What is the difference between a garage suite and a garden suite?

The official city description a garage suite is "a self-contained accessory dwelling above or attached to a rear detached garage, on a single detached lot which usually comes in the form of apartment-sized living space, with its own kitchen, bathroom, and living space, on the second floor of your garage". 

The city description of a garden suite is "an at-grade self-contained, accessory dwelling located in a building that is physically separate from the principal dwelling." Typically, garden suites are single-story structures built in the backyards of single detached homes and must have their own kitchen, bathroom, and living space.

There are several benefits of purchasing a house with a garage or garden suite or building on an existing house in Edmonton. Garage and garden suites are great ways to add some rental income to your property to help pay down your mortgage. It eliminates the shared interior space the way you would with a basement suite. These smaller living spaces are also a great way to add some diversity to your community because they allow different demographic access to housing options on your street.

Garage and garden suites can keep family members nearby, yet allows for more personal space. It can be a great option for keeping your parents or your children close, while still maintaining some privacy by ensuring everyone has their own space. Alternatively, some ageing empty nesters have decided to downsize into their own garden or garage suite, and allow their children’s family to live nearby, in the main house.

As with any good infill project, it is all about creating more flexible living options so every Edmontonian can choose the community that suits them best. For more information on Garage and Garden suites, visit the city of Edmonton's Infill website. Popular communities in Edmonton with garage suites are located in the University Area, Griesbach and the Westmount Area.

Properties in Edmonton are now showing "Pending"

What does pending mean?

There are recent changes to Realtor.ca when a seller accept an offer. A pending property means that the seller has accepted a conditional offer. This does not mean it is sold. It is subject to conditions, usually financing and inspection.

Can I still see a pending property?

Yes and no. This depends on the seller. The seller makes the desicion whether or not they still want thier property shown. Personally, if I was selling my house, I would encourage showings during the pending time frame due to the fact, that a large number of pending properties fall apart due to varies reasons.

Can I still to write an offer on the pending property?

Yes. You can still write offers on pending properties in the provonce of Alberta. If the seller chooses to accept your offer, it will go into second place position and await the time frame pending status of the first offer. Your accepted offer to purchase is known as a "back-up" offer. If offer number one is unable to remove thier contingencies within the alotted time frame, your offer automatically goes into first place.

Contact us if you would like to write a back-up or have questions on pending offers.

What is the difference between a REALTOR® and a Real Estate Agents?

Often people think real estate agents and REALTORS® are the same, but they are not.

A real estate agent is someone who has has obtained a real estate license and assists in buying and selling properties. Depending on thier specialty, Edmonton real estate agents can work with residential as well as commercial properties.

The definition of a REALTOR® is a real estate agent who is a member of a local real estate board, and of the provincial real estate association in the Realtor's province. They may also be a member of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) however, membership is voluntary.

Most, but not all Edmonton real estate agents are REALTORS®. The majority of Edmonton REALTORS® (including us) are in good standing and belong to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) and the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. This allows us to legally help our clients buy and sell real estate anywhere within Alberta. A few of us who do relocation moves also belong to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

Edmonton REALTORS® Adhere to a Moral Code That Has Been in Place Since 1913. In order to be considered a Canadian REALTOR®, real estate professionals must adhere to a code of conduct and ethics that has been in place since the turn of the 20th century. This code is extensive and includes many disclosures to our clients. If a REALTORS® breaks the code, he is no longer allowed to operate as a certified CREA REALTORS®.

If you have questions or would like to know more about our Edmonton REALTOR® code of ethics, it can be found at https://www.crea.ca/standards-programs/realtor-code/

Living in an Edmonton Energy Efficient Homes

What is a Net Zero Home

Net Zero Homes produce as much clean energy as they consume. They are up to 80% more energy-efficient than typical homes and use renewable energy systems to produce the remaining energy they need. Every part of the house works together to provide consistent temperatures throughout, prevent drafts, and filter indoor air to reduce dust and allergens. The result: exceptional energy performance and the ultimate in comfort – a home at the forefront of sustainability. It all adds up to a better living experience. The Blatchford community in Edmonton is leading the way on net zero homes.

