November home sales continue at torrid pace

Vancouver, BC – December 9, 2009. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) residential sales in the province climbed 165 per cent to 7,182 units in November compared to the same month last year. Last month posted the highest number of MLS® residential sales for the month of November since 2005, when 7,721 units changed hands. Triple-digit gains in province-wide unit sales reflect a low number of unit sales in November 2008.

BC home sales remained at an elevated level in November,”said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “Low mortgage interest rates, pent-up demand and strong consumer confidence continue to be key drivers in the market."

The torrid pace of home sales in the Fraser Valley, Vancouver and Victoria has propelled the provincial total to near record levels. However, consumer demand in these markets is expected to moderate in the new year as pent-up demand is largely expended and higher home prices erode affordability.

Year-to-date, MLS® residential sales dollar volume increased 21 per cent to $36.8 billion over the same period last year. A total of 79,325 units were sold in the first eleven months of 2009, up 19 per cent from 2008, while the average MLS® price increased 2 per cent to $463,555.