As a window, it does everything that you might expect, allowing light into the home and keeping the weather out. At it’s core, it’s so much more. The transparent touchscreen is home base for the display of digital media and widgets including weather, twitter, web browsing, and so on.

At the right price, it’s got great potential as the family media centre where a large screen television might be difficult to incorporate into the room.

The video that I initially saw said that Samsung intends to enter a mass production stage in the next couple of months. A post on Engadget says it’s still in the concept stage. In any case, check it out.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions. All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call of email me.

Get the most current market intelligence with our FREE Market Snapshot including prices of homes recently sold in your area. Get it here, now.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Like it or not, winter is coming and now is the time to get your home ready for it. A few hours looking after some preventative home maintenance items may save you from dealing with costly emergency repairs when everyone else is looking to have something fixed and service people are stretched thin.

Here is a list of things we should all be looking after over the next couple of weeks to keep our Saskatoon homes in tip-top shape, and our families safe living in them.

If I’ve missed something that you feel should be added to my list please leave a comment below.

On the inside

• Consider having your home heating system professionally serviced to ensure reliability and efficient operation through the long winter.
• Change the furnace filter, ensure that the furnace chimney is sound and free from obstructions and that the furnace has an adequate source of fresh air.
• If you don’t already have one, consider a humidity control system for your home to keep air comfortable.
• Consider a programmable thermostat to save on energy costs and maintain maximum comfort.
• Tune up the hot water system, perhaps even draining and refilling the tank to remove sediment build up from the bottom of the tank.
• Have a professional inspect and clean fireplaces and chimneys for safety and efficiency.
• Test and service your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they are operational. Replace the batteries, whether they need it or not.
• Add weather-stripping as required on the inside of doors and windows.
• Purchase and install window insulation kits to cover inefficient windows from the inside to prevent heat loss and ice build up on windows.
• Give ceiling fans a quick cleaning, oil the motors, and reverse the direction in which they turn to push warm air back down into the room.
• Remove window-mounted air conditioners and cover central air conditioning units to keep the snow off of them.
• Clean your clothes dryer vent from the inside and the outside of the house to remove potential obstructions.
• With several additional hours of daily darkness just around the corner consider installing night lighting in hallways especially around staircases and hallways.

On the outside

• Have a walk around the roof of your home to look for loose, damaged or missing roofing material. Inspect for cracks in the flashing seals around skylights, chimneys and vent stacks.
• While you’re up there, give the gutters a quick cleaning to make sure that water can run freely in the spring. Clogged gutters can allow water to back up against the house causing damage to roofing material and siding. Worse, excess water will fall over the outside edge of the gutter reaching the ground near your foundation wall. Finally, excess build-up in gutters produces stress to the systems supporting the gutter and can reduce life.
• Make sure that the extensions on your downspouts are carrying water four to five feet from the foundation wall and that the grading of soil surrounding the house is diverting the flow of water away from the foundation wall, and not towards it.
• Terminate the water source to all exterior taps and sprinklers and open all exterior valves to ensure proper and complete drainage.
• Underground sprinkler systems should be blown out to prevent water lingering below ground in the system’s pipes from freezing.
• Tidy up your landscaping by pruning shrubs and tree branches away from the house, particularly those that might encroach on the roof, gable venting or overhead utility lines.
• Clear the areas around foundation walls to prevent build up of debris and leafy material, which can trap moisture at the foundation wall.
• Inspect foundation walls and exterior vents to ensure that you’re not providing easy access to rodents seeking a warm place to stay over the winter.
• Apply exterior caulking around windows and doors as needed. Even a small opening can allow a lot of heat to escape from your home. Homes with wood siding and windows that protrude past the siding material should only be caulked on the sides and at the top. Some opening beneath the sill provides an area through which moisture can escape from exterior walls.
• Seal cracks in the exterior finish of buildings and cracks in flat concrete surfaces to prevent water penetration that can freeze and expand causing further damage.
• Lubricate hinges including those on overhead garage doors.
• Tune up electric garage door openers.
• It’s time to put the summer toys away and crack out the winter goodies. You know, ice scrapers, shovels, snow blowers, etc.
• Remove fuel from gas powered yard care equipment and run the equipment continuously until all remaining fuel has been burned.
• If you do the Christmas lights thing, they’ll be a lot more fun to install in October than December.

