So I visited a new community in Airdrie yesterday.  "Grand Opening Special" 1107 sq.ft. townhouse with laminate flooring, granite eating bar, washer/dryer, ceran top range, legal fees all for $211,900.  June 2010 possession 1500 sq.ft. townhouse with nice upgrades for $289,900 - summer 2010 possession.  This home has a double attached garage. Nice thing about the area is the natural park reserve in the middle of the community.  Many of the homes will boast walk out basements and views backing onto the waterway.  "Watch the Ducks"  Pathways and walking bridges, make family walks on a hot summer night a real treat. You get a real sense of community.  I like that, and feel this project will do well.  Thinking of a move to Airdrie, consider a New Home or a New Beginning.  13 year Local Aird... 12/01/2009

I've been a loyal follwer of Marketing Monday, by Dean Jackson.  I enjoy his comments, and helpful tips.  Recently he did a phone interview with Rob Minton.  I found the entire piece very interesting. So, I wanted to endorse MARKETING MONDAYS - its a taped snippet on Real Estate related topics.  Listen anytime with a cup of coffee.  Who knows you might just learn something, and it will make you millions.  http://MarketingMonday.com Take a look Be Well...how many days until Christmas....? 11/30/2009

The union representing Airdrie's Emergency Services insists their decision to join the International Association of Fire Fighters  was not driven by a desire to become adversarial or confrontational with their employer, the City of Airdrie.  Airdrie's Emergency Services is not looking for big wage increases or grievances, that's not been part their efforts to organize Airdrie firefighters.  Firefighters have become have become a partner with the city. The International Association of Fire Fighters promotes the concept that labour relations are a partnership. Airdrie's Emergency Services voted Nov. 4 to join the International Association of Fire Fighters and the motion passed with 79 per cent approval, with 56 of 57 eligible voters responding. Membership in the union will provide Airdri... 11/18/2009

Ok, so pretty much our advice is "FREE" and our Real Estate Market Stats are "FREE".  Is there value there? I was recently approached by a local business in Airdrie, who needs help marketing & advertising their business.  OK, I actually look forward to doing up my AD's every week for our local papers. SO, what can one do to generate more traffic to their business?  I like thinking outside of the box, although some of my clients must think I'm nuts...but they all say whatever you can do to get our home noticed by buyers and their agents.  DO IT WOULDN"T it be nice to get a line up like this outside your "OPEN HOUSE" wholly smokes that would set the neighbourhood on end...and be the talk of the town!!! SO, next time you're doing the verbal spillage for "FREE" perhaps do it with a twist an... 11/18/2009

I know most of us REALTORS have some pretty funny stories to tell.  I recently had a conversation with a Lawyer friend...yes he's a good guy. The funny stories that we talked about had me crying with laughter.  Just goes to show you, when times are tough - putting humor back into our daily routine can be worth all the hardships. STORY:  Was at my Show Home, when a couple came into see the home.  Over the next 10 minutes we chatted about the opportunity to build a new home for them.  What the prices where, and upgrades that were included. When the Mother asked if their little girl could use the bathroom.  Of course, what are you going to say to a 3 year old. NO?  BUT, I guess it was a little to late the kid peed on the floor rug in the bathroom.  CLEAN UP IN AISLE TWO?!@#!   Accidents ha... 11/18/2009

 GENEROSITY - GIVING BACK will be a Trend.   ·In October 2009, Twitter's owners announced that they will begin selling wine through their label, called Fledgling Wine. The wine will be bottled from August 2010 and USD 5 of every bottle sold will go to Room to Read, a charity that organizes literacy programs for children around the world. •Chicago's Hotel Burnham launched the charity based initiative 'Casual Blue' in 2009. A USD 10 room credit is given to patrons who leave a pair of (old) jeans, which are then donated to local charities.  As Realtors what can we do to give back?  Volunteer our time, donate to charities.  I think the public needs to know how much WE do give back.  I know so many local Realtors who go out of their way to help out in our community.  Just today on Twitter - ... 11/18/2009

