Archive for March, 2010

Provincial Budget Woes

Saturday, March 27th, 2010

There are many changes to the Saskatchewan provincial budget and some of them are good, some are bad. That is generally the way things work in politics and not everyone will agree. Some people in Saskatchewan are very vocal and angry but that won’t do anything but create frustration in their own lives. It is sad to see the negativity and how many people are calling our province “broke”. If we are so “broke” I am scared to see what you would call a province like Ontario! And if it is that bad, why have we reached an all time high in 2010 with an increase of 15760 people from 2009?

I, for one, am all for the changes to increasing the prices of cigarettes and alcohol. Do we need either? No. Do many people ‘enjoy’ both in excess. Yes. Are either good for our health? No. Are both good for the economy. Double edged sword on that one. While the sale of cigarettes and alcohol and the taxes from these are beneficial to the goverment, the gain is greatly offset by the health care fees that need to be paid out for cancer caused by first hand smoke, second hand smoke, alcoholism, liver failure, the list goes on…and on…and on. These are being called ‘sin taxes’ and I am all for those increases. There has also been some lashing back regarding First Nations in Saskatchewan in that they are only allowed one carton (yes CARTON) of cigarettes tax free per week as opposed to the previous three. Yes, three a week! So now if they want to keep smoking 3 cartons of cigarettes a week they have to pay tax on the other two. I think that makes good enough sense!

Eliminating chiropractic services is the one that bothers me. Prior to becoming a real estate agent in Saskatoon with Century 21 in Saskatoon I was a massage therapist for 10 years off and on. Not only did I see many people get OFF of painkillers and stop seeing their doctors on a regular basis for anti-inflammatories etc, I also saw many people’s quality of life improve. This means less visits to the doctor, less drugs, less drain on the health care system. Many of these clients had massage and chiro treatments to alleviate the pain. Count on it, there will be an increase to people seeing specialists, getting surgery, using the emergency room for pain management, increasing drug use, etc. And why? Because those are still pretty much ‘free’ here. As a real estate agent in Saskatoon I do use the chiropractor when needed. With the amount of time realtors in Saskatoon spend in their cars the necks/backs can get a bit kinked. I would prefer to go see my chiro than go see the doctor or take drugs to ease the pains.

There are 125,000 chiropractic patients in this province who will likely have a very strong influence in the next vote.

Last year the government was overly optimistic about revenues from Potash and that has bitten them in the behinds….and all of our behinds. We will be back to a surplus in the next few years and changes needed to be made and there are always some good and some bad.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Saskatoon, Sk
653-8222

Province Hits a Record High in Population

Friday, March 26th, 2010

The province of Saskatchewan population has hit an all time high in 2010 with 1,038,018 people living in the province. We have seen an increase of 15760 people since the same time in 2009. The largest factor is the net international migration which was 8571 people. This is the highest number of immigration to Saskatchewan from international areas since records were started in 1946. I have been working with several first time home buyers in Saskatoon who have come from areas like Russia and the Ukraine. They are looking for houses for sale in Saskatoon that will accomodate themselves but also their families at a later date. Some of my first time home buyers in Saskatoon from the Ukraine are bringing over their parents in the next few months.

The only 2 provinces that saw a higher increase in growth were British Columbia and Nunavut. PEI was the only province that saw a loss of people (152 people lost).

With the number of houses for sale in Saskatoon that we started with in January 2009 compared to the number of houses for sale in Saskatoon in January 2010 the net migration is evident here.

It seems people are moving out west as the highest rate of growth was in the four Western Provinces which recorded higher than normal growth, obviously including Saskatchewan.

We welcome these new home buyers in Saskatoon and I look forward to helping more people buy houses for sale in Saskatoon in 2010. Unfortunately, as a realtor (r) in Saskatoon I cannot speak Russian or Ukrainian but I do have some previous clients who have purchased a home for sale in Saskatoon through me who would likely help if needed! I enjoy being a real estate agent in Saskatoon and love helping people find their ‘new’ house in Saskatoon.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
Saskatoon, Sk
653-8222
www.karicalder.com

Red Light Cameras=More Accidents

Friday, March 19th, 2010

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/light+cameras+affect+crashes+intersection/2626442/story.html

Agreed!

