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Canadian Real Estate Agents Are Hopefully Now Aware of Real Estate Scam
It is hard to believe it has been about a month since my name was used in a Saskatoon real estate fraud. I am glad that REM Online has posted an article to bring further awareness to Canadian REALTORS about the frauds taking place right under our noses.
About 2 weeks ago I had a call from another Saskatoon real estate agent to report that he just had a similar scam happening with his name and email address and one of his houses for sale in Saskatoon and he wondered what he could do. Thankfully the public and many local Saskatoon REALTORS were already aware of this ridiculous attempt to defraud innocent people so I am hoping no one fell for the scam attempt using his name.
The biggest thing to do is to keep aware of scams and to prevent them from working. If people are sending money to these fraudsters they will keep on doing what they are doing…because it works! The more awareness we can bring to the public and to REALTORS across Canada and the US the less likely it should be that anyone falls for these scams. Similar to the letters all of us have received in the mail about a rich relative passing away in some faroff land and needing money sent to pay lawyers so that you will receive your inheritance, these scams take fresh twists and turns so educating yourself and those around you is important and you shouldn’t get complacent. I recently received a letter in the mail, so not just email, that someone bothered to spend the money to post from Malasyia, to try to get money from me for an inheritance. Why are they spending money on this? Because it works so they cast the net wide and see which suckers they can find. The same goes on any of these real estate scams.
Many people still continue to ask me why someone would send money? Who would be that stupid they ask? As a Saskatoon REALTOR I have actually rented out my own personal townhouse in Saskatoon more than once to people who have not seen it as they were renting from a distance. They sent me a personal cheque for the deposit and to hold to townhouse. It is not unlike what the scam artists are asking people to do…except sending money by wire transfer to someone out of country should be a massive red flag. If you aren’t from Canada though and don’t know how the system works this may not sound that unusual or as a red flag.
Keep reminding people to be vigilent. REALTORS across Canada, be aware of any suspicious calls or emails that ask about renting one of your listing and be sure to do some digging about the source and report the activity to police and the website providers where the ads are occuring. The best thing we can all do is keep reporting these types of fraud so they don’t work and these criminals move on. People’s money, homes, reputations and safety are all at risk with this scam so help spread the word. Saskatoon REALTORS, keep spreading the word and being aware as others here are starting to get used despite the media coverage.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Go See Your Saskatoon Mortgage Broker-RBC Stops Record Low Interest By March 29
According to the Star Phoenix today RBC will be ending the ongoing mortgage rate war on Thursday, March 29th. They are currently offering a 2.99% special on a 4 year fixed closed mortgage but this will jump to 3.49% effective March 29th. RBC will also be raising its five-year closed rate to 5.44% and its five-year variable mortgage to prime plus 0.20% which is a 0.10% increase.
BMO, Bank of Montreal, was the first Canadian bank to bring in the 2.99% five-year term in January this year and other banks soon followed this with the same rate over four years. Banks are battling for market shares so these wars are not unusual however RBC has signalled a strategic retreat in this ongoing war. The Bank of Canada warns that households are overleveraged with home purchases.
While it is a great time to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon, consumers should be aware to not overspend as interest rates will inevitably go up. Using an experienced and trusted Saskatoon real estate agent is imperative. Even if the bank is willing to lend you $500,000 you may feel more comfortable spending $400,000 to give you some wiggle room when the rates go up as this means your payments also go up.
The danger with too many people overspending is that, when rates go up and they find they can no longer afford their home in Saskatoon or other areas, there will be a flood of houses for sale in Saskatoon and other markets. Luckily, the Saskatoon real estate market shows no signs of slowing down. Quite the contrary. Overall though it is a risk to Canada’s economy, not just the real estate market in Canada.
It is just advisable for any prudent Saskatoon home buyer to live within their means and leave some room for increasing rates or a change in your finanical status. It should be common sense but many Saskatoon home buyers and consumers in general have champagne taste on a beer budget and end up overspending or spending more than they should. As a Saskatoon real estate agent I always ask my clients what they are pre-approved for and then what they are comfortable spending as these are two totally different things. I do sometimes have Saskatoon real estate clients who want to spend more than they are approved for as well but this is why the lenders and CMHC have tightened their reins, to protect the buyers and the lenders.
If you are thinking about purchasing a house for sale in Saskatoon give me a call and I can recommend some great Saskatoon mortgage brokers. Once you have your pre-approval sorted out I would be happy to have a client meeting to discuss your needs and wants and then start shopping for a house for you and your family. It is important to have an experienced and trusted Saskatoon REALTOR to protect the largest purchase of your life so get in touch with me to take care of the process for you.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Commmercial Real Estate Changes on 20th Street
If you have driven down Idylwyld lately in Saskatoon towards downtown you will notice some changes on the corner of 20th Street as well as changes up the block. Riversdale in Saskatoon is changing as at least four new tenants have been confirmed for the first block of 20th Street. It sounds like one of the main locations, the old Red Apple/Field building on the corner, could become a new health and fitness business. While the new tenants aren’t ready to make an announcement just yet we can see some changes happening already. The main entry will be moved away from Idylwyld and 22nd Street where it is currently located. It will be moved to the west side of the building, closer to the parking lot.
Next to this building is a healthy-eating cafe/restaurant that will feature items that are specific to dietary needs such as gluten-free and nut-free. The top floor of the Adilman building has also been leased and a retailer from Broadway will be relocating to the space attached to the Adilman building. These movements show that Riversdale is on the path to revival. It takes time but inevitably we will need more real estate in Saskatoon like these spaces so options like these for young entrepreneurs are great.
Hopefully these changes in Riversdale will help restore the area and change the perception of this location. Residents and businesspeople alike have been waiting for a long time for this change and it is starting to take shape.
Saskatoon real estate in both commercial and residential is changing to help enable new businesses and new opportunities. If you are looking to take advantage of Saskatoon real estate contact me.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Current Saskatoon Real Estate Market-February Update
The Saskatoon real estate market is showing no signs of slowing down. The current year to date residential sales volume is up a huge 30% over 2011. The total sales volume for the year is already $180,802,565.00
Buyers continued to be active this past month with unit sales up 21% and listings were only up 2% which means an increase of 7% in the average sales price of Saskatoon real estate. The new average sale price is $313893 over $292510 from the year before.
The west side of the city saw the highest average sale price increase of 12% and there was an increase of 41% for houses priced between $300,000-$500,000. We are still at a balanced market with a sales to listing ratio of 52% which means that one out of every two homes for sale in Saskatoon are selling. So the current Saskatoon real estate market is balance but if the number of sales continues to outpace the number of new listings this means we will find ourselves in more of a seller’s market. What does this mean? Now is a good time to sell your home. Our economic growth along with lower numbers of houses for sale in Saskatoon means this could be a good time to sell.
Currently homes on the east side selling between $300,000 and $350,000 continues to be the hottest market with the most buyers and this price range is very competitive. I have seen several houses for sale in Saskatoon selling for or above list price in this range and I also see some offers coming in with very few conditions.
We are looking at 888 houses or condos for sale in Saskatoon in February which is up from 786 the year before but with sales up 24% from the year before. The number of REALTORS in Saskatoon has also jumped another 10% this year from 2011 and we are at almost 500 Saskatoon real estate agents.
If you are looking for a house for sale in Saskatoon make sure you have a trusted Saskatoon REALTOR(R) on your side to help navigate the process and take care of you.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
SASKATOON REAL ESTATE SCAM-Update + News Coverage
First of all I want to thank everyone for their support and for helping to get the word out there about this scam that has been using my name. These scams are nothing new but using REALTORS names attached to them is new and disturbing.
Below is an update of media coverage but also an email the REAL Kari Calder Saskatoon real estate agent sent the FRAUDULENT Kari Calder in Nigeria.
Unbelievably, these frausters are still attempting to rent this house. CKOM Saskatoon reporter, Bre McAdam, actually called the number yesterday that has been provided for the Western Union pickup of the $1000 deposit and pretended she was interested in renting the home. They fell for it until she identified herself as a reporter and they promptly hung up the phone.
