Author Archive

Thank You Star Phoenix-Saskatoon Does Have People Willing to Help

Friday, September 30th, 2011

I really enjoy it when the Star Phoenix in Saskatoon supports positive stories in the media as the news generally seems so dark and depressing. I’m not sure how often they print these articles but I think they should be at least once a week to remind people to take some time to help people in need and to remind us that there are still honest people out there who will return your wallet if you drop it instead of stripping it bare and leaving it in a dumpster. Way to go Saskatoon!

Like lawyers, there are a lot of people that give real estate agents a bad rap and, unfortunately, in the Saskatoon real estate community I understand why people often have a bad perception of my line of work as a Saskatoon REALTOR (r). I deal with so many amazing Saskatoon real estate agents from all different companies but every once in awhile I have the displeasure of dealing with someone who makes me want to scream. Okay, sometimes I DO scream, but in the comfort of my own home or car. Other times I hear stories that make me shudder.

The good news is there are often situations even in my business where other Saskatoon real estate agents are willing to lend a hand to a newbie to ensure they don’t end up having to pay for appliances where they may have forgotten to write them into an offer or to pay for any kind of mistake. New real estate agents in Saskatoon often make mistakes. I know I made a few in the beginning but luckily none of them too costly to my own pocket book as when you are starting out and you have to buy someone appliances because the other real estate agent saw your error but didn’t point it out, that can cost you your career.

So, as I always like to say and believe, pay it forward people. You can go home at night and sleep well knowing you didn’t turn a blind eye when someone needed help. As a REALTOR in Saskatoon I know I can go to sleep at night and that is important to me as a Saskatoon real estate agent but more importantly as a human being.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
653-8222

And With That-Goal Has Been Met!

Friday, September 30th, 2011

I have had the same goal each year which seems a bit silly to some but I figure if I reach it before the year is done I have done what I set out to do. If I reach it December 31st I am a bit sad but if I reach it September 29th, like I did this year, I am totally excited! As a Saskatoon real estate agent it is important to set career goals but it is also important to get there honestly so I don’t like to put too much pressure on myself to meet those goals as I wouldn’t want to compromise my work ethic to achieve them.

Last year I met my goal dead on…with no Saskatoon real estate sales to spare! This year I will have 3 months of bonus which is great as I do have a trip to Dubai and India as well as a wedding to pay for. I am happy to say that I have achieved the Centurion award status already for 2011 which will be my 4th year in a row.

I wish the rest of my colleagues at Century 21 Saskatoon the best of luck in achieving their goals in 2011!

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
Residential Real Estate Specialist

New Festival For Saskatoon

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Saskatoon welcomes its newest festival this weekend with the first ever Word on the Street in Saskatoon joining other Canadian cities from Halifax to Vancouver. The event began in Toronto in 1990. Organizers promise a fair-like atmosphere with plenty of family activities and a total of 29 writers will read from their works, respond to questions from the public and sign books. One of those readers is my mom, Marie Donais Calder, with her books series “The Other Side Series”.

She has published 5 books already in the series with the 6th one on its way, due to arrive in stores mid October. She will also be at the Saskatoon Public Library on Friday afternoon to present and read from her 5th book, “Torn”.

When it comes to library use and buying books, Saskatoon is at the top of national figures and our city is also home to writers of high achievement. There are 4 Governor General Award winners who live here as well as the Man Booker Prize winner and Griffin Poetry prize winner.

The exhibit will take place at the public library facilities and will be hosted in front of the Frances Morrison Library downtown and at City Hall, with the street in between closed and tents set up along the street. It will be sort of like a farmer’s market for books. The event is free and it runs from 11-5 on Sunday and the weather is supposed to be nice so hopefully the turn out is great! Unfortunately I am off with many of my Saskatoon Century 21 agent colleagues to our national convention in Edmonton where I will be receiving a Centurion Award for my Saskatoon real estate sales in 2010 so I will not be able to be here to support my mom and the community for this first time festival.

If you get a chance please stop in and support our city’s festivals as well as my mom!

