Richmond Hill home prices up city-wide according to Royal LePage house price
survey

    
    - Affordable Financing and Low Inventory Levels Prompt Multiple Offers in
    Third Quarter -
    

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Oct. 8 /CNW/ - The Royal LePage House Price Survey released today showed average home prices in Richmond Hill increasing up to 6.1 per cent over last year. Improved affordability due to low interest rates and a shortage of listings are credited with driving the market.

The recovery in Richmond Hill's real estate market is well underway. In year-over-year comparisons, detached bungalows witnessed a price increase of 2.7 per cent to $375,000 , standard two-storey homes were up 3.9 per cent to $395,000 and standard condominiums led the way with a 6.1 per cent increase to $260,000 .

The increases seen in Richmond Hill are "a direct result of increased consumer optimism and demand," said Vivian Risi , Broker/Owner of Royal LePage Your Community Realty. "Buyers have fewer listings to choose from in today's marketplace."

After buyers for lower-priced homes drove the market earlier this year, mid- to high-end buyers in Richmond Hill returned in the third quarter, causing some of the city's largest price increases.

Overall Canada's housing market is on the road to recovery, but despite the strength of the market in the third quarter, giving the appearance of a surge in real estate activity, Royal LePage cautioned that sales are actually following a normal sales pattern but lagging approximately one month behind the typical seasonal cycle.

"The economic recession interrupted the flow of the real estate cycle but it is essentially back on track," said Phil Soper , president and chief executive officer, Royal LePage Real Estate Services. "There is the illusion of a boom in the market, but in fact what we are experiencing is the end of a normal, short-term correction. Once housing supply returns to normal levels, we believe the economy will support low pricing growth into 2010."

About the Royal LePage House Price Survey

The Royal LePage House Price Survey is the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind in Canada , with information on seven types of housing in over 250 neighbourhoods from coast to coast. This release references an abbreviated version of the survey, which highlights house price trends for the three most common types of housing in Canada in 80 communities across the country. A complete database of past and present surveys is available on the Royal LePage Web site at www.royallepage.ca. Current figures will be updated following the complete tabulation of the data for the third quarter. A printable version of the third quarter 2009 survey will be available online on November 6th, 2009 .

Housing values in the Royal LePage Survey are Royal LePage opinions of fair market value in each location, based on local data and market knowledge provided by Royal LePage residential real estate experts. Historical data is available for some areas back to the early 1970s.

About Royal LePage

Royal LePage is Canada's leading provider of franchise services to residential real estate brokerages, with a network of nearly 14,000 real estate professionals in over 600 locations across Canada . Royal LePage believes in the importance of giving back to the community and is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation. The Shelter Foundation is dedicated exclusively to funding women's shelters and violence prevention and education programs. Royal LePage is managed by Brookfield Real Estate Services, and is part of a brand family that includes Royal LePage, Johnston and Daniel, and La Capitale Real Estate Network. An affiliated company, Brookfield Real Estate Services Fund, is a TSX listed income trust, trading under the symbol "BRE.UN."

For more information visit www.royallepage.ca.

For further information: Michael Gotzamanis, Fleishman-Hillard Canada, [phone]; Tammy Gilmer, Director, Public Relations and National Communications, Royal LePage Real Estate Services, [phone]