In October 2022, the MLS® System of the London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR) saw 975 new listings and 504 home sales. While October's new listings were on par with the average value recorded for the month of October throughout the last decade, the monthly home sales were at their lowest point in the last ten years.
"This year's successive increases in interest rates put a big dent in the local home sales activity and made the year-over-year price values plunge. However, it's not all bad news: LSTAR's sales-to-new listings ratio increased from 42.4% in September to 51.7% in October, which indicates a more balanced market. Moreover, the overall average home price in the London-St. Thomas region was a bit higher in October than during the previous month, increasing from $635,256 in September to $640,570 last month," said 2022 LSTAR President Randy Pawlowski.
The single-family home remained at the top of the local home buyers' preferences, with 363 homes sold in October, followed by condos, with 73 townhouses exchanging hands.
"Despite having the lowest number of units sold (37), apartments recorded actual gains in both their average and HPI benchmark prices, unlike single-family homes and condos, which saw year-over-year decreases.
More specifically, in October, the average price of an apartment in the London-St. Thomas region was $416,516, 8% higher than in October 2021, while its HPI benchmark price was $398,600, up 2% over the same time a year ago," Pawlowski observed.
The following table shows the October benchmark prices for all housing types in LSTAR's jurisdiction and how they compare with the values from the previous year.
House Type | October, 2022 | Change Over October, 2021 |
Single-Family | $624,900 | ↓6.2% |
One Storey | $559,400 | ↓6.5% |
Two Storey | $669,800 | ↓5.9% |
Townhouse | $489,400 | ↓1.4% |
Apartment | $390,800 | ↑2.0% |
"When compared to other values recorded provincially and nationally, homes in our area continue to remain relatively affordable," Pawlowski said.