The London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR) announced 854 homes exchanged hands in November 2020, achieving another monthly record for residential sales. Sales were up more than 33% compared to the same time a year ago, marking the best results ever for November since the Association began tracking data in 1978.
This is the third consecutive month of record sales, demonstrating how strong the housing marketplace is because of a seller’s market.
Inventory is an important measure of the balance between sales and the supply of listings, illustrating how long it would take to liquidate existing inventories at the current sales activity rate.
At the end of November, there were 0.7 months of inventory across the entire LSTAR jurisdiction, which is the lowest level in the past 10 years; out of the five main areas, St. Thomas had the lowest level at 0.5 months of inventory while London was at 0.6.
Another important measure is the sales-to-new listings ratio. It was 108.4% for LSTAR, which the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) says represents conditions in the marketplace that favour sellers (a ratio between 40% and 60% is generally consistent with a balanced market). LSTAR’s five areas recorded sales-to-new listings ratios over 100%, with the highest seen in Elgin County at 121.4% and St. Thomas at 113.8%.
The following table shows last month’s average home prices by area and how they compare to the values recorded at the end of November 2019.
| Area | November 2020 Average Sale Price | Change over November 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| Elgin County | $491,987 | ↑ 13.6% |
| London | $541,377 | ↑ 29.9% |
| Middlesex County | $604,212 | ↑ 24.8% |
| St. Thomas | $426,906 | ↑ 28.4% |
| Strathroy | $591,473 | ↑ 29.2% |
| LSTAR | $536,178 | ↑ 28.8% |
Taking a closer look at the London region, London South (which contains data for the west side of the city) saw the biggest year-over-year increase in the average price, coming in at $555,682, up 33.9%.
At the end of November, the average home price in London North was $619,908, up 26.8% compared to November 2019, while London East was $427,639, up 27.4% over a year ago. In St. Thomas, the average sales price was $426,906, up 28.4% over November 2019.
The median number of days that a home was on the London market was 8 days, which’s down from 11 days in November 2019. Meanwhile, in Strathroy, it was 13, down from 26; in Elgin, it was 18, down from 19; in St.Thomas, it was 12, up from 9; in Middlesex, it was 9, down from 19.5.
The following chart is based on data taken from the CREA National Price Map for October 2020. It provides a snapshot of how home prices in London and St. Thomas compare to some other major Ontario and Canadian centres.
See all the homes currently for sale in London, Ontario on MLS.
According to a research report(Economic Impacts of MLS® Systems Home Sales and Purchases in Canada and the Provinces, Altus Group, 2019 ), a total of $73,250 in ancillary expenditures is generated by the average housing transaction in Ontario over a period of three years from the date of purchase.
