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Real estate market ekes out small one-year gain

Prices now relatively stable, realtors say
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Detail of Fraser Valley Real Estate Board graph plotting the average price of detached houses in the Fraser Valley over the past five years. Prices bottomed out at just under $500

Lower Mainland housing prices have posted thin gains over the past year.

Detached houses rose 5.6 per cent from one year ago to a benchmark price of $799,000, according to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.

Attached homes on average gained 4.1 per cent to $488,000 while condos were up 1.9 per cent to $389,000 in November compared to the same month in 2009.

The Greater Vancouver association covers Metro Vancouver except Surrey, North Delta, White Rock and Langley.

In those areas and points further east, benchmark detached homes are up an average 1.4 per cent from a year ago to $504,000, according to the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board.

Townhomes are up 1.9 per cent to $319,000 and condos gained 2.7 per cent from a year earlier to $242,000.

The biggest gain in one-year prices have been in detached houses on Vancouver's west side, which are up nearly 18 per cent to $1.7 million.

Richmond houses were up 13.7 per cent to $920,000.

On the downside, the stats show Port Moody houses have slid more than 10 per cent from a year ago to $719,500.

The median price of Abbotsford townhouses fell about 16 per cent to $230,000.

Realtors report consistent home sales and relatively stable prices, with continued low mortgage rates helping shore up buyer demand.

“Home values have been relatively stable over the last five months compared to the summer period when we were seeing some downward pressure on prices,” said Jake Moldowan, president of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver.