HappyHomesBC:: Premium Listing Service

This is HappyhomesBC bringing you the Real Estate Market Report for the first quarter of 2010. The data that we are relying on is from the Chilliwack and district Real Estate board. We take those stats and then put together a comprehensive Real Estate Market Report for you that is hopefully somewhat understandable and will help you comprehend the dynamics of our exciting Chilliwack Real Estate Market here in the Fraser Valley.

Well we have now entered into a new decade and with it we have seen a new enthusiasm in the Real Estate Market for our Chilliwack Real Estate area. The amount of homes that were on the market at the beginning of the year was just over 1100 compared to over 1300 in January of 2009. The good news was that sales increased by 72% compared to January 2009 with the most sales occurring in the $400,000 to $500,000 price range.

The next two months the hottest price point ranged from $275,000 to $500,000 dispersed quite equally. Over 50% of the total sales are occurring in that price range. If you have a home that will fit into that price point we would love to discuss our marketing strategies with you. Give us a call or email us to smile@happyhomesbc.ca

We have experienced 34 sales over $500,000 so far this year to March of 2010 and that doesn't sound like much but that is a major increase in positive activity for that segment of the Chilliwack Real Estate Market. 6 of those sales were over $700,000.

Another great difference that we are experiencing is that the homes that single family homes averaged just over 80 days coming into January which is somewhat expected as we go through the Christmas season but then consistently the next two months we averaged just over 50 days on the market to sell.

And add in the fact that we had an amazing event occur just an hour away from us - the Olympics ! - which diverted buyers attention a bit. To keep sales occurring within the 2 month time frame is fantastic....then After the Olympics finished up, it was back to business and the market turned on again.

That should be every sellers expectation.....Sell within 2 months!! If you have not sold in the last 2 months then you need to re-visit your listing price because we know the market is active. We know sales are occurring at a good rate. There is a good inventory on the market to give buyers a good choice but sales are occurring within 60 days. The only thing left is price. Take a good look at and call your REALTOR or if you are a REALTOR reading this, then you need to be calling your client.

The interest took a substantial jump over the last couple of weeks and we believe that there is another jump coming...It is important to get pre-approved to lock-in your rate. Give us a call and we can get that taken care of for you as well.

Timing is everything and it is a great time to make a move or get into the market....Whatever your strategy is.....don't ponder on it too long. It is time to take action and we are right here waiting for you.

We know that the prices have stabilized and are on the move upwards....we know that interest rates have hit their bottom and are on the rise.....When is a better time? ?

We look forward to providing our next market report to you in June of this year. In the meantime feel free to call us or email us to get more detailed market information.

604-793-9900 at the office or email to smile@happyhomesbc.ca

We look forward to hearing from you....

We do a lot of things behind the scenes to help our clients listings sell. Sometimes it is hard to explain so we thought that we would put a little video together to show our clients.

It is only 26 seconds long. Take a look.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-xU1oUfe-tYo/happyhomesbc_commercial/

I appreciate you taking the time to view the video.

Have a great day.

HappyHomer.

August Market Report

This is your happy home specialists bringing you the Real Estate Market Report that has been compiled from data that is distributed from the Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board.

Another strong month is behind us and all indicators are that the market is now on the move and people are taking advantage of fantastic interest rates and low prices. We are definitely witnessing signs of an upward movement in sales prices. Buyers seem to be responding with more confidence which is driving sales in an upward direction.

Over 52% of the residential sales that occurred in the month of August were in the price point of $275,000 to $500,000!! This is up from last month which saw the largest amount of residential sales between $225,000 to $400,000. Sales in the price point of $400,000 to $500,000 increased by over 30% from the month of July. This is what we have been waiting for...

Average days to sell dropped to an average of 64 days down from 72 last month so that tells us that the market is responding. We hear it loud and clear.

Total residential sales increased in dollar volume by 19% and the amount of inventory on the market is down 36% from the year prior. That is the trend that we have been experiencing this year and it is continuing which is really good news.

