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Blog by Sara Kalke

ICE DAMMING: Information Every Edmonton Homeowner needs to see

January 27th, 2011

Ice dams are large build-ups of ice, the most visible manifestation being found at the bottom edge of the roof and gutters as icicles.

A small amount of ice may not cause an immediate problem, but if the ice continues to build up, it will block the water flow down the roof, causing water to back up under the shingles and leak from areas such as the soffits, roof and chimney flashings and sk ...

Edmonton Neighborhood Snow Removal Update

January 26th, 2011
What a winter! The City of Edmonton is still working hard to remove snow from Edmonton neighborhoods.  With melting conditions adding to the chaos, the roads and sidewalks out there are SLIPPERY!  Be careful out there, take your time driving, and of course, check the City's schedule for when they will be removing snow in your neighborhood.  

Here is the link for news on which Edmonton neighb ...

This week's Unique Edmonton Homes

January 23rd, 2011
Edmonton is a city of great diversity: diversity of people, neighborhoods and houses! 

Every day on my Twitter feed (click here to follow me: http://www.twitter.com/sarakalke, I hand-pick and post a Unique Edmonton Home for sale, either a Historic Edmonton Home, a character home, or sometimes one of Edmonton's luxury dream homes.  Here is a sneak peak of just a few - follow me on Twitter, or ...

Will New Mortgage Rules Cool Real Estate Markets?

January 19th, 2011
Will New Mortgage Rules Cool Real Estate Markets?

With the Canadian Government tightening mortgage rules, most sources agree that there will likely be a surge in real estate activity in the first quarter of 2011, where buyers lock in mortgages with 35 year amortizations. After March 18, however, affordability will be reduced somewhat, as 5 years is shaved off of the maximum amortization allow ...

New Mortgage Rules Announced

January 17th, 2011
New Mortgage Rules Announced

The Canadian Government announced new mortgage rules today.  The 3 main changes are:

- maximum amortization period reduced from 35 years to 30 years
- maximum value for mortgage refinancing reduced from 90 percent to 85 percent
- government insurance will no longer back lines of credit secured by homes - more commonly known as a "Home Equity Line of Credit"

Thes ...

Edmonton Real Estate Market Outlook

January 11th, 2011

Edmonton Market Outlook 2011 CMHC

RESALE MARKET:

Home Sales below Historic Levels

Sales in Edmonton’s existing home market will decrease by 18.5 per cent this year to fewer than 15,600 units. This performance will mirror the previous low point reported in 2002 and is well below the ten-year average for sales from 2000 to 2009 of around 17,750 units. With buyers’ market conditions expected to ...

2011 Market Forecast

January 10th, 2011

“Steady as she goes” in 2011 predicts REALTORS® President

Edmonton, January 12, 2011: Chris Mooney, President of the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton predicted that the housing market in 2011 would be “steady as she goes.” He was addressing 800 REALTORS® and their guests at the 23rd Annual REALTORS® Housing Forecast Seminar at the Shaw Conference Centre today.

REALTORS® expect that sales fig ...

December Market Summary: Softening Continues

January 3rd, 2011

A belated Happy New Year's to all!  After a lovely family vacation, I am back in Canada after many adventures, and bring you the latest market report from Edmonton.  Sales and prices softened again in December, with buyers still hunting for bargains. The New Year almost always brings a burst of sales activity though, so look for more exciting real estate news ahead!

Interested in buying or s ...