Wishing you all a wonderful and short winter.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Real estate geeks can follow our daily updates on Twitter @Norm_Fisher.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

I’ve just been reviewing the housing strategy for the New Democratic Party (NDP), which is substantially more comprehensive. According to their platform brochure, the NDP plans to implement the following housing initiatives should they end up forming a government following the November 7 election.

• Rebating the PST on construction materials for new houses to be priced under $280,000; and
• Rebating the PST on the first $10,000 in repairs to homes more than ten years old.
• Investing $20 million into co-operative and community organizations to buy land for housing.
• Providing first-time homebuyers a $2,000 grant to cover closing costs and other related expenses for homes purchased for under $280,000.
• Offering interest-free loans to co-operatives and community organization building new housing stock.
• Ending unfair rent increases through next-generation rent control. We will  introduce rent control that makes allowances for new construction and non-corporate landlords.
• Investing $230 million to create 2,500 new public rental units, with 1,000 units dedicated to student accommodation, and to upgrade existing units by working with community organizations and co-operatives.
• Making a commitment to end homelessness with $20 million targeted to a “Housing First” approach, based on the belief that a stable place to live is a basic right and a critical building block to helping individuals gain stability in their own lives.
• Adding 750 new subsidized affordable assisted-living units, with special attention paid to building these onto long-term care homes so that couples who require different levels of care can stay together.
• Providing a property tax rebate of $500 per year to senior homeowners and renters.
• Introducing the Credit for Caring refundable tax credit of up to $1,000 per year to individuals providing care to elderly or disabled relatives or friends.
• Guaranteeing Saskatchewan residents the lowest-cost bundle of utilities in the country.

Read the NDP’s platform brochure here.

Read the Saskatchewan Party’s platform brochure here.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS® listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Billed as “the first program of its kind in Canada,” the Equity Building Program will be available to those who earn too much to benefit from social housing programs. This $3-million program will provide down payment loans to home buyers earning between $45,000 and $70,000 per year, who are currently renting a home in Saskatoon. As part of the arrangement, the home buyer agrees to pay back the loan, at a low interest rate, over a five-year period of time.

City planner, Alan Wallace is quoted in a story published in the Star Phoenix on February 9. “House prices have risen dramatically. We think there are a number of households out there that are in rental situations that will find it extremely difficult to fund the down payment.

“What we’re concerned about is if incomes aren’t able to keep pace with house prices…people have a tendency to slide backwards on the housing continuum. We want them to move up.”

Interested parties can obtain full details on conditions and qualifiers from the Affinity Credit Union in Saskatoon.

Read the Star Phoenix story here.
A television report from Global News is here.
More details on the Affinity Credit Union website are here.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS® listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Click the image for a larger view

This fine piece of bathroom technology is built for those with more money than brains they know what to do with. However, if you’re looking to raise the level of comfort in the loo and you’ve got some bucks to throw around this toilet may be worth a look.

First of all, it sees you coming. As you approach the toilet, the lid begins to lift automatically and the seat warmer comes to life practically begging you to take a seat. Nighttime use brings additional surprises as the exterior of the bowl softly illuminates itself when you head its way. The interior is lit as well, a perfect feature for light duty deposits contributed by those who prefer to stand. He who stands misses at least half of the fun that this amazing toilet has to offer. Take a seat and it begins to make beautiful music eliminating all of the awkwardness that a silent bathroom brings at times like these. Odors are no problem either. The scented double deodorizer kicks into high gear to cover up that which cannot be masked by song. Finish your business and activate the hygienic cleaning device that treats the posterior to a warm water wash providing a “feeling of cleanliness like never before.” The warm air dryer leaves you feeling, well, dry. As you might expect of a unit of this caliber, the toilet completes its operation by flushing automatically and lowering the lid as you leave. This lid can’t be left up on purpose.

If you have $5900 U.S. that you can spare for a toilet, check it out here.

Read also: An aquarium in your toilet?

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Canadians from coast to coast saw a higher percentage of their income going towards housing costs in the second quarter of 2010, largely driven by an increase in house prices and mortgage interest rates when compared against the first quarter. This marks the fourth consecutive time that RBC’s “Housing Affordability Measure” rose. According to the Housing Trends and Affordability report released by RBC Economics this morning, the increases have managed to consume roughly half of the improvements experienced in late 2008 and early 2009 when house prices in most areas of Canada cooled significantly.

