Year to date the average price of $332,700 for a home in Saskatoon represents a decline of 4% from a year ago. By comparison in the past three years, the third quarter average price was $347,165 in 2017 and $352,103 in 2016. Although much focus in real estate is on the average price, the average can be misleading and is easily skewed. A better indicator of what is happening with home prices is the Home Price Index.
The Home Price Index establishes attributes for a typical single family home with a base value in 2005. From that starting point, changes in value are recorded over time to get a better sense of what is happening to pricing and where prices are trending. The value for the typical single family home in January of 2005 was $140,400. This value reached its peak in May of 2015 at $329,500. Currently, this value is at $312,200 which is the highest level for 2018 and is virtually unchanged from a month earlier. The Benchmark price for a typical Townhouse style property in Saskatoon was $219,700 last month, this is the lowest point since April of 2007 when the value was $205,300. For apartment style properties, the Benchmark value of $176,200 in September was the first increase since December of 2007 when the value was at $190,600. For more information on HPI go to saskatoonrealtors.ca .
Active listings in Saskatoon continued to shrink with year over year decline of 7%. In Saskatoon at the end of September there were 1,944 active listings compared to 2,082 a year ago. Active listings are higher in the region surrounding the city which includes the cities of Martensville and Warman. At the end of September there were 1,161 available properties compared to 1,086 for the surrounding area. The decline in available properties is mostly attributable to an overall decline in new listings coming on the market. Year to date, there were 6,521 properties listed in the city of Saskatoon, a decline of 11% compared to 2017. In the month of September, there were 648 new listings in Saskatoon.
By comparison in September of 2017 there were 767 new listings and 779 in 2016. “It seems that sellers who are not highly motivated are choosing to wait until conditions are more favourable to sell.” Comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®. “Currently we are in a buyers market with elevated levels of inventory and downward trending prices for most properties.” He adds.
In the month of September, there were 268 residential sales on the MLS®. This is similar to September of 2017. The total number of sales for the first three quarters of 2018 was 2,679, a 5% decline from last year. By comparison, in the first three months of 2016, there were 2,935 sales in the city of Saskatoon.
REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®.
Saskatoon August 2, 2018
The month of July saw a significant increase of over 25% in the year-over-year Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) sales activity with a total of 390 unit sales in the month. This compares with 310 transactions in July of 2017. Total MLS® transactions for Saskatoon year to date was down 3.3% with 2,082 home sales compared to 2,152 to the end of July 2017.
“Although one month does not constitute a trend, it is very encouraging to see such a significant increase in activity during a month when many buyers typically leave town on vacation” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®. Other positive indicators are a decline in the number of new MLS® listings coming on to the market.
A total of 710 new MLS® listings in July represented a decrease of 10% over last year and well below the five year average of 830 listings. Fewer new listings combined with an increase in sales reduced the number of active listings from 2,109 in June to 2,048 at the end of July. The five year average for active MLS® listings is 1,977 units. “Lower inventory levels will help move the market from a buyer’s market towards balance and stabilize home prices.” adds Yochim.
MLS® sales below $200,000 totaled 57 transactions in July, 55% higher than July of 2017, while year to date sales increased by 26% with 307 transactions. Homes that sold between $300-400,000 on the MLS® in July showed an increase of 27% over the previous July while year to date the number of sales in this price range totaled 1,229, a decline of 5%. Home sales in excess of $400,000 totaled 540 transactions year to date, a decline of 12% over the previous year.
The Home Price Index (HPI) Value for single family residential home sales in Saskatoon took a slight decrease in July of 0.1% to $315,400 compared to $315,800 at the end of June. The HPI measures the change in value over time for a typical single family home with a standard set of attributes. This rate of change reports similar to the Consumer Price Index and is the most accurate indicator of home pricing.
The HPI value for townhouse style residences continued on its upward trend, increasing by 1.2% for the month to $234,400. For more information on HPI go to saskatoonrealtors.ca . Year-to-date, the average sale price was $334,676, a 4.1% decrease from the same period last year. Average prices can be misleading as outlier sales can skew the average sale value one way or the other over a short period of time. This is why the median price of HPI value is a better indicator of the market.
Last month, the average home in Saskatoon took 49 days to sell in Saskatoon last month. The five year average for days to sell in the month of July is 48 days.
REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®.
Jason Yochim
Saskatoon July 4th, 2018
At the midway point of the year, the total dollar volume for residential MLS® sales in Saskatoon sits at $565,435,958. This is down 12% from last year and represents the lowest volume in ten years. In June of 2007, the total dollar volume for residential MLS® sales was $550,023,364. “This is a reflection of a decrease in sales volume coupled with a decrease in pricing” according to Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®. Year-to-date residential MLS® sales of 1,693 homes are down 8%. Last month there were 350 MLS® home sales, an 11% decline from last June and the lowest number for June in 10 years. The median home sale price of $316,500 is at its lowest point this year, down from $330,000 in January. The Home Price Index (HPI) Value for single family residential home sales in Saskatoon continued its slow but steady increase from February and was at $315,800 at the end of June. The HPI Value for single-family residential reached its highest level in May of 2015 at $331,800. The HPI measures the change in value over time for a typical single family home with a standard set of attributes. This rate of change reports similar to the Consumer Price Index and is the most accurate indicator of home pricing. The HPI value for apartment style residences has been on a steady decline since January but appears to have leveled out at $179,100. HPI value for townhouse style residences has been trending up sharply since March and was at $231,600. For more information on HPI go to saskatoonrealtors.ca .
Year-to-date, the average sale price was $333,985, a 5% decrease from the same period last year. The highest average residential sale price for June was in 2015 at $361,719. Average prices can be misleading as outlier sales can skew the average sale value one way or the other over a short period of time. This is why the median price of HPI value is a better indicator of the market.
Inventory levels continue to be elevated with 2,109 residential properties available on the MLS® in Saskatoon at the end of June. This is just slightly above the five year average for active listings which is 1,990. The sales to listing ratio remained virtually unchanged from a year ago at 40%. The sales to listing ratio is a comparison of the number of sales for a period of time to the number of new listings. This number reflects that four out of every ten homes that hit the market end up selling. In reality this percentage is likely lower as many homeowners that do not sell will cancel their current listing and relist often at a different price. This elevates the true number of listings relative to sales. Last month, the average home in Saskatoon took 47 days to sell in Saskatoon last month, unchanged from May of this year.
REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®.
Jason Yochim
Saskatoon June 1, 2018
Fewer homeowners seem ready to put their home on the market this year compared to last. In May, a total of 943 properties were added on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Saskatoon representing a 9% decrease from last May. Year to date there were 13% fewer homes listed year to date in Saskatoon.
The total number of active listings in Saskatoon at the end of May was 2,001, just slightly above the five year average of, 1,945 units. “Typically we see the highest number of active listings between May and September.” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®, “It’s the most active time in our market largely due to favorable weather.” He adds. Inventory levels for active MLS® listings reached an all-time high in July of last year with 2,210 homes for sale in Saskatoon. At the current rate of sales, it would take five and a half months to liquidate the current stock of active listings.
In May there were 364 home sales, a decrease of 13% from last May. Year-to-date sales for Saskatoon are down 7% with a total of 1,345 residential MLS® home sales. Home sales so far this year have declined in every price range with the exception of homes under $200,000 which saw a 30% increase for a total of 203 sales. The price range with the greatest decline in sales were homes priced between $450-500,000 with a year-to-date total of 85 sales, a 17% drop from last year. Homes selling between $750,000 and $1M are on par with last year at 19 sales. Homes in excess of $1M, however, are off sharply with three MLS® sales year to date. In 2017, there were three home sales in May alone over $1M and nine year to date.
The sales to listing ratio has decreased from 43% in April to 39% in May. The sales to listing ratio is a comparison of the number of sales for a period of time to the number of new listings. “Saskatoon remains a buyer’s market. However, homes that are priced to market and in good condition will still command great interest and in some cases competing offers.” comments Yochim. Last month, the average home in Saskatoon took 47 days to sell in Saskatoon last month, this is the lowest time to sell so far this year.
Year-to-date, the average sale price was $334,449, a 4% decrease from the same period last year. Since averages can be misleading, a better reflection of the market is the median. The median home sale price year to date is $320,000. The five year average for median residential home sale prices in Saskatoon is $341,980.
