Rising Rates Continues To Put Pressure On Home Prices in Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge
I hope you and your family are doing well and enjoying the beautiful summer weather we are having. With the kids going back to school they must be so excited to reunite with friends again now that covid restrictions are easing and things seem to be back to normal.
Given that school is now back in session, buyers focus will again turn to the real estate market. Rates are continuing to rise so hopefully we will see the market bottom soon and hold steady. Please keep in mind the stats are now including cambridge board as well with the amalgamation of Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge. Lets take a look….
There were 659 residential homes were sold in August, a decrease of 8.1 per cent compared to August 2021 and 11.2 per cent below the previous 5-year average for the month.
Total residential sales in August included 413 detached (down 0.7 per cent from August 2021), and 117 townhouses (down 24.0 per cent). Sales also included 68 condominium units (down 26.1 per cent) and 61 semi-detached homes (up 10.9 per cent).
While the number of homes sold in August was down on a year-over-year basis they were up almost 19 per cent compared to July. The decline was most pronounced in the apartment-style condo and townhouse categories which could indicate that rising borrowing costs are having a greater impact on first-time buyers and those looking for more affordable options.
In August, the average sale price for all residential properties in Waterloo Region was $750,849. This represents a 0.4 per cent decrease compared to August 2021 and a 0.2 per cent decrease compared to July 2022.
- The average price of a detached home was $851,654. This represents a 3.0 per cent decrease from August 2021 and an increase of 1.1 per cent compared to July 2022.
- The average sale price for a townhouse was $610,725. This represents a 4.2 per cent decrease from August 2021 and a decrease of 5.2 per cent compared to July 2022.
- The average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $464,959. This represents an increase of 4.3 per cent from August 2021 and a decrease of 10.9 per cent compared to July 2022.
- The average sale price for a semi was $655,813. This represents a decrease of 1.0 per cent compared to August 2021 and a decrease of 0.8 per cent compared to July 2022.
WRAR cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing long-term trends but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) provides the best way to gauge price trends because averages are strongly distorted by changes in the mix of sales activity from one month to the next.
| MLS® Home Price Index Benchmark Price | ||||||
| Kitchener-Waterloo | Cambridge | |||||
| Benchmark Type: | August 2022 | Monthly % Change | Yr./Yr. % Change | August 2022 | Monthly % Change | Yr./Yr. % Change |
| Composite | $734,500 | -1.9 | -2.2 | $750,700 | -3.4 | 0.6 |
| Detached | $815,000 | -1.5 | -3.9 | $764,700 | -3.1 | -1.3 |
| Townhouse | $618,400 | -3.8 | 5.4 | $715,200 | -5.9 | 11.7 |
| Apartment | $513,600 | -2.1 | 16.1 | $578,500 | -1.1 | 19.0 |
The announcement by the Bank of Canada to increase its policy rate by 75 basis points to 3.25 per cent is discouraging news for borrowers as it affects their purchasing power, however, we see signs that the market is moving towards more buyer-friendly conditions. There are fewer multiple offers resulting in final sale prices being closer to the asking price or with more conditions accompanying offers. Even so, with inventory still very tight.
There were 933 new listings added last month, an increase of 19.3 per cent compared to August of last year, and a 1.2 per cent increase compared to the previous ten-year average for August.
The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of August was 1,003, an increase of 188.2 per cent compared to August of last year, and 31.8 per cent below the previous ten-year average of 1593 listings for August.
The number of months of inventory is up 250 per cent compared to August of last year, but still historically low. There were 1.4 months of inventory in August 2022, down from 1.8 months in July 2022. The number of months of inventory represents how long it would take to sell off current inventories at the current sales rate.
The average number of days to sell in August was 22, compared to 12 days in August 2021. The previous 5-year average is 22 days.
