Recent blockbuster Bad Neighbours is a story about a young family that wars against new neighbours: a Fraternity.  While this would be an extreme example of bad neighbours, the truth of the matter is that sometimes bad neighbours are inevitable.  The first tidbit of advice I would give would be PREVENT IT BEFORE IT STARTS:  We typically choose where we want live, and we often inspect the home top to botton, why not do the same about with the neighbourhood.  Has your potential next door neighbour failed to use a lawnmower all summer?  Are there piles of garbage throughout their backyard, perhaps attracting pests?  Do they run a small business that creates noise like a mechanic or wood shop?  Do they own 17 vehicles parked on the street, never allowing space for your guests?  If these or... 09/30/2014

Back by popular demand is Lethbridge's Reuse Rendevous. Residents of Lethbridge are invited to place new or used unwanted but useable items on their front lawn from September 12 - September 14, 2014 marked as FREE. This annual event is in it's 3rd year and is very popular with the community. Although the City of Lethbridge will not pick up these items from you when the event is over so be sure to clean up on time! Lethbridge residents can declutter before winter; common items include cd's, kitchen utensils/ appliances, kids toys, tools, clothing, shoes, and furniture. Cruise Lethbridge neighborhoods this weekend and find something great!  If you are thinking of selling your Lethbridge Home, or listing your Lethbridge home, this could be a great way to start your home staging and declutt... 09/08/2014

Lethbridge Acreage -MLS LD0044585Check here for full listing and photos         Have you been dreaming of Lethbridge acreage living? This immaculate Lethbridge Acreage for sale boasts 1.96  acres, five minutes out of Lethbridge. The short drive north of the Lethbridge Northside Walmart is mostly paved, with just a small strip of gravel road leading up to the property that has been treated to cut down on dust. Built in 2005 there are two homes. The bungalow features 1600 square feet, attached to the 2 storey (classified as a mother-in-law suite by the county) which is approximately 1400 square feet. Care and detail were used in the construction of the home with high end building materials used for the properties. There is a firewall between the two properties. Shared between the homes:  ... 09/08/2014

Lethbridge Mortgage Seekers Advice   CMHC is once again tightening their rules by eliminating some of their mortgage insurance products.  On friday they announced that it is going to stop offering mortgage insurance on second homes. It will also stop offering mortgage insurance to self-employed people whose income cannot be validated through traditional means.   This means no more purchasing of CMHC insurance for cottages, cabins, summer homes, or those who purchase homes in another city for seasonal enjoyment or for kids to go to school.   It also means an end to insuring of "stated income" mortgage products which so many self employed and small business people have had to rely upon.  This has been a product which has personally been a popular item and is one which will affect the Leth... 04/25/2014

  If you're like most people, you go to see a doctor when you're not feeling well or have a health concern. However, you may also visit your doctor for a check-up, or to ask questions about healthy living.    In fact, consulting your doctor for anything health-related is a smart idea.The same holds true when it comes to real estate.  Many people only call a REALTOR® when they're planning on selling their property or buying a new home, or both. While that's an important reason to speak to a REALTOR®, it's not the only reason.   Indeed, there are many good reasons for you to give a good REALTOR® a call. For example: If you have a question about the state of the local real estate market. (Remember, things in Lethbridge, Coaldale, and Coalhurst, may be very different from what you hear on ... 03/18/2014

MPE Geomatics and Halma Surveys have just annouced that they have merged, and are now known as MPE HALMA Land Surveys Ltd.  Halma surveys has been in operation since 1979.  MPE Geomatics Ltd., was formed in 2010 as a subsidiary of MPE engineering Ltd. to provide land surveying services to clients throughout the provicen and is based here in Lethbridge.  You can visit www.MPEGEO.ca for more information. In Alberta, with our standard contracts, it is the responsibility of the seller to provide an updated Real Property Report, (RPR), and letter of compliance, when selling real estate.  For a list of other Surveyors Lethbridge Surveyors for Real Property Reports     03/06/2014

