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Another Busy Month in the Victoria Real Estate Market
 
April 1, 2016 Victoria BC - The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on Multiple Listing Service® real estate activity in the Victoria area for the month of March 2016.
 
A total of 1,121 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this March, an increase of 52.7 per cent compared to the 734 properties sold in the same month last year.
 
Inventory levels remain lower than the previous year, with 2,618 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of March, 30.5 per cent fewer than the 3,769 active listings at the end of March 2015.
 
"I think the strong uptick in the market has surprised many of us! The business cycles of real estate are affected by economic drivers and it's clear that this cycle has all possible drivers running at top speed. Many different factors may be contributing to this activity," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "Pent up demand from the slower years of 2008 to 2013, lower than historic mortgage rates, strong interest from out of town buyers, a buoyant economy that's attracting job seekers and the lifestyle and beauty that Victoria and area offers all contribute to the activity we've seen this year."
  
The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in March 2015 was $569,700. The benchmark value for the same home in March 2016 has increased by 16.4 per cent to $663,300.
 
"Though we represent a relatively small geographic area, there is variation in price and inventory in different neighbourhoods," adds Nugent. "Areas near the downtown core continue to see high demand for houses and condos, as do most areas in the Peninsula. The West Shore has also strengthened considerably but pricing remains lower than in the core because there has been more inventory to meet demand. Further out of town there has been less demand, but overall all areas have now strengthened in sales. More than ever I encourage buyers and sellers to connect with a local REALTOR® to develop a strategic approach in this fast moving market."
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February Sales Expose Extraordinary Demand for Victoria Area Properties
 
March 1, 2016 Victoria BC - The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on Multiple Listing Service® real estate activity in the Victoria area for the month of February 2016.
 
A total of 772 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this February, an increase of 42.4 per cent compared to the 542 properties sold in the same month last year.
 
Inventory levels are lower than the previous year, with 2,562 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of February, 26.4 per cent fewer than the 3,480 active listings at the end of February 2015.
 
"We continue to see the effect of supply and demand on the market," notes Mike Nugent, 2016 President of the Board. "Areas near the downtown core have limited inventory, with less new product coming on to the market. As a result we see more pressure on pricing there, and we see multiple offers. The West Shore and outlying areas have new housing developments coming into the market. Sales are brisk everywhere, but less competition is created in areas like the West Shore because of the area's ability to create supply to meet demand. We'll likely see more first time home buyers look to make purchases in outlying areas. The West Shore benchmark for a single family home right now is $432,600, which makes the area more affordable than the Victoria core, where the benchmark value is $200,000 more for a single family home."
 
The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in February, 2015 was $557,000. The benchmark value for the same home in February 2016 has increased by 14.7 per cent to $638,700.
 
"I'd highly recommend that sellers and buyers who are thinking of making a move in the future engage the services of a REALTOR®," adds Nugent. "Your Realtor can help navigate the decision-making process and ensure you have access to information and advice based on current market conditions. In a busy market like we see now, your Realtor's expertise can be the difference between a beautiful new home and a potentially frustrating and costly exercise."

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VICTORIA - Buyers of newly-built homes will get a break on their taxes, as part of changes in the B.C. budget designed to address the Lower Mainland's red hot housing market.

The government will, starting Wednesday, exempt any purchaser of a newly-built home, condo or townhouse valued under $750,000 from the property transfer tax, potentially saving them up to $13,000.

The deal only applies for the first owner of a new home, and the buyer must live in the property for at least a year. It's valid anywhere in the province, but only for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

To make up the money, government will increase the property transfer tax by one per cent, to a total of 3 per cent, on any home sale worth more than $2 million.

The move may help encourage the construction of new housing, which Finance Minister Mike de Jong said is crucial to addressing the limited supply, but rising demand, for homes in B.C.

"We've taken some pretty purposeful steps to assist those who have the demand and incent the supply," he said.

It's on top of an existing first-time homebuyer exemption for new and used homes, which remains in place for properties less than $475,000.



Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/business/budget+offers+help+buyers+homes/11723141/story.html#ixzz40NWkGBLA

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An Early Spring for the Victoria Real Estate Market? 

February 1, 2016 Victoria BC - The Victoria Real Estate Board today released its report on Multiple Listing Service® real estate activity in the Victoria area for the month of January 2016.
 
2016 started with the busiest month of sales in January since 2002. A total of 539 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this January, an increase of 53.6 per cent compared to the 351 properties sold in the same month last year.
 
Inventory levels are lower than the previous year, with 2,471 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of January, 24.7 per cent fewer than the 3,283 active listings at the end of January 2015.
 
"Though the ongoing count of properties for sale is low, the number of new listings entering the market is close to what we saw last year," notes Wendy Moreton, 2016 president of the board. "The recent month of January saw 934 new listings, where last year we saw 1,027. The good news for buyers is that there are new properties for sale every day. The good news for sellers is that there appears to be more buyers in the market, so well-priced properties in high demand areas (like the Victoria core) are swift sellers."
 
"Last year we saw the traditionally busy spring market start early as sales picked up over February and March," adds Moreton. "This year that spring market may be starting even earlier, as our sales numbers for January are close to the numbers we saw last February. We'll watch this trend over the next few months. This busy market is the perfect time to enlist the help of your local REALTOR®. Realtors have access to up-to-date trends for all the different markets across the Greater Victoria area and can best assist buyers and sellers to navigate this exciting market."
 
The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in January, 2015 was $561,600. The benchmark value for the same home in January 2016 has increased by 10.2 per cent to $618,600.
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