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记者的观察
The realities of real estate }8 F3 [/ W& @9 g1 P' U
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 * o( o! E% K, J. V# U
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." F$ q9 ^: j. S8 E4 h1 s
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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.
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& h" }4 X0 U( C8 ^. HBut 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.) d7 D& a( Y9 d% l3 Z
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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."# s% [& x* L0 ~7 h0 a u/ d8 a
9 C* w& H# L: j- \. L: z5 G- e9 dLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.+ S9 j; I: k6 |- x/ i' y1 A' ]4 D% ?9 N
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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p$ c0 C+ _8 a- r- L" nOne 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.9 l; v& @ |3 f
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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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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., t9 u3 k$ n7 _+ F/ p. s
- E* a, b& X# l: c8 RShe 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 V0 h! R& s
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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.5 z! U5 u- J. M& F# h
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.: M4 q% ~ A2 N
" C- b" C- @ c( T, b$ o"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."
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* `. s. P- N8 tTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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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.- u+ l: U, I5 Z/ q+ ~& v6 S9 s1 ^
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"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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