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Riverbend - Southwest Edmonton Homes

Riverbend is one of the best and favorite places to live in southwest Edmonton. It consists of nine communities. The new part of Riverbend is located on the east side of Terwillegar Drive and includes the communities of Bulyea Heights, Carter Crest, Falconer Heights, Henderson Estates, and Ogilvie Ridge. Old Riverbend is located on the west side of Terwillegar Drive and includes the communities of Brander Gardens, Brookside, Ramsay Heights, and Rhatigan Ridge.

House prices range from move-up to luxury home prices. Unlike any other district in the city, Riverbend offers its homeowners plenty of mother nature's natural scenic beauty with community walking paths and river valley access all within walking distance. Old Riverbend is well known for the popular footbridge which runs across the river to Edmonton West via walking paths. Learn more about each Riverbend community below.

Rhatigan Ridge was first subdivided in 1980 with various house styles from large luxury homes on spacious lots, especially near the edges of the river valley to a range of more modest executive-style houses. Rhatigan Ridge encompasses the Riverbend community league beside St. Mary Catholic School and features a high point of land with panoramic views. Rhatigan Ridge was named after Thomas Rhatigan, a farmer who was famous for the quality of his wheat and oats and was proclaimed World Oat King at the Royal Winter Fair three times.

Brander Gardens offers more deserve homeownership with plenty of townhouses and apartment condominiums to choose from. When originally built, the majority of these condos were focused on the upper-class and elite. Located in the western portion of Brander Gardens are some of Edmonton's most magnificent properties, originally called Glamorgan. Homeowners here are treated with the proximity to the Fort Edmonton Walking trails and Footbridge which crosses to the Wolf Willow Ravine. Brander Gardens was named in honor of George Brander, who established a peony garden in the Bonnie Doon until the 1940s.

Brookside, nestled away from the rest of Riverbend bounded by Whitemud Creek Ravine North with scenic views of our Downtown. Most houses in Brookside are executive-style homes constructed in the 1970s with above-average-sized lots and mature landscaping. Brookside homeowners enjoy the natural woodland habitat, skiing at the Snow Valley Ski Club and Rainbow Valley Park, access to river valley park trails, and other recreational facilities.

Ramsay Heights is Riverbend's oldest community located in a prime real estate location and features a mix of housing equally split between single-family houses and condominiums. Ramsay Heights offers a high elevation vantage point with panoramic views of Edmonton. A large portion of the detached houses in Ramsay Heights runs along the river Valley on 154 Street and Whitemud Road. There are also a few luxury houses located in the original Glamorgan subdivision adjacent to the river valley. Ramsay Heights was named for Walter Ramsay, a principal at McKay Avenue and Queen Avenue School, then became the cities first commercial florist.

Bulyea Heights offers more walking trails than any other Riverbend community and with the presence of the Whitemud Creek Ravine, which runs the eastern length of Bulyea Heights, is the most striking community. Almost every house in Bulyea Heights is owner-occupied with several of these homes touching the edges of the ravines with more walking trails, natural paths for hiking, and run-off streams from the North Saskatchewan River. Bulyea Heights was named after George Hedley Vicars Bulyea, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta.

Carter Crest is a smaller upper-class Riverbend community that features a combination of single-detached housing, construction prior to the 1990s. There are only a few roads in this community that swirl and curve to limit the negative effects of traffic, maximize land space, and allows its homeowners bigger lots. Carter Crest is within walking distance to the Terwillegar Recreation Center and is named after Robert I. Carter, a Canadian government agent who advised Americans on their immigration prospects in Canada.

Falconer Heights is one of the few communities which offer several amenities including a medical center, a library, fast food restaurants, banks, and more located in Riverbend Square. This portion of Riverbend is popular with the aging community and features a fantastic retirement community. There is no school site located within Falconer Heights, but there is a large future school/park site adjacent to Henderson Estates. It was named after James F. Falconer, who was involved in the formation of the Edmonton Names Advisory Committee in the mid-1950s.

The Henderson Estates is nestled between Old Riverbend and Haddow in Terwillegar Heights bounded by the River Valley which runs the length of the community, providing homeowners with excellent access to our greatest natural asset. Due to the natural beauty and breath-taking views, many of these Henderson Estates properties will run into the multi-million dollar price range. Henderson Estates is named after Thomas Henderson, a homesteader in the Riverbend area in the late 19th century who imported Italian honey bees to his farm.

