In 2016 we saw 10,622 properties sell in the Victoria Real Estate Board region, which exceeded our previous high of 9,241 sales in 1991! The MLS® Home Price Index for a single family home in the Victoria Core also increased by 23.6% from $613,600 in December of 2015, to $758,500 in December of 2016. With inventory still low, there is high demand for properties and many homes still selling over the asking price as we enter 2017. For the full article from the Victoria Real Estate Board see below: 

"We expect sales to continue to be strong but we don't expect to see the phenomenal activity we saw in 2016 for 2017. Inventory continues to be low," adds President Nugent. "You can't sell something that isn't there. There is certainly an ongoing demand for properties. This is reflected in the fact that 25 per cent of sales this month sold over their asking price. The majority of these properties were in the up to $750,000 price point, so your average buyer will face a competitive market."

Happy Giving Tuesday!! My UnitedNOW! Council, with the United Way, is hosting Music Bingo with Yates St. Taphouse tonight to celebrate Giving Tuesday!

Giving Tuesday is a global movement that takes place each year after Black Friday and Cyber Monday and marks the "opening day of the giving season". It’s a time when Canadians, charities and businesses come together to celebrate giving and participate in activities that support charities and non-profits.

$1 from every burger Taphouse sells today will be going to United Way, so please come eat a burger for lunch and dinner  We will also have prize balloons throughout the evening and other draws if you play spin the wheel!

The City of Victoria is considering recommendations to change the current rules for secondary suties, whether putting in a new suite or bringing an existing suite into compliance. This is a great move for the City of Victoria as it will benefit both homeowners and renters, some of these recommendations include:

"Staff are recommending removing barriers to development of secondary suites through such measures as allowing secondary suites in duplexes or in small-lot housing, or allowing basement suites on properties that have a garden suite.

Council is also being asked to consider programs or events “to provide a safe and welcoming environment” for homeowners to ask questions about developing a suite or what would be required to bring an existing suite into compliance without fear of city inspections or fines."

For more information and to see the full article: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/victoria-considers-encouraging-secondary-suites-easing-rules-1.3038675#sthash.NyGacoiR.dpuf

Competitive Housing Market in Victoria Continues as Inventory Remains Low

November 1 2016, Victoria, BC

A total of 735 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this October, a single property more than the 734 properties sold in October last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than last year, with 1,938 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of October 2016, 38.9 per cent fewer than the 3,170 active listings at the end of October 2015.

"We continue to see low inventory hindering sales in the local market," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "Though our numbers are down from the record setting pace set this summer, the market is still moving quickly and is still very competitive for certain properties. High demand areas like Saanich and Oak Bay continue to see multiple offers and areas in the West Shore are also seeing sales over listed prices. In other areas, prices remain firm because of high demand and extremely limited inventory."

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in October 2015 was $608,200. The benchmark value for the same home in October 2016 has increased by 24.1 per cent to $755,000.

"The federal government's change to mortgage lending rules has also impacted buyers," adds President Nugent. "Buyers that require mortgage insurance are able to qualify for significantly smaller mortgages than before the rule change and this is further limiting their options in a very restricted market. Some buyers have postponed their search in order to save up more of a down payment so they can work within these new limitations."

The Wade is a one of a kind steel and concrete development with great incentives for first time home buyers! Located at the corner of Johnson and Cook St., each buyer will receive a garden plot on the rooftop which features large courtyards, fruit trees, a sauna, and much more. There are about 21 floor plan variations to choose from, all with beautiful finishes. Prices for a junior 2 bedroom start at just $335,900 with prices for a studio/junior 1 bedroom starting at just $239,900. Completion for the building is expected in around 2 years or the beginning of 2019. Sales start this Saturday and if you want more information or have questions feel free to message or call me!

My Fall Market Update is now available and have a Happy Halloween! 

Victoria Housing Market Chills Out For Fall

October 3 2016, Victoria, BC

A total of 781 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this September, an increase of 10.9 per cent compared to the 704 properties sold in September last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than last year, with 2,061 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of September 2016, 40.7 per cent fewer than the 3,478 active listings at the end of September 2015.

