1. September 2010 by Kari Calder.

While I hate waking up to read reports from CMHC about sales to slow, housing starts to weaken, and prices to possibly lower as they lump all of Canada into one brief report that scares people. Saskatoon real estate is healthy at the moment with people back from summer holidays and starting to buy more of the houses for sale in Saskatoon than throughout the summer. As a Saskatoon realtor I noticed less farmers purchasing condos for sale in Saskatoon this year than previous years for their kids attending the U of S but that was due to the record breaking rain falls in our province this year.

The Star Phoenix printed an article from Ottawa about CMHC commenting on sales and prices to go down. Most people are informed enough not to jump on the ‘oh my CMHC says it so it must be true’ bandwagen but there are a lot of consumers who still put their faith in everything the news says. If you listened and believed everything in the media you probably wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning!

While there are certainly cities that have forced the numbers down there are also many cities and provinces that keep the numbers from crashing entirely. Ontario and BC aren’t helping the Canadian real estate forecast as the introduction of the Harmonized Sales Tax have negatively affected the market.

You have to take all media with a grain of salt, especially when they continually lump all of Canada in one short article. It would be similar to stating that the crime rate in Canada is the same in every community…across the country! Or that the weather in Saskatoon is the same as the weather in Yellowknife.

We are in a balanced real estate market in Saskatoon and Saskatchewan continues to buck the trend. We have felt the impact of the global economic market but our industries keep us going strong. There are still investors looking for investment properties in Saskatoon who look to purchase real estate in Saskatoon (as growth, while moderate, is still expected). With the decrease in mortgage rates once again it is advisable to find a Saskatoon mortgage broker to get you set up and locked in as that mortgage decrease makes a big difference in the long run.

Before the Saskatoon real estate boom in 2007 if a home for sale in Saskatoon sold for more than the buyer originally paid a few years prior, Saskatoon home sellers were ecstatic. After Saskatoon real estate fees if people made $5000 they were more than happy when they sold their houses for sale in Saskatoon. I think that the general public needs to go back to how things were and not necessarily expect to have enough money for a big mortgage jump/down payment to purchase their new house in Saskatoon. It often takes buying and selling houses in Saskatoon several times to get into your dream home, not from your starter home in Saskatoon to your dream home in Saskatoon in one leap.

Some people think it is cheaper to rent than buy a house for sale in Saskatoon. If you do the math and you spend an average of $900/month on rent that works out to be almost $11,000/year so if you ended up buying a house in Saskatoon and then having to put your Saskatoon house for sale in a year if you bought and sold for the same price you would more than likely break even.

If you are considering getting into the Saskatoon real estate market as a first time buyer in Saskatoon or you are new to Saskatoon give me a call. If you are thinking of listing your house for sale in Saskatoon contact me to discuss my marketing and my Saskatoon real estate services.

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

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

26. March 2010 by Kari Calder.

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

Posted in Saskatchewan News, International Real Estate, Canda Real Estate News, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon News, Saskatoon, Current Market, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Saskatoon Real Estate | 1 Comment »

18. February 2010 by Kari Calder.

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)

Posted in Canada Real Estate, Canda Real Estate News, Saskatchewan Events, Saskatoon Events, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

4. February 2010 by Kari Calder.

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.

Posted in Saskatoon News, Saskatchewan News, Canda Real Estate News, Sellers, Buyers, Saskatoon, News, Personal, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

28. January 2010 by Kari Calder.

According to the Frontier Centre for Public Policy Saskatoon’s housing market has been deemed seriously unaffordable. We are at a rate of 4.6 (same as 2008) and that rate is on par with Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton and Montreal.

How they figure this out is by taking the median house price in Saskatoon (the exact mid point between the highest and the lowest priced homes that sold in Saskatoon in the third quarter) and dividing it by the median annual gross income.  The rate means that, to pay of your home purchase in Saskatoon, it would take 4.6 years of your entire salary to pay off a typical Saskatoon home.

This had definitely changed since the Saskatoon real estate boom of 2007, but it has changed across the country. The rate for paying off your house in Saskatoon was 2.0 in 2006, then in 2007 it went up to 2.6, then 3.5 in 2008 and now 4.6 in 2009.

