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!

Always, there’s that never dying question whether to keep your Edmonton house on the market or not this holiday season. The last thing on homebuyers’ mind and priority list is buying a new home, right? This is one of the main reason why most Edmontonians prefer to remove their home listings from the MLS temporarily and just wait it out until the New Year.

Before you jump into the bandwagon, here’s a few pointers that you might change just your mind.

First and foremost, the amount of listings on the market significantly drops, there are ever so few new homes for sale in this time of the year which means fewer competition on your side of the business. The fewer competition, the better chances your home will be sold faster.

Second, during the holiday season, home buyers are more motivated to spend. And these home buyers are typically the ones that are really serious about buying-they’re not the window shopping type. They would not waste your time.

Lastly, companies usually transfer employees in the first quarter of the New Year, these employees usually chose to buy homes right away because they can’t wait. Since Edmonton’s economy is on the rise, you’ll see more of this kind of transactions.

As a bonus, the winter months make homes better for open houses because the decorations pop-out, the fire place makes it warm and cozy (selling point right there) and the smell of cookies baking just make it irresistible!

If you’re ready to sell, call us at 780-634-8151. For a list of houses for sale right now, do check out our Edmonton MLS listings.

It’s been almost a mythical belief that the best time to sell an Edmonton home is during spring and summer season. That is most certainly not true. Although, selling in spring and summer poses “some” advantages, listing your home today would be one of best strategies you could do.

It is possible to sell your home quickly and for a better price this off-season due to a shortage in inventory. Remember, most Edmontonians are busy preparing for the holidays so there are few competitions out in the market!

During the spring and summer time, there’s an influx of newly built homes so that gives buyers more options, which in turn could force you (or the other sellers) to reduce the selling price.

Again, to emphasize, the off-season will provide you with less competition. Yes, we needed to underscore that part. Most people hibernate by this time of the year, some would just choose to watch the Edmonton Oilers game (like Serge and Dan) rather than sell their homes so all the odds are within your favor!

Lastly, off-season buyers would love it when they know and see for themselves that your most cherished house have been performing terribly well against damaging weather conditions; heavy rains, freezing temperatures.

Pick-up your phone and call Team Leading Edge now at 780-634-8151 so we could start selling your home.

Thinking of adding more value to your home or you just want it to simply look awesomely good? We got the good stuff for you! Team Leading Edge gathered the 5 simple tips and tricks to help you execute your home reno perfectly.

THINK AHEAD OF TIME

Knowing what you want and deciding what you need to do a head of time will help you avoid those excruciating delays-time is gold my friend!

Having planned ahead would also help your bottom line. You’ll know what the cost would be and can make those necessary adjustments in your cash flow as to not impact your other expenses, in other words, budget!

INFORMATION IS POWER

Home renovation does have the possibility of ending up in a mess and giving you and your family headaches due to the potential inconveniences that it poses. A simple way to avoid this is to inform your family of all the reno plans, from the top to the bottom and preparing them for it. With simple preparations, the whole family can adjust their schedules to accommodate the renovation process. Reno work might start from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, so you may want to bring the kids back home after 5 or since the living area might be a bit dusty, you may want to take your family out for dinner.

REMEMBER THE FILTER

As we have said, the reno work could be dusty so it is best to check and change the air filters during and after the whole work. Worst case scenario would be having the HVAC system damaged because of the heavy dust particles. Avoid this costly mistake by simply changing the filters.

IF YOU’RE DOING THE KITCHEN

If you still don’t know, improving the kitchen is one of the most cost effective way to drive up the value of your home once you are ready to sell. Replacing the kitchen counter top can be the most affordable and be made in a short span of time.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, KNOW YOUR CONTRACTOR

Unless, you’re a contractor yourself (which is cool) you may want to double check on the background of your chosen contractor. Don’t just be impressed because the contractor was referred to you by your friend, do your own research and try to find out the contractors previous projects-this will give you a snapshot of he’s quality of work.

