c/edmonton-real-estate

Warning: That new home warranty isn't worth the paper it's printed on

My buddy bought a place in Summerside back in February and the furnace died in March. The builder told him the warranty claim would take 4-6 weeks to process. He paid $350 out of pocket for an emergency repair since it was -25 out. The builder finally got back to him in June and said the claim was denied because of 'improper maintenance'. Now he's stuck with the bill and the whole process was a nightmare. Has anyone here actually had a builder warranty pay out without a fight?

Rant: our furnace gave out during that -30 cold snap last January

Woke up at 3am to the house sitting at 12 degrees and the furnace making a loud clanking noise. Called an emergency HVAC guy who showed up 4 hours later and said the inducer motor was completely seized. Ended up costing $1,800 for the repair because it was a after-hours call plus the part was special order. Has anyone else dealt with sudden furnace failures during Edmonton winters and what did you do to prevent it from happening again?

My realtor told me to offer 20k over asking on a duplex in Mill Woods back in February

I was looking at a 3-bedroom duplex listed at 350k. She said the market was hot and we needed to come in strong. I pushed back and offered 5k over instead with a home inspection condition. They accepted. 2 months later the same model down the street sold for 345k. Has anyone else had agents push for higher offers that didnt pan out?

Property tax assessment came back way higher than I expected

I just got my property tax notice for my house in Sherwood Park and it jumped 12% from last year. Thought it was a mistake at first, called the city to complain. But then I looked up recent sales on my street on HonestDoor and three similar houses sold for $20k more than what I bought mine for two years ago. The assessor actually had my value lower than market, not higher. Guess I was just hoping prices stayed flat. Anyone else have to fight their assessment recently?

PSA: paid $250 for a home inspection that missed a leaking poly-B pipe in the basement

Found the water damage myself two months later after moving into a house in Sherwood Park, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has had luck getting a partial refund from an inspector who missed something obvious.

Overheard a realtor talking about a listing that never hit MLS

I was grabbing coffee at Transcend on Whyte and heard two agents talking. One said a house in Garneau got sold for $50k under market value before it ever showed up online. Apparently the buyer worked directly with the listing agent and nobody else knew. Makes me wonder how many deals happen behind closed doors like that. Anyone else ever feel like the public listings only show part of the picture?

That agent I trusted talked me into an overpriced home inspection package

Honestly, I used to just go with whatever home inspector my real estate agent recommended in Edmonton without question. Last year when I bought a house in the Beverley area, I paid $650 for a fancy inspection package that included thermal imaging and mold testing. A neighbor who used to work in construction walked through my new place and found three obvious issues the inspector completely missed. Now I hire my own inspector separately from my agent, and I get referrals from friends who actually used them before. The kicker is that my agent made about $900 in referral fees just for sending me to that guy. Has anyone else found that agents push certain inspectors or lenders just for kickbacks around here?

Listed my house 10% below market and got a bidding war that ended in a weird gift

I had this older bungalow in Mill Woods that I was SICK of sitting on, so I figured why not price it at $310k when comps were around $345k. Figured I'd just move on quick. Within 48 hours I had like 14 showings and 7 offers, and the winning bid was $15k over ask but the condition was 'leave the antique rocking chair on the porch.' I was like okay whatever, that thing is beat up anyway. Sold. Then a week later the new owners showed up at my rental with a homemade pie from that Italian bakery on Whyte Ave and a thank you note about the chair. I learned that underpricing can bring out a whole different crowd of buyers who actually care about the house's history. Has anyone else had a weird condition or request in a final offer that made you laugh?

Is the new city zoning actually making Edmonton townhouses cheaper or just raising lot prices?

Honestly, I keep hearing people say the zoning changes in Edmonton last year will bring down the cost of townhouses because developers can build more. But Ngl, looking at listings in Ritchie and Garneau, I see lot prices jumping by $40,000 or more for those double lots. My neighbor sold his single-family lot for $320,000 and the buyer is putting up three townhouses. So is the supply increase really dropping the per-unit price, or are we just paying more for the land now? I think the math works out to the same $450k per unit once construction is done. Am I missing something here, or are others seeing this trend in their neighborhoods too?

Drove past the old Capilano Mall site yesterday. Crazy how fast that area changed.

Faced with a 1980s split level vs a 1990s bi-level in Callingwood last month

I spent a whole Saturday going back and forth between a 1980s split level with original pink bathroom tile and a 1990s bi-level that needed new carpet everywhere. I picked the split level because the kitchen had actual counter space, but now I've got a bathroom that looks like a diner from Stranger Things. Anyone else gone for character over condition and regretted it or am I the only one?

