Rocky Mountain Humans – Terri Harrison, Realtor

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Terri Harrison is an integral part of the Canmore community. She and her husband Hugh Hancock have lived in the mountain town for 41 years.

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“I’ve been with Century21 Nordic Realty for 34 years since 1988,” Harrison said. “We were originally Builders Realty, then with the Olympics coming around, we decided to change to Nordic Realty. A few years later, as Canmore grew, we moved into international branding and are became Century21 Nordic Realty.

She helps people sell or buy a home, recreational property or investment property in the Bow Valley.

“I really enjoy meeting and getting to know people and working with them to help them realize their dreams of home ownership and real estate investing through a good experience,” Harrison said. “Canmore continues to thrive as more people choose to live in the mountains and the way of life here. »

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But the real estate market is changing.

“The market is showing change these days with rising interest rates, utility price inflation and lack of buyer confidence right now,” Harrison said. “We have seen some reduction in listing prices over the past several weeks as the market adjusts to these influences.”

There are many different housing styles here.

“Lots of choices overall, there’s always something to find,” Harrison said. “It’s usually a question of price and expectation. Sometimes it’s the first place a buyer might see and other times you have to work with your real estate agent to find the right place for you. Realtors have many tools to help you with this search and process. »

Selling is a bigger job because the home needs to be prepared for viewing by real estate agents and potential buyers, she said.

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“It may involve decluttering, painting and staging the property so it looks perfect,” Harrison said. “The profits were worth it, but being for sale is not an easy task for the seller of the house if he lives in the property.

Vacation rental-type units have been very popular in recent years, offering opportunities and good income, she said.

“These units cause their own access issues for viewing and purchasing,” Harrison said. “Of course, we cannot show these units when there is a guest present. Most people come to Canmore on the weekend to view a vacation property, so it is difficult to get a viewing. opened many Face Time viewings of these properties by the real estate agent or a trusted friend to show the property.

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The average price for a single family home in the Bow Valley is $1 million. In Canmore, a residential condo starts at $480,000 and a vacation condo starts at $600,000, depending on location and size, she said.

There don’t seem to be many rental properties available these days, she said.

“High prices have influenced rental property investors because they like properties to carry most of any mortgage,” Harrison said. “There have been efforts both for more rental units and more staff accommodation. We definitely need that and other affordable housing options.

Canmore continues to grow as more people fall in love with the mountains, the valley and the incredible lifestyle, she said.

“Exactly like me. I came here 41 years ago for a two week holiday to visit a friend who told me it was such a special place. During this holiday visit I caught my first lake trout in Lake Minnewanka, met some locals and had a wonderful time,” Harrison said. I was 24 and had just returned from a trip to Europe and the Middle East. I moved here a month later. There weren’t many jobs or places to go. live at the time, but I was determined to stay. The locals were reluctant to have all the bums from the East show up here at that time, but they were still kind and generous. I’m still here.”

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Harrison and Hancock enjoy music, food, travel, golf, socializing with friends and enjoying life in the mountains.

“My husband just sold and retired from our business Canmorealberta.com.” said Harrison. “This is a local web portal and business directory that we have owned and operated for 12 years.”

They live with their pet Paloma Blanca, their beloved Chihuahua Jack Russell terrier mix whom they rescued from Mazatlan, Mexico in 2019.

“She loves it here in the mountains and is featured in Spring Creek magazine smelling the flowers,” Harrison said. “She lives like a princess now.”

Harrison enjoys volunteering in the community and participating in local events.

“I am an active member of Canmore Hospital Ladies Auxiliary, Canmore Health Foundation and ALBERTA Health Services,” Harrison said. “I am working with women’s groups to organize fundraising events to raise money for hospital equipment as requested by the hospital through Barb Shellian.”

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She is also a commissioner of oaths for affidavits, mortgage documents and travel documents in the province of Alberta.

Harrison was twice nominated Rotarian of the Year and was a member of the Canmore Rotary Club for many years.

“I believe volunteering is an important part of community and knowing your neighbors,” Harrison said. “I volunteer with FCSS as a great friend. This is a wonderful program that connects a Grade 4 student with an Elder in the community. You write a letter a month to the student and he sends you a letter. The letter must be handwritten. It’s a great way to get to know someone. Their letters ask lots of questions to help you answer and tell lots of cute stories about themselves. The fun part for me was realizing that I was writing them in cursive. When I asked if they could read it, they said it wasn’t easy but my writing was pretty close to printing. They learn cursive in 4th grade, so I got some grades in cursive efforts.

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While she could share many wildlife encounters with bears in the years before bear boxes were invented, one other wild sighting really stood out.

“The experience that really made me step back and realize that was with a great blue heron in Spring Creek,” Harrison said. “While walking to Paloma, I thought I’d get out of this little point that lets you look up and down the creek with some nice views. Paloma sniffled here and there. As I walked on the tip and looked up to make sure where I was going, this beautiful blue heron slipped by the tip of my nose. It was so close that I could very distinctly see the smoky blue of its feathers. I could have easily touched him. The grace of his wings and neck tucked in just by gliding was so peaceful. I think I caught my breath. It was a moment of incredible wonder. »

For more information, please contact Harrison at www.c21.ca/directory/agents/terri-harrison-1.