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        <title>Blog</title>
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    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/interest-rates-and-the-wait-and-see-trap/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/interest-rates-and-the-wait-and-see-trap/</link>
        <author>websupport@maxwellrealty.ca (MaxWell Realty Admin)</author>
        <title>Interest Rates and the &quot;Wait and See&quot; Trap</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Interest Rates and the &quot;Wait and See&quot; Trap





Every time interest rates rise, a certain category of buyer steps back from the market and decides to wait. They are waiting for rates to come down. They are waiting for prices to drop. They are waiting for the market to make more sense. They are waiting for conditions that feel less uncertain.


Some of them wait for two years. Some wait for five. Some are still waiting.


This is not an argument that buyers should rush into purchases they are not ready for, or that timing the market doesn't matter at all. It is an argument that the &quot;wait and see&quot; approach to real estate has a specific set of costs that buyers rarely calculate, and that the waiting strategy often does not deliver the outcome they are waiting for.


What Buyers Are Actually Waiting For


When buyers say they are waiting for rates to come down, what they usually mean is that they are waiting for their monthly payment to become more comfortable. That is a reasonable thing to want. A lower rate on the same mortgage balance does mean a lower payment.


The part buyers tend to underestimate is what happens to prices while they wait.


When interest rates drop, purchasing power increases across the entire buyer pool simultaneously. Every buyer who was priced out at the higher rate becomes newly able to buy. That surge in demand, meeting a housing supply that does not expand quickly, tends to push prices up. In some markets, the price increase that follows a rate drop more than offsets the payment savings from the lower rate.


This is not theoretical. It is the pattern that has repeated in Canadian real estate markets through multiple rate cycles. Buyers who waited for better rates in 2020 and 2021 found that prices had risen dramatically by the time rates hit historic lows. The rate was better. The price was much higher. The monthly payment was not that different, and the equity they were buying into was smaller because the purchase price was higher.


The Carrying Costs of Waiting


Waiting is not free. While a buyer waits to purchase, they are almost certainly renting. That rent is money that builds no equity, produces no tax benefit, and does not contribute to paying down an asset.


The comparison that matters is not &quot;what will my mortgage payment be at today's rate versus a lower future rate.&quot; The comparison that matters is &quot;what is the total cost of renting for two more years versus buying today and carrying the mortgage at today's rate.&quot;


For most buyers in Alberta's current rental market, for example, this calculation does not favour waiting as long as buyers assume. Rent has risen meaningfully across Calgary and Edmonton in recent years, and a two-year rent bill at current rates represents a significant sum that has gone entirely to someone else's mortgage.


There is also the opportunity cost of not building equity. A buyer who purchases today and holds the property for five years has five years of mortgage paydown and any price appreciation working in their favour. A buyer who waited two of those five years has three.


Rate Decisions Are Not Made on Your Timeline


Central banks adjust interest rates based on economic conditions across the entire country and, to some extent, in response to global economic forces. They are only not looking at the provincial housing market in Manitoba and calibrating rates to make things more affordable for buyers in Winnipeg.


This matters because it means the rate environment buyers are waiting for may not arrive on a schedule that aligns with their other life circumstances. Buyers who decided to wait in 2022 for rates to come down were still waiting in 2024. Some of them had weddings, children, job changes, and family circumstances that made the delay costly in ways that had nothing to do with real estate.


Rates do move, and they have come down from recent highs. But predicting when and by how much is something professional economists with significant resources routinely get wrong. Buyers making life decisions based on rate predictions are working with unreliable information.


When Waiting Does Make Sense


This is not an argument that buyers should purchase regardless of their circumstances. There are situations where waiting makes clear sense.


If your down payment is not ready, wait until it is. Entering a purchase undercapitalized creates fragility that can be very costly if anything goes wrong.


If your employment situation is uncertain, wait for stability. A mortgage is a long-term commitment, and taking one on when your income is in question is a genuine risk.


If you have not done the work of understanding what you want to buy and where, wait until you have. Buyers who purchase in a rush because they felt pressure from the market are more likely to end up in the wrong home.


And if the market you want to buy in is genuinely overheated and prices are showing the kind of disconnection from fundamentals that precedes corrections, that is a reasonable factor to weigh. It is not the same as waiting for rates to drop, and it requires honest analysis of local market conditions rather than national headlines. This is where your REALTOR® will become invaluable to help determine the nature of your market.


What &quot;Wait and See&quot; Usually Means in Practice


The buyers who say they are waiting and see typically have a vague future condition in mind rather than a specific, measurable trigger. They will buy when rates are lower, when the market settles down, when things feel less uncertain.


