1. September 2010 by Kari Calder.

Summer generally slows down home sales in Saskatoon as many people are off enjoying our few nice months out of the year. Whether it be at the abundant lakes we have in Saskatchewan or families taking vacations out of province, every Friday it seems the roads are packed to get out of the city of Saskatoon.

From August 23-August 30th there were 136 new listings hitting the  Saskatoon real estate market, down from 178 and 146 the 2 weeks prior. Saskatoon home sales were also up with 91 Saskatoon houses for sale going last week from 74 and 71 in the 2 weeks before.

We have a total of 1385 properties for sale in Saskatoon. There are 814 houses for sale in Saskatoon and 571 condos for sale in Saskatoon (or other not single family dwellings).

There are 1261 properties for sale near Saskatoon.

If you are thinking of listing your house for sale in Saskatoon give me a call. If you are thinking about buying a house for sale in Sasktoon I also work with a lot of buyers. I am a very active realtor in Saskatoon so that means I am up to date on what is happening each week in the Saskatoon real estate community.

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
Saskatoon
653-8222

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

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 »

6. August 2010 by Kari Calder.

The Saskatchewan Region Association of Realtors has reported that Saskatoon home sales have softened in July 2010 compared to July 2009 where it was down 18 %. The overall year to date numbers of real estate in Saskatoon that has sold is down 4%. The most active price range for houses for sale in Saskatoon that have been sold is between $300,000 and $350,000. It is important for Saskatoon home sellers to know that every house for sale in Saskatoon will eventually sell, it just comes down to price and how your Saskatoon realtor markets it for you.

Despite the small slow down of Saskatoon real estate the average selling price has gone up since the same time last year by over $6000. July’s average Saskatoon house sale price was $289,715 this year. The average year to date selling price is up 5% from 2009 at $290,515. So it is still a great time to list your house for sale in Saskatoon with a Saskatoon realtor such as myself!

By the end of July Saskatoon home buyers had 1334 properties to choose from which was a decrease of the number of houses for sale in Saskatoon from June when we had 1412 houses for sale in Saskatoon.

With favorable interest rates and steady job growth in and around Saskatoon our Saskatoon real estate market demand remains steady but it is a much more balanced market than before and Saskatoon real estate market conditions appear to be picking up again in August already.

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

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4. August 2010 by Kari Calder.

Last week I listed 2 houses for sale in Saskatoon and have already had an offer on one of the houses for sale in Saskatoon.

The first Saskatoon house for sale is a mobile home in Sutherland. This mobile home is almost 1100 square feet and features 3 good sized bedrooms, large living room, kitchen/dining, separate laundry, full bathroom, and 2 porches. Large deck on the front and a small yard space at the back. List price is $32,900 with lot fees of $614/month (includes taxes, snow removal, water, sewer, garbage pick up, cable). This property for sale in Saskatoon is close to the U of S.

The second house for sale in Saskatoon that I listed last week is a great semi-detached home in Sutherland as well. This home is a 10 minute walk to the U of S and features 3 bedrooms up + a bedroom in the basement with a 3 piece ensuite. This house for sale in Saskatoon is connected by only the shed in between so no common walls between units.

This house for sale in Saskatoon received an offer the first week by another Saskatoon realtor with Century 21 Saskatoon. Century 21 Saskatoon does a unique thing with ‘caravan’ at our weekly meeting and if you are looking to sell your house in Saskatoon this bonus often helps you get your property sold faster. Where else can you be guaranteed that your house for sale in Saskatoon will be seen by 10,15 or more Saskatoon realtors within the first few days of it being listed?

If you are looking to sell your house in Saskatoon contact me for your Saskatoon Real estate needs and for more information and to find out how I can service you and the difference it makes by listing your house with a realtor in Saskatoon who cares and who delivers service.

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

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5. July 2010 by Kari Calder.

