Archive for March, 2008
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
A recent article published in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix indicates that Saskatchewan lead the nation in income growth between November 2006 and November 2007. The article indicates employment earnings increased an average of 6.9 per cent. This number is significantly higher than our neighbors with Alberta sitting at 5.6 per cent and Manitoba at 5.8 per cent. This is extremely important news for Saskatchewan residents and especially for those looking to purchase real estate. One of the major concerns that is being echoed throughout our province is that with the dramatic increase in real estate no one will be to afford a home with Saskatchewan salaries. With the Saskatoon real estate market leading the charge and with growth of over 52% last year alone people have expressed concern. There is an indication that salaries are increasing in our province though which is important to balance the increasing costs of living. Our economy is helping drive the increase of real estate. We just need to hope that salary increases keep up fast enough to the increasing costs of living.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Personal, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan News | No Comments »
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
For those of you who keep up with the local Saskatchewan news I am sure you have heard all about the recent developments with Premier Brad Wall. On Tuesday the Premier made an unscripted comment stating that he has previously taken his 14 year old daughter out on Saskatchewan roads and gave her a driving lesson. This was immediately acted upon as the legal age that someone can receive a learners driver permit is 15. Within the same day this story was in several news papers and then on Wednesday the NDP raised the matter in the legislature starting the premier should offer an apology for breaking the law and then joking about it.
For curiosity sake I took a poll of my friends and family and asked most people when the first time they drove in Saskatchewan was. For those of us from Saskatchewan the majority of us had all driven a vehicle before we were 14 with permission from our parents or with them in the vehicle. I definitely believe that having a legal driving age is an important and yes what the premier did was wrong but is this small mistake which he has apologize for worthy of all of the media coverage. The fact that the NDP took time out of the legislature to bring this up and discuss it is frustrating. There are much bigger matters to discuss and things to decide on when running our province instead of bringing up something like this. I am definitely not alone on my thoughts on this as published in a recent article in the Star Phoenix; many Saskatchewan residents have offered private property to teach his daughter how to drive.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Personal, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan News | No Comments »
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
Be sure to check out this beautiful east side bungalow close to the river. This home in an excellent location in the Exhibition area. This home provides a great location within walking distance to enjoy all of the events at Praireland Park. This home was built in 1923 but has been taken care of extremely well and is in immaculate condition. There have been extensive upgrades done throughout the home including the kitchen, new 4 piece bathroom, newer windows, fresh paint, upgraded lighting, vinyl siding and so much more! The basement includes a den and large living room with new flooring along with laudry, storage and is roughed in for a future bathroom if desired. The home has a beautifully landscaped yard with a wrap around deck and even includes a white picket fence! Be sure to visit my website for additional pictures and information 2339 St. Patrick Avenue.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Buyers, Listings, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »
Sunday, March 16th, 2008
I am happy to say that this years Saskatoon & Region Home Builders Association 2008 HomeStyles Homeshow was a great follow up to last years. I attended the show on Saturday in the mid-afternoon and at that time the parking lot was near capacity and the home show itself was bustling with activity. I was happy to see a good mixture of returning exhibitors and new ones. I was able to listen to Jim Caruk who was a guest speaker and is the host of the television show, Real Renos on HGTV. For myself I am always interested in seeing some of the new building materials including flooring, fixtures, bathrooms, cabinets, countertops, etc. You can get some great renovation ideas for your Saskatoon home by attending these booths and asking questions. I found everyone to be extremely friendly and helpful. I am very interested in hearing your thoughts of this years home show and anyways that you think they could have improved it.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Saskatoon Events | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
