Edmonton, April 4, 2016: 1,364 properties were sold in the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in March, up nearly 63% from the 837 homes sold last month, but down 6.13% from the 1,453 relative to March 2015. There were 863 single family detached homes sold in the Edmonton CMA, a 67% percent increase month-over-month, and down only 1.5% from the same time last year. March saw the sale of 335 condos and 144 duplex/rowhouses, up 44% and 82% from February, respectively.
“Sales, relative to last month, were consistent with the seasonal trends that we expect,” REALTORS®Association of Edmonton Chair Steve Sedgwick explains. “Inventory is growing, with more than 3,000 properties coming onto the market last month. Despite the inventory growth, prices are holding steady, with median prices on par with last year, and average prices up slightly due to the sale of high-end luxury homes in March.”
The average all-residential price was $379,524 for March, which is close to 3% higher than February, and up nearly 2% compared to $372,289 during the same in last year. Single family house prices averaged $439,815, up slightly over last year (up 0.56%) and up by 4.73% month-over-month. Condo properties sold for an average of $251,093, up from both last month and last year, at an increase of 1.62% and 0.55%, respectively. Median prices remained virtually the same as last year, as the all-residential median price took at slight dip of less than 1% to end the month at $357,750, down from $360,000 from this time last year, but up nearly 3% from February. The median price for single family homes was up over 1% from last month ending March at $405,000, but down just over one percent from $410,000 in March of 2015.
“When looking at housing prices, we have to take into account a number of factors,” Sedgwick said. “Last month, we saw sales of two homes in Edmonton that were priced at more than $3 million dollars. This is the first time that properties at that price point have sold in 2016, and those two sales affected the average price by several thousands of dollars. So it is important that we also look at the median prices as well, to gain a clear picture of the market.”
March’s average days-on-market dropped in almost all housing types, as it took an average of 53 days to sell a home compared to 57 last month. On average, single family homes sold 4 days quicker than last month, selling in 49 days. Duplex/rowhouses were on the market for an average of 62 days compared to 71 in February. And, on average, condos sold in 58 days, up 1 day from the same time last month.
Barn doors bring an interesting rustic touch to your home. The sliding door is a space-saving alternative to traditional doors and is perfect for your home office, laundry, or bathrooms. Here are some creative barn door designs;
Poor indoor air quality can lead to serious health problems for you and your family. Your home air quality matches the cleanliness of your house. Keeping your home clean and tidy goes a long way to improving your indoor air quality. Aside from regular dusting, washing, and cleaning, here are some tips that will help improve the air in your home:
Keep Pollutants Out – It's easier to keep your home air clean by keeping the pollutants out. Remove outdoor shoes at the door, repair air leaks, put walk off mats at entrances, and avoid activities indoors that uses varnish, paint, glue, and other similar substances.
Invest in a Good Vacuum – Choose a vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter. This traps allergens, airborne pollutants, and smaller particles regular vacuums can miss. Buy one with rotating brushes and strong suction.
Regularly bathe and Groom Pets – Pets are adorable and improve quality of life. Sadly, keeping animals in the house has a downside to the quality of your indoor air. Minimize the smell and air pollutants by regularly bathing and grooming pets and cleaning pet paraphernalia.
Ventilate and Circulate – Ventilation and air circulation is crucial to keeping indoor air fresh. Open windows as much as you can. Use exhaust fans, attic fans, or run window AC with open vent control to remove air contaminants.
Change Filters Often – AC, vacuum, air purifiers and heater filters can easily get clogged with filtered pollutants and particles. The dirty build-up will compromise the performance or your AC or heater, and will eventually contaminate the air you're trying to clean.
Minimize Moisture – Damp areas encourage mould and mildew growth. Prevent the proliferation of dust mites, mould, mildew, and other harmful microbes in your home with proper ventilation and keeping humidity level below 50%. You might need a dehumidifier to achieve this.
Keep up with the Laundry – Don't stack dirty clothes for too long. Also, regularly change and launder beddings, towels, curtains, and upholstery.
Watch your Smoke – Smoke releases pollutants into the air. Candles, wood-burning fireplaces, cigars, and cigarettes all contribute to poor indoor air. Minimize the effect by using non-toxic candles, dried wood, and banning indoor smoking.
Bring in Plants – Plants are natural air purifiers and fresheners. The best plant choices to bring in for their air freshening qualities are English Ivy, Peace Lily, Boston Fern, the Spider plant, Dracaena, Ficus or Weeping Fig, and Aloe Vera.
