How we verify every walk-away.
Every figure published on Nest is sourced from public records, lender statements, or seller-supplied documentation. Self-declared amounts are flagged. We do not publish what we cannot verify.
What goes into a walk-away.
A verified walk-away is the sum of five line items. Each has its own verification method. Each appears on the listing as a separate, auditable figure.
Three tiers. One standard.
Every line on a listing is tagged with how it was verified. Public-record-verified lines come from documents authored by third parties — Land Titles, lenders, municipal offices — that the seller obtains and uploads. Seller-documented lines come from receipts, invoices, and policies the seller curated and retained. Seller-stated lines are flagged and never count toward the verified figure.
Public-record verified
Documents authored by third parties — Alberta Land Titles, federally-regulated lenders, municipal tax offices. The seller obtains and uploads each document; Nest reviews it. The document’s authority comes from who wrote it.
- · Alberta Land Titles
- · Federally regulated lenders
- · City of Calgary tax office
- · City of Edmonton tax office
Seller-documented
Documents the seller curated and retained — contractor invoices, improvement receipts, insurance policies, condo corporation statements. Nest reviews each line.
- · Contractor invoices & permits
- · Annual mortgage interest statements
- · Insurance policies
- · Condo corporation statements
Seller-stated
Amounts the seller claims but cannot document. Shown as a separate line on every listing. Never counted toward the verified figure.
- · Shown as a separate line
- · Never adds to the verified figure
- · Marked with a warning badge
- · Visible to all buyers
Every line, explained.
Each component of the walk-away is documented below: what it is, how we verify it, and what we need from the seller.
Original purchase price
The amount paid at original acquisition, recorded on title at the time of transfer.
Outstanding mortgage balance
The current payoff figure owed to the seller's lender, inclusive of discharge fees and per-diem interest projected to estimated closing.
+Private mortgages
Closing costs at sale
The costs the seller will pay to close: legal fees, mortgage discharge fee, statement of adjustments, and (for condos) an estoppel certificate.
Original cost basis additions
Costs paid at the time of the original purchase that the seller is entitled to recover: land transfer fees, legal fees, statement adjustments. Alberta does not levy provincial land transfer tax, so this line is typically modest.
Mortgage interest paid
Total interest paid on the mortgage across the period of ownership. Only interest is counted — principal payments are reflected in the reduced mortgage balance.
Property tax paid
Total municipal property tax paid since the seller acquired the home.
Insurance premiums
Total home or condo insurance premiums paid across ownership. Standard coverage only.
Condo fees
Regular monthly condo fees paid since acquisition. Special assessments are separate and not counted unless tied to a verifiable improvement.
Capital improvements
Permanent additions or upgrades: kitchen renovations, roof replacement, windows, additions, structural work, major mechanical systems. Each improvement must have a contractor invoice or receipt on file.
+What counts as a capital improvement
Every listing carries its own verification record.
Every figure on a listing is traceable to a specific document, a reviewer, and a date. Nest preserves the verification record for every walk-away and surfaces it to buyers on request.
What a walk-away never includes.
The walk-away is a record of actual money paid, not a projection of what the home could be worth. The following are excluded by policy.
Routine maintenance
Painting, landscaping, snow removal, minor repairs.
Personal property
Furniture, appliances unless built-in, decor, electronics.
Opportunity cost
What the down payment or equity could have earned elsewhere.
Sweat equity
The seller's own labour on renovations or improvements.
Inflation adjustment
Past dollars are not converted to current dollars. We use nominal figures.
Future commission savings
The 5% you save by listing on Nest is yours, not part of the walk-away.
When verification gets complicated.
Inherited or gifted properties+
Properties refinanced multiple times+
Joint ownership and partial buyouts+
Renovations done without permits+
Pre-record properties+
Missing documentation+
If a number is wrong, we want to know.
Flag a suspected error
Buyers can flag a suspected error on any listing. Submissions are reviewed within three business days by a verification team member who is not the original reviewer.
Request a re-review
If a line was miscalculated, sellers can request a re-review. Approved corrections are reflected on the listing, and the original figure is preserved in the verification record.
Outcomes are logged. Sellers cannot delete a verification record; they can only add a correction notice. The verification history of any listing is permanent.
Nest is not a real estate broker, lender, lawyer, accountant, or financial advisor. This methodology describes how we verify figures published on the platform. It is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Sellers and buyers should retain independent legal and financial counsel before completing any transaction.
Verified Walk-Away figures reflect documented historical costs, not market value. A walk-away above current market does not mean the home will sell at that price. A walk-away below current market does not constitute investment advice.