Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
Saskatoon Needs More Schools-Stonebridge Overview
Part 2-focus on Stonebridge
As a REALTOR(r) in Saskatoon I am often dealing with out of town buyers and one area that is important to many Saskatoon home buyers are the schools in the neighbourhood they are considering.
According to an article in the Star Phoenix the public and Catholic school divisions new schools in Hampton Village and Stonebridge remain their top priority however neither division will attach timelines to any construction of new schools in these areas.
Hampton Village and Stonebridge are dealing with the same issues when it comes to large amounts of children and no schools. Stonebridge will one day be home to 13,200 people and, with some of the final developments underway, this number will be here pretty soon. While parents in Stonebridge have the choice of several nearby schools the realty is that they are all on the other side of Circle Drive, a highway, so kids can’t safely walk or bike to school. The sad truth is some small kids are on the bus for 45 minutes each way for what should be a 5 minute drive due to the sheer numbers of kids being picked up and dropped off.
It blows my mind that according to the ministry’s new capital list, both public and Catholic schools in Stonebridge are in the Priortity 4 category. As a real estate agent in Saskatoon this lack of priority affects some of my client’s decision to purchase in this neighbourhood as schools are in their future. What does this mean? Quite simple actually, I don’t show them houses for sale in Stonebridge if schools are a priority to them. We look at established areas only. Many people aren’t too concerned about it so I should clarify that this is not the opinion of all homeowners in Stonebridge but I think all would be happy to have elementary schools there.
If you are considering buying a house for sale in Saskatoon make sure you are dealing with an experienced Saskatoon REALTOR(r), especially if you have questions or concerns about the neighbourhood or what is happening. I would be more than happy to help you with the purchase of a Saskatoon home, whether it is a condo or a single family home I have experience in all.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Needs More Schools-Hampton Village Overview
Patience is a virtue but for many Saskatoon families patience is running out when it comes to the apparent lack of prioritizing for new schools in some of our newer neighbourhoods. We are seeing more about it in the news in this past week so it is definitely getting notice. While Hampton Village and Stonebridge have land set aside for schools there may still be quite a wait. As an experienced real estate agent in Saskatoon it is quite often that I get asked when the schools are coming. I wish I had a definitive answer.
Hampton Village, when complete, will have about 7500 residents. And no schools. Nearby the public elementary school of Dundonald and the Catholic school, St Peters, are experiencing huge jumps in enrollment. Dundonald school is bursting with 735 children, up from 652 in 2011. Parents are getting frustrated and are starting petitions as they feel their children are not getting the proper attention and it can also be a health and safety concern.
The public elementary school for Hampton Village is in the bottom of “Priority 4 Category” while there are talks of a Catholic school opening first. This opens another can of worms as we have been seeing more joint school projects and it appears those are going well. Willowgrove has a joint public/Catholic school being built and Bethleham/Tommy Douglas Collegiates has been a success.
The difference in priority, according to Sheldon Ramstead who is the ministry’s director of infrastructure, is that the Catholic school has just one school nearby while the public school in nearby Westview isn’t at capacity. There also has been no application for a joint school in Hampton Village therefore less priority given. Both school systems wouldn’t comment to the Star Phoenix but both said they are still analzying the information.
Once the development of Kensington, the newest development in Saskatoon’s west side, gets underway there will be even more need for another school as Dundonald will likely be getting some of these kids. Our new neighbourhoods are almost like mini-cities so it would make sense to have schools in these areas so hopefully things will start to change and more joint-school projects will be underway sooner than later as Saskatoon is booming so we need to keep up with the pace for our education.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Real Estate Market Update-October
The real estate market in Saskatoon for October continued to show strength with continued growth in sales.
There have been a total of 16 homes for sale in Saskatoon that have sold for over a million dollars this year, double from 2011. Three of those homes for sale in Saskatoon over a million dollars sold in October which also influences the average house price. The average house price in Saskatoon is up 6% from 2011 to $330,496 compared to $309,249 in 2011. The other factor that kept the average house price in Saskatoon up was that out of the 444 houses in Saskatoon that sold, 250 of them were over $300,000 compared to 205 the year before.
There are currently 1146 properties for sale in Saskatoon (condos and single family homes) which is down only 2% from 2011 and new listings in areas around Saskatoon were down 5% year to date and sales are up 5% from the same time last year. The average sale price for houses outside of Saskatoon is $285,001. If you are a first time buyer in Saskatoon or thinking of buying a home in Saskatoon don’t let the average house price deter you as our market is in a healthy and balanced state.
From the same time last year there is an increase of 8% for the number of realtors in Saskatoon with the total number of salespeople at 541 in 2012 from 501 in 2011 and 449 in 2010. There total number of licensees is up 7% from 2011 at 601 and the number of affiliate members is up 16% to 44.
