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A place you and your family can call HOME for year and years to come! You’ll feel right at home from the moment you walk in the door of this 2010 built 2-storey in Harvest Ridge. Open concept main floor with large, FUNCTIONAL kitchen with walk through pantry and GRANITE countertops. Breakfast nook with patio doors and a more formal dining room with large window. The living room features a PELLET STOVE to make things even more cozy! Move upstairs and you’ll find FOUR bedrooms, plus a bonus room. Master suite features a great 5pc ensuite and walk in closet! Plenty of space for a KING SIZE BED! 3 good size bedrooms are great for kids and guests alike! Bonus room area is perfectly suited for smaller TV room, homework space, play area or home office! Basement is unfinished and ready for development! TRIPLE CAR GARAGE is every man’s dream! Plenty of space for cars and toys! WEST facing yard is fully fenced and landscaped. Large deck with built in hot tub! Great neighborhood close to parks and trails!

You can find the link at realtor.ca below!

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/18015124/5-Heron-LI-Spruce-Grove-Alberta-T7X0E8-Harvest-Ridge

This acreage home shows very well. It has many newer upgrades which include: new kitchen cabinets in 2008, new windows 2008, new flooring 2008, new metal roof in 2008, new furnace in 2012 and recently renovated main bathroom. It features a beautiful kitchen with plenty of white cabinets with pull out pantry, eating bar and opens to a large living room with front bay window. The master bedroom addition is very spacious and has a 4 pc ensuite with two sinks and a double shower. The interior walls are dry walled and painted. The west facing covered Dura Deck is huge and maintenance free. The water well pressure tank is recently replaced and the septic pump is approx. 5 yrs old. The out buildings include two large pole sheds ideal for storage of RV or equipment. Very quiet and peaceful setting in great location only 15 minutes to Stony Plain.

You can find the link at realtor.ca below!

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/18011552/61-54228-Range-Road-12-Rural-Lac-Ste-Anne-County-Alberta-T0E1V2-Eagle-RidgeCSLA

Perfect, Perfect, Perfect family home! This great 2 story in Spruce Grove is ready to welcome you with open arms. Just under 2000 square feet, this open floor plan is welcoming from the minute you walk in the door. Large living room with gas fireplace and huge window. Kitchen has granite and corner pantry. Opens onto large dining area with more big windows. MAIN FLOOR LAUNDRY. Move upstairs to the huge bonus room with towering vaulted ceilings! Master bedroom features a walk in closet and 4pc ensuite. 2 additional bedrooms and a 4pc bathroom finish off upstairs. FINISHED BASEMENT features a WET BAR, good size family room, additional bedroom and another 4pc bathroom. CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING is a real treat. HEATED GARAGE with extra parking space outside as well! NO REAR NEIGHBOURS… you back onto walking path and field so no staring at your neighbors while you BBQ! Fully landscaped and you get the HOT TUB! Close to schools, transit and easy highway access!

You can find the link at realtor.ca below!

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/17987739/19-HARTWICK-WY-Spruce-Grove-Alberta-T7X0A5-Harvest-Ridge

This half duplex has a nice open floor plan with 9ft ceilings, spacious kitchen with island, raised eating bar, walk-in corner pantry and west facing windows with lots of sunlight. The living room features a fireplace with built-in bookshelf and space for TV. The upper level master bedroom has a huge walk-in closet and full ensuite. The fenced backyard features a 10′ x 10′ deck, a beautiful stone walkway to a fire pit pad and flower beds. Awesome location, very private backing onto green space. The basement is undeveloped for your own personal taste.

You can find the link at realtor.ca below!

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/17987727/48-SOUTH-CREEK-WD-Stony-Plain-Alberta-T7Z0E1-StonycreekSTPL

Stunning Family Home. Great Location. At 1978 square feet of family living that is within a 5 minute walking distance to K-9 school, huge playground, ball diamond and soccer pitch; it is the perfect place to relocate your family. Many upgraded features like a new kitchen and bathroom, new shingles, siding, eaves troughs and HWT are a bonus. Your main floor boasts a dining room, living room, office/den, dinette, laundry room and family room with a fireplace, space for everyone. Upstairs you have French doors to the Master Bedroom and Master spa area, two great sized bedrooms and a great size 4 piece bathroom, ideal for kids. Out the back door to the patio and inviting back yard, a perfect spot for BBQs and kids swing sets. The basement has been started with a huge bedroom and plenty of storage areas. Commuting in any direction is simple, a quiet family friendly neighborhood with local tennis courts, a fine place to call home.

You can find the link at realtor.ca below!

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/17971416/7-HILLSIDE-WY-Stony-Plain-Alberta-T7Z1L9-High-ParkSTPL

This bi-level home shows excellent. It offers 3 bedrooms up and a full bathroom with shared door to master bedroom. It’s features include: vaulted ceiling, nice kitchen with corner pantry, living room with bay window, open design & central air conditioning. The basement is fully finished with large family or games room, 4th bedroom and 4 pc bathroom. The whole main floor has been freshly painted. The hot water tank is 1 yr old. Three basement exterior walls have upgraded foam insulation. The side entrance has lower level access. The double detached garage is insulated and boarded and wired for 220v. The west facing back yard is fenced and has a nice deck. Great location close to Hospital, Restaurants, Safeway and quick highway access.

