Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
Saboroso Brazilian Steakhouse A Great Night Out
Saturday evening we had the opportunity to go out for dinner with some of my Saskatoon real estate clients and they booked us at Saboroso, the new Brazilian Steakhouse on 8th Street. It was amazing! We had the 7pm seating which was great as I wouldn’t want to go any later than that for fear of a food hangover. First thing to note is that you need to have a reservation. We saw several people attempting to walk in but all were turned away. I have been told you need to book in advance as well, especially on weekends.
I am not a big meat eater so the ‘all you can eat meat’ which is called the “Rodizio” wasn’t a big draw for me but everyone else in the group got their money’s worth. They were able to start with some salads and bean dishes and then the meat started to come! I ordered off the menu and had a wonderful shrimp dish. They have a good selection of food choices for non red meat eaters. I did try some of their meat as my fiancé let me have some of his and the chicken was amazing! I don’t think there was a choice that people did not like but the lamb was surprisingly one of the most popular with our group. You have a cube on your table with a red side and a green side. If the green side is up the servers will stop every time and see if you want more. They are called “Gauchos” and they are busy. I think the $34 was well worth it for all of the fine meats. We will definitely be back!
It is great to see more unique Saskatoon restaurants and as the city grows I think we will continue to see amazing new restaurants that appeal to all types of foodies.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Research In Motion Offers Free Premium Applications
I have written a few times about how the RIM BlackBerry outage interrupted my life as a Saskatoon real estate agent and business owner. Since the outage Reseach In Motion (RIM) announced that it is going to be offering BlackBerry users more than $100 worth of applications for free to try to make up for last week’s issues. RIM has said it will take about 4 weeks for all of the applications to become available through its virtual shop starting Wednesday, October 19th, and you have until the end of the year to take advantage of it. The products offered range from games to communication software. Below is a list of all of the applications that RIM will be offering and will be available through Blackberry App World.
- SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts
- Bejeweled – Electronic Arts
- N.O.V.A. – Gameloft
- Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft
- Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft
- Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps
- DriveSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org
- iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org
- Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org
- Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex
- Shazam Encore – Shazam
- Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo
RIM is trying to maintain loyalty of customers who were affected by disruptions last week that affected email, IM and web browsing. As I mentioned in a previous blog around how the outage impacted the Saskatoon real estate market, it should be an interesting move to see if RIM can maintain their customer base.
As much as I was frustrated and impacted by the global Blackberry outage the other part that affected me was the dropped calls. Data services such as email and blackberry messenger were interrupted from the outage but I also suffered a significant amount of dropped calls. From what I have been told from SaskTel this was a combination of both the RIM global outage and the congestion of the 4G network in Saskatoon and the surrounding area.
Have I jumped ship with RIM and the BlackBerry? Not yet but if RIM continues to have issues I may have to consider a switch. As a Saskatoon real estate agent I rely very heavily on being able to have dependable technology. Every technology out there has it’s own unique issues but RIM as a global company has had quite a few in the past few years. Between RIM and SaskTel 4G issues it has been challenging to have consistent and reliable communication and mobile data services. I am really hoping that SaskTel gets the planned 4G upgrades in ahead of schedule. As Saskatoon continues to grow so will the demand for cellular and data services.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon To Host 2013 Memorial Cup
On Wednesday in Calgary the Western Hockey League announced that Saskatoon will be the host city of the 2013 Memorial Cup. Saskatoon beat out Red Deer and Kelowna who were also being considered. One of the big deciding factors to select Saskatoon as the host city was our recent track record of hosting major national and international events. Most recently Saskatoon was host to the 2010 Word Junior Hockey Championships which saw thousands of visitors from all across the world visit Saskatoon.
The tournament will be held on May 17 – 26, 2013 at the Credit Union Centre which has capacity for 15,000 people. The last time Saskatoon hosted the Memorial Cup was in 1989 when the Saskatoon Blades lost in the final in overtime. Because Saskatoon is hosting the event, the Saskatoon Blades receive an automatic entrance into the tournament. This also means that Saskatoon Blades season ticket holders will get first crack of tickets when they eventually go on sale.