The Home Price Index Composite Benchmark Price (HPI) continued in an upward trend for most home types (except apartment style) again in May. The HPI is the most accurate indicator of where home prices are trending. For more information on HPI go to saskatoonrealtors.ca .
REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®
Saskatoon May 1, 2018
Residential home sales in Saskatoon were 6.7% higher than April of last year with 335 units selling last month. This represents a third of home sales in Saskatoon so far this year. Although the year to date sales for the first four months of 2018 is down 4.8% over the same period in 2017, last month’s increase in sales helped to close the gap. The increase in April sales also was a welcome reversal of a two month trend of declining sales for February and March. Unit sales for April showed increases for homes priced under $350,000. Of the 202 sales in April under $350,000, 73 were condominiums. Homes that sold between $400,000 and $450,000 showed a 30% increase in sales in April over the same month last year with 39 sales. “Homes that are properly priced in that entry level have been seeing competing offers in many cases.” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®
Also of note, year to date there have only been two residential sales over $1M in Saskatoon compared with six for the first four months in 2017. The number of active residential properties for sale in Saskatoon at the end of April was 1,834 units. This is consistent with the five year average of 1,830. This is largely due to a decrease in the number of new listings brought to the market. The number of new listings for the first third of 2018 was 2,594 compared to 3,024. This represents more than a 14% decline year over year.
The sales to listing ratio increased to 43% from 37% a year ago. The sales to listing ratio is a comparison of the number of sales for a period of time to the number of new listings. “Although the sales to listing ratio is moving towards balance, I emphasize we are still in a buyer’s market” cautions Yochim. The increase in this ratio in April was largely due to the 6.5% reduction in new listings and the comparative 6.7% increase in sales. Last month, the average home in Saskatoon took 53 days to sell compared with the five year average of 47 days.
The average sale price saw its first increase this year by 1.75% to $318,729 in April. For the first quarter of 2018, the average home sale price in Saskatoon was $333,826. Since averages can be misleading, a better reflection of the market is the median. The median home sale price increased slightly from March to $320,000. The five year average for median residential home sale prices in Saskatoon is $332,650.
The Home Price Index Composite Benchmark Price (HPI) increased slightly for the second straight month to $294,100. This appears to indicate an upward trend for home prices going forward. The HPI is the most accurate indicator of where home prices are trending. For more information on HPI go to saskatoonrealtors.ca
REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®.
Jason Yochim CAE, CRAE
Winters in Saskatchewan can be harsh. It may be stating the obvious, but even
with a relatively mild winter, the cold, snow, and ice can cause plenty of
changes to the exterior of your home. This is what you need to help you make
your way into Summer:
Inspect and clean your eavestrough: When it comes to your gutters, clean is best. Even if
you tidied things up last fall before the snow came it is important to check these again.
Leaves, twigs, and debris will continue to gather on your roof through the late fall and
winter. When the snow melts everything gets washed into your eavestrough, threatening to
clog your downspouts.
Check outside taps for drips: The climate in the winter can cause the seals and gaskets in
our outside taps to become dry and brittle causing them to leak. The seals and gaskets are
inexpensive to replace. If you notice any leaks to your taps, ask one of your friendly sales
associates at a local hardware store for advice and you’ll be on your way to saving on your
water bills.
Check shingles for wear and damage: Shingles are one of the most important components
of your home. A leaky roof can cause damage to the roof sheathing, the insulation, and even
the drywall on your ceiling. Most asphalt shingles should last for 25 years or more, but they
do get brittle and worn over time and may need to be replaced. A visual inspection of your
roof should be done every year. A roofing contractor can help you with this.
Give landscaping some TLC: Your lawn, garden, and flower beds have taken a beating over
the past six months. Let’s face it, they’ve been outside all winter. Lawns should be thatched
and aerated and mulch and compost should be added to gardens and flower beds. As a
bonus, gardening is a great form of relaxation.
Tait Real Estate
Saskatoon April 3, 2018.
In the first quarter of 2018 there were 648 residential home sales in Saskatoon, this represented an 11% decline year over year from 2017. The year over year decrease in home sales for the month of March was 24% with just 234 residential transactions last month. The number of new listings introduced on the MLS® for Saskatoon is also down for the quarter with 2,183 in 2017 compared to 1,807 so far this year.
