29. February 2008 by Kari Calder.

Unless you have been living under a rock you are well aware of the booming Saskatoon real estate market.  On Thursday, March 28 a group of students from the University of Saskatchewan took a creative approach to bring awareness to the lack of cheap housing available for students in the city.  The students built an igloo on the University of Saskatchewan campus indicating that if the Saskatoon real estate market continues on its current path, that this will be what students will have to resort to.  One student volunteered to spend the night in the igloo but referred to the experience as “Yeah, last night was absolute crap.”  This is the second time a group of students have done something similar.  In the fall a group of students spent the weekend in tents trying to bring awareness to the issue.  The community of Saskatoon responded with offering over 300 rooms to students.  With the current real estate market continuing to increase this will continue to be an issue for students. 

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

Posted in Saskatoon Events, Personal, News, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

29. February 2008 by Kari Calder.

It always great to see someone from Saskatchewan make national news.  Darwin Head of Prince Albert was the lucky individual chosen by TSN to participate in a chance to win 1 million dollars in Vancouver at a Canucks game.  He was chosen from a total on 8.6 million online entries to compete in the Chevrolet Malibu Million Dollar Shootout.  His challenge was to score 15 goals in a mere 24 seconds from the blue line.  On Darwin’s last shot just before the time expired he clenched the 15th goal making him Canada’s newest millionaire.

Earlier in the day Darwin had the opportunity to practice with hockey legend Bobby Orr who was also on the ice with Darwin during the shootout.  During the competition he took Orr’s advice and blocked out and the crowd and focused on the task at hand.  Head walked away with 1 million dollars as well as a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid for himself and two friends as well as one person from the audience.

After the shootout Darwin said he would use the money to look after his wife and three children, pay off their Saskatchewan home and put some aside for retirement.

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

Posted in Saskatchewan News, Saskatchewan, Personal | No Comments »

24. February 2008 by Kari Calder.

Do not miss this stunning condo located in downtown Saskatoon in the Central Business District.  This condo is located in the prestigious Waterford building and offers many upgrades including immaculate hardwood floors, newer carpet, linoleum, light fixtures, stainless steel appliances and much more!  The unit comes with 2 underground parking stalls as well as plenty of additional storage.  The condo boasts an excellent layout with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, central air, central vac, amenities room, workshop and elevator.  The Waterford is a concrete building and this condo is located on the east side of the building with a balcony showing views of downtown Saskatoon.  All furnishings in the suite are also negotiable.  For additional information and pictures of this condo visit my listings page on my website.  With the Saskatoon real estate market being as hot as it is this condo will not last long so be sure to contact me by e-mail or phone directly at 306.717.1277.

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

Posted in Saskatchewan Real Estate, Listings, Buyers, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

8. February 2008 by Kari Calder.

On Saturday, February 2, 2008 a real estate agent named Lindsay Buziak was killed while showing a house.  Lindsay was called by an unknown individual to show a vacant house in one of the suburbs of Victoria.  It was noted in the article that she felt uneasy about the caller and showing but went anyways.  Police were notified by an anonymous 911 call about Lindsay.

This is an absolute tragedy, Lindsay was a young professional with the rest of her career ahead of her.  For myself being a young female real estate agent I can’t help but feel a bit less secure in my day to day dealings now.  This is not the first time something like this has happened and both male and females have been targeted in the past.  Although Lindsay did feel uneasy about the showing as a real estate agent it is easy to understand why she went.  You never want to miss a potential lead or sale and this is probably why she went ahead anyways.

This raises a big question for the personal safety of not only real estate agents but all professionals that interact with the general public and in sometimes remote locations.  For real estate agents we need to start developing ways to screen our clients for our own personal safety.  In a market as hectic and crazy as the Saskatoon real estate market it’s easy to get caught up in the job and not think about your personal safety.  It is important for us as realtors to think about it and for you as clients to respect that.  Next time you approach a realtor without any prior relationship and if they ask you additional questions just remember that people must think about their personal safety as well as if they have never met you it’s only fair for them to ask a few questions.

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

Posted in Personal | No Comments »

5. February 2008 by Kari Calder.

Our current Saskatoon Real Estate market has picked up once again. After a small lull in the fall, the Saskatoon market has started out strong so far in 2008.

The 2007 overall average sales price in Saskatoon was $232,362 with January starting at $190,037 and ending in December with $255,271.

It seems that any homes that were listed in the fall and still on the market at the beginning of the year are now getting snapped up. Most people don’t want to wait for the spring boom this year which is actually propelling our market early. The Saskatoon market is once again in a sellers market with multiple offers already occurring.

So if you are thinking of buying a home in Saskatoon, don’t wait until Spring! Be prepared to be involved in a bidding competition though, even if a house is listed first come first serve as they may still get multiple offers. If you see a house in Saskatoon that looks like it may be ‘the one’ do not wait as you may miss out.

Contact me today if you are looking to either buy or sell a home in Saskatoon and the surrounding area!

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

Posted in Sellers, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Buyers, Current Market, News, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »