Hope you enjoyed a wonderful long weekend and are ready for the back to school season. Be mindful on the roads in the coming weeks with the little ones out and about.
It was another record setting month for home sales here in Waterloo Region. The market continues to be a serious sellers market with many mulitple offers on properly priced homes and condos. Here are some stats below to bring you up to date.
There were 686 residential homes sold through the Multiple Listing System (MLS® System) in August, the most ever recorded for the month. August’s home sales represented an increase of 48 per cent compared to the same month last year, and a decrease of 8 per cent compared to the previous month. The previous ten-year average number of residential sales for August is 470.
The market has been hot all summer after a slower spring market where most people were observing physical distancing guidelines, sales in August continued to be very active with demand continuing to outstrip supply forcing buyers to act quickly once again.
Total residential sales in August included 433 detached homes (up 61.5 per cent from August 2019), and 79 condominium apartments (up 38.5 per cent). Sales also included 138 townhouses (up 40 per cent) and 39 semi-detached homes (no change).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in August increased 21 per cent to $634,409 compared to the same month last year, while detached homes sold for an average price of $734,427 an increase of 18.9 per cent. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $386,972 for an increase of 16 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $495,932 (up 18.3 per cent) and $535,330 (up 21.1 per cent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold in August increased 20.8 per cent to $597,955 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 17.4 per cent to $675,000.
There were 833 new listings added to the MLS® System in KW and area last month, an increase of 43.8 per cent compared to August of last year, and 26.4 per cent more than the previous ten-year average for August.
The number of Months Supply (also known as absorption rate) continues to be very low at just 1 month for the month of August. The previous ten-year average supply of homes for August was 3.3 months, and in the past 5 years, the average supply for August was 2.2 months.
The average days to sell in August was 16 days, compared to 26 days in August 2019.
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the coming months, wonder what the neighbor sold for, or have any questions at all, give me a call, text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca.
Enjoy your September!
Kevin
September 7, 2020 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: cambridge, covid, down town, dtk, east ward, eastbridge, forest heights, forest hill, home, home sales, home value, kevin baker, kitchener, lackenerwoods, laurelwood, market update, pioneer park, realty, Remax, stanley park, the aud, twin city, university down, uptown, victoria hills, waterloo | Leave a comment
Hope you enjoyed a wonderful long weekend and the beautiful summer weather we have been having.
It was another crazy month for home prices here in Waterloo Region. Competition stays very high for buyers looking to lock down a house in July. With the rules around covid relaxing and more people getting out with Phase 3 opening the demand for homes has increased for sure.
There were 734 residential homes sold in July, an increase of 25.7 per cent compared to the same month last year, and well above the previous ten-year average for July of 531.
Total residential sales in July included 464 detached homes (up 39.3 per cent from July 2019), and 65 condominium apartments (up 3.2 per cent). Sales also included 153 townhouses (up 4.8 per cent) and 52 semi-detached homes (up 23.8 per cent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in July increased 22.8 per cent to $639,814 compared to the same month last year, while detached homes sold for an average price of $745,149 an increase of 21.4 per cent. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $392,770 for an increase of 15.2 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $465,756 (up 12.8 per cent) and $522,872 (up 20.4 per cent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold in July increased 21.7 per cent to $595,000 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 17.4 per cent to $675,000.
With mortgage rates near all time lows homebuyers remain very confident about owning a home in Waterloo Region and I expect this to contunie going into the fall.
There were 888 new listings added, an increase of 4.3 per cent compared to July of last year, and 15.5 per cent more than the previous ten-year average for July.
The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of July was 592, a decrease of 32.6 per cent compared to July of last year.
The number of Months Supply (also known as absorption rate) continues to be very low at just 1.3 months for the month of July, 27.8 per cent below the same period last year. The previous ten-year average supply of homes for July was 3.1 months, and in the past 5 years, the average supply for July was 2.1 months.
The average days to sell in July was 17 days, compared to 22 days in July 2019.
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
Historical Sales – By Price Range
Average Days on Market
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the coming months or have any questions at all, give me a call, text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca Stay healthy and stay safe!
Have a great weekend!
Kevin
August 6, 2020 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: 2019, activa, apple butter, appraisal, arrow, assessment, August, backyard, Bank of Canada, banking practices, basketball, bauer, bee's, beechwood, being social, bird droppings, board of education, breslau, brokerage, business online, cambridge, canadian, carbon monoxide, chicopee, cibc, city center, city centre, closing costs, closing paperwork, cmhc, colonial acres, commission, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo for sale, condo market, condo prices, condo sales, condo values, condos, corona, crafts, district, down payment, downsizing, downtown, downtown kitchener, due diligence, eastbridge, elmira, energy audit, exclusive, facebook, fall, fall market, fear, february, festival, first time home buyer, for sale, forest heights, forest hill, free home evaluation, full time realtor, fun fact, fun stuff to do., garment, gas furnace, goal setting, government, green homes, guelph, harmonized sales tax, home buying, Home energy audit, home for sale, home inspection, home maintenance, home ownership, home price, home prices, home sales, home selling, home staging, home value, home values, homes, homes for sale, hornets, house, house for sale, house price, house prices, house sales, house value, houses for sale, housing update, hst, hydro, interest rate, investment, january, june, kaufman, kevin baker, kitchen cabinets, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kitchner, land transfer tax, landlord, laurelwood, laurentian, lawyer, lawyers, lexington, licensing, listing your home, loft, loft for sale, loft style, lofts, mansion, march, march update, market update, market value, marketing, may, midtown, midtown lofts, mls, mortage rates, mortgage, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, mortgage rules, mortgages, multiple listing service, multiple offer, networking, new construction, newspaper, november update, older homes, Olympic gold, online advertising, ontario, open house, open houses, opportunity, options for homes, painting, pioneer park, price, prices, pricing your home, Prime rate, private, privately, rates, rbc, real estate, real estate agent, real estate investing, real estate lawyer, real estate lawyers, real estate market, real estate team, real estate update, real estate values, realtor, realty, red, region, Remax, remax agent, rental, royal bank, sale, sale price, sales, sales agent, sales rep, sales representative, saving money, selling your home, september, single detached, special assessment, spring market, stanley park, stanleypark, summer, summer market, Survivor, tanglewood, tax credit, td canada trust, teamwork, tech savvy, to do list, toronto, townhome, townhouse, transit, twin city, twitter, union station, uptown waterloo, virus, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region, wellesley, westvale, winter market, winter sales | Leave a comment
Hope you have been staying safe during this unique time in all our lives. Rest assured Yogi and I are doing everthing we can to prevent the spread by staying home as much as posssible and limiting client interactions to phone calls, facetime, zoom meetings, etc. We are both here to help if you and your family need to make a move and we have the tools and systems in place for both buyers and sellers for proper marketing of our listings, getting buyers to view the properties, as well as ourselves to keep everyone safe.
I thought you would like an update on what is happening out there in the Waterloo Region Real Estate Market, so here are the stats for March.
There were 577 residential homes sold in March, an increase of 13.1 per cent compared to the same month last year, and 0.2 per cent below the previous 5-year average.
During the first quarter of 2020, there were 1,327 home sales, 14.6 per cent above last year’s result for the same period and 4 per cent above the previous 5-year average.
Total residential sales in March included 348 detached homes (up 7.1 per cent), and 68 condominium apartments (up 5.1 per cent). Sales also included 136 townhouses (up 17.2 per cent) and 25 semi-detached homes (up 4.2 per cent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in March increased 15.3 per cent to $583,752 compared to the same month last year, while detached homes sold for an average price of $679,728 an increase of 15.9 per cent. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $378,443 for an increase of 17.9 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $457,547 (up 23 per cent) and $492,752 (up 17.4 per cent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold in March increased 14.6 per cent to $544,500 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 16.2 per cent to $628,500.
Now of course is this not business as usual for us as Realtors or our clients. As people everywhere follow instructions to only leave their homes for essential reasons, this is impacting the number of showings, and how properties are shown.
There were a higher than average number of homes listed during the Month of March. There were 864 new listings added to the MLS® System in KW and area last month, an increase of 7.6 per cent compared to March of 2019, and the greatest number since 2015. The number of new residential listings was also 3.7 per cent higher than the previous ten-year average for March.
The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of March was 535, a decrease of 35.9 per cent compared to March of last year.
Despite the much-needed addition of new inventory coming to the market, the number of Months Supply (also known as absorption rate) continues to be very low at just 1.1 months for the month of March, 35.3 per cent below the same period last year. The previous ten-year average supply of homes for March was 2.73 months, and in the past 5 years, the average supply for March was 1.94 months.
There were also 51 listings last month that were suspended, which means the listing is temporarily “off-market,” and there can be no marketing, showings or offers during this period.
Trying to sell your home while in quarantine, self-isolating or worse yet, while someone in the house is sick, is not going to be in anyone’s best interest. We know many people are postponing their plans to list their home for the time being. As I mentioned earlier, if you find yourself in a situation where you need to buy or sell then rest assured Yogi and I are ready to help and have the tools in place to market, show and sell your home. The number of sales is keeping pace with the new listing inventory so there are still buyers out there looking to buy. We are doing everything we can to keep everyone safe during this time.
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
Historical Sales – By Price Range
Average Days on Market
If you have any questions or concerns at all, give me a call or text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca . Stay healty and stay safe!
Have a great weekend
Kevin
April 4, 2020 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: 1 victoria, 144 park, 2019, activa, advertising, apple butter, appraisal, april update, arrow, arrow lofts, assessment, August, backyard, Bank of Canada, banking practices, basketball, bauer, bauer lofts, bee's, beechwood, being social, bird droppings, blogging, board of education, brokerage, business online, cambridge, canadian, canadian mortgage housing corporation, carbon monoxide, charlie west, chicopee, cibc, city center, city centre, closing costs, closing paperwork, cmhc, colonial acres, commission, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo for sale, condo in kitchener, condo market, condo price, condo prices, condo sales, condo update, condo values, condos, condos in kitchener, corona, covid, covid-19, crafts, deck and pool, district, down payment, downsizing, downtown, downtown kitchener, due diligence, east ward, eastbridge, elmira, energy audit, energy rebate, exclusive, facebook, fall, fall market, fear, february, federal home buyer program, festival, first time home buyer, for sale, forest heights, forest hill, Frederick Art Walk, free home evaluation, full time realtor, fun fact, fun stuff to do., furnace efficiency, garment, gas furnace, goal setting, government, green homes, guelph, harmonized sales tax, HBTC, hoems for sale, home, home buying, Home energy audit, home for sale, home inspection, home maintenance, home ownership, home price, home prices, home sales, home selling, home staging, home upkeep, home value, home values, homes, homes for sale, hornets, house, house for sale, house price, house prices, house sales, house value, houses for sale, housing update, hst, hydro, interest rate, inventory levels, investment, january, june, june update, kaufman, kaufman lofts, kevin baker, kitchen cabinets, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kitchner, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, land transfer tax, landlord, landlord license bylaw, laurelwood, laurentian, lawyer, lawyer information, lawyers, lexington, Licensed lodging house, licensing, licensing bylaw, listing your home, loft, loft prices, loft style, lofts, lofts in kitchener, mansion, march, march update, market update, market value, marketing, may, mls, mortage brokers, mortage rates, mortgage, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, mortgages, multiple listing service, multiple offer, National Home Show, networking, new condo construction, new construction, newspaper, november update, older homes, Olympic gold, online advertising, ontario, open house, open houses, opportunity, options for homes, painting, pioneer park, price, prices, pricing your home, Prime rate, private, privately, rates, rbc, real estate, real estate agent, real estate investing, real estate lawyer, real estate lawyers, real estate market, real estate team, real estate update, real estate values, realtor, realty, red, red condos, region, Remax, remax agent, remax twin city, rental, royal bank, rrsp contribuitions, sale, sale price, sales, sales agent, sales rep, sales representative, saving money, seagrams, seagrams loft, seagrams lofts, selling home in winter, selling your home, september, september update, single detached, special assessment, spring market, stanley park, stanleypark, status certificate, summer, summer market, Survivor, tanglewood, tax credit, td canada trust, teamwork, tech savvy, to do list, toronto, townhome, townhouse, transit, twin city, Twin City Realty, twitter, union station, university downs, uptown waterloo, virus, waterloo, waterloo bylaw, waterloo district school board, waterloo ontario, waterloo region, waterloo region school board, wellesley, westvale, winter market, winter sales | Leave a comment
I hope you and your family are staying safe and home isolating during these unique and trying times. I am postive that we will come through this stronger and hopefully not take for granted that with friends or dinners out with the family.
I have had several clients and friends reach out to me on what is happening in our current real estate market, so i thought i would put together a couple of brief slides to show you what is currently happening. With everyone being asked to stay home obviously the market has seen slowing of showing activity for homes that are currently on the market. We have also seen a slow down of new listings that have hit the Mls system for Waterloo region.
In the past 10-14 days the showings have dropped off considerably which would be expected given what is happening. Now does that mean that homes are not selling? No, that is not true.. Homes are selling but things are taking a little bit longer than usual and not the “norm” that we have seen over the past 5 years. There are still people that have bought a home prior to this all happening and need to sell their existing home. There are also people that have sold their home and need to buy their next one.
We are still seeing subdued showing activity and have taken strong measures to help both buyers and sellers stay safe when an in person showing is necessary. Buyers are also using current technology such as virtural tours and facetime walk throughts etc. Our first priority is to make sure that our clients and ourselves are staying healthy and safe.
Below is a graph of last weeks activity on our Waterloo Region Real Estate Board.
You can see that there were 141 sales last week, which means homes that had offers on them firmed up or had offers come in that had no conditions. There are 37 homes that received offers with conditions that were accepted and 210 new listings hit the market. The closed sales are homes that were sold firm in the past months that closed and the buyers took posession. There were also 65 cancelations which are sellers that may have taken them off the market for now due to lack of activity or Covid 19.
I hope that you find this info helpful to answer any questions or concerns that you are been thinking about during your time at home. As always feel free to reach via text or phone at 519-497-4646, messanger on facebook or we can talk on skype etc. We are not doing an in person meetings during this time and we also utitlze electionic signatures for paperwork that is needed to be completed or for listing a home etc.
It may not be “business as usual” but as an essential service we are open for business. Luckily we can do most of our business from home and online when needed to do so. We are here to help.
Have a great weekend and stay safe.
