Courtesy of Laurie Paynter

Laurie's Mini-mag

VOLUME 347 ISSUE 43 YOUR HOUSE

STAGE YOUR HOME TO STAND OUT With the spring market just starting, you may be considering listing your home for sale. One way to stand out above the competition is to stage your home. This can be done even if you’re still living there while you wait for it to sell. Staging is essentially arranging the furniture and decor in your home so it will be most appealing to a large number of potential buyers. Think of it as putting your home’s best foot forward with the help of someone who isn’t emotionally attached to the rooms and items in them. It helps create a positive first impression, which we all know is so important these days. When your home is staged, most often with the help of a professional, you are more likely to have buyers willing to pay top dollar and it often results in a quicker sale. Some home stagers work with the items you have in your home already and others will bring in their own furniture and accessories to highlight the best aspects of your home. You can consult with a few local home stagers to see what type of service will suit your needs and budget. The small investment of hiring a professional home stager should see a greater return on investment.

Your Guide Through Real Estate for over 20 Years

Laurie Paynter REALTOR®

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES)

Bus/Cell: 403-818-2677 lpaynter@shaw.ca • www.lauriepaynter.com Office: 403-247-5171 • ifax: 403-592-9234

Real Estate (Mountain View) Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. 201-4600 Crowchild Trail NW Calgary, AB T3A 2L6

CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS

Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer as you can’t see, smell or taste it and you likely won’t know it’s affecting your home unless you have a carbon monoxide detector or are feeling unwell, which can end up being too late. You can purchase carbon monoxide detectors at your local hardware store or even online. Experts suggest you should install one on each level of your home and within 10 feet of bedroom doors. If you tend to sleep with your door closed, a detector inside the room is encouraged. They should also be installed near the door of a garage if it is attached to the home as vehicles emit carbon monoxide. Other sources of carbon monoxide include fireplaces, wood stoves and gas appliances to name a few. For the most part, if they are used and installed properly with adequate ventilation, you shouldn’t have to worry about carbon monoxide building up. However, it’s often better to err on the side of caution and install carbon monoxide detectors whenever possible and ensure proper maintenance on all sources of this harmful gas. Be sure to replace the detectors according to package instructions as well.

An American writer, Francis’ memoir Under the Tuscan Sun was a New York Times best seller and the inspiration for the film by the same name.

HAPPINESS? THE COLOR OF IT MUST BE SPRING GREEN. - Frances Mayes

RASPBERRY-BANANA BREAKFAST TACOS INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS: 1. Whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Combine egg, milk, canola oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 2. Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease griddle. Pour batter by 1/2 cupfuls onto griddle; cook until bubbles on top begin to pop and bottoms are golden brown. Turn; cook until second side is golden brown. 3. Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese and yogurt. Spread over pancakes; top with banana and raspberries. Fold up.

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour • 3 tablespoons sugar • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 large egg • 1 cup 2% milk • 2 tablespoons canola oil • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened • 3 tablespoons vanilla yogurt

• 1 small banana, sliced • 1 cup fresh raspberries

Courtesy of www.tasteofhome.com

BE AWARE OF TAX TIME SCAMS With the deadline to file your 2023 tax return looming (April 30 for the majority of Canadians, or June 15 for those that are self employed) the number of tax-related phone, email or internet scams is also on the rise. To protect yourself, you are encouraged to be extra vigilant when you’re contacted about anything tax related. From text messages asking you to click a link to accept your refund, to emails asking for your information to approve a transfer of funds, there are a lot of very clever and realistic looking scams circulating the country. Unfortunately, anyone is subject to these scams, but be extra cautious if you or those you know are new to filing taxes (teens and those new to working in Canada) or are elderly or not necessarily technologically savvy enough to be able to spot a scam. Scammers can be quite convincing and know which tactics work best to unnerve a potential victim. If you receive a communication from anyone this tax season with a link to click, demanding immediate payment for the funds you owe, asking for personal or financial information, proceed with caution. To learn more, head to the Canada Revenue Agency website where you can learn about common scams, how to protect yourself or even sign up for CRA scam alerts. Go to https://www.canada.ca/ en/revenue-agency/campaigns/fraud-scams.html. GARDEN BY ZONE With the mild winter seen across a lot of the country, many gardening enthusiasts are itching to start their outdoor gardens and are flocking to home garden centers to get everything they need for the upcoming season. However, when you’re a beginner gardener, or new to a particular area of the country, it’s important to know what can and cannot be started early indoors and then transplanted outside when the ground and weather are ideal. First you need to determine what zone you live in. Head to planthardiness.gc.ca for an interactive look up tool and maps. Once you have your zone determined, you’ll be able to find what should grow nicely and what might not be the best idea to plant based on the local environment. And from there, you can research which plants can be started indoors, planted now or need to wait. Your local garden center will be a wealth of information as well as the seed packets themselves should state their ideal growing conditions.

