STILL Waiting For The Real Estate Market Recovery?
If so, you may have missed your best opportunities and for heavens sake, don’t say you weren’t warned. Continuing on the good news bandwagon, RE/MAX issued the following media release today:
Recovery underway in key Canadian markets ends buyer dominance in resale housing, says RE/MAX
Mississauga, ON. (July 13, 2009) – Pent-up demand for residential housing has bolstered sales in Canada’s major markets-a clear signal that the housing sector has shifted into recovery mode, says RE/MAX.
More balanced market conditions have emerged, effectively ending the stronghold that buyers had on the market over the past six to eight months. Canada’s largest markets, Toronto and Vancouver, led the charge-with June sales among the highest in history for both local real estate boards. Close to 11,000 properties changed hands in Toronto, up 27 per cent over one year ago, setting a new record for sales in the month of June. The figure was just slightly off the all-time peak of 11,146 units. Residential sales in Greater Vancouver increased 75.6 per cent over one year ago, to 4,259 units, just short of the record breaking 4,333 sales, which occurred in June 2005. Overall, major markets began to recover in March, posting escalating sales in April, May and June. The impetus is expected to continue throughout the remainder of 2009, with most centres now forecasting year-end sales on par or ahead of 2008 levels.
“The strength of the market, amid the most significant global recession in recent history once again underscores its relevance to the nation’s economic engine,” says Michael Polzler, Executive Vice President, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada. Canadians believe in homeownership — a fact best illustrated by the purchasers who ventured forward in recent months and snapped up some of the best real estate deals this market has seen in years. Those who chose to sit it out on the sidelines are now facing a market in transition, characterized by the threat of rising interest rates, low inventory levels, and upward pressure on housing values.”
