Home sales on the upswing in Humboldt

Most of the province is seeing a busy housing market, according to Torwalt. For example, Melfort saw eight houses sell last month, two more than in 2019.

Not surprisingly, the housing market in Humboldt, as it did across the province, virtually shut down in March and the first part of April. Torwalt said once the provincial government began to talk about re-opening plans, realtor phones across Saskatchewan began to ring again.

The pandemic also seemed to change people’s perspective on where they want to live, according to Torwalt.

“People are indicating they want to get into the sparsely populated areas, they want to get out of the [densely] populated areas,” Torwalt said. Residents of Saskatoon and Regina are more interested in downsizing communities into places like Humboldt or Melfort with similar amenities. Meanwhile, Torwalt said his colleagues in Saskatoon told him people from larger cities like Toronto or Calgary are making inquiries about communities like Saskatoon or Regina.

“I think everybody is re-evaluating their lives right now, and just what’s more important and where they can raise a family,” Torwalt said.

He added younger families now realize they can work outside of Toronto, Calgary or Saskatoon, and can be in Humboldt, Melfort, or other smaller communities that still have the amenities they desire.

Humboldt’s housing prices are holding steady, Torwalt said, and buyers need to be on their toes.

“It’s almost turning into maybe a little bit of a seller’s market right now,” Torwalt said. He said in many cases, people that are taking several days to mull over whether to go forward on an offer are finding that the house has already sold or has multiple offers.

“If you like the house, put an offer in, don’t wait,” Torwalt said. He added houses around the $200,000 mark are the most sought-after by buyers.

Torwalt said the city has seen very few new houses built in the last few years, and the available housing inventory is dwindling.

“Some people took their houses off the market for the winter because they thought it was dead, or because of the virus no one’s going to buy…people are looking, and we need inventory right now,” Torwalt said.

Local realtors are also taking precautions against COVID-19, with masks, gloves, and increased sanitizing, and he said everyone should feel safe and comfortable when they are viewing houses.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974

by Cam Lee

Home sales on the upswing in Humboldt

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