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记者的观察
| The realities of real estate 5 K8 q, E8 z+ `0 q7 F2 N7 Y
 4 a! y& e0 M$ Z; fPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
 % J- O1 B; D) i% `: Q. H- TEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.# Q  W$ T& o7 y& v5 L- M/ Z' [: {
 
 ! m5 r+ K5 j' {  C' p% ?1 h( AThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.5 H4 J! H! t" o2 M( {5 y7 g1 k; R" U
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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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 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.1 D, e7 q. _6 [
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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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 Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.9 b/ a* ?1 J+ {% ]
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 But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.4 }4 Y# c( m- S2 l5 S$ \1 x; H0 M
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 She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned.". R3 l8 u8 N9 `1 j: L8 B/ |! I
 
 # L. v/ E. S/ z( b% ?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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 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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 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.% w( f1 c+ N7 d: t; s
 
 . @" J( ]! [' Y% {+ EBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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 . @; p, x" _& h' F2 h! x" \So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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 , _1 R) D; m7 i) V  s, x3 _"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."7 }3 ?! C: v6 W0 Y6 R5 z
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 Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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 + R$ U2 j% o& g( jAn 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.
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 1 V& V) F# x0 y  O; a+ M7 n"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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