Sherwood Park Realty Report

Big Brothers, Big Sisters Raffles Million Dollar Plus Home in Sherwood Park

The big prize for the Big Brothers Big Sisters 32nd Dream Home Lottery is just that, a $1.4 million home built by the elite Avanti Homes developers. With a French-country design, the property offers 3,807 square feet of space in Sherwood Park. The address is 11 Balmoral Cove and those wanting a sneak peak are welcome to come by.

The home is two floors, with furnishings by Cottswood Interiors. Al Black, owner of Above the Bank Interiors along with Bonnie Walters, from Walters and Walters shared decorating honors. Landscaping was done by Salisbury Landscaping. Even though the home has an upscale price tag it is family-friendly.

The main floor has vaulted ceilings, creating height and depth. Hardwood floors, an open and airy living/dining room and a home office are included. The fireplace is double sided and the kitchen is gourmet quality with Viking appliances, maple cabinets, quartz countertops and marble backsplash. The master bedroom is on the main floor, while two more are in the basement, along with a living area, wet bar and entertainment area. Floor heating is also a plus.

The folks running the lottery hope that they can raise $1 million from the contest to go towards Big Brother and Big Sister programs. Further information is available at www.bbbsedmonton.org or by calling 780-424-8181.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Alberta Exception to Projected National Decline in Housing Starts

Alberta is projected to be the only province that will experience an increase in the number of housing starts for 2012, according to a recently released forecast. According to the Altus Group, starts in Alberta will see an 11.7-percent rise, as opposed to a decline of 8.1 percent in 2011 versus a year ago.

Factors that contribute to Alberta’s expected growth include a robust economy, a bountiful job market and a subsequent rise in population. Although Alberta is reveling in good news, Canada’s other provinces may witness declines in housing starts, most in double digits. The only province that is predicted to exhibit a single-digit drop is Manitoba. New construction is expected to decline by about 5.3 percent in 2012.

In Alberta, housing starts should grow from 24,881 units in 2011 to 27,800 dwellings next year. On a national basis, however, starts will decrease by 5.4 percent, to 181,600 residences in 2012 versus 192,000 dwellings this year. In 2010, starts were recorded for 189,930 homes.

Per the Altus Group, stable mortgage rates are responsible for a moderate increase in people’s intent to purchase homes. However, it contends, demand for homes may be dampened by worldwide economic instability as well as a downgrade in projected growth of the GDP.

Altus’ chief economist, Peter Norman, said that the expected declines are not particularly worrisome. He noted that construction would decrease at a very modest level, from around 190,000 homes to the neighbourhood of the middle 180,000s. He ventured that starts might exhibit minor decreases in the next few years.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Strathcona County Budget Talks for 2012 Underway

It is time for budget talks again and during the council meeting this past Wednesday, the various councilors put in their requests for the 2012 budget. Council’s budget requests totaled $369,923, well under the $1 million allocated to council requests.

Bonnie Riddell put in her bid for a rural liaison officer to help with people who live outside the Urban Services Area. Estimated cost for this plan is expected to be $90,873 annually, plus a budget for cost of living increase. Also needed would be enough funding to properly market this new service, bringing this entire plan to a total of $95,223. This would benefit all of the rural parts of Strathcona County. Council approved a one year trial program.

Coun. Fenske wanted to implement measures to reduce mill rates from 4.0382 to 3.0382 for rural areas of the county, bringing things more into line with the rest of Alberta. No amount was specified, but Fenske asked that the plan be part of the Rural Strategy plans. Council approved the motion. Fenske also wanted $1.4 million to revamp the water system and the capacity of the reservoir in Josephburg, but that was defeated. This is already being considered by council as part of a five year improvement plan.

