17. December 2010 by Kari Calder.

At this time of year the people of Saskatoon really step it up and try to help those less fortunate. This is all part of the 5th annual “Stuff the Bus” campaign. The food bank feeds over 15,000 people a month, over half of whom are children.

Century 21 Conexus Saskatoon and Conexus Credit Union, Conexus Insurance, and Centum Mortgage Direct in Saskatoon have teamed up and donated $800 cash and SEVEN HUNDRED pounds of food!!! WOW!

I am proud of my fellow Saskatoon real estate agents and proud of Century 21 Saskatoon for exceeding our goals-something we achieve on a regular basis. Our goal was to beat last year’s $150 cash and 500 pounds of food so we exceeded it beyond expectation. The cash donations are very important for the purchase of milk, meat and produce.

So way to go Century 21 Conexus Saskatoon and way to go Saskatoon in general for what looked to be another successful year.

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

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16. December 2010 by Kari Calder.

We have had some warnings the past few days that rate hikes were coming and I just got confirmation from Centum Canada Mortgages (the Century 21 affiliated mortgage brokers) that rates have indeed gone up to 3.79 for a 5 year term. If you are thinking about buying a house for sale in Saskatoon it doesn’t hurt to get your rate locked in and held.

The alarm was sounded on Monday by Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney as household debt has reached an all time high. These low interest rates are not here forever so he warns that we need to be more cautious. The tone indicates that he may be setting the stage for a rate increase next year.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says they will keep tightening mortgage lending rules as needed to keep credit growth in check.

As a Saskatoon Real Estate Agent I think it is great to take advantage of the current low rates to build your retirement portfolio and to get started in the Saskatoon real estate market but only if you feel secure in your job and in your earning potential as when it comes time to renew your mortgage after 5 years and you have been living close to your means or slightly above your means those rate changes will have a huge and sometimes life changing affect on you. Some people are forced to sell while others just look at different options like getting a room mate or a boarder. If you are thinking of putting your Saskatoon house for sale let me know.

There are other risks in our economy and the high dollar is not helping the Canadian economy. As consumers we like it (especially with the Saskatoon winter we are experiencing it is nice to vacation in the southern US with the dollar being at par!) Debt worries in Europe also affect us here so rate hikes may be held off according to some analysts as they believe there are bigger fish to fry.

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

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16. December 2010 by Kari Calder.

As the city of Saskatoon continues to grow so do the expenses as we saw in the latest Saskatoon Star Phoenix update today. Thankfully council members were not happy with the proposed 4.65% increase in property taxes, instead it will be 3.99%. As it is there are already households in the city who have property taxes upwards of $10,000!?! For my career as a Saskatoon Real Estate agent I get to hear about the already expensive taxes compared to many other cities across Canada.

This reduction in property tax increase does not come without taking it from elsewhere. The Saskatoon City Police are being asked for $150,000 to be trimmed from their budget. If this does not happen the property tax increase will be 4.1%. Sometimes it feels that Saskatoon home owners are penalized but we also have to think about the trickle down effect. If someone owns a Saskatoon revenue house and their taxes go up I would assume the rent would also go up to reflect this inflation.  

As a Saskatoon real estate agent I am curious to see how much they spend on the 25th and Idylwyld project as this was under fire all night. Does it need to be beautiful? I vote no! Does it need to function, absolutely. When I am out showing houses for sale in Saskatoon and I have to get from the west side to the east side it is nice to have some options and not have to weave left and right to get to the main bridge.

If you are looking to a buy a house for sale in Saskatoon let me know and I would be more than happy to help out! If you are sick of the taxes and looking to sell your house in Saskatoon in the hopes that the grass is greener elsewhere I would also love to speak to you!

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
653-8222

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8. December 2010 by Kari Calder.

It has been rumoured for years that the vacant land across from Wright and Kenderdine Rd in Saskatoon’s Arbor Creek may be getting a school. Owned by Dundee Realty this site has been designated for future schools however there has been a formal request by the developer to turn this into a new residential housing site for Saskatoon’s east side. The company has already begun the process to rezone the sites making 45 residential lots available in Arbor Creek for single family homes  according to the Saskatoon Star Phoenix today. It would be great to see more lots for sale in Arbor Creek but at what cost? Having lived near the future site myself I can see the benefit for new home buyers in Saskatoon as you can get a brand new house in a well established area so I am sure there will be a huge demand for the lots.

Instead it appears that the public and catholic school systems are putting their efforts into Willowgrove.I have helped a few people buy houses for sale in Willowgrove that will be near these schools that ARE going in.  The Catholic school board has already removed Arbor Creek from its five-year capital plan for the division. Unfortunately many homeowners near the ‘proposed’ school site in Arbor Creek chose that location for the future potential. They have already been waiting a long time and by now most of their small children are likely in high school!

Land for Saskatoon new home construction is limited and expensive to begin with, especially on the east side. This land will be in huge demand so I have to give it to Dundee, they know how to develop better than the city does in my opinion.

If you are looking to buy or sell real estate in Saskatoon give me a shout! I would be more than happy to help find you the perfect house.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Saskatoon
653-8222

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1. December 2010 by Kari Calder.

The Saskatoon real estate market has seen the listings coming down steadily in the past few weeks. There are currently 1085 houses for sale in Saskatoon (or condos) down from 1125 last week. We only had 92 new houses for sale in Saskatoon hit the market last week which is down from 115 the week before.

There were 83 houses for sale in Saskatoon that sold last week, down as well from last week where we saw 92 houses sell in Saskatoon. This was up from 56 the week before so it appears that the market has picked up.

There are 1037 houses for sale in the surrounding Saskatoon region. I have been out showing houses for sale around Saskatoon and have noticed that the out of town market seems to be getting busier as well.

If you are thinking about buying or selling a house in Saskatoon or around Saskatoon give me a call as I would be happy to help you out!

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
Saskatoon
653-8222

Posted in Saskatchewan Real Estate, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan News, Listings, Sellers, Current Market, Buyers, Saskatoon | No Comments »