The buoyant housing market is reaching every corner of British Columbia, June sales figures show. Dollar volume sales increased in all 12 of the province’s real estate boards compared to June 2003, though three saw slight declines in the number of units sold.

Even the B.C. North Real Estate Board based in Prince George, which lagged behind other regions in sales activity at this time last year, has joined the boom, said B.C. Real Estate Association president Gordon Maroney.

“We’re really cooking on all 12 burners,” he said.

The BCREA recorded 9,566 unit sales worth $2.75 billion on the Multiple Listing Service in June, versus 9,050 sales worth $2.3 billion a year earlier. That represented a 5.7-per-cent increase in volume and an 18.5-per-cent increase in value, year over year.

The June totals were down from the previous three months, however. Home sales topped 10,000 units across the province in each of March, April and May — for the first time in three consecutive months. In March and April, dollar volumes exceeded $3 billion.

Maroney attributed the month-to-month decline to the seasonality of the business. In June buyers, sellers and realtors all begin to think about summer vacations.

“Traditionally it trails off in June, July and August and starts to pick up again around Sept. 15,” said Maroney, a Delta-based agent. While autumn sales may feel the pinch from higher interest rates, the province is still on track to surpass the record of $24.2 billion set in 2003, he said.

In the first half of this year 53,058 homes changed hands, 17.5 per cent more than the same period in 2003. The dollar total was $15.2 billion, a 34-per-cent increase year over year.

“I think we’ll do well regardless,” Maroney said of 2004 sales.

© The Vancouver Sun 2004