Condo sales in may slow and inventory levels are up in Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge

I hope you and your family are doing well. Summer is here so make sure you get out and enjoy the nice weather. I for one am looking forward to some well deserved vaction time out of my house 🙂

May stats are out  and the market continues to be a little slower than what we have been used to over the past 3-4 years.  There were 661 residential homes sold in May, a decrease of 22.7 per cent compared to the same month last year, and 5.5 per cent below the previous 5-year average.

The increase by the Bank of Canada to the key interest rate in April had the predictable result of knocking some buyers down if not out of the market in May unfortunatley. While the impact to prices is small, it has had a critical impact on some buyers and what they can now afford.

Total residential sales in May included 404 detached (down 16.7 per cent from May 2021), and 115 townhouses (down 38.5 per cent). Sales also included 95 condominium units (down 12.0 per cent) and 47 semi-detached homes (down 36.5 per cent).

In May, the average sale price for all residential properties in the Kitchener-Waterloo area was $875,194. This represents a 18.3 per cent increase over May 2021 and a 3.5 per cent decrease compared to April 2022.

• • The average price of a detached home was $1,016,834. This represents a 17.0 per cent increase from May 2021 and a decrease 4.2 per cent compared to April 2022.
• • The average sale price for a townhouse was $708,722. This represents a 17.7 per cent increase from May 2021 and a decrease of 7.2 per cent compared to April 2022.
• • The average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $545,825. This represents an increase of 19.7 per cent from May 2021 and a decrease of 9.1 per cent compared to April 2022.
• • The average sale price for a semi was $730,768. This represents an increase of 10.7 per cent compared to May 2021 and a decrease of 7.0 per cent compared to April 2022.

KWAR cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing long-term trends but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) provides the best way to gauge price trends because averages are strongly distorted by changes in the mix of sales activity from one month to the next.

The MLS® HPI composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Kitchener-Waterloo was $848,600 in May. This represents a 15.1 per cent increase over May 2021 and a 4.7 per cent decrease compared to April 2022.

• • The benchmark price for a detached home was $945,800. This represents a 14.6 per cent increase from May 2021 and 4.9 per cent decrease compared to April 2022.
  • The benchmark price for a townhouse is $728,300. This represents a 22.6 per cent increase from May 2021 and a 5.1 per cent decrease compared to April 2022.
  • The benchmark price for an apartment-style condominium was $550,100. This represents a 26.9 per cent increase from May 2021 and a 1.8 per cent decrease compared to April 2022.

With the announcement from the Bank of Canada about another interest rate hike this week we may see a  resurgence of buyers who have locked in at a lesser rate, but as borrowing costs continue to increase, we should expect demand will continue to soften, particularly in the more entry-level segment of the market.

There were 1,422 new listings in KW and area last month, an increase of 33.9 per cent compared to May of last year, and a 40.4 per cent increase compared to the previous ten-year average for May.

The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of May was 902, an increase of 98.2 per cent compared to May of last year, and 28.8 per cent below the previous ten-year average of 1267 listings for May.

The number of months of inventory increased to 1.6 months in May from 1.2 months in April. While inventory is still at historic lows, this is the highest it’s been since September 2019. The number of months of inventory represents how long it would take to sell off current inventories at the current rate of sales.

The average number of days to sell in May was 11 days, compared to 9 days in May 2021. The previous 5-year average is 16 days. This number can show as a bit skewed though as many homes are listing, not receiving offers and then cancelled and reslisted a few weeks later showing up as a new listing and keeping the days on market lower than what truely is happening.  

I think what you have to remember is that even though the market is starting to pull back and its taking a little longer to sell homes, we  are still in a historically great market for buying and selling. Don’t let all the negative news hype out there affect your bias on things.

Historical Sales By Property Type

Months Supply of Homes for Sale

Historical Median Sales Price – By Property Type

Historical Average Sales Price – By Property Type

Average Days on Market Chart

If you are thinking of buying or selling this summer, wondering what the neighbor’s place sold for, or have any questions at all, give me a call, text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbakerrealestate@gmail.com

Enjoy the nicer weather and have a great June!

Kevin