Marjorie and Doug McKay Move to RE/MAX R.E. Lakeside in Chestermere Lake

Marjorie and Doug McKay are moving their real estate practice to RE/MAX R.E. Lakeside. We have run our own brokerage for 6 years and have enjoyed our association with MaxWell Realy. We cannot say enough good things about Dick Oakes and Ron Stanners the founders of MaxWell Realty.

Changing companies is about practicality. We want an office in Chestermere as that is where 90% of our business is. We want to work in an office that understands Chestermere. Office space in Chestermere is very difficult to obtain.

We have also found that the paper work involved in running a brokerage is taking more and more time. As top sales people that is not the best use of our time.

RE/Max R.E.Lakeside has an office at 300 Merganser Drive in the West Creek Shopping Centre. They have a full time broker and a full time conveyancing secretary. There are currently about 20 realtors in the office.

Marjorie and Doug will continue to provide top marketing for our properties. This move will allow us more time to spend with their clients, helping them make the right moves. We will continue to print the Chestermere Real Estate News and operate www.ChestermereRealEstate.com

228 Cove Court Chestermere Alberta. Sunny Two-Storey in Beach Community.

The secret to a happy marriage. Buy a resale home that has been landscaped, has a deck built & all the window coverings & many upgrades paid for. Now all you have to decide is what you will do with all your spare time and money. The pie shaped 123' wide lot has lots of room for toys, the deck is completed, the yard is landscaped, the storage shed is even built. You will love the dream home finishes and upgraded features in this 2282 sq. ft. 2 storey; a 2 storey vault, a sweeping spiral staircase, maple hardwood foors, solid maple cabinets, granite counters, Hunter Douglas window coverings, 5" baseboards, and an outstanding floor plan. You will love the sunny West facing yard, kitchen, great room & master. Just steps away from the Cove's resident only beach, this home is absolutely delightful! Come and see for yourself.

The Cove is located on the North-East side of Chestermere Lake. It features 40 lakefront homes with the balance of the homes being off of the lake. The first homes in this area were built on Cove Road and were started in the late 1990’s. Lakefront lots in this area were 60 feet wide by about 200 feet deep. The Cove is the only area in Chestermere has a private beach area for residents only. The Cove has a still has few homes left that are in various stages of construction. There are walk-out lots, with a variety of bungalow and 2 storey plans. The different phases had different builders, but most sales were done through designated builders and a showhome parade. There are homes that back onto green space, large pie lots, zero lot lines, and canal lots. There are no rear lanes in The Cove.

Chestermere Lake Condo Market Gets Bum Rap!!!Great Buyer's Market Now!

There was not one condo that sold last month in Chestermere!  Only on condo sold in May 2008.  Ever since the price of gas went up the resale market for Condos in Chestermere has gone flat.  In April we had 6 sales.  Most of the Condos in Chestermere are less than 12 miles to downtown Calgary!!!! People just don't realize how close-in to Calgary Chestermere is. Chestermere Lake is located 5 miles from the central East Border of Calgary.  You can have excellent access to all areas of the city and the International airport from Chestermere.  Glenmore Trail, will take you to the industrial areas and the South End of the City.  The number one highway goes right by Chestermere and gives you great access to the Deerfoot and downtown.  The 1A is also a direct route to Calgary.  To get to the airport you don't even have to go to the Deerfoot, you can make it past Conrich right up to Barlow trail in about 20 minutes.  If you are considering a condo lifestyle, don't forget about Chestermere.  It is a beautiful community built around a 750 acre lake just 12 miles from downtown Calgary.

 If you are interested in learning more about Chestermere please view the slide show below

The Real Estate Council of Alberta Wants Consumers to be Well-Informed.

The Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) has a new video regarding real estate relationships. 

It is very informative and I would want all of my clients or potential clients to view it.  Here is the link. Agency Relationships Video

They have also produced an information guide for buyers.

There is also an informative guide for sellers.

The Agency Relationships Guide is also available for download here.

I feel that the better informed the public is the better their real estate experience will be, and isn't that what we all want?

