Karen Salmon 's Blog

Home For Sale at 84 Cimarron Vista Circle, Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:40:24 -0700

Beautiful upgraded family home on quiet street in Cimarron. Throughout the main floor you will notice the 9' ceilings with knocked-down stipple. The den/dining room has French doors is currently being used as a playroom. The kitchen has gorgeous oversized antique white cabinets, corner pantry, granite countertops, undermount sink and island. The stainless steel appliances include a slide-in range with ceran cooktop, French door refrigerator with bottom freezer and over-the-range microwave/hoodfan.From the breakfast nook,step out the sliding doors onto the deck and into the professionally landscaped yard. Head upstairs and you'll notice the wrought iron spindles. The bonus room is huge with a vaulted ceiling. The master bedroom is large enough for a kingsize bed and has a spa like ensuite with his/her sinks, separate WC, 4x3 shower and jetted tub. The two children's bedrooms and 4 piece bathroom complete the second floor. Shows 10/10. 84 Cimarron Vista Circle, Okotoks

Home For Sale at 100 Drake Landing Cres, Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:35:48 -0700

Beautiful Morrison built home backing onto park in Drake Landing! If you're looking for an amazing kitchen- you'll love this home. This very popular "Willow" floorplan has been modified for a more open feel throughout the main floor. Upon entering you will notice the unique hardwood and catch a glimpse of the chefs kitchen. With a wall oven, 5 burner gas cooktop and loads of counterspace you will love cooking in this kitchen. The living room has a vaulted ceiling and large windows looking out over the soccer field. Upstairs you will find a bonus room, 3 bedrooms and the main bathroom. The master bedroom has a large walk-in closet and ensuite with soaker tub. Backyard has maintenance free concrete patio and BBQ deck with gas hookup. Water softener included. 100 Drake Landing Cres

Home For Sale at 90 Drake Landing Common, Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Wed, 15 May 2013 08:23:30 -0700

Welcome to this immaculate executive bungalow built by award winning builder Morrison Homes. Upon entering you will notice the formal dining room with room for a china cabinet. The kitchen has dark cabinets, corner pantry, large island with a one-of-a-kind piece of granite, and stainless steel appliances (including a gas stove). Living room has large windows and gas fireplace. Master bedroom has large ensuite with double sinks, soaker tub and over sized shower. Second bedroom on the main floor could also be used as a den. Basement is fully finished and has infloor heating! Family room is spacious enough for pool table (included) and a tv viewing area. Two additional bedrooms and 4 piece bath complete the basement. Learn more about this Drake Landing bungalow

Eat cake, win cash

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Sun, 05 May 2013 06:28:02 -0700

Royal LePage turns 100 this year! To celebrate our 100th birthday, Royal LePage has created a 100th Birthday Cake-Eating Challenge on Facebook.

Here's how it works:

The game challenges players to eat an entire virtual three-layer birthday cake in the shortest time possible. Participants can play as often as they like -- just for fun or to better their score, for a chance to win one of six weekly prizes of $500. Each week will bring a new cake, and a new challenge. As well, each week they play, players will receive one entry into a random draw for a chance to win a $5000 grand prize (maximum 6 entries).

Did I mention that this cake has zero calories? Start eating

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation raises $2.08M in 2012

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Sun, 05 May 2013 06:05:20 -0700

The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation raised a record breaking $2.08 million in 2012. Part of the funds generated are done through "agent commission donations", in other words every time I sell a home, a portion of my commission goes to to the Shelter Foundation. 100% of our donation goes to a local organization as Royal LePage Canada covers the administrative costs. At Royal LePage Benchmark, the money raised goes to the Children's Cottage in Calgary.

In 2012, I was recognized as being one of the top 10% of donors in Canada. So thank you to all my clients- for allowing me to represent you and helping me to make such a significant donation to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation.

SAM Awards- What's All the Fuss?

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 05:58:05 -0700

April 26, 2013

What a great night!! As many of you know, my husband Paul Salmon works for PHBI which is part of Alberta New Home Warranty Program . PHBI was a platinum sponsor this year at the SAMs so we were fortunate enough to be able to attend.

