Ashley Weinberger is getting set to move into a new home. She says finding exactly what she wanted was pretty easy.
“We were able to find exactly what we were looking for and it was a hard buy but we took our time and found what we needed.”
Finding a buyer now for her four bedroom Airdrie house, however, has proven to be more difficult. The house has been fully renovated and professionally staged but two months after listing, the home has not been sold.
“It can be stressful, especially when you purchase before you sell.”
According to realtor, Sarah Johnston, the market for single family detached homes in Calgary is currently pretty balanced. She says, there’s a healthy amount of inventory and sales are steady.
READ MORE: Calgary detached house prices expected to stabilize in 2017
“The single-family market is actually doing okay. It has really stabilized. We’re now in the fourth month of seeing a slight increase in the number of sales which is something we haven’t seen in the last two years.”
Still, realtor Puma Banwait says, right now, buyers can afford to take their time and expect a deal.
“If there’s a certain given list price, you should be able to negotiate between two to five per cent off the top. On higher-end homes, we can negotiate up to 10 per cent or 15 per cent, depending on what the house entails and what the property is about.”
READ MORE: Canada accumulating private debt faster than any other advanced economy
If you’re looking to buy, Johnston has the following the suggestions:
- take your time
- shop around
- find something you can afford (mortgage rates could rise at any time)
For sellers:
- make sure your home is priced competitively
- prepare your property
- have it staged
- get professional photos
- be patient
Comments