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Posted on: November 01, 2020
Radon is an invisible radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in the ground.

What is Radon?

Members have expressed radon as a concern that all homeowners need to know about, particularly during the winter season.

What is Radon?
Radon is a tasteless, odourless and invisible radioactive gas that results from decaying uranium, and is a leading cause of lung cancer.

What happens?
Radon filters up from the ground and into the air. It can enter buildings through openings where the buildings contact the ground. In the outdoors, radon is diluted to low levels. Inside buildings, however, radon can build up to harmful, concentrated levels.

What are the health risks?
Breathing increased levels of radon increases a person’s chance of developing lung cancer. In fact, Radon is linked to 16% of lung cancer deaths. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.

How does Radon enter a house?
Because radon is a gas, it can move freely through the soil enabling it to escape to the atmosphere or seep into buildings. When radon escapes from the bedrock into the outdoor air, it is diluted to such low concentrations that it poses a negligible threat to health. However, if a building is built over bedrock or soil that contains uranium, radon gas can be released into the building through cracks in foundation walls and in floor slabs, construction joints, gaps around service pipes and support posts, floor drains and sumps, cavities inside walls, and the water supplies. When radon is confined to enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, it can accumulate to high levels. Radon levels are generally highest in basements and crawl spaces because these areas are nearest to the source and are usually poorly ventilated.

How does Radon enter a house?
Because radon is a gas, it can move freely through the soil enabling it to escape to the atmosphere or seep into buildings. When radon escapes from the bedrock into the outdoor air, it is diluted to such low concentrations that it poses a negligible threat to health. However, if a building is built over bedrock or soil that contains uranium, radon gas can be released into the building through cracks in foundation walls and in floor slabs, construction joints, gaps around service pipes and support posts, floor drains and sumps, cavities inside walls, and the water supplies. When radon is confined to enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, it can accumulate to high levels. Radon levels are generally highest in basements and crawl spaces because these areas are nearest to the source and are usually poorly ventilated.

What can you do?
No building is radon free. The good news when it comes to radon is it’s a solvable problem. Even if you fall in love with a home that hasn’t had a radon test or the results are high, a radon mitigation device can be installed to vent radon gas outside the home from the basement. By hiring a C-NRPP certified Radon Measurement Professional to measure radon levels in the air, or doing the tests yourself, you are taking the first steps of preventing lung cancer in your family or occupants of the building. Mitigation costs vary, but are often not more than $2,000-$3,000. Hire a Certified Radon Technician to install the device to ensure it’s done properly.

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Posted on: November 02, 2020
Read this month's statistics summary and media release.

Residential Unit Sales up 26.34% compared to October 2019.

 
Edmonton, November 2, 2020: Total residential unit sales in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) real estate market for October 2020 increased 26.34% compared to October 2019 and decreased 0.21% from September 2020. The number of new residential listings is up year over year, increasing 14.75% from October 2019. New residential listings are down month over month, decreasing 7.43% from September 2020. Overall inventory in the Edmonton CMA fell 12.10% from October of last year and decreased 3.88% from September 2020.
For the month of October, single family home unit sales are up 38.02% from October 2019 and decreased 5.89% from September 2020 at 1,118. Condo unit sales increased 2.37% from October 2019 and decreased 13.28% from September 2020.
All residential average prices are up to $382,060, a 7.97% increase from October 2019, and up 1.50% from September 2020. Single family homes sold for an average of $442,854, a 5.05% year-over-year increase from October 2019, and a 0.72% increase from September 2020. Condominiums sold for an average of $231,608, a 1.67% increase year-over-year, and prices are down 1.34% compared to September 2020. Duplex prices increased 2.34% from October 2019, selling at $336,314, which was a 1.23% decrease from September 2020.
“The Edmonton market has seen an increase in year-over-year unit sales, compared to a slight decrease in month-to-month sales,” says REALTORS® Association of Edmonton Chair Jennifer Lucas. “There have also been more sales of single-family homes, condos and duplexes compared to October of last year, while we’ve seen stable or decreasing month over month sales in all markets, which is typical for this time of year. We’re pleased to see year-over-year increases in pricing across all markets, with single family home pricing up 5.05%, duplexes up 2.34%, and condos up 1.67%.”
Single family homes averaged 47 days on the market, a thirteen-day decrease from last year. Condos decreased to an average of 58 days on the market, an eighteen-day decrease from last year, while duplexes averaged 50 days on market, a thirteen-day decrease compared to October 2019. Overall, all residential listings averaged 50 days on market, decreasing by 15 days on market year-over-year and three days compared to the previous month.
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Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton.
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