Weather Warms Up

Seems like we had more days of cold weather in February than warm days.

Combined with working from my home office most days and not really getting out unless I'm heading out to the grocery store, Lily and I decided to head out for a drive on Family Day.

We thought that since the weather had warmed to minus 15 Celcius, we could drive to Cochrane and enjoy some MacKay's Ice Cream.

Well, we weren't the only people who had that idea.  MacKay's had a huge lineup. (I'm not sure if this image gave it justice).  Everyone was waiting outside, properly socially distanced.  We waited for 20 minutes before we could go inside to grab a couple of scoops of ice cream.

The staff were really friendly and said they were busier than they expected.

The wait was worth it.

Who would have thought that a winter's day getting ice cream would be so crowded?

Skiing at Nakiska

Lily and I have enjoyed many weekends this winter out at Nakiska for a ski "holiday".  Usually, the best snow is yet to come. 

Now that our kids are all over 18, we don't head out to the mountains with them much to go skiing, but Lily and I still get a change to head out.

Nakiska is close and I love standing at the top of the mountain looking down the valley.  And the skiing is pretty good too.

Handyman Tips To Make Life Simpler in 2021

With spring just around the corner, it might be time to get to some of those projects around the house... Here is a link to 12 very handy hacks for use around your home in 2021.

At the bottom of the list here is a quick 51-second video where you will find an additional variety of simple handyman hacks to make life simpler, easier, and faster in 2021.

HANDYMAN HACKS

Unprecedented Times, Interest Rates Are Low

Because of everything that is happening in the world, interest rates have been dropping to new lows, but they are starting to increase again.

This might be a time to consider locking in a lower interest rate.

I built a calculator to compare your current mortgage and rate with a potential new mortgage and rate. 

I was chatting, on Friday, with a client who had a mortgage balance of approx $525k.  His penalty to break the mortgage was $4,000 and he would recover that penalty in the next 8 months.

He set up this mortgage in January 2019, so this client is ready to reduce his rate and overall mortgage costs.

You can find the comparison calculator here.

https://mymortgagebroker.com/why-should-you-refinance-your-mortgage/

Efforts on Cure for the Cov-19

Gates & company have donated $125 million towards the effort on finding a cure.

Worldwide Progress: https://www.livescience.com/can-coronavirus-be-cured.html

Travel Bans, countrywide lockdowns etc: https://www.livescience.com/topics/live/coronavirus-live-updates

Entire World's SuperComputers have been used towards finding a cure as well (reported by CNBC).

What's happened in the last couple of days

We are in unprecedented times with respect to quick financial market changes, government announcements, cancelled travel plans, and additional Covid-19 fears.

 I wanted to keep you informed with some quick mortgage points from this week(end)s news (especially point 4 below):

 The government of Canada announced that all current consultation regarding the mortgage stress test is “on hold”.  Therefore, the expected beneficial changes which were to occur on April 6th, will not be happening.  The mortgage stress test rate will remain at 5.19% (for now). 

The government of Canada made an emergency rate announcement dropping the Bank of Canada rate by another .50% (making a total drop of 1% in the last 8 days).  The banks have dropped their Prime rate, however some banks and lenders have already announced that they’re increasing both fixed and variable mortgage rates.  This is due to liquidity and market risks.

 Variable Rate Discounts are Disappearing: Similar to the last financial crisis, discounts on variable rate mortgage are headed the wrong way.  Scotiabank was the first bank to announce their new variable rate mortgages will be at Prime, or higher.  That’s an effective discount reduction off of Prime of about .70%.  Even though Banks dropped Prime by .50% as expected, NEW variable rate mortgages now become more expensive than they were yesterday.

 Spring time is the busiest time of year for lenders, let alone a spring with near record low interest rates.  And now, many lenders and lawyers are telling staff to work from home due to Covid-19.  To be safe, make sure to start your mortgage shopping well ahead of time, and allow 30 days minimum to close your mortgage or purchase.  And even more time than that if you’re refinancing or transferring your mortgage.

Matthew Playing with the Senior Volleyball Team

Matthew was really excited to tryout and be picked as the setter for his senior volleyball team at Bishop Carroll High School.

They played an early tournament at the University of Calgary, basically a prospects tourney.  We won a few and lost a few, but it's early in the season and the boys are just getting to know each other.

One thing I noticed about this team is that they have heart.  No matter the score, they play hard to the end and don't give up.  During the U of C tournament, they played against Western's Senior Team (probably one of the top ranked teams in the tournament). 

