Imagine you have a major project at work, you have to deal with home schooling and you still need to deal with groceries, laundry and dinner. Whoa! That's a busy life.

Can you still find and buy a new home with such a tight schedule? The good news is, you can. In fact, there's plenty you can do to save time.

Consider these tips:

• Get specific about the home you want to buy. Think about property type (for example, "two story, detached"), number of bedrooms and bathrooms, special features, etc.

• Target areas you'd like to live in. That will avoid trips to see listings in areas that aren't a good fit for you.

• Get the financing arranged. You'll be able to shop for a new home with more confidence when you have a pre-arranged mortgage. It will also make your offers stronger.

• Make seeing homes a priority by putting it on your schedule. Look at pictures and watch virtual tours carefully to help narrow down the number of homes you need to visit. Try to block time on the weekend, and ideally one or two evenings a week, to view homes without other distractions.

• Get all the information you need when viewing a property. Take notes. Ask questions. Thoroughly explore the home, yard, and neighbourhood. Get enough information to make a decision without needing to see the home a second time.

While these time-saving tips can help, the best way to find a home on a busy schedule is to work with a good real estate agent.

Want more advice on buying your next dream home? Call today.

Whether you're painting your home to prepare it for sale, or simply to make it more attractive for your own enjoyment, choosing the right colour is important. A colour isn't just a matter of taste, it's also, to a large extent, about the emotions it elicits.

If you're painting your foyer, for example, you may want it to seem bright and welcoming. So, light orange tones might be appropriate as that colour is often interpreted as friendly.

In your living room, you may want to create an atmosphere of comfort and relaxation. In that case, consider shades of greens or grays as those colours communicate peacefulness and calm.

Want the rec room to look vibrant and energetic? Purples and reds communicate those emotions.

Where do you find more information about colour psychology? There are plenty of charts available online. Just Google "colour psychology charts". They can help you select just the right colour to convey the feeling you want for a room.

Of course, if all else fails, you can't go wrong with soft beiges, especially when selling your home. Neutral colours are often interpreted as reliable.

Have questions about painting and other fix-ups that will help sell your home faster and for the best price? Call today.

As you've probably noticed, credit card companies regularly offer bonuses to get you to apply for their cards. For example, one such card company offers opportunities to buy tickets to concerts and other events ahead of everyone else. It's their "front of the line" service.

When you’re searching for a new home, wouldn't it be great if you could get to the front of the line on desirable properties – before other buyers get the chance?

Well, in a way, you can.

The first thing you need to do is create a profile for the specific type of home you're looking to buy. That profile will need to include the basics, such as type of home (e.g. detached), size and rooms (e.g. 2000-2,500 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 baths), and your target neighbourhoods.

You'll also want to add any additional features you're looking for, such as a finished basement or in-ground pool.

Next, you want to work with a real estate agent like me who understands the local market and can arrange for you to receive immediate alerts for newly listed homes that meet your criteria.

It's not uncommon for homes to become available for sale before the listing information gets published on the MLS. In fact, in some circumstances, it could take a couple of days before such listings become available online.

So, if you get an alert soon after a listing comes on the market, you get a head-start on seeing that home and making an offer. And, you don't need to apply for a special credit card to make that happen! Just give me a call. I can help you find the right home for you.

COVID-19 has had significant economic impact across all sectors of the economy. Despite those challenges, the Saskatchewan real estate market has been relatively resilient to date.

While Q1 new listings and average prices were down 4.4% and 0.2% respectively over last year, Q1 sales were up 7.0%. The true impact of the pandemic, however, was not going to begin to be felt until April, and although activity was down, it was not down as much as anticipated.

Across the province, new listings were down 48.1% from April of last year while sales were down 45.1%. This contrasts significantly from the SARS pandemic which saw transactions in some markets fall up to 72% and cease completely during COVID-19 in certain markets. Average home prices in April fell 3.2% year-over-year which is consistent with the modest price decline experienced in other markets affected by pandemics.

Evidence from prior pandemics suggest that transaction volumes return to normal quite quickly once physical distancing measures are relaxed. The province is just beginning to re-open the economy and we anticipate that “the real estate industry in Saskatchewan will likely emerge from this shutdown with only a few cuts and scrapes,” said Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association CEO Jason Yochim.

Home sales produce approximately $54,000 in additional spinoff spending across multiple sectors of the economy. Reduced restrictions on the home buying process have the potential to boost employment and help the provincial economy to recover and offset some losses in other areas of the economy.

“The number of employment opportunities and essential economic activities that are created when a home is bought or sold is significant,” said Yochim. “Sales that don’t occur during this pandemic will be recovered once the province has opened up again.”

Saskatchewan REALTORS® have taken every action possible to protect public safety concerning COVID-19 and recognized early on that business could not carry on as usual. The industry has worked hard to develop and provide a significant amount of virtual resources for REALTORS® as well as buyers and sellers which has proved to be invaluable while practicing social distancing.

Sales in Saskatoon were down 43.9%, going from 380 in April 2019 to 213 in April 2020, and down 44.9% in the overall region, going from 514 to 283. In Saskatoon, sales were 34.3% below the 5-year average (and 40.5% below the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 35.1% below the 5-year average (and 42.9% below the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon fell 10.8% over last year, dropping from 1,048 to 935, while YTD sales in the larger region also fell 10.9%, going from 1,422 to 1,267.

Sales volume was down 44.2% in the city, going from $129.6M to $72.4M in 2020 (35.6% below the 5-year average, and 42.9% below the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $312.2M, a decrease of 9.0% from last year. In the region, sales volume was down 44.2%, going from $166.0M to $92.7M (35.4% below the 5-year average and 42.7% below the 10-year average). YTD sales volume also fell 9.6% in the region, going from $443.7M in 2019 to $401.3M in 2020.

The number of new listings in April 2020 fell from the number last year as well. In Saskatoon, new listings fell 36.7%, going from 774 to 490 (36.1% below the 5-year average and 37.5% below the 10-year average), while in the region the situation was even worse, with new listings falling 43.6% from 1,201 last year to 677 this year. Active listings also fell 17.9% in Saskatoon (down from 1,781 to 1,463) and 16.4% in the region (down from 3,240 to 2,708).

The sales to listing ratio was 43.5% in Saskatoon and 41.8% in the region suggesting somewhat balanced market conditions in the area.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 56 days in April—marking no change from 56 days last year (but still slightly above the 5-year average of 52 days and the 10-year average of 44). Homes in the region stayed on the market somewhat longer than homes in the city at 67 days on average in 2020, up modestly from an average of 65 days last year.

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $332,000 to $320,000 (a decrease of 3.6%) and were approximately 1.8% below the 5-year and 2.4% below the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—was up 2.4% from $302,200 to $305,600. Median home prices in the region also fell 1.2%, going from $313,750 to $309,900 which is 2.1% below the 5-year and 2.1% below the 10-year average median price.

~ May 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.

It’s always an honor to make this list and I’m so proud to be among this brave hardworking group of realtors. 

In such uncertain health, social and economic times, I am so very grateful to be an essential service and continue doing what I love; helping those who are in need. 

I extend a huge THANK YOU to my brave VIP clients and all the other professionals who also braved and worked hard throughout the process so that I could continue to make real estate dreams happen as smoothly as possible and bring the certainty of a home to others with so much uncertainty around.  

 I am proud to be a #REALTOR®, #ABR®, #SRS®, #RENE and I will continue to rise to any challenge and adapt to any changes that come my way so that I may help those in need safely and with the highest level of service.  Not even a global pandemic can ever stop that.

Together we will excel through this if we continue to help those in need.

Be brave, be patient, be safe & stay strong.  We will triumph!

There's a reason why there are "kitchen and bath" stores, and even design magazines devoted to these rooms. A well-staged kitchen and bathroom can make the entire home look better. So, it's no surprise that professional home stagers pay particular attention to these spaces.

What do these pros have to say about bathrooms?

Professional stagers advise that you start by taking a picture of the room. Looking at that picture will give you a better sense of how others see your bathroom and reveal what needs to be changed.

Then, de-personalize it. When you’re showing your home to buyers, you want the bathroom to resemble a guest bathroom. So, no shaving kits, toothbrushes, sticky notes to self on the mirror, etc.

Stagers also recommend that anything worn be replaced. This will likely include the shower curtain and mats, which tend to wear and stain quickly.

Hang fresh new towels on the rack. (If you’re buying new towels for this purpose, choose white.) Put an unused bar of soap or hand cleaner next to the sink. Make it look like a freshly stocked hotel bathroom.

If required, paint the walls. Off-white colours, including beiges and light greys, work well.

As you can see, it doesn't take much to stage your bathroom and make it look its best for buyers.

Looking for more staging tips? Call today.

If you're thinking of listing your property, one thing that might be holding you back is concern about preparing your home for sale. You may be wondering how much work there will be. Is it going to take a couple of months? A couple of weeks? A few days?

That, of course, depends on the state of your property.

However, regardless of how close your home is to “show time” ready, there is plenty you can do to reduce how long that preparation takes. Consider these ideas:

• Sell stuff online. The less cluttered your home seems to buyers, the better it will show. So, make a list of items you want to sell, and then list them on one of the many local online market websites. Price items fairly and, chances are, you'll get rid of everything in a day or two.

• Have a repair day. Go through your home and make a list of everything that needs to be fixed. Then, schedule repair people to all come on the same day. Voila! In one day, all needed repairs (or, at least, most of them) are done.

• Get staging advice. Instead of guessing at what changes you need to make around your home to make it look its best, get expert staging advice. You’ll find out exactly what the experts suggest you do, and you'll save a lot of time and money. (By the way, I can provide you with that advice too.)

• Ask before making big improvements. Are you planning to convert a wood burning fireplace into a gas unit to help sell your home? Before doing any big improvements or renovations like that, talk to me. You don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on an unnecessary project.

• Hire help. You don't have to do everything on your own. Get the help you need. For example, hire a painter, a cleaner, and/or a junk removal service. Those will significantly shorten the time it takes to prepare your home for sale and save you a lot of work. Also, the costs of those professionals may be off-set by the increase in the sale price of your home.

Bottomline: Preparing your home doesn't need to be overwhelming and time consuming. Contact me for more ideas to help get your home ready for sale, quickly.

It’s an honor to make this achievement.  To be there for my clients who needed me during these challenging & uncertain COVID19 times.  BIG THANKS to my BRAVE clients and to all who worked hard with me to make this happen. 

As an essential service and REALTOR® ABR® SRS® RENE, I will continue to help those who are in need of my help and adapt to the changes necessary to ensure the safety of all.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need my help.  

TOGETHER we can get through this.

STAY STRONG, STAY SAFE, STAF HEALTHY EVERYONE. ✊

Sales in Saskatoon were up 6.2%, going from 258 in March 2019 to 274 in March 2020, and up 7.2% in the overall region, going from 346 to 371. In both Saskatoon and the region, sales were less than 2.0% under the 5-year average while they were more than 10% below the 10-year average. Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 8.2% over last year, increasing from 668 to 723, while YTD sales in the larger region also increased 8.8%, going from 891 to 969.

Sales volume was up 16.9% in the city, going from $81.4M to $95.1M in 2020 (1.3% above the 5-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $240.2M, an increase of 12.6% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 16.2%, going from $105.9M to $123.1M (1.2% above the 5-year average). YTD sales volume also increased 11.3% in the region, rising from $274.6M in 2019 to $305.7M in 2020.

Although total sales and sales volume were up, the number of new listings in March 2020 fell significantly from the number last year. In Saskatoon, new listings fell 14.2%, going from 702 to 602 (over 17.0% below the 5- and 10-year averages), while in the region the situation was even worse, with new listings falling 19.5% from 1,037 last year to 835 this year. Active listings also fell 9.9% in Saskatoon (down from 1,611 to 1,452) and 7.8% in the region (down from 2,864 to 2,641).

The sales to listing ratio was 45.5% in Saskatoon and 44.4% in the region suggesting somewhat balanced market conditions in the area.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 55 days in March—down a modest 3.5% from 57 days last year (but still slightly above the 5-year average of 54 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market somewhat longer than homes in the city at 66 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 68 days last year.

Average home prices in Saskatoon went from $316,737 to $347,189 (an increase of 9.6%) and were approximately 3.0% above the 5- and 10-year average price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is down 0.3% from $303,200 to $302,200. Average home prices in the region also increased 8.4%, going from $306,161 to $331,793, which is also approximately 3.0% above historical averages.  ~ April 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.

