The B.C. Northern Real Estate Board (BCNREB) reported 856 sales with a value of $213,161,426 through the Multiple Listing Service庐 (MLS庐) in the first quarter of 2015. This compares with 1005 sales worth $248,635,086 to the end of March, 2014. As of March 31, 2015, there were 4023 properties of all types available for purchase through the MLS庐 compared to 3625 at this time last year.

President David Black comments, 鈥淎lthough the volume of sales was down slightly across BCNREB area, in the first quarter of 2015, the regions more closely associated with the oil and gas industry, the Northeast and North Coast experienced a more significant drop, year over year. This can be attributed to the uncertainty with the long term effects of lower oil prices.鈥�

鈥淐onsumers must remember that overall, the economy of the northern half of the province is still strong and there are billions of dollars in potential developments which could benefit from lower oil costs and better availability of tradespeople. This coupled with historically low interest rates, affordable housing prices and increased inventory makes this a good time to consider making real estate investments or buying a new home,鈥� he added.

In 亚洲天堂 Lake, 19 properties worth $1.5 million have changed hands since Jan. 1, 2015. For the same period in 2014, 15 properties worth $1.7 million changed hands. At the end of March 2015, there were 128 properties of all types available for sale through the MLS庐 in the 亚洲天堂 Lake area. For the same period in 2014, there were 124.

In Smithers, Realtors庐 reported 55 sales with a value of $14.1 million to March 31, 2015. This compares to 65 sales with a value of $12.8 million for the same period in 2014. In addition to the 22 single family homes that sold, three parcels of vacant land, 14 homes on acreage and two manufactured homes on land changed hands this year. At the end of the first quarter of 2015 there were 245 properties of all types available for purchase through the MLS庐 in the Smithers area. In 2014, there were 213.

In Vanderhoof, Realtors庐 reported 10 sales worth $1.9 million in the first quarter of 2015. This compares to 18 sales worth $3 million in the first quarter of 2014. At the end of March 2015, there were 125 properties available for purchase through the MLS庐 in the Vanderhoof area. At the end of March 2014, there were 105.

In Fort St. James, there were 13 sales worth $3.9 million in the first quarter of 2015. This compares to five sales worth $679,500 in the first quarter of 2014. As of March 31, 2015, there were 70 properties available on the MLS庐 in the area. As of March 31, 2014, there were 62.

In Prince George, 244 properties of all types worth $61.5 million have changed hands in the first three months of 2015. In 2014, 250 properties of all types worth $62 million changed hands in the first three months. At the end of March 2015 there were 644 properties of all types available on the MLS庐 within the city limits. At the end of March 2014, there were 622.