November Home Sales Increase

Home sales in Saskatoon for the month of November were up 7% compared to November of 2016 with a total of 257 residential sales. This increase could be attributed to ideal conditions for home buyers combined with impending mortgage rule changes slated for January that will affect conventional borrowers. The year to date sales however, reflected a 6% decrease with 3,287 transactions. Homes that sold between $300-500,000, made up 1,606 of the year to date sales, or roughly half of the residential sales. Although homes in this price range are the most active segment of the market place, activity in this range has declined by nearly 12% compared to the first eleven months of 2016. Sales activity for homes that sold between $750-1,000,000 remained unchanged compared to last year with a total of 45 units. Homes that sold in excess of $1,000,000 was slightly down year over year with 14 sales compared to 16 in 2016.

Home sales in the market surrounding Saskatoon showed a significant bump in activity in November with 71 transactions, or a 22% increase from November 2016. Of these sales, 34 occurred in the cities of Martensville and Warman in November, compared to 26 last November. Inventory levels also continue to be elevated in the areas and cities in the Saskatoon region where there was 926 available properties for sale at the end of November.

The number of active residential listings that were on the market at the end of November was 1,826, 8% higher than last year. The number of new listings added to the market in November was 583 compared to 652 in the same month last year. The sales to listing ratio compares the number of sales for the month, relative to the number of new listings. The sales to listing ratio for Saskatoon in November was 44.4%. In November it took an average number of 58 days for a home to sell in Saskatoon. “If you are looking for a home, this is an ideal time with plenty of selection in most price ranges and areas as well as low interest rates” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®, “As for sellers who need to sell, they need to have a true sense of the market and price accordingly to sell within the average number of days.” He adds.

The average price continued to decline.  The MLS® Composite Home Price Index (HPI) Benchmark Price continued its steady decline for several months, down by 4.05% from a year ago. The Composite HPI measures the rate of change in a benchmark price for a typical home and is the most accurate indicator of pricing direction in a market.

Buyers Market Continues

Conditions remain ideal for those in search of a new home in Saskatoon. There was a total of 1,967 active listings at the end of October in Saskatoon plus an additional 1,022 available residential properties in the region outside Saskatoon. This is an increase of almost 12% in active residential listings compared to the same point last year. With upcoming mortgage rule changes in the new year, relatively low interest rates and more available homes, this is an ideal time for buyers to tie up that purchase. The sales to listing ratio for Saskatoon was just over 40% in Saskatoon in October. This means that for every 10 homes that were listed, four were successfully sold. The number of sales for October in Saskatoon was 287 units. Although this was an 8% decline compared to October 2016, it represented an increase of 10% over Septembers sales of 262. Year to date sales for Saskatoon a the end of last month were 3,030 units which is a 6.7% decrease for the same period last year. Year to date a total of 8,069 home were placed on the market in Saskatoon, down slightly from 8,217 the previous year. “I expect that there may be a slight spike in sales as the year winds down” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®, “this would be due to recently introduced mortgage qualification rules for conventional buyers plus a sense of upward pressure on interest rates.” The federal government continues to address issues with overheated markets in Canadas two largest cities. These rule changes however affect local real estate markets much differently.

The average days on market for a home in Saskatoon was 54 days which is unchanged from September and slightly higher when compared to October of 2016 where it took an average of 50 days to sell. Not surprising, with higher inventory levels, and declines in sales, the average selling price for a home in Saskatoon continues to decrease, with a year over year decline of 3.2% to $331,889. The Medan price however remained unchanged at $330,000.  The MLS® Composite Home Price Index (HPI) Benchmark Price increased by 5.1% to $328,600. The Composite HPI measures the rate of change in a benchmark price for a typical home and is the most accurate indicator of pricing direction in a market. This increase would suggest that in spite of a decline in the average home price, the trend is moving upward for home prices.

