Cranston, a community in south-east Calgary, hasquickly become one of the most sought after places to live in the entire city. With a new commercial shopping area opening soon (boasting 20+ stores and services), a hospital in neighboring Auburn Bay community, 2 brand new schools (one public, one catholic) and access to the beloved Fish Creek Park - who wouldn't want to buy a home in Cranston. Homes for sale in Cranston range from single family homes, to condos, to townhomes, villas and estate homes along the exclusive 'ridge' overlooking Fish Creek Park and the Blue Devil Golf Course.

For more information on homes, condos, villas or estate for sale in Cranston - call The Jay Magnussen Real Estate Team at 403-650-7332 or email Jay@SoldByJ.com.

Visit www.SoldByJ.com for a complete listing of all MLS listed homes in Cranston and other Calgary or Okotoks Communities.

Always remember the 6 'W's of Real Estate.... Work Will Win When Wishing Won't!

Weʼve all heard about body language. When someoneʼs arms are crossed, they are being impatient, right? Or when someone rolls their eyes upwards during a conversation, theyʼre sceptical.

- Look a person in the eyes when shaking his/her hand. This is one of the fastest ways to establish rapport. (Some agents look down at the hand, perhaps worried theyʼll fumble the handshake. If this is your concern, practice.)

- Maintain eye-to-eye contact during the conversation, especially when the other person is talking. This reinforces that you are interested and listening.

- Smile as often as possible, but never immediately after the other person asks a question. A smile after a question about financing, for example, might be interpreted as condescending.

- Keep your feet on the floor, not crossed. Lean slightly forward. This shows that you are there to do business and make things happen. By contrast, sitting back with your legs crossed looks like youʼre settling in for a quiet evening and a movie!

- When taking notes, keep your notepad visible, not tilted close to your chest. People sometimes get nervous when an agent is taking notes they canʼt see. Keeping your notepad visible makes them feel more comfortable. (And, they probably wonʼt be able to read what youʼre writing anyway.)

When shopping for a home, you'll find many advertisements and flyers touting that a listed home is in a "Great Location".

But great for whom?

Before accepting the claim as fact, decide for yourself. What is so appealing about that particular location?

For example, you might find the neighborhood ideal for families because there are lots of kids in that area. But on the other hand, if you're looking for a quieter place to live, a street filled with skateboarders might not be such a "Great Location" - for you.

You shop for a home. You find one you like. You make an offer - conditional on a satisfactory home inspection.

Okay so far. Then the inspector discovers a problem with the home that may require an expensive repair or renovation. Perhaps the frame in the front door is cracked; or there's a leak in the roof; or the furnace is due to be replaced. What do you do?

You don't want to pass up an opportunity to purchase what could be your dream home. On the other hand, you don't want to have to deal with potentially costly repairs. First, keep in mind that you did the right thing. It's always a good idea to get a home inspected by a professional before the offer is finalized. A qualified home inspector will go over the property with a fine tooth comb, top to bottom, inside and out, inspecting the structure, electrical systems, HVAC systems and more. It's their job to find any deficiencies in the home and alert you to them. If a deficiency is found, your next best step is to discuss the issue with your Realtor and go over your options. Those options may include amending the offer price to cover some or all of the costs of the repair, or requiring the seller to get the repair done before you move in. Don't worry. This is a normal part of the negotiation process. Chances are, an agreement can be reached that is satisfactory to both parties - and gets you the house you want! And, because you had a home inspection done, you'll know the true condition of your home when you buy it. That's peace of mind.

Need more tips on finding your dream home? Call us today! 403-650-7332!

The end of the year or beginning of a new one often means many of us look back, look forward and try to anticipate what will become of the next year. Many of us do this with New Year's resolutions. Some of the most popular resolutions are to lose weight, get fit, quit smoking, etc. The key to ensuring successful New Year's resolutions is to be specific and monitor progress.

This year, why not make your resolutions about something that affects you greatly - your living situation / space. If you rent a home, make a resolution to buy one, or at least, save a certain amount of funds toward that down payment. If you own, look at your mortgage. Why not resolve to make double payments a couple of times during the year? If you are comfortably stable with your finances, resolve to purchase a rental / investment property.