The problem with that framing is that real estate markets are always uncertain to some degree, rates are always somewhere on a cycle, and &quot;feels less uncertain&quot; is a subjective state that tends to recede into the future as you approach it.


A more useful framing is to identify the specific conditions that would make a purchase right for you: a specific down payment amount, a specific income level, a specific neighbourhood and price point where you would genuinely want to live. When those conditions are met, buy. When they are not, save and prepare until they are.


That is a different approach than waiting for the market to do something. It puts the decision in your hands rather than the Bank of Canada's.


The Honest Bottom Line


There is no universally right time to buy real estate. There are markets that are more or less favourable to buyers, and there are personal circumstances that make a purchase more or less wise at any given moment.


What is consistently true is that buyers who approach the decision with clear criteria, realistic calculations about the cost of waiting, and a long-term perspective tend to do better than buyers who are either rushing or waiting indefinitely for conditions that may never arrive exactly as imagined.


The &quot;wait and see&quot; approach is comfortable because it requires no decision. That comfort has a cost. Whether that cost is worth paying depends entirely on your specific situation, and that is a conversation worth having with an agent and a mortgage broker who know your market.



MaxWell Realty Canada is a real estate company with offices across Canada. This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal, financial, or mortgage advice. Always work with a licensed REALTOR® and qualified mortgage professional in your area.
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    <pubDate>Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:59:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/living-in-elan-beaumont/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/living-in-elan-beaumont/</link>
        <author>ablais@maxwellrealty.ca (Andrew Blais)</author>
        <title>Living in Élan: An Honest Look at Beaumont's Award-Winning New Community</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Welcome to the first post in my Beaumont Neighbourhood Spotlight series. Each month, I'll take you inside one of our communities — what it's like to live there, what homes actually cost, and what I'm seeing on the ground as a local REALTOR®. First up: Élan, in west Beaumont.


My Honest First Impression


When construction started in Élan, I drove through and thought, &quot;wow, they are really building close together.&quot; And it's true — Élan uses zero lot lines, and the homes are tight. If you're picturing a big suburban yard between you and your neighbour, this isn't that.


But now that construction is well underway, you can see what the plan was all along: the different architectural styles coming together into actual streetscapes with character. You'll see the two-storey family homes everywhere, but then you turn into a cul-de-sac and find custom walkout bungalows backing onto lakes and parks. The variety is real, and it's what keeps Élan from feeling like a subdivision stamped out of one mould.





The developer, Dream, pitches the community around &quot;the lost art of porch sitting&quot; — front verandas, walkable streets, architecture that connects neighbours instead of hiding them behind garage doors. That's marketing language, but having watched the community fill in, I'll say this: the design actually delivers on it more than most. It's not nothing that Élan was named Canada's Best New Community at the 2024 CHBA National Awards — those judges see a lot of subdivisions.





The centrepiece is Parc Réunis, with wooden playgrounds, sports courts, picnic areas, and outdoor exercise equipment, all connected by walking trails and naturalized wetlands that thread through the community.


Who It Suits


Élan is built deliberately for every life stage — that's the master plan, not marketing spin. The housing mix runs from duplexes and semi-detached (connected at one sidewall only, so no condo fees and windows on three sides) through laned and front-drive single-family homes, up to estate lots with custom builds.


In practice, I see it attracting young families buying their first detached home and move-up buyers who want new construction without leaving Beaumont — and the sales data backs that up, with the under-$500K product moving fastest.


The Homes and What They Cost





Élan's current builder group brings together some of Edmonton's most established names — ART Homes, Cantiro, Homes by Avi, Hopewell Residential, and Landmark Homes — with Hillview Master Builder and Homes by Sher-Bilt handling the custom estate tier. Several are building in Beaumont for the first time.


Here's the current pricing picture, straight from the community's official builder listings (as of this writing):


Semi front-drive — from the $420s. The most attainable entry point. Unlike townhomes, these connect at only one sidewall — no condo fees, windows on three sides, and often a slightly larger yard.


Laned homes — from the $430s. The porch-front character homes Élan is known for, with rear detached garages keeping the focus on the welcoming facade. Builder ranges run $450K–$530K across ART, Cantiro, Avi, and Hopewell.


Front-drive homes — from the $530s. Attached-garage family homes running to about $620K across the builder group.


Estate front-drive — from the $800s to $1.6M. Hillview ($950K–$1.6M) and Sher-Bilt ($800K–$1.5M) build fully custom homes on the community's premium lots.


Put that against Beaumont's Q2 average sale price of $580K and the takeaway is clear: Élan's semi-detached and laned product gets buyers into brand-new construction well below the citywide average — while the top end runs past $1.5M. Very few Beaumont neighbourhoods span that full range.


One more thing that sets Élan apart: the architectural controls. Five approved styles — Prairie, Farmhouse, Craftsman, French Country, and &quot;Quaint Québécois&quot; (inspired by Île d'Orléans homes, a nod to Beaumont's Franco-Albertan roots) — are deliberately varied along each street to avoid the cookie-cutter look most new communities fall into. Buyers can also check real-time lot availability by builder on the community's live lot map.


Buying New? A Quick Word on Representation


One thing many buyers don't realize when they walk into a showhome: the friendly sales staff work for the builder. They're good at their jobs — but their job is representing the builder's interests, not yours.


A few things I help new-build clients navigate in communities like Élan: the gap between the advertised &quot;from&quot; price and what a realistically configured home actually costs once you've picked your lot, elevation, and finishes; which upgrades hold their value at resale and which don't; contract terms around possession dates and deficiencies; and how a builder's quick-possession inventory compares against resales nearby. In most cases, having your own REALTOR® in a new-build purchase costs you nothing — the builder pays the commission — so there's rarely a reason to walk in unrepresented.


Schools, Parks &amp; Getting Around


For families, here's the answer to the first question I always get — Élan's designated schools across all three divisions:


Black Gold School Division: École Bellevue School (K–6), École Champs Vallée School (7–9), and École Secondaire Beaumont Composite High School (10–12). You can confirm eligibility and busing for any specific address using Black Gold's bus planner tool.


STAR Catholic Schools: Académie Saint-André Academy (K–4), École Mother d’Youville School (5–9), and Christ the King School, Leduc (10–12).


The Greater North Central Francophone Education Region: École Quatre-Saisons (K–12), right in Beaumont — a full francophone option that fits this community's heritage well.


It is worth verifying designations before you write an offer, since boundaries can shift as Beaumont grows.





Beyond school hours, Élan's biggest lifestyle perk might be what's right next door: the city's west recreation site sits adjacent to the community, with ball diamonds and an off-leash dog park. The Beaumont Sport and Recreation Centre is also the closest major indoor facility (pool, indoor soccer/fieldhouse, rink, climbing wall, fitness centre), with Four Seasons Park (lake, spray park, sports fields) and the Ken Nichol Regional Recreation Centre (arenas, curling) a short drive across town. Daily needs are covered by Beaumont's growing retail core, and the local food scene punches above its weight — Chartier's award-winning French-Canadian cuisine is a genuine destination.


One planning note worth knowing if you're buying with teenagers in mind: the potential new high school site has been relocated to Azur, in southeast Beaumont — so Élan families should plan around Beaumont Composite, Christ the King School, and École Quatre-Saisons as the high school options for the foreseeable future.


For commuters, here are the real numbers I quote clients: about 15 minutes to South Edmonton Common and the Nisku-Leduc employment corridor, 20 minutes to the Edmonton International Airport, 40 minutes to downtown Edmonton — and realistically, under an hour to anywhere in the greater Edmonton area. Highway 2 and 50 Street access is what makes it work.


The Trade-Offs, Honestly


No community is for everyone, so here's the other side of the ledger.


The lots are tight. Zero lot lines mean you gain attainability and lose yard. For some buyers that's a fine trade; for others it's a dealbreaker. Know which one you are before you fall in love with a showhome.


You're buying into an active construction zone. Élan will be building out for years. That means construction traffic, dust, dirt piles behind some fences, and the sound of framing crews — the reality of every new community, but worth walking the specific street you're considering, not just the finished showhome row.


The architectural controls cut both ways. They're why the streetscapes look good — and they also mean less freedom over your own exterior choices than you'd have in an established neighbourhood.


If those trade-offs work for you, what you get in return is a new home in a genuinely well-planned community at some of the most attainable new-construction pricing in Beaumont.


What I'm Seeing in the Market Right Now


Here's what the last 90 days of MLS activity in Élan actually looks like (as of mid-July 2026). Fair warning: it's a small sample — 13 sales — so treat these as patterns, not gospel. That said, the patterns are consistent:


13 homes sold, ranging from $430K to $550K, with a median around $485K. That's meaningfully below Beaumont's overall average sale price of $580K — not because Élan is a discount community, but because what's selling there right now is the attainable end: 9 of those 13 sales closed under $500K. The laned and smaller front-drive product is what's moving.


