Myke Thomas
Calgary Sun
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Past articles by Myke:
Alberta’s big cities are among Canada’s most affordable
Calgary and Edmonton are the most affordable major markets for first-time home buyers and offer more ‘elbow room’ than cities such as Toronto or Vancouver, says Jannine Rane, head of communications at Zoocasa, an online real estate information portal. → Read More
A parent's guide to clean air at home
When there are kids in the house, cleaning is a year-round chore. And parents are always looking for the best ways to keep their home safe while looking and smelling fresh. → Read More
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. to get new name
The federal agency charged with overseeing most things related to housing in Canada will be getting a new name, pending regulatory approval. → Read More
Shane Homes' Aries II model exudes a more traditional look
The south Calgary neighbourhood of Legacy has many attributes, in particular the guidelines for new home exterior designs, which are evident in Shane Homes' Aries II model showhome. → Read More
More than one-quarter of Canadians considering home renovations
With more time spent at home, 26 percent of Canadians are considering a renovation to their current home. → Read More
Ride Through The Rockies a huge success
Too many outdoor activities have been cancelled or modified this year, but one that didn’t have to hit the brakes was the annual Ride Through The Rockies, sponsored by Star Building Materials. → Read More
Jayman Built takes home 16 BILD awards, including one for Benjamin
Jayman Built was a big winner at the 2019 BILD-Calgary Region Awards ceremony, taking home 16 awards from its 33 nominations, including Builder of the Year, Large Volume. → Read More
Home-buyer demographic much different in 2020
Canadian real estate markets are enjoying one of their best summers ever, breaking national records as pent-up demand caused by the spring lockdown and low interest rates have brought buyers back to markets, says Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage. → Read More
Record sales numbers posted in July
National home sales and new listings on Canadian MLS Systems surged in July, with listings reaching their highest level on record for the month of July and sales posting the highest level of any month in history, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association's (CREA) July report. → Read More
Visits to CREA website hit an all-time high
When the country was locked down in mid-March, the future looked bleak for Canadian real estate. → Read More
July's new homes starts increase month over month
Three of the four sectors of Calgary’s new homes market recorded gains in new starts in July from June, with the total number of starts last month eclipsing July 2019's number. → Read More
All major housing markets see sales increase in July
Article content continued The July activity comes as no surprise, says Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage. “If you go back to the first quarter when we released our 2020 first-quarter forecast, we said there would be a drop during the lockdown, not knowing how long the lockdown would last,” says Soper. “But when markets reopened again, we had such a strong pull ahead from the first… → Read More
Housing market dynamics undergoing changes
Article content continued Hogue adds COVID-19 has altered local market dynamics. “We’re also likely to see trends diverging across local markets. We expect greater resilience in lower density markets outside Canada’s large urban cores. The pandemic has boosted demand for properties offering more space for working from home,” he says. “Smaller markets where such properties are more affordable… → Read More
Slower housing market presents investment opportunities
Article content continued This year, 15 percent of my sellers decided not to participate in the market due to the pandemic, feeling they were more vulnerable being older and were okay waiting another year. I suspect there were many older or vulnerable sellers who decided to postpone their move this year. This meant fewer of the older single-family homes were available for sale, creating an… → Read More
BILD Awards had a new format, but same excitement
More than 30 years ago, roughly 100 members of Calgary’s residential construction industry gathered to celebrate the best of the best in sales and marketing initiatives, sponsored by the Canadian Home Builders Association-Calgary. → Read More
2019 Calgary BILD Awards
Article content BEST NEW HOME – UP TO $254,999 BILD Calgary Region Awards logo FILE PHOTO/Postmedia FileBEST NEW HOME – $255,000 – $294,999 BEST NEW HOME – $295,000 – $349,999 BEST NEW HOME – $350,000 – $414,999 BEST NEW HOME – $415,000 – $484,999 BEST NEW HOME – $485,000 – $549,999 BEST NEW HOME – $550,000 – $619,999 Jayman Built Sapphire model showhome in Legacy Woods. Supplied Photo/Supplied… → Read More
2019 Calgary BILD Awards
Article content BEST SALES AND INFORMATION CENTRE – ATTACHED BILD Calgary Region Awards logo FILE PHOTO/Postmedia File* Jayman BUILT, Westman Village by Jayman BUILT BEST SALES AND INFORMATION CENTRE – DETACHED * Remington Development Corporation, Remington Presentation Gallery SALES TEAM OF THE YEAR – SINGLE-FAMILY SALES TEAM OF THE YEAR – MULTI-FAMILY → Read More
Extension of the mortgage deferral program must be considered
Back in May, when COVID-19 was tightening its grip on the throats of the Canadian economy and housing markets, Evan Siddall, CEO of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), spoke to the federal Standing Committee on Finance on actions the corporation had taken to alleviate financial stress on Canadian homeowners, including the mortgage deferral program. → Read More
Live on the west side, one traffic light from the mountains
Activity has been brisk at Truman’s Gateway condominium project in West District, with close to 20 sales in the last two months, says Tony Trutina, COO at Truman. → Read More
Inventory levels fall in Chestermere and Okotoks
The Calgary Real Estate Board’s report for the second quarter of 2020 also covered towns and cities orbiting Calgary. Here’s the Board’s overview of Okotoks and Chestermere. → Read More