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Real Estate Blog

What to Know When Renewing Your MortgageHomeowners in Canada who still owe a balance on their mortgage will be faced with making some decisions as renewal time nears. Mortgage holders have the choice of staying with their current lender or in seeking other, potentially money-saving opportunities elsewhere.

Current lenders will send out renewal slips to mortgage holders encouraging customers to take the simple route to renewal. While there are reasons this may end up being the best option, mortgage holders may be better served by exploring alternatives.

Here is your guide to the Canadian mortgage renewal process.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed mortgage professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

Be Prepared

Make a note

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Home Insurance BasicsBuying a home is a large, long-term investment that deserves protection. Home insurance has many benefits and limitations, and can be somewhat difficult for people to understand. With the answers to these questions, buyers will have a better idea of what to expect when they go shopping for home insurance.

What Does Home Insurance Cover?

People who have homeowners insurance need to know what is typically covered by their policies, and how those aspects of the home are covered. Typically, a policy will provide for compensation based on actual cash value or replacement value of an item that is stolen or destroyed due to a covered event. Actual cash value takes into consideration the natural depreciation of possessions like furniture or

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Thanksgiving Holiday Celebrations in Calgary

Whether winter arrives early or delays its appearance until later in the season, Alberta residents and Calgary visitors have a lot of reasons to celebrate Thanksgiving. There are non-stop events and activities throughout the long weekend, extending from October 7 through 10 in 2018.

From pumpkin festivals and corn mazes to a "Frozen" adventure with Disney characters, weekend activities are geared toward young and old alike, and there's no reason not to partake of the fun. Here's a roundup of some of the attractions that sound like winners:

Family Friendly Activities

Thanksgiving Weekend at Heritage Park: End of season activities at the Park are always a highlight of Thanksgiving Weekend. Enjoy a turkey lunch at the Wainwright Hotel or

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Rainy Day Activities to do in CalgaryThe rate of rainfall in Calgary is not as much as in other parts of Canada, but it is quite substantial. A rainy day can seem never-ending if one does not have the activities to occupy their time indoors. Many activities can be undertaken to make the day fun and worthwhile. One may have to travel, but the experience will be worth it. Some of the activities include:

Explore the Sentry Box

The Sentry box is a "heaven" for old school, non-electronic gaming. Given that it is Canada's largest game store, one can be assured of a wide selection of over 100,000 of games that will leave the day's gloom outside the store. One cannot go wrong with the Sentry Box, a place for gamers by gamers.

Shelf Life Books

If one is a voracious reader or even

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Getting a Home Survey: Why It Is So ImportantThere are so many things that need to be done when it comes to buying a home. One of them is getting the financing, another is having an inspection. But there's also the need for a survey. Homeowners want to make sure they really own all the property they believe they're buying. If there are discrepancies or problems, they should know about that before they complete their purchase. Then they can decide whether they want to go ahead with that purchase or whether they would prefer to look for a different home. Here's why a home survey matters so much.

For informational purposes only. Always consult with a licensed real estate professional before proceeding with any real estate transaction.

What is a Home Survey?

A home survey isn't really

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Do Dogs Deter Burglars?Get a dog as a loyal companion or as an excuse to get daily exercise. Count on a noisy dog to give pause to vandals and pranksters, but protect a home in other ways as well. Security companies and serious burglars alike say that barking dogs might send a "stay away" message to nuisance visitors, but that determined criminals are not likely to be deterred solely by Fido or Fifi. 

How Well Do Dogs Protect Your Home?

As much as you may hate it when your dog barks when someone walks past your Calgary house or when someone walks up the front step, you may secretly be happy that Fido is on duty protecting your home from strangers. But are bad guys really deterred by a dog in the house? If there’s something in your home they want, will a dog really

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How to Decide Whether to Buy or RentIf buying a home seems like a faraway dream, it might be closer than you think. When you invest the time to consider the type of neighbourhood you need and what you can afford to pay, you may discover options to lower your housing costs overall. With this guide, you will understand the types of expenses you will pay to rent or buy, and receive tips to help you get into the real estate market.

What to Know About the Responsibilities of Homeownership

Buying a home in your early 20s is an investment for the future. By doing the work now, you may be able to create a tidy passive income source that makes it easier to secure your financial future. If it is not right for you right away, being able to consider the financial obligation will help put you

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Home Improvement ToolsIt's official: today's housing market favors the prepared seller. While housing crises of years past created a substantial decrease in home sales for years, the return of consumer confidence has caused the housing market to rebound in remarkable ways.

According to recent studies, asking prices are at a record high and increasing in many parts of the country. Home inventory is also on the rise, causing sellers to compete for the quickest sales.

Home Improvement Fundamentals

In a housing market rife with competition, sellers can get creative to stand out and improve a home's chance of selling. Many homeowners make significant home improvements before selling to attract the ideal home buyer.

But what home improvements add the most value?

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The Importance of Universal Design in HomesThere are a variety of reasons for homeowners to turn their homes barrier-free. Whether it's an elderly relative coming to stay or homeowners preparing themselves for the years ahead, making a home as accessible as possible is the only way to encourage an independent lifestyle for a higher quality of life.

But homeowners also need to take into account the demographics of their neighbourhood as well. If the area is skewing toward an older crowd, making some improvements can also be a great way to increase resale value. Here are a few tips for those looking to eliminate the barriers so seniors can move wherever they want, whenever they want.

Thoughtful Designs

One popular idea that has been moving through the real estate world like wildfire is

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How to Use conditions When Buying a HomeA condition of purchase is a stipulation a buyer makes to a seller that must be met before finalizing the home sale. Some buyers submit their Offer to Purchase with no conditions, meaning they buy the property as-is, but this is generally only done when purchasing obvious fixer-uppers or if there's a particularly hot market where a buyer has to do so just to remain competitive. Most people have at least a few conditions that they present to a seller during the negotiation period, so buyers should understand how they work before they begin to structure an offer for their City Centre home.

Financing

An offer to buy normally comes with a financial backing of either cash-in-hand or a letter of pre-approval from a bank. While a bank's pre-approval

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