The deterioration in affordability was seen across the country with the worst of it experienced in Ontario and British Columbia with the remaining provinces seeing “minor erosion.” Only Saskatchewan and Manitoba experienced some improvements, though they were limited to townhomes in the former and condominiums in the latter.

In Saskatchewan

“While home resale activity in Saskatchewan has been on a declining trend in recent months, home prices have held up to a large extent. In the second quarter, prices either appreciated moderately or edged lower just marginally, depending on the housing type. With mortgage rates rising during the quarter, affordability generally eroded some more in the province. RBC Housing Affordability Measures moved up between 0.6 and 1.5 percentage points (townhouses bucked the trend, edging lower by 0.1 percentage points). These increases pushed levels further above long-term averages, thereby indicating that some tensions may be building in the provincial market. Nonetheless, we expect that a strong rebound in the provincial economy this year and next will likely help ease such tensions.”

Read the entire report here.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Perhaps you’re already well on your way down this path, but if not, here are five cheap and easy steps that you can take at home to get you started in the right direction, courtesy of the Whole Home Quiz from National Geographic.

Caulking and Sealing

Air leaks in your home can increase heating and air conditioning costs by as much as ten percent. Caulking and sealing them is cheap and easy, and doing it can cut your carbon footprint by as much as 865 pounds per year.

Set your water heater to its optimal heating temperature

Lowering the temperature of your water heater prevents scalding and reduces carbon emissions by up to 480 pounds per year. Temperatures in the range of fifty degrees Celsius tend to be about the right number to maximize savings.

Check your furnace and air conditioner filters monthly

Checking air conditioner and furnace filters monthly to be sure they’re clean improves the efficiency of your systems and can save you anywhere from five to fifteen percent on utility bills.

Lower your home’s temperature by as little as one degree

You can shave more than five percent off of your energy bill for every degree that you lower your thermostat below twenty-one degrees in the winter and two percent for every degree above twenty-two in the summer. Make it automatic and easy by installing a programmable thermostat.

Install low-flow toilets

Flushing generally accounts for more than one third of home water use. New and improved high-efficiency toilets use less than 1.3 gallons per flush, approximately sixty percent less than older models.

Are you interested in more ways that you can contribute to a healthier environment? Check out National Geographic’s Green Guide for Everyday Living.

Have a happy Earth Day Saskatoon!

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

More info here.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Real estate geeks can follow our daily updates on Twitter @norm_fisher.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

The following chart shows the changes in affordability levels in some of Canada’s most active real estate markets over the past five surveys. Click the image for a larger view.

I was a bit surprised to see that affordability at a national level really hasn’t changed significantly in the past five years. Canada’s “median multiple” comes in at 3.7 years, up from the lows of 3.1 in Q3/2007 but just slightly higher than the 3.6 years in Q3/2005.

Vancouver “wins the gold medal” as the most severely unaffordable housing market in the world requiring 9.3 times to median household income, an increase of almost a year in just twelve months time.

See the entire Demographia survey for 2010 and past reports for 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Real estate geeks can follow our daily updates on Twitter @norm_fisher.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

I remember way back then, when everything was true and when
We would have such a very good time, such a fine time
Such a happy time
And I remember how we’d play, simply waste the day away
Then we’d say, nothing would come between us, two dreamers

It’s hard to believe that nearly thirty years have passed since that time. Twenty-five years married…two wonderful children, all grown up…several homes.

I don’t get up late for work. Trish never irons my shirts. Still, it has been a very good time, such a fine time, such a happy time.

Trish, I’m glad that my house is “our house.” Thank you for sharing a home with me.

Vermiculite was one of a number of loose fill insulation products approved for installation under the Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP) that provided grants to home owners who improved energy efficiency in their property between 1977 and 1984. Health Canada believes that vermiculite was installed in approximately 250,000 Canadian homes during that time. There is no information available as to where vermiculite use was most common but I can tell you that I have run across Saskatoon homes containing vermiculite insulation a number of times during my sixteen-year real estate career.