On Thursday March 13th, 2008 until Sunday Mach 16th, 2008 the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders Association will be presenting the 2008 Saskatoon HomeStyles Homeshow. Personally I attended the 2007 Home Show and can say that for anyone that has an interest in homes, Saskatoon real estate, construction or even the latest products to maintain your home this show is a must attend event. In 2007 there were approximately 35,000 people that attended the show. This year there is a great line of up of guest speakers along with a good combination of new exhibitors and repeat ones from 2007. The show should be a great success so I encourage you to go out and visit it. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Saskatoon or the surrounding area this show may give you some great ideas on how to spruce up your current or future home!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Saskatoon Events | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
If you are thinking about selling your home and are interested in finding out what it may be worth in the current Saskatoon market contact me for a free home evaluation. The Saskatoon real estate market is booming and it is definitely a sellers market. It is important to know what other types of properties that you will be competing against and have a realistic idea of what you will get for your property. I have dealt with many sellers that have thought just because the house two blocks over went for $400,000 their home would be worth the same. In some cases they didnt know that home had a completely finished basement and or other features that made it more appealing to buyers. Meanwhile their home didnt have a finished basement and lacked other features. In other instances, I have had clients think that because a home a few doors down for only $200,000 that is what theirs would be worth only to find that it was considerably more after I performed a free home evaluation. Knowing and keeping up to date with the Saskatoon real estate market is how I make my living so if you are interested in selling your home and receiving a home evaluation be sure to contact me!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Saskatoon Real Estate, Sellers | No Comments »
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
With Saskatoon real estate being as hot as it is we have seen a huge influx of people looking to sell their home. It is important to know the market you are selling to before you look at listing your home. Many people have tried For Sale By Owner in Saskatoon only to find out later that they could have sold their home for significantly more. Some people prefer to sell their home privately believing they will save money. In some instances they do, but in a real estate market as hot as Saskatoons many people are leaving money on the table. By working with a Saskatoon Realtor ® you have access to a much larger buying audience as well your home will be professionally marketed. Buyers tend to be much more comfortable using a realtor as it is one way to protect the biggest purchase of your life.
If you are thinking about selling your home in Saskatoon be sure to read up on why to use a realtor before you think of selling your home yourself.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Saskatchewan Real Estate, Saskatoon Real Estate, Sellers | No Comments »
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
The city of Saskatoon is currently evaluating at increasing parking an additional .50 cents an hour. This would double the current rate and generate an estimated additional $1.3 million dollars of revenue for the city. The city of Saskatoon is going through a major change. Our city is experiencing a huge growth phase which can be seen in many different areas. The Saskatoon real estate market is the hottest market in Canada. The Saskatoon unemployment rate is at the lowest it has ever been. All of this means that our city is growing and as a result the cost of living will go up. Parking is one of the many things us as residents of Saskatoon will start seeing. Even though Saskatoon is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada we are still pretty fortunate as our real estate market is still affordable compared to cities like Calgary and Vancouver. To give you an idea parking in Vancouver is $2.00 an hour in most places but can be as much as $2.00 for 30 minutes in some places. When you look at other large cities we are still doing okay!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Saskatoon, Saskatoon News | 2 Comments »
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008
With the increase demand for real estate many owners of apartment buildings and rental property are currently looking to cash in and convert their properties into condos. The topic of Saskatoon condo conversions has been a controversial topic in Saskatoon over the past year. In August 2007 this issue was presented to the City of Saskatoon who rejected the ban on condo conversions. According to the people who brought forward the proposal to ban condo conversions in Saskatoon, the people most affected are students, elderly and low income families. The city indicated they would keep a close eye on this issue and deal with it as it moved forward. A city councilor named Charlie Clark indicated when speaking to a crowd on February 28, 2008 that the owners of eight per cent of rental properties in Saskatoon are looking to convert them into condos. Many people that normally wouldnt have thought about purchasing a property are now looking into it. In many cases purchasing a condo in Saskatoon can in fact be cheaper than your monthly rent. There are a lot of additional benefits of purchasing real estate in Saskatoon than just saving money on your rent. If you are interested in looking to get into the Saskatoon real estate market feel free to contact me for additional information.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Posted in Buyers, Current Market, News, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Events, Saskatoon Real Estate | 1 Comment »