In the business world, a phrase that’s often used is ROI or Return On Investment. It refers to the regular gain (or loss) you’re getting from a particular asset relative to its cost.

When it comes to your home, the gain may be more than financial. It may include the benefit of the lifestyle it gives you. For example, a spacious backyard deck pays off in countless pleasant Saturdays with friends and family. A home’s location near convenient commuting routes means less stress getting to and from work.

Lifestyle factors are important, not only when considering where you’re living now, but also when considering where you think you’d like to live in the future.

That’s why it’s a good idea to do a Lifestyle Assessment regularly. The exercise is simple. Make a list of all the lifestyle characteristics you want in a home, as well as a neighbourhood. Think about how much room you need, the kind of neighbourhood you want to live in, your hobbies and interests, what’s important to have nearby (such as schools), and so forth.

The next step is to prioritize. Move items on your list around so that the most important lifestyle factors are at the top.

Finally, review the list and check off those lifestyle factors your home is currently providing.

If you’re able to check off most (ideally, all) of the items at the top of your list, you’re in pretty good shape. Your current home is probably giving you the lifestyle you want.

But if some important lifestyle factors are unchecked, it might be worth considering whether buying a new home will give you a better “Lifestyle ROI”.

If, after doing this exercise, you’re curious about how to get into your ideal home, call me.

The Saskatchewan real estate market continues to be quite strong, outperforming the market last year. Across the province, year-over-year sales were up almost 52% from last September (and up over 18.5% year-to-date), new listings were up 10% year-over-year (but down just over 7% year-to-date), and the median sale price was up over 2% (up 0.4% year-to-date). Inventories were also down in 18 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks.

Although the province continued to see a small uptick in COVID cases in September, this hasn’t deterred people from buying and selling real estate. “While it’s been suggested that the market would suffer due to COVID,” said SRA CEO Jason Yochim, “this really hasn’t happened in Saskatchewan.” Despite a smaller number of new and active listings year-to-date, other numbers are generally better compared with last year. “The fact that sales and prices are up while inventories are down suggests the market has more than recovered and is doing better than last year—despite the pandemic,” said Yochim.

Median sales prices were up in 12 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks (with Melfort and Weyburn seeing the strongest declines while Swift Current and Yorkton saw the greatest increases), while the number of sales were up (or flat) in 17 of 19 markets.

We’ve seen relatively strong performance throughout the summer this year, and this strength has carried over into September. With provincial and civic elections looming this month and a general sense of activity, October could also see another strong performance despite the market beginning to cool.

“Even though we expect activity to fall off compared with the highs of summer,” said Yochim, “people still seem motivated and interested in real estate.” The safety precautions that the SRA put in place back in April to help reassure the public that real estate is safe has certainly helped to channel pent-up demand and allowed the province to reduce the economic impact of COVID.

Sales in Saskatoon were up 41.0%, going from 305 in September 2019 to 430 in September 2020, and up 54.4% in the overall region, going from 423 to 653. In Saskatoon, sales were 28.4% above the 5-year average (and 23.7% above the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 41.7% above the 5-year average (and 34.2% above the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 12.3% over last year, increasing from 2,862 to 3,215, while YTD sales in the larger region rose 17.9%, going from 3,847 to 4,535.

Sales volume was up 43.0% in the city, going from $107.7M to $154.0M in 2020 (39.3% above the 5-year average, and 31.3% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $1,110.4M, an increase of 16.6% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 22.8%, going from $1,213.9M to $1,490.6M (47.8% above the 5-year average and 42.0% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume increased 22.8% in the region, rising from $1,213.9M in 2019 to $1,490.6M in 2020.

In Saskatoon, the number of new listings in September 2020 rose 13.4%, going from 717 to 813 (3.4% above the 5-year average and 4.0% above the 10-year average), while in the region, new listings rose 6.7% from 1,000 last year to 1,067 this year (3.6% below the 5-year average and 1.3% above the 10-year average). YTD new listings in the city fell 4.2%, going from 6,393 to 6,123, while in the larger region, the number of new listings to date fell 6.5%, going from 9,388 to 8,777. Active listings fell 18.0% in Saskatoon (down from 1,906 to 1,563) and fell 22.1% in the region (down from 3,452 to 2,690).