These are all tangible goals and write them down. Put them somewhere you can see them. Measure your progress with savings account statements, help from your Realtor and more.

"Good friends are like the stars...

you don't always see them, but you know they're always there!"

Sustainable Okotoks... is this a mere dream or something we can attain?

Perhaps once a decade a decision this important comes along; one that will impact future generations and the future of our town. The big question: Does the Town of Okotoks allow unlimited development, population expansion and growth by removing the current population cap, or do they continue to abide by the cap of 30,000 residents?

Okotoks Town Council has decided to move forward and will seek out a mandate from the community by conducting an extensive public consultation program exploring the pros and cons of each option, starting with a series of weekly informational articles in the Western Wheel to help you gather your own thoughts about Okotoks' future. Readers and residents can also provide feedback at Okotoks.ca.

Longtime Okotoks Mayor Bill McAlpine said growth pressures, combined with projected population rates are causing the town to take a second look at its policy on new residents. With the population of Okotoks nearing current capacity, a decision needs to be made. .

Mayor McAlpine would rather see new residents incorporated into the town as opposed to new communities springing up from scratch. "It's wiser for the growth to happen around existing communities." He wants to see Okotoks thrive as a community, instead of having encroaching Calgary suburbs using the town's services.

"The Okotoks we knew and loved is all but ruined already," Colin and Jane Aldridge wrote on the community blog where residents are posting their opinions. "It's become crowded, noisy and impersonal. Alas, you have allowed a very pleasant small town to become a suburb of Calgary." One thing is for sure, with the ever-growing popularity of Okotoks', once the cap is reached we should expect to see the prices of housing in Okotoks skyrocket.  

Alberta's housing market continues to correct itself from the 2006 'bubble', with lower starts and lower prices. But as at least one economic outlook says the province will be the only one to see a rise in single detached housing starts next year.

As sales of existing homes moderate and new listings continue to increase, the average MLS price growth this year is expected to ease to 0.3% and experience a 0.1% increase in 2009. Housing starts this year will remain above the 200,000 unit mark for a seventh consecutive year, before dipping to an est. 177,975 units in 2009.

The CMHC outlook attributes a cooled resale market to rising house prices. Nationally, sales of existing homes through the MLS are forecast to fall 13.6% this year compared to last year's record level, then ease an additional 4.2% in 2009.

As house prices move higher, less expensive multi-family housing, including row houses, semi-detached and apartment condos, are gaining in popularity.

This year and next, Canadians will see multi-family starts outnumber single detached for the first time since 1982. Furthermore, 2008 markets the fifth consecutive year in which multiple starts have surpassed the 100,000 unit mark.

Multi-family housing starts are forecast to rise 7.8% to 117,925 units this year, while they are forecast to drop by 20% to 94,375 units in 2009.

Apartment construction has been growing for 11 consecutive years since bottoming out at just over 23,000 starts in 1996. Apartment starts are expected to grow 18.1% to 84,725 units in 2008 before declining 21.4% in 2009.

Existing home sales activity will ease 13.6% to 452,225 units this year and an additional 4.2% to 433,375 units in 2009 as rising house prices cool homeownership demand.

Altus Group also released its latest forecast, looking into the fourth quarter of 2008 and beyond, and the outlook was increasingly bleak.

In fact, the report even went so far as to say a strong likelihood of an economic recession has emerged from the global financial crisis. It says Canadians can expect sharply lower housing starts in 2009 as national markets get pummeled by these forces.

Further, there is risk that the economic downturn could be sharper and more prolonged than previously thought. The report says there is a risk the current downturn will more closely resemble that of the early 1980s and early 1990s, rather than the shorter and shallower ones of the 1950s and 1960s, despite lower interest rates. In the early 1980s, Bank of Canada interest rates spiked at nearly 20%, while in 2009 they are forecast to remain below 5%.

But if there's a beacon of light in the market next year, it's definitely in Alberta.

The CMHC fourth quarter outlook indicates Alberta will post higher single detached housing starts next year, increasing by 3.4%, while the remaining provinces will see singles move lower.

