We have had a record cold winter here. Indeed the coldest Muskoka has been since 1934. It may be hard to imagine buying a cottage in Muskoka in the dead of February, but it is not at all uncommon. This remarkable performance may indicate a strong season for Muskoka cottage sales.
Residential non-waterfront sales activity recorded through the MLS® system of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® numbered 92 units in February 2015. This was an increase of 17.9 per cent from February 2014 and marked an above average month of February.
Sales of waterfront properties, meanwhile, jumped 46.7 per cent from a year ago to 44 units in February 2015. This was a record for the month.
“While cottage sales don’t really get going until April or May, February’s record tally suggests this may be a very busy spring,” said Mike Stahls, President of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS®. “Non-waterfront activity was also still doing quite well in February, just not quite as strong as it was in January. The bottom line is that the local housing market has had a record start to the year.”
The median price for residential non-waterfront property sales was $223,500 in February 2015, edging up 0.7 per cent from February 2014.
The median price for waterfront sales was $360,000 in February 2015, an increase of 19.8 per cent from February 2014.
The dollar value of all residential non-waterfront sales in February 2015 totalled $21.1 million, rising 15.0 per cent on a year-over-year basis.
The total value of waterfront sales was $24.3 million, rising 71.7 per cent from levels in February 2014. This was a record for the month of February.