On the heels of the year’s two strongest weeks for new listings, activity cooled some as Saskatoon real estate agents added 165 properties (houses and condos) to the MLS® system. That number is down 20 homes from the previous week but up by 11 from the same week a year ago.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

The total inventory of residential MLS® listings took its second spring dip, somewhat unusual for this time of year, slipping just one unit from the previous week to finish at 1183 homes and falling below levels recorded at this time in 2012 by 20 properties. Today’s inventory numbers show 729 single family homes and 377 condominiums with an active status. Single-family home inventory nearly matches last year’s numbers when buyers could find 726 homes to choose from. Condo numbers are down a bit from the previous year when just over 400 units were available on the Saskatoon multiple listing service®.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Another residential sale above the million dollar mark pushed the average sale price of a Saskatoon home higher again this week. It moved up nearly 15K from the previous week to reach $364,578. Fewer low end sales helped the median price increase as well. It grew by about ten thousand dollars from last week to $347,500. The six-week average price failed to take any significant gains inching up just a few hundred dollars from last week to $353,656 to claim an annual gain of more than eleven thousand dollars. The four-week median price went up five thousand dollars from the previous week and reached $340,000, it’s highest point since early January. That number is about twenty-two thousand dollars higher than it was at the same time last year.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

The number of Saskatoon home sales that were reported to have sold above the seller’s asking price plummeted, falling from nine last week to just three this week. Those sales produced an average overbid of just $1400. Another 14 transactions closed at full list price while 78 of the week’s 95 sales had the seller sharpening their pencil for a below list sale with an average discount of $9,335.

Other MLS® activity this week included 50 cancelled and withdrawn listings, 5 expired listings and 45 price adjustments.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Thousands of immigrants flock to Saskatoon – Star Phoenix
Canada’s banks could be on the hook to bail out CMHC if disaster strikes – Financial Post
Canadian housing market not that bad for banks – Financial Post
House price gains expected to dip to lowest since 2009 – Globe and Mail
Flaherty says Canada real estate income trust wave no concern – Financial Post
Would shorter amortizations make the housing market safer? - Globe and Mail
Canada’s housing meltdown? Must’ve missed that - Financial Post
Signs of spring – and a soft landing – in Canadian real estate – Globe and Mail
Canadian home sales edge up in April, price gains least in two years – Financial Post
Are all of our eggs in the housing basket – Financial Post
Children and condos can go together with careful planning – Star Phoenix

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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 lovely four-level split has exceptional street appeal with a low maintenance exterior of vinyl siding and aluminum fascia, soffits and eaves. It sits on a beautifully landscaped corner lot offering generous lawn space in both the front and back yard which features a concrete patio and lovely perennial beds. Of course, there are plenty of mature trees and shrubs as you’d expect in a well established area like this one.

More details at www.161Columbia.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Lyndon a note or give him a call. His contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In April, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,541 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Highlights of CREA’s report    

• National home sales rose 0.6% from March to April.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity came in 3.1% below levels in April 2012.
• The number of newly listed homes fell 0.9% from March to April.
• The Canadian housing market remains firmly in balanced territory.
• The national average sale price rose 1.3% on a year-over-year basis in April.
• The MLS® HPI rose 2.2% in April, its smallest gain in more than two years.

Read the entire report on Canadian MLS sales for April, 2013.

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

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

The index was created to provide more accurate and in-depth analysis of real estate prices and trends than average prices, which are more typically reported. Taking more of an “apples to apples” approach, the MLS® HPI will more closely examine price changes to the same quality of home in the same neighbourhood, over time.

Similar to the Consumer Price Index, the baseline price will be represented as 100 going back to January, 2005. So a housing type having a MLS® HPI value of 150 has risen in value by 50 percent since January, 2005.

The index will also examine price changes by property type so you can expect to see more reliable data on:

• Single family homes
• One storey single family homes
• Two storey single family homes
• Townhouse and row units
• Apartment style condos
• A composite of all types weighted by sales

You can count on us to report on future MLS® HPI. Of course, we’ll continue to provide our regular weekly and monthly updates that use more traditional measures. I’m certainly interested to see how they compare of the long run.

Interesting in the value of your Saskatoon home? Get the most current market intelligence with our FREE Market Snapshot including prices of homes recently sold in your area. Get it here now, or call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary evaluation of your home.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

This impressive Willowgrove area home offers fabulous street appeal with a low maintenance exterior of vinyl siding, aluminum trim and lovely stone accents. The lot is beautifully landscaped and features block walkways, well-manicured shrub beds, two decks, a fenced back yard with a wonderful vertical garden, a patio and a children’s play centre.