Sellers are getting about 97.7 of asking on average — close to the citywide 98.6, with a handful of full-price sales in the mix. Buyers are negotiating, but not steeply, when the price is right.


14 active listings are on the market, running from $440K up to $680K for the family product — plus one custom estate bungalow listed at $1.63M if you want to see what the top tier looks like. Twelve of the fourteen actives are 2025/2026 builds, which tells you something important: in Élan, your competition as a buyer (and as a seller) is mostly builder inventory, not resales.


One honest note on days on market: Élan's numbers look long on paper — the median sold listing showed 107 days. But that stat needs context: most of these are new builds that get listed on MLS while still under construction, so the clock runs long before anyone could move in. Look at the completed, well-priced homes and the picture changes — five of the thirteen sales closed in under 60 days, some in as little as three weeks. Price it right and finished product still moves.


And with 3 more sales currently pending between $445K and $577K, the pipeline is healthy.


The Bottom Line





Élan offers something increasingly rare: a new community with an actual identity. Between the award-winning master plan, the range of housing types, and Beaumont's continued growth, it's earned its place at the top of many buyers' lists — and with more inventory on the market across Beaumont this year, there's more opportunity to get in than there was a year ago.


Thinking about Élan — or wondering what your current home would sell for so you can make the move? Get a free market evaluation or get in touch and I'll give you the current picture, street by street.


Next month's spotlight: Dansereau Meadows.


Andrew Blais | MaxWell Heritage Realtyandrew@maxwellheritage.com | 780-387-1284
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 19:14:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/eastwood-edmonton-history-amenities-parks-and-homes-for-sale/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/eastwood-edmonton-history-amenities-parks-and-homes-for-sale/</link>
        <author>reubentucker91@gmail.com (Reuben Tucker)</author>
        <title>Eastwood, Edmonton: History, Amenities, Parks and Homes for Sale</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 



Eastwood, Edmonton: A Historic Neighbourhood With More to Discover


Some Edmonton neighbourhoods reveal their appeal immediately. Others reward you for taking a closer look.


Eastwood is one of those places.


Located in north-central Edmonton, Eastwood combines mature tree-lined streets, character homes, useful transit connections and a strong sense of local history. Look beyond the familiar streetscape and you will also find an active community league, an arts and festival corridor, several tucked-away green spaces and some of Edmonton’s most distinctive recreational amenities nearby.


For homebuyers seeking an established neighbourhood with central convenience and room to create something of their own, Eastwood deserves a closer look.


Eastwood Was Built Along an Early Edmonton Streetcar Route


One of the most interesting things about Eastwood is how closely its development was connected to Edmonton’s early public transportation system.


Parts of the neighbourhood were subdivided as early as 1906. By 1910, a streetcar travelled from 95 Street along 118 Avenue, connecting Edmonton with the former Village of North Edmonton. Homes and businesses began appearing along the route, although development slowed during the First World War and was not substantially completed until the 1950s.


Even the neighbourhood’s name tells a piece of Edmonton’s story. Eastwood was likely given its descriptive name because it once sat near Edmonton’s eastern edge, before the Village of North Edmonton was amalgamated into the city in 1912.


Today, the former streetcar corridor remains an important part of the community. Rather than streetcars, residents now have access to shopping, restaurants, community organizations, public transit and cultural destinations along 118 Avenue.


Character Homes and Streets That Feel Established


Eastwood is not a neighbourhood of uniform houses and identical streets.


Its residential areas include older detached homes, bungalows, duplexes, infill properties and low-rise housing. That variety gives the neighbourhood a more organic appearance than many newer developments.


Mature elm and ash trees line many of Eastwood’s walkable residential streets, while older homes contribute front porches, compact footprints and architectural details that reflect different periods of Edmonton’s growth.


For buyers, that can create interesting possibilities. Some homes are ready to enjoy as they are, while others offer opportunities for renovation, basement development, rental use or future redevelopment, subject to zoning, permits and municipal requirements.


More Green Space Than Many People Realize


Eastwood’s parks are distributed throughout the neighbourhood rather than concentrated in one large central space.


Eastwood Park, located behind the community league centre, includes a playground, spray park and soccer field. The neighbourhood also has Eastwood School Park, St. Gerard School Park and Izena Ross Park, a small triangular green space near Fort Road.


Two lesser-known outdoor spaces are especially worth noting:


Eastwood Community Dog Park is a fully fenced, approximately 2.18-acre off-leash area with grass, lighting and benches.