The CKOM interview can be read about here: http://ckom.com/story/saskatoon-real-estate-agent-victim-scam/44848
CTV also covered the scam http://saskatoon.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120220/sas-scam-120220/20120220/?hub=Saskatoon
And Global Saskatoon has done an amazing job with it, reporter Wendy Winiewski did a great job, you can see the video here: http://www.globalsaskatoon.com/real+estate+agent+warns+of+kijiji+scam/6442585442/story.html
I emailed the frausters the following, check out the response I got from calderkari@yahoo.com at the top.
| STUPID KARI
— On Mon, 2/20/12, Kari Calder <kari@saskatoonrealestate.net> From: Kari Calder <kari@saskatoonrealestate.net> Subject: from the REAL Kari Calder To: “calder.kari@yahoo.com” Date: Monday, February 20, 2012, 2:55 PM Dear Scammers, Shame on you. You have put innocent people at risk with your The media has been informed and will be Stop using my name, people do their due Kari Calder
|
I am not sure if that means they think I am stupid or if that is a threat. Whatever it means, I am on top of it and the word is out and hopefully will continue to make its way across Canada.
While most people who have English as their first language will be able to spot the grammatical mistakes my fear is all of the immigrants who are moving to our country and especially moving to Saskatoon and need to find a home for their family. Most need a place to rent and this looks like the deal of a lifetime! They may not catch the grammar errors or understand how we do things here and may not have anyone to help them. It is people like that who I fear may have sent money which is why these frausters keep doing what they are doing.
If you know anyone who has sent any money to these criminals, contact the City of Saskatoon Police if it is in Saskatoon or else your local police.
Thank you for your help to stop these criminals!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Specialist
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
KIJIJI Saskatoon Real Estate Rental Scam
There is a rental scam that has been dominating my time since Thursday as my phone has been ringing with questions about a house that I apparently have for rent. My emails have been going crazy as well regarding emails I have been apparently sending. I am also apparently in Africa doing missionary work which is why I am not able to meet you at the house but that you are allowed to view it from the exterior.
I have become a victim of being impersonated. I am NOT in Africa, I am a trusted Saskatoon Real Estate agent whose name is being attached to some very unethical and evil plans. I am fighting back as I don’t want to see innocent people hurt or my reputation tarnished.
My sellers, with the house for sale in Saskatoon that has been posted as for rent, have also been affected as people are showing up at their doorstep at all hours to try to rent this home as it is a beautiful home for a low rental price.
There are many other victims out there who have had false hope of renting this beautiful home and have been communicating with these scammers. I am hopeful that no one has sent money to these criminals. They are asking for $1000 deposit and then they will send the keys.
Luckily most people do their due diligence and at least google my name or call me. Imagine my surprise when I got the first call on Thursday regarding several emails I sent a lady about this property for rent. I had a brief moment where I considered I may be getting Alzheimers as she was insistent that I had been in touch with her. I had her send me, the legitimate Kari Calder Saskatoon Real Estate Agent, the emails and immediately realized what was happening. They were opening email accounts with Yahoo and using my actual name in the email address; calder.kari@yahoo.com, calderkari@yahoo.com and I am sure others as I hope yahoo closed those accounts after I sent them information that they were being used in scams.
Please help spread the word that this scam is occuring in our city and is affecting innocent people. There have been many disappointed potential renters whose hopes and dreams of a beautiful and affordable place to live have been squashed. I, and my Saskatoon home seller, are very hopeful that no one shows up on their doorstep with a UHAUL or a moving truck on March 1st with keys that do not work anywhere. Not only would these poor renters be out $1000 at least, they may also be homeless and this is so unfair. The Saskatoon City Police have been informed and have a small section now on their website but they don’t do anything on fraud under $5000.
Please warn everyone you can.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
5 Reasons The Real Estate Market Is NOT Going To Crash-an editorial
Finally, some good news about the real estate market in Canada. While some media sources predict that the housing market in Canada will crash, others don’t agree. This editorial by Larry MacDonald, former economist, is one that does not agree. I say this time and time again but it is not safe to generalize a country as large and diverse as Canada.