Coun. Roxanne Carr revisited the issue of purchasing countdown signals for some of the area’s busiest intersections. This was first looked at last March. Though the original request was for $90,000, it was scaled down to $40,000. Even so it drew a split vote. Another project being considered is a new waste dump site in the rural service area. That motion was approved for further study.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Real Estate Market in Canada Remains Strong

In the midst of a struggling world economy, the Canadian housing market remains surprisingly strong. Migration is coming in to play in areas like Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, all sporting strong economic growth. Many of those investing in property are from Asian locales, including India, the Philippines, South Korea and China. A great number of these investors are snapping up multiple family properties instead of single family homes.

The publication “Emerging Trends in Real Estate for 2012” noted that Canada was the most stable real estate market within North America. Eric Bonner, a senior vice-president with Brookfield Asset Management referred to that publication, which also listed Vancouver and Toronto as having the most sought after real estate in the country. Both areas are gateways for both tourist and business travelers, making them 24-hour destination points. Calgary came in at number three on the list, and Edmonton pulled fourth place.

Canada is proving attractive for a number of reasons, one of which is the low interest rates on mortgages. Also of note is the government’s continued improvements to infrastructure and social services programs. Another issue, of special interest to those investing in multiple-family properties, is the pro-tenancy laws, giving landlords and tenants the ability to negotiate rents.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Symposium Held In Capital Region Regarding the Future of Housing

The Capital Region Board held its ReEnvision Housing Symposium this past October 13th. A group of representatives from municipal governments, academia and industry got together to brainstorm about ways to create new housing options for the capital region.

In order for the region to grow and prosper, care must be taken to provide an assortment of housing types for new residents. Having the foresight to get this done will help attract quality workers and businesses to the area, a well as enhance the Capital Region’s global image. It is a competitive world, and this will help Edmonton and the surrounding areas do well in a global market situation.

Jim Edwards, who is the interim chairman of the region, noted that the most eye-opening parts of the symposium were tours of some of the area’s newest developments. These included Terwillegar in Edmonton, Tamarack and Ellerslie. The newly built Landmark Building Solutions venue was also on that tour list. The firm partially builds homes on site. The floors, walls and staircases are then taken to the development site and installed, cutting home building times considerably.

Affordable housing was also looked at, and it was noted that quality was not sacrificed, nor was curb appeal, just because these homes are less expensive. The area needs homes in the $200,000 to $400,000 range that are affordable to families looking for that entry level home. Currently, there is a need for workers in lower paying jobs but not enough affordable housing for those workers to consider moving to the area.

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Strathcona County Changes Tax Penalty Laws

Strathcona County council recently made changes to the municipal tax payment laws, specifically relating to late tax payment penalties. The council gave three readings on the issue this last September 27th, and all members were in complete agreement. The new change in penalties will become effective on January 1st of 2012.

Even though late payment fees already existed, intended to encourage prompt payment, when council was shown the statistics, they found that some $1.2 billion were owed for 2011 late fees. That is in spite of the fact that 95 percent of taxes in Strathcona were paid by the June 30th deadline.

Taxes are considered in arrears if they are not paid in full by December 31st in any tax year. The portion that is not paid starts accruing penalties beginning January 1st. That was the old law. The new laws start accessing penalties beginning on July 1st and accrue incrementally each month.

As an example, if taxes aren’t paid by July 1st, the late payment penalty on the unpaid amount is three percent. If the money is still owed on August 1st, the penalty goes to six percent, and so on. At the same time, tax arrears penalties will also be changed. Beginning on January 1st, the arrears penalty starts at three percent and increase each month by an additional three percent through March. The current tax year will not be affected.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Three Families Get Keys to New Habitat for Humanity Homes

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity and scores of volunteers three families have new townhomes in Sherwood Park. They got the keys to their new properties this past Wednesday, September 28th. Other companies involved in the project included Christenson Developments, Landmark Group of Companies and the County of Strathcona.

Conny Meekison, one of the lucky new homeowners, and her three children were excited about the move. Conny was thankful that the house payment was going to be $200 less than the rental on her old apartment, but even more so that her children will have their own bedroom.

These homes are the result of a promise made back in April at Habitat Day. Both Christenson Developments and the Landmark Group of Companies pledged to build more homes with Habitat, resulting in these three being finished within the same year.

Families that buy homes through Habitat for Humanity must put in a certain amount of sweat equity on the organizations building sites, currently set at 500 hours. This is done instead of a down payment. Then the homes are sold at market value, with the payments adjusted to be 25 percent of the family’s income. The mortgages are also interest free. The money made from the sale goes back into the organization to be used to build more homes.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Strathcona County Continues to Experienced Balanced Real Estate Conditions

The continuing instability in the global economy has resulted in questions about the real estate market in Edmonton and Strathcona County. On a large scale, the United States continues to experience stagnant economic conditions. The outlook remains bleak for newly created jobs. Europe is dealing with its own debt problems.

A key consideration for Canada, as well as the Edmonton area, is the status of interest rates. Recently, the Bank of Canada advised that it would maintain a one-percent benchmark overnight interest rate. According to predictions by TD Economics, the Bank is not expected to announce a rate increase until the second six months of next year. This situation is rare, and points toward the ongoing uncertainty of sustained recovery.

There was a slight contraction in Canada’s economy during this year’s second quarter, but continued decreases are not expected for the third quarter.

In the local housing market, there was a $28,000 increase in the average price of a Sherwood Park home in August, versus a year ago. The average price for a Sherwood Park residence in August was $417,023. For the same time period, August 2011 versus August 2010, 26 more homes sold.

Chris Mooney, president of the Realtors Association of Edmonton, said that consumers might be somewhat more conservative regarding taking on excessive debt. He also noted that properties in the area tend to hold their value well, and that the local economy is poised for growth during the next several years. Mooney said that Edmonton has not been subjected to the peaks and valleys of the real estate market that other large Canadian cities have experienced from the pre-recessionary years and beyond.

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NDP Leader Jack Layton Enters Parliament for Final Time

NDP leader Jack Layton passed away early Monday at the age of 61. He had been battling cancer and after the second go round, lost that fight. His casket will now lie in state at the House of Commons at Parliament Hill in Ontario until Thursday. Eight members of the RCMP brought his casket into the foyer, accompanied by his family.

Crowds lined the barricades as the procession walked the red carpet into the building. Over 50 of his fellow MPs were waiting inside to watch his arrival. The Peace Tower bells tolled 15 times during the procession.

Governor General David Johnson will be among many of the dignitaries and other Canadians that will file past the casket to say goodbye. The foyer will be open on Wednesday until 8pm and again on Thursday from 9am to 1:30pm. After that Layton will be taken to Toronto City Hall to lie in state on Friday from 9am to 8pm and again on Saturday between 9am and 11am.

The state funeral will be on Saturday in Toronto at Roy Thompson, scheduled for 2pm. Stephen Lewis, the UN ambassador and a former NDP leader from Ontario will give the eulogy. “Rise Up’,” the NDP campaign song will be performed by Lorraine Segato.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Strathcona County Firefighters Going to New York City Police and Fire Games

This year the World Police and Fire Games will be in New York City. They run from August 26th to September 5th and are helping to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the attack on 9/11. Second only to the Summer Olympics, this sporting event hosts some 15,000 participants in 65 different sporting venues. And this year, Strathcona County will be sending firefighters to participate.

The Strathcona teams will be focusing on hockey. Roughly 28 participants, all firefighter save for one RCMP officer hailing from Sherwood Park. The teams had to show New York how they had performed in previous meets and then were put into a draw for the chance to participate. They won that draw and have been practicing non-top at the Sherwood Park Arena. Their first game will be against Finland.

The sporting events are only part of the journey. Since it is the tenth anniversary of 9/11, the team will be raising money for firefighters and their families that were affected by the attack. Many of the first responders have developed cancer and others chronic diseases and several have perished. Others died on the scene while trying to rescue people.

