Category: Selling Edmonton Home


Open House on 3 Gorgeous Properties!!

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Open House @ 4620 11a Ave. Edmonton AB T6L 4A8
Saturday, 2pm-4pm
January 7, 2012


Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2
Garage:     2 Year Built: 1981
Property Type: Single Family Detached
MLS Number: E3283095
Home Size: 1,121 ft2

Property Description

Decluttering your home for sale. It’s worth it.

Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
You might ask…. What is decluttering your home? What does that mean?
It’s taking a look at all the furniture, possessions, and collectibles in your home and determining what you can remove from your home to make it show better.
I work with a professional Home Stager (Jill Gargus of Simply Irresistible Interiors) who will help you to do this, for a fee. If you want to do this yourself, that’s okay. What you really need to do is what I call “tough-loving your stuff…” Make firm and decisive decisions on what stays and what goes.
Remember…less is better. The less stuff you have inside makes your home look bigger.
Now you say, where do I put the furniture etc… that I want to remove? There are several companies that will drop-off a storage container in your driveway, so you can fill it and have it taken for storage. Easy and not too, too expensive.
When I last changed homes, I used my pickup truck (yup, I have one cause this is the prairies) to move my excess stuff to a storage locker about 3 km from my home. I understand the problems, but I also know that it is very important that your home shows as well as possible. You could use your garage for storage, but that is only a 50% solution. Buyers see all the extra furniture and know its probably yours.
Now, don’t take out everything! A vacant or vacant looking home doesn’t show as well as a properly arranged home. You should see the before and after photos from Jill Gargus’ professional staging. What a difference! Either way, with a professional stager like Jill Gargus, or on your own, you need to make your home look as nice as possible to get it Sold and get the most money.
Ben
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What makes an Offer to Purchase conditional…?

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
The offer to purchase a house, condo, or land can generally be either Conditional or Unconditional.
First, most of the purchase offers that are written are Conditional. Usually they are subject to:
a) the Buyer being approved for New Financing (Mortgage)
b) a satisfactory Property Inspection
c) a satisfactory check and approval of the condominium documents (if purchasing a condo)
When the buyer and seller agree to the conditional purchase offer, then the buyer is given a certain amount of time to “satisfy” the conditions on the offer.
- The financing needs approval from a lender (sometimes an appraisal is ordered by the lender) before the Financing condition can be met.
- A property inspection needs to be completed, discussed if necessary, and approved by the Buyer.
- The condo documents must be given to the prospective buyer to review however they deem necessary to check in to the condominium.
Once the buyer has satisfied each condition, their Realtor can help them remove (satisfy) the condition. Once all the conditions are removed, the property is then considered “SOLD”.
If a buyer decides not to satisfy/remove a condition, or if the set condition day and time pass without the condition being removed, then the offer to purchase is voided.
This is to protect the buyer from inadvertently buying a property through an error. There must be wilful completion of the transaction.
Now, there are other conditions that can be attached to a purchase offer. Some examples are:
- Subject to Sale of the Buyers home
- Subject to viewing and approving the property
- Subject to satisfactory testing of a well and septic system
There are almost unlimited conditions that can be written. Heck, Sellers are also able to put conditions on an offer too, if they want.
Unconditional offers are also sometimes seen. When the market was particularly hot in 2006 and 2007, I saw quite a few offer with no conditions. I must say that I personally don’t think anyone should put in an unconditional offer unless they know ALL the possible ramifications of doing this. You could be stuck with some pretty big problems.
Finally, the conditions that are put on an offer are to protect either the buyer or seller (or maybe both)depending on the situation. If the two sides agree to a condition then they are making reasoned decisions. If all goes well, then the conditions can be quickly satisfied, the home sold, and both parties can move on with life.
If you have any questions on conditional offers to purchase, or any other real estate matter please give me a call or email. I’m here to work with you.
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Set aside your emotions when showing your home.

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Let’s face it. Most of us have strong emotional connections to our homes. It’s where our kids grew up. It’s where we spent time with friends and family. It’s where we went to relax and unwind.

So it can be difficult to let go of those emotions when you put your house or condo up for sale.

What role does the “Title” play?

