SURREY, BC – A noticeable lift in home sales and slight decrease in new listings bolstered the Fraser Valley housing market in July.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,458 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in July, a 11.6 per cent increase compared to sales in June 2019, and a 13 per cent increase compared to the 1,290 sales in July of last year.

Chris Shields, President-Elect of the Board, observed, "We've been expecting market improvement, but didn't quite anticipate July's momentum. We've gone from the worst June in almost 20 years to a July that's only slightly below the 10-year average. For both buyers and sellers, a return to an active, more balanced market is welcome news."

"We attribute the change in July to pent-up demand and an increase in consumer confidence. REALTORS® in our market saw more activity at open houses and an increase in the number of first-time buyers. Data from our informal member market poll in July showed the highest level of first-time buyer purchases in the Fraser Valley since early 2016."

There were 8,340 active listings available in the Fraser Valley at the end of July, an increase of 12.7 per cent compared to July of last year and a decrease of 2.1 per cent compared to June 2019. The Board received 2,797 new listings in July, a 0.5 per cent decrease compared to June 2019's intake of 2,810 new listings and a 4.2 per cent decrease compared to July of last year.

"Sales of single family detached in our region increased by over 18 per cent in July compared to last year," added Shields. "Sellers are now recognizing that although listing prices are down, it's also now more affordable to buy."

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $957,400, the Benchmark price for a single-family detached home in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.3 per cent compared to June 2019 and decreased 6.3 per cent compared to July 2018.
•  Townhomes: At $520,700, the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.9 per cent compared to June 2019 and decreased 6.6 per cent compared to July 2018.
•  Apartments: At $409,700, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley remained unchanged compared to June 2019 and decreased 9 per cent compared to July 2018.

SURREY, BC - Last month's property sales in the Fraser Valley were 29.3 per cent below the 10-year sales average for June and were the second lowest total for the month since the year 2000. The number of new listings also decreased in June, coming in at 9.6 per cent below the 10-year average for the number of listings received during that month.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,306 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in June, a 13.9 per cent decrease compared to sales in May 2019, and a 10.1 per cent decrease compared to the 1,452 sales in June of last year.

Darin Germyn, President of the Board, commented, "The Fraser Valley market is still adjusting to the federal government's new mortgage requirements and to the provincial government's speculation and vacancy taxes. We're seeing historically low levels for home purchases in our region, and at the same time, we're seeing some prospective sellers holding back on listing their homes; waiting to see what the market will do.

"This has created a great opportunity for buyers in the Fraser Valley. Inventory overall is growing; prices of benchmark, or typical homes, have decreased 6 to 10 per cent over the past year and interest rates are still holding firm."

There were 8,516 active listings available in the Fraser Valley at the end of June, an increase of 19.3 per cent compared to June of last year and an increase of 0.1 per cent compared to May 2019. The Board received 2,810 new listings in June, a 20.7 per cent decrease compared to May 2019's intake of 3,542 new listings and a 10.5 per cent decrease compared to June of last year.

"There is tremendous variation in the market depending on the property type and location", added Germyn. "It's currently a buyers' market for detached homes in South Surrey/White Rock; but is leaning towards a sellers' market for townhomes in Langley, so if you're considering taking advantage of the market slowdown, first, talk to your REALTOR®."

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $960,100, the Benchmark price for a single family detached home in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.4 per cent compared to May 2019 and decreased 6.1 per cent compared to June 2018.
• Townhomes: At $525,200, the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley in the Fraser Valley increased 0.5 per cent compared to May 2019 and decreased 5.9 per cent compared to June 2018.
• Apartments: At $409,800, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley decreased 1.7 per cent compared to May 2019 and decreased 9.6 per cent compared to June 2018.

SURREY, BC – The increase in home sales in the Fraser Valley in May compared to April is thanks to renewed interest in single family detached homes. Although total market activity remained well below historical norms – 18 per cent below the 10-year average – the sale of detached homes increased by 14.9 per cent in one month.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,517 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in May, a 9.7 per cent increase compared to sales in April 2019, and a 13.7 per cent decrease compared to the 1,758 sales in May of last year.

