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记者的观察
The realities of real estate
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% O% ]1 ^, E( z) ]8 [! c' F) pPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
, K+ g. o B8 m( G) GEDMONTON - 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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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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, m: Q4 p6 i. x! b# IBut 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.% ?, m9 R. h5 U$ d2 z+ A# S0 Y
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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 $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."
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& l. F2 r# r6 ^ C4 Y1 k$ lLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.; ?$ G! H8 \6 N# A* H
4 a, h$ O% Q8 P& q* mBut 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."( Y( M. D# [, T" A- |
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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.
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1 k/ A: B& I! ?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.1 Z' q) t9 \. G
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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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- N+ K1 J ?# g/ ~! XBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.2 s1 g$ _3 K$ s2 E9 ]; F
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.! @+ ?' B( b# {! V
& t2 R' }; F1 \- [& U. v |"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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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher., Y5 A5 n6 I7 E0 J/ Q; |4 J
8 ]+ v4 `5 _/ O* ]0 U" CAn 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.* ]2 W9 |: Z- Z
n2 K9 ?. Z0 E: NThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.1 D5 m8 _# N' R+ `% Y
+ R8 | Z8 u4 c4 x/ q' d"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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8 K# U- b% W8 u6 `& r! UThat 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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