Outlook Saskatchewan Real Estate News

Interesting, looks like we had a slump in the Outlook market for sales and new listings for April. This is surprising as we are now finally entering some warmer weather and traditionally the prime selling season. In March the market seemed to really heat up. But if we look closely we will notice that there were only 2 new listings in April to the Outlook market (had not been previously listed in the past year) so it may be a lack of houses for sale and not necessarily a lack of buyers. As a seller this is good news as your house has less competition and possibly bad news if there is not as many people looking right now as compared with March, we have yet to see what the spring season will bring. Personally I have noticed a rise in buyers looking within the last couple of weeks so I am guessing that we will see Outlook sales pick up quite a bit in May.

Overview: Currently listed in Outlook we have 28 homes for sale and 46 including vacant lots and nearby acreages. In March we had 25 homes for sale and 41 including vacant lots and nearby acreages.

Attention Home Buyers! When you purchase your home with me you can get new appliances and other select items at a discount through Sears in Outlook.

Please Note: This data and information is gathered by me using MLS® and only includes properties listed on MLS®. The information is not guaranteed to be correct.

Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Michelle's Outlook Residential Market Update for March 2014

March 2014

4 Sold Properties - list prices: $154,000 - $228,700

6 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $78,500 - $439,000

vs. February 2014

2 Sold Properties - list prices: $139,900 - $274,000

3 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $154,000 - $229,900

Comparison from February to March we can see that our new listings and sold listings activity has doubled! This is good news sellers as it shows us the market has started to heat up! If you were thinking about getting your house on the market then now is the time!

Overview: In total we had 25 properties listed in February! (thats a lot!) 6 of which were new houses to the market, 9 vacant lots were listed, 1 acreage in the area listed and 9 were properties previously listed on the market within the last year.

Currently listed in Outlook we have 25 homes for sale and 41 including vacant lots and nearby acreages. February we had 16 homes for sale and 24 including vacant lots and nearby acreages.

Sunday, 2 March 2014

Michelle's Outlook Residential Market Update for February 2014

Looking Back:
Although our fall and winter seems to be slow we are actually on par with sold properties from 2012. I searched July 1st 2012 - Feb 28 of 2013 and came up with 19 sold properties in the Outlook area. Comparing to July 1st 2013 - Feb 28 of 2014 we had 20 sold properties in the Outlook area.
Still no properties sold as of yet in Outlook this year (sales goes by completion day/possession day - a property is not considered officially sold till ownership changes hands) and this is low in comparison to sales from Last Year. Last year we seen 2 properties sold in January and 1 vacant lot that sold in February.

Looking Forward:
March last year we did see 2 properties sold in Outlook, let's see how similar our March is this year. I am guessing it will be equal or higher to 2 properties sold.

February 2014

0 Sold Properties - original list prices: $0

3 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $154,000 - $229,900

vs. January 2014

0 Sold Properties - original list prices: $0

1 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $147,900

Comparison from January to February we can see that there are a few more people listing their homes this past month which would be expected as it gets closer to spring.

Overview: In total we had 5 properties listed in February, 3 of which were new to the market, 1 vacant lot relisted, and 1 acreage in the area listed.

Currently listed in Outlook we have 16 homes for sale and 24 including vacant lots and nearby acreages. January we had 19 homes for sale and 25 including vacant lots and nearby acreages.

Attention Home Buyers! When you purchase your home with me you can get new appliances at a discount through Sears in Outlook.

Please Note: This data and information is gathered by me using MLS® and only includes properties listed on MLS®.

Sunday, 2 February 2014

Michelle's Outlook Residential Market Update for January

Michelle's January market update for Outlook residential properties:

January 2014

0 Sold Properties - original list prices: $0

1 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $147,900

vs. December 2013

1 Sold Properties - original list prices: $264,000

3 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $91,900 - $387,500

Comparison from December to January would look as if we slowed down a bit from December and all that cold weather may have had an impact! Lets see what February has to offer with spring getting closer and hopefully some warmer weather to get people in the home shopping mood.

Overview: Although we only had 1 brand new listing come up on the market we did see 7 properties in total relisted.

Currently listed in Outlook we have 19 homes for sale and 25 including vacant lots and nearby acreages. This is a decrease from December which had 24 homes for sale and 27 including vacant lots and nearby acreages. This shows us that many properties listing time had expired. I would guess that some of these home owners may leave their property off the market for a month until the market heats up again.

