Chestermere, AB

As RE/MAX is a sponsor of Spruce Meadows we have free family tickets available on a first come-first serve basis.

On June 10th to 14th there is the Nationals

Agrium presents "Growing the Next Generation." Friday Saturday and Sunday

Spruce Meadows Canadian Show Jumping Championship

Spruce Meadows Prarie Dogs Presented by Kozy Shack. Friday Saturday and Sunday

On July 1-5 the is the North American Show Jumping Championship

Sunlife Financials' International Plaza Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday

The Canadian Forces "Feau du Joie" Saturday and Sunday.

Spruce Meadows Prairie Dogs Presented by Kozy Shack. Friday Saturday and Sunday

On September 9-13 there is the Masters featuring best show jumping athletes from 15 nations

over 200 exhibits in t Equi-fair

BP festival of nations

Spruce Meadows Prairie Dogs Presented by Kozy Shack. Friday Saturday and Sunday

Please contact our office at 403-569-2900 for free tickets subject to availability. If you are not in Chestermere please check with the RE/MAX office nearest you for tickets.

Visit the Spruce Meadows Website for more information.

http://www.sprucemeadows.com/

Rainbow Creek Elementary is holding a comedy and magic night to raise funds for their playground. Tickets are $20 and there will be a silent auctions, door prize and 50/50 draw.

There will be a cash bar and appetizers will be served.

This event will be held at the Chestermere Community centre on Saturday June 20 for 7pm to midnight.

For tickets call Lori Skehar 403-235-0845

We are sponsoring free movie nights for teens. We had a problem getting a place to show them as the library has limited hours. Our town council has been kind enough to open the large foyer area so that we can show them there. Doug and I bought the rights from ACF films to show pre-release movies to the public, so the kids would be able to go to a movie right here in Chestermere. We are showing Knowing, a thriller with Nicholas Gage on the 11th and Push another thriller on June 18, On the 11 the movie will be shown from 6 to 8 pm. and on the 18th from 8 to 10 pm. These are pre-release movies, so they are still fairly new, they have not been released to the video stores or cable TV.

There is no charge for this YELL (Youth Encouraging Lasting Leadership) event.

One would think that with digital cameras it would not be too difficult to get new photos posted that don't have snow on them. Particularily with the primary photo, as it is the first photo they see. When buyer's see a home with snow on it they know that it has been on the market for a while. They will assume that there is something wrong with it. With so many homes on the market it is easy to just go to the next photo that has green grass and shows the landscaping.

Your clients will appreciate the effort if you take the time to go out and take new photos. Perhaps they will even take them for you and email them to you so you can uplaod them to mls.

With the enhancements to MLXChange we can now have 20 photos of our listings for clients to view. Have you taken the time to add extra shots so that your listing has an extra shot at getting sold? Good photos are essential to getting a home sold.

Before you do a price reduction, take a look at your photos and see if they really represent the house well. Buyers love virtual tours and it does not cost much more to have the home professionally photographed at the same time. Take a look at this tour done for us yesterday by Inner Circle. http://innercircleimaging.com/1mckay/707/east_lakeview_place.html

The tour also includes a slide show of the home.

We see a lot of sellers get into trouble when they list their homes, before they have an up-to-date real property report.

A real property report used to be called a survey, but the real property report has more information than the survey did. It shows where all the improvements are on the property; such as the deck, the shed and of course the house and garage.

This website will answer any questions you may have about real property reports.

http://www.alsa.ab.ca/GeneralInfo/rpr.htm#What_is_a_Real_Property_Report

The town of Chestermere and all municipalities have bylaws as to how close your shed can be to the house, to the end of your property etc. The real property report will show all of these things, after you have the real property report you need to take it to the town of Chestermere and ask for a stamp of compliance. Here is the form you will need to complete for the town. This will cost you $85 for normal service or $185 for rush service. (at the time this blog was written).

http://chestermere.ca/images/uploads/Compliance_Cover_Letter.pdf

The standard real estate contract asks for a real property report with compliance to be sent to the buyer's lawyer 10 days before closing. So it will save you money if you have it before your home is listed. Please note that the town will not look at a RPR that is over one year old.

These are the things you have to look out for.

If you have a rpr with compliance that is not more than a few years old and nothing has changed that will likely be acceptable to the purchaser.

If you have added a deck over 12 inches in height or a fence, or added any accessory buildings larger than 11.2 square metres. (120 sq. ft.) you will need to update your real property report.

Before you order in a real property report you should make sure that your decks and accessory buildings comply with the town's bylaws. If they don't you will have to make a special application to have them approved, or you will have to be resurveyed at your cost once you move the problem. We have seen people have their shed too close to the property line and have to move it and then have it resurveyed and if you check before hand you can move it first, and they not pay survey fees twice.

Here is the town brochure on building a deck

http://chestermere.ca/images/uploads/16_Deck_Brochure.pdf

Here is information on sheds. http://chestermere.ca/images/uploads/AccBuilding_Brochure_Jan_2009.pdf

We hope that knowing this will save you some headaches.....Next blog what if my RPR does not comply?