Whether you are shopping for a home or looking to sell your current home, you will need to consider all of your options. You can work with a real estate agent, or you can attempt to navigate the process on your own. Some people believe that a real estate agent is simply an overpaid person who tours you around neighborhoods, unlocks doors, and comments on paint colours. The reality is that my job is much more extensive than that. Here are just a few value-added benefits of hiring a professional REALTOR: Marketing and Matchmaking When you put a house on the market, you need people to see it. If you approach this by attempting to sell your home on your own, you may face some significant challenges. Outside of classified ads and online real estate websites, options for individual homeowner... 06/28/2015

  There’s something about Christmas in a small town. Here in Okotoks, the Christmas season kicked off last week. The Light Up Okotoks Festival began the holiday season with wagon rides, carolers, and fireworks at Lineham Park. There are only a few weeks left until Christmas, and there is no shortage of holiday events happening around town.A great community is made up of caring people that are willing to give a little to improve the lives of others. A great testament to this spirit of giving is The Tree of Warmth located at the Okotoks Art Gallery. Scarves, gloves and toques are collected each year to decorate the tree until December 13th. All the items are then distributed to local charities to be passed on to those that need them most. The Tree of Warmth is a great way to teach your k... 11/24/2014

  Living in the beautiful town of Okotoks truly offers the best of both worlds. If you love the idea of small town living within a convenient distance of the big city, Okotoks might be right for you.   With a population of roughly 25,000 people, Okotoks has earned the distinction of Alberta’s largest town. It is located 18km south of Calgary. The name was inspired by the Blackfoot First Nation term, “ohkotok” meaning “rock”. Some say the town was likely named after a large glacial rock formation that sits just west of the town.Okotoks is divided down the middle by the Sheep River. The north side of town is ideal for commuters who need to travel to Calgary for work. It’s an easy drive, and in about 30 minutes, you can already be in the downtown area. North Okotoks is also home to the de... 11/24/2014

Okotoks Buyers GREAT 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home in Florence Arizona, keep reading!  4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home Florence Arizona. This 2014 remodel is ready for the most discriminating buyers w/over 85k in upgrades! Magic Ranch Subdivision Florence Arizona sits on an oversized corner lot. As you enter into your new 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home Florence Arizona New 18'' tile and upgraded carpet and padding thru-out. Additional remodel work includes custom 2 tone paint, upgraded lighting fixtures, ceiling fans in all bedrooms, new 2'' faux wood blinds, New Samsung stainless steel appliance package. This 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom home Florence Arizona has a family room with surround sound and built in office space. New pool to break ground 7/23/14 and completed by 8/25/14. SOpen floor plan c... 07/19/2014

  Royal LePage turns 100 this year! To celebrate our 100th birthday,  Royal LePage has created a 100th Birthday Cake-Eating Challenge on Facebook. Here's how it works: The game challenges players to eat an entire virtual three-layer birthday cake in the shortest time possible. Participants can play as often as they like -- just for fun or to better their score, for a chance to win one of six weekly prizes of $500. Each week will bring a new cake, and a new challenge. As well, each week they play, players will receive one entry into a random draw for a chance to win a $5000 grand prize (maximum 6 entries).  Did I mention that this cake has zero calories? Start eating 05/04/2013

  Welcome to Air Ranch! One of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Okotoks. This 3400 sf home from award winning Morrison Homes is built for entertaining. As you enter the home you will notice the front flex room that can be uses as a den and a formal dining room with built-in china cabinet. The kitchen and great room is bright and open featuring floor to ceiling windows allowing you to enjoy the view of the almost 1/3 acre yard. Upstairs there is a bonus room/second  office that can be closed off from the rest of the house. Master bedroom has a sitting area where you can enjoy the mountain view. Two additional bedrooms (both large enough for a king size bed) and a loft complete the upstairs. Unfinished basement walks out to the south facing back yard - there's even room for a hot tu... 04/19/2013

