Carstairs Real Estate Report - July 23/2010
Dumping Furniture Results in Unwanted Expenses for Charities
The Co-op is getting a lot of donations from people, but not the kind the organization wants. Even though there are plenty of signs instructing people not to drop off appliances and furniture at the clothing bins, the big, bulky items pile up anyway.
Linda Dowling, who is the Canadian Diabetes Association’s manager of operations, said that the Co-op tends to serve as a fast dumping ground. Although it is convenient for area residents, it is expensive for the Diabetes Association to dispose of the large pieces.
The organization has a staff of drivers that pick up items left in drop-off bins all over Central Alberta. The drivers travel up to Camrose and then down toward Carstairs on a weekly basis. All clothing they pick up is contributed to charity, and the proceeds help benefit diabetes research.
Dowling mentioned the circumstances of a driver who assists the Co-op each Monday. The 69-year-old man tends to the items that are left outside the bins during the week. Since he works alone, he encounters much difficulty in moving all the objects and loading them into the truck used for pickups.
Dowling also added that the summer is a busy season for drop-offs, and that there has been an increase in the amount of furniture and appliances. She said her organization is forced to get rid of the items in order to keep the bin sites neat.
The I.O.D.E. thrift shop is experiencing the same problem, according to member Pet Van Tetering. She said that the shop’s drop-off box is often clogged with furniture.
Instead of dumping furniture in the charities’ bins, the organizations suggest that people consider selling it online.
Carstairs Property Report - June 11/2010
Motor Vehicle Accident Could Have Been Much Worse Without Lucky Break
There is something to be said about being in the right place at the right time. Three people involved in a traffic collision at the intersection of Highway 766 and Carstairs Blind Road were the benefit of that bit of luck.
Allie Van Arnam came across the two vehicles, a GMC Jimmy just off the road in a ditch and the other a GMC truck, on the roadway shoulder. All three people in the vehicles were injured, with the lady in the Jimmy the worst of the lot. She was in pain and needed some help to get out.
Van Arnam, a volunteer fire-fighter from Cremona and another gentleman on the scene helped her out of the vehicle, mindful of possible spinal injuries. No sooner had they gotten her out and across the road, the Jimmy caught fire.
The cause of the accident is still being investigated and charges may or may not be laid. It is just lucky for those involved that Van Arnam, who has had emergency response training was indeed at this intersection at exactly the right time.
Carstairs Homes Report - May 11/2010
IODE Fashion Show Helps Fund Carstairs Elementary’s New Playground
The Women of the Dardanelles IODE hosted a fashion show on May 6 to help raise funds for playground equipment at Carstairs Elementary School. More than 100 people attended the event at the Carstairs Half-Century Club, seeing fashions provided by Second Appearance and Under the Sun. Hairstyles were created by Zebedee’z International Hair Design.
Pat Van Tetering, IODE’s chair, said that her group sought to organize a different kind of fundraiser, and said the idea developed over club members having coffee. Following the event, IODE presented the Playground Pals with a cheque for $500. The Playground Pals is the group attempting to raise $80,000 for a playground at Carstairs Elementary. Van Tetering said that her club sent an application to the provincial-level IODE for an educational special project grant, and were happy to receive $500.
So far, Playground Pals has generated more than $26,000 toward the playground, and are delighted with the community’s support. Laura Lee Hrabok, vice-principal of Carstairs Elementary, said that she is especially touched by the generous support of senior citizens. She said that the Carstairs Preschool contributed $250 from its cookie-dough fundraiser.
To record the support of each group or individual, the school’s children make cutouts of hands, each representing a donation. The collection of hands has been growing well. Hrabok said that students are collecting pocket money and contributing it to the bin in the school’s office. Hrabok said she is less impressed with the amount collected than the overall strong community spirit. She commented that Carstairs is a great place, and she is proud of how its citizens are modelling the spirit of giving to young people in the community.
Carstairs Property Report - April 14/2010
Mother Nature Delays Opening of the Carstairs Golf Course
Mother Nature tends to have the last word, even in the world of golf. She decided that the Carstairs Golf Course just had to have one more dumping of snow before the freshly manicured links opened to the public for the 2010 season. We humans have no choice but to listen.
The Carstairs’ staff had already been preparing the course and getting the golf carts ready for their first go round the greens. All was ready for enthusiastic house bound golfers to come out and take a few swings at the newly upgraded course. But a spring snow storm, thanks to you-know-who changed that.
Since most of the prep work on the grounds was done, after the snow melts there should be little cleanup to be done before the course is playable. Normally the course opens by April 15th, weather permitting.
The surprise spring storm plunged temperatures from a balmy 14 C at noon to a -1 C by 6pm on the same evening. Winds were showing gusts of up to 94 kilometres per hour. No serious accidents were reported in spite of the slick roads and the tendency of surprised motorists to drive too fast.
One incident of note, a propane tanker overturned on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway near the Highway 72 overpass. The route was closed while the load of propane was transferred to another tanker under the watchful eyes of the dangerous goods teams.
