Calgary Housing market bucks National slowdown!

December is a month full of performances for us!

It began with Emma's Nutcracker performance.  She was the Lead Seraphim and she did a great job!  Here's a picture of her backstage!
The same day we attended Anna's music concert!  We are so proud of her, she was the best little reindeer.  Anna is a shy little girl, she always ensured that I participated in the activities with her; but this time, she did it all by herself on the stage!!!

Last night was Emma's 1st of the two school Christmas concerts.  Here's a cute little elf picture of her!!  We have tickets to watch tonight and we can't wait to see it!

My assistant, family and I are busy sending out this year's Christmas mailout!  I hope you like my 'new gift'!  I will leave it as a surprise....

This winter, real estate markets continue to be strong, as I have been busy with many perspective buyers. Here's an article that reconfirms that message!  Please call if you have any mortgage related questions.
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/12/03/calgary-housing-market-bucks-national-slowdown/?__lsa=718e-3390

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!!!  I hope you have enjoyed my blog.  Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook! 

Calgary Ranks 55th most affordable housing in Canada!

It's last day of November and we are ready for Christmas!


 Our Christmas tree went up last weekend and the kids are very excited!
We put our tree in the front window of our home and my daughter, Emma, was very concerned that the chimney is not close enough to the tree and Santa would not be able to drop off the gifts for her!!!
I had to giggle when I heard that...it is such a fun time when they still believe in Santa Claus!

We are so proud of Emma today!  She was the "Student of the Month" for her class at her school!  I could see the excitement in her eyes as she stood up front with her certificate!

The real estate market continues to be hot!  This is my 2nd busiest week on record this year!  Interest rates remains low and many are taking advantage of it.

Call me today so you can get preapproved for your dream home!

This week's article:  Calgary ranks 55th most affordable housing in Canada!
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/real-estate/Windsor+most+affordable+housing+market+Canada/7621013/story.html\

Enjoy your weekend!

5 reaons Canada's household debt panic is overblown!

Hope that you had a great Halloween!!

We had 66 kids come by our house and the girls came home with a bucket full of candy!!!
I have already eaten a few of them...not a good thing!

We also made cookies for Emma's school - check it out!  they look pretty good for somebody who does not bake often!

I am glad that October is finally over!  It was a very stressful month.  It began with various hosptial visits for different members of the family and last week was the worst!

My 2 year old Anna was in the Children's hosptial for 5 days.  She began with swollen eyes and lack of appetite over the weekend.  Last Monday she had a little bit of fever.  Tuesday we went to visit the doctor and the fever continued. Wednesday she did not want to eat or drink, fever continued and swollen glands.  Our family doctor recommended to take her to the Children's Hospital.  There we stayed overnight in ER and were admitted in the morning.  She was hooked up to an IV during her stay.  It wasn't until Friday afternoon, the doctors determinded that she had the 'EBV'.  It's common for people to catch this virus at some some point in there lives, but less commom for toddlers to catch this virus.  She hardly ate or drank anything until Friday night.  She slowly recovered over the weekend and we were able to come home!  It was a painful experience for all of us.  I am glad that she is slowly getting back to normal.  However, she's now used to having popsicles 3 times a day and watching 'The Wiggles' ALL day long!

Here is this week's article:
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/10/30/five-reasons-canadas-household-debt-panic-is-overblown-david-rosenbergs-5-reasons-canadas-household-debt-panic-is-overblown/

Don't forget time change for this weekend!  Yay!  One more hour of sleep.

Have a great weekend ahead!

Solid Economic Growth forecast for AB in 2013

It's that time of the year again, SNOW is finally here.  We managed to change all our tires just in time for the snow fall.  We were fortunate enough to get in without an appointment....thanks to Kal Tires on 32 Street.

We had a fun and busy weekend!

I am not a mom that bakes, yet this weekend, we made cupcakes for Halloween and decorated them. 

Here's a picture of one of the finished products....

Thanks to our friends, we had tickets to the Honens International Piano Competition. It turned out to be a fun evening.

Our Halloween fun continued with pumpkin carving on Sunday and celebrated a good friend's birthday in the evening.

