4. April 2009 by Kari Calder.

I have been fortunate to see quite a few concerts in Saskatoon and I recently went to see Beyonce in Saskatoon. This was, by far, the best concert I have seen in my life! Beyonce was incredible with many wardrobe changes (albeit some of her choices were not my favorites!) and incredible energy, vocals and dance moves. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy myself so much and it honestly snuck up on me…but I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to see her again and again as the entertainment value was unbelievable.

She played all of my faves and even a few tributes to Canadian singers like Sarah McCloghlin and Alanis Morrissette.

You can tell she is passionate about what she does and she puts so much energy and love into her performance that it was absolutely contagious. I looked hard to see if she was lip synching as I didn’t think any singers voice could sound that amazing live…and if she was pulling a Brittany Spears I sure as heck couldn’t tell! She had the crowd dancing and singing and it was overall a very good atmosphere of people having fun.

It is so nice to see huge names coming to Saskatoon to perform. We have had some really big names in the past year.

I know the Eagles concerts in early March brought in people from all over this part of Canada/US and I am sure our enthusiasm and appreciation will keep bands like this coming back for more. Now that Saskatoon is getting bigger hopefully more big names will keep coming to our great city and bringing us their music and acts.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd

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4. April 2009 by Kari Calder.

Spring has sprung in Saskatoon believe it or not (the snow lately would make us believe otherwise!) which means that Home Depot and Rona in Saskatoon are busier than ever with people getting the itch to renovate their homes in Saskatoon. With the current global economic slowdown another area that has been suffering is home renovations in Saskatoon and across the world. The Government has recognized that this area is also suffering so they are assisting this industry. For all home renovations between January 27, 2009 and February 1st, 2010 the government is offering a 15% rebate.

This helps with the houses for sale in Saskatoon and keep in mind that home renovations aren’t just to make your house look pretty; renovating your houses in Saskatoon also may save you money in the long run with more energy efficient and eco friendly houses in Saskatoon. Some products that are available and that make sense to put into your Saskatoon home are: dual flush toilets/low-water consumption toilets, new windows, proper/additional insulation, high efficient furnaces, and programmable thermostats.

As with all rebate programs there are certain rules you have to follow therefore it is important to read these guidelines and confirm that your project will be subsidized. For example, furniture and accessories are not items covered in the rebate, nor are new appliances for your kitchen.

Some of the projects that will be covered are replacing old windows, any type of kitchen/bathroom renovation, and basement renovations. Even if you can do the work yourself you can claim for products, materials, and even equipment rental.

Don’t forget that the City of Saskatoon needs money too therefore building permits are required and mandatory with any type of renovation to your Saskatoon home. Not having a permit can cause delays and hefty fines. Most people prefer not to pull permits but from a real estate in Saskatoon perspective when you put your house for sale in Saskatoon you are much better off if you can prove that you have pulled permits to do your renovations. These permits are also eligible for the 15% rebate.

You can claim a minimum of $1000 and a maximum of $10,000 and you claim it when filing your income tax return. For specifics you should contact the Department of Finance Canada and ask about your eligibility for HRTC at 1-800-O-Canada

If you need some help with your home renovations in Saskatoon I know a few people who are great so feel free to contact me for a referral!

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty

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4. April 2009 by Kari Calder.

During our Century 21 Awards Gala in Saskatoon on March 6, 2009, it was announced that Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd has won the #1 firm award in Canada for both production and units. This is the third year we have won this award.

Rod Spence, Vice President of Real Estate, is proud of his team of agents and employees. “As experts in the industry, our agents and employees are committed to providing professional service and knowledge to each of our customers,” says Spence. “Aside from our dedicated agents and employees, our success can be attributed to our unique partnerships,” continues Spence. “With training support from CENTURY 21 Canada, we have developed the skills needed for achieving our goals. Through our parent company Conexus Credit Union, we are able to meet all the real estate needs of our customers. From mortgages and investments to home insurance, we offer customized solutions.”

Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd currently has 7 offices and over 200 real estate agents across Saskatchewan. Century 21 Conexus in Saskatoon has shown a lot of strength across the country and world and Century 21 has a heritage of professionalism, dependability and customer understanding. Century 21 can be found world wide and is the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty

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4. April 2009 by Kari Calder.

According to Statistics Canada the price for a new home in Saskatoon and area rose by 0.8% from December 2008 to January 2009. The federal agency’s new housing price index report also showed that from January 2008 to January 2009 that Saskatoon new home prices dropped 2.7%. Nationally new home prices dropped 0.6 % from December to January. Despite no month to month change on new home prices in Regina, the prices rose by 21.7% from January 2008 to January of this year.

