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SaskTel Upgrading Saskatoon 4G Network
SaskTel announced on September 30, 2011 that it will be upgrading the existing 4G service in the city of Saskatoon to help deal with some of the congestion on the mobility network. Over the past several weeks residents of Saskatoon have complained that the 4G network has been extremely slow resulting in people losing calls or it taking forever to download something. SaskTel like all other mobility providers across North America could not prepare for the overwhelming uptake of 4G data services. The current bandwidth consumption is 1000% higher than original estimates. All providers are having issues across Canada and North America. You can read more at Global Saskatoon on the story.
Recently I read a study that indicated that NetFlix and YouTube account for over 40% of all internet traffic. This is an incredible statistic and just demonstrates how much society has adopted online technologies. As a Saskatoon real estate agent I am dependent on the 4G network for both phone and data services. I rely on my phone and text messaging capabilities to work with other Saskatoon REALTORS® in helping my clients buy and sell Saskatoon real estate. I recently have started using an iPad with a goal to go paperless in the next month. In order to be able to do this I need to have online access to forms, email, and other applications that use data services. As a society we have become dependent on instant access and as a REALTOR® I can say that my job would be extremely difficult without it. Upgrades are scheduled to take place starting in October and will take place for the next year. You can visit SaskTel’s website here to see where existing 4G towers are and here to visit where they are planning on putting new towers. You may be surprised to see that Saskatoon currently only has 6 4G towers active with another 4 planned by Q2,2012.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Real Estate Going Green with Technology
Since becoming a Saskatoon real estate agent in 2007 I have learnt that our industry is dominated by paper. It seems we consume paper in almost everything we do whether it is writing a contract to buy or sell a Saskatoon home, create marketing materials for Saskatoon homes for sale, or printing out listings for clients. I like to consider myself environmentally aware and have done a lot of things in my own personal life to try and make a bit more of a difference. In my house we recycle everything we can which has resulted in us having more recyclable materials each week then we do garbage. I have subscribed to recycling services in Saskatoon as long as they have been offered. This past summer I prepared a garden which also contains a composter which will help address some of the other biodegradable materials that we can’t recycle. The house I live in is an energy efficient house which has resulted in significant decreases in our heating/cooling and water consumption.
Although I am doing a variety of activities in my personal life, I wanted to also take some of these initiatives into my professional life. Recently I posted a blog about my new iPad that I use for my Saskatoon real estate career. This little device has been extremely helpful in conducting my day to day real estate business and has also provided a lot of benefit to my clients. Since I first purchased my iPad I have been working towards becoming totally paperless. With a lot of research and the right combination of applications I am hoping to be paperless in the next month. There is a bit of a learning curve but I have already noticed a significant reduction in my paper consumption while working as a Saskatoon REALTOR®. I will continue to post updates on my progress.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Real Estate Market Update – August 2011
August saw 991 new properties for sale in Saskatoon which is up 10 from 2010 according to SRAR. The total number of properties that were purchased in Saskatoon was 565 which is up from 429 in 2010 so August was a very busy month for Saskatoon REALTORS® In the week of September 26-30th we had 117 newly listed homes or condos for sale in Saskatoon and 92 properties sell in Saskatoon.
In the surrounding communities we saw 30 properties sell and 55 new properties listed for sale around Saskatoon. It will be interesting to see the stats for September of 2011 for houses for sale in Saskatoon vs how many properties purchased in Saskatoon.
Average house price in Saskatoon in August was $315,774 which is up slightly from the year before and year to date the average price is up 5% at $306,949 from $292,519 from 2010. Remember average house price in Saskatoon can be misleading depending on the type of property for sale in Saskatoon and if higher end or starter homes are selling more.
As a Saskatoon real estate agent I have not slowed down much in the past few months so it seems that the activity in Saskatoon real estate market is steady but it is neither a buyer’s market or a seller’s market but still more of a balanced market in Saskatoon in general. There are certain price ranges that are always quite busy and in demand.
If you would like to know more about the real estate market in Saskatoon feel free to call or email me.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon’s Premier Wine Tasting Event – A Success In My Eyes!
One of my favourite events in Saskatoon is “Premier” which is Saskatchewan’s Wine, Spirits, and Speciality Food Show. The event takes place at TCU Place and is a 3 evening event. At this event you can purchase tickets and the sample fine wines and spirits from around the world as well as taste gourmet Saskatchewan-made foods. This festival is in support of Autism Services so not only are you out for a fun night in Saskatoon with your friends but you are helping Autism Services.
I was sad this year though that one of my favourite food booths was not there which is the green curry booth. I believe it is from Royal Thai Restaurant in Saskatoon so I will have to wait until my next favourite festival, Taste of Saskatchewan or else make a special trip to see them for my green curry. I made the mistake of not eating dinner before as I usually stuff myself with the curry as well as the yummy shrimp from Beily’s Restaurant and Bar. This time I ate 2 perogies (the cost was outrageous!!) and a lot of shrimp!