Winter is usually a slow time of the real estate market, if you are thinking of buying a home, this maybe a good time to get into the market.  Contact me today to get you pre-approved! Interest rate is still low, what are you waiting for?

This week's acticle: 
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Solid+economic+growth+forecast+Alberta+into+2013/7426066/story.html

Enjoy this snowy week!

Albertans Retaining Their Rosy Financial Outlook

Happy Monday!  And welcome to the month of October.

We had a fabulous weekend as we celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival on Sunday.

For those of you who don't know, here's the link that talks about the origin of the festival.
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/mid-autumn.htm

One of our traditions of the festival is to walk around our neighbourhood with our lit up lanterns. That is one of my fond memories of the festival when I was little.
Sunday night was the first time in many years that we did that again.
We lit up our paper lanterns and hung them on the tree in the backyard while we enjoyed our moon cakes and fruits.

The kids had so much fun, especially Emma, as she learnt about the festival at Chinese School.

The market continues to be strong and many buyers are out on the market.  What are you waiting for?
It's time to go shop for your new home!

Here's this week's articles:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Albertans+retaining+their+rosy+financial+outlook/7288960/story.html

http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2012/09/26/calgary-resale-housing-market-shows-strong-activity/

Drive carefully this week as we expect the '4 letter words' today....can't bring my self to say it!

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Calgary Home Prices Edge Upward

It was a beautiful weekend for 1st day of Fall.

Although the balmy weather this past weekend did not remind me of Fall, but I am reminded every day when I look at my backyard....it’s full of leaves, and is 'screaming' for me to find some time to pick them up....here's a picture of Anna helping out over the weekend...

Emma's school had a fundraising event this weekend and it appeared to be quite successful. For only 5 mins of my time, I test drove a 'Ford' vehicle and $20 was donated to the school. What a great way to raise money for the school, way-to-go Marlborough Ford!

As everyone is settling in the Fall school schedule, I have noticed a huge increase in phone calls. It is the perfect time for many to start thinking about Christmas...and buying their dream home now so they can spend Christmas in it.

Call me today so I can get you pre-approved to make your dream come true.

Here's a great article to read on for this week:
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/real-estate/Calgary+home+prices+edge+upward/7265635/story.html


Have a great week!

Realtors Confident Calgary will Dodge Downturn!

Oh my, where has this summer gone to?
I can't believe that we only have 2 more weeks before school starts.
I feel like I haven't done anything this summer...okay may be we have done a few things...

I was in Saskatoon for the first time for my girlfriend's wedding.  It was a fun time! We danced to country music all night long, except at the end when Emma requested 'Lady Gaga' so the DJ entertained her request and played a song for before we left for the hotel.

This was the time that our car 'engine light' came on, and we ended up in Saskatoon for 4 more days than we planned.  Thanks to our friends, we must have tried ALL the Chinese resturants in Saskatoon.  The kids had fun but we could have spend our 'days off' somewhere else instead....

We then headed to Shuswap for our camping trip in a TENT!  Yes, we did it with the kids in the 'TENT'!  We roughed it, but we did have running water showers.  We had a blast!  The kids had fun and it was HOT everyday.  However, after 3 days of it, we had enough and we headed home.  The drive was long, with a stop for over an hour due to an accident on Hwy 1! A normal 7 hours drive with kids turned to a 10 hour drive home.  My husband was not impressed!  To Anna (see picture), the best part of camping was eating gigantic marshmallows!

I can tell that many are back from summer vacation because activity is definately picking up again!  My phone is ringing off the hook with enquires. It's time to take action to think about what dream home you want to spend your Christmas in!!

This week's article:  'Realtors Confident Calgary will Dodge Downturn!'
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Realtors+confident+Calgary+will+dodge+downturn/7060591/story.html

Enjoy and call me for that 'pre-approval' today!

Have a great week!

Prospects for Housing Starts positive for Calgary!

Happy Monday Everyone!

We had a busy weekend cleaning up around the house...and enjoying the beautiful summer days.

It was not until Saturday night that I remembered that I am celebrating my 25th year in Canada ... on July 21st! 

It's hard to believe it was that many years ago!

