Vancouver home sales plunge 42% on new tax
Listings drop to 14-year low
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said Thursday a dearth of new sellers is dramatically slowing activity in Canada’s most expensive housing market.
The board reported that home sales totalled 2,425 throughout the region in February, a 41.9 per cent decrease from a year ago’s record-setting pace and 7.7 per cent below the 10-year average for the month. But sales activity was up 59.2 per cent compared to January.
“February home sales were well below the recordbreaking activity from one year ago and in line with our long-term historical average for the month,” Dan Morrison, president of the board, said in a release. “Limited supply and snowy weather were two factors hampering this activity.”
The board said there were 3,666 new listings in February for detached, attached and apartment properties in Metro Vancouver, down 36.9 per cent from a year ago and off 11.4 per cent from January. It was the lowest number of new listings registered in February since 2003.
The Vancouver market has seen an accelerated slowdown in sales activity since the province slapped a 15 per cent additional property tax on foreign buyers, effective last Aug. 2. Realtors report the market is still adjusting to the impact of that tax.
The board did say the total number of properties listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service rose four per cent to 7,594 from a year ago. Total listings are up 4.9 per cent from January.
The sales-to-active listings ratio for February was 31.9 per cent, a 10-point increase from January.
“Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months,” the board said in its release.
The board’s MLS Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver was $906,700 last month, a 2.8 per cent decrease over the past six months, but a 1.2 per cent increase compared to January.
“While home sales are not happening at the pace we experienced last year, home seller supply is still struggling to keep up with today’s demand. This is why we’ve seen little downward pressure on home prices, particularly in the condominium and townhome markets,” Morrison said.
There were 745 detached properties sales in February, a 58.1 per cent decrease from a year ago.
The benchmark price for detached properties was $1,474,200, a 6.5 per cent decrease over the past six months. Prices in that category were flat compared to January.