I often get asked by people looking at Real Estate in Lethbridge Alberta about foreclosures.  When you are browsing through listings, there are a few hints that a listing may be a foreclosure: 1)  It says As is where is, somewhere in the description, or might even mention a schedule A. 2) You can see that there are notices taped to the front door or the front window in the photos 3) You can see tape across the toilets and sinks, (this means that the water has been shut off on the property) 4) The property will most likely be vacant and there will be no personal belongings in the home Just because it is a Lethbridge foreclosure, it does not mean that it is in rough shape, or a fixer upper.  Many foreclosures now are in fine condition.  Just because it is a foreclosure does not always mea... 01/17/2013

When a Lethbridge Real Estate listing is posted with no interior photos, is is usually one of four reaons.   1.  It's a Mess:   The house is a mess inside or so cluttered that the realtor feels that photos will decrease the number of viewings.  Or it could be a Lethbridge foreclosure, and there are no plans to clean it.      2.  Privacy:  Some home owners are very private, and even though they are trying to sell their home, they do not want interior photos availalbe for the world to see.  Also, if it is a tenant occupied home, the tenant may not have given permission to take photos, (and tenant occupied homes can often be too messy). 3.  Lazy Realtor: There are a few cases, where the realtor is too busy and has not yet taken interior photos.  Or she could be hiring a professional to do ... 01/01/2013

A client recently asked me if they could view conditionally sold houses in Lethbridge Alberta.  In Lethbridge, houses are usually "conditionally sold" for a few weeks, before the deal goes final.  This gives the buyers, and sometimes the sellers, the time to satisfy their conditions.  The most common conditions we see in Lethbridge are buyers' conditions for financing and property inspection.  Even after a buyer has been pre-qualified, they have to submit an accepted offer to their bank, so that the bank can approve the house being purchased.  During the conditional period, buyers should have a propery inpection by a qualified Lethbridge Property inspector.  A Real Estate Transaction in Lethbridge can crash, or fail,  if the buyer is not approved for financing of the house, or if the pr... 12/29/2012

The city of Lethbridge has some great maps available on their website.  Just go to http://www.lethbridge.ca/living-here/Maps/Pages/Interactive-WebMAPs.aspx   You can find information on many things such as city of Lethbridge future development, location of schools in Lethbridge, information about city recreational facilities, and legal information on property.  If you click on the property information tab, you can also see aerial photography, from different years including 2011, and as far back as 1999.  You can also search for an aerial photograph of your own home.  Or perhaps you want to know about the back lane access, and the size of the yard of a house you are interested in, or what direction it faces.  The aerial view is a great feature.   I've used it to take this aerial view of ... 12/19/2012

Lethbridge Real Estate Deals, Christmas is coming.  In December, people are normally very busy with their lives, as Christmas can take up a lot of your energy.  House buyers like to take the month off, and many people in the Real Estate Industry in Lethbridge take this time to go somewhere warm.  Inventory can be a little bit down at this time, as there are many people waiting until January to list their homes.  However, don't forget that you can find Lethbridge Real Estate Deals in December.  There are two builders, Avonlea, and Daytona, that are hosting big sales in December.  Also, there are some home owners that may be a little bit more motivated to accept an offer during these cold snowy months.  So if you are a Lethbridge home buyer, and thinking of pausing your search during Dece... 12/12/2012

So you have decided to write an offer on a Lethbridge home. The first thing people think about is price, but besides the price, there are many things that you need to consider.   1)      DEPOSIT: What kind of a deposit you want to offer.  Real estate deposits in Lethbridge can range from as little as $1,000 to more than $10,000, depending on the price of the home, and the time until possession.   2)      ATTACHMENTS:  Are you going to ask for the things that are included with the home? Fridge, stove, washer-dryer, for example.      3)      POSSESSION: What day would you like to officially own the house? If you are renting, remember you will need to give notice there as well. Possession day should be a business day so lawyers can transfer funds. If you are buying and selling at the same ... 11/29/2012

