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2018 Christmas Update
Where does the time go? It feels like I was just writing this Christmas update a few months ago and another whole year has passed. I really don’t know where December has went but it has been a busier than normal month for real estate in Saskatoon, at least for this Saskatoon REALTOR®!!
This year has been filled with ups and downs and a few more challenges than usual but overall it has still been a very good year for me and mine. I now have a 4 year old (wait, WHAT?!) who keeps us on our toes. He started preschool this fall and it has been a really nice change for him. He is learning Spanish for the next 2 years at a Spanish Immersion Preschool which has been such a great experience.
I had some health struggles last year and into this year but found out what was wrong and am moving forward more empowered than ever. Health struggles are nothing new to me after a lifetime of misdiagnoses so finally getting to the bottom of it was a more of a blessing than a curse. Onward and upward!
It has been another busy year for some travels as everyone knows how much we live for and love our traveling. We started in Mexico, took a trip to Florida to see friends and spent as much time as we could at our little piece of paradise cabin up north. My husband and I also got away for a trip to Croatia (a MUST if you love traveling!) and his work AGM in Vienna, Austria. It was nice to travel like we did pre-child but we sure missed Grayson.
The Saskatoon real estate market is certainly down from where it was last year in terms of average house price and activity in general but 2019 is projected to be a better year for home sales in Saskatoon. The average house price is currently $332,717 and we have sold 4,368 homes this year compared to 4,368 the year before.
As always, if you are ready to buy or sell please consider me as your Trusted Saskatoon REALTOR® and if you have anyone else in the market to buy or sell a home in Saskatoon and surrounding area I always appreciate the referrals.
Here is to a healthy and prosperous 2019 to all of you, my valued customers and friends.
Kari xo
November Market Update
The Saskatoon real estate market for November showed some signs of softening with 203 properties selling in 2018 compared to 259 in 2017 and 242 in 2016. This number is much lower than in 2010 when 287 homes for sale in Saskatoon had sold in the same month. This is a decrease of 17% from 2017 to 2018 however the overall sales for the entire year is only down 2% so don’t let that 17% get you down.
The year to date sales in Saskatoon is the lowest it has been in 10 years yet the economic indicators are pointing in a rebound for the Saskatoon real estate market.
Where we are seeing lower amount of sales we are also seeing a lower amount of listings so this helps keep the Saskatoon real estate market in more of a balanced state. In 2017 we had 850 properties listed for sale at the end of November whereas this year we are seeing 791.
We have a total of 3402 properties for sale in Saskatoon and surrounding area compared to 3458 last year which is only 2% less than last year. There are 1716 houses or condos for sale in Saskatoon compared to 1826 the previous year which is down 6%.
The average price of a house in Saskatoon is currently $332,717 which is down 4% from last year where the average price of a house here was $345,191. The monthly average house price is higher than it was in November of 2017 however this is generally the result of more expensive homes for sale in Saskatoon selling than the lower end product and condos.
It is important to note that even if it seems like a buyer’s market in Saskatoon, many home sellers are still getting close to list price IF (and this is a big IF) they priced their homes appropriately and had the guidance of an experiences and trustworthy realtor in Saskatoon.
There are a total of 627 REALTORS® in Saskatoon which hasn’t changed much since 2017. As one of the three TRUSTED Saskatoon REALTORS® I am proud to have that designation help set me apart from the other 624 real estate agents in Saskatoon and area. I work hard to get my sellers top dollar and a large part of this success is by performing in depth market analysis’s (these often take me 4+ hours) in collaboration with realistic home sellers. If a seller is not realistic about the current market and the information I work very hard to provide then we often see failure.
So if you are looking for a trusted Saskatoon real estate professional who will be honest and work hard to get the job done right please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Whether you are an experienced buyer or a first time homebuyer in Saskatoon I am also here to help navigate and take care of you throughout the process.
Blogging is Back!
Hello everyone! It has been a LONG time since I have blogged so I am letting you know I am back at it! I did have my partner blogging for me for a while as well but then I kept her too busy with helping me help all of you with getting your houses for sale in Saskatoon up and listed and properly marketed…so blogging got put on the back burner.
But now that the winter months are coming I am committing to do more blogging. This won’t take me away from my usual level of care for my Saskatoon real estate clients…instead it will keep everyone up to date on what is currently happing in the Saskatoon and area real estate world so you can make the best decisions when it comes time to buy or sell a home in Saskatoon.
