其中一个经纪星期四晚上就联系上了，说房子已经有了接受的offer（这是在该房屋在经纪内部网站MLSLink出现的当天！），下个星期二解除条件。

第二个房子的经纪星期六早晨才回电话，说第二个房子也有了accepted offer。

于是客人非常confuse：他问：你发给我的listing里面星期四才出现？这其中是不是有什么delay？

答：我发给你的listing其实是从地产局的服务器以我的名义直接发给你的，其中没有任何人工干预，除了代理卖家的那位Listing agent，所有的经纪和他们的客人都是同时得到email通知的；我们唯一能做的是勤查电脑邮箱，有了合适的listing马上约了去看。

问：可是，这两个listing，为什么listing上的上市日期写的是星期一，我们星期四才看到？

答：这里的原因可能是经纪星期一在电脑里准备了合约（电脑会自动打上准备合约那一天——星期一的日期）去见客人，但是客人隔了两天才签字，经纪再把客人签了字的合同送到公司，公司的秘书输入到MLS电脑系统。所以事实上这两个listing星期四才进入经纪的MLS系统当中的。（这种日期不一致的情况，其实经纪是有办法避免的，只要把合同上和卖方商定的生效日期定在实际登入MLS系统的日期就行了。）

问：为什么FH有的房子出来就马上就有人买走，有的房子很多天还无人问津呢？

答：这是因为每个房子的区位环境、室内布局和面积、房间数量、保养状况都不同，另外还和出价很有关系。不太实际的出价会吓跑很多客人。另外买方经纪给客人发新的listing，都是预先设定了价格范围，比如说55万以下；这样要价55万5的房子可能会失掉很多潜在的买家，自然就难卖了。其它情况还有靠近大路有噪音的，或者以前被发现被人种过大麻的，如果标价太高，也是很难卖出去的。

问：他们有了接受的offer，为什么还要作open house呢？

答：一般Open house都是提前几天在MLS预订好了，无法临时取消；而且作open house的经纪通常是希望借助open house寻找一些新的客人，这等于是不花钱的广告。当然，有些经纪和卖家也希望通过open house拿到一个back up offer，不过back up offer的价钱基本就是卖方经纪说了算，没有什么还价空间，而且如果第一个买方解除条件（80%-90%的可能性），备用offer即宣告作废，成功的可能性很小。（但我还是推荐客人写一个backup offer）。

客人问：那么如果对方经纪和你在一个公司，是不是我们就能够抢先一步呢？

答：不会。以我们公司来说，公司的秘书可以直接把listing输入到MLSLink里面。一个listing一般中午就会出现在MLSLink上了，这时低陆平原所有的买方经纪和经纪的买家都会同时收到这个listing，只要符合他们预先设置的筛选条件；而我们公司的所有经纪当天下午四点到五点才会接到一个邮件，里面有本公司当天所有的listing，所以一般来说MLS会更快、公司内部的邮件要慢些，然而前后的时间差不超过几个小时，比公共网站Realtor.ca快两天左右。

问：那么如果你和某个listing agent是朋友，或者你就是那个listing agent，我会不会就可以抢在其他买家之前买到这个房子？

答：如果我是那个listing agent，我当然会提前通知自己的客人及时来看房，但是不会抢在其他经纪的客人之前就帮你写offer成交。理由很简单，一个房子必须经过必要的市场考验market exposure，也就是说有足够的客人来看房，售价才能体现出它真正的市场价值。（很多经纪还特地把第一次看房定在某个周末的下午，就是为了让更多的人来看。）如果不让别人来看房，就私下内部成交，很可能买高了，或者卖低了。这样买方或者卖方之间至少会有一方是不满意的。如果中间没有经纪，吃亏的一方可能不会说什么；如果中间有个经纪，这个就难说了，两边的客人都有可能不领情，经纪搞私下成交被诉讼的风险是很大的。谨慎有头脑的经纪不会去傻乎乎地冒这个风险的。

