Facts & Figures For The Victoria, Sidney and Sooke Real Estate Area 

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Stable and Balanced Real Estate Market Predicted for 2012 

Victoria Real Estate Board Wins Three National Awards - ( VREB News release )
 

December 5, 2011 

Stable and Balanced Real Estate Market Predicted for 2012 

Carol Crabb, 2012 President of the Victoria Real Estate Board, says that stable and balanced market conditions are expected to continue in the Victoria area housing market in the New Year. Crabb noted that real estate sales have been generally higher in recent months compared to last year and with little change anticipated in interest rates balanced market conditions should continue for the foreseeable future. "Despite global economic uncertainty, the local real estate market has shown remarkable stability. The Victoria area remains a destination of choice for many people and there is every expectation that stable market conditions will continue in the coming months," said Crabb. 

Crabb added that while the number of properties available for sale has been declining in recent months from record highs over the summer, prices should remain stable with little significant change for the foreseeable future. 

The 2012 Board of Directors is as follows: Carol Crabb -- President; Dennis Fimrite -- Past President; Shelley Mann -- President Elect; Mike Nugent -- Secretary-Treasurer. Other Directors are Tim Ayres, Guy Crozier, Mike Holmes, Wendy Moreton and Andrew Plank. 

The 2012 Directors take office effective January 1. 

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Canadian home sales edge higher in October 

OTTAWA – November 15, 2011 – According to statistics[1] released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national resale housing activity picked up a little further in October 2011 following the uptick in September. 

Highlights: 

Sales activity rose in October, marking the highest level since January.
Actual (not seasonally adjusted) national sales activity in October stayed in line with the 10-year average for the month, as it has most months this year.
Year-to-date sales are also even with the 10-year average.
The number of newly listed homes remained little changed from levels in the previous three months.
While the combination of stronger sales and stable new listings resulted in a slightly tighter balance of supply and demand, the national housing market remains firmly rooted in balanced territory.
The national average price posted a 5.5 per cent year-over-year gain in October, the smallest increase since January. 

Homes sold through MLS® Systems of real estate Boards and Associations in Canada rose 1.2 per cent inOctober 2011 from the previous month. While national sales activity levels are still best described as average, the monthly rise in October sales built on the 2.5 per cent gain in September, and lifted activity to the highest level since January. 

Just over half of all local markets posted monthly sales increases, led by gains in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. 

“There was no shortage of headline news in October about global financial market volatility and economic uncertainty, but it doesn’t appear to have dampened homebuyers’ spirits,” said Gary Morse, CREA’s President. “Interest rates are at low levels and are likely to stay that way for some time to come. Homebuyers clearly see the opportunities that the current interest rate environment presents. That said, all real estate is local, so buyers and sellers should consult their local REALTOR® for an understanding of opportunities in their housing market.” 

As has been the case in most months this year, actual (not seasonally adjusted) national home sales in October stayed in line with the 10-year average for the month. Although up 8.5 per cent from levels one year ago, the gain in large part reflects last year’s nascent pick-up in activity following a mid-year lull. 

A total of 397,561 homes have traded hands via Canadian MLS® Systems so far this year. This represents an increase of 1.8 per cent from levels in the first 10 months of 2010, but is directly in line with the 10-year average for the year-to-date figure. 

The number of newly listed homes remained little changed in October compared with levels recorded in each of the previous three months. 

“The prevailing economic outlook for Canada is one of slower but still positive economic growth, with heightened caution about investment and hiring decisions,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “Consumer confidence and the housing sector are being supported by low interest rates and high employment levels, but their prospects depend on how Canada’s economic outlook evolves in response to global economic risks and outcomes in the months ahead. 

Home sales activity over the past couple of months suggests buyers are confident that the Canadian economy will remain relatively unscathed by global economic risks, since every home purchase is a homebuyer’s vote of confidence in the future. That confidence is no doubt rooted in the success of coordinated fiscal and monetary policy responses that helped quickly pull Canada out of the last recession, and a stated willingness and ability to carry out further policy actions if need be.” 

While the combination of stable new listings and stronger sales made for a slightly tighter balance between supply and demand in October, the national housing market remains firmly rooted in balanced territory. The national sales-to-new listings ratio, a measure of market balance, stood at 53.4 per cent in October, up from 52.8 per cent in September. 

Based on a sales-to-new listings ratio from 40 to 60 percent, about 60 per cent of local markets in Canada were in balanced market territory in October. Of the remaining markets, there was a handful more seller’s markets than buyers’ markets. 

The number of months of inventory stood at six months at the end of October on a national basis, little changed from the end of September (6.1 months). It has remained stable at about six months since April. The number of months of inventory represents the number of months it would take to sell current inventories at the current rate of sales activity, and is another measure of the balance between housing supply and demand. 

The actual (not seasonally adjusted) national average price for homes sold in October 2011 stood at $362,899. This is up 5.5 per cent from October 2010, making it the smallest increase since January. 

1 All figures in this release except average price are seasonally adjusted. Removing normal seasonal variations enables meaningful analysis of monthly changes and fundamental trends. 

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