Ottawa, October 5, 2011 – Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,202 residential properties in September through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,071 in September 2010, an increase of 12.2 per cent. The five-year average for September sales is 1,160.

Of those sales, 280 were in the condominium property class, while 922 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties, which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“Not much has changed in the Ottawa resale housing market since last month. Sales remain slightly above average, prices continue to appreciate at a moderate rate, and homes are taking about the same amount of time to sell,” said Board President Joanne Tibbles. “The stability and affordability of our housing market, coupled with low interest rates, is still appealing for investors and for home buyers who want to make Ottawa the best place to call home,” she added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in September in the Ottawa area was $335,765, an increase of 3.4 per cent over September 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $254,864, an increase of 5.9 per cent over September 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $360,334, an increase of 3.2 per cent over September 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of 2,700 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area, and in 2011 is celebrating 90 years of service to its members. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

The MLS® system is a member based service, paid for by the REALTOR® members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board. The MLS® mark symbolizes the cooperation among REALTORS® to affect the purchase and sale of real estate through real estate services provided by REALTORS®. MLS® commercial and residential listings are available for viewing on the Board’s internet site at www.OttawaRealEstate.org and on the national websites of The Canadian Real Estate Association at www.REALTOR.ca and www.ICX.ca.

Ottawa, September 6, 2011 - Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,329 residential properties in August through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,099 in August 2010, an increase of 20.9 per cent. The five-year average for August sales is 1,225.

Of those sales, 285 were in the condominium property class, while 1,044 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties, which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“Through the summer, the resale housing market has picked up some momentum and made up for the quiet start to 2011; this year’s unit sales to date are now within a percentage point of the number of homes sold by this time last year. However, we are seeing that homes are taking slightly longer to sell than they did in July,” said Board President Joanne Tibbles. “Interest rates are still low, which continues to motivate many buyers and sellers, but a more balanced market means more properties for buyers to choose from, which often leads to a longer selling time,” she added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in August in the Ottawa area was $337,372, an increase of 6.2 per cent over August 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $252,999, an increase of 3.1 per cent over August 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $360,405, an increase of 6.3 per cent over August 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of 2,700 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area, and in 2011 is celebrating 90 years of service to its members. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Ottawa, August 4, 2011 – Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,326 residential properties in July through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,116 in July 2010, an increase of 18.8 per cent. The five-year average for July sales is 1,377.

Of those sales, 307 were in the condominium property class, while 1,019 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties, which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“What a difference a year makes. Last summer the real estate market was reeling from the implementation of the HST that saw many buyers and sellers move up their purchases to the winter and early spring. 2011 is a different story, one that looks a lot more like the average year for Ottawa’s resale housing market,” said Board President-Elect Ansel Clarke.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in July in the Ottawa area was $341,330, an increase of 6.2 per cent over July 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $270,933, an increase of 11.3 per cent over July 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $362,539, an increase of 4.8 per cent over July 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of 2,680 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area, and in 2011 is celebrating 90 years of service to its members. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Ottawa, July 6, 2011 – Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,712 residential properties in June through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,543 in June 2010, an increase of 11 per cent. The five-year average for June sales is 1,695.

Of those sales, 378 were in the condominium property class, while 1,334 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties, which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“It’s obvious that the dream of home ownership is alive and well in Ottawa, with solid sales numbers like these. First-time buyers are out in the market in a big way, due to continued low interest rates, and after last year’s HST-affected spring, we’re seeing a return to what the June resale market usually looks like in Ottawa,” said Board President Joanne Tibbles.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in June in the Ottawa area was $353,560, an increase of 8 per cent over June 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $275,996, an increase of 9.6 per cent over June 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $375,539, an increase of 7.3 per cent over June 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of 2,680 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area, and in 2011 is celebrating 90 years of service to its members. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Ottawa, June 3, 2011 – Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,659 residential properties in May through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,686 in May 2010, a decrease of 1.6 per cent.

Of those sales, 369 were in the condominium property class, while 1,290 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties, which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in their Spring 2011 Ottawa Housing Market Outlook, the Ottawa Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) transitioned from a seller’s market to a balanced market in 2010 and will remain in that territory in 2011. CMHC analysts define Ottawa’s resale housing market as balanced when between 35 and 55 per cent of the number of homes listed for sale (new listings) in a given month are sold.

“Sales numbers for May were virtually unchanged from 2010, but prices continued to rise at about the same rate as we have seen for the past few months, demonstrating solid demand for resale housing in our area,” said Board President Joanne Tibbles. “A balanced market offers no distinct advantage to either buyers or sellers, so I’d advise anyone thinking of buying or selling to work with a local REALTOR® to help them achieve their goals. There are different strategies for marketing a home or making an offer to purchase in a balanced market versus a buyer’s or seller’s market. An Ottawa REALTOR® can help make the process easier for consumers,” Tibbles added.
The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in May in the Ottawa area was $352,347, an increase of 5.6 per cent over May 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $261,871, an increase of 6.4 per cent over May 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $378,228, an increase of 6 per cent over May 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

Ottawa, May 4, 2011 – Members of the Ottawa Real Estate Board sold 1,536 residential properties in April through the Board’s Multiple Listing Service® system compared with 1,814 in April 2010, a decrease of 15.3 per cent. The five-year average for home sales in April is 1,612.

Of those sales, 316 were in the condominium property class, while 1,220 were in the residential property class. The condominium property class includes any property, regardless of style (i.e. detached, semi-detached, apartment, stacked etc.), which is registered as a condominium, as well as properties, which are co-operatives, life leases and timeshares. The residential property class includes all other residential properties.

“Sales in April 2010 soared well above average in advance of the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax in Ontario last July. Normally in Ottawa, we see a brisker sales period beginning at the end of April or early May, but last year’s spring market started earlier by about three months due to the HST. That surge in sales pushed April’s five-year average up significantly; it’s not out of the ordinary for about 1,500 homes to be sold in April in our market,” said Board President Joanne Tibbles.

“Home prices still continued to rise at the usual moderate rate last month, demonstrating a solid demand for resale homes in Ottawa. Re-sale housing inventory is up 17.2 per cent from this time last year, indicating that Ottawa is clearly in a healthy, balanced market,” Tibbles added.

The average sale price of residential properties, including condominiums, sold in April in the Ottawa area was $351,226, an increase of 5.4 per cent over April 2010. The average sale price for a condominium-class property was $255,232, an increase of 2.1 per cent over April 2010. The average sale price of a residential-class property was $376,090, an increase of 5.4 per cent over April 2010. The Board cautions that average sale price information can be useful in establishing trends over time but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. The average sale price is calculated based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold.

The Ottawa Real Estate Board is an industry association of 2,660 sales representatives and brokers in the Ottawa area. Members of the Board are also members of the Canadian Real Estate Association.