Calgary Neighbourhoods

[MalcolmTucker]

The $600 fee buildings in the beltline usually have a pool, at least during my spring condo search. The building I bought into I am just north of $400 for 800 square feet and 2 assigned underground spots.

[PVG-YYC]

Originally Posted by geotag277

I think Evolution one bedrooms are probably over his budget. They are actually pretty expensive. Verve or First in East Village might be an option.

Also it depends on your time frame to move here, but Park Point won't even be selling until 2015, so is several years away from being move in ready.

Timing is everything
you can always get newer built condos for under 300k
http://beta.realtor.ca/propertyDetai...rtyId=14219608
But I do not see these often.

Originally Posted by sync

LOL! well, rich parents...

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

The $600 fee buildings in the beltline usually have a pool, at least during my spring condo search. The building I bought into I am just north of $400 for 800 square feet and 2 assigned underground spots.

2 Parking spot? That's pretty good. 1 bdr usually around 600sqft, so condo fee should be in the mid 300s.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by PVG-YYC

Timing is everything
you can always get newer built condos for under 300k
http://beta.realtor.ca/propertyDetai...rtyId=14219608
But I do not see these often.

That is a studio unit, been sitting on the market a long time. Doesn't look like it has in suite laundry either, which impacts resale. Units at around the $300 mark in Vantage Pointe were common earlier in the spring.

Really depends what you want to do with your unit. Personally I feel more square footage is a better hedge than buying in a newer building, as newer units will converge with older over time. To maintain the value spread attributed to a newer building you will either have higher condo fees to make sure your amenities don't get out of date, have a need to renovate your unit.

Not every old building is Rocky Mountain Plaza/Court, where you can see the floors aren't even plum in the hallways.

[PVG-YYC]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

That is a studio unit, been sitting on the market a long time. Doesn't look like it has in suite laundry either, which impacts resale. Units at around the $300 mark in Vantage Pointe were common earlier in the spring.

Really depends what you want to do with your unit. Personally I feel more square footage is a better hedge than buying in a newer building, as newer units will converge with older over time. To maintain the value spread attributed to a newer building you will either have higher condo fees to make sure your amenities don't get out of date, have a need to renovate your unit.

Not every old building is Rocky Mountain Plaza/Court, where you can see the floors aren't even plum in the hallways.

I like shinny stuff

[freeweed]

Does that literally mean "Cash"? Why would a seller care where the money comes from, so long as they're paid the full value for the property? Surely it's in the form of a cheque or bank transfer anyway?

I honestly don't understand real estate. Do people state that because they don't want a purchase that is contingent on financing?

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Does that literally mean "Cash"? Why would a seller care where the money comes from, so long as they're paid the full value for the property? Surely it's in the form of a cheque or bank transfer anyway?

I honestly don't understand real estate. Do people state that because they don't want a purchase that is contingent on financing?

Financing an asset that is guaranteed to depreciate is an issue. I wonder how it works in the Red Wood Meadows context. I bet the listing has had issues with having to pay to list again a couple of times to be so strident in their language.

[Cyric]

Rather than start a new thread I figured I'd just piggyback on this one.

I've been renting in the Killarney area for the last two years and I've decided that I'll be making Calgary my home for the foreseeable future. I'm looking at buying in the downtown (Eau Claire, Beltline, Mission, etc) region and was just wondering if anyone has had recent experience with a realtor that they would recommend (or to avoid at all costs).

[Me&You]

Originally Posted by Cyric

Rather than start a new thread I figured I'd just piggyback on this one.

I've been renting in the Killarney area for the last two years and I've decided that I'll be making Calgary my home for the foreseeable future. I'm looking at buying in the downtown (Eau Claire, Beltline, Mission, etc) region and was just wondering if anyone has had recent experience with a realtor that they would recommend (or to avoid at all costs).

Having just gone through a home sale / purchase, I feel I can share some 'wisdom' -

Your main concern in choosing a realtor is the end result. The commissions are significant (and generous!) enough that nothing else should really matter.

