Fraser Valley Market Moves to Familiar Territory in November

SURREY, BC – Sales and listing activity in the Fraser Valley decreased once again month-over-month, returning to typical levels for the month of November.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,247 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in November, a decrease of 29.4 per cent compared to November 2015’s 1,766 sales, and a 14.8 per cent decrease compared to the 1,463 sales in October 2016. Of the sales processed last month, 291 were townhouses and 348 were apartments, representing more than half of this November 2016’s market activity.

“Through the past four months, we’ve seen a slow but steady return to a more normal market for sales and listing activity. Because of that, the pressure that was previously placed on buyers has been thankfully alleviated, and transactions can be made without the need for hasty decisions dictated by intense competition," says Charles Wiebe, Board President.

Active inventory continued to tighten at 5,602 available listings, dropping 7.2 per cent compared to October 2016. Additionally, compared year-over-year, this November decreased by 2.8 per cent.

The Board received 1,792 new listings in November, an 18.4 per cent decrease from October 2016, and a 3.3 per cent decrease compared to November 2015’s 1,854 new listings.

“As we move away from the record-setting demand seen earlier this year, sellers are sharpening their list prices to respond to the changing market - and REALTORS® can certainly help with this,” explains Wiebe. “I'm pleased to see that homes are still selling at strong levels, especially for attached homes which are elevated compared to what we’re used to in November, thanks to both the levelling off of prices and consistent demand for our region."

The number of days to sell a single family detached home in the Fraser Valley for November 2016 was 37 days, matching the 37 days to sale average in November 2015.

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $860,800, the Benchmark price for a single family detached home in the Valley decreased 1.3 per cent compared to October 2016, and increased 30.5 per cent compared to November 2015.

• Townhomes: At $424,300 the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley increased 0.7 per cent compared to October 2016, and increased 33.1 per cent compared to November 2015.

• Apartments: At $258,600, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley increased 1.7 per cent compared to October 2016, and increased 24.9 per cent compared to November 2015.

Full package:
http://www.fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package201611.pdf