Limited service companies are often erroneously refered to as discount brokerages; the difference lies in the representation. With most limited service companies you are not a client but a customer, and therefore they cannot offer you any advice (if they do you become a client and then they owe all of the fiduciary duties that go with being a client). On the [...]
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My Agent wants me to sign a Buyer Brokerage Agreement
I recently did a post about buyer brokerage agreements and it seems they are becoming more and more common, as I’m getting asked by people who are looking to buy a home if they will have to sign one or if they will have the option to sign one. Some agents will not work with you unless they have a [...]
City of Edmonton Waste Collection Survey
The city of Edmonton is considering changing the way we are charged for waste collection. They would like to encourage residents to put out less waste, and have come up with 5 scenarios to pay for waste collection, including offering a reduced collection fee for those households that put out only 1 container of waste and 1 container of recycling.
Voice [...]
First Time Buyer Tax Credit
It’s that time of year and many people are not aware that the government of Canada is offering a tax credit to first time home buyers. You can qualify for the tax credit even if you bought your second home in some cases. In addition, if you bought a home to accomodate a person with a disability you can qualify [...]
$100 Off
On a recent post one of our regular readers was lamenting about a Calgary real estate agent who reduced their listing by $100.00. He added that real estate agents will do all kinds of tricks to get clients. In fairness, I don’t know anything about the situation or the agent but of course I’ve got my 2 cents to throw in.
First [...]
Big Increase in Education Levy Coming to Greater Edmonton Area
While the cities of Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park tried to keep property tax increases to a minimum this year, the provincial education tax will see its largest increase in 10 years.
The education budget is determined by the province, but the levy is collected by the municipalities (along with property taxes) on behalf of the province.
With huge class sizes and [...]
Analysts Expect Tightening of Mortgage Rules Again This Year
Sheldon and I have long thought there would be another decrease in the maximum amortization period for mortgages this year. It makes sense since the Federal Government decreased the maximum amortization from 40 to 35 years a few years ago, and then further decreased it to 30 years last year – we always assumed the end goal was to go [...]
RRSP Tip
This short and sweet video from the Globe and Mail talks about the benefits of paying down your mortgage instead of buying RRSPs.
Something to think about! [...]
1 Million Page Views
I was happily surprised when I checked our analytics yesterday. Our Edmonton MLS® Search web site – edmontonrealestate.pro – reached a new milestone and got over 1 million page views in the month of January! Thanks to everyone who uses the site to find real estate in Edmonton! We will continue to improve the site and add new features as [...]
Special Report: Year in Review and 2012 Forecast
We have finally completed our annual “Year in Review and 2012 Forecast.” We will be emailing it out to subscribers and fans tomorrow (Jan. 24) afternoon. Don’t miss out – subscribe or like us today! [...]
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Edmonton Real Estate Market Weekly Update – April 27/12
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Edmonton Real Estate Market Weekly Update – Star Wars Day
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Edmonton Real Estate Market Weekly Update – May 11/12
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Edmonton: The epicenter of North America
Photos on flickr
About Us
The Edmonton Real Estate Blog is written by Sheldon Johnston and Sara MacLennan of Coldwell Banker Johnston real estate; both are licensed real estate associates in the Province of Alberta.
Aside from blogging, Sheldon manages the brokerage and assists clients buying and selling real estate in the Edmonton area, while Sara focuses on marketing and business development. If you're thinking of buying or selling real estate, or if you're interested in a career with one of Edmonton's most successful teams, contact them at blog@teamjohnston.com.
The opinions contained herein are those of the authors and are just that - their opinions. For legal information, consult a lawyer. For mortgage information consult a mortgage professional. For tax information consult an accountant. This information is not intended to solicit clients already under contract.
For more information about us visit our website.
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