September 11, 2025 • 25 mins
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EPISODE DESCRIPTION
In this episode, Sarah is joined by Aimee Boxall. Aimee is a licensed Realtor® with Calvin Realty originally from Bracebridge, Ontario, which is considered the heart of Muskoka, who relocated to Edmonton in 2018. Specializing in primary home purchases and multifamily investment properties, Amy not only found success in a new market, but has become an expert insider at guiding clients through every step of their own relocation journey.
Aimee is here to discuss:
→ Her own relocation to Alberta, the biggest surprise about the Alberta real estate market, and the differences between living in Ontario versus Alberta.
→ How to start the home-buying process, how she accommodates out-of-province buyers, and the importance of working with a local expert.
→ The realities of an Edmonton winter, exploring Edmonton's great outdoors, and Alberta's unique combination of lifestyle with affordability.
Aimee Boxall's Website: www.calvinrealty.ca/about-aimee
Aimee Boxall's Email: aimee@calvinrealty.ca
Aimee Boxall's Instagram: @aimee.yegrealtor
***
CONNECT WITH THE SHOW
🎙️ Alberta Bound Podcast: Alberta Bound: Building Wealth Through Real Estate (in Alberta)
📺 Alberta Bound YouTube: @AlbertaBound-Broker
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CONNECT WITH SARAH
📸 Sarah Hainsworth's Instagram: @emeraldmortgages
👥 Sarah Hainsworth's Facebook: @SarahHainsworth
📋 Sarah Hainsworth's LinkedIn: @SarahHainsworth
🔗 Emerald Mortgages Website: www.emeraldmortgages.ca
***
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Alberta Boundpodcast.
(00:01):
I'm your host, Sarah Hainsworth,mortgage broker and your guide to
building wealth through Albertareal estate.
Today, I'm thrilled to welcomesomeone who truly understands
making a big move.
Amy Boxall, a talented realtor,
industry leader here in Albertaand a fellow Ontario transplant.
Amy not only found success in anew market but has become an
(00:25):
insider expert at guiding clientsthrough every step of their own
relocation journey.
Welcome to the Alberta Bound
podcast.
I'm your host, Sarah Hainsworth,
mortgage broker, and your guide tobuilding wealth through Alberta
real estate today.
I'm thrilled to welcome someone
who truly understands making a bigmove, Amy Boxall, a talented
(00:47):
realtor, industry leader here inAlberta, and a fellow Ontario
transplant.
Amy not only found success in a
new market, but has become aninsider expert at guiding clients
through every step of their ownrelocation journey.
Amy, thanks for joining us.
Before we dive in, why don't you
tell me one thing, big or small,that made you smile this week?
(01:10):
Well, it's back to school week, sothat was kind of big.
Kind of small.
It was a smile for them, seeing
all the growth that they've hadover the years and just how big
they are now.
And then also for myself, because,
you know, work from home people,when the kids go back to school,
you know, it's sad, but it's alsorelieving.
I know it is.
And you kind of miss them a little
bit, but you're kind of happythey're gone.
(01:31):
Get back into the regular flow ofthings.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But I think we're so blessed too,to be able to work from home and
still be a part of the summer withthe kids.
Like, I think that's such ablessing.
Okay, Amy, let's kick.
things off with your personal
story so what was the biggestsurprise about the Edmonton and
Alberta real estate market whenyou first arrived from Ontario
crisis for sure that is the numberone thing even before so I moved
(01:54):
here in 2018 and of course we sawthe biggest growth in Edmonton and
think of course Alberta was makingheadlines in every newspaper
around COVID and for sure that isthe number one thing even before
so I moved here in 2018 and ofcourse we saw the biggest growth
in Edmonton and think of courseAlberta was making headlines in
every newspaper around COVID andever since then.
But even when we moved here, Imean, it's always been insane
compared to Ontario market,compared to the GTA, compared to
cottage country.
So my hometown is Bracebridge,
Ontario, which is considered theheart of Muskoka, if anyone knows
(02:16):
where Muskoka is.
I think that was the biggest
surprise for sure.
Yeah.
And so when you say prices, whenyou came here, you were used to
seeing things just a lot higher asfar as home prices or also like...
in the market, in the supermarket,stuff like that?
Honestly, I think everything.
I mean, the lack of tax is one
thing.
In Ontario, we pay 13 HST.
(02:37):
So it's a combined GST andprovincial sales tax as well.
So going down to the 5 % does makea big difference, especially with
larger purchases.
That was a first impression kind
of.
shock that I noticed the first
thing I noticed.
The next thing would be the cold
winters.
Yeah, definitely.
I feel like when you go to thestore in let's say BC or Ontario,
for me anyways, I was a little bitshocked because you purchase
(03:00):
something or you're expecting topay a certain amount.
And then when you get to the till,it's actually quite a lot more
because of that additionalprovincial sales tax.
And so for me being from Albertamy whole life, I never really...
took that into account, but it'sdefinitely something that is
noticeable for sure.
Oh, 100%.
Now when I go back home and seefamily, I feel kind of bad, but my
sister, my mom will be like, wantto go shopping?
(03:22):
I'm like, sure, not buyinganything, but if I see something
alike, I'll get it at home.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Okay, so you've helped a lot ofclients make the move to Alberta.
How do you tailor your process toguide newcomers, especially those
relocating from out of province?So one of the important things is
to learn a little bit about themand well, why are they making the
move?What are their goals with this
(03:43):
move?Do they have any experience with
Alberta?Do they have a vision of what life
will be like here?Because don't get me wrong, I
think it can be a really greatmove for many families.
But I do want to make sure thatthey're not having like these
false hopes or they have too grandof dreams because of course we
have to be a little realistic.
(04:04):
And I'll always be honest because
as exciting of a move it is, it isa really big move.
So I want to make sure thateveryone is aware of... certain
things before they come out here.
Learn a little bit about them,
about their lifestyle, whatthey're looking for.
Do they have a family?Do they have children?
What age are their children?What are their hobbies?
Just kind of narrow in, okay,well, you're moving to Edmonton,
but whereabouts?You know, it's not the largest
(04:25):
city.
