It’s been an interesting 1st quarter for the Real Estate in Newfoundland.  The sky has not fallen in the St. John’s real estate market like the media and public were anticipating.   The average price for a home in St. John’s edged slightly higher (currently at $205,040 for a 12 month period).  Listings have increased in number as have the number of sales for the month of March.

Mortgage rates are at all time lows. (4.15% for a 5 year term seems to be the norm at the time of posting).  Variable rates have dropped considerably in the past year.  The variable mortgage rate was close to 6% middle of last year compared to 3.25% now.

This month, Newfoundland’s Real Estate MLS housing price break down is showing a 2% increase in sales while there was 789 new listings, an increase of 17% from last year.  Majority of the sales showing were in the $200,000 to $350,000 price bracket once again.

Total # of MLS Listings [Mar] = 789

Total # of Sales [Mar] = 266

Number of Active Listings in the NLAR MLS System (ALL of Newfoundland) = 2658

The average price of a home in the St. John’s Real Estate market is now $205,040  compared to the provincial average of $188,111 YTD for 2009.  Note this is for ALL Newfoundland (nlar.ca)

Here is a break down by area for the month of March

St. John’s Real Estate: Listings = 148  Sales = 83 Sales/Listings Ratio = 56%

Average Sale Price: $219,257 for the month of March

Mount Pearl Real Estate: Listings = 21 Sales = 11  Sales/Listings Ratio = 52%

Average Sale Price: $198,959

Paradise Real Estate: Listings =43 Sales = 24 Sales/Listings Ratio =56%

Average Sale Price: $235,156

East Extern Real Estate: Listings = 32 Sales = 13   Sales/Listings Ratio = 41%

Average Sale Price: $202,407

Conception Bay South Real Estate: Listings = 47   Sales = 19  Sales/Listings Ratio = 40%

Average Sale Price: $184,753

National MLS® home sales activity is expected to decline in 2009 before rebounding in 2010, according to a new residential housing forecast prepared by The Canadian Real Estate Association.

National MLS® home sales activity declined 17.1 per cent in 2008, and MLS® sales activity is forecast to fall an additional 16.9 per cent to 360,900 units in 2009. This would be the lowest level for national sales activity since the year 2000.  Sales activity is expected to decline from levels set in 2008 in every province, led by declines in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

National MLS® home sales activity is forecast to rebound by 9.9 per cent to 396,600 units in 2010, marked by an acceleration in activity in the second half of that year. The rebound in activity in 2010 is forecast to be biggest in British Columbia and Alberta.

New listings on the MLS® systems of real estate Boards in Canada have been trending steadily lower since peaking in the second quarter of 2008, and that trend is forecast to continue. It is that combination of rebounding sales activity and fewer new listings that will stabilize the MLS® resale housing market in 2010.

“We are caught in a cycle where consumer confidence has been eroded because of job losses, and consumer confidence is an essential ingredient for housing sales activity,” says the President of The Canadian Real Estate Association, Calvin Lindberg of Vancouver. “And housing activity helps creates jobs.”

“The essential selling ingredients in today’s market are realistic pricing, marketing, and preparation. There are potential buyers making inquiries, but the barrage of economic news makes them much more cautious than before.”

The MLS® sales forecast developed by CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump shows that fewer transactions in some of Canada’s more expensive housing markets, combined with reduced asking prices, will continue to put downward pressure on average MLS® sale prices.

The national MLS® average home price is forecast to decline eight per cent in 2009, with prices down most in Western provinces and Ontario. By contrast, the average home price in Newfoundland & Labrador is forecast to rise 4.8 percent in 2009. Prices are forecast to stabilize in 2010, with annual price increases of one per cent or less in five provinces.

The price trend is similar but less dramatic for the weighted national MLS® average price, which compensates for changes in provincial sales activity by taking into account provincial proportions of privately owned housing stock. The weighted national MLS® average price is forecast to decline 6.4 per cent in 2009, and hold steady in 2010.

“Increasingly cautious homebuyers and mortgage lenders means that active listings will take longer to sell in 2009 compared to previous years,” said CREA Chief Economist Gregory Klump.

“The national housing market is recalibrating due to weak sales activity,” said Klump. “Supply will take time to adjust to lower demand, but sellers unwilling to accept offers below their expectations will remove their home from the market,” he added. “Fewer active listings reduces buyer choice, and in time puts a floor under prices,” CREA’s Chief Economist added.

Click here for the full PDF version of this news release.
(CREA 09/02/09)

The first change will be the introduction of interactive mapping. You’ll be able to use Microsoft Virtual Earth software on the site to determine your search area, and to determine where a property is located. Interactive mapping will make it much more convenient to search traditional neighbourhoods or a specific region.

The web site will also have a new streamlined text search. You’ll be able to input your initial search criteria without all of the details of an Advance Search. The site will still offer the detailed or Advance Search option, but also has a streamlined text version to make looking for properties even more convenient.

There will be a new look, or design. The traditional REALTOR® map is still a key part of the web site, but the new layout will make it easier to look for properties and information.

