Yesterday Albertans were reminded that the switch to 10-digit dialing is fast approaching. It was back in 2004 when the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) brought to our attention that we were running out of available phone numbers under the 403 and 780 area codes, and as a result of Alberta’s rapid population growth in the last few years the province is having to implement a third area code (587).

Any new numbers in Alberta will now be given the 587 area code, regardless of where in Alberta you reside.

Starting yesterday, Albertans were receiving a prerecorded reminder when making local calls that said:

The local number you’ve dialed, must be preceded by its area code. Your call will now proceed. For future calls to this number, please dial the area code.

This recording is simply a message to remind us that we should be taking the necessary steps, now, to reprogram our cell phones and phone systems, prior to the mandatory 10-digital dialing taking effect on September 8, 2008. It’s going to take some getting use to, this 10- digit dialing system, so I will be reprogramming my phones now to save any hassles come September.

Alberta isn’t the only province having to switch to 10-digital dialing. British Columbia has also added another area code (778) and will be forced to 10-digital dialing on September 8th.

On a final note, I thought it important to also mention that all three digit dialing (211, 311, 411, 611, 811 and 911) in Alberta and British Columbia will remain the same.

Don’t wait until September to have your phones reprogrammed. Start now and prepare yourself for the switchover.

Photo by *hitetiger

I think we can admit that winter has finally touched Calgary and it is likely here to stay for the next few months. Thankfully though our winters here are not without a fair amount of sun and the occasional chinook, unlike our neighboring province of British Columbia to the west. With the cold snowy days that we are in for here, winter brings with it, obstacles and challenges for a number of Calgarians especially for our seniors.

The City of Calgary, our local television station CFCN and The Calgary Sun have partnered together in a community initiative called Snow Angels and they are ready to launch this years 2008 edition on December 1st. The Snow Angels program is designed to lend a hand to our neighbors in an effort to keep our city sidewalks and driveways shoveled and free from snow and the ice that hides beneath.

To participate in the Snow Angels program is extremely simple. All you have to do is adopt a neighbor’s and/or senior’s sidewalk and help keep it clear for the winter. Have a look at the Snow Angels Promotional Video to see how easy it can be. We all want our sidewalks to be safe for everyone to enjoy this winter.

You may also want to visit the City of Calgary website for more Snow Angel Frequently Asked Questions and Snow Angel Stories. If you are interested in becoming a Snow Angel or starting a program in your community to help senior’s this winter, Contact Snow Angels. They will help you in developing your program and provide tips on how to approach your neighbor’s to let them know you would like to be their Snow Angel this winter.

Stay safe and stay warm.

It’s a little late this month, but I figured it was better late than never. Calgary’s real estate market is still going strong however I think we should expect to see it level off here in the coming months. These are a few of the July Calgary Metro stats and released by the Calgary Real Estate Board in early August.

As of the end of July, the Calgary Real Estate Board reported that inventory has hit 8,972, which is the highest level recorded this year.

The Average Selling Price in Calgary for Single Family homes, in July, hit $505,920 while the Average Selling Price for Condominiums was $318,582.

The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) announced yesterday that Calgary’s Single Family, Average Selling price has hit a record. I think we all new it would happen, and it did; we have reached the half a million dollar mark.

According to the statistics on the CREB website, the Average Selling price for a Single Family home in Calgary has peaked at $503,803 while the Median Sale Price in the past 30 days is $440,000. There have been 112 new listings in the last 24 hours which may have been a factor in the slight decrease in the Average Selling price today as it sits at $502,783.

Calgary Real Estate has sure made some headlines in the last year and it looks like we could be in for a few more before the summer is out. The Single Family and Condo markets in Calgary are very strong and I look forward to seeing how things unfold throughout the summer.

HOWDY ALL!

Have you ever played Trivia Pursuit and had to answer the question; What is another name for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth? Did you know the answer or were you totally bewildered?

The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth is none other than the Calgary Stampede and on Thursday July 5th we kick off the ten day long fesitivities with Sneak-a-Peak night down at the grounds followed by the Calgary Stampede Parade on Friday morning through the streets of downtown Calgary. For those of you that are not familiar with the Calgary Stampede it is a 10 day celebration of western heritage and the unique culture of the City of Calgary, occasionally referred to as “cow town”.

There is something for everyone at the Stampede including our world famous rodeo, chuckwagon races and the elaborate and entertaining evening grand stand show held daily. The midway is full of rides, food and games as well as a ton of entertainment and music with such acts as Finger Eleven, Hinder, Good Charlotte, The Road Hammers, and the ever so popular Hypnotist Terry Stokeson the free concert Coca-Cola Stage. In addition, our Pengrowth Saddledome (home of the Calgary Flames) presents Bon Jovi, the Tragically Hip, Gretchen Wilson with Big & Rich and Cowboy Troy and Reba as this years headline acts.