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
306-653-8222

Kind of a Funny Start to a Serious Blog

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

 The other day my mom was in town to promote her books series, “The Other Side Series” and I was on my way to see her at McNalley Robinson here in Saskatoon when I stopped off at Tim Hortons on 8th Street. There were 3 people in electric wheelchairs trying to get into the entrance. I stopped to open the first door and it was quite the spectacle. We were all laughing by the end as there are 2 doors that can open with the button and I, and the first man in the wheelchair who we finally got through the first door, hit the wrong one at least twice each which would hit the 2nd person coming through…you can imagine this took a few minutes. There were about 5 people sitting near the door watching this all and seeing that I couldn’t get the 2nd door open while holding the first and not ONE got up to offer assistance. Seriously!? I commented to the first man about people getting off their arses to help as we had kind of built a rapport by the end of this and he just shook his head and said he was used to it. I wondered if people are reluctant to help people with handicaps as they think it could be taken the wrong way? I ask if they would like help when I see they could use help and have very rarely been turned away.

Then I had to stop off to pick up my dad from Superstore on 8th Street and a lady had too many items in her hand and was dropping things. I saw this, also saw the 10+ people watching her, and stepped out of line to give her a hand. She was so grateful and again, we had a laugh, but I was disappointed that no one else could be bothered to help. At least no one tried to step in my spot in line!

These are the 2 back to back events that triggered my awareness of how less likely people are to lift a hand to help now than I think they were even a few years ago. Is it because of our changing population? Or is it our laziness and lack of compassion as a society?  Or is it just a coincidence? I’m not sure, but I do know that I was brought up to help people in need no matter who they are or what their situation is and I thank my parents for that.

 I have been noticing a lack of compassion and willingness to help lately in Saskatoon and was wondering if it was just my imagination or are we getting to be as bad as other places? After reading this article about a Regina man left to drown while his friend desperately tried to find someone to help my suspicions were confirmed.

Reading the sad story about an aboriginal man in Regina who couldn’t even get someone to call 911 to help his drowning friend almost makes me sick. Thank you Lani Elliott for calling 911, unfortunately she came along about 30 minutes too late and his friend had drowned. It is a phone call and, whether you believe someone or not, if someone is asking for help and asking you to call 911, who wouldn’t do it?? Let the police sort it out if it isn’t true but why take the risk? That guilt is hard to live with and I would imagine the people that know he was asking for help are now feeling pretty bad about their decision. If the man had been a clean cut caucasion man you know the call would have been made…instantly.

So what is becoming of the people of Saskatchewan? We used to be infamous for our friendliness but I see that changing. I hope to hear more good samaratin type stories soon as I do know that the media likes to focus on the negative but when I see evidence with my own experiences I don’t know what can be done. It starts with each individual and the whole ‘pay it forward’ attitude needs to grow.

As a real estate agent in Saskatoon I want to go that extra mile whether it be in my career with my Saskatoon real estate clients or just with the general public and lend a hand when I have one to lend. I don’t have a lot of spare time to be part of boards and I only volunteer with one group on a regular basis but I think it is the day to day things that we do that don’t get recognition that people are less likely to do if they are always looking for a reward or recognition. So do some people just volunteer with groups as it looks good on paper and on a resume and for bragging rights or do those same people also help just because that is the type of people they are? There are a lot of people out there volunteering in day to day life, whether it be holding a door, helping someone with their bags, or giving them a hand crossing the street so next time you see someone in need of a bit of help I hope that you offer.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
306-653-8222

Recycling News

Monday, September 12th, 2011

I am an avid recycler…so much so that when my inlaws come to my house they just leave all of their garbage on the counter so that they don’t put something in the wrong bin in my pantry. I recently made the switch to the single stream Loraas program, All Green Recycling, after being a Saskatoon Curbside client for over 5 years. Whenever I sell a house in Saskatoon and my new buyers take possession I would always give out a flyer for Saskatoon Curbside. Many of my Saskatoon real estate clients also used Curbside. The choice was due to the types of boxes used by both parties and, in a sometimes windy area of Willowgrove, Saskatoon Curbside’s containers weren’t securing my recycle so it would end up in my neighbours yard from time to time.

