Corinne McCabe , Broker

Queen Victoria's birthday is behind us now and that means the activity is gearing up for the final push for the spring market before summer sets in and trekking to the cottage begins. It seems the spring weather never happened. We went from miserable rainy days to this weeks above average temperatures. The number of new listings this week should be on the rise but let's see next week how many of those will receive multiple offers. Every year it's the same story. Homeowners often prefer to wait for the flowers and trees to blossom before they list their homes for sale. Buyers will have more choice now!

Last week in the freehold market sellers were still holding back obviously waiting for the long weekend to come and go. New listings were down 23% from the previous week. We are reading in the news that people don't want to sell their existing properties because they worry it will be difficult to find their next house or condo, so they want to buy first before selling and that has been a challenge with fewer listings this year. The number of sold properties also dropped by 9% last week but a strong 70% sold at or above the list price.

The number of new condo listings was down while demand and sales had no change from the week before. There were 40% fewer listings week over week creating increased competition which resulted in 58% of available condos selling over the asking price. While the number of new listings has remained stable in the east and west, the noticeable drop is in the central core, proving once again that demand still exists for central condos.

The media is at it again this week with grim news that the "Housing market stumbles in spring". Yes, we know the number of sales is down if we compare it to last years figures, but that is nothing new. Sales in the GTA have been down over the past year following a market correction that began last May, long before the stress-test rules were in place. But on a month-over-month basis, The GTA market has been stabilizing this year, with sales down just 1% in April compared to March on a seasonally adjusted basis. One of the factors in declining sales nationally has been a reduction in new homes listed for sale as sellers have sat on the sidelines waiting for the markets to strengthen. A decline in new listings has helped keep prices relatively stable even as the volume of sales has declined.

An impending long weekend has a natural cooling effect on the market with the freehold sector remaining relatively unchanged from the previous week, however sales were up 13% and competition for homes is still strong with an average 66% selling at or above the list price. Once again, the east end of the city (Riverdale and Leslieville) remain the hot spots. Properties in the $700K to $1.SM price range saw plenty of multiples and of those sold 76% sold at or over the asking price.

If you thought shifting your dreams of home ownership to the condo market would make life easier, you might be a little disappointed. This year we have watched as competition for resale condos increased dramatically. Last week the number of sold condos was up by 12% and of those sold 55% sold at or above the list price. Clearly, it's a seller's market for condos in Toronto. It was also great to see a 20% influx of new condos come to market last week with 425 new listings.

As we transition from dreary wet weather to sunshine and cherry blossoms, everyone seems to be smiling and there is a new bounce to our step. Even though we have seen a significant increase in new listings for freehold and condos last week, the Toronto real estate market remains fickle. It's hard to predict which properties will be snapped up and which will languish. Will the Toronto market see a mini-resurgence this spring?

The freehold market recorded a solid 25% increase in new listings last week. Most of the new listing activity was recorded in the central core, with 57 new listings alone priced from $1.SM to $3M. The media reported this week that the luxury home sales have tumbled from last year. 90 single family home sales fell into that category between January and March this year, compared to 281 in the same period last year and 110 in 2016. Luxury homes are defined as those that cost at least three times the median price in the overall market. The number of sold properties dropped by 12% last week but a strong 77% sold at or above the list price.

A similar market exists in the resale condominium sector with a 25% increase in new listings. Sales followed suit to the freehold market with a 12% drop in the number of sold units, but of those 48% sold at or above the asking price. It is important to note that condos priced in the $400 -$700 price range continues to be the condo sweet spot reserved for home buyers abandoning their hopes of buying a home with a backyard.

Bosley Real Estate Ltd. is a full service boutique brokerage operating in Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Port Hope and Cambridge Ontario since 1928. We have four centrally located offices and over 250 sales representatives selling and leasing homes and condominiums in all the vibrant communities we work in. Our brand is well recognized internationally thanks to our unique affiliation with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. Our sales teams meet weekly to discuss market conditions, trending topics, and anecdotes that more accurately reflect the true temperature of the real estate market.

"April showers bring May flowers" It's May and it's finally warm and everyone is smiling. And yea the Raptors are in the second round of playoffs. With the spring market in full swing we are seeing a ramp up of new listings. The Toronto Real Estate board released the April monthly figures and it sounds all gloomy. That's because the stats include the entire GTA and the reported number of sales is down and so is the average sale price. But the good news is that the average sale price for the City of Toronto is up again!

January: $766,616  February: $806,494  March: $817,642  April: $865,817

The freehold market recorded a 40% increase in new listings last week, but as the Spring market hits its stride this increase is considered low. The new listings were spread out over all areas of the city. Sales have remained identical to the week before, but competition was fierce with nearly 55% of properties selling at or over the list price. A good house, well priced, staged nicely and given enough time on the market should generate upwards of 5 or more offers depending on location, price and condition.

Condominiums have remained the strongest market statement in Toronto as buyers continue to favour the lowest-price housing option. Last week new listings increased 15% while sales saw a modest 5% gain. 204 condos traded last week up from 198 the week before. The most active category was the $400 to $700 price point in the central core with 50% of condos selling at or above the list price. Even though mortgage rates went up this week the condo market is still fueled with would-be house purchasers unable to enter the freehold market.