And there will be a new address – www.realtor.ca Don’t worry, you don’t have to memorize it. You’ll automatically be redirected to the new address even if you input our old one.

Seasonally adjusted transactions in January broke all previous monthly records in Regina and Saskatoon, and reached the second highest monthly level ever for Newfoundland and Labrador real estate.

Record level activity in Regina and Saskatoon made them the tightest major markets in January. The market also tightened in Saint John, Newfoundland and Labrador and Windsor compared to December levels, while becoming more balanced in all other major markets. Edmonton, Calgary and Windsor remain the most balanced major markets.

A more balanced market saw smaller price increases in some markets. The major market MLS® residential average price rose 8.6 per cent year-over-year to $325,183 in January 2008. This is the smallest year-over-year price increase since December 2006.

However, the average price reached new heights in a number of major markets in January, including Victoria, Saskatoon, Kitchener-Waterloo, London & St. Thomas, Sudbury, Ottawa and Saint John.

“The January MLS® reports again show how the Canadian housing market is different than the market in the United States,” says CREA President Ann Bosley. “CREA had expected the growth in average price to slow in 2008, which is reflected in many markets. Sales levels are returning to what we would consider, on an historical basis, as more normal activity.”

Total # of Sales [Jan] = 266 (Up 53% from January 2007)

Number of Active Listings in the NLAR MLS System = 1902

Average Sale Price year to date = $170,552

Inventory is down again this month. With lots of buyers and lack of inventory, we are seeing most properties listed in St. John’s receiving multiple offers. CMHC might be classifying our market as balanced in their Newfoundland MLS Trends Report for the 4th Quarter, but we are clearly heading into a sellers market for the early part of 2008.

Here is a break down by area for the month of January for single family homes

St. John’s Real Estate: Listings = 76 Sales = 112 Sales/Listings Ratio = 68%

Average Sale Price: $185,886

Mount Pearl Real Estate: Listings = 18 Sales = 14 Sales/Listings Ratio = 78%

Average Sale Price: $173,200

Paradise Real Estate: Listings = 29 Sales = 15 Sales/Listings Ratio = 52%

Average Sale Price: $207,931

East Extern Real Estate: Listings = 21 Sales = 13 Sales/Listings Ratio = 62%

Average Sale Price: $177,123

Conception Bay Real Estate: Listings = 37 Sales = 15 Sales/Listings Ratio = 41%

Average Sale Price: $159,280

Resale Market Returned to Balanced Classification

- The current sales-to-active listings ratio trend and other factors combined, suggest the Market is heading quickly to a sellers classification and already has in some neighbourhoods
- Average time-on-market trended lower during the quarter and price growth was very strong
- A further firm reclassification to sellers will depend on first quarter 2008 results, but likely to occur based on current market trends

Active Listings Decline

- After climbing since 2003 and hitting a record high in July, active listings declined during the fourth quarter for the first time since the second quarter of 2004
- The supply of both new and active residential listings averaged 2,070 during the quarter compared to 2,216 a year ago
- New listings decreased 15 per cent, while active listings retreated 7 per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2006

Click here for the full St. John’s MLS Trends Q4 2007 including graphs.

Annual sales activity totaled 520,747 units in 2007, up 7.6 per cent from 2006 levels. This was the largest annual sales growth since 2002, and the first time transactions via the MLS® systems of real estate boards in Canada have surpassed 500,000 units sold in one year.

MLS® sales activity set new annual records in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Saskatchewan posted the biggest annual increases in activity, up 31.9 per cent from 2006. Activity also rose 26.4 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, and climbed 18.6 per cent in Prince Edward Island.

The national MLS® residential average price continues to climb. It set a new annual record in 2007, rising 11.0 per cent. In the fourth quarter, it rose 12.1 per cent year-over-year to $314,591. On a monthly basis, average price rose 14.1 per cent year-over-year to $317,825 in December – a new record, and the largest year-over-year price increase in almost 20 years.

To test it out I recently added a listing for a condo on 117 Queens Road, the number of emails received from posting on Facebook was over whelming.

Along with finding your long lost friend from high school, you can now find that 3 bedroom home in downtown St. John’s to rent or a 2-apartment home in East End St. John’s as an investment.

I recently read a review of average St. John’s House prices from 2002 – 2008 (forecasted) from CMHC. Good to see the St. John’s real estate market on the rise in recent years.

2002 – $113,081 2003 – $119,822 2004 – $131,499
2005 – $141,167 2006 – $139,542 2007 – $148,000
And forcasted for 2008 – $157,500

January Newsletter Fraser and Stephen Winters – Remax

Houses show better when decorated for the holidays! Buyers tend to be more emotional during the holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price if it’s something they really want.

Often, buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays than during a regular work week, especially during winter vacations!

Traditionally, January is the month for corporate transferees to begin new jobs. Since these transferees can’t wait until spring to buy real estate, your house should be listed now for them to view on MLS.

You can have your house for sale on the real estate market and still have the option to restrict showings during the holidays for your special family occasions!

Best of all, you can sell now and arrange a delayed closing or extended occupancy til after the new year!

Call Fraser and Stephen Winters and we’ll provide you with a Free Home Market Evaluation.