Great News! My website search engine is up and running! If you are starting your home search give it a try by visiting www.outlookhomes.ca and know that my website is mobile friendly for all those smart phone users!

Please Note: This data and information is gathered by me using MLS® and only includes properties listed on MLS®.

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

Taylor's Recycling in Outlook, what a great video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nn5k0vSFa6c&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Friday, 10 January 2014

Camera Phone vs. Actual Camera

Post by Outlook Real Estate.

Monday, 30 December 2013

Michelle's Outlook Residential Market Update for December

Michelle's December market update for Outlook residential properties:

December 2013

1 Sold Properties - original list prices: $264,000

3 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $91,900 - $387,500

vs. November 2013

4 Sold Properties - original list prices: $39,600 - $164,700

0 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $0

Comparison from November to December shows us that people are starting to put their homes on the market again. I would suspect this trend will continue to grow in January. As for sales I think we can expect a few more in January as well.

Overview: The house that sold in December was new to the market. By reviewing the listing I can see that it was well maintained, has a lot of square footage, finished basement, double attached garage, and a lot of other great features which made it a move in ready home. All these features come in to play for a quick sale. The other feature that made this home unique is that it's wheelchair accessible and to the right buyer that feature can make it the perfect home. Sometimes as sellers you might wonder why did that house sell and not mine?.... sometimes it is as simple as it had a feature that was important or necessary to a specific buyer.

Currently listed in Outlook we have 24 homes for sale and 27 including vacant lots and nearby acreages. I'm happy to report that this is an increase in the selling market. One thing to remember sellers is that as the properties for sale increases there will also be more competition so make sure your home shows its best. This can be a good thing as well as a bad thing. The bad side obviously that you have more competition, and the good side being that this can bring in more buyers and sometimes buyers that weren't initially interested in your property but decide to take a look.... and well... you never know :)

To make sure your property shows its best visit my page: http://outlookhomes.ca/Sellers/Preparing-Your-Home-To-Sell where you can find tips on how to prepare your home. Remember that you want to put yourself in the mind of a buyer. Think about if you are buying a home, what do you want to see, what would you like to see?

Please Note: This data and information is gathered by me using MLS® and only includes properties listed on MLS®.

Sunday, 1 December 2013

Michelle's Outlook Residential Market Update for November 2013

Welcome to my first residential market update for the Town of Outlook.

Here we go....

Michelle's market update for Outlook residential properties:

November 2013

4 Sold Properties - original list prices: $39,600 - $164,700

0 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $0

vs. October 2013

1 Sold Properties - original list prices: $34,700

1 New Listings (has not been previously listed in the past year): $169,000

Well good news for Outlook sellers is that the November market did have a slight jump in activity after a very slow October.

Overview: We did see 3 properties listed in November but they all have been listed earlier in the year and therefore for this market activity report are not considered brand new listings. The good news to sellers in the price range $0 - $175,000 is that the buyers are looking so keep your house up to shape as you could be moving by Christmas!

Currently listed in Outlook we have 20 homes for sale and 24 including vacant lots and nearby acreages.

Michelle's Market Prediction for 2014

My prediction of the upcoming residential market for 2014 is that we are going to see an early spring (prime selling market) in the Outlook residential market. I would guess that due to the slow fall market this is going to get things 'jumping' a little sooner and we can see a lot more properties being listed late January and selling maybe as early as the start of February.

What this means for sellers: Take the time over the next couple winter months to get your home 'spruced up' and ready for action as you could see a lot of buyer's winter snowprints up your driveway in February.

What this means for buyers: Get your prep work out of the way. Talk to mortgage lenders and get pre-approved and research the market and get to know the value of homes around town as you are going to want to know what properties are within your buying range. When the prime season rolls in properties can come and go very quickly and you'll be better prepared at getting the house you want for the right price by doing some prep work. You won't want to miss out on that one home you really love!

Please Note: This data and information is gathered by me using MLS® and only includes properties listed on MLS®.

Thursday, 21 November 2013

Smartphones Are Changing Everything!

I have been thinking about starting a class lately on the use of smartphones. I'll tell you why. Most of us just use them, dial a number, text a friend, and post a message on facebook. Well these things are so smart if people really knew all the things they could do with them it would make their whole lives so much easier.

I used to be one of those people who was easily irritated by people constantly on their phones, why was it so easy for me to judge when I didn't have one? Mostly I think its a resistance we all have to change for certain things at times and we find it easier to make excuses why its bad or not to try it so we don't have to dive into a totally unknown world. Let me tell you I was very behind in the world of smartphones less than a year ago but when I decided to finally get one I dove right in. I researched the phones out there and heard what people were saying about them... I didn't just want to go with the trend as so many of us do nowadays, I wanted to find the one I would love the most.... after all this is a monthly expense and a long term commitment ;). Next I researched all the 'must-have' apps and what they can do. This is where the smart phone world gets fun and exciting, I would suggest never stop doing this as there is constantly cool and new apps out there changing how we live our lives everyday.

Let me start with some of my coolest/favorite apps mostly for business and some just for fun! The best part is all these apps are FREE for Android! I use an Android but most I believe are available for other devices/platforms.

1 - Evernote -

a must have for any business professional who needs to keep track of notes, webpages, documents (word, pdf, excel), voice notes, to-do lists, pictures, and so much more. How I use mine is this: You can create folders so I have a business folder and a personal folder, in my business folder I have a folder for my clients (buyer folder and seller folder)... if I am meeting with someone anywhere I am I have the ability to email them right from the app whatever document I choose. And the great thing also with this app is say last year you took a note of something to do with apples (we will use this word as an example) and now after using the app for a year you have soooooo many notes that you can't spend time rummaging through all these notes.... voila there is a search button so all you have to do is type in the word apple and it will pull up all notes that have that word in it. So easy right! Honestly the uses for this app are endless and definitely my number 1 recommended app. I talk about it with everyone. This app even has the ability to read your personal hand writing! I have a pre-made packing list for when ever I go on a trip so that I don't forget anything... I don't have to write a new list everytime I go on holiday, I just look up my list that I know has everything on it so I don't forget my bathing suite! ;) This app is way ahead of the game and committed to staying on top, the phone syncs easily to your computer or whatever device you are using, so if I made a note on my phone I know it is right there on my computer too! They even have an edge with computers too for making easy access with browser add-ons (for example if there is a webpage that I want to make note of I have a little button right on my browser that I press and it instantly saves the note in my evernote app for me... its quick and easy)

2. Business Calendar Free -

We all need a really good calendar in our phone and Business Calendar is great. It syncs with all your calendars you have in other places, it gives you options for numerous reminders, repeat events, adding contacts to an event as well as extra details in that day. Its easy to use and functional.

3. Dropbox -

Dropbox is a must have as it automatically backs up all your photos in the cloud so you can access them on any device or over the internet. You can also share photos and documents with others by creating a URL link to the files or photos you would like to share. As our smartphones are now our cameras and we all probably have thousands, this helps keep the storage down in your phone by occassionally going through your phone and deleting any that you don't need saved right on your phone... before you do this double check that all your photos have synced to the cloud.

4. Skype -

A must have for traveling to talk with family, friends or a business meeting when I phone call is just not good enough. Sometimes we need that extra personal connection of seeing someone's face. Smart phones make this easy with Skype as sometimes it just isn't practical to lug your computer around everywhere. With Skype you can also send messages and share files.

5. Facebook -

If you are on facebook then you should probably get the app. As a business professional this makes sense as not everyone has your phone number and you don't necessarily have everyone's phone number either. Here you can message people you need to and receive their messages instantly. We all have a larger social network than just those we call occasionally and this app makes it easy to stay in touch. It is also a great app to use when you need to wait in line or kill some time, what better way then to keep up to date with what is going on in the lives of those around you.

5. Google Maps -

Google Maps has really made the need for a GPS system obsolete. Now you can get voice navigation through your phone to your destination. Everything is easily findable on Google maps and its ability to give directions using your GPS location is an app that nobody should live without.

6. Whatsapp -

Probably one of my favourite apps. More of a social networking app that is more popular in Europe, for some reason it hasn't become as trendy here in North America. This app makes simple messaging, sending photos, sending voice messages to friends fast and easy. You can see when the person was last on-line and if they received your messages. Creating group chats is easy too if you need to add more people to a conversation. I have a penpal from Russia who has now become a really good friend because of the ease this app makes it to share our lives.

7. Kingsoft Office -

If you are ever in need of creating a word document, excel spreadsheet or work related document then this app is a must have. The great thing about this app too is that after creating your word document you can print it right from your phone, it doesn't work for PDF's though and something I think they should work on. How often you might need to edit or print a word document from your phone is probably next to nil but why not have it set up for that situation when you need it most.