    I would like to take the time to thank all of my clients, friends and associates, who voted in the 2014 Lethbridge Sun Times, Best of the Best poll.  I am very honoured to have won in 2014 for the category of Best REALTOR® in Lethbridge Alberta. Whether you are buying or selling Resisdential Real Estate in Lethbridge and area, please give me a call for a completmentary, no obligation consultation, or market evaluation.   03/04/2014

  City of Lethbridge Market Update February 2014   The month of February was a good month for the City of Lethbrdge, Sales were down slightly from last year as far as sales goes.  We had 80 sales which was fantastic considering the cold weather that we have had.  The average price and the new listing held steady.  The amount of time a home is stay on the market before it sells is still high but with the winter months ending I think this should change.  For more information about market call me and we can talk.   03/01/2014

As a REALTOR, I feel that buying Real Estate in Lethbridge, is a great investment for most everyone.  I am happy to help people buy and sell homes in Lethbridge.   However, there may be times when Buying Lethbridge Real Estate is NOT a good option for you.  If any of the following applies to you, you may want to rethink or postpone buying a home.     Do not have a steady job:  If you do not have a long time employment record, or are concerned about possible job cuts, it may not be a good time to buy (if this is the case, you may not be approved for a mortgage anyways). Poor Credit/no downpayment:  If you have poor credit, sometimes you can still get a mortgage.  However, you may be better off rebuilding your credit and waiting until things have improved. Mortgage rates for people with s... 01/20/2014

In 2012, and 2013, I was honored to have placed 1st, and 2nd respectively for “Best Realtor”, in the Lethbridge Sun Times best of the best poll.    The Sun Times is running the "Best of the Best 2014" poll again, and I would love your help. If you could take a minute to vote for me, Jennifer Brodoway, in the REALTOR category, I would very much appreciate it.   http://mybestofthebest.ca/?page_id=33   You can also of course, vote for your favorite services in many of the other categories as well.   Thanks so much for your support.         01/08/2014

It’s always a good idea to get a home inspection when buying Real Estate in Lethbridge, Alberta.  You have found a home you like, so what comes first, the property inspection or the offer to purchase?   Almost all the time the offer is first.  The inspection will come after you have an accepted offer to purchase. Offers are written normally subject to a satisfactory home inspection.  That means after you have a contract, you have the right to do a home inspection, (at the your expense).  If you are not happy with the home inspection, depending on how your contract is written, you have the opportunity to get out of the contract, or renegotiate.   You can get an inspection before writing an offer, but this can be a bit risky, and there are not really any advantages to doing it.  You could... 10/31/2013

Most of the time when buyer's have conditions in Lethbridge for buying a house, the conditions are financing and a property inspection. There can be many other conditions like subject to mom and dad's approval, subject to getting satisfactory insurance, and anything else you can think of, but financing and a property inspection are the main ones.   Even when buyers are pre-approved, and pre-qualified, they will still need to put in a financing condition.  Most of the time, the bank that they are getting their mortgage from will still need to approve the house that the buyers have chosen, (to make sure that the buyers are not paying $275,000 for a house that is only worth $250,000 for example). The time period for a financing condition is normally 14 calendar days, or 10 business days.  ... 07/04/2013

Buying an Adult Condo or Senior Condo in Lethbridge When people are retiring in Lethbridge, many are looking to buy an adult condo or senior condo in Lethbridge.  There are many options for people 40plus, and 50plus,  and seniors who want to own condos in Lethbridge. Many people enjoy the social aspect of the condos, and the low maintenance "pack up and go" lifestyle.   There are a few adult condos (senior Condos) located along Scenic Drive: River Ridge, is at 100 2nd ave South.  It has a nice pool, and some of the units have great coulee views.  Rio Vista, is located at 75, 1st avenue South.  Also nearby at 20, 3rd street South, is Grandview Village, which is very close to ParkPlace mall.  These condos fees include most everything, (heat, electricity, maintenance, reserve fund), and th... 07/02/2013

