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.