Today marked a very special day for RE/MAX nova & one of our staff members in particular. 

For several years now Cheryl Canning has been working hard within our company to ensure our team of staff & REALTORS have the education and tools they need to properly service our clients. This is no small task to say the least. A quick glance at our demographics for one shows we have agents who are new in their 20s while others have 40 years experience and are in their 80s (yes 80s & still working every day!). The struggle with this wide range of age & experience is that educational needs become very different as you speak to each individual. Cheryl continually polls our staff on the help they feel is important to them & has developed programs to suit those needs. Over the past several years Cheryl has brought training to serve both those who need brush-ups on basic computer skills all the way to those using advance social media strategies. The result for us has been a happy & effective team of REALTORS. For that we are thankful. 

Further to all this, it is important to note that today, September 7th, marks International Literacy day. Today serves as a reminder of how important literacy & education are; both at home & in the workplace. Ensuring our workforce is educated supports the positive growth of our economy and development as a society. Efforts like Cheryl’s have a ripple effect that often flow well beyond the initial individuals taking part. Literacy & continuing education should be a goal of all Nova Scotians regardless of the reasons, the benefits are immense. 

Once again, thank you Cheryl - We look forward to continuing our workplace education & training programs well into the future.

Well Canada Day weekend is upon us once again & we’ll be celebrating this great country of ours. Here’s a few facts you may or may not know about Canada: 

1. Canada became a country on July 1, 1867, when the British North America Act was passed by the British Parliament.
   
2. Kanata is the St. Lawrence-Iroquoian word for “village” or “settlement.”
3. “O Canada,” originally named “Chant national,” was written by Adolphe-Basile Routhier (French lyrics) and Calixa Lavallée (music) and first performed in Quebec City in 1880. The song was approved by the Parliament of Canada in 1967 as the unofficial national anthem and adopted officially on July 1, 1980.
   
4. The border between Canada and the United States is officially known as the International Boundary. At 5,525 miles, including 1,538 miles between Canada and Alaska, it is the world’s longest border between two nations.
   
5. The Canadian motto, A Mari Usque ad Mare, means “From sea to sea.”
   
6. Although Nova Scotia was granted the British Empire’s first flag by King Charles I in 1625, Canada did not have a national flag until February 15, 1965, when its maple leaf flag was adopted by its parliament. Before that, the red ensign, a British maritime flag, was in general use.
   
7. The east coast of Canada was settled by Vikings around the year A.D. 1000. Archaeological evidence of a settlement has been found at L’anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland.
   
8. The average life expectancy at birth for a Canadian is 81.16 years, the eighth highest in the world. The United States ranks 46th, at 78.14 years.
   
9. Ice hockey is Canada’s official national game. The modern game of ice hockey was developed in Canada, based on games that have been played since the tenth century. The rules were first published in the Montreal Gazette in 1877.
   
10. The capital city, Ottawa, was originally named Bytown after Colonel John By, who headquartered there while building the Rideau Canal to connect the Ottawa River with Lake Ontario.
    

Here’s a look at some interesting statistics for the Halifax Real Estate market as of the end of April (based on NSAR statistics, compiled by CMHC).

A few key points to take note of:

• Sales: It is busier overall (# of transactions) that it was at this time last year by almost 18%.
• Days on Market: Note that the average time for a house to sell so far this year is 94 days. Which means if a house is priced reasonably it will take just over 3 months for it to sell (closing date would be in addition to this). This stat is very important when determining expectations & meeting deadlines, the main factors of course in forcing a property to sell quicker is exposure and pricing. 
• Active Listings: Also another key indication of the market condition is how many listings are available at a point in time - ie. inventory for sale. Note that the inventory as of April is down 7% over that time last year. This creates a “sellers market” atmosphere where due to the limited selection demand is up & may lead to prices increasing along side. 
• Prices: The average home price in HRM continues to increase slowly and steadily as it has in this area for years. Currently avg prices are 4% higher than that of last year at end of April - $270,280

Be on the lookout for our new Facebook listings application. If you’re house is listed with us, it has just reached a brand new audience. All of our REALTORSⓇ who use Facebook now have the ability to have an app with listings posted within Facebook - equipped with all current info, Google StreetView, photos, share links, & more. Be sure to “Like” the pages if you come across one. Click the photo above to check out a sample