The number of homes in the Kootenay-Boundary that changed hands in April was higher than the month before, but still down over 40 per cent compared to the same time last year.
The Association of Interior Realtors says there were 201 sales last month, up from 189 in March, but still a long way from the 282 in April 2022.
There were 429 new listings last month, down 15.7 per cent from the same time last year. However, the overall 1,162 active listings in the region represented a 31.3 per cent uptick compared to the previous year.
“While it is nice to see that the number of active listings is better than it was a year ago, it is still far below what is needed to meet growing demand,” president Chelsea Mann said in a news release.
“The Kootenay region also caters to many out-of-province recreational buyers, as well as retirees drawn to all the region has to offer, making it a tight market for local buyers to get into when there is a shortage of supply.
“It will be interesting to see if sales start trending upwards towards the summer.”
Benchmark prices in the Kootenays, which realtors say is a better representation of value compared to the average or median price as it represents a dwelling of “typical attributes,” saw percentage increases in the condo and townhome categories.
The highest percentage increase was within the townhome category, up 6.4 per cent to $497,300. Condos were up 1.6 per cent to $289,500. Single-family homes saw a decrease of 3.9 per cent in year-over-year comparison, coming in at $492,100.
