This modified bilevel shows like new!

MAIN LEVEL
Living Room:  16'6" x 13' - Hardwood
Dining Room:  12' x 10' - Hardwood
Kitchen: 12' x 11' - Hardwood
Bedroom:  11'3" x 11' - Wall to Wall carpet
Bedroom:  11'2" x 10'3" - Wall to wall carpet
Bathroom:  4 piece - Ceramic Tile

SECOND LEVEL
Master Bedroom:  13'7" x 13' - Wall to wall carpet
Ensuite Bath:  3 piece - Ceramic Tile

BASEMENT
Family Room:  18' x 17'9" - Wall to wall carpet
Den:  13' x 10' - Wall to wall carpet

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Fresh paint throughout
• New Maple hardwood in living room, dining room, kitchen, hallways and stairway
• Island kitchen with walk-in pantry
• Stainless steel fridge, stove,range hood fan, microwave and dishwasher included
• High ceilings and pewter railings
• Dining room opens to two tiered deck
• Private master bedroom with 3 piece ensuite and walk-in closet
• Roughed-in bath in basement
• Roughed-in central vac
• Central air
• Washer & dryer included
• 16' x 24' insulated & drywalled workshop/studio in back yard
• Garage door opener
• Privacy chain link fence
• High end Jacuzzi hot tub is negotiable

For further information or to book your personal viewing please call Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-668-1800.

A fully developed 2 storey on a beautiful, large lot in the secluded Montgomery area!

MAIN LEVEL
Living Room:  16' x 14'7" - Wall to wall carpet
Dining Room:  14' x 9'9" - Wall to wall carpet
Kitchen:  9'1" x 8'6" - Wall to wall carpet
Nook:  7'7" x 9'10" - Linoleum
Family Room:  20' x 11'6" - Wall to wall carpet
Den:  11'5" x 8'1" - Wall to wall carpet
Laundry/2 Piece Bath - Linoleum

SECOND LEVEL
Bedroom:  11'9" x 13'2" - Wall to wall carpet
Bathroom:  3 piece - Linoleum
Bedroom:  11'4" x 11'4" - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom:  11'4" x 8'5" - Wall to wall carpet
Bathroom:  4 piece - Linoleum

BASEMENT
Family/Media Room:  16' x 17'5" - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom:  13' x 10'10" - Wall to wall carpet
Storage Area - Concrete

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Fully developed
• Beautiful, large yard with mature trees
• Large living room
• Large main floor family room with dry bar, bookcase wall, wood burning fireplace, patio doors
• Formal dining room
• Kitchen includes built-in dishwasher & microwave
• Breakfast nook with patio doors to deck
• Main floor laundry room with 2 piece bath
• Main floor den
• Master bedroom has walk-in closet, 3 piece ensuite bath, patio doors to balcony
• Basement family/media room has built-in surround sound speakers & graduated lighting
• Abundance of storage
• Triple pane windows
• Central air
• Central vac with power nozzle
• Alarm system
• Double attached garage with direct entry & remote opener
• Double concrete driveway
• RV parking
• Two tiered east facing deck with duradeck floor
• Chain link fencing
• Raised garden plots

For further information or to book your personal viewing please call Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-668-1800.

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Well-kept bungalow shows great throughout!

Main Level:
Living room: 18'6" x 12' - Laminate floor
Dining room: 10'6" x 9'3" - Laminate floor
Kitchen: 10'2" x 10' - Laminate floor
Master Bedroom: 13' x 11' - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 9'8" x 9'3" - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 10'1" x 9'10" - Wall to wall carpet
Bathroom: 4-piece - Linoleum

Basment:
Family room: 24' x 14'7" - Wall to wall carpet
Den: 18' x 9'9" - Wall to wall carpet
Bathroom: 3-piece - Wall to wall carpet
Laundry room: 8' x 8' - Linoleum

More Details & Features

• Well-kept bungalow shows great throughout
• Park view from living room bay window & dining room
• Upgraded counters in kitchen with built-in dishwasher & microwave
• Some newer windows
• Upgraded bathroom with dual flush toilet
• Ample storage
• Basement developed with family room, den, 3-piece bath & laundry
• Central air & central vac
• Recent 50 gallon water heater
• Direct entry to double attached heated garage
• Underground sprinklers in front
• Triple concrete driveway
• Two sheds
• Patio
• Fenced & beautifully landscaped yard

For more information or to book your personal viewing appointment, please call Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-668-1800

 
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Updated Bungalow on quiet crescent.

