ann m

Hi hobbs - welcome - and well done on getting that far.

Nickola is one stage ahead of you and moves out there very soon, imminently I think - so they might be able to guide you through your next stage. Fingers crossed for you that everything goes to plan !

And we are one stage behind you and my hubby goes out in a few weeks for the assessments - so any advice you can offer will likewise be appreciated.

We liked Cochrane too and will be checking out some schools when we go.

Good luck - when do you think you will hear ?

hobbs

Hi, pleased to meet you,....

my husband had already passed all the tests for Edmonton in september, however we decided we preferred calgary, so he travelled out again in November for their tests. He is only waiting on his psych test results, which we hope he has passed.

I am sure he will be happy to answer any of your questions, pm me and we will be glad to help.

Ceci

Hi Hobbs; Chloe here - The market in the area your husband is looking in is on the soft side right now. Not heated like it was in the Spring and Summer/06. I suggest if your husband is waiting for the job offer, you could go ahead and instruct your Buyer's Agent to write up an Offer to Purchase and make it 'conditional to firm job offer' with a dead line 30 - 45 days down the road. In effect this allows you to tie-up the property at an agreed price and hold it until the job offer letter arrives.

If the job offer doesn't arrive - you loose the house, but you are safe because you haven't bought the house and don't own a pile of money on it. The deal collapses and you get refunded your 'deposit' or good faith money.

As part of this you would also want a 'conditional to mortgage approval' clause in that contract as well - just to be on the safe side.

An offer like this may work due to the time of year we are in, certainly it will not fly in a heated market - this is where it really pays to work with a Buyer's Agent who can advise you on local area trends, conditions and seasons. Any more questions feel free to write again.

hobbs

Hi chloe thanks for the info,

my husband and I have been trying to follow the housing market for the past year and wecan see that the prices have obviously gone up quite a bit. I take it you mean that the housing market has calmed down a bit when you say its softer? Is that because its winter?
We didn't realise that we could put an offer in for a house with those kind of conditions thats good news. My husband has done a bit of research, when he was out there a couple of weeks ago and I am now thinking of doing one myself if I see a house I really like. We wouldn't buy a house before the job offer but I am thinking of coming over to Calgary in the new year to look at houses.

cheers

Ceci

hobbs;

You got it Hobbs, it is softer because it is winter. There is a definite pattern to the sales of real estate here. Very high demand in the Spring. Lots of competing offers - people going over list price - sometimes by 10s of thousands of $. Practically everybody wants to take possession of their new home in July/August - enjoy the garden, kids are out of school for the summer so it won't disrupt their learning. Prices may or may not stay high through the summer - depending on the supply of homes and the number of people moving into the area (demand). The demand for homes is still very high, but people are not moving a lot. They settle in for winter here and only move if they have to. (brrrrrrr it is too cold) We do a lot of cocooning here in the winter.

Fall and winter there are far fewer sales. People who HAVE to sell start lowering their prices. I always say if you are a Buyer - buy in the Fall/Winter. If you are a Seller - then sell in the Spring. You wanna do the opposite of the lemmings That is how you will stay ahead of the game in real estate. Good for you for watching the market - you'll be well aware of what occurred last year. Watch out for next year - it will be pretty much a repeat with prices rising just as rapidly. This is where it really helps to work with a Buyer's Agent who can negotiate the affects of the seasons, you should see what happens during Grey Cup games and how pay days influence open house turn out and Seller's emotional readiness for accepting an offer to purchase.

People are moving into the Calgary/Cochrane/Okotoks area at a rate of 98 people per DAY :scared: That has put a tremendous strain on the housing situation here. It makes your upcoming move a potentially treacherous maneuver but it sounds like you have a relatively good plan in place, coming over in January. If possible you would benefit by traveling even sooner than that as many people start the hunt for a new home right after the new year, you want to be just ahead of them.

Hope that helps. Take care.
Chloe

wallace

Hi
If you want to PM me with specific question feel free. My husband is currently in training with CPS and we did the move in the summer, so I know what it is like.
wallace

Cut me mick!

Hello folks, just signed up to forum, trying to decide to start the application and make the move, single with no ties and have no excuses!

Seem to have missed the info sessions in the UK, anyone know of any coming up?

hobbs

Hi,
If you go to the Calgary Police Service web site it will give you info re wages, selection process etc, and you can also get a print of the application form. I would also advise that you phone the recruiting department of the CPS to ask them when they are back in the UK. I think they are coming over in the new year to do another Emigrate Show. You will also find at these shows stands for the Canadian High Commission and companies like Century21 the estate agents. The lady I spoke to from them was based in Calgary and gave me excellent advise on the types and locations of suitable properties.

Cut me mick!

nice one, cheers Hobbs

stevenjee0219

Hi guys:
First time here, i am a chinese who has been in calgary for 5 years and really interested at join calgary police but i need more details in requirement such as "strong credit" how goold credit i should have and what education do i need? also could any one tell me what are they gonna ask me in both panel interview and screening interview?! Could anybody help me out? or call me@667-0388. My name is steven. Thanks alot and merry christmas to everyone!