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记者的观察
The realities of real estate- H( V) r8 Z- u0 @9 W- i! ~; b- @0 ]' ]2 g
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
% {4 K- K; N0 O2 L% B* ZEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton. M# x1 E& c) h
+ K0 P/ T" x; S8 Z, dThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.1 u) J! v0 ^4 @
. U" X; s0 \% \; L& p% jShe 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.
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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."3 m3 ^/ k7 o \
4 q8 P: e' ^: L- J+ A" cLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do." V6 g9 H% ~* w
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.* J. K, n+ Y" S0 V+ Z/ X' K) }
( `) K5 H" S# d' E; RShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."4 O# O& j: x9 K9 G* [% ~
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.. ] ?6 X7 N& Z) {8 X
" f1 N! h6 V+ b9 D- v# ~! ?Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.
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5 B& X$ m% i9 C9 zForty-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.
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4 p0 d* X8 c9 DBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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2 [: ?2 t4 W; T& q/ @So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."* r$ p& N" v3 n. O7 i1 g, P( {
2 N8 [. F" L2 C2 o, O8 x3 xTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher. f: j X' ^1 [! N
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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 $175,922.
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The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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) O# b( Z! ~8 `- V2 a"It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable."0 t" @+ L$ P, R a0 K
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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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