That 1970s bungalow in Millwoods I saw flip in 4 months

I walked through a house on 38th Ave in March, total time capsule with shag carpet and wood paneling. Same house sold in July for $95k more after they ripped out the drop ceiling, opened up the kitchen to the living room, and swapped the front door. The biggest change was taking down that half wall between the entry and the dining area. Anyone else see these quick flips where the cosmetic stuff makes that kind of jump?

Rant: My realtor ghosted me after I asked about property tax history

Honestly, I was looking at a house in Mill Woods last month and I asked my realtor to pull up the tax records on it. She said she'd get back to me, then nothing. Three days of silence and she finally texts saying she's 'too busy' to deal with small stuff. Like, isn't that part of the job? Has anyone else had a realtor just bail on simple requests like that?

Talked to a commercial broker last week and now I get why some listings sit for 6 months

Had a nightmare showing with a flooded basement last month

I was showing a house near Whitemud Creek to a family on a Saturday morning. We walked into the basement and there was about an inch of water covering the whole rug after a heavy rain the night before. The sump pump had failed and nobody caught it before the showing. I had to call the listing agent and cancel the rest of the appointments right there. Has anyone else dealt with a surprise flood during a showing and how did you handle the buyers?

That $400 inspection saved me $8k on a duplex in Garneau

I put an offer on a place near the U and the home inspector I hired spotted some weird grading in the backyard. Turned out the previous owner had patched a foundation crack with just caulk. Water was pooling right against the wall during heavy rain. Got the seller to knock off $8k for the repairs and now I'm wondering if I got lucky or if most inspectors catch stuff like this. Anyone else had a small inspection find turn into a big discount?

That advice from a home inspector about conduit size saved me $300

Last summer a home inspector told me to always run 3/4 inch conduit instead of 1/2 inch for new builds, even on small jobs. I ignored him on a duplex in Edmonton and had to redo the whole run after the owner wanted extra wiring. Has anyone else had a pro's tip that seemed overkill but actually made sense later?

Just realized most buyers ignore the garage slab condition

I was looking at a place near Mill Woods last month and the realtor pointed out a crack that was actually the slab sinking - turns out fixing that can cost $5k easy. Has anyone else seen this slip past a home inspection?

TIL I wasted $200 on a home inspection that missed a cracked foundation

I walked into the basement after closing and saw a hairline crack that the inspector's report totally ignored, so has anyone else found major stuff their inspector missed?

Three showings in one day changed my mind about open houses

I used to think open houses were a waste of time for sellers. But last Saturday I had three showings in a row for a bungalow in Mill Woods, and two of them left offers by Sunday. The first couple walked in and literally said "this is exactly what we've been looking for" within five minutes. Has anyone else had a day that completely flipped their opinion on a selling strategy?

I overheard a realtor say houses over 1M don't need inspections, that's bad advice

I was at a coffee shop near Jasper Ave last Thursday and two realtors were talking at the next table. One said to the other that anything priced over a million basically sells as-is with no conditions and inspections are a waste. I actually own a house in the Glenora area that I bought for 1.2M back in 2020. I had an inspection done and the guy found knob and tube wiring still live in the attic. Cost me $8,000 to fix before we even moved in. So that idea that expensive houses are exempt from problems just isn't true in my experience. Older neighborhoods like this have all kinds of hidden issues regardless of price. Anyone else run into something similar with high end properties around Edmonton?

Hot take: buying a pre-sale condo vs. a 20 year old bungalow in Edmonton

I used to think new builds were always the way to go. Back in 2019 I put a deposit on a condo in Oliver Square, thought I was set. But after a friend bought a 1970s bungalow in Capilano for $280k and only spent $15k on updates, I started wondering. My pre-sale got delayed 8 months and the final costs went up. Now I'm leaning toward older homes with character and bigger lots. Which side are you on for Edmonton's market right now?

Had a talk with a home inspector yesterday that changed my view on old wiring

He told me my 1950s house has cloth insulated wiring that looked fine but tested fragile, and said it's a ticking time bomb for insurance claims. Now I'm second guessing my offer on a similar fixer upper on 118 Ave I was ready to buy. Anyone else deal with surprise knob and tube or cloth wiring after moving in?

Question about the new arena district and property values

I stopped by the Ice District near Rogers Place last weekend and noticed all those fancy condos going up. Some people say it's driving up prices around there, but others argue it's only helping the high-end stuff and leaving the rest of the neighborhoods behind. Has anyone here seen a real bump in their home's value from being close to the arena, or is it all hype?

Warning: our furnace died at -25C and we almost had pipes burst

Woke up last Thursday to a freezing house. Thermostat said 8 degrees. Old Lennox unit finally gave out after 22 years. Had to call an emergency HVAC guy at 2am who charged $450 just to show up. Ended up replacing the whole thing for $4800. Not the way I wanted to spend my house fund. Anyone else deal with a surprise furnace replacement in the middle of winter?