Statistics

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver has just released the August stats:

Market momentum carries into August

The number of home sales in Greater Vancouver increased significantly last month compared to August 2008 and moved closer in line with the active summer months experienced between 2003 and 2007.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver increased 119.5 per cent in August 2009 to 3,441 from the 1,568 sales recorded in August 2008 and increased 1.7 per cent compared to August 2007.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties increased 4.9 per cent to 4,544 in August 2009 compared to August 2008 when 4,331 new units were listed. Total active listings in Greater Vancouver currently sit at 11,937, down 33 per cent from August 2008.

“The return of confidence to our market has brought a high volume of home sales over the last few months and has also made determining home prices a little more challenging,” said Scott Russell, REBGV president. “The number of residential home sales this summer has been comparable to activity seen in the five years preceding 2008. While that’s great news, from the variations in activity we’re seeing across areas I’d say the market is still trying to find its own balance.”

Since the beginning of the year, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver has increased 11.4 per cent to $539,600 from $484,211. However, home prices compared to August 2008 levels are down 1.1 per cent.

Sales of detached properties in August 2009 increased 155.5 per cent to 1,367 from the 535 units sold during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties declined 0.7 per cent from August 2008 to $732,656.

Sales of apartment properties increased 97.8 per cent last month to 1,464, compared to the 740 sales in August 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property declined 1.4 per cent from August 2008 to $369,263.

Attached property sales in August 2009 increased 108.2 per cent to 610, compared with the 293 sales during the same month in 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit declined 0.9 per cent between August 2008 and 2009 to $459,159.

For more info on these and other statistics, visit www.rebgv.org.

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Nicholas Meyer recorded two recent videos outlining the current state of the Vancouver Rental Market at the end of August 09.

You can view the second video, End of August Update, in the sidebar to the right, or link to it here.

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In this video, Nicholas Meyer outlines the current state of the market in July 09 for Vancouver BC.

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The REBGV (Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver) released these positive sales stats today.

Market conditions drive strong June housing sales

VANCOUVER, B.C. July 3, 2009  The combination of low interest
rates and more affordable pricing helped propel Greater Vancouver home
sale numbers to the second all-time highest total for the month of
June.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that sales
of detached, attached and apartment properties increased 75.6 per cent
in June 2009 to 4,259, from the 2,425 sales recorded in June 2008. The
figure is just short of the record-breaking 4,333 sales which occurred
in June 2005.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties declined
17.9 per cent to 5,372 in June 2009 compared to June 2008, when 6,546
new units were listed. However, new listings increased 13.5 per cent
from May to June of this year. Total active listings in Greater
Vancouver currently sit at 13,252, down 27 per cent from June 2008 and
2.9 per cent below the active listings count at the end of May 2009.

“Price reductions and low interest rates have created an improvement
in affordability, which is causing the number of sales to rise to
levels comparable to 2003 to 2007,” Scott Russell, REBGV president
said.

“Many people who were reluctant to purchase a home last fall and
earlier this year are returning to the market because they see
conditions that appeal to their personal and financial needs,”
Russell said. “However, the current marketplace is such that buyers
are more inclined to walk if they don’t like the terms of an
offer.”

Residential benchmark prices, as calculated by the MLSLink? Housing
Price Index, declined 8.2 per cent to $518,855 in June 2009 compared
to June 2008.

The number of sales of detached properties increased 81.6 per cent to
1,667 from the 918 detached sales recorded during the same period in
2008. The benchmark price for detached properties declined 8.4 per
cent to $701,384 in June 2009 compared to June 2008.

The number of sales of apartment properties in June 2009 increased
69.3 per cent to 1,790, compared to 1,057 sales in June 2008. The
benchmark price of an apartment property declined 8.2 per cent from
June 2008 to $356,880.

The number of attached property sales in June 2009 increased 78.2 per
cent to 802, compared with the 450 sales in June 2008. The benchmark
price of an attached unit declined 7.3 per cent between June 2009 and
2008 to $441,620.

