VANCOUVER, B.C. – April 2, 2009 – The Metro Vancouver housing market experienced a movement away from volatility and toward stability to start the spring season.
Home sales in March 2009 returned to levels witnessed at the beginning of the decade, with 2,265 sales recorded across Metro Vancouver for the month, a 53 per cent increase over February but a 24.4 per cent decrease over March 2008, when 2,997 sales were recorded.
Since 1999, March sales have increased 31 per cent, on average, over the month of February. March 2009 marks the second consecutive month that sales have outperformed the ten-year average for this month-over-month comparison.
“There’s more confidence in the housing market today than we were seeing late last year. Sales activity is rising to more typical levels given the season, and the number of homes being listed for sale is levelling off,” said Scott Russell, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV).
New residential listings on the MLS® declined 22 per cent in March 2009 to 4,385 compared to March 2008. This is the fifth month in a row that new listings have decreased year-over-year and the third consecutive month where those declines exceeded 20 per cent.
Despite these trends, total active listings at the end of March 2009 had still reached14,579, a 19 per cent increase compared to the end of March 2008.
“REALTORS® are seeing an increasing level of interest from first-time buyers who are attracted to low interest rates, good supply of housing, greater affordability, and a considerably lower overall cost of servicing a mortgage compared to recent years,” Russell said.
Sales of detached properties in March 2009 declined 19.6 per cent to 897 from the 1,116 units sold during the same period in 2008. The benchmark price, as calculated by the MLSLink Housing Price Index®, for detached properties declined 15.1 per cent from March 2008 to $649,342.
Sales of apartment properties declined 28.8 per cent last month to 976, compared to the 1,370 sales in March 2008. The benchmark price of an apartment property declined 13.5 per cent from March 2008 to $337,099.
Attached property sales in March 2009 decreased 23.3 per cent to 392, compared with the 511 sales during the same month in 2008. The benchmark price of an attached unit declined 11.2 per cent between March 2008 and 2009 to $420,563.
開春以來, 溫哥華大都會的房市已經由過去幾個月的波動轉向平穩.三月房屋成交量已經回到十年前的水平, 跟上個月比, 成交量上升了53%, 到達2265戶, 但和去年同期2997戶相比, 下降了24.4%.
自1999年起, 三月的平均銷售是比二月份高31%. 2009三月創下連續第二個月銷售量超出這十年平均值, 這是以每個月的比較值來看.
“現今市場上消費者的信心已經比去年尾增加許多. 消費活動也慢慢回溫, 許多賣家也選擇暫時退出市場,” 大溫房地產總裁Scott Russell説道. 新上市的不動產量在三月已經下跌22%至4385棟. 這是連續第五個月新上市的不動產量持續減少, 也是連續第三個月下跌數量超過20%.
儘管趨勢如此, 市場上的不動產量仍然到達14579棟, 比去年三月增加19%. “地產仲介也發現越來越多的第一次買家, 因為低利率, 多選擇, 好價錢以及租屋不如買屋的想法, 漸漸投入市場,” Russell說到.
獨棟房屋成交量已下跌19.6%至897棟, 去年同期則是1116棟. 這平均房價已經下跌15.1%至$649,342.
公寓成交量則下跌28.8%至976棟, 去年同一時期則是1370棟. 平均值已下跌13.5%至$337,009.
聯棟房屋的成交量下跌23.3%至392棟, 去年則為511棟. 平均值下跌11.2%至$420,563.