The SAM Awards (Sales And Marketing) recognize builders and other industry members for their achievements over the last year. As a real estate agent who often helps buyers purchase a new home, it is important to have an idea as to which builders are continually recoqnized by their peers ( you don't "win" these awards by fluke). However, the award that I was always most interested in was the "Customer Choice Award" as the winner is chosen by their customers.

JD Power used to tabulate these results; it was easy to go to the JD Power website and see the ratings that customers had given their builder. It was f

ascinating to see how the results matched what my buyers told me about their experience with a builder ;)

In the coming months, a new company will be collecting and analyzing the new home buyers feedback about their building experience. CustomerInsight has recently been hired to do the job! They're good- Christian Caswell (President and CEO of Customer Insight ) received the SAM Award for "Supplier of Service" and he's just getting started!!

While it's great to be recognized by your peers, what's important to me is recognition from your customers. I'll be watching closely.

Oh yeah and if you REALLY want to know who won the rest of the awards...here they are.

Home For Sale at 4 Cameron Close

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:11:15 -0700

Welcome to Air Ranch! One of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Okotoks. This 3400 sf home from award winning Morrison Homes is built for entertaining. As you enter the home you will notice the front flex room that can be uses as a den and a formal dining room with built-in china cabinet. The kitchen and great room is bright and open featuring floor to ceiling windows allowing you to enjoy the view of the almost 1/3 acre yard. Upstairs there is a bonus room/second office that can be closed off from the rest of the house. Master bedroom has a sitting area where you can enjoy the mountain view. Two additional bedrooms (both large enough for a king size bed) and a loft complete the upstairs. Unfinished basement walks out to the south facing back yard - there's even room for a hot tub!www.4CameronClose.com

Canadian Investors: Do You Claim Depreciation on your Rental Property?

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 06:22:37 -0700

I had an interesting discussion last week with my AMAZING accountant Teri Tetreault of Pi Business Solutions about whether or not to write off depreciation on my rental property. Of course, the answer isn't black and white and circumstances are different for everyone but here's what he said:

"When you claim the depreciation now, as a dollar-for-dollar expense, you do save that tax, yes. However, when you sell that property, you are required to reclaim that depreciation back into income, dollar-for-dollar. In other words, when the house is subsequently sold, ALL of the prior depreciation is added back into income, and it is NOT a capital gain , so there is no net tax savings whatsoever.

Of course, the amount of profit on the property is still a capital gain, but every cent of the tax you saved depreciating the place is repaid when it sells. Most likely, you end up paying MORE tax upon the sale than you saved because all that income pours into one year, which will almost certainly drive you into the 3rd or 4th tax bracket. As a matter of habit, we never depreciate rental properties for this reason.

On the other hand, and there's always an "other hand" in my world: The real value of claiming the depreciation isn't in any actual net tax savings, as you can see above. The real potential value in claiming depreciation is in DEFERRING the tax from now until some future unspecified time, which could be 25+ years away. The value of not paying that tax now can be huge enough to offset the big tax bill later. This is exactly the principle that underlies RRSPs. All they do is DEFER tax, but the growth in the meantime can have a big financial impact because the tax isn't getting paid on it until later. Kevin MacLeod (financial planner at Money Advisor) has software that can actually measure the value of tax deferrals like this.

In order to make the depreciation strategy work properly, you need to be absolutely sure to reinvest the tax saved back into the investment (perhaps by moving more quickly toward buying the next property, or saving interest on the mortgage, etc...). If you just spend your tax savings on something not investment-oriented then all your depreciation has done for you is create a convenient excuse to spend more money. Again, it's analogous to RRSPs. How many people take a $10,000 RRSP loan for a year and use the tax refund to partially repay the loan, or better yet, buy more RRSPs with it? Almost none. They take the refund and blow it. That's $3200 - $3600 that could be growing for the rest of your life! The government just LOVES RRSPs and tax deferrals because the government will always outlive you and get their tax sooner or later, and the overwhelming majority of the time they end up with more just by waiting for the taxpayers to mismanage their short-term tax savings.

