News Release: October 4, 2010
September previews fall real estate market in the Fraser Valley
(Surrey, BC) – After a slowdown in July and August, the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) saw a modest month-over-month increase in sales on its Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) in September and a decrease in overall inventory for the fourth month in a row.
Deanna Horn, FVREB President, says, “This is the beginning of the fall market. Our sales, while lower than a typical September, are up compared to the summer and the average days to sale for single detached homes decreased slightly compared to August.”
A total of 1,044 sales were processed on FVREB’s MLS® in September, an increase of 5 per cent compared to 997 sales in August, however a decrease of 34 per cent compared to 1,590 sales in September of last year. The Board received 2,411 new listings last month, a 15 per cent increase from August, yet a 9 per cent decrease compared to September 2009. The Board finished September with 9,959 active listings, 3 per cent fewer than in August and an increase of 13 per cent compared to the 8,799 properties available in September 2009.
Horn explains, “Although consumers have 13 per cent fewer properties to look at in Fraser Valley than they did in May, it remains a buyers’ market with a healthy selection, near-record low interest rates and stable prices.
“It’s important that both buyers and sellers recognize that as long as inventory levels continue to decline, there is less downward pressure on pricing.”
The benchmark price for Fraser Valley detached homes in September was $507,429, down 0.5 per cent compared to August and 3.3 per cent higher compared to $491,404 in September 2009.
The benchmark price of Fraser Valley townhouses in September was $321,843, a 0.8 per cent decrease compared to August and a 3.1 per cent increase compared to September 2009 when it was $312,143.
Year-over-year, the benchmark price of apartments decreased 0.3 per cent going from $240,378 in September 2009 to $239,625 last month. It remained unchanged from the benchmark price in August.
Information and photos of all Fraser Valley Real Estate Board listings can be found on the national, public web site www.REALTOR.ca. Further market statistics can be found on the Board’s web page at www.fvreb.bc.ca. The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board is an association of 2,960 real estate professionals who live and work in the communities of North Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, and Mission.