 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate
3 x3 V1 W+ o# }! ]3 c# L6 g+ b6 e# P3 U4 ]+ F5 L8 `7 m% m- T( y
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
8 f) a7 ?2 E9 A: u& L; m# VEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
C' ]# m d( e0 s, @: W# v/ r0 t1 C4 ^5 ~
The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
( p: r0 ^- N- |8 c% _5 k- y1 F
" i2 Q5 c. I! w* G: p8 C! O# wShe 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./ n' A! ?' L7 {* l
6 v# K! |$ d, @( w! r$ }& y
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.- k/ }2 N( l* K& ^5 m2 `
- P' i5 t4 F7 X3 Z9 o0 [$ G( y
"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."
+ h- v5 D. ^3 S" a0 c& n! V7 \$ t, p% ?+ ?) X+ V
Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
* L) g! y) b+ ]0 u
1 o M! H2 F9 t$ m* V* L1 N. H6 K% z2 }But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
! W' f! M1 g8 B7 l. c, v5 M% N* v) u0 X8 Q2 i( Z V6 h6 ~
She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
5 Q# d+ V2 h9 a4 C9 ^
- a9 e7 Q3 v$ h. ~3 X" G. fOne 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.
7 w7 j; r5 C$ L" t: X' B D# r3 C% V' X" z( m; e
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 H: D; e# h8 S9 u7 w
7 g. |6 Z# K, M$ s) k4 B/ 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.
' W5 o5 L+ F3 K# D u9 E0 S, e/ M) w
1 {0 t' w" n. S4 sShe 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.
- a9 ^" }5 S5 B* u$ I1 e5 M& E* {8 n! n, p
Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says. S& c; `8 \% w5 {% j# X
, b( {1 p6 U2 U, o. A) p& q. P. WSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.1 S* y B9 i [/ S, }. ^, V
G: r0 U" x1 G! N" w3 k" }
"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."
+ K' n. t1 G% u( Y5 q' e- u3 x/ j% r$ |3 t+ B0 d
Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
. H4 S3 |4 ^. ~1 R- B; q+ j3 k$ B2 X5 X0 ~+ X7 | O7 ~) g
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. j p Y2 m K5 P9 c
$ `) S8 }# |7 U! F3 s
The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
# \" m; _# A! `" l' w' [8 [' D' ?' M+ D$ e. K( `
"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."- [' J* S1 i' b, c4 T' X" T! l
/ J* i$ X y& y8 f) Y3 \4 S# P7 u
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. |
|