Real eState
Edmonton commercial real estate market hits $1.46B in sales mid-2022
President and owner Nathan Gettel attributed part of the gain to lower interest rates for borrowing money earlier on as well as investment from outside the province.
“We saw a lot of B.C. and Ontario purchasers coming to Alberta because those markets are starting to get priced quite high,” he said. “They see quite a bit of upside in Alberta right now, so it’s contributing to a lot of sales and higher prices.”
Overall, year-over-year sales increased more than 120 per cent, the report said, pointing to a “renewed appetite” for industrial property, multi-family properties and undeveloped land compared to the first quarter.
Industrial property investment sees ‘enormous’ increase
The firm said there was a notable year-over-year increase in the sale of warehouses used by owners. These owner-user properties accounted for 55 of the 79 transactions in the first half of 2022 and $170.8 million in sales, the firm added, while eight transactions involving single-tenant warehouses accounted for more than $254.5 million over the same period.
Investment in industrial warehouses overall saw an “enormous quarter-over-quarter increase” of just under $440 million over 44 transactions, the report said.
Gettel said Edmonton has a strong industrial sector, and properties in the city have drawn interest from large real estate investment trusts (REITs)
Investment in multi-family properties also saw a marked climb in the second quarter, the report added, noting 24 transactions that closed for more than $185 million — almost double the value of sales in the first quarter.
By the end of June, there were 42 transactions involving multi-family properties, accounting for more than $397.8 million in sales, the firm reported, adding that row house properties were of particular interest with three selling for more than $25 million each.
News of the upswing in the multi-family asset class follows a reported downturn in the residential market that saw unit sales in July fall 10.3 per cent compared to the same month the year before, and fall 23.8 per cent compared to June.
Commercial condo sales up from ‘shy’ first quarter
The first quarter of 2022 saw $78.8 million in land sales in the first quarter — a figure that roughly doubled to about $159 million in the second quarter, the firm reported.
By mid-year, 73 transactions accounted for $238 million in sales, the firm added, breaking a four-year record set in mid-2019 that reached $233.4 million and a two-year slump reported in the first halves of 2020 and 2021.
The firm lists Air Products Canada Ltd.’s $60-million purchase of 150 acres in northeast Edmonton as a “stand-out transaction” in 2022 thus far.
Early 2022 saw mounting cases of COVID-19 spurred by the Omicron variant. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have led investors to shy away from the market in that first quarter, Gettel said.
“Those sales started trickling in towards the second quarter,” he added.
The first half of the year also saw a high demand for industrial condos, the firm reported, which accounted for 65 per cent of 83 transactions in that asset class (compared to about half of transactions in previous years), and more than $33.7 million in sales.
However, the report said there was only $4.3 million in retail condo sales by the end of June, which is down from about $22 million in mid-2021.
— With files from Kellen Taniguchi
TORONTO – The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales in October surged as buyers continued moving off the sidelines amid lower interest rates.
The board said 6,658 homes changed hands last month in the Greater Toronto Area, up 44.4 per cent compared with 4,611 in the same month last year. Sales were up 14 per cent from September on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The average selling price was up 1.1 per cent compared with a year earlier at $1,135,215. The composite benchmark price, meant to represent the typical home, was down 3.3 per cent year-over-year.
“While we are still early in the Bank of Canada’s rate cutting cycle, it definitely does appear that an increasing number of buyers moved off the sidelines and back into the marketplace in October,” said TRREB president Jennifer Pearce in a news release.
“The positive affordability picture brought about by lower borrowing costs and relatively flat home prices prompted this improvement in market activity.”
The Bank of Canada has slashed its key interest rate four times since June, including a half-percentage point cut on Oct. 23. The rate now stands at 3.75 per cent, down from the high of five per cent that deterred many would-be buyers from the housing market.
New listings last month totalled 15,328, up 4.3 per cent from a year earlier.
In the City of Toronto, there were 2,509 sales last month, a 37.6 per cent jump from October 2023. Throughout the rest of the GTA, home sales rose 48.9 per cent to 4,149.
The sales uptick is encouraging, said Cameron Forbes, general manager and broker for Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc., who added the figures for October were stronger than he anticipated.
“I thought they’d be up for sure, but not necessarily that much,” said Forbes.
“Obviously, the 50 basis points was certainly a great move in the right direction. I just thought it would take more to get things going.”
He said it shows confidence in the market is returning faster than expected, especially among existing homeowners looking for a new property.
“The average consumer who’s employed and may have been able to get some increases in their wages over the last little bit to make up some ground with inflation, I think they’re confident, so they’re looking in the market.
“The conditions are nice because you’ve got a little more time, you’ve got more choice, you’ve got fewer other buyers to compete against.”
All property types saw more sales in October compared with a year ago throughout the GTA.
Townhouses led the surge with 56.8 per cent more sales, followed by detached homes at 46.6 per cent and semi-detached homes at 44 per cent. There were 33.4 per cent more condos that changed hands year-over-year.
“Market conditions did tighten in October, but there is still a lot of inventory and therefore choice for homebuyers,” said TRREB chief market analyst Jason Mercer.
“This choice will keep home price growth moderate over the next few months. However, as inventory is absorbed and home construction continues to lag population growth, selling price growth will accelerate, likely as we move through the spring of 2025.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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