Blog

Discovering that your property has a lien against it can feel like a roadblock, but it doesn’t have to stop your sale. Liens are more common than most people realize, and in many cases they can be resolved as part of the sale process itself.

Here’s what you need to know about selling a home with liens in Edmonton.

What Is a Lien?

A lien is a legal claim registered against your property by a creditor. It gives that creditor the right to be paid from the proceeds of any sale before you receive your equity. Liens can be registered by mortgage lenders, the Canada Revenue Agency for unpaid taxes, contractors for unpaid work, or judgment creditors following a court ruling.

In Alberta, liens must be registered on title, which means they’ll show up in a title search during any real estate transaction.

Common Types of Liens on Edmonton Properties

Mortgage liens are the most common, your lender holds a lien on your property until the mortgage is paid in full. These are standard and resolved automatically at closing when the mortgage balance is paid from sale proceeds.

Builder’s or contractor’s liens, sometimes called mechanic’s liens, are registered when a contractor or tradesperson hasn’t been paid for work done on the property. These are common on properties that have undergone renovation.

CRA liens can be registered if you owe back taxes. These are serious and must be addressed before or during the sale.

Judgment liens arise from court decisions where a creditor has been awarded money against you and has registered that judgment against your property.

Can You Sell With a Lien on Title?

In most cases, yes, but the lien must be resolved at or before closing. If the sale proceeds are sufficient to pay off the lien, it can simply be settled at closing and removed from title as part of the transaction. Your lawyer or notary handles this as part of the closing process.  If the liens exceed the value of your property, the situation is more complex and you’ll need legal and potentially financial advice to navigate your options.

Don’t Let a Lien Stop You From Exploring Your Options

Many homeowners with liens assume they can’t sell and simply do nothing, which often makes the situation worse over time. The truth is that experienced buyers and real estate professionals deal with liens regularly and can help you find a path forward.

At FairKey Home Buyers, we’ve purchased properties with various encumbrances and we’re happy to walk you through the process honestly. Give us a call at 587-401-2627 or reach out through our website.

For most Edmonton homeowners, their property is their single largest financial asset. And yet, many people have a surprisingly fuzzy understanding of what their home equity actually is, how it grows, and how they can access it when they need it. Let’s clear that up.

What Is Home Equity?

Home equity is simply the difference between what your home is worth and what you still owe on it. If your Edmonton home is worth $450,000 and your remaining mortgage balance is $280,000, your equity is $170,000.

Equity grows in two ways: as your home increases in value over time, and as you pay down your mortgage principal with each payment.

Why Does Equity Matter?

Equity is the portion of your home that you actually own outright. It represents real, accessible wealth, but only if you can get to it. Many homeowners find themselves “equity rich and cash poor,” meaning a significant portion of their net worth is tied up in their property while their day-to-day finances are tight.

How Can You Access Your Equity?

There are several ways to tap into home equity, each with its own trade-offs.

A Home Equity Line of Credit, or HELOC, allows you to borrow against your equity at relatively low interest rates. It’s flexible and useful for ongoing expenses or renovations, but it adds debt and requires qualification through your lender.

Refinancing your mortgage can allow you to pull out equity by increasing your loan amount, giving you a lump sum of cash. Again, this increases your debt and your monthly payment.

A second mortgage or home equity loan provides a lump sum secured against your property, typically at a fixed interest rate. Selling your home is the most complete way to access your equity. It gives you the full amount, minus your remaining mortgage, closing costs, and any agent commissions, in cash.

When Selling Makes More Sense Than Borrowing

If your goal is to access a large portion of your equity and you’re open to moving, selling is often cleaner than taking on more debt. There are no loan payments, no interest costs, and no lender qualification required.

For homeowners who want to access their equity quickly and move on, whether to downsize, relocate, or simply free up capital, a direct cash sale can put money in your hands within days rather than weeks.

We’d be happy to give you a clear picture of what your Edmonton home would sell for today. Call us at 587-401-2627 or reach out through our website.

A job opportunity in another city, or another country, is exciting. But when you own a home in Edmonton, the logistics of relocating can quickly turn that excitement into stress. What do you do with the property? Do you sell? Rent? And how do you manage any of it from a distance?

If you’re facing a work relocation and need to figure out your home situation fast, here’s a practical guide to help you think it through.