 What’s the Neighborhood Like?  Riverstone is a beautiful area in West Lethbridge, just South of the University.  It is a collection of almost all single family homes, ranging just under 300,000 to over 1,000,000, (at the time of writing this in June of 2013).  Homes started being built in the Riverstone area in about 2002, and there are still many new homes being built there now.  Homes you will find in Riverstone will be more than 1,000 square feet, with garages (attached or detached), and ensuites. Lot sizes will vary.  There is a lot of greenspace and walking paths in Riverstone. There are many new homes being built in the south end of Riverstone that start around 300,000.  Many of the stars lottery homes have been built in Riverstone. Neighborhood Map of Riverstone from the City We... 06/26/2013

There is always a lot to do when preparing your home for sale,(de-cluttering, painting, fixing things, etc…..)  But there is more to do than just getting the physical parts of your home ready.    There is always paperwork involved in the sale of a home, and you should have the following documents ready: Mortgage documents- How much do you owe?  Can you transfer your mortgage to another property?  Is there a payout penalty? Real Property Report:  The seller is required to provide an up to date Real Property Report when selling a single family home in Lethbridge.  Letter of Compliance:  You should have a letter of compliance from the city stating that your home conforms with municipal land use bylaws. Tax assessment:  Buyers are going to want to know what the city assessment is on your pr... 06/23/2013

Open House in Lethbridge Saturday 2-4 pm  Rain or Shine June 22, 2013 This solid 1 owner home is now for sale by the original family who built it.  The house is in pretty much original condition and offers a great opportunity for you to make equity by doing some cosmetic upgrades.   The house has a total of 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and is fully developed upstairs and down.  It has a full basement and has never had any water problems, which is a huge deal right now with the local flooding that we are having in Lethbridge and the rest of Alberta.   This Lethbridge home is located on a full size double lot and is treed and landscaped.  It has an attached single garage, storage shed, and has had new shingles installed within the last year.   Great opportunity to buy a home and make some mon... 06/21/2013

Often in Lethbridge, people will offer $20,000 under list price.  It can still be considered a buyers' market here, and sometimes, that is justified.  But there are times, when you compare a house with other listings, the price it is at is the right one, and it is a good deal the price it is listed at. Sometimes people feel that they need to get a certain amount off of the list price, and are more caught up in negotiating, than the home they really want. Often people already know what they want to offer, before they have even seen the house. For example, there could be a great house listed at 250,000, when the comparable houses are listed at $260,000.  There are stilll some people who would like to go in at $230,000.  Of course, it is the buyer's right to go in at whatever price they wa... 04/03/2013

Here's a bit of a Real Estate Fairy Tale, but it often comes true, (just with different characters). Jack and Jill bought their Lethbridge house for 260,000 in 2008.  They spent another 25,000 on fencing, landscaping, and basement development.  Jack and Jill want to sell their house in 2013.  Jack and Jill price their Lethbridge home at: 260,000 Price they paid25,000 improvements15,000 realtor fees1,000 Lawyer fees10,000 ProfitJack and Jill Price their house at: 311,000 Bill and Sally are buying a home in 2013 (prices have gone down a bit since 2008).  They want a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom home, 5 years old or less, and are approved up to $300,000.  They see that they can get what they want for about 275,000.  Billy and Sally see Jack and Jill's listing online, but they decide that it is way... 03/20/2013

Real estate commissions can be confusing, and some Lethbridge Home Sellers do not realise how Lethbridge Real Estate Commissions work.  In Lethbridge, buyers do not pay commissions, (real estate agents are paid by the seller from the proceeds of the transaction).   There are options; different fees and different levels of service. The Real Estate Council of Alberta has a great page for explaining the different types of Real Estate Commissions.   http://www.reca.ca/consumers/content/consumer-information/commission-calculations.html   03/20/2013

Every year the Lethbridge Sun Times has a poll and lets the public vote for their favorite businesses here in Lethbridge and area.  Everything from restaurants, to Limousine companies, plumbers, photographers, and Real Estate Agents. Thanks to everyone who voted.  I am honoured to be in the Realtor category 2years in a row, (#1 2012, #2 2013).  Also, my Lethbridge Real Estate Website, www.viewlethbridge.com , was voted one of the top 3 local websites.   02/27/2013