No matter what you think of snakes, you must agree that they have a unique way of dealing with worn-out skin. When the time comes, they simply shed it — like an old jacket — revealing a fresh new skin underneath.

Your home's roof doesn't have that advantage! So, when the shingles wear out or become damaged, you need to have them replaced.

Unfortunately, it's not always easy to determine whether your shingles need replacement right away, or whether you can hold off for another year. Assuming your home has the most common type of shingles — asphalt — here's what to look for:

• Corners upturned on some shingles.

• Missing shingles. • Shingles lifting during high winds and not settling back into place (flat) within a day or two.

• Heavy accumulation of shingle debris (particles) in the gutters.

• Shingle bits and pieces found on the ground around your home.

• Spots on your roof that still look wet a day or two after a rainfall. (This could be a sign of water infiltration into the felt or even the roof deck.)

If you have any of these signs, be sure to have a roofing contractor take a closer look.

Before investing in a new roof, be sure to check with the retailer or contractor who supplied the original materials. Your shingles might still be under warranty.

Bottomline: Don't delay. You don't want to wait until you hear drip drip drip before taking action!

Saskatoon and region continued to show growth in the residential real estate market. Sales of 230 in the city were up 9% from 211 in February 2019, and the region saw sales grow 11% from 283 last February to 314. Sales were above the 5-year average of 295, but still below the 10-year average of 338. Year to date (YTD), sales were up over last year; 9% in the city, from 412 to 449, and 8.6% in the full region from 556 to 604.

Sales dollar volume was also up. In the city there was a 3.2% increase of $73.7M over last February, and in the region, last month’s $93.5M sales were up 7.4% over 2019’s $87.1M. YTD sales dollar volume was up 10% in the city to $145.1M and up 7.6% in the region to $183.7M.

The number of new listings decreased in both the city, down 2.7% from 481 to 468, and in the region, down 3.2% from 709 to 686. The 2,588 active listings in the region were down from 2,699 in 2019 and the 5-year average of 2,781, however still above the 10-year average of 2,494.

The sales to listing ratio in Saskatoon is 49%, and 46% in the region. Balanced market conditions exist in the 40-60% range, while below 40% is considered to favour buyer’s, and over 60% suggests a seller’s market.

Homes were on the market an average of 82.9 days in the region, up from 69.4 days at the same time last year, and 73.7 days in the city, up from 58.5.

The average home price in the city was $320,249, down 5.3% from $338,268 at this time in 2019. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI), a more accurate measure of housing price trends, however, is up 1.1% from $282,500 last year to $285,600. In the region, the average home price was down 3.2% to $297,724.

“We see the trend of increased sales and decreased listings continue in Saskatoon and region,” says Jason Yochim, CEO of the Saskatchewan REALTORS® Association (SRA). “If this continues, we anticipate seeing prices increase. Upcoming changes to the mortgage stress test rules this April will likely start to positively affect our residential markets, as well, and we should see more potential home buyers qualifying for mortgages and subsequently entering the market.”  ~ March 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.

Let's face it. Planning events, even exciting ones like an overseas vacation, can be stressful. So, it's not surprising that some homeowners — even those thrilled about moving — can slip into "worry mode" when putting their property up for sale.

Unfortunately, this anxiety can make the process of selling an unpleasant experience. Who wants that? So here are some things you can do to reduce selling stress and enjoy the adventure.

• Understand the selling process. The more you know about the steps involved in selling your home, the less mysterious — and, therefore, less stressful — it will be.

• Give yourself the time you need. Feeling rushed and stressed comes from trying to do too much in too little time. Even if you're selling quickly, it's important to block off sufficient time in your calendar for the things you need to do. 

• Take care of yourself. As television psychologist Dr. Phil often points out, you can't give what you don't have. When it comes to selling your home, that means you need to eat well and stay healthy, so you have the energy you need throughout the process.

• Make your home attractive to buyers. That not only means tidying up and doing a little home staging, it also means setting the right listing price. Nothing eliminates the stress of selling more than having flocks of qualified buyers interested in your home.

• Get the help you need. You don't have to do everything on your own. That's why working with me is so advantageous. I take care of the many details for my clients so that they can enjoy the journey.

Sure, there are going to be a few stressful moments. However, the process of listing and selling your property, while looking for your next dream home, can be an exciting experience. Let me help you. Call today.