Health Canada’s position is this; “If vermiculite-based insulation is contained and not exposed to the home or interior environment, it poses very little risk.” Perhaps this provides some comfort to homeowners who have vermiculite insulation in their home, but in my own experience, the presence of asbestos is a growing concern for home buyers. Asbestos which is contained and undisturbed may never cause you or others in your home health problems but there is some significant likelihood that it could cause problems in completing a home sale when you’re ready to move. Some home buyers may be totally disinterested in purchasing a home that contains such a potentially toxic substance insisting that it be remediated as a condition of the sale, or they may walk away from the deal all together once they know.

It’s important to note that not all vermiculite insulation contains asbestos. If you suspect that you may have vermiculite insulation in your home you should avoid disturbing it. Contact a qualified expert for assistance in obtaining a sample for testing. In Saskatoon, Pillar to Post Home Inspections is qualified to gather samples and they can submit them to a lab on your behalf for testing. Testing costs can vary from one day to the next, but generally, a range of $150-$200 is what you should expect to pay for the service.

If vermiculite is present in your home and it does not contain asbestos, a lab report will be helpful in eliminating the concern that potential buyers for your home may have when you’re ready to sell. If it does contain asbestos, you can decide to remediate now, begin saving for an eventual remediation, or you can choose to leave it and deal with it at the time of sale. Remember though, leaving it until that late stage almost certainly raises significant concerns for your prospective buyer and could derail your sale.

One should probably consider that knowing your home contains asbestos might require you to disclose its presence when you offer the home for sale. The Property Condition Disclosure Statement (PCDS), which is not mandatory for home sellers, but is commonly used in Saskatchewan, has the following question. “To the best of your knowledge does the dwelling contain asbestos or urea formaldehyde insulation?” If you know asbestos exists, you are legally required to answer this question in the affirmative, if you choose to utilize the form. Home buyers are often suspicious of sellers who refuse to complete a PCDS. Even if you choose not to use the form a buyer could argue that disclosure is required based on the potential health implications of asbestos. In any case, professional home inspections are so common that it’s doubtful that vermiculite in your home could escape scrutiny when selling.

Health Canada has some good information online about vermiculite and asbestos including precautionary steps you can take to avoid contaminating your living space if vermiculite containing asbestos is present in your home. Check it out here.

Related posts: Asbestos in the home.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Real estate geeks can follow our daily updates on Twitter @norm_fisher.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

The chart below demonstrates potential savings derived from the installation of a high-efficiency furnace, based on average home owner’s use of natural gas and electricity in Saskatchewan. Electrical costs are based on continuous operation of the furnace motor during the winter months and utility rates that were effective on June 1, 2009. Actual savings may vary based on a number of variables.

In addition to the energy savings that you’ll see through the use of a more efficient heating appliance there are several other opportunities for savings when you upgrade.

•    There is no provincial sales tax payable on “ENERGY STAR” qualified furnaces and boilers.
•    You could qualify for an upgrade grant of up to $1,420 through the Saskatchewan EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Grant Program.
•    According to ENERGY STAR, a programmable thermostat can further reduce energy consumption costs by as much as $180 a year, plus you can qualify for an additional $15 rebate with the Programmable Thermostat Rebate from SaskEnergy.
•    The ENERGY STAR Loan Program provides financing at prime plus 2% on approved credit. *
•    The cost of your new high-efficiency furnace qualifies for the Federal Home Renovation Tax Credit and could increase your saving by hundreds of dollars.

If all of that isn’t enough to convince you, here’s an added bonus; a high-efficiency heating system will increase the resale value of your home and make it more attractive to a growing number of energy conscious home buyers.

* Visit the SaskEnergy website for full details including terms and conditions.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

If you live in Saskatoon we’d sure appreciate hearing your comments about your neighbourhood. Please visit our “Saskatoon Neighbourhoods” page and let us know what you love about your community.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

The Home Renovation Tax Credit is a federal non-refundable tax credit based on eligible expenses for improvements to your house, condominium, or cottage. The 15% tax credit applies to eligible expenses that exceed $1,000, but not more than $10,000. For instance, if you installed new windows at a cost of $5,000 and new shingles at a cost of $5,000 your tax credit is calculated as follows. ($10,000 – $1,000) x 15% = $1,350 tax credit.

You must get your contracts in writing, keep your receipts and claim the credit on your 2009 tax return.

Eligible expenses must be of an enduring nature and integral to your property.

