Genesis launches neighbour-friendly development in Airdrie

Genesis has a vision every time it puts a shovel into the ground: construct a home that reflects your dreams, but that is entirely within reach.

Now, that reach extends to Airdrie, where the award-winning land developer and residential homebuilder has recently opened three new show homes in its Bayside Pier 11 neighbourhood.

Why interest rates are not the only consideration

The common misconception is all mortgages are created equal –  the only piece you have to pay attention to is the interest rate.

 That couldn't be further than the truth.

In fact, if you consider the mortgages of the five big bank – RBC, BMO, TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank and CIBC – the only commonality is the interest rate. The 20 or so pages that make up the rest of the mortgage document are completely different.  

Dream home might be cheaper now

Even though the real estate market is hotter than anyone expected it would be back in January, many buyers are missing out by believing they  can "lowball" sellers and try to steal a property.

Unfortunately, most under-handed offers are still being laughed at as sellers are aware the sky is not falling. As a result, some buyers are deciding to wait for the market to dip before they purchase.

The downside for would-be buyers, though, is they are missing out on the opportunity to borrow money for cheaper and for a longer period of time.

Time to tidy up your portfolio

With spring in full swing, Calgarians are noticeably starting their annual spring-cleaning.

Yards are being tidied and garage sale signs litter street corners.

Yet, many don't realize now is an opportune time to reassess winter's finances and do a financial spring cleanup.

Keys are low vacancy rates, positive net migration

The perfect storm for long-term real estate investing in Calgary continues  to build steam despite low oil prices and fear mongering by industry  naysayers.

In fact, the six market rules Mortgage360 talks about in its Cash Flow Club meetings – which cover market vacancy rates, employment, rental rates and net migration – are still being met, even though some would have you believe the proverbial real estate sky is falling.

Devil's in the details*

The myth that all mortgages are created equal is slowly unraveling.

In fact, when it comes to mortgages, one of the only things Canada's big  banks can seemingly agree on is the interest rate. Everything else varies significantly between them.

Consumers, in turn, are slowly starting to figure out every bank has its own idiosyncrasies that may not be immediately apparent.

The Parkhouses in Okotoks to launch May 1

A "pocket neighbourhood" in the popular Okotoks community of Drake Landing will be offering active, mature homebuyers an alternative to constricted apartment-style living.

The Parkhouses, a unique 50-plus adult-living project by Lifestyle Homes, will launch sales May 1.

The neighbourhood will include 31 semi-detached villa-style bungalows with front porches and rear-attached garages that will all face inward to a common park space for residents.
This pocket neighbourhood designed to promote social interaction between neighbours will be a first for the town just 18 kilometres south of Calgary.

Understanding the importance of pre-listing inspections

Dear Home Inspector:

We just sold our house, but we are not happy. We had agreed upon a certain purchase price, but the offer was conditional on a home inspection, which the buyer arranged.

The inspection revealed a number of maintenance items that came as a complete

surprise to my wife and I, which then triggered a request from the buyer to reduce the purchase price further. We had no time to look into the actual cost of the repairs and were instantly back negotiating.

Builder focuses on the extra flavours*

When Lisa Kaiser goes to suppliers seeking quality products for Genesis homes, she doesn't want the "vanilla ice cream" flavour they are offering every other builder.

"When everyone is buying vanilla ice cream, you get a lot of vanilla ice cream," said the company's project manager interior design. "I ask them to give us the new flavours."

It is one way of explaining Genesis Builders Group's focus on ensuring its new suburban homes don't fall under the stereotype of being bland when compared to its inner-city counterparts.

Borrowing under three per cent has benefits*

Now may be a better time than ever to refinance your home.

With five-year fixed rates as low as 2.59 per cent and variable rates at 2.15 per cent, anyone with a current mortgage rate over three per cent could potentially benefit from a refinance, and should be having a conversation with a mortgage professional.