Well I am sitting in the Calgary Airport writing this Blog with a trickle of tweets and emails coming in about the Canadian Real Estate Associations proposed changes to our wording to "Clarify" their position to the Competition Tribunal wondering if our members really understand how big of deal this vote is. Well they should however it is concerning how few Real Estate Associates have approached me to discuss my position or even our boards position on this issue or how we will be voting. Maybe everyone under our board just trusts my judgment that much.......uh probably not. So why the silence? I am really not sure but debate and discussion is the foundation for learning yet here I sit wondering what our members think. In the absence of this debate my mind strays to every possible angle in accepting or declining the proposed wording changes and the weight of the decision becomes surreal. This is my livelihood, my career,  my passion and I hope that is the case for every Associate out there so voice your opinion now. If you are like many and have not even been paying attention to the issue please bring yourself up to speed and go to your REALTOR Link page and in the top right corner is a tab to watch the pod casts. Feel free to send me your views at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / twitter: drumhellerhomes.

Lots of people out there want to buy your home. The right asking price will attract attention and get you a maximum return. With the help of the Chambers Real Estate Team you can set a fair market value on your home – the most that interested buyers may be willing to pay for your property.

You don’t want to set your price too low or too high

• Setting too low a price means you could miss out on thousands of dollars that some buyer would have paid.
• Setting too high a price can scare away willing buyers and leave your home on the market for too long. When you lower the price, people may assume you are under pressure to sell, and lower their offers even further.

Chambers Real Estate Team knows the general factors affecting Drumheller's Real Estate Market
Maybe larger families are moving into your neighbourhood. That makes homes with three plus bedrooms and large yards more appealing. Perhaps a large employer is opening a plant nearby, which will increase demand for housing in general. How are interest rates affecting people’s willingness to take out big mortgages? You can ask Gary and his team these questions and, more importantly, how they affect the price of your home.

Chambers Real Estate Team can calculate your home’s value within your market
Using the extensive background information available to us through the our Board’s System, we can compare your home to a collection of similar homes that have recently been sold in your area. No two homes are the same, but we are experts at adjusting the calculations according to the differences and achieving a marketable price.

Yes, first impressions matter
It’s nearly impossible to replace the initial flurry of interest and activity a new listing will generate. Professional marketing plans tailored for your home designed by Gary and his team ensure REALTORS in your area will want to see your home right away and tell their buyers all about it. Trusting our provenexperience and strong negotiation skills ensure you gain maximum profit on your sale.

The value of a home can be described in so many ways.

"Appraised Value" - is the opinion of a qualified appraiser, based on the knowledge, experience, and analysis of the property being sold.  The appraiser will take into consideration things like the value of other homes in the area, upgrades done to the property, and the current real estate market.

"Market Value Assessment" - is the value used by the municipality (urban and rural) to set property taxes.  These appraisals may not take into consideration any individual or unique features to the home, such as recent upgrades.  It looks mainly at data from past sales in the area, and the current real estate market status.  These appraisals should be taken as an estimate, as each property is not actually viewed by the appraiser.  Typically these estimates of value are out of date when assessed, given they are produced as of a set date.

"Fair Market Value" - is the value of the home in a market where supply and demand are balanced.

"Current Market Value" - is the value of a home in the market at the time of listing.  This can reflect fair market value, or it can be inflated or deflated as a result of current market conditions that favor the buyer or the seller.

"Forced Sale Value" - is the value of your home if a lender was forced to sell it, such as in the situation where a mortgage was foreclosed and the lender needed to get rid of the property.

"Investment Value" - is the value of an investment property from the persepective of a specific investor, which is different from market value in that it is slanted towards the individual's objectives and unique investor circumstances that can affect return.  Investment value is usually based on a rate of return desired by the investor.