JOKES

Q: What do you get when you cross a bunny and a leaf blower? A: A hare dryer! Q: Why did the duck cross the road? A: To prove he wasn’t a chicken! Q: What did one ant say to the other ant when they got a mouthful of honey? A: Nothing, ants can’t talk!

Q: What kind of bow can’t be tied? A: A rainbow. Q: If 10 kids try to squeeze under one umbrella, how do none of them get wet? A: Because it wasn’t raining.

Courtesy of funology.com

Low inventory and high demand drive price gains in February Strong migration and low supply drive Calgary housing prices in 2023

$329,600 apartment UP 17.2% year-to-year $321,400 apartment UP 19.1% year-to-year

$721,300 detached UP 13.2% year-to-year $697,400 detached UP 12.9% year-to-year

BENCHMARK PRICES BENCHMARK PRICES

2,711 NEW LISTINGS 2,135 SOLD LISTINGS 1,248 NEW LISTINGS 1,366 SOLD LISTINGS

$436,500 rowhouse UP 18.8% year-to-year $425,100 rowhouse UP 20.0% year-to-year

detached 1,195 detached 954 638 apartment 836 apartment detached 574 detached 598 399 apartment 373 apartment

1.13 MONTHS OF INVENTORY 1.6 MONTHS OF INVENTORY

2,355 ACTIVE LISTINGS 2,164 ACTIVE LISTINGS

78.8% SALES TO NEW LISTING RATIO 109.5% SALES TO NEW LISTING RATIO

24 DAYS ON MARKET 33 DAYS ON MARKET

Calgary, March 1, 2024 – New listings continued to rise in February, reaching 2,711 units. However, the rise in new listings supported further growth in sales, which increased by nearly 23 per cent compared to last year for a total of 2,135 units. The shift in sales and new listings kept the sales to new listings ratio exceptionally high at 79 per cent ensuring inventories remained near historic lows. Low supply and higher sales caused the months of supply to fall to just over one month, nearly as tight as levels seen during the spring of last year. “Purchasers are acting quickly when new supply comes onto the market, preventing inventory growth in the market," said Ann-Marie Lurie, Chief Economist at CREB ® . “It is this Calgary, January 2, 2024 – Sales in 2023 did ease relative to last year's peak, but with 27,416 sales, levels were still far higher than long-term trends and activity reported before the pandemic. While sales stayed relatively strong, there was a notable shift in activity toward more affordable apartment condominiums style homes. “Higher lending rates dampened housing demand this year, but thanks to strong migration levels, housing demand remained relatively strong, especially for affordable options in our market,” said CREB ® Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie. “At the same time, supply levels were low compared to the demand throughout the year, resulting in stronger than expected price growth.” With an annual decline of nearly 20 per cent, the detached market saw the most significant decline in sales activity. While

strong demand and low supply that continues to drive price gains in Calgary. The biggest supply challenge is for homes priced under $500,000, which saw inventories fall by 31 per cent compared to last February. At the same time, we are starting to see supply levels rise for higher priced homes supporting more balanced conditions in the upper end.” In February, the unadjusted detached benchmark price was $585,000, an over two per cent gain compared to last month and over 10 per cent higher than levels reported at this time last year. Statistics reflect market activity in February 2024 | Source: CREB ® Calgary Real Estate Board. Market values stated are of the benchmark of the city of Calgary. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to-date evaluation of your home. sales did improve for homes priced above $700,000, limited supply choices in the lower price ranges caused consumers to turn to alternative housing styles. Despite some recent gains in higher-priced new listings, inventories have remained near record lows, and the months of supply have remained relatively low throughout 2023. Apartment-style properties were the only property type to report a gain in sales this year, resulting in a record high of 7,884. The growth in sales was possible thanks to the higher starting point for inventory levels and gains in new listings. However, conditions tightened throughout the year, favouring the seller and driving price growth. Statistics reflect market activity in December 2023 | Source: CREB ® Calgary Real Estate Board. Market values stated are of the benchmark of the city of Calgary. Individual home market values will vary and are affected by factors such as location, size, interior and exterior condition. Please call to get an up-to-date evaluation of your home.

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Laurie Paynter REALTOR® Let me help you start your next chapter. Bus/Cell: 403-818-2677 lpaynter@shaw.ca www.lauriepaynter.com

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