Despite economic mayhem unravelling in Europe and the United States, Toronto Canada continues to see a robust market. With October sales figures on the Multiple Listing Service showing a 17.5% increase from the previous year, our market remains Hot Hot Hot!
PropertyWire, the leading publication for property investors and industry professionals interested in the world of international property investment, asked urbaneer.com for our thoughts on Toronto’s property dynamics.
Is the Toronto market in for a crash or soft landing?
Read on for our thoughts and latest press!
~ Steven
Toronto Sales Figures Continue to Climb
Heather Wright, Real Estate Journalist
Published on Propertywire.ca, a resource for Real Estate and Mortgage Professionals, November 4, 2011.
The market in Toronto seemingly only knows one direction- up.
According new data released by TREB, sales for October climbed an impressive 17.5%, year-over-year.
“The pace of October resale home transactions remained brisk in the GTA. This bodes well for a strong finish to 2011,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “Home buyers who found it difficult to make a deal in the spring and summer due to a shortage of listings have benefitted from increased supply in the fall.”
As Steven Fudge, Sales Representative, Bosley R.E. Ltd (www.urbaneer.com) told Propertywire.ca, although there are plenty of signs that indicate that 2011 will close out with similar, robust activity, there are elements at play that do pose the possibility of influence: “The general consensus is that the fundamentals for Toronto real estate are sound, but the erratic stock market and headline news of other world economies may be causing a reason for pause. If the market slows before the end of the year, these will be the big factors influencing a decline in sales.”
And it wasn’t just sales activity that continued to climb through October; average prices in this hotbed continue their ascent as well, up 8% year-over-year, resting in at $478,137.
And as Fudge points out, these intense conditions, while support consistent upward trends, begin to take their toll on consumers after awhile. “In the City of Toronto, sales of freehold properties will remain strong for the balance of the year, as demand continues to outstrip supply, though purchasers are displaying signs of fatigue and are weary of the bidding wars. Many are refusing to go head to head in competition, which is causing some homes to stay on the market longer than expected. “
“Sellers’ market conditions remain in place in many parts of the GTA. The result has been above-average annual rates of price growth for most home types,” said Jason Mercer, the Toronto Real Estate Board’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis. “Thanks to low interest rates, strong price growth has not substantially changed the positive affordability picture in the City of Toronto and surrounding regions.”
Fudge sees the condo market as a possible driver towards balanced territory in Toronto: “The City of Toronto, which has a significantly larger supply of condominiums for sale, is not as robust as the freehold market segment. Unless aggressively priced, condominiums will be for sale longer before trading, which signals a more balanced market. Hopefully this indicates a soft landing, rather than a crash.”
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