Josh Boissonneault's Blog

How to perform a Title search on Alberta's Land Registry Website (SPIN2)

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:43:53 -0700

How to do a Property Search on SPIN 2

*Go to: https://alta.registries.gov.ab.ca/spinii/logon.aspx

*Please be aware that Fire Fox Web Browser users will likely have trouble. SPIN2 seems to be most compatible with Internet Explorer. You will also need to download some software when using the map functions for the first time.

- click on "Guest Login" (Right side, light blue)

- click on "I Agree" (Bottom Left)

- click on "Search" (top, third from the left)

- At this point You can do a map search on SPIN2. Simply click on "Map Search" attached to the globe on the right hand side of the page. Then click on the +/- icon tool at the bottom of the map in the tool bar. It takes some getting used to, but by right or left clicking and scanning (with the hand icon) You can zoom in and out on the Alberta map. Once You find the property, click on the "i, select items" in the tool bar, and it will then give You a pre-view of the title. It is much easier if You have a town map with You while doing this, most Brokerages will give out small copies of town maps in the town where You live, just call them and ask if they have town maps to give away.

- or; click on "Titles and Registered Documents" Underneath "Search Spin2 for "

If you have a legal land description of the property.

- click on "Plan/Block or Unit/Lot" (top left), or "LINC number" (right side, third from the top), or "Standard ATS" depending on which legal description you have for the property.

- Type in the separate Plan, Block, and Lot Numbers,

or the LINC Number,

or W4or5th Meridian - Range -Township - Section - NE, etc under Standard ATS,

- Then click on "Search"

- click on "Add to Cart Current "(small white boxes on left side), then go to your shopping Cart and pay with you VISA or Master Card.

You can also click on the little Globe under "View", and this will give you a map of the Property, which can be expanded and moved around with the tools at the bottom. You can even measure out the dimensions in meters with the ruler tool.

Any Caveats, Utility Right of Ways, Mortgages or other Instruments on the property can be further explored for an additional $5 per item by:

- clicking on "Search Registered Documents" (Under Additional Searches, right side), once you identify the document you would like to download, it is the same as downloading the Title. It is Convenient receiving these Documents Electronically, because you can then save them on your hard/FLASH Drive, and print them off at your Leisure, or Email them.

An internet link to RECA's website on how commisions are calculated

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:42:14 -0700

The link below takes You to the Real Estate Council of Alberta's website (RECA), and specifically the page on how commisions are supposed to be calculated by Realtors.

There is also tons of other useful and interesting information on this website.

http://www.reca.ca/consumer_information/work_with_industry_prof/commission.htm

Local Utilities and Services for the Slave Lake area

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:37:27 -0700

New Home Owners

Here is a list of *Services you should be getting in touch with,

As soon as you remove your conditions!

Insurance - It is EXTREMLY important that you have insurance in place for your home and contents, on Possession or Completion Day!

•- Canada Broker Link: 849-3941

•- Co-operators: 849-4460

•- Nicolet Insurance: 849-6511

•- Phoenix Insurance Group: 805-8802

Slave Lake

Power

- Direct Energy: 1-888-420-3181,

- ATCO Electric: 1-800-668-2248

Natural Gas

•- Direct Energy Natural Gas: 1-866-420-3174

•- ATCO Gas: 310-5678

Water/Sewer/Garbage Pick-up - Town of Slave Lake: 849-8000

Telephone - Telus: 310-2255 (No Charge Dial)

Cable TV - Slave Lake Cable TV: 849-5188

Mail - Slave Lake: 849-4463

Rural The Telephone and Power should be the same as above.

Natural Gas

•- Pembina River Natural Gas CO-OP: 1-888-954-3933 (Smith)

•- Paddle Prairie Gas CO-OP: 981-2467 (Joussard)

•- Swan River CO-OP: 775-3779 (Kinuso)

•- Alta Gas Utilities INC: 1-866-222-2067 (Athabasca)

Water/Sewer/Garbage Pick-up

- MD # 124 (Lesser Slave River): 849-4888 or 1-866-449-4888

- MD # 17 (Wabasca): 780-891-3778

- MD of Big Lakes (Kinuso to High Prairie): 1- 866-523-5955

Mail - Wabasca: 891-3030, Smith: 829-2451

*Note - Please confirm when calling the above services as to any deposit or hook-up fees!