Friday, April 29th, 2011
So, have you heard that someone has “Title” to the property? What does that mean?
Well, as a REALTOR®, I deal with Title to properties day in and day out. Yet, I am by far not an expert on it.  (Lawyers get paid to know all about it).
What I do know is that its important for homeowners and prospective homeowners to know what Title is and how it affects them. Generally, each residential home, condominium unit, and piece of land has a registered owner on the Title. Lawyers transfer the ownership (or Title) for a property through the Land Titles office when a property is bought and sold.
1.  In Alberta, the Provincial Government oversees Land Titles through the Land Titles office. Each Land Title Certificate has the legal description of the property, the title number, the land location (or ATS reference), and the municipality its in.
2.  Next, is the Registered Owner(s), the date of & cost paid for the property. (Check this over, its important)
Note: this is where it becomes interesting….
3.  The next section is “Encumbrances, Liens, and Interests”
If there is a mortgage on the property, the lender and the original mortgage amount are also found on the document. (If there is no Mortgage and no money is owed, then it known as “Clear Title”  I want to be mortgage free and clear title someday!!!!)
You may have heard the term “1st Mortgage” , ” 2nd Mortgage” , well that applies to how they are listed, in order, on the Title document. This is because if/when the property is Sold or Foreclosed upon, it goes in order from the 1st to the Last on who gets paid out first.
That is normally why, 2nd mortgages charge more for an interest rate because of their lower (less secure) position.
Also, you may have heard of a “Reverse Mortgage”. This is just using your home as collateral for a loan, and having it registered against the Title for your home. It stays there just like a normal mortgage (unless you pay it back) until you sell your property.
The only difference to this is in the case of property taxes or assessments to the city or municipality. They top everyone, including mortgages. They get first dibs, if the property taxes are not paid.
Also listed here are utility-right-of-ways, Caveats & Liens, restrictive covenants (such as building restrictions for acreages or neighbourhood architectural controls),  zoning regulations, and anyone/company that has an interest in the property.
Now, as a Realtor, I pull title when I’m going to possibly list a home for sale so I can be assured that I am talking to the registered owner or owner(s) of the property.
You as a homeowner, might want to check the Title for your home once a year to make sure there is nothing wrong with it.  (It costs $10 on the Land Titles website to download a copy of a Title)
Making sure:  your information is correct, nobody has put a Lien or Caveat against the title, the mortgage(s) listed are correct, or anything else you don’t understand. If you have any questions, contact the Land Titles office or a Lawyer that deals with Real Estate matters.
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What is a Real Property Report? Is it important?

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

As a home-owner, or prospective home-owner you have a lot of information to sort through. One item is the Real Property Report (RPR). It can also be called the Survey.

Why Hire a REALTOR® (Part 1 of 3)

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

“Reasons to Hire a REALTOR®” (Part 1 of 3)

With so much information readily available online, clients sometimes ask me, “Why should we hire a real estate agent?” They wonder, and rightfully so, if they couldn’t buy or sell a home through the Internet or through regular marketing and advertising channels without representation, without a real estate agent. Some do OK, many don’t. So if you’ve wondered the same thing, here are 10 reasons why you might want to consider hiring a professional real estate agent.

Moving requires a lot of preparation.

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

It can take years to accumulate a home full of treasured belongings but only a matter of days to pack it all into boxes for a move. Packing up and moving requires organization and planning. In fact, it can be the greatest test for a procrastinator – what seems like few belongings can take far longer and use more boxes than expected.

When is the Best Market to Buy a Home???

Friday, February 25th, 2011

Everybody wants to know how to best time the market when buying a home. It’s just natural. This is especially true if you’re thinking about buying in a down market, where homes prices are declining. You wonder how low they will go and whether you should wait….

10 Home Seller Suggestions

Monday, September 20th, 2010

This video reminds me of the old Monty Python movies, but the points made are valid ones and it’s easy to understand their simple logic.

http://agentgenius.com/g-rants-insanity-more/real-estate/10-mistakes-sellers-make/

Have a great day!

- John Carle
ReMax Real Estate Edmonton
www.knock-knock.ca

Don’t Read This Blog Post

Monday, June 28th, 2010

If you break it down, our job as Realtors is to get people’s attention. Many agents get muddled in all of the other subsidiary duties, such as doing paperwork, or building websites, or tweeting/twittering/whatever-you-call-it-ing or designing a new brochure. But when you boil it all down, our job is to get people’s attention. When selling your home, we have to get buyers’ attention. When looking for a home for you, we have to get the attention of the sellers. But we have to get people’s attention!

Renovating Step By Step – Part 6

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Step 7. Inspect as you go

Most renovation experiences are happy ones. But don’t assume that things are going according to plan just because you have a sound contract and good rapport with your renovator. Stay on top of your project to prevent minor errors from becoming major problems.

Renovating Step By Step – Part 5

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Renovation, Step by Step

Step 6. Don’t worry about the mess

It’s no fun living on a construction site. In fact, if the renovations are major, you may want to consider moving out for a while. Of course, this isn’t always possible. Be sure at least to find out from your renovator what kinds of disruptions you can expect.

Renovating Step By Step – Part 4

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Renovation, Step By Step

Step 5. Get it in writing

Always get a written contract describing the work to be done, what it will cost and how payments will be made. Never agree to anything before you have it in writing.

Renovating Step By Step – Part 3

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
Renovation Step by Step

Step 4. Pick your partners

Many homeowners decide to do their own renovations. In most provinces, you may do so, provided you get the necessary permits, follow local building codes, and have the work inspected by the appropriate authorities.

Doing it yourself can save money, but there are other costs to consider. Are you prepared to draw up your own plans, get your own permits, and schedule inspections? How much time can you spend away from your regular job, your family, and other commitments? Can you be as efficient or as skilled as tradespeople who do this specialized work every day?

You may feel comfortable painting a room or removing an old fence, but specialized tasks that involve wiring, plumbing or heating systems are usually best left to professionals. Some municipalities, in fact, require certain kinds of work to be done by certified tradespeople.

There is also the question of equipment: if you don’t own the tools, you’ll have to buy or rent them. If you run into problems, who will you call? Renovation is a big responsibility, and at times it can be stressful.

Most people find that contracting-out the work is best. But choosing the right renovator is extremely important.

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