Examples of eligible expenses

Renovation of a bathroom, basement, or kitchen
New windows, doors, or flooring
Building an addition, garage, deck, shed or fence
A new furnace, fireplace, water softener, or water heater
A new driveway, or a new surface on an existing driveway
Re-shingling a roof, or painting a house
Landscaping projects like new sod, perennial shrubs and flowers, trees, etc.
Swimming pools (permanent – in-ground and above ground)
Fixtures – blinds, shades, shutters, awnings, lights, fans, etc.
Associated renovation costs such as permits, professional services, equipment rentals, etc.

Examples of non-eligible expenses

Improvements made to rental units even if located with your primary residence
Furniture, appliances, tools
Audio and visual electronics
Routine repairs, maintenance and cleaning costs
Financing costs

For more information on the Home Renovation Tax Credit click here.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Real estate geeks can follow our daily updates on Twitter @Norm_Fisher.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

They contend that a number of illegal suites are contributing to a problem caused by the large number of single-family homes that were built in the area just a few years ago. Often, cars line both sides of the street creating dangerous conditions in an area with a high population of children and a park that attracts them in droves.

Residents are calling for speed bumps, crosswalks, a reduction in the speed limit, an elimination of parking in front of the playground, and a clamp down on illegal suites.

Ward 1 councillor Darren Hill will present his ideas on solving the problem to council this evening.

See the Star Phoenix story here.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Follow our daily updates on Twitter @Norm_Fisher.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Update: At the September 28 council meeting Ms. Elizabeth Cooney was heard and “expressed concerns regarding the speed of traffic and parking issue in the Rutherfor infill area and provided suggestions on how to help alleviate traffic congestion.” It was moved by councillor Hill, and seconded by Councillor Paulsen that the matter “be referred to Administration,” and that motion was carried.

Meeting minutes can be found here.

Over the past sixty days I have visited every school in Saskatoon, and I’ve walked every single park in every neighbourhood of our great community. It has been an excellent way to re-connect with the city that I grew up in, and that I love, but that was really a side benefit unrelated to my original reason for going. I went to take pictures. I went to capture these areas in images, hoping that they might be helpful to someone trying to choose a neighbourhood from afar in a city that they’re largely unfamiliar with.

Phase two of this project is a pretty major overhaul of our “Saskatoon neighbourhoods” pages to include some of the best information available on every area of the city as well as a decent photo tour that gives the visitor a bit of a feel for the area. We’ve put a good dent in the work on most of the area pages, and a number of them are already complete. Over the next sixty days we will finish them all.

Our City Park page provides a pretty good idea of what we’re ultimately after for each Saskatoon neighbourhood if you’re interested in having a look.

Generally, I’m pretty happy with the way these are turning out but I can’t help think about how much better they could be with a little help from you. I can write about my impressions of an area, and even share some photos that provide a limited view of the neighbourhood, but nothing could be as helpful to a newcomer as the comments of someone who has lived in and experienced an area firsthand.

May I call on those of you who live in Saskatoon to share some of your thoughts on the neighbourhood that you live in? You can do that in the comments section of the page for your area. You’ll find your area on a list here. Feel free to tell us what you love about your neighbourhood, and don’t be shy about sharing something that you wish was different. No neighbourhood is perfect and all of your impressions have the potential to be helpful to someone.

Thank you for helping me with this project.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions. All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Real estate geeks can follow our daily updates on Twitter @Norm_Fisher.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

You’ll be reminded that it’s Realtor® Community Safety Week by a series of safety tips airing on C95FM and Rock102. I’ve also noticed some service announcements in the Star Phoenix. The highlight event for the week is a Neighbourhood Safety Fair that happens on Saturday, September 12 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. It will be held at Sonnenschein Way, just south of the Farmer’s Market. If you can find the time, it’s probably worth attending. Apparently, there will be children’s activities and prizes, self-defense demonstrations, home safety products and lots of good safety related information.

Whether or not you can attend you should check out a free publication that’s being offered by the City of Saskatoon. It’s called “Safe at Home” and it contains about a dozen pages of great tips for staying safe in your community and in your home. Please read it and be safe, this week and every other.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

View the study findings and media release here.

Thanks to Jason for the heads up.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Real estate geeks can follow our daily updates on Twitter @Norm_Fisher.

