23. December 2007 by Kari Calder.

As most real estate agents, my schedule can tend to be quite hectic and unpredictable.  As a result I have invested in a PVR (personal video recorder) which is similar to TIVO for those people unfamiliar with what a PVR is.  This essentially allows me to record some of my favorite shows much simpler than trying to wrestle with a VCR.  I recently got a bit of spare time and started watching a few older episodes of some of my favorite shows.  While watching one of my shows (Las Vegas) I was very excited to hear some of the main characters of the show talking about trying to buy real estate in Saskatchewan for investment opportunities.  The scene actually consisted of 2 billionaires trying to butter up another wealthy individual to try and buy his existing land in Saskatchewan to go along with theirs.

Considering that just over a year ago many people in the United States have never heard of Saskatchewan, and now the real estate market is a topic on one of the most popular programs in the United States definitely shows that we are on the radar.  Saskatchewan has the fastest growing real estate market in Canada.  Our province has so many positive things going for it and real estate is just one of them.  2008 will continue to be a great year for real estate so make sure that if you have any needs in the Saskatoon real estate market or surrounding area you contact me.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
www.karicalder.com

Posted in Saskatchewan Real Estate, Personal | No Comments »

18. December 2007 by Kari Calder.

I think we all have heard about the condo conversions taking hold of our city, but the annual survey by the CMHC (Canada Housing and Mortgage Corp) has proven that our Saskatoon vacancy rate has fallen to an all time low with a 1.2% apartment vacancy rate. But, despite all that you hear about the rental increases, the average monthly rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Saskatoon is just under $700; up only $85 per month since last year. The north end of Saskatoon as well as Nutana are both almost at 0% vacancy.

One of the reasons behind this is the booming housing market in Saskatoon we have been experiencing. Unfortunately it is harder for first time home buyers to get started in the Saskatoon Real Estate market now that prices have gone up, but there are still many options to get people started in the market. Just talk to a Saskatoon Realtor ® about how you can get started (and feel free to contact me!). Real estate in Saskatoon is still attainable for many people if you talk to the right professionals about how.

One of the ways of combating this low vacancy rate and increased housing costs in Saskatoon has been to build suites in homes to help pay the mortgage. This benefits both the home owners as well as the thousands affected by the rental shortage.

We hope that the new government will address the issue as if they do not, we will see a huge problem in Saskatchewan very quickly.

Any opinions out there? Please give me your points of view on this topic and how it can be addressed. As a real estate agent in Saskatoon I see every side of the topic and it is nice to get opinions from real people out there. Thanks!

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
www.karicalder.com

Posted in Buyers, Sellers, Current Market, News, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Real Estate | 1 Comment »

11. December 2007 by Kari Calder.

The month of November proves the Saskatoon real estate market is still going strong.  Saskatoon real estate agents were extremely busy this month helping in the sale of over 316 homes.  The number of homes sold in November, 2006 was 230 which is a 37% increase this year.  This brings the total number of homes sold this year to 4,236.  This number is up 29% from last year when 3,273 homes were sold.

Remember when we talk about “average” selling price, it is a calculation of the total amount of homes sold by the total dollar amount between all sales across the city of Saskatoon.  Often people interpret the average selling price as the average for all homes across the city.  Just like any city there are some neighborhoods where homes cost much more than others.  It is important to do your research on the neighborhood or area that you are looking to buy or sell in to have a more realistic idea of the dollar amount you will be looking at.  You can review more detail and information about Saskatoon Neighborhoods by visiting my website.  Another factor in the “average” selling price is what type of homes where sold.  Typically condos are less expensive than a house.  In a month where there are a higher number of condo sales you may see a lower average price.  It is always important to consult a realtor to get more realistic numbers.

To date Saskatoon Realtors® have sold 1.3 billion dollars of real estate.  This is an all time high and is up 98% from 2006 when $656,491,0000.00 of real estate was sold.  The highest numbers of homes sold are in between the $300,000 - $400,000 with homes in the $225,000 to $250,000 coming in second.

Saskatoon real estate is still very competitive compared to the rest of Canada.  Our closet out of province comparison would be Calgary where a single family home average price is around the $420,000 range.  Saskatoon is still very affordable compared to the rest of Canada even though we have seen such a big increase in real estate property.  Whether you are looking to buy, sell or invest in the Saskatoon real estate market feel free to contact me for any additional information.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
www.karicalder.com

Posted in Current Market, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »