If you have the opportunity to chat with some West Side Realtors®, in particular those who haven’t made a sale, you might find hints suggesting the heat of Vancouver’s West Side market isn’t melting their pot.

This snapshot period extends from September 28, to November 27, 2011.

Total Listings

West side Total Listings slowed a bit from Sept/Oct’s 907 down to Oct/Nov’s 884.

Vancouver West Homes Sold

Don’t bother calling the fire department as sales are anything but on fire as Sept/Oct’s 118 sold units only simmered in Oct/Nov at 82.

Expired, Days on Market

• Expired listing mandates might be the reason for smoke in your kitchen as they have increased from Sept/Oct’s 56 to Oct/Nov’s 69.
• In contrast the Days on Market are as positive sign that buyers are arriving at a home buying decision more quickly as the market exposure period dropped from Sept/Oct’s 36 days to Oct/Nov’s 33.

Vancouver West Side Homes Average and Median Prices

• Prices on the other hand seem to be just at the boil as Sept/Oct’s Average Ask price of $2,366,318 heated up to Oct/Nov’s $ 2,534,376.
• With two pots on the stove, the Median Ask price followed the average as Sept/Oct’s median of $2,198,000 heated up to Oct/Nov’s $2,248,000.
• The Average Sold price in the Sept/Oct was $2,287,717. The heat was on in Oct/Nov as Average Sold prices climbed to $2,403,021.
• The Median Sold price in Sept/Oct recorded $2,124,000. On Medium heat this too climbed slightly to $2,195,000 in Oct/Nov.

Spicy Thoughts

It’s a safe bet that most of us could use a cooking class to help improve the taste and flavor of the food we eat. Depending on which table you’ve been asked to sit at for dinner you will in this city, find dinners varied with spices from around the world.

Interpreting the essence of this snapshot you might compare it to the spice infused in your meal. Long the bastion of higher prices, the west side once again in comparison to other communities, could be considered the leader of the high price pack. Such a view might be akin to a market place where sellers are serving dinner re splendid with spicy aromas. Buyers sitting at that seller’s table may be reviewing their new higher mortgage payment and think that a spoon full of west side spice may be one spoon too many.

Image Credit 01
Image Credit 02

The PNE closed its exotic fun rides some time ago. Based on the sales in this month end snapshot of Vancouver’s East Side real estate market buyers also given up their hopes of taking a ride.

This community snapshot comparison is for the periods of September 28 to October 27, 2011 and October 27 to November 27, 2011.

Total Listings

The number of Total Listings dropped from Sept/Oct/s 676 to Oct/Nov’s 632.

Vancouver East Homes Sold

A hectic ride, bumpers cars often deliver the driver a shocking thump. So it would seem that the number of sales have also received a thump as they dropped from Sept/Oct’s 123 to Oct/Nov’s 65.

Expired, Days on Market

• Expired listing mandates increased from Sept/Oct’s 40 to Oct/Nov’s 54 suggesting that some sellers would rather stow their homes for the season rather than endure the season’s hectic ride.
• Days on Market decreased by one from Sept/Oct’s 35 to Oct/Nov’s 34.

Vancouver East Side Homes Average and Median Prices

• Sept/Oct’s Average Ask price was $918,729. Average Ask prices settled in for the long storage season with a little drop to Oct/Nov’s $875,705.
• Sept/Oct’s Median Ask price of $869,000 was nudged downward to $819,000 in Oct/Nov.
• Average Sold prices also took a little bump as Oct/Nov recorded $874,127 down from Sept/Oct’s $902,035.

• Median Sold prices rode the same bumper car recording a gentle thump from Sept/Oct’s $869,000 to Oct/Nov’s $808,000.

Unplugged Season

It is the number of sales that seem unplugged. Prices so far have not taken a big thump in value. Should the continuance of low sales continue in the months ahead it is fairly certain that some sellers will be stepping back to pass beyond the turnstiles and take a ride on the baby elephants.

It’s a West Vancouver community real estate snapshot kind of day.

This snapshot reflects the periods from September 28 to October 27, 2011 and October 27 to November 27, 2011.

West Vancouver Total Listings

West Vancouver’s total listing count dropped from Sept/Oct’s 540 to Oct/Nov’s 491 – a typical drop for this time of the year.