The Timeline Problem

Most job relocations come with a start date, and that date doesn’t care about the real estate market. Whether your new employer is giving you four weeks or four months, you’re working against a deadline, and traditional real estate sales in Edmonton can take anywhere from weeks to several months, with no guarantees.

The pressure of a hard deadline changes the calculation significantly. Every week your home sits unsold is a week you may be paying rent or accommodation costs in your new city while still carrying your Edmonton mortgage.

Should You Rent It Out?

Renting your Edmonton home while you’re away might seem like an attractive option, but it comes with real challenges. Managing a rental property remotely is difficult, you’ll need a property manager, which typically costs 8–12% of monthly rent. You’ll also need to deal with maintenance calls, tenant issues, and vacancy periods from a distance.

If you plan to return to Edmonton eventually and the rental income genuinely covers your costs, it can be a viable strategy. But if you’re uncertain about returning, or if the numbers don’t work, holding onto the property may cost you more than it earns.

Selling Quickly Is Often the Cleanest Solution

For many relocating homeowners, a clean, fast sale eliminates the most stress. You walk away with your equity, you don’t have to manage a property from another city, and you can focus entirely on your new opportunity.

If speed and certainty are your priorities, selling to a cash buyer removes the uncertainty of the traditional market. You pick the closing date, you skip the showings and negotiations, and you leave Edmonton knowing everything is settled.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

The biggest mistake relocating homeowners make is waiting too long to address the property. The earlier you start exploring your options, the more flexibility you have. If you wait until two weeks before your start date, your choices narrow considerably.

We work with relocating homeowners regularly and understand the time pressure you’re under. At FairKey Home Buyers, we can make you a fair cash offer within 24 hours and close on your schedule.

Call us at 587-401-2627 or fill out the form on our website today.

It seems like common sense: fix up your home before you sell it and you’ll get more money. But in practice, the math doesn’t always work out the way sellers expect, and in some cases, renovating before a sale can actually cost you more than it returns. Here’s an honest look at the real cost of renovating before selling in Edmonton.

Not All Renovations Are Created Equal

Some improvements genuinely add value and help a home sell faster. Others are expensive, taste-specific, or simply don’t move the needle for buyers. Understanding the difference is critical before you spend a single dollar.

Renovations that typically offer a reasonable return in the Edmonton market include fresh neutral paint throughout, updated fixtures and hardware, professional cleaning and carpet cleaning, and minor landscaping improvements. These are relatively low cost and make a strong first impression.

Renovations that frequently cost more than they return include full kitchen remodels, bathroom additions, high-end flooring upgrades, and any customization that reflects personal taste rather than broad appeal.

The Time Factor

Renovations take time, and time costs money. Every week your property sits under renovation is a week you’re paying the mortgage, utilities, insurance, and property taxes on a home you can’t sell yet. A kitchen renovation that takes six weeks can easily add $4,000–$6,000 in carrying costs on top of the renovation itself.

Contractor Reliability

Anyone who has renovated in Edmonton knows that timelines are rarely guaranteed. Contractors face supply chain delays, labour shortages, and competing projects. A renovation you expected to take three weeks can stretch into two months, compounding your carrying costs and delaying your sale.

Buyers May Not Share Your Vision

Even a well-executed renovation isn’t guaranteed to appeal to the buyer who eventually purchases your home. Many buyers prefer to choose their own finishes and would rather negotiate a lower price than pay a premium for someone else’s design choices. You may spend $25,000 on a kitchen update only to have the buyer gut it in year one.

The Alternative Worth Considering

If your home needs significant work and you’re wondering whether to renovate or sell as-is, it’s worth getting a cash offer before you commit to any renovation budget. You may find that selling directly, without spending a dollar on repairs, nets you a comparable or even better outcome once renovation costs, carrying costs, and agent commissions are factored in.

At FairKey Home Buyers, we buy Edmonton homes in any condition and we’ll give you an honest, no-obligation offer so you can compare your options clearly.

Call us at 587-401-2626 or fill out the form on our website to get started.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is hard enough without the added complexity of figuring out what happens to their property. If you’ve recently lost a family member who owned a home in Edmonton or the surrounding area, you’re likely navigating the probate process, and you may have a lot of questions.

