Medicine Hat, AB

Looking back on the month of April, Medicine Hat and area real estate sales picked up a little as agents reported 110 residential units sold. This is up 12 from March's total of 97 residential units sold and down 81 from last year's April 2008 totals.

There was also an increase of 9 in new residential listings over last month, from 287 to 296, bringing the current total number of homes for sale to 852 compared to 745 in April 2008. This caused an increase in competition for buyers, which we can see reflected in the fact that 162 listings chose to lower their price in April.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me from my website at http://www.realtysales.ca/ or call (403) 866-9000.

The dramatically rising cost of home heating is a bothersome concern for most Canadians. Heating your home efficiently this winter will be the key to keeping your energy costs under control. Here are some quick, easy, and most importantly, inexpensive ways to maximize warmth and minimize impact to your pocketbook:

- Adjust Your Personal Thermostat: Wear a sweater and dress warmly around the house. When you're stationary - such as when watching television, using the computer or reading - you're most susceptible to a chill, so snuggle under a throw or blanket. Since hot air rises, change the direction of ceiling fans to blow warmer air back down to you. Counteract the icy influence of cooler floors with thick socks and slippers or possibly area rugs.

- Adjust Your Home Thermostat: It goes without saying that the less energy you use, the lower your heating bills will be. Set your thermostat at 21°C when you're home awake, 18°C when you're sleeping and 15°C when you're out of the house. Installing a programmable thermostat can reduce your heating bill by as much as 20 per cent.

- Let the Sun Shine In: During daylight hours, keep your curtains open and let the sun help heat your home naturally. To prevent this solar heat from escaping, insulate your windows with plastic film to reduce heat loss by 50 per cent. Also consider purchasing insulating curtains, which are curtains that have a foam thermal backing. They are more expensive, but pay for themselves within 7 years.

- Seal the Leaks: Caulk, seal and weather strip around windows and doorframes, baseboards, ducting and electrical outlets to save up to 20 per cent on your heating bill. Remember to close your fireplace flue when you're not enjoying a fire. Install a door sweep to resist against under-the-door drafts. Turn off the heat supply and close the door to unused rooms, such as a guest bedroom. Close interior doors leading to hallways or stairways to keep the heat where it's needed most.

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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So you've never heard of Medicine Hat, Alberta? Let me extend a warm southern Alberta welcome to you all. As you start to discover Medicine Hat... you'll find that you want to stay!

What attracts new residents to our region? Being the sunniest city in Canada with mild winters certainly helps! (We receive an average of 2,513 hours of sunshine per year according to Environment Canada). Besides that favourite feature, it's the friendly atmosphere, beautiful outdoors and big city conveniences with small town quality of life that make "the Hat" a sought after location. Of course other reasons such as low property taxes, natural gas and electricity rates that are well below the North American average, reasonable housing costs, no provincial sales tax and the lowest income taxes in the country are attractive too!

Our little city has grown to be Alberta's fifth largest, with a population of 60,426 (2008). We are located approximately 293 km (183 miles) to the southeast of Calgary, Alberta, 60 km (36 miles) to the Saskatchewan border and 160 km (99 miles) from the United States Wildhorse border crossing.

If you love the great outdoors, then Medicine Hat is the city for you.... our community boasts more than 92 km (57 miles) of hiking and biking trails and 250 hectares of parks, not counting six first class golf courses, plus three private campgrounds and one municipally operated campground. We also have three indoor and four outdoor pools, six indoor ice arenas, indoor and outdoor waterslides, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, tennis courts and a skateboard park – activities for every season and for every member of your family!

Medicine Hat is a manufacturer’s haven. This strong sector of our economy produces a variety of goods such as tires for cars and heavy equipment, anhydrous ammonia and granulated urea for fertilizers, clay brick and refractories, thermal carbon black, catalyst compounds for gasoline production, compressors, furniture, playground equipment, flour, cereals and feeds, business forms and commercial printing, dairy products, vertical blinds, modular housing, marble and onyx products, ceramic insulators, storage tanks, pipeline equipment, mining equipment and drills, pressure vessels, metal fabricated products, potting soil and concrete.

Another large contributor to the areas’ economy is agriculture. As you can imagine, with the most sunny days in the country we have the longest growing season too. Our region produces a variety of crops such as wheat, flax, barley and oats and specialty crops including corn, carrots, safflower, sunflowers and beans. The cattle industry and food processing are also important components of this sector.

If you head 56 km (35 miles) northwest of the Hat you can see the Canadian Forces Base Suffield. It is a military training area that is shared with BATUS, the British Army Training Unit.

Local manufacturing, agriculture and military sectors contribute about $120 million every year to our economy, thus providing many opportunities for employment as well as a great climate for new businesses to thrive.

When it comes to education, there are several options available to you here. The Medicine Hat School District #76 has thirteen elementary schools and three secondary schools to choose from. Also available from them are French Immersion, virtual learning, learning assistance and outreach programs. The Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education has six elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school, which offer a comprehensive religious education program. There are three private schools here: the Cornerstone Christian School, the Medicine Hat Christian School and the Montessori Elementary Institute of South-eastern Alberta. The Centre for Academic and Personal Excellence School is a chartered school and L’Ecole les Cypress rounds out the education resources for our young ones as a public francophone school.

For post secondary education, we have the Medicine Hat College that provides pre-employment trades training, apprenticeship and upgrading programs. Over 40 full-time certificate and diploma programs in business, technology, early childhood development, travel and tourism, rehabilitation services, nursing, police, security and visual communications to university transfer programs are offered.

Here concludes your short tour of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Whether you are planning a visit or relocation, I invite you to come experience the Hat – a community with so much to offer!

For a gorgeous view of Medicine Hat, check out this photo gallery from City Hall's website:

http://www.medicinehat.ca/Visitors/About%20Medicine%20Hat/Photo%20Gallery/index.asp