Saskatoon Real Estate Resource Centre Blog

No suprise here.

    Wait until May 2009.  2007 will look like a minor blip in comparison.  Also watch for who's buying corporations and land at pennies on the dollar when this all goes down.  

"Give me control of a nation's money supply and I care not who makes it's laws"

Mayer Amschel Rothchild

Just wait till some one realizes they can move to Montana, or Idaho for far cheaper than Saskatchewan, live in a similar city (Boise is pretty) and buy a far bigger house, in communities with lower crime and way lower taxes.

Sure, but it's not that easy, as a Canadian, to just pick up and move to the US, especially a small city like Boise, you need visas and all that. If you are professional who's service is in high demand (doctor, engineer) sure, why not? But the average person is going to have to marry an American to go live there.

Jim,

In Boise you get to smell potatoes all day and night long.  The hills of Idaho hide some wierd folk who shave their heads.  I'd go for Montana only because they used to have no speed limits. Wyoming, good god you get lonesome there.  Coal fields, Devil's Tower antelopes and geysers - all done.

In fabulous Saskatoon you smell sweet prairie grass, watch grain fields sway in the wind, see beautiful women, eat great steaks, have way better fishing and of course there's Norm. -  Priceless! .>)

Never mind Idaho or Montana, let's move to Arizona, where the sun is shining year round. Beautiful golf courses at every turn and thousands and thousands of houses under 200K. And I'm talking beautiful houses. The one i was admiring was 195K, built in 2001, 2000 sqft, 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, double car garage and backing a gold course. Try and find anything like that in Canada, anywhere????? The listing actually said the house cost 225K to build, but hey everyone needs a nice deal every now and then right?

And house listings in Saskatoon are going up by the day, Saskhouses.com is now over 200 listings for the first time I've ever seen....

Larry, Have you ever met some of the weird folk in small town Saskatchewan?  At least Idaho has nice rolling hills and green valleys.  And smell?  Idaho, despite the potatoes, actually smells nothing like potatoes.  Saskatoon, smells like that agriculture research farm on the U of S campus, I thank my lucky stars every time that I drive by that I don't live withing wiffing distance of the U of S farms.  They just stink.  I've often wondered how any one in Saskatoon can criticize anywhere else for smell.

And Callum, those professionals, like engineers (and I would argue most tradespeople) are the one's we really need to stay here.  And a lot of them, can get paid more in the states, and now buy a big house right out of school (there, not here) how do we expect to keep young doctors here if they can go to the States, get paid more and buy a nice house whereever they feel like?  Or Dentists? Of Pharmacists?

And yeah, for anyone, tough to move to the States, but for housing that's less than half?  If the jobs exist in some fields, I think we'll see an exodus.

Or for 60 year old (ie young fit seniors) this would be a pretty nice time to cash out of expensive Saskatoon housing and buy a retirement villa in Arizona or Florida.  Yes, health insurance, but lower income taxes, they can likely subsidize the health insurance with the hundreds of thousands of dollars they cashed out of their house here, and for older seniors (ie. 80) snow traps them in their houses and hip fractures are scary in ways we can't even imagine, with a really high mortality.  I would never want to retire here at 80, as you're a virtual prisoner in your own house when it's snowy/icy out.

Good points Jim.  Really good points, straight from the core of practical application.

I don't like the US, but there are some jobs that survive downturns quite nicely.  They're often the people who get ignored during storms of greed like what Sasaktoon got hit by.

I think we all remember when the US used to be cool.  About 8 years ago.  Then George Bush happened and now it's cool to dislike the states.  Aside from Bush, a lot of the things we liked about the US as kids (warmer, proximity to stuff, low taxes (okay something that in hind sight we should have liked)) still exist today.  Who knows, Harper supported all Bush's bad ideas, including invading Iraq, and it looks like President Obama (or Clinton) will soon be in charge.  Plus the Conservatives here don't like Ukrainians, that's gotta be a huge chunk of our population.

Add better Olympic performances to the reason the states was cool as kids, as a summer Olympics approaches, you just know Canada is going to lose to some eastern european country in the battle for 40th in something we've never heard of.

Yeah, we Americans are not in fashion these days...

