TAKING NOTICE WHERE NOTICE IS DUE

ORIGINAL ART BY JUSTIN SCOTT

Currently learning at the Alberta College of Art & Design, this student has already developed an extraordinary portfolio.

He adds new projects as they are completed so watch regularly if you are as big of a fan as I.

Check out more at:
http://www.justinscottcreative.blogspot.com/

A RETURN TO LONG-TERM AVERAGES

Housing affordability improves as prices ease

By Mario Toneguzzi

Calgary Herald

December 9, 2008

The housing markets in both Calgary and Edmonton are expected to retreat even further in 2009 as concerns mount about the economy, "spurred by the sharp drop in energy prices that sent shivers down homeowners' spines," says a report released Monday by RBC Economics.
The affordability measure report said Alberta's housing conditions have softened since prices peaked in 2007 with declining prices restoring some of the affordability lost during the boom. However, affordability measures are still high, suggesting the province's housing markets remain overvalued, at least relative to household income.
In Alberta, "as stiff headwinds blow on the provincial economy and erode consumer confidence, homebuyers will be reluctant to step into play until affordability improves more significantly," said Robert Hogue, senior economist at RBC. "The province's housing affordability conditions still have a fair way to go before returning to long-term averages."
On a national level, the report said that as a sluggish economy threatens income growth and makes households "much more skittish" about major financial commitments, issues of affordability are coming to the fore.
"While the Canadian housing sector is undoubtedly entering a cyclical downturn, the risk of experiencing a U. S.-style meltdown is remote," said the report.
The RBC affordability measure for Alberta, which captures the proportion of pre-tax household income needed to service the costs of owning a home, improved across all home segments with the benchmark detached bungalow dropping to 43 per cent, the standard townhouse to 32.1 per cent, the standard condo to 28.2 per cent, and the standard two-storey home to 46.4 per cent.
RBC's affordability measure for a detached bungalow for Canada's largest cities is as follows: Vancouver 74.8 per cent, Toronto 53.3 per cent, Calgary 47.3 per cent, Ottawa 43.3 per cent and Montreal 40.4 per cent.

ROCKER MY WORLD

It Is Called the Rocking Cube. Looks Cool, It's Comfortable & I Want One.

Check it out at:

http://www.jessicanebel.com/

BRIDGELAND - WHERE would you like to EAT?

Featured in this month's WHERE magazine is a page dedicated to eateries in Bridgeland. I spent the weekend in the area and definitely will be back to sample more from this great list. CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO READ AND SAMPLE A TASTE OF THIS GREAT COMMUNITY.

WHERE to Eat: Bridgeland

Also check out : http://www.calgaryrestaurants.ca/

Active Bridgeland Property:

MLS# C3350611

List Price: $684,900

Optimists Rule

Optimists still rule on real estate
Canwest News Service Published: Saturday, November 22, 2008

Canadians are still in a mood to mortgage. Nearly four in 10 Canadians still think that now is a good time to buy a house, even though the proportion who expect home prices to fall further has soared, according to a recent survey by the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. Attitudes toward local conditions in the mid-October survey have shifted only slightly, with 38% of Canadians believing now is a good time to purchase a house -- still outweighing the 32% who believe it is a bad time. Meanwhile, only 0.28% of mortgages are in arrears, a proportion that is not only low but also steady, the organization said. Still, the proportion expecting home prices to fall has more than doubled from last fall to 35%. That's especially the case in British Columbia, where 48% expect prices to fall. Jim Murphy, association president, notes that anticipated mortgage credit growth would slow, but remain relatively strong.

HOT OR NOT?

