A media release from the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® with an overview of residential MLS® sales and listing activity for the month of March 2018 follows.
In the first quarter of 2018, there were 648 Saskatoon home sales, a 10 percent decline on a year-over-year basis. The decrease in sales for the month of March was 24 percent with just 234 residential transactions occurring last month.
The number of new listings introduced on the MLS® for Saskatoon is also down for the quarter. There have been 1,807 Saskatoon homes listed so far this year compared to 2,183 for the same period in 2017.
At the end of March, active residential listings in Saskatoon totaled 1,670 for both single and multi-family homes, consistent with the five year average of 1,695. The inventory would take just over seven months to liquidate at the current rate of sales.
The reduction in active listings is not only the result of fewer homes being listed on the market. “Some sellers may have decided not to re-list their home just yet, opting to wait for the more active spring market to try their luck,” according to Jason Yochim, CEO of the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR). “Many sellers believe that spring is the best time to sell,” he adds.
The sale-to-listing ratio is a comparison of the number of sales to the number of new listings for a specific period of time. Understanding this ratio allows us to determine if we are in a buyer’s market, a seller’s market or a balanced market. A ratio between 40% and 60% is considered to be a balanced market. A ratio below 40% is considered to be a buyer’s market, while a ratio exceeding 60% is considered to be a seller’s market. The sale-to-listing ratio for March was 35%, down slightly from the five year average of 40%.
Last month, Saskatoon homes took an average of 64 days to sell compared to 47 days in March of 2017. The five year average days to sell for the Saskatoon market is 50 days.
The average year-to-date residential sale price continued its steady decline falling 2%. For the first quarter of 2018, the average home sale price in Saskatoon was $333,826. Since averages can be misleading, the median price tends to be a better reflection of the market. The median home sale price continued to decline from $330,000 in January, to $317,250 in March. In March of 2017, the median price was just slightly higher at $320,000. The five year average for median residential home sale price in Saskatoon is $330,000.
The Home Price Index Composite Benchmark Price (HPI) increased slightly for the first time since June of 2017 to $293,200. By comparison, the composite benchmark has not been this low since February of 2012. The highest point ever reached was $319,600 in May of 2015. Declines to the HPI began showing signs of slowing in January of 2018. The HPI is the most accurate indicator of where home prices are trending.
Jason Yochim CAE, CRAE
Chief Executive Officer
Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®
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