Market Update

May 2011

With the cherry blossoms in full bloom, we enter into what could be a surprising May in the Vancouver real estate market. Typically a peak time for sales activity, the April market stats show sales activity dropping in virtually all categories (excluding North Vancouver Detached). Will May continue this trend? If so, and I suspect it will, it appears the 'summer slowdown' that we typically see towards the middle of June has started early this year. There are a few possible explanations for this, but the biggest factor in my mind is the surge in activity we saw in February and March due to buyers rushing to purchase to beat the new mortgage rules that came into effect March 18, 2011. That surge effectively started the Spring market earlier than expected this year, so perhaps it is only natural that the activity tails off sooner as well.

Two other trends to take note of from last month:

(1) Listing inventory climbed, up as much as 23%, in all markets. The number of new listings was not dramatically higher the months previous, but as sales activity slows, the active inventory grows.

(2) Sales prices climbed in all markets, with the exception of downtown (which dipped almost 9%). The red hot Westside detached market led the charge here with a 9.5% increase over last month, while most other markets showed much more marginal increases.

Look for prices to flatten out over the summer, while activity slows slightly but remains stable. All in all, if we ignore the Westside detached category, we are enjoying a pleasantly balanced market. And, with any luck, by the time I sit down to write next month's newsletter, the Canucks will be Stanley Cup champions!

Cheers,

Ben