While sales have been easing throughout the first half of this year, new listings have continued to rise into record territory. Thus, the strong seller's market that has existed since 2002 has given way to balanced markets in most regions across the country.

The first half of this year has seen an easing in MLS sales and record high levels of new listings; this has brought balance to the Canadian resale market.

In Alberta and B.C., more balanced markets combined with decreased sales activity will cause growth to slow in 2008 and 2009, especially because these two provinces saw prices rise well above the Canadian average.*

The outlook states that as more new listings enter the national resale market and sales continue to ease, future price growth will be well below the price increases seen over the previous six years.*

For 2008 and 2009, the MLS® annual average price will rise 0.3% to $306,500 in 2008 and 0.1% to $306,700 in 2009.*

Posted mortgage rates will decrease slightly in the first half of 2009 as the cost of credit to financial institutions eases. However, they may rise slightly in the last half of 2009.*

Net migration is forecast to increase by 9.2% this year then remain essentially unchanged in 2009.

Although there is uncertainty, employment growth across the country is expected to be in the 1.4% to 1.8% range this year and in the 0.5% to 1.5% range in 2009.*

*Calgary Real Estate News

When you are planning to purchase or refinance a home, your personal credit history factors heavily on the lender's decision to approve your mortgage, and at what interest rate.

While it is true that they also take into account the applicant's strength of income and overall debt load, ability to manage the current debt speaks volumes to mortgage lenders and could influence the lender's decision, so it is beneficial to understand the process before getting started.

In Canada there are two companies, Equifax Canada and Trans Union, that collect credit information and generate a report, known as a credit bureau. Equifax is predominantly used by mortgage lenders so we will focus on their scoring criteria. Equifax analyzes each bureau and awards the individual an overall score, known as a beacon score or FICO score. In Canada the score can range from 300 up to 900, with the highest score being the goal.

The beacon score itself is derived from five distinct characteristics of your credit history, each playing an important part. Clearly understanding these components will show you how to make your credit score work in your favour and correct any old patterns that could be dragging your rating down.

Approximately 35% of your beacon score is determined by your previous credit patterns. This is the largest consideration when generating your beacon score and therefore should be treated as sacred.

It is extremely important to make at least your minimum payment on any loan or credit card by the required due date. The size of the minimum payment does not matter, only the fact that you are on time. There is no discretion here so don't lose points on this one.

The second most important component used to determine your beacon score is how much debt you currently have. Equifax allocates 30% of your score here. Carrying a balance of more than 75% of your total limit is a big no-no. Even more damaging to your score is exceeding your credit limit, so be wary of getting into that habit.

If your credit balances are over the 75% marker and you are unable to pay them down quickly, consider requesting an increase in your credit limit. This will improve your beacon score and look better to potential mortgage lenders, providing you don't rack it back up again.

The third determination, weighing in at 15%, is the length of time your accounts have been active. Opening and closing credit accounts every couple of months does not score high with Equifax. They are looking to see a long term trend of strong borrowing history here, not constant rearranging.

The final two components, both worth 10% of your beacon score, are determined by your eagerness to apply for credit and the types of credit you have.

Continually allowing companies to check your credit does not earn you any points so be cautious of that habit. The more inquiries you have, the lower your score will be dragged down.

Mortgage lenders will be watchful as well, because to a lender this could be considered a lack of control with your credit and you may end up over your head in debt--not a ride they are willing to go on with you.

The last consideration refers to the type of trade lines or accounts you have. Credit cards and lines of credit are called revolving, meaning they can be used, paid down, and used again. There is no specific end to this type of debt.

An alternative to this is installment debt, which is set up with the end in mind. Car loans and student loans are an example of installment debt. Having a mix of both revolving and installment debt will earn you points in this category.

Equifax also believes having more than five active trade lines is excessive. If you find yourself with ten credit cards in your wallet, consider consolidating the balance onto one or two cards and cancelling the others.

As mortgage brokers only have to check your credit bureau once to find a good fit with over forty lenders, this is just one more reason why an experienced broker is an invaluable ally when you're looking to arrange a mortgage and keep your credit score high.