The Agent You See A Property With Should Be The Agent You Will Be Working With To Buy The Home

The Agent You See A Property With Should Be The Agent You Will Be Working With To Buy The Home. 

Has Your Realtor Told You To Call The Listing Agent To Show You Homes? 

 We get one or two calls a month where a buyer wants to see a home that we have listed or that we display on our website through IDX. (a reciprocal agreement within our real estate board to display other realtor’s listings.)  Upon questioning the potential buyer we find that they are in fact intending to work with a certain realtor after they have used listing realtors to find the home they wish to buy. 

 Very often they have been coached by their “realtor” to get us to show the home but not to sign anything with the listing realtor.  When they find the home they wish to buy they will have a buyer’s brokerage agreement which they will present to the listing agent, who will then agree to just represent the seller as they do not wish to compromise the sale.  What is wrong with this?

Let me count the ways!

 The buyer’s agent has a responsibility to represent the client.  If the client is viewing the home with a seller’s agent they may not be able to contain their enthusiasm, they may reveal details that would affect their negotiations.  They have no agreement with the agent showing them the home,

The only thing we have to sell is our time.  The listing realtor is busy too! If they are not busy showing another realtor’s client homes, they would be showing their own client or pursuing another listing.  They may also be able to spend time with their family.  I know that this has been the thing that makes me most angry is when they steal time from my familyI

If the Buyer’s agent is too busy to show you homes, they are too busy to be your realtor.  How many ways do they have to tell you that you are not important to them unless you are ready to write an offer

Have we forgotten that the Buyer’s Brokerage agreement is to also protect the buyer, not to just protect the agent’s right to be paid?  The Exclusive Buyer’s Brokerage Agreement  spells out exactly what services are to be provided and what responsibilities the agent  and brokerage have towards the client.   It states how much and who will pay the fees for the Buyer’s Agent.

We are not saying from time to time that it happens that someone who is interested in a home calls the listing realtor not understanding how the real estate industry works.   It is up to the industry member to explain to them how our industry works.  It is when they have been coached by a realtor (that is too busy or too lazy to drive 5 minutes out of town to show them a property) to trick the other realtor into showing them a home.  When they find the right home, they will dump all of the realtor’s that they have used to use the realtor who should have been doing the work in the first place. 

As I said I am surprised that the public would put up with this.  Buyer’s that we are working with get us from beginning to end.  If we should be too busy to show them homes we will arrange for an agent to work with us until they can find the right home and then we will help with the negotiations.  In this circumstance the agent that has been working with them will be paid by us for their time.  They will also be protected by our agency relationship through the co-operating agent.  Often if we cannot be available 100% we will help the client find representation with someone in the industry that we respect and trust to treat them the way they deserve to be treated.

587 East Chestermere Drive, Chestermere Alberta, Lake Front Home

Chestermere Lake is only 30 minutes to downtown Calgary! This home gives you lake front living at its best. This 1.5 storey home takes resort living seriously. Custom designed and built for the lake this home has near 3600 sq. ft. to love. With all of the main living areas facing the lake you will always feel like you are on vacation. Great west facing 50 x 183' deep lot gives you sun all day and sunsets in the evening. Natural sand lake bed for great swimming at this location. This great floor plan has the private master suite taking up the entire second floor. The main floor has a den, bedroom, large dining room, great room, nook, generous kitchen, 3 piece bath and bright laundry room. The walkout has a large rumpus room with view of the lake, 2 bedrooms 1 with 2 piece bath, and a separate 3 piece bath. With new brazilian cherry hardwood on the main floor,updated bathrooms and in excellent condition this home is ready to be your every day and holiday home combined.

172, 371 Marina Drive Chestermmere Lake Alberta. Waterside Condo For Sale

Lake view and end unit with extra parking space in the Waterside at Chestermere Lake. This 2 year old townhouse has generous rooms, 3 bedrooms, built in desk, single attached garage with extra space for parking in front. This home has been handled with kid gloves and is as new. Nice accent colours enhance the neutral decor. The kitchen has a generous island to gather around and a window over the sink. There is a 3 piece ensuite bath in master bedroom. There is a full basement with a washer and dryer that are included. The great room has a gas corner fireplace and a great view of the lake.