Main Level:
Living room: 17'9" x 12' - Wall to wall carpet
Dining room: 8'6" x 9' - Wall to wall carpet
Kitchen: 13' x 12' - Linoleum
Master bedroom: 15'5" x 13'9" - Laminate floor
Ensuite: 2-piece - Linoleum
Bedroom: 12'7" x 11'9" - Laminate floor
Bedroom 8'7" x 10'7" - Laminate floor
Bathroom: 4-piece - Linoleum

BASEMENT
Recreation Room:  33' x 14'7" - Concrete
Storage:  10'9" x 8'10" - Concrete
Laundry:  17' x 15'7" - Concrete
Utility:  8'5" x 12'9" - Concrete

More Details & Highlights

• Quiet crescent location
• New windows
• Bay window in living room
• Closet at front entrance
• Large, bright kitchen with ample cabinets & built-in dishwasher
• Fridge & stove included
• Large master bedroom with 2 piece ensuite
• Two additional bedrooms with decent sized closets
• Main bath updated recently
• Open floor plan
• Fresh paint
• Basement is open and includes a large rec room, a workshop/hobby room, plenty of under stair storage & laundry room with storage
• New water heater
• High efficiency furnace
• Central air
• Alarm system
• Double detached garage with opener
• Beautifully landscaped backyard with storage shed

For more information or to book your personal viewing appointment, please call Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-668-1800.

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Spacious bi-level, freshly painted!

Main Level:
Living room: 13'11" x 13' - Wall to wall carpet
Dining room: 9'3" x 8'7" - Wall to wall carpet
Kitchen: 14' x 13' - Linioleum
Bedroom: 13' x 13' - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 10' x 9'11" - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 8'5" x 9'10" - Linoleum
Bathroom: 4-piece - Linoleum
Hot tub room

Basement:
Games room: 21'6" x 13'2"
Bedroom: 14'2" x 9'10"
Bedroom: 12'2" x 10'4"
Den: 13'2" x 11'
Bathroom: 3-piece
Sauna: 5'11" x 6'4"
Untility room: 13'11" x 12'4"

More Details & Features

• Freshly painted, spacious bi-level
• Oak finishings throughout
• Large oak kitchen with eating area includes fridge & stove, garburater, dishwasher & microwave
• Three good-sized bedrooms
• Two bathrooms
• Beautiful (unheated) hot tub room & sauna
• Fully developed basement includes games room, 2 bedrooms, den & 3 piece bathroom
• Central vac with power nozzle
• Central air
• Washer & dryer included
• Basement flood damage has been repaired (re-drywalled & finished) following certified flood repair procedures and also inspected for mould
• Detached, heated double garage
• Water supplied by well in garage
• Sewer is septic to mound
• Located in the secluded, quiet community of Grandora

For more information or to book a personal viewing appointment, please call Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-668-1800.

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A lot of people never bother to look into it. They often don’t envision breaking their mortgage term. In reality, people often exit mortgages early. They do it to take out equity/consolidate debt, sell the property, get a better rate, apply a large lump-sum pre-payment, add a re-advanceable line of credit, or even get divorced.

These and other reasons help explain why the average 5-year fixed mortgage lasts just 3-5 years. Penalties usually come in two varieties: 3-month interest penalties and interest rate differential (IRD) penalties. The IRD penalties are usually much higher and their calculation methods often differ by lender. 

If you’re not sure how your payout penalty is computed, ask your mortgage planner or banker to explain it with an example.

If I can provide you with any assistance, whether you are purchasing or selling, please contact me.  I will be happy to look after your real estate needs.

Beautifully renovated 4 level split with a spacious master suite and more!

Main Level:
Living room: 18' x 12' - Laminate floor
Dining room: 12' x 9' - Laminate floor
Kitchen: 12' x 11' - Laminate floor

Second Level:
Master bedroom: 17' x 10' - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 9' x 8'6" - Laminate floor
Bathroom: 4-piece - Ceramic tile floor

Third Level:
Family room: 17' x 13' - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 10'3" x 9'9" - Wall to wall carpet
Bathroom: 4-piece - Ceramic tile floor

Fourth Level:
Rec room: 18' x 11'6" - Tile floor

More Details & Features

• Beautifully renovated
• Bright & sunny living room with large east facing windows0
• Upgraded Heritage kitchen with pots & pans drawers, fridge, stove & built-in dishwasher & microwave
• Garden doors off dining room to large deck
• Huge master suite with combination walk-in closet & dressing room
• Main bath has corner jet tub and shower
• New ceramic tile floor in both bathrooms
• Family room, bedroom & 3 piece renovated bath on 3rd level
• Fourth level developed with rec room
• Central air
• Central vac with power nozzle
• Alarm system
• High efficiency furnace
• Recent over-size water heater
• Washer & dryer included
• Gorgeous secluded back yard with deck & patio
• Underground sprinklers
• Single attached garage with opener

For more information or to book your personal viewing appointment, please call Barb Wilkie at 306-3719-9068 

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Beautifully kept, fully developed Four Level Split with 3 levels above grade