The Festival always ends early so from there people generally try to find a hot night spot in Saskatoon to continue the fun. Beily’s is often the after party spot and this year was no different. It is one of the few nights a year that older people dominate the dance floor (by that I mean 25+).
I ran into a handful of my Saskatoon real estate clients so it is nice to see people getting out and enjoying our events and what Saskatoon has to offer.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Getting A Cabela’s
Since July 2011, construction of a new 50,000 sqft building has been happening at Preston Crossing just off of circle drive. I had heard ideas of what this might be but it wasn’t confirmed until recently when a sign went up announcing the new store to be a Cabela’s which is an a massive US outdoor hunting and fishing chain. This will only be the third Cabela’s in Canada with the other locations being Winnipeg and Edmonton. The official announcement of Cabela’s website can be found here.
This is just another sign of Saskatoon’s growing economy. Cabela’s estimates that it will hire 100 people from Saskatoon and the surrounding area. Generally most employees are avid outdoors people. We are starting to see more and more larger retail chains move into Saskatoon and Canada as a whole. You can read more about Cabela as a company at businesswire.com. For many US companies, the US market is saturated and with the strong Canadian economy it makes sense to start looking to the north. The fact that out of all of Canada, Cabela’s choose Saskatoon as it’s third location demonstrates how strong our economy is and how well known we are becoming as a city.
With new business opening such as this we will continue to see strong results from the Saskatoon real estate market. Over the past year I have worked with people from all over the world relocating to Saskatoon. I always ask people why they selected Saskatoon and I get the same answer, there are so many opportunities. It is wonderful to see our city growing and attracting people from all over the world. Soon the days of driving to Edmonton or Calgary for weekend shopping trips will be gone as everything will be in our own backyard.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon Circle Drive Bridge Update September 2011
The Saskatoon Circle Drive South project is the largest construction project in the history of Saskatoon. This $300 million dollar project started construction in 2009 and is scheduled to complete in fall of 2012. Recently media teams were taken on tours of the construction sites where it was announced that the Circle Drive project will complete on time. There were concerns in the spring of 2011 that construction may fall behind due to the poor weather. It turned out that Saskatoon has had one of it’s best summers in years and a late fall which has allowed construction crews to actually get a head of schedule on some parts of the project.
This project will significantly impact and benefit the traffic flow in the city of Saskatoon. The Circle Drive South expansion will improve accessibility from the east to the west side of the city. This is excellent for those individuals who work on opposite sides of the city. With this improved accessibility you will see changes in the Saskatoon real estate market as it is much easier for people to now move throughout the city making some of the areas on the west side more attractive to home buyers.
Although this project is still a year away from being completed you can view pictures on the CTV News website to see the latest construction. You can even view an online webcam 24 hours a day monitoring the construction on the Circle Drive South bridge.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
What Did I Do Before My iPad?
Over the past several months I have been busy updating many of the technologies I use as a Saskatoon real estate agent. The goal of this is to not only gain efficiencies for myself but also provide a better experience for my clients. Technology is a vital component of how I operate as a Saskatoon REALTOR®. Whether it is how I keep myself organized, how I market Saskatoon homes for sale, help my clients find the perfect Saskatoon home, or how I ensure I provide my clients a competitive advantage, it has been a big part of my success.
One of the biggest upgrades for me has been my purchase of an iPad 2. I have already found my iPad to be a valuable tool for both my clients and myself. Recently while out with relocation buyers in Saskatoon we managed to view 20 houses for sale in Saskatoon and the surrounding area in one day thanks to my trusty iPad. Based on feedback from my clients I had booked several appointments the day previously but as we viewed some of the homes my clients decided they wanted to look at other options. Normally we would have had to head back to the office and bring up new listings but with the help of my iPad we were able to do this while driving. This saved us at least one day in the Saskatoon home search process and enabled me to help them purchase a home in Warman the next day.
The feedback I received from my clients was excellent. They were able to easily view and eliminate potential showings all from the comfort of my vehicle. Having my iPad with me during showings also allowed me to do history searches on the house we were viewing and to show my clients what I am looking at. My clients even commented they had fun while playing on the iPad as well.
When I first decided to purchase a tablet I did quite a bit of research as there are a lot of makes and models out there. After a lot of research I determined the Apple iPad was the best fit for my needs. I had contemplated waiting to purchase my iPad 2 as the iPad 3 is due to released sometime in early 2012. I am so glad that I went ahead and purchase an iPad 2 now opposed to waiting as it has already paid for itself. As a Saskatoon real estate agent I can without a doubt say that my experience with the iPad has been nothing but positive.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