为了验证我给客人的答案，我又给第二个房子的经纪打了电话，他说这个房子确实是星期四才出现在MLSlink；星期四晚上来了10批客人看房子；星期五早晨接到了这十批客人中两批客人下的两个offer；卖家接受了其中的一个。

我又给客人讲了年初的一个成功的经历：一个比较好的房子在MLSLink出现的当天晚上我们就去看，看房的时候就有二十批客人同时再看；于是我们看后当时就留在那里写了offer，并且在房子里等到卖家接受了offer。

我提醒客人，看到合适的房子要当机立断，不要瞻前顾后。在有限的预算之下，市场上找不到可以打一百分的房子。奥运期间我有一家客人，在FH看了三天，喜欢上一个房子，想下offer又犹豫，结果第二天又去房子附近考察，发现牌子上已经贴了“SOLD”的标签。其实这个房子在市场上已经将近一年了，偏巧不早不晚，就有人抢先了一小步。客人只好悻悻地回台湾，再作打算了。

我跟客人讲，每个找我买房子的客人都有个学习过程（Learning Curve），我作为买方经纪的我不可能从第一天认识你开始就天天去催你买房看房，那样你会觉得我很pushy。但是我现在知道你看了一些房子，通过这个学习过程，是真心实意，并且目标很明确，一定帮你随时留心，有符合要求的房子马上约了当天下午、晚上就去看，并且还要带着offer去！

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 1,923 in January 2010, an increase of 152.4 per cent compared to January 2009 when 762 sales were recorded and a 23.5 per cent decline compared to the 2,515 sales recorded in December 2009.

In terms of historical perspective, January ranked as an average month for number of residential housing sales over the past decade, with higher sales in January 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006.

Over the last 12 months, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver increased 17.2 per cent to $573,241 from $489,007 in January 2009. This price is 0.8 per cent above the previous high point in the market in May 2008 when the residential benchmark price sat at $568,411.

“Although home prices in the region have largely returned to their previous peaks, we still see a significant number of first-time and move-up buyers in the market, thanks to low interest rates and the diverse range of properties available today,” Jake Moldowan, REBGV president-elect said.

“There is also closer alignment between supply and demand in today’s housing market. At 18 per cent, the sales-to-active listings ratio in January is approximately 10 per cent lower than we’ve seen in our market over the last six months,” Moldowan said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 5,147 in January 2010. This represents a 39.1 per cent increase compared to January 2009 when 3,700 new units were listed, and a 139.1 per cent increase compared to December 2009 when 2,153 properties were listed on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver.

At 10,218, the total number of property listings on the MLS® increased 14 per cent in January compared to last month and declined 26 per cent from this time last year.

“Looking ahead, it’s difficult to know exactly what the Olympic effect will be on our market in February, although I think it’s fair to say it should be a quieter period for home buyers and sellers and so, in fact, may be a good time for motivated buyers to search for properties,” Moldowan said.

In January, sales of detached properties increased 141.4 per cent to 705 from the 292 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2009. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink® Housing Price Index, for detached properties increased 19.5 per cent from January 2009 to $788,499.

Sales of apartment properties in January 2010 increased 146.8 per cent to 891 compared to 361 sales in January 2009. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 15.2 per cent from January 2009 to $385,487.

Attached property sales in January 2010 are up 200 per cent to 327, compared with the 109 sales in January 2009. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 13.4 per cent between January 2009 and 2010 to $482,478.

Source: REBGV Download the complete package.