Here are some reasons why:
The Bank of Canada won’t likely allow their rates to climb as such an alarming pace if the economy cannot keep up with it. We won’t wake up in 5 years with an extra 10-15% interest rate on our hands. With historically low rates right now we are seeing people getting more house for their dollar but most of those people will also be earning more money in their futures, not less. While I have Saskatoon home buyers who often can spend x they often choose to stay well below their budget to ensure they don’t get caught offguard if interest rates were to go up.
Real estate is very market dependant and huge differences exist between each province but also between each town or city in that province. Vancouver has an average house price of $800,000 and their wages aren’t that much better than other places with lower average house prices such as New Brunswick and PEI where average house prices are $200,000. If you look at the size of house that a person gets in the Maritimes and how many people live in those houses I am sure you will see a larger home with less people than you typically see in Vancouver. People in Vancouver make it work. If Saskatoon real estate was priced like Vancouver real estate I think we would all be living in 800 sq ft condos but in Saskatoon most of us can afford a bit of land to call our own.
This is not the USA. There are many differences between what our lenders are able to do than what the US was allowed to do. We had less subprime mortgages than the US and a totally different recourse if someone did walk away from their mortgage. Banks in Canada have more ability to go after people who try to walk away from their mortgages. While I have seen a few more houses for sale in Saskatoon that are owned by the bank it is not nearly as intense as the US market.
Just because the US and some other countries experienced housing busts in the past few years doesn’t mean that every country is experiencing this. Portugal and Germany have been quite resilient just to name a few. This is also unfair to generalize all of the US as having a burst of the bubble as many states did not experience the same corrections. While the Saskatoon real estate market did see a huge gain it is also commonly thought that we were undervalued for so long that now we finally caught up to the norm.
Price to rent and price to income ratios show that our houses are over-valued but so is the US stock market and it has kept going for the past decade or so. Just a thought.
This does not mean that we can go on without considering a potential change in the Saskatoon real estate market or valuation but as long as there is a shortage of supply there will always be demand. In the Saskatoon real estate market and with the growing number of immigrants moving to Saskatoon and Canada in general this helps drive the local real estate market and the economy in general.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Canada’s Growing-So Is The Saskatoon Real Estate Market!
According to the 2011 Census data, Canada is growing faster than any other G8 Nation. This is mainly fuelled by immigration and the booming western provinces are reshaping Canada’s demographics.
Canada’s open-arms/open-doors approach to immigration is what is driving our population upwards as this ha become twice as important as the natural increase of life vs death. Our new population is 33.5 million people which is up from 31.6 million at the last census in 2006. While we are still the lowest population in the G8 nations we are the fastest growing population with a 5.9% increase in the past 5 years, up from our previous increase of 5.4% the 5 years before that. We beat the US growth rate of 4.4%.
While Alberta still leads all provinces in population growth (10.8% since the last census) it is all the Western provinces that are leading the way. For the first time in history we have more people living West of Ontario than East. It is marginal (0.1%) but it is still there. Helping this is the growth of Calgary and Edmonton as they outpaced the 31 cities with huge increases of 12% over the past 5 years.
Let’s not forget about Saskatchewan! In the 1986 census we had just over 1 million residents and then a long period of decline. We have now reached 1,033,381. We have an above-average growth rate of 6.7%. Since 2006 the population in both Regina and Saskatoon have seen an increase of 10%. As a Saskatoon REALTOR® this is of no surprise to me as I have seen an increasing number of people immigrating here and buying houses for sale in Saskatoon.
BC also saw an increase with the province’s total now at 4.4 million, up 7%. Kelowna was another of the country’s fastest growing cities after Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon.
Ontario, depsite the recession issues impatcing the manufacturing sector, still increased its population to 12.9 million but Windsor and Thunder Bay saw population decreases which was rare across Canada. Quebec has almost 8 million people and accelerated its growth rate from 4.3% in the 2006 Census to 4.7% in the last one.