As a realtor in Saskatoon I spend a lot of my day in my car. I had to get a new one(vehicle) to accomodate the handsfree law, which I am okay with although I think I am equally distracted by having a passenger beside me so whether or not I am holding a phone or a cup of coffee I don’t think it really matters, but it is now the law. Hopefully they will equip police cars in Saskatoon with the same technology as I do still see police, on occasion, on THEIR cell phones!

There was also recently an article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on the red light cameras in Saskatoon. While the number of major accidents decrease the number of smaller collisions has increased since it was installed in 2005. The most common accident we see at these intersections (and there are now 3) are rear-enders in which a chain reaction occurs. Hint to driver; when you are already half way through the intersection hammering on your brakes and attempting to reverse is likely still going to earn you a ticket! I think our city would be smarter by putting timing devices on these intersetions counting down until the light turns yellow. If they were more concerned about accidents and less concerned about making money from these logistical nightmares I think we would see them working together. As realtors in Saskatoon we spend so much time driving that we tend to see almost everything when it comes to driving and accidents.

As a Saskatoon Real Estate Agent I am constantly running to get to appointments with my clients who want to sell put their house for sale in Saskatoon or to meet my first time home buyers in Saskatoon to view homes.  With technology these days, there is no need to show up late without telling someone, so that also means if I am running behind I can let them know and not have to run lights to get there on time. People are much more forgiving if you just let them know you are on your way and you value their time.

I recently had a new home buyer in Saskatoon that I worked with who was previously working with another real estate agent in Saskatoon. She switched due to the fact that he wouldn’t let her know he was going to be late, leaving her sitting in front of the houses for sale in Saskatoon for up to half an hour at a time waiting for him! She was a home buyer in Saskatoon who was very motivated to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon and this Saskatoon realtor (r) left her hanging…good for me though as I respect other people’s time!

If you are looking to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon or are looking to sell your house in Saskatoon I would love to hear from you!

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
Saskatoon, Sask
www.karicalder.com

More New Listings

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Just a heads up that I will be listing a few new properties for sale in Saskatoon that are worth a mention. I have 2 condos for sale in Saskatoon coming up in the next week and 1 house for sale in Saskatoon coming up in about 2 weeks. If you are looking to buy a house in Saskatoon or a condo in Saskatoon give me a call!

Details to follow but as a preview:

2 bedroom apartment style condo for sale in Saskatoon in Lakewood (built in 2006) with 2 parking stalls coming up this week at $224,900.

3 bedroom 3 bathroom townhouse for sale in Arbor Creek (developed basement) with 2 parking stalls around $260,000

House built in 2008 in Stonebridge Saskatoon, 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, fully developed yard,deck,fence,driveway, walkway etc for under $400,000.

Stay tuned! Real estate in Saskatoon is moving so if you are looking to list your house for sale in Saskatoon call me! It is all about getting the best price in the least amount of time to prevent market damage and I am a very active Saskatoon realtor (r) so I am happy to work for you! Don’t leave money on the table or deal with tire kickers, Saskatoon real estate agents bring qualified buyers to your property for sale in Saskatoon so that we aren’t wasting your time.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd Saskatoon
www.karicalder.com

New Listing on the River

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

I have a new listing located at 648 Spadina Crescent West in Saskatoon in the King George area. Don’t let the area deter you, the location is fantastic and it is RIVER FRONT! What a rare opportunity to own a sought after piece of land and a great house to go along with it!

This house for sale in Saskatoon can be seen on my website at http://www.karicalder.com/ and if you are a qualified buyer in Saskatoon (or would like to get more information on buying a house for sale in Saskatoon) you can contact me and I will get the process started for you.

This lovely home has 3 bedrooms, a loft currently used as a bedroom, and a main floor den that could also be used as a bedroom. It is 1791/3 and has many upgrades/updates including a newer kitchen with plenty of space.

Look over the beautiful Saskatchewan River from your 2nd floor balcony and enjoy the greenery of Victoria Park in Saskatoon. You are a short drive to down town Saskatoon and a hop skip and a jump away from the River Landing Project as well as the farmer’s market in Saskatoon and the Persephone Theatre.

Don’t miss this great opportunity! River front house for sale in Saskatoon, priceless! Still a great time to buy in this current market in Saskatoon.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd.
653-8222