I wrote  a blog on my Century 21 website a year ago based on several articles that were in the paper about practices by some alarm companies.  I was contacted on Canada Day by one of the US companies referred to in the articles and threatened with a law suit.  I am a small fish but apparently my blog goes a long way as I ticked a lot of people off (hence the bullying phone calls and 3 or 4 letters from bulldogs at these companies and their lawyers). To be honest, it has reinforced my belief that consumers need to be aware of the reports about foreign alarm companies reportedly operating in Saskatchewan. As a realtor in Saskatoon I believe that my clients need to be aware of any reported and/or potential property related scams or unscrupulous businesses. In addition to raising awareness of potential problems related to home ownership my practice has always been to refer clients to Saskatoon locally owned and operated companies in order to avoid the potential pitfalls of dealing with foreign companies.

Some other links to consider when shopping for alarm companies:

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Pinnacle+Security+falsely+claims+member+Better+Business+Bureau+Saskatchewan/3162647/story.html

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2009/06/burglar-alarm-scam-door-to-door-salesman-ane-driggs-utah-better-business-bureau-ron-walters-security.html

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-article-a-40962-m-7-sc-31-avoiding_alarm_scams-i

http://www.chrisd.ca/blog/13373/home-alarm-security-scam-manitoba/

Here is the EDITED version of the blog that caused so much ruckus and controversy.

I was recently contacted by one of the owners of a local security company as the Better Business Bureau of Saskatchewan has been receiving hundreds of complaints about home security ’salespeople’ that have been going door to door and misrepresenting security companies in Saskatoon and Regina. I saw these young men (from Alberta by their plates) going door to door this past weekend. They didn’t stop at our house perhaps because we had a security sign on our front step and it was not a local security company so they likely couldn’t find it on their list. We did the old trick of putting up a sign without having an alarm-now we have Reed Security as I trust them!

I had a neighbour with a local company’s sign on their lawn who told me that these guys told them they were with that company…but I know all of the sales people there and this was not the case.

These US based companies are reported to operate under several names but may be linked and the names mentioned in the articles can easily be accessed on the internet. Do a google search and see for yourself, but it is my opinion based on my experience and the information available to me that signing up for an alarm plan, or any other plan or product for that matter, should be avoided if it is the result of high pressured sales tactics. Stick with your locally trusted companies and don’t be pressured by unscrupulous sales people from any company who show up at your door.

Here is a link that warns Saskatoon consumers:

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Business/warns+public+about+high+pressure+sales+tactic/1683942/story.html

(Apparently they got to the Star Phoenix too as this article appears to be removed)

I am advised that these salespeople may see your security company sign and tell you that they work for that company and then try to give you a “Free upgraded” alarm system, but this upgrade will actually cost you about $45/month and it isn’t through your current supplier. They also reportedly try to name drop and tell you that your neighbour X has upgraded their system, even though they probably did not and I have heard they especially like to go after seniors.

Be aware of these high pressured sales tactics.

SO that was the blog that started this whole thing and my lawyer agrees that as a Saskatoon Realtor and as someone my home buyers in Saskatoon trust to help set them up with quality people that it is reasonable for me to want to warn my Saskatoon home buyers of any reported and/or potential scams or questionable businesses, especially first time home buyers in Saskatoon.

When choosing and alarm company it is always advisable to do your due diligence by checking out the companies you wish to deal with (ie: do they have a local office, have they been reported to the Better Busineses Bureau, do they have local references…). If you do choose to use any company that is not locally based it is always prudent to do your own due diligence and get references but ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ask them for the business cards before allowing them to even speak to you and ask them to leave any contracts and documents with you for your review before you agree to anything.

Good luck consumers! Hopefully this post by a small fish realtor in Saskatoon won’t warrant more threats as I do believe in freedom of speech!

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
Saskatoon
653-8222

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

5. July 2010 by Kari Calder.

I am pleased to say that previous Saskatoon home buyers are already using me to list their house for sale in Saskatoon. It is a great compliment to have repeat business and as a Saskatoon realtor I am very happy to say that I have had a lot of that in my 3 short years as a Saskatoon real estate agent.

