Edmonton Real Estate Blog

KICK STARTING THE NEW YEAR BY CELEBRATING OUR VERY OWN JOEY TOLVAY’S NEWEST ACHIEVEMENT!

Rookie of the Month for December 2014 for all of RE/MAX Elite!

Making your Edmonton home as warm and comfortable as possible is one of the most important activities you should do this winter season.

We at Team Leading Edge have gathered the a few great ways to make that magic happen.

Read on and enjoy.

1. COLORS: We start with the easiest. Shades that compliment flesh tones gives off a comforting effect and it makes those who are around look and feel good. Cover your sofa with slipcovers that are warmed toned, paint your walls with gold and use warm shades for your throw blanket and pillows. These will quickly make any room feel cozier and brighter.
2. PLANTS AND FLOWERS: Bring in the outdoors, simple put your favorite flowers and plants inside your home, this would offset the mundane and bleak landscape outside your window.
3. RUG IT UP: An area rug is the fastest way to warm any bare floor. Sunburst tones provide an awe inspiriting visual warmth. You will love it!
4. CANDLES: Step up the warming game with some lighted candles. These little flickering flames will work with all your décor. Hurricane lamps made of amber-toned glass will provide an added visual warmth and design cachet.
5. SCENTS: Saving the best for last, alter your senses with some wonderful scents. Enliven your rooms with a pleasant aroma or create a vibrant focal point on a coffee by using colorful, multi-textured potpourri. These are mixtures of scented nuts, fruit slices, leaves and pineconse.

Easy, quick and reliable ways of making your Edmonton home warmer this season. What are you waiting for? Carpe Diem!

Visit our Edmonton MLS listings to view available warm homes for sale on the market. Updated daily for you.

It’s one good way to make money, heck, some people even make it a living! Like most businesses, flipping houses takes time and dedication. Apparently, now is one of the best time to flip real estate properties in Edmonton. The industry is on an upward trajectory and it’s projected to last for a couple of more years.

Here at Team Leading Edge, we gathered some of the ways to do this effectively, so you would not waste money. Take note and good luck!

1. NO FAMILY

First and foremost, avoid at all cost involving your family. It doesn’t matter if your family is a contractor, it’s never a good idea to mix family with business. Utilize third-party contractors.

2. CONTRACTORS

Speaking of contractors, shop around for contractors who would make the repairs for the property and always remember to inspect it as often as possible when the project is being done. Interpretation errors are one of the major risks that you would encounter in this business so from the very start it is best to make sure you provide crystal clear terms of what you are expecting them to accomplish.

3. MAIN RECORDS

Diligence is key, make sure to store each and every receipt or bill you receive from your contractors.

4. LIGHTING

Great lighting can greatly increase the chances of having the house sold from the very first showing so utilize bright lights!

5. FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST

The truth is, buyers would start making their decisions once they stepped in front of the door, so always ensure to “Wow” your buyers from the moment they lay their eyes on that door.

6. THE ESSENTIALS

Double check if the gas lines, plumbing and electricity are working. The keyword there is “double check”. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself if you tried to switch on the light and it fails.

7. LASTLY

Last but not least, hire professionals to help you sell the property quickly! Team Leading Edge, sells houses for breakfast. As a matter of fact, the team have been awarded once AGAIN as one of the top 50 RE/MAX real estate teams in Western Canada for the month of October based on paid out commissions-that speaks volumes to the quality of service the team would bring to your business.

Check out the available homes for sale in Edmonton that you could very well flip, our Edmonton MLS listings are updated in real time so you could be sure to get instant access to the real estate market.

This morning I received an interesting article from Doug Bodtcher of Investors Group Financial Services Inc. Entitled “Achieve investment goals with less volatility”, articles like these is best shared to everyone.

While the city of Edmonton is enjoying a strong economic growth, it doesn’t mean you have to take higher risks to gain more profit. An excerpt from the article “The trade-off between risk and return is one of the most important decisions that an investor has to make.”

He further adds “A low volatility strategy is designed to produce less risk than the broad market. It allows investors to participate in positive market conditions and potentially shelters their investment from excessive market volatility.”

Subscribe to our blog and download complete article here.

The more investment knowledge you have, the better chances you’ll get in earning more money.

For real estate investments, do check out our Edmonton MLS listings. Updated daily for your convenience.

Great that you want to capitalize on the real estate growth of Edmonton. Having an investment in rental properties is one of the best things you could have in today’s economic environment.
Here at Team Leading Edge, we gathered the 5 simple things you can do to get those great tenants and start earning passive income, fast!