Kevin
March 28, 2020 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: assessment, brokerage, cambridge, canadian, city center, commission, condo, condos, corona, covid, covid-19, crafts, downsizing, downtown, exclusive, fall, fear, february, for sale, fun fact, goal setting, government, home buying, home ownership, home selling, home values, homes, house, houses for sale, kitchener, loft, lofts, mansion, march, market update, market value, marketing, mls, mortgage, Mortgage Rates, mortgages, networking, new construction, newspaper, online advertising, ontario, painting, price, prices, rates, real estate, real estate investing, real estate market, realtor, realty, red, region, Remax, rental, sale, sales, saving money, selling your home, september, summer, tax credit, teamwork, to do list, toronto, transit, twin city, virus, waterloo, waterloo region | Leave a comment
Hope you had a wonderful Holiday season with your family! 2020 is here and if a new home is in the plans here are the stats from last year to help with your decision making process.
Sales dipped in December, while prices continue to escalate. There were 5,925 residential homes sold in 2019, an increase of 1.6 per cent compared to 2018. Contrasted to past years, 2019’s annual sales were 2.3 per cent below the previous 5-year average, and 3 per cent above the previous 10-year average.
On a monthly basis, sales dipped 9 percent compared to last year, with 244 home sales in the month of December.
Total residential sales in 2019 included 3,590 detached (up 5.9 per cent), and 648 condominium units (down 7.8 per cent) which includes any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 421 semi-detached homes (down 0.7 per cent) and 1,266 freehold townhouses (down 3.7 per cent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in 2019 increased 9.3 per cent to $527,718 compared to 2018. Detached homes sold for an average price of $614,743 an increase of 7.1 per cent compared to 2018. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was 332,409 for an increase of 9.6 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $409,979 (up 10 per cent) and $439,844 (up 11 per cent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold last year increased 10.1 per cent to $490,000 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 8.6 per cent to $570,000.
In 2019, the lack of supply continued to be a hurdle for anyone who was trying to buy their first home, move-up from their current residence, or downsize. This ongoing state of the market caused further escalation of home prices in 2019. With interest rates expected to stay low in the year ahead combined with Waterloo region’s ongoing growth, I expect 2020 will see more price gains alongside a steady increase in sales.
The number of months of inventory averaged 1.5 throughout the year, hitting its highest point in May when there was 2.1 months of supply, and ending the year at 0.7 (3-4 months supply is historically normal for Waterloo region). The average days to sell in 2019 was 23 days, compared to 24 days in 2018 and a previous 10-year average of 38 days.
Dollar volume of all residential real estate sold last year increased 10.9 per cent to $3.1 Billion compared with 2018.
While the majority of residential MLS® System activity is properties for sale, REALTORS® are increasingly representing landlords and tenants. Last year 733 residential leases occurred through KWAR’s MLS® System, which is on par with last year and, 2.5 times as many as just four years ago.
Historical Sales by Property Type
Months Supply of Homes for Sale
Historical Median Sales Price – By Property Type
Average Sales Price – By Property Type
Historical Sales – By Price Range
Average Days on Market
If you have any questions or have been thinking of making a move this spring, give me a call or text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca and lets sit down, grab a coffee and plan out a strategy that is best suited for your families needs.
Have a great January!
Kevin
January 6, 2020 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: 2019 market update, advertising, assessment, basketball, blogging, brokerage, city center, condo, condo prices, condo values, condos, crafts, district, downtown, exclusive, fear, government, home, home ownership, home prices, home values, house, investment, january, kitchener, lawyers, loft, mansion, march, market update, market value, marketing, mls, mortgage, Mortgage Rates, mortgages, networking, online advertising, ontario, prices, private, rates, real estate, real estate investing, real estate values, realtor, red, region, Remax, remax twin city, sales, selling your home, september, to do list, toronto, twin city, waterloo, waterloo region | Leave a comment
Hope you had a wonderful Halloween and here is hoping the snow stays away for a little while longer. I wanted to shoot you a quick update on how the real estate market did in November here in Waterloo Region.
There were 538 residential properties sold here in Kitchener-Waterloo in October, an increase of 4.1 per cent compared to the same month last year.
Home sales in October included 334 detached (up 11.3 per cent), and 65 condominium apartments (up 1.6 per cent). Sales also included 108 townhouses (down 6.1 per cent) and 31 semi-detached homes (down 18.4 per cent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in October increased by 9.1 per cent to $533,288 compared to October 2018. Detached homes sold for an average price of $610,840 (an increase of 6.2 per cent compared to October of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $333,895 for an increase of 6.7 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $434,035 (up 11.2 per cent) and $461,590 (up 14.3 per cent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold last month increased 12.4 per cent to $500,000 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased by 8.3 per cent to $568,950.
The average days it took to sell a home in October was 22 days, which is three days fewer than it took in October 2018.
There were 670 residential properties listed in K-W and area last month, a decrease of 12.4 per cent compared to October of 2018, and a decrease of 3.3 per cent in comparison to the previous ten-year average for the month of October. The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of October totalled 691, a decrease of 26.5 per cent compared to October of last year, and well below the previous ten-year average of 1,412 listings for October. Months Supply of Homes for sale stood at 1.4 months in October, which is 26.3 percent lower than the same period last year. The previous ten-year average months supply of homes for October was 3.03.
Seasonal strength in October is common as people to look to make moves before Winter. With a scarcity of listings, buyers continue to snap up properties in the Kitchener-Waterloo area at a fast pace.
Here are some charts….
Historical Sales by Property Type
Months Supply of Homes for Sale
Historical Median Sales Price – By Property Type
Average Sales Price – By Property Type
Historical Sales – By Price Range
Average Days on Market
If you have any questions or have been thinking of making a move this fall, give me a call or text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca and lets sit down, grab a coffee and plan out a strategy that is best suited for your families needs.
Have a great November!
Kevin
November 5, 2019 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: assessment, cambridge, condos, for sale, government, guelph, home, home prices, home value, home values, house, house prices, kitchener, kitchener7, kwhometeam, loft prices, lofts, marketing, mls, mortgages, newspaper, ontario, price, prices, rates, real estate, real estate investing, realty, red, region, Remax, remax twin city, sale, sales, september, summer, teamwork, toronto, transit, twin city, waterloo | Leave a comment
Hope you had a wonderful long holiday weekend. The weather was absolutely perfect and looks like its going to be a hot one for August as well.
Here are the stats from the July market here in Waterloo Region and it continues to stay strong. There were 586 residential properties sold in July, representing an increase of 15.1 per cent compared to the same month last year.
Home sales in July included 322 detached (up 16.4 per cent), and 62 condominium apartments (down 6.1 per cent). Sales also included 148 townhouses (up 45.1 per cent) and 42 semi-detached homes (down 22.2 per cent). On a year-to-date basis we’re seeing sales have increased slightly over last year.
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in July increased by 9.3 per cent to $521,101 compared to July 2018. Detached homes sold for an average price of $613,244 (an increase of 5.4 per cent compared to July of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $339,137 for an increase of 15.9 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $414,062 (up 17 per cent) and $434,136 (up 11.9 per cent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold last month increased 10.8 per cent to $489,450 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased by 8.8 per cent to $575,750
There were 844 residential properties listed in K-W and area last month, an increase of 12.8 per cent compared to July of 2018, and an increase of 10.4 per cent in comparison to the previous ten-year average for the month of July The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of July totaled 863, a decrease of 8.7 per cent compared to July of last year, and well below the previous ten-year average of 1,467 listings for July. Months Supply of Homes for sale stood at 1.7 months in July, which is 15 percent lower than the same period last year. That is still making it a tight market for buyers and sellers.
There is still strong consumer demand that is making for a busier than normal market for the middle of summer.
