Advice for First Time Buyers

Advice for First Time Buyers

Are you a first-time buyer considering making a purchase in the next couple of months?

Jared Chamberlain talked to some of the best agents on our team. They shared the recent trends in the market and expert tips for first-time home buyers.

Tony, Simmi and Randi have all been in the real estate industry for three to seven years. All of them have worked with first-time buyers before.

Market Trends

According to Simmi, first-time homebuyers are now taking more risks than cautious buyers in the past. She's noticing that people nowadays are jumping in, feet first. They're exploring areas that they wouldn't have explored before.

Instead of seeing everything and anything in the market, people are now trusting their…

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Calgary Real Estate Market Predictions 2021

Calgary Real Estate Market Predictions 2021

We gathered some of our team members to share a wealth of knowledge about real estate.

Our agents, Erin DuPont, Alex Weston, Matt Antrum and Rebecca Chamberlain, talked about tips and trends this year. They also gave guidance to buyers and sellers who are planning to make a move next year.

Unprecedented Time

We have never been in a pandemic before, so none of us knew how to go about it. During the lockdown in March and April, things moved slow. Everybody was cautious about everything.

When the government lifted the lockdown in May, the real estate market took off and switched significantly. Sellers had the opportunity to sell in a hot market due to a lack of inventory.

There was so much interest on the…

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Blended Mortgages - How to Save Thousands of Dollars When Moving Up

Blended Mortgages - How to Save Thousands of Dollars When Moving Up

Are you thinking of making a move, but you're stuck with a large payout penalty?

Lindsay Labrecque of Spire Mortgage uncovered a little secret to help you deal with your big payout penalty in order to make a move.

In December of 2018, interest rates were at 3.5% and now it's 2% cheaper. That's about $6,500 savings per hundred thousand dollars, in interest alone. That's a lot of money.

There are people wanting to move because of this, however, they’re stuck.

Pro-Tip

Lindsay shared a pro tip for those who are with one of the big five banks, the charter banks like Scotia Bank, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Royal Bank of Canada, and TD Canada Trust.

You can call…

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First Time Home Buyers Incentive

First Time Home Buyers Incentive

The Government of Canada launched the First Time Home Buyer Incentive Program. It helps qualified families inch closer to their dream house. Lindsay Labrecque of Spire Mortgage shares everything you need to know about the program and the strategy to pay it off.

First Time Home Buyer Incentive Program Qualifications

The incentive is for families with a maximum household income of $120,000.

Those who are eligible can have up to four times the amount of their annual income. If you are making $120,000, you can loan a maximum of $480,000.

Going into a partnership with the government to get a house also means sharing its equity with them.

For Lindsay’s rental homes, the government is her silent joint venture partner. They…

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How to Provide Excellent Service When Helping Clients - Tony Cusano

How to Provide Excellent Service When Helping Clients - Tony Cusano

Tony was born and raised in Calgary. He’s known for bringing a unique perspective on real estate to his clients.

He started out working in his father’s construction company. The job made him understand the importance of attention to details in building a house.

When Tony purchased his first house in university, he began connecting with Realtors as a buyer. He couldn’t help but think of how he would structure the client experience if he was the agent. It didn’t take long for him to realize that it was the career he wanted.

His clients love his keen eyes for structural and aesthetic quality. He can help buyers and sellers see possible concerns before they ever get to a home inspection…

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November 2020 Market Update

November 2020 Market Update

As we head into Christmas, one would think the market is slowing down as everyone leans into the Christmas spirit.

This year is different.

With low inventory...
Higher demand...
People are getting antsy because they can't find a house before they sell theirs...

We are seeing a different market.

Many buyers have homes to sell but don't feel comfortable listing them until they find something else. And this is fair. The market year over year has changed dramatically from one where families looking to move would list first and buy second, are now waiting to find the right house, buying first and then selling their home after.

All this to say, we could see this market being like this for months to come.

Here are…

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Discover How To Buy Your First Condo

Discover How To Buy Your First Condo

 We want you to meet Chantel.

She braved the journey of independence and found peace in learning more about herself.

Chantel grew up in Calgary and knew Simmi on our team for a long time. They started off playing basketball together and, over the years, became best friends.

Moving out has always been at the back of her mind, but she kept on dismissing the idea in respect of her culture. But this year, push came to shove, and she made up her mind and decided to make the big move.

Her move's timing was interesting as it happened during COVID when everybody wants to be with their family and stay comfortable.

It was a huge step, and she was happy and proud that she could do it.

First Home

Her first…

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Moving Up to a House From a Condo

Moving Up to a House From a Condo

Preparing for a Growing Family

Selling your condo and moving into the unknown is tough.

It can be hard to figure out where you should go.

There can be multiple curve balls thrown your way, and sometimes never knowing what is ahead.

This is what 2020 looked like for our past clients, Travis and Jessica. In July 2019, they decided to pursue adoption and have a daughter. They were told that the timeline would be about three years. So they focused on being vetted and preparing for their new addition to their family.

They asked for Rebecca’s help to sell their condo and buy a bigger home for their growing family.

However, they have no idea what kind of home they needed or where in the city would be the…

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A Story About Dreams and Compassion

A Story About Dreams and Compassion

We have a fantastic story about a couple who recently bought and sold a house with Chamberlain Real Estate Group. Natalie was born and raised in Calgary, and her husband, Vin, was from Vietnam.

Journey to Calgary

Vin’s family stayed in a refugee camp in Thailand because they tried to escape when pirates attacked them. A church in Thorncrest sponsored their entire family of 15 to go to Canada.

They arrived in Calgary Herald during the 1970s. His parents had money in Vietnam, but they cleaned toilets for a living when they came here. Their journey wasn't easy, but they worked hard and thrived.

Natalie and Vin met at a hair school in Calgary. Back in Vietnam, Vin's father got wealthy because of his hair…

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