It seems odd but Newfoundland and Labrador hadn’t noted a population increase since 1986 but finally got its numbers up to more than 250,000 people, largely due to petroleum. Even Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI saw their populations grow and Manitoba and the Yukon also saw significant jumps because of an influx of immigrants.
Overall, approximately 1/3 of all Canadians (35%) live in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver as all grew substantially since 2006. Again the drive was the arrival of tens of thousands of immigrants.
While Canada’ needs immigration there are almost major challenges in integrating and accommodating immigrant communities, but overall I think Canadians are still quite supportive of immigration and the promise of economic renewal and multicultural evolution.
In Saskatoon we definitely have a larger Indo-Pakistani community than ever before as well as a larger number of immigrants coming from Muslim nations. I see this daily when I drive around Saskatoon, whether it is just hearing more different languages or with new shops to cater to different food choices. This all helps drive our province to be what it is…booming!
If you are looking to buy a house for sale in Saskatoon and you are a newcomer to our country please speak to me about potential mortgage brokers in Saskatoon who can help new to Canada buyers.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Welcome Home Orthodontic Grads-New Clinic in Saskatoon
It is wonderful to see that Saskatchewan has not lost 2 very talented dentists but more so Orthodontists. Both Dr. Mike Wagner and Dr. Ryan Lacoursiere, Saskatchewan born and raised, graduated from the U of S College of Dentistry but both went in separate directions to attend grad school and master their passion. Wagner went to London while Lacoursiere went to Edmonton. Now both are back and they are bringing the latest technology to Saskatoon at Image Orthodontics.
One of the reasons for coming back is that they recognize we are a ‘have province’ and as Wagner states, “People here deserve every option they have in bigger centres.” Excellent! They are bringing all the technology that is current and available in places like Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto.
Some of that technology brought to Saskatoon includes invisible retainers and braces on the inside instead of the outside are just a couple of examples of what they are doing. Imagine how that will positively affect people’s self-esteem? Kids no longer being called “Brace Face” and other, I am sure, much meaner monikers for kids with braces.
Not only do Dr. Mike Wagner and Dr. Ryan Lacoursiere of Saskatoon bring the latest and greatest in orthodontics, they also are placing an emphasis on building an environmentally friendly business. Their Saskatoon office is 95% paperless, they have made an effort to use materials that are easy to clean and don’t need a load of maintenance and they also use biodegradable products throughout the business along with recycle where they can. As a real estate agent in Saskatoon who is trying to go as paperless as possible this factor is very important to me.
Go check them out for any of your orthodontic needs at Image Orthodontics from Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. They are located at 150-1820 McOrmond Drive. Some will say in Willowgrove, others will say Arbor Creek, while others yet will say University Heights. Whatever you call the area it doesn’t matter, going to see these doctors who could have went to many other cities is sure to make a positive difference in your smile today.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Co-Op is Open for Business in Stonebridge
The City of Saskatoon continues to grow and expand like crazy. Stonebridge is one of the communities that seems to be growing leaps and bounds, both in residential real estate in Saskatoon as well in commercial space.
We welcome the newest member of the Saskatoon Co-Op family to occupy some commercial space in Stonebridge. This will be a nice alternative to people who don’t want to shop for all of their food needs at the Wal Mart Super Centre. Co-Op is often known for their top cuts of meat and great produce as well as their fresh bakery so I am sure customers will be happy with what they see.
This 32,000 square foot building is a new concept and new look for Co-Op as changes have been made to the overall look. The floors, the walls, the colours and the decor choices are all different and is said to be a new and exciting look. Co-Op isn’t worried about the close proximity of the Wal Mart in Stonebridge as they feel they have something special to offer. I agree as their fresh departments and customer service stand out.
The store can be found just south of the Co-Op Gas Station in Stonebridge just off of Clarence Avenue. This is a great location for both people who live in Stonebridge but also those who live in Casa Rio, Saskatoon or the Willows. This is great for the Saskatoon home owners who live in Stonebridge. It is just one more great amenity that makes Stonebridge a great place to live or work.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
