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记者的观察
The realities of real estate
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 # W2 y# [) z, J, V4 D
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.. Y! J' c2 R3 ~( O* {
, k) F2 P; v. a* RThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.' F. t Y7 ~! ~
0 ?/ D9 n% O6 sShe 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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6 t* G. G5 t# }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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"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 W% Q2 Q( e/ p/ A" L
: f5 s3 {+ L) X9 f% C4 lLaas 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 e) \2 f# O8 W
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She'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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3 w q# E- `/ L" z# }8 QLaas 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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6 U2 h# [3 k# t- P7 ~% l+ gForty-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.4 q1 ^5 L1 T |( N- `6 r1 m' y# ^
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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.3 \' P6 B J. O( u" _6 }4 T
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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.( F6 N: s2 i+ I- r9 Y% z5 e
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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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4 p/ |3 I n' p B) JTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.( c' {- a& B( u# X4 L! [# R0 i
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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.
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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.( E* n6 q. O0 D5 f! m5 F! B
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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."
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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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