Local housing sales ease up in May

Edmonton, June 4, 2013: Housing sales activity in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) slowed in May according to the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. Housing sales dropped 10% when compared to May 2012. Sales of single family detached homes (SFD) were down 14.4% Y/Y and duplex/rowhouse sales were down 20.3%. In contrast, during the same period, condo sales were up 4.9% compared to May 2012.

“There is a lot of activity in the real estate market at this time of year but some buyers are having difficulty finding their perfect home,” said President Darrell Cook. “While inventory levels are rising they are still below traditional norms and there is a shortage of attractive SFD inventory available at the lower priced end of the market. That has held some buyers back. First time buyers may have had to buy in the condo market where they can still find a home in their price range.”

There were an estimated 1,169...