Inside, you’ll find a spacious and open floor plan with many attractive upgrades and large windows that welcome the natural light. The main level boasts rich hardwood engineered hand scraped floors through the living room dining room areas and ceramic tile flooring in the front and rear entry, the two-piece bathroom and the gorgeous maple kitchen. The kitchen has a large window overlooking the backyard making it easy to keep an eye on the kids as meals are being prepared. The kitchen has a stainless steel dishwasher, built-in microwave and granite counter tops. The computer station in the adjoining dining room offers additional storage with matching cabinets and counter tops. Families will also appreciate the main floor laundry and the generous closet space at the rear entry.

More details at www.826Padget.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Lyndon a note or give him a call. His contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In April, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,541 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

New listings continued to flow into the MLS® system at a fairly rapid pace as REALTORS® had their second busiest listing week this year adding 185 houses and condominiums to the inventory, down 11 properties from last week and roughly on par with numbers seen over the same week of 2012.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Following a bit of an unusual decline last week, the inventory of active MLS® listings once again began to increase growing by 32 units over the course of the week to reach 1184 and find itself lower on a year-over-year basis for the first time in eight weeks. Last year at this time residential inventory levels had reached 1190 properties.  By category, this year’s inventory nearly matches last year’s with 714 active house listings, compared to 715 last year and 381 condos, compared to 397 a year ago.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

You’ll recall that last week’s price numbers were significantly skewed by a large number of upper end sales including a “handful of pretty pricey homes that traded above $600K” and one that went for more than one million dollars. With fewer of those types of sales in this week’s mix, both the average price and the median price of those Saskatoon homes that sold tumbled lower to $350,334 and $337,000, respectively. Still, both of the longer term measures that we track and share here continued to modestly trend higher. The six-week average price of a Saskatoon home increased by two thousand dollars compared to the previous week to find itself up over the previous year by roughly seven thousand dollars. Meanwhile, the four-week average price gained fifteen hundred dollars from last week’s close to finish at $335,000 and claim an annual increase of eleven thousand and five hundred dollars. These are some of the smaller yearly price increases that we’ve seen in the spring months for some time.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Overbid activity was pretty consistent with last week as a total of nine Saskatoon home buyers closed a deal above the seller’s asking price. The average overbid was $5,569 this week. Another 14 sellers managed to close at their full asking price while 70 of this week’s 93 sales recorded a below list price sale with an average discount of $8,375.

Other notable MLS® activity this week included 75 cancelled and withdrawn listings (many re-listed at a new price and pumping up the new listing numbers), 8 expired listings and 44 price adjustments.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Canadian banks: Safe as houses? – Financial Post
Renting your home can be lucrative but are you ready for tenants from hell? – Financial Post
Why is the man who bet against U.S. housing worried about Canada? – Globe and Mail
CMHC takes first steps towards new identity – Financial Post
What housing crisis? Many homeowners would be spared in a correction – Financial Post

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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 attractive two bedroom condominium was completely renovated in recent years and shows very well. It offers a spacious living room with a patio door to a private balcony where you can access an additional storage room. The living room is open to a generous dining area and a beautiful kitchen with laminate floors of varied tones, lovely maple cabinets with granite counter tops, a large pantry closet, a built-in dishwasher and a microwave range hood. The existing fridge and stove are included, as are the stacking washer and dryer located in the hallway laundry closet. The full bathroom features matching maple cabinetry and a deep soaker tub with a ceramic tile enclosure.

More details at www.204C-1121-McKercher.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Lyndon a note or give him a call. His contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In April, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,541 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

This two-bedroom condominium offers a bright and open floor plan with a spacious living room with patio door access to a private balcony, a dining area and a kitchen featuring cream coloured European style cabinets with oak pulls, a built-in dishwasher, fridge and stove. There are two bedrooms and a full four-piece bathroom with a ceramic tile tub enclosure. A private storage area is located off of the balcony. Shared laundry facilities are available on the same level as this second floor home.

More details at www.301-255-kingsmere.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Lyndon a note or give him a call. His contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In April, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,541 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

That said, this week’s sales didn’t quite measure up on a year-over-year basis. Local agents reported a total of 98 house and condominium sales to the Saskatoon multiple listing service®, up five from last week but falling short of numbers hit during the same week a year ago when 109 homes traded hands.

