VICTORIA – The Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) released September 1 its report on real estate activity for August 2015. A total of 741 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this August, an increase of 21.7 percent compared to the 609 properties sold in the same month last year.
“Consumer confidence in our area continues to be one of the main drivers of the spring and summer market surge,” Victoria Real Estate Board President Guy Crozier says. “In terms of single family home sales, this month we saw the highest number sold in the month of August since 2007. A total of 379 single family homes sold in August 2015, compared to 399 in August 2007.”
There were 3,688 active listings for sale on the Victoria Real Estate Board Multiple Listing Service® at the end of August, 14.6 percent fewer than the 4,316 active listings in August 2014.
The Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Home Price Index benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core last year in August was $556,600. The benchmark value for the same home in August 2015 has increased by 8.37 percent to $603,200.
“The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced new rules for buyers who have less than a 20 percent deposit,” noted President Crozier. “Starting at the end of September, buyers who apply for mortgage loan insurance from CMHC will be able to include 100 percent of the projected income from secondary suites. A change like this may buoy the market through the fall and winter, and we may see increased pressure on areas that permit suites. We’ll watch over the upcoming months and track any trickledown activity.”
