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不止是有点暖,是高烧~( H5 a7 y# n* m" Q
) Q$ a9 N1 z2 u6 ^8 ` c R( `http://www.edmontonjournal.com/b ... ?cid=megadrop_story& O& o2 i7 j* T. q6 l4 Y
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; L) t0 Y# d9 l) R' o4 DEdmonton sees 26% spike in luxury-home sales' V9 u% V6 B# F( h" O2 T8 ^0 b
High-end houses defy real estate cooling trend u2 c& c$ Y4 y1 ]' ?: d
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EDMONTON — While homebuying activity is cooling in Edmonton, luxury-home sales are picking up, says a new national report by ReMax.0 C/ P& Z; E, g/ X! j( s
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“One area of the market that has outperformed all others is the upper end,” said the ReMax Market Trends Report Fall 2010 released Tuesday.
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Sales of homes priced more than $700,000 are up 26 per cent over 2009, with 240 upscale properties changing hands as of August, compared to 190 units for the same period last year, it said. 6 t) f2 W( B& j3 J
% N+ o) O: y# I- qFifty-five homes in the Edmonton area have sold for more than $1 million.
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% g+ ?" c2 A) x aThe urgency in Edmonton’s residential housing market — prompted by tighter lending policies and the threat of higher interest rates earlier in the year — has given way to more stable conditions heading into the fourth quarter of 2010, the report said.
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“Positive announcements in the oil and gas sector should spur renewed activity in residential real estate — as evidenced in the first few weeks of September. . P M# ?% M8 {
& K3 f3 u5 X' ?5 | c/ j2 q; g“Despite recent hikes, interest rates remain attractive with a five-year closed hovering at four per cent. The outlook for the remainder of the year is stable, with no real fluctuations in either sales or price.”7 S/ X! Z. x6 e7 j
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Year-to-date sales have slipped 14 per cent to 11,773 units, compared to 13,694 during the same period a year earlier, the report said.# S" W; h" L, N3 z0 V
) K, ^, u, K* {4 j U. gThe sales-to-listing ratio is now 47 per cent, down from 59 per cent in 2009, but up from 42 per cent in 2008.
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Average price is holding steady, up about four cent to $332,789 in 2010, about $12,500, or 3.9 per cent, higher than a year ago when the residential average was $320,289, the report said.% O. n9 p, f v0 Y& ^
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Inventory levels are up marginally over last year, but down from peak levels reached in 2007 and 2008, ReMax said.6 ^6 T1 [4 D1 d$ y! x# ^) P$ H. F$ |
( J3 J% y/ v! A“As a result, the housing market has been characterized as balanced, slightly favouring the buyer,” the report said.
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3 C+ o& x/ _ Z% b+ l& [" wFirst-time buyers in Edmonton remain most active, driving sales of single-family homes between $250,000 and $350,000. Condos represent 34 per cent of residential sales.
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An influx of new units recently has pushed up supply, putting downward pressure on condo prices, according to the report. Tighter lending rules, requiring a 20-per-cent down payment, “is proving to be detrimental to investment activity.”
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2 D: L& t U. t' g. \The report, which covered trends and developments in 19 major centres from January to August, found year-to-date sales ahead of 2009 levels in 11 markets." H6 b$ m# }; w+ P# `# {7 p
5 Q" e+ ^5 B. s4 b; V; S. ~; JPrices were up year-over-year in all cities, with five experiencing double-digit gains in 2010: Vancouver, St. John’s, Sudbury, Winnipeg and the Greater Toronto Area.
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( h( [2 `2 ?8 z2 ?“We cleaned up in the first quarter of 2010 because housing activity during the same period one year earlier was dismal,” said Elton Ash, regional executive vice-president of ReMax, Western Canada.
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“We’re now comparing the second half of the year to 2009 and falling short of expectations. Looking at the big picture however, the market remains healthy.” |
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