September Home Sales Decline

The Saskatoon real estate market saw a 19% decline in MLS® home sales in September compared to a year ago. Total MLS® sales for September of 2016 totaled 324 compared to just 262 in 2017. The year-to-date total of 2,745 MLS® sales in Saskatoon, is a 6% reduction compared to 2,935 MLS® sales for 2016. Overall, the entire number of sale transactions recorded by the association in Saskatoon and region at the end of September was 3,701 units compared to 3,957 in 2016. This translates to a 10% decline in dollar volume or roughly $140 Million dollars. The number of available properties for sale declined by around 100 units from August to September with a total of 2,082 available properties on the market. The five year average for active listings on the market is 1,797 units. “Ideally it would be nice to see the number of active listings around that five year average or lower” comments Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®, “that level of inventory would bring us closer to balanced market conditions.” By comparison, in 2007 when the market was a strong sellers’ market with escalating home prices, there was an average of just over 400 active listings through the year. Ten years later that average is just under 2000 active listings.   

The average length of time for a home to sit on the market is 55 days, just slightly above the five year average for days to sell in September which is 46. The sales to listing ratio is a comparison of the number of sales for the month relative to the number of new listings taken. It is considered to be a balanced market when this ratio falls between 40-60%. A percentage above this range is considered sellers’ market while a percentage below is considered a buyers’ market. The sales to listing ratio for September is was 34%, well below the five year average of 42%. “In a buyers’ market with elevated inventory levels it is critical to understand pricing and to properly prepare your home to compete against other homes in your price range.” cautions Yochim.   

The average selling price for a home in Saskatoon for the year decreased by 1.4% to $347,043. The median price also declined slightly by 2.1% to $327,900. In July of this year the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® elected to remove lot sales from the aggregate number of home sales to give a more accurate picture of pricing. This change has helped to support the average price to some degree in comparison to last year.  The MLS® Composite Home Price Index (HPI) Benchmark Price increased by 3.6% to $326,700, up 3.6% from a year ago. This increase is also impacted by the removal of lot sales from the total sales volume. The Composite HPI measures the rate of change in a benchmark price for a typical home and is the most accurate indicator of pricing direction in a market.

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. 

Home Sales Soften in July 

The warm weather in July appears to have taken some of the purchasers out of the Saskatoon market with a monthly decline in unit home sales of 16% compared to July of 2016. The year to date unit sales are down nearly 4% for Saskatoon compared to the first seven months of last year. Sales in the region surrounding Saskatoon increased just over 17% for the month compared to last July, while the year to date numbers declined slightly by 2.6%. Year to date there have been a total of 2,155 unit sales within Saskatoon and another 596 in the region surrounding the city. The total dollar volume recorded for Saskatoon and region year to date is $989 Million off 5% from last year.

The number of active listings in Saskatoon has reached a new peak at 2,210 with an additional 1,125 properties available in the market outside Saskatoon. At the current rate of monthly sales it would take just over seven months to liquidate the current inventory completely. The average home is taking approximately 50 days to sell which is consistent with the past two July’s. The homes that are selling are seeing a sale price that is at 96.7% of the asking price. “These stats would indicate to me that those who are serious about selling are pricing to market and getting very close to their asking price and in much less time than the current 50 day average.” According to Jason Yochim CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®.

The number of listings taken year to date in the Saskatoon and region market is consistent with last year at 8,693. In Saskatoon there have been 5,795 properties listed since January 1st, very similar to numbers for the past two years.

Prices continue to show signs of slight decline as well. The average sale price in July of 2017 was 6.4% lower than July of 2016. Year to date, the average price has slipped from $351,855 to $348,960. The median price year to date also decreased slightly from $335,000 to $329,500. The Composite Home Price Index (HPI) benchmark price for July declined by 2.2% compared to last July. The HPI is considered to be the best indicator of the trend in home prices and measures the rate of change month over month. “Based on the theory of supply and demand it is reasonable to expect that prices are not likely to strengthen until the number of active listings declines.” comments Yochim. “It is important to remember that these changes in pricing are an aggregate of the entire market and will vary based on area, type of home and availabilty of similar properties to the subject. Access to this information is critical to accurate pricing and can be obtained through consultation with one of our members.”

