More homes are for sale, and fewer people are buying in Metro Vancouver, according to recently released statistics.

As the housing market changes, it's leading analysts to ask whether real estate is the slam dunk investment it used to be.

"We see much less upward pressure on home prices -- they are still growing but in single digits rather than those higher double-digit numbers we've seen in the last few years," said Cameron Muir, the chief economist of the B.C. Real Estate Association.

"That's good news for home buyers because there's much more selection to choose from," he said.

Property sales in Metro Vancouver were down five per cent in April compared to the same month in 2006.

But the number of listings was up more than 25 per cent.

Quattro, a condominium development in north Whalley, is proof of the slowdown. The second phase sold out in 67 minutes last spring.

But at the end of day one, 11 units are still available in phase three. Many looked, but didn't buy.