I wasn’t surprised to see today that Loraas bought out Saskatoon Curbside Recycling. I give Saskatoon Curbside a lot of credit for pioneering something in our city that should be mandatory in the first place so I hope that it is a good fit for both companies. It sounds like much of the management team will be absorbed into Loraas’s company.

Companies can still bid to the city for the recycling contract but I would hope that they would stay with Loraas as they are local and are doing a great job thus far in my opinion. It is just time to get recycling in EVERY home as it is disappointing to see my neighbours trash cans filled with cardboard, tin, etc. With the way the city of Saskatoon is growing we need to create less waste. The Saskatoon real estate market is a good indicator as to how many people are moving to our city every month and our Saskatoon real estate market has not slowed down so we can see the need for better infrastructure and waste management programs.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion

Busy Month of August in Saskatoon Real Estate!

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

August was a busy month in the Saskatoon real estate community. There were 415 houses or condos in Saskatoon that sold which is up from 311 the year before. Our year to date sales in the Saskatoon real estate market is also up 12% to 2819 with the average days on market in Saskatoon being 38 days. The most active price range of houses for sale in Saskatoon continues to be the $300,000 to $350,000. If you are thinking of selling your house contact me as I would love to help you sell your house in Saskatoon or surrounding area.

Average house price in Saskatoon is also up from last year but the monthly average house price can be deceiving as we take the total number of sales divided into the total value and if there were more high end homes in that month the average house price in Saskatoon would appear to be higher than a month when more lower end homes sold.

We also listed fewer properties for sale in Saskatoon in August from the previous year with 629 new listings but overall we are up 3% from the yeaer before. There are less houses available to potential consumers than last year. I just listed a great house for sale in Hudson Bay Park and am hoping to have an offer sorted out on it shortly!

Activity is also picking up in the areas around Saskatoon such as Martensville, Warman, Osler, etc with the sales increasing 31% from last August’s number and the average days on market is 55 days for these areas.

It is forecasted that interest rates will remain unchanged for the time being which means it is a great time to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon and it is forecasted that we will have a good balanced market for the remainder of 2011 meaning prices should stay level to a slight increase depending on demand.

If you are looking to buy a house in Saskatoon and you need a good Saskatoon realtor to help you out please contact me and I would love to help you purchase a home for sale in or around Saskatoon.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
306-653-8222

New Listing In Hudson Bay Park

Thursday, September 1st, 2011

I just listed a great home for sale in Saskatoon in the great neighbourhood of Hudson Bay Park. This home, across from Henry Kelsey School and park, has many newer windows, newer Bosch dishwasher, bright kitchen/dining room, and refinished gleaming hardwood floors in living room, halls and bedrooms.

Three bedrooms up and one bedroom down plus two bathrooms make this one of the greatest houses for sale in Saskatoon in the Hudson Bay Park area. Oversized single detached garage plus plenty of storage in carport and shed.

Across from Ecole Henry Kelsey this school offers a single stream French Immersion education which means French is the working language of the school. They even offer a ‘late’ French Immersion program for students in Grade 6 who have not been in French Immersion. A wonderful opportunity for your family and this great house for sale in Saskatoon across the road is a great start for your family.

If you are looking for a Saskatoon Real Estate agent to help you sift through many of the houses for sale in Saskatoon and find the one that is right for you and your family, please contact me and I would be happy to become your dedicated Saskatoon realtor (r).

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
653-8222

After Over 5 Years I Had To End This Relationship…

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

With Saskatoon Curbside Recycling. I recently switched from using Saskatoon Curbside Recycling, who is a small start up company, to the All Green Recycling Program from the well known name of Loraas. I was reluctant to end my 5 year relationship with Saskatoon Curbside Recycling as they have been great to deal with and they were pioneeers here in Saskatoon to get the recycling program up and running and I give them a lot of credit.

Sadly, it came down to the bins. Loraas offers a large bin similar to our garbage cans that can accomodate all of my recycling (for 2 people we recycle a LOT!!) whereas Curbside had 2 separate boxes that, when set out by 8am and not necessarily picked up until later in the day, often resulted in my neighbours in Willowgrove ending up with my recycling on their front lawn.

