MLS Trends St. John’s First Quarter

April 17, 2008 · Filed Under First Time Buyers, Market Trends, Monthly MLS Stats, St. John's Investments and St. John's Real Estate · 1 Comment 

MLS Residential Sales Post Solid First Quarter

  • MLS® residential sales increased 14.3 per cent to 713 units compared to last year’s first quarter sales of 624 units
  • January, February and March MLS® sales were 236, 238 and 239, respectively and were held back by a lack of active listings
  • Driven by low inventory, the first quarter average MLS® house price jumped 13.6 per cent to a record $156,953 compared to $138,167 during the first quarter of 2007

Resale Market Classified as Sellers

  • The resale market headed quickly to a sellers classification last Fall and remained there throughout the first quarter of 2008
  • Average time-on-market trended lower during the quarter, strong price growth continued and many choice properties enjoyed multiple purchase offers
  • Current trends indicate the market will favor sellers once again during the second quarter, but an expected improvement in active listings may provide some relief for buyers

Active Listings Remained Low

  • After falling nearly a half by January, active listings rebounded slightly during February and March, but remained low, restricting unit sales growth accordingly
  • The supply of active residential listings averaged approximately 1,150 during the first quarter compared to almost double that number at 2,100 a year ago
  • First quarter new listings were near last year’s first quarter level of 1,600, while active listings retreated 45 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2007

Mortgage Rates to Remain Low

  • With U.S. recessionary pressures continuing, the Bank of Canada is widely expected to cut rates 50 basis points by June 10th
  • Accordingly, mortgage interest rates are expected to remain low in 2008 and start to creep higher in 2009 as investors gain more confidence in financial markets
  • One and five-year mortgage rates are forecast to be in the 6.25-7.25 and 6.50-7.50 per cent range, respectively, in 2008 and beyond

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More than half a million homes sold via MLS in 2007

January 29, 2008 · Filed Under Market Trends, Real Estate Articles and St. John's Real Estate · Comment 

National MLS® resale housing activity, new listings, average price and dollar volume all reached their highest annual levels ever in 2007, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

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.

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