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记者的观察
The realities of real estate, c I6 d& ?4 g( s
( p* O, b6 O2 d, A# ]! {Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
( C, ?( \- I: ~5 ZEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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1 b1 e; N4 f0 ] ~7 x; y; c/ g* AThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.6 R/ | i& h" A3 j& u0 b
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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.( {& r) k x4 k* N8 l: 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.& M: F) f$ \) z Y7 e
7 N0 A5 h' _" Q+ w* V! q"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."( N6 a: e6 w- T! E1 L
& C: b' X% E9 Y0 _Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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3 c* g/ _) T4 f lShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.7 ^& C' D" {/ X. Q" y- y* y
. ]2 h5 E, J, B$ F2 r6 cForty-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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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.' `; P1 r8 N2 a& h( @' t' Q
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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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# B- z; D. @- g+ Y2 t# ^- O2 h7 OSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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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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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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* ~( Q# |7 H; x9 `: y& LAn 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 $175,922.1 V& Y o/ g( h: T& V
, C5 O7 m0 c0 ~+ FThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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- B h" T! z1 K$ g9 B"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."* I6 \. R6 \; |3 A) i9 V; K7 h/ d
( S: z9 u' d* A& @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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