Real Estate Blog - May, 2015

Parks and Recreation

It easy to get wrapped up in your real estate wish list, which usually contains a very specific set of ‘wants’ for the actual property and a more general list of desires for the neighbourhood. Oftentimes people forget to expand their scope or envision their future needs, which is why you should pull out a map of your city and get comfortable.

Parks

Although your neighbourhood may have a conveniently placed jungle gym and some walking trails, its important that you consider amenities beyond your neighbourhood too. As you grow, which may include additions to your family in the form of a spouse, child or pet, you may discover that you don’t have everything you thought you did. Parks that consist of wide open green spaces and lots of trees are great…

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Edmonton Property Taxes Aren’t As Scary

Edmonton offers a fairly diverse selection of housing across a decent price range. Although the city is lacking in affordable housing options at the moment, there is still quite a lot out there to choose from that will fit comfortably in most budgets. To top this off, Edmonton property taxes are also quite reasonable.

No Sticker Shock

You would think that the big city would have some fairly jacked-up property taxes but for the most part, everything is on par with the property. It becomes more and more obvious as you circulate out from the city that Edmonton property taxes are amongst the most affordable. St. Albert is notorious for having outrageous property taxes, but then again, the little picturesque town also features obscenely priced real…

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Bulyea Heights Real Estate Listings Statistics

Bulyea Heights Edmonton Homes For Sale Statistics (22 Listings)

Sold Listings - Bulyea Heights Real Estate Listings Statistics (3 listing sold within 30 days)

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Childcare In Your Area

Perhaps something that many people don’t consider when house hunting, is the amount of childcare available in their area.  Not only do you have to consider whether places will have openings for new children, but you also have to consider the type of daycare that each one is. For this reason, it’s a good idea to investigate neighbourhoods that offer multiple options.

Daycare facilities

Fully funded daycare facilities are usually the most desirable places for child care, but can be quite expensive if you don’t qualify for subsidies. These daycares are usually built and designed a lot like public schools: they have large well equipped classrooms, large yards, playground equipment and lots of staff. Some of the biggest reasons why these places are…

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Avoiding Contractor Scam

Here are some scams to watch for to avoid getting mixed up with a bad contractor.

Partial payment or deposit request

Seems reasonable, right? There is equipment and materials to buy…it only seems logical that they would need a deposit. But then they bail on the project as soon as you pay them, or they cut corners on the work to get it done faster. What do you do? Never pay more than $1000 or 10% of the quote total (whichever is higher). This will establish you as a serious customer, and a professional contractor will be able to obtain what they need from their suppliers on credit.

They ask you to take their word

This pertains to contract details. Don’t assume that because you talked about it, it will be included in the quoted price or that it…

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Considering a Mortgage Broker

What is a broker and what are the advantages of using one over a bank’s loan officer? Brokers have a lot more freedom and are honestly shopping around to get you the best deal. Generally speaking, a broker has no loyalty to any particular lender, and will match you up with the lender making you the best offer.

The banks on the other hand, can only provide you with what they themselves have to offer. This is very limiting and can give you a negative glimpse of your mortgage options, especially if you aren’t aware that you can shop around. Going to a broker is a one-stop shop that saves you the time of personally contacting, and attending appointments with all the various lenders.

At the end of the day you want to go with the lender that is offering…

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Getting on top of pest control

Don’t be embarrassed. Many areas all over the country have pest problems, but it is true that some are worse than others. This is the most problematic when you are talking about a rental property, because pest issues could cause you to lose a reliable tenant or make it hard to find a suitable tenant in general.

Some of the most common pest problems include ants and termites. Termites can really damage your home’s structural integrity and they need to be dealt with immediately. This usually means tenting the home and replacing any structural components that have been compromised. This can be very costly. It is important that a home inspector looks for sign of termite damage before you buy a home to ensure you aren’t purchasing a money pit.

Ants can…

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The Future of Edmonton’s Job Market

It seems like overnight many Edmontonians found themselves jobless. Since Alberta has built its economy upon the usually prosperous energy sector, job loss has reached far beyond just oil rig workers. Any company even affiliated with the energy sector has had to lay off employees, which has led to many cuts to administrative positions. Edmonton’s job market has suffered some set-backs as of late, but it’s not hopeless.

There are still many industries hiring, and for most people that’s good news. Although they likely won’t be seeing the incomes they’re used to, ex-oil and gas workers are still able to find jobs in industries such as construction and fabrication, even warehouse work and labour jobs. Most Albertan’s are staying fairly positive and viewing…

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Childproofing Your Home with Style

Childproofing is necessary. If you’ve ever had a child throw your television remote in the toilet, or help themselves to snack from the garbage can, you already know its significance. Unfortunately, many childproofing mechanisms are unsightly or even difficult for adults to use. Here are a few alternative ideas:

Cupboards

Kids go in cupboards and explore. The last thing you want them exploring is the disinfectants and harsh chemicals under your kitchen sink. Most people slap a handle lock on these cupboards, which is either in a zip-tie form or a sliding bar – both of which are ugly nuisances. One great alternative is buying large opaque plastic bins with click-lock handles. You put all of your cleaning products in these bins, push the lid on and…

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Changing Local Markets

Real estate markets fluctuate, it’s the name of the game. In many ways it’s like the stock market, up and down, buy low, sell high – you get the picture. The only difference is that the real estate market is far less volatile than the stock market. Stock prices change every day, sometimes dramatically and with next to know warning. People lose millions of dollars at the drop of a hat. Real estate markets change more slowly and remain in peaks and valleys for far greater amounts of time.

So Real Estate is a safer investment then, right?

This is tough. The answer is both yes, and no. There are far more indicators out there to tip you off that the real estate market may take a dive soon, or that valuations may rise dramatically. So in some ways, yes,…

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