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记者的观察
The realities of real estate+ M' B' @5 [3 m' J% v% g) n
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 . ?; `5 _# I8 B1 G
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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' {7 s" l$ X8 A1 ]5 Y, b0 }5 L! OThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.9 e0 ]# n* r3 S! L$ a
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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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: t% n( Y, ]0 v5 b$ Z% w, }But 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.
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" n9 B. N) H; z8 |0 V"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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) N+ x& V1 e+ D8 C- v' W3 ]3 A9 MLaas 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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3 H4 b3 j9 @; U5 f! S8 KBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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4 B( A0 v: e* d3 T. j: ?& bOne 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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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.
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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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She 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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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."
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- `) }9 p w8 d8 a4 f$ d9 sTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.0 H" u" t' d. @7 b
5 Q. p* d; J8 s* K7 a. {3 q1 AAn 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.
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% ~7 n+ m) |- x: ]% W: J1 I% w- C"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.") d* r( D4 o! h* Z0 ^8 c
e3 j+ V1 R3 h Z# l* cThat 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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