Naseem Shivji
Personal Real Estate Corporation

Oakwyn Realty Downtown Ltd.

Cell 604-808-9347 | EMAIL info@naseemshivji.com |

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Home Sales in Metro Vancouver are bouncing back after a dismal February, but the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver says transactions are still almost 31 per cent below the March 2016 record. The shortage of property listings and strong demand, especially for condos and townhomes, propelled the market in March.

 

Jill Oudil, Real Estate Board of Vancouver president said, "Sellers still seem reluctant to put their homes on the market, creating stiff competition for homebuyers".

 

In the review below, Kevin Skipworth, Managing Broker at Dexter Associates Realty, provides unique insight into the market. Kevin notes that the numbers of new listings haven't been this low since March 2009. The competition also means home prices are likely to continue to increase until we see more housing supply coming on the market.

 

The composite benchmark price in March for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is over $919,000, a 1.4 per cent increase compared with February. 

 

Read Kevin’s Complete Review:

 

The real estate market in Metro Vancouver heated up in March, much more so than our weather!  The townhouse and condo market continues to be the life of the market, although the detached market is picking up steam. There were 3,632 homes sold in Greater Vancouver in March this year compared with 5,301 sales in a record March last year. Sales were up from 2,461 last month though. The big change from last year is the lack of new listings coming on market. This March there were 4,891 new listings compared to 6,447 in March of 2016 – down 26 per cent. Total Active Listings remain at the same level of last year which is keeping Month’s Supply of homes at 2 months in Greater Vancouver. Condos in Vancouver’s Westside is at 1 Month’s Supply, similarly with Condos in Richmond which actually had more sales in March than new listings. Total Active Listings for condos in Richmond are down to 266 from a high of over 1,000 two years ago.

 

The mix of sales continues to show that condos have taken over the market with 50 per cent of all sales in Greater Vancouver being condos while last year in March they were 42 per cent. Detached home sales were 40 per cent of all sales in March 2016 while account for only 32 per cent this year. East Vancouver and Richmond realized one of the bigger month over month gains with East Vancouver Detached House sales nearly doubling from their February level. Without any increase in listing levels, pressure will continue to push prices up in the attached market and keep them from moving any further downward on the detached side and likely showing some appreciation.

 

“While demand in March was below the record high of last year, we saw demand increase month-to-month for condos and townhomes,” Jill Oudil, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver president said. “Sellers still seem reluctant to put their homes on the market, making for stiff competition among home buyers. Homes prices will likely continue to increase until we see more housing supply coming on to the market.”

 

In the Fraser Valley, propelled by significant activity in attached categories, March housing sales reached their second highest point in ten years, trailing only last year’s extraordinary market levels. The Fraser Valley saw 2,213 sales of all property types in March, a decrease of 26.4 per cent compared to March 2016 and up 58.5 per cent compared to February 2017. There were 3,072 new listings in March, a 41.5 per cent increase from February 2017 and a 24.3 per cent decrease compared to March 2016 at 4,057 new listings.

 

Here’s a summary of the numbers:

 

Greater Vancouver: Total Units Sold in March 2017 was 3,632 – up from 2,461 (48%) in February 2017, down from 5,301 (31%) in March 2016, down from 4,132 (12%) in March 2015; Active Listings are at 8,211 compared to 8,118 at this time last year; New Listings in March 2017 were down 26% compared to March 2016; Month’s Supply of Total Residential Listings is down to 2 Month’s Supply (Balanced Market still with Detached Houses and Attached a Seller’s Market) and a Sales to Listings Ratio of 74% compared to 82% in March 2016 and 65% in February 2017.

 

Vancouver Westside Residential: Total Units Sold in March 2017 was 616 – up from 505 (22%) in February 2017, down from 1,001 (50%) in March 2016, down from 825 (39%) in March 2015; Active Listings are at 1,342 compared to 1,304 at this time last year; New Listings in March 2017 were down 24% compared to March 2016; Month’s Supply of Total Residential Listings is down to 2 Month’s Supply (Balanced Market still with Detached Houses and Attached a Seller’s Market) and a Sales to Listings Ratio of 75% compared to 92% in March 2016 and 73% in February 2017.

 

Vancouver Eastside Residential: Total Units Sold in March 2017 was 384 – up from 229 (68%) in February 2017, down from 476 (19%) in March 2016, down from 464 (17%) in March 2015; Active Listings are at 984 compared to 610 at this time last year; New Listings in March 2017 were down 8% compared to March 2016; Month’s Supply of Total Residential Listings is down to 3 Month’s Supply (Balanced Market still with Detached Houses and Attached a Seller’s Market) and a Sales to Listings Ratio of 73% compared to 82% in March 2016 and 56% in February 2017.

 

North Vancouver Residential Total Units Sold in March 2017 was 261 – up from 216 (21%) in February 2017, down from 407 (47%) in March 2016, down from 399 (35%) in March 2015; Active Listings are at 413 compared to 407 at this time last year; New Listings in March 2017 were down 23% compared to March 2016; Month’s Supply of Total Residential Listings is steady at 2 Month’s Supply (A Balanced to Seller’s Market with Detached Houses and Attached a Seller’s Market) and a Sales to Listings Ratio of 76% compared to 92% in March 2016 and 73% in February 2017.

 

West Vancouver Houses: Total Units Sold in March 2017 was 97 – up from 57 (70%) in February 2017, down from 179 (55%) in March 2016, down from 135 (29%) in March 2015; Active Listings are at 471 compared to 409 at this time last year; New Listings in March 2017 were down 15% compared to March 2016; Month’s Supply of Total Residential Listings is down to 5 Month’s Supply (Still a Buyer’s Market with Detached and Seller’s Market with Attached) and a Sales to Listings Ratio of 46% compared to 73% in March 2016 and 38% in February 2017.

 

Richmond Residential: Total Units Sold in March 2017 was 537 – up from 338 (59%) in February 2017, down from 663 (19%) in March 2016, down from 553 (3%) in March 2015; Active Listings are at 1,154 compared to 1,213 at this time last year; New Listings in March 2017 were down 31% compared to March 2016; Month’s Supply of Total Residential Listings is down to 2 Month’s Supply (Balanced Market still with Detached Houses and Attached Acting a Seller’s Market) and a Sales to Listings Ratio of 79% compared to 71% in March 2016 and 67% in February 2017.

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