Canadian home sales fall further in July

According to statistics released today by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national home sales declined further in July 2017. Highlights:

• National home sales fell 2.1% from June to July.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity in July stood 11.9% below last July’s level.
• The number of newly listed homes edged back by 1.8% from June to July.
• The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) was up 12.9% year-over-year (y-o-y) in July 2017.
• The national average sale price edged down by 0.3% y-o-y in July.

“July’s interest rate hike may have motivated some homebuyers with pre-approved mortgages to make an offer,” said CREA President Andrew Peck. “Even so, sales activity continued to soften in the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. Meanwhile, sales and prices in Montreal continue to strengthen. All real estate is local, and REALTORS® remain your best source for information about sales and listings where you live or might like to.”
“July marked the smallest monthly decline in Greater Golden Horseshoe home sales since Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan was announced in April,” said Gregory Klump, CREA’s Chief Economist. “This suggests sales may be starting to bottom out amid stabilizing housing market sentiment. Time will tell whether that’s indeed the case once the transitory boost by buyers with pre-approved mortgages fades.”
Click here to continue reading