According to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, housing prices have rocketed up by 50 per cent in Saskatoon and owners of two-storeys have been able to command $323,750 on average for their houses during the past three months, a rise of 62.2 %.

Condominium prices rose at a whopping 75 per cent year-over-year rise as resale condos in Saskatoon are now averaging $207,500 a unit.

Click here to read Murray Lyons’ full article:  “Saskatoon’s rise in real estate leads the nation”

Posted: September 29th, 2007 under Spotlight on Hot Neighbourhoods.
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Montreal Gazette writer Jay Bryan’s article warns that if housing prices accross Canada continue to skyrocket past the rate of income gains in Canada, the danger of a housing bubble birst exists.

Click here to read the article: “We’re not immune to housing bubble”

Posted: September 29th, 2007 under Real Estate News.
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Sarah Max of CNNMoney.com wrote the following 2004 article on real estate agent referral services in the United States:

LOGGING ON FOR A DREAM AGENT

Three years later all the referral websites profiled in the article are still going strong. With what some have called the “over-saturation” of real estate agents working in Canada’s major cities, an unbiased free referral service like www.AgentForMe.ca can help you find a local real estate agent with a proven track record of success.  As U.S. home owners/buyers have discovered, a referral service can be a valuable tool to finding the best agent in your area.

Posted: September 23rd, 2007 under Real Estate News.
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Here are five important keys to consider when selecting a local real estate agent:

Experience
Select a real estate agent who has significant experience in the industry and who has expertise in the neighbourhood and the type of property you are interested in. After all, you do not want an agent who is learning on the job!

Reputation
Select an agent with an excellent reputation and one who is recognized by peers as a leading agent in the community.

Success
Select an agent who has a proven track record of success in the industry. Look for agents who have won awards and been recognized by independent real estate organizations.

Service
Select an agent that excels in providing top-notch service to clients. At a minimum you deserve a professional who returns your phone calls promptly, is attentive to your concerns, and keeps you regularly updated. Read more »

Posted: September 17th, 2007 under Tips for Buyers and Sellers.
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The Toronto Star recently ran an article on the prevalence of “phantom offers” in the bidding process.  Unethical seller’s agents can create a manufactured bidding war by convincing a prospective buyer that another offer has come in.  In reality, no other offer has come in and the seller’s real estate agent is simply trying to get the buyer to panic and raise the original offer.

Don’t fall for it.

The problem, of course, is how to detect when a seller’s agent is making up an offer. One tip is to consider the timing of the new offer. If the seller’s agent tells you there is a new offer immediatly after you have communicated your final offer, that may be cause for suspicion. Read more »

Posted: September 16th, 2007 under Tips for Buyers and Sellers.
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In the upcoming days we will be blogging about all things related to the Canadian Real Estate market, inlcluding:

• tips for buyers and sellers
• market trends
• spotlight on hot neighgbourhoods 
• real estate news and articles

Posted: September 5th, 2007 under Uncategorized.
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