记者：闻笛

地产界促省府减轻置业者压力

楼市向来在国民经济中占有举足轻重的地位。在某些国家或地区，楼市的发展对于拉动国民经济增长有着不可忽视的作用，譬如在中国，楼市甚至被列为国民经济发展的“支柱产业”。卑诗省的林木业一向被目为省内最重要的产业部门，水产业和旅游业的地位略次之。尽管尚无确切的官方数据显示，地产业在卑诗省内经济中所占到的具体比重如何，但是，可以肯定的一点是，衡量BC省的经济增长，楼市的发展绝不可能是一个无关紧要的指标。

在卑诗省，HST大致可以定义为一项“扬林农”而“抑楼市”的政策。地产界人士相信，统一销售税HST对于楼市的负面影响将是长期的，且处于地产业整个产业链上的各环节均将大受影响，包括买房、买房、地产经纪、建筑行业及建材行业；而其间受损失最大的是置业人士。因为明年7月一旦实行HST，届时，无论是买新屋或者旧屋，也无论是否首次置业，消费者都必须多付出数以万元计的税款。

地产界交涉初见成效

Sutton地产服务公司的地产经纪人Gary Gao 透露，自今年中省府宣布将于明年7月实行统一销售税（HST），卑诗省地产界一直努力与省府代表交涉，敦促省府尽快采取举措，减轻HST对民众置业的影响。这些措施包括扩大税务减免的范围；提高首次购屋财产转移税（PTT）的门槛；提高征收HST的门槛等。

眼下，省府回应将新屋HST退税额度由原定的42万元调高上限至52万元，可以说，地产界的吁请已获省府部分地接纳。根据这项调整政策，价格在52.5万元或以下的新屋，买家可获最高26,250元的HST退税（rebate），较原来的20,000万元退税限额，增加幅度超过31％。而屋价在52.5万元以上的新屋，则仍然按照今年7月宣布的计划，可以获得“定额”退税26,250元。

尽管财长韩仕新表示，调整之后，本省新屋买家的退税优惠是全国各省中最高的。但是，一直呼吁废除HST的卑诗新民主党则批评说，提高后的回款仍属太少，因为卑诗现时平均楼价已逾60万元。

HST影响整个地产生态链

Gary Gao解释说，实行HST，首先意味着新屋买主将要多付7%的税款，因为目前屋主只需交纳5%的联邦服务税。此外，引入新的HST之后，所有与地产交易有关的费用和税款都将上升，包括经济佣金、验屋费、估价费、测量证书费等等，也都将由5%增至12%。所有因素相加，这势必造成消费者另一项庞大的成本开支。

建筑商们担心，消费者可能会因为抵制HST而导致新屋销售疲软，从而引发建筑行业的解雇潮或增大建商破产的风险。

对于HST的负面影响，大温住宅建筑商协会（GVHBA）行政总裁辛普森（Peter Simpson）一言以蔽之：“HST对房屋的可负担性造成障碍”。

反对派期阻止HST通过

针对省府近期提高新屋退税上限的行为，部分消费者及建筑行业并不“买账”。消费者指HST退税优惠从原来40万元调升至52.5万元，退税额差别不过数千元，对明年7月1日以后卑诗的楼市影响不大。而加拿大住宅建筑商协会卑诗分会（Canadian Home Builders Association—BC）的发言人指出，省府应将退税门槛继续调高至60万的水平，该会将在未来两年继续搜集数据，以证明52.5万元上限并不够高。协会同时希望省府继续提高退税门槛，并向消费者提供类似联邦现时所提供的房屋翻新退税优惠政策。

卑诗省府目前仍须在省议会通过HST执行法案，而卑诗新民主党及民间反对HST团体均表明，将继续全力阻止该法案通过。

在缅省，11月17日该省政府已否决在该省实施HST的计划，因为在经济不景时期，让消费者税务负担增加4亿元，无异于“发出错误讯息”。

恐慌导致楼市“小阳春”？

早前，BC房地产协会（British Columbia Real Estate Association）首席经济师Cameron Muir曾预测，由于预期明年7月实施HST后会导致置业负担加重，部分潜在买家会有希望赶在新税制实施前买房，因此可能推动本地房产市场进入新一轮“小阳春”。

