(Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Melfort housing sales

Realty market in Melfort heats up after cool start to 2020

Jun 1, 2020 | 5:15 PM

The housing market has picked up in Melfort.

There was a slight increase in home sales in the city last month.

Eight homes were sold last month by all realtors in Melfort last month, compared to six houses sold in May of 2019.

Richelle Rogers of Realty Executives Gateway Realty said despite the solid month, year-to-date sales are down significantly.

“This year we’ve sold 18 houses in Melfort, and last year at this time it was 28, so that’s a 35 per cent decrease,” Rogers told northeastNOW.

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Rogers said the uncertainty about COVID-19 led to a much slower March and April, but that’s beginning to change. Realtors are taking a lot of precautions against the virus, Rogers said, and that is putting some people’s minds at ease.

“I don’t think it’s quite so scary anymore. To begin with, people just weren’t wanting to go out at all,” Rogers said. She added people that have a need or a desire to move see the procedures realtors have put in place to keep everyone safe, and that has helped ease concerns.”

Local realtors have resumed holding open houses.

“[Realtors have] provisions in place, they’ve got guidelines… there’s not a problem taking a look at an open house,” Rogers said. “Middle of March or April there, I don’t think people were wanting that.”

There are still some potential buyers that do not feel comfortable searching for homes in person. Rogers said there have been whole transactions that have taken place without face-to-face contact. Realtors have also held virtual open houses, and have shown houses via FaceTime.

“We can turn it on virtually on our phones and walk them through the house just as if they were standing next to us,” Rogers said.

Despite a slower start to the housing market in Melfort this year, prices have remained unaffected. The average house is selling for just under $200,000, and prices have gone up by .07 per cent compared to 2019. Rogers said housing prices are strongly affected by the small size of the market, and if one expensive house sells, that brings the average up significantly.

The new listings are down substantially in 2020. Rogers said last year at this time, Melfort had 56 new listings, and this year there have been just 35.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974