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Home buyer  and seller activity in the Greater Vancouver housing market continues to far  outpace 2012, yet is in line with the region’s 10-year averages.

                The Real  Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property  sales in Greater Vancouver reached 2,483 on the Multiple Listing Service®  (MLS®) in September 2013. This represents a 63.8 per cent increase compared to  the 1,516 sales recorded in September 2012, and a 1.2 per cent decline compared  to the 2,514 sales in August 2013.

                Last month’s  sales were 1 per cent below the 10-year sales average for the month, while new  listings for the month were 3.5 per cent below the 10-year average.

“While sales  are up considerably from last year, it’s important to note that September 2012  sales were among the lowest we’ve seen in nearly three decades,” Sandra Wyant,  REBGV said. “Home sale and listing activity this September were in line with  the 10-year average for the month.”

New listings  for detached, attached and apartment properties in Greater Vancouver totalled  5,030 in September. This represents a 5.5 per cent decline compared to the  5,321 new listings reported in September 2012 and a 20.2 per cent increase  compared to the 4,186 new listings in August of this year.

                The total  number of properties currently listed for sale on the MLS® in Greater Vancouver  is 16,115, a 12.2 per cent decrease compared to September 2012 and a 0.5 per  cent increase compared to August 2013.

                The sales-to-active-listings  ratio currently sits at 15.4 per cent in Greater Vancouver.

“It’s  important to remember that stronger sales activity does not necessarily equate  to rising home prices. In fact, home prices have not fluctuated much in our  market this year,” Wyant said.

                The MLS®  Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in  Greater Vancouver is currently $601,900. This represents a decline of 0.7 per  cent compared to this time last year and an increase of 2.3 per cent compared  to January 2013.

                Sales of  detached properties reached 1,023 in September 2013, an increase of 72.2 per  cent from the 594 detached sales recorded in September 2012, and a 6.9 per cent  increase from the 957 units sold in September 2011. The benchmark price for  detached properties decreased 1.4 per cent from September 2012 to $922,600.

                Sales of  apartment properties reached 1,018 in September 2013, an increase of 50.6 per  cent compared to the 676 sales in September 2012, and an increase of 10.4 per  cent compared to the 922 sales in September 2011. The benchmark price of an  apartment property decreased 0.5 per cent from September 2012 to $366,600

Attached property sales in September 2013  totalled 442, an increase of 79.7 per cent compared to the 246 sales in  September 2012, and a 20.4 per cent increase from the 367 attached properties  sold in September 2011. The benchmark price of an attached unit is currently  $458,300, which is unchanged from September 2012.