We are looking forward to an excellent Fall. The media seems positive but they don't seem to understand how good it is here in Chilliwack. Well to us it is big news and we are excited to help families get into the best homes for the best price in todays market. Call us anytime if you would like more specific market information.

Talk to you next month.

Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board Statistics for July 2009 as interpreted by HappyhomesBC

Chilliwack had a major heat wave reaching temperatures over 35 degrees !!! But there was another heat wave and that was the Real Estate Market. Hot hot Hot!!!!

We are feeling the heat and we are fired up about it.

The total value of residential sales increased almost 42% compared to last year and the amount of units that sold also increased by the same basic number which means that prices have stabilized and there is a major increase in market activity.

Total inventory in the Chilliwack and District Real Estate board decreased from 2008 by almost 30%.

There are less than 50% of the townhomes on the market today than there were last year....

The number of days on the market for residential homes is in the 70 to 85 day range which is a little bit longer than last month. That tells us that the really good deals that injected the market a few months ago have been snapped up and now people are pricing realistically but have just taken a little longer to react. The second layer of homes are now selling which is good - good - good news for everybody.

60% of all the sales that took place were in the price ranges of $225,000 to $400,000. That is the hottest price point. If you are priced in that area then you should be getting a lot of action on your home.

This is really balanced market right at this point. This is a good time to sell and more importantly - This is a great time to buy right now. Did I mention that this is a great time to buy??? If I forgot to mention before - THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!!

The market is now in the incubation stages and we will be experiencing some market changes that will begin the next wave in a short period of time.

This is what you have been waiting for....Right now is it.

This is HappyhomesBC signing off with your monthly market report for July 2009. Have a good summer.

New BC Survey Suggests Real Estate Purchase Confidence Improving

Vancouver, BC - July 15, 2009. A new survey of BC homeowners and renters on housing affordability and green housing issues suggests consumer confidence concerning real estate purchases may be improving.

Sponsored by the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA), the May 2009 Mustel Group survey tracked several key measures asked in a January 2009 BCREA survey, including top affordability barriers and how provincial taxes impact BC homebuyers. It also uncovered new primary data on buyer intentions and energy-efficiency practices at home.

Findings revealed that four-in-ten British Columbians plan or hope to purchase homes or properties within the next five years, with about half of these potential buyers expecting to do so in the next two years. A higher proportion plan to purchase in Metro Vancouver (46 per cent) than elsewhere (35 per cent), which may indicate that consumer confidence is now higher in the urban area. In the January 2009 survey, findings did not vary by region.

"We've had five consecutive months of increasing home sales, which may suggest that the optimism uncovered in this survey is being reflected in provincial home sales," explains BCREA president John Tillie. "The May 2009 survey also revealed that people's perception of the barriers to home ownership have also changed, which is good news for homebuyers, sellers and renters."

Although affordability continues to be the key barrier to purchase, along with concerns about job security, lowering market values and general concerns about the economy, a slightly higher proportion of BC residents in the May 2009 measure indicated they did not have any purchase barriers at all. There was also a decrease in the number of people concerned about depreciating property values and less mention of general financial barriers.

The survey findings also revealed that making smart green choices at home is still top of mind for most British Columbians. When asked if they were more likely, less likely or about as likely to make green improvements to their homes compared to this time in 2008, one out of every two BC residents answered that they were more likely now to green their home than they were approximately one year ago.

"It's important to remember that all of us can take part in reducing household greenhouse gas emissions by improving the overall energy efficiency of our homes," says Tillie. "Green choices are smart choices, and they help improve the Quality of Life in our communities."

Survey findings suggest the majority of British Columbians (65 per cent) would be willing to pay more for an energy efficient home. "Because this survey immediately followed the provincial election, we also asked British Columbians whether they were happy with the attention paid to housing issues during the campaign," says Tillie. "Only one in four were satisfied, which is something BCREA plans to address looking toward the next provincial election in 2013."