Rural market set to take off

real estate • An extended winter season slowed sales in the Calgary region’s country residential real estate market.

The Calgary Real Estate Board recorded 263 MLS sales for country residential properties, including acreages, year-to-date through April. That’s down about three per cent from the same period a year ago. The average sale price has grown by 2.6 per cent to $823,253.

“The longer winter does impact the sales and volume as we are seeing,” said Mark Evernden of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada.

“As the snow has melted and access to rural properties becomes an easier venture, buyers are becoming more motivated to purchase within the rural markets.”

Sales in the country residential and rural condos market last year increased to 878 from 689 in 2011.

The record for sales in that market was in 2006 with 972 transactions while the record average sale price was in 2007 at $856,220.