Emma finished her 1st of a many summer camps!  I enrolled in the 'Mad Science Summer Camp' last week and today she started her 'Zoo Camp'!  I am excited for her as I missed out the opportunites to go to summer camps when I was young.  Here's a picture of her getting ready to go into the zoo.....

Traditionally, the summer months are a quiet months in the Calgary Real Estate Market, but this year it is the total opposite of the norm.  The real estate market continues to be busy and homes are going, going, gone....

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Prospects+housing+starts+positive+Calgary+region/6964520/story.html

Interest rate remains to be low....

Call me today and obtain a pre-approval!

Get out there and search for that perfect home before it's gone!

I work with many reputable and experience realtors in Calgary, so call me if you need any assistance at all.

Enjoy this beautiful (and weird) weather!

Yee Haw!! Calgary House Sale activity sparks memories of 2007?

Happy last weekend of Stampede!

Hope you are enjoying our 100th year of celebration.

As usual, we made our way to the Stampede parade on Friday morning. This year, we had great seats, (Thank You Tom). We had our own private balcony with prime a view!

I also had the opportunity to watch the Chuckwagons and the Grandstand show on Sunday night. It was THE BEST! Paul Brandt was awesome and the show was spectacular.

We took the kids to the Stampede ground on Wednesday and we had so much fun! The weather was hot and it was perfect for our outing.

Now with the new change of the mortgage rules, here are a few clarifying points that you need to know:

. Conventional mortgages remains at maximum amortizatoin of 30 years (ie. 20% or more downpayment)

. maximum ratio qualification of GDS 39% and TDS 44% only applies to High Ratio mortgage (ie. <20% downpayment) I have not noticed any changes to the market with the new mortgage rules. I expect interset rate to remain the same as this makes qualification as easy as before. Check out this news article. The Calgary market is as strong as ever! http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/real-estate/Calgary+house+sale+activity+sparks+memories+2007/6875505/story.html

If you have any questions, please send me an email or give me a call.

Enjoy the rest of the Stampede! as we celebrate the 100th year of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth!

Yee Haw!

Round 4....change in mortgage rules

Welcome to first full day of Summer!

Yeah, does that mean we will now start having less rain??

Our "summer" has already started for us. Emma finished her last day of Kindergarten yesterday. We had a little party at school and said 'fairwell' to her little friends and teacher, as we will be moving on to a different school in the new year.

Her summer schedule is already packed with different classes - thanks to me, she is in various summer camps, doing things that she normally does not get to do during the rest of year.

First day of Summer also brings the announcement of the NEW MORTGAGE RULES that will take place on July 9, 2012.

Here's the summary of the changes:

1. Amortization reduced from 30 years to 25 years

2. Refinancing limited to 80% ( this will have limited affect on customers, as many already do that)

3. Properties purchased at over $1 million no longer eligible for mortgage insurance

4. reduction of the qualification ratios. GDS and TDS set at 39% and 44% respectively

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/housing/ottawa-tightening-mortgage-rules-no-more-30-year-amortizations/article4358876/

http://www.fin.gc.ca/n12/12-070-eng.asp

I don't foresee this affecting many of my clients.
However, if you are looking to buy the TOP DOLLAR amount of home that you qualify for, then please call me ASAP so I can assist you in the next step.

Please call/email me at 403 862 7111 or stella@stellatsang.ca if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend!

Calgary Real Estates sales lead the country!

After a rainy and cool shortened work week, I am excited to be back and energized to work.

I always look forward to the annual Lilac Festival!
This year, we decided to head down to 4th Street early and beat the crowd. It was still pretty busy and was even busier when we left.
It was definitely chilly out, and we bundled the kids up with layers of jackets. There was a lot of "foodie goodies" this year and we got to taste a few of the yummy food offerings.

Here's a picture of the kids enjoying a woodburnng pizza.

The market continues to be hot and here's an article that talks about it.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/real-estate/Calgary+real+estate+sales+growth+leads+country/6623311/story.html

Here's 5 tips for 1st time homebuyer:

http://www.moneyville.ca/blog/post/1179095--5-tips-for-first-time-homebuyers

Enjoy your week! I can't believe June is almost here!