Active residential listings in Saskatoon at the end of March totaled 1,670 for both single and multi-family homes, consistent with the five year average of 1,695. This current level of inventory would take just over seven months to liquidate at the current rate of sales.
The reduction in active listings is not only the result of fewer homes being listed on the market. “Some sellers may have decided not to relist their home just yet, opting to wait for the more active spring market to try their luck.” according to Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR) “Many sellers believe that spring is the best time to sell” he adds. The real indicator of success in selling is correct pricing based on what else is competition in the market and the current market conditions relative to supply and demand. “A REALTOR® is the best person to provide insightful and objective advice on this critical element.”
The sales to listing ratio is a comparison of the number of sales for a period of time to the number of new listings. The intent of this ratio is to attempt to determine if it is a buyers or seller’s market. A ratio between 40% and 60% is considered to be a balanced market. A ratio below that is considered a buyer’s market and above, a seller’s market. The sales-to-listing ratio for March was 35%, down slightly from the five year average of 40%. Last month, the average home in Saskatoon took 64 days to sell compared with 47 days in March of 2017. The five year average for the Saskatoon market is 50 days.
The average year to date residential sale price continued its steady decline by 2%. For the first quarter of 2018, the average home sale price in Saskatoon was $333,826. Since averages can be misleading, a better reflection of the market is the median. The median home sale price continued to decline from $330,000 in January, to $317,250 in March. In March of 2017, the median price was just slightly higher at $320,000. The five year average for median residential home sale prices in Saskatoon is $330,000.
The Home Price Index Composite Benchmark Price (HPI) increased slightly for the first time since June of 2017 to $293,200. By comparison this value was last seen in February of 2012. The highest point reached by the HPI was $319,600 in May of 2015. The recent decline in the HPI showed signs of slowing in January of 2018.The HPI is the most accurate indicator of where home prices are trending. For more information on HPI go to saskatoonrealtors.ca.
A year over year decline in home sales and new listings in February contributed to a declining availability of homes in the Saskatoon market. At the end of last month, there was a total of 1,588 active residential listings in Saskatoon. This represented a 4% decline from a year ago when there were 1,659 properties available. Although the number of sale transactions in February, 211, represented a 6% decline from the same month last year, strong sales in January helped the overall sales year to date to remain 1% ahead of last year.
Year to date, a total of 413 residential sales have been recorded on the MLS® in the city of Saskatoon. In February, REALTORS® in Saskatoon listed a total of 1,159 residential properties, this is a 14% decline compared to last February’s number of 1,332. In February of 2016, a total of 1,410 homes were listed for sale. The number of transactions that occurred in Saskatoon was 203 units which represents an 11% increase over January of 2017.
The overall dollar volume for home sales in Saskatoon was just under $70 million which is a 6% decline from last February. The year to date total volume of transactions is unchanged from last year at $139 million. Year to date sales in the region surrounding Saskatoon, which includes the cities of Warman and Martensville, totaled 122 units representing a 14% increase. The overall dollar volume for this surrounding market was just under $39.5 million for the first two months of the year, an increase of 12% compared to last year.
“For the past couple of years inventory levels have hovered around 2,000 available properties.” Comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR) “It is definitely a positive trend to see inventory levels shrinking, this is helpful for slowing price decline.” he adds. The average sale price for a home in Saskatoon slipped 1% in February.
The Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark value declined only very slightly in the last 30 days to $292,800. Although this is its lowest point since February of 2012 the decline in the composite price appears to be slowing. With the exception of a couple of months in the spring of last year, the HPI composite value has been in an overall decline since August of 2016 when the value was $317,600.
In April of 2018, the REALTORS® of Prince Albert will be joining forces with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® increasing the number of full members to nearly 700 licensed and knowledgeable REALTORS® who can provide sound market advice. This partnership will benefit home buyers and sellers through stronger government advocacy and access to tools and resources to our members to enhance their service to consumers. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®.
Saskatoon, February 2, 2018
January home sales in Saskatoon are off to a positive start in 2018. The number of transactions that occurred in Saskatoon was 203 units which represents an 11% increase over January of 2017. The five year average for January is 194 units. Last month’s sales activity also resulted in an increase in the overall dollar volume of 10.5% to $90,673,143 representing the highest dollar volume for January since 2014. Sales in the region surrounding Saskatoon, which includes the cities of Warman and Martensville showed a 27.5% increase with 65 transactions and an 11.7% increase in dollar volume at $18,049,600.
