Archive for February, 2010

Announcement:Century 21 Saskatoon #1 Firm in Canada since 1995

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Century 21 Conexus shines again in 2009. We have sold more houses in Canada than any other Century 21 firm since 1995 and since 2006 we have had the highest production in all of Canada. What does this mean? Century 21 Saskatoon realtors(r) are selling more houses than anywhere else in Canada and this hasn’t only been since the Saskatchewan real estate boom as we have been selling more houses in Saskatoon since 1995.

This year our awards gala will be held in Regina on April 6th and Century 21 Conexus Realty from Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert and Moose Jaw are the proud recipients of this award.

“It is with great dedication, knowledge and commitment to quality service that CENTURY 21 Conexus Realty Ltd. has so duly earned this recognition. Rod Spence and the CENTURY 21 Conexus Realty Ltd. team are innovators in the real estate industry and this has led this company’s success in the Saskatchewan community,” said Don Lawby, President of Century 21 Canada Limited Partnership. 

“I sincerely congratulate Rod Spence and the entire staff of CENTURY 21 Conexus Realty Ltd. for this well deserved achievement,” adds Lawby.

“CENTURY 21 Conexus Realty Ltd. along with its offices and sales people have received many awards but to achieve the TOP RANKED FIRM in Canada for the 4th consecutive year is an amazing accomplishment and certainly shows the strength of our organization”, says Rod Spence

If you are interested in learning more about Century 21 in Saskatoon or about Saskatoon real estate contact me.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd Saskatoon
653-8222 (offic)

70% of Century 21 Saskatoon Agents Receive Awards for 2009 Production

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

Every Tuesday morning Century 21 real estate agents in Saskatoon get together for our weekly sales meeting to go over recent sales data, recent trends in Saskatoon real estate and just get caught up to date in general on the happenings in the world of fellow realtors(r) in Saskatoon.

Amongst the data last week were the announcements of the awards for production in 2009. I am proud of my fellow Century 21 Real Estate Agents in Saskatoon as 70% of us have been recognized for sales achievements in 2009.

With the slowing of the global markets, 2009 was slower than 2007 and 2008 so it is great to see so many real estate agents with Century 21 in Saskatoon doing so well.

Awards are broken down into 7 categories; Masters Silver, Masters Ruby, Masters Emerald, Masters Diamond, Centurion, Double Centurion and Grand Centurion. I am excited to say that I was awarded the Century 21 Centurion award for the second year in a row. There are 9 of us from our company who achieved Centurion status. Only 1 agent in the company was awarded the Double Centurion and this year we didn’t have any Grand Centurions, but I am sure 2010 may see someone achieve this.

Century 21 agents are also recognized for their donations to charities such as Easter Seals Canada and our Saskatoon real estate agents in Century 21 have been the most generous in the country with fundraising efforts and personal donations. It is a great company with wonderful values and I am a proud Saskatoon Century 21 Realtor(r). We have a great family of agents, managers and support staff.

If you are looking to buy a house in Saskatoon or to sell your house or condo in Saskatoon contact me!

Kari Calder
Residential Real Estate Specialist
Saskatoon Century 21 Conexus
www.karicalder.com

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

Free Health Care in Canada-What Does It REALLY Cost

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

I work with a lot of people who move to Canada and buy a house in Saskatoon or anywhere else and some of these Saskatoon home buyers are enamoured with our “free health care” as where they come from nothing is for free. I think the idea of it is wonderful, but in reality we have a lot of problems with it.

There was just an article in the Star Phoenix commented on finding efficiences in the Saskatchewan Health Region. They are scared that the level of service will go further down and that frightens me. Another Star Phoenix article today was all about safe patient care in Saskatchewan based on the fact that a doctor in my home town of Estevan is getting called into EMERGENCY to fill prescriptions because people can’t get into the doctors offices during the day. How ridiculous is that? These doctors are running low on sleep and energy and well being in general and then our lives are in their hands and it is dangerous and it is OUR fault for visiting the doctors for silly reasons because it is free. Even though Saskatoon has a lot more doctors I am sure it is still difficult for many of them.

The cost of free healthcare often costs people their lives in this province. As much as I appreciate and value our free healthcare policies, I do think something needs to change. Trimming the fat at the top does make some sense, but with the abuse of the system each doctor and emergency care worker sees I think there should be a ‘user fee’. Why not implement a small fee for each visit to the doctor (even $15 for non emergency visits, emergency visits would depend on the severity as people would then start to abuse the $15 policy, but obviously if someone is coming in with a broken arm or after a car accident no fee would apply as that IS an emergency-a cough is not!) I suggested this to an employee of the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada but do you think it was considered? No, because there are too many ‘administrative concerns’. I don’t know, how hard is it to take $15 at the doctors office upon checking in? We do it at every other health practioner, I am pretty confident the general public could be retrained.
If someone is in such bad financial woes then reimbursement should be a possibility, provided they aren’t spending that $15 on cigarettes and alcohol.
Buck up Saskatchewan and Canada in general! I’d rather pay $15 each time than have to wait a month for a crucial exam and possibly dying while I wait! I’m a self employed real estate agent in Saskatoon so I don’t have a health plan through Century 21 in Saskatoon (I could but I have a separate one) per se, but I wouldn’t mind paying.

What are your thoughts? Am I unreasonable?

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
Saskatoon, Sk
karicalder@sasktel.net