Are you looking for a new home, or did you just purchase a new home with a backyard swimming pool?  Pool access is definitely a perk when it comes to those hot summer months, but a pool can also pose a lot of risks for you and your kids.  Here are a few tips to follow—and to watch for when buying a new home—to ensure the pool stays as fun as it should this summer.

 1) Is your pool secure?

 In order to be safe, your pool needs to have appropriate barriers.  It should be completely surrounded by a 4-foot fence that has a self-latching gate.  This will help you control access to your pool.  The last thing you want is for one of your kids, or one of your neighbours’ kids, to wander in unsupervised.  If you have an above-ground pool, take away any of the…

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There is a lot to consider when you are in the market for a new home.  Here are a few things to consider in order to help your home buying experience keep you as happy as possible.

 1) Think Neighbourhood.

 The first thing you need to remember is that it isn’t just about the house.  If you want to be happy with your purchase in the long term, you need to make sure you look into your neighbourhood, too.  Consider transportation time and method when it comes to getting yourself to work, your kids to school, or even just heading to the grocery store.  You’ll also want to take a look around to ensure the amenities that are important to you are close at hand.  If you are a gym buff, for instance, you’ll want to make sure your workout stays in the gym,…

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When you are looking for a home, don’t limit yourself by considering only one type of mortgage.  There are several different types of mortgages available in St. Albert, so choose the one that works best for you and your lifestyle.

 What options do you have to choose from?

 1) Closed mortgage

 The first type of mortgage available to you in St. Albert is the closed mortgage.  This type of mortgage doesn’t change. You can select the term length you would like, but your payments will stay the same until the term is up. If you do decide to payout, renegotiate, or refinance your mortgage before the term is up, you will be required to pay a penalty fee. 

 What are the benefits?  This type of mortgage, available in St. Albert, enables you to pay lower…

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When it comes to moving, everyone is going to have a different set of moving requirements.  That said, there are a few staples when it comes to local businesses that you might want to keep in mind when choosing your next home.

 1) Grocery Stores

 Whether or not you own a car can make a big difference when it comes to determining how close your home should be to the nearest grocery store.  Everyone needs to eat, so when planning to buy your home, make sure you have relatively quick and easy access to a grocery store, whether you’ll be walking, biking, driving, or bussing there.

 2) Doctors and Dentist Offices

 Depending on how far you are moving, you may need to set yourself up with a new doctor and dentist.  It may be a good idea to call ahead…

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There are a lot of different types of day care to choose from.  Whether you chose a formal child-care centre, family daycare, or in-home care is entirely up to you, but no matter which type you decide on, here are a few things you should be looking for when you tour each of your options.

 1) Interaction

 When you walk into your child’s potential day care centre, there is one feature that should stand out to you right away: the interaction between children and staff.  Ideally, you should see the staff on the floor, playing with the kids and talking to them at eye-level.  You want your child to have interactions with the care workers that are not unlike your interactions with him or her at home, so make sure you see those types of interactions when…

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Ready to hit the road for your holidays this year?  You’d better double check that list to make sure you didn’t forget anything this time.  Here are a few things that are most commonly forgotten when it comes to vacation time.

  1) Adapters

 Depending on where you are traveling to, you may need adapters before you can plug in your electronics.  Double check when you make your hotel reservations to see what adapters will be necessary, and make sure you bring them along to avoid any electronic malfunctions.

  2) Chargers

 Remember to bring chargers and extra batteries for all your electronic devices, including lap tops, cell phones, and cameras.  Chargers are also the most left-behind objects at hotels.  For an easy way to charge your devices,…

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Selling your home can be a fickle affair.  Even some of the smallest things can have a big impact on your home’s appeal to buyers.  Here are a few things to be sure to avoid when it comes to putting your home on the market.

1) Hide your dirt

You’re not just showing someone your home, you are trying to make it possible for them to see themselves in that home—and for them to want to see themselves there.  In these situations, the presence of dirt can be fatal, so wash those dishes, clean up the clutter, and get rid of any and all traces of dirt and garbage.

2) No one needs to see your weird collection

 You may think your mint Star Wars collection or your perfectly arranged china dolls are the bee’s knees, but your potential buyers might just…

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There are a number of things to consider when you are moving into a new area.  You’ll need to know that there is job availability in your field or within your frame of interest, you need to know there is housing availability, depending on your family circumstance you may need to look into schools or daycares in the area; however, there is one other factor that probably should play a role in where you decide to pant your roots: entertainment.  You don’t want to move to an area that you’re going to want to leave every time you get a day off.  Check out some local listings before you finalize your location to see what entertainment options are available to you.  For instance, if you are moving to an area like Edmonton, you may want to look up some Edmonton…

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Despite Edmonton’s recent sales numbers drops in the real estate markets, including from month to month and by the year, experts say Edmonton is still at a low risk for a housing correction, which is a good thing for both buyers and sellers.

 According to reports released by The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., commonly called the House Price Analysis and Assessment, Edmonton and Vancouver are the only cities researched that remain at a low risk for the need to intervene in the real estate markets. Even though Edmonton’s downward turn since last year has affected the markets, and indeed our entire government, the CMHC says the housing market is still relatively stable.

 The report looks at four different categories to determine the volatility of…

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When you move to a new location, there are a few obvious things you’ll be looking for, but whether or not you own a car, transportation should be up there on your list of amenities to watch out for.

Parking

If you own a car, then securing a parking spot is probably going to be pretty high up on your list of must-haves when you are considering real estate options.  Of course, the type of parking that works best for you should play a key role in your choice.  Do you want a built-in or detached garage?  Do you need more than one parking spot or would you like more than one lane to your driveway?  If you are looking at street parking as an option, you’ll also want to make sure there are no winter bylaws, and if there are you’ll need to secure an…

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Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. Copyright 2023 by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. All rights reserved.

Listing information last updated on September 30th, 2023 at 8:31am CDT.