Area MLS® Sales Soften in June

Over the past several weeks those of us in real estate have noticed the frenetic past of sales we have experienced in the first few months of the year market had slowed.  Fewer multiple offers, and when properties were listed with offers delayed to a future date, those dates came (and went) with no offers made. June's sales results would confirm that the market has slowed however it remains to be seen if this is the beginning of a trend. Personally I do not think so.

  MLS® unit sales as reported by the Southern Georgian Bay Association of REALTORS® (SGBAR) declined 18% from June of 2016.  A total of 254 sales were reported last month down from 308 in 2016 and 7% fewer than the 272 sales reported in June 2015.  Year-to-date MLS® unit sales total 1,392 properties, 14 sales or a mere 1% higher than last year.

  While sales activity may have cooled and perhaps only temporarily, the lack of inventory in our market is clearly having an impact.  New MLS® listings were down 13% in June and they remain 16% below the number of new listings that came to market in 2016.  Whereas new MLS® listings are said to have increased significantly in the Greater Toronto Area, we are not seeing the same trend here meaning it's still very much a seller's market.

 While MLS® unit sales are only marginally ahead of last year, year-to-dateMLS® dollar volume is up 27%.  This stems from the significant increase is property sales over $1 million.  To the end of June there have been 74 sales above $1 million versus just 2 such sales in the first six months of 2016.  Most of these higher dollar value sales are in the Blue Mountains which explains why single family home sales in that municipality are up 29% this year whereas most other area municipalities are showing a decrease in single family home sales year-to-date.  Through the end of June, MLS® dollar volume for the year totals over $634 million up from $499 million in 2016.  Baring a major slowdown in sales activity during the remainder of 2017, we are headed for another year of recording breaking MLS® sales that will exceed $1 billion and this does not include new home sales made by developers.

 See my next post for additional news about sales activity across the various municipalities in our region.  In the meantime, if you are thinking of selling or buying an area property, please feel free to Contact Me for a no obligation consultation about your specific real estate goals.