Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 3,690 sales through the TorontoMLS system in December 2012 – down from 4,585 sales in December 2011. Total sales for 2012 amounted to 85,731 – down from 89,096 transactions in 2011.
The number of transactions in 2012 was quite strong from a historic perspective. We saw strong year-over-year growth in sales in the first half of the year, but this growth was more than offset by sales declines in the second half. Stricter mortgage lending guidelines resulted in some households postponing their purchase of a home. In the City of Toronto, the dip in sales was compounded by the additional Land Transfer Tax, which buyers must pay upfront.
Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 3,830 condominium apartment sales through the TorontoMLS system during the fourth quarter of 2012. This number represented a decline of 23 per cent compared to 5,005 sales during the same time period in 2011. The average selling price for condominium apartments in the fourth quarter was $332,410 – down by one per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2011.
The condominium apartment market was the best supplied market segment in 2012. Strong condo apartment completions in 2011 and the first few months of 2012 resulted in a substantial number of new listings on the TorontoMLS system last year. With more units for buyers to choose from, the annual rate of price growth moderated.
While some first-time buyers put their decision to purchase on hold in the fourth quarter, many of these people chose to rent a condominium apartment instead. Similar to the ownership market, strong new condo completions prompted a considerable increase in the number of investor-held units offered for rent. However, there was still enough competition between renters to prompt upward pressure on average rents.
The Market According to TREB's Jason Mercer:
- 2012 Market in review
- The Economy and Interest Rates
- 2013 Outlook
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