Inventory in Saskatoon stood at 3.6 months (which is 41.8% below the level last year and 38.8% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 52.9%, suggesting balanced market conditions. Inventory in the larger region stood at 4.1 months (which is 49.5% below the level last year and 46.2% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 61.2%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 40 days in September—down 27.3% from 55 days last year (but below the 5-year average of 52 days and below the 10-year average of 46 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market longer than homes in the city at 51 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 66 days last year (and 16.7% below the 5-year average).

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $329,900 to $345,000 (an increase of 4.6%) and were approximately 4.6% above the 5-year and 6.0% above the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is up 1.0% from $319,400 to $322,700. Year-to-date, the median home price in Saskatoon was $331,183 which is 3.1% above the $321,167 price from the same time last year. Median home prices in the region went from $310,000 to $330,000 (an increase of 6.5%) and were approximately 6.5% above the 5-year and 7.0% above the 10-year average median price. Year-to-date, the median home price in the region was $313,614 which is 4.0% above the $301,511 price from the same time last year.  

~September 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.

 The Saskatchewan real estate market continues to be quite strong, outperforming the market last year. Across the province, year-over-year sales were up almost 52% from last September (and up over 18.5% year-to-date), new listings were up 10% year-over-year (but down just over 7% year-to-date), and the median sale price was up over 2% (up 0.4% year-to-date). Inventories were also down in 18 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks.

Although the province continued to see a small uptick in COVID cases in September, this hasn’t deterred people from buying and selling real estate. “While it’s been suggested that the market would suffer due to COVID,” said SRA CEO Jason Yochim, “this really hasn’t happened in Saskatchewan.” Despite a smaller number of new and active listings year-to-date, other numbers are generally better compared with last year. “The fact that sales and prices are up while inventories are down suggests the market has more than recovered and is doing better than last year—despite the pandemic,” said Yochim.

Median sales prices were up in 12 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks (with Melfort and Weyburn seeing the strongest declines while Swift Current and Yorkton saw the greatest increases), while the number of sales were up (or flat) in 17 of 19 markets.

We’ve seen relatively strong performance throughout the summer this year, and this strength has carried over into September. With provincial and civic elections looming this month and a general sense of activity, October could also see another strong performance despite the market beginning to cool.

“Even though we expect activity to fall off compared with the highs of summer,” said Yochim, “people still seem motivated and interested in real estate.” The safety precautions that the SRA put in place back in April to help reassure the public that real estate is safe has certainly helped to channel pent-up demand and allowed the province to reduce the economic impact of COVID.

Saskatoon

Sales in Saskatoon were up 41.0%, going from 305 in September 2019 to 430 in September 2020, and up 54.4% in the overall region, going from 423 to 653. In Saskatoon, sales were 28.4% above the 5-year average (and 23.7% above the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 41.7% above the 5-year average (and 34.2% above the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 12.3% over last year, increasing from 2,862 to 3,215, while YTD sales in the larger region rose 17.9%, going from 3,847 to 4,535.

Sales volume was up 43.0% in the city, going from $107.7M to $154.0M in 2020 (39.3% above the 5-year average, and 31.3% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $1,110.4M, an increase of 16.6% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 22.8%, going from $1,213.9M to $1,490.6M (47.8% above the 5-year average and 42.0% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume increased 22.8% in the region, rising from $1,213.9M in 2019 to $1,490.6M in 2020.

In Saskatoon, the number of new listings in September 2020 rose 13.4%, going from 717 to 813 (3.4% above the 5-year average and 4.0% above the 10-year average), while in the region, new listings rose 6.7% from 1,000 last year to 1,067 this year (3.6% below the 5-year average and 1.3% above the 10-year average). YTD new listings in the city fell 4.2%, going from 6,393 to 6,123, while in the larger region, the number of new listings to date fell 6.5%, going from 9,388 to 8,777. Active listings fell 18.0% in Saskatoon (down from 1,906 to 1,563) and fell 22.1% in the region (down from 3,452 to 2,690).

