Sheri-Lee & The SHARP Foundation Lawn Bowl for Beswick House on August 9, 2014 11am SHARP! :)

It's almost time for our favourite annual SHARP Foundation charity event - Lawn Bowls for Beswick House!!  On August 9th, 2014 starting at 11am at the Bow Valley Lawn Bowling Club in West Hillhurst we will throw those awkwardly weighted balls as straight we can to support this incredibly important foundation.

Established in 1990, the SHARP Foundation is a Calgary-based non-profit organization. 


They are committed to providing a continuum of care including housing, healthcare, and support to those individuals infected and affected by HIV. The SHARP Foundation works in effort to prevent homelessness and fulfil the need for more acute health care facilities in Calgary for those with HIV.

SHARP currently operates five programs located in Calgary residential neighbourhoods. Residents are provided with affordable housing and individualized support to meet their housing, medical, and psycho-social needs. After stabilizing an individual’s medication regimen we provide programs to improve her/his quality of life and to value life.

100% of the proceeds from this absolutely fantastic event will go directly to the facility to keep it ship shape and running smoothly.  This will be our 7th year at the event and every single year we laugh, play and have a couple of cocktails for the cause.  There will be prizes for winning teams as well as 50/50 draws, door prizes, burgers and more!!

Check out the Facebook fan page for more details and to join the group! - 8th ANNUAL BOWLS FOR BESWICK HOUSE

We really hope that you can come out to play with us!!!  Feel free to leave comments with questions and we'll get them for you.

RADON - THE SILENT KILLER MIGHT BE IN YOUR HOME RIGHT NOW. WHAT IS IT? WHAT TO DO. WHAT ABOUT CALGARY?

Radon is a colourless, odourless gas that is produced naturally during the breakdown of uranium in the ground.  It can make its way into your home and ultimately cause severe health effects including lung cancer.  Outdoors, radon is dissipated quite easily and isn't a massive cause for concern.  Indoors, however, radon can become trapped and levels will build to the point where they are a definite health risk.

Radon can enter your home any place where the house touches the soil and there is an opening.  For example, 

- cracks in foundation walls and floor slabs
- construction joints
- gaps around service pipes
- support posts
- window encasements
- floor drains
- sumps or cavities inside walls
- dirt floors

The amount of radon in your home depends on,

- the amount of uranium in the ground
- the number of entry points into your home
- how well your home is ventilated

HEALTH RISKS
Radon exposure increases your risk of developing lung cancer.  It is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

The combination of radon exposure and smoking significantly increases the chances of developing lung cancer.  Another reason to quit.  The other two main factors that will determine the effect on you will be, how long you are exposed to it, and the level of radon in your house.

HOW TO DETECT RADON
Although almost every home in Canada has some radon in it, the levels vary from one house to another.  Even if they are next door to each other.

Testing for radon in your home is simple and inexpensive.  There are two options for testing.

1. Hire a certified radon measurement professional.
2. Do it yourself.  You can purchase a home radon kit for between $30 and $60 from most large  hardware stores.  They can also be ordered online.  The kits include a radon detector that is meant to be exposed to the air inside of your home and then sent to a lab for analysis.

**Health Canada recommends that you use a long-term test device for at least three months.  The best time is between September and April when the windows are mostly closed.

REDUCING RADON IN YOUR HOME
If the levels of radon in your home are above the Canadian guideline of 200 becquerels/meter cubed, you need to reduce it.  The higher the level, the sooner it has to be reduced.  A certified radon mitigation specialist can help to provide the most effective radon reduction solution.

One of these more commonly used methods is sub-slab depressurization.  A pipe is installed through the foundation floor and is piped to the outside with a small fan attached.  The fan draws the radon laden air from under the house and pushes it back outside.  This solution can reduce the radon in your home by more than 90%.

Also, increased sealing and ventilation of radon entry points can also help to reduce levels, but these solutions may not be as effective as sub-slab depressurization.


WHAT ABOUT CALGARY?
Unfortunately us prairie folks are being effected by radon every day.  According to Radon West, a Calgary based company, in Canmore, Banff, Okotoks and Calgary they are seeing 40% consistently of homes above the action level that Health Canada has set.  Although Alberta is a hotspot for Radon, there is very low awareness at this point in time.

The Calgary Woman's Show Spring 2014 in Brief

Once again we took up our semi-annual booth at The Calgary Woman's Show at the BMO Centre.  Even with great big snow flakes falling both days, we've had an incredible turnout!  Some of the big attractions this year at the show are, Market Collective, lots of new healthy alternatives to our usual daily nutritional routines.  We found comfort, class and style to be a few of this years big themes as there were more than a few local Alberta fashion producers along with a plethora of natural and organic body products.