The average days it took to sell a home in June was 22 days, which is the same number of days it took in July 2018.
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
Historical Sales – By Price Range
Average Days on Market
If you have any questions or have been thinking of making a move this summer or into the fall, give me a call or text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca and lets sit down, grab a coffee and plan out a strategy that is best suited for your families needs.
Have a great August!
Kevin
August 6, 2019 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: advertising, assessment, basketball, blogging, brokerage, city center, condo prices, condo value, condos, downtown, exclusive, fall, for sale, government, home, home ownership, home price, home value, house, house price, house prices, investment, lawyers, loft, loft price, lofts, mansion, market update, marketing, mls, mortgages, painting, prices, private, rates, real estate, real estate investing, red, region, Remax, sale, sales, summer, toronto, transit, twin city, Twin City Realty, waterloo | Leave a comment
Hope you had a chance to enjoy the great weather we had on the weekend. It seemed like a very long winter but summer is just around the corner.
Home sales were up in April and we hit an all time high for the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate Market average home prices which is very big news!!!
There were 623 residential sales in April, an increase of 1.1 per cent versus the same month last year, and up 2.2 per cent compared to the previous ten-year average for April.
Total residential sales in April included 394 detached (up 15.2 per cent), and 75 condominium apartments (up 1.4 per cent). Sales also included 113 townhouses (down 28.9 per cent) and 41 semi-detached homes (no change).
While sales of detached homes did jump a fair bit compared to the same month last year, they were actually on par with the previous 10-year average for April, which means we are getting back to some better market conditions for both buyers and sellers.
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in April increased by 10.9 per cent to $529,800 compared to April 2018. Detached homes sold for an average price of $611,803 an increase of 7.6 per cent compared to April of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $339,426 for an increase of 14.3 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $405,013 (up 5.3 per cent) and $433,949 (up 7.7 per cent) respectively.
Average sale prices hit an all-time high in April. These are the highest sale prices we’ve ever posted in a single month. It’s only the third time the overall residential sale price has exceeded half a million, and for the first time, the average price of a detached home climbed over the 600-thousand-dollar mark.
Likewise, median prices reached an all-time high in April. The median price of all residential properties sold last month increased 11.4 per cent to $490,000, and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased by 11.1 per cent to $568,500
There were 913 residential properties listed in K-W and area last month, a decrease of 6.9 per cent compared to April of 2018, and a decrease of 1.6% in comparison to the previous ten-year average for the month of April. The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of April totaled 884, a decrease of 6.1 per cent compared to April of last year, but still well below the previous ten-year average of 1,485 listings for April. Months Supply of Homes for sale stood at 1.8 month in April a decrease of 5.3 per cent compared to last year.
It’s still very much a seller’s market for anyone who is looking for a home under six hundred thousand. In these challenging market conditions, i believe consumers should always seek the expert advice of a local REALTOR®.
If you have any questions or have been thinking of making a move this spring, give me a call or text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca and lets sit down, grab a coffee and plan out a strategy that is best suited for your families needs.
Have a wonderful Mothers Day to all the mom’s out there.
Kevin
May 7, 2019 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: april update, assessment, brokerage, city center, condos, downtown, for sale, government, home, home ownership, home prices, home value, house, house prices, house value, kitchener, kwhometeam, lawyers, lofts, mansion, market update, marketing, mls, mortgages, networking, newspaper, ontario, prices, rates, real estate, real estate investing, realtor, realty, red, region, Remax, sale, sales, sales agent, saving money, teamwork, to do list, transit, twin city, waterloo | Leave a comment
Hope you have been enjoying the frigid weather that we have had in the past month and trying to stay warm. I just wish it could be over already and can’t wait for spring to be honest. So the stats are out for the past month here in Kitchener Waterloo real estate and the home sales were frigid as well.
There were 343 residential sales in February, a decrease of 8.3 percent compared to February 2018. The series of winter storms in February not only kept buyers indoors and off the roads, but also away from open houses and viewings i am sure. This was the lowest amount of sales we’ve seen in February in a very long time.
Total residential sales in February included 178 detached (down 14.8 percent), and 105 condominium units (down 11 per cent). Sales also included 23 semi-detached homes (down 8 percent), 36 free hold townhouses (down 112 percent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in February increased 3 percent to $490,668 compared to February 2018 . Detached homes sold for an average price of $597,965 an increase of 3.9 percent compared to February of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condo was $319,536 for an increase of 20.5 percent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $395,331 (up 2.6 percent) and $448,123(up 14.4 percent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold last month increased 6.9 percent to $465,000 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 2 per cent to $533,500. Despite the chill in the number of sales last month, the price gains reflect that demand continues to outpace supply which is great for sellers but still makes things difficult for many buyers.
There were 562 residential properties listed in K‐W and area last month, a small increase of 1.1 percent compared to February of 2018. The number of active residential listings on the MLS System to the end of February totaled 785, which is 9 percent more than February of last year, but still well below the previous ten year average of 1,296 listing for February.
The average days it took to sell a home in February was 25 days, which is 4 days longer than the amount of time it took in February 2018.
The market remains very much as it has been for the past several months, but the delayed winter weather finally caught up with it. While the market is coming in like a lamb in March we are expecting it to go out like a lion.
If you have any questions or have been thinking of making a move this spring, give me a call or text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca and lets sit down, grab a coffee and plan out a strategy that is best suited for your families needs.
Stay warm and enjoy your weekend!
March 7, 2019 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: 85 duke, arrow, assessment, bauer, blogging, charlie west, city center, city centre, condo sales, condos, for sale, government, home, home sales, house, house sales, kwhometeam, kwhometean, lawyers, lofts, market update, marketing, mls, mortgages, ontario, prices, private, rates, real estate, real estate investing, red, red condos, region, Remax, sale, sales, seagrams, teamwork, toronto, transit, twin city, waterloo, waterloo region | Leave a comment
I hope you are staying warm during this very unpredictable winter weather. I am sure the kids are loving all the snow days they have had in the past weeks. The stats are out from January and the Kitchener Waterloo Real Estate market enjoyed a great month of home sales.
January was surprisingly busy with an above average number of home sales. There were 307 residential sales in January, an increase of 14.6 percent compared to January 2018 as well as the number of units sold last month were up nearly fifteen percent compared to the previous ten-year average for January.
Total residential sales in January included 189 detached (up 26 percent), and 80 condominium units (up 19.4 percent) which includes any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 20 semi-detached homes (down 28.6 percent) and 17 freehold townhouses (down 19 percent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in January increased 5.3 percent to $484,076 compared to January 2018. Detached homes sold for an average price of $564,718 an increase of 1.9 percent compared to January of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $303,379 for an increase of 22.1 percent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $368,227 (up 0.7 percent) and $407,852 (up 4.6 percent) respectively. The median price of all residential properties sold last month increased 5.3 percent to $455,000, and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 7.1 percent to $530,000
It was a positive sign to see an uptick in the number of residential listings hitting market, however, the total number of homes available for sale continues to perform well below historical averages. There were 585 homes listed in K-W and area last month, an increase of 25.5 percent compared to January of 2018. The number of active residential listings at the end of January totaled 810, which is 11.4 percent more than January of last year, but still well below the previous ten-year average of 1,189 listings for January. The average days it took to sell a home in January was 26 days, which is 5 days less than the amount of time it took in January 2018.
