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Home sales in B.C. dropped by a quarter in 2018.
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Home sales in B.C. dropped by a quarter in 2018, with analysts blaming tighter mortgage restrictions.

According to the B.C. Real Estate Association, about 78,000 home sales were recorded last year, compared to roughly 103,700 the year before.

The federal government enacted strict mortgage rules on Jan. 1, 2018, including a new stress test for home buyers as a way to cool off the hot real estate market.

But the dip in the number of sales had no dent in the average price of a B.C. home, which increased by 0.4 per cent last year to $712,508.

But while the province’s average housing price increased, Canada overall faced an average decrease of 4.9 per cent.

Nationwide, excluding Greater Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area – the most active and expensive markets – the average annual sale price was just under $375,000.

B.C.’s dip in sales mirrored the rest of the country, which saw the weakest annual sales since 2012.