Relocation · CERC certified
I didn't just study this move. I made it.
James Hughes left Ontario's GTA for Cochrane with a young family. Now, as a CERC certified Relocation Specialist, he runs out-of-province purchases end to end, video tours to remote closings.
Six years of visits. One decision.
James and his wife spent six years visiting Alberta, sometimes two weeks at a time, including a two-week road trip across Alberta and BC to decide where they wanted to live. The plan was retirement. Life moved it up.
In his own words: “We made the move from Orangeville, Ontario to Cochrane, Alberta before my daughter's first birthday, and we have never been happier.” And the line he repeats to every family weighing the same decision: “There is rarely a ‘perfect time’ for any major relocation.”
That experience is the practice now. Buyers arriving from out of province have purchased homes here on his word alone, sight unseen, from family homes in Cochrane to acreages in Rocky View County. The full story is on the about page.
CERC certified Relocation Specialist, the Canadian Employee Relocation Council's designation for professionals who manage cross-country moves.
The remote process, step by step.
The briefing call
Budget, timeline, work situation, and what your life actually needs to look like here. Before any listing gets sent, you get an honest read on which communities fit and which do not, including the ones James would rule out for you.
Neighbourhood briefings
For each shortlisted area: schools, commutes, utilities, snow reality, what your money buys, and the trade-offs a brochure will not mention. Acreage candidates get the well, septic, and county-approval conversation up front.
Video tours, live
James walks every serious candidate on a live video call, pointing the camera where a listing photographer never would: the furnace, the grading, the neighbour's yard, the traffic noise. You see the house, not the marketing.
Offers and conditions, remotely
Offers are signed electronically, deposits wired, inspections attended on your behalf and reported back the same day. Every condition is structured knowing you cannot just drive over to check something.
Closing and arrival
Remote closing through an Alberta real estate lawyer, keys held until you land, and the practical handoff: utilities, local trades, and the first-week list every out-of-province arrival wishes they had.
Prefer to fly out for a viewing weekend? The same process compresses into an itinerary: shortlist ready, showings stacked, decisions made with the flight home still ahead of you.
Plan the moveThe move pays for part of itself.
Alberta has no land transfer tax. Buyers arriving from Ontario or BC routinely save five figures at closing compared to the same purchase back home.
No PST. The move itself, the renovation, the new furniture: all of it costs less than in provinces that layer sales tax on top.
Mountain access is not a vacation here, it is a Tuesday evening. The front range sits at the end of the highway west of town.
Put numbers to it with the mortgage calculator, compare the five coverage markets, or browse live MLS listings to see what your equity buys here.
Two households, both bought remotely.
Verbatim from a family who moved from Ontario in 2024 and bought sight unseen. More on the reviews page.
Moving from Ontario to Alberta, August 2024 and James has been our shining star. Both my son and family and my wife and I purchased homes based solely on James's insight, knowledge and recommendations, all done remotely. He has worked tirelessly for all of us and we can't thank him enough. Job well done James!!! You would be fortunate to have James for your real estate needs. Looking forward to meeting him in person when we arrive for our new life in Alberta.
Tell me about the move.
Where you are coming from, your rough timeline, and what life needs to look like on this end. You will get a straight answer about whether the numbers and the neighbourhoods line up, and what the next step would be. For anything urgent, call or text 587-586-5618.