In Lethbridge Real Estate, I am often asked by buyers if they need to call the agent on the sign to see a listing.  In fact, I often see people who have set up several appointments in one day, all with different Lethbridge agents. This is of course, one way for someone to meet several agents.  However, the beauty of our MLS system, is that any agent can show you any MLS listing.  That way, if you find several homes that you like online, you only need to call one agent, and they can make appointments for you to see them all.  I am happy to show buyers, any of my Lethbridge MLS listings, http://www.viewlethbridge.com/lethbridgehousingmarket.html as well, I can show buyers any Lethbridge MLS listings.  You can search for MLS listings here on my website: http://www.viewlethbridge.com/search... 11/21/2012

Why didn’t my Lethbridge Home Sell? – Expired Listings. If you have tried to sell your home in Lethbridge, and it did not sell, there are three main reasons why. Marketing, Condition, Price MARKETING: the greater exposure your home has, the more potential buyers will see it, and that increases the likelihood of an offer.    1)      Internet presence:  The majority of home buyers start their search on the Internet.  Is your home easy to find? Your home may be on mls.ca,  but check out what other websites your agent puts your home on.  You can google your own address and see what comes up.   2)      Description:  Is the description of your home inviting?  Does it compel you to take a look? Do you have a virtual tour available as well?   3)      Photos:  How many photos of your home are po... 11/19/2012

Congratulations, you have bought a home or condo in Lethbridge, Alberta.  There are a few things you need to do before you move in or take possession. Once the deal is done, and conditions have been removed, you likely have a month or more before you move into your new Lethbridge, Alberta home. What is there still that needs to be done? Moving Checklist for Lethbridge Alberta. 1. Set up your utilities. Call the company that you want, and get your utilities started for the day of your possession. (You may need to cancel them where you are currently living too). Check out this link for setting up your utilities in Lethbridge. http://www.viewlethbridge.com/lethbridge-utilities.html 2. Get your insurance. You will need to get insurance, or transfer insurance from your current home. It is al... 11/19/2012

A schedule A is an Addendum to a contract, that goes over the extra rules associated with a foreclosure.   Each bank or mortgage company has its own schedule A, with details to protect them, but usually they say things like: -we don’t guarantee that this house conforms to municipal land use bylaws. -we don’t guarantee the condition of the home -we are not going to provide you with a Real Property report -It’s as is where is, we are not going to do anything to the house. -We don’t guarantee that GST is included in the price   However, that does not stop you from getting a home inspection done, and checking with the city yourself that a property complies.  Often, the bank that makes a decision on the sale of a foreclosure, knows little about the house other than what was defaulted on the ... 11/01/2012

Can you tell me what the other offer is for in Lethbridge Alberta?  This is a question that agents are often asked when dealing with Real Estate, when people want to look at a house that has a conditionally accepted offer, or in a multiple offer situation. No we can't tell you what the offer is for.  Sometimes, a listing realtor will let it slip, but Realtors in Lethbridge cannot reveal the price of a home that a seller was willing to accept.  If the conditions are not removed on an offer, then it becomes known what price the seller was willing to accept.  Should the first deal fall through, someone who was thinking of writing a higher offer is likely going to write for what the first offer was or lower. The same in a multilple offer situation.  If everyone in a multiple offer situation... 10/31/2012

If you are starting out your life together, then you may want to start out with a home that you can both call your own. Whether this is your first home, or you are blending two families, you will likely have many questions.  Call me for a free-no obligation consulation and tour of homes in the Lethbridge area. I can help you put together your list of wants, needs, and match them with your budget.   http://www.viewlethbridge.com/newlywed.html   10/01/2012

In the Lethbridge Market, Luxury homes can be classified as homes that are more than $500,000. In 2011, on the MLS system there were 27 homes sold for over $500,000, and only one at over 1,000,000, (of course, there are some custom builds or some sold directy from the builder that do not show up). There are also over 127 listings of homes over $500,000 that either expired or were cancelled, (some homes are counted more than once here so you have to be careful with the statistic). But it does mean that luxury homes require more to find the right buyer. If you are selling, you need a realtor that is going to give you a lot if Internet Exposure.   If you are looking for a neighborhood for your Lethbridge Luxury Home, you have several choices. The choice of neighborhood is an increasingly i... 09/27/2012