My most recent house for sale in Saskatoon is located at 106 Blakeney Crescent in Confederation Park. This lovely and well cared for home features a heated verandah, laminate throughout main floor and bedrooms, open kitchen with island and pantry, 1.5 bathrooms, basement that is framed and wired, and plenty of room for a garage. This house for sale in Saskatoon was built in 2005 and is 1156/2 (not included the 4 season heated verandah).

If you are looking to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon this is a great listing and a great price at only $259,900.

Contact your favourite Saskatoon realtor for a personal showing or if you don’t have a realtor in Saskatoon please contact me as I work with many first time home buyers in Saskatoon and can walk you through the entire process of buying a house for sale in Saskatoon (or buying a condo for sale in Saskatoon).

Kari Calder
Century 21 Conexus Realty Ltd
306-653-8222

Posted in Listings, Sellers, Buyers, Personal, Saskatoon Real Estate | No Comments »

27. May 2010 by Kari Calder.

As a real estate agent in Saskatoon it can be both easy and hard to take any time off but it appears I have been taking a break from my Saskatoon real estate related blogs! With having recently moved to our new house in Willowgrove life has been unpredictable and my house has been filled off and on with trades people. I am at the point where it just seems normal to have some random trades person walking through as I am trying to do my day to day Saskatoon real estate business!

I have listed several houses for sale in Saskatoon and a house for sale in Martensville as well as I am listing a house for sale in Warman later today.

I will blog more with details on each property for sale in Saskatoon separately, but as an intro I have:

A 2 bedroom 1 bathroom condo for sale in Saskatoon in Lakewood area on Herold Road. 2 parking spots! $219,900

A 6 bedroom, 3 bathroom side by side duplex for sale in Saskatoon close to the U of S. Over 2100 square feet and fully developed up and down for $489,900.

A 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom bungalow with double attached garage and a huge double detached garage/workshop. This house for sale in Martensville is listed at $384,900.

A 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom revenue house for sale in Varsity View at $225,000. Varsity View is the area closest to the University of Saskatchewan.

I have 2 new listings coming up this week; a house for sale in Warman and a house for sale in Silverwood Heights in Saskatoon.

If you are a buyer looking to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon inventory is good right now. If you are looking to sell your house in Saskatoon contact me.

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

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

26. April 2010 by Kari Calder.

We have recently moved again within the city of Saskatoon so blogging has been put on the backburner. It has been a busy month for real estate in Saskatoon so packing the house for sale in Stonebridge was left until the last minute…which means unpacking has been interesting! I am a Saskatoon realtor (r) who works with enough Saskatoon first time home buyers and Saskatoon home sellers that I know better, but when it comes to yourself it is easy to give advice and not take it!!

We moved from our house for sale in Stonebridge to our newly built house in Willowgrove. We were fortunate with the weather as it was the sunniest and hottest Friday in the past 3 weeks (freak snow storm the Friday before and rain this past Friday, so our moving day was GREAT!)

With more houses for sale in Stonebridge I have recently reduced the price of 107 Robertson Cove to $389900 from $399900. This is a great house for sale in Saskatoon as it is almost new and the landscaping is done including the driveway and walk way. In the muddy weather of spring I value the finished driveway more than you can imagine after moving into my new mud pit of a yard in Willowgrove. There are many houses for sale in Willowgrove and many new houses being built in our area that makes for muddy streets and sidewalks…not much fun for me or the dog as having a dog and a new house in Saskatoon means a muddy house!

We are also already missing the ameneties in Stonebridge as our runs to Home Depot have been on a huge increase with the work of our new house. We used to be a 5 minute drive from our favourite spots; Home Depot, Wal Mart, Winners Home Sense and for food-Wok Box! Now it takes about 15 minutes from our new house in Willowgrove but we still run over to Stonebridge to get most things as the amenities there are better than anywhere else in the city of Saskatoon it seems.

If you are looking to buy a house in Saskatoon or to sell your house in Saskatoon I would love the opportunity to earn your business. I am a motivated and active Saskatoon Realtor (r) who loves what I do so I hope to be able to help you with all of your Saskatoon real estate needs.

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

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

19. March 2010 by Kari Calder.

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

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

9. March 2010 by Kari Calder.

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

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