Calgarians partake in this western celebration in many ways. Cowboy hats, boots and a lot of denim is the typical dress code for work and play during Stampede week as most of us spend a fair amount of these ten days attending stampede breakfasts and afternoon/evening bar-b-q’s held by local businesses all over the city, which does not allow for a lot of work to get done. Downtown Calgary could almost be mistaken for a ghost town during this time (well not really) as a lot of businesses have shorter work days and sometimes shut operations down to enjoy the festivities.

Many locals would rather avoid the Stampede altogether, but I personally love it. The general feel around town is everyone is happy, friendly and simply enjoying all the traditions the Calgary Stampede has to offer. I believe everyone should experience the Stampede at least once. It’s an outdoor carnival like no other.

Kick up your spurs and visit The Calgary Stampede for more information and history.

I can’t remember the last time I saw this much rain here in Calgary. With all the residential and commercial construction going on in the city right now, the rain we have had in the last 18 hours has caused major problems for traffic, construction sites, homes and businesses.

Below is a picture of the flooding of one of our major roadways in the city last night.

These next couple of pictures are of a parkade very near by. It is amazing to me as I have not experienced rain or flooding like this before.

The rain continues to fall and homeowners and businesses are scrambling to clean up the water they have already taken in and try to prevent more from entering their homes and businesses.

I don’t think I’ve ever owned an umbrella or rubber boots…maybe it’s time.

CANADIAN HOME SALES ON RECORD PACE IN MAJOR MARKETS

But sales slip 6.6% from a year ago

The rate of existing-home sales fell 6.6 percent in August compared to August 2005 but rose 1.4 percent in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period in 2005, the Canadian Real Estate Association reported.Year-to-date sales activity reached the highest level on record in Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal, among other markets, the association reported.

According to seasonally adjusted MLS data, there were 47,117 new residential listings in August — nearly the highest level in about 15 years. “While additional listings are helping many local markets to become more balanced, listings remain in short supply in a number of markets in western Canada,” according to the report.

The MLS residential average price in Canada’s major markets was about $261,434 (in current U.S. dollars) in August 2006, an 11.6 percent rise from August 2005 levels. Year-over-year price increases have remained in the double-digits for each of the first eight months of this year, the association announced.

Average price also set new monthly records in Vancouver and Edmonton.

“Economic fundamentals underlying the housing market remain supportive for housing activity,” said CREA chief economist Gregory Klump. “Weakening U.S. economic growth is a good news for Canadian interest rates, as slowing economic growth in Canada will keep mortgage interest rates low and the housing market on a solid footing. If the Bank of Canada cuts interest rates to shore up Canadian economic growth, its warning that economic growth might be pushed higher by momentum in household spending may become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

CREA president Alan Tennant said in a statement, “Now that the market is becoming more balanced, realistic pricing will become increasingly important.”

The Canadian Real Estate Association represents about 86,000 Realtors working through 99 real estate boards, 10 provincial associations and one territorial association.

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Article offered by Inman News

CANADA GETS SERIOUS ABOUT RADON

Health Canada is poised to tighten up guidelines for radon gas levels in indoor air, to a level four times more stringent than current guidelines. It could mean that radon testing will become mandatory in future real estate transactions, and that building codes for new homes will be upgraded.

Critics say that Canada should have adopted the stricter guidelines in the 1980s, when the United States and other countries around the world set their radon guidelines. But Health Canada says that “until recently, there was no evidence providing a direct link between radon levels in the home and lung cancer.” The ministry says that, “However, in 2005, two independent scientific studies performed in Europe and North America showed that lung cancer risks extend to levels of radon found in some homes depending on the length of time an individual is exposed to it.”

Canada’s current guideline of 800 becquerels per cubic metre is the second highest allowed in the world. The new proposal would set the level at 200 becquerels, which is the same as the United Kingdom, Australia, Norway, Spain and several other companies. The toughest guideline is in the United States, at 150 becquerels.

Fergal Nolan, president of the Radiation Safety Institute of Canada, told media outlets that he asked Health Canada to match the U.S. guidelines back in 1988, but that the ministry didn’t take the threat seriously.

However, Health Canada says there was no conclusive evidence before 2004 that radon levels in buildings were directly linked to lung cancer. Now, it acknowledges that radon can pose a serious health risk.

Radon is an odourless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment. It is caused by the natural breakdown of uranium in soils and rocks. In the open air it does not pose a health risk, but in an enclosed space such as a mine or a basement, breathing in radon decay products can lead to lung cancer.

The Health Canada report estimates that lung cancers from radon exposure account for about 10 per cent of all lung cancers, second only behind smoking. It says an estimated 1,600 lung cancer deaths in 2000 can be attributed to radon. “The number of radon-induced lung cancers is about one-half of the deaths due to automobile accidents, and is equal to the combined total of deaths due to accidental poisonings, homicides, drownings and fires,” says the Health Canada report. “In any other situation, this number of deaths would certainly justify a major public health initiative.”

Radon can seep into a house through dirt floors, cracks in concrete walls and floors, sumps, basement drains, and through concrete block walls. Radon levels are higher in some geographic areas than others, and Health Canada is current working on a mapping system to identify the hottest radon zones.

However, predicting which houses have radon and which ones don’t is difficult. “Factors such as the location of the house and its relation to the prevailing wind may be just an important as the source of the radon,” says the Health Canada report. Radon levels can vary from season to season, with the highest levels usually recorded during winter.

One estimate says that about 175,000 Canadian homes, or almost three per cent of single-family homes, have radon levels above the proposed new guideline of 200 becquerels, and will need to be repaired to ensure the safety of its occupants.

In discussing the implementation of the proposed guidelines, the Health Canada report says several Canadian companies currently offer radon testing services, and the average cost is about $50 per test. It says that a national certification program should be considered to ensure that testing standards are determined and enforced.

For houses that require work, the average “mitigation” cost would be about $1,200 per house, says the report.

“Active soil depressurization has been found to be the most effective and reliable radon reduction technique in existing homes,” says the report. “This method involves installing a vent pipe through the basement floor slab or connecting it to the foundation drain tiles through the sump. A fan which runs continuously is connected to the vent pipe. This reverses the air pressure difference between the house and the soil, so that air flows from the house into the soil, preventing soil gas entry, and reducing concentrations of soil gas, including radon, next to the foundation.”

The report says open sumps should be fitted with airtight covers with special traps that allow water to drain, but prevent radon from entering the basement. Major gaps in the basement floor or in the top of foundation and interior load-bearing walls should be sealed, as should minor cracks in foundation walls and floors. Other gaps around utility penetrations should be sealed. Exposed soil in a crawlspace should be covered by a barrier with sealed edges and joints, says the report.

“What is required for testing services also applies in large measure to builders and contractors providing radon mitigation services. Standards and guidelines need to be developed and this includes revisions to national, provincial, and local building codes. These guidelines could be more rigorously enforced in radon-prone areas,” says the report. “The approach here is not to over-regulate the building industry, but to provide it with the knowledge and tools needed to play an effective role in radon mitigation.”

The report says that “a combination of radon-resistant requirements in new homes and mandatory testing of existing homes could lead to virtually complete compliance with the new Canadian radon guidelines within a decade.”

For more information about radon in the home, download Radon: A Guide for Canadian Homeowners, produced jointly by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. and Health Canada.

Published: August 24, 2006

By Jim Adair
Realty Times

CANADIANS LOVE THE CONDO LIFESTYLE

There’s been a dramatic change to Toronto’s skyline in the last few years as dozens of new high-rise condominiums have been built to feed the current housing boom. While it appears the market may be cooling, a new survey suggests that the long-term prognosis is good for condo developers in Canada.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos-Reid.ca for TD Bank, says that younger Canadians are more willing to consider raising a family in a condo than those who are over 45 years old. Overall, 80 per cent of the people surveyed would not consider raising a family in a condominium, but those in the age group that’s most likely ready to start a family (25 to 34-year-olds) are the most open to the idea of condo living.

The results also indicate that those who currently live in condos are enjoying the experience. “Younger Canadians who bought condos as their first step into the housing markets have grown accustomed to the numerous benefits of the condo lifestyle, and many are considering extending them into the next phase of their lives,” says Chris Wisniewski of TD Canada Trust.

The survey, conducted among adults aged 25-59 in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa, found that 64 per cent of respondents would not be likely to consider purchasing a condo as a primary residence. But the 35 per cent who would consider it are driving condo sales to record levels.

In Toronto, it’s expected that a record number of new condos will be built for the second consecutive year. In June, more new high-rise condos were sold in the city than ever before. “Home buyers were snapping up a new condo every four minutes the sales offices were open,” says Desi Auciello, president of the Greater Toronto Home Builders’ Association. “Frankly, we never thought we’d see the day when low-rise product would represent the minority of our sales, particularly to this extent,” he says. Six out of every 10 new homes sold in June were high-rise suites. Through the first six months of the year, high-rise sales are running two per cent ahead of last year’s pace, while low-rise sales have declined by 10 per cent.

In the resale market, high-rise condos represented 20.2 per cent of the market share in July. The median price for a resale condo in the Greater Toronto Area in July was $214,000, while the average new high-rise condo price in June was $314,370. The average price for resale homes of all types in July was $358,035.