When originally built, Ogilvie Ridge was to be a private, elite, gated community until the city decided, Edmonton against any gated communities. It is bordered by Bulyea Heights, Whitemud Creek ravine, and west by Rabbit Hill. Ogilvie Ridge features a natural topography with an integration of the North Saskatchewan River Valley ravine system defining this community. Ogilvie Ridge was named after James H. Ogilvie, a politician, a lawyer, and a veteran of World War I.

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Questions to Ask a Buyers Real Estate Agent

Below is a great question list for all Edmonton new home buyers. Purchasing a home is one of the largest investments you will make in your lifetime. Choose your REALTOR® carefully. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

What type of properties do you mostly sell?

Purchasing a single-family detached house is different from buying a condominium, new builds, luxury properties, acreages or commercial properties. It is important that the Edmonton Real Estate Agent you choose has in-depth knowledge of the type of property you are planning on purchasing.

What is your negotiation style and experience in multiple offer situations?

In a buyers market, you may be in a multiple offer situation and great negotiating agents have personalized techniques for winning bidding wars. Some agents can be too aggressive and will lose due to their unlikeability, other agents can be too passive. Choose a real estate agent who is creative, on your side and knows how to write an offer to purchase.

Do you have other professionals you work with on a regular basis?

Again, another very important question. Agents have relationships with other real estate providers and depending on how this question is answered, it will give you an insight on how long they have been in real estate, but more importantly on how they conduct their business.

Are you a full-time real estate agent?

Not all agents are full-time REALTORS®. You don’t want someone doing this part-time or as a hobby. Looking at properties for fun is not the same as having fun when looking at homes. When viewing homes, great Edmonton real estate agents will point out the flaws of each home and they all have them, not commenting on how pretty the bedroom is set up. All REMAX Realtors® are full-time agents.

Do you normally work in my price range?

Most Edmonton real estate agents work a wide range of prices, but if they usually help home buyers purchase million-dollar homes, you might not be a top priority. Similarly, if you want to purchase new build homes and they normally work on resale properties, the agent may not have the right connections for Edmonton home builders.

Will I be required to sign a buyer brokerage agreement?

If any Edmonton Real Estate Agents answers "No", find another REALTOR®. The Canadian Real Estate of Alberta has mandated to work with all residential buyers under an agreement. There are 2 types of agreements - Exclusive & Non-Exclusive buyer brokerage agreements. There are also 2 types of agencies - common law and designated.

Do I have to work with your recommended service providers?

If the agents say “yes”, it’s illegal. Find another REALTOR®. Good real estate agents in Edmonton should have solid recommendations for other service providers, but you should never feel pressured to use their recommendation. A good agent doesn’t do everything on their own. They have a team of other professionals including mortgage brokers, home inspector, contractors, conveyancers, real estate lawyers, etc.

Can I review all documents before I sign them?

A good real estate agent will take the time to explain the documents and provide you with ample time to review important documents. Never feel pressured into signing. Real estate contracts are a binding agreement and it is important you understand them thoroughly prior to signing.

Do you use e-signature or DocuSign?

An e-signature is an electronic signature and gives you an indication of how internet-savvy the real estate agent is. the electronic signature also eliminates the need to print, fax, scan, and ship documents and are time documented. During this conversation, your agent will also mention auto-prospecting, which is a system to keep you updated the moment a new home that meets your criteria arrives on the Edmonton or surrounding area market.

How long have you been a licensed real estate agent?

This question is one that cannot be missed. Experience in the real estate industry is important. The longer a real estate agent has been selling real estate, the more transactions they have likely completed.

Do you attend the inspections?

Again - a very important question. (especially with new homes). When a concern arises during your home inspection, your agent will be there, as a professional working in your best interest, to ask the inspector the right questions to help you make an informed decision about the property.

You should be comfortable with the REALTOR® you choose. After all, this is probably the biggest investment you will make in your lifetime. Choosing the wrong REALTOR® could cost you thousands of dollars by either using someone not experienced in the real estate business or accepting the sellers price without completing a buyers comparitive market anylsis.

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