Buying a house in Regina and Winnipeg are the most affordable markets out of the major markets across Canada. Vancouver is the most expensive market out of the 28 measured in Canada but it is also topping the charts out of 272 metropolitan areas in Ireland, the U.K., New Zealand,  Australia, the U.S. and Canada. Victoria was also severely unaffordable at 7.4 but Ottawa is still moderately affordable with a reading of 3.8 up from 3.4 the previous year. I can help put you in touch with a realtor in Regina or any city if you are in need.

Affordability in Alberta homes has improved slightly; Calgary fell from 4.8 to 4.6 this year and Edmonton just slightly from 4.2 to 4.1. On the other side of the country Toronto went from 4.8 to 5.2. So ask yourself, would you rather live in Vancouver, Toronto or Saskatoon as the prices of homes for sale in Saskatoon is still more manageable, as is the commute time and the quality of life. If you are looking to buy a house or condo in Saskatoon contact me. I can set you up with a great Saskatoon mortgage broker or two to get you on your way.

These reports should be taken with a grain of salt however as any statistic should considering they aren’t looking at the entire picture of real estate in Saskatoon or anywhere else. They use limited data with small numbers which can easily be skewed.

Our market is trending towards being more of a sellers market so if you are looking to sell your house in Saskatoon contact me.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
306-653-8222
karicalder@sasktel.net

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

2. November 2009 by Kari Calder.

According to an article in the Financial Post today, housing starts are expected to continue to rebound in the fourth quarter of 2009 and into 2010 as inventories decline and demand increases.
Home contruction is forecase to reach just under 142,000 homes in 2009 and rise to almost 165,000 in 2010, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
CMHC Chief Economist, Bob Dugan, is optimistic and expects the housing market across Canada to continue to strengthen as the economic conditions continue to improve.
Existing home sales are expected to reach over 441,000 in 2009 and up to over 445,000 in 2010. Average house price is also slated to increase from just under $313,000 in 2009 to $324,500 in 2010.
We are already seeing the rebound in Saskatoon Real Estate with the markets having picked up substantially since July, 2009. If you are looking to buy or sell your house in Saskatoon, contact me for all of your Saskatoon Real Estate needs.

Posted in Canada Real Estate, Canda Real Estate News, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Current Market, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

31. October 2009 by Kari Calder.

I think we have all seen evidence of this, but economists are saying that we are officially out of the recession. The sign of a recession is 3 out of the 4 quarters in a decline. We are now in our third quarter of increase in a row which means that it is pretty safe to say the recession of 2009 is over. Economists are predicting a 2.6% growth in 2010 and Canada’s confidence is the highest it has been since 2007. Overall, the average price of homes across Canada is estimated to see an increase of 2.1% in 2010 which is a great prediction.

Canada’s recession is over and the country will lead all G-7 peers in economic growth next year, paced by Alberta’s strong energy sector, said Benjamin Tal, senior economist with CIBC World Markets Inc.

Canada can expect to see two per cent economic growth in 2010 and 3.8 per cent in 2011 with Alberta’s economy growing by 2.5 per cent next year followed by four per cent growth in 2011, he said.

“We had a terrible recession. A year ago people thought it’s the end of the world. . . . There’s no question about the fact that, a year ago, comparing the situation to 1929 and the Great Depression was not only wrong, but also irresponsible,” said Tal, who was in Calgary Friday speaking at the Alberta Mortgage Brokers Association’s annual conference.

“Clearly it was a severe financial crisis, but it was not 1929. I think that’s very important to remember. This recession came to an end relatively quickly in Canada largely because of the fact this was not a made-in-Canada recession. This was a made-in-the-U. S. recession.”

So on that note, now is the best time for buyers to start buying houses for sale in Saskatoon before the prices go back up! Contact your Saskatoon realtor or if you don’t have a real estate agent in Saskatoon contact Kari Calder with Century 21 in Saskatoon.