The Carroll boys were down 17 - 23 at the end of the second game and played with heart.  They brought the score to 23-25.  Not a win, but they played with their heads held high the whole game.  I'm really looking forward to this coming season!

(In the image, Matthew is setting up for his serve.)

Allison with the U of C Row Team

Allison tried out for and has been rowing with the U of C row team since January of this year.  Most of her practices start before the sun rises.  We are so proud of Allison, she's taking life by the horns.  She gives 100% for everything she does, she's learning so much, trying new things, creating lifelong friendships and having fun.

This picture is of Allison (orange socks) and her team proudly wearing their gold metals.  They raced in a quad boat and won the Novice race on the last weekend in September.

Lily and I were there to cheer Allison and all of the U of C Teams that raced that day.

Numerology Report

As I was searching around for a fun article for this month's newsletter, I found this website that offers a free personalized Video Numerology report.

I tried it out before I would recommend it here.  I was surprised about how much information they could provide about me based on just my name and birthday.

Get your Free Personalized Report by following this link...

https://www.feelinghealthyandfit.com/numerology-report

Welcome Danny Chavez To Our Family

I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome Danny Chavez to our Family.  Our oldest daughter, Stephanie who was just stunning, was married on July 28th to Daniel Chavez.  The wedding was at the Springbank Golf Course.

The weather was fantastic, so everything was held outside with a backdrop of the city downtown skyline.  Danny and Stephanie exchanged their own vows and I thought their words were very sweet and personal.  I know I was touched and looking around at the guests, many others were as well.

I had the privilege or welcoming Danny when I gave the "father of the bride" speech and I thought I would reiterate here...

As I have watched and gotten to know Danny, since he met Stephanie.  I can say that Danny is a fine young man.  He seems centered, he is grounded and he has given some really great advise to Stephanie's brother and sisters over the years.  He is passionate and driven to succeed and I am proud to call him my son-in-law!

I think that they will have a very bright future together with many special moments to come.

Columbia Ice Fields

I'm not sure about you, but I have driven up and down that highway between Lake Louise and Jasper so many times and thought, "I should stop and check out the Columbia Ice Fields" but never did.

Well, this summer, Lily and I had a little get away to Jasper and we stopped in at the Ice Fields on the way home.

Before we went on this trip and with all the forest fire smoke this summer, we weren't sure we would really experience the best the mountains had to offer.  However, I have to say, the skies truly opened up for us the day we stopped in at the Ice Fields. 

That area has really developed over the years.  There is a fantastic sky walk that I would recommend everyone experience.  We just had a fantastic time.  We even scooped up some Glacier water for Lily's dad to taste.  There was a slight "smoke" flavour in the water, a little like you would taste with some Whiskey's.

I had so many images to choose from.  In this image, we are standing on the glacier and you can see the glacial flow behind us.

The Secret Ingredient Found In Most Foods That's Steadily Adding Fat To Your Body

I'm always looking at ways to try to get a little healthier and fitter, but don't always implement them...

I thought this was an interesting article about a food that we eat that can be more addictive than cocaine... (I'm sure you can guess what it is, but you have to click through to the article to find out...)

Here is the link to the article... Secret Ingredient That's Steadily Adding Fat To Your Body

Did you guess what it was?

This website also had another article that I thought was interesting, The #1 Most Common Food You Should Never Cut From Your Diet. (I didn't guess this one)

Danielle's Graduation From High School

In June, we celebrated Danielle's graduation from Bishop Carroll High School.  We're really proud of Danielle, she received the Hayley Wickenheiser Award for her academic and athletic performance in her high school career.

Now she is looking forward to attending U of C studying Psychology.

Canoe Trip with Matthew

This year, our 5th Annual Canoe trip was from Nordeg to Rocky Mountain House.   The Nordeg area is quite beautiful.  We were luck to have fantastic weather.  It rained a little on Saturday evening as we were unloading the canoes but the sun was shining the whole time.

There were some tricky spots with rapids along the route.  Everyone made it without falling in.  I'd really recommend this area for a canoe trip, there were lots of nice spots to camp along the banks and the river moved at a fairly good pace.

In this picture, we are just preparing to push off on the Friday morning.

Teaching Kids Smart Money Habits

There's no doubt that teaching your child smart money management habits is vital to their long-term success. But amid all the soccer games, PTA meetings and lunch-packing, the school year can get busy -- making summer the perfect time to start teaching them about money. Here are some great ways to help your child understand finances:

Empower them to earn. Start chores young, giving your child small, incremental responsibilities around the house in exchange for money, play time or another reward. Show them that hard work pays off.

