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        <title>Edmonton Real Estate Blog</title>
        <link>https://www.edmontonhomes.ca/blog/2016-07/</link>
        <description>Welcome to the Edmonton Real Estate Blog - We will keep you up to date on the Edmonton Real Estate market with the most current news and market trends.</description>
<item>
    <guid>https://www.edmontonhomes.ca/blog/big-city-show-down-how-edmonton-stacks-up-with-calgary.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.edmontonhomes.ca/blog/big-city-show-down-how-edmonton-stacks-up-with-calgary.html</link>
        <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
        <title>Big city show down: How Edmonton stacks up with Calgary</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Two cities of over a million people and both are impacted by the oil bust in Alberta.  As much as Edmonton and Calgary are alike, they are different.  In checking the stats on the first half of 2016, a glance at new housing and resale homes activity in both markets draws similarities between the two major centres.


Construction starts


Edmonton and Calgary saw fewer shovels in the ground in the first six months of the year.  Numbers from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp put housing starts in Edmonton at 1,378 compared with 2,140 in the first six months of 2015.  Calgary fared a little better with 1,068 homes so far this year, down from just 1,426 this time frame last year.   In looking at the numbers just for June 2016, Edmonton saw 1,673 detached homes still under construction.  There were fewer in Calgary with 1,419 homes in mid-build.


Residential resale


Analysis of the single-family home sector which is that portion of the market in which the majority of resale residential sales take place, shows that 5,189 units changed hands the first half of this year in Edmonton.  The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton says that in the same time period last year, 5,569 homes turned over, a difference of just 380 homes.  A small drop, all things considered.  In Calgary this year’s number is 5,799 compared with last year’s figure of 6,196 according to the Calgary Real Estate Board.  The difference is 397 so it would appear that the resale figures within the two cities are very similar.


Lots of choice


In looking at figures between the two cities, there were fewer listings that entered the marketplace. Fewer people are putting their homes up for sale in both cities, yet with fewer sales there was ultimately more choice for buyers in Edmonton and Calgary. In the first six months of this year there were 9,988 new listings in Edmonton, down from 10,444 last year. In Calgary, there were 10,326 single-family homes put up for sale in the resale sector, a drop of 4 from the 10,756 added in 2015.  It would appear both cities are following similar trends.


Resale home prices


Average sale prices in the single-family resale home market dropped in both cities but not by as much as one might think.  Oil patch workers and those in related industries such as construction have left the province but have vacated mostly rental accommodations. Therefore there has not been heavy downward pressure on prices in Edmonton or Calgary, yet.


Examination of median prices for detached homes in Edmonton for the first half of each year show prices fell from $415,000 to $404,000. In Calgary, the median single-family home price was higher at $489,250 and fell as well from last year’s six-month median price of $493,400.


Prices and variety in new homes


In June 2016 there were 490 new single-family homes that were finished and ready for occupancy in Edmonton as opposed to 306 in June of 2015 – a dramatic difference in the number of quick possession homes typically constructed by new homes builders.   Things were more scaled back in Calgary, with 254 single-family quick possession homes that were move-in ready opposed to 267 which were available in June 2015.  Whether Calgary builders were more prepared is worthy of another article.


There is an appreciation difference and when comparing Edmonton with Calgary in terms of pricing in new construction. Edmonton bucked the all-over trend, with spec homes priced on average last month at $606,103 compared with last year when the average was $536,713.  Unabsorbed new construction in the single-family sector in Calgary was on trend, valued last month at $776,816 and a year ago it was less at $738,503.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 26 Jul 2016 12:00:00 -0600</pubDate>
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<item>
    <guid>https://www.edmontonhomes.ca/blog/if-a-tree-falls-on-your-property-should-anyone-get-involved.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.edmontonhomes.ca/blog/if-a-tree-falls-on-your-property-should-anyone-get-involved.html</link>
        <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
        <title>If a tree falls on your property, should anyone get involved?</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Who decides whether your trees can stay or go?


The City of Edmonton wants to enact new laws about tree-cutting on private property and has voted to approach the Province of Alberta to request the authority to do so.  Why is this?


Because the majority of members on council think that in some instances a bylaw is necessary to prevent urban forest destruction on some properties. For example, if someone has applied for a permit to redevelop a city lot, perhaps in an Edmonton inner-city neighbourhood which is likely populated with large mature trees, someone should have the authority to prevent this lot from being cleared.  In other words, these trees should be saved and the City of Edmonton wants the power to prevent them from being chopped down.


Not all Councilors are in agreement.  Councilor Bryan Anderson doesn’t think the City of Edmonton should really be involved.  He publicly stated that he doesn’t think the municipality should dictate what he or any other Edmonton resident should do with trees or plants within the boundaries of their property.


