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记者的观察
The realities of real estate0 [" ^7 [) p* ]3 O( x6 h" K
% y7 K: c' Z9 H/ ?5 I9 e9 }Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 2 F; {! z/ g8 C7 f: G
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.. d, M5 V- l, q# y+ M; }' V" s
2 a0 O9 _ ^4 [8 yThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.! E G' x" Q3 n" o$ O9 }: I+ E
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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.2 Y" q. }8 a$ r1 l4 T+ f& i' S
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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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$ q v! D$ {# M# Z+ J"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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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.5 M, x8 p7 Q. s) D- }: n
; I; O8 A2 P) k V( ABut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.+ y/ E+ w6 h2 \7 s
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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H0 [' J- e& Z/ d3 H4 a4 ZOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.$ `' f, H1 w# B% I! e
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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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' X; q2 e. L+ h' A4 G- LShe 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., I9 s; z, @! e7 r/ h
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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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$ U; k9 l; g, f1 `So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.0 f: ~# B/ |, K- h" l
! ^& \5 r( O* x" U"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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5 z! @0 c7 x+ ^+ DTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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! l T' [/ u0 b2 MAn 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 $175,922.
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# ^3 w; }, r- \The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.7 J& {1 ]* k$ K* N G1 i
; D7 R( m1 p4 v"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."$ \2 r- J2 V; t' E2 g+ H
( @7 I& C' k; g8 I0 v7 u) tThat 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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