House Prices in Whitby, Ontario, for December 2014 - Attached Row Townhouses
Real estate market data for Whitby, Ontario, for December, 2014 provided by Brian Wiseman LL.B., CIPS of Keller Williams Energy Real Estate Brokerage
Whitby House Prices – Attached Row Townhouses
(See explanation of 5 different house types)
Author’s Note:
In reviewing the market statistics for the month of December, it is relevant to note that, due to preparations for the holiday season, the holiday period itself (and the weather!), real estate activity is usually significantly lower than at other times of the year.
This should be kept in mind when considering the information in this Market Report.
Some points of Interest for December 2014:
ü The average price, for Attached Row Townhouses in Whitby in December 2014, increased from $332,466 in December 2013 to $338,036 in December 2014 – an increase of $5,570 = 1.68%
ü The lowest average price for a month during the year was $331,360 in May 2014; the highest average price was $359,212 in November 2014, before dropping back to $338,036 in December.
ü The median price, for Attached Row Townhouses in Whitby in December 2014, increased from $323,000 in December 2013 to $340,000 in December 2014 – an increase of $17,000 = 5.26%
ü 9 Attached Row Townhouses were sold in Whitby in December 2014; this is 7 less than the 16 sold in December 2013
ü There were 10 new listings for the month; 7 less than December 2013
ü There were only 3 active listings at the end of the month; 7 less than December 2013
ü Average sold price was a very high 104.63% of listed price; in December 2013 it was 99.81%
ü Average days on market was a very low 7.8; in December 2013 it was 11.9 days
Buyers’ Market, Sellers’ Market or Balanced Market?
For Attached Row Townhouses in Whitby in December 2014:
· Ratio of Sales to New Listings:
Sales = 9; New Listings = 10
Ratio is 9/10 = 0.9 = 90%
As this is over 60%, it indicates a STRONG Seller’ Market
· Absorption Rate – Ratio of Sales to Active Listings:
Sales = 9; Active Listings = 3
Ratio is 9/3 = 3 = 300%
As this is over 20%, it indicates a STRONG Seller’ Market
· Number of Months of Inventory:
Sales = 9; Active Listings = 3
3/9 = 0.33 months
As this is less than 4 months, it indicates a STRONG Seller’ Market
· Days on Market:
The average number of days that Attached Row Townhouses were on the market in December 2014 was 7.8 days
As this is less than 120 days, it indicates a STRONG Seller’ Market
· Ratio of Sold Price to Listed Price:
The average ratio of Sold Price to Listed Price was 104.63%
This is a very high ratio and it indicates that many homes sold for well above listed price.
It confirms the other indications of a STRONG Sellers’ Market.
The above provide clear indications that the existing Strong Sellers’ Market, for Attached Row Townhouses in Whitby, was continuing, and that there was, virtually, no opportunity for buyers to negotiate on price.
In commenting on real estate statistics for Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB), the Board’s President Paul Etherington said:
“While home prices certainly increased substantially in 2014, the purchase of an average priced home remained affordable, in terms of the average household's ability to comfortably cover their monthly mortgage payments.
Even with a constrained supply of homes for sale in many parts of the Greater Toronto Area, buyers continued to get deals done last month. Households remain upbeat about home ownership because monthly mortgage payments remain affordable relative to accepted lending standards. This is coupled with the fact that housing has proven to be a quality long-term investment."
Jason Mercer, Director of Market Analysis for TREB said:
"The strong price growth we experienced in 2014 can be explained with two words: listings shortage. The constrained supply of listings was especially evident for low-rise home types like singles, semis and town houses. The number of households looking to purchase these home types increased, while the number of homes from which they could choose decreased. This situation resulted in more competition between buyers and more aggressive offers,"
In a seller’s market, buyers have to:
· make quick decisions
· have, already, done adequate research
· know exactly what they are looking for
· know how much they can afford to pay by having arranged pre-approval of finance
· have a real estate agent working for them who:
ü knows and understands the market
ü through listing alerts, will bring the buyer’s attention homes that meet the buyer’s criteria immediately they are listed for sale (in a Sellers’ Market, it is important for Buyers, who are ready to buy, to know immediately a home, that meets their criteria, comes on to the market)
ü can show the buyer the prices that are generally being paid, compared to listing prices, in the current market
ü has excellent negotiation skills
Do you know that, as a potential buyer, in almost every case, you can have an agent working for you, without you having to pay for their service & advice.
This is because the buyer’s agent is usually paid by the seller’s agent.
It is advisable for buyers to use an agent who is totally independent from the seller’s (listing) agent.
This avoids any conflict of interest during negotiations for a purchase.
See 5 Reasons Why a Buyer SHOULD NOT Talk to a Listing Agent
Monthly Average Price and Number of Homes Sold
Whitby Attached Row Townhouses
December 2013 to December 2014
You will see that, over the last 12 months:
· the monthly average sold price for an Attached Row Townhouse in Whitby has ranged from a low of $331,360 (May 2014) to a high of $359,212 (November 2014), finishing at $338,036 in December 2014
· the number of Attached Row Townhouses sold in Whitby in one month has ranged from 9 (December 2014) to 42 (May 2014)
Average prices can be misleading, especially when the number of sales is relatively low.
High quality homes, selling for above average prices can skew the average selling price up for the particular month.
Similarly, lower quality homes, selling for below average prices can skew the average selling price down for a particular month.
When there is a significant increase, or decrease, in average selling price, it is worth comparing the average selling price with the median price for the same period.
In this case, the average sale price in December 2014 ($338,036) is congruent with the median price for that month ($340,000).
Average Ratio of Sold Price to Listed Price
Whitby Attached Row Townhouses
December 2013 to December 2014
The average ratio of sold price to price asked (listed price) is an indication of demand for houses related to the listed price.
If a home is listed for $340,000 and it sells for $336,600, the sold price to ask price ratio is 99%.
You will see, from the above graph, that over the past 12 months, the ratio of monthly average sold price to listed price for Attached Row Townhouses in Whitby ranged from a “low” of 99.18% (October 2014) to a high of 104.63% (December 2014).
You will note that, because of the scale of the graph, the range appears to be much wider than this. In fact, in most months, the ratio was above, or just fractionally below, 100%.
The December 2014 figure of 104.63% is congruent with there being only 3 Active Listings at the end of that month.
There is clear indication that there was competition among Buyers during the month with the likelihood that Buyers would have to pay MORE THAN the listed price to purchase a property.
This information is helpful when you are intending to make an offer on a home as it gives a general guideline on the price you may have to end up paying compared to the listing price.
However, it is a guideline only as the figures can vary significantly for individual properties.
Homes that are well priced for the current market tend to sell quickly and close to, or above, asking price.
Average Days on Market
Whitby Attached Row Townhouses
December 2013 to December 2014
The average number of days that homes are on the market is an indication of:
· the period from when a home is listed for sale until it is Sold Firm (unconditional);
· the level of competition between potential buyers
You will notice, from the above graph that, in December 2014, the average days on market was an extremely low 7.8 days. The highest figure was 16.6 days in October 2014. In all other months it was below 13 days. This confirms the indications of a STRONG Sellers’ Market.
Homes that are well priced for the current market tend to sell quickly and close to, or above, asking price.
Whitby Home Prices – Attached Row Townhouses
December 2014
Summary:
There were only 9 sales of Attached Row Townhouses in Whitby in December 2014 which was significantly lower than the number of sales for the summer months.
As previously mentioned, lower sales activity is normal during the winter months, particularly December.
Nevertheless, there are clear indications that the STRONG Sellers’ Market conditions were continuing.
For Buyers, this means that
· quality homes that are well priced will not be on the market for very long
· Buyers have to be in a position to make quick decisions when they find a home that is right for them
· Buyers should work with a real estate agent, independent from the listing agent, who will inform the Buyer immediately a home, that meets their criteria, is listed for sale
See the section, earlier in this article, headed “In a seller’s market, buyers have to:”
Find Homes for Sale in Whitby, Ontario
YOU ARE INVITED to visit my website, at any time and as often as you like, to find pictures & details of homes for sale in Whitby
For photos and details of attached houses, including Attached Row Townhouses, currently for sale in Whitby:
You can also arrange to be notified when Whitby homes, that meet your criteria, come onto the market.
These services are available to you without obligation.
If you are thinking of selling, you can also:
ü Search on my website for homes, similar to yours, that would be competition for your home, if you list it for sale
ü Obtain an indication of the market value of your home
For answers to your questions, email me; or call 905-723-5944.
About the Author:
Brian Wiseman LL.B., CIPS, is a Sales Representative with Keller Williams Energy Real Estate Brokerage in Oshawa & Whitby, Ontario, Canada.
In his past lives, Brian was a Partner in Legal Practices, specializing in Real Estate and Business Law in Australia and a Principal of a successful Financial Planning Practice in Australia.
After the sale of his business interests in Australia, Brian started a new adventure by relocating to Canada with his Canadian wife.
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