JASON YOCHIM
NANAIMO – Last month, 254 single-family homes sold in the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board (VIREB) area, up 15 per cent from one year ago and 67 per cent from January 2024. Sales of condo apartments in February came in at 68, increasing by 11 per cent year over year and up 45 per cent from January. In the row/townhouse category, 59 units changed hands last month, an increase of 18 per cent from one year ago and up 48 per cent from the previous month.
Active listings of single-family homes were 915 in February, down from 937 the previous year. VIREB’s inventory of condo apartments was 298 last month, up from 253 one year ago. There were 328 row/townhouses for sale last month compared to 251 in February 2023.
“Board-wide, sales rose significantly from last February, while month over month, increases were in the high double digits,” says Jason Yochim, VIREB Chief Executive Officer. “Realtors are reporting that although many buyers are waiting for spring, pent-up demand is high.”
While much media attention has been on interest rates and a hoped-for reduction from the Bank of Canada, some financial institutions are offering excellent rates.
“In fact, five-year fixed rates are between five and seven per cent, and for current clients, some banks are offering rates of less than five per cent for longer terms,” adds Yochim. “We encourage people to speak to a mortgage professional to determine their best option.”
The board-wide benchmark price (MLS® Home Price Index) of a single-family home was $753,500 in February 2024, up six per cent from one year ago and a one per cent increase from January. In the apartment category, the benchmark price was $387,400 last month, up one per cent from the previous February and two per cent from January. The benchmark price of a townhouse in February was $546,500, up two per cent from one year ago and a slight decrease from January.
In Campbell River, the benchmark price of a single-family home was $661,600 last month, up nine per cent from the previous year. The Comox Valley’s year-over-year benchmark price rose by six per cent to $829,500. In the Cowichan Valley, the benchmark price was $749,900, a five per cent increase from February 2023.
Nanaimo’s year-over-year benchmark price rose by six per cent to reach $787,000, while the Parksville-Qualicum area saw its benchmark price increase by three per cent to $845,700. The cost of a benchmark single-family home in Port Alberni was $528,400, up nine per cent from the previous year. For the North Island, the benchmark price of a single-family home dropped by four per cent to $392,100.
Source: VIREB