Calgary Luxury Portfolio Blog

I have always enjoyed selling condos in Calgary. I'm a certified condominium specialist, as well as a luxury realtor, so luxury condos are definitely my specialty. Because there are plenty of factors to research and review when purchasing this type of property, you need a realtor who specializes in condos. Below are the major issues that need to be addressed before conditions are waived on your purchase:

Location, Location, and (lets all say it together) Location – With the recent new developments in Calgary's downtown east end, I get asked all the time what I think of luxury properties in this area. And then I have to remind people, what luxury condos? Builders are providing less and less large units and focusing more on the affordable units,

Being a huge hockey fan, I was sad to see Jarome Iginla go - but not surprised. After having such an amazing hockey career, yet not winning a Stanley Cup, I too would run to the team with the best chance of winning it. 

But really, what would have been nice was getting in on the action to sell his house! Iginla's real estate exit was very quick and it was probably much easier than leaving the Flames. His 4,883 square foot home, built in 2008 by Hammer Homes, was sold in just three days for exactly what he was asking for: $3,995,000. 

I was a bit surprised to see it go so fast – especially since I had a very qualified couple that wanted to see it and who were very excited about the property. This one definitely got away quicker than the average

A frequently asked question from people listing a luxury property is: How much will I have to pay in commissions? I thought it would be interesting to answer this question using Calgary's largest home sale in history; examining it in terms of a marketing budget.

44 Aspen Ridge Heights SW was sold on February 27, 2013 for $10,350,000.  The property was on the market for 222 days, or just over 7 months.

This is how real estate commission works for most properties, but please note that while I charge these standard commission rates, many luxury realtors charge a premium, so these numbers may be different than what was actually agreed on:

Both the listing and buyer’s realtor each get 3.5% on the first $100,000, which is $3,500.  Then on the remaining

Congratulations Calgary, we have already set an impressive record for luxury home sales this year.

In 2007, 69 homes over $1 Million were sold in January and February. In 2009, a mere 20 homes sold in the opening couple months of the year. Last year, 59 homes sold over the same period. Now for 2013, 98 homes over $1 Million have been sold, including one of our biggest ever home sales in Calgary – 44 Aspen Ridge Heights SW, which sold for a whopping $10,350,000. 

The big question is, what is driving this healthy luxury home market?

The best way to predict housing sales and price gains is to track population and job growth numbers.  As predictions continue to be high for both Calgary and Edmonton's real estate markets through 2016, our luxury real

Dealing in luxury real estate often affords me some pretty unique opportunities. This time, it was a trip to see the Grammys live in Los Angeles. The music industry has little to do with real estate, but when you get an invite to go, you don't say no. 

Contrary to what most people think, the Grammys aren’t just one night – they are a whole weekend of events. The biggest ticket was on Friday night – an event honouring the great Bruce Springsteen at MusiCares.  Each year, the honoree gets to pick artists to come and sing their songs. At the end of the evening, the honouree performs. It’s all in an effort to raise money and support for struggling artists. The evening starts with a very expensive live auction. The auctioneer, David Foster, bought two out

If you can't make it to New Orleans this year to see the Ravens and 49ers battle it out for NFL glory, but you still want to have fun watching the game, here are a few tips for throwing an amazing party:

-Super Bowl can be the longest game ever,  especially for a host. One of the worst things to happen to the organizer is a boring game – so be prepared.  If you are in Canada, shell out the extra dollars for the American televised game, as you get all the extremely expensive, over the top commercials. This can keep you and your guests entertained when the game isn’t on.

-Second, make sure you have plenty of drinks.  Variety is key here; not just alcohol, have good mixers too. Not everyone will have the need to get intoxicated, and its more fun for

So much has been happening with Calgary Luxury Real Estate lately, I haven't had a chance to write about my vacation.  I took some time over the holidays for a family vacation to the Caribbean. On arrival in the Turks and Caicos it looked a bit more polished than most Caribbean islands, and the British influence was apparent right from the start. They drive on the "wrong" side of the road and love their roundabouts.

We stayed on one of the eight main islands, Providenciales.  This is where the main airport is and most of the resorts, including ours, Seven Stars.  (To be honest, this wasn't our first choice for accommodations. We wanted to stay over on Parrot Cay Island, where rumour had it, the Pitt-Jolie family was staying at the same time.  But, it

I know what you’re thinking. What does a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) have to do with Luxury Real Estate? Well, more than you may think!

Like yourself, most luxury homebuyers these days will actually have their initial home showing online. Unlike the golden days of slugging it out in endless viewings every weekend for months, you can be sitting at your dining room table in your bunny slippers and view 20 properties in 20 minutes. What you may not realize, however, is that how you receive that information is very critical to whether you actually book a showing to go see one of those properties in person.

As an experienced luxury real estate agent, I am highly aware of how important these first impressions are for my clients. I am also highly

The 2012 statistics are in for Calgary’s Real Estate market, and the biggest winner? Luxury real estate.

According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, "The city experienced a record for MLS sales over $1 million in 2012, with 544 transactions – eclipsing the previous record of 458 in the housing boom of 2007. In 2011, there were 446 luxury home sales."

CREB also stated, "In 2012, the luxury home market had 508 single-family home sales and 36 condo sales compared with 420 and 26 respectively in 2011."

But what does this all mean? For starters, a 20% increase in sales over $1 million dollars in one year is definitely something to be proud of.  While other Canadian cities are experiencing a decline in their real estate market – particularly the luxury

I get this question a lot.  My answer is always a question back: When do you want to sell your home?  

You should always list your home when your home is ready for sale.  The first few weeks on the market are the most critical time for any property.  You are the "brand new listing" and buyers who haven't found what they are looking for, but are ready to purchase, are going to want to see your property immediately. 

Common sense says you should list your home when you have a buyer who wants to buy your home.  But, you ask, how will I know that?  An evaluation of the average Days On Market of comparable properties will provide insight to this.  For homes over $1 million, the average Days On Market in Calgary is 97. 

The overall average Days On