Not surprisingly, affordability is one of the main reasons why condos continue to be popular, and was cited in the survey by 57 per cent of those who said they would choose a condo as their primary residence. Other reasons for buying a condo, according to the survey results, are because they are “easier maintain (69 per cent)”, and because people are “attracted to the condo lifestyle” (45 per cent).

Asked what amenities condos can offer to families, the top answers were building security (91 per cent), proximity to public transit (87 per cent), pool or recreational facilities for children (83 per cent), close to work (81 per cent), and proximity to schools (81 per cent).

Torontonians surveyed were the most likely to say all of these amenities are important to have for raising children in a condo, and were also the most likely to say they would not consider buying a condo because there is “no backyard or play areas.”

People in Montreal were the most likely to say that condos are not suitable for families with children living at home, and 87 per cent said they would not be likely to consider starting and raising a family in a condo.

In contrast, Vancouver residents were the most likely to have lived in a condo either now or in the past (36 per cent), and the most likely to say they would consider buying a condo as their primary residence. They are also the most likely to consider starting a family and raising children in a condo.

Affordability is the number one reason why they would purchase a condo.

“Traditional attitudes change slowly,” says Wisniewski. “Yet, as condo developers continue to create new projects with more family-friendly features and amenities, I think we can expect to see a rise in the number of families with children who choose this option.”

Published: August 10, 2006

By Jim Adair

Realty Times

CANADIAN REAL ESTATE MARKETS SET RECORDS IN FIRST-HALF ‘06

Calgary, Edmonton lead sales activity

Resale housing activity in Canada’s major markets in the first half of 2006 set a new record for the first six months of any year, The Canadian Real Estate Association reported this week.

Sales activity is on pace to set a new annual record this year despite expected softening in the second half of the year, the association reported.

Actual unadjusted home sales via the multiple listing service in Canada’s major markets totaled 186,177 units in the first half of 2006, a 3.6 percent rise over the previous record for first-half activity set in 2005.

Sales activity was particularly strong in Calgary and Edmonton, the association reported, and new records for resale housing activity in the first six months of the year were set in those cities and Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, London, Sudbury, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. Seasonally adjusted MLS home sales in the second quarter of 2006 numbered 84,391 units ? which represents a slight decline from the record levels posted over the past year.

Actual unadjusted sales reached the second highest level on record for the second-quarter period, and were 0.5 percent below activity levels reached during second-quarter 2005. Seasonally adjusted home sales activity eased by about 1 percent from the previous month to 28,185 units in June 2006. Monthly sales activity ebbed in Toronto, Edmonton, Halifax, and a number of other markets, which more than offset monthly gains in Calgary, Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Montreal, and London.

Actual unadjusted MLS residential new listings totaled 308,923 units in the first half of 2006 ? a new record for the first six months of the year and the highest level on record for any six-month period. New listings were up by 4.6 percent from the first half of last year and were 2.3 percent higher than the previous record set in the first half of 1990, which is the only other six-month period on record in which new listings topped 300,000 units, the association reported.

“There are no signs that new listings have peaked, as seasonally adjusted quarterly and monthly new listings reached their highest levels in more than 15 years,” the association also announced. Victoria and Montreal led the increases, with seasonally adjusted new listings in the second quarter reaching the highest level since fourth-quarter 1990. “A rebound in Calgary helped to push major market new listings to the highest monthly level since May 1991.”

The major market MLS residential average price at mid-year was up by 11.8 percent compared to December of last year. It was also up by 12.2 percent year-over-year in the second quarter, which tied with the second quarter of 2004 for the highest year-over-year price growth of any quarter in the past 15 years. The 6.8 percent jump in price from the last quarter was also the highest quarterly increase since 1989.

Average price in the second quarter of 2006 set new quarterly records in almost every major market in Canada. The major market MLS residential average price reached $269,000 (in U.S. dollars) in June ? up 11.8 percent from the same month last year.

Average price has posted double-digit year-over-year gains in every month during the first half of 2006, the association announced, and reached the highest monthly level on record in June in Calgary, Edmonton, London, Montreal and Quebec City.

The average home price fell from the record levels reached in May 2006 in a number of other markets.

CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump said in a statement, “The housing market is tightest in Alberta, where a sizzling job market is stoking buyer demand and fueling remarkable price increases. The rise in new listings in Montreal and Toronto gives buyers in those centers a wider selection of homes to choose from, and will keep price increases in those markets below those for major markets in British Columbia and Alberta.”

The association noted in the announcement that average price information can be useful in establishing trends over time, but does not indicate actual prices in centers comprised of widely divergent neighborhoods or account for price differential between geographic areas.

The Canadian Real Estate Association represents about 85,000 Realtors.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Inman News