A family business with over 50 years of experience in the construction industry, Aldo Construction is known for its fine residential buildings in the Montreal area. Currently they have over 75 new condo projects under

development in and around the Montreal and Laval territories.

All their condos offer incredible architectural design and quality materials for a lasting and durable place of residence. The company's vision is simply to construct quality products that the buying public wants, demands and has come to expect from their company. Their longevity in the construction business is a testament to their craftsmanship that keeps them in demand.

In Montreal they have two apartment type complexes under construction. Called the Le Cartierville and Le Cartierville II developments, these units offer 3½ and 4½ room sizes and include garage. These lovely condos are moderately priced and will no doubt be a hot item on the Montreal real estate scene. One of the buildings has 51 units for sale while the other building only has one unit left. They are close to the great shopping at various malls along Marcil Lauren Boulevard, Marche Central and Laval. Bike paths, parks and public transportation are practically all at your door. No wonder they are selling like hot cakes!

Their other developments are in Laval. One is situated in lovely Ste. Rose called Le Domaine des Manoirs, a quiet residential area. Here they have constructed some 130 units consisting of 2 and 3 bedrooms, featuring a mezzanine and cathedral ceilings. Close to the train station for easy access to downtown Montreal. Many of these units have been sold, but there are still some available. While their other project is in Laval called Chateau Levesque. It features a 6 unit building with beautiful exterior architecture. Each unit contains 2 bedrooms and some units offer a lovely view of the river and are close to all amenities like shopping malls, public transportation, grocery stores, boutiques, fast food outlets and fine restaurants.

Montreal is a very hot market for condominium developers with construction not only happening all over the island but on the North and South Shores as well. With so much to do, see and experience in such a classy and exciting city like Montreal, condo lovers will be in their glory.

And the housing market is very competitive as far as prices go. There are many great bargains to be had, which is rare in such a world-renowned urban center. If you compare the same type of units for size, location and amenities you will be hard pressed to find anything in any other destination that can match the quality, style, price and standard of living that Montreal offers its condo inhabitants.

On October 7^th , Costa Ricans made history by voting to approve the controversial Central American Free Trade Agreement in the country's first ever, nation-wide referendum, thus ending four years of heated political debate. 60% of the country's eligible voters hit the polls on Sunday to decide once and for all whether or not Costa Rica would be the only nation in its region to reject the treaty, which provides tax incentives for U.S. imports to Costa Rica vice versa. The final vote was 51.6% in favor of ratification, with 48.39% not in favor.

While opponents of CAFTA claim that the treaty will serve to widen the rift between Costa Rica's rich and its growing lower class, its supporters have long held that it is an essential tool for boosting Costa Rica's economy. In the debates leading up to the referendum, members of the current presidential administration, led by President Oscar Arias (who has supported CAFTA from the get-go) expressed their concerns regarding how failure to ratify the treaty might effect direct foreign investment in Costa Rica over the coming years.

Real estate investment presently plays a huge role in contributing to Costa Rica's financial wellbeing. Commercial real estate developers and condominium builders, as well as private condo buyers, not only invest a vast amount of currency in local real estate, but also contribute indirectly to the country's economy, by purchasing goods as well as creating jobs and infrastructure. Much of the condo and real estate development boom, however, has centered around the presence of large multinational companies that bring in employees from abroad and create jobs that provide the income necessary to maintain a higher standard of living. Companies like Intel, Microsoft, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Procter and Gamble, Hewlett Packard and others, all operate in Costa Rica's Central Valley. Much of the condo and real estate development that has occurred in recent years has sprouted up around these companies' plants, office buildings and facilities. One of the biggest fears surrounding a possible rejection of CAFTA was that large multinationals such as these might pull out of Costa Rica, in favor of other, more inexpensive Central American locations, with more favorable development agendas. This would presumably mean less foreign investment in real estate, less condominium development and sales and in the long run, fewer jobs.

Calgary's sizzling economy, spurred on by the ripple effects of Alberta's oil and gas sector, is the catalyst for one of the biggest real estate hot spots in Canada. With Calgary's population at well over one million, the condominium market continues to expand as more people demand Calgary condos.

Calgary contains more land area than New York City, and it can be discouraging for potential home buyers to consider the prospect of a daily commute from far-flung areas like Cochrane, more than 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) northwest. Condo buyers are not interested in becoming "extreme commuters" who have to spend two and a half hours of their day traveling to and from work, even though the number of commuters who go the distance has more than doubled since 1990. Public transit alternatives like Calgary's famous C-Train (Light Rapid Transit) help ease congested highways and reduce carbon emissions, but a condo resident can completely bypass the long commute by simply living in the city's vibrant downtown core.

Contributing factors to the explosive growth in Calgary condo sales include Canada's second highest concentration of corporate head offices located in central districts such as Inglewood, Downtown Calgary, Kensington, and Scarboro. Condo buyers will also find entertainment, dazzling nightlife, recreation, festivals, cultural experiences, parks and pathways close at hand — more reason to buy a condo in Calgary. New or recently built apartment condo units in or near the downtown core are usually in the 600-plus square foot range. Because of the cost of real estate, labour and materials, new condo prices can exceed $500 per square foot.

If people prefer to live just on the edge of Calgary but close enough to enjoy its benefits, there's always The Edge — the newest condo development by Renascence Developments. It's an apartment complex of two four-storey buildings in Airdrie. Slated for completion in spring 2009, the price range will be $195,900 to $345,900. Renascence recently started construction on the sold-out Taralake Place in Calgary's northeast.

The Calgary real estate market shows little sign of slowing down. Total condo sales are rising in the double digits every quarter, along with average condominium sale prices appreciating by up to five per cent in the same period. The average Calgary condo price for September 2007 was $321,614, a 9.8 per cent increase from the same period last year and a 0.3 per cent increase from August. The median condo price for September 2007 was $300,000, an 11.3 per cent increase from September 2006 and a 0.3 per cent decrease from last month. The average number of days on the market for Calgary condos was 41 days.

Condominium sales in other parts of Calgary are also brisk, as buyers seek out first homes, investment properties, and vacation homes in the city's quieter neighborhoods. Nearby urban amenities and spacious city parks make southeast and southwest communities like Mayfair, Altodore, River Park, and Queensland very desirable. Located outside the city center, they boast a variety of townhouse and semi-detached condo styles.

The stats show that Calgarians are becoming more and more willing to pay top dollar for condos in the city's most desirable locations.