"Cheng and Wong admitted to the panel that they raised approximately $3.5 million from roughly 150 Alberta investors, as part of the development of three real estate projects to be undertaken by Carling Development Inc. and Carling Development (BC) Ltd. None of the projects has been completed." CNW Group"At the height of the gold rush, a gang of con men operated in Skagway under the leadership of Soapy Smith. One of Soapy's best cons involved his "telegraph office." Recent arrivals were greeted by men who offered to send telegrams to their families for only $5. Most people did not look behind the "telegraph office" to notice that the wires ended a few yards out." Postal Museum Just like the Gold Rush in the late 1890`s Alberta's oil boom is bring con - men out of the woodwork. If you ar... 11/22/2007

The Edmonton Transportation Effect a report released by Don R. Campbell shows how real estate price increases due to proximity to transportation can be applied to Edmonton. The results show that homes near new extensions of the LRT and Anthony Henday Drive could see prices rise by 10 to 20 per cent above the Edmonton average over the next three to five years"When people look for a property to purchase, be it their primary residence or an investment property, they take into consideration affordability, commute times and commute costs," Don R. Campbell President of REIN, author and real estate researcherMr. Campbell expects areas like Parkallen, Twin Brooks, Ermineskin, Belgravia, McKernanand Sky Rattler all in Edmonton's South side to see the biggest impact. Wayne Mandryk, Edmonton's man... 11/15/2007

Edmonton's market is still is a plateau which means if you are a buyer you can get some incredible deals.  Financing , down payment and terms are all open for  negotiation.  Especially if you are adept at trawling older listings many people want to sell now. "Price increases in both Calgary and Edmonton will be more in line with a balanced market. We've had a huge increase in listings in both of those markets. The big run-up in prices has affected affordability and, with it, the number of people who can qualify to purchase."Gregory Klump, CREA's chief economist Currently  9,753 active listings on the Edmonton market which means you can pick and choose.  This won't last long - CMHC predicts price increases in 2008. 11/15/2007

What were you afraid of last year? Do you even remember? Yesterday I was driving to a meeting and listening to my newest REIN CD's. REIN is a real estate investment group that focuses on Canadian specific real estate investing led by bestselling author Don R. Campbell.REIN has monthly meetings across Canada but because Todd and I are out of the country so often we get the  meetings on CD sent to us at our Japan office.No matter where you are you have heard of the Alberta Royalties Tax Revision and if you are an investor in Alberta then perhaps you are concerned about what will happen and how it will affect your properties. If you were thinking of investing but the Royalties are holding you back; then you must read on.Don R. Campbell summed it up nicely. People worry every year, day and ... 11/15/2007

The Real Estate Investment Network, has identified Edmonton as Alberta's Number 1 City to be investing.To complete due diligence in this great city, visit  http://maps.edmonton.ca/It is an interactive city map that provides you extensive information for each neighbourhood in the city.You can access demographics, neighbourhood info and info on the building permit process. You can search for legal addresses and street addresses. I've just learned by spending 5 minutes on this site that a home recently purchased is RF1 (single family). However, the very next home is RF3 (small-scale conversion and infill redevelopment to housing forms containing up to four Dwellings per building).When ready to sell ... in about 2015 ... I will apply for a rezoning permit. RF3 should be worth more than RF1.... 11/12/2007

Alberta premier wants provincial trade barriers dropped -"Premier Ed Stelmach says Alberta is feeling the economic pinch from the soaring dollar, so it's time for the premiers to start talking about eliminating trade barriers between provinces..."  " Stelmach says that eliminating this barriers would Stelmach says eliminating such barriers would increase productivity and competitiveness, build a bigger economy and help Canada compete with other trading nations." Hotel tax boosts tourism budget -"With that 23 per cent increase, there will be an increase in attention to Western Canada, with a really a strong focus on Alberta. There will also be a very strong focus on Canadian and American leisure business." "The plan is to continue to attract Albertans, given that a booming economy, highe... 11/09/2007