We have a positive outlook for 2019. I think we’re going to see home prices remain steady or have small increases, sales will continue to be strong but we’re also beginning to see more homes being listed for sale to increase our inventory and provide buyers with additional options. So long as everything else remains equal Waterloo Region should remain a strong and stable market.
If you have any questions or are thinking of buying or selling in the coming months, please give me a call at 519-497-4646 and we can sit down for a coffee and talk about some strategies that would work best for your family needs.
Have a great weekend!
Kevin
February 9, 2019 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: 1 victoria, 100 victoria, 2019, 85 duke, arrow, arrow lofts, assessment, bauer, bauer lofts, brokerage, city cenre, city center, city centre, condo, condo prices, condos, for sale, government, home, home ownership, house, investment, january, kaufman, kevin baker, kwhometeam, lawyers, lofts, lofts in kitchener, market update, marketing, mls, mortgages, ontario, prices, private, rates, real estate, real estate investing, realty, reamx, red condos, region, Remax, sale, sale price, sales, sales rep, sales representative, saving money, seagrams, teamwork, toronto, transit, twin city, waterloo, yogi bednjicki | Leave a comment
The fall colors are just starting to come out and Oktoberfest festivities are in full swing here in KW. I hope that you have been able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather that we have been having this Thanksgiving weekend!
The stats are out for the Waterloo region real estate market and I wanted to share the results. There were 448 homes sold in September, a decrease of 4.7 per cent compared to September of last year. On a year-to-date basis 4,558 residential units have sold compared to 5,345 during the same period in 2017, a decrease of 14.7 per cent.
The stress-test that came into force on all new mortgages at the beginning of the year has taken some of the steam out of home sales activity, meanwhile home prices continue to rise as inventory levels remain rather low. Residential sales in September included 270 detached (down 6.3 per cent compared to September 2017), and 110 condominium units (up 7.8 per cent) which includes any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 30 semi-detached homes (down 18.9 per cent) and 30 freehold townhouses (down 18.9 per cent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in September increased 10 per cent to $492,398 compared to the same month a year ago. Detached homes sold for an average price of $574,653 an increase of 11.4 per cent compared to September of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $325,378 an increase of 24.1 per cent. Town homes and semis sold for an average of $377,442 (up 4.7 per cent) and $386,670 (up 4.1 per cent) respectively. The median price of all residential properties sold last month was up 10.5 per cent compared to September of last year at $453,000, and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 8.8 per cent to $520,000.
There were 824 residential properties listed in K-W and area in last month, a 10 per cent increase compared to September of last year, and 9 per cent above the historical ten-year average of 755. The number of active residential listings on the KWAR’s MLS® System to the end of September totaled 1,005, which is 18.2 per cent higher than September of last year but 522 units short of the previous ten-year average of 1,527 listings for September.
While the mortgage stress was intended to prevent home buyers in overheated markets like Vancouver and Toronto from borrowing more than they could afford, it has had the unintended consequence of putting the goal of owning a home further out of reach for buyers across all housing markets, including in Waterloo region. This is particularly impactful for first time home buyers where every penny counts.
If you have any questions or are thinking of buying or selling a property in the coming months, please give me a call at 519-497-4646 or email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca and we can sit down, grab a coffee and discuss the best way to make it a smooth move for your family.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Kevin
October 8, 2018 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: arrow lofts, assessment, bauer lofts, brokerage, canadian, city center, city centre, condo prices, condos, exclusive, for sale, government, home, home buying, home ownership, home prices, home selling, house, investment, kaufman, kevin baker, loft prices, lofts, market update, marketing, mls, mortgages, new condo construction, new construction, ontario, opportunity, prices, private, rates, real estate, real estate investing, realty, Remax, remax twin city realty, sale, sales rep, sales representative, seagreams, september update, teamwork, toronto, transit, twin city, Twin City Realty, waterloo, yogi bedjicki | Leave a comment
I hope you and your family have been doing well and enjoying the wonderful weather we have been having over the past month!! Summer certainly seems to be here.
Well May was another record setting month here in Waterloo region. There were 816 Residential properties sold through the MLS® System in May, an increase of 8.2 per cent compared to May 2016, and a 6 per cent increase compared to the previous month. This is the second consecutive month unit sales have hit an all-time high.
Home sales in May included 493 detached homes (up 3.8 per cent compared to May 2016), 180 condominium units (up 7.8 per cent) which includes any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 64 semi-detached homes (up 39.1 percent) and 70 freehold townhouses (up 22.8 per cent).
With the persistent buyer demand that we’ve been experiencing these past several months, it was great to see that spike in residential listings. It certainly helped to give buyers more choice. There were 1,271 residential properties listed in K-W and area last month, a 38.6 per cent increase compared to May of 2016, and a 29 per cent increase compared to the previous month. It’s the first time in two years that the number of new listings put on the market has exceeded the 1,000 unit mark. The five-year average for new listings in May is 989.
While more homes were listed in May, it continues to be a seller’s market in Waterloo region and across the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) as inventories remain tight at near or less than one month of inventory.
The average sales price of all residential sales increased 31 per cent to $496,664 compared to May 2016. Detached homes sold for an average price of $594,047 an increase of 35.3 per cent, while the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $293,158, an increase of 25.8 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $361,198 (up 30 per cent) and $383,819 (up 29.3 per cent) respectively. Ongoing demand for homes in Waterloo region has resulted in a shorter sales cycle.
The average days on market in May was 12, compared to 24 days a year ago. On a month to month basis, it took two additional days on average from list to sale date in May compared to April.
Looking at the Fair Housing Plan that was announced by the Ontario government in April, we think it is still too soon to know if the measures will have the intended cooling effect on the market. For now, home sales are still booming, and prices are going strong. While we continued to see big year-over year price gains in May, the overall residential average price did dip 3 per cent compared to April. Keep in mind that one month does not make a trend but the spike in listings last month may have contributed to the flatter prices. Looking forward to the summer will help gauge where the market is headed going into the last half of this year.
If you have any questions or are thinking of buying or selling a home in the next few month feel free to give me a call at 519-497-4646 or email to baker_kevin@rogers.com and we can sit down and discuss some options that best suit your families needs.
Have a great June!
Kevin
June 10, 2017 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: assessment, blogging, condo, condo prices, condo sales, condos, for sale, government, home, home prices, home sales record high, house, house prices, kwhometeam, loft, loft prices, market update, marketing, mls, mortgages, rates, real estate, real estate agent, realtor, realty, region, Remax, remax twin city, sale, twin city, waterloo | Leave a comment
It was another very strong month of home sales in the Waterloo Region. There is seemingly no end in sight in this brisk early spring market.
There were 474 residential sales in February through the Multiple Listing System, an increase of 4.2 percent compared to February 2016. With the nice weather in February, we experienced volume well above what we would normally see for a typical February. That being said, the sales volume could have been much higher still if there were more listings on the market. The shortage of listings and demand continue to push up prices across the region.
Residential sales in February included 299 detached homes (up 5.7 percent compared to February 2016), 107 condominium units (up 3.9 percent) which include any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 32 semi-detached homes (down 3 percent) and 31 freehold townhouses (up 3.3 percent).
A lack of listings to satisfy the strong consumer demand is fueling multiple offers often resulting in sale prices above the actual asking price, which pushed the total residential average sale price in February up 27.5% compared to the same month last year to $463,355. Detached homes sold for an average price of $549,691 an increase of 30.7 percent, while the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $246,736, an increase of 8.8 percent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $388,721 (up 20.6 percent) and $369,624 (up 31 percent) respectively.
