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记者的观察
The realities of real estate
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3 O; T4 M3 v/ d l, gPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
; W2 G- `* N: k2 H8 ~% Q$ r* LEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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* N5 a" H% l) d! ^& ^ y% hThe 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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) E/ ~# i: Z9 d! w! q$ B0 q+ FShe 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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% w: N& A+ R5 KBut 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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"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."8 Z( D- L% V: |/ f) E" z# d0 S
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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.0 Z6 r4 R; L# L1 z/ g
! o1 n& n* l( y" g% KShe'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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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.5 ~% T7 r( `7 T5 p* l
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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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- Y: ]0 N2 p( j/ n8 F, b: H9 S- vShe 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.% S7 d2 z1 E% g# a+ ^6 q% Q) ~
6 ~7 g3 w2 Q O( c% `Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.3 j' P' }; A, v, {5 L$ E" y' w
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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."; F" Q, y! s; M% ?- X
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.' M5 B0 B2 B d+ V5 F: s
# d) g! F o: ` Z! KAn 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 $175,922.
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+ o3 I3 ?, U; `$ LThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.& C9 L7 c+ R2 `: K( c4 O- g
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"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.", D1 P# G0 A- V" |' F
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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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