Why choose a Net Zero Home?

With a Net Zero property, your utility bills will fall to an all-time low and stay low all year round, protects you from future increases in energy prices, and over time, that could be a very big deal. Net zero homes are built to higher standards than conventional new homes with high performance, warm windows, and better-insulated walls and roofs. These dwellings produces as much energy as it consumes and is up to 80% more energy-efficient than a home built to conventional standards with a built-in filtered fresh air system that reduces allergens and asthma triggers, such as dust, pollen, and outdoor air pollution.

Parts of a Net Zero Home

Brighter Lighting

• If you improve your home’s overall lighting by installing larger windows and skylights, getting rid of the heavy drapes or curtains altogether, and painting the interior with brighter colors, it will make your home brighter and reduce the need of using electrical bulbs.

Types of Windows

• Most of the heat loss in a building escapes through the windows. With this in mind, good windows are critical in a Net Zero Energy home. Triple pane windows with a Low-E film, Argon insulating gas, and insulating spacers between panes are a good choice. In a northern climate, the glazing should be optimized to encourage solar energy to flow into the home while insulating to reduce heat loss to the outdoors. High-quality frames with certified sealing systems are recommended.

Solar Electricity

• Solar-electric systems use photovoltaic modules to generate electricity. The arrays can be grid-tied, meaning that the home will provide energy to the electrical grid during the day, while drawing from the electrical grid during the evenings or when the home needs more energy than can be generated. These Solar photovoltaic systems can also be connected to batteries to store excess energy. This opens up the opportunity to disconnect from the electric grid and eliminates the costs of line service charges from utility companies.

Window Placing

• South-facing windows allow more energy from the sun to be absorbed by the thermal mass of the concrete floor. This thermal mass gathers the heat energy in the daytime, releasing it in the nighttime hours. South-facing backyards in Edmonton have always been a hot item, now they are in more of a demand with Net Zero Energy homes.

Insulation Products

• There are several insulation products used to insulate the Net Zero Energy homes. A few of them are the expanded polystyrene which is often used under the concrete floor in the basement. A combination of insulation materials contributes to a well-insulated Net Zero Energy home. Some of these materials are wall-time spray foam, compressed cellulose which is made predominantly from post-consumer recycled paper, and glass fiber batt insulation.

Geothermal Systems

• Geothermal heating is a Ground Source Heat Pump or a GSHP and requires a higher initial investment, but with proper engineering and the right soil conditions, it can run at approximately 250% efficiency leading to long-term energy savings.

Air Source Heat Pump

• An air-source heat pump is a heating option used in Net Zero Energy homes which are designed for cold weather climates like here in Edmonton Alberta. Efficiencies range from 100%-400% depending on the outdoor temperature. The Belgravia Green home in Edmonton is an example of a Net Zero Energy home heated by an air source heat pump.

The Ventilation

• High efficient heat recovery ventilators or HRV are also very important in a Net Zero Energy home that uses low electricity due to its commutated motors. These units provide fresh air by exchanging stale indoor air with fresh outdoor air. This allows the home to be both extremely energy efficient and a healthy environment.

• Replace household appliances that can drain a lot of power by choosing energy-star-rated ones, replace water wasters with low flush toilets and low flow showerheads & faucets and replace bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs.

Where to find an energy-efficient homes in Edmonton

Most new builds in Edmonton are now energy-efficient homes which have arose from high demand in our city. This trend will continue with the builders and the increasing cost of heating our properties.The Blatchford community is an up-and-coming community near the downtown core that focuses on the environment and saving our natural resources which has been in play for several years now. There are also several homes in both the University and Bonnie Doon areas where special attention has been given to mature houses making these homes net zero properties. As you drive by our older "luxury neighborhoods, you will notice additional solar panels on the roofs as time passes.

If you own a net-zero or energy-efficient home in Edmonton and would like to sell, please contact us. We have buyers waiting for houses like yours.