40 year amoritzation is now gone!

It looks like it's a beautiful day outside!

I spent the weekend with a lot of enthusiastic Toastmasters, and was inspired by many speakers and learned lots as well, attending the District 42 Toastmaster Spring conference in Calgary. Congratulations to Darlene who won the International Speech Competition and will be competing in Florida against competitors from the rest of the world. I hope I can achieve that level of excellence someday....

The real estate market continues to be hot, and there are also many changes happening in the mortgage market.

It was annouced that Tuesday was the LAST DAY for the 40 year amortization mortgage! It was a good tool to be able to use a 40 year mortgage if you were buying a rental property, because of the reduced payment that would allow for positive cash flow. From here on, the maximum is 35 years.

I have also found this interesting article that I thought you might enjoy. I agree with almost all of this article, except the amortization part. I strongly believe in obtaining the longer amortizatoin and increasing your payment. This way, should you ever want to decrease your payment due to unforseen financial challenges, you can always to do so. Call me and I can help you with the best strategy to make your mortgage work for you.

http://www.moneyville.ca/article/1167756--5-costly-mortgage-mistakes

It's been almost a year now that I noticed mortgage insurers, especially CMHC, are very careful with a 5% downpayment application. Perhaps this is the reason....

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/04/27/cmhc-could-be-pulled-out-of-mortgage-insurance-business-flaherty-says/

Happy Mother's Day! and enjoy the weekend!

Bank of Canada rate unchanged, but hinted that interest rate may rise sooner....

We have done lots these last few weeks!

Little Anna survived her first series of swimming lessons! I think I will hold off on anymore lessons for now, until she is a little older?? (not really sure if it's a good decision or not)

We finally visited the zoo on Easter Friday and we lined up for 45 mins to see the penguins! We loved it! The penguins are soooo cute! We spent the full day at the zoo, with games, face painting and of course - Chocolate eggs!

Thanks to my husband, I finally tried the 'Five Guys Burgers'! It was a BIG meal. We only shared a hamburger and french fries and we were full with left overs to take home. I was afraid to look how many calories it contained, as I am sure my bootcamp instructor, Kate, would not have agreed with my choice of restaurant!

The Bank of Canada kept it's lending rate unchanged, but hinted that interest rate may rise sooner than you think.

http://www.bankofcanada.ca/2012/04/press-releases/fad-press-release-2012-04-17/

So, is it time to lock in?

http://www.moneyville.ca/article/1160077--time-to-lock-in-your-mortgage-experts-say

Call me if you want to discuss what's the right option for you.

Thanks and have a great week.

Breaking your mortgage, is it worth it?

We had our first day of Spring! and hopefully that means no more snow!

Anna went to her first swimming class on Monday night! She cried through the whole class and in the shower. She DID NOT like it at all... What was I thinking? We went through that with Emma too. We re-started her in swimming classess 3 months ago but thankfully she's loving it now.

When I asked Anna, 'How was swimming?'
She said 'Goooood'
'Did you cry?'
'Noooo'


With the attractive 2.99% interest rate, I have had many people enquiring about breaking their mortgage. The key question is: Is it worth it?
Here's an article that talks more about it.
I like to run the numbers for my clients before advising to move forward or not.

http://business.financialpost.com/2012/03/14/breaking-your-mortgage-its-either-worth-it-or-its-not/

Have a great week ahead!

2.99% is Back!

Our family still is adapting to the 'Spring Forward' time change! Although we are not complaining about the extra hour of daylight, it sure put our sleeping schedule 'out of whack!'

I was spoiled this past weekend! We had a 'Girls Night Out!'
It's been a long time for me since I had one of those, and it was a lot of fun!!
We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at 'Escoba' and drinks at the 'Belgo'.
We promised to have one, once a month, as a way to relax and escape from the kids!

2.99% interest rate is BACK!!! Please make sure you take part in this ultra low interest rate before it's too late. This is a LIMITED TIME SPECIAL! Call me and get this rate hold for you!