What’s happening in other cities?


A precedent has been set in other cities across Canada where bylaws are in place stating that homeowners have to apply for a permit before they can remove a tree on their own property.  Some of the reasons are to prevent the spread of disease or to remove trees that are half dead already.  Homeowners who want to cut down and remove a tree just because they don’t want it don’t have a leg to stand on in some Canadian municipalities.


Anderson says homeowners should have the right to remove trees that perhaps were planted in a good spot once upon a time but have become too large or provide security issues or are plain nuisances such as ornamental crab apples.  These types of fruit trees, not suitable for eating or even for jelly-making, are messy creating all sorts of debris and work for homeowners and are a pain, especially for those who have purchased a property and like the house but not the trees in the yard.


Incentives for infill developers


When a developer purchases a lot and wants to knock down a house in Edmonton’s inner-city perhaps there should be the continuation of incentives to keep some of the lovely old trees rather than regulating what they can or cannot do.


Other Edmonton council members like Coun. Ben Henderson wants to stop the blatant clear-cutting that some developers are doing on city lots because it makes the job easier without any vegetation in the way.  The community and the streetscape are negatively changed when developers or homeowners do this.  Incentives to keep trees aren’t enough.


Before the City of Edmonton can take this further, the province has to grant local authority and then Council has to go through a very thorough debate process.


Council could agree to introduce a bylaw for developers while giving homeowners authority over their own properties.


Dealing with trees on properties slated for redevelopment is just more issue surrounding Edmonton’s inner-city infill policies which are already riddled with controversy.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:13:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.edmontonhomes.ca/blog/edmonton-countertops-laying-it-all-out.html</guid>
    <link>https://www.edmontonhomes.ca/blog/edmonton-countertops-laying-it-all-out.html</link>
        <author>justin@justinhavre.com (Justin Havre)</author>
        <title>Edmonton countertops: Laying it all out</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
We've come a long way from those old Formica countertops of our youth: however perhaps today there's too much choice. How do you decide what sort of counter tops will work best in your Edmonton home?


They have to look good, stand up well and last a long time — oh, and of course they have to be affordable, but not too cheap.


The Questions to Ask




How much traffic to you expect on your new countertops? Will they have daily use?


Will your new countertops have to stand up to heat from hot pots or hair curlers/straighteners? Should they be stain resistant?


Do you regularly use things like contact lens solution which can be corrosive?




To help you with your decision on what sort of material works best for your lifestyle, check out this list of Edmonton's most popular materials and the associated features:


Quartz


Quickly gaining on granite as the material of choice for countertops in Edmonton, quartz is engineered in a factory rather than cut out of a quarry. It's made from stone, cement and other durable materials. Apart from being beautiful, quartz is super resistant to water, stains, scratches and heat. You don't have to seal it or do any maintenance to it to make sure it resists stains in the long run. It can look very similar to stone or granite however it can look a little ordinary if you want a more dramatic look.


Granite


This hard material is cut out of rock — it's like slicing a loaf of bread out of the side of a mountain. There are also more 20 shades of granite in a variety of styles and will instantly update any room. It can stand up to abuse, but it should be sealed. You will hear arguments against sealing granite, but it is porous and as such can absorb stains especially from wine, tomatoes, oil and hair dye if the application is for the bathroom. Consider having granite sealed every couple of years to keep it looking great for years to come.


Limestone


You don't hear about limestone very much in Edmonton. It's quite resistant to heat and is available in a number of colours and is very appealing. It's also porous and should be sealed periodically. It scratches and sometimes will absorb stains despite your best effort. You have to really like the look of limestone to order it. It could be a popular choice for a home office where counter tops serve a different purpose.


Marble


Luxurious marble has been used in spas and baths since Roman times. It can take the heat and provides a very unique design because like snowflakes, no two slabs of marble are the same. Lovely in the bathroom but not so great in the kitchen unless you like the old world look of marble that is stained and etched over the sands of time. It's also porous and should be sealed. For the bathroom, contact lens solution and perhaps certain hair products will eat away at your marble surface.


Concrete


With the acid etching and paint techniques these days, a concrete countertop can be highly polished and very durable. It would look nothing like a sidewalk and completely not boring. But it's also porous but adds a touch of cool if you are after an industrial feel in your Edmonton home.


Laminate


Yes, good old Formica is still around and is the most cost effective alternative. It's simply cut to order and glued onto plywood and gives you a durable finish as well. If water gets under it though it will bubble and certain types are not heat or stain resistant. New manufacturing techniques have produced laminate that can resemble any of the materials presented in this article, complete with texture. This is an excellent alternative to the budget-conscious Edmonton home owner.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2016 13:08:00 -0600</pubDate>
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