Vancouver, BC – December 15, 2016.

REALTORS® and the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) welcome the announcement by Premier Clark and Minister Coleman of the new BC Home Owner Mortgage and Equity Partnership program. “The introduction of this program will address the affordability gaps that, as a REALTOR®, I hear about every day,” says BCREA President Deanna Horn. “We thank Premier Clark and Minister Coleman for introducing this valuable program to assist first time home buyers in entering the marketplace.“

The province has taken steps to address housing affordability by investing in affordable rental housing and transitional and emergency housing. The BC HOME Partnership will address the impact on the first-time homebuyer with matching dollars and an extended period of time to begin paying back the down payment loan. Many first-time homebuyers struggle to achieve the down payment required to enter the housing market, and BCREA believes this program will help them overcome that barrier.

In fact, enabling home ownership benefits the entire BC economy. A 2015 study by Altus Group Economic Consulting found that the average housing transaction on the Multiple Listing Service® generates approximately $63,000 in additional expenditures. BCREA believes additional opportunities exist to help existing homeowners, particularly those looking to buy their second or third homes to accommodate families or significant life changes. Doing so will help to ensure balance in the continuum of housing affordability.

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.

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Vancouver, BC – December 15, 2016.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that 6,419 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in November, down 20.1 per cent from the same month last year. Total sales dollar volume was $4.02 billion in November, a decline of 25.2 per cent compared to the previous year. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $625,871, a decline of 6.4 per cent compared to the same month last year.

“Moderating consumer demand in the province's largest population centres continues to trend home sales toward the ten-year average," said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of MLS® residential sales was approximately 89,000 units last month. The ten-year average is 83,000 unit sales, while the 15-year average is 85,300 unit sales.

“A relatively higher number of transactions outside of the Lower Mainland is largely responsible for pulling the provincial average MLS® price lower," added Muir.

Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume increased 22.8 per cent to $74.5 billion, when compared with the same period in 2015. Residential unit sales climbed by 12.1 per cent to 107,488 units, while the average MLS® residential price was up 9.6 per cent to $692,745.

 Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.

The Bank of Canada announced this morning that it is holding the target for its overnight rate at 0.5 per cent. In the press release accompanying the interest rate decision, the Bank noted that uncertainty in the global economy is undiminished in recent months while Canadian economic growth is evolving as anticipated. On inflation, the Bank cited that although CPI and core inflation have picked up, both measures remain below the Bank's 2 per cent target. 

With long-term interest rates jolted upward by the US election, the Bank of Canada is likely content to keep its overnight rate on hold at 0.5 per cent over the next year.  That said, the stark unpredictability of the incoming Trump administration on everything from trade to taxes to financial markets means that risk in the economy is tilted to the downside.  Therefore, there remains the potential for a rate-cut by the Bank of Canada should economic conditions and the outlook for inflation deteriorate.  

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.

Vancouver, BC – December 5, 2016.

The BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) increased 0.48 index points to 122.7 in the second quarter of 2016, in spite of a modest pull-back in economic activity throughout the third quarter. The CLI index is up 2.4 per cent compared to the third quarter of 2015.

“Job growth in key commercial sectors and robust consumer demand led the CLI higher in the third quarter," said BCREA Economist Brendon Ogmundson."A rising CLI points to continued strength in BC commercial real estate activity in 2017."

Robust third quarter employment gains offset modest declines in the economic activity and financial components of the CLI. The underlying CLI trend, which smooths often noisy economic data, continues to push higher due to several quarters of strong economic statistics.

That uptrend signals further growth in investment, leasing and other commercial real estate activity over the next two to four quarters.

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.

Canadian employment increased by 11,000 jobs in November, the third consecutive month of positive job growth. The national unemployment rate fell 0.2 points to 6.8 per cent and total hours worked, which is highly correlated with economic growth, were up 1.1 per cent compared to this time last year.  In BC, employment posted a monthly decline of 9,300 jobs. In spite of that, the provincial unemployment rate ticked 0.1 points lower to 6.1 per cent. Year-to-date,  provincial job growth remains the strongest in the country at about 3 per cent.

In the US, payrolls increased by178,000 while the unemployment rate dropped to 4.6 per cent. Strong job growth in November and the very low unemployment rate likely mean the US Federal Reserve will go through with its much discussed rate hike in December. 

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission.

Home sales and listings just below 10-year average.

Home buyer and seller activity remains near historical averages in the Metro Vancouver housing market. Residential home sales in the region totalled 2,214 in November 2016, a decrease of 0.9 per cent from the 2,233 sales recorded in October 2016 and a decrease of 37.2 per cent compared to November 2015 when 3,524 homes sold. 

Last month’s sales were 7.6 per cent below the 10-year sales average for the month.  “While 2016 has been anything but a normal year for the Metro Vancouver housing market, supply and demand totals have returned to more historically normal levels over the last few months,” said Dan Morrison, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president. 

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Metro Vancouver totalled 3,147 in November 2016. This represents a decrease of 20.9 per cent compared to the 3,981 units listed in October 2016 and a 7.2 per cent decrease compared to November 2015 when 3,392 properties were listed. Last month’s new listing count was 1.2 per cent below the region’s 10-year new listing average for the month.

The total number of properties currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 8,385, an 8.3 per cent decrease compared to October 2016 (9,143) and a 3.6 per cent increase compared to November 2015 (8,096). The sales-to-active listings ratio for November 2016 is 26.4 per cent. This is up two per cent from last month (24.4 per cent). 

Downward pressure on home prices can occur when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices can experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

“Demand, relative to supply, for detached homes is lower right now than demand for townhomes and apartments,” Morrison said. “This is causing prices to remain stable, or flat, for townhomes and apartments, while detached homes are seeing modest month-over-moth declines.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $908,300. This represents a 1.2 per cent decrease compared to last month and a 20.5 per cent increase compared to November 2015.

Sales of detached properties in November 2016 reached 638, a decrease of 2.1 per cent from the 652 detached sales recorded in October 2016 and a 52.2 per cent decline over November 2015. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,511,100. This represents a 2.2 per cent decline compared to last month and a 23 per cent increase compared to November 2015.

Sales of apartment properties reached 1,200 in November 2016, an increase of 1.9 per cent compared to the 1,178 sales in October 2016 and a 22.7 per cent decrease compared to November 2015.The benchmark price of an apartment property is $512,100. This is unchanged from last month and is an 18 per cent increase compared to November 2015.

Attached property sales in November 2016 totalled 376, a decrease of 6.7 per cent compared to the 403 sales in October 2016 and a 40.9 per cent decline compared to November 2015. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $667,100. This represents a 0.3 per cent decrease compared to last month and a 23 per cent increase compared to November 2015.

* Areas covered by Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include: Whistler, Sunshine Coast, Squamish, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, and South Delta.