There are other little tricks you can employ within a depreciation strategy (like life-insuring against the tax) that make it more viable, and every case should be considered individually. But in general, people simply don't have the desire or discipline to not end up shortchanging themselves in the long run. (Karen's note: this is why you should always ask your accountant)

So yes, depreciating your rental property can be viable. You just need to clearly understand how to make it pay off, or else you're gonna HATE me when that piper has to finally be paid!"

And on that note, I'm not depreciating my rental ;)

For Sale: Townhouse with double garage in Cimarron, Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:28:33 -0700

Lovely 4 level split in the centre of the Harvest Gate complex in Cimarron. This unit is fully finished and in move-in condition. The main living room has a cozy corner

fireplace and vaulted ceilings. Up the first flight of stairs and you reach the kitchen and eating area. Laundry room is also located on this floor. Top floor features 3 bedrooms and the main bathroom. Master bedroom is a good size and has a walk-in closet and 4 piece ensuite. Basement has been fully finished as a family room. There are not many townhouse condos in this price range with double garages! www.64CimarronVistaGarden.com

Final Phase of Bella Vista Estates in Dewinton

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:37:24 -0700

Lot 6: Quite possibly the largest lot in Bella Vista Ranch II! Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, this lot is a great location for your dream home. Huge pie shape lot with a gentle slope towards the back would make it relatively easy to build a home with a walkout basement. Architectural controls and some building restrictions in place to ensure your land investment is preserved. Recent well/water test indicates plenty of good quality water. Bella Vista is located minutes south of Calgary, just west of the Okotoks overpass- fast access via paved roads to Calgary and Okotoks! GST applicable.

Lot 8 is also available.

BellaVistaPhaseII

For Sale: One Bedroom Condo in the "adult only" Sierras of Heritage

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:30:37 -0700

The Sierras of Heritage complex is probably one of the best buildings in south Calgary for amenities. The building has an indoor pool, hot tub, exercise room, rec/banquet room, social room, carwash, library and even a woodworking shop! It is located within walking distance of city transit, drug store, medical clinic and grocery store. This one bedroom unit has been recently updated with fresh lighting in the kitchen and new flooring throughout. The balcony looks out onto the front entrance/visitor parking of the building and offers plenty of light. Open living/dining/kitchen area with corner fireplace for those cooler evenings. There are two underground parking stalls and a storage unit assigned to this building.

305-8535 Bonaventure Dr SE Calgary

New Bike Shop in Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:14:55 -0700

April 5, 2013

Thanks to Kerri Ann Day for writing this blog!

Given the current business climate and the number of small, independent Okotoks businesses that are closing their doors, I thought you might be interested in a good news story about a small bike shop that is expanding to a new bigger location within town.

Christopher Brown, a Town of Okotoks firefighter, turned his passion for bicycles into a little business in 2011 when he opened Wheel Life Cyclery in the main floor of a house on Elma Street. Chris kept busy doing bicycle maintenance and repairs for a steady stream of loyal bike enthusiasts. Over time, demand increased for the shop to carry good quality bikes and accessories. Chris has taken on a business partner and they are expanding both the product offering and the size of the store by moving to a new location at #1, 115 Fisher Street. The new shop is the only full service bicycle specialty shop in the Foothills and will be carrying good quality bikes for cyclists young and old including road bikes, mountain bikes, bmx bikes, and touring bikes.

So whether you need a bike tuneup, bike accessories or just a bit of advice on where to bike around Okotoks - drop by!

They're celebrating their new location at 115 Fisher St with a little party on Saturday April 6. Drop in anytime from 10am to 6pm... they're going to fire up the BBQ, have some prizes, and more. More details at www.facebook.com/wheellifecyclery

Getting Permits AFTER You've Done the Work

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:20:52 -0700

April 4, 2013

So you've decided to sell your house and you know there's a lot to do before the sign goes on the front lawn. Your real estate agent may suggest you declutter, clean and make minor repairs. They may also ask you to find all the paperwork regarding your nice basement renovation just in case someone asks. Everything was done by professionals but you didn't pull permits.