Average Sales Price – Municipality
Average Sales Price – Township
Monthly Sales By Property Type
Monthly Supply of Homes for Sale
Monthly Median Sales Price – By Property Type
Monthly Average Sales Price – By Property Type
Monthly Average Days on Market
If you are thinking of buying or selling this fall, wondering what the neighbor’s place sold for, or have any questions at all, give me a call, text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbakerrealestate@gmail.com
Enjoy the nice weather and have a great September!
Kevin
Sales Up, Inventory Up and Prices Up in Kitchener Waterloo
I hope you and your family are doing well. Looks like this weekend we will have some nice weather in Waterloo Region so hopefully spring is around the corner. The February stats are out and the market is still moving higher. Lets take a look at the numbers…
The 600 residential homes sold last month is almost on par with February 2021, and an increase of 48.5 per cent compared to the previous month. The previous ten-year average number of residential sales for February is 424.
In January we reported that the average price of a detached home crossed the million-dollar mark for the first time in December. Now in February, we have reached a new milestone with the average sale price of all residential property types coming in at just over one million dollars in the Kitchener-Waterloo and area. While I think it’s premature to suggest this is the new norm, it does reflect the continued appeal of Waterloo Region to buyers. We also need to be aware and recognize the impact this has on affordability for a growing number of people.
Total residential sales in February included 331 detached (down 2.1 per cent from February 2021), and 110 condominium units (up 7.8 per cent). Sales also included 44 semi-detached homes (down 4.3 per cent) and 115 townhouses (up 2.7 per cent).
In February, the average sale price for all residential properties in the Kitchener-Waterloo area was $1,007,109. This represents a 33.6 per cent increase over February 2021 and a 5.6 per cent increase compared to January 2022.
- The average price of a detached home was $1,214,067. This represents a 33.1 per cent increase from February 2021 and an increase of 5.3 per cent compared to January 2022.
- The average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $572,731. This represents an increase of 37.4 per cent from February 2021 and an increase of 6.9 per cent compared to January 2022.
- The average sale price for a townhouse was $862,994. This represents a 41.6 per cent increase from February 2021 and an increase of 2.1 per cent compared to January 2022.
- The average sale price for a semi was $917,535. This represents an increase of 33.8 per cent compared to February 2021 and an increase of 8.0 per cent compared to January 2022.
The MLS® HPI composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Kitchener-Waterloo was $974,600 in February. This represents a 36.8 per cent increase over February 2021 and a 5.4 per cent increase compared to January 2022.
- The benchmark price for a detached home was $1,090,000. This represents a 38.2 per cent increase from February 2021 and 5.0 per cent increase compared to January 2022.
- The benchmark price for an apartment-style condominium was $ 464,400. This represents a 33.8 per cent increase from February 2021 and a 6.1 per cent increase compared to January 2022.
- The benchmark price for a townhouse is $729,900. This represents a 41.9 per cent increase from February 2021 and a 7.0 per cent increase compared to January 2022.
The low listing inventory is not because people are not selling their homes, in fact we saw a spurt in the number of new listings in February, but with homebuying demand still going strong, competition remains high, and homes were snapped up quickly.
There were 806 new listings added to the MLS® System in KW and area last month, an increase of 9.5 per cent compared to February of last year, and a 24.3 per cent increase compared to the previous ten-year average for February.
The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of February was 290, a decrease of 2.7 per cent compared to February of last year, and 70.3 per cent below the previous ten-year average of 975 listings for February.
The number of months of inventory nudged up to 0.5 months in February from 0.3 months in January. Inventory has been under the one-month mark since October 2020. The number of months of inventory represents how long it would take to sell off current inventories at the current rate of sales.
The average number of days to sell in February was 8 days, compared to 10 days in February 2021 and a previous 5-year average of 19 days.
Historical Sales By Property Type
Months Supply of Homes for Sale
Historical Median Sales Price – By Property Type
Historical Average Sales Price – By Property Type
If you are thinking of buying or selling this spring, wondering what the neighbor’s place sold for, or have any questions at all, give me a call, text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbakerrealestate@gmail.com
Enjoy the nice weather this weekend and have a great March!
Kevin
KITCHENER WATERLOO HOMES ONLINE.com 