Home Buying seminar well received by public

Edmonton, March 4, 2010: The results are in from the 50 potential home buyers who attended a Home Buying Seminar put on by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton on March 2. Response to the seminar was positive; every one of the participants walked away feeling more informed and comfortable about the home buying process. Everyone said they would recommend the seminar to other home buyers.

The seminar was based on a CMHC booklet “Home buying: Step-by-step” and presented the process in an unbiased and even-handed manner. Participants enjoyed the light-handed approach which included short video clips from various specialists involved in the home-buying process. A mortgage agent, home inspector and a representative from CMHC were on hand to answer questions at the end of the presentation.

“People were surprised at the large team of specialists that the REALTOR® brings into the transaction,” said Keith Morrissey, the presenter. “Bankers, home inspectors, insurance agents, surveyors, appraisers and lawyers are all needed before you engage decorators, movers, contractors and furniture salespersons.” Participants were also surprised by the long list of “hidden” expenses involved in a real estate transaction. These include appraisal fees, real property reports, home inspection, utility deposits and GST on service fees. These are all things that a REALTOR® knows.

“Our REALTORS® do a thorough job of educating home buyers about the process and intricate details of buying a real estate property,” said Larry Westergard, president of the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. “But many people want information before they begin to house hunt. That’s where these seminars will be useful.” There are over 3,100 REALTORS® in the Edmonton area and they sell around 20,000 properties a year.

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