Bright Prospects for Calgary Real Estate in 2013

Calgary real estate forecastIf you live in Canada, you’re likely aware of the positive market statistics coming out of the Calgary real estate scene. Home prices are rising in the area of 10% each year. And it looks like the Calgary homes market is recovering well. 2012 was a pretty good year for sales despite the sluggish national economy. Migration to Alberta remains strong and the energy sector looks like it can support extended growth through the next 5 years at least.

The Calgary Real Estate Board recently published their 2013 Calgary regional housing market forecast. CREB believes resource rich provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan will Canada in economic growth this year. They believe that pace will slow slightly from 2012 and employment growth will slow as well. We must keep in mind that skilled worker shortage is still acute in the western provinces. Any claim that the Alberta economy is ailing would be a giant overstatement.

CREB notes that if home listings continue to decline and demand for homes increases, it will drive prices higher. Listings on the MLS Calgary system are expected to drop in 2013.

BMO’s Senior Economist, Sal Guatieri said about the Canadian real estate market that "Home sales and housing starts will continue to moderate and prices will generally stabilize in most regions in 2013." As far as he is concerned, the housing market is hitting its low point and this will continue throughout this 2013. Low interest rates and the US Fed’s quantitative easing should keep a lid on longer term lending rates.

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation believes that while the national growth rate is expected to remain around 2% this year, it will vary depending on the region. The energy rich provinces such as Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland are expected to lead the country

in growth due to the consistently high prices of energy, mining, and potash resources and the capital investments that it attracts.

CMHC sees growth coming with employment gains and a corresponding boost in net migration throughout 2012, but slowing slightly in 2013. Alberta wages, already the highest in Canada, continue to rise, driving 2012 migration estimates near to the peak levels of 2006.

The composition of housing is shifting in the Calgary area. More new home starts will be multi-family developments. New listings should remain stable, and with City of Calgary housing policies focused on encouraging multi-family development, single family sales are expected to record only modest growth of 1.8 per cent. Currently however, new listings have dropped.

Find out more about the Calgary real estate outlook at the Calgaryhomeboys.com blog. Also take the opportunity to peruse the available properties on the Calgary MLS listings. See homes in some of Calgary’s best neighbourhoods including Silver Springs, Hawkwood, Edgemont, Bowness, Panorama Hills, Tuscany and Citadel. Average prices will climb above $550,000 for a single detached house, so a property looks like a appreciating investment.

A Customs Broker Can Streamline Your Import Business

istock_000004134297xsmallFor any company dealing with international business, the policies and procedures that are involved in customs are very important to take note of. This is because in most countries, customs can be a tricky thing to deal with. With the ever-changing policies and confusing process, many businesses end up getting lost in it. In some bad cases, cargo and shipments can get stuck at customs for days, weeks, or months. In some particularly bad cases, cargo can even get lost – never to be found again.

That is precisely why it is important for every international business to be able to access a good customs broker company that will deal with all of the things in relation to customs. You will find that having such a company will be able to take a really big load off of your shoulders.

Now, here are some of the main benefits of getting a customs broker company to aid you.

  • Reduces time you spend worrying about customs related issues.

You won’t have to think about the long and tiring process involved in customs. You won’t have to deal with the paperwork, nor the confusing fees and unknown documents.

  • You will be able to avoid unnecessary fees.

You won’t have to deal with red tape, scams, nor be charged with unwarranted fees that aren’t really needed.

  • Faster and more efficient deliveries.

Through such a company, you can be sure that your shipments and deliveries will be monitored carefully, so you won’t have to worry about any delays ever again.

 

Here are some of the more specific things that such a company can do for you.

  • Acts as a mediator between the company and the government agency.

Through a customs brokering company, you will not have to deal directly with government agencies, effectively reducing the stress on you to do so yourself.

  • Fixes and arranges the necessary paperwork involved.

This makes for a more efficient business. Since you won’t have to do the necessary paperwork yourself, you will have a lot more time to focus on the other aspects of your business.

  • Provides advice and guidance in dealing with the ins and outs of customs.

If you don’t know a lot of things about taxes, excises, landing costs, duties, tariffs, and other things related to importing and exporting goods, you will be relieved to know that your broker will be able to handle all of those things for you.

  • Takes care of the logistics of shipping and handling of your goods to be shipped.

Also, you can expect your broker to be able to handle the logistics of shipping your goods for you. You won’t have to be burdened with watching each and every move of the shipping company simply because your broker can do it for you.

As you can see, there are many things that a customs broker can offer you. That is why if you really want to make things easier for you when it comes to importing and exporting for your business, this is exactly the kind of company you want to turn to.