Moving is always a challenging time and there are a number of companies that need to be contacted whether your moving in or out.      In order to make it a bit easier for anyone moving into or out of the Airdrie Alberta area, I have listed below  the phone numbers of the companies that you will need to contact to arrange for the connection of utilities in you new home.   Direct Energy (Gas) 1-866-420-3174 Direct Energy (ATCO Electric) not Airdrie 1-888-240-3181 To get name of any retailer for area 1-877-427-4088 Epcor (power) 1-800-667-2345 or 310-4300 Telus (phone) 403-310-2255 Shaw Cable 403-716-6000 City of Airdrie (water, sewer, garbage collection) 403-948-8859 Canada Post – Airdrie         403-948-5443   Web Site for energy companies information is   www.customerchoice.gov.ab.ca  ... 11/03/2009

Winterize Your Home For Energy Savings   Create a Winter Plan During the cold winter months, homeowners in most of the country find it necessary to turn on the heaters to keep warm. You can save energy when heating your home by taking the time to winterize for maximum energy savings. Due to increasing energy costs, winter heating will consume an increasingly larger portion of a household's energy budget. That's why it's important to check your home to insure that your heating dollars aren't being wasted. The end of summer and the beginning of fall is a perfect time to get your home ready for the ensuing cold-weather months. Use the steps listed below to help formulate a plan to winterize your home. Check For Leaks Weatherstripping and caulking are the least expensive, simplest, most ef... 10/30/2009

Buying A Home?  Finding the perfect home doesn't happen in one day. There are a number of things you can do to simplify the process, including defining financial parameters, potential neighbourhoods and the desired features in your next home.   Do you need an extra bathroom, a garage, a fenced backyard, or lower utility bills? Do you want a fireplace, a short drive to work, or maybe minimal yard work? Once your list is complete, decide what is most important to your lifestyle. Then it's location, location, location. Location affects your day-to-day living and is one of the most significant influences on value. Your choice of location may be limited somewhat by the price you can afford. Even so, make sure you consider such things as distance to work, schools, shopping and entertainment.... 10/26/2009

Airdrie, AB - Airdrie Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the City of Airdrie is pleased to announce a new collaborative community policing program, the Airdrie Community Resource Unit.  Constables Patti Reid and Robert Frizzell have been assigned to the newly formed Airdrie Community Resource Unit effective September 1, 2009. "The vision of the Community Resource Unit is to build bridges between youth at risk and police by providing early intervention and positive interaction," says Constable Patti Reid, one of Airdrie's new Community Resource Officers. "The members will work collaboratively with community partners and agencies with a proactive approach in order to address challenges our youth are facing." Funded by the City of Airdrie, the program aims to enhance the delivery of ... 10/23/2009

QUESTION:  I need to buy a house with a good resale value. How do I determine if my house will increase in value within the next five years so that we can upgrade? I can buy a smaller house in a great location or get twice as much house in a good location. Which is a wiser decision?   ANSWER: It's like buying stocks. How do you really know which ones will increase most in value over the next five years? As with any investment, there are risks.The most often quoted rule is that location is the most important factor.You want to make sure that the house does not back to busy streets and is as close to the interior of the tract as possible. Avoid corners and intersections. Choose the middle of the block or a cul de sac. You'll want to be sure it has at least two bathrooms (if you are buyin... 10/21/2009

Latest News - Broadcast across CANADA our Real Estate Market is changing.  Posting record sales and increased Re-Sale transactions in Vancouver, Calgary and Ontario. Our INVENTORY is low in AIRDRIE, Alberta.  A population of 38,000 we have only 250 active listings alone in our city. Check out the video 10/15/2009

        Visit the city of Airdrie's Website for all the latest city activities.  There are helpful tips for going green, and what steps the city is taking towards this goal. Another great part of the site is looking at the planning department.  This section shows neighbourhood development plans, population growth and even how many cars travel in each community. Click on the photo and visit the site.  Thanks, Airdrie Terri 09/28/2009

Is it grimy, moldy, discolored, or flaking? Time to get busy.  Cheap fix: Rent a power washer at your local home center (cost: $75 to $100 a day) and blast  away. If the siding looks really terrible, though, call a pro. He can deploy a more high-powered machine that uses heat and possibly chemicals, as well as pressure. Cost: $300 to $500.  Slightly less cheap fix: If your siding is wood and there's only minimal flaking, you can probably get away with patch painting the trouble spots (cost: about $1,000 to $2,000 if you hire a pro). That's far cheaper than repainting the whole house. Make the fix last longer: Trim back those monster "foundation" plants that were lovingly installed in the Eisenhower administration. No foliage should be closer than three feet from your siding.  If you li... 09/15/2009

