Real Estate Stats January 2012
TYPICAL REAL ESTATE MARKET FOR JANUARY
The housing market pointing towards price stability
Home sales in the City of Calgary are off to a slow start as buyers show continuing caution, according to figures released today by CREB®.
“Overall, the market is behaving as expected for the winter season,” says Bob Jablonski, president of CREB®. The year-over-year volume of residential sales in the City of Calgary dropped, but the inventory of available homes declined even faster in January 2012.
The City of Calgary residential market recorded 1,078 sales in January, nearly 1% below the same month in 2011. This is in part related to the drop in new listings, which declined by 8% over January 2011, causing inventory levels to continue to contract over 2011. “A lower number of sales is not uncommon for the month of January,” says Jablonski. “The number of sales is offset by the number of listings, ultimately pushing the housing market towards a balanced market territory.
”The single-family market recorded a 1% drop in sales over last year levels, while the condominium market recorded a 1% gain. However, the decline in new listings in the single-family market was much higher than the condominium market, with a year-over-year decline of 11% and 6%, respectively. “As presented in our housing forecast report, a slow start to the year is anticipated, as consumers continue to be cautiously optimistic regarding purchasing and/or listing their home,” says Jablonski.
The average price of single-family homes in January 2012 was $438,683, a 3% drop over last year, and over December 2011. Meanwhile, median prices in the single-family market remain relatively stable over last month at $395,000, while posting a 1% gain over the previous year.
“The price changes are related to the composition of what was sold. The rise in the median price was likely due to the increase in the number of homes sold in the $450,000-$549,999 category, as this category recorded a significant jump in activity in January. The decline in average price is due to the rise in sales in the under-$300,000 category, as well as the decline in the number of homes sold in the upper-price ranges,” Jablonski explains.
The condominium market continues to favor the buyer; however, this market is trending towards balance. The average and median price of condominiums for the month of January 2012 were $268,526 and $245,000, respectively. This corresponds to a 7% decline in average prices and a 4% decline in median prices.
“Last January, there was a significant jump in sales in both the $600,000+ price range and the under -$200,000 price range in condominiums. For January 2012, while sales under $200,000 remain strong, there has been an increase in activity in the $200,000-$299,999 price range, mostly at the expense of the condominiums priced above $400,000. This explains the significant decline in condominium prices,” Jablonski concludes.