James Kidney Park is a treed green space along the 119 Avenue bike path between 77 and 78 Street. It is the kind of small neighbourhood park that may not appear on a typical list of Edmonton attractions but can make everyday walks, bike rides and time outdoors more enjoyable.


These spaces add welcome breathing room to the neighbourhood and provide convenient options for families, dog owners and residents who enjoy being outside without having to drive to a major park.


A Creative Side Along 118 Avenue


Eastwood’s southern edge meets 118 Avenue, connecting residents to one of Edmonton’s most distinctive community arts corridors.


The wider Alberta Avenue area has developed a strong local music, arts and cultural scene. It is home to community-focused destinations such as the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts and The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse, while the Avenue also serves as a gathering place for arts festivals and neighbourhood celebrations throughout the year.


Arts on the Ave works with artists, residents and organizations to bring creative activity to the corridor, while the locally produced Rat Creek Press covers neighbourhood businesses, residents, history and community events throughout Eastwood and surrounding areas.


That gives Eastwood something many residential communities do not have: access to an evolving cultural district that feels local, independent and closely connected to the people who live there.


Convenient LRT and Transit Access


Eastwood is especially appealing for buyers who want to remain connected to central Edmonton.


Coliseum Station sits along the neighbourhood’s eastern side and provides access to the Capital Line. The line travels between Clareview in northeast Edmonton and Century Park in the south, passing through Edmonton’s central core along the way.


Bus service, nearby arterial roads, Fort Road and 118 Avenue provide additional options for reaching downtown, northeast Edmonton and other parts of the city.


This accessibility may be particularly useful for households with one vehicle, commuters, students, eventgoers or buyers who simply prefer having more than one way to get around.


Unexpected Recreation Close to Home


Eastwood residents are also positioned near several major recreational destinations.


Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre offers an aquatic centre, fitness centre, field house and gymnasium. Its amenities include saltwater pools, a waterslide, an aquatic climbing wall, a 250-metre indoor track, fitness equipment, artificial turf and courts for basketball, volleyball and badminton.


Eastwood Community League members currently receive access to a designated weekly community swim and gym time at Commonwealth Recreation Centre by showing their membership card. Programs and schedules can change, so residents should confirm current details with the league.


Nearby Borden Park offers another surprisingly diverse collection of amenities, including walking and cycling paths, formal gardens, public art, picnic areas, a playground, tennis courts and ball diamonds.


Its standout attraction is the Borden Natural Swimming Pool—Canada’s first public, human-made natural swimming pool. Rather than relying on traditional chemical disinfection, the pool uses a natural filtration system, making it one of Edmonton’s most unusual warm-weather destinations.


A Community League With More Than a Century of History


The Eastwood Community League was established in 1923 and has now served the neighbourhood for more than 100 years.


That long history continues through current initiatives such as a community garden, neighbourhood block-event support, drop-in gatherings, walking activities, community recreation opportunities and youth and adult choir programming. Offerings vary seasonally, but they demonstrate that Eastwood’s community infrastructure goes beyond a building and a membership card.


For new residents, the league can provide a helpful way to meet neighbours, learn what is happening locally and become involved in the community.


Schools and Everyday Amenities


Public school options identified for the Eastwood area include Delton School for elementary grades, Spruce Avenue School for junior high and Victoria School of the Arts or Eastglen School for high school. Catholic options include St. Gerard, St. Alphonsus and St. Joseph. School boundaries and programs can change, so families should confirm eligibility directly with Edmonton Public Schools or Edmonton Catholic Schools.


Residents also have access to local shopping, services and dining along 118 Avenue, with additional commercial areas and major routes nearby.


Who Might Feel at Home in Eastwood?


Eastwood may be worth exploring for:






First-time buyers looking for a detached home in an established Edmonton neighbourhood






Buyers who appreciate mature trees and older character homes






Investors interested in renovation or future development potential






Transit users who value nearby LRT access






Dog owners who would use a fenced neighbourhood off-leash park






Residents who enjoy local arts, festivals and community events






Buyers who want central access without living directly downtown






Every home and every block is different, which makes an in-person visit especially important. Spend some time walking the surrounding streets, visiting the parks and exploring 118 Avenue to get a true sense of the community.


Explore My Eastwood Listing


I currently have a home available at 11920 78 Street, close to neighbourhood green space, public transportation and the Coliseum LRT Station.


Offered at $275,000, this 813-square-foot raised bungalow was built in 1922 and includes two bedrooms, one bathroom and a full, partially finished basement with two additional bedrooms roughed in for future development.


