ASR Donates to Food Bank

ASR Executive Vice President Bill Madder is shown presenting Deborah Hamp from the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre with a cheque for $500. Rather than mailing traditional holiday cards, the ASR sent out electronic cards and is making a cash donation to the Saskatoon Food Bank. In a year where the spotlight has shone on our profession and our province, this is a positive way for REALTORS to impact the Quality of Life in our own community.

Thanks to a generous initiative from the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan this donation (and all donations to all food banks in Saskatchewan until Dec 31st) will be matched to bring the total benefit to the Food Bank to $1000.

November MLS® System Stats

The November MLS® System stats for Saskatoon and Regina were released this week - Regina's total dollar volume reached $1 Billion for the first time. The markets in both cities remain strong with positive outlooks for 2012.

Regina's Stats are here: Regina Stats
Saskatoon's Stats are here: Saskatoon Stats

Canadian home sales edge higher in October

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released the October MLS® System Stats and most markets across the country remain positive. Here is the media release.

CREA also updated their Housing Forecast - the updated version can be found here.

Remembrance Day

The Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS office will be closed November 11th to observe Remembrance Day. Please be sure to take a moment to remember those who gave their lives for our country. We will be open for regular business hours on Monday November 14th at 8:30 am.

October MLS® System Stats

The October MLS® System stats for Saskatoon and Regina were released this week - Regina had another record month while Saskatoon's market cooled a bit. The markets in both cities are well ahead of last year's level and the outlook remains positive.
Regina's Stats are here: Regina Stats - October
Saskatoon's Stats are here: Saskatoon Stats - October



As always, your comments are welcome.

Saskatchewan Election Campaign

The Saskatchewan Provincial Election Campaign has passed its halfway point with Election Day set for November 7th. The Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS® has been raising awareness of housing issues during the provincial election. Real estate is a major economic driver and a true indicator of the health of our province so policies and programs that have an impact on the real estate market impact everyone.

The two major issues we will be raising are: Housing Supply and Tax Competitiveness. To support our positions, we commissioned a survey by Praxis Analytics which asked questions of over 650 Saskatchewan voters on rent, taxes and housing issues. The details of the survey will be released as the campaign proceeds.

Here is a brief update of the ASR's election activities so far:

We have added a new page to our website to deal specifically with the election. Here is a link to the page: ASR Election Page. We distributed the following media releases to various media outlets around the province: media release from Oct. 12, 2011; media release from Oct. 19, 2011; media release from Oct 26, 2011. We have also created a Housing Matters Blog to keep followers updated on our issues and other related developments.

We have also been active on Twitter and Facebook - you can also find the links to all these sites on the Election page.

Canadian Home Sales Pick Up in September

The Canadian Real Estate Association released the September MLS® System Stats and most markets across the country remain positive. Here is the media release. 

September MLS® System Stats are out!

The September MLS® System stats for Saskatoon and Regina were released this week and the market continues to show strength in both cities.

Regina's Stats are here: Regina Stats - September
Saskatoon's Stats are here: Saskatoon Stats - September

As always, your comments are welcome.

The Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS® (ASR) has taken a step toward environmental responsibility by installing a 10 kW photovoltaic grid tied solar panel system on their office building at 2811 Estey Drive in Saskatoon.  The system, installed by Solar Outpost of Saskatoon, is expected to produce approximately 15,000 kWh of electricity per year which is equal to around $1,800 worth of power at current Saskatoon Light and Power rates. Saskatoon is one of the sunniest cities in the country and will produce more power here than a similar system installed in Vancouver, Toronto, or Los Angeles.

The ASR installed the system under the Province of Saskatchewan’s “Net Metering Program” which provides a grant of up to 35% of eligible costs. Bill Madder, Executive Vice President of the ASR said “We made the decision to install this system based on economics and to show leadership in environmental responsibility. Existing office buildings are among the largest users/wasters of energy and we decided to take steps to offset that. In addition to the installation of the solar panels, we added additional insulation to the roof of the building and also had an energy audit on our building done by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society. We have implemented a number of their recommendations and will be looking at additional ways to reduce our energy use in the future.”

Here are a couple of photos of the building and the system:

For more photos of the construction process, check out our Facebook page: ASR Facebook Page - Construction Photos

ePro Course coming to Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's REALTORS® will have a great opportunity to improve their social media and technology skills when the highly touted ePro® course comes to our province next month. The new e-PRO® gives agents a roadmap to build their business and serve the hyper-connected consumers of today and tomorrow. The course will be presented by REBAC Hall of Fame instructor Doug Devitre and will be offered in Saskatoon on November 29th and in Regina on November 30th. The registration fee for this course is just $155 and seating is limited.

For more details and registration information go to: ePro Saskatchewan - November, 2011

RBC Housing Affordability Index

The RBC Housing affordability index for the second quarter was released last week and had some interesting revelations. While Saskatchewan's affordability index is still below the national level it did erode somewhat and it is now higher than seven of ten provinces. Only B.C. And Ontario are higher. What does this mean? Well, it means houses are going up in value slightly more than wages (during the time the stats are collected)and that it takes, on average just over 39% of your salary to carry the costs of a home in Saskatchewan.

Does this mean it's too expensive to buy and that everyone should now rent until prices go down - NO! While averages and stats such as this are instructive, they don't tell the whole story. First of all, the index is based on a Saskatchewan average - individual markets from Regina to Estevan to Lloydminster to Esterhazy to Swift Current, etc. are all combined to come up with that number. As everyone knows, both the housing market and the wage scale can vary greatly from area to area and a provincial average tells us nothing about specific locations. One article compared the Saskatchewan index with Calgary and Edmonton with the headline "Sask Homes More Expensive Than Calgary and Edmonton". While this may be correct statistically (based only on the one index) it is not very instructive.

There is an old saying in the real estate world "it's not what you buy it for it's what you sell it for that matters". If you think homes or investment property in your area are likely to increase in value over the time you expect to own it, then it's probably not a bad time to buy.

The RBC Report can be found here: http://www.rbc.com/economics/market/pdf/house.pdf

CREA MLS® System Stats for July - Revised 2011 Forecast

The Canadian Real Estate Association released the MLS® System Statistics for July today and also revised its Resale Housing Forecast for the year. The national average home price is forecast to rise 7.2 per cent in 2011 to $363,500 while Saskatchewan is expected to post a 5.5% increase to $255,500.

The full Stats release is here and the revised forecast is here.

Any comments on where you see the market headed are welcome. Please use the "comment" button below to add your opinion.

Saskatchewan Housing Strategy

The Government of Saskatchewan released "A Strong Foundation - The Housing Strategy for Saskatchewan" on Monday August 8th. The media release from the Government is here and the Strategy document itself is here.

Saskatchewan’s REALTORS® welcome the development of a comprehensive housing strategy for our province. In particular we welcome the recognition that the involvement of the private sector is a critical piece of the solution. The mid and longer term success of housing policy is likely to be driven by the extent to which it can succeed in making new investment attractive across the entire housing spectrum. And, housing strategy can succeed by facilitating the natural movement of the market, making better use of existing stock in the effort to deliver affordability with quality. REALTORS® are encouraged to see the beginnings of policy designed for these purposes. We are pleased to have been one of the many stakeholder groups that participated in the formulation of the strategy and look forward to working together to ensure its success.

As always, we welcome your comments on this topic. Feel free to use the comments section below to send us your thoughts.

Saskatoon and Regina Markets Continue to Show Strength

The July MLS® System statistics for Regina and Saskatoon were released today. Both centers experienced increases in the number of sales and in the average price when compared to the same period last year.

The media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® is here:

Saskatoon - July Stats

And the release from the Association of Regina REALTORS® is here:

Regina - July Stats

Does anyone have any comments on the market or predictions on what they think will happen in the balance of the year? We welcome your comments.

Saskatchewan Real Estate Agents Can Now Incorporate

As reported in the Regina Leader Post and on the Government of Saskatchewan website changes were recently made by the Saskatchewan Government that will allow Real Estate agents to practice their profession via a corporation. 

This is a major accomplishment for the Real Estate Profession in Saskatchewan and is the culmination of many years of lobbying by the Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS® Government Relations Committee. We have been working with the Ministry of Justice, the Superintendent of Real Estate, and the Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission for some time on this and we would like to express our appreciation to everyone involved in making this happen. Being designated as a Profession under the Professional Corporations Act alongside accountants, lawyers, doctors and other professionals is a significant step forward for REALTORS®.

Canadian Real Estate Market Stable in May

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released the MLS® System Stats for May this week and they show stability in most markets across the country. Saskatchewan saw solid gains in number of sales and in average price. CREA's media release is here and their statistical update is here.

We always welcome your comments - any thoughts on where the Saskatchewan market might be headed?

May MLS® System Stats for Saskatoon and Regina Portray Very Active Market

The May MLS® System statistics for Regina and Saskatoon were released today. Both centers saw a substantial increase in the number of sales and in the average price.

The media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® is here:

Saskatoon - May Stats

And the release from the Association of Regina REALTORS® is here:

Regina - May Stats

Does anyone have any comments on the market or predictions on what they think will happen in the balance of the year? We welcome your comments.

Victoria Day Closing

The Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS Offices will be closed on Monday May 23^rd, 2011 and will re-open on Tuesday May 24^th, 2011.

Have a safe and enjoyable long weekend!!

