The resale of homes in B.C. increased 14.4% in February compared with sales in January, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).
Nova Scotia was second with a 12.7% increase, and Alberta was third at 11.9%. Nationally, sales rose 8.6% with a total of 28.669 homes sold.
February's numbers represent the first monthly increase in activity since September 2008, the month the global financial crisis hit with the bankruptcy of Lehman Bros. in the U.S.
The increase in the resale of homes is one bright spot in a sector facing declines in overall sales. The dollar volume of residential sales in Metro Vancouver was down 52.4% in February to $810.7 million compared with sales volume a year ago.
The number of sales has fallen 45.3% to 1,494 with average prices dropping 13% year-to-date to $542,641.
Not all provinces, however, are experiencing real estate price declines. Prices in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland have increased more than 15% in the past year. Housing prices have risen more than 10% in Saskatchewan and about 5% in Manitoba.