Corinne McCabe , Broker

With the change in temperature and the end of that laid-back mood of summer, fall always feels like a shift in gears. Changing around your wardrobe and getting ready for those cool days and nights are almost upon us. With the fall market in full swing, the unpredictability of Toronto real estate is perplexing at times. Sales have been recovering and stronger than we expected in recent months. It seems that we are in full recovery with 6 straight months of sales increases for existing homes. Mortgage rates are dropping, and the impact of the mortgage stress test seems to have  diminished slightly. Sellers are becoming a little bit more realistic in their pricing, but listings still remain low causing fierce competition among buyers.

Last week the freehold market saw a small 13% dip in new listings from the previous week. It is interesting to note that fewer listings did not dampen buyer’s spirits. Overall sales for the week shot up an impressive 41% from the previous week and as expected, supply and demand economics propelled 71% of sales at or above the list price. Most of the activity was centered in the east end again in the Riverdale, Danforth Village, Leslieville and Beaches neighbourhoods. We love witnessing the condo market’s continued success. Listings were up slightly last week by 3% from the previous week. Sales had a healthy 17% increase week-to-week. Keeping in line with previous weeks, 45% of sold units are still happening at or above the list price. The condo market continues to lead the way in terms of price growth in the GTA.

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.

Happy Friday the 13^th. Ah September. Our favorite month. The kids are back at school, the days are still warm, the nights are cool and we are all getting back into a groove. For us, September means more listing and sales activity and its time to open the floodgates for new property inventory. August inventory levels were challenging at best, but there was a sales rebound in Toronto which means house prices are rising once again. With the number of homes available for sale down by 11 % over the past year, competition between buyers is heating up again and multiple offers are once again on the rise.

Canadian homebuyers seem to be getting used to the new mortgage rules, and there have been some important changes at the federal level that are expected to help homebuyers:

•   The mortgage stress test qualification bar was recently lowered from 5.34% to 5.19% increasing purchasing power marginally.

•   The First Time Home Buyers Incentive (FTHBI) took effect on September 2, whereby eligible first-time buyers can get a shared equity government loan to help with the down payment.

•   The Home Buyers Plan (HBP) withdrawal limit increased from $25,000 to $35,000, toward the purchase of a first home.

•    Rumours of interest rate drops are circulating. Current mortgage rates can be found starting as low as 2.19% to as much as 2.89%.

The freehold sector witnessed a huge increase in new listings last week which clearly signaled the start of the fall market. There will be a week long lag in sales as the majority of these listings have offer dates for the following week.

The condominium sector performed similarly with an increase in new listings. Up 84% from the previous week with the centre of action being between $700K to $1.5M. While sales tapered off 10% over the previous week, activity continues 
to be strong with 42% of condos selling at or above the list price.

The dog days of August are upon us and if you like it hot and sunny then this is a great summer, unless you’ve lost out on multiple offers and are frustrated with the low inventory of properties for sale. The good news is sales in the GTA for the month of July jumped 24% from the same period last year. Toronto sales have been rebounding all summer from a slump earlier this year as buyers are overcoming tougher mortgage qualification rules and returning to the market. With new listings slow to come to market, prices rose in July as demand outpaced supply. The average selling price for a home in Toronto in July was $839,943. The average condominium price was $627,927 up 7.7% from a year ago.

Listings may be slim right now but it’s a good time for buyers to take advantage of the slow summer with less competition, as there are deals to be found. Some buyers are watching as rivals flow out of town for their summer vacations and can take advantage of their absence to snag a good deal. Properties listed in desirable locations will always attract plenty of buyers no matter what time of the year.

The freehold sector reversed an earlier trend of increased listings by recording a slight 18% drop in available homes last week while also recording a 16% drop in sales. However, competition for those homes was up, with almost 55% of home transactions selling at or above the asking price. The condo market also saw a sharp 33% decrease in new listings from the previous week, but the sales remained unchanged with over 47% of suites selling at or above the list price.