I am worried about my generation. They didn't want anything and now when they realize, "Hey money is all right!" They are so in debt that they can't get ahead nor can they save for their future. This article is such an eye opener for me, I am so happy that I made the choice to give up new clothes, that cool car and nice furniture for a few years to pay off my student loan and all my credit card debt. I am also happy that I learned to invest and wait, to not let my current appetite steal from my future feast.Facts From OppeinheimerFunds* 62 percent say they live paycheck to paycheck  * 56 percent have an outstanding credit-card balance of $3,000 or more. * 62 percent of women say they have not bought any investment products.* 45 percent of women would buy 30 pairs of shoes before saving ... 11/08/2007

Wondering how your area of the country is doing as far as real estate value and investment goes?  The leading real estate analysts at PricewaterhouseCooper have released their annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2008 report. Here is how Calgary and Edmonton fare: Canadian Markets to Watch"The report comments on how Canadians like to live and work in central cities, as long as they can afford it. If housing is too pricey in 24-hourneighbourhoods, people move to inner-ring suburbs or beyond and commute back into the cores. Investors, especially the institutions, are concentrated indowntown areas too. Planners and developers focus on infill and more vertical projects, which reinforce the urban cores. The hot-growth energy cities outwest - Calgary and Edmonton - score the highest ratings ... 11/06/2007

 All though the sales are down in the third quarter of 2007 CREA says not to expect a crash because we are still in line for a record year. "The Canadian Real Estate Association, which represents boards across the country, says sales in the third quarter were down 3.2% from the second quarter. However, the second quarter was the best quarterly period ever for housing sales.The third quarter decline was driven by a relatively minor slowdown in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. British Columbia saw a jump in sales in the third quarter.For the first nine months of the year, there were 419,342 sales across the country, an 8.4% increase from a year earlier. There were 213,547 new listings in the third quarter, the second highest level ever." Read Full Article Click Here 11/06/2007

What ‘skeletons’ do you have hidden away that may come out to haunt you? Sounds scary doesn’t it? And it could very well be….I was recently negotiating on a fairly large character conversion/reno project for an associate of mine. He had considerable experience with rezoning and land utilization but not so much with actual conversation and restructure of the buildings. He was so ‘pumped up’ about the potential project that I wondered how much in depth research he had conducted, as there seemed to be some sizable obstacles to overcome before getting the project to the final stage.I felt an icy hand on my shoulder and heard a deathly whisper in my ear ‘Do the due diligence now, run the costs and speak with your team, get the written quotes…’ What was going on? The voice was just my ‘friend... 10/30/2007

Hello Friends and Partners,I'm sure you know how important it is to buy during the 'slow time'.And I'm here to prove it to you with this great deal...Check out the details:*1956 Built 4 bedroom home, complete with in-law suite AND double detached garage.*Newly reformed throughout with top-notch touches and design: demands high rent and easy resale.*Listed at $378,000 and we have an accepted offer for $365,000. ($13K off list price and into your pocket!)(Next door is listed at $410K and isn't as nice)*Great mature area of Sherbrooke in West Central Edmonton. Desirable for resale and rapid appreciation (capital gains)*Highly Rentable area near transportation improvments, access to Oil refineries and Downtown.The Deal:*ALL financing FULLY ARRANGED, No need to qualify. You can leverage your... 10/22/2007

For many Canadian cities 2007 was incredible year of real estate price gains. Real Estate markets cooled with the weather and the four biggest Canadian markets have slowed since August. Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton all saw big increases over the last year and thanks to the slight cooling in these cities, buyers have a lot more choices to pick and choose from. "Buyers in [Alberta] will likely take more time to shop and remove some of the steam from price increases," CREA chief economist Gregory Klump.This shift to a buyers market is a "long time no see" event in the Edmonton market; CREA records show that the last sellers market was in 1997. Sellers wanting to cash out are flooding the Edmonton market with their "investment" properties, giving investors who know and understand the eco... 10/19/2007

As we all have seen, the Edmonton housing market went from a frenzy of multiple offers to a large amount of product sitting on the market. This shift in the market left sellers having to reduce their listing price or offer buyer bait in the form of assumables.CREA's third quarter report puts Edmonton at a middle ground between a buyer's and seller's market. With increased listings on the market at 21% to 41% higher than last year buyers are taking their time before purchasing.“I think it's quite remarkable how quickly those markets have shifted from sellers' to balanced. This is a good thing. I believe buyers will take their time and shop around, and that should take some of the steam out of price increases,” said Gregory Klump, chief economist at CREA.Read Full Article Here 10/16/2007