Bright spots in Greater Vancouver in June 2009 compared to June 2008:

Detached:
Burnaby up 109.7 per cent (151 units sold from 72)
Coquitlam up 122.2 per cent (160 units sold from 72)
Delta – South up 107.7 per cent (56 units sold from 27)
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows up 54.3 per cent (162 units sold from 105)
New Westminster up 104.8 per cent (43 units sold from 21)
North Vancouver up 96.2 per cent (153 units sold from 78)
Port Moody/ Belcarra up 120 per cent (33 units sold from 15)
Richmond up 77.4 per cent (204 units sold from 115)
Squamish up 107.7 per cent (27 units sold from 13)
Sunshine Coast up 33.9 per cent (75 units sold from 56)
Vancouver East up 71.2 per cent (238 units sold from 139)
Vancouver West up 85.2 per cent (200 units sold from 108)
West Vancouver/Howe Sound up 117.8 per cent (98 units sold from 45)

Attached:
Burnaby up 81.8 per cent (140 units sold from 77)
Coquitlam up 80 per cent (54 units sold from 30)
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows up 48.6 per cent (55 units sold from 37)
North Vancouver up 121.2 per cent (73 units sold from 33)
Port Coquitlam up 82.6 per cent (42 units sold from 23)
Port Moody/ Belcarra up 77.3 per cent (39 units sold from 22)
Richmond up 84.5 per cent (155 units sold from 84)
Vancouver East up 118.5 per cent (59 units sold from 27)
Vancouver West up 121.8 per cent (122 units sold from 55)

Apartments:
Burnaby up 60.4 per cent (239 units sold from 149)
Coquitlam up 93.9 per cent (95 units sold from 49)
New Westminster up 57.1 per cent (121 units sold from 77)
North Vancouver up 71.4 per cent (120 units sold from 70)
Port Coquitlam up 58.1 per cent (49 units sold from 31)
Port Moody/Belcarra up 128.6 per cent (48 units sold from 21)
Richmond up 54.1 per cent (225 units sold from 146)
Vancouver East up 58.7 per cent (165 units sold from 104)
Vancouver West up 87.2 per cent (627 units sold from 335)
West Vancouver/Howe Sound up 155.6 per cent (23 units sold from 9)

See the full report and other stats here on the REBGV Site.

At Downtown Suites we are happy to assist you with any of your real estate questions or concerns.

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Each month The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver releases their statistics on housing sales. Here’s their report for May 2009:

Increased demand steadies housing market in Greater Vancouver

A continued increase in buyer activity over the last four months has resulted in increased home sales and lessened the downward pressure on housing prices in Greater Vancouver.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that the number of residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 3,524 in May 2009, an increase of 17.4 per cent from the 3,002 sales recorded in May 2008, and an increase of 18.9 per cent compared to last month.

Since the beginning of the year, the MLSLink Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver has increased 4.5 per cent to $506,201 from $484,211. However, home prices compared to May 2008 levels are down 10.9 per cent.

“The increased level of buyer activity over the last few months has had a stabilizing effect on home prices across our region,” Scott Russell, REBGV president said. “MLS data continues to show a trend toward a balanced market in the region.”

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties declined in Greater Vancouver, down 36 per cent to 4,733 in May 2009 compared to May 2008, when 7,390 new units were listed. At 13,641, the total number of property listings on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) declined 4.7 per cent compared to last month and 16 per cent compared to May 2008.

Detached

Sales of detached properties increased 16.5 per cent to 1,402 from the 1,203 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2008. The HPI benchmark price for detached properties declined 11.8 per cent from May 2008 to $680,320.

Apartments

Sales of apartment properties in May 2009 increased 17.2 per cent to 1,458, compared to 1,244 sales in May 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property declined 10.2 per cent from May 2008 to $349,987.

Townhomes

Attached property sales in May 2009 are up 19.6 per cent to 664, compared with the 555 sales in May 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit decreased 9 per cent between May 2008 and 2009 to $435,848.

Bright spots in Greater Vancouver in May 2009 compared to May 2008:
Detached: Burnaby up 48.9 per cent (140 units sold from 94)
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows up 13.4 per cent (144 units sold from 127)
North Vancouver up 31.4 per cent (134 units sold from 102)
Port Moody/Belcarra up 52.6 per cent (29 units sold from 19)
Richmond up 14.0 per cent (170 units sold from 142)
Vancouver East up 11.1 per cent (180 units sold from 162)
Vancouver West up 59.5 per cent (193 units sold from 121)

Attached: Burnaby up 31.5 per cent (96 units sold from 73)
Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows up 43.8 per cent (46 units sold from 32)
North Vancouver up 31.8 per cent (58 units sold from 44)
Vancouver West up 54.5 per cent (102 units sold from 66)

Apartments: Burnaby up 32.6 per cent (187 units sold from 141)
North Vancouver up 22.6 per cent (103 units sold from 84)
Richmond up 27.4 per cent (200 units sold from 157)
Vancouver East up 28.7 per cent (139 units sold from 108)
Vancouver West up 25.4 per cent (529 units sold from 422)

Download complete stats package from REBGV here

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May 14, 2009. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that April was the third consecutive month of increasing home sales in the province, on a seasonally adjusted basis. Consumer demand was bolstered by lower home prices and record low mortgage interest rates. Housing affordability hit a three-year high at the beginning of the month.

