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记者的观察
The realities of real estate+ ~7 ?( m9 F2 a6 P
0 @3 l5 g# q' X- Y uPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
$ Z+ a* n, L" u1 U! `EDMONTON - 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.% `. J7 c' n0 Y+ P1 Q
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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.' r; d2 j. L/ u) m
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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 $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."& A; B# S! T4 u* d1 j$ p
4 h. K9 p2 \& H, F; ]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.
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."" O @* k- N7 Y: k3 \& S& a
# [! U* s" A& ~0 k. P: s7 h8 jOne 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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! G3 r( F, T# y( M9 L6 \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.+ b5 y' Q; \. u2 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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# Q/ V; n% \4 P4 j: [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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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.* {1 b. u' w( v2 T
p; O. h6 d k; `4 x+ W3 o, @"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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( ` D& o/ W1 ?Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.9 W5 ]3 f, e8 v5 ~4 E
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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 $175,922.
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$ q, c6 j4 i! x7 UThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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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."# c) z4 i5 `5 q% D) m+ V+ T/ ^
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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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