About South, AB

Good fences make good neighbours – and the right fence can really make your yard. These ideas can help you find a style that works for your space. Choose your style:

- Private. A solid-board fence blocks an unattractive view completely, but it also cuts out light and breezes and can make you feel boxed in.

- Semi-private. This style, which can have subtle spacing, louvers or lattice to let in light, is friendly, comfortable, and makes your yard feel bigger.

- Open. Great if you want to enclose your property but don’t want to block it off visually.

Chain-link. Definitely the most cost-effective choice, but not necessarily the most aesthetically pleasing. It’s good for defining boundaries, keeping kids and pets in, and maintaining a sense of openness. If you’ve got a big yard and a small budget, this is the way to go.

Wood. Styles range from split rail and picket fences to board-on-board styles that look great on both sides and offer privacy, yet let in air and light. The downside to wood? It needs regular maintenance to look good over time.

PVC/vinyl. Vinyl fencing looks just like painted wood, but you’ll never need to paint it – all you have to do is clean it once a year.

Iron, aluminum or steel. Use it if you want an open, formal look. Aluminum, which looks like wrought iron but is less expensive, is the most budget-friendly choice. If cost isn’t an issue, custom ironwork is an excellent way to incorporate a fence or gate that’s completely unique.

Natural “fencing.” Hedges and shrubs reduce noise and dust better than a fence, are less expensive, and look lush and beautiful. You’ll just have to be patient while your “fence” grows in.

Be nice to your neighbours. Talk to them before you do anything. Choose a design that looks good from both sides, and make sure you know exactly where your property lines are.

Think outside the box. You may not need to surround your whole yard to get the privacy you want. Consider using a fence to screen in a sitting area or create an outdoor room.

A great-looking fence adds tremendous value to your home – whether it’s resale value or your own enjoyment of it. Think carefully about your needs and your personal style, then go ahead and build a fence you’ll love for years to come.

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Current market conditons should always be considered when trying to decide if it's the right time to buy or sell real esate. Here's how the month of May looked in Lethbridge:

Total # of Listings (Month) - 696 (Up 33% from 2007)

Total # of Listings (YTD) - 2784 (Up 38% from 2007)

Total # of Expired Listings (Month) - 101 (Up 274% from 2007)

Total # of Expired Lisings (YTD) - 473 (Up 224% from 2007)

Total # of Sales (Month) - 273 (Down 32% from 2007)

Total # of Sales (YTD) - 1156 (Down 22% from 2007)

So, what can we interpret from this data?

Well, the number of expired listings continues to climb as sellers and REALTORS® alike are perhaps failing to realize how important it is to set a realistic list price when faced with stiff competition and a limited number of qualified buyers. Gone are the days of pulling a price out of a hat and hoping for the best. And based on the fact that total sales for the month are down substantially (last month, they were only down 14% from the previous year as opposed to 32% this month) we can assume that buyers are taking their time. They are realizing a shift in their favour and adjusting accordingly.

So what can a home seller do to be positioned correctly when it comes time to sell? Well, it simply doesn't matter how well you home shows and how fantastic your location is if your price is still not in line with current market conditions. There are a limited number of qualified buyers at this time, so when one of them walks through your home with the intent to purchase, make sure that your home appears to have the highest perceived value.

The moral of my story is, "When selling your home in a buyers market , you may only get one chance to make a first impression!" Make your home one of the most appealing amongst it's competition and find a qualified REALTOR® who knows how to help you do this!

Visit us for more information on Lethbridge Real Estate !

Energy efficiency is a topic that any smart homeowner should take an interest in. So, what's in if for a homeowner to increase their home's efficiency?

A. Save $$

B. Save the planet

C. Increased enjoyment and comfort

D. Any combination of the three!

While newer homes tend to be built with energy efficiency in mind, not everyone wants a new home. I personally love my older home for it's unique features, larger lot size and mature landscaping. So, where is your money best spent as the owner of an older home with regards to increasing the home's efficiency? Here are three of my faves:

1. Quit flushing money down the toilet...install a low flush or dual flush toilet. Or better yet, install a dual flush toilet retrofit kit to your existing toilet. Dual flush toilets were found to save an average of 26% more water than the single-flush 6-litre (1.5 gallon) toilet when used to replace non-efficient toilets. The added bonus is that you may be eligible to recoup up to $50 of your cost with the Natural Resources Canada's ecoENERGY retrofit for homes program. They have licensed AmeriSpec of Canada to perform their residential energy evaluations and there is a maximum grant amount of $5000 available for each home.