You may think that having to deal with multiple offers on your home is a wonderful problem. After all, there are so many buyers clamoring to purchase your property!   The challenge, however, is picking the best offer – and that isn't always the one with the highest price.   Most offers come with conditions, such as "conditional on securing appropriate financing" or "conditional on the sale of our current property." You have to consider both the price and the conditions when choosing which offer to accept.   There are other considerations, too. What if someone makes a great offer on your home, but they don't have a pre-approved mortgage and they haven’t put their current home on the market? That kind of offer is risky because it is more likely than an unconditional offer to fall through.... 09/21/2012

If you have always thought, I would should give blood some time, here is your chance. In the real estate industry, we deal with so many families and individuals. Let's show them we care. This event is going through all of August, until September 30th. The goal is 1500 units of Blood. This is for Realtors from all brokerages, and we are challenging the  financial/mortgage brokers,  lawyers/insurance,  inspectors/appraiser/contractors,  Homebuilders/contractors, as well as the general public to take part.   Clinic hours are Tuesday 10am-4:30pm Wed and Thursday 12-7:30pm Friday 10am-3pm Saturday 10am -2pm You can book online also at www.blood.ca, or call 1888 2donate(1-888-236-6283) In Lethbridge, the clinic is at Lethbridge Centre, 2nd Level, #220 200-4th Avenue South, (so century 21 Agen... 08/09/2012

The charity of the month for July for Realty Executives Devonshire in Lethbridge is the Family Centre.  http://www.famcentre.ca/ They provide great services for the community, (see their webiste above for more information).  We are holding a raffle now, and giving away some great prizes, including family passes to Calaway Park, The Lethbridge Hurricanes, Galaxy Bowl, Evergreen Golf Centre, the Corn Maze, Frank Slide, Chris Yauck Photograpy, the Empress Theatre, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, Gem of the West Museum, Lethbridge Fun Centre, Picture Butte Golf Course, Galt Museum, Birds of Prey Centre, Holiday Bowl, and much more.  There are also gift certificates for Centre Village Mall, Humpty's, and more. If you would like some raffle tickets, call me at 403 795 8783, or come to the Realt... 07/24/2012

The process for home posession differs by province, and by city as well.  In Lethbridge and area, we almost always do a walk-through, even if it is not written into the contract.  Lawyers here have come to expect this. Normally, the walkthrough is done either the morning of possession, or the evening before.  This is just to ensure that what is supposed to be left in the house is still there, and that there hasn’t been any damage to the house since the offer was accepted.   If everything is satisfactory with the home, then the client calls their lawyer and lets him or her know it is okay to transfer funds.  Usually the funds get transferred before 12noon.  When the seller’s lawyer has received the funds, they will call the listing Realtor to let them know the funds are there.  Then the... 06/25/2012

You have been searching for a home in Lethbridge, but are looking for a larger lot, and a smaller price?  Why not try some of the towns closer to Lethbridge.  There are quite a few towns within easy commuting distance of Lethbridge, and they are covered by the Lethbridge Real Estate Board.  Take a look at the chart on the following link to get an idea of what towns there are and how far away they are from Lethbridge. http://www.viewlethbridge.com/towns-near-lethbridge.html     06/19/2012

The Baby Crawl Contest June 30, 2012 Starts at 1:30 PM, at Centre Village Mall Lethbridge, 1240 2a Ave N, Lethbridge AB, T1H 0E4 Ages 1 year and under Must have two people at attendance with baby Registration on June 30th, a cash donation ALL PROCEEDS TO THE LUNG ASSOCIATION, Sponsored by Realty Executives, Centre Village Mall, and Canada First Mortgage Call JEN AT 403 795 8783 for details 06/15/2012

The Bank of Canada has reduced the qualifying interest rate, AGAIN.    This qualifying rate applies to anyone who is seeking mortgage financing and is taking a term of less than 5 years.    The qualifying rate as of today has changed to 5.24% for terms less than 5 years.  This still seems somewhat high, as the short term mortgage rates can readily be found for under 3%, however the intention of the Bank of Canada to encourage longer terms and avoid purchasing beyond your means is good.   For consumers, this means that more than ever they will be encouraged or forced to take 5 year term mortgages. 06/11/2012