It's a large city and all of the
neighborhoods are very different.
So we want to make sure that you
move to a community that you lovein regards to like your lifestyle
goals, your work.
everything like that.
Let's say somebody's not able tocome to Alberta right away.
somebody's not able to come toAlberta right away.
Like, are you able to connect withthem via like Zoom or somehow
virtually start the process?Yes.
So that would be part of theprocess, of course, would be to
(04:45):
meet.
So if we can't meet in person,
maybe their house hunting tripisn't until later.
We'll meet over Zoom, over phonecall, whatever is most convenient
for them.
And I'll get to know them a little
bit, kind of just me and them.
And then I'll introduce them to a
team.
Our team has a go -to team,
professionals working here inEdmonton, in Alberta, who are
(05:06):
familiar with the market, familiarwith the steps of the process
here.
And I think that is one of the
most... helpful things that we canprovide is just giving them that
network of people that we trustthat we know can get the job done
for them and not just get it done,but get it done well that we can
rely on.
So we'll make those connections
for anyone who are not physicallyin province and make sure that
(05:28):
when they do come out here forhouse hunting trip, if they do.
that they're already set up.
They already know who they're
talking to.
They know what to expect.
They know what their affordabilityis.
They know the community.
They know if they put an offer on
a property, they can go back homeknowing that they have an
inspector that they trust to dothe inspection for them, all of
that.
(05:49):
So meet them over Zoom.
set them up with professionals,meet them in person.
Hopefully if there is a propertythat they want to see, especially
in a hotter market, which ofcourse we're experiencing a lot of
that in the spring.
Yes.
I always tell them if you want tosee it, let me know.
I will go and check it out foryou.
I'll make sure, you know.
It looks the way it does online.
Do a video walk around for you.
(06:09):
You know, things like smell test.
You never know if that doesn'tcome off in photos.
Check out the neighborhood foryou, especially with new built
communities.
When you go on Google Maps,
nothing is there.
It's not up to date.
So I've done that quite a lot.
It's just kind of do video walk
around.
So on the streets of new
neighborhoods, so they can get anidea of not what just the home,
the property itself looks like,but around.
(06:31):
Are there parks around?Things like that that won't show
up on Google Maps.
So yeah, we're really active with
our out of province clients.
I would say even more so than we
are with our in province.
Yeah.
Okay.
So is there a piece of advice that
you wish you had at the start?And how do you pass that wisdom on
to your clients now?Like just talking about your
personal move to Alberta.
Was there something that you wish
(06:52):
you knew prior to coming here?coming here?
I don't like to sound repetitive,but prior to coming here, I really
wish that I had vetted moreprofessionals here and that I had
more recommendations and spoke topeople who had experiences with
professionals here before moving.
That would be a big...
Regrets.
Of course, you can use a mortgage
broker in Ontario, or you can usedifferent professionals based out
(07:13):
of Ontario, but their experienceand even just like timelines, it's
just not going to line upproperly.
It's not going to be very smooth.
One tip I'd always give everyone
is just make sure you're workingwith people who are experienced in
the market that you're going into,not the one that you're leaving.
You know, know, you and I actuallyexperienced this recently with a
few of our clients, actually, whowere working with somebody from
(07:37):
another province.
mortgage broker and they didn't
quite understand how it workedhere.
And so it was a good opportunityfor us to work together and show
the clients what it really lookslike to work with like a strong
team behind you.
And I know that they are super
pumped.
They're so excited.
We were able to come in and givethem what they needed and the
(07:57):
clarity that they were looking forthat maybe somebody who doesn't
work in Alberta real estatewouldn't really understand as well
as we do.
So that was, yeah, definitely
something that I think we can worktogether towards.
And I think that having the rightteam, we keep going back to that,
but I think it is, it's having theright team in place, especially
(08:17):
when you're moving from out ofprovince.
Especially someone who's workingfrequently in Ontario, they could
be super talented and I don't wantto bash anyone at all, someone
who's working frequently inOntario, they could be super
talented and I don't want to bashanyone at all, but it's just
knowledge of different markets.
So something in Ontario, something
could sit on the market for a yearand that might be totally normal.
(08:38):
Here, if you're wanting topurchase a property, you don't
have that kind of luxury ofwaiting or having an iffy offer.
You need to have things set up,provide security to the seller
you're offering to.
So I think that's where the
biggest hurdle is when workingwith professionals in Ontario is
they just don't understand that wecan't just give like a fluffy.
offer yeah we need to havesomething concrete and ready and
(08:58):
the buyers need to feel secure intheir purchase and Yeah, I think
that with new builds too, thatmaybe the process works a little
bit differently in differentprovinces.
Of course, I'm not licensed inOntario.
I do have my BC license, so I amfamiliar in that market.
But I think when it comes toOntario, it just works a little
different.
And so having people with boots on
the ground here is important,knowing the guidelines and the
rules and what the lenders arelooking for and what the builders
(09:19):
are looking for and also what theclients are looking for.
What do they need to do?comfortable in the purchase?
What do they need to make surethat when they remove their
condition of finance, that theyare confident, you know, they're
not worried about things.
So yeah.
do?And even just verbiage, I think
sometimes too, like being from adifferent province, the verbiage
(09:42):
might be different as well.
So it just makes it a little bit
like sticky or like, okay, like,does that mean we're good?
Like, are we good to go?does go?
So every big move has its ups anddowns.
Was there a challenge that youface after moving to Edmonton that
has changed your perspective?Maybe like a light bulb moment on
how things work here.
(10:03):
Yeah.
So I guess not really likedirectly real estate related,
estate related, but anyone movinghere from Ontario or I guess like
far East coast gets another kindof level of yucky winter.
Yeah.
But I totally thought that
Edmonton, I knew it, of courseit's going to be colder.
I was not prepared for the kind ofcold and the dry cold.
Yeah.
So coming from.
Grace Bridge, if anyone's familiarwith Ontario, it's like in lake
(10:24):
cottage country.
And we're basically in a snow
belt.
So you go like an hour north, it's
a little less snow.
An hour south, it's a little bit
less snow.
But right in Muskoka, it's like
you get blizzards every singlewinter.
