I am asked by both clients and real estate professionals on a weekly basis for information and advice regarding basement suites. This is a very serious issue here in the Lethbridge Alberta real estate market as our basement suite marketplace is prime for investors who are looking for maximum return on their real estate investment, and also for home buyers who wish to supplement their income and help make their mortgage payment with a little revenue out of a secondary suite in their property.

So, as a matter of interest and public benefit, here is a link and the original text of the Alberta Fire Code which governs these suites. It is pretty important to read it and understand it before buying or selling a property with a suite in it. It is also very important the all real estate professionals familiarize themselves with the code prior to listing, marketing, or showing such properties as they may accidentally walk into some liability due to being uninformed. I did write a similar post on these suites which you may be able to dig up with a little effort, or you could just give me a call directly if you need some assistance.

So here it is. It is pretty dry reading and unless you have the personality of a lawyer or a rock (sorry rocks), your likely going to be speed reading and skipping lines before you get one third of the way through it. Enjoy.

Robert May

Lethbridge Fire Code for Suites

Requirements of the Alberta Fire Code 2006 Section 2.16 Secondary Suites:
1. 2.16.2.1. Height of Rooms and Spaces
1)Unless acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction, the height of rooms or spaces in
a secondary suite over the required minimum area in accordance with Table 9.5.3.1. of
Division B of the Alberta Building Code 2006 shall be not less than 1.95 m.
2. 16.2.2. Bedroom Windows
1)Except as permitted in Sentence 9.7.1.2.(1) of Division B of the Alberta Building Code
2006, each bedroom within a secondary suite shall have at least one outside window that
meets the requirements of Articles 9.7.1.2. and 9.7.1.3. of Division B of the Alberta
Building Code 2006.
3. 16.2.3. Exit Stairs
1) Exit stairs shall have a clear width of not less than 860 mm.
4. 16.2.4. Landings
1) Landings for stairs shall be at least as wide as the stairs and not less than 900 mm in
length.
5. 16.2.5. Handrails and Guards
1) Handrails and guards shall conform to the requirements of Subsections 9.8.7. and
9.8.8. of Division B of the Alberta Building Code 2006.
6. 16.2.6. Public and Exit Corridor Width
1) The clear width of every public corridor and exit corridor shall be not less than
860 mm.
7. 16.2.7. Unenclosed Exterior Stair or Ramp
1) Where an unenclosed exterior exit stair or ramp provides the only means of egress
from a secondary suite and is exposed to the hazards of fire from unprotected openings in
the exterior wall of another dwelling unit, the openings shall be protected in conformance
with Articles 9.10.13.5. and 9.10.13.7. of Division B of the Alberta Building Code 2006.
8. 16.2.8. Exit Doors
1) Every exit door or door that provides access to exit from a secondary suite shall be
a) not less than 1 980 mm high,
b) not less than 810 mm wide, and
c) permitted to swing inward.
9. 6.2.9. Means of Egress
1) Except as permitted in Sentence (2), each dwelling unit shall be provided with at least
one exit that leads directly to the outside.
2) Dwelling units may share a common exit meeting the requirements of
Article 2.16.2.10.
10. 16.2.10. Protection of Exits
1) Every exit, other than an exit doorway, shall be separated from adjacent floor areas by
not less than one layer of 12.7 mm thick gypsum wallboard or equivalent material on
each side of the walls. (See Appendix A.)
11. 16.2.11. Dwelling Unit Separations
1) Dwelling units shall be separated from each other by not less than one layer of
12.7 mm thick gypsum wallboard or equivalent material on the ceiling and on each side
of the walls. (See A-2.16.2.10.(1) in Appendix A.)
12. 16.2.12. Protection of Public Corridors
1) A public corridor shall be separated from the remainder of the building by not less than
one layer of 12.7 mm thick gypsum wallboard or equivalent material on each side of the
walls. (See A-2.16.2.10. (1) in Appendix A.)
13. 16.2.13. Furnace Room Separations
1) A furnace room shall be separated from the remainder of the building by not less than
one layer of 12.7 mm thick gypsum wallboard or equivalent material on the ceiling and
on each side of the walls. (See A-2.16.2.10. (1) in Appendix A.)
2) A door shall be provided to each furnace room.-
14. 16.2.14. Heating and Ventilation Systems
1) For an existing secondary suite, a single heating and ventilation system may be used to
serve both the secondary suite and main dwelling unit.
15. 16.2.15. Smoke Alarms
1) Smoke alarms conforming to CAN/ULC-S531, “Smoke Alarms,” installed in
accordance with Subsection 9.10.19. of Division B of the Alberta Building Code 2006
shall be provided in each dwelling unit.
2) Smoke alarms shall be installed by permanent connections to an electrical circuit and
wired so that activation of one smoke alarm will cause all alarms within both dwelling
units to sound.
3) Smoke alarms shall be installed in areas that are common to both dwelling units and
connected in conformance with Sentence (2).
16. 16.2.16. Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Smoke Alarms
1) Smoke alarms required by this Section shall be inspected, tested and maintained in
conformance with the manufacturer's instructions.

