The real estate market has been very different over the last few months. As we enter 2021, the numbers continue to soar, and things are continuously getting positive.

Our seasoned agents, Jared Chamberlain, Simmi Aujla, Matt Antrum and Alex Weston, talked about their observations in the current market as well as their expectations for the rest of the year.

The Current Trend

The most apparent trend right now is the increase in sales across all market types in Calgary. The number of sales increased by 40% year over year, and the prices have gone up a little bit too.

While sales are increasing, the crazy part is the inventory number is continuously declining. Right now, if the product is good and it's priced competitively, it will sell right

Welcome to 2021! Is it all that you thought it to be?

The real estate market in Calgary saw quite the year in 2020. The biggest thing we are seeing is the low inventory of homes on the market.

Walking into the pandemic, we didn’t know what would happen to real estate sales, but looking backwards, it makes sense how the inventory got this low.

Yes, we’ve seen a large increase in sales number year over year, but let’s put it into perspective. Right now, everyone is at home. With us spending this much time at home, many who have income still are looking to spend or save it.

With limited options on where to spend money, we are, in a way, forced to save it. With savings and cash available comes opportunities to invest in where we live or another

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 instincts a little more. When

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 buyers’ side. Most properties on the market had

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 your bank to find out what your penalty is and then ask the rate if

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 give her a down payment, and she has

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 - thanks to his early experience working on homes from the ground up.

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 the images for the current

 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 hurdle was to figure out what kind of

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 best place to live.

Travis felt like