CREB Now
Q&A WITH CREB® CHIEF ECONOMIST ANN-MARIE LURIE
CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie has seen a bit of everything in 2016. From buyers' conditions to migrational changes, Calgary's housing market has taken industry observers like herself on a wild ride over the past 12 months.
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CREB Now
YEAR-END SIT DOWN WITH NENSHI
CREB®Now had the chance to sit down with Mayor Naheed Nenshi to get his birds-eye view on some of the city's most pressing issues over the past year, including who he believes is Calgary's hero for 2016.
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 CalgaryPlaygroundReview
Calgary's top 15 Most Popular Playgrounds - 2016
The last few years I have put together a list of some of Calgary's best playgrounds. This year instead of curating a list of my picks, I set up a survey to find Calgary's favorite or most popular playgrounds. The results were pretty strong with the top 15 standing out from the pack. There are lots of great playgrounds that aren't on this list but these are all solid choices. Click on the article link below for the full list.
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Avenue Magazine
BEST RESTAURANTS OF 2016
Click on the link below to view the list of best restaurants voted by Avenue Magazine for 2016.
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CREB Now
ON THE ROAD
Q&A with surrounding communities
Calgary's satellite communities and their respective housing markets saw economic conditions play out in different ways this past year.
CREB®Now spoke with the mayors of Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks and Chestermere to get their perspectives on 2016.
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Below are some great links to some useful mortgage calculators.
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The Calgary Sun
By Bill Kaufmann
2016 IN REVIEW: Fast Facts From Around The World
The year 2016 was one of turbulence and upheaval.
Western countries, particularly those in Europe, grappled with a rising tide of refugees fleeing poverty and Mideast conflict that centered on increasingly brutal wars in Syria and against the Islamic State in Iraq.
Some of that instability led UK residents, in a stunning vote, to spurn continued membership in the EU.
That same spirit of rejectionist anger boosted flamboyant reality TV star and real estate mogul Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.
In Canada, a tug of war was waged over energy pipelines as the Alberta economy was staggered from another year of low oil prices and limited market access.
And Alberta absorbed another blow delivered by the massive Fort McMurray wildfire that sent 100,000 people fleeing and destroyed 20% of the city.
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The Huffington Post
Johnny And June Cash's Former Home Is Up For Sale
The singers lived on the charming Tennessee estate for 35 years.
Johnny Cash purchased the 4.5-acre property shortly before proposing to June Carter in the late '60s, according to a spokesperson for the property. The couple lived there until
they died just four months apart
in 2003.
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The Huffington Post
Photos Of The Obamas' New House
Goodbye White House, hello castle.
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Welcome 2017!
There is something about the start of a new year that gets me fired up to do better - both on a personal and business level.
On a personal level, I know I am far from alone in the pursuit of developing healthier habits - setting aside just a few extra minutes each day to plan for healthy meals and snacks (and embarrassingly, I am nibbling on a Purdy's chocolate as I type this), incorporating exercise and mindfulness into my morning routine, etc. I am finding success - not by changing everything all at once - a sure plan for failure - but by kaizen - making small, incremental changes each day. I have been incorporating kaizen into my personal routine since last fall and have to say that it has been far easier to set my alarm five minutes earlier each morning from the morning before rather than trying to get up a full hour earlier all at once, incorporating just a few minutes more each day to my exercise routine.
I plan to incorporate kaizen into my business habits as well. There is so much I want to improve and expand on - so much to take in - new ideas, new marketing methods, new ways to engage with our clients to keep in touch, to keep our clients current with information that is important to them - there is a never-ending stream of information. I know if I try to do it all at once, I won't do justice to any of my projects, so I will remember kaizen and each day make progress by taking small steps.
We had a lively Monday morning team meeting today, discussing ideas on what we can do to improve our clients' experience when they work with our team. The team came up with a number of great ideas, but one great idea that came up was to ask our clients themselves: If you have worked with us in the past or are currently working with us, what is the one thing that we could do that we are not currently doing that would improve or add value for you? If you could send us an email, text or - even better - give us a call, we would really love to hear from you. It's always great to get glowing reviews, but we know there is always room for improvement and we really would appreciate your feedback.
I wish everyone great things for 2017!
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Request an Thinking of Client
Evaluation? Buying? Testimonials
Click on the images above to go to valuable links on our website.
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Request an Evaluation?
Want to know what your home is worth? Click on the image above to link to a simple form on our website.
Thinking of Buying?