And it's not as cold, but it'sdamp cold.
You get tons and tons of snow.
And I used to travel all the time.
(10:45):
And I used to drive all the time.
And I'd have winter tires.
Sometimes I wouldn't.
And I would be totally fine.
If you grow up in that snow, youlearn how to drive in it pretty
quick.
Move out here and I would go for
drives.
I'm like, it's fine.
There's like no snow.
I'm fine.
I've driven in blizzards.
It's like Edmonton's a lot.
It's fine.
Then your wheels like literally
freeze up and like skid out.
(11:07):
And so my big like moment was like
pulling out of a parking lot onceand I wasn't being aggressive.
And I literally did like a 180.
I'm like, what the heck?
Because the tires, whether youhave good winter tires or not,
they just like freeze.
So that was like one of the
biggest surprises.
And I find myself explaining that
(11:28):
to people back home all the time.
And you don't get it until you're
actually here.
Yeah.
Just how crazy it is.
So before you came to Alberta, had
you gone to...
Banff or Jasper or no no and
you've gone now I'm guessing rightyeah yeah and so I think that's
something people don't reallyrealize it's kind of in our
backyard I mean a little bit lessin Edmonton than Calgary obviously
but we have this beautiful winterkind of getaway that you can go to
(11:50):
and I think yeah if you haven'texperienced it the first time you
do is really something so is thatsomething that you felt like when
did you go like was it excitingfor you were you excited Expecting
that.
We went our very first winter.
first winter.
We were very excited.
And I do.
I love that it's so close.
Growing up in Muskoka, and it'shard to say unless you've been
there, it is kind of like livingin the mountains, but without
(12:13):
mountain peaks.
So the mountains are absolutely
gorgeous.
But for a long time, a difficulty
that I had living out here wasjust not knowing where to go close
by.
So it took some time to find
places that I loved just as muchas the places that I loved at
home.
But once I started to learn more,
(12:34):
I realized how much Edmontonactually has to offer.
It's incredible.
So Edmonton, for example, fun
fact, it has more inner cityparks, like per square meter,
square kilometer or whatever thanNew York.
city it has the most inner citylike green space than any other
city on the continent which isinsane and yeah the river valley
through edmonton is absolutelybeautiful so if you're a very
outdoorsy person or you're a veryactive person there's tons to do
(12:55):
the milk creek ravine tons offorests all around the city i will
be honest a lake is a little bitfurther than it is back in
bracebridge like a nice one butonce you find them it's so great
and honestly I think I enjoy itmore here because it's just not as
crowded okay so that's goodactually that you brought up some
of that trivia I absolutely lovetrivia so I'm gonna go into our
(13:17):
rapid fire questions speed roundand ask you some questions because
this is probably my favorite thingto do you're good okay so let's
see how well you know your adoptedhometown of Edmonton so this is a
true or false question Edmontonsees okay so that's good actually
that you brought up some of thattrivia I absolutely love trivia so
I'm gonna go into our rapid firequestions speed round and ask you
(13:41):
some questions because this isprobably my favorite thing to do
you're good okay so let's see howwell you know your adopted
hometown of Edmonton so this is atrue or false question Edmonton
sees on average, more hours ofsunshine per year than Toronto.
True, of course.
Yes.
So little rain.
I know.
Well, Edmonton is one of Canada'ssunniest cities and I absolutely
love it.
I think we're only beaten by
(14:01):
Calgary, right?Calgary is the official one.
Oh, I don't know.
I'm not going to give them that
today.
Oh yeah.
It's us today.
Yeah.
Okay.
So I think we kind of talked about
this a little bit, but there is noprovincial sales tax added on top
of the GST when buying a realestate in Alberta.
True.
Oh yeah.
It's us Yep.
(14:21):
And actually right now the GST is
rebated for first time home.
So that's definitely something
that is helping clients get intothe market.
Yeah, especially if they're movingfrom Ontario or BC, I think that
is a big thing.
Okay, we did talk about this too.
So average home prices in Edmontonare significantly lower than in
Toronto, allowing for biggerhomes, yards for about the same
money.
100 % too.
There are people who have movedfrom Toronto and literally bought
two properties here.
Yep, exactly.
So Edmonton's housing marketfeatures plenty of new build
opportunities, family friendlysuburbs and quick access to the
great outdoors.
100 % true.
Yes.
Look at us.
We already covered all this.
I know, right?
We did everything ahead of time.
(14:43):
Shoot.
Now that's why you're getting itall right, I guess.
So as a newcomer, establishingcredit in Alberta is exactly the
same as Ontario without anyregional differences.
You know what?I actually don't know.
know.
Is it true?
That's more your side.
Yeah, it is.
So I mean, Yeah, it is.
So I mean, technically it's true.
So the basics are the same, butmoving provinces means updating
(15:03):
ID, banking, and sometimes evenbuilding credit connections from
scratch.
So depending on what you're
leaving behind, it should be aneasy transition.
One thing that is important isknowing that you have a job here,
right?Like it's great to be qualified in
Ontario, but if you're coming hereand you don't have a job, well,
now we can't use your income.
So making sure.
that either you're able totransition within the same company
(15:25):
to a position here in Alberta orthat you're able to work remote,
which I think is happening moreoften than ever right now.
So a lot, a lot, yeah, a lot.
Or companies are expanding out
here in Alberta because Alberta isnot just expanding for people
residentially, but of course, likewith everyone moving here, that
(15:46):
also means more jobs are needed.
More business is required.
So there are a lot of Canadiancompanies that are moving to
Alberta.
My best friend moved out here a
year after I did because hercompany, a government company,
opened up another office out inEdmonton and needed someone as she
volunteered.
Oh, that's so nice.
So I've seen quite a few peoplemove out for that reason.
(16:07):
that's so nice.
Yeah, well, and our oil and gas, I
mean, it's up and down, but itseems pretty constant right now.
I think we are expanding in thetech sector, which is great news.
And of course, building homes ispretty big here right now.
It seems like we have a lot ofexpansion that way.
I can't speak to other provinces,but I know that here it's all
(16:30):
around.
So it is significantly more here
in Edmonton than most cities inOntario.