"This is the lowest level of inventory on the market in September that we have on record [since 1996]," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "This continuing lack of inventory holds up sales. The market is still strong, but not moving at the pace we saw earlier in the year. This slowdown is typical with what we expect in the fall to winter season and may be more pronounced as a result of buyer fatigue, due to the lack of available inventory."

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in September 2015 was $607,100. The benchmark value for the same home in September 2016 has increased by 22.8 per cent to $745,700.

"We have already exceeded the number of sales that we saw in 2015, with a full quarter remaining in the year," adds President Nugent. "And there is still strong demand, thanks to underlying fundamentals in our province - the GDP is up, employment numbers are up, retail and population growth is up. All of these contribute to current market conditions. We also see no indication that the new foreign buyer Property Transfer Tax in Metro Vancouver has pushed foreign buyers into our market in a substantial way, though we continue to track that as a possibility."

The Federal Government announced massive changes today which come into effect October 17th! In two weeks anyone looking to purchase (or refinance) will have to go through a "stress test" to see if they can afford their mortgage when interest rates rise. 

"While many buyers are currently qualifying for five-year mortgages at around two per cent, they will now have to prove that they can make mortgage payments at the Bank of Canada posted rate of 4.64 per cent." For the full article see the link below:

http://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/mortgages-real-estate/federal-government-closing-tax-loophole-used-by-foreign-home-buyers

Victoria Property Sales Continue Record Breaking Pace

September 1 2016, Victoria, BC

A total of 883 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this August, an increase of 19.2 per cent compared to the 741 properties sold in August last year.

"August is a record breaker in more than one way. For the sixth consecutive month, we have a sales record with more sales than any other month of August on record," says Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "We also have the lowest number of listings available for sale in an August than we've seen in the last twenty years. That lack of inventory will continue to put pressure on pricing. Sales would be even higher were there more inventory available for buyers to purchase. Regardless of the low inventory, it's safe to say that by mid-September we will have surpassed the number of sales for all of 2015, with four months remaining in the year."

Inventory levels remain lower than last year, with 2,094 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of August 2016, 43.2 per cent fewer than the 3,688 active listings at the end of August 2015.

"As we saw last month, the expected seasonal slowdown continues as we move towards the autumn," adds Nugent.  "August tends to be the slower summer month, though the year-over-year sales numbers are very strong. This shows continued consumer confidence in the Victoria real estate market. It is early to determine a trend, but we don't see any early indications that the foreign investment Property Transfer Tax implemented in Metro Vancouver has impacted sales to any extent in Victoria at this time."

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in August, 2015 was $603,200. The benchmark value for the same home in August 2016 has increased by 23.8 per cent to $746,900

Victoria Real Estate Market Continues to Sizzle in Summer Months

August 2 2016, Victoria, BC

A total of 972 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this July, an increase of 22 per cent compared to the 796 properties sold in July last year.

"Though we saw the seasonal slowdown that we expect this time of year, we had another record breaking month," says Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "The last time we saw a July this busy was in 2009 when 933 properties sold."

Inventory levels remain lower than last year, with 2,161 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of July 2016, 45 per cent fewer than the 3,942 active listings at the end of July 2015.

"Late last week the provincial government approved new legislation that may affect the real estate market in our area, though at this time we can only guess how a foreign investor's tax in the Metro Vancouver region will impact sales here in Victoria," adds Nugent. "Recent data released by the government shows that nearly ten per cent of property transfers in Metro Vancouver involved foreign nationals. This is part of the rationale for applying a fifteen per cent tax on transactions only in Metro Vancouver at this time. Does this mean international demand will spill over into Victoria and other areas of BC? We won't know until we see the data. The Capital Regional District saw two per cent out of country buyers in the year of 2015. Although this is a small percentage of our buyers, anecdotally foreign buyers do tend to favour the same core neighbourhoods and therefore can have an impact on those areas." 

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in July, 2015 was $599,800. The benchmark value for the same home in July 2016 has increased by 23.6 per cent to $741,100.