Carstairs Real Estate Report - March 12/2010
Reverse Mortgages: Viable for Some, but Proceed With Caution
Reverse mortgages represent a truly unconventional financing strategy, with good reason: If the mortgage is held for many years, or if home values do not increase proportionately with the relatively high interest rate the mortgage carries, home equity can be significantly eroded. This could potentially leave little in the way of cash when the home is sold or bequeathed to an heir.
However, reverse mortgages may be appropriate in some instances. In Canada, nearly 96 percent of people age 65 and older live in private residences, and more than 60 percent of those dwellings are free of mortgages. In Alberta alone, there are some 360,000 people over the age of 60. There are 300,000 people in this age bracket living in Calgary and Edmonton, and 54 percent of them own their residences.
Jim Yih, who is an Edmonton-based advisor and frequent speaker in the area of personal finance, said that reverse mortgages are poorly understood among seniors who have much of their personal equity invested in their homes. Yih said that people have limited familiarity with this type of mortgage. It is limited to people age 60-plus, and it converts between ten and 45 percent of the debt-less percentage into cash for a home that is owned and lived in.
The mortgages, noted for being promoted by pitchmen such as actor Peter Graves and finance writer Gordon Pape, were touted by both for allowing owners to cash out on some home equity for renovations and vacations, with no payback until the death of the owner. The product permits people to obtain money without being required to sell the residence. The loan also does not need to be reported as taxable income, thus eliminating or reducing supplemental income.
The loan’s drawbacks are many. Interest rates on a reverse mortgage are often two or three percent higher than those on a conventional mortgage or credit line. The loan also includes pricey details that can accumulate, including closing and/or application fees, legal costs as well as a penalty if the house is vacated or sold within three years of having secured the mortgage.
Carstairs Homes Report - February 9/2010
Cremona AG Foods Grocery Fine for Health Code Violations
Cremona AG Foods Grocery has been fined extensively for its pathetic health code violations that date back for many years. The store and its owners were fined close to $20,000 for not closing the store's meat department after health code inspectors demanded that it be shut down because the department did not pass health inspections in February 2008.
The scummy owners refused to comply with the orders, and at the end of 2008, the owners were actually charged with failure to comply. In court, the judge spoke to the fact that business has had many health code violations over the past years.
In 2007, health inspectors closed the store for ten days before giving the go-ahead to reopen. When inspectors returned in February 2007, the store once again failed health inspections. Again and again, the store simply could not pass health inspections in February, March and October of 2008.
In February 2008, the inspectors has seen enough. Rodent droppings were present on the cutting table and in the freezer. Also, not only were most of the utensils covered in heavily contaminated, spoiled meat debris, where were boxes of rotten produce left on the floor of the cooler. The situation was absolutely repulsive, and the inspectors order the store to close its meat department.
No employees were ever educated about food safety, and the meat department again failed more inspections in 2009, after the owners continued to operate the meat department with expired food and mouldy eggs and produce being stored along side raw meat. The Judge was disgusted, and ordered that the owners pay almost $20,000 in fines.
Carstairs Homes Report - January 11/2010
Landowners and County Officials at Wit’s End
Myron Thompson, spokesman for the Rural Roots Association, says the association is hopeful that the Municipal Affairs Minister will order a review of Mountain View County.
The county and the land owner group have been battling for months over spending decisions, landowner’s concerns and trying to change bylaws regarding the development of the land. Landowners say that the county is trying to reduce rural landowners’ property rights.
Over 2,000 citizens signed petitions which were presented to Danyluk last month. The petitions called for the firing of the senior planning staff. They say they want a change in direction because no one is happy with the direction the county is trying to lead landowners.
The spokesman also said that the association has some more plans to demand cooperation from county officials, but he said he must keep the plans private for the time being. Municipal Affairs says that they will look over the petitions and decide if there are enough unique signatures to make the petitions legitimate.
Carstairs Real Estate Report - December 10/2009
Robbery at Carstairs Mac’s Esso
Carstairs Mac’s Esso convenience store was robbed a few days ago, in the middle of the night. The suspect used a screwdriver as a weapon, and he threatened the cashier and demanded money. There was also a second suspect, police explain.
The RCMP is pursuing the suspects, and the Police Sargent explains that the clerk confronted the man with the screwdriver, which prompted a second man to enter the store. After the two suspects forced the clerk to hand over some cash and cigarettes, the men fled the scene of the crime. They were believed to be in a light-colored, half-ton truck.
Both suspects are described as young, Caucasian males in their early twenties. On man wore a black, hooded-sweatshirt and green winter-coat, and the other suspect was dressed in black pants, black jacket, with grey sleeves.
Didsbury RCMP hopes that anyone with information regarding the crime will contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
Carstairs Property Report - November 26/2009
Water Prices Deter Over-Consumption
The town of Cochrane has found a way to significantly conserve residential water use through a pricing system that charges higher prices per gallon of water in relation to how much water the household uses.
