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Mexico Luxury Real Estate Investment Seminar!

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

Serena Marina & GolfI want to invite anyone interested in real estate investing to attend a seminar that will be happening on Thursday, May 15th at 7pm.  Ed Machart and I will be putting on this great event with a focus on a new luxury Mexico real estate investment project we are currently working on.  The project is called the Serena Marina & Golf Residences and is located in beautiful Mazatlan, Mexico.  This is one of the most prestigous developments in Mexico and has the unique feature of being located on a brand new golf course designed by a world famous designer as well right on its own exclusive marina.  If you are an avid fisherman or golfer this high end luxury property is definitely something you will want to check out.  We have had the opportunity to visit the project in person and meet the developer and were extremely impressed.  When attending this event you will also have the unique opportunity to meet the sales manager from Mazatlan yourself.  To find out more information about the Serena Marina & Golf Residence project be sure to visit the Mexico Investment Real Estate section of my website.

Date: May 15, 2008
Time: 7:00pm (doors and sign in will commence at 6:30)
Location: Heritage Inn, Saskatoon (See Map)

E-mail kari@hotspotinvestments.ca to register for this event or for additional details.  We look forward to seeing you there!

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

Posted in International Real Estate, News, Saskatoon Events | 1 Comment »

Baby Boomers Creating New Real Estate Trend

Thursday, May 8th, 2008

The baby boomer generation is leading the pack in a new real estate trend across both Canada and the United States.  Baby boomers are people born between 1946 and 1965.  This age group essentially makes up one third of Canada’s population.  It appears that with many baby boomer children moving away from home or buying their own homes, that many of them are downsizing their current homes.  In the Saskatoon real estate market we have seen a large increase of both the baby boomer and older generations downsizing their homes.  Without children in the house the demand for space has decreased dramatically.  Less space in a house means less work and therefore frees up your time to take on other interests.  There has been a huge increase of people moving into townhouse complexes as well as condos as yard work, snow removal and other tasks are taken care of you by your condo board.

Another trend that is happening is that many baby boomers upon retiring are selling their homes and relocating else where.  Many are relocating to warmer climates or else purchasing a seasonal home else where in the world and spending only summers in Saskatoon.  This provides people the best of both worlds.  This trend will continue as the baby boomer generation continues to retire.  If you are interested in selling your existing home or downsizing, or even interested in seasonal international real estate be sure to contact me and I will be happy to help you!

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

Posted in Canda Real Estate News, International Real Estate, News | No Comments »

Hampton Village Teen Care Home Under Protest

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Awhile ago I wrote a blog about a teen care home in Hampton Village.  Recently a group of homeowners in the Hampton Village neighbourhood came forward to protest the teen care home saying their children would be endangered by the presence of two teen care homes.  Many of the neighbours are coming together and putting together a formal campaign.  Already west-side city councillors have been going door to door to residents in Hampton Village getting signatures for a petition against the teen care homes.  Last reported they already had approximately 100 signatures.  Among some of the complaints people are stating are the safety for their children and also the potential affect on their Saskatoon property value.  This would be the 5th and 6th home in Saskatoon as part of this program.  The city of Saskatoon stated that it has not received any complaints about the existing 3rd and 4th home in the city.  One of these are already located in Hampton Village and the other is located in Dundonald. 

To read more about this story be sure to visit the Star Phoenix article.

Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Saskatoon

Posted in News, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

Saskatoon Real Estate Still Affordable

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008

In a recent article by the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, the Saskatoon real estate market is still affordable.  This is very true but people looking to buy in the Saskatoon real estate market may need to look a bit harder and be patient.  People that are looking to spend under $200,000 can’t have the same expectations as they did a few years ago.  The reality is that the Saskatoon real estate market has boomed resulting in a big increase of home prices across the city.  However there are still homes available at affordable prices.  In the article it mentions of a home being sold for $80,000 this year.  This in fact did happen in 2008.  Buyers that are looking to spend under $200,000 have to come to an understanding that they may have to be flexible as there as less options under this price mark in Saskatoon.  

