 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate
" X% |# } M% `* o9 t& z5 [0 p1 D& X2 {5 A
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
% l. d `/ C2 CEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
3 m: @) A/ e# K7 p3 G5 }) s) K; r+ H/ p, x8 |2 A
The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
6 V- n4 i1 S2 n. T; R k( Y0 K' }) }1 Q% x8 }% d6 U4 R
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.+ M; D/ C9 O+ V( v5 o
; F: I( y) H* q: W) k
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.
R0 B( R& E W& M4 b% { ? ?, u6 F$ M: _( K F0 T8 H) g
"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."" r$ |3 Y$ r/ T0 D" M6 d# ?
% W7 h$ f' b" L' `Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.( i4 I; b5 v6 j' w* q
/ S, \' K$ t5 _% n! SBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
1 V+ \9 y3 `# d' P) y/ i! Z5 m; E! X" J$ V- V& l; e
She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
) J/ _; e, e% M7 D. n. t8 y+ C6 U& r- N7 r
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.
$ s9 U! |. C) f" H ]
6 r2 S& j: E1 p/ u, F0 q0 U$ u, QLaas 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.
& u- s0 {. J4 |7 ?
, T- M" y! |) R2 nForty-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.
3 g D+ ^' o. f z% f8 i2 D
2 F3 h0 {. Q- F( ]' T0 u4 H1 s/ BShe 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.) ]. ^% v2 G4 v' i; o
f5 F# s0 J& VBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
y8 Q2 h. ]1 Z' P+ X5 n2 r) s4 H) v# A% `1 j! E0 p- t
So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
% C" X. U2 ^( U8 d+ ?% n
2 _: I! w) f/ q R' R$ K s9 @& {- j* z"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."
' V0 `( B3 V- k; E) o8 E3 n( H3 w0 ?4 c0 c: l
Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.9 l# f9 H4 W8 M: W" R& S
& P& D& q* S! s3 I( oAn 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 $175,922., i9 }3 S& |: J2 k% x1 I- _; `
, F' B8 I0 U$ G% E, r3 ?The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.) z& h/ ^( ?. ]% f" `0 L% i
: e. ^2 v9 C& `7 j4 [
"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."
/ u& ~/ z) T# {& o
) {5 I6 ?. Y* W; cThat 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. |
|