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记者的观察
The realities of real estate5 E3 u. h7 t( O7 z v# r% a8 I
; c! Q# _, K+ `3 kPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
/ j8 y! \) X2 c+ U; aEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.9 @( M* F2 q' N/ q& A, X3 z. R
% q* \/ E" s! R Y1 _The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.) m4 V' e5 s& u% H. C3 w. q
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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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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."0 [9 N/ d' I2 Q! m4 u0 z% ?1 S
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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& F! ^3 O& m" N$ ]* }. f) RBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.- j' T0 N$ c4 x. ^
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."/ V* ]( l. _3 w. Y
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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.' \2 c+ i9 r" j, J) ] `
2 ^2 v( I8 i! rLaas 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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, E# ~) T- x6 ~; v" _) IForty-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.1 r0 m& W' A: h& `7 M, |# J
/ |1 _2 @7 s" k) p4 |) S% H6 c; f) `7 tShe 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.
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- v7 f9 M; n4 lBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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4 [" }/ j% f" s( Z$ cSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her." @# H, m4 o3 b# x5 ^- g! j
- C$ _3 E( k1 b"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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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher. F1 f' z7 _9 {$ w/ v
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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 $175,922.
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& }( i$ r* R/ ^& D0 i% {& E7 QThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.% J0 d( t. N4 P5 o3 H" ~
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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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# N9 p) o4 F z, 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. |
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