Saskatoon…City of Bridges…Paris on the Prairies. No matter what you call this beautiful city, it’s a great place to call home!

Saskatoon is the largest city in Saskatchewan, with over 330,000 residents living here.  It’s also the 17th largest city in Canada, with a growth rate of 1.95%, and is located in the centre of the prairies with very flat grassland surrounding it. The South Saskatchewan River flows through the center of the city, making bridges a necessity, and earning it the popular nickname of the “City of Bridges.”  The Meewasin River Valley lends a beautiful vista and many trails for hiking and biking that meander through the city. 

The city is also popular for its festivals, nightlife, amenities, and more—but whatever your reason may

Are you concerned with the current real estate market? Have you been saving for a down payment but haven’t been able to qualify for a mortgage? Are you watching home prices rise, as they tend to do in real estate, and feeling like you may never get to a point where you can afford to buy a property? Did you know that there is an alternative to securing financing that may just be what you are looking for? It’s called a shared equity mortgage.

What is a Shared Equity Mortgage?

A shared equity mortgage is where you take a smaller mortgage, in exchange for your lender owning some equity in the home. You’ll become a co-owner of the property alongside your bank lender. You’ll get to live in the house, but only borrow a fraction of the purchase price.

A lot of emphasis is placed on sharing knowledge with first time homebuyers to prepare them for entering the world of real estate. But what about the opposite side of that? When you’re at the point in life where you would either like to or need to downsize?

It is equally important that you are guided through this stage with care and knowledge.  There will come a day when your current home is too large for you. Maybe you are an empty-nester wanting to travel more, and having a large home with a yard and lots of upkeep is holding you back. Or possibly you want to simplify your lifestyle to cut costs, be closer to grandchildren or to address medical needs.

Whatever your reason may be for downsizing to a smaller home, here are some tips to avoid an

It’s easy to see why purchasing a primary residence is a strong investment strategy. It’s as simple as paying equity on your own home and increasing your net worth versus doing the same for your landlord. But did you know that Canadians also have the added benefit of the Canadian Principal Residence Exemption, making purchasing a primary residence a great first step to investing in real estate?

What is a Principal Residence?

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) states that any residential property owned and occupied by you or your family at any time in a given year could be designated as a principal residence. Your principal residence can by any of the following types of housing units:

• House
• Cottage
• Condominium
• Trailer
• Mobile Home

Congratulations! You have an offer on your property that is conditional on the sale of the buyer’s property. So if you accept it, the property is sold, right?! Well...not quite yet. Let’s explore what this condition means and how it affects you as the seller. 

The “Sale of Property” Condition

“Conditionally Sold” implies that you have accepted an offer from a buyer, which is conditional upon the seller and/or buyer being able to fulfill certain agreed upon conditions.  Such conditions usually include the buyer being able to obtain a satisfactory home inspection report and securing financing. In the case of the Sale of Property Condition (SOP), the buyer agrees to purchase the seller’s home, as long as the buyer’s home is successfully sold within

Are you ready to tackle a renovation project? Whether or not you're thinking of selling your home anytime soon, it’s important to consider the return on your investment before you begin. That way, when it does come time to sell, you will see that your hard work paid off and increased the value of your home. Join me as I explore the best renovations with the highest return on investment:

Paint

Painting is the most under-appreciated home improvement. Nothing provides a higher ROI than quality, professionally-done painting. It doesn’t seem like the most glamorous of renovations, or promise the most dramatic before-and-after, but it instills freshness and can flatter your home in ways you’ve never imagined. 

Return on Investment: A fresh coat of

Selling your home is a large undertaking. Not only is it time consuming, but it can also be emotionally challenging, especially if you’ve never done it before. You will not only need to get your home ready for listing, but you will also need to deal with the sale itself—from deciding on the asking price to completing the contract. These details require a great amount of knowledge and should not be taken lightly.    

This is where the help of an experienced local REALTOR® can really help! They will provide you with profit-producing tips and tricks to ensure you get the most value for your home.  They will guide you every step of the way, from recommending the right asking price to ensuring all the contract paperwork is in order. It is their job to

If you’re at all interested in economics, supply and demand, or market behaviours, the past 9 months will likely have intrigued you. It was almost like the boomer effect, only this time it would be more aptly named the “pandemic effect”—a storm of supply shortages, making it hard to find a wide variety of things, ranging from toilet paper to RV’s.

Many who were lucky enough to make the transition to working from home in March were buying up all the computers and laptops, while others were hoping to find a new gaming system to use while they were stuck at home with nothing to do. There were so many home renovation projects happening this spring that the price of lumber was the highest it’s been, ever. And the warmer weather created a wave of people

There are many reasons why you may be in the market for a home security system right now. Maybe it’s a new family member or a new home in a new neighborhood. Maybe your existing system isn’t as secure as you would like it to be or you’ve just been thinking about getting one. Whatever the reason, there are a lot of options to choose from and with numerous advancements in the home security field, you may be wondering where to start. I’ll break down some key points to consider while making this important decision:

Where to Start When Considering a Home Security System

There are thousands of home security options, from big national brands with multiple monitoring centers to DIY systems you can watch from your smart device. Professional service

We all love Saskatoon, but let’s face it, not everyone feels at home living in the city. While some people thrive off of the hustle and bustle of steady movement and easy access to amenities right outside their doorstep, many others feel much more at home in the quiet of the country. That’s why surrounding towns continue to be a popular choice for those looking at homes for sale!

Here in the Saskatoon region, we are incredibly fortunate to have a wide variety of nearby communities for buyers to choose from—5 of which I’ve highlighted previously here on the blog. However, I would be remiss to simply stop there! All of our surrounding towns have a little something different to offer, and I believe that showcasing those unique qualities is essential