Many of the homes on the market today, possibly your dream home, are not listed on the Internet. As specialists in this area, we have access to all properties currently for sale and often others that are not officially listed, but still available for sale.
Client Testimonials
View the McKelvie Group testimonials page to see what our clients are saying. Please feel free to write a review by clicking the red ADD REVIEW link on the left side of the page.
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TheMcKelvieGroup
EVIDENCE OF EXCELLENCE
The McKelvie Group has received many accolades over the years and have achieved over a Billion dollars in home sales. But the most gratifying and best validation for a job well done is the client comments we receive.
With a customer-centric approach coupled with a comprehensive marketing plan, Kelly's team achieves great results for the people who trust them with their real estate needs.
You only have to read a few of the recent comments to know that you will be in very good hands with The McKelvie Group.
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CREB Now
By Paula Trotter
Luxury sales numbers rebound; experts point to demand's impact on pricing
Calgary's luxury resale housing market bucked the trend in 2016, posting modest improvements in sales volumes throughout the year and recovering somewhat from the significant decline experienced in 2015.
Yet industry observers urge caution at interpreting this past year's numbers at face value, saying a return to long-term averages is still far away.
Despite sluggish economic conditions, 575 residential properties (homes and apartments) valued at $1 million or more sold between January and November, compared to 483 within the same time frame in 2015.
More than 800 higher-end homes sold in the first 11 months of 2014, a record for the city.
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CREB Now
By Jamie Zachary
Few surprises, but still highlights for Calgary's housing market this past year, say experts
In a year of sales declines, price adjustments and mortgage rule changes, the one constant for Calgary's housing market in 2016 was the number of challenges it faced as the result of soft economic conditions, say industry observers.
Yet officials also maintain challenges for some created opportunities for others. And, perhaps more importantly, there is renewed optimism heading into 2017 thanks to improving numbers during the second half of this year and a series of large energy infrastructure announcements.
"Certainly, sales are down and prices have softened, but I keep hearing people talking about the right time to get back into the market and buying land or property," said ATB Financial chief economist Todd Hirsch. "They are looking well beyond the current slump, suggesting there is solid optimism for Calgary's economy beyond 2016."
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Not unlike bringing your car into the shop for a tune-up, scheduled home maintenance can curtail an onslaught of costly issues down the line and help preserve your home's pristine condition. But the undertaking is often daunting for new and seasoned homeowners alike.
With the multitude of tasks, where do you even start? And, for that matter, how often do they need to be carried out?
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While it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the new year, trend forecasters and designers are already thinking well into 2017 - and there's a big shake up of interior trends predicted.
If you're renovating or building a new home, look out for the following trends to include, and those to avoid, for 2017.
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Toms Guide
BEST SMART HOME GADGETS OF 2017
Looking to make your home just a little smarter? While still in its infancy, the number of smart home products-devices that let you control your
lighting
,
thermostat
, or even your
crock pot
from your smartphone-is rapidly growing. From GE to Belkin to Home Depot, tons of products and whole ecosystems want to help you control your home via a single iOS or Android app. You can pick and choose your favorite gadgets to assemble an affordable intelligent abode on your own terms, or opt for an entire smart home system that does all the work for you.
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Delicious Things To Cook In January
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CALGARY LABOUR MARKET REVIEW
The City of Calgary .
By Ivy Zhang
Calgary into Recovery Mode.
Month-over-month, total employment in the CER increased by 2,400 positions, with gains in part-time jobs (+9,600) partially offsetting losses in fulltime jobs (-7,200).
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CALGARY INFLATION REVIEW
The City of Calgary .
By Patrick Walters and Jorjeta Bojanova
Calgary's headline inflation rate remains low
Calgary CMA's inflation rate for November 2016 was estimated at 1.03 per cent, down from 1.2 per cent in the previous month and from 1.2 per cent for the same time 2015.
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CALGARY'S TOP NEWSMAKERS 2016
From
fentanyl-related deaths to an
economy that has forced families to the edge of financial ruin, Calgarians have faced a difficult year.
On the bright side, design work has begun on the
new cancer centre and Calgary's professional sports teams are looking at a proposed alternative to
CalgaryNEXTafter council vetoed their original plan.
These are just some of the stories that played a major role in our lives for 2016 and will continue to evolve in 2017.
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THE MOST POPULAR...
 YouTube showcases 2016's most popular online videos
CBC NEWS - Entertainment
By Jonathan Ore
CBC's Tragically Hip concert live stream, U.S. presidential debate also among online video highlights
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Sincerely,