New listings where through the roof strong as 198 properties were added to the MLS®, the largest number added during any single week since May of 2009. New listings were up over the previous week by 41 and ahead of the same period last year by 17.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

A seven week streak of gains to the total residential inventory on the Saskatoon multiple listing service® came to an end as levels softened slightly compared to the previous week. As of this morning, 1152 Saskatoon homes display an active status, down from 1163 at the close of the previous week, but ahead of last year’s level by twenty properties. As has been the case for a number of months now, single-family home inventory is up slightly on an annual basis while condo inventory is down just marginally. Today there are 704 active listings of single family homes compared to 677 at the same time a year ago. A condo search shows 360 active listings, down from 383 a year ago.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Saskatoon’s fourth sale of the year, with a price above one million dollars and a handful of pretty pricey homes that traded above $600K skewed the average price paid for a Saskatoon home substantially higher than the previous week to a new record high for the year at $374,857. While upper end buyers showed a willingness to close offers, entry level sales had a weaker showing so the median price for the week also headed a fair bit higher to $364,075. The six-week average selling price of a Saskatoon home gained eight thousand dollars from last week to hit $351,363 and finished higher than the same week last year by roughly the same gain. The four-week median changed just slightly gaining five hundred dollars on the week to reach $333,500 for an annual bump of eighty-five hundred dollars. You may recall that over the previous two weeks the four-week median price had been showing year-over-year declines.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

The number of buyers who were willing to pay a price higher than the seller’s asking price came in a ten. Those ten deals averaged a price that exceeded list by $2,490. Another 11 sellers closed a deal at their full list price while 72 of 98 sales reported this week produced a price below asking by an average of $7,712.

Other notable MLS® activity this week included 42 cancelled and withdrawn listings, 10 expired listings and 26 price adjustments.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Saskatoon real estate activity rebounds in April – Star Phoenix
Property value assessments skyrocket - Star Phoenix
Saskatchewan economy on solid footing – Star Phoenix
Hard to plan for city of a million – Star Phoenix
Canadian housing: Bursting bubble or gentle landing? – Financial Post

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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

Please note that many of the association’s comments touch on “year-to-date” numbers, and some are based on all sales within the board’s trading area. The charts which you see, as always, reflect activity within the city of Saskatoon on a month to month basis over the past several years.

Increased activity in the real estate market in Saskatoon in the month of April made up for some of the lost ground in the first quarter of the year. Listing activity was up a modest three percent while sales activity was up eight percent when compared to April 2012. “Activity dropped off in the first quarter of 2013 for the first time in many months,” says Jason Yochim, Executive Officer of the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®. “I was confident that we would see an increase based on the steady economic activity our city and province are experiencing. Saskatchewan is fortunate to not be in a ‘boom’ but rather steady economic growth which doesn’t have that nasty downside that follows a drastic increase in market activity.”

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

The year-to-date increase in the average sale price of a home is steady at four percent ($340,500) which has been the norm for the past number of years. The market remains comfortably in balanced territory with almost three months of inventory in Saskatoon. At the end of April there were 1,182 active listings on the market and a total of 439 sales for the month compared to 406 in April of 2012. The rural market surrounding Saskatoon is quite different with 917 active listings and only 117 unit sales in April equating to almost eight months of inventory. “In spite of the over-supply, the average price in the rural market still increased by nine percent to $327,000,” according to Yochim.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Home sales between $300,000 and $400,000 saw a nine percent reduction or 16 fewer units change hands in April of 2013 compared to the same month last year. On a year-over-year basis, the upper range of homes continued to sell well compared to this time last year with a 35 percent increase in sales over $500,000 representing 255 units compared with 189 a year ago. The Saskatoon market has seen a total of six homes sell in excess of one million in 2013.

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

This handy mapping tool allows you to map offences by date (right up to yesterday) and by the type of criminal activity. It provides a city wide snapshot of those crimes or you can narrow it down to specific neighbourhoods.

Find the Saskatoon crime mapping service here.

I expect this little tool will see some action from people considering the purchase of a Saskatoon home or an investment property.

