Calgary’s real estate market remained weak in June despite the province emerging from a recession months ago.
A report released by the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) Tuesday said the housing market continues to struggle to make gains, making the region a buyer’s market.
“The city-wide benchmark price in June totalled $436,500. This is just below last month and 1.13 per cent below last year’s levels,” the report said.
Contributing to the market conditions are high inventory levels and generally slow sales, according to the report.
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“Weak sales activity in Calgary continued into June, as residential sales for the month totalled 1,896 units,” the report said. “This is 11 per cent below last year and 12 per cent below long-term averages. New listings continued to rise, with further inventory gains and months of supply now at 4.7 months.”
The report also blamed the anemic market on recent changes in mortgage regulations, higher lending rates and a persistently high unemployment rate.
“In any market, it’s extremely important to be well-informed, whether it’s about the process to get pre-approved for a mortgage or having the most up-to-date information about the prices in the community you are buying or selling in,” said CREB president Tom Westcott.