Encourage them to get a job. When old enough, encourage your kids to get a job. Maybe it's babysitting for a next-door neighbour or clearing tables at the pizzeria down the street. Whatever it is, working outside the home helps teach financial responsibility, social skills and time management all in one fell swoop.

Try a prepaid debit card. Prepaid debit cards are a great way to teach your kids responsible spending habits without too much financial risk. Consider depositing a small amount onto the card each month and letting them figure out how to budget it week over week. After a few overly indulgent purchases (and a zero balance until the next month rolls around), you can bet they'll start learning how to manage their funds more wisely.

Use tech to your advantage. It's no secret that today's kids are tech-savvy, so why not leverage that? You can find apps to help them manage their pocket money, learn to invest and save, and establish smart spending habits.

Encouraging your kids to develop smart money management habits can set them up for a lifetime of success -- and maybe even help them buy their first home.

Love It or Leave It - Renovate or Stay

Last month, I hosted this event at the Lake Bonavista Community Center. 

We had a fantastic response.  The information provide by Kerri Markle, Corrie Fiesel, Nivi Uppal, Gerard Williams and myself was excellent.

I only had 5-10 minutes to talk, but I learned something from each of the presenters and I'm in the business, so that information was great!  I received a great deal of positive feedback from participants after it was done.

One think that was interesting that Corrine touched on was Home Owners Title Insurance.  If you have homeowner's title insurance on your home (which doesn't cost too much extra if you are getting lender title insurance when you finance your home), you could protect yourself from potential builder/contractor caveats in the future.

We will be hosting this event again in the future, probably in a venue in the North.  If you are interested in attending the next one, let me know and I will make sure to let you know when the date, time and location has been set.

Ski Season is over

This year's season of skiing is now done and I have to say I miss it. 

We had our last days of skiing in April.  This image is of Danielle, waiting for us to come down and catch her.

This season of skiing was so much fun.  I really had a blast this year, the snow was really good and it's nice to spend some great time with Lillian and the kids. 

Although the weather wasn't the best in Calgary, it really was perfect out on this slopes.

Now is seems summer is here.  Over this last weekend, I can't believe how nice it's been.  Time now to get out for a bike ride, some hiking and more!

House Cleaning with non-Toxic Products

When consumers buy commercial cleaning products, we expect them to do one thing: clean! We use a wide array of scents, soaps, detergents, bleaching agents, softeners, scourers, polishes, and specialized cleaners for bathrooms, glass, drains, and ovens to keep our homes sparkling and sweet-smelling.

While the chemicals in cleaners foam, bleach, and disinfect to make our dishes, bathtubs and countertops gleaming and germ-free, many also contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous if ingested, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products found in the home.

In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.

Cleaning ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer.

A friend of my has a house cleaning business that uses all natural products.  Safe for you, your kids and your pets...

You can reach her at 403-700-2162 or MountainCleaners.ca

Receive 10% off if you mention you heard about her from me (Steven Crews)

Love It or Leave It - Your Renovation Questions Answered

Eventbrite Event for April

This month, I have teamed up with a realtor (Kerri Markle), a lawyer (Corrine Fiesel), a builder (Gerard Williams) and a home insurance specialist (Nivi Uppal).

We are hosting an information evening for you or anyone you may know who has been considering alternatives between renovating your existing home or selling your home and purchasing a home that better suits your needs.

The event will be held at the Lake Bonavista Community Association on Wednesday, April 25 from 7pm to 830pm.  I'm really excited about all the information that will be given.

Kerri will talk about how your home is valued and what renovations will increase your value and what renovations may not increase the value as much.

I will talk about ways to finance renovations and options for financing renovations on a new home you may wish to purchase instead.

Gerard will speak about common renovations being done, general costs and what to look for in the contractor that you choose.

Corrine will discuss the legal aspects of selling your home, renovating and purchasing. She will provide tips on how to protect your title, why you may need a new real property report and more.

Nivi will review how home insurance works and explain what questions you must ask your contractor before you let him even step foot in your home!

If you, or someone you know would like to attend, please register through Eventbrite!

Click here to register.  I want to hear all this great info!

LED Lighting Event

You'll probably remember that I had talked about an event that I hosted last month with Tracy Grills with EcoLighting.

The event was a real success.  We had 30 people register with Eventbrite and 25 ended up attending.  Many of the participants had been experimenting with different things to get their plants growing indoors.

Tracy with EcoLighting had a fantastic presentation and talked about the new lights that he was having his manufacturers create.  These new lights are like viagra for plants and showing some of the experiments that he has been doing, the difference in growth between his lights and the other lights is dramatic!