It is becoming increasingly important to make sure you have permits for all development (especially basement) and renovations (eg kitchens and bathrooms) in your home BEFORE you put your house on the market. More and more buyers (and insurance companies) are asking to see the permits before waiving conditions. SO what happens if you didn’t get permits when you developed your basement or renovated your home? Well in Calgary and Okotoks you contact a company like Equinox Electric. Here’s what they can do for you:

”By pulling a Concealed wiring permit we can permit electrical work previously completed, as long as we get it up to the current codes. “

Here’s how it works:

First they inspect the previous work
Then they will inform the client of the electrical code issues
Then they explain how they intend to fix any issues and discuss a price
They then come in at a convenient time and do the work discussed
Last step, a city inspector comes in and checks that it meets the code requirements and signs off on the job

This is what impressed me about them: “Equinox Electric Ltd has been offering Concealed wiring permits for 2 years with 100% of those jobs passing inspection and getting the Stamp of approval from the city.”

Okotoks Real Estate Market Monthly Statistics

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:09:44 -0700

April 2, 2013

Can you tell I'm spending way too much time at my computer? Calgary is having a mini boom and I'm trying to figure out why we're not having the same excitement in Okotoks!

Well, Okotoks has a very predicatable real estate market. We have a busy spring (April-June) then everyone goes on vacation during the Summer, then we have an average fall. I'm sure most of this relates to the school calendar and anyone moving within Okotoks, wants to be moved and settled before the school year starts again. For the last two years, there have been more sales in June than any other month in the year. I expect the same to happen this year.

So if you're thinking of selling in Okotoks, it's probably time to get your house on the market. Even in June 2012, for the houses that sold, it took on average of 74 days for a home to sell. Now of course there are so many other factors that influence these numbers but doesn't it make sense to use them to your advantage?

How Well Does Your Agent Know the Local Real Estate Market?

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 09:28:17 -0700

March 25, 2013

While it's true that I can help you buy a house anywhere in Alberta, there are areas that I'd be more likely to refer you to a colleague. It is for this reason that I have an extensive referral network of great agents throughout Alberta that would do a much better job of representing you.

The local real estate market is more than the numbers on MLXChange (our data base). And while any of us can "pull comparables" and create a market evaluation for the property you want to buy, buying with a local real estate agent has the following benefits/advantages:

they know the community
they have relationships with other agents in the area
they can answer questions regarding the issues facing the residents
they know the more popular streets in each community
they know the schools (and the issues)
they can find their way around without GPS

In the Okotoks market, literally a handful of agents are representing more than 10 buyers per year (graph above, data from MLXChange 2012). Almost 85% of buyers were represented by agents that represented only did one or two transactions in Okotoks.

When you move to an area, wouldn't you want to be represented by an agent that has experience in that community?

Spring To-Do List for Alberta

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:25:08 -0700

March 24,2013

Woo hoo - it’s finally SPRING! One of the best times of year because mother nature gives us a sense of freshness and rejuvenation. One exception might be thawing dog poop in the yard, but hey … that’s just a nasty nasal reminder that we have a little maintenance to do.

There are extensive and sometimes overwhelming maintenance checklists to help homeowners take care of their homes. Since some homeowners might find these checklists discouraging, here is basic checklist of the most common and important maintenance items to get you started.

Is it Cheaper to Rent or Buy in Okotoks?

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:30:16 -0700

March 19, 2013

Have you ever wondered if maybe you'd be better off buying than renting? I had Mark Herman of Mortgage Alliance run the numbers on buying either a starter home in Cimarron or a two bedroom condo in the Mesa.

Payments on the 2 story home at $305 000 would be 1392 a month ... that is lower than rent of 1800 for the same home. Add in Ptax of 146, utilities of 250, Fire / home insurance of 40 and your monthly total would be $1828 almost the same! Difference of $28 ALL IN!