The home has received several important updates, including roof shingles completed in 2022, windows replaced in 2018 and newer furnace and hot-water equipment. Outside, the property offers a fenced and landscaped yard, back-lane access and an oversized detached double garage.


Its manageable size, central location and unfinished potential could make it an interesting option for a first-time buyer, downsizer or investor willing to add their own finishing touches.


To learn more or arrange a private viewing of 11920 78 Street, contact:


Reuben TuckerMaxWell Polaris780-994-1372info@reubentucker.comwww.reubentucker.com


Eastwood may not always receive the same attention as some of Edmonton’s better-known central communities—but its history, connectivity, green spaces and local personality give buyers plenty of reasons to take a second look.
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    <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 10:28:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/when-your-home-no-longer-fits-the-real-cost-of-your-legacy-home/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/when-your-home-no-longer-fits-the-real-cost-of-your-legacy-home/</link>
        <author>jscott@maxwellrealty.ca (Janet Scott)</author>
        <title>When Your Home No Longer Fits: The Real Cost of your legacy home </title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 


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    <pubDate>Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:37:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/the-inspection-report-came-back-full-of-issues-now-what/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/the-inspection-report-came-back-full-of-issues-now-what/</link>
        <author>websupport@maxwellrealty.ca (MaxWell Realty Admin)</author>
        <title>The Inspection Report Came Back Full of Issues. Now What?</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
The Inspection Report Came Back Full of Issues. Now What?





The home inspection report lands in your inbox and it's… long. Pages of findings, photos of problem areas, recommendations for further evaluation, and a summary that leaves you wondering whether you've just made a terrible mistake. Or, if you're the seller, you're bracing for the call from your agent that starts with &quot;so, we need to talk.&quot;


This moment — the post-inspection conversation — is one of the most stressful points in any real estate transaction. It's also one of the most misunderstood. Here's what both buyers and sellers need to know about navigating it well.


First, a Reality Check for Buyers


There is almost no such thing as a perfect inspection report. Even a well-maintained, move-in-ready home will generate a report with findings — because a thorough home inspector's job is to document everything they observe, from the genuinely serious to the entirely routine.


The mistake many buyers make is reading the volume of a report rather than its content. A 40-page inspection with 30 items is not automatically more alarming than a 15-page report with 5 items — it depends entirely on what those items are.


The first step is to separate findings into two categories: things that affect safety or structural integrity, and things that are maintenance items or cosmetic concerns.


The Difference Between a Deal-Breaker and a Negotiating Point


Findings that warrant serious attention generally include:




Structural issues (foundation cracks, failing load-bearing elements)


Major system failures (electrical panel that's a fire hazard, furnace at end of life, significant plumbing problems)


Water infiltration or evidence of chronic moisture that has led to mould


Anything that presents an immediate safety risk




Findings that are negotiating points include things like an aging roof with years of life left, an older water heater that's functioning, minor drainage concerns, or deferred maintenance items. These are real costs — but they're not reasons to walk away from a home you love. They're leverage.


Findings that are simply information cover the rest of most reports: items already priced into the sale, things standard for the age of the home, or observations that require no action. A 1970s home will have a 1970s electrical system. That's context, not crisis.


For Buyers: What to Do Next




Don't make any decisions in the first hour. Give yourself a day before deciding how you feel about the report.


Go back through it methodically. Note which findings are flagged as safety concerns, which are recommended for further evaluation, and which are simply observations.


Talk to your REALTOR® before you talk to anyone else. An experienced agent has read hundreds of inspection reports and can tell you quickly whether what you're looking at is unusual.


Follow up with your Home Inspector. If there are items that aren't outlined well enough or you don't understand the pictures provided, your Inspector will be happy to answer follow up questions.


Get specialist quotes if the report recommends it. The cost of a specialist visit is small compared to the cost of being surprised after possession. This will be necessary if you plan to ask for compensation.


Know your options: proceed as-is, request repairs before closing, negotiate a price reduction or credit, or walk away.




For Sellers: Getting Ahead of It


The best thing a seller can do is order their own pre-listing inspection. Having an inspection done before the home goes on the market allows you to deal with findings on your own terms, at your own pace, with your own choice of tradespeople.


Sellers who skip this step sometimes find themselves in a reactive position: a buyer's inspector finds something, the buyer panics, and a negotiation that should be straightforward becomes contentious.


Be forthcoming about known issues. In most Canadian provinces, sellers have a legal obligation to disclose material latent defects. Beyond the legal requirement, disclosure is simply good practice. Buyers who feel they were kept in the dark become angry buyers. Buyers who are told upfront about a known issue and see it reflected in the price become reasonable buyers.