Local Mortgage Brokers for the Slave Lake area

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:35:47 -0700

Mortgage Brokers for the Slave Lake Area:

Debbie Jacobsen

Mortgage Broker

_________________________________________________________________

Mobile: 805-8840

Fax: 805-8841

Robert Jenson

Mortgage Broker

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-849-4242

Fax: 849-4212

E-Mail: mafferty@cable-lynk.net

Elaine Stymiest

Mortgage Broker

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-349-6710

Mobile: 307-8028

Fax: 349-6705 or 349-4911

E-Mail: www.stymiest.e@mortgageintelligence.ca

Kevin Waters

Mortgage Broker

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 1-866-924-2048

Mobile: 1-780-298-4663

Fax: 1-888-924-2049

Local Lawyers for the Slave Lake area

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:34:37 -0700

Local Lawyers in Slave Lake:

Bruce Maunder

Lawyer

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-849-2420

Fax: 780-849-2520

Work Address:

#216 Main St. N.W.

P.O. Box 1607

Slave Lake, Alberta T0G-2A0

Allan McMillan

Lawyer

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-849-2227

Fax: 780-849-2143

Work Address:

#2, 221-3Ave. N.W.

Slave Lake , Alberta T0G-2A1

Philip Lokken

Lawyer

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-849-5540

Fax: 780-849-5499

Work Address:

401-3Ave N.E.

Slave Lake, Alberta T0G-2A2

Larry Schimpf

Lawyer

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-849-3547

Fax: 780-849-2842

Work Address:

403 Main St. N.E.

P.O. Box 818

Slave Lake , Alberta T0G-2A0

Calls I made recently on some possible Contamination... March of 2008

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:33:20 -0700

Environmental Testing

Spoke with an Environmental Engineer (Allen Leander) at Clifton Associates in Edmonton. (PH: 780-432-6441,

In the yellow pages under "Engineers - Environmental")

He said we could bring the samples to Maxim Labs in Edmonton and have the testing done ourselves, after which he could interpret the results for around $150.

Also spoke to Miguel (780-436-9400) who is also an Environmental Engineer, and he also agreed with Allen's opinion based on experience, that if you can't see or smell any residue, then there likely isn't anything to worry about.

Spoke to Mark Pickering (PH: 333-4288) who works for Alberta environment. He has a lot of Consulting Experience.

Spoke to Shalyce at Maxim Labs (PH: 577-7100), and she said that a BETX, F1 to F2 test ($200) would work for Volatile Hydrocarbons, but that if the sample was ice, the Volatiles would evaporate while the ice was melting, resulting in a bias low, thus inconclusive test. The test sample should be liquid if water, with no head room in the sample container, and no air bubbles if possible. It should also be sealed. The Lab could provide test beakers/vials, if needed.

Total Oil & Grease Test ($60) detects heavier Hydrocarbons such as tar or asphalt. Again the sample should be in a sealed container, with as little air as possible.

A Coliform test is used when detecting sewage, or a Heterotrophic Plate Count ($75) which detects Biological organisms.

Home Appraiser & Inspecters for Slave Lake and the surrounding area

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:22:36 -0700

Home Appraisers:

Bill & Helga Grose

Appraisals, Biegel & Perra

CRA

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 814-6123 or 538-2299

Home: 532-5090

Mobile: 518-5404 or 832-7851

Fax: (780) 532-8830

Tony Squair

Appraisals, Knight & Company

CRA

_________________________________________________________________

Work: (780) 486-9545

E-Mail: knight9@knightappraisals.com

Mobile: (780)995-6354

Fax: (780) 444-6186

Chet Gilmore

Appraisals, Landucation

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-675-5559

Mobile: 780-689-8454

Home Inspectors:

Brian Green

Inspections, Hymark Home Inspection Services, (Spouse of Linda Green at RE/MAX)

_________________________________________________________________

Work: (780) 849-0345

Email: hymarkhi@telus.net

Bill & Jan Goodwin

Inspections - Spruce View

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 780-689-5337

Fax: 780-689-5338

Andrew Currie

Inspections - Pillar to Post

_________________________________________________________________

Work: 1-800-294-5591

Home: 780-778-1880

What is Title Insurance?

Josh Boissonneault (RE/MAX Slave Lake Realty) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:17:55 -0700

Title Insurance

Title insurance, especially Owner's title insurance, is extremely important when purchasing a house or piece of property. Yet many consumers are unsure about what title insurance is and what it protects against. Here are some answers to the more common questions about title insurance.