Does Your Real Property Report Have Compliance?

If you are selling a home and have been told that there is no compliance or you have a non-conforming property, don't panic if you have not accepted an offer to purchase. Your Edmonton Remax REALTOR® can walk you through how to write or amend the purchase agreement to ensure you will not be penalized. However, if you have sold your home and are just finding out, you have no compliance or non-confirmation, talk to your lawyer.

The residential AREA real estate purchase agreements contain a clause that clearly outlines the factors of the real property report....

"The current use of the Land and Buildings complies with the existing municipal land use... buildings and other improvements on the Land are not placed partly or wholly on any easement ... do not encroach on neighbouring lands ... directly on the real property report ...location of Buildings and other improvements on the land complies with all relevant municipal bylaws, regulations or relaxations ... prior to the Completion Day, or the Buildings and other improvements on the Land are non-conforming buildings as that term is defined in the Municipal Government Act (Alberta) ...current use of the Land and Buildings and the location of the Buildings and other improvements on the Land comply with any restrictive covenant..."

Drawbacks of Non-Compliance or Non-Confirmation:

Knowing in advance that there may be an issue with compliance or non-confirmation on your real property report will save time, money and stress, by dealing with the issues in advance. Depending on the nature of the deficiency. A request to the municipality for a certificate may lead to a requirement for substantial alterations, relocation or destruction of certain structures.

The buyer may choose not to go ahead with the purchase until deficiencies are resolved. Under the AREA contract, the warranties provided by the seller only relate to development issues and not building code issues; and while there is some debate among lawyers on this issue, most take the view that any building code deficiencies including the lack of building code permits are the responsibility of the buyer.

Knowing in advanced provides certainty for both buyer and seller at the time of closing regarding compliance with development issues and provides the opportunity for a buyer to have the seller remedy any deficiencies in this regard prior to or in conjunction with the closing.

It can be used to address the validity of permits that may or may not have been pulled to add, replace or alter a deck, garden shed, gazebo or greenhouse. Any concerns or questions regarding issues with your real property report, please contact your real estate lawyer. Note* The town of Morinville no longer requires compliance.

Alberta REALTOR® Fiduciary Duties

Real Estate Agents in the province of Alberta who are in an agency capacity for buyer or seller clients have duties mandated by the legal system called fiduciary duties. The position of the REALTOR® is a fiduciary capacity, acting in the best interests of the client.

• Obedience: Your real estate agent must obey your instructions as long as it is legal and in accordance with your brokerage agreement.
• Loyalty: Your real estate agent must be loyal and keep your best interests ahead of those of any other party, including themselves.
• Disclosure: In the province of Alberta, the law requires real estate agents, whether in an "agency" capacity or not, to disclose material facts to their client. Material facts are those that, if known by the buyer or seller, might have caused them to change their purchase or sale actions. In a signed agency agreement, your real estate agent must disclose more than the material facts. They must disclose all known or suspected information regarding the purchase of the property.
• Confidentiality: A real estate agents fiduciary duty of confidentiality means that nothing learned about you can be disclosed including your business, financial, personal affairs or motivations. This confidentiality fiduciary duty must be maintained for eternity.
• Accounting: Your real estate agent is accountable for all documents and funds in the transaction. Accurate reporting of the whereabouts of all monies pertaining to the transaction and the ultimate disposition. All documents are to be kept for at least six years.
• Reasonable Care: The words "reasonable care" are only finally fully defined in many cases by a judge or jury when it's too late to change your actions. Most Edmonton Real Estate Agents, as a rule of thumb, go by the ethics code "What we know, you know" when acting in an agency relationship.

Whether you work with a REALTOR® in Edmonton under a "customer status" or a "client status with a buyer brokerage agreement", before signing any paperwork including writing an offer, it is a regulatory requirement to present and discuss our Consumer Relationship Guide with you which includes the real estate agency relationship you have chosen to work under.