Gary Gao表示，此预期确已得到部分证实。今夏以来，省内地产交易确实非常活跃，不仅成交量大幅超过去年，房屋价格上扬，并且逐月上升。目前，尽管并无确切的统计数据，表明其间到底有多少人是受到HST政策的刺激而买房，然而，从实际情况来看，的确有相当一部分的消费者在知晓HST即将实行的消息后，马上联络经纪人，提前安排购屋计划。尤其在购买52.5加元以上新屋的消费群体中，这一趋势更为明显——因为此类房屋将来受HST新税制的影响最大。

“四海皆为冬，一室难独春”。身处全球经济的寒冬期，一场骤发的“小阳春”，到底能维持多久？楼市后市及加国经济当作如何观？业内人士并不乐观。Cameron Muir认为，HST对于本地楼市必将带来长期的负面影响，尤其超过52.5万元的中高价位物业交易。

（民众可访问http://www.bcrea.bc.ca/hst/speakout.htm，在线提交抗议信。目前已有超过1600封抗议信由此网站发出。）

（原载《枫华》杂志2009年12月刊）

当客人提出看房要求，Gary Gao会根据客人要求的看房时间，立即和对方经纪联系安排，并亲自在第一时间带客人看房。对于每一个房子，Gary都会客观公正地指出它的优缺点，从专业的角度回答客人提出的各种问题和疑惑，协助客人作出抉择。

2009年年底，一个位于北本拿比的镇屋刚刚上市，价格很有吸引力，机不可失，Gary Gao就立即帮助客人安排看房，一小时之内就有十来批人来看房。客人看后要求立即下单。

客人提出下单以后，Gary Gao马上和卖方经纪沟通，和卖方经纪快速“套瓷”，建立信任；同时，Gary用最快的速度打开他的ThinkPad触摸式手提电脑，利用蓝牙功能连接苹果手机提供的互联网连接，快速在经纪专用的内部互联网系统里生成了买卖合同的电子版本。客人在触摸屏上就可以实时签字，随后，Gary闪电般地把买卖合同通过电子邮件传送到对方经纪的手中。

由于Gary和对方经纪交谈时总能站在双方的角度公正地看问题，和卖方经纪交朋友，能够赢得卖方经纪诚心诚意的支持，让买卖双方经纪共同为买方争取更大的权益。在对方经纪的配合下，Gary Gao以低于政府估价的优惠价格，劝说卖方同意成交。从房子上市到拿到双方签字同意的合同，只用了几个小时，一气呵成。后来，对方经纪说，合同签字后，第二天又有五十多个经纪打来电话，要求安排看房。

Gary Gao经常用这种方法帮客人“抢”单，抢先一步，把潜在的其他买家排除在外，帮助自己的客人在第一时间，以最好的价格拿到心仪的房子。

Over the last 12 months, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver increased 12.4 per cent to $557,384 from $495,704 in November 2008. This price, however, remains down 1.9 per cent from the most recent high point in the market in May 2008 when the residential benchmark price sat at $568,411.

“This unseasonably high level of demand can be attributed in large part to low interest rates, but it also speaks to the diverse range of housing options available in Greater Vancouver,” Scott Russell, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “Prospective homebuyers today have more options at different price levels than ever before.”

The REBGV reports that residential property sales in November were the third highest volume ever recorded in Greater Vancouver for that month. Sales in the region totalled 3,083 in November 2009, an increase of 252.7 per cent compared to November 2008 when 874 sales were recorded and a 16.8 per cent decrease compared to the 3,704 sales recorded in October 2009.

“We are experiencing a brisker than normal market for this time of year, although we have begun to see a reduction in the number of homes listed for sale, which is normal as we head into the holiday season,” Russell said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 3,653 in November 2009. This represents a 21.3 per cent increase compared to November 2008 when 3,012 new units were listed, and a 26.6 per cent decline compared to October 2009 when 4,977 properties were listed on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver.

At 11,039, the total number of property listings on the MLS® decreased 8.6 per cent in November compared to last month and declined 39 per cent from this time last year.

In contrast to this year, note that November 2008 was the lowest selling November in Greater Vancouver in 27 years.