1.    FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST-TAKE CARE OF THE YARD!

Yes, first impressions do last and it speaks true to your home. If you want great tenants, you must present a great home. Start with your front yard as it is the very first thing that potential tenants would see. Do all the necessary stuff to make it look awesome; mow, trim, prune. Just remember, the things you did at the front, you must also do at the back.

No need to drop a big amount of cash just to make the front and back yard look beautiful. Minor adjustments would do the trick such as installing new light fixtures and painting the mailbox.
2.    SPEAKING OF PAINT

Since the home will be used for rental, no need to paint in your favorites colors. Simply go with neutral colors of different shades in different rooms. Rule of thumb is to make the interior color “warm” to its potential tenants.
3.    TIDY UP MY FRIEND

Time for you to remove clutter and all personal things inside the house. We know it sounds obvious but it won’t hurt to remind you again to clean, scrub and dust every nook and cranny of the house. The more storage and floor space you create, the closer you get to bagging that rental deal.
4.    THE KITCHEN

The kitchen is the heart of the home, it’s where the lady of the house makes her magic happen so try to pay special attention to this one. Assuming you have “clean, scrub and dust” every nook and cranny, then you’re already safe. Time to move on to the last one.
5.    THE BATHROOM

It’s basically the second place where dirt accumulates all the time, mold in particular is one of the nastiest things that may inhabit this part of the house. Make sure to remove all molds from the grout. The easiest and cheapest way to remove this is through the help of lemon juice. (apply, scrub, scrub, apply, scrub, rinse, you’re done!)

Double check toilet seats if it needs replacements and also check for grime and scum in the shower area (prepare yourself to do some scrubbing again).
Lastly, make the new tenants feel beautiful with a newly washed and sparking clean bathroom mirror.

There you have it, a few minor tweaks and you’re all set to close the deal and receive that income stream.
Do check out our Edmonton MLS for all the available investment properties for sale in the Edmonton and nearby area.

This past few weeks, we at Team Leading Edge have harping the good news about Edmonton’s real estate industry, today, we’ll try to touch base on the issue of declining oil prices and what it means to the real estate sector.

This topic strikes close to heart since one of Alberta’s main source of income is oil money.

In the past 4 months, oil prices have plunged to a low of 25%, although this is nothing compared to the 80% drop during the Great Recession, some business leaders still foresee a negative effect to the real estate side.

This is not to say that there is another major crisis. Canada’s southern neighbor is currently enjoying a faster than average economic growth.

The declining in oil prices might cost Alberta’s provincial treasury CDN $215 million, if oil prices drop down a notch below the $92 per barrel mark.

David Sanche, co-CEO of Westrich Pacific, said that if oil prices stay low until spring time, condominiums that are entering the pre-marketing phase might face delays, including their project at the Windemere area and corner of 102^nd street and 102^nd avenue.

On the other hand, the decline may prove to be a good thing for the construction industry as it might shift the demand for construction workers from the oilsands to Edmonton’s real estate.

Today, I received a great email from Serge in regards to an Alberta Real Estate Association article entitled “Condo Commentary: Do You Own That Window?”

Basically, it was answering the question on how to tell if the exterior of the windows (and doors) are part of the condominium unit or not.

Going to the point, the article informs the readers that “Before September 1, 2000, exterior doors and windows were considered to be part of the unit.  After that date, exterior doors and windows became part of the common property.  However, a corporation registered prior to September 1, 2000 had until September 1, 2002, to register a special resolution to amend the plan so that these became part of the individual units again.  This can mean that some condominiums may have windows and doors that are part of the unit and not the common area.”

This got my train of thought going. Since Alberta’s economy is poised to be one of the best in Canada this year and in 2015 as reported by RBC, and that Edmonton’s local government have reported an increase in growth population by 7.4%, the probability of people buying condominiums, either as a home or an investment would increase.

With this in mind, I believe it is apt to share with you this 5 simple things to consider when buying a condominium. Take this to heart and you’ll be at the right side of things. Please feel free to add or share your thoughts in our comment section below.

1. LOCATION, LOCATION, YES-LOCATION: This is the golden rule of real estate and this rings true wherever you are in the world. The neighborhood and location of the condominium hinges on this simple fact. Remember that the location is one of the main contributing factors in successfully renting out or reselling the property in the future-unless you prefer to live out your life in there, which I would highly doubt.
2. RULES, RULES, RULES: It holds so much importance that I need to repeat it thrice. A thorough review of the rights and restrictions in the condominium bylaws is very much needed. Read and understand the rules as some or most of it might affect you or your future rental business. Here’s a good example. My condominium doesn’t allow pets and I handle several units for rent here so when I got two inquiries from potential tenants, I was painfully disappointed (in the business side) that they have trained house dogs. Trained or not, pets aren’t allowed so that situation basically ruined my business-at least for those two.
3. FEES, PAYMENTS, DUES: Those three synonyms mean the same thing, monthly bill. No matter where you go, condominiums always charge a certain fee for the maintenance of the common areas and the overall building.
   It’s important to know what the condominium fee is. Something that should ring your bells and alarms is the low condominium fee. It’s not always good. You may want to find out why the fee is low, assuming you followed what I wrote in number one.
4. PLAN OUT: Like everything we do in life, buying a condominium should be planned out. Would you use it as a home or will it be a rental property? If it’s the latter, would you manage it yourself or will you hire a property manager? It’s all about risk management. If you have things well planned out, the probability of losing money would be minimal or even non-existent.
5. RENTAL PROPERTY: I just want to include this in here. If you plan to live in the condominium, then the first four steps would cover you. But if you’re planning to make this a serious investment, read on. Keep in mind that it is important to be strict in yourself when conducting due diligence for your potential condominium. Inquire about the experiences of the present tenants as most of the time, this would give you a good glimpse of what it’s really like living in the building-the things that the paperwork won’t reveal. And speaking of paperwork, you may need a real estate lawyer to pore over the condominium association’s rental lease.Lastly, a simple way to see if the condominium is good for rental is to check if there are a good number of owners renting out their units. This is because the bylaws could be amended to prohibit renting in the future-if there are a good number of owners renting out their units, then the chances of that happening would be slim-again, part of your risk-management.

Stick with this 5 simple things and you’ll be on your way to having a great condominium property.

To make sure you don’t make any mistakes in the process, it is truly advisable to seek the help of professional Realtors. Team Leading Edge is an experienced team that have sold condominiums in Edmonton. Recently awarded as one of the Top 30 RE/MAX Real Estate Teams in Western Canada, the team is made up of competent Realtors that could and would help you in every step of the buying process.

Check out all the available condominiums for sale in Edmonton through our MLS real estate listings. It is updated daily so you will get superb listings to choose from and don’t hesitate to call Team Leading Edge anytime to get you started on that future property of yours.

Do you know how great investors are distinguished against average people?

They are the ones who grab an opportunity fast whenever it presents itself.
Okay, wait, let me rephrase that. They’re the ones who POUNCE to every bit of opportunity that life presents!
That’s much better.

To elaborate further, great investors are the kind of people who make their own luck. They don’t wish for luck. One of the best books I’ve ever read is “The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason”. There were four quotes mentioned in that book relating to luck that I would like to share with you. First, “Good luck waits to come to that man who accepts opportunity”, second, “To attract good luck to oneself, it is necessary to take advantage of opportunities” third, “Good luck can be enticed by accepting opportunity” and lastly, “Men of action are favored by the Goddess of Good Luck”.

Although the book was written ages ago, the quotes still apply to this day and as I see it, it will persist for as long as there are human existence that strive to achieve a greater sense of being. I’m striving to achieve a good life and if you do as well, then its best that you too take the quotes to heart as it may guide you in your own journey.

A great opportunity is in front of you right now. Take the Canora Experience. This 4 bedroom half duplex bungalow is currently in the market. Given the economic rise of Alberta this year, this kind of real estate property would come ever so rare.

At $274, 900, this 969 sq ft piece of opportunity can and should be your next home or investment. Analyze the data, crunch the numbers, do your due diligence, I assure you all of it would point to same conclusion. To put it simple terms; this will bring the best bang for your buck.

Check out the photos below and see for yourself how this opportunity could change your life.

View the complete details of the property here.

Opportunity awaits! Act now before its too late.

6 September-Today on our For Sale list we feature this 4+1 bedroom home in Rundle Heights, Edmonton. The house includes hardwood flooring in the living room, dining room, and bedrooms, newer stainless steel appliances in the kitchen, and renovated bathrooms just to name a few.  The spacious master bedroom also features a walk-in closet and half bath. Enjoy the album below and remember to call Team Leading Edge at 780-634-8151 to view your next home!

Call Team Leading Edge now 780-634-8151

View details here

Sneak Preview of new listing coming up next week in Rutherford.

• 3 bdr. 2 storey home with hardwood floors.

• Just under 2,000 sq.ft. above grade.

• Upgrades include central air conditioning.

Asking Price: $519,900Call us today before it goes on MLS

780-634-8151