22. June 2009 by Kari Calder.

As opposed to in the past when brain drain was a very common occurrence with nurses in Saskatchewan, recent studies of graduates are now showing that degree-earning nurses in Saskatchewan are getting jobs that they are happy with and staying in Saskatchewan. Lorna Butler, Dean of the College of Nursing at the U of S states that “We are graduating nurses who are loyal to the province and happy to serve the people of Saskatchewan” in a news release on Tuesday.

The Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan (NEPS) is a program that gathers information from former students each year as well as those who graduated 2 and 5 years ago. The survey shows that 98.5% of graduates are employed 5 years after graduating and 85% receive job offers right before or right after graduating and 93.1% of 4-year degree students and 83.8% of accelerated degree grads stay in Saskatchewan after graduation from nursing college. Saskatchewan nursing graduates expressed 90.8%satisfaction with both their education and nursing as a career.

Even with all of the locally educated nurses staying in the province Saskatchewan still requires nurses from other countries such as the Phillipines. I have been lucky enough to help a couple of nurses from the Phillipines buy a house for sale in Saskatoon and hope to help more nurses from the Phillipines buy houses for sale in Saskatoon.

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

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22. June 2009 by Kari Calder.

By June 11th, 2009 the Better Business Bureau of Saskatchewan had already received hundreds of calls from concerned consumers about high pressure salespeople coming to their homes. I received an email from the owner of Reed Security in Saskatoon on Monday asking the recipients to warn any of their clients, friends, and family with alarm systems to beware. One of his clients was approached by a salesperson who worked for “Reed Security” while his client knew that this young man did not, he saw the sticker on his front door and lied. The salesperson was trying to get him to take the “Free Upgraded Alarm System” which would actually cost $45/month and it wasn’t even through the current supplier.

There are 3 company names being used, at least, but it is actually just 1 company out of the United States. In some cases they are even saying that they are members of the Better Business Bureau of Saskatchewan. These pitches have been going on for a few weeks and if a person says yes to the install, often times the systems are in within a couple of hours. The salespeople are very aggressive and can often be obnoxious and nasty by some accounts.

It is advisable to always get 3 quotes when it comes to anything in your home; from painting to carpet cleaning to alarm systems. Also be sure to check with the BBB before signing anything with any company to make sure that the company is registered in Saskatchewan or your local province.

I personally recommend locally owned alarm companies like Reed Security and when a client buys a house for sale in Saskatoon I give them a Reed Security brochure. So watch out for these high pressure sales people and trust who your friends and family and neighbours trust…don’t listen to these sales tactics if they tell you your neighbour “Frank” signed up…ask Frank first, don’t take the sales people’s words.

To read more on this visit this article.

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

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22. June 2009 by Kari Calder.

Average house prices in Saskatchewan were up 4% in May thanks to increases in 4 Saskatchewan cities. The average house price in Sask is now $242,829. While the average home price in Saskatoon is down 7% from last May to $279, 477 this year, the average price of a house for sale in Regina is up 12% to $263, 424.

The other 3 Saskatchewan communities that are posting record average prices are Yorkton, Swift Current, and Prince Albert.

The Saskatoon real estate market has seen stabilizing prices with listings down and sales up and it is expected that sales will remain steady.

President of CREA, Regina broker Dale Ripplinger, says that sales activity is closer to the pre-recession peak than the trough hit in January. Several things are helping buyers purchase houses for sale in Saskatoon such as improved consumer confidence, low interest rates, and better affordability.

If you are looking to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon call your local Saskatoon realtor ® Kari Calder as I can help you with purchasing any house for sale in Saskatoon, whether it be a private sale or a Saskatoon MLS property.

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

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