Lethbridge Real Estate

Lethbridge real estate and mortgage blog providing direct access to local Lethbridge Realtor and mortgage broker. If you are shopping for a forclosure, bank owned, repossession, fixer upper, distress sale, or court ordered sale, you need to be in my direct call list. If you are interested in selling, you need to make your home available to my cash money investors who are actively seeking houses and land in Lethbridge.

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The University of Lethbridge’s 2008 fundraising results show that a healthy $7 million was raised to support more than 200 separate areas on campus – from scholarships and bursaries to research projects and equipment purchases that will make a significant difference to students and researchers.

“Despite challenging economic times that have had an impact globally, the U of L has had one of the best years ever, thanks to our generous contributors,” said President Bill Cade. “Our dedicated donors made this year such a success, and we are truly grateful.”

“There is no doubt that as times get tough we need individuals and private businesses to show leadership and confidence through continued investment in our community," Cade added.

"The support provided to the University is a great example of this leadership. We are building something very special here at the University of Lethbridge – something our community can be proud of. I think the support we received this past year shows they are already proud.”

In 2008, more than 3,200 gifts were received from alumni, friends, students, and current and retired employees, with 69 per cent of those gifts destined to help students directly through student awards.

Donor generosity also enabled the University to obtain more than $3 million in matching funds from the Government of Alberta through the Access to the Future Fund.

Since 2005, more than $9 million has been directed toward the University of Lethbridge for scholarships, bursaries and support to the institution as a result of the province’s matching program.

Generous University of Lethbridge supporters featured in the 2008 Donor Report include:

- Glenn Varzari, a local Chartered Accountant, and his spouse Janice Varzari, a U of L Senator, member of the Alumni Honour Society and a counselor with Lethbridge Family Services, who supported the new Markin Hall building project for the Faculty of Management and School of Health Sciences. Their gift was matched by both the Chartered Accountants Education Foundation and the Access to the Future Fund.

- Calgary-based oil and gas entrepreneurs Darol and Evelyn Wigham, who have supported the University for many years with scholarships, bursaries and books for the Faculty of Education library. Their most recent gift helped researchers at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience acquire specific equipment for a new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility.

- Internationally renowned Canadian operatic tenor -- and U of L Honorary degree recipient -- Dr. Ben Heppner, whose benefit concert in Lethbridge established an endowment for U of L music students. More than $50,000 was raised for an award that will encourage students to pursue the performing arts.

- Charlene Janes, a staff member in the U of L International Centre for Students, who has established a bursary for international students. Charlene is one of more than 280 U of L faculty, staff and retirees, who have contributed towards Supporting Our Students 2008, an annual campaign to raise money for student awards.

- Nexen Inc. and Imperial Oil, which gave to support water research initiatives. When matched through the Access to the Future Fund, their support resulted in a combined $1 million investment in water research at the U of L.

A Downloadable PDF file of the 2008 Donor Report is available here

A printed copy can be requested by contac ting the University Advancement office, A735 University Hall (403) 329-2582 / advancement@uleth.ca

Here are a few of my favorite past articles from my Lethbridge real estate and mortgage blog you might have missed or wish to recommend them to a friend.

Common Financial Problems - Avoid these financial mistakes
Get Your Credit Score UP - Invaluable insight into your credit score
Mortgage Guidelines Get Tighter - Harder and harder to borrow money
Is Your Mortgage Company Out of Business in 2009? - What to do when your bank goes broke
What is wrong with MLS - Is your info being abused?
Survivor - Real Estate Edition - Let's vote a few more off the island

Robert May is a Realtor, as well as the broker and owner of Rainbow Realty of Lethbridge Alberta. He is also a licensed mortgage associate and financing expert with Canada First Mortgage of Calgary Alberta. He has been in the real estate industry since 1993 and offers full MLS real estate services to Lethbridge and surrounding area, as well as mortgage financing, refinancing/renewals, preapprovals, and home equity financing to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta. He can be found online at www.LethbridgeLoans.com

Let me share my 15 years experience in the local Lethbridge real estate and financing market with you! It is the first step towards making a profitable real estate decision.

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Often in the comments that I receive from others all across North America, the most frequently asked questions are:

1. how is the real estate market in Lethbridge?

2. how are the home prices in Lethbridge?

3. how is the employment market in Lethbridge?

Now while I don't think that any of these people have a vested interest in the answer to these questions, there is a curiosity by industry members to know a little bit about all other markets so that they can place in perspective relative to their own market.

In short, at the start of 2009, the Lethbridge real estate market is doing suprizingly good. There are a few pessimistic Realtors out there who complain far too much, but for those who do more working and less whining, there are buyers and sellers who need to buy or sell. Home prices have fallen off from their highpoint, but not substantially, maybe 10 to 15 percent across the board. The only really significant things about our current real estate market are the number of vacant properties is at its highest level ever, and there is a glut of condos and condo conversions on the market or available to the market.

