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记者的观察
The realities of real estate( l, i a4 t9 R# Y) y
$ C/ p5 n2 a7 [1 l3 W2 [8 xPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006 6 [1 n p. ~- e
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.$ F9 a8 s; E+ U+ W. D5 N
9 F" N( ?# r7 o; C8 iShe 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.2 d& w! S- W- H& ]9 z1 O
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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./ i$ Q, G9 G) u& R1 ~. b
& ~8 S1 S, |: l6 u" ?! C1 K"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.") l |6 C3 i: S" \/ ?
' {, H! E, b2 y8 Y( D5 [Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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, k+ x3 G. R: o( N1 [+ gBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.) A f8 Q, d: @" i) {
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
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; o: j* N, Z! I: d. O; {- tLaas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.% a t: ]/ E& A8 F1 B& R1 ^
% S$ w" d Y6 _& AForty-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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: m }4 p3 L4 yShe 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.7 `/ Y' R3 U/ d2 `0 }% w% }
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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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2 m% [: v5 x, a& b$ hSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.5 Y0 r( c7 l/ j
% v6 B4 Z0 ]. [+ ?6 _% ]& l"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.", j- S* P! b; a
3 W7 V |% ~& pTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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( n8 v1 m0 E% S; g$ K8 P1 q yAn 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 $175,922.' @ b) ^. Z0 T U$ F. v
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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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" F3 ~2 G0 V$ z: e"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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