Courtesy of Doug Smilski

Doug's Mini Mag

Doug Smilski Associate Phone: 780-982-7653 Website: www.dougsmilski.ca E-mail: dougs@royallepage.ca

FOCUS real estate

Noralta Real Estate ~ 3018 Calgary Tr. NW ~ Edmonton, AB T6J 6V4

VOLUME 5 | ISSUE 11

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01/05/2018 10:30:05 AM

AVERAGE SALE PRICE

RESIDENTIAL LISTINGS SEE LARGE DECREASE FOR OCTOBER

SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED

DUPLEX/ ROWHOUSE

CONDO

Edmonton, November 2, 2022: Total residential unit sales in the Greater Edmonton Area (GEA) real estate market for October decreased 6.7% compared to September 2022 and saw a year-over-year decrease of 21% from October 2021. New residential listings decreased 13% month-over-month from September 2022 and saw a small increase of 0.8% from October of last year. Single-family home unit sales were down both 22.59% from October 2021 and 2.8% from September 2022 at 869. Condo unit sales saw a decrease of 14.7% from October 2021 and were down 13.9% from September 2022. Duplex/rowhouse unit sales were down both 27% year-over-year and 12.4% from last month. Single-family homes averaged $462,858, a 2.7% year over-year increase and a month-over-month loss of 0.3%. Condominiums sold for an average of $224,252, seeing a small decrease of 0.3% year-over-year and increasing 1.7% when compared to September 2022. Duplex prices increased 3.7% from October 2021, selling at $372,027, and saw a 1% decrease from September 2022. “While we saw marginal month-over-month changes across the single family, condo and duplex/row homes categories, our all-residential listings were down substantially from September 2022” says REALTORS® Association of Edmonton Chair Paul Gravelle. “The all-residential sales were also down from the previous month and from October of 2021.”

$372,027

$224,252

$462,858

DOWN 0.3% YOY

UP 2.7% YOY

UP 3.7% YOY

SALES TO LISTINGS RATIO

NEW LISTINGS TOTAL 2,650 ACTIVE LISTINGS TOTAL 7,143

55%

ALL RESIDENTIAL

SOLD LISTINGS TOTAL 1,469

DAYS ON MARKET

44

SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED

55

CONDO

Source: REALTORS ® Association of Edmonton

48

DUPLEX/ROWHOUSE

LEFTOVER DELIGHT: TURKEY POTATO CHOWDER

Courtesy of www.aheadofthyme.com

INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons butter ½ small onion, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes

DIRECTIONS: 1. In a pot, melt butter over medium-high heat, until it bubbles. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender and starting to brown, about 3-4 minutes. 2. Add flour and mix well until combined. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in stock and Italian seasoning and mix well. Bring the mixture to a simmer, about 3-4 minutes. Add in mashed potatoes, stir until potatoes have broken up. Let the soup simmer for 8-10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add turkey and half and half cream. Cook until heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in corn and season with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and green onions, if desired.

2-3 cups cooked turkey 1 cup half and half cream ½ cup corn, frozen salt and pepper (to taste)

cheddar cheese (optional topping) parsley, chopped (optional topping)

Courtesy of www.ehow.com

BRAIN TEASERS Courtesy of www.riddles.com

Considered by many to be the father of American rocketry, Robert Hutchings Goddard was an engineer, professor, physicist and inventor who is credited with creating and building the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. He successfully launched his rocket on March 16, 1926, which ushered in an era of space flight and innovation that continues to the modern day. A visionary, he imagined what was possible, and then through work and study turned that vision into a reality. It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow. -Robert Hutchings Goddard

1. What 8 letter word can have a letter taken away and it still makes a word. Take another letter away and it still makes a word. Keep on doing that until you have one letter left. What is the word? 2. I am not alive, but I grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air; I don’t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I? 3. What belongs to you, but other people use it more than you?

Answers: 1. The word is starting! starting, staring, string, sting, sing, sin, in, I.

2. Fire. 3. Your name.

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE ANY HOME RENOVATION

Spending money on upgrades with hopes that the investment will generate profit is a common practice for sellers. Aside from simple upgrades, such as new curtains or adding a fresh coat of paint, practical improvements that improve the livability of the home have the best proven return on investment. Examples include: Altering the layout or functionality of a home will typically improve its value more than a large construction effort that adds structure but not form. An upgraded kitchen or eating area will probably have more value than a swimming pool or backyard water feature for example. Builders know certain upgrades pay off when it comes time to sell. Remodelled bathrooms, installation of new windows and others have historically added to a home’s value. Improving a plumbing or heating system, such as incorporating modern energy-saving technology is another upgrade that has proven value. Any upgrades that reduce operating costs or reduce its environmental footprint are also popular. Switching to energy-efficient lighting, sealing off heat loss areas and upgrading a home’s insulation are relatively simple choices. Before you begin, create a budget and try to calculate how much your efforts will add to the home’s value. Talking with a REALTOR ® , a home builder or staff at a local home improvement store might provide you with ideas. Then, once you’re ready, get to work.

