Toronto had its best June for real estate in over 2 years. With over 8,800 units sold, we beat our 2018 and 2017 figures. Only in 2016 was the number of sales around this time of year higher. Also recall that 2017 was a blockbuster year for demand, price growth, market activity, and general enthusiasm. The slight drop in sales compared to last month also matches historical averages – we usually see a surge in Spring and April/May that dips slightly as we head into the summer. New listings declined slightly, to 15.8K, and all in all, we saw a price increase of 3.6% from a year ago, with $798.5K now representing the average. A 3.6% boost is solid, well above inflation, and nothing to sneeze at. Stats show price gains in semi-detached, condos, and townhouses. But the really big news from last month was that sales of detached homes surged 19%, a very handsome rise indeed.
The average detached home price is now $832K, with average sale prices now at early 2017 levels. If trends continue we could see a return to the plateau of just over $900K that was attained in the last bull run for prices in the 1st quarter of 2017. The cause of the positive sales numbers was the fact that supply didn’t change, and demand didn’t relent in its chase for housing. Condo sales were down, mostly in the core, but rose generally throughout the rest of the city and across the region, likely as a result of higher prices downtown and lower inventory. Stats also show that people are leasing condos at much higher rates as opposed to outright ownership (15% in the 2nd quarter). Listings are generally rising across the GTA. Rents keep going up, and past inflation, but at a lower pace than what was the trend in the last year or so. The average one bedroom condo in Toronto will cost dwellers just under $2,200.
Despite this positive news key stakeholders and real estate bodies continue their calls for more accommodation, relaxed regulations, and a winding down of the stress tests that have locked out an estimated 100K people from getting into the market. Interest rates are holding steady, and as we’ve repeated, momentum seems to be shifting to more monetary accommodation around the world as opposed to a gradual rising of rates. In Japan, Europe, and China, central banks are maintaining, and in some cases boosting money supply in their regions, lowering rates, and buying more stocks and bonds to ‘stimulate’ the economy. This trend is going to come to North America, and sooner rather than later. Overall, given where we were not long ago, when pessimism and disappointment were building, the underlying fundamentals are getting better!