The hail has blown holes through siding. It is amazing to see! It is not a nice thing to have happen, but to see what kind of power nature has is kind of humbling. Anyhow, any buyers in that area will be getting new siding with their purchase, it looks like!

MLS Listing Update

According to the latest MLS statistics, sales are down so far this year, as compared to 2006. Although sales are not as hot, Brooks properties are still considered more affordable to buyers coming in from places such as Calgary. The slower sales are good news for buyers though as there is more selection on the market and less rush to buy whatever is available.

Brooks and county has been getting lots of moisture as of late, making things very green! Trees and flowers are just soaking it up and with the sun showing itself once in a while, the city looks beautiful! A big think you to the City of Brooks and it's employees for keeping our city looking so good!

Spring has sprung!

Time to dust off those golf clubs! Local golf courses are open! Time to enjoy the links again! Don't forget that ball clubs are getting ready to take off too! All sorts of activities to keep one busy!

Welcome to Brooks and the County of Newell

Brooks became a city in September of 2006. It is known as Alberta's Centennial City. Brooks is located about 186KM east of Calgary on the TransCanada highway. Brooks is in the County of Newell. In the County, there are towns and villages including Bassano, Duchess, Tilley, Patricia, Gem, Rainier, and Scandia. The area has a work population which includes the oil and gas industry, as well as a large feedlot and meat packing plant.

I am a Realtor serving the City of Brooks and County of Newell. I specialize in Residential, Acreage and Recreational Properties. My company has a web site at www.magnusonrealty.com. All listings can also be viewed at www.homesacrosscanada.com and www.mls.ca.