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记者的观察
The realities of real estate5 W {$ D+ _8 `9 e { @) H
4 I" p% S* Y$ L+ U; H7 IPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006 $ U6 n6 v7 }# @, \- {2 s! w) M* X; m: E1 Y
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.1 I2 X1 i. v, f3 a$ b/ {; \/ ]8 ^
! F" o* U2 T/ \8 Z* I Y9 B4 a8 K7 bThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta., p b8 k- H# s. b K
- `$ i2 R$ C1 G+ oShe moved here in December with dreams of being a homeowner, something she could never afford in Vancouver despite four years of saving her money for a down payment.
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% N- h8 N7 N' S+ z q8 i m5 SBut she didn't expect Edmonton's world of hot housing where the law of successful buying seems to consist of three elements: speed, cash and no conditions.; u; ], d1 V0 M% }5 \* c; u; p' v/ U
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"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."
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/ N2 [8 l6 T$ y; Z$ X \# V0 wLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.5 w# _ R1 R- t8 m e
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.8 {8 b# _4 v, o
9 o0 ?3 Y5 a* f8 v& w$ L! BShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."* B+ I. i9 O2 k8 M- W
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
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8 c9 l9 u, Q/ g# }* |Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.2 ?% B% k4 w, G7 @' G* R
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Forty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.
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$ v; V( ]0 N6 PShe left a 23-marriage and a 1,700-square-foot home last year. She works as an administrator and now rents a three-bedroom townhouse.5 a N6 }# ] Z5 i! U2 o/ I l. X
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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.. W6 r: u7 V: [, P* t/ h
. C& a' j5 h2 `: ^3 U M9 mSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."
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. C9 @8 P8 T) |, Q' ^/ TTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.% W. } B9 q" z& [8 B
! {0 L; x: I. w; ?2 x5 L9 NAn average single dwelling unit in Edmonton sold for $316, 480 in August this year. An average townhouse, which includes the price of duplexes, sold for $262,327 in the same month. Last year in August an average townhouse sold for $175,922.
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The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.- R* P/ U' _; n# T9 O+ [
M" ]& `- l6 `"It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable.". C) ^! |3 v7 s$ X. G
: G. z3 V W% c9 ^% }( Y* q2 ]That may mean sellers are not as open to "conditions" on offers as they used to be -- such as a house inspection before the deal is finalized. |
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