Every delay the City of Saskatoon has in making a decision and accepting a bid means more and more recyclable material ending up in the landfill. They are considering 2 different companies; one to collect and one to process. I think that is a big problem as the company who collects isn’t going to care what gets collected as they just drop it off to the company that processes it and leaves them to sort it out. According to the Star Phoenix article today it will be at least another 2 months before the city starts accepting bids from companies to run the $29-million household recycling pickup program due to last minute changes to the bid guidelines.

As one of the fastest growing regions in Canada we need to get on this program! I have had lots of people buying houses for sale in Saskatoon who are from out of province and they just can’t get over our lack of mandatory recycling here. I even had one first time home buyer in Saskatoon from Ontario ask me about our garbage pick up as they had to put everything in CLEAR plastic bags and if there was anything in there that was recyclable their garbage wouldn’t get picked up that week.

Well hopefully Saskatoon gets its recycling together and makes this mandatory sooner than later as I am definitely frustrated when I walk by garbage bins full of cardboard and plastics because people are too lazy to drive to the larger recycling centres!

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
653-8222

Attempting to have a summer life in Saskatoon!

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

As a Saskatoon real estate agent I am usually a little bit slower in the summer, but not this summer! The Saskatoon real estate market has been a busy one this year and I have not been able to slow down for a moment! It is amazing and sad at how fast time flies, especially the older you get. I now understand what ‘old people’ (when we were10 people my age seemed ancient!!) were talking about.

There have been many great festivals and events in Saskatoon already this summer. I am happy to say I was able to enjoy one of my favourites, Taste of Saskatchewan, at least twice. I love food so this is one not to miss. I actually bit the bullet and shared a Deep Fried Mars Bar with my fiance as well…I knew why we shared and why I hadn’t done it in 3 years shortly after biting in as it is the richest dessert I have ever eaten!

I am excited to say I will be heading to see Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan tonight for my first time ever! I did miss the Saskatoon Exhibition this year. Usually I like to pop in at least once to check things out but I was too busy selling houses for sale in Saskatoon this year to make it by even for an hour.

Now that summer is coming close to an end I am finding I need to make more time to enjoy the festivities but it is a fine balancing act with my career as a realtor in Saskatoon. Luckily I sleep less in the summer! The next festivity I will look forward to is Folk Fest this weekend.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
653-8222

Saskatoon-High in Crime? Good Job CBC!

Saturday, August 6th, 2011

I love how, right on the heels of an article that people in Saskatchewan have a cheery outlook on our economy and that Saskatchewan’s economy will be doing better than the national average, CBC prints news that we have the highest overall crime rate (and of course Winnipeg as their economic forecast is also pretty good!)

It seems to happen often like this. One article will bring people looking for job opportunities in Saskatoon or Saskatchewan and as a result the newsmakers will print a downer article to make people question if their lives are at stake if they come to Saskatchewan!? Maybe I am just jaded about the news industry, but I see it happen quite often so I don’t think it is a mere coincidence. CBC writers who are more than likely not from Saskatchewan?

What they always fail to mention about our crime statistics and and number of murders is that they are typically gang related and happen in the core neighbourhoods so 95% of the population is not affected by it. I have had people looking to buy houses for sale in Saskatoon who were worried because of ‘news’ like this. I am always sure to take them into the areas they will want to avoid. They are small and people should not lump in the rest of the west side of Saskatoon as there are loads of beautiful neighbourhoods on Saskatoon’s west side.

This map of murders though shows a more accurate story http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=215928702728334129136.0004976527ab5a5294799&ll=52.136624,-106.675694&spn=0.072763,0.153714&source=embed 

Saskatoon, and Saskatchewan in general, is one of the leading markets for economy, real estate, etc so it isn’t surprising that we also get negative publicity. I have certainly lived and traveled in scarier places in the world so take what you read with a grain of salt…as always! Saskatoon real estate is still a great investment and will continue to be so in the future in my opinion.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Fusion
306-653-8222