We love to come out to these events, not only to talk to people about real estate, but just to meet lots of new people from all over the city and beyond.  This show has been no exception.  We've managed to meet dozens of folks and although a lot of them may not yet be ready to buy or sell, we've made some really positive connections.

Trade shows like The Calgary Woman's Show are really really important when it comes to bringing hundreds of absolute strangers together under one roof to peruse the product lines.  People get the opportunity to meet each other, try all sorts of local products and be a part of the action.  Not too mention, there were a tonne of great deals to be had.

We highly recommend this particular trade show to anyone, not only women.  With an abundance of products here for him too, it's a great way for those husbands out there to treat their wives to a fabulous day out.

Optimize Yourself and Your Client for This Crazy Market

Below you'll find a link to an excellent article that talks about, once again, this crazy market from the perspective of preparing a client to jump in.



Optimize Yourself and Your Client for This Crazy Market

Sheri-Lee at the 2014 Kids & Tot Show in Calgary :D

New Listing!! 103 Crestmont Drive SW, Calgary - Big, Bright and Beautiful.

The executive home you have been waiting for.  Inviting and bright.  This beautiful two story walk-out home features an open floor plan perfect for entertaining.  The main floor is stunning with hardwood floors, granite countertops and black appliances.  The back of the house features large windows that bring in the sun to the kitchen, breakfast area and raised deck. Also on the main floor is an office space, walk thru pantry and laundry. Upstairs you will find a bonus room, two generously sized bedrooms and a spacious master bedroom which is accentuated by a large five piece ensuite and walk-in closet (the bathrooms also have granite and upgraded fixtures).  The professionally finished basement is complete with large windows, separate enterance, two bedrooms, 3 piece bathroom, wet bar, living room and a large storage room. With an oversize attached garage and a kids park & walking trails just across the street, you shouldn't wait, call for your private viewing today!  Give me a call at 403-807-1145.

103 Crestmont Drive SW, Calgary AB, AB T3B 4Z6, Canada - Grandeur in Crestmont - Big, Bright and Beautiful - real estate listing

The Monthly STAT! Well Into March, What's Happening??

We're well on our way to being well into March and it is still a cold snowy winter out there. How's that for a warm welcome?  Lolz.  What I mean to say is that change is well on its way, it just doesn't really seem like it right now.  Although that's meant to reflect the weather, it also relates to our current real estate climate here in Calgary.  The fresh stats have been released by the Calgary Real Estate Board, and here's what you need to know.

Although sales were very strong in February, they were greatly influenced by what the market has had to offer.  For the second month in a row, we have seen a decline in new listings on the MLS.  The most strangled chunk of that market is the mid-price market as we would expect.  What we don't get used to expecting is that the house will invariably have an offer before you show it.  Quick movers get their choice ... sometimes.  Other times, the buyer might be up against an unbelievable offer from another party.  How does one compete?  With a great REALTOR® always.

With a crunch in the mid-line market ($300 - $600K), we are seeing condo sales soar.  With so many aspects of this market moving in different directions, it can sometimes be hard to understand why.  This year, we have seen a 17% increase in new condo listings and sales are a whopping 28% over last year!!  With this also came a nice margin increase of 12.4% over last year at this time.  That is great news for all of the folks who invested in a condo in the past few years.

Now that spring is on the horizon, people will start to think about warm weather possibilities, one of them being a relocation, or perhaps even a income investment fixer upper project. This is going to bring fresh products for consumers to peruse and perhaps ease a bit of anxiety that a lot of buyers experience when they think that they'll never find what they're looking for.  You'll find it!!  Don't lose hope.

One of two things is going to happen during the next few months.  The market is going to begin to grow at a steady pace with new listings until it finally reaches the typical Summer inventory levels that we expect.  Or, it will very slowly grow and then boom to those levels.

The short of the small of it is that nobody is expecting the ebb to outlast the flow in this city's real estate climate.  The predictions are all in positive directions for both buyers and sellers.  

One of the irons in the fire at this point is the Bank of Canada's overnight lending rate and the confidence of the lenders several levels below to maintain low interest rates.  This situation will have to be monitored closely as we move into 2015.  Until then, it looks like we might be in the clear from any such increases.

News of rate increases did, however flow down the pipes of the mortgage insurers this week. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corp. announced that it would be raising it's rates to the tune of an average of 15%.  That means that if you throw 5% down on that snazzy $250K condo you've been drooling over, it's going to cost you $900 more than it would have have before the increase.  This of course is the insurance premium itself that inflates.  We should see the other two default mortgage insurers following suit, no doubt.