If you want to reduce your home energy costs, the easiest way is to turn the thermostat up or down. In fact, you probably won't notice a difference of 2 degrees either way — and the savings can be substantial.

However, if you want to lower your bill even further each month, here are some additional tips that are relatively easy to implement.

• Plug or fix the drafts. Even in newer homes, air filtration can occur at windows and doors. So, check around your home for drafts. Windy or cold days are the best days to check. Then, get any drafts you find repaired or, at least, temporarily plugged.

• Check the attic. Heat rises and can escape through the attic. So, once a year, check the attic insulation for thin or bare spots. The insulation should be even across the space.

• Get smart with your thermostat. Most thermostats these days are programmable. Program yours to reduce the heat at night and when you're away in the winter. In the summer, be easy on the A/C during the day and save the cooling for nighttime.

• Unused rooms? Close the vents to reduce heat or A/C. You might be surprised by how much that will lower your energy bill. (Think about rooms, such as a rec room, that you only use on weekends.)

• Harness the sun. It's free energy! Whenever possible, keep curtains open during cooler seasons to take advantage of this heat source, even on cloudy days. Do the opposite during hot summer days.

Try some of these ideas over the next couple of months. Then, look at the impact they’ve had on your energy costs.

Building off the strong performance seen in June, the real estate sector continues to show signs of resilience. Across the province, year-over-year sales were up over 56% from July of last year (and up over 9% year-to-date), new listings were up over 9% year-over-year (but down 11% year-to-date), and the median sale price was up 2.7% (down 0.9% year-to-date). Inventories were also down in all markets that the SRA tracks, suggesting that people are still eager to buy and take advantage of the opportunities that exist.

While there has been an uptick in the number of COVID cases across the province, the precautions put in place earlier this year seem to have reduced people’s anxiety about home buying. “When the pandemic hit, we put measures in place to make sure that our members and their clients would be safe while buying homes,” said SRA CEO Jason Yochim. “And we’re seeing how effective those measures have been. People feel safe and they’re buying,” suggesting that while COVID is still a concern, people and the economy are adapting.

Although prices are down in some markets (reflecting the local nature of real estate), the number of sales were up in all markets that the SRA tracks, and the number of new listings were up in all but one. Again, this suggests that the sector is doing quite well despite the impact the pandemic has had on the province, and that the sector has recovered in two to three months.

The strong performance seen in June and July (supported by increasing confidence in the real estate sector) is promising for August as well. “Members are still receiving multiple offers and some properties continue to be sold almost as soon as they’re listed,” says Yochim, suggesting that there is still pent-up demand. As a result, would-be sellers may be encouraged to list and help ease the declining inventory burden. And with children scheduled to return to school in September, August could see another strong push before life gets back to “normal” and Saskatchewan real estate activity begins its cyclical slow down.

Sales in Saskatoon were up 41.0%, going from 390 in July 2019 to 550 in July 2020, and up 54.5% in the overall region, going from 495 to 765. In Saskatoon, sales were 36.7% above the 5-year average (and 33.1% above the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 37.9% above the 5-year average (and 33.2% above the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 4.1% over last year, increasing from 2,232 to 2,324, while YTD sales in the larger region rose 8.2%, going from 2,975 to 3,219.

Sales volume was up 49.0% in the city, going from $129.4M to $192.8M in 2020 (38.0% above the 5-year average, and 33.4% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $793.9M, an increase of 7.3% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 11.4%, going from $938.7M to $1,045.3M (42.9% above the 5-year average and 38.8% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume increased 11.4% in the region, rising from $938.7M in 2019 to $1,045.3M in 2020.

In Saskatoon, the number of new listings in July 2020 rose 9.1%, going from 748 to 816 (6.0% above the 5-year average and 3.7% above the 10-year average), while in the region, new listings rose 9.7% from 1,097 last year to 1,203 this year (5.7% below the 5-year average and 5.1% above the 10-year average). YTD new listings in the city fell 8.5%, going from 4,952 to 4,530, while in the larger region, the number of new listings to date fell 10.2%, going from 7,359 to 6,609. Active listings fell 20.3% in Saskatoon (down from 1,950 to 1,555) and fell 20.9% in the region (down from 3,575 to 2,827).

Inventory in Saskatoon stood at 3 (which is 43.5% below the level last year and 45.5% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 67.4%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers. Inventory in the larger region stood at 4 (which is 48.8% below the level last year and 43.8% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 63.6%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 43 days in July—down 17.3% from 52 days last year (but below the 5-year average of 48 days and above the 10-year average of 43 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market longer than homes in the city at 55 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 64 days last year (and 3.8% below the 5-year average).

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $316,000 to $338,500 (an increase of 7.1%) and were approximately 3.0% above the 5-year and 3.2% above the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is up 1.8% from $309,400 to $314,900. Year-to-date, the median home price in Saskatoon was $328,521 which is 2.1% above the $321,657 price from the same time last year.

Median home prices in the region went from $300,000 to $320,000 (an increase of 6.7%) and were approximately 2.3% above the 5-year and 2.5% above the 10-year average median price. Year-to-date, the median home price in the region was $309,504 which is 2.6% above the $301,514 price from the same time last year.  ~ August 2020 SRA News Release

Looking for sound market advice?  As REALTOR® and Nationally Accredited Buyer Representative - ABR®, Seller Representative Specialist - SRS® and Real Estate Negotiation Expert - RENE, I can provide you with this advice. Call today.

There are many reasons why you might suddenly need to sell your home. It could be an unexpected work relocation, a change in family circumstances, or simply a desire to move.

Whatever the reason, selling quickly requires some fast action on your part. But that doesn't mean you need to get into panic mode. You can list and sell your property, quickly while still enjoying the process!

The first thing you need to do is figure out how to make your home show its best. In addition to cleaning and decluttering, that might include getting any needed repairs done, sprucing up the place by painting and perhaps even doing some minor improvements.

How much you need to "stage" your property depends on many factors, including what conditions are like in the local real estate market. For example, you may not need to make each room look like a page from a decorating magazine if you’re in a seller’s market.

So, before you start any work, talk to me about what needs to be done to make your home ready to be seen by buyers.

The next thing you’ll need to consider is the list price. Your list price is especially important if you want to sell soon. No, you don't need to low-ball your listing to attract interested buyers — in fact, doing that might actually have the opposite effect. But you do need to price your property competitively.

In addition, it's smart to line up the resources you'll need, especially if you're also buying a new home. For example: get recommendations for a real estate lawyer, contractor, mortgage advisor, cleaning service, pet daycare, etc.

I’m well-connected in the local home industry, so I can recommend you to reputable professionals I know and trust.

A final tip: If you want to sell quickly, you need to start the process now. Give me a call to get the ball rolling.