FVREB Market Data: December 2017 and year-end

The Fraser Valley housing market had its second highest selling year on record in 2017, with total MLS® transactions and dollar volume sold behind only 2016’s unprecedented level of activity.

The Board’s MLS® processed 22,338 sales in 2017, 7.3 per cent less than the record of 23,974 sales set in 2016. The total dollar volume of MLS® sales was $15.7 billion, coming out slightly beneath 2016’s record-setting total dollar volume of $16.2 billion.

Of the total transactions for the year, 5,198 were townhouses sold and 6,183 were apartments, together representing over half of overall market activity for the region. This was also the highest total annual sales for apartments in the Board’s history.

“Much of the market’s momentum through 2017 came from the incredible shift in demand to attached-style homes, particularly in our larger communities,” remarked Gopal Sahota, President of the Board.

“While prices continued to see slight gains month-to-month, a lot of our attached inventory remained affordable and an excellent option for consumers of all types.”

For inventory, a total of 32,651 new listings were received by the Board’s MLS® system, the third highest in the Board’s history after 2016 (34,768) and 2008 (35,651).

Last month the Board processed 1,344 sales, the second-most transactions for a December on record in the Fraser Valley. December inventory finished at 3,818 active units, with a total of 1,277 new listings entering the market throughout the month.

Sahota adds, “All year, supply levels remained below where we’d like them to be, and that has put a tight grip on inventory and pressure on the pace of the market. This is still a challenging market for many consumers.

HPI® Benchmark Price Activity

Single Family Detached: At $976,400, the Benchmark price for a single family detached home in the Valley increased 0.4 per cent compared to November 2017, and increased 14.2 per cent compared to December 2016.
Townhomes: At $513,100, the Benchmark price for a townhouse in the Valley increased 1.5 per cent compared to November 2017, and increased 23 per cent compared to December 2016.
Apartments: At $388,600, the Benchmark price for an apartment in the Valley increased 3.2 per cent compared to November 2017, and increased 40.5 per cent compared to December 2016.