Unfortunately, I initially got caught with a dud referral and while it didn't really cost me $$$, it cost a lot of time.

Sorry I don't have any names for you... I would look on MLS and take note of realtors that have multiple similar listings (housing type, price). I would also lean towards a realtor from a large office with other agents that work in your area(s). You can consider referrals, but only based on results, not "my friend / dad / aunt / cousin's a realtor, so you should just use them".

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Cyric

Rather than start a new thread I figured I'd just piggyback on this one.

I've been renting in the Killarney area for the last two years and I've decided that I'll be making Calgary my home for the foreseeable future. I'm looking at buying in the downtown (Eau Claire, Beltline, Mission, etc) region and was just wondering if anyone has had recent experience with a realtor that they would recommend (or to avoid at all costs).

I used this agent this spring during the crazy times of the condo market. Very flexible. Was a referral from an old friend.

Be prepared to move very fast (though I did buy a place that had been listed for much longer than average)! Get pre-approved and have available cash to make an immediate prepayment with your offer to be taken seriously as going into a condo on the market for a few days and seeing 20 business cards was the norm.

[bigcanuck]

If you do have a specific neighbourhood of interest, as you mention Eau Claire, Beltline, Mission, etc., drive around and look at existing listings and take down the names of the realtors (or look online at the listings). You'll find there are "area experts" that do tend to gets lots of listings in certain neighbourhoods. For example, someone like Joel Semmens is very familiar with West Hillhurst and someone like Shawn Beck is very familiar with West Springs/Cougar Ridge. Not to say they couldn't help you buy in another neighbourhood but they have great experience at selling/purchasing in these communities.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by bigcanuck

If you do have a specific neighbourhood of interest, as you mention Eau Claire, Beltline, Mission, etc., drive around and look at existing listings and take down the names of the realtors (or look online at the listings). You'll find there are "area experts" that do tend to gets lots of listings in certain neighbourhoods. For example, someone like Joel Semmens is very familiar with West Hillhurst and someone like Shawn Beck is very familiar with West Springs/Cougar Ridge. Not to say they couldn't help you buy in another neighbourhood but they have great experience at selling/purchasing in these communities.

I'd actually stay away from those big names. They tend to be Realtor Mafia - the kings on top of the pyramid. They won't spend too much time with you as they know they have a LOT of business. They also won't negotiate hard, as it is a privilege for you to work with them and they don't need your money. They already make millions per year.

Better to go with a younger realtor with a reasonable number of listings (like 5-10). They'll actually work harder, spend more time, and will be more flexible on their own cut so that they can make the deal.

Also keep in mind that many of the big time shark realtors have side businesses, such as owning some of the properties they also. The smaller folks aren't into that.

[PlanZ]

Bump:

How do you guys like Tuxedo? I think a few posters live there.

I may be able to afford an old small house in Tuxedo when I move back in 8 or so months.

Is the north central LRT still 25+ years away?

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

... going into a condo on the market for a few days and seeing 20 business cards was the norm.

This has always been the norm actually. Don't ever mistake seeing 20 business cards for likelihood of quick or multiple offers. Even "new listings" means little, as a huge percentage of all listings get re-listed to drive down the perceived days to sale numbers.

[Rusty van Reddick]

Originally Posted by PlanZ

Bump:

How do you guys like Tuxedo? I think a few posters live there.

I may be able to afford an old small house in Tuxedo when I move back in 8 or so months.

Is the north central LRT still 25+ years away?

If you're working DT you can walk from Tuxedo- fantastic area! Lina's Italian Market!