Of course, is significantly morehere in Edmonton than most cities
in Ontario.
Of course, especially the GTA,
just because the GTA has alreadyexpanded so much and the prices
are crazy.
I can't say that there aren't
growing cities in Ontario.
These are 100 % are, but yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
So I guess if you could givesomebody who's thinking about
(16:51):
moving to Alberta a map.
to how to purchase here, like from
point A to point B. Can youexplain, even if it's just your
experience alone, how you do that?Like, how does somebody make that
transition?How do they start the process?
The number one thing would be tomake sure that you're capable.
would be to make sure that you'recapable.
(17:12):
of making that move if you'relooking to buy right away.
So like what you just said, youwant to make sure that you have
employment locked in already, thatyou're able to transition without
that income having any blurb.
Because of course, once you have
that blurb, then you're kind ofstarting a little bit over again,
which is great.
Some people have moved here,
(17:32):
rented for a year while startingtheir new career, and then they
purchase later on.
And that's great.
But I say, yeah, connect withprofessionals to answer those
questions for you.
So speak to a mortgage broker,
make sure that you are going to beable to do what you want to do
before even looking.
I mean, of course, window shop at
some Edmonton properties, but inorder to successfully shop and see
(17:53):
what to do, I would say speak toSarah or another mortgage broker.
Obviously, I'm going to say Sarah.
I'm not biased at all.
And then speak to a realtor,whether it's a real estate team or
speak to someone who... wasrecommended to you or someone who
you kind of feel a connection toif you've seen them on social
(18:14):
media or whatever it is.
Reach out to them and just ask
questions.
Get set up on a search.
So a realtor out here can set youup on a custom search based on
what you believe you'd be lookingfor.
They can talk to you about thedifferent communities.
They can talk to you about thedifferent price ranges for
different types of homes and gofrom there.
And then I would say develop yourtimeline, narrow in on that types
of home, types of community.
(18:36):
So a couple of things I wanted to
touch on.
You talked about clients coming
here and potentially rentingbefore they buy.
are you somebody that they canconnect with to find a rental?
Or do you like have a team orsomebody that can point them in
that direction?So it depends.
So our team specifically does workwith a lot of investors, real
estate investors.
So if there's someone looking for
(18:57):
a rental specifically, I will sendthe details of what they're
looking.
or to some of our property
managers that we work with andinvestors we work with to see if
they happen to have anythingcoming up that might be nice.
So it's a little different thanOntario.
I know in Ontario, with the biggercities especially, leasing agents
are a really big thing.
Here in Edmonton, not so much.
(19:19):
I mean, there are some people, butit's more so commercial leasing
that realtors will work with.
I don't, of course, want to say I
can't help or it's not that Idon't want to help.
I would set you up on a search aswell for local rentals.
Honestly, probably just throughRent Faster or sites like that.
I'd also set up on our MLS aswell.
But our MLS doesn't show a lot ofresidential rentals available.
Unfortunately, there are some, butnot a lot.
(19:40):
It's growing.
growing.
Right.
Okay.
So get pre -approved.
Obviously you want to connect with
a mortgage broker before you doanything, I think is important
that way, you know, if it's notright now, how can we set you up
for this purchase in the future?How can we make sure that you're
able to do this move if it makessense?
And I think talking to somebodyearly helps because you don't know
what you don't know.
(20:01):
And so for us to come in and to
say, hey, okay, so this is what weneed for your employment, right?
Like maybe a spouse can come downahead of time.
Maybe somebody can come here, kindof set roots down and then the
other person can continue to work.
Like there's a lot of ways to
figure out how we're going to getthe income proven to the lender.
(20:21):
But the first step is talkingabout it and figuring out what is
specific to your needs and howdoes your situation look to the
lender?How can we make this make sense?
to them.
And then once we have that piece
of the puzzle, yeah, you're right.
Talking to you is so important
because you know the communities.
You can kind of tell them, hey,
you know, it's important for youwith your situation that you're
(20:43):
close to schools.
Or maybe it's not.
Maybe you want to be more central.
Maybe you want to walk to work.
Maybe there's certain things thatyou need out of a property that's
going to determine what communitymakes sense, right?
When you meet with your clients,do you have like a questionnaire
that kind of goes through?some of that stuff?
Or is it just based off of yourconversation that you guys decide?
(21:04):
It's mostly based off of theconversation.
But I do I mean, the conversation.
But I do I mean, starting out,
we'd have a list and I don'treally check the list through but
we have that conversation as wetalk.
And sometimes, you know, life isbusy, or sometimes you really
connect with a client that youkind of go off trail.
So sometimes after meeting, I'llgo through and be like, Okay, I
still need to know this need toknow this.
(21:25):
And I'll send them kind of somemessages afterwards.
But I mean, if someone reallywanted a specific checklist, we
could send it to them for sure.
I would say to branching off, like
if the best case scenario was forthem to move out here, they have a
job opportunity, but it's a newjob and they have to kind of start
over income wise.
I would say not only should you
talk to a mortgage broker beforeabout your current situation, but
(21:48):
also just make a plan with yourmortgage broker, make a plan with
your realtor, make sure you're setup on the searches ahead of time
so that you can kind of see wherethe trends of real estate are.
So you can get an idea of what toexpect when you are ready.
And then also just think about,it's not just about your income.
It's also about your expenses.
(22:08):
While you're in your exciting new
city and your exciting new job,and you really have this goal of
buying a home, if you let yourmortgage broker know, you know
what, I'm going to be making this.
This is my salary for the year
when I've been here for whateverallotted time that mortgage broker
recommends or requires.
Also make sure maybe don't get too
excited and buy your fancy carright away.
(22:28):
Maybe just hold off.
Good advice.
Get the house.
Just things like that, because
obviously that'll affect you.
your affordability too.
Okay, Amy.
So what would you say that your
takeaway from making thetransition to Alberta has been?
Honestly, I think I would say thatout of all the places in Canada,
think I would say that out of allthe places in Canada, I'd say
Alberta is one of the few whereyou don't have to choose between
(22:48):
lifestyle and affordability.
Here you really can have both.
