Sales for the month of November are as follows:

Please remember these are averages only.

Single family: 8 sales, average sale price $773,125, average days on market 167 (DOM). 

Half duplex: 3 sales, average sale price $801,750, average days on market 27 (DOM). 

Townhouse: 1 sale, average sale price $350,000, average days on market 74  (DOM).  

Apartment: 7 sales, average sale price $300,000, average days on market 56 (DOM).

Fourplex: 0 Sales.  

Lots: 0 sales.


I am wishing the best for you and yours this Holiday Season. 

Quiet, central...walk to Multiplex!

Tasteful contemporary upgrades include golden birch hardwood, slate tile flooring and fully upgraded light fixtures. The open plan living level has a large kitchen with new backsplash and eating bar, dining area for entertaining and bright living room. Fabulous mountain views and south exposure from the front windows. Upper level has 2 king size bedrooms and a 4 piece bathroom. Underground parking with bike storage and secure storage lockers provide space for your outdoor gear. Your new home is conveniently located just a short walk from Canmore's downtown amenities and the new $42 million Multiplex recreation centre.

If your home will be for sale this winter, it is important to master certain seasonal issues that are less significant or even non-existent at other times of the year. Here are 10 bits of sage advice from RE/MAX agents that can help put a "Sold" sticker on that yard sign.
(PRWEB) November 30, 2011

If your home will be for sale this winter, it is important to master certain seasonal issues that are less significant or even non-existent at other times of the year. Here are 10 bits of sage advice from RE/MAX agents that can help put a "Sold" sticker on that yard sign.

Let Those Lights Shine: The best way to combat winter's short and frequently cloudy days is to turn on your house lights. For a showing, every single light in the house must be on, even in the closets and utility/mechanical rooms, according to Marlene Granacki of RE/MAX Exclusive Properties, Chicago.

"Make sure all the bulbs are working, and stock up on all the right bulbs for lamps and fixtures so burned out bulbs can be replaced immediately," she advises. "Also, it's a great idea to keep the lights on in the front of the house even if no showings are scheduled. People are always driving past the house, and keeping it lighted makes it look happy and welcoming."

She also advises opening the drapes and blinds during the day to let in light and let visitors enjoy the view.
Provide Convenient Parking: It's vital that buyers have a convenient place to park. They won't want to walk very far in cold weather or be forced to climb over a snow bank to exit their vehicle. Because parking is often more restricted around condominiums, sellers should make sure their agent can pass along parking details to buyers.
Make It Easy to Enter: Winter showings can get off to an awkward start if prospective buyers arrive with snow or salt on their shoes.

"Make it easy for buyers to deal with their shoes when they arrive," recommends Barbara Hibnick of RE/MAX Showcase, Long Grove, Ill. "Put a festive area rug at the front door for a great first impression and so visitors can wipe their feet. Have slippers or disposable booties available, along with a bench or chair, if there is room for one, where a visitor can sit and easily remove or put on their boots."

Keep Odors Under Control: Any home tends to be stuffy in winter when windows are opened rarely. That can allow odors to build up, which can be a turn-off to buyers.
"Pet odors can be especially worrisome in winter," says Mike Mondello of RE/MAX Synergy in Orland Park, Ill. "Use a room fragrance if needed, but nothing too strong, and I recommend that in winter sellers clean more often." For example, change the cat litter daily, rather than every third or fourth day, or even consider using an air purifier.

If pets are in the house, consider setting the thermostat control so that the furnace fan runs constantly during the day to keep air moving through the house and dissipate odors. Also try to avoid strong cooking odors, especially if a showing is scheduled that day.

Cultivate a Festive Look: Appropriate decorations for Thanksgiving, Christmas and even St. Valentine's Day help give a home a cheerful look during the winter months.
"I really believe that holiday decorations can help homes sell, but don't go to excess," suggests Starr Zook of RE/MAX On Track in Aledo, Ill. "Keeping small, decorative white lights on trees and bushes pretty much through the winter season is fine, but other decorations should be taken down quickly once the holiday passes."

Don't Ignore the Outdoors: Make a good first impression on buyers with a neatly maintained yard. Walks and steps should be kept clear, especially of snow and ice.
Look after Condo Common Areas: If the home you are selling is a condominium, your job as a seller may be relatively easy in winter, with no snow to shovel or yard work to worry about. However, that is only the case if your condominium association does its job well.

If the association isn't doing it, the homeowner may have to take responsibility for keeping the entrance area and hallways clean. If the association isn't getting snow shoveled promptly, consider buying some de-icing salt and sprinkling it judiciously around the building entry.
Don't Roast Buyers: We all tend to prefer a specific temperature for our homes during the winter, but don't blast buyers with hot air. Keep the temperature at a comfortable 65 degrees for all showings. Remember, buyers are likely to be wearing their coats even as they walk through the house.

Keep Seasonal Clothing under Control: "One major challenge of selling a home during the winter months is the overabundance of cold weather gear that must be stored," says Mike Mondello. "A buyer doesn't want to find the mudroom filled with boots or the hall closet overflowing with heavy coats. Shift some winter coats to another closet and put anything not needed in the closet into storage."

To keep gloves and scarves from piling up in the front hall or mudroom, put a special container for them, such as a decorative chest, where the family typically enters the home.
Encourage Day Time Showings: A home shows to its best advantage during daylight hours, which are relatively scarce in winter.