Interested in more detailed information of Saskatoon’s neighbourhoods? Check out our Neighbourhood Profiles here.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

New listings also came on the market at a brisk but seasonal pace. Over the course of the week, 155 houses and condos were added to the MLS® inventory, five fewer than the previous week but higher than the totals added during the same period last year by ten.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Residential inventory on the Saskatoon multiple listing service® saw small but steady growth as the total number of properties showing an active status increased by 13 this week to 1163 for a gain of 43 units when compared against levels of a year ago. Most of the annual increases can be found in the single-family home category which grew from 662 last year to 697 today. Condo inventory has begun to level off after showing annual declines for many months that sometimes showed drops as much as 20 percent. Presently, there are 375 condominiums for sale in Saskatoon, down just six units from a year ago.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

An increased level of activity at the most affordable end of the real estate market saw the median price of a Saskatoon home slip this week to $318,000. The weekly average also took a dip for the second week in a row falling more than ten thousand dollars to $326,093. The longer term numbers were much more stable, at least on a weekly basis. The six-week average sale price of a Saskatoon home inched lower by about twenty-six hundred dollars from last week to $343,327 for an annual gain of less than one thousand dollars. The four-week median price increased one thousand dollars from last week to reach $333,000 showing a year-over-year decrease of nearly seven thousand dollars. This is the third week in a row in which the four-week median price has shown an annual drop.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Overbid Saskatoon real estate sales saw a another big increase moving to ten sales this week from just six the week before. Those sellers netted, on average, an additional $2,460 from their sale. At the same time, the number of sales that closed at the seller’s full asking price declined sharply to just ten, down from 23 during the previous week. The other 72 firm deals came in below the asking price showing an average discount of $7,712 for each buyer, the smallest movement we’ve seen in several weeks.

Other notable MLS® activity this week included 42 cancelled and withdrawn listings, 10 expired listings and 26 price adjustments.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Feds must step up for housing – Jordon Cooper’s Star Phoenix column
River Landing could attract investors – Star Phoenix
Canadian paying down debt at quicker pace – Financial Post
Even in real estate slump, Canadians lured into bidding wars – Financial Post
Property value assessments skyrocket – Star Phoenix

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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

Here’s how that looks.

This is the kind of information that we find invaluable in helping us craft an effective marketing plan for those who hire us to sell their home.

The data raises what I think is an interesting question. Why would any agent spend any amount of time or money advertising a listing in the newspaper, or in a homes magazine? In my opinion, they do it out of ignorance or as a smoke and mirrors effort to convince a seller that something is being done to market the listing. In fact, every dollar spent in a newspaper will go further and produce better results online. The agent just needs to know how and where to invest those dollars.

Many things about this business have changed over the past ten years, but one thing remains constant. It’s still about marketing and exposing homes to the largest number of potential prospects. Knowing where those prospects are looking and developing a marketing plan that reaches them in those places is the best way to find success for home sellers who want to sell their homes faster, and for more money.

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

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

New listings continued to hit the MLS® system at an appropriate pace for the season. This week, 160 new house and condominium listings were added to the system, three fewer than last week, down 18 properties when compared against new listings for the same period last year.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Saskatoon MLS® inventory in the residential category edged higher again as it always does in April. At this week’s close we have a total of 1150 properties showing an active status, up 26 from last week’s close and ahead of last year’s total by 48 homes. Today there are 685 single-family homes and 370 condominiums for sale on the Saskatoon MLS® system. Last year at this time inventory for those two housing types stood at 646 and 392, respectively.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Last week, the average selling price of a Saskatoon home took a huge leap forward due to a good handful of high end sales including a couple of homes that traded above the $1-million dollar mark. This week, with just five sales recorded above $500,000 the average sale price fell sharply to $337,393. The weekly median price (the price point at which half of all sales occurred at a lower price) remained pretty stable, increasing $1750 from last week to $328,000. The longer term measures that we track were nearly unchanged from the previous week. The six-week average price slipped about seven hundred dollars to $345,923 for a year-over-year gain of eight thousand dollars. The four-week median edged higher by one thousand dollars from a week ago to reach $332,000 to show an annual loss of fifty five hundred dollars.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

The number of homes that traded for more than the asking price increased to six this week from just two last week. On average, those sellers netted an additional $2,234. Another 23 deals wrapped up at the seller’s full asking price. The remaining 73 sales were completed below asking price with the buyer netting an average discount of $9,857.