AIRDRIE ALBERTA- Bungalow with a View Price: $309,900.00      Bedrooms (#): 3 bedrooms Bathrooms (#): 1 bathroom Size (sqft): 1037 Address: 87 Summerwood Road, Airdrie, AB, T4B View map Date Listed: 12-Sep-09  Beautiful Bungalow on corner lot. This home has 3 Bedrooms and Hardwood Flooring. The living room has a beautiful Bay Window over looking the Nose Creek and a Fountain. The bright master suite has a Bay Window looking out on the nicely landscaped backyard. The Bright Kitchen is a cooks dream with pleanty of cupboard and counter space. Rooms are painted in Neutral Colours and will go with most furnishings, all Window covers are included. The back yard is complete with Deck, Patio and Fire pit and a Garden shed. Flooring in this home is really nice with Hardwood, Ceramic tile in li... 09/14/2009

PAY IT FORWARD...........NATIONAL FRIENDSHIP DAY.  Show those around you how much you appreicate  their  friendship.  Some folks here in a drive-thru buy the coffee for the car behind them.  The chain continues as each car passes through.  What a wonderful way to just say "Thank you" and "Go in Kindness" something so simple but could turn someones days around.  HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY 09/14/2009

WINDOWS If they're sticking or you see bubbled paint around them, water is likely getting in. Cheap fix: Assuming your windows still open and shut, just caulk them from the outside -- a do-it-yourself job. Buy an exterior-grade caulk such as DAP Dynaflex 230 (cost: $5 a tube, enough for one or two windows). Follow directions on askthebuilder.com. Slightly less cheap fix: Replace only the windows that are in the worst shape: those that can't be fully closed and have visible cracks between the frame and the wall. For replacement costs for various kinds of windows, see the table at right. Make the fix last longer: Each fall, check the existing caulking for shrinkage, cracking, or flaking. Recaulk as necessary     HOMES by JONES Website:  www.homesbyjones.ca Email:   homesbyjones@telus.net ... 09/13/2009

Remember when you are meeting customers and clients, make everything you do be about that person and only that person--the rewards will naturally follow. Read More. Learn to be a great listener. Hard work and going the extra mile is key. Understand why people do the things they do, and be compassionate. Do Your Homework!!! Systemize everything you do so that you never forget a step in any process and you can do things more efficiently. Ask questions. You should know everything you can about your buyer or seller's needs. Doctors can't make a good diagnosis without asking a lot of questions. Neither can you. "Feed the beast" every day. Keep talking people who have the ability to buy, sell, or refer and do it EVERY DAY. Don't let your pipeline run hot and cold. The more people you talk to... 09/04/2009

 Gorgeous Acreage just North East of Airdrie. Fully finished walk-out bungalow - 2.7 acres, close to Airdrie, The Balzac Mall and Calgary.  Worth a look - listed for $829,000 - Country Living At its best. Our office has a few acreages, raw land, and recreational opportunities.  (one on Sylvan Lake- that might appeal to folks) A new listings 11.5 acres Just West of Airdrie - only a short drive away has a gorgeous home on it.  $784,000 - maybe work a look see. Email me for details:  terri.s@shaw.ca 09/01/2009

Located just 17 KM WEST of the Town of SUNDRE, Alberta ~ Diamond Buffalo Guest Ranch is found.  Nestled in the trees, with plenty of open sky.  A natural spring fed lake also sets the tone for this Guest Ranch & Spa.  Local owner Rick, has seen many a guest - from the famous to local residents.  Companies reserve the Ranch for conferences or Company Retreats.  When I visited the Ranch there was a family Reunion taking place.  We had a secluded spot near the water, and enjoyed the stars at night.  Recently The Ranch hosted a Yuk Yuk's night - it was a smashing success.  The spa for the ladies also offers a nice getaway weekend for any small or large company.  There is opportunity here to expand and offer an array of activites.  Situated on 60 acres with an opportunity of an additional 60... 08/26/2009