This week, I am attaching this great article: 3 ways a Credit Report can flag bad tenants! If you are a landlord, you will want to read this!

http://www.tvslandlordblog.com/tips/tenant-screening/3-ways-a-credit-report-can-flag-a-bad-tenant/

Enjoy the spring weather out there! I can't wait to get out to go for a walk! Here's a picture of my girls out and about this past weekend!

Have a great week!

A WIN for conusmers on Mortgage Penalty Calculations

The roads are wet and yucky out there! I hope you all had a safe drive home!

The weekend flew by quickly for us. We celebrated it with the Lee's Assocation annual Chinese New Year dinner on Sunday night! My husband and I always look forward to it every year! Thanks to Harvey for the invite!

I am still trying to pop Cold FX to avoid coming down with a cold... cross my fingers this sore throat will go away soon!

It's once again Dining week, are you out there enjoying a fancy feast?? If not, you have to check it out.
http://www.downtowncalgary.com/the-big-taste

Just yesterday, the Harper government announced a brand new 'mortgage code' to ensure "lenders" provide enhanced information on mortgage prepayment charges to assist borrowers in making decisions about prepayment of their mortgage!

For more information, please check on this link!
http://www.fin.gc.ca/n12/data/12-025_3-eng.asp

This is a big win for consumers, as I noticed that there are a lot of people out there that are unsure/unaware how mortgage penalties are calculated! This will clear it all up for all of us!

Enjoy this beautiful week ahead!
Don't forget it's time to Spring our clocks FORWARD this coming weekend!

Rarely do you find me laying in bed during the day but that's exactly what I did last week! The 'stomach flu' hit our household and I was sick in bed for a few days!
I am popping my 'cold fx' to avoid catching my husband's cold, as I cannot afford to be down for anymore days!

Anna celebrated her 2nd birthday! We had a weekend celebration for her.
The question is: 'Does the terrible 2's really start on the day that they turn 2?' We noticed a change the day after her birthday....but maybe its all in our imagination!

There are a lot of rumors swirling around that the government is looking at tightening the mortgage rules...so if you are thinking of buying, ACT NOW before it's too late.
Call me today and I will connect you with an experienced realtor to get you started!

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/will+tougher+mortgage+future+survey+economists+predicts/6189269/story.html

Have a great week! Enjoy the snow! Spring is right around the corner!

5 year fixed rate is going up for most banks!

Happy Belated Valentine to you!

We celebrated it quietly just like a regular day! My husband and girls bought me a beautiful heart-shaped Strawberry cake and we did not end up cutting it until the the day after!

I am looking forward to the long weekend as our little sweet Anna will be celebrating her 2nd birthday! I can't believe she is 2 and she has lots to say! We have been practicing how to sing 'Happy Birthday' at home, so she will be all ready for her party this weekend.

The market is busy! Fixed rate is looking upward, if you want to lock in a rate, please do so by calling/emailing me ASAP!
With the nice weather, be sure to go out on the weekend to look at some Open Houses!

Here's a rate forecast article for you to read on!
http://business.financialpost.com/2012/02/14/fed-could-raise-interest-rates-before-late-2014-poll/

Enjoy your upcoming Family long weekend!

Good time to buy!

Where did the month of January go?

We have had a busy few weeks....

We also had many CNY celebrations!

And celebrated Emma's 5th birthday. For the first time, I hosted a b-day party with 20 kids! Yikes, it was a lot of work. I was all worn out after the party. Thank goodness to Juliane www.dreamathemeparty.com, she saved me from trying to manage it all on my own. The kids were all dressed up in mermaids and pirates. They had a blast!


My phone has been ringing off the hook. The market is hopping with activity.

The 4 year 2.99% interest rate is still on the market. It's definitey a 'Good time to buy'....what are you waiting for?
here's a great article that talks about it.

http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/why-it%E2%80%99s-a-good-time-to-buy-a-home.html

Enjoy the beautiful weather this week!!

The Year of Dragon

Happy Chinese New Year to all of you!
I know the Year of Dragon will bring you good luck, good health and good fortune!

And, if you haven't started on your New Year Resolutions, well this is your 2nd chance to get things rolling!

As many of you heard, BMO came out with the 5 year 2.99% fixed rate and the rest of the banks followed suit with the 4 year 2.99% fixed rate.