Sales of detached properties increased 261.5 per cent to 1,164 from the 322 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties increased 13.6 per cent from November 2008 to $757,209.

Sales of apartment properties in November 2009 increased 240.5 per cent to 1,396 compared to 410 sales in November 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 11.6 per cent from November 2008 to $381,945.

Attached property sales in November 2009 are up 268.3 per cent to 523, compared with the 142 sales in November 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 10.2 per cent between Novembers 2008 and 2009 to $469,686.

Download the complete stats package by clicking here.

Listen to Scott Russell’s November 2009 Market Summary by clicking here.

The Real Estate industry is a key economic driver in British Columbia. In 2008, 24,626 homes changed hands in the Board’s area generating $1.03 billion in spin-offs. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is an association representing more than 9,400 REALTORS®. The Real Estate Board provides a variety of membership services, including the Multiple Listing Service®. For more information on real estate, statistics, and buying or selling a home, contact a local REALTOR® or visit www.rebgv.org.

For more information please contact:
Craig Munn, Assistant Manager of Communications
Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
Phone: (604) 730-3146
cmunn@rebgv.org

Over the last 12 months, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver increased 6.8 per cent to $553,702 from $518,668 in October 2008.

“While home prices have been rising in 2009, they have not eclipsed the peaks reached in early 2008,” Scott Russell, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “We’re coming off several months of unseasonably high sales levels, which has allowed for a gradual increase in home values this year,”

The REBGV reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 3,704 in October 2009, an increase of 4.1 per cent from the 3,559 sales recorded in September 2009, and an increase of 171.6 per cent compared to October 2008 when 1,364 sales were recorded. Looking back two years, last month’s sales increased 22.3 per cent compared to October 2007 when 3,028 sales were recorded.

“High confidence and low mortgage rates are continuing to drive the activity we’re seeing in the housing market today,” Russell said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 4,977 in October 2009. This represents a 2.3 per cent increase compared to October 2008 when 4,867 new units were listed, and a 13.4 per cent decline compared to September 2009 when 5,764 properties were listed on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver.

At 12,084, the total number of property listings on the MLS® decreased 4.1 per cent in October compared to last month and declined 37 per cent from this time last year.

Sales of detached properties increased 201.6 per cent to 1,487 from the 493 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties increased 7.7 per cent from October 2008 to $749,808.

Sales of apartment properties in October 2009 increased 148.4 per cent to 1,607, compared to 647sales in October 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 6.3 per cent from October 2008 to $380,975.

Attached property sales in October 2009 are up 172.3 per cent to 610, compared with the 224 sales in October 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 4.6 per cent between Octobers 2008 and 2009 to $468,798.

Download complete stats package.
The Real Estate industry is a key economic driver in British Columbia. In 2008, 24,626 homes changed hands in the Board’s area generating $1.03 billion in spin-offs. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is an association representing more than 9,400 REALTORS®. The Real Estate Board provides a variety of membership services, including the Multiple Listing Service®. For more information on real estate, statistics, and buying or selling a home, contact a local REALTOR® or visit www.rebgv.org.
For more information please contact:

Craig Munn, Assistant Manager of Communications
Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
Phone: (604) 730-3146
cmunn@rebgv.org

Steve Ladurantaye

Globe and Mail Update Published on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009

While it’s tempting to think of a “housing correction” as a continent-wide phenomenon, National Bank Financial says the Canadian and U.S. markets couldn’t be more different.

“The two have absolutely nothing in common,” senior economist Marc Pinsonneault wrote in an economic update Monday. “In Canada, the correction got under way much later and lasted nowhere as long.”

Mr. Pinsonneault said “prudent lending practices” in Canada prevented the housing market from falling as hard as its American counterpart, and pointed out that Canada’s crisis was a side-effect of its recession rather than its cause.

Here are four ways the markets have differed:

Duration of slowdown

The Canadian market began to slide in Octobe,r 2008, while the American slump has lasted 2 1/2 years.