Payments on the condo at $220 000 would be $1020 a month P+I plus $318 condo fees plus $125 property tax and $150 for other utilities not covered would be $1613 vs. 1450 For your own condo and stop renting – the numbers are almost the same BUT ADD in the BELOW: This unit is a 2 bedroom. If you had a renter then you can deduct ½ of the mortgage interest for the year and ½ of the condo fees and utilities as it is the cost of running an “investment property” that you happen to live in. So in the end that would save you: $6183 /2 = 3091 + condo fees = 1908 = 4999 tax refund at the end of the year! Just for having a roommate. $5000/12 = 416 So 1613 – 416 = 1196 a month or $250 / month LESS than renting!

Now remember in both cases part of your mortgage payment is reducing the principle you owe so in effect it's even better to buy rather than keep renting.

If you'd like more information about a mortgage, feel free to contact Mark at mark.herman(at)shaw.ca. If you'd like help buying a home in Okotoks, contact me!

10 Things You Need to Know About the Okotoks Real Estate Market

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:46:06 -0700

March 15, 2013

1. There are 122 single family (SF) homes on the market as of March 13

2. Thirty five SF homes have sold in the last 30 days compared to 31 over the same time last year.

3. The average price of these 35 SF homes was 408,476 compared to 405,603 last year.

4. Average number of days on market for a SF home is 63 compared to 36 for Calgary.

5. Speaking of Calgary, the average price of the houses sold over the last 30 days was 517,840. The average price of houses sold during the same time period last year was 465,496.

6. As of October 16, 2012, there were only 469 vacant residential lots left in Okotoks.

7. In 2011, there were 217 SF housing starts. Assuming a similar number in 2012, there appears to be about 2 years worth of vacant lots in Okotoks.

8. The number crunchers calculated that from 2006 to 2011,Okotoks is the 10^th fastest growing community in Canada at 42.9%

9. A quick glance at one of the most active rental sites, www.rentfaster.ca, tells us that there are only 7 properties renting for under $2000 per month in Okotoks. I wonder how many are still available?

10. According to mlxchange.com (the REALTOR internal database that feeds realtor.ca), over 300 different real estate agents represented buyers in Okotoks in 2012. Over 200 of these agents represented one single buyer. Only five agents represented more than 10 buyers.

What do you think? Where is the Okotoks market going?

Can you recommend...?

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 09:25:27 -0700

March 13, 2013

I am often asked to recommend a service provider such as a mortgage broker, a home inspector, or a lawyer. Considering the number of interactions I have with these professionals, you'd expect me to have a comprehensive list. And I do. However, I'm not making the recommendation. I'm simply collecting the names of service providers that my clients have ranted and raved about. I'd like to think they have great taste, after all they did choose me as their agent ;)

This list changes frequently. Names are added and names are removed. About a month ago someone had to be removed from the list. The office seems to have had such high staff turnover that there didn't appear to be anyone with the "founding philosophy" that my clients loved so much. As you can imagine, I'm a bit embarrassed about the company's inclusion in "the recommendation list".

Thankfully "the list" is not static and I can make changes based on my clients' experiences. Is there anyone you'd like to add?

Home For Sale on Crystal Green Point in Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:46:42 -0800

Welcome to the popular "Glencoe" floor plan! Located on a quiet culdesac in the lake and golf community of Crystal Green, this home is great for families. The main floor features a flex room with double doors for privacy while you work. Large open kitchen with warm wood cabinets and appliance. The "nook" is massive and you could easily seat 12 people! Great room has 18' ceilings and a fireplace. Head upstairs (notice the wrought iron railing) and you have the master bedroom with ensuite with soaker tub, makeup counter and oversized shower. 2 more bedrooms, main bathroom, bonus room and upstairs laundry complete the second floor. Basement development has been started (with permits) but there's still plenty of room for your creativity and with this floorplan- the basement is HUGE. Yes this home does have lake priveleges. Fast possession is possible. www.220CrystalGreenPoint.com