Buying a home is probably one of the best things you would ever do in your lifetime. It’s fun but also a bit scary at the same time as there is more to it than just browsing the internet and viewing a couple of open houses over the weekend. Believe us, we know. We’ve been there. Speaking from experience, my fiancé and I just recently bought our condo. There’s a ton of things to consider when buying a home for the first time and here at Team Leading Edge, we always like to help people in need-people like you. We broke down to bite-sized pieces all the essential things that you need to consider. Read, absorb and digest the information as it may help guide you in taking the right path to home ownership.

1. HOME SIZE VS LOCATION: We couldn’t stress more the importance of being decisive on day 1. Before you start searching the internet for that dream home, determine first what’s more important to you, size or location?

   More often than not, you will be torn between choosing a house that has a higher selling price but is located near your favorite establishments and a house that has a lower selling price with bigger living space BUT is a bit farther out of your favorite hangout place.

   Making this choice early on in the buying process will provide you with peace of mind and help you avert “buyer’s remorse” once everything is done.

   

2. MORTGAGE QUALIFICATION: Knowing the amount of mortgage you are qualified for should be your next top priority. You may believe you are qualified to borrow $400k but the lender might determine that you’re only good for $300k. Recognizing your mortgage qualification would basically narrow down your choices of homes.

   Check out our article on how you could boost your mortgage chances.

   

3. DURATION OF HOME LOAN: Quite a number of first time homebuyers prefer 30-year home loans while others chose to stick with 15-year mortgages. 30-year home loans usually have higher interest rates than 15-year loans. The main reason behind the high interest rate is because it will take longer for the lender to recoup the money loaned to you. Since Alberta is one of the best performing regions in the country, you may see very competitive interest rates out in the market. Review each one out to find the best interest rate for you.

   

4. SPEAKING OF RATES-KNOW HOW RATE THE INVENTORY: Once you reach this stage in the process, you can be sure that you’re on the right track!

   Being prudent in the selection process would help you avoid an expensive mistake. Here’s how you could rate the inventory of the houses that you visit so you could make an informed decision at the end of the day.

• Begin with taking photos of the house numbers and facade so you could easily identify individual houses.
• Take a piece of paper with you or use your mobile device to write down notes about significant features of the house such as the floor plan, room design and colors.
• Remember to check out the neighbor’s house. Would there be any possibility that it would cause problem in the future? Is it blocking any view?
• Also take note of the neighborhood, is it conveniently located to any near establishments that might be crucial to you?
• Shortly after leaving the house, rate it between the scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best.

  

5. STOP BEING FINICKY! Okay, I just had to put it in here. I’ve had quite a number of clients that had been too picky and ended up with not so good deals. Since most first time homebuyers have limited resources, it is best to be open for compromise. You may have to make some home repairs or put up with ugly decorations. The idea here is if it’s just some minor inconveniences that you could easily fix, take it.

   Ask yourself, how important is it for you to have your own home now? Or would you still continue to rent for x number of years? Stop being finicky.

Equipped with this essential knowledge, we are confident that you could and would make the right decisions. To get you started in finding your future home, Team Leading Edge provides high speed access to the finest MLS real estate listings in Edmonton. It is there that you could browse through all the available houses and condos for sale in real-time.

You may also call the team at 780-634-8151 anytime you would like to schedule a viewing of your next home.

This fall, your furnace is one of the most important features of your home that should be checked for functionality and efficiency. We gathered a few simple ‘must-do’ work that you should consider taking actions on, in order to have a warm and cozy fall season just like last year. Don’t wait for disaster to strike, act now before it’s too late.

ANNUAL MAINTENANCE: To keep the furnace in great running condition, you should always schedule an annual tune-up by a licensed technician. It’s best to do this in early fall to give you ample time to schedule any repairs that needs to be accomplished.
In order to avoid any emergency furnace repairs, maintenance work should be done regularly. Your technician should check for cracks or damage on the heat exchanger and that all safety systems are in place in order to make sure the furnace is running efficiently.