8. Yahoo Mail -

Yahoo is really trying to become a leader when it comes to email and if you haven't seen their recent updates you will be impressed. Not only is it easy to use (there is nothing worse than a complex email) it is pleasing to the eye. They have created themes so your background doesn't have to be the standard white and black. Mine has a soft sunset in the background and yet still easily readable. The great thing is that emails seem to show up on my phone instantly, I receive a different notification sound, and its easy to manage and store the emails as I want. Also if you need to send from an Alias email... for example my @yahoo.ca email is not the one I email people from but from my business email address michellenadeau@hallmarkrealty.ca (this takes a simple initial setting up) yahoo makes it all possible.

9. RBC -

I am not sure if most banks have got into the app world yet but if they haven't they are falling behind. RBC makes banking easy by being able to manage it all from my phone. Personally I still do it all from my computer but if a situation ever arises that I need to manage my money on the go then this app makes it easy and quick. I think its ING Direct that allows you to deposit checks by taking a photo of them now... boy I sure hope RBC jumps on that band wagon! Actually I was just browsing ING Direct's company... seems great!

10. Shazaam -

An app purely and simply for figuring out 'what the heck is this song playing on the radio?' With the press of a button your phone takes a few seconds of listening and pulls up the name of the song and the artist so you can find it to download. They are also getting involved in America with viewer voting on shows like The Voice so all you have to do to vote is Shazaam the contestant singing the song and cast your vote right from the app. Definitely an app trying to stand out in the crowd for doing a little more than just its original function.

Well that's about all for now. Most of these apps are tools I use to help me with my business (some just for fun). There are yet even more great apps out there that are definitely worth checking out and since there are millions of them I couldn't possibly tell you about and know about them all. But these are some of the highest rated apps that I have found and make my life easier on a day to day basis. You can find apps to help you with just about anything you can think of right now from cooking, to shopping, to watching tv, to games, to dating, to planning your wardrobe, and well you get the idea. But the apps above if used properly (especially for business) will turn your world upside down IN A GOOD WAY!

Just another way that I serve my clients is by staying on top of technology. If most of my time is trying to sort through files, searching for notes and rummaging through a day planner then there is a lot of time in the day wasted. In a fast and quickly accessed world it pays to have the tools to get things done quickly, easily, and to help you stay organized. The more time I have technology working for me means the more time I have to spend making phone calls, sending emails and most importantly meeting with you.

Have fun with your smartphone and if you know of any useful apps be sure to send them my way!

And last but not least------------> For all you home buyers and agents out there this ones for you! I also use this as a REALTOR® for an app when on the go with clients and to view other listings nearby they may have missed or to pull up extra information on a property too.

REALTOR.CA -

All the same abilities their website provides but actually easier to use than the website. You can search by map too and bookmark your favourite properties so they are always easy to find. The other great thing about REALTOR.CA is that all the listings posted on MLS® show up here!

Friday, 15 November 2013

Average house price in Canada rises 8% to $391,820 - Univs's Blog - Univs.ca

New or resale. Which home is the better deal?

Here's an article that may help you in in your decision between building a new home or buying a resale home.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/real-estate/new-or-resale-which-home-is-the-better-deal/article15462023/?click=dlvr.it

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

The Friendly Community of Conquest

As a person born and raised in Broderick (pretty much Outlook :) I can say I grew up and have know Conquest people all my life and they are some of the nicest people I know. Why I guess I am choosing to write about this today is that I just spoke with the administrator for the village office Colleen and every time she says hello it makes me smile. She has a tone and quality to her voice and is just so friendly that talking to her will be one of the nicest conversations of you day if only for a minute or two.

Looking back on all the conquest related friendships of my life whether it be high school friends, co-workers or mere acquaintances, I would have to say that every one of them has been extremely friendly and jam-packed with fun. I don't know what is in the water in that town but wow, what a great group of people!

Saturday, 9 November 2013

3D printer by Sask. man gets record crowdsourced cash

3D printer by Sask. man gets record crowdsourced cash http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/3d-printer-by-sask-man-gets-record-crowdsourced-cash-1.2417416

Friday, 8 November 2013

Outlook ranks number 2 for places to retire on a budget!

http://www.squidoo.com/top-10-amazing-places-to-retire-in-canada-on-a-shoestring-budget

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