 

Home Inspection Radon Tests to Protect Your Loved Ones

home inspections radon testEvery person deserves to be protected inside his own home by getting home inspection radon tests done. This is only one of the many ways that he can be sure that he is safe, as well as his loved ones. In doing so, it only accounts for more than just the normal routine of using secure locks and high tech equipment for security. Instead, one also has to make sure that down to air he breathes, he and his family remain healthy and free of any risks.

Understanding the Need for Home Inspection Radon Tests

There have been a lot of studies and materials in various media that talk about the health risks of radon in the air. This is especially present for homes that have high content of radon from the accumulated particles surrounding the area. As some may claim that these are cannot be totally taken away, it always pays for a homeowner to ensure that the presence of radon are within radon levels. These are driven by the fact that it can pose a lot of risk in causing lung problems, which may prove to be hazardous to man, especially the little ones.

For a person who wants to make sure that he is truly living a good life with his family, one needs to have home inspection radon tests done. Some may feel that they only need it at the onset of moving into their new place, however, it would do well to get it done on a regular basis. This may be on a semi-annual basis or one every year, just to make sure that the radon levels are kept at a minimum. In doing so, one need not spend more than necessary to get his house tested, yet gaining the peace of mind that he and his loved ones are safe from the natural hazards brought about by the air we breathe and the area itself.

Get Home Inspection Radon Tests Done by the Experts

It is important that the right team is hired to do the home inspection radon tests. This way, one is assured that the procedure and equipment are of good quality. In these times, when getting the full value for the money that he has paid for, it is necessary to check the possible perks included in the tests that will be done. It would be good to know that the house is thoroughly checked and secured to keep the entire household healthy. Before hiring a team to do the inspection, it would also be helpful to know the equipment that they will use. This way, the procedure need not be done as often, yet the owner is not leaving any tables unturned in minimizing possible health risks that radon has in his own home.

One’s love and concern for his family can be shown with a touch or a gift. This is also best exemplified if he makes sure that he is providing a healthy environment for them. This simply creates a greater need to have home inspection radon tests done so he can tuck them to bed without any worries.

Some Reminders to Keep Everyone Safe While Aboard a Boat

If you were to look on the Internet for various news articles about boat disasters, you would see that there have been a lot of boating accidents in recent times. Even though some of the accidents happened because of things that were beyond the captains or the passengers control, most of them occurred because of human error. The next time that you plan to go on a boating trip or you know someone who is going to do so, you can give them some boating tips that will help them. These tips apply to yachts, inflatable boats, rowboats or any other kind of boats. It is very important that every single boat contains life jackets. It is very important that there are enough life jackets on the boat for every single person who will be on board.

Mail Solutions for Your Investment Property

There are several choices to be made when building a planned community, from building design to the color of the molding. One of the details that must be selected is the mail system within the building or the complex. As the developer, you have several options from individual delivery at each unit to a group drop off at some point in the building or in the complex. Commercial mailboxes are an excellent choice for a variety of reasons.

Ease of Delivery

Community mailboxes mean fewer stops for the mail carrier, making delivery faster and more efficient. If you choose a front loading unit, the mailman stands in the lobby area putting mail in each of the tenants’ slots. If you want it to be more unobtrusive, you can opt for a rear loading unit and provide a small space behind the mailboxes for the mail carrier to access and then deliver mail out of sight. In either scenario, the carrier can do more at once and drive less. It is a way you can help go “green”.

Ease of Mail Retrieval

Providing one spot in the building where every resident goes to get their mail makes it easy to get mail, and also to send outgoing mail. Locked individual boxes in one area increases security instead of separate slots or wall mounted boxes by each door. There is less chance that someone will go through someone else’s mail. Most buildings have the mail area close to the main entrance, enabling residents to get their mail in just a minute or two when they get home from work. Or, it makes it just a quick trip on their day off.

Gathering Point for Residents

Everyone has got to get their mail. Providing a central point for it encourages residents to talk to one another. The more your residents build relationships and feel like part of the group, the more likely it is that they will stay in your planned community. This means longer lease life, stable tenants and less turnover. It reduces your costs and increases awareness within the community on safety issues, neighbor concerns and problem solutions.

Add To The Atmosphere

To that end, make the mail area a place the residents feel comfortable in, not some undecorated hole in the wall or tucked away in the corner. Choose a pleasing style and make sure it fits in with the overall décor.  There are several options in color, materials, and add ons such as box numbers and name plates. Make sure it is well-kit and have some tables or counters for a sorting area. Residents can stand or sit and go through their mail and talk. Some developments have gone so far as to provide free coffee and comfortable furniture to encourage their members to hang out and socialize. They have turned the mail room into the “water cooler”, where community news and gossip is shared.

