June 1, 2011
Real Estate Sales Steady in May
The number of property sales throughout Greater Victoria in May showed little change compared to April while overall prices showed some softening. A total of 572 homes and other properties sold in May through the Victoria Real Estate Board’s Multiple listing Service® (MLS®), virtually unchanged from the 574 sales in April. There were 695 sales in May of last year.
Victoria Real Estate Board President, Dennis Fimrite, noted that market activity so far this year is considerably slower than in the same period a year ago, “Sales so far this year are running nearly 21 per cent behind last year’s levels. It’s important to remember, however, that the first six months of last year were very active and sales activity subsequently slowed considerably over the summer and into the fall.” Fimrite added that the number of properties available for sale continued to increase at the end of last month which is typical for this time of year. “There is plenty of choice now on the market for buyers with 4,857 properties available for sale at the end of May – up from 4,561 properties available at the end of April. Inventory levels are currently seven per cent higher than a year ago.” Fimrite noted that while overall market conditions remain balanced, it’s important for sellers to price their homes realistically to attract attention from buyers.
The average price for single-family homes sold in Greater Victoria last month was $628,462, up from $615,533 in April. The median price, however, declined slightly to $553,000 (from $556,000) while the six-month average also declined slightly to $620,488. There were 26 single family home sales of over $1 million in May including one on the Gulf Islands. There were three sales in Oak Bay and one sale in Saanich West of over $2 million. The overall average price for condominiums last month was $328,345, down from $353,858 in April. The average for the last six months declined to $327,757. The median price for condominiums in May declined to $294,000 (from $301,000). The average price of all townhomes sold last month declined to $466,845 from $480,621 in April. The median price also declined to $432,332 (from $460,000) while the six month average rose to $447,581.
MLS® sales last month included 353 single family homes, 123 condominiums, 51 townhomes and 17 manufactured homes.
While the use of average price information can be useful in establishing trends when applied over a period of time, i.e. six months or longer, the Victoria Real Estate Board cautions that an average price does not indicate the actual value of any particular property. Those requiring specific information on property values should contact a REALTOR®.