Love that.
Okay.
So if anybody wants to find you,how are they going to look you up?
Like where can they find you?They can find me at the River
Valley.
at the River Valley.
No, I'm just kidding.
So Instagram, I guess I'm somewhat
active on there.
Yep.
And then of course, if they wantto chat further, they can get my
phone number through, send me a DMor email as well, amy at
calvinrealty .ca.
(23:09):
Yeah.
I would love to talk with anyonewho's looking to move here.
Yeah.
And we'll include all those
details in the show notes, butAmy, it has been such a pleasure
talking with you today.
And I know we're going to have you
on another episode talking aboutinvesting.
So this is wonderful to hear fromyou firsthand on your personal
move to Alberta from Ontario andanyone looking to do the same
should definitely reach out.
(23:29):
Thank you so much for having me.
Welcome to the Alberta Boundpodcast.
(00:01):
I'm your host, Sarah Hainsworth,mortgage broker and your guide to
building wealth through Albertareal estate.
Today, I'm thrilled to welcomesomeone who truly understands
making a big move.
Amy Boxall, a talented realtor,
industry leader here in Albertaand a fellow Ontario transplant.
Amy not only found success in anew market but has become an
(00:25):
insider expert at guiding clientsthrough every step of their own
relocation journey.
Welcome to the Alberta Bound
podcast.
I'm your host, Sarah Hainsworth,
mortgage broker, and your guide tobuilding wealth through Alberta
real estate today.
I'm thrilled to welcome someone
who truly understands making a bigmove, Amy Boxall, a talented
(00:47):
realtor, industry leader here inAlberta, and a fellow Ontario
transplant.
Amy not only found success in a
new market, but has become aninsider expert at guiding clients
through every step of their ownrelocation journey.
Amy, thanks for joining us.
Before we dive in, why don't you
tell me one thing, big or small,that made you smile this week?
(01:10):
Well, it's back to school week, sothat was kind of big.
Kind of small.
It was a smile for them, seeing
all the growth that they've hadover the years and just how big
they are now.
And then also for myself, because,
you know, work from home people,when the kids go back to school,
you know, it's sad, but it's alsorelieving.
I know it is.
And you kind of miss them a little
bit, but you're kind of happythey're gone.
(01:31):
Get back into the regular flow ofthings.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But I think we're so blessed too,to be able to work from home and
still be a part of the summer withthe kids.
Like, I think that's such ablessing.
Okay, Amy, let's kick.
things off with your personal
story so what was the biggestsurprise about the Edmonton and
Alberta real estate market whenyou first arrived from Ontario
crisis for sure that is the numberone thing even before so I moved
(01:54):
here in 2018 and of course we sawthe biggest growth in Edmonton and
think of course Alberta was makingheadlines in every newspaper
around COVID and for sure that isthe number one thing even before
so I moved here in 2018 and ofcourse we saw the biggest growth
in Edmonton and think of courseAlberta was making headlines in
every newspaper around COVID andever since then.
But even when we moved here, Imean, it's always been insane
compared to Ontario market,compared to the GTA, compared to
cottage country.
So my hometown is Bracebridge,
Ontario, which is considered theheart of Muskoka, if anyone knows
(02:16):
where Muskoka is.
I think that was the biggest
surprise for sure.
Yeah.
And so when you say prices, whenyou came here, you were used to
seeing things just a lot higher asfar as home prices or also like...
in the market, in the supermarket,stuff like that?
Honestly, I think everything.
I mean, the lack of tax is one
thing.
In Ontario, we pay 13 HST.
(02:37):
So it's a combined GST andprovincial sales tax as well.
So going down to the 5 % does makea big difference, especially with
larger purchases.
That was a first impression kind
of.
shock that I noticed the first
thing I noticed.
The next thing would be the cold
winters.
Yeah, definitely.
I feel like when you go to thestore in let's say BC or Ontario,
for me anyways, I was a little bitshocked because you purchase
(03:00):
something or you're expecting topay a certain amount.
And then when you get to the till,it's actually quite a lot more
because of that additionalprovincial sales tax.
And so for me being from Albertamy whole life, I never really...
took that into account, but it'sdefinitely something that is
noticeable for sure.
Oh, 100%.
Now when I go back home and seefamily, I feel kind of bad, but my
sister, my mom will be like, wantto go shopping?
(03:22):
I'm like, sure, not buyinganything, but if I see something
alike, I'll get it at home.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Okay, so you've helped a lot ofclients make the move to Alberta.
How do you tailor your process toguide newcomers, especially those
relocating from out of province?So one of the important things is
to learn a little bit about themand well, why are they making the
move?What are their goals with this
(03:43):
move?Do they have any experience with
Alberta?Do they have a vision of what life
will be like here?Because don't get me wrong, I
think it can be a really greatmove for many families.
But I do want to make sure thatthey're not having like these
false hopes or they have too grandof dreams because of course we
have to be a little realistic.
(04:04):
And I'll always be honest because
as exciting of a move it is, it isa really big move.
So I want to make sure thateveryone is aware of... certain
things before they come out here.
Learn a little bit about them,
about their lifestyle, whatthey're looking for.
Do they have a family?Do they have children?
What age are their children?What are their hobbies?
Just kind of narrow in, okay,well, you're moving to Edmonton,
but whereabouts?You know, it's not the largest
(04:25):
city.
It's a large city and all of the
neighborhoods are very different.
So we want to make sure that you
move to a community that you lovein regards to like your lifestyle
goals, your work.
everything like that.
Let's say somebody's not able tocome to Alberta right away.
somebody's not able to come toAlberta right away.
Like, are you able to connect withthem via like Zoom or somehow
virtually start the process?Yes.
So that would be part of theprocess, of course, would be to
(04:45):
meet.
So if we can't meet in person,
maybe their house hunting tripisn't until later.
We'll meet over Zoom, over phonecall, whatever is most convenient
for them.
And I'll get to know them a little
bit, kind of just me and them.
And then I'll introduce them to a
team.
Our team has a go -to team,
professionals working here inEdmonton, in Alberta, who are
(05:06):
familiar with the market, familiarwith the steps of the process
here.