DESTINATIONS FOR CANADIAN SNOWBIRDS

It’s estimated that each winter a million or more Canadians will migrate from their snowy homes in search of warmer locations. Referred to as Snowbirds, these travellers will nest for months outside of Canada, to return with the spring like their avian namesakes. Traditionally the destination of choice (and still the number one location) is the United States. Thanks to the convenience of air travel, differences in monetary values and effective marketing, these other destinations are picking up an increasingly large share of this lucrative visitor traffic: • Mexico has become the second primary locale for Canadian snowbirds due to glorious beaches, forested mountains and the lure of ancient civilizations. • Costa Rica, the northwest, is especially sought-out, thanks to its proximity to Pacific beaches and other tourist-centered attractions. • A tropical climate, affordable lifestyle and tourist-friendly tax laws, Panama is becoming a favoured winter location. • The island nation of the Dominican Republic is popular because of affordable rents, fabulous beaches and low cost of living.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES HAVE CHANGED REAL ESTATE Finding a way to make technology work for the betterment of any industry has helped change our modern world in ways unimagined by earlier generations. Time and again it’s been proven that imagination is the catalyst that leads to innovation and that’s never been truer than with the profession of real estate sales. Today’s real estate can cross the globe at the speed of light, serving an audience that could number in the thousands. A REALTOR ® at their computer keyboard can manage dozens of properties without leaving the comfort or convenience of their office. Thanks to websites, digital photography, simple-to-use video production software, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality experiences, 3D renderings, interactive maps and other technologies, customers can visit a property virtually from the comfort of their home, on the other side of the world in some cases. Increasingly property purchases are made remotely, without the client ever leaving their home, with the contracted on-site REALTOR ® looking after the physical details of the transaction. One of the industry’s key technologies is the MLS ® System, the industry standard database that provides sales professionals anywhere instant access to a vast trove of information regarding specific listings, neighbourhoods and more. Originally presented as a paper catalog, a document that was quickly out of date and increasingly expensive to produce, today’s MLS ® Systems are constantly updated and accessible around the clock. As new technologies emerge the real estate sector will be finding new and imaginative ways to turn those breakthroughs into ways of doing their jobs quicker, easier and to a larger audience. Real estate sales in the 21st century are eagerly riding the crest of this new technological wave.

BRAIN TEASER SUDOKU PUZZLE Courtesy of www.puzzles-to-print.com

Creative puzzles are an excellent way to keep the mind sharp, while being fun and entertaining at the same time. Sudoku is a great example of a puzzle that benefits the grey cells, while being an exciting challenge. Enjoy this one! EASY SUDOKU #1

THE TYPICAL STEPS INVOLVED WHEN BUYING A HOME

Purchasing a home can be complicated, but your REALTOR ® has the experience to help make the process as simple and as painless as possible. While some procedures may vary from province to province, there are many steps that are universally part of the real estate purchase process. Here are a few: • Choose the REALTOR ® you want to work with. They have the experience and the local knowledge to find the right home to match any need or budget. • Check out the marketplace – either online or with the aid of your REALTOR ® . Create a list before you start your search. This could include things like the number of bedrooms, preferred neighbourhood, price range and so on. • Once you find the home of your dreams make an offer on the property, subject to any conditions you may have. If the offer is accepted, a deposit must be made which will be held on your behalf by the real estate company. These funds are refundable if your conditions are not met. • Ensure all conditions are met before the sale completes. An addendum must be signed showing the acceptance of the home once fully satisfied. • Chose a lawyer or notary to complete the changing of ownership and the transfer of funds. • Notify the utility companies to arrange for services at your new address (including Canada Post) while informing them about your change of address. • Arrange for the movers. Moving companies are always especially busy in the middle and at the end of the month so try to arrange this step well in advance. • Approximately one week before moving in you will sign all of the necessary paperwork with your bank and lawyer which will complete the transaction.

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Find more: Easy Sudoku Puzzles

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Answer:

SOLUTION

EASY SUDOKU #1

ROYAL L e PAGE NORALTA REAL ESTATE Off ice: 780-431-5600 3018 Calgary Trai l NW Edmonton, AB T6J 6V4 DOUG SMILSKI

Visit www.royal lepagenoralta.ca for currently l isted homes in and around the Edmonton area.

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