This post is designed to give you a plain-language overview of how probate works in Alberta and what your options are when it comes to the property.

What Is Probate?

Probate is the legal process of validating a deceased person’s will and authorizing the executor to administer the estate. In Alberta, probate is granted by the Court of King’s Bench, and it gives the executor the legal authority to deal with the deceased’s assets, including real estate.

Not all estates require probate, but if real estate is involved and there is no joint tenancy arrangement, probate is almost always required before the property can be sold or transferred.

How Long Does Probate Take in Alberta?

This varies depending on the complexity of the estate and the court’s current workload, but in Alberta, probate can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. If the will is contested or the estate is particularly complex, it can take longer. During this time, the property cannot be sold without court authorization, although it can and should be maintained.

Who Is Responsible for the Property During Probate?

The executor named in the will is responsible for managing the estate’s assets during probate, including the property. This means keeping up with mortgage payments if applicable, maintaining insurance, paying property taxes, and ensuring the property is secure.

If the estate doesn’t have liquid funds to cover these costs, it can create real financial pressure on the executor, particularly if they’re covering expenses out of pocket while waiting for probate to complete.

What Are Your Options Once Probate Is Granted?

Once you have probate, you can move forward with the property in several ways. You can sell it on the open market through a real estate agent, transfer it to a beneficiary, rent it out, or sell it directly to a cash buyer.

For families who want to settle the estate quickly and avoid the ongoing costs and responsibilities of holding the property, selling to an investor is often the most efficient option. There are no showings, no repairs, and no lengthy conditions, just a clean, straightforward sale on a timeline that works for the estate.

We Work Sensitively With Families in These Situations

At FairKey Home Buyers, we understand that selling an inherited property is never just a financial transaction. We work respectfully and patiently with families navigating estate sales, and we’re happy to answer questions at no cost or obligation.

Give us a call at 587-401-2627 or reach out through our website whenever you’re ready.

The kids have moved out. The house feels too big. The yard that used to be full of activity now just means more work on weekends. If any of this sounds familiar, you may be thinking about downsizing, and you’re not alone.

Downsizing is one of the most common reasons Edmonton homeowners sell, and it can be one of the most emotionally complex. After years, sometimes decades, in a family home, the decision to sell is never purely financial. But with the right approach, it can be an incredibly freeing next chapter. Here’s how to navigate it well.

Give Yourself Time to Process

Downsizing is as much an emotional journey as a practical one. Rushing the decision because of outside pressure, from family members, financial advisors, or market conditions, can lead to regret. Take the time to sit with the idea before committing to a timeline.

That said, once you’ve made the decision, moving with purpose tends to produce better outcomes than dragging the process out indefinitely.

Declutter Before You Do Anything Else

Decades in a home means decades of accumulated belongings. Before you can properly assess, stage, or sell your property, you’ll need to sort through what comes with you, what goes to family, what gets donated, and what gets discarded.

This process takes longer than most people expect, start early. Many people find it helpful to tackle one room per week rather than trying to do everything at once.

Understand What Your Home Is Worth Today

The Edmonton real estate market has shifted considerably in recent years. What your home was worth three years ago may be quite different from what it will sell for today. Getting an honest, current assessment of your property’s value is an essential first step before making any plans around your next purchase.

Consider Your Next Home Carefully

Downsizing doesn’t necessarily mean compromising. Many Edmonton homeowners find that a smaller, well-chosen property in the right neighbourhood actually improves their quality of life significantly. Think about proximity to family, access to healthcare, walkability, and long-term maintenance demands before settling on your next home.

Timing the Sale and Purchase

One of the trickiest parts of downsizing is coordinating the sale of your current home with the purchase of your next one. Selling first gives you clarity on your budget but may mean a period of temporary accommodation. Buying first removes that uncertainty but carries financial risk if your sale takes longer than expected.

For homeowners who need certainty and a firm closing date, selling directly to a buyer like FairKey Home Buyers removes the timing uncertainty entirely. You choose the closing date, and we work around your schedule.

Ready to Talk About Your Options?

We work with Edmonton homeowners at every stage of life, including those ready to downsize and move on to the next chapter. If you’d like a no-pressure conversation about what your home is worth and how quickly we could close, we’d love to hear from you.

Call us at 587-401-2627 or fill out the form on our website today.