And I think that is one of the
most... helpful things that we canprovide is just giving them that
network of people that we trustthat we know can get the job done
for them and not just get it done,but get it done well that we can
rely on.
So we'll make those connections
for anyone who are not physicallyin province and make sure that
(05:28):
when they do come out here forhouse hunting trip, if they do.
that they're already set up.
They already know who they're
talking to.
They know what to expect.
They know what their affordabilityis.
They know the community.
They know if they put an offer on
a property, they can go back homeknowing that they have an
inspector that they trust to dothe inspection for them, all of
that.
(05:49):
So meet them over Zoom.
set them up with professionals,meet them in person.
Hopefully if there is a propertythat they want to see, especially
in a hotter market, which ofcourse we're experiencing a lot of
that in the spring.
Yes.
I always tell them if you want tosee it, let me know.
I will go and check it out foryou.
I'll make sure, you know.
It looks the way it does online.
Do a video walk around for you.
(06:09):
You know, things like smell test.
You never know if that doesn'tcome off in photos.
Check out the neighborhood foryou, especially with new built
communities.
When you go on Google Maps,
nothing is there.
It's not up to date.
So I've done that quite a lot.
It's just kind of do video walk
around.
So on the streets of new
neighborhoods, so they can get anidea of not what just the home,
the property itself looks like,but around.
(06:31):
Are there parks around?Things like that that won't show
up on Google Maps.
So yeah, we're really active with
our out of province clients.
I would say even more so than we
are with our in province.
Yeah.
Okay.
So is there a piece of advice that
you wish you had at the start?And how do you pass that wisdom on
to your clients now?Like just talking about your
personal move to Alberta.
Was there something that you wish
(06:52):
you knew prior to coming here?coming here?
I don't like to sound repetitive,but prior to coming here, I really
wish that I had vetted moreprofessionals here and that I had
more recommendations and spoke topeople who had experiences with
professionals here before moving.
That would be a big...
Regrets.
Of course, you can use a mortgage
broker in Ontario, or you can usedifferent professionals based out
(07:13):
of Ontario, but their experienceand even just like timelines, it's
just not going to line upproperly.
It's not going to be very smooth.
One tip I'd always give everyone
is just make sure you're workingwith people who are experienced in
the market that you're going into,not the one that you're leaving.
You know, know, you and I actuallyexperienced this recently with a
few of our clients, actually, whowere working with somebody from
(07:37):
another province.
mortgage broker and they didn't
quite understand how it workedhere.
And so it was a good opportunityfor us to work together and show
the clients what it really lookslike to work with like a strong
team behind you.
And I know that they are super
pumped.
They're so excited.
We were able to come in and givethem what they needed and the
(07:57):
clarity that they were looking forthat maybe somebody who doesn't
work in Alberta real estatewouldn't really understand as well
as we do.
So that was, yeah, definitely
something that I think we can worktogether towards.
And I think that having the rightteam, we keep going back to that,
but I think it is, it's having theright team in place, especially
(08:17):
when you're moving from out ofprovince.
Especially someone who's workingfrequently in Ontario, they could
be super talented and I don't wantto bash anyone at all, someone
who's working frequently inOntario, they could be super
talented and I don't want to bashanyone at all, but it's just
knowledge of different markets.
So something in Ontario, something
could sit on the market for a yearand that might be totally normal.
(08:38):
Here, if you're wanting topurchase a property, you don't
have that kind of luxury ofwaiting or having an iffy offer.
You need to have things set up,provide security to the seller
you're offering to.
So I think that's where the
biggest hurdle is when workingwith professionals in Ontario is
they just don't understand that wecan't just give like a fluffy.
offer yeah we need to havesomething concrete and ready and
(08:58):
the buyers need to feel secure intheir purchase and Yeah, I think
that with new builds too, thatmaybe the process works a little
bit differently in differentprovinces.
Of course, I'm not licensed inOntario.
I do have my BC license, so I amfamiliar in that market.
But I think when it comes toOntario, it just works a little
different.
And so having people with boots on
the ground here is important,knowing the guidelines and the
rules and what the lenders arelooking for and what the builders
(09:19):
are looking for and also what theclients are looking for.
What do they need to do?comfortable in the purchase?
What do they need to make surethat when they remove their
condition of finance, that theyare confident, you know, they're
not worried about things.
So yeah.
do?And even just verbiage, I think
sometimes too, like being from adifferent province, the verbiage
(09:42):
might be different as well.
So it just makes it a little bit
like sticky or like, okay, like,does that mean we're good?
Like, are we good to go?does go?
So every big move has its ups anddowns.
Was there a challenge that youface after moving to Edmonton that
has changed your perspective?Maybe like a light bulb moment on
how things work here.
(10:03):
Yeah.
So I guess not really likedirectly real estate related,
estate related, but anyone movinghere from Ontario or I guess like
far East coast gets another kindof level of yucky winter.
Yeah.
But I totally thought that
Edmonton, I knew it, of courseit's going to be colder.
I was not prepared for the kind ofcold and the dry cold.
Yeah.
So coming from.
Grace Bridge, if anyone's familiarwith Ontario, it's like in lake
(10:24):
cottage country.
And we're basically in a snow
belt.
So you go like an hour north, it's
a little less snow.
An hour south, it's a little bit
less snow.
But right in Muskoka, it's like
you get blizzards every singlewinter.
And it's not as cold, but it'sdamp cold.
You get tons and tons of snow.
And I used to travel all the time.
(10:45):
And I used to drive all the time.
And I'd have winter tires.
Sometimes I wouldn't.
And I would be totally fine.
If you grow up in that snow, youlearn how to drive in it pretty
quick.
Move out here and I would go for
drives.
I'm like, it's fine.
There's like no snow.
I'm fine.
I've driven in blizzards.
It's like Edmonton's a lot.
It's fine.
Then your wheels like literally
freeze up and like skid out.
(11:07):
And so my big like moment was like
pulling out of a parking lot onceand I wasn't being aggressive.
And I literally did like a 180.
I'm like, what the heck?
Because the tires, whether youhave good winter tires or not,
they just like freeze.