Main Level:
Living room: 14'9" x 11'2" - Hardwood floor
Dining room: 9'6" x 7'9" - Linoleum floor
Kitchen: 9' x 8' - Linoleum floor
Second Level:
Master bedroom: 12' x 10'7" - Laminate floor
Ensuite: 3-piece - Linoleum floor
Bedroom: 10'4" x 9'3" - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 10'3" x 9'4" - Laminate floor
Bathroom: 4-piece - Linoleum floor
Third Level:
Family room: 18' x 13'9" - Wall to wall carpet
Den: 10'3" x 8'6" - Wall to wall carpet
Bathroom: 3-piece - Linoleum floor
Laundry: 6'4" x 5'4" - Linoleum floor
Basement:
Bedroom: 14'7" x 9'8" - Wall to wall carpet
Storage/mechanical room - Concrete floor

More Details & Features:

• Cathedral ceilings
• Full oak package
• Three levels above grade
• Developed on all 4 levels
• Oak hardwood in living room
• Large deck off dining room
• Kitchen has pantry, built-in dishwasher & microwave
• Third level developed with family room, den, 3-piece bath & laundry
• Family room has gas fireplace & full windows overlooking private back yard
• Direct entry to double attached garage from 3rd level
• Skylight over stairwell to 2nd level
• Master bedroom has walk-in closet & 3-piece ensuite
• Basement developed with large bedroom and storage
• Central air  & central vac
• Alarm system
• 2007 upgrades include fireplace, paint and flooring
• New furnace in 2006 (86% efficiency with non-direct vent)
• Triple pane windows
• Underground sprinklers front & back
• Triple concrete driveway

 For more information or to book your personal viewing appointment, please call Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-668-1800

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132 acres of land approximately 10 kms south of Saskatoon on Highway 11.  Zoned Residential Agriculture. Good candidate for rezoning to recreational.

For further information please contact Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-668-1800.

Recently renovated semi-detached bi-level with 2 plus 1 bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms.

Main Level:
Living room: 15'1" x 11'6" - Laminate floor
Dining room: 7'3" x 8'10" - Laminate floor
Kitchen: 11'4" x 9'2" - Ceramic tile floor
Master bedroom: 12'1" x 11'6" - Laminate floor
Bedroom: 11'6" x 8'2" - Laminate floor
Bathroom: 4-piece - Ceramic tile floor

Basment:
Rec room: 20'3" x 15'10" - Wall to wall carpet
Bedroom: 12' x 11' - Laminate floor
Bathroom: 4-piece - Linoleum
Laundry: 17' x 7'9" - Cement floor

More Details & Highlights

• Move-in ready
• Completely renovated in 2007, including furnace & central air
• Custom cabinets in kitchen including a breakfast bar/island
• Built-in dishwasher, fridge & stove included
• Lots of natural light in dining room
• Spacious living room
• Garden doors from living room to deck
• Large master with large closet
• Main bathroom has storage
• Developed basement has a huge rec room, bedroom, 4 piece bath and large laundry/storage/utilities room
• Basement rec room has built-in cabinets including a sink.
• Large single detached garage
• Partially fenced yard with firepit
• Perfect for small family or U of S students

For more information or to book your personal viewing appointment, please call Barb Wilkie at Re/Max Mike Gustus at 306-371-9068

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Very well kept bungalow - a great family home!

Main Level:
Living room: 16'1" x 13'4" - Laminate floor
Kitchen: 13' x 14'2 - Linoleum floor
Bedroom: 11'2" x 11'10" - Laminate floor
Ensuite: 2-piece - Linoleum floor
Bedroom: 10'2" x 8'11" - Laminate floor
Bedroom: 10'2" x 8' - Laminate floor
Bathroom: 4-piece - Linoleum floor

Basement:
Family room: 21'7" x 21'6" - Laminate floor
Bedroom: 14' x 8'10" - Laminate floor
Bathroom: 4-piece - Linoleum floor
Laundry: Linoleum floor

More Details & Features

• Great street appeal
• Well kept bungalow with 3 + 1 bedrooms
• Two full bathrooms plus a half bath
• Includes fridge & stove
• Newer laminate & lino throughout
• Central air
• Central vac with power nozzle
• Oversize double detached garage with opener
• Basement development is open & spacious, great for entertaining
• Fenced yard with patio
• Storage shed
• Half a block to schools
• Close to shopping & amenities

For more details or to book your personal viewing appointment, please call Orlando Viloria at 306-371-3488.

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Inventories seem to be building again, which usually means that prices may be pulled down some. The houses that are priced very competitively are selling quickly, leaving the over-priced inventory sitting waiting for the buyer that is willing to pay the price. Sellers who wait too long, may find that the price will move even lower and they will be forced to take even less. 

The farm news has affected the mood of the market place here in Saskatchewan. It seems that in Saskatchewan when the farmers are feeling troubled, the rest of us follow along whether we need to or not.