Consumers do need to be aware that average house price in Saskatoon can be a bit deceiving as this reflects all areas of the city as well as all types of houses, but new home prices from area to area aren’t as drastic. Although, from Hampton Village to Willowgrove consumers may see a $30,000-$50,000 price difference favoring Willowgrove for its east side location away from the airport. So keep in mind with average house prices in Saskatoon that one month may see a lot of low priced condos sell while the following month there may be many high end homes in Saskatoon that have sold.

Read the star phoenix article here.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd

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4. April 2009 by Kari Calder.

During the past year market conditions have improved vastly for first time home buyers in Saskatoon. While last year it was very hard to get into the market for first time buyers, this year it is easier to buy a house in Saskatoon as well as to get a good mortgage rate when buying a house in Saskatoon.

While last year the starting price for a 1 bedroom apartment style condo was around the $140,000 mark this year you can get into a 1 bedroom apartment style condo in Saskatoon for as little as $120,000. The house prices in Saskatoon peaked in the spring of 2008 and then went through a correction due to the high inventory of houses for sale in Saskatoon. New listings in Saskatoon went up to a record high in the summer of 2008 and due to that excess of inventory the house prices in Saskatoon dropped a bit. First time home buyers in Saskatoon should be taking advantage of the price decrease plus the incredible interest rates.

Certain communities in Saskatoon also allow for easier purchasing with first time home buyers in Saskatoon. On the west side, some of the favorable areas for first time home buyers are Mount Royal and Hudson Bay Park and on the east side of Saskatoon the favorable areas include Nutana and Avalon. These areas have more entry level homes than areas like Lakeview or Briarwood, but Nutana still has some very pricey homes due to its location close to the popular “Broadway” district and the downtown of Saskatoon.

Regina has also seen a correction in real estate prices down from 2008 and is also a favorable market for first time home buyers. A large number of houses for sale in Regina makes it a ‘buyers market’ and gives buyers the upper hand. Both Regina and Saskatoon are seeing a buyer’s market in 2009.

For more information on the Saskatoon real estate market be sure to contact me!

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd

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4. April 2009 by Kari Calder.

While most other provinces in Canada are projecting deficits, the Saskatchewan economy has given us a budget surplus with tax cuts and money for roads, schools and hospitals. For home owners in Saskatchewan this also means a decrease in property taxes that means more money in Saskatoon home owners pockets…but less than Regina home owners.

The average household in Saskatoon will save $100/year whereas home owners in Katepwa (rural resort community) could save up to $1333.

The Sask Party government boasts that the $103 million cut to education portion of property taxes is the largest in Saskatchewan’s history. This is also long overdue as the government currently funds about 51% of education costs for K-12 schools and property owners have been paying for the rest. Residents and business owners have long complained that high property taxes are a burden and are preventing our competitiveness. This change would make the Saskatchewan government pay for about 63% of education funding. It is projected that our surplus will be approximately $425 million for 2009/2010 while keeping about $1.1 billion in a rainy day fund.

At least we are cautiously optimistic still and are aware that the economy in Saskatchewan is not immune to what is happening in the rest of the world. In past years it was oil and gas revenues that helped us out but with oil prices in Canada and worldwide being so low this year compared to last it is actually potash that is bringing in the money now. Potash is a pink mineral used to make fertilizer and the revenue of it is forecast to be $1.9 billion in 2009/2010 which is an increase of almost $430 million from last year. These numbers are dependent on the demand for potash of course and would change if potash were to go down like oil did so we know we are vulnerable to the rest of the world’s markets but we also know the rest of the world needs to eat.

While Saskatchewan’s economy is flourishing, others are not faring well at all. The New Brunswick government is going close to $1 billion in the red and had to cut 700 civil service jobs and had to cut programs. Ontario’s budget is expected to show a deficit of around $18 billion over 2 years. Even our energy rich neighbour, Alberta, is expected to see their first deficit in 15 years.

Saskatchewan will bump up its funding to schools by $241 million to $990 million this year. We are also going to get a boost in schools, roads and hospitals. As a Saskatchewan resident for many years I say halleluiah to the roads!! The province is also putting $1 billion toward capital funding for infrastructure on top of the $1 billion in last year’s budget and another half a billion announced in February. This spending also includes the $100 million for a new children’s hospital in Saskatoon as part of a 2-year, $200 million commitment.

Money is also being given out to help with some of the on going problems that we have been seeing such as improving the child welfare system (nearly $25 million towards this including $9.2 million to address the overcrowding issue). This comes after the announcement last month by Saskatchewan’s children’s advocate released a scathing report that Saskatoon foster homes are more overcrowded than anywhere else in the country.

Farmers and ranchers will also see more money during tough times with money going towards aid programs such as crop insurance.

But, students beware as the tuition freeze from 2005 is coming to an end, but the budget is providing $23.5 million to help universities limit cost increases to an average of 3%.

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

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