Renovated Home for Sale on Mt Copper Park in McKenzie Lake, calgary

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:26:04 -0800

Looking for a renovated 4 bedroom home that backs onto a greenspace on a quiet cul-de-sac? This home has had over 60K in improvements and renovations over the past few years making it move in ready. Traditional floor features combination living/dining room, main floor den with built in cabinets and open kitchen/family room. The refinished hardwood and white baseboard and trim are just two of the recent improvements you'll notice! Master bedroom is huge and the bay window looks out onto an expansive green space. 3 additional bedrooms (2 with walk-in closets, full bathroom and the laundry room complete the upper floor. Basement is fully finished with media area (with projector and screen) , half bathroom and room for a pool table. Garage is heated and has workbench and built-in storage. There's even access/room to park your utility trailer at the side of the house! Longer possession preferred but negotiable. www.212MtCopperPark.com

Airborne Trampoline and Tumbling Annual Meet in Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:21:19 -0800

Feb 1, 2013

Canada's only Olympic gold was in trampolining so why not make it part of your weekend plans to drop by the Airborne Trampoline and Tumbling Meet this weekend in the main gym at Edison Private School located just north of Okotoks. Two of the athletes are hoping to make it to the Nationals. You can read more about them in the Okotoks Western Wheel. The event is also a fundraiser for the Okotoks club so don't forget to make your bid at the silent auction or drop your tickets at the raffle table. Light snacks will also be available at the concession.

So when these kids made gold at a future Olympics, you can say you saw them here first :)

You can find more information about the Okotoks Airborne Trampolining and Tumbling Club on their website

WalkScore in Okotoks

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:16:35 -0800

Jan 29, 2013

I'm currently working with a buyer who wants to live in a home that is within walking distance of shopping, restaurants and other amenities. Now although Calgary ranks quite high as a walkable city, Calgarians love their cars. In fact the city planners keep building these amazing roads so we can zip around in our SUVs! Yes, there are certain communities that are more walk friendly than others and its usually pretty obvious when you are in these communities. But what if you're new to town and don't know about these areas? There is now a new website/iphone app called WalkScore that will identify these walkable areas. According to the website, "Walk Score helps you find a walkable place to live. Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the walkability of any address." Simply enter in the address or map the location and a number pops up telling you how car dependent you would be if you lived in this location.

What is even cooler about this site is the fact that you and I can add "places" that will help increase the walkscores in the communities we live in! I spend more time in Okotoks than Calgary and the current walkscore of Okotoks is 44, if we (ie Okotokians) all added our favorite walkable place...I wonder how it would increase our walk score? Here's the link , start adding! And whoever adds the most places, becomes the local expert.

And last year, prices in Okotoks went up...or did they go down?

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 11:59:02 -0800

January 7, 2013 Bet you didn't know that there's more to Okotoks than a big rock in the middle of a field. We have a thriving community with a population of over 23000 and a housing market to match. Here is a summary of the home prices in the various communities in Okotoks as well as a 10 year history of single family homes and condo prices. Here is the 2012 Okotoks Real Estate market report Over the next 2 weeks I will discuss further the types of housing, prices and what it's like to live in each community in Okotoks.

Apps For Home Buyers

Karen Salmon, Okotoks Real Estate Agent (Royal LePage Benchmark) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 05:25:24 -0800

If you're thinking about buying a home, there are a few apps you should consider downloading. As a buyer, one of the most useful apps is realtor.ca. Available from the itunes store, this is a great little app that will show you every house currently on the mls in Canada. How many times have you driven down the road, seen a house that you want more information on, called the agent on the sign and you end up having to leave your name with a paging service only to have your call returned hours later....if at all? (Except of course my listings, which if you call the number on the sign, you get me directly!!) With this app, you park in front of the house, pull up the location enabled app and "ta-da" you have at your fingertips ALL the info including photos, price, and size of home. How cool is that? Hmm....but if you want info on one of my listings...please call me.