Competitive Market for Some Home Sellers

At the halfway point in the year, housing sales reflect that of the year to date total in 2016 with 1,850 unit sales in Saskatoon. The average sale price of $350,000 is virtually unchanged as well from a year ago. Also, the median price year to date at $330,000 is comparable to that of last year. Helping to sustain these price indicators is a notable increase (25%) in home sales over $600,000 which is offsetting a decline (3%) in sales below $600,000, as of June 30th. The total number of sales over $600,000 in Saskatoon was 101 units of which 90 were single family homes. Comparatively there were 1,765 transactions at the end of June below $600,000. The number of condominium units sold so far this year was 533 units representing a 5% increase over last year. With the mortgage qualification changes implemented last October, some buyers had to shift their purchase decision from single family to condominium to fit a reduced purchase price. The total dollar volume for Saskatoon and area of $846M is the lowest year to date total since June of 2011. The highest dollar volume reached for the midpoint of the year was June of 2014 at $1.1B.

Much has been said about the number of homes available in Saskatoon. Currently there are still over 2,100 active listings in Saskatoon. This amount of available homes would take just over five months to liquidate at the current rate of sales. This amount of active property also means that we are still firmly in a buyers’ market with a sales to listing ratio of 41%, comparable to last June but below the five year average of 50%. In the overheated market of 2007 there were only 375 active listings and a sales to listing ratio of an incredible 79%. This was at a time when Saskatoon’s population was around 210,000 residents for a per capita of one active listing for every 560 residents. In 2012 this increased to 1,254 active listings and a population of 239,420 for a per capita of one listing for every 190 residents. Saskatoon’s current population of 268,158 equates to one active listing for every 125 people.

On average it takes 45 days to sell a home in Saskatoon. This is the lowest days on market average for any month in 2017. “Average days on market can be misleading as well.” cautions Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®. “If homes are properly priced in any price range and in any market condition, they can easiiy see an offer in much less time.” The key is to get sound advice on the current market for each specific home. “Our REALTOR® members are market experts who are objective and can guide a seller in this critical decision.” he adds.

The market surrounding Saskatoon had a year to date decline in sales of 11% with a total of 456 transactions. Active listings in this market at the end of June were 1,112 which is a 4% decline over last year.

Competitive Market for Some Home Sellers

Home sellers need to put forward their best efforts when pricing and presenting their home for sale in any market but especially now with a total of 2,112 active listings in Saskatoon. This is the highest number of homes for sale eclipsing the peak of 2,081 in June of 2015. “Pricing is the most important decision a seller can make, especially in a buyers’ market.” advises Jason Yochim, CEO with the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®. “This is something that requires the assistance of an objective and educated REALTOR® to reflect the market.” Of these, just under 1,300 are single family homes and about 850 are condominiums with close to 500 of these apartment style. Additionally, 350 of the apartment style condominiums are priced between $150-350,000, making this a very competitive segment of the market. With 848 single family homes priced between $250-500,000, there is a lot of choice for buyers who are being selective on what they want and what they want to pay. Homes priced over $500,000 total 278 available properties with 76 of these in excess of $750,000. The MLS® system saw 1,035 new listings for Saskatoon in May, a 7% increase over last May, and the highest number of new listings recorded in a single month.

In May there were 423 sales in Saskatoon representing a 7% increase compared to last May. So far year to date the total number of sales is down 2% at 1,459 units. Price ranges between $250-500,000 showed positive increases to the number of sales year over year. In 2016. In May of 2017 there were 358 sales in this price range compared to 329 last May. There was a 13% decrease in the number of sales priced between $500-750,000 in May of 2017. Year to date there were 12 sales in excess of $1,000,000 in Saskatoon. Six of these sales were single family homes, two were bare land condo units at the Willows and one sale was a downtown apartment unit. The home that sold for the most so far this year was $2,000,000.

The average number of days required to sell a home in Saskatoon is 48 days. The five year average for May is about 41 days. Based on the number of sales that occurred in May and the number of homes available on the market, it would take 5 months to liquidate the current inventory of properties for sale. The average selling price continues to remain stable at $$349,000. The median sale price also remains relatively unchanged year to date at $329,250. Although the total MLS® dollar volume was up 11.5% when comparing this May 2017 to last, the year to date dollar volume is down 1.3% at $670,000,000.

The market surrounding Saskatoon showed an increase in sales of 10.4% in May, however year to date sales in that market were down 8%. The average selling price for this area is up 7% year to date at $331,450. This market includes the cities of Warman and Martensville as well as other surrounding communities and acreage property.  .