You’ve probably seen the phrase before, “sold as-is.” But what does it actually mean, and more importantly, is an as-is sale the right move for your situation? Let’s break it down simply and honestly.

What “As-Is” Actually Means

When you sell a home as-is, you’re telling buyers upfront that what they see is what they get. You’re not going to fix the leaky roof, replace the aging furnace, or update the dated kitchen before closing. The buyer accepts the property in its current condition.

It does not mean you can hide known defects. In Alberta, sellers are still legally obligated to disclose material issues that could affect the value or safety of the property. As-is simply means you won’t be making repairs, not that you can conceal problems.

Who Typically Sells As-Is?

As-is sales are common in a number of situations, including:

• Estates and inherited properties where the new owner doesn’t want to invest in updates
• Homeowners facing financial hardship who can’t afford repairs before selling
• Landlords dealing with tenant-damaged properties
• Anyone who needs to sell quickly and doesn’t have the time for a traditional listing process
• Homeowners with older properties that need significant work

The Trade-Off

The main downside of selling as-is on the open market is that most retail buyers are nervous about taking on unknown repair costs. They’ll either walk away, come in with a lowball offer, or load the deal with conditions and inspection clauses that give them room to renegotiate or back out entirely.

That uncertainty can make the traditional listing process frustrating for as-is sellers.

Selling As-Is to an Investor

This is where selling directly to a real estate investor like FairKey Home Buyers changes the equation entirely. We buy homes as-is, in any condition, without requiring you to do a single repair or even a deep clean before closing.

There are no conditions, no inspections used to renegotiate, and no surprises. We make you an offer based on the home’s current condition and we stick to it.

For many Edmonton homeowners, this is the cleanest and least stressful path to a completed sale.

Is It Right for You?

If your home needs significant work and you don’t have the time, money, or energy to deal with it, an as-is sale may be exactly what you need. If your property is in great shape and you have time to wait for the right retail buyer, a traditional listing might net you more. We’re happy to walk you through both options honestly and help you decide what makes the most sense for your specific situation.

Give us a call at 587-401-2627 or reach out through our website today. No pressure, no obligation, just straight answers.

Being a landlord in Edmonton has its rewards, but there comes a time when selling makes more sense than holding. Whether you’re burnt out on managing tenants, looking to cash out your equity, or simply ready to move on, selling a rental property comes with its own unique set of considerations that are very different from selling a primary residence. Here’s what you need to know before you put that rental on the market.

Your Tenants Have Rights, and So Do You

In Alberta, the Residential Tenancies Act governs the relationship between landlords and tenants, and it doesn’t disappear just because you’ve decided to sell. If your property is currently occupied, you cannot simply ask tenants to leave because you’ve listed the home. You must follow proper notice procedures, and in many cases, tenants have the right to remain in the property through the sale. If a buyer intends to occupy the property personally, proper written notice must be given, and timelines must be followed carefully. Skipping this step can delay your closing or expose you to legal liability.

Tenants Can Complicate Showings

Even cooperative tenants can make showings difficult. You’re required to give proper notice before entering the property, and a tenant who isn’t thrilled about the sale may not present the home in its best light. Dishes in the sink, personal clutter, and general untidiness are all out of your control. This is one of the biggest reasons landlords choose to sell to an investor rather than listing on the open market, investors buy the property as-is, tenants and all, with no showings required.

Capital Gains Tax Applies

Unlike a primary residence, a rental property is not exempt from capital gains tax in Canada. When you sell, you’ll owe tax on 50% of the profit above your adjusted cost base. This is a significant consideration and one worth discussing with a tax professional before you sign anything. Timing your sale strategically,  for example, in a lower income year, can make a meaningful difference in what you owe.

The Property Doesn’t Need to Be Empty to Sell

Many landlords assume they need to wait for a tenant’s lease to end before selling. That’s not always true. Investors and experienced buyers purchase tenanted properties regularly. In fact, a property with a reliable, long-term tenant already in place can be an attractive feature for certain buyers.

You Have Options

If you’re ready to sell your Edmonton rental property and want to avoid the hassle of showings, tenant negotiations, and months on the market, we can help. At FairKey Home Buyers, we purchase rental properties in any condition, with or without tenants, and we handle the process from start to finish.

Give us a call anytime at 587-401-2627 or fill out the form on our website today.