Page 90 - Womanition_Alberta_North_2020

Real estate during
a Pandemic
2020 has been a shocking year that I explain to my grandchildren: “When you have children and tell them about this year of the pandemic, they may have a hard time believing all
that we have been through”.
Real estate has experienced some all-time advantages that may never come again, such as amazing low interest rates (less than 2%), mortgages that were deferred
for 6 months, property tax deferments were all quickly put in place to keep the market afloat. While we were ordered to stay home and not work, many people
had time to dream about homeownership.
Once we saw the Edmonton area was getting the Covid-19 virus under control
and life could slowly resume, the real estate market had a new vibrancy. Even with prices exceptionally low, activity was quite strong. Now that we are halfway through this unbelievable year, one phrase we can all remember
is “We are all in this together”. I’ve spoken to people who told me that
even with our struggling economy, the Covid-19 isolation gave them a change to take a breath, relax, and count their blessings.
During the pandemic, I too counted my blessings as real estate was considered an essential service, so we were able to continue showing homes to buyers with special precautions. Not only did I have to
stay tuned to all the new rules coming fast and furious, I moved
to a condo myself at the start of the pandemic. The possession was originally set for February, then adjusted to March 15, 2020 which came and went and still the new building was not ready for me to move in. My present home had been rented to tenants who had moved in, so my U-Haul was packed!
Luckily, my friends and family stepped up in to help. My U-Haul ended up parked on my daughter’s acreage while another daughter and her family allowed me to stay at their home. It gave me a chance to be close to family during the most extreme measures of the economic shut down, which was such a scary time. When my daughter, Chrystal’s, daycare had to shut down after quite a few days living with them,
I was worried about the intrusion to their family life. My daughter assured me that without access to daycare, the help I provided by playing with my little granddaughters relieved her stress as well.
Family is the biggest blessing of all!
debbie smith
RE/Max ELITE
debbie.smith@remax.net debbieasmith.com I 780-722-6480
Christina Louise Photography