Retail sales in Canada climbed 7.3 per cent to $49 billion in June compared to the same month last year. The month-over-month increase was 0.1 per cent, marking the fourth consecutive month of gains. After removing the effects of price changes, retail sales were up 0.5 per cent by volume. This strong performance supports further upward movement in the Bank of Canada target interest rate as broadening strength in Canadian economy signals an expectation of rising inflation.

BC retail sales posted a phenomenal 12.4 per cent increase year-over-year in June to $7.2 billion. Compared to May, BC retail sales rose 1.9 per cent. This surge in consumer spending is being underpinned by above trend economic growth, rising employment and increased migration. 

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission. 

Vancouver, BC – August 14, 2017.

The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 9,275 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in July, down 6.3 per cent from the same period last year. Total sales dollar volume was $6.48 billion, down 1.3 per cent from July 2016. The average MLS® residential price in the province was $698,761, a 5.3 per cent increase from the same period last year.

“Strong economic growth, an expanding population base and a lack of supply continue to drive BC home sales and prices this summer," said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist.

"However, home sales have edged back 4 per cent since May, with active listings beginning to bounce back from a 20-year low," added Muir. "If these trends continue, it may signal that more balanced market conditions could emerge before the end of the year."

Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was down 19.3 per cent to $45.6 billion, when compared with the same period in 2016. Residential unit sales declined 17.0 per cent to 64,107 units, while the average MLS® residential price was down 2.8 per cent to $710,921.

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Canadian employment increased by 11,000 jobs in July after adding almost 100,000 jobs over the previous two months. The national unemployment rate declined 0.2 points to 6.3 per cent, the lowest rate since October 2008. In the twelve months to July, employment in Canada is up 2.1 per cent, or 388,000 jobs including 354,000 full-time positions.
 
In BC, employment declined by 5,100 jobs, the first monthly decline since November 2016. However, the decline was entirely the result of fewer part-time positions while full-time employment actually expanded  by 7,000 jobs. The provincial unemployment rate edged up 0.2 points to 5.3 per cent.  Over the past twelve months, the BC economy has added 87,000 new jobs including 99,200 full-time jobs at the expense of part-time employment which has fallen by 12,200.

Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission. 

Home buyer activity returned to more typical summer levels in Metro Vancouver last month.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in the region* totalled 2,960 in July 2017, an 8.2 per cent decrease from the 3,226 sales recorded in July 2016, and a decrease of 24 per cent compared to June 2017 when 3,893 homes sold. 

Last month’s sales were 0.7 per cent above the 10-year July sales average. “Housing demand is inconsistent across the region right now. Pockets of the market are still receiving multiple offers and others are not. It depends on price, property type, and location,” Jill Oudil, REBGV president said. “For example, it’s taking twice as long, on average, for a detached home to sell compared to both townhomes and condominiums.”

There were 5,256 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in July 2017. This represents a 0.3 per cent increase compared to the 5,241 homes listed in July 2016 and an 8.1 per cent decrease compared to June 2017 when 5,721 homes were listed.

The total number of properties currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 9,194, a 10.1 per cent increase compared to July 2016 (8,351) and an eight per cent increase compared to June 2017 (8,515). “Because home sale activity decreased to more historically normal levels in July, the selection of homes for sale in the region was able to edge above 9,000 for the first time this year,” Oudil, said.

For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for July 2017 is 32.2 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 16.9 per cent for detached homes, 44.9 per cent for townhomes, and 62 per cent for condominiums. Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,019,400. This represents an 8.7 per cent increase over July 2016 and a 2.1 per cent increase compared to June 2017.

Sales of detached properties in July 2017 reached 949, a decrease of 11.9 per cent from the 1,077 detached sales recorded in July 2016. The benchmark price for detached properties is $1,612,400. This represents a 1.9 per cent increase from July 2016 and a 1.5 per cent increase compared to June 2017.

Sales of apartment properties reached 1,468 in July 2017, a decrease of 8.4 per cent compared to the 1,602 sales in July 2016. The benchmark price of an apartment property is $616,600. This represents an 18.5 per cent increase from July 2016 and a 2.7 per cent increase compared to June 2017.

Attached property sales in July 2017 totalled 543, a decrease of 0.7 per cent compared to the 547 sales in July 2016. The benchmark price of an attached unit is $763,700. This represents an 11.9 per cent increase from July 2016 and a 2.4 per cent increase compared to June 2017.    

*Areas covered by the 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.