All Blog Entries by Justin Havre

If you want to sell your home more easily, there are some tips you can follow to do so. They all help you show your home in its best light, and that can mean a buyer who will appreciate everything the house has to offer. Showing a home isn't difficult, but sellers want to be sure they do it right. Sellers who do that could end up making more money from the sale, and also sell their home faster than expected. Here are six of the most important things to consider when selling a home, so that it shows as well as possible.

Importance of Curb Appeal

Curb appeal matters. Buyers have been known to skip out on even seeing the inside of a home if the curb appeal just isn't there. They may feel the home has been neglected or not maintained well, and

Home ownership is seen as a positive step toward financial security. For many young adults, owning a home is a sign of having achieved a great goal. However, there can be nearly as many cons as pros in home ownership, and anyone who is used to renting must be aware of the differences before deciding whether or not homeownership is right for them. 

Budget For Home Ownership

The great advantage of renting is the lack of financial responsibility for the property. Need something fixed? Call the landlord! This is not so with home ownership. As a general rule, homeowners are recommended to set aside at least 1 percent of the cost of the house for home maintenance every year.

Home maintenance may vary from one year to the next, depending on the age

A home’s septic system should be in good repair before trying to sell a home. Watching for signs of a failing system, getting the system inspected, performing repairs and passing along that information to potential home buyers can help to save time and quickly sell a home.

Know the Signs of a Failing System

A failing septic system can devalue your home and can even enable a potential home buyer to back out of a property purchase. Recognizing the signs of a failing septic system can help you decide whether or not repairs are necessary before your home goes on the market. Some of the common warning signs to look for include:

• Bright green spots on the lawn over the tank or leech field.
• Standing water or saturated soil in the lawn over the

When preparing to sell your home, there are many improvements that might increase the price or buyer interest. Finishing out the basement may seem like an obvious choice, but it is not always so clear. With these tips, you sellers decide if finishing your basement is the right option for their unique needs.

Find Out if the Basement Counts as Living Space

One of the reasons that home owners want to put a finished basement on a listing is that it can offer extra living space to buyers. The problem is that a finished basement may or may not qualify as living space. The goal of increasing the living space is being able to note that on the listing legally, but, standards are often based on region and may be more stringent in some areas. This means

Average Sold Price

Average Sold Price Trend

Active & Sold Listings

Average Days on Market

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Consideration of purchasing a home in an Okotoks subdivision will require many factors. You will want to know how much money the budget will allow; that will require finding a dependable lender. You also need to decide on a floor plan and what you desire on the interior of the home. However, some other options will include what type of scenery such as whether you want to have a natural setting or if you want to share a privacy fence with a neighbour. These are a few options offered by Okotoks Subdivision.

Cimarron offers up to 1/4 of an acre with a variety of lot prices. The Sheep River Pathway winds through the community and is an excellent choice if you enjoy running, biking, or a leisurely stroll. John Paul II and St. Mary's Elementary are

What an adventure awaits you at Cahoots Bar & Grill! It is time to enjoy some fantastic food and brew. With all the specials in store for you, it is simply irresistible. Grab all you friends and meet at the grill for a few cold ones. You will be sure to find something to tickle your fancy!

Weekly Specials

Check out some of these weekly specials. Monday night is wing night; for a pound you only pay $6. Also, the fabulous Butterfly Shrimp for 35-cents as in-house specials (with a beverage order) all day. You can order an ice cold/ 18-ounce draft pint for $4 all night? Don't forget, you can choose from 30 different sauces for the wings and shrimp. Wow, what deals they are!

Tuesday brings Burgers Most Wanted night featuring eight specialty burgers

Cora's Restaurant started back in 1987 and has grown into something pretty special. It was originally a small diner in the Montreal Saint-Laurent district, but has grown into a chain of diners across Canada. There are more than 130 locations today. Here's what you can expect when you dine at the Okotoks location of Cora's Restaurant.

The Menu

At Cora's, you can enjoy both breakfast and lunch. They provide a kids menu and a take-out menu, as well. Some of the favourite items you will find on the menu include:

• Gruau du dimanche
• La Toatle
• Avalanche de Fraizes
• Recolte 90
• Banana-Caramel Waffle
• Mountain of Strawberries Waffle
• Avril 89 Crepe
• La Foret noire Crepe
• Blueberry Fields Pancakes
• Jo Constriction
• Cassolette

It seems as though it is extremely difficult to get a healthy meal that doesn't taste like dirt. While there is definitely no shortage of healthy options, the problem is very few of them have the ability to bring health and great taste together. That is of course until Extreme Pita came into the picture.

At Extreme Pita they serve food that is good in every way. For almost 20 years they have been providing guests with pita sandwiches that are not only healthy, but great tasting as well. They were the first to successfully marry the ever so popular pita bread with fresh and healthy flavours.

The Menu

The menu at Extreme Pita consists of several signature pitas all of which are under 600 calories. The most popular pita is the grilled chicken & goat

Money is saved if off-season maintenance is performed. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, stated Benjamin Franklin, and was a great old saying. Wasn't it? Disaster-prevention is the name of the game and can save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

Consider some of the projects discussed; you may be surprised at the savings.

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should regularly be tested, and batteries changed every six months to be sure they are working properly. If you hear an alarm chirping; this is one of the best signs for the battery to be replaced. Press the test buttons occasionally; if you receive a loud, long beep; everything should be working right.

Refrigerator coils must be cleaned monthly to keep the