Besides just the pure enjoyment of having the Memorial Cup played in Saskatoon this also means big benefits for Saskatoon businesses. Early estimates are that more than $20 million dollars will be generated in revenue for local Saskatoon businesses. Seeing major events come to Saskatoon like this just supports the positive and rapid growth of the city of Saskatoon. Saskatoon has a booming economy and the name Saskatoon is becoming more nationally and internationally recognized as a place for opportunity. This year alone I have worked with dozens of people relocating to Saskatoon from other provinces and even other countries. As Saskatoon continues to grow and develop the Saskatoon real estate market will continue to grow as well. We are one of the fastest growing cities which means we have a lot of new people moving here looking to purchase real estate.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatchewan Will Host The 2013 CFL Grey Cup
On Thursday, October 13 at Casino Regina Show Lounge during a gala event, it was announced that Saskatchewan will be hosting the 2013 Grey Cup game on November 24, 2013. This will mark the 101st Grey Cup game and only the third time that it has been hosted in Saskatchewan. The game will be played at Mosaic Stadium which is the same location the Saskatchewan Roughriders play.
I don’t know a bigger Saskatchewan Roughrider fan than my mom who lives in Estevan, Saskatchewan. Growing up you could always guarantee that my mom would be watching the football game on the weekend. Today though, as a Saskatoon real estate agent I often work on Saturday or Sunday’s so don’t get to always get to watch the Roughrider game but I know that my mom is always watching and can get updates or the score from her anytime.
Hosting the CFL Grey Cup is not only a great honor but also very beneficial for the Saskatchewan economy. Thousands of people will visit Regina during the Grey Cup weekend which has grown into a festival. Grey Cup is not only about celebrating football but also celebrating being Canadian. It will be great to show our incredible province off thousands of visitors from across Canada.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Blackberry Global Outage Impacts Saskatoon Real Estate
As a Saskatoon real estate agent I am dependent on the technology I use for my day to day business. Today however my technology failed me which has created quite a few headaches although I wasn’t alone. For the past 4 years I have used a Blackberry smart phone which I have become reliant on as a valuable business tool. Globally Research In Motion (RIM) the maker of Blackberry has had network outages. The issues originally started in Europe but spread over to Canada today resulting in most Blackberry users not being able to send/receive email which is the primary function of my smart phone as a Saskatoon REALTOR®. The reason that RIM network outages impacted Blackberry users worldwide is that all Blackberry traffic runs through their global network which is different than other smart phone providers such as Apple or Android devices. There are over 70 million Blackberry users globally and because all Blackberry traffic goes through the RIM network is the reason many middle eastern and Asian countries have not allowed Blackberries to be permitted in their countries. The failure was due to “a core switch failure within RIM’s infrastructure”.
My Blackberry is a business tool for me but I am also still a bit cautious about putting all of my technology in one device. As a Saskatoon real estate agent we have a lockbox system that allows us as licensed REALTORS® to gain entry in Saskatoon and surrounding area listed homes. A lot of agents use pin pad devices which are stand-alone devices to gain access however some agents utilize an application that turns your smart phone into this device. For those real estate agents that use Blackberries, this function would not work for them yesterday. Luckily I was still able to be show home to real estate buyers I was working with today. I will be honest, not having the ability to send and receive email on the fly was not enjoyable. It makes me realize how dependent I have become on technology and the real estate market as a whole in Saskatoon has become and how much efficiency I gain from using technology when working with Saskatoon real estate clients.
For those people that have Blackberries service was restored late last night but it will take the next day or two for everything to get back to normal due to the huge backlog of data on the RIM network. It’s unfortunate to see RIM which is a Canadian company have so many issues over the past year. Their market share has been decreasing and their stock value has been going down. As much as I love my Blackberry and it has been a great tool I may need to start looking at other options. I recently purchased an iPad so I may need to consider an iPhone or perhaps even an Android device. Unfortunately though SaskTel is currently experiencing major issues with 4G capacity so no matter what smart phone or 4G device you have, you will experience issues with which you can read more at my blog here.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Real Estate Market Update September – 2011
While Saskatoon REALTORS® were less busy in September 2011 than in August 2011 we were still busier than the year before. The increase from September 2010 to September 2011 was 21% in volume. The most active price range of houses for sale in Saskatoon that are selling is the $300,000-$350,000 range. Average days on the market in Saskatoon was 40 for September.