An affiliate member would include home inspectors in Saskatoon or appraisers in Saskatoon. When purchasing a home with me, your trusted Saskatoon REALTOR (r), I can recommend the professionals you need to help with your home purchase. Through my affiliation with Trusted Saskatoon I have a proven data base of professionals that will help you with most, if not all, of your needs.
I also have several mortgage brokers in Saskatoon who I deal with and who my clients are pleased with, ask me about who I recommend for your pre-approvals and your mortgage needs. When you purchase a house for sale in Saskatoon you will also want to get a home inspection done and I work with a few home inspectors in Saskatoon and also have names and numbers of contractors and handy men.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Warman Is Saskatchewan’s 16 City!
The town of Warman has grown to city status with 8000 residents. Warman is now officially Saskatchewan’s 16th city! The city manager, Ivan Gabrysha, stated that there were more housing starts by July than in all of 2011. There will be more than 250 new homes for sale in Warman this year and an industrial park that is completely built out.
Warman is the third fastest growing town/city in Saskatchewan, following only Saskatoon and Regina. Warman, Saskatchewan also has an extremely young average age at 31 so it is very common to see lots of young families in the area. Even though a new middle school will be opening next fall in Warman many believe Warman will need to lobby for another school as this one will be tight by then.
The “new” city status was celebrated on Saturday with the unveiling of a new sign, city logo and official colours. A visit from Bryan Warman, the grandson of the man who the town was named after (Cy Warman) will be visiting to celebrate. Cy Warman was a poet and journalist who came to the Prairies as he followed the building of the Northwest Railroad.
The community celebration this weekend also marks the grand opening of Warman’s new $20-million hockey and soccer centre known as the Legends Centre as it is near the Legends Golf Course and housing development. There was a live airing of the Saskatchewan Roughriders game which ran in conjunction with A Taste of Warman, Beer Gardens and free Public Skating. There were also children’s activities and at dusk a huge Fireworks display.
If you are thinking about buying a house for sale in Warman I would be more than happy to help you out as Warman is just outside of Saskatoon so it is within my area of expertise. If you are considering selling your home in Warman please contact me as well as I am a real estate agent in Saskatoon who services Warman, Martensville, and other surrounding communities.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatchewan Has Too Many Jobs?
Yes, you read the title correctly. Saskatchewan has too many jobs. According to articles printed on Yahoo Finance Canada And yes, this is enviable to much of the world. Most areas are dealing with overwhelming debt and high unemployment while we are now struggling to find enough workers. Just 5-6 years ago our problem was reversed and we were losing people due to not enough opportunites but now Saskatchewan, and definitely Saskatoon, is facing a different challenge.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is currently 4.7% which is only second to Alberta and well below the national average of 7.4%. Our resource rich province is creating so many jobs that our government has had to go outside of the continent to recruit more workers. Ireland is just one of the many countries our province has been recruiting from and the long term plan is to increase the population of Saskatchewan by 100,000 by the year 2020. After a long period of decline we have seen our province growing leaps and bounds in the past 6 years. Pretty much the time I got into real estate in Saskatoon so my timing was pretty good.
In the past our province was known mostly for leading Canada in wheat and canola production and with the high prices of grain our farming business has maintained its strength but in 2008 a spike in commodity prices gave our province the ability to further develop our mining and oil resources. With the crude oil production being propelled by new technology that allows it to be brought up from reserves locked in shale rock and our mining industry, namely uranium and potash, our province has attracted billions in new investments. As a REALTOR(r) in Saskatoon I can attest to the investments even from a real estate perspective. I have been dealing with Saskatoon home buyers from companies such as BHP Saskatoon, Potash Corp, etc who are being brought out here to work with our mining sectors.
Just below us the state of North Dakota also boasts a lower than national average unemployment rate at 3% which is likley due to the oil-rich land that they have. So not only is Saskatchewan and Saskatoon growing but also our neighbours to the south.
If you are considering moving to Saskatchewan and need to find a TRUSTED Saskatoon REALTOR(r) check me out online and then call or email me. I do not deal with rental properties but I can help you with a purchase. If you are considering selling your home in Saskatoon I would also be happy to talk to you about the market.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Housing Starts Jump
A recent article in the Star Phoenix has stated that housing starts have jumped in Saskatoon from August to September according to CMHC. Demand for new houses in Saskatoon continues to be supported by full time job creation, rising wages, and positive net migration according to Lai Sing Louie, CMHC’s regional economist for the Prairies.
In September the housing starts for Saskatoon and area jumped to 5624 units from 3757 in August according to CMHC. The number of single-detached starts (so new houses in Saskatoon) totalled 231 units, up from 132 units the year before. After 9 months this year the amount of single family houses being built reached 1525 from 1239 during the same period last year. Multi-family starts, which includes semi-detached units, townhouses, and apartment/coach home condos totalled 254 last month which is an increase from 125 in September, 2011.