Our Saskatoon home search tool offers MLS listings represented by all real estate brands, presented with more detail than you’ll find anywhere else. Check it out here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Other considerations

• Improvements that are commonly found in the area the home is located in will almost always deliver the highest returns.
• Renovations in homes that have a lower market value when compared to other homes in the area generally see a higher return from home improvements.
• Poorly done renovations have a smaller upward impact on the home’s value, and can actually have a negative affect on property value.
• Renovations done on a home that is generally in poor repair overall have a minimal impact on its market value.
• It’s rare that renovations recover their full cost in added value. Home owners should understand that there is some value associated with enjoyment of the improvement.
• Not all improvements are created equal, even those that might fit in the same category. For instance, in a bathroom renovation a “spa type shower will add roughly 36% of it’s cost, while a Jacuzzi or whirlpool type tub recovers approximately 65% of its cost.

If you are a potential homeowner or are seeking to remodel an older home, exposure can cause many health concerns for you and your family. If you are interested in living in a safe, healthy environment, free of health damaging materials, here is some information to get you on that track.

Asbestos exposure can cause a debilitating lung ailment known as mesothelioma. This asbestos-related illness is one of the hardest for physicians to diagnose for a variety of reasons. The disease typically has a latency period lasting anywhere from 20 to 50 years when it has already reached its later stage of development. Its symptoms also resemble many of other less serious conditions. Mesothelioma treatment is usually limited to a handful of procedures and results vary from patient to patient. If your home or jobsite has had asbestos removed, exposure may have occurred previously and receiving a medical checkup is of the upmost importance.

Health Canada offers assistance and information in the prevention, disposal and removal of asbestos. They are federally responsible for helping citizens maintain and improve health at home and the work place. Homeowners should not disturb any suspected asbestos themselves as this makes its fibers airborne. The inspection and removal of toxic substances must be performed by licensed abatement contractors who are trained in handling dangerous materials. They work under provincial and federal regulations to ensure no health concerns arise from improper removal.

Once the area is asbestos free, environmentally sustainable materials should be considered including cotton fiber, cellulose and lcynene, water based spray polyurethane foam that can reduce energy costs annually. With the constant growth in technology, there is absolutely no need for health damaging materials such as asbestos.

Click for a larger image displaying potential problem areas for asbestos in the home.

A qualified home inspector can often detect the presence of asbestos and other potentially dangerous products that may have been used in home construction over the years. Put “healthy living environment” for your family at the top of your “wants and needs” list when shopping for a new home.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

This particular report weighs a number of factors including house prices, incomes, crime rates, employment, weather and lifestyle.

View the results here.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Follow our daily updates on Twitter @SaskatoonHomes.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

This forwarded to me by a reader from the “Council Agenda in Brief.” (no longer available)

“City Council will receive a report from Administration recommending that they adopt, in principle, the New Construction Land-Cost Rebate Program and that Administration prepare an implementation plan by June 30. The program proposes a land-cost rebate to all developers of new rental units in Saskatoon, provided these units are constructed within 18 months and they remain rental units for 15 years. A further requirement is that 20% of these units be targeted as entry-level housing, and would also be eligible for an additional land-cost rebate. The rebates would be between 50% to 75% of land costs in return for an expedient delivery of new rental units. The program target is the construction of 1,000 new rental units within a two-year period. During the past twenty years, Saskatoon has had little investment in new rental unit construction, and this proposed one-time incentive is required immediately to break the inertia on new rental unit construction.”

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Follow our daily updates on Twitter @SaskatoonHomes.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Few would disagree that this market is extremely tough for renters and it would be difficult to make a case that Saskatoon renters don’t need some help right now. Is rent control the right way to do that or does such legislation ultimately lead to greater harm in the rental market?

Here are some points gleaned from a policy paper written by William Tucker, author of “The Excluded Americans: Homelessness and Housing Policies. Please refer to the complete document to examine the evidence in support of his position.

• Rent controls cause frustrated property owners to sell and redirect investment dollars to a multitude of other investment opportunities that exist in the free market, ultimately reducing the supply of rental housing.

• Rent controls produce excess demand, which further reduces the stock of rental housing for those who need it most.

• Rent controlled housing tends to come off of the market and stay off of the market forever. Renters just don’t move.

• Rent controls create closed communities, which excludes newcomers from entering the market.

