NIGHT IN THE COLD PAGE A3
RELAY WANTS YOU PAGE A14
GO ROOS GO PAGE A17
OBSERVER QUESNEL - CARIBOO
SINCE 1908
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
VOL. 99 NO. 13
www.quesnelobserver.com
$ 34
1
PM 40005365
includes HST
Housing market showing growth AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter Low interest rates and broad economic recovery are pointing to a buyer’s market. The BC Northern Real Estate Board reports 3,749 properties worth $865.5 million sold through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in the first nine months of 2012. At this time last year, 3,443 properties worth $740 million had changed hands. As of Sept. 30, there were 4,889 properties of all types available for sale through the MLS, down from 5,076 properties at the end of September last year. “With activity up, there seems to be considerable demand on the buyer’s side, but we are also seeing an increase in listings over 2011,” RE/MAX sales representative William Lacy said. “This gives buyers plenty of choices and allows them to shop around, so to speak. Our average sale price, although forecast to rise by 5.15 per cent, is actually down year-to-date as per the September stats from BC Northern Real Estate Board for Quesnel.” For the Gold Pan City, to the end of September 232 properties worth $40.5 million sold through MLS compared to 179 properties worth $32.8 million to the end of the third quarter of 2011. Half of the 102 single family homes sold so far this year, sold for less than $215,000 and took, on average, 79 days to sell. Also changing hands this year were 35 parcels of vacant land, 47 homes on acreage, 14 manufactured homes in parks and 22 manufactured homes on land. At the end of September there were 359 properties of all types available for purchase through the MLS in the area.
“There are increases in most markets across the board – not drastic, but showing a sustainable market compared to other areas of the province,” BCNREB president Joni Brown said. “Interest rates are still low, making it a good time for entry level buyers to get into the market and investors to add to their inventory.“ By comparison, in Williams Lake, 237 properties worth $51.6 million have sold in the first nine months, compared to 258 properties worth $53.5 million in the same period last year. Of the 92 single family homes sold to the end of September, half sold for less than $235,000 and these homes took, on average, 65 days to sell. In addition, 17 parcels of vacant land, 9 townhomes, 63 homes on acreage and 21 manufactured homes in parks and a further 23 on land, have sold this year. At the end of September there were 523 properties of all types available for purchase through MLS. To the end of September in Prince George, 980 properties worth $234.2 million changed hands, compared with 947 properties worth $214.2 million to Sept. 30, 2011. In the western part of the city the median price of the 204 homes sold this year was $228,500. In the area east of the By-pass, the 131 single family homes that sold had a median price of $179,500. In the northern part of the city, in the area commonly referred to as “the Hart’, the 141 single family homes sold had a median price of $262,500. In the southwest section of the city, the median price of the 194 single family homes sold was $312,000. At the end of September, there were 840 properties of all types available for purchase through MLS.
QUESNEL KANGAROOS ARE ON THE ROAD Sat. Oct. 20, 2012 Kangaroos VS Williams Lake Stampeders @ 7:30 pm
VS
In appreciation Observer publisher Tracey Roberts (left) and editor Autumn MacDonald get set to tackle their route, Friday morning. Black Press management delivered papers across the province in recognition of Carrier Appreciation Month.
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