CREB

AiRdRiE fEATuRE

A13 - A15

A smArter stAte

of green

cody stuart managing editor For many homeowners, helping out the environment shouldn't come at the expense of your wallet. The smartest choices are the ones that save money now and potentially make money down the road. That's why many people dubiously look at big-ticket additions - like solar panels and geothermal heating - that require large capital outlays and take many years to pay back. Surely, there are smarter ways to achieve those goals. Luckily for those wanting to save a few dollars and have a healthy home, there's a new program that enables homeowners to seek out, implement and highlight those economical and environmentally friendly aspects. Recently launched by CREB® as a follow up to their Go Green Challenge, HomeSmarts works with REALTORS®, buyers and sellers to bring sustainability to the real estate transaction and reduce the impact of Calgary homes, while at the same time making it easier to highlight the eco-friendly features already available in many homes in the city. "Regarding homebuyers for example, they are people out there who look for specific features and in the past they were very difficult to find unless they went into the house and really looked for them," said REALTOR® Dorothea Sautter, a certified GreenAgent and a member of the task force behind the HomeSmarts initiative. Amongst the features available with HomeSmarts, the ability for buyers SINGLE FAMILYMLS ® AVERAGE PRICE* APR '10 - APR '12 $460,378 $483,240 $481,964 $464,655 $445,617 $460,278 $444,744 $455,460 $441,341 $454,163 $461,786 $462,947 *All statistics based on monthly data compiled by CREB ® via MLS ® activity. $479,575

APR10 MAY10 JUN10 JUL10 AUG10 SEP10 OCT10 NOV10 DEC10 JAN11 FEB11 MAR11 APR11 MAY11 JUN11 JUL11 AUG11 SEP11 OCT11 NOV11 DEC11 JAN12 FEB12 MAR12 APR12

$489,482 $479,580 $455,849 $453,969 $466,167 $455,399 $470,655 $453,629 $438,683 $469,726 $472,465 $483,519 and sellers to easily identify the green features in a home is paramount, given the results of a recent BMO Bank of Montreal survey. Conducted last year, the survey showed that the majority (51%) of Canadian homeowners cited utility costs as the biggest financial shock when it came to owning a home. "People have become more conscious regarding energy efficiency," said Sautter. "Electricity prices have come up quite significantly, and while natural gas prices are low - they won't always be like that."

CAlgAry housing mArket leAds the nAtion in April

crEB ® staFF

According

to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) Calgary lead the nation in housing sales for the month of April with a 29.6 per cent year-over-year increase compared to April 2011. Activity was up or stayed the same in half of all local markets for the month of April across Canada. There were 2,450 sales in Calgary in the month of April compared to 2,450 in March, a 6.7 per cent increase. markEt A3 FREE may 18 to may 24 2012 issue 02-19

CREB® HomeSmarts program highlights energy efficiencies

@crebnow www.creb.com cody stuart, Managing Editor HomeSmarts works with REALTORS ® , buyers and sellers to bring sustainability to the real estate transaction and reduce the impact of Calgary homes, at the same time making it easier to highlight the eco-friendly features already available in many homes in the city. homEsmarts A3

nEwS bRiEfS

induSTRy

Investment properties

muniCipAL

Bowness Park redevelopment

mORTgAgE RATES

A10

buSinESS diRECTORy

A10

COmmERCiAL

A12

Cochrane Quarry site

mAp

OpEn HOuSES

B23

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