Today is the last day of February and I have certainly started to notice the increased hours of sunlight in the day. With the longer days comes warmer temperatures and it seems that buyers start to emerge from their winter burrows. I have finally started to see a bit of a pick up in market activity in the last week or two and I even had one sale enter into a multiple offer scenario. These are all good signs towards a more robust spring market ahead. 

We are now plowing our way through February with all the snow and cold weather. The market is a bit frosty at the moment but I feel that warmer days and increased activity are just around the corner. 

Buyers: With all the mortgage rule changes and the beginings of intrest rate hikes, it is now more important than ever to get a pre-approval from a qualified mortgage broker before starting the home hunting process. You might find that you won't be able to buy quite as much house as you might have previously thought. On the bright side for you however, prices have come down over the last couple of years and I think that we might just be at or near the bottom of this market. Buying now or in the near future might help you maximize your future returns. 

Sellers: Even though it is cold with no sign of spring in site, you might want to think about listing your home sooner rather than later. Right now inventory levels are near their lowest levels of the year and as new buyers enter the market there is not as many homes for them to look at. This will help the exposure to your home. 

I can't wait to see how this spring is going to turn out. 

Stewart Kuzyk

Re/Max Real Estate

Custom Built 2243 sq ft 2 story home on a pie shaped lot. This home features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, large bonus room and a double attached garage. The main floor features an open concept great room with 9ft ceilings. The kitchen has beautiful maple cabinets a large center island, granite countertops, large walk through pantry and upgraded stainless steel appliances. The living room has hardwood flooring a gas fireplace with stunning wooden mantel and a large space for your TV and entertainment system. There is also a large den/office/guest room and a 2pc bathroom. Go upstairs to 3 large bedrooms a spacious bonus room with crown moulding, laundry room with granite counters, sind and cabinets. The master bedroom has a large woak in closet and a 5pc ensuite bathroom with corner jetted soaker tub, dual sink vanity with granite countertops and a large walk in shower. Off the back of the home is a large maintenance free deck and a pie shaped yard that is fully landscaped and fenced.  

It is now March 9th and it appears that real estate activity is finally starting to pick up. I have noticed an increase in listing inventory and just recently it looks like there are some more buyers starting to enter the market as well.  

It's early January and it seems that there is not a lot of great news for Alberta's economy. Despite some less than prosperous predictions, I feel that Edmonton and the surrounding communities will fair better than most of the rest of the province. I think this year will creat  a bit of a challenging market for sellers where pricing will be very important to getting your home sold. On the other hand, buyers will be able to take advantage of a larger inventory of homes to choose from,  very low interest rates and most likley a better bang for your buck! 

Stewart