Active Listings Continue Decline

For the seventh straight month this year, the number of active listings in the market was down year over year. At the end of August there were 2,019 active residential listings in the city of Saskatoon, a decline of 8% from a year ago. Of the active listings, approximately 1,227 are single family while just over 780 fall under condominium ownership. The decline in active listings is largely due to a decline in homes listed year over year. To date, a total of 5,875 residential properties have been listed in Saskatoon on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®), down 11% compared to the end of August last year. “In a slower market, one typically sees fewer speculative sellers than in a hot market” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® “It’s important to bear in mind that homes sell in all markets. If a seller needs to sell then they must be sure to have good advice and price to the current market conditions.” adds Yochim.

In the month of August there were 329 residential sales on the MLS®. This is on par with August of 2018 and just lightly below the five year average of 352 sales for August. Year to date there have been 2,411 residential MLS® sales in Saskatoon, of these 1,751 are single family properties, unchanged compared to the first eight months of last year. On the other hand, there were 648 condominium at the end of last month, 11% fewer than last year.

Year to date residential MLS® sales between $200 - 300,000 totaled 657 transactions, down from 707 a year ago. The number of homes that sold between $350-750,000 on the MLS® year to date was also down by just over 100 sales from 1,036 transactions in 2017. So far in 2018, a total of 41 properties have sold in excess of $750,000 in Saskatoon, on par with last year.

The Home Price Index (HPI) Value for single family residential home sales in Saskatoon increased slightly from July to $312,200. The HPI measures the change in value over time for a typical single family home with a standard set of attributes. This rate of change reports similar to the Consumer Price Index and is the most accurate indicator of home pricing. The HPI value for townhouse style residences declined for the month to $225,200, down from $234,400 in July. Benchmark pricing for apartment Style condominiums continue to decline for the eighth straight month. For more information on HPI go to saskatoonrealtors.ca . Year-to-date, the average sale price was $334,226, a 4% decrease from the same period last year. Average prices can be misleading as outlier sales can skew the average sale value one way or the other over a short period of time. This is why the median price of HPI value is a better indicator of the market.

Last month, the average home in Saskatoon took 52 days to sell in Saskatoon. The five year average for days to sell in the month of July is 50.4 days.

REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are dedicated to developing professional standards and continuing education in the real estate profession. This is not the case for those who sell real estate in the province and who are not members of an association of REALTORS®.

Buyer’s Market Continues

A slight decline in home sales year over year, low interest rates and stable home prices coupled with elevated inventory levels, continues to make Saskatoon an ideal market for home buyers. At the end of August there were 2,183 active listings in Saskatoon, just slightly down from the record set last month. “In the coming months, home buyers will look back with hindsight and realize how opportune the market was with all of these elements in place.” According to Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® “It is only a matter of time before the market shifts as it always does.” The concern is that buyers waiting for the bottom of the market in order to make a purchase, may end up paying more when buying on the upswing.

The average home is taking approximately 55 days to sell which is the greatest number of days in the past several years. The five year average for days to sell in August is 46. Homes that have been priced relative to this market will see a sale in much less time. The sales to listing ratio compares the number of new listings against the number of sales for the month. In August, the sales to listing ratio was 41% which is consistent with the past three months. This means that for every five home listed there are two sales. The sales to listing ratio year to date was 37.7% which is down 3.5% compared to 2016. Furthermore, based on the current level of home sales, it would take between six and seven months to clear out the active listings, this is above the five year average of just over five months.

Two thirds the way through the year, Saskatoon and area saw a total of 3,344 transactions, down 5% from last year. The total number of homes listed for sale, year to date, was 9,904 which is virtually unchanged from 2016. The total dollar volume for Saskatoon and region year to date was $1,139 billion, down 9% from the same period last year. Within the Saskatoon market, the number of transactions year to date was 2,484 representing a 5% decline from the same period last year.

With lots to choose from ,the average and median price continue to show signs of slipping. The average price year to date declined by 1% to $347,414 while the median price declined by 1.5% to $329,950. Considering the challenging economy, high supply of housing and a softened demand, pricing has not been dramatically impacted so far. “Pricing of a home is one of the most important decisions in a successful sale.” Comments Yochim, “REALTORS® are the most informed when it comes to knowing the market for a specific property at a specific time.” he adds.