“World's Most Complete Neighborpedia”
Sponsor a Community — What is Localism? | Register or Sign In
Explore:   What's happening in your neck of the woods?
HomeAlbertaEdmonton Region

About Edmonton Region, AB

Blog_tag

More female grads ready for the oilsands

09-11-09
Todd & Danielle Millar
Todd & Danielle Millar: Real Estate - Other in Edmonton, AB
  • view my blog
  • Office: (888) 780-5940 x251










After an intensive 17 week course, 15 women are ready to go out there and move some heavy equipment around.

"Wanda Wetterberg, operations manager for Women Building Futures anticipates that the exodus of baby boomers from the workplace, combined with the student’s hands-on experience with loaders, graders and dozers, will help open the doors wider for women in the field.

“There is and will continue to be quite a heavy demand for heavy equipment operators,” she said, adding that the same holds true in other trades.

“Even if the construction industry has slowed down a bit, the demand for operators is still pretty high. And it certainly does pay well. That’s what our students are looking for,” she said"

For now gone are the days when 12 year-olds are working at fast-food chains and restaurants are closing due to restricted staffing.

Any women who are interested in taking the course should contact Olds College or Women Building Futures
1 Comment
Blog_tag

Housing affordability improves

09-09-09
Todd & Danielle Millar
Todd & Danielle Millar: Real Estate - Other in Edmonton, AB
  • view my blog
  • Office: (888) 780-5940 x251

Until this recession housing prices where slowly and steadily creeping out of the territory of affordable for many first time buyers.

The truest example of this was a "starter home" in Vancouver for $700,000. Of course location and other market comparables would set aside this property from the rest, it's still not in my idea of the starter home region. Vancouver's housing affordability is still an unbelievable 63%. That means 63% of income must be devoted to mortgage payments.

Now we now why Vancouverites are so svelte - they can't afford food!

Housing prices cooled and low interest rates brought back affordability but how long will it last? According to some experts not so long.
"The two major contributors to the significant improvement during the past year or so — the decline in mortgage rates and the drift down in prices — appear to have reached turning points."

"Supply of properties for sale is dropping as demand bounces back, which is working to heat up prices again in many parts of the country."

RBC senior economist Robert Hogue

We are in a one-of-a-kind situation to pick up great properties with low interest rates at incredible prices. There is such demand in Canada and especially in Edmonton, Alberta for quality housing, price increases are going to return in the next year.

0 Comments
Blog_tag

The oilsands have your back

09-04-09
Todd & Danielle Millar
Todd & Danielle Millar: Real Estate - Other in Edmonton, AB
  • view my blog
  • Office: (888) 780-5940 x251
Somewhere between 2013 and 2015 oilsands production is set to double. Increased demand in the U.S due to the decrease in oil supply from Venezuela and Mexico make Canada's oil not only desirable but the natural choice.

The first $2Billion dollar pipeline was approved last week and many many more are coming. So what does this have to do with real estate?


At the peak of the mini-boom in 2007 Alberta oil companies couldn't find enough people to work in the tar sands now with plans to double the work force will have to increase as well.

Edmonton as the closest major city to the oil sands (with reasonable housing prices) is going to attract a lot of renters and potential buyers over the next 2 to 5 to 15 years. How does that make anyone money? By either owning the properties for sale or rent.

Don't forget -

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>83</o:Words> <o:characters>343</o:Characters> <o:lines>22</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>19</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>585</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>11.1282</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng /> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:donotshowrevisions /> <w:donotprintrevisions /> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:usemarginsfordrawinggridorigin /> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Arial; panose-1:0 2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:16777216 0 117702657 0 131072 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial;} table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-parent:""; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> <!--StartFragment-->During the gold rush entrepreneurs who filled a need serving those who panned for gold made most of the profits. Alberta is in a modern day gold rush and the strongest demand in this province is housing. Areas that are “hubs” are those that are seeing the highest increases in housing values. Edmonton’s strategic location between the multi-billion dollar Alberta Oil Sands projects in Northern Alberta and Calgary, make it the center of all the action.<!--EndFragment-->

So would you rather pan for gold or sell the pan, shovel and tent to the worker?
0 Comments
Blog_tag

Edmonton Real Estate prices by price range August 2009

09-02-09
Jason Thomas
Jason Thomas: Real Estate Sales Person in Edmonton, AB
  • view my blog
  • Office: (780) 431-1900

Here are those charts. As you can see the price ranges that are expanding are under $300,000 and over $400,000. I would attribute this expansion under $300,000 to the continued influx of first time buyers into the market. The over $400,000 range is probably attributed to better feelings about the economy and more move up buyers.August 2009 Edmonton price range stats

July 2009 Edmonton price range stats

1 Comment
Blog_tag

August 2009 Edmonton Real Estate Market stats

09-02-09
Jason Thomas
Jason Thomas: Real Estate Sales Person in Edmonton, AB
  • view my blog
  • Office: (780) 431-1900

Well it looks like we are back to a balanced market. No record breaking sales this month. The number of sales for August are back to a more normal range (1673). Prices actually have flattened and dipped a little. The inventory is continuing to fall which is good news. We are now at 6445 homes for sale (down from 6592 in July). One thing that is interesting is the over $400,000 price segment has went up in the last month (from 19% to 22%) but the under $300,00 is also increasing (up from 47% to 48%). So, therefore the middle $300,000-$400,000 range is actually shrinking a bit. I will post these charts in the next post.

What this all means (in my opinion) is that the market is balancing out. The predictions that we were going to shoot through the roof with prices earlier in the year have not been realized. The prices have stopped their freefall and climbed a little, but it looks like we are now moving into a stable balanced market. Average sale price sfd Edmonton August 2009

0 Comments