LOL

Just for the record, the American Revolutionary War was also not in fashion, either. A good chunk of our people thought it was a bad idea.

Neither was getting involved in WWII. A good chunk of our people thought it was okay if Hitler killed a few million people, as it was OVER THERE... and not HERE.

This planet would be an awful place to live if it was taken over by dictators like Saddam Hussein.

So go ahead an dislike us. Most of us really don't care. We're doing what others can not.

Doug,

Sometimes drastic measures have to be taken to intercept big problems, ie. Hitler, and good people have to die for the cause.  However I don't think the Iraq war is vindicated.  I don't disagree that Saddam Hussein needed to be stopped, but the methodology was lousy, and the reasons leading up to the war aren't justifiable.  Is the U.S. STILL looking for "weapons of mass destruction"?

Face it, your president Bush is a terrible leader, a puppet, and is somewhat responsible for why the U.S. is in a recession.  I just can't believe he was voted in a second time!  Although I'm sure the last thing you want from me is sympathy, I really feel badly for U.S. citizens.  Many people are losing their homes and jobs with no end in sight.

Doug,

Most of you don't care, because most of you are ignorant and by the way it probably has something to do with your extremely poor education system. Whats the average American education level? Grade 6?

>Heather: Let's see... the Iraqis thought he was such a brutal dictator - they tried, convicted, and executed him. That leads me to believe that - at least in their minds - he was as bad as Hitler.

Although weapons of mass destruction was the salable point to the masses, the US didn't need anything more than the fact that Saddam was not complying with the cease fire agreement from the Gulf War. If you lose a war - then thumb your nose at the victor who allowed you to keep your country - you might get an ass-kicking.

And yes, we are having economic difficulties... but the roots of that problem don't lie with the President... nor does the problems with our real estate markets. And don't buy into that garbage about the US being in a recession... we're not. We're in a slowdown. We might fall into a recession... but we're not there, yet. 73% of Americans feel very comfortable about their financial stability.

And finally - you are right. I don't want sympathy. We are still in better shape than virtually anywhere in the world... and we do it while bearing the burden of keeping the free world - FREE. Most of the world do not have to spend a big chunk of their gross domestic product on defense, as the US will come to their aid, if attacked.

That's why we went into Iraq in the first place... remember Kuwait?

>Wesco: Yep... we have an awful educational system. It's run by the government...

The liberals in this country do not want more school choices for the people... they just want to keep the monopoly intact.

But every country needs menial laborers...

Doug,

I'm not comparing Hussein to Hitler, they're definitely two peas in a pod.  I'm saying the way the situation in Iraq was handled is terrible at best!  Are you in fact a person who voted Bush in a second time?  I can't, and probably won't ever believe he did one good thing for your country and your people.

You're the one buying into garbage hand fed by your media.  You really don't believe the U.S. is in a recession right now???...

From Wikipedia:  "In macroeconomics, a recession is a decline in a country's real gross domestic product (GDP), or negative real economic growth, for two or more successive quarters of a year."

Sure sounds like it to me.  But believe what you want, name it whatever you want (ie. "slowdown") but that won't change what's happening.

>Heather: I had to vote for Bush... I certainly couldn't vote for his opponent. Sometimes you have to vote for the lesser of the two evils. I'm no big fan, trust me.

:)

Not only have we not had two quarters of negative growth - we haven't even had one quarter of negative growth, yet. Both of the last two quarters we still had growth... albeit weak.

Our stock market rallied to the highest point in the last four months... so you can believe what you want - but those who put their money where their mouths are seem to believe in the strength of our markets.

Doug;

There is no doubt in my mind that your economy is resilient enough to bounce back from the setbacks it is facing now.

Like wise I think the citisens of the US are grounded enough to overcome the inanity of your current executive officers. Sorry but the limited amount I know about Bush Cheney and crew is not real positive.

Canada is involved in what very well may be a no win fight for the rights of others in Afghanistan as you are in Iraq.

I really have no point to make except there are those here in Canada that do respect the leadership role the US has taken over the years and value the friendship and ideals our two countries share.

Now; do you think you could let me know of any cheap Florida condos you hear about?

If the USA is 'fighting for Freedom' and 'keeping the world safe for Democracy'  in Iraq, a pig just flew by the window.