Why You Should Always Pull a Land (Property) Title Search

Basic information on a property title will include:

• The current owners' name: In the event of an estate sale, probate may or may not have been completed and your real estate agent will ensure the person selling the property does have power of attorney. In the event, there is only one person on the title in a marriage, a dower consent will also be needed to complete the sale.
• The Legal description: The municipal or mailing address is different from the legal description and includes a block, lot and Plan number.
• The amount of the last mortgage, any second or third mortgages or the original purchase amount at the time of purchase or there may be a nominal fee.

Other things which can be revealed on a property title search may include:

• Outstanding or owing property taxes, special assessments, delinquent condominium fees which have not been paid by the seller.
• Outstanding creditors including other financial institutions and businesses for things like unpaid vehicle loans, furniture stores, construction loans, personal loans, etc
• A lis pendens, which is normally added by a lawyer during divorce procedures and "freezes" the transfer of a property until all parties are satisfied.
• Easements and Liens from a third party, such as the municipality, utility company or Environmental liens, who may have rights to use part of your property.
• Covenants are restrictions on the land that can limit what can be built on it, where it can be built and from what materials it may be built. Breaching a covenant can have serious consequences so it is necessary to be aware of any covenants on your property.

It is important to pull the land title certifictae prior to writing an offer. If you wait until you go in to sign with your lawyer, it can cause closing delays.

What is a CMA & How to Use it

Edmonton real estate agents can provide comparative market analysis, also known as a CMA, for any property including properties subject to divorce, civil enforcement, foreclosures, estate sales, city tax purposes, etc. It takes time for real estate agents to complete accurate home evaluations. Unless you have plenty of experience in buying and selling real estate, online home evaluations may be completely misleading and should never be used as a realistic asking price.

Seller Comparative Market Analysis

When working with sellers, a comparative market analysis is used to determine a realistic and accurate asking price. A Seller CMA is based on comparable properties which are currently active (homes for sale), recently sold homes (usually within the last six months), expired (homes that did not sell for various reasons) and the history of these homes. Other factors will include the current market, supply and demand, condition of the property, location, community absorption rate and many other factors. Experienced, professional agents will take the time to go through all of this data with you, together with determining a true asking price for your Edmonton Home.

Buyer Comparative Market Analysis

When working with buyers, a comparative market analysis is similar to a bank appraisal and is used to write a reasonable offer to purchase. A buyers CMA is based on both current homes for sale and recently sold home price in Edmonton taking into consideration all relevant factors including the condition, size and location. For new builds, this process is a bit different and is based more on the cost to build, economic factors, building quality, and the reputation of the builder.

Free Comparative Market Analysis

If you are thinking about selling your home or if your home did not sell due to other factors, feel free to contact us for a professional no-obligation Edmonton home evaluation. We also service Morinville, Bon Accord, Gibbons, St. Albert, Spruce Grove, Beaumont and Devon. Our Edmonton Houses and Homes Agents will take the time to help, educate and inform you on all real estate aspects of your property to determine the right value for your home, ensuring you receive the highest possible price.

Does Your Bank Require an Appraisal?

Appraisals are an important part of buying and selling homes in Edmonton. Real estate appraisals establish Edmonton sold properties market value prices. Banks and financial institutions require property appraisals when buyers require a mortgage on their new homes as security and provide financial institutions with a cost-effective assurance of the properties value for lending purposes. 

Appraisals are detailed reports compiled by licensed real estate appraisers. Don't confuse a comparative market analysis, or CMA, with a real estate appraisal. A CMA is a sales report based on data entered into the multiple listing service, or MLS. Real estate agents use CMAs to help their clients determine realistic asking and offering prices.

An appraisal is also not the same thing as a property inspection. Home inspectors test appliances and outlets, check the plumbing and electrical, confirm heating and cooling system are in working order, use inspection tools to look for any moisture issues, missing insulation, etc. Such information is helpful for the buyer to know before moving in.

If your real estate appraisal comes in low, the bank may not lend you the money you need to satisfy your finance condition. You may need to come up with the difference in cash or re-negotiate the sale price of the property.