The average house price in Saskatoon is just over $311,000 in September with the year to date average house price in Saskatoon being $307, 415 which is up 4% from the year before when the year to date average house price in Saskatoon was $294, 741. Keep in mind that the monthly average house price is easily skewed depending on how many condos vs high end homes sell in a particular month.
We had more houses listed for sale in Saskatoon in September than the year before but the total listings in Saskatoon was down from the year before. At the end of September 2010 there were 1355 houses for sale in Saskatoon to choose from whereas this year we only have 1222 houses for sale in Saskatoon.
Houses for sale around Saskatoon also saw an increase in activity from the year, up from 79 to 101 this year. The average selling price in communities around Saskatoon has also increased from just under $250,000 to over $281,000. Average days on market in communities around Saskatoon was 59 for the month of September.
If you are thinking about selling your house in Saskatoon now is a great time but the Saskatoon real estate market is still price sensitive so if you are expecting more than the house is worth you will expect to sit on the market and possibly have your listing expire. You can view a full September market summary at the SRAR website.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Century 21 Fusion September Top Producer
I am happy to say that I didn’t experience the usual back to school slow down that some Saskatoon REALTORS® experience. It probably helps that I don’t have kids! It was actually quite the opposite for me. I was the number one Saskatoon Century 21 Fusion real estate agent in September with the volume of sales I achieved. I was busy selling houses for sale in Saskatoon. Some of my Saskatoon home buyers came from out of the province on relocation trips while other deals that I did were on my Saskatoon houses for sale. I had 2 houses for sale in Saskatoon come up in one week and both sell in that same week as we were priced right in a balanced market. The first house for sale in Saskatoon was listed on a Monday and we had an offer on it by Wednesday and the other house for sale in Saskatoon was listed on a Tuesday and had a firm deal on it by Thursday. The Saskatoon real estate market is still very price sensitive and both of these homes for sale in Saskatoon were priced well which meant for quick sales. Often Saskatoon home sellers think that you possibly underpriced their home if you get an offer on it during that first week. While this does occur sometimes if a Saskatoon real estate agent isn’t keeping good tabs on the market, it can more often mean that your Saskatoon REALTOR® was actually watching the market closely for you and adjusting the list price according to what was happening in the market at the time.
For both of these listings I spoke to both sellers weeks before listing their home for sale in Saskatoon and in both cases the numbers at the time of first speaking to them came in lower than when I rechecked before the actual list date. In both cases if they had listed their house for sale in Saskatoon a couple of weeks earlier they would have been short $10,000 but with the timing and efforts on my and their behalf, they were able to walk away with more than before. If I had been too busy or too lazy to go back and rerun my numbers both of my sellers would have $10,000 less in their pocket. Neither of my Saskatoon real estate clients had to spend weeks keeping their house for sale in Saskatoon in show home condition as the price and marketing were right the first time. This is why it is so important to find the right Saskatoon REALTOR® and I hope to be that person for you!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon’s Newest Neighbourhood – Evergreen
Over the past several years the City of Saskatoon has been growing at tremdous rate, probably faster than the previous 10 years before. The city has developed several large neighbourhoods including Willowgrove and Hampton Village. Both of these new neighbourhoods were developed much faster than originally anticipated. All lots in both Willowgrove and Hamption Village are sold out although construction is still underway. Other large developments include Stonebridge which is owned and developed by Dundee, a large Saskatoon home builder. Stonebridge is anticipated to be fully developed 5 years ahead of schedule due to the current demand for housing in Saskatoon.