Security

Commercial mailboxes are built to very specific guidelines in order to maximize the safety of the mail delivery and retrieval process, as well as protect the integrity of the mail. The goal is to reduce any one going through another’s mail, intentionally or not. The doors are thick and vandal proof, and the hinges for the doors are made in such a way as to protect against prying. Number each box sequentially to reduce the risk of the wrong mail being put in the wrong slot or box, and you will have a very reliable mail system for the building or the complex.

Gossip in the Workplace

gossip1Unfounded or speculative about others when they are not around to provide the facts or defend themselves is called gossip. This can create an unpleasant atmosphere in an organization. It can be harmful and may damage the reputation of the target. When gossip runs rampant in an organization, it can cause problems for both the company and the employees subjected to the harmful talk. Gossip may serve as a means of venting, but at worst, it creates a toxic working environment.

A chain of stress and unhappiness can be caused by gossip in a workplace. Whether the confidante of the gossiper repeats the divulged information or the target of gossip overhears, the fallout can cause far greater hard feelings than confronting the problem directly. If a co-worker finds out she has been the object of gossip, she may find working with those doing the gossip more difficult and further, may suspect others of perpetuating gossip. The victim of gossip may begin to pull away from the office and her duties, calling in sick, or at the very least not feeling that she is a critical part of the team. Another possible form of fallout would be for the object of gossip to retaliate by gossiping about others, which makes the situation far worse.

Gossip beyond idle chit chat or general venting can lead to the deterioration of office morale and can strain work relationships and the sense of teamwork. The role of the supervisors is to become focused on defusing the conflict and containing the negative effects of gossip from spreading around the office.

The modern worker builds friendships that extend beyond the workday and office walls spends a large portion of his life in the office and seeks ways to bond with his fellow employees. Conversations that originate in the form of gossip can serve to build deeper relationships over time. It can also be a temporary solution for some employees as a means to endure stress until the situation improves.

Employees also need an outlet because they experience tension in the office, either from working or from their fellow employees or employers. Otherwise, the tension becomes internalized, and the negative effects can lead to deeper problems and long-term unhappiness. When an employee takes a moment in the office kitchen or takes a short walk break with a fellow co-worker to express some basic concerns and issues, she can often return to her desk feeling that her concerns have been heard and validated.

Cost of Conflict

conflict3Conflict is defined as a difference of needs, wants or expectations. The workplace is filled with people who have different needs, wants and expectations. Thus, conflicts will occur. But these can be beneficial to the organization because there are opportunities to be creative, collaborate, and improve.

However, on the downside, conflict can be costly to an organization. The trouble isn’t its existence, but how we handle those conflicts or what occurs when they aren’t resolved. Conflicts impact on the workplace can be very devastating to all parties involved and the business as a whole.

Symptoms of unresolved conflict are a significant cost factor in organizations. Take a look at how much is conflict costing your organization?

Unresolved conflict remains unrecognized and represents the largest reducible cost in many businesses. Employees in high effort/low reward situations or high pressure/low control situations have much greater risks to their mental and physical well-being. The number of employees seeking help for work-related conflict has increased from 23% in 1999 to close to 30% in 2001. The total value of lost work time due to stress is estimated to be $1.7 billion.

Harassment cases have almost tripled from 1999 to 2001. A complaint that escalates into a lawsuit can easily cost $50,000 to $100,000 and take 3-4 years to settle. Absenteeism, employee theft, sabotage, are cases that companies are paying attention to because of the cost of employee turnover which is estimated to be as much as 75% to 150% of base salary.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is associated with more conflict. There is less cohesion and less success in meeting financial goals. According to a nationwide study, companies lose 64% of the cases filed and the money for wrongful termination cases is over $600,000 .

Presenteeism is another set of problems may occur when employees with high intent to turnover do not leave the organization. These employees tend to have lower commitment, be more dissatisfied with their jobs and reduce morale in the area in which they work. It is estimated that the rate of ‘presenteesim’ is three times higher than absenteeism.

Employee loss or turnover is 50% because of chronic unresolved conflict acts as a decisive factor. Ninety percent of involuntary departures is caused by conflict, with the exception of staff reductions due to downsizing and restructuring. Turnover has a number of undesirable implications for organizations, including the costs of losing an experienced worker, recruiting and re-training a successor. This is estimated to cost 1.5 times the employee’s annual salary. The low productivity of a new worker has an effect on the morale of managers, peers and subordinates.

Conflict Management Styles

conflict1There are five kinds of conflict styles.