Last month there were 427 active listings on the KWAR’s MLS® System, compared to 1,226 in February of last year. The average days on market in February were significantly shorter than a year ago: 18 days, compared to 39 days. On a month to month basis, the market was in a real frenzy in February, with it taking four fewer days from list to sale date last month compared to January.
Even though it is a challenging time to be selling or buying a home, the dream of home ownership is still very much alive and well in the region. With historically low interest rates there are still properties that are affordable for the average buyer.
If you ever have any questions on buying a home in this competitive marketplace or you are thinking of selling your home please give me a call and I would be happy to sit down and discuss the best strategy that works for you and your families situation.
Have a great day
Kevin
March 7, 2017 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: home buying, home ownership, home prices, home selling, homes, house for sale, house prices, house value, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, market update, market value, real estate, real estate investing, realtor, Remax, twin city, Twin City Realty, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region | Leave a comment
The trend continues here in the Kitchener Waterloo housing market as well as many other urban centers in Ontario. It was another record breaking month for homes sales in the region mostly due to the lack of inventory.
Home sales through the Multiple Listing System (MLS® System) totaled 535 last month, an increase of 27.1 percent compared to November of 2015, marking another record breaking month for residential properties sold. November’s sales included 352 single detached homes (up 34.4 percent compared to November 2015) and 118 condominium type units (down 22.9%) which include any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 32 semi-detached homes (up 45.5 percent) and 28 freehold townhouses (down 20 percent).
Record breaking sales are also being tallied on a year-to-date basis with 6,352 residential transactions compared to 5,341 during the same period in 2015, representing an increase of 18.9 percent. “Year-to-Date Sales to the end of November have now exceeded any previous end-of-year totals on record.
In 2007, sales to the end of the year exceeded 6,000 units for the first time, and haven’t hit that high-water mark again, until now, an entire month earlier. Inventory levels on the other hand, remain stubbornly low. In their October release, the Canadian Real Estate Association stated that, “the tight balance between housing supply and demand in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe region is without precedent (including the GTA, Hamilton-Burlington, Oakville-Milton, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Brantford, the Niagara Region, Barrie and nearby cottage country).” As of the end of November, the KWAR’ MLS® System only had 565 active residential listings on the market, down 23.1 percent compared to the previous month, and 60.8 percent below the same period last year.
The average price of all residential properties sold in November was $411,602 a 15.5 percent increase over 2015. Detached homes sold for an average price of $473,104, an increase of 13.9 percent compared to November 2015. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $209,360, a decrease of 8 percent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $310,151 (up 14.8 percent) and $330,534 (up 27.7 percent) respectively.
With a notable shortage of inventory, many properties are selling above list price and this is because you have many buyers competing for fewer properties, and this is pushing up the average price. The median price of all residential properties sold in November increased 18 percent to $377,500, and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 16.4 percent to $425,000.
In my opinion those are some staggering numbers and there is no sign of it slowing down in the near future.
If you have any questions on the information or are thinking of buying or selling your home now or in the spring please give me a call and we can sit down and discuss the best options and strategies for you and your family.
Have a wonderful December and Holiday Season!
Kevin
December 2, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, eastbridge, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
It was another healthy month here in Waterloo region for home sales with prices continuing to rise and many Buyers being left to wonder if they will ever be able to finally buy that elusive home. The Multiple offers continue to show up everywhere. Demand is certainly far outweighing supply at this point. A strong appetite for home ownership combined with slimmer inventory levels means it’s a sellers market and its here to stay for the foreseeable future.
Here are some stats:
Last month a total of 577 residential properties sold in KitchenerWaterloo and area though the Multiple Listing System (MLS®), an increase of 24.4 percent compared to October of 2015, and an all-time high for the month. October’s sales included 359 single detached homes (up 18.9% compared to October 2015) and 130 condominium type units (up 28.7%) which include any property regardless of style. Sales also included 41 semi-detached homes (down 105 percent) and 39 freehold townhouses (up 2.6 percent).
Record breaking sales are also being tallied on a year-to-date basis with 5,818 residential transactions compared to 4,920 during the same period in 2015, representing an increase of 18.3 percent. Conversely, inventory levels are low with only 729 active residential listings on the market to the end of October, a decline of 11 percent compared to the previous month, and 53.9 percent below the same period last year.
The average price of all residential properties sold in October was $408,067 a 12.7 percent increase over 2015. Detached homes sold for an average price of $478,685, an increase of 14.3 percent compared to October 2015. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $225,221, an increase of 5.6 percent. Town homes and semis sold for an average of $307,294 (up 17.6 percent) and $329,966 (up 23.9 percent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold in October increased 17.2 percent to $375,000, and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 16.8 percent to $438,000.
New measures by the federal government which introduced a mortgage rate “stress test” on all new insured mortgages took effect on October 17, 2016. While the overall impact of these changes is yet to be fully understood, It is likely that some first-time homebuyers rushed to purchase prior to the stress test coming into effect.
If you have been thinking of selling or have any questions on things give me a call and we can sit down and discuss some different options and strategies for your family to be competitive in the new housing market that we are experiencing.
You can contact me at 519-497-4646 or email direct to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca
Thanks and enjoy the fall weather.
Kevin
November 7, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, eastbridge, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
On October 17th, the federal government set up new guidelines for qualifying for a mortgage here in Canada. The federal government says it’s responding to concerns that sharp increases in housing prices in Toronto, Vancouver and elsewhere could increase defaults in the future, should historically low interest rates finally start to climb.
One of the key changes is that homeowners will be subject to a mortgage rate stress test beginning Oct. 17. It does not matter what size of down payment they have. Before now, those with less than a 20 per cent down payment were required to pass a stress test and have mortgage insurance backed by the federal government through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
The test measures whether the buyer could still afford to make payments if mortgage rates rose to the Bank of Canada’s posted five-year fixed mortgage rate.
That rate is usually significantly higher than what a buyer can negotiate with banks or other lenders. For instance, TD has a five-year fixed rate mortgage at 2.59 per cent, while the Bank of Canada’s rate is 4.64 per cent.
The stress test also sets a ceiling of no more than 39 per cent of household income being necessary to cover home-carrying costs such as mortgage payments, heat and taxes.
It has been said that Regulators are under intense pressure to do something because home prices are climbing fast and may be over-valued in some markets. They want to avoid any kind of catastrophe on their watch..
So is this a good thing for Canadian housing? Many markets outside of the larger centers are also experiencing a sharp increase in house prices. Here in Kitchener Waterloo, the demand for medium priced homes is literally a bidding war with many homes selling for far more than i think they should be. That being said, prices are a reflection of supply and demand so that current pricing is a direct result of many more buyers than sellers.
The new rules also mean that, beginning this tax year, all home sales must be reported to the Canada Revenue Agency. The gains from sales of primary residences will remain tax-free, but the government is aiming to block foreign buyers from purchasing and flipping homes while falsely claiming the primary residence exemption from capital gains tax.
It remains to be seen whether these steps will tighten the current market, expand or collapse it. My only advice is that if you are thinking of selling your home this fall that you take advantage of the extremely low inventory levels that we have in Waterloo region.
Give me a call and we can grab a coffee and discuss the best solution for you and your family. You can reach me at 519-497-4646 or email to baker_kevin@rogers.com
Have a great day
Kevin
October 26, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: cambridge, canadian, cmhc, home buying, home prices, home selling, house prices, kitchener, mortgage, mortgage rules, Remax, twin city, waterloo, waterloo region | Leave a comment
Hi there and hope you had a fantastic summer!
