Blog Archives

Are you planning an extended vacation?  Perhaps you will be travelling abroad and staying in one location or region for a lengthy period of time.  Where will you stay?  How much will it cost you?  What will happen with your home while you are away?  Consider property swapping. Property swapping can be a great alternative to paying for accommodations abroad or paying for time shares.  You simply agree to stay in a person’s home while they are away and they in turn will stay in your home and vacation here in Calgary or at least make Calgary their vacation home base.  You don’t want to collect any money for this exchange as it could have tax implications upon you and your home.  You will want to check with your home insurance to make sure this is a viable option.  Likely, it is considered prudent by many insurers to have somebody staying in your home while you are away. Think of who you know abroad that might want to vacation here.  If you don’t know of anyone you can search the Internet for the many property swapping groups that are available.  There may be some fees involved to ensure accurate screening of individuals. So […]

I love walking through my neighborhood with my family. We look at people’s yards and comment on the exteriors. I’ve noticed that the front door of a home really makes a statement and can add a lot of interest to a home. Consider what the front door of your home does for you! A well sealed, insulated and energy efficient front door can mean huge energy savings. A solid door with excellent hardware can indicate a great deal of security. It can send a message to burglars that your home is not an easy mark. Finally, it can mean pride of ownership. It can be a great statement about individuality and can be a terrific complement to your home’s exterior finishing. What does your front door say about you and your home? Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

It’s nice to see that Summer will soon be here! We’ve already had a taste of some great weather yet to come. Many of us spend as many daylight hours as possible on our decks. After the long Winter we’ve had, is your deck compromised? Our Canadian climate can have huge temperature fluctuations not to mention moisture, wind, and, well you get the picture. Summer is on it’s way so let’s not dwell on the poor weather we have already endured! Nails, screws, bolts, and brackets can loosen, rust or corrode. Even pressure treated posts, beams, railings, and decking can become vulnerable to rot and can split. Soil conditions can cause decks to shift and not be as safe as they otherwise may have been. Decks don’t last forever and with our climate we must be especially vigilant. So walk around your deck. Get underneath it at the beginning of each season and inspect it to see if it is in need of repair. Perhaps this is the year you need to replace it so that you, your family and your guests remain safe! If you need a referral to a recommended decking professional, give me a call and let […]

You want to buy a home. What is the first thing you should do? Number one is to find a good Realtor. The next step is to start with the money! How much can you afford? You need to consider not just how much mortgage you can be qualified for, but can you afford the utilities, property taxes, on-going home repairs (there are always on-going home repairs!). Even consider commuting distances to employment and transportation costs! Get your down payment together. This can include funds you have on hand and possible proceeds from the sale of an existing home. Now get pre-approved by a lender or a reputable mortgage broker. This will “pre-qualify” you for a particular mortgage amount and is in the form of a document. Remember that a good Realtor can point you in all the right directions to consider and accomplish the above! Now get shopping and find your next dream home!! Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

Your moving! At least that’s what you think. There are a few important steps to take to ensure success. First, find a good Realtor. Make sure you trust this professional and feel you can work with this person. This will make the whole process a lot easier. Determine what you can afford by getting a pre-approved mortgage. Make a wish list in terms of the type of home you want and in what neighbourhoods. View the properties that catch your interest. Make an offer that is consistent with a price appropriate for the home and neighbourhood. Always get a home inspection! Get the paper work done correctly. Prepare for the move by using a reputable mover! Best of all is that step one, finding a good Realtor, will ensure all of the other steps occur smoothly and with success! Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

Is your kitchen a little tired? It can be difficult to do a major renovation of this frequented and multifunctional room. If you want a quick spruce up, consider some cosmetic changes as opposed to a redesign of the actual floor plan. Of course paint can change any room. How about changing the hardware on your cabinetry? Many building supply stores stock some very attractive hardware. A new sink and faucet can make a dramatic change to the appearance of your kitchen as does a new back splash and counter tops. If you have a little extra capital consider refacing your cabinets. Lighting can also have a dramatic effect on any space. Consider changing your kitchen’s lighting. Finally, changing your kitchen flooring can really make your kitchen pop. All of these ideas are great! If you’re not very handy hire a professional. There’s no point doing a poor job when you are trying to create change and improvement. It will all be for nothing if all one can notice is mistakes! Have fun and enjoy your new space! Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray  Join me on Google+

Home Insurance is an important tool to help mitigate risk within your home. You require much more coverage than just for fire and theft. Not all policies are created equal. Consider such coverage for accident and liability. How about income and mortgage protection? Consider mother nature and natural disasters. Ever heard of title fraud? Don’t settle for a quick policy fix because you need to get something in place due to a pending home purchase. Talk to an expert that will discuss all of the ins and outs of home insurance. Your policy needs to be designed around you and your home. If you need a referral to a reputable insurance provider, I can help! Call me today! Thanks for reading! By Patrick Murray Join me on Google+

Many people are excited about making a move. It can be an overwhelming process with lots of moving parts. It helps to be prepared. One of the things you can do is to make the appropriate contacts you will require before you purchase a property so you are not making any last minute, rush decisions that may not be well researched. Consider finding a good real estate lawyer. You want to use a lawyer that does a lot of real estate transactions or specializes in the field. This person looks after all of the behind the scenes work with documentation and is critical to a smooth transaction. Find out about home inspectors sooner than later. The cheapest is not necessarily the best. You want a home inspector with a good reputation and one that has some sort of background in building. You base a large part of your buying decision on the inspector’s report. It is money well spent! You want to start looking for a reputable moving service. Word of mouth is a terrific source, otherwise, consider using a service that does a lot of moves, a name you have heard before because they are active in the industry. […]

Why do Realtors charge so much? I’ve heard this question from friends and acquaintances. Let me share a little bit about the challenges a real estate agent undergoes. First off, Realtors in Alberta do charge much less than in other parts of Canada! At the same time, fees may seem high to the layman. Imagine yourself as a Realtor and there are 5400 other Realtors in your city. Is the business just going to come to you? No! You have to prospect and that takes up a huge amount of time and effort. Clients may be few and far between for Realtors. Don’t forget that we, as a profession, are influenced by the economy and public confidence in the real estate market. Realtors work on contingency. That means that we put in a whole lot of effort and if the deal falls apart 3-4 months down the road then we don’t get paid. When I list a home I invest $1500.00 of my own money! I need to get that back and more! Imagine going to work and your boss tells you that you may not receive a check at the end of the month. I think you may be […]