So that was like one of the
biggest surprises.
And I find myself explaining that
(11:28):
to people back home all the time.
And you don't get it until you're
actually here.
Yeah.
Just how crazy it is.
So before you came to Alberta, had
you gone to...
Banff or Jasper or no no and
you've gone now I'm guessing rightyeah yeah and so I think that's
something people don't reallyrealize it's kind of in our
backyard I mean a little bit lessin Edmonton than Calgary obviously
but we have this beautiful winterkind of getaway that you can go to
(11:50):
and I think yeah if you haven'texperienced it the first time you
do is really something so is thatsomething that you felt like when
did you go like was it excitingfor you were you excited Expecting
that.
We went our very first winter.
first winter.
We were very excited.
And I do.
I love that it's so close.
Growing up in Muskoka, and it'shard to say unless you've been
there, it is kind of like livingin the mountains, but without
(12:13):
mountain peaks.
So the mountains are absolutely
gorgeous.
But for a long time, a difficulty
that I had living out here wasjust not knowing where to go close
by.
So it took some time to find
places that I loved just as muchas the places that I loved at
home.
But once I started to learn more,
(12:34):
I realized how much Edmontonactually has to offer.
It's incredible.
So Edmonton, for example, fun
fact, it has more inner cityparks, like per square meter,
square kilometer or whatever thanNew York.
city it has the most inner citylike green space than any other
city on the continent which isinsane and yeah the river valley
through edmonton is absolutelybeautiful so if you're a very
outdoorsy person or you're a veryactive person there's tons to do
(12:55):
the milk creek ravine tons offorests all around the city i will
be honest a lake is a little bitfurther than it is back in
bracebridge like a nice one butonce you find them it's so great
and honestly I think I enjoy itmore here because it's just not as
crowded okay so that's goodactually that you brought up some
of that trivia I absolutely lovetrivia so I'm gonna go into our
(13:17):
rapid fire questions speed roundand ask you some questions because
this is probably my favorite thingto do you're good okay so let's
see how well you know your adoptedhometown of Edmonton so this is a
true or false question Edmontonsees okay so that's good actually
that you brought up some of thattrivia I absolutely love trivia so
I'm gonna go into our rapid firequestions speed round and ask you
(13:41):
some questions because this isprobably my favorite thing to do
you're good okay so let's see howwell you know your adopted
hometown of Edmonton so this is atrue or false question Edmonton
sees on average, more hours ofsunshine per year than Toronto.
True, of course.
Yes.
So little rain.
I know.
Well, Edmonton is one of Canada'ssunniest cities and I absolutely
love it.
I think we're only beaten by
(14:01):
Calgary, right?Calgary is the official one.
Oh, I don't know.
I'm not going to give them that
today.
Oh yeah.
It's us today.
Yeah.
Okay.
So I think we kind of talked about
this a little bit, but there is noprovincial sales tax added on top
of the GST when buying a realestate in Alberta.
True.
Oh yeah.
It's us Yep.
(14:21):
And actually right now the GST is
rebated for first time home.
So that's definitely something
that is helping clients get intothe market.
Yeah, especially if they're movingfrom Ontario or BC, I think that
is a big thing.
Okay, we did talk about this too.
So average home prices in Edmontonare significantly lower than in
Toronto, allowing for biggerhomes, yards for about the same
money.
100 % too.
There are people who have movedfrom Toronto and literally bought
two properties here.
Yep, exactly.
So Edmonton's housing marketfeatures plenty of new build
opportunities, family friendlysuburbs and quick access to the
great outdoors.
100 % true.
Yes.
Look at us.
We already covered all this.
I know, right?
We did everything ahead of time.
(14:43):
Shoot.
Now that's why you're getting itall right, I guess.
So as a newcomer, establishingcredit in Alberta is exactly the
same as Ontario without anyregional differences.
You know what?I actually don't know.
know.
Is it true?
That's more your side.
Yeah, it is.
So I mean, Yeah, it is.
So I mean, technically it's true.
So the basics are the same, butmoving provinces means updating
(15:03):
ID, banking, and sometimes evenbuilding credit connections from
scratch.
So depending on what you're
leaving behind, it should be aneasy transition.
One thing that is important isknowing that you have a job here,
right?Like it's great to be qualified in
Ontario, but if you're coming hereand you don't have a job, well,
now we can't use your income.
So making sure.
that either you're able totransition within the same company
(15:25):
to a position here in Alberta orthat you're able to work remote,
which I think is happening moreoften than ever right now.
So a lot, a lot, yeah, a lot.
Or companies are expanding out
here in Alberta because Alberta isnot just expanding for people
residentially, but of course, likewith everyone moving here, that
(15:46):
also means more jobs are needed.
More business is required.
So there are a lot of Canadiancompanies that are moving to
Alberta.
My best friend moved out here a
year after I did because hercompany, a government company,
opened up another office out inEdmonton and needed someone as she
volunteered.
Oh, that's so nice.
So I've seen quite a few peoplemove out for that reason.
(16:07):
that's so nice.
Yeah, well, and our oil and gas, I
mean, it's up and down, but itseems pretty constant right now.
I think we are expanding in thetech sector, which is great news.
And of course, building homes ispretty big here right now.
It seems like we have a lot ofexpansion that way.
I can't speak to other provinces,but I know that here it's all
(16:30):
around.
So it is significantly more here
in Edmonton than most cities inOntario.
Of course, is significantly morehere in Edmonton than most cities
in Ontario.
Of course, especially the GTA,
just because the GTA has alreadyexpanded so much and the prices
are crazy.
I can't say that there aren't
growing cities in Ontario.
These are 100 % are, but yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
So I guess if you could givesomebody who's thinking about
(16:51):
moving to Alberta a map.
to how to purchase here, like from
point A to point B. Can youexplain, even if it's just your
experience alone, how you do that?Like, how does somebody make that
transition?How do they start the process?
The number one thing would be tomake sure that you're capable.
would be to make sure that you'recapable.
(17:12):
of making that move if you'relooking to buy right away.
So like what you just said, youwant to make sure that you have
employment locked in already, thatyou're able to transition without
that income having any blurb.