As for employment, our geographic area is still strong. Of course we have more retail stores, restaurants, and pubs then we do streetlights, and everyone of them seems to have trouble finding staff to work there. Of course they are not the highest paying jobs, but when a 15 year old kid can walk into Mcdonalds and start work at $10-12 bucks an hour, you know the market is not too bad.

On that note, here is an article which appeared in today's Lethbridge Herald. The author is a local fellow and gives a decent perspective on local employment.

Robert May

Written by Delon Shurtz

Friday, 09 January 2009

While the labour market cools in the rest of the country, it’s still hot in the Lethbridge region. There is still a labour market shortage, according to statistics published by Alberta Employment and Immigration. And that’s good news for people looking for work, but not so good for employers, especially in the trades, which continue to struggle to find skilled workers. Although the local unemployment rate rose slightly in December to 3.1 per cent from three per cent in November, it was still lower than the provincial rate of 4.1 per cent, and the national rate of 6.6 per cent. “Most regions around the province saw very small changes in unemployment,” says Terry Jorden, communications spokesman for Alberta Employment and Immigration. With one of the lowest unemployment rates in the province — second only to Camrose-Drumheller at three per cent — Lethbridge is in an enviable position, especially with its strong public sector. “The public sector institutions like the college, university, city and hospital are always a strong foundation for us during economic instability and will continue to be so over the next year,” says Cheryl Dick, CEO of Economic Development Lethbridge. Even when jobs were lost after Braman Furniture and Convergys closed their doors last year because of the rising Canadian dollar, most of the employees quickly found work. “The key thing to note is that those employees have been absorbed into the employment market,” Dick says. Even the construction industry, which resulted in the most job losses provincially, is doing better in Lethbridge. And while Lorrie Vos, executive director of the Lethbridge Construction Association, says the industry isn’t immune to the global slowdown, she doesn’t see any indication of decline in Lethbridge anytime soon. “We don’t see anything on the horizon,” Vos says. In fact, she suggests some contractors have been so busy the past few years, they might welcome a little respite. “A break would be nice for some of them.” Vos tempers her optimism somewhat and notes the economic crisis in the United States is causing some uncertainty locally. Contractors wonder if government-funded projects already committed will proceed as planned or be shelved, and they worry local spending will decline as well. So far, government projects have helped keep local contractors busy and the economy strong. “The provincial government investment in major infrastructure projects in our public-sector institutions will keep construction activity strong for the coming year,” Dick predicts. “As a result, trades work will continue to be valuable.”

Robert May

Robert May is a Realtor, as well as the broker and owner of Rainbow Realty of Lethbridge Alberta. He is also a licensed mortgage associate and financing expert with Canada First Mortgage of Calgary Alberta. He has been in the real estate industry since 1993 and offers full MLS real estate services to Lethbridge and surrounding area, as well as mortgage financing, refinancing/renewals, preapprovals, and home equity financing to Lethbridge and Southern Alberta. He can be found online at www.LethbridgeLoans.com

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Lethbridge mortgage real estate financing alberta mortgages blog

This is officially my first blog.... ever. I wasn't a big fan of blogging, but after doing some research on the subject, I may be coming around. I figure that if my blog posts will give some insight as to what I am all about and the quality of person to which you will either be working with or sending a referral to, then I am all for that. So here goes!

I have been active in real estate for 3 years this coming May. I entered the real estate market at the onset of the upward swing in Southern Alberta, so needless to say, I have yet to see a soft market. I am lucky enough to have a mother/mentor who has been in the industry for 11 years now, so I have greatly benefited from her knowledge and experience. I love the real estate industry and all the challenges that go with it. It is a profession that changes daily and if you don't stay on top of things, you will definitely get lost in the shuffle. I have been on maternity leave for the past 6 months and have very much enjoyed being at home with my little girl Peyton and my little man (3 yrs.) Zach. As much as I have enjoyed being at home, I am ready to enter the world of the working as being at home with small children truly is the hardest job in the world! Even being out for just six months, I feel as though the industry has changed so much!

The things I love about real estate are that every client/customer is different, therefore every transaction is different. You almost have to have a degree in psychology to be able to read each person and interpret their different needs, wants, communication styles, etc...and you can never do enough to keep up with the steady stream of new information, marketing techniques, market trends and other information that is crucial to succeeding in this business. My hat goes off to anyone who has been in this business for a long period of time.... you have earned your place on my honour wall!

So on that note, I am back. I am not quite in the trenches yet as I am working hard on my new website (and at finding quality child care that will cater to the working hours of a REALTOR®!) You can visit my website at Lethbridge Real Estate and I am always happy to receive feedback (even if it's just to tell me I have a typo on there!) Thanks to all of you who have survived this business at the worst of times and the best of times... you are an inspiration!