>Ken: Most of the media is run and populated by those  who are not of the political persuasion of our President. Therefore, it's no surprise that the impression of him is less than admirable.

Canada's participation in the effort to free those who have been enslaved is a noble one. It will only be a no-win effort if we allow ourselves to be beaten.

I value the friendship, as well. And not just because I am (was) a dual citizen of the US and Canada...

:)

If you can spare the change... there are some outstanding deals to be had in Florida. It's a great time to buy a vacation home, for sure.

>Norm: You're right. Other than I'm a turncoat and you're a Canuck...

LOL

>jrochest: You're entitled to your opinion... but to those who are no longer oppressed - your opinion doesn't mean much.

http://tinyurl.com/5vfuo7

To the other Doug

The lesser of two evils?  Really?  Al Gore was a greater evil than Bush?  Gore, The nice guy, with experience as vice president during the previous successful presidency.  The nobel prize winning environmental crusader.

For some reason people don't like an academic, the same way we don't like Stephen Dion, the intelligent environmentalist running against our right wing pro war Harper.

And no one said Sudam was a good guy, but why not occupy Sudan?  Far more people are dying there than Iraq where weapon inspectors were when the US decided to.

War happy residents aside, there are lot of nice places in the states, and less than half of them actually voted for Bush.

And those who are no longer oppressed?  Afghanistan, the country actually involved in attacks against the US, the country Canada is stabilizing, as the US wastes resources in Iraq still is a very dangerous country and has among the world's highest infant mortality.

And Iraq?  Just because it's not the government, doesn't mean those people aren't oppressed.  Fearful of gangs and militia instead of their own government.  I'm not sure what the lesser of those two evils is.

Doug Quance;

So who is going to be the next president in your opinion?

PS: Kidding about Fla. I couldn't stand all the great weather.

I am an Albertan after all.

>Dougy: Yes... the lesser of two evils. Al Gore is a fraud, and even his own home state didn't vote for him. And being Vice President makes you less qualified that the Governor of a state, when considering executive experience.

And I used to work with some really intelligent people back in my engineering days - and my father was a borderline genius... and I can tell you that a high IQ and common sense are often not found in the same person. Some of our biggest failures as President had some fairly high IQ's. (Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon...)

Sudan is another example where the world should step in and do what needs to be done. Obviously, because of our economic interests, we had to deal with Iraq first. Just because we're busy doesn't mean we shouldn't go in to Sudan. It's possible we might have already been there - if not for all the security we continue to supply to Iraq.

"Those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither"

For the most part - the average Iraqi gets it.

>Ken: The next President? Who knows... all the candidates are seriously flawed. Though the polls don't support my prediction - I think it will be John McCain. The other guys are too inexperienced. His likely opponent has more experience at running for office than he has at doing the job he was elected to do...

So Doug Quance;

to try to pull this back to a real estate discussion; how does what is happening there look on the street? Are there foreclosure signs evey where? Families standing in their driveways with all their belongings? Or does perhaps the media hype this a bit too? Maybe people are trying to sort things out as usually happens when plans take a wrong turn?

>Ken: It's bad... but not as bad as the media would lead you to believe. My state (Georgia) is near the top regarding the number and rates of foreclosures, so I think I have a pretty good handle on it.

Many people bought into the idea of buying all the house that a lender will finance them for - regardless of how much the payments would go up in a few years... because they figured they could always sell at a big profit.

Not so.

When the bubble started to break, these guys were stuck holding the bag... so many of them are walking away because they can't afford the payments that they always KNEW THEY COULDN'T AFFORD.

It will all work out, in the long run.

Doug Q;

Too bad. So many people only trust the "advice" they want to hear.

My advice to my kids was to only buy 75% as much house as they could get a mortgage approved for. With the recent run up in prices I don't think that is valid any more but still at the time I knew it wasn't what they wanted to hear.

everything always works out one way or another.

Doug Q;

Too bad. So many people only trust the "advice" they want to hear.

My advice to my kids was to only buy 75% as much house as they could get a mortgage approved for. With the recent run up in prices I don't think that is valid any more but still at the time I knew it wasn't what they wanted to hear.

