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记者的观察
The realities of real estate# q- z& L" [( U# ~0 v
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 # T* h+ L( z8 i- W
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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! U$ ?0 I/ L' y# Q- y! D# b# yThe 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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t4 ^: I& t- |; XShe 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.& T0 h6 U! B8 s2 q% g, t
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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."
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" ~4 O7 ]! P, I3 nLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.+ J& U" D% }; ?
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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6 ?/ l* w4 X: y7 @8 M, PShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."( U" r' g( o- _. x! W/ P4 h- D0 c
' B: F" |8 u: eOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed. x( @& M- ^4 d
( q) x. W+ E: d- |Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.
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- C; s' j3 J$ L/ V9 sForty-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.# H0 K' r: v w. J
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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. }+ ^6 f$ p5 E# Q1 O8 q/ `
% z# k* P" ]7 z7 R3 HBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.# l. [- J" x- Q- W! J g' i6 E
F$ `- Z6 T) [ USo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.) L. m i) _4 p7 X7 x
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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."- S% d+ ]9 L' s8 W$ P- ^1 b
( u g3 ~' e# W# o1 w! h* |- LTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.; e& g9 i& }& ]9 Z+ S3 b
, I1 k C* u6 {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.# a. \+ u9 x, }4 d, ~! }( N
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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.% K9 E& a7 w% b9 m: O/ u3 }
4 Y- g r5 l- u6 H- X: a, Q% 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."" X% P+ m) f. e# w+ o& t3 Z
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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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