Marnie Campbell Real Estate Team Blog - Marnie Campbell

When Buying a Calgary Home Don't Assume Your Designated School Will Have Space for New Students

When buying a home in a new Calgary community it's important to do your homework. As a home buyer with children, you may think your child is automatically accepted into the designated school in the community you love, but that may not be the case. If having your child attend your neighbourhood school is important, then before you buy a home, contact the designated school. Find out if there is space for new students or if your children will have to travel out of the neighbourhood.

According to the Calgary Board of Education a number of CBE schools can no longer accommodate all the students designated to them, due to a significant growth in the school-age population. When a Calgary Board of Education school is at capacity a lottery process is used. To…

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Creative Small Space Gardens

Creative Gardening Options for you small space.

If a first grader can grow a bean with a wet paper towel on a sunny windowsill, you can create a garden, regardless of how much space you have to work with. Calgary boasts properties that have expansive back yards perfect for growing your own organic veggies and fruits. We also have condos that have big windows flooded with sunlight and apartments with patios to take advantage of for gardening. There are also many Calgary communities that have started community/ shared garden projects where you can flex your green thumb if you want more space than your property offers. Whatever you have, there are possibilities that will help you spruce up your outdoor space.

If your interested in starting a community…

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14 Must Ask Questions Before You Hire a REALTOR®

How do REALTOR® fees work? How much do you get paid?

Typically, the fees for both the listing and purchasing REALTORS® are paid for by the seller. The fees are determined at the time the home owners sign the listing agreement. The fees can vary depending on the type of service you’re receiving. What this means is there are different types of services that different REALTOR®and brokerages offer. Ask your REALTOR® what their fees are.

Is real estate your full time or part time job?

Your REALTOR® should be a full time agent. Like any professional you work with you want them to have the most experience possible and competently immersed in their profession. Full time REALTORS® see more properties, know the market and are going to be there when you…

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Calgary's Secondary Suites: Do you Want Them in Your Backyard?

Secondary suites have long been a hot button topic in the City of Calgary. Everyone from community and residential associations, to tenants, homeowners, developers and politicians all take a side on this issue. The questions is how does Calgary, the 3rd largest city in Canada, provide much needed diverse housing options, including affordable rental properties, without rezoning entire communities?  

The battle has been going on at City Council for a while, but especially since Mayor Nenshi was elected in 2010. A final decision has yet to be made that will move the issue off the table.

Types of Secondary Suites

1. Legal Suites are those that adhere to current building codes and land use bylaws and obtained building permits. This is the type of…

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With a Few Million Friends You Could Buy This $195 Million House

All you need is a few friends…okay maybe more than a few to buy a 25-acre luxury property in Beverly Hills for $195 million. The home is owned by billionaire investor Jeff Greene, who already owns 3 downtown buildings in Manhattan and over 3,00 apartments in Los Angeles. This amazing estate is listed by Coldwell Banker Previews International real estate agents Joyce Rey and Stacy Gottula.

The spectacular estate includes:

• 12 bedrooms
• 23 bathrooms
• security guard house and state-of-the-art security
• a 3,000-bottle wine cellar to go along with a stunning vineyard view
• multi-colored marble inlaid floors and extravagant molding details
• Alberto Pinto-designed grand chef’s kitchen
• approximately 5,000 square feet Master Suite
• …

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When Buying a Calgary Home, Don't Assume Your Designated School will Have Space for New Students

It’s a seller’s market in Calgary which means new home buyers are often making quick decisions about a home purchase. As a new home buyer you may think your child is automatically accepted into the designated school in the community but that may not be the case.

According to the Calgary Board of Education a number of CBE schools can no longer accommodate all the students designated to them, due to a significant growth in the school-age population. Parents should phone the designated school for the community they are considering buying in and confirm if there is available space in the 2014-2015 school year.

The CBE has set criteria it uses to for acceptance.

1. Students residing within the walk zone who have a sibling attending the school (see…

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Early spring in Calgary was cool, but that was not the case for the housing market.

House sales in certain Calgary communities and specific real estate price ranges have been more than warm this spring. March saw declining new listings in single family homes in addition to brisk sales. An increase in housing demand has come from an attractive economy, increased immigration to the city and a tight rental market. This resulted in the lowest level in inventory Calgary has seen since 2006.

Early spring has favoured the seller with many homes selling at or above list price and with multiple offers. This year 2,377 properties sold in April, and 529 of them for more than list price. The unadjusted single-family benchmark price totaled $496,700 in April, a nearly 10% increase over April 2013 and up slightly over 1% from March figures.

For…

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Low Inventory in Calgary Has Impact on February Home Sales

February 2014 saw the number of listings for single family homes decrease by almost 5 per cent with 89 fewer listings than the same month last year. The first time home buyers trying to get into starter homes priced below $300,000 are particularly having a hard time with low inventory.

Despite the low inventory single family homes sales increased by 1.9 per cent over the previous year with 1,230 sales. The benchmark price for single family homes in Calgary in February was $482,800 an increased of 9.11 per cent over the previous year. Average days on the market dropped to 29 last month from 37 in February 2013, a decrease of 20.67 per cent.

Condo apartments and condo townhomes actually had an increase in listings in February with a 26.71 per cent and…

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I'm Going To Miss My Calgary Mail Carrier

By the Fall of 2014 Calgary communities with postal codes starting with T2B and T3J will lose their Canada Post mail delivery and convert to communal neighbourhood "superboxes." T2B includes the communities of Dover and Erin Woods while T3J includes Castleridge and Falconridge. These are just the first of many Calgary communities that will evenually lose their door-to-door mail service.

I can appreciate that Canada Post like any business needs to streamline and be more efficient, but in the future when my community switches to superboxes and its minus 25 degrees Celsius outside (minus 35 with wind chill)  I’m not sure I’m going to be thinking about efficiency. I can see it now,  I’ll take off my winter gloves and with numb hands I’ll shake as I open…

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With this New Brighton, Calgary townhome it's all about easy living, location and convenience.

Welcome to 213 New Brighton Villas located in the popular community of New Brighton, Calgary. When you walk into this 1,200 square foot English inspired townhome, you will be struck by how bright and open it is. With beautiful hardwood and a free-flowing design on the main floor it’s easy to imagine entertaining family and friends. The large granite island and the dark stained maple cabinets that extend to the ceiling will especially impress guests. The kitchen also features stainless steel appliances, breakfast bar, and an abundance of natural light provided by big windows.

This home offers a flexible way of living with two master bedrooms, both with private ensuites and walk-in closets. It’s perfect for an office, guests or a roommate. For extra…

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