Everything always works out one way or another.

Here in Calgary during the race to being overpriced Iactually had a realtor outright lie when discussing a property's potential. I'm not talking about opinion, I'm talking about an event that would have made the property more desireable... presented falsely.

That was followed with...Prices are only going up.

Luckily that kind of agent is in the minority but their advice if taken as fact can be damaging.

>Ken: I'm with you. 75% of what they can buy is a good measure. I've never put a percentage on it... I simply remind them that because the CAN buy that much house... doesn't mean that they SHOULD.

Doug Q.,

It may not be an "official" recession yet, but economists aren't so optimistic:

http://bstocksdev.weblogsinc.com/2008/03/27/final-q4-2007-gdp-may-indicate-the-u-s-is-in-a-recession/

I guess we'll see what happens with your 2008 Q1.  And I also don't believe for one second Gore was the worse of the two, he couldn't have screwed up anything worse than Bush has.  That's just my opinion though, and of course I don't have a vote to count.

I'm also interested in knowing who your vote is for this time around, same party I presume?

Doug Q.,

I apologize, I've been misinformed.   I heard that the official stats for Q1 wouldn't be out for awhile yet - but one person just told me that the U.S. Q1 GDP is reported to still be at .6%, same as 2007 Q4.  That's good news I suppose.

>Heather: When gasoline was $1.00 a gallon, Gore proposed a 50 cent tax in addition to the taxes that were already on the product. Had he been elected, who knows how much additional taxation we would have seen. Just because the Europeans pay X for gas doesn't mean we should.

Our economy is suffering as much - if not more - from energy costs... and while in office, he opposed any legislation to drill offshore; build new refineries; drill in ANWAR; and would also oppose nuclear power, as well.

Like I said... Gore's own state of Tennessee did not vote for him - and they know him the best.

We also got the stats on the unemployment figures today... and unemployment went down - albeit slightly - so that's another good sign.

What you might not know is that Bush inherited a recession when the tech bubble bursted... and then 9/11 happened. His leadership in tax policy helped to make that recession one of our shortest... and since then he has presided over the longest period of economic growth the country has seen.

So he's not a total failure. History will treat him better than you might think.

:-)

And yes, I'll be voting for the same party... because it's the lesser of the two evils, again. I am NOT liking my choices this time any more than last time.

By the way... the economy has slowed down - in large part - to the liberal media and liberal candidates who have tried to talk this economy down. It happens whenever a liberal is not in the President's office.  

When Bill Clinton was running the first time, he went around saying that the economy was the worst in 50 years (a lie) and the left-wing media ran with it. When Gore was running - and the economic indicators were turning sour - you didn't hear a peep out of the mainstream media... and when it did recede (within the first three months of Bush's first term) all the liberals tried to paint it as Bush's recession.

Not all of us Americans believe the crap the media feeds us.

LOL

Doug Q

Your responses have been very reasoned and unargumentive given some of the (unnecessary) shots you have taken here.

However,I have a real aversion to developing a "brand loyalty" to anything including political parties or individual politicians. I hope your preference towards Bush and the conservatives in general are based on relevant issues and not just an aversion to the liberals.

To me George Bush seems like a very likeable guy, down to earth reasoned and vulnerable. But his pressis sooooo bad I have trouble believing there is not some fire to the smoke.

Gore; Trust a politician to feel the answer to a problem is to tax it. One of the things I admire about the U.S. is you have manged to somewhat hold your politicians accountable or the money you give them. We have a problem with that here.

I think Doug Q has been extremely argumentative and he sets himself up for shots.  George Bush.

And maybe more gas tax is what we need to increase bus ridership, when I take it, it's all sketchy west enders or university students, and it stops down town next stop after university!  Where are all the accountants and lawyers in suits and ties?  Until normal people with jobs start taking the bus as a standard, except for the day they need to run errands or pick up some one from the air port, it means gas really is not that expensive.  As long as gas tax is their to pay for bus/train/subway services and bike paths drivers should have to subsidize more responsible modes of transport.

Doug Q.,

I would have definitely voted Gore in just for that reason!  I think gasoline SHOULD be taxed like it is in Europe.  Perhaps people will stop buying their SUVs, 1/2 tonne trucks, ATVs, motorhomes, etc.  And incase you didn't know, we also pay more for gasoline than you guys.

