The April real estate market in the Greater Hamilton, Burlington and their outlying areas* experienced below-average numbers of listings and sales for the month, but an increase in average sale price in most areas, according to Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) statistics released today by the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB).

The biggest gain in average sale price was in the residential freehold market, which saw an overall 5.9% gain when compared to the same month last year.

Residential unit sales year to date are 10.4 per cent lower than last year.

“I said in my forecast in January that the spring market would be late in arriving this year, and that certainly seems to be the case,” said RAHB President Ann Forbes Arndt.

“We saw some big swings in market activity in different areas of our jurisdiction,” added Arndt.

Dundas and Dunnville saw the largest gains in average sale price in April, while Grimsby and Burlington were the only two major centres which saw a decline in average price. Six communities saw 20-30 per cent drops in sales activity while one centre saw a triple-digit increase and other areas had nearly 10 per cent increases.

Figures quoted are for sales and average sale prices of units located in the jurisdiction* of the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington and processed through RAHB’s Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®). Unit sales reflect “all property types” including residential, condominium, commercial property, farm, vacant land and business, unless otherwise specified.

*RAHB’s jurisdiction includes Burlington, Waterdown, Flamborough and Dundas in the north; Hamilton, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, and Grimsby along Lake Ontario; and extends down to the shores of Lake Erie, including Glanbrook, West Lincoln, Smithville, Dunnville, Cayuga, Caledonia, and Hagersville.