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记者的观察
The realities of real estate5 C7 [1 A: f7 l
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
( m+ f+ S- ?' [, vEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
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9 y1 ]5 \6 m" e' @4 a, [She 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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& [4 P9 _, @) V; `: j. F- YBut 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.5 k* [% O! P9 t8 _
8 p( T- i n& p% N+ {* y"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."* c/ d6 Q, Q0 I9 l& ^$ w; h7 e
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Laas 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.
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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- T, T4 ?8 q: ]' bShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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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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% I6 N1 l) _& l! K( L; K9 e2 \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.+ ~; P9 g L( w- B2 ~
6 W( c+ @9 T) I* h# ^& s& zForty-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.. x4 g# `" j# S+ Z0 {( T
- O. n+ b0 k4 L4 n( rShe 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.
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. z! i( r4 _( t# h5 s9 _6 fBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.: [9 |9 g3 }6 w1 K& A& l# z9 `
0 {+ S) j" x! \# A; k# `So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.9 |. n2 P' u) ~0 j/ w" ]
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"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."+ v- [$ F3 P2 p' U7 s$ v7 g
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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An 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.) j- D# ~6 g5 Z9 L
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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.
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8 ~; k. M6 {8 m5 ~"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."
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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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