April 5, 2013 Thanks to Kerri Ann Day for writing this blog! Given the current business climate and the number of small, independent Okotoks businesses that are closing their doors, I thought you might be interested in a good news story about a small bike shop that is expanding to a new bigger location within town. Christopher Brown, a Town of Okotoks firefighter, turned his passion for bicycles into a little business in 2011 when he opened Wheel Life Cyclery in the main floor of a house on Elma Street. Chris kept busy doing bicycle maintenance and repairs for a steady stream of loyal bike enthusiasts. Over time, demand increased for the   shop  to carry good quality bikes and accessories. Chris has taken on a business partner and they are expanding  both the product offering and the s... 04/05/2013

April 4, 2013 So you've decided to sell your house and you know there's a lot to do before the sign goes on the front lawn. Your real estate agent may suggest you declutter, clean and make minor repairs. They may also ask you to find all the paperwork regarding your nice basement renovation just in case someone asks. Everything was done by professionals but you didn't pull permits.   It is becoming increasingly important to make sure you have permits for all development (especially basement)  and renovations (eg kitchens and bathrooms) in your home BEFORE you put your house on the market. More and more buyers (and insurance companies) are asking to see the permits before  waiving  conditions. SO what happens if you didn’t get permits when you developed your basement or renovated your ho... 04/04/2013

April 2, 2013 Can you tell I'm spending way too much time at my computer? Calgary is having a mini boom and I'm trying to figure out why we're not having the same excitement in Okotoks!  Well, Okotoks has a very predicatable real estate market. We have a busy spring (April-June) then everyone goes on vacation during the Summer, then we have an average fall. I'm sure most of this relates to the school calendar and anyone moving within Okotoks, wants to be moved and settled before the school year starts again. For the last two years, there have been more sales in June than any other month in the year. I expect the same to happen this year. So if you're thinking of selling in Okotoks, it's probably time to get your house on the market. Even in June 2012, for the houses that sold, it took o... 04/02/2013

March 25, 2013 While it's true that I can help you buy a house anywhere in Alberta, there are areas that I'd be more likely to refer you to a colleague. It is for this reason that I have an extensive referral network of great agents throughout Alberta that would do a much better job of representing you. The local real estate market is more than the numbers on MLXChange (our data base). And while any of us can "pull comparables" and create a market evaluation for the property you want to buy, buying with a local real estate agent has the following benefits/advantages: they know the community they have relationships with other agents in the area they can answer questions regarding the issues facing the residents they know the more popular streets in each community they know the schools (a... 03/25/2013

March 24,2013 Woo hoo - it’s finally SPRING!  One of the best times of year because mother nature gives us a sense of freshness and rejuvenation.  One exception might be thawing dog poop in the yard, but hey … that’s just a nasty nasal reminder that we have a little maintenance to do. There are extensive and sometimes overwhelming maintenance checklists to help homeowners take care of their homes.  Since some homeowners might find these checklists discouraging, here is basic checklist of the most common and important maintenance items to get you started.   03/24/2013

March 19, 2013 Have you ever wondered if maybe you'd be better off buying than renting? I had Mark Herman of Mortgage Alliance run the numbers on buying either a starter home in Cimarron or a two bedroom condo in the Mesa. Payments on the 2 story home at $305 000 would be 1392 a month ... that is lower than rent of 1800 for the same home. Add in Ptax of 146, utilities of 250, Fire / home insurance of 40 and your monthly total would be $1828 almost the same! Difference of $28 ALL IN!  Payments on the condo at $220 000 would be $1020  a month P+I plus $318 condo fees plus $125 property tax and $150 for other utilities not covered would be $1613 vs. 1450 For your own condo and stop renting – the numbers are almost the same BUT ADD in the BELOW: This unit is a 2 bedroom. If you had a renter... 03/19/2013

  March 15, 2013   1. There are 122 single family (SF) homes on the market as of March 13 2. Thirty five SF homes have sold in the last 30 days compared to 31 over the same time last year. 3. The average price of these 35 SF homes was 408,476 compared to 405,603 last year. 4. Average number of days on market for a SF home is 63 compared to 36 for Calgary. 5. Speaking of Calgary, the average price of the houses sold over the last 30 days was 517,840. The average price of houses sold during the same time period last year was 465,496. 6. As of October 16, 2012, there were only 469 vacant residential lots left in Okotoks. 7. In 2011, there were 217 SF housing starts. Assuming a similar number in 2012, there appears to be about 2 years worth of vacant lots in Okotoks. 8. The number crunchers... 03/19/2013

