MLS Listings, News & Statistics
The Kamloops and District Real Estate Association has released it’s latest statistics for May 2012. Click on the image to enlarge.
Kamloops Real Estate Comparative Analysis by Property Type May 2012
Kamloops Real Estate Statistics Sales by Subarea May 2012
Kamloops Real Estate MLS Activity May 2012
VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA–(Marketwire – June 14, 2012) – According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Second quarter Housing Market Outlook British Columbia Highlights Report, housing starts in British Columbia are forecast to increase in 2012 and 2013.
“Home builders are expected to gradually ramp up residential construction in response to positive signals from the resale market and economic developments,” explained Carol Frketich, CMHC’s BC Regional Economist.
Housing starts are forecast to increase to 28,600 homes in 2012 and 30,100 homes in 2013. This increase in residential construction follows a period of stable home building in 2011. Job creation and population growth will boost single-detached home starts in 2012 and 2013. Multiple-family home starts will continue their upward trend.
The resale market is forecast to maintain balanced supply and demand conditions in 2012. A slightly higher sales-to-new listings ratio, reflecting stronger demand for ownership housing, is projected for 2013 alongside an expected modest pick-up in economic growth. Sales of existing homes are forecast to increase to 79,100 MLS®1 transactions in 2012 and 82,400 in 2013. The annual average MLS® price is forecast to moderate slightly to $548,100 in 2012 and increase to $566,900 in 2013.
More detailed CMHC housing market forecasts are available for the Vancouver, Abbotsford-Mission, Victoria and Kelowna Census Metropolitan Areas in the suite of Housing Market Outlook Reports available online. Forecasts for Prince George, Kamloops and Nanaimo are available in the Housing Market Outlook British Columbia Highlights Report.
As Canada’s national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 65 years of experience to help Canadians access a variety of high quality, environmentally sustainable and affordable housing solutions. CMHC also provides reliable, impartial and up-to-date housing market reports, analysis and knowledge to support and assist consumers and the housing industry in making informed decisions.
For more information, and to download CMHC’s housing reports, please visit CMHC’s website at www.cmhc.ca/housingmarketinformation or call 1-800-668-2642.
1 Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) is a registered trademark owned by the Canadian Real Estate Association
TORONTO (Reuters) – Canadian housing starts slowed as expected in May after a red-hot April, retreating to the average of the last six months, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp said on Friday.
The seasonally adjusted annualized rate of housing starts was 211,400 units, compared with 243,800 units in April. The April figure was revised down from 244,900 units reported previously.
The number of starts in May was just below the forecasts of analysts in a Reuters poll, who had expected 212,000 starts.
“As anticipated, the pace of housing starts observed in April was not sustained in May. In fact, the pace in May was more in line with the average over the last six months,” said Mathieu Laberge, deputy chief economist at CMHC.
“Although some ups and downs are likely to continue in the months ahead, the pace of housing starts should trend lower as the year progresses,” Laberge said in a statement.
The slowdown was led by a decline in multiple family urban starts, which fell 20.7 percent to 125,300 units, while urban single starts decreased 4.2 percent to 64,300 units.
The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts decreased by 15.8 percent to 189,600 units in May.
Canada’s hot housing market has sparked fears of a bubble, particularly in Toronto, Canada’s largest city, where low interest rates have driven a condominium building boom and double-digit annual price increases in existing home sales.
May’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts decreased by 35.8 percent in Québec, by 18.3 percent in Ontario, and by 7.7 percent in the Prairies. Urban starts increased by 6.4 percent in Atlantic Canada and by 20.9 percent in British Columbia. In each region, the decrease or increase was mainly due to changes in multiple starts.
(Reporting By Andrea Hopkins; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
This article appeared in the Kamloops Daily News on May 2nd, 2012 and was written by Mike Youds.
For a neighbourhood nervous about a proposed strip mine just over the hill, a City open house on Wednesday seemed, well, more like a walk in the park.
West Highlands will be Kamloops’ newest city park once it’s developed next year, and there was no doubt at Aberdeen elementary Wednesday night that the park will be a crowd pleaser.
“It’s a good thing,” said Vance Ardell, one of about 75 people, many of them area residents, who attended the session. “I’d like to see people using it, I like to see the dogs out using it and the kids using it, too. I like the whole thing.”
The 14-hectare, donut-shaped green space is an urban redevelopment project that practically fell into the City’s lap when Aberdeen Highlands Development Corp. decided to close Aberdeen Links last fall.
The golf course simply wasn’t sustainable, said Glenn Grant, a neighbourhood resident.
“This will be more widely used by residents around there,” he said.
Responding to a survey that showed overwhelming support for a park, the company sold a parcel of the land to the City for $2.3 million and donated other portions. With another $2.5 million earmarked for park development, the City got the planning process underway Wednesday by asking for input.
Conceptual plans include redeveloping the former clubhouse as a possible community centre flanked by a couple of playfields, expanded parking, community gardens and preservation of the existing pond. A 1.7-kilometre linear path would weave through the grassland section of the park, which encircles an existing subdivision.
Erynn Carney, a young mother, sees the potential to address a recreational shortcoming in the city — toddler parks.
“There are so many kids up here,” she said. “In fact, most of the city doesn’t have a toddler-friendly park.”
Another not-quite-so-young contingent was well represented.
Matthew Gosse was with a group of young longboard riders from throughout the city who hope to see part of the park offer paved trails. As members of the Kamloops Longboard Club, they give lessons to youngsters and argue for a safer alternative to streets.
“Opportunities like this don’t come up too often,” Gosse said, noting that the amenity could serve multiple purposes.
“It would be the best place in the city for it,” added Brendan Woods, who recalled having been hit twice by vehicles while longboarding on the street.
Winter sports — skating on the pond and cross-country skiing on the trail — are another possibility.
“Given the elevation of the park, I think winter activities could have huge appeal,” said Michael Doll, a City parks planner.
There was but one bone of contention at the open house. Several residents complained about off-leash dogs and canine droppings. Stick-it notes were strategically placed on one map to show where bag dispensers ought to go.
“This is the biggest doggy park in the world,” said Joanne Linnell, whose home overlooks the golf course. “Is it going to be a doggy park or a park for people?”
With potential for another 3,000 residents in the neighbourhood through build-out by the developer over the next 10 to 15 years, there will be even greater need for a park in the area, said Coun. Nelly Dever.
Nick DeCicco, the City’s parks planning and project supervisor, said that’s a citywide complaint not confined to Aberdeen. He said residents are happy to see the former golf course preserved as public green space.
“Everything going well, we should be able to get the park developed next year,” he said.
Another open house will be held once public input has been added to the concept plan.