Other notable MLS® activity this week included 25 cancelled and withdrawn listings, 16 expired listings and 31 price adjustments. Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Real estate expert shares smart tips for downsizing – Star Phoenix
Is Canada’s condo boom coming apart at the seams? – Globe and Mail
Home sales up 2.4 percent in March – Star Phoenix
Bank of Canada still sees signs of overbuilding, ‘stretched’ housing values – Globe and Mail
Canadian real estate shows continued improvement in March: CREA – TeamFisher.com

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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

Highlights of CREA’s report    

• National home sales rose 2.4% from February to March.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity came in 15.3% below levels in March 2012.
• The number of newly listed homes was up 3.2% from February to March.
• The Canadian housing market remains firmly in balanced territory.
• The national average sale price rose 2.5% on a year-over-year basis in March.
• The MLS® HPI rose 2.2% in March, its smallest gain in more than two years.

Read the entire report on Canadian MLS sales for March, 2013.

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

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

While Saskatoon real estate agents weren’t as busy writing deals they certainly found time to write lots of new listings introducing a total of 165 houses and condominiums to the multiple listing service® and completing the largest volume week so far this year. The number of new listings added to the MLS® was up by 12 over the previous week and ahead of listing processed during the same period last year by 27 homes.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

The total inventory of active listings in the residential category of the Saskatoon multiple listing service® continued to grow at a pace which would be considered pretty normal for this time of year. Total numbers of available properties grew by 36 from the close of the previous week to find its totals above 1100 for the first time this year. Reaching 1124 homes, current MLS® inventory is up marginally (just 17) on a year-over-year basis.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

This was a strong week in the luxury category with two Saskatoon house sales reported above the $1-million mark, one of those actually breaking past $1.5 million. Throw in another sale above $800,000, a couple that broke $700K and three above the $600,000 mark and watch the average price of a Saskatoon home soar this week to $374,287 to reach its highest point this year. The six-week average price also pushed forward gaining more than five thousand dollars from last week to close at $346,678 to pick up an annual gain of just over sixteen thousand dollars. The four-week median price grew by forty-five hundred dollars from last week reaching $331,000 for a year-over-year increase of about eleven thousand dollars.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Overbid Saskatoon real estate sales continued to be a near non-factor with just two lucky sellers bagging an offer above their asking price. It was a serious win for one seller whose Nutana area home sale closed $50,000 above list. Another six sellers found a buyer willing to pay them their full asking price while 70 of this week’s 78 sales closed below the list price by an average of $13,272. That number is heavily skewed by some large dollar discounts on the high-end sales, the two biggest sales alone contributing about $230,000 to the discount pool.

Other notable MLS® activity this week included 45 cancelled and withdrawn listings, 5 expired listings and 30 price adjustments.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Saskatchewan job numbers strongest in Canada – Star Phoenix
Housing starts off record highs of 2012 – Star Phoenix
Riversdale condos planned for Great West Warehouse site – Star Phoenix
Saskatoon’s population expected to boom – Star Phoenix
Saskatchewan the ‘place to be.’ says Scotiabank economist – Regina Leader Post
‘So far, so good’: Data suggests soft landing for Canada’s housing market – Financial Post
Smart growth makes consumer housing aspirations irrelevant – Financial Post

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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

The projections assume that growth in the area will continue at the same pace over that period of time. It’s speculative, at best, but we’re certainly on a roll with some good momentum behind us. Short term prospects look good for a continued expansion of our population base.

Accommodating that growth will require development of 15 new neighbourhoods and 60,000 households, according to comments attributed to Allan Wallace, Saskatoon’s manager of planning and development in a recent Star Phoenix story.

We’ve got lots to think about and discuss as a community in the years ahead. Managing growth isn’t a problem that we have a lot of experience at in Saskatchewan. While there will be growing pains and challenges to overcome it’s kind of nice to be planning for growth rather than decline.

Go Saskatoon!

Read “Saskatoon’s population expected to boom” from the Star Phoenix.

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

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

Standard condominiums posted a price increase of 10.3 per cent to an average price of $261,333. Detached bungalows increased 4.1 per cent to $352,500 and standard two-storey homes increased slightly by 3.2 per cent to $384,000.

“Fairly limited selection of desirable options across housing types has pushed prices up over the past year,” said Norm Fisher, Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate. “However, in recent months, the market seems to be changing, offering a somewhat more balanced  environment than we’ve seen over the past few years.”

Nationally, house prices remained relatively flat in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the first quarter of 2012, recording that the average price of a home in Canada increased between 1.2 per cent and 2.4 per cent.