March 13, 2013 I am often asked to recommend a service provider such as a mortgage broker, a home inspector, or a lawyer. Considering the number of interactions I have with these professionals, you'd expect me to have a comprehensive list. And I do. However, I'm not making the recommendation. I'm simply collecting the names of service providers that my clients have ranted and raved about. I'd like to think they have great taste, after all they did choose me as their agent ;)    This list changes frequently. Names are added and names are removed. About a month ago someone had to be removed from the list. The office seems to have had such high staff turnover that there didn't appear to be anyone with the "founding philosophy" that my clients loved so much. As you can imagine, I'm a bit em... 03/13/2013

  Calgary Home Team buyers just found their new home in Okotoks!!! This fully developed bungalow with great curb appeal and double attached garage features a spacious main floor that includes a  a great living room overlooking the backyard, a large dining room, and a terrific kitchen with a corner pantry and built-in dishwasher! The back yard is west facing with two nice tiered deck. This home is complete with central air conditioning! If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Okotoks, contact Calgary Home Team today at 403-519-9102 or via email and we will be glad to show you the homes that fit your family needs and make your real estate dreams come true! With our extensive 25 plus years of combined experience we have helped many buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals. Vi... 02/21/2013

Feb 1, 2013 Canada's only Olympic gold was in trampolining so why not make it part of your weekend plans to drop by the Airborne Trampoline and Tumbling Meet this weekend in the main gym at Edison Private School located just north of Okotoks. Two of the athletes are hoping to make it to the Nationals. You can read more about them in the Okotoks Western Wheel. The event is also a fundraiser for the Okotoks club so don't forget to make your bid at the silent auction or drop your tickets  at the raffle table. Light snacks will also be available at the concession.  So when these kids made gold at a future Olympics, you can say you saw them here first :) You can find more information about the  Okotoks Airborne Trampolining and Tumbling Club on their website  02/01/2013

Jan 29, 2013 I'm currently working with a buyer who wants to live in a home that is within walking distance of shopping, restaurants and other amenities. Now although Calgary ranks quite high as a walkable city, Calgarians love their cars. In fact the city planners keep building these amazing roads so we can zip around in our SUVs!  Yes, there are certain communities that are more walk friendly than others and its usually pretty obvious when you are in these communities. But what if you're new to town and don't know about these areas? There is now a new website/iphone app called WalkScore that will identify these walkable areas. According to the website, "Walk Score helps you find a walkable place to live. Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the walkability of any ad... 02/01/2013

January 7, 2013 Bet you didn't know that there's more to Okotoks than a big rock in the middle of a field. We have a thriving community with a population of over 23000 and a housing market to match. Here is a summary of the home prices in the various communities in Okotoks as well as a 10 year history of single family homes and condo prices. Here is the 2012 Okotoks Real Estate  market report  Over the next 2 weeks I will discuss further the types of housing, prices and what it's like to live in each community in Okotoks.  01/07/2013

   If you're thinking about buying a home, there are a few apps you should consider downloading. As a buyer, one of the most useful apps is realtor.ca. Available from the itunes store, this is a great little app that will show you every house currently on the mls in Canada. How many times have you driven down the road, seen a house that you want more information on, called the agent on the sign and you end up having to leave your name with a paging service only to have your call returned hours later....if at all? (Except of course my listings, which if you call the number on the sign, you get me directly!!) With this app, you park in front of the house, pull up the location enabled app and "ta-da" you have at your fingertips ALL the info including photos, price, and size of home. How c... 01/02/2013

December 7 2012 Every month, usually on the second Saturday, the real estate agents in Okotoks host a "Parade of Open Houses". Collectively we host open houses at the homes we are selling. This makes it easier for you, as a buyer, to view several homes in one afternoon. Perhaps you're not sure which community you want to live, what style of a house would work for you or maybe you just want to see how a house is decorated (It's OK to be a looky-loo,  everyone's done it at one time) So on Saturday December 8, 2012 from 2-430pm, feel free to drop by one of the many open houses. We are a bit low on listings (about 110 houses on the market right now) but there are still may be an open house that is of interest. Here's the list  12/07/2012