Until next time, keep smiling and think positive. We are in one of the best areas in the world right now.

The overall dollar sales have seen a nice increase of 5.9%. The down turn in the $200,000.-$400,000. price range is an indication that the first time home buyer market has declined with the changes in mortgage rules and tightening of money. The new CMHC rules have made it more difficult to qualify for low rate mortgages. Attractive interest rates are still available, but the buyers must now qualify for the 5 year posted rate, which is at 6.25%. This new rule is a bit of overkill in my opinion, but I don’t make the rules. I expect we will see this activity improve as first time buyers get accustomed to the new rules. 

We still have very low mortgage rates with mortgage brokers offering variable rates around the 2% range. This is still quite amazing. The way the world economy has been going, I don’t see any major increase in the near future. I expect the Bank of Canada will back off a little with the poorer economic numbers of late. Even if they raise the rate by a percentage point, we still have some of the best rates in many years. 

Due to the good supply of product on the market,  I don’t foresee any significant rising of prices. Homes that are priced competitively are still selling quickly. The average days to sell have dropped by one day. Not significant, but it is going the right direction. 

If you are considering selling, now may be a good time to go ahead. Just be sure your home showcases well and is priced competitively. 

We have been keeping our handyman busy helping our clients get top dollar for their homes. So if you have been thinking of selling, give me a call. I can help you get the most money possible for your property.

I was discussing the real estate mood with a car salesperson the other day. It was felt that the used car market is similar to the real esate market in that the buyers are tougher when negotiating their purchase.

There will always be people needing to buy homes and those who need to sell.  It may take a little longer sometimes and the prices may vary a little, but the is always a buyer for a good property.

Sales have declined in Canada overall. We are influenced by the national situation to some extent, but we have a stronger economy in Saskatchewan and particularly in Saskatoon.

All the rain we are getting will have a pretty significant effect on the farmers throughout the province. I guess we will see how much as the year passes. We were worried last year and it ended up being a very good year. It doesn't look good for the farmers as of this writing. I guess time will tell.

The inventory is adequate with a fair amount to choose from overall. This maintains a balance in the market of supply and demand.

I have seen some resistance to the pricing in the higher price ranges. The buyers seem to be concerned about overpaying, and have again become tough negotiators during the buying process, While this is going on, we seem to have a shortage of large bungalows on the East side.

I expect we will see about a 2-3% rise over the coming year with most of the gains in the lower to mid range home prices.

It is nice to see the demand increasing for the $450,000 plus price ranges in the city.

The CMHC rule changes came into effect after April 19th. This created a decline in activity in the latter part of the month. We also saw an increase in new listings resulting in higher inventory, which is typical for this time of year.

The positive sign we are seeing is encouraging and should create confidence in future buyers coming into the market.

Sellers can feel confident when placing their houses on the market. If priced competetively, they should sell in two - four weeks.

It may be enticing to think of the money you save by not paying a sales commission to a real estate brokerage. Some of the things to consider are: Who goes out to buy a private sale? Are they trying to save the same dollar that you are? You can't both save the same dollar.  Is the risk that you are taking worth the possible money you may save?

If you are not the type of individual that handles your own investing, you are likely not the suited to selling your own house. As a professional, I see many private sales, not only not saving any money, but getting tangled up in problems with the sale such as accepting an offer only to find that the prospective buyer really can't afford the house and is unable to get a mortgage. Meanwhile you have taken your house off the market for weeks while they continue to beat a dead horse trying to get financing, and never able to do so.

It seems that every year I run across horror stories of deals gone bad, sales that don't complete, misunderstandings because neither party knew how to clearly outline the terms of the purchase.

There are even more pitfalls for a buyer, which we can go into another time.

So beware, the professionals in the industry have gone through the training and guidance of seasoned professionals and mandatory updates in training to become aware of the pitfalls and issues to cover to ensure a smooth transaction.

There are good reasons to use a professional for selling and buying a home, for investing, writing your will, and many other things. Why would you not hire a professional for one of the largest financial transactions you are likely to make?

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In the rural & bedroom communities, activity is up as well.  In  areas 6-9, surrounding Saskatoon, 300 homes were put up for sale, compared to 173 in February and 134 in January.

Sales are increasing as well.  In March, 361 properties exchanged hands, up from 236 in February and only 179 in January, while in the surrounding area, 97 properties were sold in March compared to 38 & 34 in February and January.

Properties are moving a little more quickly as well.  The average days to sell a home in Saskatoon has dropped to 30, from 34 in February and 38 in January

While the largest increase in unit sales has been in the lower priced side of the market we have seen a significant increase in unit sales over the $400,000. range, and especially in the over $500,000. range. This means that the higher income group are beginning to have confidence in the housing markets again.

Until next time,
Mike

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