You can find the link at realtor.ca below!

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Single-Family/17967387/124-BROOKVIEW-WY-Stony-Plain-Alberta-T7Z2X6-Brookview

This is 6.74 Acres located IN TOWN and currently zoned Urban Reserve. Located a smidgeon North of Calmar Elementary School and across the street! Development already happening all around this piece! The sky is the limit on this prime piece of land!!!

You can find the link at realtor.ca below!

https://www.realtor.ca/Residential/Vacant-Land/17957273/54-Ave-50-Street-Calmar-Alberta-T0C0V0-Calmar

Do you believe in ghosts? Would you buy a house if you thought it was haunted? What if someone was murdered in the property? What if the former owner was a convicted criminal?

A stigmatized property is defined by RECA as: one that has an unfavourable quality that may make it less attractive for reasons that are unrelated to its physical condition or features. Examples of stigma issues may include: a suicide or death in the property, the property was the scene of a major crime, the address of the property has the wrong numerals, or reports that a property is haunted. What one person finds unacceptable may not be a stigma to another.

Sellers don’t have to disclose peculiar or disturbing facts or circumstances about their home…. unless you specifically ask.

We’ve worked with many clients that have had specific but unusual house hunting requirements, some have required a home where no one had died in the property, some wouldn’t live near a cemetery and there are many others.

For example, if you’re concerned that there may have been a death in the property, what would cause you specific concern?

• Would you find a death caused by a violent act or suicide unacceptable?
• What if the family brought an elderly grandmother home to die in the comfort of her family and familiar surroundings?
• Suppose it were a crib death of a newborn?
• What if you learned the owner’s pet had recently died in the home? Would you feel differently if the death was natural or if poison was suspected?
• Would you be concerned if a person had been killed by a car on the street in front of the house?
• Would you be as concerned by a death that occurred 50 years ago as you would with a recent one?

The important thing to remember is that just because it’s important to you, doesn’t mean it’s important to everyone, so you need to ask. When we’re helping someone find a house, we have an extensive questionnaire they can complete, to help identify their wants and needs, so we can ask sellers the right questions.

So if you don’t want to live in a home where a murder took place, and you specify that with your agent, they can ask the seller’s agent, and the seller is obligated to answer honestly.  But if you don’t ask, they’re not going to tell.

While owning investment property has its share of benefits, including stable income to pay your mortgage, some aspects of being a landlord can be challenging, especially when you encounter problems with a tenant.

Whether the tenant has breached the tenancy agreement, or conducted illegal activity on the premises—you may be confronted with a situation where you need to evict them from the property.

Before proceeding with eviction, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure that you are following the proper eviction process in Alberta.

Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities

When a landlord and tenant enter a residential tenancy agreement, both parties agree that the tenant will lease property from the landlord for a specific period of time.

Additionally, each party will take on certain responsibilities and obligations during the tenancy.

General covenants (agreements) for a landlord include:

• The leased premises must be available to the tenant on the day the tenancy is set to begin
• The landlord agrees not to interfere with the tenant’s peaceful enjoyment of the premises;
• And the property (house, apartment, townhouse etc.) must meet the minimum health requirements under the Public Health Act, Housing Regulation, and Minimum Housing and Health Standards

A tenant must adhere to the following covenants:

• They must pay rent when it is due
• The tenant cannot interfere with the landlord’s rights or that of their neighbours
• They cannot carry out illegal activity on the premises
• They cannot endanger those who share in the property
• They cannot cause severe damage to the property, and must keep the property in clean condition
• The tenant will vacate upon the expiration or termination of the tenancy

These are the basic obligations of a landlord and tenant as governed by the Residential Tenancies Act.

Additional responsibilities also apply to each party and may vary according to your tenancy agreement or unique rental situation.

Determining Cause for Eviction

In order to evict a tenant, there must be just cause to do so. This means they must have substantially breached the lease agreement, or violated one of the covenants listed above.

A landlord may send a 24-hour eviction notice if a tenant has:

• Caused severe damage to the property
• Committed physical assault or threatened violence

A 14-day notice is required for all other breaches to the lease agreement, including:

• Continued failure to pay rent when it is due
• Performing illegal acts on the premises
• Endangering others in the building

Serving an Eviction Notice

A landlord can serve a written eviction notice in person or by mail.

The notice should include:

• Reason for eviction
• The date that the tenant is expected to vacate
• The address of the premises
• Signature of the landlord or agent
• The amount of rent that is due when the notice is served and any other rent that may come due during the notice period, if any.

When serving the eviction notice in person, it’s recommended that you have a neutral third party with you to witness that the tenant received it.

Sending the notice by mail can pose a risk if the tenant does not pick it up or chooses to ignore it, in which case they could claim they did not receive the notice. Hand-delivering the notice ensures that the tenant received it and leaves no room for discrepancies at a later date.

