ANCOUVER — A strong wave of property sales through British Columbia's southern and coastal property markets in December helped lift the province to a strong finish in 2009, the B.C. Real Estate Association reported Tuesday.
And the sales boost should give markets enough momentum to push sales growth into the first part of 2010, or until rising prices again start pushing more buyers out of the market, according to association chief economist Cameron Muir.
The province saw 5,703 homes sold through the Multiple Listing Service in December, a 132-per-cent increase from the same month in 2008, the second highest number ever.
For the year, B.C. recorded 85,028 sales through MLS, a 23-per-cent increase from all of 2008 and the annualized average price of a home hit $465,725 in 2009, a two-per-cent increase from 2008.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