“People wishing to sell their homes either cut their asking price or quite simply took their property off the market,” he said of the Canadian market. “Lower interest rates, lower home prices and renewed consumer confidence led to a quick recovery in sales, so much so that as early as last May, these had surpassed pre-recession levels.

The American market still faces challenges – the number of sales has to increase 70 per cent “to return to levels in line with a normal situation.”

Price declines

According to Teranet, Canadian home prices fell 8.9 per cent from their August, 2008, highs to their recessionary lows eight months later. In the U.S., the S&P/Case Shiller index shows prices slid 33 per cent in 33 months.

“In Canada, in three of the six metropolitan areas covered … namely, Halifax, Montreal and Ottawa, the correction was rather ephemeral, lasting from three to six months,” he said. “In addition, it proved pretty light, with prices retreating less than 5 per cent. Moreover, since the market trough, prices in these three areas have already made up the ground lost during the correction.”

While prices in Vancouver and Calgary took harder hits, they still did better than the worst U.S. markets.

“Prices there fell in a measure comparable to that registered in the U.S. cities least affected, that is, Denver, Dallas and Charlotte,” he said. “The market began recovering only recently and, therefore, a return to pre-correction price levels is not imminent.

Delinquency rates

Canadian banks have seen delinquency rates climb to 0.4 per cent, compared to the 0.65 per cent high reached in 1992. The number is far greater in the U.S., at 3.67 per cent.

“Before the market’s collapse, the maximum ever observed had been a little more than 1 per cent back in early 1986,” he said.

Consumer spending

When home prices are under pressure, consumers tend to reel in the spending.

“According to Statistics Canada, from the end of Q3 2008 to mid-2009, the value of household real estate wealth sagged only 1.1 per cent,” he said. “The impact of this impoverishment on consumer spending has been negligible.”

In the U.S., the value of household real estate wealth dropped 18.2 per cent. The Federal Reserve estimates that for each dollar lost in housing wealth, consumer spending pulls back up to 15 cents.

“Based on these figures, the loss in household real estate wealth in the United States has brought about a contraction in consumer spending of 5.5%. The macroeconomic impact here is blatantly clear.”

“Listings have really gone down,” said Wayne Hartley, a realtor at Sudbury Achievers Realty Inc. “At the higher end of the market things have really tailed off, you just can’t find anything for sale. So if they list, they go fast for pretty good prices.”

The Canadian Real Estate Association said Thursday 135,182 homes were sold from July to September, an increase of 18 per cent from last year and the most ever sold in the third quarter. Average prices gained 11 per cent to $327,736.

“It is perhaps not a surprise that with demand up and supply down, the differential has resulted in a price squeeze,” said Eric Lascelles, chief economics and rates strategist at TD Securities. “The new level of prices is a record high, meaning that all of the earlier declines have been fully unwound.”

While sales were up, new listings took a 17 per cent fall from the same time last year on a national basis. Homes have become particularly hard to find in Saskatchewan, with new listings down 37.5 per cent in Saskatoon and 28.3 per cent in Regina.

“We’ve seen a shift toward a sellers market, that’s for sure,” said Sinda Shaw, a realtor at Sutton Group Norland Realty in Saskatoon. “So for people who were able to hold off on selling in a down market, things look good. For those who want to buy now, maybe the cycle is shifting and it’s a little less favourable for them.”

The lack of listings has created a sellers market, with homes being sold as quickly as they are listed in most markets across the country. That could change, however, as more sellers are drawn in by the allure of higher prices.

“Headline average price increases over the rest of the year are expected to prompt sellers to return to the market after having retreated to the sidelines late last year and earlier this year,” said CREA economist Gregory Klump.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, a method which tries to smooth out the data and take things such as seasons and one-time events into account, 127,941 homes were sold in the third quarter – an increase of 12 per cent for the previous quarter. The total value of sales also set a record in the third quarter, at $42.1-billion – an increase of 20 per cent from the third quarter last year.

“Momentum for sales activity remained strong throughout the third quarter,” said Dale Ripplinger, the association’s president. “Low interest rates, rebounding consumer confidence and an improving overall sense of economic security continue to draw home buyers to the housing market.”

Meanwhile, sales continued to increase on a monthly basis in September, 1.5 per cent higher than in August at 42,958. The increase pulls the seasonally adjusted activity 63 per cent higher than the low hit in January.

The busiest markets year-over-year were Toronto and Vancouver, according to the real estate association, with the number of units changing hands up 28 per cent and 124 per cent respectively.

“The national average price continues to be skewed upward by a sustained increase in sales activity, including a sharp rebound in activity at the higher end of the price spectrum, in some of Canada’s priciest markets,” Mr. Ripplinger said.

Newfoundland and Labrador led the year-over-year price gainers, with prices increasing 14.5 per cent from last September. Greater Vancouver saw prices increase 14 per cent. Not all markets have fared that well. Halifax has seen the steepest drop with average prices fall 6.2 per cent, with Sudbury close behind with a decrease of 5.1 per cent.

“There is no denying that the Canadian housing market is revving up, and extremely low mortgage rates, attractive home prices, and pent-up demand have combined to supercharge the sector,” Mr. Lascelles said.

“However, we feel obliged to note that not all aspects of the housing market are showing such strength. Recent strength has been more regional than nationwide, housing starts are still low, and new home prices are still generally declining.”

Steve Ladurantaye

Published on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 9:36AM EDT Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009 11:57AM EDT

While a home is likely the most important investment a person will make, the right time to buy a home is when you can afford it and find something suitable that you would be happy to live in regardless of whether it appreciated or not. Trying to second guess the market when you want/need a home is for the most part futile; the time lines are too long and markets totally uncertain. The main of the decision should be what you like and can afford at the time you are ready to be a home owner.

Greater Vancouver home sales remained strong last month, with the second highest number of residential sales ever recorded for the month of September.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Greater Vancouver totalled 3,559 in September 2009, an increase of 3.4 per cent from the 3,441 sales recorded in August 2009, and an increase of 124.5 per cent compared to September 2008 when 1,585 sales were recorded.

“As homes sales in Greater Vancouver continued at an elevated pace in September it’s encouraging to see that more homes were listed on the MLS® in the month than any other so far this year,” Scott Russell, REBGV president said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled 5,764 in September 2009. This represents a 6.2 per cent decline compared to September 2008 when 6,142 new units were listed, but a 26.8 per cent increase compared to August 2009 when 4,544 properties were listed on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Greater Vancouver.

At 12,596, the total number of property listings on the MLS® increased 5.5 per cent in September compared to last month and declined 36 per cent from the 19,852 homes listed for sale during the buyer’s market that was experienced at this time last year.

“During this period of renewed demand in our marketplace, home values have gradually recovered from the declines that occurred in 2008,” said Russell.

Since the beginning of the year, the MLSLink® Housing Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for all residential properties in Greater Vancouver has increased 13 per cent to $547,092 from $484,211, while home prices compared to Septembers 2008 levels are up 1.6 per cent.

Sales of detached properties increased 160.6 per cent to 1,423 from the 546 detached sales recorded during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties increased 2.1 per cent from September 2008 to $741,632.

Sales of apartment properties in September 2009 increased 94.9 per cent to 1,489, compared to 764 sales in September 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 1.5 per cent from September 2008 to $374,686.

Attached property sales in September 2009 are up 135.3 per cent to 647, compared with the 275 sales in September 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 0.4 per cent between Septembers 2008 and 2009 to $466,276.

Download complete stats package by clicking here.

The Real Estate industry is a key economic driver in British Columbia. In 2008, 24,626 homes changed hands in the Board’s area generating $1.03 billion in spin-offs. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is an association representing more than 9,400 REALTORS®. The Real Estate Board provides a variety of membership services, including the Multiple Listing Service®. For more information on real estate, statistics, and buying or selling a home, contact a local REALTOR® or visit www.rebgv.org.