The Negotiation


Whether you're buying or selling, the post-inspection negotiation tends to go better when both sides approach it as a practical conversation rather than a conflict.


Buyers: be specific and reasonable. A request for a price reduction based on itemized repair costs with supporting quotes is far more likely to succeed than a blanket demand based on a general feeling that the report was bad.


Sellers: you don't have to agree to every request, but consider each one on its merits. A buyer asking for a credit on a furnace that the inspection confirmed is at end of life is making a reasonable ask.


When Walking Away Is the Right Answer


Sometimes it is. If the inspection reveals structural issues that would cost more to fix than the home is worth, or chronic water damage that goes far deeper than originally apparent, walking away is not a failure. It's due diligence working exactly as it should.


The inspection condition exists precisely to give buyers an exit if the condition of the home doesn't match what they agreed to buy.


The Takeaway


An inspection report full of findings is not the end of a deal — it's the beginning of an informed conversation. Most inspection findings, even the ones that look alarming at first glance, have a practical resolution. The ones that don't are exactly the ones the inspection was designed to catch.



MaxWell Realty Canada is a real estate company with offices across Canada. This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal or professional real estate advice. Always work with a licensed REALTOR® and qualified professionals in your area.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:20:00 -0600</pubDate>
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<item>
    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/yeg-commercial-results-june-2026-jfsellscom/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/yeg-commercial-results-june-2026-jfsellscom/</link>
        <author>john@jfsells.com (John Fraser)</author>
        <title>YEG COMMERCIAL RESULTS JUNE 2026 JFSELLS.com</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
June commercial activity was characterized by increased sales inventory across most segments, with MFC leading the way. In contrast, land inventory declined, and leasing inventory fell in every segment except Office.


Pdf download available at bottom of this post. 
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:51:00 -0600</pubDate>
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<item>
    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/beaumont-real-estate-market-update-summer-2026/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/beaumont-real-estate-market-update-summer-2026/</link>
        <author>ablais@maxwellrealty.ca (Andrew Blais)</author>
        <title>Beaumont Real Estate Market Update: Summer 2026</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
If you've been watching the Beaumont housing market, or thinking about buying or selling here, this update is for you. Every quarter I dig into the latest numbers from the Realtors Association of Edmonton to see what's actually happening on the ground — not just the headlines. Here's what June and the second quarter of 2026 tell us.


More Homes Are Hitting the Market


The biggest story this quarter is inventory. Beaumont saw 294 new single-family listings in Q2 2026, up 21.5 from the same period last year. Zoom out further and the trend is even more striking: listings are up 41 compared to Q2 2024 and 58 compared to Q2 2023.


June alone brought 106 new listings, a 29 jump from June 2025 — the strongest June for new listings in at least six years. Year-to-date, we're sitting at 493 new listings compared to 413 at this point last year.


Translation: sellers who held off during the tighter years are starting to test the market again, and buyers finally have more to choose from.


Sales Are Up, But at a Measured Pace


Sales activity grew too, just not as fast as listings. Beaumont recorded 141 sales in Q2 2026, a 6 increase year-over-year, and 43 sales in June alone (up 10.3 from June 2025). Year-to-date sales sit at 218, essentially flat with 2025's pace.


That gap between new listings (+21) and sales (+6) is the clearest signal in this whole report: inventory is building faster than it's being absorbed.


Prices Are Still Climbing — Just More Gently


The average sale price in Q2 2026 was $580K, up 3.35 from a year ago and up nearly 12 from Q2 2023. In June specifically, the average sale price was $564K, a modest 0.54 increase over June 2025.


Interestingly, average asking prices actually dipped slightly — down 0.45 for the quarter and 1.77 in June — even as sale prices ticked up. That's a sign sellers are pricing a bit more conservatively out of the gate, likely in response to more competition on the market.


Homes Are Taking Longer to Sell


Here's the number that tells the real story of where we are in the cycle: average days on market jumped to 71 days in Q2 2026, up nearly 92 from just 37 days a year ago. Year-to-date, the average is 77 days, up 79 from 2025.


Combined with an average list-to-sell ratio of 0.986 (down slightly from 0.991 a year ago), this points to a market that has shifted meaningfully away from the fast-paced, over-asking conditions we saw through 2024 and into 2025. Homes are still selling close to asking price, but buyers have more room to negotiate and more time to make decisions.