In a 14-day notice, the tenant has 14 clear days to vacate the premises. For instance, if you deliver the notice on the 1st of the month, the tenant has until the 16th of the same month to move out. The day the eviction notice is served and the day the tenancy ends are not included as part of the 14 days.

When a Tenant Refuses to Leave the Property or Pay Damages

If you have provided sufficient notice to your tenant and you have evidence to support the lease violation, yet the tenant has not complied or objects the eviction, you may pursue other options.

A landlord can apply to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) or the Alberta court within 10 days after the termination date for a court order to confirm the termination and/or seek rent arrears or damages from a tenant.

In Conclusion

When a tenant substantially breaches your rental agreement, you may have grounds to evict them. If you follow proper eviction procedures, you may be fortunate enough for a tenant to comply and provide you with compensation for damages, or to vacate the property without hassle.

However, if your tenant ignores or objects your notice, you may want to consider applying to the RTDRS or provincial court for further resolution.

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO, similar to RECA in Alberta & regulates the real estate industry) recently surveyed Ontario homeowners and found some surprising results; the average homeowner doesn’t know very much about the process of buying and selling a home. Ok, maybe it’s not that surprising, but there are definitely some basic points that you should understand before buying or selling a home.

Over 40% of the people surveyed wished they’d done something differently when they bought or sold their home including:

• having a better grasp of the process
• seeing more houses before buying
• having a home inspection
• spending more time researching
• interviewing real estate professionals before selecting one
• understanding the contracts involved better

When it comes to buying or selling a home, as with many things in life, a little extra preparation goes a long way.

So what are the most common misconceptions about buying and selling real estate?

1. The terms and conditions in contracts are standardized. Over half of the people surveyed believed buyer and seller representation agreements have standard terms like the length of the contract or the services offered. In Alberta, it is now mandatory to sign a buyer representation agreement when being represented by a real estate agent. There is certainly a lot of confusion about these agreements in Alberta, mostly because the requirement to sign one is so new. They have actually been around for a long time, and there are different types of agreements (exclusive and non-exclusive). It’s important to understand that there is no standard length of time, fee, or set of services that is included in a representation agreement whether it be for buying or selling a home.

2. After a contract is signed, there is a trial period where the contract can be cancelled. There is most certainly no trial period when it comes to contracts; once you’ve signed a contract you’ve agreed to everything that is written in the contract. Purchase contracts frequently have conditions that must be met in order for the deal to proceed, but you can’t back out just because you feel like it. For example, you’ve agreed to purchase home A, and have a condition subject to a home inspection. Another home comes on the market that you like better. You decide to make an offer on the new home, and just tell the owners of home A you didn’t like the results of the home inspection. That’s “not acting in good faith,” and if the sellers decided to sue you they would have a very good case. Don’t sign a contract you don’t intend to follow through on.

3. If you place a conditional offer on a home, and don’t proceed, you automatically get your deposit back. Many buyers don’t know there is a deposit required when buying a home – in most cases an initial deposit is given with the offer, or within a few days of the offer being accepted, and an additional deposit is given when conditions are removed. In most cases if you don’t remove your conditions, you get your deposit back, but that’s not always the case (see point 2 for one example). The holding and releasing of deposits has a complex and ever-changing set of rules, so make sure you ask before giving a deposit.

4. Signing an agreement with one agent doesn’t limit you to working with that agent. This one really depends what you’ve signed. For example, if you’ve signed a non-exclusive buyer representation agreement, you have the option of working with other agents under non-exclusive agreements. If you’ve signed an exclusive agreement and chose to work with other agents, you’re at risk of owing more than one agent a commission when you decide to buy.

How do you avoid making these mistakes when buying or selling a home?

1. Do your homework. Reading this blog post is a great start, but there is certainly more to know. Check out the tips and tools on the RECA web site, and make sure you read this Consumer Relationships Guide. You’ll notice the very first sentence in the guide states: “Real estate professionals have a regulatory requirement to present and discuss this Guide with you.”

2. Find an agent you trust. Don’t just work with the first person you meet – interview agents, ask friends and family for recommendations. Check customer satisfaction ratings, don’t just read testimonials. If you’re thinking of working with a particular agent, Google their name and see what you find, have they been sanctioned or disciplined by RECA or other regulatory bodies? Also remember, everybody makes mistakes, if you find complaints about an agent or brokerage, ask them about them. The way an agent handles problems will tell you more about them than any testimonial.

3. Understand the contracts you’re signing. Most people think finding the right home, or the right buyer for their home, is the most complicated and difficult part of buying or selling real estate. Trust me, things get a lot more complicated when you don’t understand what you agreed to when you signed on the dotted line. Many agents will offer free consultations or seminars to explain what you’re going to need to know, before you need to know it. Contact us today to schedule a no obligation, one-on-one, “buying a home” consultation or “getting ready to sell” consultation with one of our awesome agents.

A little preparation goes a long way. Get prepared, find awesome representation, and the whole process of buying and selling real estate can actually be fun!