Thinking of hiring a contractor...

Contractors who accept money before work is complete and look for work, discuss or finalize a contract away from their normal place of business (ex. in your home) are considered prepaid contractors. A prepaid contractor must be licensed by Service Alberta and post security. If the business is negligent in performing its services or providing the goods, an affected consumer can submit a claim against the security.

Check with Service Alberta to find out if a contractor is licensed as a prepaid contractor. Call the Consumer Contact Centre toll free in Alberta at 1-877-427-4088.

If a prepaid contract is worth $200 or more, the Prepaid Contracting Business Licensing Regulation requires the contractor to give you a written contract.

Avoid contractors who:
Knock on your door to tell you they just happen to be doing some work in the area and can give you a special price
Promise a discount if you allow them to use your home to advertise their work
Quote a price without seeing the job
Refuse to give you a written contract outlining what they will do or who won't allow you to get other estimates
Provide a post office box as their address or an answering service for a telephone number
Will not commit to a specific start and completion date
Ask you to take out the appropriate permits or indicate that they are not taking out a permit at all. The person doing the work is the person required to take out a permit. Permits are for your protection and help ensure that work meets safety code standards to protect the safety and value of your home.

Did you know...

The following is an exerpt from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation:

Did you know…
That the average duration of the round trip between home and the workplace, by both public transport and car, is getting longer? In 1992, only 35% commuting trips by car took an hour or more. By 2005, this had increased to 45%. Likewise, for those commuting by bus, trips of an hour or more increased in proportion from 79% in 1992 to 88% in 2005.

2008 Year End Information

2008 was a slow year for sales at the resort. The number of sales reflect the general real estate scene across Canada.

While sales have been slow, construction has been steady at the resort and there are several new cottages being constructed at the time of this posting.

Christmas 2008

It looks like it is going to be a White Christmas after all!

On behalf of everyone at Magnuson Realty Ltd., I wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy happy 2009!

Plant a dream and watch it grow!

Year ago someone decided that putting a resort in the middle of the prairies next to a large body of water was a neat idea. The locals all thought he was nuts! It's right out in the middle of nowhere in farm country. Who would want to come out there? There is nothing, no trees, just grass and tumble weeds.

What a difference a dream and a little action can make! Even some of the "locals" are building at this 4-season resort now! Despite the doom and gloom that we either hear or read about in the media everyday, this cottage and RV resort is still thriving! More cottages are being built and I must say that they look impressive.

The longest lake in southern Alberta, a large clubhouse with pools, hot tub and more, what a place to get away! And it all began with a dream!

2008 - An Interesting Year

Well where ever you look, the real estate market has been slow this past year. Lake McGregor Country Estate sales are no different. Yet that does not mean that activity at the lake has been slow. Construction of new cottages has been, and continues to be going steady throughout the year. I hear from people who have not been out there in several months how much things have progressed out there.

We did have a bad hail storm this past summer. With that came many insurance claims, resulting in new siding for some cottages and RVs. Also there will be new fencing around our outdoor pool. Of course the resort did not look its best after the storm, but once all of these claims have been taken care of, it will almost be like a new resort out there! Well not quite but every little bit helps!

Fall 2008

The leaves are changing colours and the days are getting shorter. Must be autumn.

It has been a slow year for sales. The real estate market on a whole has been slower throughout the country, North America, and even Europe. Lots of negative feelings, negative words in news, makes one a little worried.

Well here is something to think about. First of all, everything goes in cycles so we really should not be surprised that the market has slowed down. It had to. Buyers were being priced out of the market. It was not that long ago that Lake McGregor Country Estates was one of the cheapest places to buy recreational property. People that could not afford recreational property in the larger, more established markets bought here. They bought when the lots were under priced. Now the resort is priced closer to the competition - supply and demand has increased the prices. As a result, the market for buyers got a little smaller. The sales at Lake McGregor Country Estates are still comparable, if not better in 2008 than other resorts in Alberta.

Next, we have federal elections, both here in Canada and in the US. New governments (or re-elected governments) come into power in the new year. With new governments comes optimism. With optimism, people have a more positive outlook on things and should help our economy grow. Just a theory but I think it makes sense. I am looking forward to sales picking up in the spring of '09!