 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate. R4 K$ [8 [1 n2 D# U7 ~+ @
& ~0 G8 u9 e) `* I$ @# i+ E
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
, }/ Q# J. t/ ]2 u: |# \EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.' h9 q# `% [! E2 n! l
+ `* S7 t% w5 U k; G: G2 BThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
6 ]" J u/ x) A8 z2 ~4 ]
% }" L9 O# Q) O5 DShe 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.
( P4 p2 o3 u( e- I" n. k) s
1 H! {1 r" l; @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.5 g6 J' ]# I- e/ b+ B
4 K) @: y7 Z2 e4 F* I
"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."
# A: v$ D4 j9 M6 J8 e; U6 @6 O) `, c: _( x! `8 Z2 B
Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.7 Q" L; u2 L% z) I
/ ~' B3 X" Z8 V' ZBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.- i; D2 W+ x# Q# H" r
0 ~" c! _2 e5 X7 |9 @ A; wShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."0 e/ v$ j* I- p6 i& n5 _! ]6 `* c
/ _' B+ E ~0 V% U/ _2 j& g4 E* x
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.
$ q# B4 f& W0 K' z6 K3 `/ b# ?4 O
! n& u9 I4 b9 E- X3 h# X- G5 u1 CLaas 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.
0 m0 h5 T2 k( c1 r( Q" ~8 V+ J9 x# q
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.
, W u( j0 Q" P7 E% `
' u3 G. v4 v5 x6 |8 K+ qShe 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.
2 _$ x4 j s4 k! F7 Y: n' P
6 w3 G3 I5 P. }6 u9 w$ ZBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
2 \ C8 T' B& [
- {/ [9 T. T, [+ _, k+ kSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.. v, z. J2 b! g
* Y" {. V3 Q! v8 J"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."
# V& b1 { w$ q% A3 K7 a) Z
8 w4 B$ x' b) y5 n# D7 QTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.9 j+ M) b6 {1 u" i+ z5 C
" n. m+ u8 B# Z0 d5 v, o# |
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 $175,922.
# d, V- k: t' @8 o! h/ ^: l: p1 s' r6 \; _2 {9 [- ]0 r r
The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
/ Q1 O R( y- d3 x
4 R( l- M% h) C9 j5 y7 H"It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable."
5 ]. C5 p5 L( L0 A
6 g, B; x6 C$ d* `1 M+ `7 c8 oThat 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. |
|