Last month, there was steady home buyer demand with a decrease in home seller supply across Metro Vancouver. According to the Real Estate Board (REBGV), there were 2,150 residential home sales last month which is a 44.9% increase from the same month last year and a 36.9% increase from last month. However, February 2020 sales were 15.6% below the 10-year February sales average.

“Home buyer demand again saw strong year-over-year increases in February while the total inventory of homes for sale struggled to keep pace,” Ashley Smith, REBGV president said. “This was most pronounced in the condominium market.”

There has been a 2.8% increase in MLS listings compared to February 2019 for detached, attached and apartment homes on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in February 2020 which brings it to 4,002 units. This also represents a 3.4% increase compared to last month.

There has been a 20.7% decrease compared to February 2019 and a 6.7% increase compared to January 2020 for numbers of homes currently listed for sale.

"Our Realtors are reporting increased traffic at open houses and multiple offer scenarios in certain pockets of the market. If you’re considering listing your home for sale, now is a good time to act with increased demand, reduced competition from other sellers, and some upward pressure on prices," says Smith.

The sales-to-active listings ration for last month is 23.4% across all property types. A breakdown of this ratio is as follows:

- Detached Homes - 17.3%
- Townhomes - 26.9%
- Apartments - 28.4%

For all residential properties in Metro Vancouver, the MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price is currently at $1,020,600 which is a 0.3% increase in comparison to February 2019 and a 2.7% increase over the past six months.

A breakdown of February 2020 sales is as follows:

- Detached Homes - There were 685 sales which is a 52.9% increase from February 2019. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,433,900 which is a 0.7% decrease from February 2019 and a 1.9% increase over the past six months.

- Apartment Homes - There were 1,061 sales which is a 39.8% increase from February 2019. The benchmark price for an apartment property is $677,200 which is a 0.9% increase from February 2019 and a 3.6% increase over the past six months.

- Attached Homes - There were 404 sales which is a 45.8% increase from February 2019.The benchmark price of an attached home is $785,000 which is a 0.6% increase from February 2019 and a 1.7% increase over the past six months.

Source: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV)

2018 is a wrap and today, we bring you the December 2018 Metro Vancouver Housing Market Report. Overall, Metro Vancouver home sales last year were the lowest annual total in the region since 2000. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that sales of detached, attached and apartment properties reached 24,619 on MLS® in 2018 which is 31.6% decrease from 2017 and a 38.4% decrease from 2016. The sales total in 2018 was 25% below the region's 10-year sales average.

Below is an infographic put out by the REBGV highlighting some key elements.

“This past year has been a transition period for the Metro Vancouver housing market away from the sellers’ market conditions we experienced in previous years,” Phil Moore, REBGV president said. “High home prices, rising interest rates and new mortgage requirements and taxes all contributed to the market conditions we saw in 2018.”

“The supply of homes for sale will be an important indicator to follow in 2019. We’ve had record building activity in recent years and many projects will complete soon. This will provide additional housing options for home buyers across the region,” Moore said.

The MLS® HPI composite benchmark price for all residential homes in Metro Vancouver ends the year at $1,032,400. This is a 2.7% decrease compared to December 2017.

Looking at residential home sales in the Greater Vancouver region, there was a 46.8% decrease in comparison to December 2017 from 2,016 sales to 1,072. This is 43.3% below the 10-year December sales average.

For a detailed look at the December 2018 statistics package, click here.

For all your real estate needs, contact our office at info@wesellvancouver.ca or alternatively, at 604-716-6155.

Another month has come and gone which means we have more monthly statistics to bring you! Looking at the residential property sales, October saw a total of 2,233 units sold which is a 38.8% decrease compared to October 2015 and a 0.9% decrease compared to September 2016. Sales last month were 15% below the 10-year October sales average.

“Changing market conditions compounded by a series of government interventions this year have put home buyers and sellers in a holding pattern,” Dan Morrison, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) president said. “Potential buyers and sellers are taking a wait-and-see approach to try and better understand what these changes mean for them.”

New listings for Metro Vancouver detached, attached and apartment properties saw a decrease of 3.5% compared to October 2015 (from 4,126 down to 3,981 units) and a decrease of 17% from last month's 4,799 listed properties. There was a 4.5% decrease in total number of current properties in Metro Vancouver listed for sale on MLS® compared to October 2015 (from 9,569 to 9,143) and a 2.3% decrease from last month's 9,354 units.

“While sales are down across the different property types, it’s the detached market that’s seen the largest reduction in home buyer demand in recent months,” Morrison said. “It’s important to work with your local REALTOR® to help you navigate today’s changing trends.”

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $919,300. This represents a 24.8% increase compared to October 2015 and a 0.8% decline compared to September 2016.

Source: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver has a Listed vs. Sold section on their website which graphically represents the comparison between number of units listed vs. number of units actually sold. You have the ability to select a neighbourhood and property type within that neighbourhood to get a visual representation of that data in a graph format. Below is an example of the Vancouver West - Detached statistics.

The graph displays data for a one-year period and displays the following information on a month-to-month basis: units listed, units sold and active listings. To check out other neighbourhoods and property types, take a look at their website here.