 Kari Calder

Saskatoon Real Estate Specialist

Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd. Saskatoon
 

Posted in International Real Estate, Canda Real Estate News, Canada Real Estate, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Current Market | No Comments »

27. July 2009 by Kari Calder.

There is a new petition circling around the Saskatchewan real estate community from a Regina Century 21 agent, but I am wholeheartedly against this petition regarding taking personal information when buying or selling a house in Saskatoon. The realtor in Regina has some good points about the collection and use of confidential information, but as long as the realtor who is taking the information complies with the regulations, the original and only copies will be sent to Ottawa and we, nor our offices, will not have any of the client’s private information on hand.

I have experienced clients attempting to launder money through real estate in Saskatoon and this new legislation has put them off from purchasing a house for sale in Saskatoon, for the time being, until they find a way around it. Even when the market was starting to slow I was getting calls from people who wanted to buy a house in Saskatoon to ‘flip’ but I was suspicious as they were looking for people they could pay cash to fix it up. Chances are, money was being laundered this way as the sellers would turn around and sell it and not necessarily make much (if anything) but their money would have been ‘cleaned’ so to speak.

Unfortunately, this does not prevent criminals from buying a house in Saskatoon privately and then turning around and putting the house for sale in Saskatoon privately, but buyers (and private sellers in Saskatoon) need to be aware that they may be helping aid in terrorism and crime.

I have had to provide my ID when buying RRSP’s, and I certainly wasn’t spending close to what a person spends when buying a house for sale in Saskatoon, or anywhere for that matter!

I am realtor in Saskatoon who is okay with taking photo ID from people who are buying a house in Saskatoon or selling a house in Saskatoon with me as their Saskatoon realtor as I would rather not deal with people who may be aiding in terrorism. Unfortunately, there are realtors in Saskatoon, and every other city, who are less concerned with ethics and more concerned with making money, but even they are forced to comply now and take ID from every client.

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

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

27. July 2009 by Kari Calder.

For the first half of 2009 the housing starts in Saskatoon have fallen by a whopping 78%. We are down to 342 new houses in Saskatoon from 1574 new houses in Saskatoon started in the first 6 months of 2008. Multiple family starts dropped an astounding 93% from 754 to only 53 in the first 6 months this year while single family homes dropped from 820 in 2008 to 289 in 2009.

The decline has to do with many factors, but the overall economic downturn is a big part of that but our slowing of new housing in Saskatoon also has a lot to do with following one of the busiest years in history. Many builders were also trying to get rid of last year’s inventory as well as there are still many vacant new homes in Saskatoon. This helps the existing homes for sale in Saskatoon as the inventory of new homes in Saskatoon is starting to clean up.

Houses for sale in Saskatoon have been reduced in number in June with many more sold signs popping up. June did see more housing starts than in earlier months with 116 single family starts, but still down 28% from last June. Regina has also seen a decrease in new housing while Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, and Yorkton saw increases in houses being built.

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

Posted in Canada Real Estate, International Real Estate, News, Canda Real Estate News, Saskatoon News, Saskatchewan Real Estate, News, Current Market, Buyers, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

27. June 2009 by Kari Calder.

There are still a few brand new homes for sale in Oxbow, Saskatchewan. These homes are located in the exclusive subdivision on Spruce Drive. There are architectural controls in this area therefore there will not be any trailers or low end homes.

Each lot is 100 feet wide by 150 feet deep (the lots on the North side of the street have the option of accessing even more square footage in depth)

All of these custom homes feature 3 bedrooms, maple cabinets, vaulted ceilings, main floor laundry, high eff. furnace, central air, 9 ft. basement, architectural shingles and much more!

The 3 remaining properties are:

110 Spruce Dr. - 1540 sq. ft.
North side - 2.5 baths, huge double attached garage with 8×10 overhead doors

113 Spruce Dr. - 1515 sq. ft.
South side - 2.5 baths, unique ensuite off master with attractive double sliding doors

122 Spruce Dr. - 1344 sq. ft.
MLS #334351 - North side - huge double attached garage with 8×10 overhead doors

Call local Estevan and area Realtor ® Darcy Calder of Carnduff Agencies Inc for your personal showing before they are all sold.

Carnduff Agencies Inc. Box 69 Carnduff, SK S0C 0S0
1-306-461-7728 or 1-306-461-9062

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

Posted in Canada Real Estate, International Real Estate, Canda Real Estate News, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Listings, News, Buyers, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »