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Gabriele Campbell, ASP, CID

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Top 10 Things to do in St. Albert

04-12-08
Gabriele Campbell, ASP, CID
  1. The St. Albert Farmers' Market is the largest outdoor market in Western Canada, with over 200 vendors selling farm produce, meat, baked goods, wood work, jewelry, quilts and more.
  2. Father Lacombe Chapel, built in 1861 to serve as a Cree and Metis mission, is the oldest log structure in Alberta.
  3. The International Children's Festival is one of the longest running children's festivals in North America, attracting over 40,000 participants each year during the last week of May.
  4. Rock'n August is a week-long festival held to celebrate the classic cars and Rock and Roll music. Every year they kick off the event with a parade of the classics through the main thoroughfares in St. Albert.
  5. The Musee Heritage Museum, located in city hall, is a tribute to local, Alberta and Canadian history. Exhibits are changed every two months and admission is free.
  6. City Hall is an architectural attraction in itself. Designed by famous Canadian architect, Douglas Cardinal, who took his inspiration from the flowing curves of the Sturgeon River it stands beside.
    St. Albert City Hall
  7. The St. Albert Botantic Parkis garden in the heart of the city, next to the Red Willow Trail. Its gardens display roses, daylilies, asiatic lilies, dahlias, perennials and lilacs and attract more than 10,000 visitors each year.
  8. Lacombe Park Lake is a favourite of the citizens and is utilized year round. In winter, the lake freezes and is ideal for skating and hockey. In spring and summer, it's ideal for picnics, walking, running, and biking, and offers an off-leash area for dogs.
  9. St. Albert Grain Elevator Park features two of Alberta's designated wooden grain elevators -- the 1906 Alberta Grain Company Elevator and the 1929 Alberta Wheat Pool Elevator. Both these important landmarks received their designation as Provincial Historic Resources in January 2007. Grain elevators are a dying feature on the Canadian landscape.
  10. Proximity places us close to Edmonton, and Fort Edmonton Park, The Fringe Festival, The Folk Festival, The Valley Zoo, West Edmonton Mall, and much, much more.

St. Albert is a great place to live, work and play. If you are considering visiting or moving, you will be welcomed with open arms.

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Tips on Negotiating & Achieving a Win-Win

04-09-08
Gabriele Campbell, ASP, CID

I was reminded the other day after reading a Realtor's blog about the nature of negotiating and how some people are unaware that this step that closes deals is an essential part of the selling process. In the book I wrote along with Greg Tonn, a property investor, called The EasySell System we addressed the nature of negotiating, and point out that it is about both parties getting a good deal. Good negotiating is about reaching a fair middle ground with both parties showing flexibility, and neither is interested in getting a one-sided deal. That is simply bad negotiating.

Here are the tips we came up with:

  • Negotiating is about finding a middle ground. Typically, the seller starts high and the buyer starts low, and the best negotiation is when a middle ground can be reached to create a win-win deal.
  • Shoot for a win-win for both parties. If your agenda is to make sure you gain and the other loses, it's not a win-win and not a good negotiating strategy.
  • Make sure the final decision makers are present. There is no point beginning a negotiation if the person who will or won't accept the offer is not present.
  • Strive to keep emotion out of the transaction. Stay business-like and professional. Remain focused, pleasant and engaging.
  • Take your time. A good negotiation can take an hour or more. Make sure every aspect is discussed fully in order to find the middle ground.
  • Before numbers are mentioned, make sure you have identified the terms and conditions that are acceptable to you, and ask for more than you expect to get. For example, if you are buying a house, as one of the terms you may request that the cracks in the walkway be repaired and the back deck railing be installed prior to the possession date. The seller may only agree to do the railing.
  • The first person to mention a price or number is the first to lose control. In any negotiation, it is very important to maintain control of the direction the negotiation is to take. One could start the negotiation by saying "what is your minimum acceptable offer?"
  • Negotiating is a give and take process, so if the other party asks for something, be willing to ask for something in return. For instance, if you are selling a house, you may be offering a possession date of 30 days, but the buyer is offering 60 days, you may agree to this but indicate that the longer possession date will result in another mortgage payment and that you will require an additional non-refundable deposit.
  • The ideal scenario is to get the price you want with the terms and conditions you find most acceptable.
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