As most of you know, I am very dedicated to my profession and community. I have been serving as a volunteer on a professionalism committee with the Saskatoon Region Association of Realtors which is there to help ensure our REALTORS® in Saskatoon are doing their jobs properly and to the highest standards.
I also continue to volunteer with The Princess Shop in mentoring young women in Saskatoon but also help provide financial support for some of the events in Saskatoon.
Easter Seals is also something I am passionate about supporting and I donate a portion of all of my sales. Whether you are buying or selling a home in Saskatoon and area a portion that I earn goes towards sending kids to camp.
I look forward to keeping you all up to date once again on the happenings in life with a 4 year old, real estate in Saskatoon and other real estate related fun facts and such.
Kari Calder
Century 21
Demand for commercial real estate in Canada
Canada is now considered one of the top markets to invest in commercial real estate. Experts have found that with a high level of economic and geopolitical uncertainty seen globally, that Canada is seeing an increase in investment activity. A new report suggests that real estate investors may look outside of the US in favor of Canada due to Trump and the concerns for the uncertainty around what the foreign policy and trade policy will be. There hasn’t been a consistent outline for a economic strategy that anyone has seen from him yet.
CRBE is one of the world’s largest commercial real estate investment firms and believes that 2017 will be a record breaking year for commercial real estate transactions. In 2016 we saw $34.7 billion in transactions and 2017 is forecasted to see even more. Chinese investors accounted for 71% of all foreign transactions in 2016.
European instability also is a driving force, increasing investments in Canada. The National Front in France’s election wants out of the EU, Brexit, Greece’s increasing debt, and Italy also wanting to leave the EU is causing investors to look at areas with stability and that area is Canada.
Toronto has the lowest vacancy rate of any major North American city with good rental growth projected for 2017. Toronto also has the second lowest industrial availability rate and the second lowest multifamily vacancy rate. It’s hotels also have recorded a record occupancy level for 2016. It’s an investor’s dream.
If you are interested in investing in Saskatoon, commercial or otherwise, I can guide you in the right direction. Please contact me today for more information!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon real estate agent
Century 21 Fusion
Kari@Saskatoonrealestate.net
Saskatoon real estate market update for February 2017
The February 2017 Saskatoon real estate market sales slightly increased from 2016 where 226 houses for sale in Saskatoon sold. This year we saw 229 houses in Saskatoon selling for the month of February.
The average home price in Saskatoon did see a decrease from last year with the average house price at $337,855 for 2017. Last year was at $332,689 in February.
Currently, the average time to sell a house in Saskatoon has remained stable in February at 52 days.
By the end of February, homebuyers in Saskatoon had 1,737 homes to choose from with 731 of those being condos for sale in Saskatoon.
Listing inventory in Saskatoon has decreased slightly with 613 new house listings in Saskatoon in 2017 while in 2016 we saw 727 new units placed on the market.
If you are looking for a qualified and experienced Saskatoon real estate agent, contact me for more information or to set up a meeting to discuss the current market and all your real estate needs.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
Saskatoon real estate market update for January 2017
The January 2017 Saskatoon real estate market sales increased from 2016 where 232 houses for sale in Saskatoon sold. This year we saw 249 houses in Saskatoon selling for the month of January.
The average home price in Saskatoon did see a decrease from last year with the average house price at $341,806 for 2017. Last year was at $355,154 in January.
Currently, the average time to sell a house in Saskatoon has increased slightly in January from 51 days to 52 days.
By the end of January, homebuyers in Saskatoon had 1,655 homes to choose from with 687 of those being condos for sale in Saskatoon.
Listing inventory in Saskatoon has increased with 724 new house listings in Saskatoon in 2017 while in 2016 we saw 683 new units placed on the market.
If you are looking for a qualified and experienced Saskatoon real estate agent, contact me for more information or to set up a meeting to discuss the current market and all your real estate needs.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
The stats don’t lie!
I’m proud to announce that the stats are in for real estate for 2016 and once again I’ve made Double Centurion Producer! I also placed #35 in Canada for units and #57 in Canada for production for all of the agents under the Century 21 Canada umbrella! A HUGE thank you to all my clients who supported me and to all that referred me business over the years.
In addition to Century 21 stats I thought I’d bring you stats on how I stacked up this year compared to the average agent in Saskatoon. At the end of December 2016 there was a total of 561 licensed Realtors® in Saskatoon.
Average sale price was $355.9K while the average sale price of listings I sold in 2017 was $370.0K. 54% of my sales this past year were from listings, ranging between 174,900 and $860,000. The quickest sale was just 4 days on a house in Rosewood and the longest was 166 days on a walkout home in Stonebridge. I was able to get 97.3% of list price for my sellers, above the overall average of 96.9%.