Your home: hot or not?
Financial Post Published: Saturday, November 22, 2008

Can your home weather the financial storm? Don R. Campbell, a real estate analyst and author of Real Estate Investing in Canada, gives a dozen ways to analyze your property's exposure to a downturn.
First, it's vital to remember that property markets are not national; they are regional, local and even vary widely from neighbourhood to neighbourhood in the same city.
That being said, there will always be hot real estate markets and others that are cold, but national and provincial figures are too generalized to be used by Canadian homeowners and investors to make sound decisions on their most important asset.
The 12 questions below will help you decide if your area and personal property are poised to go up, stay flat or collapse.
The more "yes" answers you get, the better the market will perform.
But overall, to dramatically reduce your risk, the most important thing to remember is: Don't fall in love with your property.
12 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
1 Is your area's average income increasing faster than the provincial average? 2 Is your area's population growing faster than the provincial average?
3 Is your area creating jobs faster than the provincial average?
4 Does your area have more than one major employer? 5 Is real estate booming in the surrounding region more than where you're looking?
6 Will the property values benefit from a major new development nearby?
7 Has the local and provincial political leadership created a growth atmosphere?
8 Is the region's economic development office helpful and proactive?
9 Is the neighbourhood located in an area of renewal or gentrification?
10 Is there a major transportation improvement occurring nearby?
11 Is the area attractive to Baby Boomers?
12 Is there a short-term perceived problem (negative stories, short-term layoffs) that will disappear?
In fact, there are 13 major influences on the long-term value of property. Underlying the local analysis of your property market you need to consider the outlook for Canada generally.
The Canadian economy and real estate are relatively well-positioned to withstand the economic storms that are buffeting property values in many other countries.

TRICK OR TREAT

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I hope you are as prepared as these two enthusiasts!

I wonder who will get more treats and who will do more tricking.

Bets are on for Dorothy in the wig for more treats.

EVOLUTION, TIMING, IMPACT

Economy to rebound by 2010: Bank of Canada

Thu Oct 23, 10:41 AMThe Canadian Press

By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The economy is in good shape to weather a global recession, although growth will be anemic for the next six months, the Bank of Canada said Thursday.
In its fall Monetary Policy Report, the bank said Canada's economic growth will be sluggish through the first quarter of next year, but will then start to pick up and will hit 3.4 per cent in 2010. It predicted real economic growth of 0.6 per cent this year and next.
It said lower world demand, lower commodity prices and tight credit will all contribute to sluggish growth.
The weaker Canadian dollar, however, will help, by lowering the cost of the country's exports and making them more attractive to foreign customers.
The report said inflation will stay below two per cent through 2010.
The central bank, which cut its key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point this month, says another cut is likely.
The report said the world is entering a "mild recession" and the United States, wracked by the sub-prime mortgage situation, is already in recession.
Canada is not immune, the bank said, but it is bolstered by a strong financial system.
"The weaker outlook for global demand will increase the drag on the Canadian economy coming from exports," the report said. "Lower commodity prices will also dampen the outlook, working though a deterioration in Canada's terms of trade to moderate domestic demand growth.
"The marked tightening in Canadian credit conditions in recent weeks will restrain business and housing investment."
The report predicts a modest decline in housing prices and in household net worth, due to declines in housing equity. Consumer spending will also be lower than earlier predicted, as people adjust to harder times.
Consumers are also going to borrow less, the bank said.
The bank warned, though, that its forecasts are subject to greater uncertainty than usual, as the world grapples with what it called "the deepest, broadest and most persistent financial crisis in decades."
"The bank judges that the risks are roughly balanced around its revised base-case project for inflation in Canada - a base case that now incorporates the recent intensification of the global financial crisis, a mild global recession and the measures that have been taken to resolve the crisis.
"The evolution of the financial crisis, its impact on the global economy and the timing of the effect of the various extraordinary measures being taken to address it post significant risks to the inflation prediction on both the upside and the downside."

CUT COST & SAVE THE EARTH

With energy prices rising yearly and the critical NEED to lessen our carbon footprints becoming more vital, new products are surfacing all the time to help us change how much we pay out and how little impact we leave behind.

One product that caught my attention because I hate sacrificing style for our mother earth, sorry to say but true, is THE VISION by ECOSMART fire. It is a modern fireplace that "burns clean and is virtually maintenance free".

CHECK IT OUT AT:

http://www.ecosmartfire.com/canada/home.php

AS FEATURED ON:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAT8z_IoWhs

LIFE ON CANVAS

“Memories play an important part in my art, as for me, light and color have always been tactile experiences; something to do with the senses and inevitably with memories…"



Be sure to check out www.artbymario.ca for more information.


WHERE TO INQUIRE:
MARIO
Tel: 403.618.1235

AS SEEN AT THE FOLLOWING LISTING:


36 ROSEVIEW DRIVE N.W.
MLS# C3344302

Wallpaper...The Revival!