350 Lakeside Greens Drive Chestermere Golf Course Bungalow Priced To Sell!

Low just got lower. Price reduced $24,500 on this great golf course bungalow! Want to golf, just walk through to the golf course through your own back yard and take a swing. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac, this home has the best of locations with a sunny south facing back yard onto the golf course. This fully developed walkout with has in-floor heat in the garage and lower floor, a cedar roof, and a beautifully landscaped yard. The spacious open plan and the hardwood floors are added features that make this home a pleasure to own. Make that pleasure your own, call to make your appointment to view this great golf course home.

212 PANAMOUNT LN NW Calgary Alberta @ storey Walkout fully developed.

ZIP, ZERO ZILCH. Nothing to finish and a total of 2,400 sq. ft. of living space above grade completed for you to enjoy. Fresh, and inviting this home has cool like a cucumber colours that coordinate throughout the home. All appliances and window coverings and hot tub are included. This Hampton II by Carolina Homes has a great room with wide open kitchen and nook on the main floor. The second floor has a bonus room that can be your home office, a fourth bedroom, a playroom or a place for mom and dad to relax but still be close by. The master suite has a vaulted ceiling, and the en suite has a large soaker tub, an angled shower and walk-in closet. The walkout basement is finished to the same high standard as the rest of the home with a bedroom, bath and rec. room. The yard pies out to 64' w x 112' d, it is landscaped and fully fenced and ready for your to enjoy. Just call up your friends and family, you can barbecue on the deck, the kids can play in the yard & you can relax in the hot tub!

Tribute to my mother who passed away May 20, 2008

One of the most important things that happens in life that we have no control over is who our parents will be.  Will they have the capacity to love us, to sacrifice for us, to be able to say no to us when we need to hear no. 

The luckiest thing that has happened to me in my life was that I was born to two wonderful, parents.  First of all they loved each other, showing me what love looked like, even though they might argue, it always worked out, nobody left, they just worked things out.  Second of all they respected each other.  Dad always said how smart mom was, because of this I waited until I found a man that could appreciate my intelligence, and I see the same pattern in all of the girls born to this family.  They have found husbands who appreciate them and accept that they are equal partners.  I can also see that the men in this family have not hesitated to take a smart woman as their wife.  I believe that this is part of the legacy of Mae and Harold. 

 Dad always thought that mom was beautiful; it is a wonderful thing to hear your 88 year old father talk about how beautiful your 80 year old mother is, not was, but still is.   Dad talked to me about this in his last weeks.  He talked about how he would not have had the success that he had in farming without her help.  That is love.   It would not top the best seller's as a romance novel, but that is what true love is.  I cannot begin to tell you how precious those last few weeks of my father's life were to me. 

 They say that the best thing a man can do for his children is to love their mother, and Dad certainly did this.

Mom would never turn her back on her children, she may not have agreed with you but you always knew that she loved you and would never stay mad at you.  She would never think of not being there for you if you needed her.  But she didn't barge in and tell you how you should do things either, she respected all of us and let us led our own lives.

 Mom was wise, and knew how to listen, and how to ask the right questions to help you figure out things for yourself.  She did not buy a dishwasher until I left home so that we would wash dishes together every night and talk about things.  With out these talks my life could have turned out much differently.  I know that I am a better mother because I had a great mother. I learned from her how to listen to my kids, not to over- react, but how instead to just listen and help them find their own answers.

 My mom was one of the kindest people I have ever met.   She would never say or do anything that would hurt us.  She was unselfish with her children and always put our needs above her own. 

 Mom never needed to compete with her children as I have seen some mothers do, she was always happy to let us shine when it was our time.  Because of this we are wise enough to let our children shine when it is their time. Nor did she need to live her dreams through us, but instead allowed us to decide what we wanted our lives to be for ourselves.

 Sometimes the wealth of a family has nothing to do with a bank account or things but rather lies in the way that we teach our children to relate to the people they love.  I know how truly lucky I am to have been born to my parents.  That luck will be with me all the days of my life, and I believe that it will pass down through the generations to all of the descendants of Mae and Harold Fortna.