You must be wondering, what is the difference?
Read to the bottom of this post to read more on it.

Take action now!
2.99% is a great rate!
What are you waiting for?
Call me today to see how much you are qualify for!

Have a great day and enjoy the beautiful week ahead.

Toronto Star
Jan 19, 2012
Madhavi Acharya-Tom Yew

Bank of Montreal made headlines with the 2.99 per cent five-year mortgage it unveiled last week.

Most of the other big banks have followed suit, but before signing on the dotted line, you should read the fine print. These mortgages have restrictions that you won't find on other products.

"It's the lowest rate available, but I would only recommend it to people who are very sure of their circumstances for the next five years," said Kerri-Lynn McAllister, of RateHub.ca, a website that compares mortgage rates.

"You may want to look at a slightly higher rate that offers all the flexibility of a standard mortgage."

The Bank of Montreal says this mortgage offers Canadians a way to be mortgage-free faster because it offers a great rate and a shorter amortization.

The BMO product differs from a typical mortgage in several ways:

The maximum amortization period is 25 years. A typical mortgage offers an amortization period of up to 30 years.

You can make extra payments during the year or one annual lump sum payment as long as the total doesn't exceed 10 per cent of the principal amount owed. Most mortgages allow prepayments up to a maximum of 20 per cent or more of the principal.

You cannot skip a payment once a year for reasons of financial hardship or absence, a common feature of many mortgages. Nor can you double-up on a payment.

You cannot refinance or switch your mortgage to another lender for five years. Most homeowners who sign a five-year term don't make it that long. On average, they last three years and 9 nine months, and then they either refinance or move, according to Rate Hub.

McAllister said that because the amortization is capped at 25 years, you may not be able to borrow as much. That could hurt first-time buyers in markets such as Toronto and Vancouver where home prices are in the stratosphere.

The refinancing restriction means, "the only way you can refinance is if you do so with BMO," McAllister said.

"They know you're locked in to them, so you don't have any bargaining power if they don't offer you a good rate or term."

BMO agrees that this mortgage is best-suited for someone who plans to be in their home for awhile.

"Customers were telling us they wanted something simple and easy to understand that would allow them to be mortgage-free faster," said Katie Archdekin, head of mortgage products at the Bank of Montreal.

Archdekin said the shorter amortization rate is designed to do just that.

While many homeowners have good intentions when it comes to prepayments, very few actually take advantage of these options, she added.

"This product carries fewer features than our other mortgage products, but it's very easy to understand," Archdekin said. "This product really supports customers to pay off their mortgage faster by instilling that discipline directly into the regular payments."

BMO's 2.99 per cent mortgage offer is the lowest 5-year rate in modern Canadian history.

Other banks have also followed suit, with Toronto-Dominion Bank and Royal Bank of Canada cutting four-year rates to 2.99 per cent.

Canadian banks are becoming more competitive for mortgage business because they're concerned the market won't be growing as quickly over the coming years, experts say.

Happy New Year! Urban or Suburban?

Happy New Year to you all!

Hope you had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We stayed in Calgary this year and enjoyed our time off.
We took the opportunity to catch up with our friends; spending time with family; fill up on many fancy meals; and most importantly, sleep in every morning!

Our December was full of work and activites for the kids. Emma danced in the Nutcracker for one weekend which kept us busy for many weeks. She did a great job.

Anna sang at her music concert and enjoyed being on the stage.

I was busy stuffing over 1000 envelopes to mail out to all my valued customers. If you did not get one, please email me to ensure I have your correct address.

And we finally made it to Zoolights on New Year's Day. It was a beautiful evening, not too windy yet just cold enough to feel like Winter.

2012 is going to be a great year, I know it! The real estate market will contineue to be busy as many buyers will want to take advantage of the low interest rates, which are not expected to rise until 2013!
Be sure to take part in the action!

Over the holiday, we watched a few episodes of the of Urban or Suburban show on HGTV, here's an article that talks more about it.
Read on and enjoy

http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Bridging+urban+suburban+divide/5908003/story.html

All the best to you in 2012!
Have a great week!