West Vancouver’s Sold Homes

As with other things that change during the fall/winter season the number of sales in Sept/Oct totaled 89 whereas Oct/Nov dropped to 43 for the period.

Expired, Days on Market

• The Sept/Oct expired listing mandates recorded 38. It followed sales with a reduction to 35 in the Oct/Nov period.
• Selling a home ine Sept/Oct took 40 days. This extended to 54 in Oct/Nov.

West Vancouver Homes Average and Median Prices

• In Sept/Oct West Vancouver home’s Average Ask price was $2,348,197. The Average Ask price dropped to Oct/Nov’s $2,330,409.
• The Median Ask price in Sept/Oct was $1,898,000. The Median Ask increased a little to Oct/Nov’s $1,980,000.
• The Average Sold price in the Sept/Oct was $2,247,235. In Oct/Nov the Average Sold slacked off to register $2,220,279.
• The Median Sold price in Sept/Oct was $1,815,000 increasing to a Median Sold price of $1,900,000 in Oct/Nov.

Thoughts

It’s hard to evaluate whether it is the weather, the market’s seasonal change or the race to fix the global financial problems that affect our markets. Sales are down – that much is obvious and yet the median numbers are suggesting a touch of strength. Granted, the scope of the numbers will probably have a lot to do with this snapshot’s resonance but it remains curious if in fact we will end up in the ditch when November’s upcoming locked down numbers from the Vancouver Real Estate Board show us just how deep we are in the ditch.

Photo Courtesy the CBC

Today’s snapshot deals with the North Vancouver real estate market.

This snapshot reflects the periods from September 28 to October 27, 2011 and October 27 to November 27, 2011.

North Vancouver Total Listings

North Vancouver’s total listing count dropped from Sept/Oct’s 383 to Oct/Nov’s 354.

North Vancouver’s Sold Homes

The big change in the periods is the substantial decrease in the number of sales in the two periods. Sept/Oct totalled 92 whereas Oct/Nov dropped by almost half again down to 55 for the period.

Expired, Days on Market

• The Sept/Oct expired listing mandates recorded 17. This increased to 25 in the Oct/Nov period. An indicator that the market is not prepared to pay what some sellers are asking.
• During these same periods the number of days it took to sell a home increased from 30 in Sept/Oct to 35 in Oct/Nov. suggesting that buyers are taking longer to decide.

North Vancouver Homes Average and Median Prices

• In Sept/Oct North Vancouver home’s Average Ask price was $1,009,278. The Average Ask price jumped to Oct/Nov’s $1,166,945.
• The Median Ask price in Sept/Oct was $924,450. The Median Ask increased to Oct/Nov’s $1,022,000.
• The Average Sold price in the Sept/Oct was $990,026. In Oct/Nov there was an upward tick to $1,144,914.
• The Median Sold price in Sept/Oct was $913,500. The Median Sold also recorded a jump to $978,000 in Oct/Nov.

Thoughts

Average and median numbers aren’t everything but, one look at North Vancouver’s detached market suggests that this market is unsettled.

An indicator of that change resides in the volume of sales. Sales dropping by almost half might give you reason to be nervous if you were of the mind that impending doom is on the horizon. It could be viewed that way or, from this Vancouver Realtor’s perspective, it’s more the remembering that we are approaching the end of the year and as such, historical recordings would, like the first snow on Grouse Mountain, indicate that this unsettling is perhaps nothing more than a reflection of the market’s seasonal change.

Photo Credit: Matt Collinge

Except for the decreased number of sales the Vancouver East market could be considered a truck load of pumpkins waiting for Halloween.

As with the previous community check ups the period for this snapshot extends from August 24,2011 to October 24, 2011.

Total Listings

Getting ready to carve a great lantern the east side seems on the right track as Total Listings are on the decline from Aug/Sept’s 811 to Sept/Oct’s 714.

Vancouver East Homes Sold

One pumpkin that has fallen off the truck is sales. Aug/Sept a slow period by REBGV reports, seems even slower in this snapshot as sales dropped to Sept/Oct’s total of 71.

Expired, Days on Market

• Expired listing mandates well stowed on the truck as they reduced from Aug/Sept’s 53 to Sept/Oct’s 40.
• Days on Market at the bottom of the load are feeling squashed as they climbed from Aug/Sept’s 29 to Sept/Oct’s 34.

Vancouver East Side Homes Average and Median Prices

• Not as high in the load was Aug/Sept’s Average Ask price of $901,592. Feeling what little sun there is in Sept/Oct the Average Ask price increased to $912,950.
• The Median Ask price felt the squeeze as well with Aug/Sept reporting $850,000. Finding it’s way through the crowd of orange the Median Ask price increased a little in Sept/Oct to $869,500.
• The Average Sold price in the Aug/Sept was $895,681. It too fell some sun as it increased to 900.684 in Sept/Oct.

• The Median Sold price in Aug/Sept recorded $862,000. Peeking out through the load it increased to $869,000 in Sept/Oct.

Left Overs

Though the pumpkins on the east side real estate truck are polished and ready for sale it seems that based on the number of sales to date, Halloween revelers are going to leave this truck with a lot of left overs.

Maybe November will be a great month in which to make pumpkin pie for all of the east side.

Image Credit – Large Pie

Image Credit – Pumpkin Truck

This Halloween, expect treats to be emptied from your bag of goodies if you knock on doors dressed as a Vancouver Realtor®.

West Vancouver Realtors® as thanks for their efforts may find themselves receiving hand made ‘finger’ canapés – a unique specialty item simply not find in tonie Park Royal bakeries.

As with previous snapshots West Vancouver’s extends for the periods that cover August 24 to September 24 2011 and September 24, to October 24, 2011.

Total Listings

This Halloween, it is doubtful that a Headless Horsemen will roll pumpkins down Taylor Way to champion an Ichabodidan disappearance of listings. Faint hope it is as we see total listing count in West Vancouver’s Aug/Sept period recording 573 units followed by Sept/Oct’s tally of 567.

Expired, Days on Market

• Eager to practice their spells, in Sept/Oct naughty spirits placed their ‘It Didn’t Sell Spell’ on 39 West Vancouver home sellers. The longer days of Aug/Sept presumably kept the spirits at bay as there were only 32 expired listing mandates.
• It seems that arriving Ghosts frightened a few home sellers to take action as the number of days some West Vancouver homes were on the market reduced from Aug/Sept’s 50 to Sept/Oct’s 32.

Sales

Fewer than carved pumpkins this season, sales dropped from Aug/Sept’s 70 to Sept/Oct’s 57. Somewhere on the hill there are 13 Realtors® who are missing toes and fingers equal to a bakers dozen of special Halloween party treats.

West Vancouver Detached Home Average and Median Prices

• Aug/Sept’s Average Ask price was $2,384,427. Sept/Oct fought the fright with a small decrease to $2,340,411.
• The Median Ask price in Aug/Sept $1,899,000. The Median Ask seemingly more susceptible to the grind of squeaky doors declined to 1,775,000 in Sept/Oct.
• This snapshot’s Average Sold price in the Aug/Sept recorded $2,251,693. In Sept/Oct Average Sold prices edged up to $2,257,411.
• The Median Sold price recorded in Aug/Sept was $1,862,500. There was a trickle of green oozing from the Median Sold price as it declined to $1,758,000 in Sept/Oct.

Getting Outta Here

Today’s Ichabod Crane, may take short comfort as he looks back at the sleepy hollow of West Vancouver from the vantage of Stanley Park‘s Prospect Point. Comfortable in distance, he feels safe until he hears that clippy-clop sound. Is it the sound of a horseman’s real estate market hooves on bridge deck or thumping bull rushes on a log?

As with Disney’s story, we must watch and wait for the story to end.

*Image Credit
**Image Credit

Legend of Sleepy Hollow – Courtesy of Disney, All Rights Reserved – part 5 of an episode of the “Disneyland” TV series that originally aired on October 26th, 1955.

Halloween is around the corner. Expect to see some fireworks displays lighting up the sky as North Vancouver home sellers attempt to frighten away the evil spirits of Vancouver’s real estate market.

This North Vancouver detached home community snapshot period extends from August 24, 2011 to September 23, 2011 and September 24, to October 24, 2011.

Total Listings

On the horizon Total Listings sparkled as Aug/Sept’s 442 faded slightly to Sept/Oct’s 417.

Sales

Compared to other communities seen so far, the small drop in sales from Aug/Sept’s 79 to Sept/Oct’s 67 might be considered a pyrotechnical feat.

Expired, Days on Market

• Aug/Sept’s expired listing mandates glittered at 31. The number dissolved to 18 in Sept/Oct.
• Selling a home in North Vancouver took less time than a star burst as the number of days dropped from Aug/Sept’s 43 to Sept/Oct’s 28.

North Vancouver Detached Home Average and Median Prices

• Aug/Sept Average Ask price was $1,107,931. Sept/Oct’s display dampened by rain, didn’t fire as it dropped to Aug/Sept’s $1,012,307.
• The Median Ask price in Aug/Sept was $949,000. The Median Ask failed to ignite as it too dropped to $919,900 in Sept/Oct.
• The Average Sold price in the Aug/Sept was $1,077,913. Sept/Oct’s Average Sold price fizzled at $991,968.
• The Median Sold price in the Aug/Sept period was $936,000. Like the Average, the Median Sold price was a dud which failed to produce a display as it dropped to $895,000 in Sept/Oct.

Symphony of Fire

Vancouver used to call the annual summertime fireworks display the Benson and Hedges Symphony of Fire. There was just too much smoke emanating from that corporate relationship so it was renamed the Celebration of Light.

Assuming North Vancouver’s dropping prices are smoke, this North Vancouver snapshot might extend to suggest that there is a real estate market fire smoldering. As such, if the smolder becomes a blaze it remains to be seen if North Vancouverites will be celebrating its light.

Image Credit: hupaishi

If tradition holds with it’s predominant Chinese population, Halloween in Richmond has already passed.

According to Jackolanterns.net:

“In China, the Halloween festival is known as The Feast of the Hungry Ghosts. Bonfires and lanterns are lit to light the spirits path back to earth. The souls of the dead, particularly during the seventh lunar month, wander the earth in search of affection. They are known as the hungry ghosts because of their hunger for recognition and care. The spirits are offered joss sticks, food and gifts. The gifts, made of paper, represent objects with which they were familiar while on earth and are intended to make them feel at home. Paper money is burnt on their behalf, to pay for their expenses in the netherworld.”

Assuming this snapshot of the Richmond home market is an indicator of month end numbers, burning paper money on behalf of ghosts during the upcoming Canadian version of Halloween is probably not going to happen as there may be little money left to burn.

This Vancouver neighourhood snapshot of Richmond extends over the periods of August 24, to September 24, 2011 and September 24, to October 24, 2011.

Total Listings

A high number listings prevails in the Richmond market with Total Listings showing only a small decrease from 1,109 in Aug/Sept to 1,045 in the Sept/Oct period.

Homes Sold

Added to this is the ghostly number of sales which in Aug/Sept numbered 112 and then faded by half in Sept/Oct to 54.

Expired, Days on Market

• Listing mandates held almost level with 96 expired mandates in Aug/Sept slowing to 90 in Sept/Oct.
• Light from fire of burning money may have saved a few souls as the number of days it took to sell a home shortened from Aug/Sept’s 43 to Sept/Oct’s 38.

Richmond Detached Homes Average and Median Prices

• Aug/Sept’s Average Ask price was $1,293,230. It might be that some ‘spirit gifts’ were deemed unacceptable as the average ask in Sept/Oct’s dropped to $1,188,186.
• The Median Ask price in Aug/Sept was $1,048,500. Souls hungry for more than that offered took their toll in seeing the Median Ask decrease to $953,500 in Sept/Oct.
• Aug/Sept’s Average Sold price was $1,217,944. Not finding sufficient ‘affection’ in the form of burning money, the soul’s of the dead may have cast a spell upon the Average Sold price which decreased to $1,139,667 in Sept/Oct.
• The Median Sold price in Aug/Sept settled at $989,999. The spell cast on Average prices appears to have spread much like a Richmond fog as it blanketed Sept/Oct’s Median Sold price with a drop to $924,500.

Burning Money

The Total Value of Richmond’s detached home listings equates to a large stack of money. Even with the impetus of lost souls in the seventh month, Richmond remains uncertain in deciding what measures will bring recognition to those souls so as to heat up sales.

Sadly, none of these hungry ghosts are able to speak. If they could, you might wonder if their first words would be ‘Fire Sale.’

Photo Credit:

Photo Credit: Flickr – 3dom

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It seems that a Halloween high can be found in the neighbourhood of Burnaby Heights where a whole load of events are planned for this annual event. The merchants and locals have got a lot of activities planned so if you got kiddies or better still if you are a kiddy then check out the Burnaby Height Halloween events here and have some freaky fun.

Before you do that you will of course want to find out how well Burnaby’s real estate market is fairing. With the facts here at hand you will have plenty of time to complete your deliberations and engage in conversation with the local ghouls and goblins.

This Burnaby snapshot covers all of the Burnaby neighbourhoods for the periods Aug 24, 2011 to September 24, 2011 and September 24 to October 24, 2011.

Total Listings

The total number of listings remain high but like those seen in the Coquitlam snapshot have had a moderate decrease from 560 in the Aug/Sept to 543 in Sept/Oct.

Homes Sold

As seen in yesterday’s Coquitlam snapshot, Burnaby has also suffered a setback in sales with Aug/Sept recording 83 units sold while Sept/Oct recording 56 at this point.

Expired, Days on Market

• 31 listing mandates expired in Aug/Sept and increased to Sept/Oct 41.
• The number of days it took to sell a Burnaby home decreased from Aug/Sept’s 32 to Sept/Oct’s 22.

Burnaby Detached Homes Average and Median Prices

• Aug/Sept’s Average Ask price was $1,044,940. The average ask price dropped in Sept/Oct to $993,891.
• The Median Ask price in this snapshot was $930,000 in Aug/Sept and increased slightly to $938,000 in the Sept/Oct period.

• Aug/Sept’s Average Sold price was $1,020,643. The Average Sold decreased in the Sept/Oct period to $970,273.
• The Median Sold price recorded in Aug/Sept was $931,000 but held almost steady in Sept/Oct at $930,250.

Mud

Burnaby may be high on Halloween but, the fewer number of days it takes to sell a home creates an image much like this field of pumpkins where slowing sales combined with subsiding average and median prices leave seller’s pumpkins awash in a sea of mud.

Image Credit: Vancouver Photographer – John Harvey

Halloween in Coquitlam is around the corner. Part of this annual fright night are the visitations of little people who stomp at your door threatening evil deeds should you not proffer treats dedicated to amending their intent.

You won’t have to look to hard to find sales tricks and price treats in this October’s Snapshot of Coquitlam’s detached homes

October’s snapshot extends over two periods beginning with August 24,2011 to September 24, 2011 and September 24, 2011 to October 24, 2011.

Buckets Full of Listings

A few of the Total Listings fell out of the bucket with Aug/Sept’s 617 count dropping to Sept/Oct’s 588.

Tricky Sales

Following the pattern of previous month’s, the 90 sales in Aug/Sept stumbled stumbled in Sept/Oct to 50.

Expired and Days on Market

• Aug/Sept had 37 listing mandates expire whereas the Aug/Sept period recorded 32.
• Selling a home in Coquitlam is taking a couple of days longer as Sept/Oct needed 36 days compared to Aug/Sept’s 34.

Average and Median Price Treats

• Sellers treated themselves to higher Average Asking prices with Sept/Oct’s Average Ask price jumping to $769,129 compared to $730,358 in Aug/Sept.
• Accordingly a Median Asking price treat was recorded in Sept/Oct at $736,450 which was higher than Aug/Sept’s Median ask of $699,000.
• Demanding more tricks for their treat, Sellers saw the Average Sold price increase from Aug/Sept’s $712,350 to Sept/Oct’s $754,020.
• In lockstep the Median Sold price also increased in Sept/Oct to $719,150 – up from Aug/Sept’s $677,500.

Tricks and Treats

One is never certain what treat will be received when standing at a front door on Halloween. Indications from this snapshot suggest that some Coquitlam sellers may feel bountiful and willing to hand out more and better loot during this carnival of fright. With so few sales, little ghosts and goblins may find it a challenge to find homes ready and willing to give better treats. Offered is this small hint – look for 50 Coquitlam homes with a happy face on the front door.

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