Corinne McCabe , Broker

June is the first month since the pre-fevered market that we are now seeing signs of a new normal real estate market! For the first time in a year we are seeing the average sale price for The City of Toronto exceed last year's prices. In June the average sale price came in at $870,559 a 5% increase compared to the $829,479 average sale price last year. Supply and demand will continue to play significant roles going forward. It is troubling to see that the number of new listings coming to market is still down. In June Toronto saw 5,243 new listings compared to 6,295 last year. That's a 16% decline. June's results are encouraging; however, declining new inventory is a concern headed to the second half of 2018.

It's easy to see the freehold sector shifting into summer mode. Listings were up slightly over the previous week with the east end up by 33%, but sales were dramatically down with 50% fewer sales last week in all areas of the city. The biggest decline was in the east end where properties in the $700-$1.5m saw a 65% decline in sales from the week before. Chances are buyers are sitting on a dock somewhere up north, but we still recorded 56% of homes traded at or above the list price.

Condo market buyers and sellers expressed a similar sentiment. Listings were up by 44% while sales backed off 36% from the previous week. The condo market is still filling in the gaps left by the housing market as 45% of all sold condos happened at or above the list price. A new interest hike of .25 basis points was announced this week by the Bank of Canada. The rate hike is in reaction to a healthy Canadian economy. The overall impact of the rate hike will be modest for consumers.

0, Canada: Canada Day- Summer may officially start June 21, but for many, Canada's birthday heralds the official kickoff of summer. For parents it means no more early morning rush to get the kids packed up for school and traffic around the city gets a little lighter. As we cruise into the hot summer months we have the opportunity to take a bit of a breather from our fast-paced lives, take a trip out of town, or enjoy time sitting by the dock or under your favorite patio umbrella ... unless you are trying to buy a house, in which case all bets are off.

After a flurry of listing activity in the last two weeks, listings tapered off last week by 7% and sales were also down by 5%. It's not unusual to see this happening a week before a long weekend. The high-end price range of $3M plus saw 23 new listings come to market last week. Competition for homes is still strong with 53% selling at or above the asking price. We believe that buyers are still very active in the market place but are taking a but more time to make a decision.

Last week in the condo sector there were 10% fewer listings on the market but we were excited to see a 15% increase in sales week over week. Of those recorded sales, 58% sold at or over the list price. Bigger suites in the downtown core,

particularly those in the $700k - $1.Sm range are receiving the most attention with over half selling above the list price.

"Great promise and responsibility await Canada. As we look ahead we will continue to rise to the most pressing challenges we face. We will meet these challenges the way we always have -with hard work, determination and hope.”

J.Trudeau

Happy Canada Day!

Hard to believe we are almost half way through 2018. If that thought is depressing just psych yourself up for the best is yet to come. Sunshine and heat waves are in our future for the next few months, but are there signs that Toronto's real estate market has backed off slightly from the frantic pace that was the Spring market? Inventory levels are becoming a concern, particularly in the City of Toronto. The number of new listings this year compared to last year is 25% less, and that represents a pattern that has been emerging. Declining inventory will lead to rising prices and active competition for good properties in desirable neighbourhoods. We know the market is different this year but as the old saying goes .... nothing is as constant as change.

Case in point, the number of new freehold listings was up by 10% but the number of sales last week were down by 16%. With more listings coming to market why are we not seeing the sales? Are we seeing buyer fatigue already? The price range of $700 to $1.SM is again the most popular price range. Of the 92 properties that sold in that price range, 65 of them sold at or above the asking price. That's 62%!

Similar to the freehold market, the number of new condo listings was up by 12% last week and the number of sales were down by 10%. The hottest price point last week was the $400K-$700K sector in the central core where 58% of the condos sold at or above the list price. This is a strong indicator that the condo market is extremely healthy.

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.