(CanStockPhoto.com photo)(CanStockPhoto.com photo)
Windsor

Housing Ends 2015 On High Note

Both the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation and the Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors say 2015 closed on a high note.

December housing sales in Windsor-Essex climbed another 25.1%, ending a year of month-over-month increases. The association's monthly report says 299 homes changed ownership last month compared to 239 in the same month last year.

Year-to-date, sales increased 18.35%. Sales were slowest in July when the increase was just 4.15%, and the biggest jump, 32.47%, was posted in February.

The average price of a home was $202,838 in December, up 10.6% in December 2014. The year-to-date increase is 4.85%.

Housing construction also finished strong as ground broke on 108 single-detached and multi-unit homes. That's a 100% increase over December 2014 when construction started on just 54 units.

Year-over-year, housing starts in the region increased 25%. There were 1010 housing starts in 2015, compared to 806 in 2014.

Provincially, the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation says housing starts decreased 9% in December from the same month last year, and 15% nationally.

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File photo courtesy of  © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dehooks

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