If you missed the event but are still interested in finding out more, let me know and I can introduce you to Tracy and his team.

Spring Skiing Fun

We have certainly had some weird "spring" weather, if I can call it spring yet?

However, the snow is just fantastic in the mountains.  Over the last couple of weeks, I've had a change to get out and really enjoy skiing with Lillian, Danielle, Matthew and Matthew's friend Brendan.

We have a family membership at Nakiska and sometimes it's hard to get out with all the other sporting activities that the kids are involved in.  This spring, I have really had a lot of fun!  We are definitely going to make some more time to get out to the slopes before the hill closes.

You'll notice that the picture is with just Lillian and I.  Apparently, we are a little too slow for the young skiers so we get to hang out and have fun on our own.

Matthew's Hockey Season is Wrapping Up

As you can see, Matthew had an accident while playing hockey.  During the last regular game of the season, with only 2 minutes remaining, Matthew was checked and received a buckle fracture near his wrist. 

He's taking the accident in stride, but he was a little disappointed that he won't be able to play during their City Championship run.  His team placed fourth out of thirteen teams in the division and he wanted to keep making a difference on the ice.

Now he has to cheer them on from the sidelines.

On a side note, because of his arm he can't help me shovel the snow!  He usually helps 2 of our elderly neighbors by shoveling their sidewalks and driveways.  Now I had to do all three but I wasn't alone, Lillian came out and helped otherwise I think I would still be shoveling.

High School Basketball Season

This is Danielle's last year in High School and her Basketball Team ended the regular season at the top in Calgary and are ranked near the top in the province.

Danielle has had a fantastic season, she has made some lifelong friends and they are all practicing hard to bring home the Championship. 

The image above is taken from a Global News video feature of Bishop Carrol playing in the Western Canada High School Tournament.  Danielle is shooting for 3.

Here is the link to the video:  https://www.facebook.com/lillian.crews/videos/10213815987807649/

City playoffs start Tuesday.  Our family is really excited to go and cheer them on.

Selling your Home? Here's What Home Buyers Look For

We all know that different buyers have different wants and needs. For example, families will be looking for homes near good schools and lots of recreational activities.

There are some common features that the vast majority of people are looking for in 2018. Today, bigger isn’t necessarily better - it’s all about whether the house meets the needs of today’s busy lifestyles.

Here are some of the key features that can make a huge difference in the selling price of your home.

Updated fixtures and appliances
Buyers are spending every cent they have on the purchase price of the home, and they don’t want to have to spend more to get it fixed up on top of that. If you live in a home that’s in need of freshening up, some new light fixtures and cabinet hardware will go a long way. If the kitchen appliances are 1970’s avocado green, you may need to spend some money to get energy efficient, up to date appliances. 

Remember, we have access to a government approved program where you can include up to $40k for renovations when you purchase that home with great bones in your perfect neighborhood!

Office Space and High Speed
Working from home is becoming more and more common, even if it’s just the occasional evening or snow day now and then. Having somewhere to focus and work on the computer is a must. Connectivity is key. A good mobile signal and high speed internet mean access to entertainment, information, and time saving opportunities of all kinds.

Amenities Close By
People want to be able to walk to restaurants, coffee shops, and gyms. As a result, buying in bedroom communities without these amenities less appealing. Buyers will spend more to get a smaller space if the location will allow them to live the lifestyle they want. Neighborhoods with short commutes are more popular than ever, and condo apartments downtown and townhouses close to downtown are also in demand.

Low maintenance
A decade or two ago, a big expanse of open lawn was an asset. Don’t get me wrong - people still want to see some landscaping, and curb appeal still sells but for a large number of people, less is more.

A larger, nicely styled walkway with some low-maintenance containers will present a welcoming appearance without taking up every free minute to maintain

Updated Kitchen and Bathrooms
You don’t need to have granite counter-tops to sell your home, but if your kitchen and bathrooms haven’t had an update since the 1980s, expect less interest and a lower selling price. Buyers don’t want to spend their weekends working on their houses - they want to just move in and have everything look good.

Buyers want well-designed, eat-in kitchens with plenty of organized storage. Ideally, the storage should be in the form of a pantry, rather than endless cupboards, especially if the kitchen is small. For bathrooms, they are looking for clean lines, walk-in showers, and as little grout as possible. 

If you or someone you know is planning to sell a home that isn't updated and renovated, you could ask your realtor to promote the renovation program as part of the sale. This could get your buyer dreaming about how your home will look in the future rather than how it looks today.  I've worked with some realtors who have promoted this with great success!

