YOU PROBABLY HAVE QUESTIONS.
I’m happy to answer them.

Buying a home typically takes about two months from the first coffee date with me to you receiving the keys to your new home. Once we have sat down to discuss your needs and how I can help, I start to send you listings for homes that meet your needs immediately.

It’s safe to assume that you will probably be looking at 10 to 15 homes. Any more than that and it is likely there is a miscommunication between the buyers (often husband and wife have different goals) or they don’t know what they want.

Once we find the right home and our offer is accepted, buyers usually have to wait about 30 to 90 days for possession – depending on the sellers.

To help you understand the process, writing an offer on a home takes about 1.5 hours. Negotiations typically take 24 hours, but can be as quickly as 2 hours or as long as 4 days if clients are working away or out of town. Condition days are usually 7 to 10 business days long depending on what the buyer and seller agree upon.

More viewings than that is usually because the buyers are either looking for something very specific, or they don’t have a full understanding of what they want, or they are unrealistic about what they can actually afford.

In those cases, I always sit down with my buyers and make sure they understand how far their money goes and make sure our goals are aligned.

Sometimes I have clients with four kids and they follow me in their minivan so that the entire family can be a part of the process. Other times, I pick up clients from work and take them house hunting. We simply decide together how best to make our different schedules work.

Unfortunately, I’m not involved in the process of picking colours and layouts, but you can always come to me with any questions that pop up during the adventures of building a home!

Another good thing to note is that the builders agree to pay a commission out of the purchase price and you do not pay more to cover the agent’s commission. The builder just gives the agent a piece of their pie, so you end up paying the same amount with or without an agent. Often times, agents can negotiate better appliances, landscaping, and lawyer fees to be covered by builder. Using an agent when dealing with a builder is very important. The contracts used are different per builder and you need to understand exactly what you are signing.

It is important to note that when viewing show homes, the sales staff may ask you to register. If you have an agent, you must tell them upfront. If you don’t, they will refuse to give you an option later and you are forced to use their sales staff.

Acreages are a lot more work and there are more costs associated with an acreage. Questions to ask while looking for an acreage can include:

• Where and what type of well do you need?
• What type of sewage disposal system does the home have?
• Where are the property lines?
• Is it entirely fenced?
• Do we want/have animals?
• Is there enough space for the animals?

There are many more questions and concerns, so let’s grab a coffee and talk it out!

Many people don’t know that a condominium is a form of ownership, not just a style of home. A general idea of how it works is owners collectively work together to follow rules and a cost structure for the greater good of the entire building.

Before you decide to buy, you need to understand the pros and cons of getting involved with a condominium form of legal ownership. A condominium consists of two parts: the dwelling you would live in (the unit), and the common property (like the elevators, the courtyards, or the front entry).

Condos are very popular here in Edmonton and are often a great choice, depending on the individual buyer. Some questions you may want to ask yourself are:

• Is this form of ownership right for me?
• What are my monthly costs on top of my mortgage going to be?
• What are my responsibilities in owning this unit?
• What are the condo board’s responsibilities for the common area and my unit?
• Do I have or want pets? Are pets allowed?
• Am I buying an income property? If so, are you allowed to rent out your unit?

Are you looking FOR A CONDO for an investment property?

Condos can make great investment properties, but be warned that sometimes condo fees can price you out of the rental market. Pay attention to rental rates in your desired area. I can help you with this!

You need to know how a condo works to make sure this is the right route for you, so let’s grab a coffee and get started!

Secondly, get to know the bylaws and understand them. If you have animals, you have to understand their policy on pets. Some buildings don’t allow any pets or have restrictions on the type, size, and number you may have in your unit.

It is also important to know what a Special Assessment (SA) is and how they work. A Special Assessment is a one-time charge declared by the board of directors to pay for unexpected expenses that cannot be covered by operating funds or the reserve fund (if applicable). Unit owners must pay the Special Assessment in addition to their regular monthly condominium contributions.

SA’s are mandatory and I’ve seen them as low as $100 and as high as $40,000 per unit.

To find out the average days on market for your area, give me a call! 780-504-1182

Other forms of advertising I love to do are REALTOR® open houses and flyers.

The Edmonton Journal and The Edmonton Sun are great for marketing listings as well. However, having your home listed on MLS® is the greatest type of advertising. That is where everyone goes when house hunting.

When you represent both the buyer and the seller it is called transactional brokerage. It is 100% legal but does change the relationships I would have with both parties. BUT I NEVER DO THIS WITHOUT FIRST DISCUSSING AND EDUCATING MY CLIENTS ABOUT ALL THE PROS…AND CONS.

When you work with an agent they will go over a Customer Acknowledgement Form that outlines the six fiduciary duties we owe you when entering into an agency relationship.

Those include:  Undivided loyalty, confidentiality, full disclosure, obedience, reasonable care and skill, and full accounting. When you represent both parties, undivided loyalty and full disclosure are no longer guaranteed for obvious reasons.

Yes, I work very closely with mortgage brokers who can help you get a mortgage or refinance quickly and for a low rate, handymen who can help with household repairs, flooring, electricians, plumbers, painters, home inspectors, and more!

I have a close-knit group of people who have earned my trust over the years that I use personally and can call upon to help my clients. Something that makes me different is that I do not accept kick backs from my referral partners. If they are offered, I simply request that they reduce the cost to my clients and that I’d prefer not to receive any gifts.

There are people who work full-time to convey all of our transactions and send our clients’ lawyers all of the documentation they need. There are also two full-time receptionists that sure your calls never go unanswered. Our office takes care of their employees and it shows!

We speak before every showing to confirm the date and time, and I am always available when my clients have questions. I understand that this is the biggest purchase of your life, so I make myself available to clients as often as they need.

I pride myself on getting back to all of my clients within 2 hours of their communication. Even if it’s just to send you a quick email or text letting you know I got your voicemail and that I will call you back as soon as I’m free!

Remember, although I am the professional and work for you, you’re the boss, not the other way around!