In looking at the three main residential property types, detached homes garnered 41.2 per cent of the market in May, up from 39.4 per cent in April. Attached homes garnered 58.8 per cent in May, compared to 60.6 per cent in April.

Darin Germyn, President of the Board, said of the market: "Buyers are recognizing that in the last three months, home prices have stopped declining and that in order to take advantage of the improvement in prices over the past year, now is a great time to consider making the purchase they held off on in the previous months.

"We're seeing buyers who have been waiting on the sidelines, act, because of better price opportunities and more selection. It's been four years since buyers had this much choice in the Fraser Valley."

There were 8,506 active listings available in the Fraser Valley at the end of May, an increase of 26.3 per cent compared to May of last year and an increase of 8.1 per cent compared to April 2019.

The Board received 3,542 new listings during the month, a 4.5 per cent increase compared to April 2019's intake of 3,391 new listings and a 10.7 per cent decrease year-over-year.

"Key to this market is pricing," continued Germyn. "We empathize with our clients on the challenges they face today to qualify to buy a home and we work with them to find the right property at a realistic price they can afford."

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $964,200, the Benchmark price for a single family detached home in the Fraser Valley remained unchanged compared to April 2019 and decreased 5.9 per cent compared to May 2018.
• Townhomes: At $522,500 the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley in the Fraser Valley increased 0.1 per cent compared to April 2019 and decreased 5.9 per cent compared to May 2018.
• Apartments: At $416,800, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley decreased 0.9 per cent compared to April 2019 and decreased 8.0 per cent compared to May 2018.

SURREY, BC – The Fraser Valley real estate market experienced its second slowest April in ten years and yet sales of certain property types and price ranges remain solid.

The Fraser Valley Real Estate Board processed 1,383 sales of all property types on its Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in April, a 13.3 per cent increase compared to sales in March 2019, and a 19 per cent decrease compared to the 1,708 sales in April of last year. Of the 1,383 total sales of residential and commercial combined, 489 were residential detached homes, 379 were townhouses, and 374 were apartments.

Darin Germyn, President of the Board, said of the market: “Consumers may not have the purchasing power that they did prior to January 2018, but the desire for home ownership is still there and we’re seeing that reflected in our MLS® data. 

“Detached homes under one million dollars and attached homes – ranging from $400,000 to $700,000 – continue to attract buyers in the Fraser Valley. Townhome sales in Abbotsford increased by almost 60 per cent compared to March and were on par with last year’s April sales.”

There were 7,870 active listings available in the Fraser Valley at the end of April, an increase of 12.3 per cent compared to March 2019’s inventory and an increase of 38.9 per cent year-over-year.

The Board received 3,391 new listings during the month, an 18.1 per cent increase compared to March 2019’s intake of 2,872 new listings and a decrease of 1.1 per cent compared to April of last year.

"A slower, stable market has had a positive impact on affordability in our region. Prices of typical residential homes in the Fraser Valley have decreased between 5 and 6 per cent in the last year. In the last three months, benchmark prices have either plateaued or have experienced a small recovery,” added Germyn.

For the Fraser Valley region, the average number of days to sell an apartment in April was 37, and 31 for townhomes. Single family detached homes remained on the market for an average of 37 days before selling.

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

• Single Family Detached: At $964,600, the Benchmark price for a single family detached home in the Fraser Valley increased 0.2 per cent compared to March 2019 and decreased 4.8 per cent compared to April 2018.
• Townhomes: At $521,800 the Benchmark price for a townhome in the Fraser Valley in the Fraser Valley increased 0.9 per cent compared to March 2019 and decreased 5.1 per cent compared to April 2018.
• Apartments: At $420,700, the Benchmark price for apartments/condos in the Fraser Valley increased 0.6 per cent compared to March 2019 and decreased 6 per cent compared to April 2018.

Full package:
http://www.fvreb.bc.ca/statistics/Package201904.pdf