Saskatchewan Minimum Wage Increasing May 1

April 23rd, 2008

On May 1, 2008 the minimum wage in the province of Saskatchewan will increase from $8.25 an hour to $8.60.  This is only the second stage of a plan to increase minimum wage to $9.25 by 2009.  The recent increases in our minimum wage are starting to bring us at par with other provinces in Canada.  This is vital to continue the growth of our economy.  With the recent rise in Saskatchewan real estate prices it is important that wages increase with it.  It will be some time until salaries and wages across the province catch up to the huge growth we have seen in our real estate market but all the indications are there that they will.  Our province is in the best shape it has ever been financially and there is an endless amount of opportunities here for people.  Over the past year we have seen a large amount of people relocating to Saskatchewan from Alberta and other provinces.  This has had a direct impact on our province and the Saskatoon real estate market.  By 2009 we will reach over $9.00 per hour which is incredible.  I still remember getting my first job and thinking that $5.00 an hour was incredible money.  If you are one of the many people looking to relocate to Saskatchewan or are interested in getting involved in the Saskatchewan real estate market be sure to contact me and I would be happy to assist you.

To find out more visit the Star Phoenix article.

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

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Saskatoon Real Estate Still Affordable

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 »

Century 21 Canada Website Frankie Finalist

April 23rd, 2008

Century 21 Canada recently released a new website that has been getting a lot of attention.  This website provides a source for advertising and information for Saskatoon Century 21 Realtors.  Most recently the website has been chosen as a finalist for the Frankie award, which is a annual award presented through the Canadian Franchise Association for the best creative work in Canadian franchising.  This is just one more way that Century 21 provides its Saskatoon real estate agents a competitive advantage.  With the Saskatoon real estate market being so busy this year it is critical that Saskatoon Realtors provide their clients as many ways to advertise as possible.  I currently maintain several websites including my Century 21 website to maximize the exposure for all listings I am working with.  Besides the Frankie award, the Century 21 website has been getting a lot of attention from other web professionals.  Be sure to visit the website to see what the buzz is about!

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

Posted in Canda Real Estate News | No Comments »

Saskatoon Public Golf Courses Open For 2008

April 21st, 2008

With the recent warm spring weather, the city of Saskatoon has announced they will be opening the public golf courses.  The city of Saskatoon has 3 public golf courses throughout the city.  They were developed to be close to Saskatoon neighborhoods for easy access.  The golf courses include: Holiday Park Golf Course, Silverwood Golf Course and Wildwood Golf Course.  The schedule is as follows for the golf course openings:

Holiday Park

  • Driving range is open 9am – 6pm

  • April 11 – Executive 9 holes

  • April 18 – 18 hole course with weather permitting

Silverwood

  • Driving range is open 9am – 6pm

  • April 18 – 18 hole course with weather permitting

Wildwood

  • Currently open and accepting reservations

If you have never golfed before or interested in playing some local courses be sure to check out the Saskatoon golf courses.  It is a great way to spend an afternoon in Saskatoon.

 

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

Posted in Saskatoon Events, Saskatoon News | 1 Comment »

City Reminds Saskatoon Reisdents To Stay Off Ice

April 21st, 2008

With spring in full effect in the city of Saskatoon we are seeing the majority of the snow and ice starting to melt.  This is great as it means summer is around the corner but it is also a time where unfortunately accidents can happen.  The Saskatoon Fire department has issued a news release reminding everyone (specifically children) to stay off of the river, ponds and lakes throughout the city.  With the warmer temperatures this time of year, the ice is unstable which means people could fall through.  Saskatoon residents are urged to keep off the ice for their own safety.  Visit the city website to read more about this news release.

As Saskatoon home owners, be sure to keep an eye out for children playing around ponds in your Saskatoon neighborhoods.  If you see children playing on the ponds be sure to tell them it is unsafe.  The riverbank is another area that is unsafe for children to be playing on especially during this time of year.  If you do happen to see an accident be sure to call 911 immediately.

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

Posted in Saskatoon, Saskatoon News | No Comments »

Winter Not Over In Saskatoon

April 19th, 2008

It appears that winter is not quite ready to give up in the city of Saskatoon.  It is expected that a spring blizzard will be rolling into Saskatoon starting Saturday evening with the potential of reaching up to 50cm of snow.  Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Thursday warning people of the potential storm.  It is recommended that people do as little travelling as possible during the storm.  For those of you who are currently active in the Saskatoon real estate market, it may mean that you need to put your open house visits on hold until next weekend.  I for one am hoping that the storm will miss us but we have already seen the temperature start to dip quite a bit.  Weather reports from Alberta indicate the storm is on its way so bundle up this weekend and be safe.  Be sure to check the weather network for the latest weather updates.  For more information on the upcoming blizzard check out this article.

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

Posted in Saskatchewan News, Saskatoon News | No Comments »

Condo Conversions On Hold In Saskatoon

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 »

Meewasin Clean-Up Campaign 2008

April 17th, 2008

On April 22nd to May 4th the Meewasin Clean-Up Campaign will kick off.  This is a great opportunity as a Saskatoon resident to show your pride in our city and contribute a bit of your time to ensure our city remains beautiful and clean.  This is an annual event and will kick off at St. Edward School in Westmount. This event is sponsored by Affinity Credit Union.  This is a great event to attend and show your support for our city.  Remember the more appealing out city is to visitors the more our Saskatoon real estate market will continue to grow as people discover the beauty and appeal of our city!

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

Posted in Saskatoon, Saskatoon Events | No Comments »

Saskatoon River Landing Delayed

April 17th, 2008

The city of Saskatoon along with the Meewasin Valley Authority are facing the same challenge that many people interested in getting involved into the Saskatoon real estate market are.  Due to the rising costs of construction materials and the shortage of labourers and contractors, the completion of the Saskatoon river landing project will probably be delayed.  In a recent article from the Star Phoenix, it states that the Meewasin’s chair recently sent a letter to provincial government outlining the challenges they are currently facing.  Many of the tenders for the project have come back way over original estimates and in some cases they are 50% – 100% more.

Hopefully the provincial government will be able to provide some sort of additional funding for this project.  The river landing project will be a great addition to the city of Saskatoon and ensure that our river front maintains it’s beauty and attraction to both residents and visitors of the city.

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

Posted in Saskatoon, Saskatoon News | No Comments »

Saskatoon Propery Taxes Will Increase

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 »

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