“Downward pressure on home prices has eased considerably,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “An increase in consumer demand combined with fewer homes for sale has trended the market near balanced conditions.” The number of homes for sale through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) fell to a twelve-month low in April, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

MLS® residential sales dollar volume in BC declined 25 per cent to $3.1 billion in April, compared to the same month last year. Residential unit sales declined 20 per cent to 6,918 units during the same period. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $449,372 in April, down 6 per cent from April 2008. Year-to-date, MLS® residential sales dollar volume was down 41 per cent to $7.8 billion over the same period last year. A total of 1,889 units were sold in the first four months, down 35 per cent from 2008, while the average MLS® price declined 9 per cent to $433,246.

For the complete news release, including detailed statistics, go to the BCREA site: www.bcrea.bc.ca.

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At Downtown Suites we are pleased to share these statistics from the REBGV. On Monday, May 4, 2009, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver released the report below.

With more buyers and fewer homes for sale in recent months, the Greater Vancouver housing market has entered a more moderate and balanced state.

For the sixth consecutive month, new listings for detached, attached and apartment properties declined in Greater Vancouver, down 33.7 per cent to 4,649 in April 2009 compared to April 2008, when 7,010 new units were listed. The total number of property listings on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), while slightly down compared to last month, remains unchanged compared to the same period in 2008.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 2,963 in April 2009, a decline of eight per cent from the 3,218 sales recorded in April 2008, and an increase of 31 per cent compared to last month.

“We’re seeing greater balance in the housing market, as evidenced by a strong sales to active listings ratio of over 19 per cent,” Scott Russell, REBGV president said. “The result is a relatively stable market in which homes are being realistically priced.

“The bridge between buyer demand and housing supply is continuing to narrow, which, as we see, helps bring stability to home prices,” he said. “The trends in our housing market over the last couple of months offer a much more comfortable, historically normal set of conditions.”

Sales of detached properties declined eight per cent to 1,190 from the 1,293 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties declined 12.2 per cent from April 2008 to $675,268.

Sales of apartment properties in April 2009 declined 10.5 per cent to 1,179, compared to 1,317 sales in April 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property declined 12.6 per cent from April 2008 to $340,203.

Attached property sales in April 2009 are down 2.3 per cent to 594, compared with the 608 sales in April 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit decreased 9.7 per cent between April 2008 and 2009 to $431,759.

Bright spots in Greater Vancouver in April 2009 compared to April 2008:

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Nicholas Meyer of Downtown Suites Ltd. gives an overview of the market for May 09.

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Our real estate market is off and running again contrary to the scare stories from south of the border and other parts of the world.  Why?  There is pent up demand, still, for our product. The prices which were becoming over-inflated have corrected, and interest rates have lowered yet again to near record lows – making home buying the cheapest it has been in three years!

Real estate will always be the number one investment in BC.  If you’re thinking of investing be sure to give the Downtown Suites Team a call to assist in your acquisition and management.  Please ask for me personally and I will be happy to discuss your objectives with you.

The BCREA released this info from Chief Economist Cameron Muir yesterday:

British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports residential sales dollar volume on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in BC declined 35 per cent to $2.3 billion in March, compared to the same month last year. Residential unit sales declined 25 per cent to 5,464 units during the same period. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $424,122 in March, down 12 per cent from March 2008.

“While fewer MLS® residential sales were recorded last month compared to March 2008, home sales actually climbed 24 per cent from February to March on a seasonally adjusted basis, the second consecutive month of gains,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.

A significant increase in affordability helped fuel housing demand last month. “Reduced mortgage interest rates have effectively doubled the impact of lower home prices on affordability,” added Muir. While the average sales price in BC declined 12 per cent from a year ago, the monthly payment on the average priced home was 24 per cent lower. “Housing is now more affordable than at any time in the last three years,” noted Muir.

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