• Rent controlled housing tends to fall into the hands of middle-class professionals, not the poor.

• Rent controls provide an incentive for landlords to neglect property and tenants.

• Historically, vacancy rates are significantly lower in rent controlled areas than they are in free and open rental markets.

• Median rents tend to be higher in areas with rent control than in areas that aren’t controlled.

• Rent controls reduce the quality and quantity of housing available to renters.

Standard supply-and-demand theory predicts that any price controls, including rent controls, will produce an excess of demand over supply–an economic “shortage.” There is virtually no disagreement on this premise. In a survey of 75 of the world’s outstanding economists, J. R. Kearl and his colleagues found nearly unanimous agreement on the proposition: “A ceiling on rents will reduce the quality and quantity of housing.”

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Follow our daily updates on Twitter @SaskatoonHomes.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Represented by fellow tenants Martin Been and Barbara Henderson, Milroy residents will ask a Court of Queen’s Bench judge to overturn the decision and to grant an order prohibiting the city from issuing an approval certificate “unless and until the City of Saskatoon determines, upon evidence” that the conversion meets the requirements of Saskatchewan’s Condominium Property Act.

One section of the Act states the following with respect to condominium conversions:

On an application for a certificate pursuant to clause (1)(b), the local authority shall direct the issue of a certificate if it is satisfied that:

(e) Where the application relates to the conversion of existing premises used for apartments, flats, or tenements into units:

i) the conversion will not significantly reduce the availability of rental accommodation in the area;

ii) the conversion will not create significant hardship for any or all of the tenants of the existing premises.

The most recent Rental Market Report released by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation placed Saskatoon’s vacancy rate at a record low of just 0.6% following a busy year of condo conversion applications in the city of Saskatoon. Through 2007, over 1,500 rental units were approved for conversion, more than we’ve seen in the last ten years combined.

Councillors Bob Pringle, Pat Lorje, Darren Hill and Charlie Clark all voted against the application for conversion because of concerns over the tight rental market and the impact that a conversion would have on the buildings tenants.

I suspect that the city will argue that the Milroy tenants are interpreting the Condominium Property Act incorrectly. They’ll argue that this section of the Act provides municipalities with power to reject applications should they choose to do so, but does not limit their authority in granting applications under any circumstances which they deem appropriate.

Related articles include;

City of Saskatoon to consider proposed changes to condo conversion policy

Milroy Apartments in Saskatoon will become condos

Saskatoon City Council approves condo conversion policy change

NDP calls for “freeze” on Saskatoon condo conversions

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Follow our daily updates on Twitter @SaskatoonHomes.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Sitting on a narrow lot which measures in at 7.25 feet by 113.67 feet, this little charmer has been completely renovated from top to bottom. It features a living room, a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom and a decent back yard.

I was most impressed by the initiative taken by the listing agents, Christina Lopes and Louise Ruggiero of Sutton Group Security Real Estate Brokerage. These two go-getters have enhanced their listing to the fullest on MLSOnline including a sales brochure and a virtual tour which offers eighteen still images and four 360 degree panoramic images.

It’s hard to find an agent who will provide such a rich presentation on house ten times the size.

The virtual tour for the property is here.

Tip of the hat to Matthew Collinge of Vancouver who originally posted about this property on his blog.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Follow our daily updates on Twitter @SaskatoonHomes.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

The “2007 Royal LePage Female Buyers Report” was released this morning.   The report which marries findings from a national consumer poll with anecdotal research examines buying habits of Canadian women.  Among some of the findings, the report found that women are playing an increasingly significant role in the real estate market.  In fact, of single women who are not yet homeowners, 31 per cent say they will potentially purchase their next home within three years and 30 per cent already own.

With a cheque book firmly in one hand and a hammer confidently in the other single female homebuyers of all ages continue to knock down barriers by purchasing real estate and tackling home repairs. Currently, 30 per cent of single, never-before married women own their own home, while 45 per cent of divorced or separated women and 64 per cent of widowed women are homeowners, according to the Royal LePage Female Buyers Report released today.

Click here for the media release and access to the entire report.

I’m always happy to answer your Saskatoon real estate questions.  All of my contact info is here. Please feel free to call or email.

Follow our daily updates on Twitter @SaskatoonHomes.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate