Market Commentary

Home buyers and sellers enter the housing market at near record pace in March

May 24, 2011 | Posted by: Francine Tracey

VANCOUVER, B.C. – April 4, 2011 – Activity in the Greater Vancouver housing market continued to strengthen in March with both the number of homes sold and added to the region’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) reaching near record levels.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales of detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver reached 4,080 in March 2011. This represents a 31.7 percent increase compared to the 3,097 sales recorded in February 2011, an increase of 30.1 percent compared to the 3,137 sales in March 2010 and an 80.1 percent increase from the 2,265 home sales in March 2009. The all-time sales record for March occurred in 2004 when 4,371 transactions were recorded.

“Our market has had a very strong start to the spring season,” Rosario Setticasi, REBGV president said. “With home sales above 4,000 and nearly 7,000 home listings added to the MLS® in March, it’s clear that home buyers and sellers view this as a good time to be active in their local housing market.”

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 6,797 in March 2011. This represents a 3 percent decline compared to March 2010 when 7,004 properties were listed for sale on the MLS®, an all-time record for March. Compared to February 2011, last month’s new listings total registered a 19.4 percent increase.

At, 13,110, the total number of residential property listings on the MLS® increased 9.9 percent in March compared to last month and declined 3 percent from this time last year.

“Conditions favour sellers at the moment, but we’re seeing differences in home-price trends and overall activity depending on the region and property type,” Setticasi said.

The MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver over the last 12 months has increased 5.4 percent to $615,810 in March 2011 from $584,435 in March 2010.

Sales of detached properties on the MLS® in March 2011 reached 1,795, an increase of 34.4 percent from the 1,336 detached sales recorded in March 2010, and a 100.1 percent increase from the 897 units sold in March 2009. The benchmark price for detached properties increased 8.3 percent from March 2010 to $866,806.

Sales of apartment properties reached 1,622 in March 2011, a 29.6 percent increase compared to the 1,252 sales in March 2010, and an increase of 66.2 percent compared to the 976 sales in March 2009. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 2.1 percent from March 2010 to $403,885.

Attached property sales in March 2011 totalled 663, a 20.8 percent increase compared to the 549 sales in March 2010, and a 69.1 percent increase from the 392 attached properties sold in March 2009. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 3.6 percent between March 2010 and 2011 to $511,039.



Source - RE/MAX

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