1.   Avoidance is a kind of behavior that either ignores or refuse to engage in conflict.  It is presented by some theorists as a negative style that shows low concern for both one’s own and the other party’s interests, there are sometimes strategic reasons to avoid conflict. Avoidance may be the prudent choice when the relationship is short-term and the issue is not important or when the situation has a potential to escalate to violence.

2.  Competition, is a style that maximizes reaching one’s own goals or getting the problem solved at the cost of the other party’s goals or feelings.  It has negative repercussions for relationships, businesses and cultures. When the other party is firmly fixed in a competitive style or there are scarce resources, it can occasionally be the right style to choose.  Competition can easily slide into a destructive scenario while competitive tactics are not necessarily dysfunctional.  Defusing the negative consequences of competition and working toward a mutual gains approach can be achieved by understanding the tactics and strategies of others who use competitive styles.

Competitive tactics include lying, concealing one’s own goals, concealing one’s own interests, attacking or criticizing the other person verbally, becoming positional, and then incrementally compromising toward a middle ground, etc.

3.  Accommodation means giving in to the other’s wishes or smoothing the choppy waves of a conflict. It is sacrificing one’s own goals for the sake of the other person.  “Whatever you want is fine with me,” is a phrase that they often use. When one party in a conflict genuinely does not care about the outcome of the conflict, accommodation may be the right choice for that situation. However, if accommodation is the only style a person utilizes, he or she is advised to learn more skills.

4.     Compromise is the give and take of resources. It is a classic compromise of negotiating as to “split the difference” between two positions. There is no winner for this type of conflict style, each person also fails to achieve her or his original goal.

5.     Collaboration occurs when the persons involved work together until they reach a mutually agreeable solution.

Other matters of individual style affect perceptions during conflicts.  Each person has a different preference in communication. When two people in conflict have opposite preferences, misunderstandings are likely to occur. Misunderstandings can be prevented when you become more aware of the effects of your differing communication styles.

Conflict Resolution

conflictPeople’s conflict management styles tend to mesh over time, and to solve conflict a “right” way emerges. It is best to recognize when this style can be used effectively. Make sure that it is understood by all that different styles may suit different situations.

Look at the situation and figure out which style is appropriate. There are steps below that you can use to help resolve the conflict:

Step 1: The Scene must be set

Make sure that people understand that the conflict may be a mutual problem, which may be resolved at best through negotiation and discussion rather than through raw aggression.  Use active listening skills to ensure you hear and understand the other person’s position and perceptions. Don’t forget to: Restate, paraphrase and summarize. When you talk, make sure you’re using an adult, assertive approach rather than an aggressive or submissive style.

Step 2: Information Gathering

To get to the underlying interests, needs, and concerns, ask for the other person’s viewpoint and confirm that you respect his or her opinion and need his or her cooperation to solve the problem. Try to understand their goals or motivations, and see how it is affected by your actions. Understand the conflict in objective terms. Focus on work issues and leave personalities out of the discussion.

Listen with empathy and see the conflict from the other person’s point of view. Identify the issues clearly and concisely. Make use of “I” statements and remain flexible. Feelings should be explained and clarified.

Step 3: Agree on the Problem

Identifying the problem may be an obvious step, but interests and goals can often cause people to see problems differently because of different underlying factors. Before you find a solution that is mutually acceptable, you will need to agree to the problems that you are trying to solve.

People see problems differently, if you can’t reach a common perception of the problem, then at the very least, you need to understand what the other person sees as the problem.

Step 4: Brainstorming

Everyone should have a fair input in finding the right solution to achieve the feeling of satisfaction. Brainstorm possible solutions, and be open to all ideas, including ones you never considered before.

Step 5: Negotiation

When conflict is resolve, both sides understand the position of the other, and a mutually satisfactory solution may be clear to all.

 

However you may also have uncovered real differences between your positions. This is where a technique like win-win negotiation can be useful to find a solution that, at least to some extent, satisfies everyone. There are three guiding principles here: Be Calm, Be Patient, Have Respect.

Saving Money with High-Speed DSL Internet

La TV par satellite | La TV en BlogI figure that since we were going to have high-speed Internet and a bunch of TV channels at our home anyway, then I might as well go for a bundled option to save us even more money. I had been shopping around for the best and cheapest residential high-speed Internet service when I found a place that also could bundle it with a TV channel package at a great price. I went to http://www.cheapdslhighspeedinternet.com/tv-bundles.html to find the best deal for us.

We already have a home phone, so getting low cost DSL was the best Internet option for us. I have it and satellite TV. Our new Internet service is fast and does not cost me an arm and leg every month.