If you still think paper is best utilized in the office...
THINK AGAIN!

Paper is proving that it does have a place on our walls again with the introduction of sophisticated patterns, innovative textures and contemporary designs.

CHOICES:

Cole & Son
http://www.cole-and-son.com/home.asp

Graham & Brown

http://www.grahambrown.com/us/store/wallcoverings.html

HOW TO:

http://www.wallpaperstogo.com/howto_hang.htm

This pool might be bigger/Than you or I know! ~ MCELLIGOT'S POOL

I was very excited to see that the work of Dr. Seuss was to be on display and I hope you are too. My favorite book is McElligot's Pool, what's yours?

DR. SEUSS
LIFETIME RETROSPECTIVE
ART TOUR & SALE


OCTOBER 2 - 14, 2008

Artevo and the Calgary Herald Presents Dr. Seuss Lifetime Retrospective Art Tour. The Show includes the Secret Art of Dr. Seuss, exclusive to Artevo Galleries for the first time in Canada. Running from October 2nd through the 14th at Artists of the World.

WHERE TO GO:
ARTISTS OF THE WORLD
514 -11th AVE SW

http://www.artevo.com/art-dr-seuss.asp

SEAMLESS STYLE & FUNCTIONALITY

"What if a refrigerator didn’t have to look like a refrigerator? "

When we asked ourselves that question, it changed kitchen design forever. Sub-Zero Integrated Refrigeration is “anywhere” refrigeration. It merges seamlessly into the room, with no visible hinges or grilles. Choices abound. Drawers or tall units. Refrigerator only, freezer only, or both. Narrow for the galley kitchen or wide for a bigger space." [www.subzero.com]

One of the bulkiest appliances in our homes does not have to dominate the space. Look into your options at:

http://www.subzero.com/

As seen in the following active listing:

2409 Erlton Street S.W.

Calgary, Alberta

MLS#: C3344026

A STABLE BUBBLE

Resale inventories down 5.3% last month
stabilization at last?

National Post Published: Saturday, September 20, 2008

We've been hearing a lot recently about the high number of new listings on the resale market, but the Canadian Real Estate Association's August release shows fewer people across Canada listed their homes last month -- perhaps wary of throwing their house in to the buyer's market and risking a long listing period and lower-than-asking sale price. CREA reports that after four months of steadily increasing listings, August posted a month-over-month decline of 5.3%, a sign, it says, that the resale market is stabilizing. These figures result mostly from fewer listings in Edmonton and Calgary; Saskatoon and Vancouver still had high inventories. Says CREA president Calvin Lindberg: "The challenge is for sellers to price their home to meet local market realities, and for buyers to realize there is no real estate bubble that will burst and send prices to new lows."

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET US STAY WARM

Check out the latest tabletop accessory by Carl Mertens. Since establishment in 1919, this company has created fashionable pieces for the home by adhering to the following principles:

1. Superior manufacturing quality
2. Contemporary and functional design
3. Environmental responsibility

So, if you have a Fantastic Design Sense, the Freezing Canadian Winter to Come & Leaving Less of an ECO Footprint on our HOME & NATIVE LAND on your mind, this might be for you.

WHERE TO LOOK:

www.carl-mertens.com/

FIRST TIME BUYER TAKE NOTE POTENTIALLY

Harper promises tax break for first-time home-buyers
BRIAN LAGHI
Globe and Mail Update and Canadian Press
September 16, 2008

