If you haven’t noticed yet, Good Earth has opened a new location in the Cranston Market. It’s nice to be able to grab a coffee and a muffin or cookie in a locally owned place, and have it walking distance. The market has definitely added a quality of life element to Cranston, but I’m sure it is drawing the Auburn Bay residents as well to the new Berwick House, Sobey’s, and other retailers, including the aforementioned Good Earth. If you see me wandering through there, be sure to say ‘hi’.

Now that lenders in Canada have raised their fixed rates by .6 basis points, the press is having a field day with something to be gloomy about. I’m here to tell you that if you were that close to the edge, you shouldn’t have bought a home in the first place. If I had been able to get a 6% mortgage when I bought my first house, I would have thanked the heavens. (more…)

The battle between CREA and the Competition Bureau continues, and all Canadian Realtors are watching with a little uneasiness. I won’t comment on the specifics, but in a nutshell, the Bureau wants CREA to provide more access to our MLS system. CREA’s stance has been that it is willing to make changes, but that the MLS, which is a registered trademark and owned by them, is their, (and by extension every Realtor’s) private property. Changes just enacted may allow for consumers to post their homes and deal directly with buyers for a flat fee to a Realtor. At the risk of getting that wrong, or giving too much of an opinion, I’ll stop there. However, (more…)

The Calgary market is pretty active right now. Nevertheless, pricing and marketing are very important, now more than ever. It seems that homes sell if they are well priced for their market, and buyers are steering clear of the over-priced stuff. (more…)