Types of Title Insurance

There are two types of title insurance: Lenders title insurance, also called a Loan Policy, and Owner's title insurance. Most lenders require a Loan Policy when they issue you a loan. The Loan Policy is usually based on the dollar amount of your loan. It protects the lender's interests in the property should a problem with the title arise. The policy amount decreases each year and eventually disappears as the loan is paid off.

Owner's title insurance is usually issued in the amount of the real estate purchase. It is purchased for a one-time fee at closing and lasts as long as you or your heirs have an interest in the property. This may even be after the insured has sold the property. Only Owner's title insurance fully protects the buyer should a problem arise with the title that was not uncovered during the title search. Owner's title insurance also pays for any legal fees involved in defending a claim to your title.

Prices, and the way title insurance is issued vary. Contact a title company in your area to see how it is handled, or consult Your Lawyer.

How Am I Protected?

In order to issue title insurance, the title company must search public land records for matters affecting that title. Many search the "chain" of title back 50 years. Some title searches find a title problem that is fixed before the insurance is issued. Some examples of items that can cause a problem are: deeds, wills and trust that contain improper information; outstanding judgments or tax liens against the property; and easements. Title companies fix the problems, and then issue the title insurance.

Occasionally, in spite of an exhaustive title search, hidden hazards can emerge after closing. Things such as mistakes in the public record, previously undisclosed heirs claming to own the property; or forged deeds could cloud the title. Owner's title insurance offers financial protection against these by negotiating with third-parties, and paying claims and the legal fees involved in defending the title.

Common Title Problems

Here are three short stories on some common title problems:

Fraud & Forgery

Those involved in real estate fraud and forgery can be clever and persistent, which can spell trouble for your home purchase.

An innocent buyer purchased an attractive home site through a realty company, accepting a notarized deed from the seller. Then another couple, the trio owners of the property-who lived in another locale-suddenly appeared and initiated legal action to prove their interest in the real estate was valid.

Under the owner's title insurance policy of the innocent buyer, the title company provided a money settlement to protect against financial loss. As it turned out, the forger spent time in advance at the local court house, searching the public records to locate property with out of town owners who had been in possession for an extended period of time. The individual involved then forged and recorded a deed to a fictitious person and assumed the identity of that person before listing the property for sale to an innocent purchaser, handling moot contracts through an answering service. Also, the identity of the notary appearing on deeds was fictitious as well.

Fraud and forgery are examples of hidden title hazards that can remain undetected until after a closing despite the most careful precautions. Although emphasizing risk elimination, an owner's title insurance policy protects financially through negotiation by the insurer with third parties, payment for defending against an attack on the title as insured, and payment of valid claims.

Conflicting Wills

Conflicts over a will from a deceased former owner may suggest a study topic for law school. But the subject can take on a whole new dimension when your home ownership is at stake.

After purchasing a residence, the new owner was startled when a brother of the seller claimed an ownership interest and sought a substantial amount of money as his share. It seemed that their late mother had given the house to the son making the challenge, who placed the deed in his drawer without recording it at the court house. Some 20 years later, after the death of the mother, the deed was discovered and then filed. Permission was granted in probate court to remove the property from the late mother's estate, and the brother to whom the residence initially was given sold the house. But the other brother appealed the probate court decision, claiming that their mother really did not intend to give the house to his sibling. Ultimately, the appeal was upheld and the new owner faced a significant financial loss. Since the new owner had acquired owner's title insurance upon purchasing the real estate, the title company paid the claim, along with an additional amount in legal fees incurred during the defense.

Missing Heirs

When buying a home, it's important to remember what you don't know, can cost you.

A couple purchased a residence from a widow and her daughter, the only known heirs of the husband and father, who died without leaving a will.

Soon after the sale, a man appeared - claiming he was the son of the late owner by a former marriage. As it turned out, he indeed was the son of the deceased man. This legal heir disapproved of his father's remarriage and had vanished when the wedding took place. Nonetheless, the son was entitled to a share of the value of the home, which meant an expensive problem for the unwary couple purchasing the property.

Although the absence of a will hindered discovery of the missing heir in a title search of the public records, title insurance issued at the time of the real estate transaction would have financially protected the couple from the claim by the missing heir. For a one-time charge at closing, owner's title insurance will safeguard against problems including those even an exhaustive search will not always reveal.

Remember, Lender's title insurance, which is usually required by the mortgage lender, serves as protection only for the lending institution, not to you as a Buyer.