The housing market here in Kitchener Waterloo is as hot as the weather has been this past summer! There were a total of 598 home sales in KitchenerWaterloo and area though the Multiple Listing System (MLS® System) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR) in August. This represents a 26.4% increase in sales compared to August of 2015. It also ranks as the most active August on record and 37.6% above the 5-year average for the month. That is simply amazing.
Year-to-date sales also climbed to new heights with 4,703 residential sales so far in 2016. Again, this is the highest on record for this period and 23.4% above the 5-year average.
We are still experiencing a lower than normal listing number with active listings almost half of what they were last year at this time. Active listings through the MLS® System to the end of August sat at 863, which is 46.6% lower compared to same period last year’s 1,616 homes that were on the market. That means we are still experiencing a very tight market in terms of availability of homes which continues to push up home prices in the region.
August’s sales included 353 single detached homes (up 19.7% compared to August 2015) and 151 condominium type units (up 36.0%) which include any property regardless of style (ie. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc). Sales also included 40 Semi-detached homes (up 14.3%) and 49 freehold townhouses (up 69.0%).
The average sale price of all residential sales in August increased 15.2% to $402,000 compared to August 2015. Its clear that as a result of the strong residential activity that buyers remain confident about home values here in the region.
Single detached style homes sold for an average price of $487,050 an increase of 20.9% compared to last year. The average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $233,302, an increase of 7.9%. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $298,148 (up 10.2%) and $299,353 (up 5.5%) respectively.
Overall. the market is extremely competitive and if you are thinking of selling your home now is a great time to take advantage of the strong home prices. If you have any questions or would like to get together for a coffee and discuss how we can help with your housing needs please give me a call or text at 519-497-4646. You can also email me at kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca
September 8, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: assessment, Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kwrealestatelife, lofts in kitchener, market update, mls, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board, westvale | Leave a comment
It is another fantastic month for Real Estate here in the Waterloo Region. The Region had another record setting month with 740 properties sold in Kitchener-Waterloo and area in the month of June. This represents a 13.1% increase compared to the June of 2015, and ranks as the most active June on record. Honestly in my 15 years as a Realtor I have not seen a market like this one.
During the first half of 2016, there were 3,519 home sales, 18.0% above last year’s total for the same period and 22.8% above the 5-year year-to-date average. That would make the highest number of home sales we have ever recorded in the first half of the year.
On a monthly basis, home sales were 29.7% above the 5-year average for the month of June. As sales continue their upward trend, active residential listings continue to remain depressed in comparison to the same time last year. Currently, the number of active residential listings on the KWAR’s MLS® System to the end of June sat at 1,199, which is 33.9% lower compared to same period last year. This translates to 51.4% fewer available listings on the market today than the same time last year. That means the market needs more sellers to keep up with the high demand of buyers that are looking in the area. With some of the prices that homes have been selling for, now is a great time to get your home up on the market.
June’s sales included 485 single detached homes (up 13.6%) and 145 condominium type units (up 2.1%) which include any property regardless of style (ie. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc). Sales also included 46 Semi-detached homes (up 9.5%) and 54 freehold townhouses (up 42.1%).
The average sale price of all residential sales in June increased 11.2% to $390,144 compared to June 2015. With fewer listings on the market combined with an increased interest in people wanting to live in the Region, we’re seeing upward pressure on home prices.
Single detached style homes sold for an average price of $451,289 an increase of 10.7% compared to last year. The average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $232,999, an increase of 8.0%. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $277,672 (up 14.5%) and $296,572 (up 10.6%) respectively.
If you have been tossing around the idea of selling your home, give me a call and we can sit down and look at the best options for you and your family.
Have a great July!
Kevin
July 5, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: assessment, Bank of Canada, banking practices, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, eastbridge, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, loft, lofts, lofts in kitchener, market update, mls, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, realtor, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
All I have to say is WOW!!!! What an incredible month for the Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge Real Estate Markets. The market is on fire with many homes selling over list price in multiple offer situations. The buyers seemed to be lined up out the door if you have a property under the 430k mark in certain neighborhoods of town.
Here are some of the stats from the past month. There were 752 properties sold in KW and area which represents a 19.6% increase compared to May of 2015, and a 27.7% increase compared to the 5-year average for the month of May.
This is the first time since 2007 that residential sales in May exceeded seven hundred units. Year-to-date sales for 2016 also hit an all-time high with 2,776 homes sold in the first five months of the year, 19.2% above last year’s total for the same period and 21.0% above the 5-year average.
Active listings however are down in comparison from last year. Currently, the number of active residential listings on the KWAR’s MLS® System to the end of May is at 1,283 which are 26.1% lower compared to same period last year. This translates to 35.2% fewer available listings on the market today than the same time last year.
So what does that mean? If you are thinking of selling your home now is a great time to do it. Unfortunately you may also wish to buy and that could prove challenging with the lower than usual inventory buyers often find themselves competing with other buyers, for the same property.
With steady interest rates expected into the later part of 2016 and early 2017, and steady employment growth, the region is poised to continue the demand for housing and we should see balanced market conditions return for the foreseeable future in Waterloo Region.
May’s sales included 474 single detached homes (up 15.6%) and 166 condominium type units (up 37.2%) which include any property regardless of style (ie. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc). Sales also included 47 Semi-detached homes (down 11.3%) and 56 freehold townhouses (up 27.3%). The average sale price of all residential sales increased 7.3% to $378,248 compared to May 2015. Single detached style homes sold for an average price of $438,708 an increase of 9.8% compared to last year. The average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $221,073, a decrease of 1.2%. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $277,355 (up 1.1%) and $296,751 (up 10.2%) respectively.
If you have any questions on the stats or are thinking of making a move in the near future, please give me a call and we can sit down, grab a coffee and look at your options.
Have a great week!
Kevin
June 6, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: assessment, Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, eastbridge, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, loft, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, twin city, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board, westvale | Leave a comment
All I have to say is WOW, what a month! The housing market is on fire with multiple offers and low inventory it seems that the spring market has started. Here are some of the highlights from the past month.
Residential sales were up 28.2% compared to the same month last year with 452 homes being sold. That is 18.6 percent above the 5 year average for the month. Those sales included 280 single detached homes which is up 40.7% over last February, 33 semi- detached(down 17.5%), 31 townhomes (up 6.9%) and 103 Condo units (up 25.6%). That makes this past February the most active February since 2008! With interest rates still holding steady, Waterloo region remains an attractive place to live and invest.
Single detached homes sold for an average price of $419,480 which is an increase of 7.7% compared to last year. The average sale price for a Condo unit was $242,272 up 8.3% while townhomes and semis sold for an average of $328,569 (up 10.0%) and $291,770 ( up 12.0) respectively.
The average sale price of all residential sales through the KWAR’s MLS® System increased 10.3% to $361,889 compared to February 2015 with 42.0% of home sales in February occurring in the $250,000-$350,000 range. With all the cold temperatures that we experienced last year that helped contribute to a 5-year low in home sales for the month. Things have been quite a bit warmer these past few weeks in comparison, and it goes to show how much of a role weather can play when it comes to buying or selling and kicking off the spring market!
If you are thinking of buying or selling now is a great time to start the process. Give me a call at 519-497-4646 or email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca and I can provide all the information you need to make the right decision.
Have a great March!
