Worried about high fuel costs?

This clip is from Pillar to Post:

Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for about 16% of your utility bill.

There are four ways to cut your water heating bills:

Use less hot water.
Turn down the thermostat on your water heater.
Insulate your water heater.
Buy a new, more efficient water heater.
A family of four, each showering for 5 minutes a day, uses 700 gallons of water a week; this is enough for a 3-year supply of drinking water for one person. You can cut that amount in half by simply using low-flow aerating showerheads and faucets.

Interior Leaks

This clip is from Pillar to Post:

In some cases what appears to be a roof surface leak is not a leak at all, but rather an interior source of water. Here are some examples –

Air leakage from the house: If household air can leak into the attic, the warm moist air will condense on surfaces in the attic during cold weather. This can cause damage to the roof decking and structural framing and in severe cases cause water to drip back into the house. Sealing the house from the attic in cold climates is very important.
Leaking forced air ducting: If heating and cooling ducting runs through the attic, they should be well sealed, to prevent condensation in cold weather.
Air conditioning ducting: If air conditioning ducting runs through the attic, it should be well insulated and should have a good vapor barrier.
Attic mounted heating and cooling: High efficiency furnaces and air conditioning evaporators located in the attic can create condensation and leak into the house.
PILLAR TO POST ® HOME INFORMATION SERIES

Local Unemployment Rate Drops

There are more ads for employment on the radio and in the newspaper, which is a sign the local economy is picking up. The unemployment rate in
Brooks has dropped a notch from 7% last September to 6.1% this year, likely due to an increase in activity in the oil patch. Many in that industry are reporting a busier period.

The good news is that economists are predicting a busier period for the oil patch and for the retail sector, which is good news as the Christmas season approaches.

Things are slow???

So...How is the market these days?

Slow? When people ask me “How’s the market these days” Pretty slow I hear?”, I have to sit back for a minute. What do you mean by slow?

I have around 45 to 50 listings, all these listings have owners and they want to be kept up-to-date on what’s going on. I am trying to figure out the best way to market these properties, looking for buyers, how to make financing work for buyers, as well as setting up property inspections, appraisals, and so on. I am taking calls every day from people asking about properties for sale, for rent, and they are wondering how much I could get them for their property if they sold it.

I am involved with the communities that I have properties in. For example, I am working with the Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station on ways to help promote the Town of Vulcan and surrounding areas.

Right now, I am on an airplane on my way to St. Johns, Newfoundland for an MTC Conference and Fall General Assembly meeting for the Canadian Real Estate Association. In two weeks, I will be attending the National Association of REALTORS® Conference in New Orleans. These are great networking opportunities where I can promote my properties and my surrounding areas, as well as learn from other real estate professionals. I have learned that the more I know, the more a realize that I don’t know. Thus, I am a sponge, trying to soak up as much as possible.

So when people say that they hear that things are slow….define slow….

Monday, October 18, 2010

Remember to vote on Monday! Exercise your right!

Favourable market

With a large inventory and low interest rates, it looks to be a favourable market for those looking for a new place to call home, and for investors. There is a decent selection of properties under the $200,000. And for those looking for higher end properties, there are 8 available over the $400,000 mark.

There is a good supply of acreages for those who prefer the country living. Farmland is still few and far between when it comes to availability on the market.

Update of Residential Property Inventory

There are currently 145 residential property listings in the City of Brooks. Plenty of inventory for buyers to choose from. 63 properties are under the $200,000 mark.

Keeping the bugs away from your backyard

This article is from Pillar to Post and it's about keeping your backyard bug free!

"Sure, spending time outdoors is great – except for all the bugs. But experts say you can stay bug free – without spending a fortune – if you…

Get out the clippers. Keep tree branches cut back from your deck and patio, and minimize ants. Also, pull up any weeds nearby. Mosquitoes use them as rest stops.

Give flowers a shower. Soaking them thoroughly with a garden hose before a picnic or party to mimic a rain shower. Pollinating insects like bees don’t like wet conditions and will stay away until plants dry out. That’s usually about two hours.

Blow bugs away… with a fan. The air current from a fan will deter flying and biting insects because they aren’t strong enough to fly against the wind it makes. It’ll also blow away any trace of your scent, so they can’t find you.

Keep flies away with basil. Flies hate basil, so if you keep a plant on your patio, they’ll stay clear.

Wipe down tables with vinegar. Its a great disinfectant that bugs back away from, so they’ll stay away from your patio table. Outdoors, the odor will fade so it won’t bother guests.

Plant the natural pesticide. Beautiful chrysanthemums. Their leaves contain the same chemical, pyrethin, found in most pesticides. Just having them in your garden will send bugs packing."