Looking back at the housing statistics of Metro Vancouver, there has been a steady increase in demand in the month of March. According to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV), residential property sales in Greater Vancouver topped out at 4,060 just last month. In comparison to the same month last year, there has been a 53.7% increase in unit sales and a 32.6% increase in comparison to February 2015. It has been noted that there has been strong competition amongst home buyers as there have been multiple offer situations and there has been some upward pressure on home prices. 

5,968 new listings in March for detached, attached and apartment properties within the Metro Vancouver area were recorded. In contrast to March 2014 totals, this represents a 13% increase. However, the total number of properties actively listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service has moved in the opposite direction with a 14.5% decline in comparison to March 2015 listings.

According to the REBGV president, Darcy McLeod, "[t]he number of homes for sale today is below what's typical for this time of year. If you've been considering putting your property on the market, these market conditions indicate that now may be a good time to list".

The Metro Vancouver residential properties benchmark price is currently sitting at $660,700. The sales-to-active-listings ratio is at an all-time high since July 2007 with a ratio of 32.8%.

For all your real estate needs, contact us at info@wesellvancouver.ca or alternatively at 604-801-6654.

In strata developments, parking areas and storage lockers are not all allocated in the same way. The specific rights of owners or tenants to use parking stalls or storage lockers vary depending on how the use of these areas has been allocated in the development.

Verifying use can be a puzzling problem for REALTORS®.

As of January 14, 2014, the process is easier because of changes to the Strata Property Act.

Strata corporations must now identify parking spaces and storage lockers associated with units on the new Information Certificate (Form B) given to potential buyers and anyone authorized by the
owner or buyer.

REALTORS® assisting clients buying or selling strata property should review the development’s strata plan to determine whether parking and storage areas are
designated as:
• a separate strata lot or part of a strata lot;
• limited common property; or
• common property.

The strata lot or part of a strata lot

This is any part of the registered strata plan identified with boundaries or as a separate strata lot and owned solely by the owner.
• Parking and storage areas may be designated on the strata plan as a separate strata lot or part of a strata lot.
• Parking and storage areas intended for commercial use can be designated as a separate strata lot, and will have their own strata lot number.
• Parking and storage areas intended to be used in conjunction with a residential strata lot can’t be a separate strata lot, but can be designated as part of the strata lot and so share the same strata lot number as the residential unit.
• A parking or storage area designated as part of a strata lot will always be owned by the strata lot owner, and a strata lot owner will transfer ownership of these areas to a purchaser upon the sale of their strata lot.

Limited common property (LCP)

Parking and storage areas are designated on the strata plan as LCP for the exclusive use of a particular strata lot. An owner with exclusive use doesn’t own the area, but has the exclusive right to use the area.
• LCP areas are common property owned by all of owners in the strata
corporation in proportion to each strata lot’s unit entitlement.
• If parking and storage areas are designated on the strata plan as common property and aren’t limited to the use of a specific strata lot, a strata corporation can create LCP designations by passing a resolution either by a unanimous vote or a 3/4 vote.
• The right to exclusive use of an LCP area attaches to the strata lot, not to the specific owner. When an owner sells their strata lot, the right to exclusive use of the LCP area automatically transfers to the new owner of the strata lot.

Common Property

Parking and storage areas may be designated on the strata plan as common property. Similar to LCP, common property is owned by all owners in a strata corporation in proportion to their respective unit entitlements.

The use of areas designated as common property can be allocated to owners in three different ways:

1. A grant of exclusive use. The strata corporation can give an owner exclusive rights to use parking and storage areas designated as common property for a maximum term of one year.
• The strata corporation can renew the term, alter conditions, and cancel at any point during the term by giving reasonable notice to the owner.
• The ability to use the common property attaches to the owner and not the strata lot. Vendors can’t contractually assign permission to use parking stalls or storage lockers to new owners, as with a lease.
• The new owner must ask the strata corporation for permission to use the
area exclusively.
• The strata corporation has discretion to grant exclusive use of the same or a different parking or storage area, or deny the new owner the right to use any parking or storage area.

2. An assignment of rights under a lease or licence. When a developer creates a strata development, the developer can grant a lease or licence over parking or storage areas to a related company or to itself (a head lease).
• The developer or related company can assign its lease or licence interest in individual parking or storage areas to buyers of a strata lot in the development.
• Head leases or licences of common property are created in developments with large underground parking and storage areas to enable the developer
to control which buyers are assigned which parking and storage areas after the strata plan is filed.
• Some head leases or licences are worded so the sale of a strata lot to
a buyer automatically triggers an assignment of the individual parking or
storage area to the new buyer. If this isn’t the case, the vendor can contractually assign their lease or licence in the contract of purchase and sale.

3. Common use of parking spaces. A strata plan may contain a parking area
designated as common property that is not allocated to the use of any specific owners.
• Owners can often use common property parking areas on a first-come first-served basis.
• There may also be strata corporation bylaws or rules governing how owners use the parking area.

-source: REBGV

Below find the detailed quarterly sales report for Greater Vancouver. Period covered is APR 01 2013 to JUN 30 2013 and compared to the same period in 2012.

Quarterly Statistical Report

Click image to download a PDF copy.

Below you can see the most recent MLS stats for 2013. 

Vancouver East - MLS Stats July 2013

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Vancouver East - MLS Stats July 2013

Click the image to download a PDF copy.