Common questions, direct answers.

What is NewVita Property Group and what do you do?

NewVita Property Group is an independent property representation firm based in Edmonton, Alberta. We provide on-site presence, condition documentation, and coordination services for remote property owners — home watch visits, insurance compliance monitoring, owner representation, estate concierge, and construction oversight. We are not a property management company. We do not place tenants, collect rent, or manage landlord-tenant relationships.

What areas of Edmonton do you serve?

NewVita serves Edmonton and 6 surrounding communities: Sherwood Park, St. Albert, Leduc, Beaumont, Spruce Grove, and Fort Saskatchewan. Extended coverage is available upon request for properties outside this area.

How is NewVita different from a property management company?

Property management companies place tenants, collect rent, and manage landlord-tenant relationships. NewVita does none of this. We provide independent oversight, owner representation, and on-site presence for property owners who want an unbiased local advocate — with no tenant relationships, no contractor affiliations, and no competing interests.

What is independent property representation?

An independent property representative attends your property, coordinates service providers, audits work, and reports back — with no contractor affiliations or referral arrangements that could create a conflict of interest. Your interests are the only interests being served. This is distinct from property management (which involves tenants) and from general contracting (which involves doing the work itself).

Who uses NewVita's services?

Remote and out-of-province property owners, estate executors managing vacant estate properties during probate, real estate investors with Edmonton portfolios, realtors managing vacant listings, builders and developers with construction sites, and snowbirds or seasonal residents who need their Edmonton property monitored while they're away.

What does a home watch visit include?

A NewVita home watch visit includes exterior checks (door and window security, garage door, fence and gate, mail accumulation, visible roof condition, vandalism observation) and interior checks (thermostat and furnace confirmation, leak detection, basement inspection, water heater check, odour detection). Every visit produces a timestamped photo report and inspection checklist delivered to your inbox.

How often should a vacant property be checked in Alberta?

Most Alberta home insurance policies require vacant properties to be visited every 48 to 72 hours to maintain active coverage. The exact interval depends on your specific policy. NewVita offers both 48-hour and 72-hour monitoring schedules, with compliance documentation structured for your insurer.

How long can a property be vacant before insurance is affected?

Most standard Canadian home insurance policies include a vacancy clause that begins limiting or voiding coverage after 30 consecutive days of vacancy without documented regular visits. Some policies restrict coverage even sooner. Review your specific policy wording and confirm the inspection interval required to maintain coverage — then ensure those visits are documented.

Does Alberta home insurance cover vacant properties?

Standard Alberta home insurance policies typically reduce coverage significantly once a property has been vacant for 30 or more consecutive days. Extended or specialized vacant property coverage is available from most Alberta insurers, but it typically requires documented inspection visits on a fixed schedule. Failure to maintain the required visit interval is one of the most common grounds for claim denial on vacant properties in Alberta.

What is an Occupied Appearance Program?

An Occupied Appearance Program is a set of scheduled visits designed to make a vacant property appear actively occupied — rotating lights, adjusting window coverings, removing flyers and mail accumulation, and varying visit times. The goal is to reduce the property's visibility as a vacant target and deter opportunistic crime, without requiring the owner to be present.

What happens if an issue is found during a visit?

If an issue is found during a home watch visit, you are notified immediately with photo documentation of what was observed. For emergencies — active leaks, forced entry, heating failure — NewVita contacts you directly and can coordinate emergency response. Non-urgent issues are documented in the visit report with a recommended next step. Nothing is acted on without your direction.

What do your inspection reports look like?

Every NewVita inspection report is a timestamped PDF with interior and exterior photos organized by checklist category, a written condition summary, and notes on any issues observed. Reports are delivered to your inbox after every visit and archived for your records. They are structured to meet Alberta insurer documentation standards for vacant property visits.

What does an owner's representative do?

An owner's representative attends the property on your behalf, coordinates service providers, audits work and conditions, and reports back with documentation. They act as your authorized local agent — handling anything that would otherwise require your physical presence. NewVita operates as an independent owner's representative with no contractor affiliations, no referral arrangements, and no competing interests.

How do I know if my property manager is doing their job?

NewVita provides independent property manager audits — unannounced visits to your property to verify the condition matches what your property manager is reporting. We have no relationship with your manager and no interest in their account of events. Our report goes to you exclusively. Property manager audits are one of the most requested services from Edmonton investors.

Can you attend my property before I make an offer?

Yes. NewVita attends properties on behalf of remote buyers and investors before offers are submitted. We document the property's visible condition, verify what's observable, and provide a written report with photos — so you have an independent record beyond the listing photos and the seller's disclosures. This is distinct from a home inspection, which requires a licensed inspector and occurs after an accepted offer.

Can I hire NewVita to oversee a renovation I can't be present for?

Yes. NewVita provides independent renovation monitoring and construction oversight for owners who cannot regularly attend their project site. We conduct scheduled visits at agreed milestones, document progress with photo reports, and deliver findings directly to you. When a contractor knows an independent representative is verifying their work, quality and schedule compliance improve.

What property services do estate executors need?

Estate executors typically need regular condition monitoring to maintain insurance coverage, access coordination for family members, lawyers, adjusters, and appraisers, chain-of-custody documentation to protect against beneficiary disputes, inventory documentation of the property's contents and condition, and emergency response capability. NewVita provides all of these under a single engagement.

Am I personally liable if the estate property deteriorates during probate?

Generally, under Alberta's Estate Administration Act, your duty as personal representative includes preserving and safeguarding estate assets. If the property is left unmonitored and damage occurs — a burst pipe, break-in, structural deterioration — beneficiaries may, in some cases, petition the court to hold you personally liable for the resulting loss. A consistent, documented visit record demonstrates you fulfilled your duty throughout probate. This is general information, not legal advice — confirm your specific obligations with your lawyer.

Can you coordinate family and contractor access to an estate property?

Yes. NewVita coordinates all access on executor instruction. No one enters the property without your prior authorization — every person, every visit. You specify who is permitted, under what conditions, and whether they must be accompanied. Every access is documented with a before-and-after condition record delivered to you.

How do you handle insurance compliance for a probate property?

NewVita's monitoring visits are structured to meet Alberta insurer documentation requirements for vacant properties. We confirm heating operation, temperature, water shutoff status, entry security, and visible condition on every visit. Reports are timestamped and archived in PDF format. At onboarding, you share your policy's specific requirements and we confirm format compatibility before the first visit.

Do you publish prices?

Not on the website. Every property is different — visit frequency, scope of coordination, property size, and urgency requirements all affect what a proposal looks like. Exact figures follow a brief conversation about your situation. There are no rate sheets, no packages to select from, and no commitment required before a proposal is issued.

What is included in an emergency response call?

Emergency response includes same-day attendance at your property, condition documentation with photos, coordination of any necessary emergency contractors (on your instruction), a written incident report, and follow-up documentation. Emergency response is priced at a separate tier from scheduled monitoring — confirmed at proposal stage.

Is there an onboarding fee?

Yes. New engagements include a one-time setup fee that covers the baseline property inspection, documentation foundation, and access credential establishment — the upfront work that every subsequent visit builds on. The fee is confirmed at proposal stage alongside the ongoing service rate.

Can you serve multiple properties under one arrangement?

Yes. Portfolio clients are accommodated under Retained Representation. One retainer covers all enrolled properties, with coordination handled by one representative across the portfolio. Portfolio arrangements are available for investors with two or more Edmonton-area properties.