14. May 2008 by Kari Calder.

Our Saskatoon Real Estate market has seen a great increase in listings over the past month. We have at least 500 single family dwellings actively for sale on Saskatoon MLS and 218 active condos in Saskatoon. In small towns outside of Saskatoon there are at least 500 listings on the market as well.

People are wondering if this means that prices will drop in Saskatoon. While we are seeing people reducing the prices on their homes for sale in Saskatoon, the market is not going down in Saskatoon. Our economy in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan is very strong and the forecast in the next 10 years looks outstanding, but many people were expecting spring to be as crazy as it was last year so too many sellers held off listing until now and it appears to have backfired on them.

It is just a matter of time before some of these listings get cleaned up, but for now it means that we have a balanced real estate market in Saskatoon once again and that is hard for sellers to understand and cope with. While some people are willing to move on the price, many sellers are still not motivated to negotiate on the prices… especially builders in Saskatoon. So that being said, it is a great time to buy a house in Saskatoon as you can get what you want and you may be able to get it for a bit less than list price. If you are interested in buying real estate in Saskatoon, be sure to contact me and I would be eager to assist you any way I can!

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

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

14. May 2008 by Kari Calder.

The Saskatoon real estate market can be confusing at the best of times, but then there are all the codes that come along to confuse you further. These codes reflect Saskatoon residential real estate, commercial real estate in Saskatoon has other codes that you can ask me about.

In Saskatoon Real Estate, here are some of the most common Zoning Codes that you will see:

• R1-large lot for one unit dwelling
• R1A-normal lot for one unit dwelling
• R1B-small lot for one unit dwelling
• R2-one and two unit dwellings
• RMHC-mobile home court district
• RMHL-mobile homes on individual sites
• R2A-low density residential infill district for one and two unit dwellings
• RMTN-townhouse residential district
• RM1-low density (1-4 units) multiple unit dwellings
• RM2-low/medium density multiple unit dwellings
• RM3-medium density multiple unit dwelling
• RM4-medium/high density multiple unit dwelling
• RM5-high density multiple unit dwelling

When looking at purchasing real estate in Saskatoon zoning can be important depending on what your future plans are for the lot and depending on what is currently in the house. If you are in a Saskatoon neighbourhood that is zoned R1 and you have 3 suites, the city of Saskatoon can enforce the zoning laws if they find out you have 3 suites. They can enforce you to take the suites out (which is generally removing the kitchens in them).

So this should make the zoning in Saskatoon a bit more clear, but you can always look at the City of Saskatoon’s website for a more in depth look before purchasing real estate in Saskatoon.

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

Posted in Sellers, Buyers, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

14. May 2008 by Kari Calder.

Please note that the Mexico real estate investment seminar scheduled for May 15th has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict.  We will be rescheduling this for June so keep checking back for updates.  If you are looking for information on Mexico real estate investment prior to our seminar please feel free to contact me at my Saskatoon real estate website.  I have a section for investors there and have information about the Serena Marina & Golf Luxury Residences that are located in Mazatlan, Mexico.  For this and any other real estate questions, please feel free to contact me anytime.

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

Posted in International Real Estate, Buyers | No Comments »