Residential non-waterfront sales activity recorded through the MLS® system of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS® numbered 173 units in September 2015, down 9.4 per cent from September 2014. This was still above the five and 10-year average for the month.

On a year-to-date basis residential non-waterfront property sales were running 4.4 per cent above levels at the same time last year. This was also the best sales figure for this period since 2003.

Sales of waterfront properties rose 17.3 per cent from September a year ago to 203 units in September 2015. This was the first September to see sales rise above 200.

Year-to-date sales of waterfront properties were running 13.6 per cent ahead of the same period in 2014, marking the best first three quarters of any year on record.

“Non-waterfront sales stepped back on a year-over-year basis in September, although looking back past last year it was still the best showing for the month in more than a decade,” said Tom Wilkinson, President of Muskoka Haliburton Orillia – The Lakelands Association of REALTORS®. “Meanwhile, for the third time in the last four months, sales of waterfront properties again set a new monthly record.”

The median price for residential non-waterfront property sales was $227,750 in September 2015, up 4.5 per cent from September 2014.

The median price for waterfront sales was $375,000 in September 2015, edging down 1.3 per cent from September 2014.

The dollar value of all residential non-waterfront sales in September 2015 totalled $41.6 million, down 8.4 per cent from September 2014. However, this was still the second best level for the month on record.

The total value of waterfront sales was $103.6 million, up 17.4 per cent from September last year. This was the best September on record and the first time in history that volumes in this month had surpassed $100 million.