This year, Royal LePage is celebrating 100 years of Canadian service. To help celebrate the centennial, we've compiled a list of historic moments in Royal LePage history. We are proud to be part of the RLP family!

It all began with Albert E. LePage in 1913. A recent article in Real Estate Magazine outlines how he revolutionized the real estate industry:

"Back in 1913, A.E. LePage revolutionized the Canadian real estate industry by being the first to have outbound property showings by automobile, detailed description listings in newspapers, and by using film to showcase fine homes."

In 1995...
Royal LePage launched www.royallepage.ca, which received more than one million hits per month!

In 1997...
Royal LePage introduced virtual tours on its…

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In last week's blog we discussed the importance of maintaining your home, and why you need to ensure your home is in good repair. Not only is a well-kept home good for your living situation, but also the value of your home.

When your looking into home maintenance and things to look for in that area, you may come across some words you're not familiar with. Here's a glossary of some terms to familiarize yourself with.

Air sealing - weather stripping (such as caulking) applied to seal off cracks or spaces in doors or windows, to reduce air leakage and heat loss.

Condensation - transformation of vapour of air into water on cold surfaces.

Downspout - a pipe carrying water from the eavestrough to the ground.

Eavestrough (gutter) - an eave that…

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Your home represents a big investment, and also the place you spend a lot of your time. So keeping your home in good repair is not just important for your peace of mind, but also safety and value of your home. There are three main things to keep in mind when caring for your home:

Safety

• Fire: faulty heating and electrical can be a fire hazard in your home
• Structural: damaged foundation or rotting floors, etc
• Indoor air quality: moisture trouble, or fuel-burning appliances which can cause carbon monoxide. Both issues can cause serious health problems, or even death.
• Occupational: loose railings, stairs, etc.

Preventing/Fixing Wear and Tear

• Leaky faucets, upgrades to floors and walls, etc.
• Broken fixtures, chipped paint, etc.

…

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Should you buy a brand new home that you can customize, or choose a resale one that's move-in ready? Both options present advantages, and there is no right answer, it's totally up to the buyer. We've outlined a couple benefits of each:

Buying New

• Personalized home: with new homes you can choose the colours, fixtures and upgrades such as lighting and flooring
• New homes are built up to current building codes and standards
• Lower maintenance costs: newer homes tend to have lower maintenance costs as all of the materials are brand new
• Builder warranties: the majority of home builders offer warranties for new homes

Buying Resale

• Easy access: Northwest Calgary homes for sale in established neighbourhoods are in close proximity to services,…

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A recently released study ranked Calgary dead last for walkability, in a list of Canada's biggest cities. The study, done by Walkscore, ranked Calgary 48 out of 100 on the list of Most Walkable Canadian Cities. The study ranks how accessible amenities are by foot from residential areas, as well as the distances between.

Calgary's low score is attributed to the fact that it's a car-heavy city with few amenities within walking distance, says the study. The City of Calgary has big plans to improve our city's walkability with proposed initiatives in place. Read more about those here in this Calgary Herald story.

At the end of 2012, the Calgary Herald completed Walkscore surveys on Calgary neighbourhoods, to see which were the most walkable. Here is the…

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According to the most recent City of Calgary census, Panorama Hills is the fastest growing community in Calgary. While the community offers walk and bike paths, parks and beautiful suburban living, it's also home to some great restaurants.

The Tudor Rose
800 – 1110 Panatella Blvd NW
tudorrose.ca

Tudor Rose is described as a traditional English pub with some modern flare. Whether you're looking for traditional English fare like Fish and Chips or Steak and Guinness Pie, or pub favourites like wings and pizza, Tudor Rose has it. They also offer food specials seven days a week. This pub is a popular spot for sporting events and happy hour.

Nha Trang
760 - 1110 Panatella Blvd NW

This local favourite serves up delicious Vietnamese cuisine. Its…

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The City of Calgary has a system in place to deal with snowfall in our city, it's called the Snow and Ice Control (SNIC) program. The City actually has road crews available around the clock during the winter months, to try and respond to snowfalls in a timely manner.

Calgary public roadways are maintained during the winter in various ways:

Anti-icing before a snowfall
When a snowfall is predicted for our city, an anti-icing solution (calcium chloride) is applied to designated roads. The solution helps to prevent snow from accumulating on roadways, and is also eco-friendly!

Sanding, salting and plowing
Roadways and sidewalks in Calgary are sanded, salted and plowed based on a priority system:
Priority one: major roadways (20,000 or more vehicles a day),…

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The nationwide Royal LePage agent rankings were released earlier this week, and Kirby Cox and Associates is proud to have been named number one in Calgary, number one in Western Canada and number four in Canada.

Kirby Cox is one of Calgary's top producing REALTORS® and has been working in the industry for nearly 30 years, selling over 300 Northwest Calgary homes for sale each year. Our team has now held a spot in the national top ten list for Royal LePage for six years!

This is Kirby Cox and Associates' fourth consecutive year as number one for Royal LePage in Calgary, and actually an increase from our seventh place spot in Canada last year.

We want to share our gratitude with our valued clients and fellow agents, especially at this time of year.…

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While the mayor is still fighting for changing the regulation of rental suites across the city, the majority of city council seems dead set against easing rules for renting out basement suites in areas of Calgary where basement suites are not legal at this time. And for many Calgary residents, the lack of change in this area is just the way they want it to stay. 

Due to disagreement by the majority of city council, the changes to restrictions on secondary suites have been thoroughly thwarted thus far. All of the council except for the mayor and two aldermen are firmly against the changes and this stance is not likely to change, according to Alderman Druh Farrell. Calgarians should not expect any change in the position on the secondary suite issue…

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While the concept of a condominium for vehicles might seem like something you’d find in a Disney/Pixar movie, this idea has become a reality in the community of Springbank just outside of Calgary. The Dens is more than a luxury storage facility, it is (according to the company) a “condo development, specifically designed for private storage with a club atmosphere”.

This high-end facility is for residents who not only need some extra garage space to store recreational vehicles, luxury cars, seasonal sport vehicles, motorcycles, boats, and more, but also hobbyists who want a space to gather to share their passion for their collections.

The Dens isn’t just all about vehicles though, management encourages anyone who’s looking for a space to set up their…

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