Central Alberta real estate markets began to bounce back in June after a spring pandemic pummelling.
In June, 461 units were sold in central Alberta — up 36 per cent from May, an unusually large jump.
Sales numbers were higher than June 2019, when 427 units changed hands.
In 2018, there were 464 units sold, and 460 sold in 2017, according to Multiple Listing Service statistics supplied by the Central Alberta Realtors Association.
For the first six months of the year, there were 1,718 units sold in central Alberta, still trailing previous years because of the impact of COVID and low oil prices.
In 2019, there were 2,056 units sold in June, and in June 2018, 2,240.
In the Red Deer market, there were 506 units sold to the end of June, compared with 649 last year. In 2018, there were 713 sales, and in 2017, there were 675.
There were some positive signs in the Red Deer market despite lagging sales. The 31 per cent increase in sales from May to June this year was higher than normal, perhaps an indication of pent-up demand after pandemic restrictions limited open houses and kept potential buyers at home.
The number of days it took to sell a home last month was 61, well below the 82 days in 2019 and on par with the 58 days in 2018.
The average sale price in Red Deer is up so far this year — $321,367, compared with $310,237 last year. In 2018, the average sale price was $330,611, and in 2017, it was $337,809.