Manitoba

Thank you everyone that showed up and made our Belize school fundraiser a super success!! We managed to raise almost $1200.00 for a school in Calcutta Belize. Thank you for the people that donated prices, all the people that came to the park to participate in our activities and a special thanks to the close friends that helped with setup and serving and most of all Barbara-Ann who was a fabulous help. Last but not least the band "Oh mother where art though" were wonderful!! Thank you all of the kind generous people.

John S

Hello Winnipeg homeowners!

Here at casaGURU we're big fans of green in both senses of the word: we’re strong supporters of making homes more energy efficient AND of helping our community of homeowners save money. There are many ways you can do both at the same time!

However, with the amount of energy saving rebates and grants available from a variety of sources, finding and applying for them can seem daunting. So, that's why I’ve compiled an easy to follow list of energy savings specifically for homeowners in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Be sure to check out the variety of geothermal incentives available.

I’ve done the research for you, so below are ways to help you save! It’s been broken into categories that will hopefully be easy to navigate.

Go to casaGURU.com to start saving now!

Another Great month for Winnipeg Real Estate!

March MLS® Sales Down 9%; MLS® Dollar Volume Off 3%

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg real estate market in March was really quite similar to March 2008 when you break down the two main property type sales. Home sales which still make up the lions share of total MLS® activity every month were only down 3 per cent with more sales this year over $200,000. There were three sales above one million dollars. Condominium sales were virtually the same as last March with two less sales. The big drop off in activity was in vacant lots with a 63 per cent decrease in sales. Duplexes sales were down 31 per cent while single attached units had a decline of 25 per cent.

March is clearly the start of more sales activity as we move into spring, albeit the grip of winter has hung on into April. As is apparent from some of the good local economic conditions, especially in comparison to the rest of the country, it appears more inclement weather this year has played its part in the slow start to the first quarter of 2009. It is also important to remember 2009 is being compared to the highest dollar volume year on record and the second strongest sales year in WinnipegREALTORS® 106-year history.

March MLS® unit sales are down 9% (905/993) while dollar volume was off only 4% ($187.4 million/$194.5 million) in comparison to the same month last year. March 2009 dollar volume is the second highest March on record. Year-to-date MLS® sales are down 10% (2,089/2,334) while dollar volume has only decreased 4% ( $410.5 million/$428.8 million) in comparison to the first quarter of 2008. The number of listings entered on the MLS® this year is up 11% (3,859/3,484).

"All in all, I am remaining optimistic about Winnipeg's real estate market going into the second quarter," said Deborah Goodfellow, president of WinnipegREALTORS®. "We have balanced market conditions where buyers have more to choose from, interest rates are at historic lows, and our prices remain firm if not even higher than last year. Our average home sale price for the first quarter is up 5 per cent ($209,254/$199,546) over the same quarter last year however this increase can be significantly affected by a shift in sales to higher price ranges and that has been evident this year. For example, there were 123 more home sales under $200,000 in 2008 while there were 18 less over $200,000 in comparison to 2009."

Condominium sales are actually ahead of last year for the first three months. There have been 10 more condo sales which represent a 4 per cent increase over first quarter 2008. The average condo sale price is up 3% ($175,429/$169,947). There has been an increase too in higher price range sales with the highest one this year happening in March at $650,000.

Goodfellow was also buoyed by the recent release of the Conference Board of Canada's Spring 2009 Metropolitan Outlook Report which provides economic insights into 27 Canadian metropolitan economies. It says Winnipeg will still see real GDP growth in 2009 and that Manitoba will avoid the recession. Agriculture, manufacturing and the construction sectors are all singled out for continued expansion. Only Saskatoon and Regina are forecast to join Winnipeg in maintaining positive economic growth in 2009.

It should not be surprising then to find 86 per cent of Winnipeggers questioned in a Jory Capital/Probe Research survey on the economy indicated they are very or somewhat optimistic about the economic future of Winnipeg.

"This bodes well for resale housing as it is such a good long term investment so if you are bullish about our city's prospects why would you not want to take advantage of the excellent home buying opportunities that are available in our local market right now," said Goodfellow.

Residential-detached sales in March were most active in the $150,000 to $199,999 range with 25% of total sales. Close behind in activity was the next highest price range of $200,000 to $249,999 at 21% of sales. The under $100,000 sales activity dropped into single digits at 8%. The highest sale price in March as $1,180,000 and the lowest was $11,000. The average days on market for sales of residential-detached listings was 30 days, 2 days faster than last month and a week slower than March 2008.

Sounds simple right? You just... start looking. Right? Pick up a newspaper, start calling everyone in it. Or check out Realtor.ca, all the listings are on there, why bother with a realtor?

Well sure that is one way to do it, but since my high school teacher introduced me to the concept of "work smart, not hard" I can't get it out of my head! I will give you an example: I received a call last week from a young man asking about one of my listings, he had seen it on MLS and wanted to know more. I had to tell him that unfortunately it was sold. Then two days later they called me again, wanting to know more about the same house. I had to tell them again that it was still unfortunately sold. They wanted to know why it was showing as active on MLS then. Well, I find sometimes MLS is behind a little bit, whereas our system is in real time. I also did inquire both times to them that if they would like I could set them up on a home search for their area of choice, thus eliminating the work they are putting into all the calling and waiting. They declined stating that they could not afford a Realtor. When I tried to tell them that as a buyer they did not pay for an agent they said that they preferred calling around until they found a house that was still available that they liked.

While that is fine, and certainly an option... it baffles me why a serious buyer would not want to hire an agent that works just for them? We have access to real time listings, and all they have to do is sit back and let the homes come to them. Certainly shop around until you find an agent you are comfortable with and knows the area you want to live in. Also, since it is really free for you as a buyer, why wouldn't you want all that knowlege and experience for free? Believe me, you are missing out on a lot of places by thinking that they are all in the newspaper, online or having open houses. I understand that some people are "go getters" and love to be involved in the hunt:) however, why not have the best of both worlds? Often I recieve daily emails from clients with a list of addresses or MLS numbers they want me to check out... so a few clicks later and all the info they need is in their inbox to peruse at their convenience. No making 20 phone calls and recieving the call back when it is not convenient for you... no waiting to hear back from someone who may not have time to call you back at all. We make it about convenience for YOU.

Some objections that I have gotten to people who say they don't want a realtor are as follows:
- They can't afford it, and I have already mentioned that this is free for buyers
- They are not really serious about looking right now.. they just want to be casual and don't want any pressure. Hey, I can understand that! I have lots of people on my mailing list that are casual, I just email them homes, check in every few months. Then when they are ready to buy, they can call. I too hate pushy salespeople too.
- They are afraid of getting a 'bad' realtor. Well, I say get a referral from a friend, or during your own hunt feel out different agents to see if you can find one that you connect with and knows her stuff. Then when you feel ready to buy, you feel more confident and excited. Buying is stressful enough... why make it harder?

So the easiest way? Trust me, just hire a realtor.

Not many homes in Grand Beach can boast that they are lakefront and only 5 years old. With no homes in front of you and a park to the side, this home has an unobstructed view of the lake to the West from the rear and South to the side. Built in 2003 this home is situated with a deck facing the lake and with windows situated so as not to miss the view from the kitchen, great room and nook. One family has had this Lakefront Property in Grand Beach Park for three generations. Sadly, no one from the family is living with in 1,000 miles or this property would not be sold! After three generations, when this family built, they built to avoid maintenance with easy vinyl laminate floors in the common areas, Berber carpets in the bedrooms, the vinyl siding and vinyl windows and a preserved wood deck to cut down exterior maintenance to the minimum. They were careful to maintain the rustic feel they loved in the old cottage with some pine paneling on the vaulted ceiling in the great room, and a mixture of drywall and pine paneling on the walls.

All of the windows in the home are double paned and they open, the ceiling fans bring in the cool evening breeze from the lake, and there is baseboard heat to extend the season. The holding tank and water cistern were put in new when this home was built. This property sides onto an open green grass space which is maintained by the Park. Absolutely turn key, fully furnished with few personal items to be removed. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity or some other family will have your view.

Grand Beach on Lake Winnipeg is known as one of the top three beaches in the world. The massive size of Lake Winnipeg means you can water-ski or sail for miles before you have to turn back. For nature lovers there are soaring pelicans, hawks, eagles and many other beautiful birds in flight. Close by, Grand Marais offers fishing derbies in the winter and summer, Pelican Days, Fowl Dinners, Canada Day fireworks and many other events year round. Great community with lots to do. Walk the boardwalk in Grand Beach, dine at the Surf Club or just sit back and relax and enjoy the best view that Grand Beach has to offer.

Doug McKay is a co-owner of this property call him at 403-207-1776 or call your favorite Manitoba MLS realtor and ask about listing 2904131.