"Encourage your agent to show your home before 3 p.m. and have it ready to show by 9 a.m. if you want the best results," Granacki recommends.

Despite the special challenges of marketing a home during winter, there also are benefits, notes Laura Ortoleva, a spokesperson for the RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network.

"Buyers out looking at homes in December or January are, as a group, quite serious about buying. Therefore, sellers tend to benefit because each showing is more productive, and fewer showings are needed to sell the property," she said.

By Marty Hope
 
Alberta's rate of growth in resale housing activity will again lead the country next year, says a national report.

The Canadian Real Estate Association predicts 57,050 homes will change hands in Alberta in 2012, up 6.9 per cent compared to the expected total this year.

The forecast is for a 7.3 per cent hike in sales this year compared to 2010, barely ahead of Saskatchewan's 7.2 per cent.

"I'm not at all surprised by the forecast for next year," says president Sano Stante of the Calgary Real Estate Board. "When you consider the forecast for the economy in Calgary and Alberta, the increase in job creation and in-migration, we had anticipated we'd see healthy sales growth."

In-migration refers to the flow of people into an area.

The next most active province next year for sales will likely be Saskatchewan, which is to slide back to a 3.9 per cent rise in sales, says CREA.

In terms of average price, a forecast 2.2-per-cent gain in 2012 will put it at $364,900. Only Manitoba and Quebec will likely show stronger percentage growth in prices.

"Moderate price growth is good for the marketplace," says Stante. "With continued low mortgage rates, good affordability and a healthy inventory, now is a good time to be buying."

At the national level, the association has made a slight revision to its forecast for home sales for this year and next.

Stronger than anticipated sales in Ontario pushed up national activity from July to September, prompting CREA to raise its annual sales forecast for 2011 from 0.9 per cent to a revised 1.4 per cent.

"The continuing strength of home sales activity in the face of ongoing financial market volatility speaks volumes about the confidence of Canadians in our housing market, says CREA president Gary Morse. "Interest rates look like they'll remain low at levels that are friendly to the housing market for some time to come, and that's good news for Canadian home sales activity and the overall economy."

The association pr edicts national sales activity in 2012 will ease by 0.5 per cent to 451,200 units - which represents a small upward revision from CREA's previous 2012 sales forecast.

It reflects expectations that Canadian interest rates will remain low until well into next year. Forecast sales for 2011 and 2012 remain roughly on par with the annual average for activity over the past 10 years.

The national average price has evolved as CREA expected, with average home prices in Vancouver moderating compared to levels in the first half of the year.

Vancouver sales of multi-million dollar properties have returned to more normal levels after having shattered a number of monthly records this spring.

PRICES TO STAY LEVEL

There will likely be little change between this year's national average resale price and that of next year, says the Canadian Real Estate Association.

The average for 2011 is expected to be $362,700, up seven per cent from last year - but in 2012, the national average price is forecast to hold even with this year.

"A number of factors will keep Canada's housing market in check as interest rates remain low," says chief economist Gregory Klump of CREA in a news release. "These include tightened mortgage regulations and high household debt levels, together with slower economic and job growth."

But employment levels and income growth in Canada "should remain supportive for the housing market," he says.

Predictions to be outlined at conference
 
By Marty Hope

Calgary's resale market has been very much ho-hum this year - at least in terms of overall sales and prices.

It doesn't make for the edgeof-your-chair fodder speakers or writers like to talk about.

But as unexciting as it is, the state of the resale market in and around Calgary continues to be good news for buyers, although probably not for sellers.

Be that as it may, it will be up to Richard Cho, senior market analyst for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., to spell out the past, present and future of the resale market when he steps to the podium Tuesday at CMHC's annual Housing Outlook Conference.

In what will likely serve as a warm-up act for his address, Cho recently released CMHC's outlook for October to December for the Calgary region, including resale.

"Many factors that support resale housing demand have become or remained favourable this year, including growth in full-time employment, low mortgage rates and improved net migration," says Cho. "However, competing factors, such as uncertainty in the global economy, has kept some prospective buyers on the fence and will continue to temper any large increases in sales."

Net migration refers to the inflow of people to Calgary minus the outflow.

Because of time constraints involved in the release of the outlook report, Cho's comparative numbers are up to the end of August.

After the first eight months of this year, resale activity through the Calgary Real Estate Board's MLS system totalled 16,107 homes, up 5.5 per cent from the same period in 2010 - "a welcome turnaround compared to the first quarter, when sales were down 4.6 per cent," says Cho.

By the end of the year, sales will likely hit 22,200, an increase of almost six per cent from 20,996 last year.

"Demand for housing is expected to increase again in 2012 as the economy expands, creating jobs and attracting more people to the region," says Cho, adding that sales in 2012 will move up another 2.3 per cent to 22.700.

From a price perspective, there hasn't been much change in the average since 2010, but there could be a bit of a blip upward in 2012, says CMHC.

Looking back at the August numbers, the $404,096 price tag was up 0.9 per cent from the year before. By year-end, that number will likely slip back to $402,000, says CMHC.

"As the supply in the resale market moves lower and conditions become more balanced, stronger price growth is expected next year," says Cho.

The average price in 2012 is anticipated to rise 2.2 per cent to $411,000.