If 2003 is your year to sell your home, your luck is still holding. Historically-low interest rates and relatively low unemployment will probably make this the third consecutive year of strong demand for resale and new homes.

But some forecasters are predicting an easing of the tight market conditions that led to many vendors receiving multiple offers and some homes selling within hours of hitting the market. That will still happen, just not as often.

2002’s buying frenzy was driven by an influx of first-time buyers and the move-up market, motivated by the favourable economic conditions.

But how many of these buyers can be left out there? Common sense says fewer than before. So it will be more important in 2003 for vendors to set a realistic asking price, or run the risk of languishing on the market.

Nationally, home prices are predicted to rise by 4.5 per cent: Edmonton is expected to exceed the average while Winnipeg should be below average.

And Winnipeg will continue to be the most
affordable big city for housing, with the average bungalow going for $101,750. That’s $4,000 less than in Regina and (are you ready for this?) $204,000 less than in Vancouver.

Another trend that will continue in 2003 is the movement away from the real estate boards’ expensive agents' listing service system.

In Edmonton, ComFree Private Sales, which opened its doors in late summer 2002, has just begun to make inroads. So, predicting strong private sale growth there is an easy call.

In Winnipeg, ComFree listings have grown
substantially every year since its founding in 1996. And every year since ’96, agents' listings have fallen. In 2002, ComFree’s business increased by 40% while the agents saw a 20% decline in their listings.

Easy to understand. Why pay $6,000 or more in commission to achieve the same sold success rate you get with ComFree’s $595 fee?

So the only thing that can be predicted for 2003 with absolute certainty is that more people than ever will preserve the equity they’ve built up in their homes and market with ComFree Private Sales.

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