April 2008: Condo Figures

Ok so we know that April sales in GTA took a 7.3% dip compared to last April.  But let’s take a closer look at the year-over-year statistics for the districts we’re interested in before we claim the sky is falling.

* numbers used are condo apartments only

C01: sales decreased 1% and average sales price increased 10.3%

C08: sales plummeted 35.9% and average sales price soared 20.2%

C14: sales decreased 19.3% and average sales price increased 8.2%

Swirsky headed to the Chicago Bulls

A very sad day for Toronto Raptors’ fans as Chuck Swirsky is heading over to Chicago to announce games for the Bulls.  A true professional in sports media that will be sorrowly missed.  Honestly, have you heard some of the other teams’ broadcasters do play-by-play?  It’s painful. 

Thanks Chuck for the unmatched passion you brought to Raptor fans!

Here’s his blog that I read on the consistent basis: http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/swirsky.html

Article by Doug Smith of The Toronto Star:

The voice of the Raptors is going silent in Toronto.

Chuck Swirsky, whose energetic broadcasting style won him legions of fans over a decade here, is leaving to become the radio play-by-play voice of the Chicago Bulls.

“It’s in the best interests of my family at this point,” Swirsky said this afternoon.

A tireless promoter of the sport and the team, the veteran broadcaster will continue as an afternoon host on the The FAN590 radio station “for the foreseeable future” but will be in Chicago at the start of the next NBA season.

Swirsky came to Toronto a decade ago to take over the play-by-play job with a young franchise trying to establish itself in a hockey-dominated market. He became an immediate hit with his enthusiasm and willingness to interact with fans.

He’s written a blog on the team’s website, makes public appearances whenever he’s asked and has become as synonymous with team as just about any player.

Swirsky, who lives with his wife and three children in Burlington, became a Canadian citizen earlier this season and was touted as Chuck The Canuck by the team.

Going back to Chicago is returning Swirsky to his broadcasting roots. He worked in that market for 15 years, serving as a host on the networks of the NFL Bears and MLB Cubs. He also did play-by-play at DePaul University for a decade.

“Chuck Swirsky has been a terrific play-by-play broadcaster for the Raptors, but it was his tireless dedication to the community and his direct relationship with our fans that left an indelible mark on southern Ontario and with Raptors fans across Canada,” Tom Anselmi, the chief operating officer of Maple Leaf Sports said in a release.

“There are lots of good play-by-play guys out there, but only one Chuck Swirsky. He is a big loss to our organization. His passion for basketball and passion for our fans, makes him one of the game’s great ambassadors. He’s leaving for the right reasons, and that’s to place the needs of his family at the top of his priority list. He leaves with our support, our deepest appreciation and best wishes for the future.”

April 2008: Sales Moderate, Prices Up

April statistics show that 8,762 houses sold in the Greater Toronto Area. “The market continues to experience a supply and demand situation and to-date it remains a sellers market,” said TREB President Maureen O’Neill.

The GTA market was down 7.3 per cent from last April’s record 9,452 transactions. (ed: I like to classify 2007 as an anomaly.  To contrast the numbers with previous years - an increase of 4.8 per cent from April 2006 and a decrease of 0.8 percent from April 2005).  However, it is showing signs for a healthy 2008 compared to the diminished activity during the first quarter of 2008.

The sales pace however, did not take place evenly throughout the GTA. With 3,467 transactions in the City of Toronto, sales were down 10 per cent from a year ago. The 905 region was down five per cent from April 2007 sales, with 5,295 homes changing hands.

Prices continued to appreciate last month, to a GTA average of $398,687, up eight per cent from last April’s $367,968. The average price in the City of Toronto was $446,781, up six per cent from April 2007. The 905 region’s average price of $367,196 increased five per cent from a year ago.

“For more than a decade, real estate has served as the economy’s engine,” said Ms. O’Neill. “It’s encouraging to see that consumers are continuing to put their faith in real estate as an excellent longterm investment.”

Breaking down the total, 3,398 sales were reported in TREB’s 28 West districts and averaged $372,575; 1,531 sales were reported in the 14 Central districts and averaged $539,133; 1,768 sales were reported in the 23 North districts and averaged $429,262; and 2,065 sales were reported in TREB’s 21 East districts and averaged $311,350.

Download full report: Market Watch April 2008