November hits record sales and low inventories for Kitchener Waterloo condo market
I hope you and your family are doing well. Looks like winter is here and christmas is just around the corner.
The stats are out for November and it was another crazy month in the Waterloo region’s real estate market. Lets look at the numbers…
There were 597 residential homes sold last month setting a new record high for November. Compared to the same month last year, November sales were up 4.4% and on par with last month. The previous ten-year average number of residential sales for November is 446.
The elevated pace of home sales we’ve seen for the past year and a half showed no sign of slowing down in November, despite some speculation of there being a housing market correction in store for Waterloo Region.
Total residential sales in November included 324 detached (down 3.9 per cent from November 2020), and 106 condominium units (up 27.7 per cent). Sales also included 30 semi-detached homes (down 25 per cent) and 136 townhouses (up 21.4 per cent).
In November, the average sale price for all residential properties in the Kitchener-Waterloo area was $821,969. This represents a 28.9 per cent increase over November 2020 and a 2 per cent decrease compared to October 2021.
- The average price of a detached home was $990,447. This represents a 31 per cent increase from November 2020 and a decrease of 0.6 per cent compared to October 2021.
- The average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $494,548. This represents an increase of 23.5 per cent from November 2020 and an increase of 7.1 per cent compared to October 2021.
The MLS® HPI composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Kitchener-Waterloo was $825,000 in November. This represents a 34.1 per cent increase over November 2020 and a 2.6 per cent increase compared to October 2021.
- The benchmark price for a detached home was $915,800. This represents a 35.8 per cent increase from November 2020 and 3.2 per cent increase compared to October 2021.
- The benchmark price for a townhouse is $627,900. This represents a 45.5 per cent increase from November 2020 and a 4.0 per cent increase compared to October 2021.
Lack of supply continues to be the driver in November, with inventory hitting an all time low, it is a tough time to be house hunting right now.
There were 605 new listings added to the MLS® System in KW and area last month, an increase of 3.2 per cent compared to November of last year, and a 14.6 per cent decrease compared to the previous ten-year average for November.
The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of November was 207, a decrease of 40.2 per cent compared to November of last year, and 80.7 per cent below the previous ten-year average of 1,071 listings for November.
The number of months of inventory reached an all time low of 0.3 in November. Inventory has settled at under 1 month for thirteen consecutive months. 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 November stayed at 10 days, compared to 14 days in November 2020 and a previous 5-year average of 24 days.
The housing market typically slows down around the holiday season, but we are seeing a busier than normal December. There is growing anxiety out there among buyers caused by the fear of missing out against rumblings of interest rates eventually going up in the year ahead.
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
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the coming months, wonder what the neighbor sold for, or have any questions at all, give me a call, text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca.
Have a wonderful holiday season with your family and a prosperous 2022!
Kevin
Euphoria Continues in the Kitchener Waterloo Condo Market
Hope you and your family have been doing well and everyone is staying safe. With lockdowns being lifted in many regions across Ontario, everyone is trying to get back to a normal life again. I will say that lockdowns or not, the housing market is starting to experience a little bit of euphoria from buyers in my opinion and certainly speculative buying. With many buyers especially from the GTA looking for homes in our region, it is pushing prices up fast.
Lets look at the stats from February…
There were 597 residential homes sold, an increase of 27.8 per cent compared to February 2020, and an increase of 66.7 per cent compared to the previous month. The previous 10-year average number of residential sales for February is 407.
Total residential sales in February included 337 detached (up 23.9 per cent from February 2020), and 101 condominium units (up 57.8 per cent). Sales also included 47 semi-detached homes (up 46.9 per cent) and 112 townhouses (up 13.1 per cent).
In February, the average sale price of all residential properties sold in 2021 increased by 32.1 per cent to $752,289 compared to the same month last year. Meanwhile, the average price of a detached home hit yet another new milestone by exceeding 900-thousand-dollars for the first time, coming in at $910,126 an increase of 35.4 per cent. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment-style condominium was $415,322 for an increase of 11.9 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $609,566 (up 37.5 per cent) and $684,787 (up 41.1 per cent) respectively.
We are continuing to see a dramatic increases in the average price in February due to the persistent and fierce competition for homes in our region combined with short supply, this is frustrating buyers in the hyper competitive market.
The low inventory and mortgage rates are resulting in multiple offers, higher prices and creating a fear they are missing out on the chance to become homeowners in this unprecedented market.
The rise in the average price we’ve been tracking the past several months has included some exceptional sale prices. That’s why this month and going forward we will also be including the MLS® HPI to provide a clearer picture of our local housing market trends.
The MLS® HPI is a sophisticated statistical model and more stable price indicator than average or median price measures because it considers how the features of a home affects its price – such as age, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms.
The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Kitchener-Waterloo was $709,600 in February. This represents a 27.9 per cent increase over February 2020 and a 5.6 per cent increase compared to January 2021.
The benchmark price for a detached home was $788,500. This represents a 28.8 per cent increase from February 2020 and 6.1 per cent increase compared to January 2021.
The benchmark price for an apartment-style condominium was $341,200. This represents a 13.9 per cent increase from February 2020 and a 0.1 per cent increase compared to January 2021.
The benchmark price for a townhouse is $526,700. This represents a 33.1per cent increase from February 2020 and a 6 per cent increase compared to January 2021.
There were 737 new listings added to the MLS® System in KW and area last month, an increase of 21 per cent compared to February of last year, and a 15.7 per cent increase compared to the previous ten-year average for February.
The total number of homes available for sale in active status at the end of February was 295, a decrease of 33.6 per cent compared to February of last year, and 73 per cent below the previous ten-year average of 1,096 listings for February.
The number of months of inventory was 0.5 in February and has numbered less than 1 month since October. 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 February was 10 days, compared to 17 days in February 2020 and a previous 5-year average of 33 days.
If you are thinking of buying or selling in the coming months, wonder what the neighbor sold for, or have any questions at all, give me a call, text at 519-497-4646 or shoot me an email to kevinbaker@kwhometeam.ca.
Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!
Kevin
KW Condos and Lofts.com 