Thursday 7 July 2016

Home sales down month-over-month

Although Canadian home sales started off the year at a torrid pace, the Canadian Real Estate Association says sales in the country's hottest markets are expected to slow in the second half in the face of high prices and a shortage of available properties.
Still, due to the strong start to the year, the association raised its full-year forecast for home sales to a record 536,400, an increase of 6.1 per cent. That compared with its March forecast calling for an increase of just one per cent to 511,400.
The new forecast came as CREA reported that home sales through its MLS system dropped 2.8 per cent month-over-month in May. But compared with a year ago, sales in May were up 9.6 per cent and stood 15.1 per cent above the 10-year average for the month.
The national sales-to-new-listings ratio climbed to 64.8 per cent in May, suggesting a seller's market and the highest reading since October 2009.
The national average price of a home sold in May was $509,460, up 13.2 per cent from a year ago.

Source:  CTV News