There is a large demand for cheaper housing in Saskatoon so it is critical if you are looking to buy or sell real estate in Saskatoon that you work with a qualified Saskatoon real estate agent.  When working with an agent when buying a home, they can provide you access to new listings before they are available to the general public, as well they can provide you in depth information on the history of a property.  When working a hot real estate market such as this, time is of importance when dealing with homes that are highly sought after.  When selling your home you don’t want to leave money on the table.  By working with a Saskatoon Realtor, they should be able to provide you in depth information on pricing your home ensuring you get the most for your home.  A lot of people that sell their properties privately either price their home too high resulting in it not selling or pricing it too low and losing money.  If you are interested in either buying or selling a home in the Saskatoon real estate market be sure to contact me and I will be very happy to assist you.

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

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

Condo Conversions On Hold In Saskatoon

Thursday, April 17th, 2008

The topic of condo conversions in Saskatoon has been a hot topic for the past year.  Many Saskatoon renters have been demanding the city of Saskatoon do something to address the extremely low vacancy rate for rental property in the city.  Many apartment building owners over the past two years have been taking advantage of the extremely hot Saskatoon real estate market and selling off their properties or converting them to condos themselves.

On Monday, April 14th after 5 hours in what the Saskatoon Star Phonenix described as a heated debate, a majority of city council voted to change civic policy so that apartment buildings will no longer be allowed to be converted into condos while the Saskatoon vacancy rate remains below 1.5%.  This could potentially be a big victory for Saskatoon renters but also could help to increase Saskatoon condo real estate prices in our city.  With less condos available on the market the average price will rise as the demand increases.

This new policy has not been officially passed and is still subject to another vote at council’s next regular meeting on April 21st.  If the policy is approved there are 14 existing buildings that filed for approval to be converted in 2007 that will not be subject to the new policy.  However any projects that were not submitted before the policy was passed will have to now wait until the Saskatoon vacancy rate rises above 1.5%.  It is expected though that the policy will provide special loop holes so that the city may still approve special projects such as buildings that have previously been condemned or else existing vacant buildings.

If you are currently interested in buying a condo in Saskatoon it may be a good time to start looking.  If the new policy is passed it will have an impact on Saskatoon condo prices.  Whether you are looking at buying or selling a condo in the Saskatoon real estate market be sure to contact me!

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

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

Saskatoon Propery Taxes Will Increase

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

The city of Saskatoon may be proposing the largest property tax increase in 26 years.  The early estimates are that this increase could come in at a whooping 8.6 per cent.  Any taxes related to the school district or education would be additional to the proposed 8.6 per cent.   As mentioned this would be the largest tax increase in 26 years.  Recently the city of Regina released their initial budget with a proposed tax increase of 3.9 per cent.  City officials indicate the reason for the large proposed tax increase is to pay for the growth of our city.  The city of Saskatoon has been experiencing incredible growth over the past few years and there is a huge demand for Saskatoon real estate.  Over the past few years the city has developed several new Saskatoon neighborhoods including Stonebridge, Willowgrove and Hampton Village.  There are additional neighborhoods planned for the next few years as well.  It is extremely expensive to bring services to the new real estate developments so this tax increase would help off-set the cost. 

Mayor Don Atchison has indicated that this tax increase is far too high and that he expects the city to scale back the budget for 2008.  As the city of Saskatoon continues to grow and the demand for Saskatoon real estate continues to increase we will see increases in our cost of living.  This ranges from everything from property taxes to even the cost of parking.

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

Posted in News, Saskatoon News, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

Saskatoon Real Estate Prices Surpass Edmonton

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

The city of Saskatoon real estate market has reached a new peak in the first quarter of 2008.  All recent numbers indicate that the average cost of a home in Saskaton is now more expensive than the city of Edmonton.  A standard bungalow in the city of Saskatoon sold for an average of $340,000 in the first three months this year.  This is a 50 per cent raise in only one years time in Saskatoon.  In Edmonton the average price of a standard bungalow was $330,000 which is a drop of 4.9 per cent from the same time last year.  Two-story homes in Saskatoon on average are selling for $395,000 while in Edmonton they are selling for $363,707.  There is only one category where Edmonton is still more expensive than Saskatoon which is condos.  In Edmonton an average condo is selling for $235,000 while in Saskatoon they are selling for $220,00 but rising fast.  It is projected that the Saskatoon real estate market in all aspects will surpass the Edmonton real estate market by the second quarter of this year.

