Market finally settling down

Home sales activity in Canada came up short of the record for the month of April and new listings continued to climb, according to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

“Many of the sales that would normally have occurred in May were pulled back to April, due to buyers trying to avoid the May 1st transitional implementation date for the HST, as well as new mortgage regulations that came into effect April 19th,” said Ottawa Real Estate Board President Pierre de Varennes. “Buyers knew they would be paying 8% more for all of the service costs associated with a real estate transaction if their closing date was after July 1st, and that it might be more difficult to qualify for financing, so they moved quickly to avoid either situation. In addition, by comparison May 2009 was a record-breaking month as the floodgates opened on pent-up demand following the brief downturn in the market,” he added.

In general the Canadian real estate market is moving towards a balanced market where inventory is increasing well to meet demand. Buyers, sellers and REALTORS® can all relax and enter a sales transaction without pressure.

The easing trend in national sales activity masks a rising trend in a number of major markets. Real estate is local, so buyers and sellers should engage the services of a REALTOR® for knowledge about housing market trends in their market. For sellers, getting specific advice about home values in their local neighbourhood is crucial in a competitive market.