Kevin
March 3, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers | Tags: assessment, Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, loft, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, realtor, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
Happy New Year! I hope you are enjoying the winter weather that has finally arrived.
It was another strong finish for the Residential Real Estate market here in Waterloo Region in 2015.
A total of 5,563 sales were processed through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS®) which was an increase of 4.9% percent compared to sales in 2014 . Unlike 2014, which remained slow almost half the year, 2015 only lagged behind in home sales for the first two months of the year. With relatively normal winter weather and no ice storm or polar vortexes, the spring market did not experience the same delay seen in 2014.
Residential sales finished this year with 293 home sales in December compared 262 the same time last year in Kitchener-Waterloo and area. This equates to an 11.8% increase in the number of sales for the month. This month there were 168 detached homes (down 4.5%), 80 condominiums (up 53.8%), 20 townhomes (up 33.3%) and 23 semi-detached (up 21.0%) sold, with the average price of all homes sold this month coming in at $367,121 (up 8.2%).
Overall It’s been a fantastic year for home sales in the Region, which speaks volumes about the economy, the opportunities and innovation taking place in Waterloo Region.
Total residential sales in 2015 included 3,576 single detached homes (up 4.9% from 2014), 409 semi-detached (up 4.6%), 398 townhomes (up 2.3%) and 1,180 condominium units (up 5.9%). The average sale price of all residential sales in 2015 increased 3.9 percent to $348,888 in comparison to 2014. Single detached homes sold for an average price of $400,456 (up 3.5%), semi-detached for $268,400 (up 3.4%), townhomes for $301,005 (up to 4.1%) and condominiums sold for an average of $237,735 (up 7.3%).
Locally, Waterloo Region remains a strong and stable housing market. The excitement around the area from the ION, the burgeoning tech sector, the rural and urban blend position Waterloo Region as a highly desirable place to live and invest.
If you have any questions regarding the local Real Estate market, thinking of buying or selling this spring or know of someone that is, please let me know. I am always happy to help and provide advice where ever I can.
Have a great week!
Kevin
January 18, 2016 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers | Tags: Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, eastbridge, first time home buyer, home buying, home value, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, loft, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, Mortgage Rates, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board, westvale | Leave a comment
Realtors and Home owners here in Waterloo Region and across Ontario have spoken and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has heard our outrage. The Minister confirmed this week that the government will not give the municipalities the ability to charge the Municipal Land Transfer Tax.
This is fantastic news for everyone in the region!!!
Now that this bullet is dodged, here in Waterloo Region it was another good month of home sales with a total of 413 residential properties sold last month compared to 376 in November last year. This number included 254 single detached homes (up 10.0% from last November), 22 semi-detached (down 45%), 33 townhomes (down 15.4%) and 99 condominium units (up 37.5%).
Average prices also increased 8.2% to an average price of $412,581 for single detached homes. Condo’s were up 7.3% with an average of $225,341, while townhomes and semis sold for an average of $313,015 (up 13.8%) and $257,995 (down 1.9%) respectively. Average sale price of all residential sales through the Kitchener Waterloo MLS system increased to $350,703 up 6.7%
With 2015 drawing to a close shortly we have had another outstanding year for homes sales in Waterloo Region. CMHC is forecasting steady mortgage rates and stronger employment in the Region for 2016 and that means continued demand for housing. Comparing our prices here against our neighbors in the GTA, Waterloo Region still remains very affordable.
If you are looking to make a move in the spring and would like to have a better idea of what your home is worth click here now. Whether buying or selling give me a call and let’s sit down for a coffee and discuss how we can help make the move to a new home a smooth one for you and your family. I can be reached at 519-497-4646 or email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca
Have a wonderful Holiday Season with your family!
Kevin
December 4, 2015 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: Bank of Canada, condo, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, eastbridge, facebook, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, kwrealestatelife, land transfer tax, loft, lofts in kitchener, MLLT, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board, westvale | Leave a comment
Home sales in October showed some signs of easing in Waterloo Region with an overall decrease of 9.4%. The Multiple listing System (Mls) showed a total of 435 home sales compared to 480 during the same period in 2014.
Here is the breakdown:
Residential sales this October included 284 single detached homes (down 6.9% from last October), 20 semi-detached (down 23.1%), 37 townhomes (up 5.7%) and 92 condominium units (down 19.3%).
The great news is average prices are up again with an average price for a single detached home in October selling for an average price of $417,891 an increase of 8.9% compared to the same month last year.
The average sale price for a condominium was $242,280 an increase of 14.3%, while the average sale price of all residential sales in KW and Area increased 9.9% to $363,438 compared to October 2014.
Townhomes and semi-detached properties sold for an average of $300,724 (down 2.5%) and $265,000 (up 2.2%) respectively.
The Kitchener Waterloo housing market continues to show long term stability and strength and the shifts in average prices and month to month fluctuations are normal, along with sales easing as we approach the end of the year. Keep in mind you always need to use caution when looking at averages. The increase in detached and overall home prices are due in part to six home sales in October 2015 over $900,000 compared to zero sales in that range the previous year.
If you have any questions on any of this information or are thinking of making a move before Christmas or in the spring please give me a call. Knowing what your home potentially could be worth is the one of the first steps to making a decision on whether now is the right time to make a move.
For a Free Report on your home’s value, take a moment to email me at kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca or call or text to 519-497-4646. I am always happy to help
Have a great week
Kevin
November 9, 2015 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers | Tags: Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, kitchener, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, selling your home, twin city, waterloo, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board, westvale | Leave a comment
Its been another strong month of home sales here in the Waterloo Region. With a total of 459 sold through the Multiple Listing System (MLS®). The month of August did post a 2.1% decrease in home sales compared to the same month last year across Kitchener-Waterloo and area. However, home sales in the month of August were 9.5% percent above the 5-year average for the month.
This strong sales activity helped bring year-to-date total sales to 3,991, a 6.1% increase compared to the same time last year, and 6% above the 5-year average. Year-to-date sales were also the highest on record since 2008. There was strong residential sale activity this summer season and with recording setting year-to-date sales it’s clear that buyers remain confident about the value of homes in Kitchener-Waterloo and area.
Residential sales in August included 284 single detached homes (down 2.1% from last year), 35 semidetached (up 2.9%), 29 townhomes (down 17.1%) and 107 condominium units (down 0.9%). The average sale price of all residential sales through the KWAR’s MLS® System increased 6.6% percent last month to $347,057 compared to August 2014. Single detached homes sold for an average price of $401,533 an increase of 6.2% percent compared to last year. The average sale price for a condominium was $241,508, an increase of 7.7% percent and the average sale price for a freehold townhome was $300,546, an increase of 2.9% percent from the same time last year.
Overall these numbers show that the real estate sector here in the Kitchener Waterloo is showing no signs of slowing down and points to a long term stability and strength.
If you have any questions on any of the information provided above or would like to discuss your specific real estate needs please give us a call or email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca
Have a great day!
September 9, 2015 | Categories: Buyers, Local Kitchener Waterloo, Random thoughts, Sellers, Uncategorized | Tags: Bank of Canada, condo, condo buying, condo documents, condo in kitchener, condos in kitchener, eastbridge, first time home buyer, full time realtor, home buying, home value, inventory levels, kevin baker, Kitchener waterloo, kwhometeam, lofts in kitchener, market update, Mortgage News, real estate, real estate investing, Remax, sales rep, twin city, waterloo ontario, waterloo region school board | Leave a comment
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