The firefighters will be accepting donations at Sherwood Park Fire Hall and collecting items for a silent auction to be held on August 19th at Sherwood Park’s Average Joe’s. The money raised will be taken to the USA and delivered to the New York Fire Department.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Work on Baseline Road in Strathcona County Underway

There are two seasons in Alberta, winter and construction. Not really, but sometimes it seems like it. Baseline Road, in Strathcona County is getting its new paving update along with improvements to its intersection at Clover Bar Road. The project was approved by council and will involve widening the intersection to accommodate extra turn lanes.

Some trees will have to be removed but in their place new ones will be planted. The city will do its best to keep construction noise to a minimum and will be monitoring for decibel levels. It is expected the project will continue into summer of 2012. The improvements means months of reduced traffic lanes and detours. A traffic management plan is being created to minimize the inconvenience of residents. Ultimately the improvements will improve traffic flow by giving morel lanes for left and right turns, making the roads safer as well as more driver-friendly.

Funds were allocated in the 2011 budget for the roadwork, with intent to start this past May. But, June was unseasonably wet and that start had to be delayed. Cost for this project along with a second project on Baseline Road and another venture on Wye Road, is calculated at just under $5 million.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Final Arguments to AUC Made Concerning Heartland Transmission Project

All concerned parties have submitted their final arguments regarding the Heartland Transmission Project to the Alberta Utilities Commission, or AUC. The project concerns the building of a 500-kV transmission line that goes right through Strathcona County. At issue is the route that line will take, as well as safety concerns about having that sort of line too close to the population.

Epcor and AltaLink prefer what they call the East Route that runs through the transportation utility corridor that links Highway 16 with Sherwood Park. It is the shortest, and most cost effective to build, but comes closer to town than the slightly better West route. Two other possible routes that did not go through Strathcona County were scrapped early on, back in 2009.

Strathcona County is against the East route because of health concerns. The only acceptable option if that ends up being the chosen route would be to bury the line. AltaLink notes this is too expensive. RETA, or Responsible Electricity Transmission for Albertans, agrees with the county’s point of view, again citing health issues and a lower quality of life for nearby residents. RETA also voiced displeasure as to how the line selection process was made, citing that the applicants only filed the two non-viable routes to appease the AUC.

Strathcona County also pointed out that the use of the transmission utility corridor does not meet with guidelines concerning the use of that land. Usage of the land must not affect the areas environment so that it is unable to be used for agricultural purposes and/or able to support native plants and animal. Now it’s up to the AUC.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Strathcona County Council Approves Funds for Renovations

On June 28th, the council for Strathcona County added an amendment to the 2011 budget to allow for some needed upgrades throughout the county. On the list are two playgrounds, replacing the sound and lighting systems at Festival Place, putting in air conditioning in the Gymnasium of the Recreation Administration Building and doing some renovations to the Partridge Hill Community Hall. Roughly $800,000 has been set aside for these projects.

One of the playgrounds is in the Hamlet of Josephburg, funded by the Josephburg Agricultural Society. The other is at the Pine Street Elementary School in Sherwood Park, funded by the Pine Street School Parents. These were selected because of accessibility issues at these two playgrounds, as noted by Roxanne Carr, Councilor from Ward 2.

The existing sound and lighting equipment at Festival Place was installed in 1994. The theatre will be closed for one month during the summer to make the renovations. Both systems work together and therefore must be replaced as a pair. The lights and sound systems are used for theatrical and other productions. Partridge Hill Community Hall, which will have half of the costs taken from the Partridge Hill Community Club, will have its gymnasium revamped. Salto Gymnastics leases the venue and will be putting up most of the funding. As far as the Partridge Community Hall itself, accessibility issues will be addressed. This means installing ramps and approaches that are code compliant for the physically challenged.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

It’s Repair Season and Bad Contractors May Be Targeting You

Strathcona Park RCMP is warning residents of the dangers of hiring contractors that are not legitimate. In 2010 there were between 15 and 20 calls to their detachment from people who were taken by fake contractors. Most of these cases have to do with driveway resurfacing and paving. Some of these contractors are foreigners that come to Canada to work for the summer, and then leave before winter sets in.

