Decent Start Continues in February
Based on sales through the Regina and area MLS® System, the positive start to the 2019 residential
in January continued into February, said the Association of Regina REALTORS® Inc.
There were 197 sales reported during the month in all geographic areas, up 4.2% from 2018 when 189
sales occurred. This was slightly above the 5-year average of 193 but below the 10-year average of
222. There were 170 sales reported in the city, up 11.8% from 2018 when 152 were posted. The number
of sales in the city was above the 5-year average of 163 but below the 10-year average of 191 for the
month.
For the year-to-date, there have been 370 homes sold in all areas, an increase of 2.7% over last year.
In the city, 314 sales have occurred, up 6.8% from 2018.
For February, the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI), a much more accurate measure of housing price
trends than average or median price, reported a composite Benchmark residential price of $262,800
and index of 246.0 in the city, down 5.1% from $277,000 one year ago. The Benchmark price continued
its move in a downward direction, indicating downward pressure on home prices due predominately to
elevated supply levels and weakened demand. Over the last five years, the Benchmark price is down
12.3%. The HPI measures residential price trends based on four benchmark home types, with the index
set at a base of 100 for January 2005.
Total dollar sales volume in all areas was $60,5M, up 4.3% from 2018’s $58.1M. The YTD stood at
$109.8M, up 2.3% from $107.3M in 2018.
In the city, there were 1,219 active residential listings on the market at the end of February, down 4.7%
from 2018’s 1,279 at the same time.
2
There were 384 new listings placed on the MLS® System during the month in all geographic areas, a
decrease of 27.6% from 2018’s 530. There were 301 listings posted in the city, down 24.8% from 400
in 2018.
The ratio of sales to new listings for the month was 56% in the city and 51% all geographic areas.
Balanced market conditions are generally in the 40-60% range – below 40% is considered to be more
of a buyer’s market - above 60% is considered to be a market favouring sellers. Although because of
the very low number of new listings for the month, we would caution against describing the market as
balanced. The trend has been more of a buyer’s market for a number of years.
“Although we are encouraged with the level of sales so far this year, economic factors coupled with
federal mortgage stress levels are negatively affecting demand levels. Stress rules have unnecessarily
taken buyers out of the market because they cannot qualify for mortgage financing even though they
can afford monthly payments,” said Gord Archibald, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Regina
REALTORS® Inc.
“With some positive economic growth forecasted for the year locally, we are hoping this will translate
into job growth and further demand for housing. It would also help if the federal government relaxed the
impact of the mortgage stress rules, allowing more buyers to qualify for financing,” concluded Archibald.
Post Your Comment: