Come Home To: 19 Amherst Crescent

www.19AmherstCrescent.com

Located on a quiet Akinsdale crescent and siding onto Amherst Park, this updated 1,170 square foot home offers 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. This 3-bedroom up, 1-bedroom down split-level home has undergone a number of recent renovations and upgrades and shows beautifully.

MAIN LEVEL
The main floor hosts the living room with vaulted ceilings, dining room, kitchen with centre island and pantry, and door to rear deck and massive private backyard.

UPPER LEVEL
The upper level hosts the master bedroom with 4-piece ensuite bath, two additional bedrooms, and 4-piece main bath.

LOWER LEVEL
The third level hosts an additional bedroom, large family room, and a 3-piece bath.

BASEMENT
The basement includes a rec-room, storage area, and laundry and mechanical space.

ADDITIONAL
Additional features and upgrades include chain link fencing with privacy slats, aluminum deck rails, fresh paint throughout, and some new windows.

Come home!

///…CP

Value Judgement

Here’s another post from my “News You Can Use” Client newsletter…


Even an otherwise good home — one with a prime location and great floor plan, for example — can frighten off buyers and become devalued as a result of any of the following factors… all of which are avoidable.

Renovations Gone Wrong
Repairs and improvements generally add to the appeal and value of a property, but projects that have been poorly done or left unfinished do the opposite: buyers will see dollar signs as they think about the money (and time) needed to finish or redo the work, and they’ll lower their offer as a result – if they make an offer at all.

valuejudgementHigh-End or Highly Customized Renovations
For-sale homes should appeal to the widest possible swath of potential buyers; high-end and highly customized renovations, however, have the opposite effect, limiting the pool of prospective buyers, as such renos tend to appeal to a specific few home hunters, rather than to the average home hunter.

Outdated Kitchen and Bathrooms
More than any other rooms in a home, these rooms tend to make or break a property in the eyes of buyers. Just as high-end, futuristic-looking kitchens and bathrooms can turn buyers off and contribute to your home lingering longer on the market, so too can kitchens and bathrooms in serious need of a makeover.

Pets
Wonderful companions though they are, pets can cause damage to carpets, walls, and woodwork, and also leave lingering, unpleasant odours. Even those who like and are not allergic to animals – who won’t mind visiting and purchasing a home with pets – won’t want to move into a home where evidence of them can still be seen – or smelled.

///…CP

Come Home To: 1833 Kramer Place — SOLD

www.1833KramerPlace.com

1833 Kramer PlaceLocated on a quiet cul-de-sac in Kiniski Gardens, this home offers 950 renovated square feet on the main floor plus a fully developed basement. This 2-bedroom up, 2-bedroom down bi-level home has undergone a number of recent renovations and upgrades and shows beautifully.

UPPER LEVEL
The main floor hosts the living room with vaulted ceilings, massive renovated kitchen with corner pantry, and patio doors to the large rear deck. Still on the main floor you’ll also find the master bedroom with huge walk-in closet, a second bedroom, and main 4-piece bath.

LOWER LEVEL
The fully developed basement includes a family room, 2 additional bedrooms, another 4-piece bath, and a laundry room.

ADDITIONAL
Additional features include a 20’x20’ garage, new high-efficiency furnace, and central air conditioning. This home is just minutes from shopping, schools, and parks.

Come home!

///…CP

The Gist: May 2013

“The Gist” is adapted from the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton Monthly MLS® Report and Press Release. Every month I review, dissect, and post “the gist” of the MLS® data for Edmonton and area real estate activity.

The average*** single family detached price in the service area of the Edmonton Multiple Listing Service® was down 3.5% to $402,270.
The average condominium price was down 1.3% to $243,503.
The average duplex/ row house price was up 2.8% to $324,975.
The average days-on-market in March was down one-day to 49-days.

The REALTORS® Association of Edmonton releases month-end and year-end results for sales through the local Multiple Listing Service® and includes all residential sales for the City of Edmonton and surrounding communities and counties. ***Average prices indicate market trends only. They do not reflect actual prices, which vary from house to house and area to area. Prior period figures have been adjusted to include late reported sales and cancellations and therefore reflect a more accurate view of the period than previously reported at month end. For information on a specific area, contact me directly***
Activity (for all residential sales on Edmonton MLS® System)

April 2013

Change from
March

Change from
April 2012

SFDaverage selling price – month

$402,270

-3.47%

2.88%

SFD median4 selling price

$370,000

-0.26%

2.99%

Condominium average selling price

$243,503

-1.25%

3.45%

Condominium median selling price

$228,000

-0.65%

1.38%

All-residential5 average selling price

$348,535

-1.75%

2.03%

All-residential median selling price

$335,000

1.61

2.29%

# residential listings this month

2,769

14.3%

0.47%

# residential sales this month

1,523

9.88%

-8.03%

# residential inventory at month end

5,294

11.7%

-12.4%

# Total6 MLS® System sales this month

2,014

10.6%

-9.16%

$ Value residential sales this month

$616 Million

8.08%

-6.20%

$ Value of total MLS® System sales – month

$710 Million

10.4%

-7.06%

$ Value of total MLS® System sales – YTD

$2.3 Billion

10.2%

-7.35%

1 Census Metropolitan Area (Edmonton and surrounding municipalities)
2 Single Family Dwelling
3 The total value of sales in a category divided by the number of properties sold
4 The middle figure in a list of all sales prices
5 Residential includes SFD, condos and duplex/row houses.
6 Includes residential, rural and commercial sales

///…CP

Ready Or Not?

Here’s another post from my “News You Can Use” Client newsletter…


Deciding whether to buy a fixer-upper or a move-in ready home isn’t a question of which is “better”, but rather which makes the most sense for you. To help you figure that out, consider the following questions…

What’s your budget?
Move-in ready homes typically cost more than fixer-uppers, as they don’t need work. Plus, there can be more competition for move-in ready homes, which further drives up the price. With lower asking prices and less competition, fixer-uppers can be a great way to buy into a neighbourhood you otherwise couldn’t afford.readyornot

What is the nature of work needed?
Are the problems with the fixer-upper largely cosmetic, or are they significant, such as poor plumbing or wiring? If the work needed is significant, the high cost of improvements may mean you’ll end up spending more on the fixer-upper than you would have on a move-in ready home.

Do you have the time and know-how to fix up a fixer-upper?
If so, buying such a property can be a great way to get exactly what you want in a home while boosting its resale value. If not, you’re better off buying a turnkey home, as having to hire contractors could negate any savings incurred by purchasing a fixer-upper.

What are the neighbourhood dynamics?
Buying a home in an undesirable location or depreciating neighbourhood is always a risky proposition, but this is especially true when buying a fixer-upper, as you are less likely to recoup your improvement expenses on a home in such a location or neighbourhood.

///…CP