For example, the residents who use large amounts of water in relation to the town’s average consumption are charges more than double the price per gallon. The pricing structure sends a clear message to residents that water waste is expensive and should be avoided.
The town recently announced that is has seen a 24% reduction in the its average water use since the price structure was introduced four years ago. The town of Cochrane also passed a law requiring all new homes and buildings be built with dual-flush toilets and low-flow taps.
Calgary is taking even more steps to solve the problem with water consumption by implementing a strong, universal system of tracking the water through high-tech meters. The plan calls for every home and building in Calgary to have a meter installed by 2014.
The city plans to accommodate 30% more residents between 2003 and 2033 with out using any more water than its residents presently consume.
Carstairs Homes Report - November 4/2009
House Flipping How To’s
Are you in the market to resell your Home then you will need to consider these house flipping how To’s. There are many things that you need to know when you go into the market to flip your house.
Do paint
This is one of the easiest things that you can do to prepare your house. Let’s face it a scuffed wall can ruin the sale of a home. Even if the walls are not in need of painting it is a good idea to slap a fresh coat of paint on the walls.
Don’t do any major renovations
Of course you need to pretty up your property, however you do not want to overdo things. There is no need to spend huge money in hopes of trying to make huge money on the flipping of your house. Many people make the mistake of pouring in thousands of dollars in an effort to make their home more attractive, there is no need for this just do the basic upkeep to make it sell able.
Do clutterbust
Let the beauty of your home shine through Get rid of excess furniture that is just in the way. You want potential buyers to see the house not the household goods, after all it is the house you are selling.
Don’t make a bad first impression
This is your one shot to sell a potential buyer on your home, you don’t want to blow it by not having a goo firs impression. A buyer will within the first few minutes decide if they are interested in the house or not. Make sure everything is in place, make sure the house is clean and very presentable.
These are just a few of the things that you need to keep in mind when trying to sell your flipped house. This will go a long way in trying to help you decide which things will and won’t sell your house. In the end I hope that you get every penny that you want from your house.
Carstairs Real Estate Report - October 22/2009
Farmers Now Eligible for Carbon Credits
Alberta farmers are turning an unprofitable agricultural practice into a huge opportunity. Taking advantage of untilled soil, farmers like Bill MacFarquhar are converting crop residue into carbon. This procedure, officially sanctioned by the province, harnesses the trapping of moisture and carbon in soil. By engaging in minimum-till or no-till farming, MacFarqhar’s fields are becoming a huge carbon container, absorbing carbon dioxide emissions and trapping them in the dirt.
MacFarquhar will earn a $1,000 credit for sequestering carbon, but the money is not his only motivation. Farmers have been conserving fields for decades, but this new venture validates their longtime practice. In addition to farms, various businesses and city governments are permitted to receive carbon credits on a number of activities. Money may be earned by way of more efficient road paving, reducing cattle manure production, as well as updating the management of trash at dumps.
Although carbon dioxide containment and reduction is in everyone’s best interest, questions surround the methodology as well as the payment structure. In a report issued this month, Fred Dunn, Alberta auditor general, asserted that precise standards and better reporting are needed to confirm the existence of offsets.
Carstairs Property Report - September 18/2009
RCMP and Sheriffs Working Together
A new pilot program, which began March 16th, has the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and sheriffs working together to curb aggressive driving practices. The program is presently undergoing evaluations to see if their mandate is working and whether to keep the project going.
Initially, there were sheriffs patrolling in the regions of Airdrie, Olds, Whitecourt, and Wetaskiwin. Expansion of the program, however, has led to sheriffs joining with the RMCP in patrolling in Carstairs, Didsbury and Sundre.
Most local officials say having more law enforcement officers on the highways and even in towns have been greatly beneficial. Carstairs’ Mayor Lane Colby says his town lacks a large police force, so with an increase in patrols, he thinks traffic safety should improve. The official consensus is that now local law officers can focus more on prevention and traffic education projects inside their towns, while the RCMP and sheriffs can watch for driving infractions on the government highways. Most officials think that having a greater police presence will also cut down on highway accidents.
Carstairs Homes Report - August 19/2009
Make Sure You Do Your Research Before Hiring To Fix Hail Damage
Many people in the Carstairs area are anxious to start repairing the hail damage done to their homes during the long weekend. But it’s important to research and make sure you are hiring a professional contractor. Ever since the storm, local websites and boards have been overwhelmed with ads from companies willing to provide this service.
The old adage applies, if it seems too good to be true it more than likely is. A jazzed up business card is not as solid as a current license and referrals from past clients. Some Carstairs residents have had to deal with horror stories already with being victimized by scam artists looking to make a quick buck. As always, buyer beware!
It’s of definite concern the sudden influx of contractors into the area. There are two basic guidelines you should always live by when hiring a contractor for work on your home. Make sure the company can provide references or some sort of history of their services, and always get everything agreed too in writing.