KITCHENER, Ont. — A re-elected Harper government would offer first-time home-buyers a tax break worth up to $750 to help them defray costs associated with closing the deal.
The Conservative leader made the announcement Tuesday in Kitchener, where his government is hoping to make inroads in opposition-held ridings to help build a majority come election day, Oct. 14th.
It was the second modest spending promise during a week in which the economic concerns – both domestic and international – are beginning to dominate the campaign.
Mr. Harper's plan would offer a tax credit of up to $5,000 in reducing tax payable, and would go towards helping defray the closing costs on the purchase of a new home. Lowest-income Canadians would be eligible for the maximum amount, while buyers in higher income brackets would get less, Conservative officials said.
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper delivers remarks during a news conference at a housing project Tuesday. (The Canadian Press)
"Our plan is simple, modest and practical," Mr. Harper said. "It's a tax break for first-time home-buyers, and a boost for the construction industry.
Expenses like home inspection fees, land registration fees, transfer taxes, legal fees mortgage loan insurance premiums would all likely be covered, according to the Conservatives.
Approximately 300,000 Canadians purchased new homes in 2007. Tory officials estimated the program would cost approximately $200-million per year.
Southern Ontario – particularly the southwestern portion where Mr. Harper is campaigning today – is one of the lynchpins in the Tory effort to win a majority. The riding is currently held by Karen Redman, who won the riding over the local Conservative by 11 percentage points.
Mr. Harper's early morning news conference didn't go off with the usual near-military precision.
“Hey, Harper! Come on out and face us!” yelled a man into a scratchy megaphone. “Don't worry about it, Harper! You'll be on the unemployment line soon enough!”
Dave Leitch, a 12-year worker at General Motors supplier Kitchener Frame Ltd., will be out of a job Friday — the day his son turns seven months old.
His taunts and those of a small group of other flag-waving Canadian Auto Workers members was a noisy sideshow to Harper's tightly choreographed election event — an offer to give first-time home-buyers a tax credit worth up to $750 per family.
Mr. Leitch, who turned 40 last week, was fuming as he asked reporters whether Mr. Harper will give him a tax cut if he has to sell his house.
Mr. Harper gamely carried on, at first ignoring the din, until a reporter asked him directly about Ontario's struggling manufacturing sector and the workers directly affected.
“I think they're the same protesters we get in every election,” he said.
“But look, as you know, this government has been taking determined action to help the sectors that have had some difficulty. We announced the billion-dollar Community Development Program just before the last budget. That was specifically targeting forestry and other ... single-industry communities that have been hit.”
Mr. Leitch said well-paid manufacturing jobs are being lost to Ottawa's failure to stem the tide of imported cars and other products. Guys like him wind up working at Tim Hortons, he said.
Mr. Harper belatedly said he feels for those who've lost their jobs, but said government can't “throw money” at outmoded industries. Instead, the Conservatives have invested in new technologies and training that spearhead the future, he said.

DRESSING WALLS TO IMPRESS

Find Art You Can Enjoy For Years & Add A Focal Point To Your Naked Walls.

"E L E M E N T A L S P I R I T" — Norah Borden

September 4 - 24, 2008
Opening Reception with artist in attendance - Saturday, September 6, 1-4pm First Thursday Preview and Artist Talk - Thursday, September 4, 7pm

Many people see the tumultuous storms in my paintings. For me, it is not so much about the storm, but more the effects of light within them. By painting a backdrop of a wind swept sky and water, one can truly see the radiance of light. These paintings are an inward journey where one can explore deeper, more complex realms within their own experiences.
- Norah

WHERE TO LOOK:

107, 100 – 7 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB
tel: 403.262.3356

email: info@axisart.ca

Spooky Seating

LOUIS GHOST ARMCHAIR

A transparant chair made from a single mould polycarbonate in the style of LOUIS XV. Shock, Scratch & Weather resistant, this playful masterpiece can add value to any indoor or outdoor space. Designer, Philippe Starck, has created a way to add classic shape to modern spaces.

Where to Find in Calgary?

KIT INTERIORS

725 11 Avenue SW

tel: (403) 508-2533

The Cow Comes Home

The LC4 Chaise Lounge is available in a chrome frame and matte black base, upholstered in: Black leather or tri-color hairy hide (black/brown/white) with a black leather headroll.

Design Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand, 1928. Sling seat, metal frame.Made in Italy by Cassina.The “Cassina I Maestri” (Cassina Masters) collection includes some of the most important furniture created by leading figures in the Modern Movement, pieces which have since become landmarks in the evolution of contemporary design. This recognizable chaise lounge, described as the resting machine, was presented to the 'Salon d'Automne' in 1929 and is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Check it out at:

www.areainteriors.ca/

ON THE COVER OF CONDO LIVING

Back in February, Christina was on the cover of condo living magazine. Also, be sure to check out our full page spread in September, October & November of 2008.

WHERE TO FIND:

ON STANDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY