올 봄에 팔려는 사람이 사려는 사람보다 많아(Home sellers dive into spring market, but buyers hesitate)

부동산 포털회사인 Zoocasa의 설문조사에 따르면, 캐나다의 봄철은 퍌려는 사람이 많은 계절이지만, 올해 사려는 사람은 망설이는 경향이다. 58% 정도의 사람들은 봄철이 팔기 좋은 계절이라고 하고, 42%는 사기에 좋은 계절이라고 응답하였다. 현재 주택소유자 중에 8%는 올 봄에 팔 계획이 있다고 응답하였고, 6%는 살 계획이 있다고 응답하였다. 3월말에서 4월초가 캐나다 부동산시장이 가장 바쁜 시기라고 한다. 지난 2월은 10년중 가장 가장 낮은 거래량을 보였는데, 전년대비 4.4% 감소하였고, 1월 대비 8.1% 감소하였다. 가격도 5.2% 하락하여 전국 평균가격은 $468,350이 되었다. 토론토, 벤쿠버 등 대도시 가격하락의 주원인은 연방정부의 모기지 스트레스테스트 제도 도입과 지방정부의 정책 및 세금부과 때문으로 보고 있다.

Spring is the season for home sellers in Canada, but buyers are markedly more hesitant, according to new research by real estate portal Zoocasa. The latest survey, which covered the period March 1 to March 18, polled 1,270 respondents nationwide.

“As temperatures rise, so too do the number of weekend open houses, as sellers take advantage of improving weather to showcase their home’s best attributes. Buyers frustrated by a lack of choice over the winter now luxuriate in a number of listings, and may be motivated to close deals as summer – and the following school year – looms just a few short months away,” the Zoocasa report stated.

“The warmer months are also when buyers are most likely to find themselves competing in multiple offer situations, and sellers enjoy a price premium on their listings.”

A clear majority of Canadians (58%) agreed that spring is the best time to sell a home, while 42% see the season as the ideal environment for making home purchases. Approximately 6% said that they will be selling their homes, while 11% indicated that they will be buying a residence.

Among current homeowners, 8% said that they are planning to sell their homes this spring, while 6% will be buying. “The end of March and beginning of April typically kick off the busiest season for Canadian real estate,” Zoocasa added.

However, this will come in the wake of one of the lowest February sales performances in nearly a decade. Fully three-fourths of all markets nationwide suffered sales declines during the month, with overall Canadian performance falling by 4.4% year-over-year and 8.1% from January.

Prices also shrunk by 5.2% to reach a national average of $468,350.

“The downturn has made its way to Canada’s largest markets, as a combination of the federal mortgage stress test and provincial policies and taxes have cooled market demand,” Zoocasa warned, noting a 33% annual sales decline and 6.1% price drop in Vancouver last month, and Toronto’s 2.4% year-over-year sales slowdown and miniscule 1.6% price growth.

by Ephraim Vecina 25 Mar 2019  www.mortgagebrokernews.ca