As for my buyers, I was able to secure homes for numerous buyers this year (46% of my sales) with an average sale price of $395,266. 7 were condos while the majority were single family dwellings. As for sale to list price, on the other side of the coin, I was able to achieve 96.8% negotiating for my buyers, just below the 96.9% average.
Overall, 2016 was a great year in real estate for me and with proven success for both my buyers and sellers this year, I’m a great choice when it comes to buying or selling real estate in Saskatoon.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon real estate agent
Century 21 Fusion
The key to selling your home in 2017
As we are closing out 2016 and reflecting on the year past, it’s also important to put the wheels in motion and work towards making the new year an even better one. Real estate in Saskatoon saw a decline of 7% in sales for 2016. The number of new listings was also down 5% by year end and 38% of homes that were listed ended up selling, making the real estate market firmly a buyer’s market. In December the sales to listing ratio did increase to a balanced market with 191 sales and 392 new listings.
Areas surrounding Saskatoon including Martensville and Warman saw a total decline of 11% by year end. These areas saw a sales to listing ratio of just under 32%. Interestingly enough though, Martensville saw a 10% increase in unit sales while Warman experienced a 35% decrease (!!!) in units sold this year. Other communities surrounding Saskatoon saw little difference in the number of units sold this year vs last.
Overall for 2016, the average time it took to sell a home in Saskatoon was 51 days. The average sale price was 96.7% of listing price.
What does this all mean? Buyers are becoming more educated and are willing to pay more for a house if it’s priced correctly. Because there are ample listings on the market, buyers can shop around and not get fooled into overpaying for a home. A house will sell quicker and for more money if it’s priced correctly to begin with.
The average house price in Saskatoon ended up just over $350,000 which is slightly down from 2015’s $354,000. The average price of homes over $750,000 did also see the number of home sales increase, helping to maintain the overall average sale price.
What does 2017 bring? 2017 is not supposed to bring any significant changes to the market. The key to selling your home this year? Being properly informed by what the current market conditions are and following accurate advice on pricing a home for sale. If you decide to ‘try out’ a higher price initially, you’re wasting valuable time and the leg up on the competition.
For more information on what I can do for you as a seller or for how I can help you as a buyer achieve the best price possible, please contact me today!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon real estate agent
Century 21 Fusion
Saskatoon real estate market update for December 2016
The December 2016 Saskatoon real estate market sales decreased slightly from 2015 where 197 houses for sale in Saskatoon sold. This year we saw 191 houses in Saskatoon selling for the month of December.
The average home price in Saskatoon did see a decrease from last year with the average house price at $342,617 for 2016. Last year was at $353,471 in December.
Currently, the average time to sell a house in Saskatoon has remained the same in December at 51 days.
By the end of December, homebuyers in Saskatoon had 1,446 homes to choose from with 602 of those being condos for sale in Saskatoon.
Listing inventory in Saskatoon has remained the same with 393 new house listings in Saskatoon in 2016 while in 2015 we also saw 393 new units placed on the market.
If you are looking for a qualified and experienced Saskatoon real estate agent, contact me for more information or to set up a meeting to discuss the current market and all your real estate needs.
Kari Calder
Saskatoon Real Estate Agent
Century 21 Fusion
Some Canadians will be unable to afford a rise in interest rates; A New Study
A recent report put out by Manulife Bank of Canada has found that just over 16% of Canadians will not be able to afford to pay their debts if their current mortgage payments increase at all. They also found out that nearly 30% would find it difficult to pay their bills within 3 months if the main income provider loses their job.
The results of this survey emphasize that more and more Canadians are finding themselves unprepared to handle a financial emergency. This, in a world of increasing costs and sluggish incomes. Interest rates are at decade lows and so the problem seems to be the increasing cost of housing, driving up higher mortgage costs and therefore the monthly mortgage costs.
The poll also found that 24% surveyed don’t know how much is in their emergency fund, 14% have not set aside any money, and 9% have less than $1,000 saved. The highest group at risk is millennial consumers carrying mortgage debt.
In response to this financial dilemma has been the stress tests required for all insured mortgages to ensure that borrowers would still be able to make their mortgage payments if interest rates rise or their financial situations change.
If you are concerned about the current real estate market in Saskatoon and a rise in interest rates, contact me and I can help navigate you through the uncertain time and ensure you don’t wind up in over your head!
Kari Calder
Saskatoon real estate agent
Century 21 Fusion
Kari@saskatoonrealestate.net