“While it is still very early in the year, the past three months have shown trends of increasing sales for Saskatoon, which is certainly a positive sign after many months of lower sales.” according to Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR) “It is good to see inventory levels shrinking as well which will help with upward pressure on pricing in time.” he adds.
The average and median home price in Saskatoon in January also increased. The average sale price for a home in Saskatoon was $344,771, up 1% from last January, while the median price increased by 4.1% to 330,000. Significant increases in the number of homes selling in the higher price ranges contributed to these upward pricing changes. Overall the number of sales between $400,000 and $1M increased by 45% with 64 sales. The number of homes that sold in January between $500,000 and $750,000 made up just over a third of the 64 transactions. The number of home sales between $200,000 and $300,000 remained strong and consistent with last January at 56 transactions. Many of these would be multi-family sales which helps to absorb inventory in that sector of the market.
The Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark value declined by 4.1% in January to $293,300, its lowest point since February of 2012. With the exception of a couple of months in the spring of last year, the HPI composite value has been in an overall decline since August of 2016 when the value was $317,600. “If inventory levels continue to decline due to absorption and fewer properties being listed, home prices should expect to see some increase later in the year.” predicts Yochim. The number of active listings in Saskatoon at the end of January was 1,529, the lowest level in the past three years for January and a 4% reduction from last year. This was aided by the increase in sales and a 14% decline in the number of new listings for January.
In April of 2018, the REALTORS® of Prince Albert will be joining forces with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® increasing the number of full members to nearly 700 licensed and knowledgeable REALTORS® who can provide sound market advice. This partnership will benefit home buyers and sellers through stronger government advocacy and access to tools and resources to our members to enhance their service to consumers. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®.
Jason Yochim CAE, CRAE
Saskatoon, January 2, 2018
Home sales of 205 units in Saskatoon, was up 11% in December when compared to the same month in 2016. Sales activity in the area surrounding Saskatoon saw a 13% increase for December. This increase in activity could be partially attributed to the mortgage rule changes for conventional buyers that took effect January 1st 2018. Home buyers with 20% or more down payment now have to qualify at an interest rate that is 200 basis points higher than the posted rate, or the Bank of Canada’s five-year rate, whichever is higher. Listing activity on the other hand, declined dramatically with an 18% reduction in new listings for December year over year.
“This decrease in listing activity could be the result of seller’s fatigue from having been on the market for an extended time period without securing an offer.” according to Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR) “The increase in December sales and decline in hew listings is a positive for decreasing high inventory levels” he adds.
The year to date story for 2017 however is one that indicates a slower market overall when compared to 2016. The overall sales volume recorded by the SRAR was just short of $1.6 Billion for the year representing a 9% decrease from 2016. This is the third straight year of decline since the $2.1 Billion market peak realized in 2014. Home sales of 3,491 units in Saskatoon for 2017 represented a 5% decline from 2016. This is significantly lower than the five year average of 3,957 sales. In 2017 there was a total of 8,972 homes listed for sale in the Saskatoon market representing a 3% decline from the year previous. The sales-to-listing ratio for the year was 35%, which is a ratio of the number of sales for the year when compared to the number of new listings. In other words, roughly a third of the homes listed for sale ended up actually selling. The number of days on market for a home in Saskatoon in December was 61. This was a sharp increase from 51 in December of 2016 as well as the five year average of 52 days.
Not surprisingly, with lower sales and still a large inventory of homes to choose from, home prices continued to see downward pressure. The median price for a home in Saskatoon declined by 3.3% in December to $324,000 while the average price showed a half point decline to $339,520 for the month. The Home Price Index (HPI) composite benchmark value declined by 3.7% in December to $295,100, its lowest point since March of 2012. The HPI composite value has been in an overall decline since August of 2016 when the value was $317,600.
“Successfully selling a home in this current market requires more than information” comments Yochim “Sellers need the guidance to understand how historical sales data impacts their pricing decision.”
The Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® has a membership of just over 600 licensed and knowledgeable REALTORS® who can provide sound market advice. REALTORS® also subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession.
