Canmore Compost Bins Roll Out

                            Photo by Rocky Mountain Outlook

CANMORE – Canmorites can now pick up residential compost bins before the pilot project officially kicks off.

A new accessory on the Civic Centre counter, the eight-litre kitchen bin can be picked up at several locations over the next couple of weeks including the Civic Centre, the weekly Canmore Mountain Market on 7th Avenue and grocery stores in the community with the project officially starting Sept. 3.

"Food waste programs for municipalities are part of the norm," said Amy Fournier, Climate Change Specialist for the Town, who previously worked with the City of Vancouver sustainability group.

"There has been lots of enthusiasm, lots of community members are engaged on it, it's been fantastic. People have been waiting for this for a long time."

Introduced to Canmore as a result of community interest and pressure, the $2.9 million pilot project will be here a year earlier than expected after Canmore council made the decision in April to transfer $51,000 from the waste operating budget to the recycling operation budget to pay for the cost of sending the organic material to Banff for 12 months.

Benefits of moving up the residential pilot program were outlined in the staff report, which included moving the community sooner towards achieving the Town's waste diversion goals, per Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.

Partnering with the Town of Banff, which has been successfully running its compost program for more than 10 years, the Town of Canmore will be sending its food waste 24 km west where it is then sent to a composting facility in Strathmore, Alta.

An estimated 500 tonnes of organic waste will be diverted from landfills from residential homes per year with the action plan target to reduce the .60 tonnes of garbage per person per year to .45 tonnes by 2020.  

"We want to divert food waste from the landfill – it is the biggest component of our waste and we are diverting a significant waste," Fournier said.

In 2016, a waste characterization study found residential waste heading to the landfill contained 30 per cent organic material and commercial garbage contained 50 per cent organics.

Working with the program as a climate change specialist, Fournier explained food in the landfill takes years to decompose and ends up releasing methane emissions which is considered approximately 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

"It's a great way for me to launch into my role and launch into the climate change action plan," Fournier said.

"This is a significant and tangible program to help [achieve goals] ... This will help us with our greenhouse gas reduction target goals which helps mitigate climate change."

The Town of Canmore has a list of items accepted on the website including meat, fruits and vegetables, baked good, bones, fruit pits and rinds, coffee filters, tea bags, small amounts of cooking grease, paper towels and pizza boxes.

Items not accepted that Fournier wanted to note is biodegradable bags and take-away cups, even if made of paper on the outside, the cups often have an interior plastic lining meaning it cannot be composted or recycled.

"If in doubt, throw it out," Fournier explained.

"We have these neighbourhood bins so it is a community effort – only putting in food and food soiled paper – and if someone dumps plastics, it ruins the effort for everyone. It happens with recycling as well but if someone comes in and dumps in their garbage it will have to go to the landfill instead and it ruins the effort of other folks."

Residents can start dropping off food waste on Sept. 3 at several different locations including Boulder Crescent Recycling depot, the Downtown Recycling Depot, south Canmore at 4 Street and 7 Avenue, 200 Larch Ave. and at Lawrence Grassi and Peaks Drive.

For more information visit the Town of Canmore website.

Article by Rocky Mountain Outlook 

Fix It or Not? What to Ask When Prepping Your Home for Sale

When you make the decision to sell your home, it can be tricky to know which changes would make your home sell more quickly or boost the sale price — and which would be a waste of your time and resources. Each home (and each homeowner) is different; that’s why we’ve come up with eight key questions to ask yourself before making any changes to prep your home for sale.

General Questions

These first three questions will help you take the temperature of the real estate market in your area and assess the competition.

1. How hot or cold is the market in your area? Are homes being snapped up after the first open house, or are they languishing on the market for months? Are homes being sold at or near the asking price, or for much lower? Are open houses bustling with people, or is attendance sparse? Get a feel for the market in your area by talking with your real estate agent and checking local listings. If it’s a seller’s market, you may be able to get away with doing fewer repairs and modifications before selling, and still have good results — in a buyer’s market, expect to do more work to make a positive impression on buyers.

2. How fast are you looking to sell? If you need to sell your home immediately — say, because you have already committed to buying another home or need to move because of work — it is in your best interest to do everything in your power to ensure a quick sale at the highest price possible. If you have more flexibility, and you feel uncomfortable making too many pricey changes to your home before selling, it may make more sense to focus on cleaning, decluttering and making small cosmetic changes (like painting) — particularly if the market is hot and favors the seller. If you aren’t getting the offers you would like, you can always decide to spring for a few bigger changes later and relist your home.

3. What is the condition of comparable homes on the market? It can be quite helpful to know a little about the homes that buyers in your area are looking at. Examine photos of homes for sale in your area or even attend a few open houses, and make a mental note of how the other homes compare to yours. Are the kitchens updated? Are the floors in good shape? If all of the other homes you see have a certain feature (for instance, an updated kitchen) that yours lacks, consider making that a priority. You don’t need to make your home exactly like all the other homes on the market; just make sure there isn’t a single factor that could give your home a disadvantage.