This is great news for existing Saskatoon home owners as they have earned a lot of equity in their homes.  This does however make it much more difficult for first time buyers or low income families.  The Saskatchewan economy is the fastest growing in Canada and it does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon.  The government of Saskatchewan are recording record profits and spending as well almost weekly we are hearing about new multi-billion dollar projects happening in our province.  The biggest issue that people trying to get involved into the Saskatoon real estate market face is that wages have not kept up to the cost of real estate prices.  In cities like Edmonton and Calgary the average household income exceeds Saskatoon’s by a fair amount.  We need to see an increase in wages to be able to maintain our current growth.  As more companies relocate to Saskatchewan we will start to see a more competitive job market resulting in higher wages.

If you currently own Saskatoon real estate or real estate in the surrounding towns such as Warman then this is your market.  If you are interested in selling your home be sure to contact me and I will provide you in depth information on the current market.  I can provide you a free home evaluation as well will ensure you get top dollar for your Saskatoon property.

To read more about this topic visit the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

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

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

Century21.ca Named Top 10 Website

Sunday, March 30th, 2008

Recently, Century 21 Canada launched a new website to better provide our clients an easy to use website for all of your real estate needs.  Recently this website was named one of the top 10 real estate websitesby Joel Burslem, founder of Future of Real Estate Marketing.  Every Century 21 real estate agent in Canada has their own mini-website located on the larger Century21.ca website.  Be sure to visit Kari Calder – Saskatoon Realtor to see the new website and layout.

As a Saskatoon real estate agent I am committed to using as many marketing resources as possible when selling your home.  With saying that I maintain several websites and submit your listing to several more for maximum exposure when selling your home.  Internet Marketing has changed the way that I as a Saskatoon Realtor can market your property.  Saskatchewan is currently leading Canada in population growthand as a result there are many people relocating to Saskatchewan.  This is a whole new market that will be using the Internet to search for homes prior to relocating.

If you are interested in selling your home be sure to contact me and I can provide you a detailed marketing plan on how I will market and sell your home.  For all other Saskatoon real estate needs be sure to contact me!

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

Posted in Canada Real Estate, Canda Real Estate News, International Real Estate, News, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Saskatoon News, Saskatoon Real Estate | 2 Comments »

Saskatchewan Population Fastest Growing In Canada

Friday, March 28th, 2008

The population of Saskatchewan was the fastest growing in Canada in 2007 according to a recent article.  The Canadian national average for growth in 2007 was 1.1 per cent and Saskatchewan in 2007 had a 1.7 per cent population growth.  This is Saskatchewan’s largest population growth in one year since 1952.  As of January 1, 2008 the estimated population of Saskatchewan is 1,006,644.  In 2007 there were also 6,950 more people that moved from Alberta to Saskatchewan than from Saskatchewan to Alberta.  The total amount of people that moved to Saskatchewan in 2007 is estimated at over 16,000 people.  As a Saskatoon real estate agent I can confirm that in Saskatoon alone we have seen a huge influx of people moving here and especially from Alberta.  Our province provides an affordable and quality lifestyle most people can’t achieve anywhere else in our country.  I am currently working with several people relocating back to our province that moved away years ago.  Many of them still have family here and are looking at coming back to be closer to family and also enjoy the quality of life Saskatoon provides its residents.  The Saskatoon real estate market is a direct indicator at the success our province has experienced as well as the population growth.  The vacancy rate for both residential and commercial property are at the lowest points they have been in for years.  The Saskatchewan economy is extremely strong and there are no signs of it slowing down.  If you are interested in getting involved in the Saskatoon real estate market be sure to contact me and I will be able to provide you in depth information on our current market and provide you an idea of what is available.

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

Posted in News, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan News, Saskatchewan Real Estate, Saskatoon, Saskatoon News, Saskatoon Real Estate | 1 Comment »

New Youth Residence In Hampton Village

Saturday, March 22nd, 2008

If you are residents of Hampton Village or looking to buy real estate in Hampton Village you will soon have new neighbors.  EGADZ, a community based centre for youth in Saskatoon have purchased two newly constructed homes in Hampton Village.  These homes are intended to serve as residences for young men and women at risk.  The homes combined will accommodate 10 youth ranging in age from 12 to 15.  EGADZ already has 2 other properties in Saskatoon and have shown great success with their programs in assisting young people putting their life back on course.  The project is being partly funded by the federal government.  They are contributing $242,953 from it Homelessness Partnering Strategy program.  Be sure to read the entire article at the Saskatoon Star Phoenix.

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

Posted in News, Saskatoon, Saskatoon News, Saskatoon Real Estate | 1 Comment »

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