Inventory in Saskatoon stood at 3.6 months (which is 41.8% below the level last year and 38.8% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 52.9%, suggesting balanced market conditions. Inventory in the larger region stood at 4.1 months (which is 49.5% below the level last year and 46.2% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 61.2%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 40 days in September—down 27.3% from 55 days last year (but below the 5-year average of 52 days and below the 10-year average of 46 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market longer than homes in the city at 51 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 66 days last year (and 16.7% below the 5-year average).

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $329,900 to $345,000 (an increase of 4.6%) and were approximately 4.6% above the 5-year and 6.0% above the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is up 1.0% from $319,400 to $322,700. Year-to-date, the median home price in Saskatoon was $331,183 which is 3.1% above the $321,167 price from the same time last year. Median home prices in the region went from $310,000 to $330,000 (an increase of 6.5%) and were approximately 6.5% above the 5-year and 7.0% above the 10-year average median price. Year-to-date, the median home price in the region was $313,614 which is 4.0% above the $301,511 price from the same time last year.

When you’re selling your home, you want it to look its best. You want buyers who view it to say, “Wow, I love this place!” However, what if you have a stubborn stain in the carpet, or a cracked floor tile? An unsightly issue like that can be distracting in your otherwise beautiful property.

You have a few options.

First, try to get the issue fixed. There are specialty cleaners on the market designed to lift even the most stubborn carpet stains.

The same goes for hardwood and tile. A flooring contractor might be able to find a matching piece and then replace the damaged section. Contractors also know other tricks-of-the-trade to repair damaged flooring or, at least, minimize the damage. For example, there are fillers and stains available that can make a crack or chip in a hardwood plank look almost invisible.

Home staging can also make damaged flooring less of a focal point in the room. An effective arrangement of furniture, area rugs, and other items puts more of the focus on the overall decor and less on that carpet stain.

In addition, making other more affordable improvements, such as painting, can have a compensatory effect. A buyer may notice the chipped hardwood, but will also notice the walls, which look like new.

Although the August real estate market appears to be slowing down compared with June and July, we still see signs of strength. Across the province, year-over-year sales were up over 46% from August of last year (and up over 14% year-to-date), new listings were up nearly 5% year-over-year (but down just over 9% year-to-date), and the median sale price was up over 7% (up 0.2% year-to-date). Inventories were also down in 18 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks. This suggests that people are still quite eager to buy and are continuing to find value in real estate.

“While there have been some COVID outbreaks across the province, the number of cases has been pretty small” said SRA CEO Jason Yochim, “and this doesn’t seem to have turned people off from buying and selling real estate.” The fact that we had two months of slow activity and that “we’ve almost made up all of that lost ground is simply amazing,” said Yochim.

Median sales prices were up in 14 of the 19 markets that the SRA tracks (with Yorkton and the broader region seeing the strongest declines), while the number of sales in all markets jumped anywhere from just under 4% to close to 226% (except for in Melfort, which saw sales fall 10%). Again, this strong performance suggests that the sector has recovered from the devastation of the pandemic and that real estate is quite resilient.

June’s and July’s strong performance suggested that August would also be a strong month. As children start returning to school in September and the weather starts to get colder, however, we expect activity to slow down and fall off into Q4.

“August tends to be when things start to slow down a little,” said Yochim, “but we’re still hearing reports of multiple offers and of houses being sold almost as soon as they’re listed.”

Although things are starting to “slow down” compared with earlier in the year, the market is in line with historical trends—and we still see generally strong performance.