Record-low interest prices, homebuyer tax incentives and lower housing prices are spurring a revitalized demand, a Scotia Economics report released Thursday says, but there are still obstacles to a more solid recovery.
Photograph by: CNS files, .

VANCOUVER — Rising sales and limited listings have returned Canada to a “seller’s market,” with total B.C. home sales this year up nearly seven per cent compared to 2008, according to a Global Real Estate Trends report released Thursday by Scotia Economics.

“In terms of trends, sales in B.C. have been picking up since January,” Adrienne Warren, senior economist at Scotia Economics, said in an interview. “And it’s been increasing steadily since. For prices the low point was in April.”

The report concluded that home sales in 2009 in B.C., compiled to the end of August on a seasonally adjusted annual rate, rose to 73,211 units sold compared to 68,923 in 2008.

However, the average price of a home sold in B.C. is slightly down to $433,017 compared to $454,599 last year.

In Vancouver, home sales are up to 31,151 compared to 25,149 sold in 2008, while the average price for a sold home in Vancouver has fallen to $531,790 in 2009 from $593,767 in 2008.

Across Canada, the report noted that new home construction has also turned up, with the largest improvement in the four western provinces, with new home prices increasing in July for the first time since last September.

Warren said prices may be down in B.C., but that’s not unexpected because they dropped sharply in 2008 and are just now recovering.

“In B.C. and Vancouver, prices over the last several months have seen bigger increases than the national average trend. Overall, the B.C. economy is probably holding up a little better than what we’re seeing nationally.”

Warren also said that much of the sales pickup reflects people jumping back into the market. “A lot of people held back. That [market] could be satisfied by the end of the year.”

Warren predicted that B.C. and Vancouver should see modestly higher or sustained prices in 2010 if there’s a gradual prolonged recovery. She said resale markets should become more balanced next year as pent-up demand from depressed levels wanes and the number of listings increase. “It’s a healthy level [of sales], not a boom level, but we’re not looking for a big fallback in sales.”

The report said that despite the rise in new construction, the inventory of unsold new homes across the country appears to have peaked, having edged down for a third consecutive month in August. It noted that there is some sign that pent-up demand is being satisfied, with existing home sales across the country also edging down marginally in August, after six months of steady growth.

Tsur Somerville, director, centre for urban economics and real estate at the Sauder School of Business at the University of B.C., said in an interview that he’s not surprised by the report’s findings.

“You’ve got record sales numbers, but not a large number of new listings coming in,” said Somerville. “That’s tightened things up. If the listings were higher, you’d have less price pressure.”

Somerville said he believes sales volumes will weaken a bit this fall, because the economic conditions are not conducive to high sales.

Somerville said he’s also heard anecdotally that many buyers are now jumping into the market because they got very good pre-approved fixed mortgages in the late spring and are purchasing homes while those deals are still in effect. “The sense is that those kinds of deals aren’t [now] entirely available.”

Globally, the report notes that real estate markets are showing tentative but growing signs of stabilization, with firmer pricing evidence of growing confidence in the sustainability of the global economic recovery.

Warren said prices have increased in Canada, Australia and the United States,” but are falling in other markets, including the U.K., France and Spain, but at a slowing rate.

The report suggested that inflationary pressures will not be a factor for some time, keeping short-term interest rates at low levels.

bmorton@vancouversun.com

International house prices (Inflation-adjusted, y/y % change):

2007 2008 2009 Q1 2009 Q2

Australia 9.0 0.1 -8.6 -2.8

Canada 8.7 -3.1 -10.0 0.4

France 5.0 -1.9 -7.6 -9.0

Germany -1.2 -2.7 — —

Ireland -1.1 -10.8 -17.4 —

Italy 3.1 -1.0 — —

Japan -1.1 -2.6 -3.3 —

Spain 2.6 -3.9 -7.4 -7.9

United Kingdom 8.8 -4.5 -15.6 -14.4

United States -5.0 -12.8 -14.0 -12.0

Source: Scotia Economics
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