B.C.’s housing market saw a slight improvement in March as home sales nudged higher following a 5.9-per-cent decline in February. Sales increased 0.7 per cent to reach 5,866 unit sales. Home prices rose 1.8 per cent. This said, housing momentum has waned in the last few months as buyer sentiment shifted amid interest rate uncertainty.

MLS home sales increased in most of the province’s real estate board areas. The Greater Vancouver area saw home sales increase by 1.4 per cent following a decline in the previous month. In Chilliwack, home sales increased only slightly—by just 0.5 per cent—while the Kootenays reported a 17.2-per-cent increase. Home sales also rose 9.4 per cent on Vancouver Island, and were unchanged in the Fraser Valley. However, the Okanagan-Mainline and South Okanagan areas recorded sales declines of 8.9 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively.

The new tax rates, set to be in force as of June 25, will increase the inclusion rate on capital gains from any sale from 50 per cent above the first $250,000 to 66 per cent.

That change will have significant implications for cottage owners. Many have seen the value of their properties skyrocket in recent years, which could cause them to kick the tires and sell before the higher tax rules kick in. 

The West Coast housing market saw a significant boost in construction activity last year, according to a new report by the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC).

The annualBC Check-Up: Investreport found that construction began on 35,553 housing units in southwest B.C. during the year, a 20.9 per cent jump compared with 2022. This marks the highest number of housing starts ever recorded in the region.

“Our members living in the Lower Mainland have consistently reported that housing prices are the biggest challenge facing B.C. businesses,” said Lori Mathison, president and CEO of CPABC, said in an April 18 statement.