Canadian Home Sales Edge Down Slightly in April

The Canadian Real Estate Association released their MLS® System Stats for April this week and the number of sales was down slightly in virtually all areas of the country. Prices however, remained firm. For more details check out the media release here: CREA Media Release - April Stats

Saskatoon and Regina Release April MLS® System Stats

The April MLS® System statistics for Regina and Saskatoon were released this week. While the number of sales were down in both cities, the average price went up slightly.
The media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® is here:

Saskatoon - April Stats

And the release from the Association of Regina REALTORS® is here:

Regina - April Stats

Does anyone have any comments on the market or predictions on what they think will happen in the balance of the year? We welcome your comments.

National Home Sales Hold Steady in March - CREA

The Canadian Real Estate Association released their March MLS® System Stats on Friday. The market appears to be holding up well in most parts of the country. Vancouver is clearly leading the pack but Saskatchewan's markets are doing well also.

For a more detailed look at the stats, just click this link: CREA Stats - March 2011

Saskatoon and Regina Release March MLS® System Stats

The March MLS® System statistics for Regina and Saskatoon were released this week. While the number of sales were down in both cities, prices were up as a result of steady demand.

The media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® is here:

Saskatoon - March Stats

And the release from the Association of Regina REALTORS® is here:

Regina - March Stats

Does anyone have any comments on the market or predictions on what they think will happen in the balance of the year? We welcome your comments.

ASR Response to Saskatchewan Budget

Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS®
NEWS RELEASE
Provincial Budget
March 23, 2011
 
Saskatchewan’s REALTORS® praised the Wall government’s new budget for keeping promises made, but cautioned that more innovation is needed as the province grows.
 
“The 65% provincial share of school costs is very positive – a mirror-image reversal from four years ago. But as school property tax goes down, municipal property taxes are back-filling the cuts.
 
“People need lower taxes overall, not just a different government to pay them to.”
 
Mr. Madder said sharing a full point of the PST is a major improvement over the old system of arbitrary handouts, but only half a solution.
 
“Saskatchewan still needs a comprehensive revenue sharing program. Property tax can no longer be the mainstay of municipal finance. It should be limited to paying part of infrastructure costs. It should be based on the value of services, not on property value.  
 
REALTORS® say the $5,000 rental unit subsidy and increased rental supplement allowances are good in principle despite being modest in funding.
 
“Saskatchewan needs a full make-over in housing policy. We need large-scale stimulus for rental supply. We need bold measures to draw private investment into apartments and suites. REALTORS® look forward to the new housing strategy scheduled for June.
 
Mr. Madder noted that limiting property taxes would do much to keep housing affordable. And, and end to taxing the value of property would encourage upgrading.
 
REALTORS®  strongly endorsed the balanced budget, the $325 million pay-down of public debt, the change made in the 3-tier commercial mill rate, and halving the business tax rate.

Affordable Housing

The issue of affordable housing and rent controls appear to be moving up on the list of issues for debate leading up to the Provincial Election. An Op-Ed article from our Association appeared in the Regina Leader Post and the Saskatoon Star Phoenix today. Here are the links to both (content is the same - just different headlines):
Star Phoenix - ASR Affordable Housing article
Leader Post - ASR Affordable Housing Article

The ASR has also prepared a paper on the issue of Affordable Housing which was presented to government earlier this year. The paper outlines areas which federal, provincial, and municipal governments need to take action on to address the issue. Here is a link to the paper:  ASR Affordable Housing Paper

As always, your comments are welcome on this very important issue.

February Stats - Regina and Saskatoon

The February MLS® System statistics for Regina and Saskatoon were released this week.

The media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® is here:

Saskatoon - February Stats Release

And the release from the Association of Regina REALTORS® is here:

Regina - February Stats Release

Does anyone have any comments on the market or predictions on what they think will happen in the balance of the year? We welcome your comments.

Resale Housing Market Improves in January - CREA

The Canadian Real Estate Association released its latest stats this morning and it looks like existing home sales are improving in most areas of the country. More details here:
http://creanews.ca/

January Stats - Regina and Saskatoon

The January MLS® System statistics for Regina and Saskatoon were released this week.

The media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® is here:

Saskatoon - January Stats Release

And the release from the Association of Regina REALTORS® is here:

Regina - January Stats Release

Does anyone have any comments on the market or predictions on what they think will happen in the balance of the year? We welcome your comments.

CREA Releases 2010 MLS System Stats

The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) released the MLS® System stats for 2010 this week. To view the press release click here: Resale Housing Market Solid in December

To see CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump's podcast on the latest figures click here: 2010 MLS® System Stats Podcast

We would also be interested in your opinion of the market in 2010 and how you think it will go in the coming year. Your comments are welcome.

2010 Year - End Stats for Saskatoon and Regina

The December and Year-End MLS® System statistics for Regina and Saskatoon were released this week.

The media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® is here:

Saskatoon - December Stats Release

And the release from the Association of Regina REALTORS® is here:

Regina - December Stats Release

Does anyone have any comments on the market or predictions on what they think will happen in the coming year? We welcome your comments.