Sales in Saskatoon were up 41.8%, going from 325 in August 2019 to 461 in August 2020, and up 47.7% in the overall region, going from 449 to 663. In Saskatoon, sales were 26.8% above the 5-year average (and 25.1% above the 10-year average), while in the larger region, sales were 29.8% above the 5-year average (and 27.3% above the 10-year average). Year-to-Date (YTD) sales in Saskatoon rose 8.9% over last year, increasing from 2,557 to 2,785, while YTD sales in the larger region rose 13.4%, going from 3,424 to 3,882.

Sales volume was up 55.5% in the city, going from $105.0M to $163.3M in 2020 (31.4% above the 5-year average, and 28.3% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume in the city was $957.2M, an increase of 13.3% from last year. In the region, sales volume was up 18.0%, going from $1,076.9M to $1,271.2M (35.9% above the 5-year average and 35.5% above the 10-year average). YTD sales volume increased 18.0% in the region, rising from $1,076.9M in 2019 to $1,271.2M in 2020.

In Saskatoon, the number of new listings in August 2020 rose 7.7%, going from 724 to 780 (0.3% above the 5-year average and 4.0% above the 10-year average), while in the region, new listings rose 6.9% from 1,029 last year to 1,100 this year (2.6% below the 5-year average and 0.5% above the 10-year average). YTD new listings in the city fell 6.4%, going from 5,676 to 5,310, while in the larger region, the number of new listings to date fell 8.1%, going from 8,388 to 7,709. Active listings fell 19.5% in Saskatoon (down from 1,911 to 1,538) and fell 20.3% in the region (down from 3,473 to 2,768).

Inventory in Saskatoon stood at 3.3 months (which is 43.3% below the level last year and 39.9% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 59.1%, suggesting balanced market conditions. Inventory in the larger region stood at 4.2 months (which is 46.0% below the level last year and 40.5% below the 5-year average), while the sales to listing ratio was 60.3%, suggesting that market conditions favour sellers.

Homes in Saskatoon stayed on the market an average of 42 days in August—down 25.0% from 56 days last year (but below the 5-year average of 51 days and below the 10-year average of 46 days). Homes in the region stayed on the market longer than homes in the city at 50 days on average in 2020, but also down from an average of 68 days last year (and 16.1% below the 5-year average).

Median home prices in Saskatoon went from $309,000 to $336,000 (an increase of 8.7%) and were approximately 3.3% above the 5-year and 2.7% above the 10-year average median price. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI)—a more accurate measure of house price trends—is up 1.4% from $314,900 to $319,400. Year-to-date, the median home price in Saskatoon was $329,456 which is 2.9% above the $320,075 price from the same time last year.

Median home prices in the region went from $293,000 to $327,900 (an increase of 11.9%) and were approximately 5.7% above the 5-year and 6.3% above the 10-year average median price. Year-to-date, the median home price in the region was $311,803 which is 3.8% above the $300,450 price from the same time last year.

~September 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.

How do you find the home of your dreams within a price range you can afford?

Most buyers start by making a “wish list”. But, it’s easy to get frustrated when you have a long wish list and expect you’ll be able to find a home with every one of those features. You might, for example, have “mature backyard tree” as number 23 on your list, and become disappointed when an otherwise ideal property doesn’t have one.

But when you really think about it, your ideal home probably comes down to just three or four core characteristics. For example:

1. Nice, safe, family-oriented neighbourhood.  

2. Good-sized backyard.

3. Four bedrooms and two baths.

Sure, there might be other features you were hoping for, such as “move in ready”, or that big tree, but your “big three” are the ones you really can’t do without.

So, when you’re shopping for a new home, yes, definitely make a long list of features and characteristics you desire. After all, there might be properties available on the market that check off most, if not all, of those boxes.

But also circle those three or four characteristics that are at the core of what you want. That will help make your property search much more focused and you’ll be more likely to find your next dream home.

Another advantage of coming up with your big three (or four) is that you’ll be able to quickly discover how much homes with those characteristics are selling for on today’s market. Once you know that price range, you’ll be able to talk with a mortgage advisor to pre-arrange financing. That will make your offer on that dream home even stronger.

Whatever you choose for your “big three”, I can help you find and buy that home. Call me.