In saying that the City of Saskatoon has already started the sale of lots in the newest Saskatoon neighourhood development called Evergreen. Evergreen was given it’s name as it is designed a specific way to preserve two rows of 50 year old pine trees as an urban forest. Evergreen has a unique location and is situated directly north of University Heights, north west of Willowgrove, and is west of the Saskatoon Forestry Farm. To the east and south of the neighbourhood is agriculture land that is dedicate to research with no plans to change this.
Evergreen has been designed as a sustainable urban village and is focused on being environmentally friendly while providing residence a great living experience. The neighourhood will be a combination of residential homes, multi-unit dwellings, open spaces, and commercial spaces. A unique difference with the design of the neighourhood is that the majority of all lots are designed to receive the full benefit of the sun’s rays providing opportunities for solar power if chosen by Saskatoon home owenrs. Another great feature of Evergreen is the elaborate park and trail system that has been incorporated int the design. The entire neighourhood has a connecting park and trail system that will allow resident to run, jog, or bike across the entire neighourhood without stopping.
Evergreen has two proposed elementary schools and a community center although these aren’t expected to be decided on for a few years yet. There is a village square that provides a central meeting place for the entire neighourhood. This focal point of the commmunity will also be the same location of many of the commercial buildings that will provide shops and service to the Saskatoon residents.
One thing to be aware of though when purchasing a new home in Evergreen is that the lot sizes are traditionally smaller than in other neighourhoods across Saskatoon. The average lot size is slightly smaller than both Willowgrove and Hampton village as well the cost is higher as well. It is important when choosing a new home whether you are building or buying an existing home to consider the layout of the lot. Some people prefer sunlight during the morning in their backyard while others prefer sunlight in the afternoon and evening. Each lot provides a unique option for home owners so it is important to consider these options when buying a new Saskatoon Evergreen home.
One last thing that is also unique to Evergreen is that the City of Saskatoon is offering several incentives to people buying lots. Please note that the first phase of Evergreen is already sold out and the majority of the lots were purchased by Saskatoo home builders.
- A $500 administrative cost rebate will be given for homes certified through the ENERGY STAR® for New Homes Initiative in Canada, the EnerGuide
- Rating System Initiative, or the LEED Canada for Homes program.
- A rainwater collection barrel will be offered with each lot sale as a way of supporting reduced potable water use.
- A composter will be offered with each lot sale in order to encourage sustainable organic waste practices.
- Two Saskatoon berry bushes will be provided per lot sale in order to promote xeriscaping practices.
Please feel free to contact me anytime for further information around the Evergreen neighbourhood in Saskatoon. I am here to help answer all of your Saskatoon Evergreen real estate buying questions.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Giving New Shoes to Children In Need – Great Charity!
Have you heard about TOMS Shoes? I recently stumbled across this online shoe store that has an incredible foundation setup. For every pair of shoes sold their foundation they give a pair of shoes to a child in need. With my closet(s) full of shoes I should probably stop buying them… however these ones are for a great cause. They even have pink sparkly ones which are right up my alley.
Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Shoes, was a traveler and in 2006 he befriended kids in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Upon further investigation he has also found that some kids have been turned away from schools because of lack of footwear but also that kids are at risk as one of the leading causes of disease is from contaminated soil. These contaminants can easily pass through the feet.
They make everything from your classic slip on loafer type shoe to heels! Pretty much every kind of print you can imagine as well as many Vegan choices for the people who follow that lifestyle.
As of September 2010 they have given over 1,000,000 pairs of shoes to children in need around the world. That is outstanding! So for every pair of shoes you (or I!!) buy you are giving a pair of shoes to a child in need. How cool is that?
Their company is starting to expand to things like sunglasses. Every pair purchased means someone can get the eye care they need whether it is glasses or cataract surgery.
I’m also happy to say that we have several retailers here in Saskatoon who sell these shoes. Momentum (both locations), The Better Good, Outtabounds, and Escape Sports are all retailers for TOMS shoes in Saskatoon.
Most of the shoes are the slip on variety and as a Saskatoon real estate agent who is constantly in and out of my shoes while showing houses for sale in Saskatoon I can say that these may be ideal work shoes for me. Yes, I am looking to justify a future purchase just a little bit but hey, its for a good cause!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