[DizzyEdge]

I live in Mt Pleasant just a few houses west of the border with Tuxedo. This whole "North Hill" area is an area in transition. When I first moved here 10 yrs ago I recall that both Tuxedo and Mt Pleasant where about 50:50 renters to owners, with T a bit more renters and MP a bit more owners. Since then though infills have been coming in quickly, the past 4 or 5 months were the first time in 5 years on my block where a house wasn't under construction, and last week they put up fencing around another small old house. Back in the era of the oldest housing in the area (~1912) this area was the very edge of town, in the 1920s there was no development really past 24th ave other than near centre by the streetcar. Rhere wasn't really much in the way of commercial like you have in places like Bridgeland, "Kensington", etc so although there are some interesting places to walk to, to turn the area into a place with strips of retail requires redevelopment. Luckily that appears to have JUST begun, with a new retail/office building 3/4 at 2nd st and 16th ave NW, and a condo being built around 22nd and Centre, with more planned.

I wouldn't worry about the NCLRT, in lower tuxedo you are a 10-15 min walk away from 7 different bus routes, with rush hour frequency on Centre being every 3-10 mins depending on whether you're picky which route you take downtown. Like Rusty said you can walk downtown, it's about a 30 min walk from the middle of Tuxedo (N/S) to Chinatown.

Anyway, I like the area for how close it is to downtown and how close it is to major roads, but I just find I tend to leave the community to go for a beer/coffee/meal, and although that's improving I feel like in 5 years it will be noticeably better and maybe a lot better in 10. In the past year or two 2 decent pubs, a new restaurant (The Block) and the first espresso cafe to get good reviews have opened in the area, so things feel like they're starting to shift.

[gantenbein]

Originally Posted by PlanZ

Bump:

How do you guys like Tuxedo? I think a few posters live there.

I may be able to afford an old small house in Tuxedo when I move back in 8 or so months.

Is the north central LRT still 25+ years away?

As another Tuxedo (Balmoral) resident of ten years, I absolutely agree that it's a great place to live and that it will continue to change for the better. Something to be said for walking to Folkfest in under fifteen minutes, or hopping on the extremely frequent #3 and being downtown in five minutes. As Rusty mentioned, there's Lina's, then a handful of good Vietnamese places, a couple Asian supermarkets, Centre Street Pita not too far away, and one of the best little liquor stores in the city.

I don't really know that there are a lot of bargains left here, though. 11m-wide lots with 800 sq. ft. bungalows tend to go for $500,000 and up, while similar sized houses on full-sized (15m) lots go for much more. There may be some deals in extreme northeast Tuxedo, but then you are up around 32nd Ave, on the east side of Centre and sloping down to an industrial area -- to me, this is a completely different neighbourhood.

Infill semis go for between $750,000-$1,000,000.

[gantenbein]

Originally Posted by DizzyEdge

I live in Mt Pleasant just a few houses west of the border with Tuxedo.

I've figured as much from previous posts, but we really are close neighbours: I'm about 3/4 of a block east of the Mt. Pleasant/Tuxedo border on 19th Ave.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by gantenbein

As another Tuxedo (Balmoral) resident of ten years, I absolutely agree that it's a great place to live and that it will continue to change for the better. Something to be said for walking to Folkfest in under fifteen minutes, or hopping on the extremely frequent #3 and being downtown in five minutes. As Rusty mentioned, there's Lina's, then a handful of good Vietnamese places, a couple Asian supermarkets, Centre Street Pita not too far away, and one of the best little liquor stores in the city.

I don't really know that there are a lot of bargains left here, though. 11m-wide lots with 800 sq. ft. bungalows tend to go for $500,000 and up, while similar sized houses on full-sized (15m) lots go for much more. There may be some deals in extreme northeast Tuxedo, but then you are up around 32nd Ave, on the east side of Centre and sloping down to an industrial area -- to me, this is a completely different neighbourhood.

Infill semis go for between $750,000-$1,000,000.

I think the deals that are left to be had are likely turn of the century homes on 7.6m lots and that's about it.

[DizzyEdge]

Originally Posted by gantenbein

I've figured as much from previous posts, but we really are close neighbours: I'm about 3/4 of a block east of the Mt. Pleasant/Tuxedo border on 19th Ave.

Balmoral represent.

[Jimby]

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