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A slowdown in some of the country's most expensive cities for housing continues to drag down the average sale price of a home in Canada, the Canadian Real Estate Association said.: C8 @6 L* x3 h. m3 }# M. X* k
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The average sale price of a home last month was $281,133, a 9.9% decline from a year ago. It's the fifth straight month that prices have fallen in the country's major markets on a year over year basis, and each month the percentage decline has increased., ~* W7 m( f/ `2 P
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Sales also continue to decline across the country. In major markets, sales in October were down 15.1% from September. The 32,046 sales in October for the entire country were the lowest monthly level since July, 2002.
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4 I5 B6 ?+ Z% n+ l"The breadth and depth of the drop in MLS activity suggests a major downshift in consumers psychology," said Gregory Klump, chief economist CREA. "That has moved many homebuyers to the sidelines until economic news begins to improve."+ B1 j) C$ I6 s- ~8 t
6 I$ [/ Q0 q3 w0 P8 \! l; [3 P- z) OCREA said activity was down in 75% of the Canadian markets it surveys, including the five most active, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. Toronto accounted for one third of the decline in the national sales figure.. `2 f S( \! \+ m6 n# ~: b+ j3 {9 S
8 [& O3 l; Z d6 {( ^ ^$ @5 g"Many homebuyers across Canada battened down the hatches in October as they were concerned with dire headlines about stock market volatility and a global economic downturn," said Mr. Klump.9 O* G1 n6 `/ n. ?
* A" x, \0 x7 P9 p. a- Z' p( g6 q( PHe said the government's tougher restrictions on home buying played into the decline. New rules that came into effect last month have forced consumers to have at least 5% down on any home purchase. Mortgages can also be amortized over 35 years, down from 40 years, making for a larger monthly payment.
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The market is expected to get some relief from the fact that new listings are expected to decline, Mr. Klump says.
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# P% y& b6 s( k- QCREA president Calvin Lindberg said consumer confidence has not been this low since the mid-1990s. "The major drop in consumer and a steady stream of economic bad news from the financial markets is taking its toll on the national housing market," he said.2 l8 V$ M' _6 k" l' ?6 O
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The association pointed out a decline in housing is bad news for the overall economy, saying spin off spending from MLS transaction is about $15.3-billion per year when you include moving and renovation costs and the purchase of new furniture and appliances. |
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