News Release: November 4, 2014
INCREASED DEMAND FOR FRASER VALLEY TOWNHOUSES AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES
(Surrey, BC) – The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,448 sales on its Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) in October, an increase of 16 per cent compared to the 1,249 sales during the same month last year and 2 per cent more than in September.
Ray Werger, the Board’s president, says, “Sales overall continue to outperform last year and as we’ve seen for a number of months now are the best they’ve been in five years.
“Demand remains steady in our region for single family detached homes and townhomes. Last month, the market share of sales of single family homes increased by almost five per cent compared to last year; while the share of condo sales decreased by the same amount and we’re seeing that preference reflected in prices.”
The MLS® Home Price Index (MLS® HPI) benchmark price of a detached home in October was $573,500 an increase of 4 per cent compared to October 2013, when it was $551,400.
The MLS® HPI benchmark price of townhouses increased 1 per cent from $295,500 in October 2013 to $298,500 last month. The benchmark price of apartments decreased year-over-year by 3.5 per cent, going from $199,500 in October of last year to $192,600 in October 2014.
In the last five years, the MLS® HPI benchmark price of a detached home in the Fraser Valley has increased by 16.6 per cent. For townhouses, the price is flat having increased by 0.5 per cent and for apartments; the price has decreased by 6 per cent.
Werger adds, “With the influx of new developments and a steady supply of resale units, we’ve never had a better selection of condos than we do right now at prices the lowest they’ve been in years. For those that say housing isn’t affordable in Metro Vancouver, you need to check out the opportunities currently for condo buyers in the Valley.”
In October, new listings in the Fraser Valley increased by 3 per cent, going from 2,336 last year to 2,395 last month taking the number of active listings to 8,807, a decrease of 3 per cent compared to the 9,047 active listings in October of 2013. “Inventory is edging down, which is typical for this time of year,” says Werger. “The result is we’re seeing good quality homes that are priced right moving quickly.”
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The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board is an association of 2,738 real estate professionals who live and work in the BC communities of North Delta, Surrey, White Rock, Langley, Abbotsford, and Mission. The FVREB marked its 90-year anniversary in 2011.
Full package: http://www.fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package%20201410.pdf