To Fix or Not to Fix: Deciding Which Repairs Are Worth Tackling

The next five questions will help you assess whether or not to make a specific repair or change before selling your home.

4. Does the faulty item give the impression the property has not been well cared for? Leaky faucets, cracked tiles, an overgrown lawn, broken appliances or anything else that doesn’t work as it should can immediately turn off buyers. At an open house, people often zip through quite quickly, and if they notice one or two things that send up red flags, they may not give your home another chance.

5. Can you find a less expensive fix? Let’s say you scoped out the comparable homes on the market in your neighborhood, and they all have updated kitchens but yours hasn’t been touched for some time. Rather than spend big on a full kitchen remodel, why not give your kitchen a less costly refresh? For instance, you could paint the cabinets, swap out cabinet hardware, change the light fixtures and upgrade the appliances to something current and functional but not top-of-the-line. You will put some money into it but not nearly as much as with a full remodel — well worth it if it gets your home in the running in a competitive market.

6. How much will you realistically need to lower the price if you don’t fix it? If you have a lot of costly repairs to tackle to get your home ready to sell, you may be considering selling it as is. But keep in mind that buyers looking for a fixer-upper will also be looking to discount the selling price for the repairs plus the hassle. In other words, you won’t be able to simply estimate how much the repairs will cost and deduct that from the selling price; you’ll need to deduct even more to make it worth the buyer’s time and effort. Discuss this with your Realtor and look into other fixer-uppers for sale in your area to come up with an appropriate selling price.

7. Is it one of the first things potential buyers will see? First impressions are key, and that is never more true than in the real estate business! If you have a repair you are unsure about tackling, use this as a litmus test: Is it something the buyer will see as he or she approaches your house and walks through the front door? If so, fix it.

8. Could it be a deal breaker? Some home repairs, like a new roof, are just so major that they will scare off all but the most determined buyers. If the market in your area is hot (see No. 1) and you have ample time (see No. 2), there’s no harm in trying to sell without making the big repair, as long as you are willing to price it accordingly (see No. 6). If it’s a buyer’s market but you don’t have time to make the repair before listing, you could offer to pay for it as part of the sales agreement — otherwise it’s probably best to make the change first and then put your home on the market.

Article by Houzz - Fix It or Not? What to Ask When Prepping Your Home for Sale

Get Your Home Organized With This Back-to-School Checklist

1. Set Up a Homework Zone

Minimize struggles over homework by setting up a homework zone stocked with all of the supplies your student will need, like notebook paper, glue and markers for special projects. A spacious desk is great for spreading out books, but if your child prefers to work at the kitchen counter, consider stocking a portable homework cart instead.

2. Give Bedrooms a Mini Makeover

If your child is making a big transition this year (say, from preschool to kindergarten, or elementary to middle school), it can be nice to mark the moment with a mini makeover, honoring how your child has grown. And it doesn’t need to be expensive to make a big impact: Put up a world map or new poster, do a DIY project like repainting a chest or swap out the bedding.

3. Record Important Dates on the Calendar

Between school holidays, birthdays and extracurricular activities, it can take some awe-inspiring mental gymnastics to keep everyone’s schedules straight. Whether you use a digital calendar or a big family wall calendar, take the time before the beginning of school to record all of the important dates for the year ahead — you’ll thank yourself later.

4. Make Some Meals Ahead

If you can find an hour or two to get ahead on meal planning and prep, you’ll appreciate it when life gets super busy. Make a few meals to store in the freezer, chop veggies for upcoming recipes and stash them in containers in the fridge, or gather lunch-making components in one central location. Even simply sitting down with a notebook (or your smartphone) and drawing up a meal plan for the next few weeks’ worth of dinners can be a huge help.

5. Create an After-School Snack Zone

When the troops come home tired and hungry, it’s a relief to be able to point the way to a self-serve healthy-snack station. Fill a few baskets at kid height with choices like seeds, dried fruit and whole-grain crackers. Tuck a special snack basket in the fridge too, with fresh options like precut veggies, fruit, yogurt and cheeses.

6. Stash Get-Out-the-Door Essentials Where You Use Them

After the hundredth time I found myself running upstairs to grab the hairbrush and sunscreen stick, I realized (duh) that it would be easier to keep these items near the front door instead. Think through your family’s morning routine and keep your own list of essentials (lunch money? a pen for signing permission slips?) in a drawer near the door.

7. Plan Ahead for Paper Chaos

It’s amazing how quickly the paper can swamp you, especially at the beginning of a new school year. To help tame the chaos, create new files for school papers, and pick up a portfolio for artwork and a keepsake box for storing mementos and 3-D projects. When school starts, you will have a few easy spots where you can sort and stash items, so you’re not tempted to let things pile up.