If a Republican gets voted in again, this one will just end up being Bush II.  Scarey times.

>Ken: There's plenty about each of our major political parties I disagree with... but in general, the liberals are out to grow the government - which is already too large. They pit groups against each other constantly (just listen to any of their speeches) and in general are not pro-business. Just listen to Hilary talk about how she wants to "stick it" to the oil companies with a windfall profits tax. Liberals never see a tax they don't like. Ever.

>Dougy: I have no idea what you're talking about.

>Doug: What's so fun about riding a bus? When I lived in Houston, I would occasionally take the bus to work. My 20 minute commute would take well over an hour. Your comment is typical of the liberal mindset, here. It's okay to tax someone else for to subsidize what YOU feel is what someone should be doing. So much for freedom. I guess you think freedom should be taxed, too.

>Heather: You're entitled to see things that way, Heather. I don't. I'm not trying to micro-manage your life... and I would appreciate if you wouldn't try to micro-manage mine. If I want an SUV - I should be able to own one... without some added taxes that some other group feels I should pay because I don't think like they do. That's not freedom.

Kinda reminds me of the how the liberals want to take away our right to own guns. There is empirical evidence that where guns are banned - crime goes up... but they don't care about the truth. They don't care about freedom.

Same thing with global warming. Do a little research and you'll see the planet hasn't been warming up since 1998... and this last year wiped out the increases over the last 50 years - but Al Gore and the liberal media still run with the story. None of those scientists can explain all the previous global warming periods... nor will they debate the subject. That's how liberals are, today... they just want to shut down the discussion.

So in closing I will repeat - I am just choosing between the lesser of the two evils.

Doug - it seems as though you "hear what you want to hear".  Do more research than what your pocketbook favors and it shows a scarier picture than most of us want to face.  

Do I want to give up certain luxuries?  Not really, but I certainly want water and food for my future.  It seems that this realization will not hit until it is too damn late to do anything about it.  We worry more about the stupid TSX than oil sands poisoning our lakes/rivers.  The rest of the population (poorer) don't give a care as they are struggling just to make ends meet.  Thats the enslaved indebted world that makes the wealthier even wealthier.  

This has absolutely everything and nothing to do with real estate in the role food and shelter plays.  I could talk till I am blue in the face - but we live a lifestyle in North America that is simply unsustainable.  BUT now all of the growing economies want it - with populations that quadruple ours.  That makes for DISASTER.  We should be endeavoring at this point to set better examples for sustainability - such as Europe.  But we are too selfish to do so.

>Cindy: While you might believe our way of life is unsustainable - I do not.

Do you believe that man did not pollute prior to the industrial revolution?

The cleanest form of fuel we have is hydrogen... and it's the most abundant element in the entire universe. We are learning how to produce it and tame it... and when we do, we'll have this problem licked.

Of course, you're always welcome to walk, if you choose. Just don't make that choice for me. :-)

Doug,

One North American utilizes the resources of 125 people in a third world country.  The individual in the third world country pays for it- they are the ones starving right now.  I guess what I feel - instead of destroying more resources, we conserve a little now for the future.  Your mentality of selfishness, and that we are not all interconnected is what I feel is the problem.  In you saying "don't decide for me" you already have decided that your lifestyle is worth destroying mine and others lives for.

ps - I do walk, I recycle, and I try to give back.  I am the more fortunate that believes it pays to give back.  My life is pretty good and I believe I attract better things into my life because of it.  I used to believe differently, and all it brought was negativity into my life.  The more I do and give back, the better I feel.  Am I trying to change you?  No - you won't get it because you don't want to.

>Cindy: Using your logic - if all of us in the modern world stopped using resources, then those who are starving in the third world would be full of bounty.

Poppycock.

It's not an issue of selfishness. I live a relatively meager life. I drive a car with decent (25-30 mpg) gas mileage. I don't go out of my way to waste resources. I don't drive needlessly... and plan my trips - even when gas was cheap. I live in a small home because I don't need a larger house.

But if I did want a large car, house, etc. - I don't think you or anyone else should have a say in that.

:-)