Here are some tips to help you get your home ready for the season:

· After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, carefully test the temperature and pressure relief valve to ensure it is not stuck. Caution: This test may release hot water that can cause burns.

· Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season.  Ventilation system, for example heat recovery ventilator, filters should be checked every two months.

· Have fireplace or woodstove and chimney cleaned and serviced as needed.

· Shut down and clean furnace humidifier.

· Check dehumidifier and clean if necessary.

· Turn OFF gas furnace and fireplace pilot lights where possible.

· Have well water tested for quality. It is recommended that you test for bacteria every six months.

· Check smoke, carbon monoxide and security alarms and replace batteries.

· Clean windows, screens and hardware, and replace storm windows with screens. Check screens first and repair or replace if needed.

· Open valve to outside hose connection after all danger of frost has passed.

· Examine the foundation walls for cracks, leaks or signs of moisture, and repair as required. Repair and paint fences as necessary.

· Ensure sump pump is operating properly before the spring thaw sets in. Ensure discharge pipe is connected and allows water to drain away from the foundation.

·        Re-level any exterior steps or decks which moved due to frost or settling.

· Check eaves troughs and downspouts for loose joints and secure attachment to your home, clear any obstructions, and ensure water flows away from your foundation.

· Clear all drainage ditches and culverts of debris.

· Undertake spring landscape maintenance and, if necessary, fertilize young trees.

     Bedding plants should not be left outside until after the risk of frost is gone.  It is a good idea to put them out during the day to help season them and make them more hearty. 

     Your garden should also be planted after the risk of frost is gone.  I usually plant mine sometime between the weekend after  the May long weekend and the first week of June.  Don’t wait too long to plant, or your harvest will be late and risk frost.

     Wishing you all the best this season!

But not all licensed or registered Brokers or salespeople are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a trademark identifying real estate licensees in Canada who are members of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).  REALTORS® adhere to a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Business Practice. The code of ethics is a firm set of rules, describing what kind of    performance you have a right to expect from a REALTOR®. It’s your guarantee of professional conduct and the best in service.

That’s why many buyers and sellers turn to a REALTOR®. As a member of their local real estate Board, REALTORS® have their finger on the pulse of the housing market and are in daily contact with buyers potentially interested in your home.

You can trust a REALTOR® to protect your interests and to look after details. And all the while, you’re an active partner in the process, working with a REALTOR® every step of the way. So the more you know about buying and selling homes, the better your working relationship with a REALTOR®.

A REALTOR®’s commitment to high standards of professional conduct works to the advantage of buyers and sellers alike. A REALTOR® is knowledgeable about developments and trends in real estate. A REALTOR® will get you the facts: comparable prices, neighborhood trends, housing market conditions and more.  

A REALTOR® is committed to ongoing education to increase competence and effectiveness in real estate trading.

Every REALTOR® has been trained and tested. And REALTORS® are bound by a strict Code of Ethics and Standards of Business Practice that ensure fairness to all parties in a transaction.

A REALTOR®’s pledge is to be honest in disclosing property information and forthright in providing the facts needed to help you make one of the most important decisions of your life.

And remember, only a REALTOR®, a member of The Canadian Real Estate Association, has access to the Multiple Listing Service®, Canada’s most powerful real estate marketing system.

Chad W. Bonner joins more than 30,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the ABR(R) designation.  All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer representaion and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, both in addition to submitting documentation verifying professional experience.

REBAC, founded in 1988, is the world’s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on represtnting the real estate buyer.  There are more than 40,000 active members of the organization world-wide.  The National Association of Realtors (R), “The Voice for Real Estate” is the world’s largest professional association, representing over 1,000,000 members involved in all aspects of the real estate industry.

You may contact the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council by telephone, (800) 648-6224, by e-mail, rebac@realtors.org, or by visiting the REBEC website website, www.REBAC.net.

It’s true, in January alone, we have increased our number of Associates by 3.  That is 5 new REALTOR(S) in 2 months!  Many more are lined up and will soon be ready to be a part of this great brokerage.

Ron Schwartz is our brokerage recruiter, and Career Development guru.  If you are thinking of a career in real estate, ask him about it - 780-965-3948.  He is available anytime to offer advice on getting into the real estate industry, and can also help coach and train once you are a REALTOR(R).

2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the Holidays and less competition mean more money for you.

3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home.  Less demand means less money for you.

4. Houses show better when decorated for the Holidays.

5. Buyers are more emotional during the Holidays so they are more likely to pay your price.

6. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the Holidays than during regular weekdays.                   

7. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax purposes.

8. January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs.  Since transferees cannot wait until spring to buy, you must be on the market during the  Holidays to capture that market.

9. You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during the Holidays.

10. You can sell now for more money and we will provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year.

11. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the spring when many more houses are on the market for less money!  This will allow you to sell high and buy low.

We would like to update you on some of the exciting changes happening at Exit Realty Grove.

The brokerage has won the 2009 Marketer of the Year Award, presented by the Spruce Grove and Stony Plain Chambers of Commerce.  This is very exciting for us.  We work very hard to make Exit Realty Grove a well known real estate brokerage, and awards like this prove that we are doing our job.

If you happen to stop by the office, please excuse the mess, we are a construction zone at the moment!  We are renovating to create more space for our current Associates, and for the up and coming new Associates.  In the past month, we have increased by 2 Associates, with many more on the way.  We have employed a full time Recruiter and Trainer/Coach to help our Associates be the best that they can be.  Give Ron a call at                    780-965-3948 to discuss a career in real estate.

Wishing you all Happy Holidays and Season’s Greetings!  Happiness, health, and wealth in 2010!