Because of course, once you have
that blurb, then you're kind ofstarting a little bit over again,
which is great.
Some people have moved here,
(17:32):
rented for a year while startingtheir new career, and then they
purchase later on.
And that's great.
But I say, yeah, connect withprofessionals to answer those
questions for you.
So speak to a mortgage broker,
make sure that you are going to beable to do what you want to do
before even looking.
I mean, of course, window shop at
some Edmonton properties, but inorder to successfully shop and see
(17:53):
what to do, I would say speak toSarah or another mortgage broker.
Obviously, I'm going to say Sarah.
I'm not biased at all.
And then speak to a realtor,whether it's a real estate team or
speak to someone who... wasrecommended to you or someone who
you kind of feel a connection toif you've seen them on social
(18:14):
media or whatever it is.
Reach out to them and just ask
questions.
Get set up on a search.
So a realtor out here can set youup on a custom search based on
what you believe you'd be lookingfor.
They can talk to you about thedifferent communities.
They can talk to you about thedifferent price ranges for
different types of homes and gofrom there.
And then I would say develop yourtimeline, narrow in on that types
of home, types of community.
(18:36):
So a couple of things I wanted to
touch on.
You talked about clients coming
here and potentially rentingbefore they buy.
are you somebody that they canconnect with to find a rental?
Or do you like have a team orsomebody that can point them in
that direction?So it depends.
So our team specifically does workwith a lot of investors, real
estate investors.
So if there's someone looking for
(18:57):
a rental specifically, I will sendthe details of what they're
looking.
or to some of our property
managers that we work with andinvestors we work with to see if
they happen to have anythingcoming up that might be nice.
So it's a little different thanOntario.
I know in Ontario, with the biggercities especially, leasing agents
are a really big thing.
Here in Edmonton, not so much.
(19:19):
I mean, there are some people, butit's more so commercial leasing
that realtors will work with.
I don't, of course, want to say I
can't help or it's not that Idon't want to help.
I would set you up on a search aswell for local rentals.
Honestly, probably just throughRent Faster or sites like that.
I'd also set up on our MLS aswell.
But our MLS doesn't show a lot ofresidential rentals available.
Unfortunately, there are some, butnot a lot.
(19:40):
It's growing.
growing.
Right.
Okay.
So get pre -approved.
Obviously you want to connect with
a mortgage broker before you doanything, I think is important
that way, you know, if it's notright now, how can we set you up
for this purchase in the future?How can we make sure that you're
able to do this move if it makessense?
And I think talking to somebodyearly helps because you don't know
what you don't know.
(20:01):
And so for us to come in and to
say, hey, okay, so this is what weneed for your employment, right?
Like maybe a spouse can come downahead of time.
Maybe somebody can come here, kindof set roots down and then the
other person can continue to work.
Like there's a lot of ways to
figure out how we're going to getthe income proven to the lender.
(20:21):
But the first step is talkingabout it and figuring out what is
specific to your needs and howdoes your situation look to the
lender?How can we make this make sense?
to them.
And then once we have that piece
of the puzzle, yeah, you're right.
Talking to you is so important
because you know the communities.
You can kind of tell them, hey,
you know, it's important for youwith your situation that you're
(20:43):
close to schools.
Or maybe it's not.
Maybe you want to be more central.
Maybe you want to walk to work.
Maybe there's certain things thatyou need out of a property that's
going to determine what communitymakes sense, right?
When you meet with your clients,do you have like a questionnaire
that kind of goes through?some of that stuff?
Or is it just based off of yourconversation that you guys decide?
(21:04):
It's mostly based off of theconversation.
But I do I mean, the conversation.
But I do I mean, starting out,
we'd have a list and I don'treally check the list through but
we have that conversation as wetalk.
And sometimes, you know, life isbusy, or sometimes you really
connect with a client that youkind of go off trail.
So sometimes after meeting, I'llgo through and be like, Okay, I
still need to know this need toknow this.
(21:25):
And I'll send them kind of somemessages afterwards.
But I mean, if someone reallywanted a specific checklist, we
could send it to them for sure.
I would say to branching off, like
if the best case scenario was forthem to move out here, they have a
job opportunity, but it's a newjob and they have to kind of start
over income wise.
I would say not only should you
talk to a mortgage broker beforeabout your current situation, but
(21:48):
also just make a plan with yourmortgage broker, make a plan with
your realtor, make sure you're setup on the searches ahead of time
so that you can kind of see wherethe trends of real estate are.
So you can get an idea of what toexpect when you are ready.
And then also just think about,it's not just about your income.
It's also about your expenses.
(22:08):
While you're in your exciting new
city and your exciting new job,and you really have this goal of
buying a home, if you let yourmortgage broker know, you know
what, I'm going to be making this.
This is my salary for the year
when I've been here for whateverallotted time that mortgage broker
recommends or requires.
Also make sure maybe don't get too
excited and buy your fancy carright away.
(22:28):
Maybe just hold off.
Good advice.
Get the house.
Just things like that, because
obviously that'll affect you.
your affordability too.
Okay, Amy.
So what would you say that your
takeaway from making thetransition to Alberta has been?
Honestly, I think I would say thatout of all the places in Canada,
think I would say that out of allthe places in Canada, I'd say
Alberta is one of the few whereyou don't have to choose between
(22:48):
lifestyle and affordability.
Here you really can have both.
Love that.
Okay.
So if anybody wants to find you,how are they going to look you up?
Like where can they find you?They can find me at the River
Valley.
at the River Valley.
No, I'm just kidding.
So Instagram, I guess I'm somewhat
active on there.
Yep.
And then of course, if they wantto chat further, they can get my
phone number through, send me a DMor email as well, amy at
calvinrealty .ca.
(23:09):
Yeah.
I would love to talk with anyonewho's looking to move here.
Yeah.
And we'll include all those
details in the show notes, butAmy, it has been such a pleasure
talking with you today.
And I know we're going to have you
on another episode talking aboutinvesting.
So this is wonderful to hear fromyou firsthand on your personal
move to Alberta from Ontario andanyone looking to do the same
should definitely reach out.
(23:29):
Thank you so much for having me.
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