K-W Home Sales Wake from Summer Slumber
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (Oct 5, 2010) Home sales to the end of the third quarter of 2010 are ahead of last year by 4.5 percent. There were a total of 5,113 home sales through the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board (KWREB) during the first nine months of the year, compared with 4,892 during the same period of 2009.
“This is the first time since 2007 that sales to the end of the third quarter have increased on a year over year basis”, says Ted Scharf, President of the KWREB. “It was also our third best September on record. ”
Sales last month brought the dollar volume to $1,477,077,951, an increase of 14.1 percent compared to one year ago.
The most popular price range year-to-date has been for homes selling between $225,000 and $250,000, with nearly 15 percent of sales happening in that bracket. This is down slightly from 2009, when the percentage was 16 percent.
The number of residential sales increased in every price category above $250,000, with the biggest jump occurring in the most expensive homes. 62 homes sold to the end of September for more than $750,000, compared to only 24 last year at this time, a jump of 158 percent.
Stronger demand for high-end homes has contributed to the 10.2 percent increase in the average sale price of all detached homes sold year-to-date. The average price of a detached home to the end of the third quarter was $329,063, compared to $298,626 to the end of September 2009.
The average price of all residential properties sold year-to-date was $288,887, a 9.1 percent increase relative to 2009 results.
Scharf says the local residential real estate market should remain strong for the balance of the year. The local economy is both diverse and dynamic, and our region is highly regarded as a perfect place to make roots and invest in a home.