Real Estate Demand Strongest in Grey Highlands & Collingwood During 1st Quarter 2012

As outlined in my prior posting, area real estate sales for the 1st Quarter of 2012 are up 16% overall  from the same period last year.  Looking at the various municipalities that make up our area there is a mixed bag of sales results year-to-date which are as follows.
The Municipality of Grey Highlands and the Town of Collingwood showed the strongest demand for residential homes in the first Quarter of 2012 with MLS® sales activity up 61% and 45% respectively versus 1st quarter 2011.  Clearview Township and the Town of Wasaga Beach had significant increases in MLS® sales activity in 1st Quarter 2012, up 28% and 22% respectively versus 1st Quarter 2011.  Residential sales in The Blue Mountains for the Quarter were essentially unchanged from 1st Quarter 2011 with 35 MLS® sales reported both this year and last.  Lastly MLS® residential sales activity in the Municipality of Meaford continues to remain soft with sales down 5% in the 1st Quarter of 2012 versus the same Quarter last year. 
  Note, all of the above results are for single residential family homes only.  Condominium sales activity in the 1st Quarter remained consistent with 2011.  A total of 66 MLS® condo sales were reported in the first three months of the year one more than in the first three months of 2011.  Vacant land sales continue to remain sluggish in our area and the reason for this may be the high level of single family home inventory on the market for buyers to choose from.  A total of 20 vacant land sales have reported through the local MLS®  system this year as compared to 27 in the first three months of 2011.  In my next post I will review year-to-date sales activity in the various price ranges throughout our market.  In some instances there has been a significant shift in sales form this time last year.