Southern Alberta Summer Games

Have you made it out to any events at the Southern Alberta Summer Games in Brooks yet? Saturday is the last day. The weather has been beautiful! I volunteered at the track on Wednesday and Thursday morning. The opening ceremonies Wednesday were well done. Good food and good speeches! Saturday evening things wind up with the closing ceremonies. Come on out and enjoy the festivities!

MLS Update

As of this morning, there are 140 Residential Listings on the market in the City of Brooks. There is a large selection of inventory for Buyers out there. As for Sellers, they have to be price their properties competitively if they want to see any action. There is action out there, and there are Buyers. There are deals to be make if the "Price is Right".

Rodeo Weekend

Today is the first day of the Brooks Rodeo! It has been a wet week, but it looks like Mother Nature is going to co-operate and let the sun out to shine on us this afternoon and a nice warm day for tomorrow.

The parade starts at 9:15 am tomorrow morning. The Little Britches Rodeo starts at 1pm. Midnight Madness is tonight.

Four bedroom house in Brooks close to schools

This house is located across the back alley from Griffin Park School in Brooks. It has three bedrooms on the main floor and one bedroom in the basement. Private driveway. Single detached garage. Back alley parking as well. Large back yard. Laminate floor on main floor. Located in a mature single family neighborhood. A great place to raise a family!

Two Bedroom Two Bath Condo in Brooks

Two bedroom two bathroom condo features two decks, one off the living room and another off the master bedroom. Master bedroom has a large walk-in closet and a full ensuite. This property also features a large laundry and storage room. This comes with one underground parking stall as well. It is located in the secured Axxess Developement building on the east side of Brooks, close to the golf course.

House Prices Down

This article is from the June 3, 2010 edition of the Brooks Online:

After house prices had gains over the past decade, they have slowed in the first quarter. According to the Brooks Real Estate figures, prices in Brooks have dropped to $237,659. This is down from last year when the average price of a resale home was $254,743.

Brooks Annual Show and Shine

The 11th Annual Brooks Show n' Shine will be held on Saturday, May 29th. The location has changed for this year. It will be held a the city hall back parking lot and 1st Avenue East. Both areas will be closed between 8 am and 4 pm on May 29th.

Last year 150 vehicles were registered but each year it depends on the weather so the actual number of vehicles will not be known until the day of the event. See you there!

National Safe Boating Week

Here comes the long weekend and a great way to start it off with National Safe Boating Week from May 22 to 28. A little reminder for all of us as we get back into boating mode!

Costly Mistakes First-Time Home Buyers Make

5 Costly Mistakes First-Time Buyers Make
Buying a first home can be a daunting experience. Here are five common and costly mistakes that novice home buyers make:

1. Ignoring the costs of having a low credit score. Lower-score borrowers pay thousands of dollars in increased interest rates over the life of the loan.
2. Muddying the waters by shopping for other things before closing. Lenders continue to check credit scores right up until the time of closing. Too much shopping could cause the lender to take back the loan.
3. Scrimping on an inspection. Being surprised by the need for expensive repairs can be financially devastating.
4. Buying without contingencies. Buyers should give themselves an out if the inspection turns up problems or the bank raises the interest rates.
5. No money for insurance. Insurance can be surprisingly pricey. Buyers who don’t budget for it can face a nasty surprise.

Source: CNNMoney.com, Les Christie (04/19/2010)

Leadership Conference

Just returned yesterday from the Jasper Leadership Conference which was hosted by the Alberta Real Estate Association. It was a very good conference where we networked with people across Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and even Manitoba. We talked about the latest trends in real estate, keeping up with marketing to the public in the fast paced techological society, and how we can all work together to make our industry better, both on the inside and on how the public percievs real estate industry members.

The weather was great and the scenery was magnificant! If you are ever wondering where to take the family for a nice get-away, head to Jasper!

Make sure to check out our listings for Residential, Recreational, Acreage, Farm, and Commercial Listings at www.magnusonrealty.com

Brooks Kinsmen Rodeo

Just a reminder that the Brooks Kinsmen Rodeo is on June 11 and 12 at the new Rodeo Grounds, located next to the Silver Sage. Should be fun as the Little Brithces Rodeo and Midway will be there! See y'all there!

Political Action Committee

I am in Ottawa for the Political Action Committee for the Canadian Real Estate Association. I am the Chair for Government Affairs Committee for the Alberta Real Estate Association. Okay, after all that introduction, we are here to talk with our MPs about rolling over the capital gains tax. 58% of all rental properties are owned by people who earn less than $50,000. Many of these people are holding on to properties because of the taxes they will have to pay if they sell. What we are lobbying for is that if these people sell and then reinvest wthin a year, they will not be subject to capital gains tax. This way new investors can buy these properties and refurbish them, providing jobs and making our communities look better. For example, this would help downtown Brooks.

Also, we are looking at indexing the home buyers plan. This means that the amount of money in RRSPs home buyers can use increases along with inflation. Up until last year, $20,000 was the maximum, and that was the same since this program started many years ago. Last year we got it raised to $25,000.

Brooks and District Trade Show

I am hosting a booth at the Brooks and District Trade Show this weekend. It runs Friday from noon to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 8 pm and Sunday 10am to 4 pm. A bit of a slow start today, but it's expected to pick up this evening and throughout the weekend. I am featuring my local listings as well as a commercial listing, acreage listing, and rcreational properties at Lake McGregor Country Estates.

April showers...no wait...SNOW STORM!

April 13 and 14 are gonig to be two of those days that we remember for a while! Large wet snowflakes took down power lines and snapped power poles. School buses outside of Brooks were not running. Many areas were without electricity for hours, and I think that some still are. We were hoping for some precipitation...and we got it! The good news is that in a few days, they are forecasting plus 20 degrees!

Spring has sprung!

The past two weeks has seen an increase in activity in the market place in Brooks. We are seeing more buyers making offers and properties are starting to move. Nice to see things picking up! Not sure if this has anything to do with the rumoured increase in interest rates, or if it's just the nice weather bringing out the buyers. Historically, I would choose the later.

Traveling man!

Been to Ottawa for meetings with the Canadian Real Estate Association. We had our annual general meeting with a Leadership Conference the following day. It's nice to be involved with the decisions that help shape our industry. Plus it is nice to be around those who are very successful in our industry.

As REALTORS, we always seem to take the credit for when the market is good. But how about these days when the market has not been so good? I guess we have to accept that and move on. There are still people picking up good deals in slow markets. In fact, those are the ones that seem to make the most profit. Buy low and sell high. We have all heard that one before. I wonder how many of us take that advice? Well I have learned a lot in these slow times and I think this has prepared me to be a better business person, a better real estate associate, and a better person in general. Now, time to put those lessons to practice! Here's to a busy 2nd quarter of 2010!

10 Inexpensive Ways to Wow Buyers

Now is the time for home owners contemplating a spring sale to spruce up their properties in anticipation of what Mike Larson of Weiss Research calls a potentially vibrant home-selling season.

"If you have been beating your head against a wall, this is going to feel a lot better,” he says.

Here are 10 cheap ways to make a property more attractive to shoppers:

Improve first impressions. Touch up the paint on the front door and other areas that buyers see first.

Clean up the landscaping. Trim the hedges and trees and plant some annuals in the flowerbeds.
Paint the interior. A coat of light yellow or cream with contrasting white woodwork looks fresh and clean.

Refurbish the floors. Buff the hardwoods. Install new carpets – or at least get them professionally cleaned.

Take care of the big problems. If the house needs a roof or the front stoop is crumbling, get them fixed.

Buy warranties. Putting appliances under warranty gives homebuyers a secure feeling.

Improve energy efficiency. New windows or improved insulation tells a potential buyer the seller is on top of things plus they come with tax benefits.

Replace light fixtures. Updated fixtures, especially at the entrance way and in the foyer, create a good first impression.

Buy a stove. Home owners whose kitchen isn’t top of the line can jazz it up for a few hundred dollars by buying a new stove, which gives the room a fresh feel.

Tidy up the bathrooms. Get rid of mildew, replace caulking, and replace stained sinks.

Source: U.S. News & World Report, Luke Mullins (01/21/2010)

Torch Relay Shows Community Pride

The Olympic torch relay come through Brooks on Saturday, January 16 at 4 PM. It is estimated that over 3000 people were downtown at city hall when the runners came through, with even more people along the remaining part of the route. There were ice sculptures and a mini Olympics at city hall, along with free hot chocolate and hot dogs for spectators. They were estimating at around 300 hot dogs to be given away, but went through 1200! It was a great showing of community spirit! A community we are proud to call home!

Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic Torch is coming through Brooks Saturday! Yes I applied to carry the torch, but they still must be waiting till the last minute to give me my directions and fit me for my uniform, as they haven't called me yet!

Anyhow, time to take a break from the daily routine and cheer on the flame! After all, in about a month, the Winter Olympics will be going on in Vancouver. That's what we will all be watching, hoping to finally hear the Canadian National Anthem being played at home! We can all feel even just a little bit better, a bit more proud to be Canadian. I am getting chills already!