A posting to CFB Edmonton runs on a fixed clock, and the members who find it manageable are the ones who work backwards from possession day: choose your TPSP providers and get your documents reviewed as soon as the posting message arrives, build your neighbourhood short list from sold data weeks before your house hunting trip (HHT), and treat the HHT as the execution of a plan — not the start of one. Travis Bannert, Realtor® with Bridge Realty Group, Maxwell Progressive Realty (licensed since 2015), is registered in the SIRVA Third Party Service Provider (TPSP) directory for CAF relocations to the Edmonton area, and under the program you choose your own providers. Here is the whole sequence, in order.

Stage 1 — Posting message in hand (roughly 4–6 months out)

• Confirm the posting details: report-for-duty date, HHT entitlement, and the working timeline backwards from both.
• Select your TPSP providers — Realtor®, and any other providers you will use at destination. Choosing early is the single highest-value step on this list.
• Start the pre-approval file: gather income documents, debt statements, and down payment proof for review — a real pre-approval with documents checked and stress-tested, not a calculator estimate.
• Decide the sell side, if you own now: list before the HHT, during, or after — and get a sold-data valuation of your current home so the buy-side budget is real.
• Set the family parameters: commute limit from Edmonton Garrison, school needs, must-haves versus nice-to-haves, and a firm maximum price.

Stage 2 — Building the search (roughly 2–4 months out)

• Narrow to two or three areas that fit the parameters — commonly Griesbach, Castle Downs (Beaumaris, Eaux Claires), St. Albert, or the far-north communities near the base.
• Study sold prices in those areas, not asking prices: what the homes you would actually buy have recently sold for, and how fast they moved.
• Complete the pre-approval so the budget is a funded number, and confirm the rate-hold and expiry dates cover the HHT and closing.
• Book the HHT dates and share them with your Realtor® so the showing schedule can be built around them.
• Set up listing alerts for your areas and criteria, and review them weekly — you will arrive already knowing the market's rhythm.

Stage 3 — The final month before the HHT

• Rank a live short list of current listings, each priced against recent comparable sales.
• Confirm your walk-away numbers: maximum price, condition windows you can accept (financing, inspection), and your possession-date range.
• Line up the inspection: know who will inspect, and that they can work inside a posting trip's condition window.
• Prepare your documents digitally — pre-approval letter, identification, and anything your lender or lawyer will ask for during the trip.
• Plan the trip layout: orientation pass on day one, serious showings days two and three, room for an offer and inspection before the final day.

Stage 4 — HHT week

• Day 1: orientation and first pass. Tour the target areas, see the first round, cut the list hard.
• Days 2–3: serious showings. Second looks at the leaders; add strong new listings as they appear.
• Offer when the home fits. Conditions sized to the time you actually have; possession aligned with your move dates.
• Book the inspection immediately on acceptance — inside the condition window, not after it.
• Firm up or pivot. Satisfy conditions on the right home, or release it and offer on your ranked backup while you are still in town.

Stage 5 — Between the HHT and closing (roughly 1–3 months)

• Finalize the mortgage: lender documents signed, appraisal if required, closing funds arranged.
• Lawyer/notary engaged at destination and closing documents scheduled.
• Move logistics booked: household goods shipment, interim accommodation if there is a gap, and mail/utility changes for both ends.
• Sell-side closing coordinated, if you sold at origin, so funds and dates line up with the purchase.
• Final walkthrough scheduled for possession, and insurance bound on the new home effective closing day.

Stage 6 — Possession and the first month

• Possession day: keys, walkthrough against the contract, meter readings, and photos of condition.
• Set up the new home base: utilities confirmed, address changes filed, school registrations completed.
• Keep the paperwork file: closing documents, inspection report, and warranty information stored together — you will want them at tax time and at the next posting.

One coordination note: Travis Bannert is also a licensed mortgage broker with BFL Dominion Lending Centres, so the purchase and financing tracks of a posting can be run from the same desk.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start this checklist?

The day the posting message arrives — or earlier, if a posting is expected. Stage 1 and 2 items (TPSP selection, documents review, area research) are what make the later stages short, and none of them can be compressed into the HHT week itself.

Do I choose my own Realtor® on a posting?

Yes. Under the SIRVA TPSP program, members choose their own third-party service providers. Travis Bannert is registered in the TPSP directory for CAF relocations to the Edmonton area (registration confirmed November 2026).

What if I can't sell my current home before the HHT?

That is common, and it shapes — but does not stop — the buy side. A sold-data valuation of your current home and an honest sale timeline let the pre-approval and the HHT budget reflect reality; some members buy conditional on their timeline, others sell first and rent briefly. The right sequence depends on both markets, and it should be decided in Stage 1, not discovered in Stage 4.

How long does closing take after a firm offer on an HHT?

It is set by the possession date in your contract, and on postings it is typically aligned to your move and report-for-duty dates — often several weeks to a few months after the trip. The Stage 5 items exist to keep that window uneventful.

What if the HHT doesn't produce a house?

Use the plan B routes: continue the search remotely with video showings and return for a focused trip, buy after arriving, or rent for the first year. The pre-approval, the area research, and this checklist's first two stages carry forward unchanged.

Start the checklist with Stage 1 today.

If a posting to CFB Edmonton is confirmed or likely, the highest-value move is a conversation now — providers chosen, documents reviewed, areas shortlisted. Call Travis Bannert, Realtor® | Bridge Realty Group, Maxwell Progressive Realty at 780-720-8240.