Monday, November 28, 2011

Monday market update, it's almost over

MLS numbers courtesy of the VREB via Marko Juras. These numbers are for the Victoria Real Estate Board's reporting area, including Sooke, Shawnigan Lake and the Gulf Islands.

November 2011 (last week's numbers)
Net Unconditional Sales: 419 {314} [200] (90)
New Listings: 756 {570} [369] (201)
Active Listings: 4,202 {4,218} [4,265] (4,503)
Sales to new listings ratio: 55%

November 2010
Net Unconditional Sales: 479
New Listings: 722
Active Listings: 3,723
Sales to new listings ratio: 66%
Sales to active listings ratio: 13% or 7.7 MOI

It's remarkable how day after day, 15 housing units seem to change hands in Victoria over these past few months. Consistently, steadily, eerily. Food for thought: I bet the rental market is more active these days, too bad we don't have that data. Debate. Go. 

Monday, November 21, 2011

Monday market update

MLS numbers courtesy of the VREB via Marko Juras. These numbers are for the Victoria Real Estate Board's reporting area, including Sooke, Shawnigan Lake and the Gulf Islands.

November 2011 (last week's numbers)
Net Unconditional Sales: 314 [200] (90)
New Listings: 570 [369] (201)
Active Listings: 4,218 [4,265] (4,503)
Sales to new listings ratio: 55%

November 2010
Net Unconditional Sales: 479
New Listings: 722
Active Listings: 3,723
Sales to new listings ratio: 66%
Sales to active listings ratio: 13% or 7.7 MOI

This market is flatter than a Saskatchewan cow pasture. Not much else to say. Fifteen sales a day makes for a very boring market (and some hungry agents). Perhaps that's the plan: bore us to death so we stop paying attention, and commenting... *takes tinfoil hat off*

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Turns out Victoria is different

RBC released a new report today on the near-future of housing in Canada. They predict house sales volumes and prices will rise next year from coast to coast to rocky mountains. If you live on the left side of our great nation, where you've likely been told for a generation that everyone wants to be and will pay a premium to live, and for the last decade or so you've know it as The Best Place on Earth!, you should expect your home to drop in value, statistically anyway, as fewer people plunge into this over-inflated market.
The average price of a detached bungalow is forecast to rise in all regions, expect [sic] B.C. alone, where prices are projected to slip by 1.7 per cent.
Too late to re-think that best place slogan? How about "The best place on Earth to be a renter"? Or "The best place on Earth not to buy a home"? Or my personal favourite: "The best place on Earth to blog about real estate."

Monday, November 14, 2011

Monday market update: steady as she goes

MLS numbers courtesy of the VREB via Marko Juras. These numbers are for the Victoria Real Estate Board's reporting area, including Sooke, Shawnigan Lake and the Gulf Islands.

November 2011 (last week's numbers)
Net Unconditional Sales: 200 (90)
New Listings: 369 (201)
Active Listings: 4,265 (4,503)
Sales to new listings ratio: 54%

November 2010
Net Unconditional Sales: 479
New Listings: 722
Active Listings: 3,723
Sales to new listings ratio: 66%
Sales to active listings ratio: 13% or 7.7 MOI

For almost 3 months we've been averaging 15 unit sales per day. Which is remarkable considering this time of year is not prime buying, and therefore selling, season. Weird. Demand is exceptionally low comparatively to the past decade, but perhaps 15 unit sales a day is "the floor"? Or maybe that should read "the norm"? And if that's the case, wouldn't you shudder at the thought of being one of the 1200+ licensed agents in this town trying to feed your family and put all kinds of iGadgets under the tree in just 40 short day's time?

Despite the still-high number of active listings out there, I'm not sure what's uglier: the quality of offerings or the prospects of trying to sell them quickly for "expected" prices?

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Monday market update: WTF Tuesday?

MLS numbers courtesy of the VREB via Marko Juras. These numbers are for the Victoria Real Estate Board's reporting area, including Sooke, Shawnigan Lake and the Gulf Islands.

November 2011 
Net Unconditional Sales: 90
New Listings: 201
Active Listings: 4,503
Sales to new listings ratio: 45%

November 2010
Net Unconditional Sales: 479
New Listings: 722
Active Listings: 3,723
Sales to new listings ratio: 66%
Sales to active listings ratio: 13% or 7.7 MOI

Animal Spirit sent me the following two charts showing the breakdown of sales in each area and the average dollar value of each area. They're telling for a variety of reasons, but the standout for me is the consistency of "desirability" of some neighbourhoods over others.