CHECK SAFETY: If you would consider doing the maintenance on your own, safety would always be the number one priority. To avoid getting electrocuted, always remember to turn off the power if you if you will be performing more than just changing the filter.

Gas leaks are one of the most serious safety issues, if you detect any gas-like odor, immediately call the fire department. You should not attempt in fixing the furnace on your own in this scenario, you will be putting not just your life, but everybody inside the house in danger.

MAKE IT EFFICIENT: Here at Team Leading Edge, we have always emphasized the need for home efficiency. We try to include little tips and tricks whenever we could and this furnace maintenance is now exemption. As we have mentioned in our previous post 5 Ways To Minimize Home Energy Consumption, installing a programmable thermostat can ensure to help you achieve optimum energy efficiency. Since gas furnaces takes up a big chunk of the electric bill during the fall and winter season, a programmable thermostat will come in handy by adjusting the heat automatically in scheduled intervals.

Investing your time in these little ‘must-do’s’ will provide great ROI in the form of home efficiency and safety. Carpe Diem!

Your house is one of the biggest investments you would ever have in your lifetime so it is but right to protect this valuable investment in the best way possible. Here at Team Leading Edge, we care not only in assisting you find a home in Edmonton but also in helping you protect against the loss of it.

Home insurance is the best form of protection against any unforeseen tragic events towards your home, here are 5 of the most important things to remember when getting home insurance.

1. AMOUNT OF COVERAGE: Any disastrous event towards the home can be well compensated by choosing the right coverage. The amount of coverage an insurance policy would get is most of the time decided by the home insurance provider, they usually require homeowners to purchase a policy that would be equal to the amount of mortgage.

   Like life insurance policies, the bigger the amount of coverage, the higher your premium would be.

   

2. VALUABLE ITEMS = EXTRA INSURANCE: There is a certain limit to your home’s insurance coverage. If you keep pricey items such as expensive paintings and jewelries, it is advisable that you purchase additional amount of coverage for this special items.

   

3. ADD SECURITY SYSTEMS: An alarm system provides two beneficial things; it would protect your family and might contribute in lowering the premium you have to pay for the insurance coverage.

   Provided that you could prove that an alarm system is regularly tracked, certain insurance providers will give you a hefty discount since they will consider you as a low-risk client.

   

4. CLAIM PROCESS: Don’t just sign on the dotted line, one of the most important things that you should keep in mind is to understand the process of claiming your coverage. Take note to double check if the contract specifies that you will get your compensation in portions or in lump-sum.

   Bottom line, understand the insurance contract and if you have doubts or questions, clarify it immediately with the insurance agent/broker until you are satisfied. If something seems off, move on to the next insurance provider.

   

5. ANNUAL CHECK-UP OF INSURANCE POLICY: As you add more features and home improvements over time that kind activity tends to create more value to your home. It is prudent to check your insurance policy every year in order to analyze if you have sufficient coverage. Schedule an annual meeting with your insurance provider to go through any revisions of your policy.

Remember, there are some things in life that are beyond your control, so being thoroughly prepared for unforeseen events is the best possible way to counter its negative impact.

Team Leading Edge can assist you in choosing the right home insurance provider in Edmonton. Call the team now at (780) 634-8151 to get you started.

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.

Selling a home is no easy task that is why there are Realtors such as our team, but don’t think of it as a deterrent. The point that you are reading this article suggest that you would like to do something on your end to make the selling process as fast and efficient as possible, which is great! Below are 5 incredibly easy ways for you to help your Realtor market your home and create more value for your priced possession. Follow it and you’re going to be smiling your way to the bank.