For further information, please contact:
Jason Yochim CAE, CRAE
Chief Executive Officer
Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®
Saskatoon, December 1, 2017
Home sales in Saskatoon for the month of November were up 7% compared to November of 2016 with a total of 257 residential sales. This increase could be attributed to ideal conditions for home buyers combined with impending mortgage rule changes slated for January that will affect conventional borrowers.
The year to date sales however, reflected a 6% decrease with 3,287 transactions. Homes that sold between $300-500,000, made up 1,606 of the year to date sales, or roughly half of the residential sales. Although homes in this price range are the most active segment of the market place, activity in this range has declined by nearly 12% compared to the first eleven months of 2016. Sales activity for homes that sold between $750-1,000,000 remained unchanged compared to last year with a total of 45 units. Homes that sold in excess of $1,000,000 was slightly down year over year with 14 sales compared to 16 in 2016.
Home sales in the market surrounding Saskatoon showed a significant bump in activity in November with 71 transactions, or a 22% increase from November 2016. Of these sales, 34 occurred in the cities of Martensville and Warman in November, compared to 26 last November. Inventory levels also continue to be elevated in the areas and cities in the Saskatoon region where there was 926 available properties for sale at the end of November.
The number of active residential listings that were on the market at the end of November was 1,826, 8% higher than last year. The number of new listings added to the market in November was 583 compared to 652 in the same month last year. The sales to listing ratio compares the number of sales for the month, relative to the number of new listings. The sales to listing ratio for Saskatoon in November was 44.4%.
In November it took an average number of 58 days for a home to sell in Saskatoon. “If you are looking for a home, this is an ideal time with plenty of selection in most price ranges and areas as well as low interest rates” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®, “As for sellers who need to sell, they need to have a true sense of the market and price accordingly to sell within the average number of days.” He adds.
The average price continued to decline. The MLS® Composite Home Price Index (HPI) Benchmark Price continued its steady decline for several months, down by 4.05% from a year ago. The Composite HPI measures the rate of change in a benchmark price for a typical home and is the most accurate indicator of pricing direction in a market..
The Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® has a membership of just over 600 licensed and knowledgeable REALTORS® who can provide sound market advice. REALTORS® also subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession.
For further information, please contact:
Jason Yochim CAE, CRAE
Chief Executive Officer
Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®
Saskatoon, November 3, 2017
Conditions remain ideal for those in search of a new home in Saskatoon. There was a total of 1,967 active listings at the end of October in Saskatoon plus an additional 1,022 available residential properties in the region outside Saskatoon. This is an increase of almost 12% in active residential listings compared to the same point last year. With upcoming mortgage rule changes in the new year, relatively low interest rates and more available homes, this is an ideal time for buyers to tie up that purchase.
The sales to listing ratio for Saskatoon was just over 40% in Saskatoon in October. This means that for every 10 homes that were listed, four were successfully sold. The number of sales for October in Saskatoon was 287 units. Although this was an 8% decline compared to October 2016, it represented an increase of 10% over September's sales of 262. Year to date sales for Saskatoon a the end of last month were 3,030 units which is a 6.7% decrease for the same period last year. Year to date a total of 8,069 home were placed on the market in Saskatoon, down slightly from 8,217 the previous year.
“I expect that there may be a slight spike in sales as the year winds down” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®, “this would be due to recently introduced mortgage qualification rules for conventional buyers plus a sense of upward pressure on interest rates.” The federal government continues to address issues with overheated markets in Canada's two largest cities. These rule changes however affect local real estate markets much differently.
The average days on market for a home in Saskatoon was 54 days which is unchanged from September and slightly higher when compared to October of 2016 where it took an average of 50 days to sell. Not surprising, with higher inventory levels, and declines in sales, the average selling price for a home in Saskatoon continues to decrease, with a year over year decline of 3.2% to $331,889.
The Median price however remained unchanged at $330,000. The MLS® Composite Home Price Index (HPI) Benchmark Price increased by 5.1% to $328,600. The Composite HPI measures the rate of change in a benchmark price for a typical home and is the most accurate indicator of pricing direction in a market. This increase would suggest that in spite of a decline in the average home price, the trend is moving upward for home prices.
The Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® has a membership of just over 600 licensed and knowledgeable REALTORS® who can provide sound market advice. REALTORS® also subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession.
Jason Yochim CAE, CRAE
Chief Executive Officer
Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®
