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Metro Vancouver’s residential real estate prices continue to creep up

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The Metro Vancouver residential real estate market has had a fairly strong start to the year, relative to the poor performance of one year previously, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver reported February 4.

There were 1,571 home sales on the MLS in January, which is a 42.4 per cent increase over January 2019.

Traditionally the slowest month of the year for real estate sale registrations (see graph below), because there is so little home-hunting activity in December, January’s sales were a 22.1 per cent decrease from the 2,016 homes sold in December 2019.

Last month’s sales were still slightly unde long-term typical activity for the month, as the very active markets of 2015 through 2017 pushed up the 10-year sales averages. January’s total was 7.3 per cent below the 10-year January sales average.

“We’ve begun 2020 with steady home buyer demand that tracks close to the region’s long-term average,” Ashley Smith, REBGV president said. “Looking at supply, we’re seeing fewer homes listed for sale than is typical for this time of year. As we approach the traditionally more active spring market, we’ll keep a close eye on supply to see if the number of homes being listed is keeping pace with demand.”

There were 3,872 homes newly listed for sale in January, which is 20.1 per cent lower than the 4,848 homes listed in January 2019, although it’s more than double the number of homes that were listed in December 2019.

This takes the total number of homes listed for sale in Metro Vancouver, as of January 31, to 8,617, which is a 20.3 per cent decrease from January 2019 and only a 0.2 per cent higher than December 2019. The current figure is also 13.7 per cent below the 10-year January average number of active listings.

The increase in demand coupled with a relatively low supply of homes for sale is inevitably keeping home prices on the slow upward trajectory they have been seeing since summer 2019 (see graph below).

 

The composite benchmark price for all home types in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,008,700. This is a 1.4 per cent rise in the past six months, and 0.8 per cent higher than December, although still 1.2 per cent less than in January 2019.

Sales and prices by property type and area

At 439 transactions in January, Metro Vancouver’s single-family detached home sales were up 29.5 per cent year over year. However, it’s also a 26.7 per cent decline over December’s relatively strong sales, which is bringing the sector back towards buyer’s market territory.

Nevertheless, the typical price of a detached home in the region rose 0.5 per cent month over month to $1,431,200, which is a one-per-cent recovery over the past six months, but 1.7 per cent lower than January 2019.

Region-wide figures only tell half the story, however. Seven of the board’s 20 areas saw detached prices in January higher those of one year previously, led by Whistler (up 4.8 per cent) and Squamish (up 4.7 per cent). Annual declines in region’s overall detached benchmark price were led by the Sunshine Coast, (down 5.9 per cent) and Bowen Island (down 5.3 per cent). The double-digit benchmark price declines seen in areas such as West Vancouver and Vancouver West have now subdued to two to three per cent annual price drops.

In the attached-home sector, such as townhomes and duplexes, sales across Metro Vancouver rose 55.1 per cent year over year to 318 transactions. This is 12.6 per cent below December 2019’s attached home sales.

Townhomes have seen the biggest benchmark price recovery since last summer, with the typical price of an attached unit now at $782,500. This is a 1.6 per cent increase over the past six months, a 0.5 per cent increase from December 2019 and only 0.7 per cent lower than in January 2019.

Four MLS areas saw higher attached-home benchmark prices than one year previously. Like in the detached sector, Whistler and Squamish saw townhome prices increase the most, up 9.4 and 7.7 per cent respectively. Ladner (down 6.7 per cent) and Tsawwassen (down 6.5 per cent) continued to lead the annual price declines for this sector, with new townhome construction in those areas apparently exceeding local demand.

Some 814 condos traded in Metro Vancouver last month, which was a 45.6 jump year over year, and a 22.7 per cent drop compared with December.

The benchmark price of a condo in the region has risen one per cent over a month to $663,200, which is a 1.5 per cent increase over the past six months, but a drop of one per cent over the year since January 2019.

Looking at condo markets in the different areas, five MLS areas saw values hold their own from one year previously, with prices up 1.8 per cent in Port Moody and 1.2 per cent in Coquitlam. Like townhomes, the biggest annual price declines in the condo sub-markets were seen in Ladner (down 7.1 per cent) and Tsawwassen (down 8.1 per cent).

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Homelessness: Tiny home village to open next week in Halifax suburb

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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.

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Here are some facts about British Columbia’s housing market

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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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B.C. voters face atmospheric river with heavy rain, high winds on election day

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VANCOUVER – Voters along the south coast of British Columbia who have not cast their ballots yet will have to contend with heavy rain and high winds from an incoming atmospheric river weather system on election day.

Environment Canada says the weather system will bring prolonged heavy rain to Metro Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Whistler and Vancouver Island starting Friday.

The agency says strong winds with gusts up to 80 kilometres an hour will also develop on Saturday — the day thousands are expected to go to the polls across B.C. — in parts of Vancouver Island and Metro Vancouver.

Wednesday was the last day for advance voting, which started on Oct. 10.

More than 180,000 voters cast their votes Wednesday — the most ever on an advance voting day in B.C., beating the record set just days earlier on Oct. 10 of more than 170,000 votes.

Environment Canada says voters in the area of the atmospheric river can expect around 70 millimetres of precipitation generally and up to 100 millimetres along the coastal mountains, while parts of Vancouver Island could see as much as 200 millimetres of rainfall for the weekend.

An atmospheric river system in November 2021 created severe flooding and landslides that at one point severed most rail links between Vancouver’s port and the rest of Canada while inundating communities in the Fraser Valley and B.C. Interior.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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