Albertans - Grumpiest In Canada?- "It seems money can’t buy happiness as a new poll says Albertans are the grumpiest in western Canada" After the incredible rise in their investments they should feel a little happy. The Sky isn't Falling on Canadian Homeowners - "household wealth has reached unprecedented highs, thanks to years of solid, uninterrupted economic growth accompanied by falling unemployment and rising home and stock prices." Scotiabank Group economist Adrienne Warren. Canada's overall economy is in excellent shape and the most prosperous, though grumpy, province is Alberta.Rich Man, Poor Man: Two Sides of Canadian Housing - "A new report by Royal LePage says sales of luxury homes are "skyrocketing" across Canada.Another report from Statistics Canada looks at the other end of... 10/16/2007

A quick excerpt on the R.O.I of renting versus buying. "The results of this research show that only renters who are highly disciplined, savvy investors are able to match the wealth that owners can accumulate simply by making their mortgage payments," says the study. "If they meet these criteria, in the best scenario for renters, they can accumulate over 24 per cent more wealth than owners in Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal and Regina, and they can accumulate at least as much wealth as owners in Ottawa, Vancouver and Winnipeg. In Calgary and Toronto, renters cannot on average over our study period match the wealth achievable through home ownership."Click Here To Read Article 10/16/2007

A marketing term, "branding" if you will, of a province by the genius that is Ralph Klein. The Alberta Advantage was used to promote, well, Alberta's advantages to the world. From giving Alberta shaped cheques (can't find proof of this but I heard it on a podcast -urban legend?? folklore??) to charities to opening Alberta offices in countries around the world; Klein started a highly successful marketing campaign for a province like it was the hottest new product around. And do you know what? It is."Entrepreneurial-ism" and business are what Klein promoted; one look at Alberta's blockbuster economy shows that he was more than successful. This is the Alberta Advantage from Wikipedia :"The Alberta Advantage illustrates, using widely accepted performance indicators, that Alberta is leading ... 10/11/2007

The oil sands are striking when you see them. It is hard to imagine this area was once pristine prairie land and will ever be that way again. Many environmentalists worry that Alberta's environment will not be protected with the incredible growth in the province. The government has laid out clear targets for air quality, water management framework - to ensure water quality and quantity are protected, and has established guidelines to protect the land in the region. Somel effective immediately or within the next few months to years."As we face unprecedented growth in our province, with development on a scale we have not seen before, we must be assured we balance that growth with the protection of the environment," "Albertans must know that their government is looking at the big picture a... 10/10/2007

Albertan are interested in Light Rail Transit and most, nearly 75%, say they would use it - in a recent poll done by The Calgary Herald."A new poll done exclusively for the Herald shows 70 per cent of Albertans would ride high-speed rail if it were to become a reasonably priced reality in the supercharged corridor from Calgary to Edmonton.While the province awaits a feasibility study on high-speed rail, this Leger Marketing survey also reveals two-thirds of Albertans support investing taxpayers' dollars in a bullet train."The Edmonton Calgary corrider is an economic power unto itself any transportation between the two cities would allow commuters more choices than flying or a 3 hour drive."The continued population boom in the corridor, already home to about 2.3 million people, along wit... 10/08/2007

  Tired but true is the "Location" aspect of real estate. The hottest areas can usually be found near growing road ways that make commuting to work and pleasure areas convenient and fast. Bidding on Anthony Henday Ring Road north section has started; the 21km leg from Yellowhead Trail on the west side of Edmonton to the Manning Drive Freeway will improve traffic conditions and reduce the commute to the city center and upgraders. Savvy investors know that housing prices in this area will rise, although the road is only in the bidding stage now is the time to pick up properties in this area.We have started aggressive purchasing and will pick up a significant amount of properties along the new route. 10/08/2007

Edmonton's Boyle Street Co-op gave back to hundreds with a hot traditional turkey dinner. Students and volunteers prepared for about a week for the massive dinner and hoped to feed 1800 people."This may be the only meal that these people get that is warm," student Corey Wren told CTV Edmonton. "I couldn't take food away from someone who needs it," he said. "I have more than enough food at home."This year marked the 16th Thanksgiving Dinner event held by the Boyle Street Co-op. 10/08/2007