In the first quarter of 2013, the national average price of a standard two-storey home increased 2.2 per cent, compared to the previous year. Over the same period, the national average price of a detached bungalow increased 2.4 per cent and the average price of a standard condominium increased 1.2 per cent.

“2013 finds the Canadian housing industry in a highly unusual place. The combination of very low mortgage rates and flat home prices, against a background of general economic improvement across the nation, is not something we’ve seen before,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive of Royal LePage. “Typically one of these variables is moving hard in an opposite direction. While some have spoken loudly about impending market volatility and dramatic downward pressure on home prices, we are simply not seeing evidence of this. The current environment is very supportive for housing. Those waiting for big declines in home prices will likely be disappointed.”

A spike in new listings happened at the same time, also reaching record numbers for any week this year. Saskatoon real estate agents brought 153 new listings to the MLS® system, up 55 from last week, but falling short of numbers from the same period last year when 192 new listings came onto the system.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Inventory numbers of Saskatoon MLS® listings moved higher this week gaining 35 units over the course of the week to close at 1092, its highest level this year. That number is ahead of levels seen at the same time last year by 32 homes. A search of today’s inventory shows 664 single-family homes and 342 condominiums displaying an active status. Last year at this time, those categories stood at 624 and 354, respectively.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

A pretty good handful of upper end real estate sales saw the average sale price of a Saskatoon home surge to its highest point for any week this year at $363,586. Combining the upper end sales activity with fewer entry level sales pushed the median price higher as well to $347,400.

After trending lower for most of the first quarter, both of our longer term measures took a solid leap to higher ground. The six-week average climbed nearly ten thousand dollars from last week’s close to reach $341,059 for an annual gain of a bit more than thirteen thousand dollars. The four-week median pushed higher by eight thousand dollars this week and settled at $326,500 for a year-over-year increase roughly the same as the six-week average.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Overbid Saskatoon real estate sales cooled to just three. Those fortunate sellers picked up an additional $5,434 on average. On the other hand, sales at list price posted some of the strongest numbers we’ve seen in awhile at 23. The remaining 61 firm Saskatoon real estate sales closed below the asking price by an average of $8,929.

Other notable MLS® activity this week included 32 cancelled and withdrawn listings, 16 expired listings and 23 price adjustments.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Why Canadian banks shouldn’t fear a housing slowdown – Financial Post
Home sales activity on an upward swing – Star Phoenix
Real estate’s late spring: Sales rebound fails to happen – Globe and Mail
Canadian home prices up in most markets in early 2013: Royal LePage – Financial Post

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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.

By Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

This clean and well kept family home offers an open floor plan more commonly found in today’s new homes. The large living room, the kitchen and the dining area all share one space. The galley style kitchen provides plenty of lovely mahogany cabinets with a built-in dishwasher, oven and cooktop. The large island provides additional counter space and a bit of separation from the living room, which has a southern exposure that welcomes lots of natural light.

More details at www.410-111thStreet.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Jillian a note or give her a call. Her contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In March, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,804 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher

Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Please note that many of the association’s comments touch on “year-to-date” numbers, and some are based on all sales within the board’s trading area. The charts which you see, as always, reflect activity within the city of Saskatoon on a month to month basis over the past several years.

As expected, Saskatoon real estate sales activity was up considerably in March compared to February with an increase of 21 percent in listings and a 35 percent increase in sales. “Spring is typically the most active time of the year for real estate. The winter was long and with all the snow, most buyers and sellers preferred to wait for more suitable conditions unless they had to make a move,” comments Jason Yochim, Executive Officer for the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®. Market activity in March was comparable to March of 2012 with 934 new listings and 480 property sales. At the end of the first quarter, the number of properties listed in Saskatoon and area was 5% lower than last March (344 versus 368 last year).

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

The average sale price in Saskatoon continued its upward trend at the modest rate of three percent to $336,100. The average price a year ago in Saskatoon was $326,800. “Averages can be misleading,” warns Yochim. “An average price is just that, an average of all sales across the entire market place, and can be easily skewed by many factors. The good news is the market is healthy with a strong demand for homes in the $250,000 to $400,000 range.” 

Activity in the $275,000 to $400,000 price range continues to be down from last year, this is largely due to a shortage of product in this price range. Unit sales in the $450,000 to $500,000 price range saw a 43 percent increase, year-to-date. Overall, year-to-date sales were down eight percent in the first quarter of 2013 resulting in a four percent reduction in the total dollar volume of $362,974,828.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

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

This attractive Fairhaven home sits on a nice crescent and offers easy access to schools, public parks, shopping and numerous recreational amenities including the new Shaw Centre.