The usual story is the contractors come to a person’s home, advising they have leftover material from another job and offer to fix the cracks they see in that person’s driveway. Sometimes they do solicitation calls over the phone. In either case they are persuasive and offer their services for a much lower fee. The thing is, they are not licensed, and there is no guarantee on the work, nor any way to recover the money spent.

The contractors sometimes work entire neighborhoods before moving on to the next. It can be hard to distinguish a phony contractor from the legit, since the fraudulent individuals often have business cards that make them look aboveboard. Getting cards made is not a problem. Go online or to your nearest office supply store to find out just how easy it is.

Residents are being asked to report anything suspicious to the Strathcona County RCMP at 780 467 7741. They are also being advised to check if the contractor they are considering using has a license and/or is listed with the Better Business Bureau, even if the resident was the one that sought out the contractor. The BBB’s phone number is 780 482 2341.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Elk Island Public School Passes School Budget

Elk Island Public Schools, or EIPS for short, finally passed its 2011-2012 budget this past Monday. It was approved by a vote of eight to one. The budget calls for using $3.5 million in reserve funding to balance the deficit caused by provincial cuts to all schools in Alberta. That makes the total operating budget for the EIPS roughly $179 million, plus the reserve funds. More than 70 percent of that is targeted for the schools.

Trustee Harvey Stadnick is the only person to vote against the budget. He notes that while he was in theory not opposed to the budget, Stadnick felt that there should have been more of an effort to put more money into the classrooms.

The EIPS has been dipping into the reserves for the past several years to keep going while dealing with the severe provincial cuts. But this year the reserve funds are only 2.8 percent of the budget, rather than the 6.9 percent needed for the 2009-2010 school year. Things are at least moving in the right direction.

There will be layoffs, including all the September probationary teachers. All told 25 full time teachers will be let go.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Habitat for Humanity Dedicates Fifth Home in Sherwood Park

The Gale family moved into the fifth new home built by Habitat for Humanity this Friday. This past Wednesday was the dedication ceremony for the home, where Jonathon, his wife Trang and their son Ethan got the keys and unlocked the door for the first time. It was an overwhelming, emotional, exciting experience. Gale was surprised at the quality of the home, noting it was much more than he expected.

The way Habitat for Humanity works is that families must agree to work 500 hours on the organization’s building sites as their down payment. Potential homeowners must still show that they can pay an interest free mortgage and they must show they are in need of the help. The monthly mortgage payment is no more than 25 percent of their income. The money paid into Habitat helps the organization build more homes down the line.

Kyle Keller for the Edmonton office of Habitat for Humanity advised that there will be more homes built in Sherwood Park, but he didn’t have an exact date for the projects. Mayor Lind Osinchuk attended the dedication ceremony and noted that the county would continue to support affordable housing and she is pleased that Habitat for Humanity has future plans for the area.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Strathcona County Council to Have New Governance Policy

The Strathcona County council will soon have some new rules to follow. Last fall it was determined that council members should have guidelines concerning accountability, respect, confidentiality, gifts, impartiality, stewardship, public interest issues and overall integrity. The idea is to insure fair, impartial governing and decision making.

George Cuff outlined the needed items in his initial report in 2010. A group was formed to create the policy and it is ready to be passed this coming Tuesday. Participating in the committee were Kevin Glebe who is the manager of the Corporate Planning Department as well as Intergovernmental Affairs, Glenna Kemp who manages the Legislative and Legal Services, and two council members, Bonnie Riddell and Peter Wlodarczak.

What this group has come up with is something that addresses those outlined needs, as well as provides guidelines for the roles of both elected officials and the administration. Some of the items include making sure everyone has a healthy work environment, that there is respect between the members as well as effective, cordial communication. Working together, city government can provide quality service. The plan also sets the goal of having a definitive strategic direction for council and staff to follow.

Two last minute additions to the policy included councils having to report gifts of at least $500 and to sign a pledge stating they would follow county, provincial and Canadian federal laws. The committee used similar ideas found across Canada and the United States to form the policy.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Alberta Building Codes to See Improvements

Alberta’s building codes are now under construction. Hector Goudreau, Alberta’s Municipal Affairs Minister, said the government is focusing on building standards and recourse and consumer protection as areas to improve.

Potentially, the government will also become more involved in building inspection regulations.

In 2008, a report from Municipal Affairs called for an address of building envelope failure that affected an unknown amount of moulding condos and houses in Alberta. Building envelope indicates a home’s exterior walls and ceilings.

The report also recommended increasing penalties for safety code violations and creating mandatory new-home warranties. Currently, these warranties are voluntary.

In 2011, over 300 residents in Fort McMurray were forced to leave their Penhorwood condos due to deteriorating structures.

Additionally, the Safety Code Council is creating a building envelope course for safety code officers.

Goudreau was quick to say that he isn’t painting Alberta homebuilders with the same brush; rather, the changes will improve standards and positively impact Alberta’s building standards.

Municipalities govern the Safety Codes Act, but Goudreau said it is up to homeowners to be aware of warranties and standards their government has that ensure quality inspections and construction.

Greg Christenson, Canadian Home Builders Association’s Alberta president, said the CHBA supports mandatory warranties over regulation changes. Christenson said he believes building envelopes should increase to two years for single-family homes and five years for multi-family buildings.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

More Edmonton Homeowners Pleased with Purchase

Home buyers in Edmonton are becoming more satisfied with their home purchases. The Alberta New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Survey for 2011 gave an overall score of 711 out of 1,000 possible points. That translates to 71 percent of homebuyers being pleased and content. The last, and also the first, of these surveys was done in 2009 and showed a score of 648. Things are going in the right direction.

The 63 point improvement shows that home builders in Alberta are improving the quality of the finished product and their customer service skills. The survey covered eight different areas involved in a home purchase. One was the service/warranty staff, covering how and if problems were handled. The sales process staff was similarly critiqued. Other items included workmanship and materials, the construction or site teams, the design process, the actual physical design, price vs. value and home readiness. The latter two areas showed the most improvement.

In the Edmonton region, the scoring for price went up to 698 from the 577 showing on the 2009 survey. Much of this is because of buying incentives offered to move inventory. Home readiness scored 718, way up from the 2009 figure of 633. More builders were contacting the homebuyers to see if they were pleased with their new purchase. The number of problems experienced decreased, from an average of 20.5 faults per property in 2009 to 14.6 in the 2011 report. Top home builders recognized were Dolce Vita Homes, Avi and Landmark Homes, in ranking order.

Sherwood Park Realty Report

Festival Place Gets $250,000 Funding for New Seats

Council has passed a budget to allow the replacement of seating at Festival Place. Half of the $250,000 will come from an MSI grant, the remainder from the Community of Family Enhancement Program. This required the 2011 budget to be amended.

Other motions in the works include the Strathcona County council considering a funding program for monies taken from the Intersection Safety Devices event. One option is to use the money to install count down signals at high-traffic intersections by the year 2012.
Council also gave a nod to the winner of the Edmonton Journal’s seventh annual spelling bee, Strathcona County resident Jackson Hunter.

Council also decided to hold public hearings regarding the change of land use in Salisbury Village that would allow the building of a hotel, business park, and high density residential homes south of Wye Road. Also in the works are setting aside a parcel for conservation use and three for rural residences.

The Summerwood Stage 10 also got its third read on the proposed master development and structure plan. Good News Church will be receiving $3,000 to create a community garden, coming out of Coun Peter Wlokarczak’s priority fund. A number of council members approved contribution funding for the Muscular Dystrophy Canada fundraiser’s rooftop campout, held by local firefighters.

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