Tuesday, October 31, 2006

The World's Largest Property Company By Capital Is Building The World's Tallest Tower In Dubai

Emaar, which is listed on the Dubai stock exchange, is building its flagship project called 'Burj Dubai' or Dubai Tower to a staggering 700 meters (2,296 feet) and more than 160 stories. This mammoth tower, the centerpiece of a 20-billion-dollar venture featuring the construction of a new district, "Downtown Burj Dubai," will house 30,000 apartments and the world's largest shopping mall. The tower alone will cost over 1 Billion, and at the height of construction could have 20,000 workers on site. Toronto's CN Tower will be dwarfed by this new project, as well as others planned for Southeast Asia.

Friday, October 27, 2006

You Can Sink Or Swim In The Real Estate Market

You can sink or swim in the real estate market. Brothers Joseph and Wolf Lebovic must be swimming quite well. The two brothers donated $50 million to Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital this month. The Lebovics moved to Canada from Hungary after WWII and made their mark on the real estate market. Check CBC.ca for the full story.

CBC.ca also has an informative real estate series available on their website. The content is becoming a little dated, but spring of 2006 was no that long ago. The series mostly focuses on Vancouver real estate.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Alberta Residents Of Old Neigbourhoods Are Concerned For Heritage Buildings

People who live in the older parts of cities like Edmonton are worried the old homes, some of which are over 100 years old, are being torn down without consideration. Some cities have historical boards which prevent the demolition of heritage sites, but with so many buildings it is hard to save them all. With the real estate frenzy that is occurring places like Calgary and Edmonton it is hard for owners to turn down hundreds of thousands of dollars for dilapidated old homes.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Snap Up Real Estate Highlights Of The Week

Lets have a look at this week's Highlighted properties.


This week we go to Prince Edward Island to visit a custom built island masterpiece. This home is only 2 years old and features 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. This home is offered fully furnished at $1,600,000 USD. Not a bad pick if you enjoy Canada's potato paradise. Full Listing Details.

Also available is a retirement getaway, or vacation retreat, in stunning Kaslo, British Columbia. This home is almost new and features 3 bedrooms, 3 bathroom, and an enormous wrap around sundeck. This home is located in the majestic forests of the Kootenays. Full Listing Details.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

I Have Discovered A Very Interesting, And Possibly Very Useful, Marketing Tool For Real Estate Agents

I have discovered a very interesting, and possibly very useful, marketing tool for real estate agents. www.MoneyMaker4Agents.com offers full service real estate web sites for real estate agents and brokers. You may say "big deal", but this service is truly worth the $50 per month fee. I have signed up for a free 30 day trial to evaluate the service, and so far I am very impressed. They assign you your own web page, such as www.bartzirnhelt.mm4a.com. With your web page you can customize the appearance with a myriad of options. It is very easy to upload company logos and edit your personal profile with pictures, opening comments, and disclaimers. Stay tuned for more updates on this impressive service.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Business Edge News Has Some Insight On The Canadian Real Estate Market

The recent nation wide real estate boom has produced new real estate spin-off jobs such as: real estate agents, home inspectors, mortgage brokers, and construction workers. In the last few months the real estate market has drastically cooled in Eastern Canada, and places like Toronto and Montreal are in a regressive market.

Benjamin Tal, a CIBC World Markets analyst states "We'll probably see some slowing...there is a booming bubble, especially in Ontario and the East. I think we have to recognize that's the case. I think that we'll see less real estate agents, less home inspectors."

He says Ontario's real estate market will struggle because of the high Canadian dollar, a decline in manufacturing and the province's proximity to the struggling U.S. market.

Fortunately for those of us in the west the real estate market will remain steady due to oil and gas speculation in Alberta, along with the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Calgary And Edmonton Continue To Have Phenomenal Increases In Property Values

Calgary and Edmonton continue to have phenomenal increases in property values. Edmonton has seen increases on average of 50 percent over the same time last year, and inventory is starting to grow a little bit. Calgary is also near the 50 percent mark on increased property values over last year. These increases are directly attributed to Alberta's economic status as the oil and gas epicenter of Canada.

With housing prices increasing in all major markets across Canada real estate agents and their marketing tool MLS are having problems. Full service agents are accusing discount brokerages, those who operate mainly online, on flooding the MLS network with inaccurate listings. The battle has gone to the CREA, but more studies are yet to be done on whether limiting access to MLS is in the cards.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Tools You Can Use For Buying And Selling Real Estate

John T. Reed has reviews of real estate investment gurus from Abalos to Young. Some gurus are labeled as useful, while most are given the heave into the useless pile. One investment guru, Russ Whitney, draws particular ire from Reed, as he dedicates an entire site to him.

Mortgage Calculators

Mortgage calculators are a very useful tool. They can tell you what you payments would be, how much money you need to make to afford a particular home, and your Debt Service Ratio. Use caution as the answers can be unsettling.

Renovation

Renovating homes is a very popular way to make a dingy house or condo look new again. Of course you must be wary of the 'bad contractor'. Renomark.ca Offers advice on how to pick a good contractor and where to find one.

High End Real Estate

Virani Real Estate advisors specialize in high end real estate in the Vancouver and Lower Mainland market. Their website is fantastic, with endless pictures, and scads of million plus featured real estate. Check the site out and drool over what you would buy for 5 million.