REIN Event In October

What Does The Future Hold For Canadian Real Estate in 2012–2016?

How to Be Worry-Free...
Whether the Economy Booms,
Busts or Stagnates!

Discover the Simple Yet Startling Facts that Will Allow YOU to Create
Long-Term, Sustainable Wealth with Real Estate Over the Next 5 Years--
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Get Your tickets now for the October 19-20 big event CLICK HERE 

This and That

Alberta housing leads nation: CMHC - "The economy in Alberta has been improving and is expected to be one of the leaders in economic growth," "That will naturally support the housing market."Richard Cho, senior market analyst with CMHC's prairie division 

Everything you wanted to know about Edmonton - Here is a great site about people living in Edmonton. Lots of good facts and feedback from real Edmontonians. Great if you are thinking of making the move out west.

Edmonton's job market among hottest in Canada - "Edmonton’s 4.5-per-cent unemployment rate ranked third among Canadian census metropolitan areas, behind Kelowna’s 4.1 per cent and Regina’s 4.2 per cent. Calgary, at 4.6, was fourth.
“The Edmonton economy is just banging away on all cylinders,” said John Rose, the City of Edmonton’s chief economist."

Not real estate related but wonderful all the same CLICK HERE

Recruiting from the world

This week I've seen two separate articles about people from around the world coming to Alberta to find work. The first was about American vets applying in the thousands to get out here for high paying jobs.

 “As far as I know, Alberta is facing a serious labour shortage and is in desperate need of skilled workers. People coming out of the military do have skills or are prepared to learn them, which is why their unemployment rate is two points below (the United States’) national average.....It’s not just oil and pipeline work up there. There’s all this construction and road work going on,....It’s incredible. Canada has a great economic engine right now.....As far as I’m concerned, it’s a win-win for everybody,”  Ted Daywalt, president of the Atlanta-based companyVetJobs

 The second was about recruiting from Ireland;

“We’re changing people’s lives by giving them an opportunity,”...A new job could mean the start of a new life. Canada needs skilled workers, and skilled Irish workers need jobs. It all comes full circle.” Linda West Actyl Group

I've had a few tenants from the UK. They emphasized the difference in quality of life and the opportunities we have in Alberta and probably Canada on the whole. Todd and I have been doing real estate comparisons and the cost of living is very different. Of course there is a lot to consider and straight comparisons are not entirely accurate.

Actually, on our recent trip to the UK and France we were asked a lot of questions about life in Canada and people had great interest in living here. In France one airport official literally chased us down the tarmac so he could write "Edmonton" down so as to not forget the city name. We should seriously be Ambassadors for Alberta!

Autumn in Alberta

Wow. One day you wake up and it's autumn. Is it ever beautiful here. Not only in Edmonton, but all of Canada really does autumn well.  For me a tropical beach is ok for about 2 weeks after that it's so monotonous. However, four beautiful distinct seasons always present something to look forward to.

The market changes too. A property well priced and listed in July will go a lot more quickly than one in October or November. Our Realtor Catherine says anything will sell at the right price. That's the rub finding the right price for you and the buyer.

I always know summer is ending because the calls to my phone decrease by about 90%. It seems anything that is going to happen is going to happen between April 1 and September 30. I stop driving around like a madwoman and stare at the piles of paperwork teetering on my desk. Its a nice transition and you know by April I'm ready to get out and start driving again.

We are back!

After a not entirely restful holiday we are back to enjoy a beautiful summer revival in the capital city. Our tour of France, England and Scotland was fantastic! The architecture! The FOOD! The wine (we had an amazing medoc wine on the Bourdeaux coast)! It was all great.

However, 10 month-old and 4 year-olds aren't as interested in these things as we are... Their take on the trip would be more like this. The playgrounds! Loch Ness monster! Chocolate croissants for breakfast! Superman outfit at the Eiffel Tower!

So we had to make our goals meet somewhere in the middle and although exhausted we come home enchanted with the UK and France.


This is the most important re-education we take from our trip. Immediately we realized the Todd and Danielle style of power travel wouldn't work. So we re-evaluated our goals for the trip, decided what was must see and what we were willing to let go.  It's a strategy we use in our business all the time. Now we know exactly how to travel with young kids and still have a great holiday ourselves.

All the best,
Danielle

Picture is of Dunottar Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland - my favorite