8. Take Stock of Wardrobes

Have kids try on clothes to see what still fits and make a list of what they need before you buy anything else. Keep hand-me-downs that don’t fit yet in another spot (like underbed bins) to make more space. Pick out a few outfits for the first week of school and put them together on hangers or in easy-to-grab baskets.

9. Decide on Guidelines for Screen Time

Minimize the inevitable battles over after-school screen time by setting some guidelines before the new school year begins. Take the time to consider what is most important to you as a parent. Do you want to be sure your child is getting outdoors and being active, getting homework done or helping out with chores around the house, or a combination of these? Make a chart of items your child can check off, clearly outlining what needs to happen before screen time is allowed.

10. Create a Dedicated Space for Each Child’s Daily Gear

If you have the room, providing a separate cubby, locker or shelf and hook for each family member is a smart way to stay organized. If your entry is combined with another space (like the kitchen or living room), choose storage with doors that close so you can hide the mess. Short on space? Hang a few wall hooks for holding backpacks and clipboards (good for keeping school papers neat and within reach), and place a basket on the floor to hold shoes.

11. Pick a Central Spot to Stash Library Books

Whether it’s a certain shelf or basket, or a bookbag on a hook, be sure everyone in the house knows where the spot for storing library books is, and get in the habit of using it. It also helps to keep a list posted (or access your record online) of all the books currently checked out, so you know which ones to track down before you head out to make returns.

12. Inspire Your Clan With a Family Photo Wall

If you’ve been procrastinating putting all of those treasured family pictures and vacation photos into frames and up on the wall, set a date to get it done before the rush of a new school year sweeps away your motivation. Walking by your family photo wall as you come and go each day is one of those simple pleasures that can really lift your spirit and remind you of the best parts of being a family.

13. Schedule Downtime

There’s no denying that the back-to-school period is exciting and demanding — but I think that’s all the more reason to schedule extra downtime. Keep the summer spirit alive a bit longer by keeping those first weekends free.

Article by Houzz - Get Your Home Organized With This Back-to-School Checklist

What are Closing Costs? An Insider’s Guide To Condo Purchases and Fees

Every so often, a story will appear in the news: “Condo buyers caught off guard by closing costs.” Someone purchases a condo or a house without doing their homework. As the sale goes through, they’re surprised to find that there are fees that they didn’t budget for.

It’s unfortunate that high closing costs surprise some people. But the truth is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Buying property can be a challenging process, and it’s one of the most expensive. If you’re spending all that money, you should be doing your research!

Closing costs can be a bit mystifying at times. That’s why in today’s article, we’ll help clear up the confusion around closing costs. Here are some of the most expensive closing costs that investors should factor into their accounting.

What are Closing Costs: Deposit
The deposit should come as no surprise. You’ll need to pay a certain percentage of the price of the condo on signing, and throughout the building process. Make sure you know exactly what the payment structure is, and ask for this in writing up front. One advantage to new condo builds is that builders break up the deposit structure into smaller amounts. That way, you don’t have to pay the deposit all at once. You can space it out into three or four smaller payments over a few months to a few years. A 20% dump of cash can be a little intimidating! But, many developers accept four 5% payments over the course of the building process. This is much more manageable!

The deposit makes up a large part of the fees, but don’t get comfortable – the little stuff adds up!


What are Closing Costs: CMHC Insurance Premium 
Are you going to put less than 20% down on your condo? If so, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) will charge you a premium on your mortgage insurance.

This varies from province to province, but is typically between 0.5% and 2.5% of the principal of the mortgage insurance.

Often, this fee can be factored into your mortgage and you don’t have to pay it up front. Most real estate investments require a minimum of 20%, so you likely won’t need to consider the CMHC fee.

What are Closing Costs: Legal Fees 
Legal fees are another standard closing cost. Depending on the lawyer you use, you’ll pay between $1,000 and $2,500 in legal fees.

It’s important to choose a competent lawyer to take care of your condo’s closing. Condos are a big purchase. You want to make sure you dot those i’s and cross those t’s!

What are Closing Costs: Other Fees the Builder May Pass to You 
A savvy investor knows how to ask the right questions when buying a property. There are some important questions you, too, should be asking. What other fees are the builder passing on? Will the builder cap closing costs?

Other fees you need to consider, but may not be necessary depending on your situation are:

Home inspection
GST, where applicable
Title insurance, and Utility service deposits
Builder and Educational levies

Generally speaking, closing costs usually add up to 1-4% of the purchase price. Although a 1% difference in closing cost may seem small, it could be thousands of dollars. The more homework you do, the better prepared you’ll be for your purchase. And the less likely fees will surprise you.

Source: Canadian Real Estate Wealth

Note: This article has been revised for the Alberta market. Please click the link below for the original article:
Canadian Real Estate Wealth - What are closing costs? An insider's guide to condo purchases and fees