Imagine you have a major project at work, you must deal with home schooling and you still need to deal with groceries, laundry and dinner. Whoa! That's a busy life. 

Can you still find and buy a new home with such a tight schedule? The good news is you can! In fact, there's plenty you can do to save time. 

Consider these tips: 

·         Get specific about the home you want to buy. Think about property type (for example, "two story, detached"), number of bedrooms and bathrooms, special features, etc.

·         Target areas you'd like to live in. That will avoid trips to see listings in areas that aren't a good fit for you.

·         Get the financing arranged. You'll be able to shop for a new home with more confidence when you have…

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City of Calgary, June 1, 2020 –

Housing market activity in May remained slow, but sales exceeded the lows from April, which saw less than 600 sales in Calgary.

May sales totalled 1,080 units, a 44 per cent decline from last year's figures.

"The initial shock of COVID-19 and social distancing measure is starting to ease. This is bringing some buyers and sellers back to the market. However, this market continues to remain far from normal and prices are trending down," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

"Activity has also shifted toward more affordable product, which is likely causing differing trends depending on product type and price range."

Sales are down in all price ranges, but a greater share of sales are priced below…

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Whether you're painting your home to prepare it for sale, or simply to make it more attractive for your own enjoyment, choosing the right colour is important. A colour isn't just a matter of taste, it's also, to a large extent, about the emotions it elicits. 

If you're painting your foyer, for example, you may want it to seem bright and welcoming. So, light orange tones might be appropriate as that colour is often interpreted as friendly. 

In your living room, you may want to create an atmosphere of comfort and relaxation. In that case, consider shades of greens or grays as those colours communicate peacefulness and calm. 

Want the rec room to look vibrant and energetic? Purples and reds communicate those emotions. 

Where do you find more…

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City of Calgary, May 1, 2020 –

After the first full month with social distancing measures in place, the housing market is adjusting to the effects of COVID-19.

April sales hit 573 units, a decline of 63 per cent over last year.

"The decline in home sales does not come as a surprise. The combined impact of COVID-19 and the situation in the energy sector is causing housing demand to fall," said CREB® chief economist Ann-Marie Lurie.

"Demand is also falling faster than supply. This is keeping the market in buyers' territory and weighing on prices."

Sales activity eased across all price ranges, but the largest declines were for homes priced above $600,000.

With a greater share of the sales occurring in the lower price ranges, the…

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As you've probably noticed, credit card companies regularly offer bonuses to get you to apply for their cards. For example, one such card company offers opportunities to buy tickets to concerts and other events ahead of everyone else. It's their "front of the line" service.

When you’re searching for a new home, wouldn't it be great if you could get to the front of the line on desirable properties – before other buyers get the chance?

Well, in a way, you can.

The first thing you need to do is create a profile for the specific type of home you're looking to buy. That profile will need to include the basics, such as type of home (e.g. detached), size and rooms (e.g. 2000-2,500 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 baths), and your target neighborhoods.

…

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There's a reason why there are "kitchen and bath" stores, and even design magazines devoted to these rooms. A well-staged kitchen and bathroom can make the entire home look better. So, it's no surprise that professional home stagers pay particular attention to these spaces. 

What do these pros have to say about bathrooms? 

Professional stagers advise that you start by taking a picture of the room. Looking at that picture will give you a better sense of how others see your bathroom and reveal what needs to be changed. 

Then, de-personalize it. When you’re showing your home to buyers, you want the bathroom to resemble a guest bathroom. So, no shaving kits, toothbrushes, sticky notes to self on the mirror, etc. 

Stagers also recommend that…

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If you're thinking of listing your property, one thing that might be holding you back is concern about preparing your home for sale. You may be wondering how much work there will be. Is it going to take a couple of months? A couple of weeks? A few days?

That, of course, depends on the state of your property. 

However, regardless of how close your home is to “show time” ready, there is plenty you can do to reduce how long that preparation takes. Consider these ideas: 

  •    Sell stuff online. The less cluttered your home seems to buyers, the better it will show. So, make a list of items you want to sell, and then list them on one of the many local online market websites. Price items fairly and, chances are, you'll get rid of everything in a…

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