RE/MAX Edmonton Real Estate News

Halloween is just around the corner, and I bet most of you haven’t planned out your costume yet. Don’t fret! Instead of scrounging around your attic for relics of Hallowe’ens past, check out our definitive guide to what themes are trending for Halloween 2015. The latest and greatest in pop culture references with the utmost hipster appeal. Here’s what will win you that “Best Costume” prize at any Halloween showdown!

1. Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does it get any hotter than the hottest social media app? Annoy your friends by being your very own living selfie ALL NIGHT LONG. Try out different poses or even change outfits. Ask your friends to hop in the frame, and snap a photo OF YOUR photo, it doesn’t get more META than that. Click here for a how-to on crafting up one for yourself.

2. Loofah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This wins for the 2014 carryover that never lost steam. Popular among teenage girls every, the loofah is the costume that could. Choose your favourite shade of pastel, show a little leg, pop on some shower shoes, or a shower cap. Heck even get your dog on board! Click here for a tutorial on making one on the cheap!

3. Woodland Creature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The years of bunnies and kitties and tigers are played out. The newest hipster animals are the ever so whimisical Woodland Creatures. Try out an adorable dear, or why not a majestic (colour) bear. These are easy, and leave a lot of room for creativity. Click here for a makeup tutorial

4.Emojis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It wouldn’t be 2014 unless someone showed up at the party as a smiley face blowing a kiss. AS far as store bought costumes go, these are fairly inexpensive, and it doesn’t get much easier than tossing on ONE item, sans accessories and waking out the door. So this may be perfect for those of us on the humorous side who may more than just a little lazy about costumes.

5. 50 Shades of Grey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And cue the pop culture references. It was the best selling book that could, now a major cinematic ….spectacle, at very least. Whether you loved it or hated it, this is a pretty ingenious spin on the sassy, scandalous, series.

 

6. Breaking Bad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re still mourning the loss of your favourite network series, why not send it off in style. Embrace your inner Walt or Jesse. There’s even a great party recipe for blue glass candy to give out your party, if you want to nail all the details.

7. Jurassic World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claire and Owen might just be the heroes we’ve been waiting for. Why not re-enact your favourite velociraptor training scenes at your best buddy’s Halloween party, hey maybe you can even convince to up your character accuracy by going AS the velociraptor!

8. Left Shark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s be honest, no one remembers the less than sub par Super Bowl this year, but the sensation that was “Left Shark” will be spoken of for years. Moments after left shark ended his graceless and less than choreographed performance, he stumbled off the stage and into a world of memes and stardom. This Halloween why not embrace the legacy that is left shark.

9. Marty McFly and Doc Brown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This past Wednesday was celebrated on a global scale as Back to the Future Day. The exact day that Marty and Doc raced the infamous Delorean into October 21, 2015. This new surge in popularity is the perfect time to embrace a beloved and classic costume duo.

10. Donald Trump

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Politics are nothing if not the brunt of every satire, and every joke. At the risk of offending your American relatives, you may just be the life of the party with this costume. Just make sure you practice “You’re Fired” so you can yell it at every partygoer, much to their dismay.

Honourable Mention: Mean Girls

 

Extraordinarily this year marked the tenth anniversary of what has come to be a cult classic among teens and adults alike. Why not get your best friends together and don your best catty, blonde, ditzy attitudes. And with fashions as dated as these, you’ll be sure Value Village has everything you’re looking for.

The EREB is currently reporting a mild to moderate dip in sales thus far into the fall season. The Board however is emphasizing that this decline has not affected sale prices, which have slipped less than one percentage point from the same time last year. The drop in sales year-over-year is slightly less negligible at 6.76%. REALTORS® Association of Edmonton Chair Geneva Tetrault has a message of reassurance, “The strength of prices in the Edmonton market is an excellent indication that we are maintaining stability.”

This is the first dip of many we are seeing as the Edmonton CMA moves out of fall and into the winter months. Tetrault goes on to address these relevant seasonal changes,

“We will likely see prices continue to dip as we move into the colder months. Real Estate in Edmonton has a very seasonal trend and colder months always mean fewer sales. We may see buyers take advantage of this trend and benefit from low interest rates while they still can.”

Compared to September 2014, single family home sales and condominiums have both dropped over 9% year-over-year (9.72% and 9.07% respectively), yet duplex/rowhouses, consistently this year’s top seller, maintain their market strength showing numbers rising above 17%.

As mentioned, average sale prices have been negligibly affected, with percentage change remaining in the low single digits. September’s single family home price average was $432, 150, showing a 1.75% drop from the month previous and 0.98% down year-over-year. Condominiums remained fairly stable at $252,953, only dropping 0.68% from August, and 1.05% from last September. Duplex and rowhouses continue to capture the market spotlight, both month over month and year over year figures rising, to an average of $264,203. That shows a 2.76% increase from the month previous and 4.28% from September 2014.

There continues to be no shortage of inventory in the Edmonton CMA with 7,108 properties on market at the time of reporting. This is a slight 1.65% decline from August numbers, but still shows a steep increase of 47.71% over inventory last fall season.

“Buyers continue to see the benefits of a healthy inventory but we haven’t seen many sellers dropping prices significantly in order to compete. Last year’s market and its low inventory made buyers feel pressure to jump into an offer if they found something they like. We are seeing buyers take a little more time in the decision making process this year.” Tetrault continues, explaining her optimism for fall buyers.

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