Benjamin Moore Painting Seminar - February 24th

This month, Saturday, February 24th from 6pm until 8pm, we are hosting a Painting Event.

If you want to learn a little about how to use a roller and brush, the different types of brushes and rollers on the market.  The types of paint, V02, paints, etc.  Then this is the event for you!

We can only have 20 people, so sign up fast if you want to attend.

Register to attend by signing up with Eventbrite:

Benjamin Moore Event

Christmas Client Event

We had a really great time at the client event that we hosted on the Saturday before Christmas.  The Barista was a big hit, her latte art was truly creative.

I had over 60 pies, a mixture of cranberry/blueberry and apple/cinnamon pies, one for everyone that attended.  I've talked to a few of you since the event and understand that the pies were delicious.

I had saved one of each pie for our family and i have to admit that the apple was my favorite.  Although,the Cranberry Blueberry pie was delicious with vanilla ice-cream.  The ice-cream melted a little against the pie and created a nice blueberry ice-cream blend.  My mouth is watering as i write this.

I wanted to thank everyone who could attend and everyone who wanted to attend but had another commitment.  Next year will definitely be bigger!

Reverse Mortgages - Is this a good deal?

As our population ages and mortgage rules are tightening I have noticed a substantial increase in clients asking about and considering a reverse mortgage as an option for financing.

It's really important to review all your options before setting one of these up.  They can be very beneficial for the right client, but other options may be better initially.  As a broker I can help with regular mortgages, lines of credit and reverse mortgages, therefore, I can show you the advantages and dis-advantages of each.

The reverse mortgage is really designed for a home owner who is 55 years or older.  The amount of money you will get from a reverse mortgage is directly dependent on your age and the value of your home.

The younger you are, the less equity you will have access to and therefore the older you are the more equity you will have access to.  The maximum equity is calculated at 55% of your home's value at age 78.

For example, If you are 78 years old and own a home worth $500k with no mortgage, then you could set up a reverse mortgage for $275,000 (55% of $500k).  You have a couple of options with this.  You could choose to take this as a 1 lump sum payment of $275,000 and use the money to pay off debt, or go an a holiday, or renovate your home, or invest the money to increase your income.

Another option you could choose with the reverse mortgage is monthly payments.  You could choose to receive $2,300/month for the next 10 years to supplement your pension income.  A third option could be a combination of lump sum payment and monthly income.

Once you set up the reverse mortgage you don't have to make any payments back to the bank but you can if you wish.  As your home increases in value, you can ask the bank to increase the amount of the reverse mortgage available to you.  Your home is always in your name, the bank registers a mortgage (reverse mortgage) on title and when you sell your home, the bank gets paid and you receive the balance of the equity, just like any other mortgage.

If you or a family member is considering a reverse mortgage, or want to know more about how they work, I'm happy to review the options with you.

I believe that it's best to make these decisions with all the facts.  Give me a call or email and we can schedule a time to review.

Client Appreciation Event

This month I will be hosting a client Appreciation Event on December 23rd from 10am to noon at the Atrium in my Office Building.

Location: Atrium at 7220 Fisher Street SE, Calgary, AB

Drive into the parking lot and to the back of the building.  Enter the atrium from the east entrance, facing the train tracks.  The east entrance is the easiest way to enter.

As a thank you for your support over these last years, I wanted to give you a freshly baked Cranberry Blueberry pie.

Please register at the link below, to ensure you receive a pie. Register with Eventbrite

We will also have a Barista onsite who will be making Coffee, Tea, Cappucino, Espresso and Latte for the adults and Hot Chocolate for the kids.

Come and join me, register through Eventbrite or Facebook at the link below...

Eventbrite Link:  Eventbrite Event Registration Link

Facebook Link: Facebook Event Registration Link

MVP of the last weeks Basketball Tournament

I have to take a moment to brag about our little girl, Danielle.

Her High School Basketball Team had a season opening tournament last weekend.  They played great for this early in the season. In fact, they ended up winning the whole thing.

Danielle had a fantastic weekend.  Her shots were on and she made numerous 3 point shots every game and was a real difference maker for the whole weekend.

Danielle won the MVP for the tournament.  I am so proud of her!

Danielle Foul Shots

Things To Do in Calgary

I found this great website with a list of things to do in Canada, and more specifically Calgary. 

One of the activities that is listed here is Ice Sailing on Ghost Lake.  I have never heard of that, but it looks really cool.  I'm definitely going to try that some time this winter!

Check out the other activities that are highlighted here.

https://www.todocanada.ca/city/calgary/