Feverish Pace of Sales Continues in Victoria Real Estate Market

June 1, 2016 Victoria, BC

A total of 1,289 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this May, an increase of 42.4 per cent compared to the 905 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,406 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of May, 40.5 per cent fewer than the 4,043 active listings at the end of May 2015.

"These are very interesting times in local real estate," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "The market we are experiencing has exceeded our expectations. There are influences in the marketplace that we do not fully understand yet, like the impact of out-of-town buyers and millenials moving into the market, and the seemingly sudden international attention our island city has started to receive. And some folks may be buying now because they are concerned that the market is going to continue to increase in value. Traditionally spring is the most active season for real estate, so it will be interesting to see if this feverish pace continues into the summer months." 

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in May, 2015 was $593,200. The benchmark value for the same home in May 2016 has increased by 19 per cent to $706,500.

"We define months of inventory as the number of months it would take to sell our entire inventory of active listings at the current rate of sales if no new listings became available. In May last year we had 4.5 months of inventory and in May 2014 we saw 6.5 months. This year, May had 1.9 months of inventory. Last year in June we saw 4.4 months of inventory, so if the pattern continues we may see less inventory than in previous years. Current low inventory dictates that pressures moving prices up could well remain strong, particularly in the core region. It can be a challenging time to get into the market," adds Nugent.  "As always, a local REALTOR® can help buyers with a strategy to get into a home and can help sellers to create a pricing plan to best reflect the current value of their property. Our Realtors have access to regular education on best practices, including how to navigate multiple offers, which is something many buyers encounter as they shop for houses in some of our more popular neighbourhoods. I think the key right now is to be patient, consider options like different neighbourhoods or types of housing and to prepare with your Realtor as much as possible ahead of time so that you are best positioned to make your move."

It was another record breaking month for Victoria real estate in April with 1,286 properties sold! The HPI benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core also increased by 17.7%, from $581,700 in April 2015 to $684,900 in April of this year. It is important to work with a REALTOR® in this brisk market to put together a purhase or sale strategy! The full article form the Victoria Real Estate Board is below:

April Property Sales in Victoria Continue to Exceed Expectations

May 2, 2016 Victoria, BC

A total of 1,286 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this April, an increase of 53 per cent compared to the 840 properties sold in the same month last year.

Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,594 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of April, 34 per cent fewer than the 3,945 active listings at the end of April 2015.

“We continue to see extraordinary interest in the Victoria and area housing market. Likely this is because the trends we reviewed last month continue – low mortgage rates, higher employment numbers, diversity of properties for sale and of course the growing international awareness that Victoria is an amazing place to live,” notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. “The vast majority of Victoria buyers are from within the local Victoria marketplace. Last year 70.5 per cent of buyers were from Victoria, and this year in the first quarter we see 72.5 per cent of buyers from the area. We’ve also tracked a slight increase in Lower Mainland buyers. Reports from the first quarter of 2016 show that 8.2 per cent of buyers are from the Lower Mainland, and last year we counted 7.4 per cent.  It’s also noteworthy that we’ve seen a decrease in buyers from Alberta (last year we saw 5.7 per cent, this quarter we saw 3.9 per cent), a small increase in buyers from the US (from 0.8 per cent to 1 per cent) and an increase in buyers from Asia (from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent this quarter).” 

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in April, 2015 was $581,700. The benchmark value for the same home in April 2016 has increased by 17.7 per cent to $684,900.

“If you are shopping for a home right now, there is a good chance that if you’re looking in a higher demand area (Victoria core, Saanich, Oak Bay) you may find yourself in a multiple offer situation when you go to purchase. This is because there are more buyers than homes for sale and so the market is more competitive than we’ve seen in years past,” adds Nugent. “As a consumer it may pay to get creative, consider types of property and locations you may have not originally identified. For example, condos and townhomes may be a great alternative for first time buyers. Some locations in the Victoria area are under slightly less pricing pressure, for example properties in the West Shore or Esquimalt area are close to amenities, share the same amazing weather as other nearby neighbourhoods. Working with a REALTOR® to create a purchase strategy will put you ahead of the game, and ensure you end up with the right property for you.”