Regina has also seen large increases in construction. In August they were at 2908 units and in September they jumped to 3318 units. Single family houses in Regina jumped from 80 units last year to 172 units this year in September.
While across the country Canada’s housing market showed some signs of cooling it doesn’t give evidence of a correction large enough to alter the economy.
The Saskatoon real estate market continues to thrive and we are trying to adjust for the influx of people in our growing economy. New starts means new homes which means a growing economy so these are all positives. We don’t appear to have so many new starts that it will impact our resale market like we saw a few years ago, the growth appears to be appropriate and healthy.
If you are considering buying a house for sale in Saskatoon or are looking to sell your home in Saskatoon consider me first as your TRUSTED and experienced Saskatoon real estate agent.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Girls Win on Dragon’s Den
I am so proud to blog about good friends of mine, Elysia and Natasha Vandenhurk, and their new business success. I won’t say new business venture as they have been working on this for several years and have now achieved National success. They have been all over the news this past week including an article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on their Camelina Oil.
They started this venture on a small scale and it has been ramping up, so much so that they were invited to go on the Dragon’s Den! They taped their show in the spring and it just aired last week and they did incredible! They got a deal with Arlene Dickinson, she even took the time to call during the launch party at Earls in Saskatoon on Wednesday night. She is amazing! They were quite happy with getting a deal with Arlene as she has a lot of experience in the food world and is a master marketer.
Three Farmers, the company, was indeed founded by three farmers in southeast Saskatchewan near my hometown in 2010, Colin Rosengren, Ron Emde and the girls father, Dan Vandenhurk. They were the first to introduce Camelina culinary oil to Canada and together with Elysia, who is a chef, and Tasha, a marketing graduate, they have brought Canada a wonderful product on so many levels.
This product is very versatile, has a high smoke point of 475F for frying, and can be used on salads as is. I personally have the Roasted Onion and Basil and love using it on cold cucumber, tomato and feta salads. So simple yet so delicious! They also have a Roasted Garlic and Chili as well as their original. Camelina oil is high in Vitamin E and Omega3 and can be traced back to the Bronze age. The unique factor to what they offer is the traceability. Each bottle has a code or a QR code that can be entered into the website to trace the oil back to the farmer who grew it and the field it was grown in. Pretty amazing!
They had originally applied for Dragon’s Den last year but decided to postpone for a year to get fully prepared and make a solid pitch…and the delay worked! Dickson offered $150,000 and 20% of the company-almost exactly what they were going for. Having Dickinson on board should help grow the company even faster as well as be a good learning experience for the company by utilizing her resources, advice and connections.
People ask me about real estate in Saskatoon and why it is so busy. Well here is yet another example of one of the not so hidden anymore gems out there in Saskatoon that helps propel the Saskatoon real estate market. We have a city full of entrepreneurs and so many random businesses that affect us in a positive way.
If you are contemplating investing in real estate in Saskatoon or are just looking to buy a home or sell a home in Saskatoon allow me and my experience to help you through the transaction.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Construction Delays…Again
It has been a bit of a disappointing week so far for construction news in Saskatoon. The first news concerns the Circle Drive project and completion. The $300M south bridge project was supposed to be open at the end of this month, one month behind the original date, but now it is unclear if it will open at all this year. As a real estate agent in Saskatoon this is a bit disconcerting but I, like many others, am somewhat used to construction delays when I am out working.
At a time when politics are ramping up this is a big area to pick on the current mayor’s office. Weather has been cited as being one of the major issues. This does not stop mayoral candidate Tom Wolf from attacking Don Atchison’s ability to manage major projects. But really? Is it his fault? With record rainfalls in 2010 and 2012 it is hard to put all the blame on one guy. Keep in mind that Graham-Flatiron, the joint venture in charge of the project, will face fines of $10,000 per day that they are delayed. As a REALTOR (r) in Saskatoon I drive by here all the time and I have to admit-there are days I am amazed people are out working and there are other days that I wonder where all the roadworkers are? But what do I know?
The second project affected is the 25th Street extension. It is confirmed, by an article in the Star Phoenix, that it will not open this year. I have to say I am pretty excited to see this one open up. This is a $17M project that will connect 25th St East to Idylwyld Drive. The delays mostly have to do with a shortage in skilled labour and, due to the work required from CP Rail and CN Rail, these just won’t be started until next spring. This new intersection will include a warning system that CP Rail needs to install as well as the removal of an interchange by CN Rail.
One of the changes we will see, when the new intersection is opened, is that there will no longer be a left turn from Idylwyld to 24th St. Instead there will be a U-turn lane farther up Idylwyld. Once the intersection is completed the City of Saskatoon will also be spending $3.7M to beautify the entrance-calling it the new “gateway” to downtown. Landscaping, lighting, trees, benches and public art along the street will be added.
