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不止是有点暖,是高烧~# K9 f( a6 y C4 J
' ~( m3 L4 S; ~http://www.edmontonjournal.com/b ... ?cid=megadrop_story
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1 ^, {7 v' @3 `, b. EEdmonton sees 26% spike in luxury-home sales
, }( t/ D; i3 L9 @3 X- y+ h High-end houses defy real estate cooling trend
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EDMONTON — While homebuying activity is cooling in Edmonton, luxury-home sales are picking up, says a new national report by ReMax.
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“One area of the market that has outperformed all others is the upper end,” said the ReMax Market Trends Report Fall 2010 released Tuesday.
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Sales of homes priced more than $700,000 are up 26 per cent over 2009, with 240 upscale properties changing hands as of August, compared to 190 units for the same period last year, it said. / n. ]$ a9 d, @+ Z5 m) V
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Fifty-five homes in the Edmonton area have sold for more than $1 million.
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The urgency in Edmonton’s residential housing market — prompted by tighter lending policies and the threat of higher interest rates earlier in the year — has given way to more stable conditions heading into the fourth quarter of 2010, the report said.4 b0 o" b' T7 k" E
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“Positive announcements in the oil and gas sector should spur renewed activity in residential real estate — as evidenced in the first few weeks of September.
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4 ~% s$ x+ |5 m“Despite recent hikes, interest rates remain attractive with a five-year closed hovering at four per cent. The outlook for the remainder of the year is stable, with no real fluctuations in either sales or price.”- C0 }* I, `% c; n7 [* S
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Year-to-date sales have slipped 14 per cent to 11,773 units, compared to 13,694 during the same period a year earlier, the report said.. n5 s9 e( O [% O4 z9 P
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The sales-to-listing ratio is now 47 per cent, down from 59 per cent in 2009, but up from 42 per cent in 2008.
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Average price is holding steady, up about four cent to $332,789 in 2010, about $12,500, or 3.9 per cent, higher than a year ago when the residential average was $320,289, the report said.
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Inventory levels are up marginally over last year, but down from peak levels reached in 2007 and 2008, ReMax said.
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. Q& Z* G5 b/ I- H0 I“As a result, the housing market has been characterized as balanced, slightly favouring the buyer,” the report said.
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First-time buyers in Edmonton remain most active, driving sales of single-family homes between $250,000 and $350,000. Condos represent 34 per cent of residential sales.# h) ]7 N; |: M
/ Q1 M( H" s& Y" o" V Q0 _An influx of new units recently has pushed up supply, putting downward pressure on condo prices, according to the report. Tighter lending rules, requiring a 20-per-cent down payment, “is proving to be detrimental to investment activity.”
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" J8 e Z: V/ zThe report, which covered trends and developments in 19 major centres from January to August, found year-to-date sales ahead of 2009 levels in 11 markets.
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Prices were up year-over-year in all cities, with five experiencing double-digit gains in 2010: Vancouver, St. John’s, Sudbury, Winnipeg and the Greater Toronto Area.
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" j! L6 n/ d( S2 P, S: K: z“We cleaned up in the first quarter of 2010 because housing activity during the same period one year earlier was dismal,” said Elton Ash, regional executive vice-president of ReMax, Western Canada.+ i3 ?5 R1 F( f
7 b6 z% P$ J# x“We’re now comparing the second half of the year to 2009 and falling short of expectations. Looking at the big picture however, the market remains healthy.” |
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