With 1572 square feet of living space on its two upper levels the home offers plenty of room for growing families. In fact, there are a total of six bedrooms across three developed levels.

More details at www.130Galbraith.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Lyndon a note or give him a call. His contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In March, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,804 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

This Montgomery Place home is situated on a beautifully landscaped lot measuring 60 feet by 110 feet. It offers mature trees and shrubs, generous lawn spaces, a fenced back yard with a fire pit and a large deck.

The home has a large living room with a fireplace finished in stone. The main level also has three bedrooms and two bathrooms including the three-piece ensuite, and a fabulous kitchen with plenty of dark stained cabinets, a glass and ceramic tile backsplash and under cabinet lighting. The stainless steel fridge, stove, dishwasher and microwave range hood are included. An adjacent dining area has a garden door to the back yard deck. The lower level is nicely developed with a large, open family room, an additional bedroom, a storage room, utility area and a 3-piece bathroom.

More details at www.3425Caen.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Lyndon a note or give him a call. His contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In March, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,804 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

Welcome to 204-355 Kingsmere Boulevard. From this premium Lakeview location you’ll enjoy easy access to schools, shopping and numerous recreational amenities including lovely public parks.

This two-bedroom condominium offers a bright and open floor plan with a spacious living room with patio door access to a private balcony, a dining area and a kitchen featuring cream coloured European style cabinets with oak pulls, a built-in dishwasher, fridge and stove.  There are two bedrooms and a full four-piece bathroom with a ceramic tile tub enclosure. A private storage area is located off of the balcony. Shared laundry facilities are available on the same level as this second floor home.

More details at www.Kingsmere-Condo.com or see the mobile version here.

Like to take a look in person? Your Saskatoon Realtor can arrange to show you this MLS® listing. If you don’t have an agent we’d be happy to make the arrangements. Drop Lyndon a note or give him a call. His contact info is here.

If this home isn’t for you be sure to visit our Search Saskatoon Homes page where you can search all Saskatoon MLS® listings. Updated several times a day, it’s the most current data stream of Saskatoon homes listed for sale available.

In March, TeamFisher.com hosted 27,804 visits from people interested in Saskatoon real estate. If you’d like to have your home prominently featured on this site, please call me at 306-241-6676 for a complimentary seller’s consultation.

Norm Fisher
Royal LePage Saskatoon Real Estate

New listings also cooled considerably as numbers fell to their lowest point in six weeks to fall short of 100. This week saw 98 new listings of houses and condos added top the MLS®, down 25 properties from last week and below the number of new listings introduced over the same week last year by 17.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

MLS® inventory in the residential category made small gains growing by just 14 units compared to the close of the previous week to reach 1057 for a year-over-year increase of 26 properties. Today’s totals show 655 single family homes and 319 condominiums with an active status on the multiple listing service. At this same point in 2012 those two categories of Saskatoon housing stood at 609 and 336, respectively.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

The average sale price of a Saskatoon home inched up to $331,943 this week while the median price paid came off of last week’s upward surge and fell to $317,500. The longer term measures showed little change and struggled to maintain year-over-gains which have been largely commonplace for what seems like forever. The six-week average price dropped four hundred dollars from the previous week to settle at $331,442 which is up on the close of the same week last year by just $235. The four-week median slipped five hundred dollars compared to last week to reach $318,500 and maintain an annual gain of just $6,500.

Click the image for a larger version of the graph.

Overbid Saskatoon real estate sales came in at just five. Those buyers paid, on average, an additional $4,680 to secure the home they wanted. Another eight buyers offered the full asking price to close their deal. The remaining 58 closed transactions were reported to have sold below the seller’s asking price by an average of $8,850.

Other notable MLS® activity this week included 29 cancelled and withdrawn listings, four expired listings and 19 price adjustments.

Click the image for a larger version of the chart.

Highlights from the news this past week

Where do mortgage rates go from here? – Financial Post
Fewer Canadians plan to buy as housing markets cool – Financial Post
What’s next for Canada’s housing market? – Star Phoenix
Canadians opt for locked in mortgages to secure rates – Star Phoenix

A map displaying the boundaries of Saskatoon real estate areas is here.
An overview of data collection and calculation practices for our statistical reports is here.

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

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