Ceramic Wall Tiles

1. CHOOSE NATURAL: Materials such as granite, ceramic tiles and even hardwood create more value than synthetic materials such as acrylics. When renovating kitchen floors, chose wood over linoleum as it will look classier to home buyers than the latter.
   Laminated products offer additional value for wall-to-wall renos. Keep the carpets well maintained as it is one of the very first things home buyers see. You wouldn’t want potential buyers to think they’ll spend tons of money just to replace the carpet, wouldn’t you?
2. KEEP THE PAINT FRESH: Keeping a fresh coat of paint in the master bedroom, kitchen and other parts of the house will go a long way. It is the most cost effective way to add that buzz to your home.Stay clean and neutral with taupe, brown and off-white colors. Neutral shades is key as bright colors would tend to do more harm in the selling process than good. Lastly, stay off dark colors as it tends to create an effect which makes a room smaller than it really is.
3. BE ENERGY EFFICIENT: Nothing beats having low electrical bills. You experience it yourself every time the bill comes. An energy efficient house is a very marketable piece of real estate especially now that almost everybody is budget conscious. There are low cost solar panels and rain catchment systems now out in the market that you could take advantage off. You may even ask your local utility company to show how to truly maximize home energy efficiency. Majority of the energy providers do it for free.
4. STORAGE GALORE: The more storage you have in your home, the better. Home buyers nowadays prefer a generous amount of attic and closet space. Having space is very important, especially if the potential buyer/s have a lot of equipment’s, i.e. snow blower, bicycles, lawn mower. In this kind of scenario, an over sized garage would really come in handy. His and hers walk-in closet in the master suite would be synonymous to additional dollars in your pocket.

   

5. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MAINTENANCE: Hold off the lavish home upgrades and focus on the basics first. Fixing the small things such as leaks, leaky windows, insulating the attic, inspecting the septic system and weeding the flower beds go very long way towards creating value. These small repairs could cost you a hundred dollars but it may create additional zeros to your selling price.

After a hardcore Monday work, time for you to catch some breath and recoup before blazing again through the rest of the week. If you have already subscribed to our blog (great for you!), you might have already noticed that we here at Team Leading Edge always mix up our articles and this time we wanted to feature something funny. I figured nothing is funnier than seeing a home that have failed in some engineering or architectural way-or basically a photo that sums up loss of common sense. I don’t want to be mean but being in the real estate industry myself, I have seen a fair share of failed home designs and it always cracks me up. Too bad I wasn’t able to take photos of the failed home designs that I saw when I was doing site visits!

Now lucky for you I have done the leg work and filtered the worst, funny and crazy home designs around. Check out the list below to see Failed Home Designs.

Remember to view our list of amazing homes for sale in Edmonton through our MLS real estate listing after. You would not be disappointed.

1. WRONG ERECTION. I don’t know if the owners are one of those “fertility” believers but, really, this is just wrong.But, Austin Powers like it.
   

   Time to get your mojo

2. SUICIDE DOOR. They took it literally. Judging from this photo, I can safely assume that if the 3^rd floor is for rent, they would have extremely low tenancy rate due to this fatal flaws in the floor design.  
3. LEANING COUSIN OF PISA. Get it? No? Shame on you.
4. DRA-WHERE? A big facepalm right here. Complete waste of storage space.
5. BACKDOOR. In some weird way, this isn’t really that much of a failure. Looking at the positive side, if you ever really really needed to use the toilet when you arrive home, you wouldn’t need to go inside the house, you can dash straight at the backdoor!
6. [             ]. I will just leave this one for you to think of a caption.
7. WRONG SIDE. Seriously. You had one job!
8. ECO-FRIENDLY GARAGE. They didn’t want to cut down the tree for environmental purposes. Should’ve moved the garage though. See amazing garage designs here. 

   

9. MAKE ROOM FOR THE FRIDGE. Yup! Squeeze it right there. Perfect!
   

   I know how Patrick feels

10. SOME MEN WOULD RELATE.
11. OKAY, THESE TWO DESERVE THE LAST SPOT.
    Plumber was just making sure that if there would be a leak, he already had it covered.Bro, just no.
    
    Here’s hoping you won’t do the same mistakes seen here or your work may just end up in our future list! That’s about it, don’t forget to subscribe.

    See beautiful homes with great working designs for sale in Edmonton here.