As a Saskatoon real estate agent I will look forward to these projects being completed as it will make my job and life a lot easier, especially considering the amount of time I spend driving the city each day to show houses for sale in Saskatoon or meet with clients. But, as always, construction will be inevitable each year as our city continues to grow. So, if it isn’t these projects it will be others.
If you are considering buying a house for sale in Saskatoon and area or if you are looking to sell your property in Saskatoon please consider me, your TRUSTED Saskatoon REALTOR (r).
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
September Saskatoon Real Estate Market Update
The Saskatoon real estate market has seen a moderate decline for the first time in 18 months for the number of sales in August and September. Current year to date sales are still up 6% compared to 2011. The homes that saw the largest decrease in sales have been the ones priced between $275,000 and $400,000 which may have something to do with the recent changes to mortgage rules however with the economic position and population growth we are receiving in Saskatchewan this may mitigate this.
Unlike the Toronto and Vancouver real estate market we have not experienced the unrealistic gains due to foreign investment that is now correcting. Unfortunately, when you listed to economists, most generalize all of Canada and it is not accurate to paint the entire country with the same brush. If the real estate market in Vancouver or Toronto is correcting it does not mean that the Saskatoon real estate market is experiencing the same thing and this is the problem with economists and their generalizations.
Compared to last September the listing activity was down 4% however overall the numbers of houses for sale in Saskatoon to date is up 2% compared to 2011. There are currently 2637 houses for sale in Saskatoon and area which is down 4% from 2011.
The current average days on market for a Saskatoon home to sell is 33 days which is down from 40 days last year. In our real estate market around Saskatoon it takes, on average, 59 days, compared to 63 days last year. The largest factor with the days on market is pricing.
If a Saskatoon home for sale is priced right it will sell in a shorter amount of time but if it is overpriced it will sit on the market. This is why it is important, when listing your Saskatoon home for sale, to get an accurate market evaluation from a TRUSTED Saskatoon REALTOR (R) who is going to give you the information and not just list your home for what you want it to be listed at.
The current average house price in Saskatoon is $321,654 which is up 3% from September 2011. The yeaer to date average selling price is $333,489 which is up 7% from 2011.
There are just over 600 real estate agents in Saskatoon currently which is up 7% from the year before. I have noticed a few more real estate agents getting out of the business though, some after only a short time in as REALTORS (r) in Saskatoon.
If you are contemplating listing your house for sale in Saskatoon or you are looking to buy a house in Saskatoon contact me as I am an experienced Saskatoon REALTOR (r) who works hard to help you achieve your goals.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
New Mortgage Regulations Impacting Saskatoon
I work with some great mortgage brokers in Saskatoon and one of them just sent me and his core group of Saskatoon real estate agents a note yesterday to give us a heads up. The federal government is imposing some pretty big changes in the lending world when it comes to mortgages in Canada that will definitely impact many of us.
Due to the continuing regulation changes being imposed on all banks in Canada by the federal government they are enforcing some further due diligence guidelines for lenders. The changes are still being clarified however some of the ones that are already being implemented are:
*Realtor (r) prepared MLS listings are now a required document with all purchase documents
*New standardized metrics are established for calculating heat, condo fees and property taxes. If is is a resale house the lender may need to provide a tax notice from the City or a bank statement showing tax payment and condo fee payment
The second one presents a bit of an issue I would say as sellers may be hesitant to provide information like that so, as REALTORS(r) in Saskatoon, we will need to educate our sellers about these upcoming changes and ensure they cooperate. If someone wants to sell their house you would think they will cooperate but sometimes we need to explain why.
Another area where changes are going to be occurring is with regards to mortgage levels on higher end purchases. There is no clear communication as of yet but it sounds like there may be a tiering impact on high value purchases which will impact some of the high end houses for sale in Saskatoon (ie: over $750,000). Stay tuned for further clarification when I have it.
I have also recently heard that there has been an increase in mortgage fraud so lenders may be asking for more information from potential home buyers in Saskatoon, so don’t be surprised or angry if your mortgage broker in Saskatoon requires more information from you than previously.
These changes will impact all banks so it is important to be working with a bank or a mortgage broker in Saskatoon who is up to speed on the changes as some institutions are not as up to date as others. To any of my Saskatoon real estate clients who have been pre-qualified you may want to go back to your lender or ask me who I recommend as a lender to get the application reloaded and ensure the new guidelines still work for you.
These changes will impact the mortgage brokers as it is a very common practise for them to manipulate the numbers around “non-verified expenses” to determine the debt service. Now that they are mandated to profice the paper verification these numbers will not be as pliable. In the end though it will help solidify Canadian lending practices and drive more clients to reputable banks and brokers.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