What This Means If You're Selling


More competition means pricing strategy matters more than it did a year ago. Homes that are priced right and show well are still moving, but the days of listing high and expecting a bidding war are largely behind us for now. Patience and a well-prepared listing matter more heading into the back half of the year.


What This Means If You're Buying


This is the most buyer-friendly Beaumont has looked in a couple of years. More inventory, longer time on market, and a list-to-sell ratio under 1.0 all mean there's more room to negotiate than there has been recently. If you've been priced out or outbid in the past, it may be worth taking another look.


The Bottom Line


Beaumont's single-family market is rebalancing. Listings are up significantly, sales are growing at a more modest clip, prices are still rising but at a slower pace, and homes are taking longer to find a buyer. It's not a downturn — total sales volume is still up nearly 10 year-over-year — but it is a shift toward a more even playing field between buyers and sellers.


Have questions about what this means for your specific situation, whether you're buying, selling, or just keeping an eye on your home's value? Reach out anytime.


Andrew Blais MaxWell Heritage Realty andrew@maxwellheritage.com 780-387-1284


Data source: Realtors Association of Edmonton, Q2 2026 and June 2026 reports.
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    <pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 23:22:00 -0600</pubDate>
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    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go/</link>
        <author>jscott@maxwellrealty.ca (Janet Scott)</author>
        <title>Should I stay or should I go? </title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 


 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 16:29:00 -0600</pubDate>
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<item>
    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/rae-realtors-association-of-edmonton-quarterly-market-report-q2-2026-jfsellscom/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/rae-realtors-association-of-edmonton-quarterly-market-report-q2-2026-jfsellscom/</link>
        <author>john@jfsells.com (John Fraser)</author>
        <title>RAE Realtor's Association of Edmonton Quarterly Market Report Q2 2026 JFSELLS.com</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Downloadable pdf at bottom of this post



 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Sun, 05 Jul 2026 08:38:00 -0600</pubDate>
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<item>
    <guid>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/why-mosquitoes-are-everywhere-this-summer-and-what-it-means-for-your-yard/</guid>
    <link>https://www.veniece.ca/blog/why-mosquitoes-are-everywhere-this-summer-and-what-it-means-for-your-yard/</link>
        <author>websupport@maxwellrealty.ca (MaxWell Realty Admin)</author>
        <title>Why Mosquitoes Are Everywhere This Summer (And What It Means for Your Yard)</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Canada's Mosquito Boom: What This Summer's Wet Weather Means for Your Yard


By Ron Alfred De Guzman, MaxWell Realty Insights | July 03, 2026





A wet spring and early summer have driven mosquito populations up across much of Canada, and the data confirms it. Alberta isn't the only province affected.


The numbers, coast to coast


Alberta recorded one of its wettest Junes on record. Edmonton logged nearly 187 millimetres of rain, almost double its normal amount. Trap counts jumped from five mosquitoes on May 23 to 534 by June 20. The following week, average counts reached 3,753 per trap, an increase of more than 1,200 percent in seven days.


Saskatchewan follows close behind. Mosquito counts are running roughly ten times higher than last year, and populations have peaked well above the ten-year average.


Ontario and Quebec experienced their own cool, wet spring, which left behind the standing water that fuels mosquito breeding. BC saw a similar surge tied to spring flooding and rapid snowmelt. Forecasters expect this pattern to shift through July: the Prairies should trend drier, while southern Ontario and Quebec continue seeing wet weather. Different regions may take turns facing peak mosquito activity as summer progresses.


Rain drives the boom nationwide. Mosquito eggs can lie dormant for up to a decade, waiting for rain to activate them. Several dry years had depleted egg banks across the country, and this year's rainfall gave them exactly what they needed to hatch.


Why it matters for your yard


Standing water breeds mosquitoes and hurts curb appeal, regardless of province. Birdbaths, clogged eavestroughs, uncovered rain barrels, and low spots that hold puddles create the biggest problems.


A few quick fixes:




Empty or cover birdbaths and rain barrels weekly


Clear clogged eavestroughs


Address low spots that hold water after rain


Schedule showings midday, when mosquitoes are least active


Consider a screened porch for buyers who value outdoor living




The takeaway


This year's mosquito surge affects the whole country. A wet spring touched Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, and BC alike. Wherever you buy or sell, a bit of yard maintenance keeps both the bugs and buyers' first impressions in check.


Sources: CBC News, Global News, CTV News, Red Deer Advocate, University of Saskatchewan, City of Calgary, Culture Alberta.
 ]]> </description>
    <pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:51:00 -0600</pubDate>
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