2. Upgrade your insulation. There's usually room for improvement here, so don't pay to heat the great outdoors. You know what your utility company charges and their rates are not likely to decrease... so keep that heat inside! Your ideal insulation levels will depend on your roof and attic type, but you are looking to hear numbers like R-28 for a flat roof and between R-40 and R-50 for others.

3. Heat and cool your home efficiently. As much as half your homes energy is used by the heating and cooling systems, so pretend these two systems are cars. Change the filters regularly and treat the units and their systems (ducts) to regular tune ups... it's money well spent.

More good news... if you are purchasing an older home and want to make these upgrades before you move in, talk to your mortgage specialist to find out how the costs can be included in your mortgage!

Check us out for more information on Lethbridge Real Estate!

Spring has sprung, the grass has ris, and here's how the state of the market is:

Total # of Listings (Month) 615 (Up 54% from 2007)

Total # of Listings (YTD) 2089 (Up 40% from 2007)

Total # of Expired Listings (Month) 106 (Up 203% from 2007)

Total # Expired Listings (YTD) 373 (Up 213% from 2007)

Total # of Sales (Month) 276 (Down 14% from 2007)

Total # Sales (YTD) 881 (Down 18% from 2007)

So what can we interpret from these stats as a REALTOR® or a home seller? Well, it appears that there are both more listings for buyers to choose from and also less buyers looking at this time, so if you are selling a home, you have your work cut out for you!

As a seller what are some things you can do to make your home stand out from the other 568 homes for sale in the City of Lethbridge at this time?

1. Set a selling price that is realistic and will make your home's perceived value appear the highest to buyers.

2. Make your home sparkle. Clean, de-clutter and stage your home to give it that extra edge against the competition.

3. Choose a qualified REALTOR to represent you. They will have the knowledge to help you set the right price, the expertise to market your home to it's full potential with the help of the MLS® and the knowledge to guide you through the steps to selling your home from start to finish.

Check us out for more information on Lethbridge Real Estate

I attended a Coldwell Banker International Business Conference in March of 2007 in Las Vegas, NV and I remember the speaker in one of the presentations talking about the "soft market" and the "hard times" that many parts of the US real estate market were facing. I remember thinking "What is this guy talking about? This is one of our best years ever in real estate in Southern Alberta!" I also remember thinking back to when I was a teenager and in comparison to the US, we were always slow to get new music, technology, economic changes, etc...

Well, the real estate market has definitely changed here in Southern Alberta, but we have yet to see the devastating effects of sub-prime lending and I personally don't think that we will see them to that extent. The latest stats published by my real estate board (the Lethbridge and District Association of REALTORS®) as of March 2008 read as follows:

Total # of Listings (Month) 531 (up 23% from 2007)

Total # of Listings YTD 1474 (up 34% from 2007)

Total # of Expired Listings (Month) 96 (up 159% from 2007)

Total # of Expired Listings YTD 267 (up 218% from 2007)

Total# of Sales (Month) 243 (Down 28% from 2007)

Total # of Sales YTD 604 (Down 21% from 2007)

The number that sticks out quite clearly to me is the increase in expired listings. It seems to me that there are a couple of reasons why this number is through the roof:

1. Sellers are having a hard time letting go of "what might have been" and are continuing to overprice properties.

2. REALTORS® are not doing a proper job of educating sellers that this is a different market and that a different set of rules now apply and we are allowing sellers to overprice their properties.

What can we as REALTORS® do to help ourselves and our clients?

Say's law says, "No good or service will remain chronically unsold, as long as prices remain flexible."

So, all we really need to do is get real about prices. We are not powerless to effect changes within our industry. We are not at the mercy of interest rates, government policy, the weather (insert whatever outside force you want to here). We are the ones who have direct contact with buyers and sellers. We have the power to educate them about the type of market we are in and how each and every one of them can benefit from it as long as they are realistic about it. We have the influence and market expertise to help our motivated sellers be at the correct price when the right buyer walks through.

The market has changed and so must we and the more quickly we can adapt, the faster our market can level off to where it needs to be and then continue on it's ever changing cycle!

Check us out for more information on Lethbridge Real Estate