| 
  鲜花(2 )   鸡蛋(0 ) | 
记者的观察
| The realities of real estate & ~4 `% V! X4 z' j, \& ?2 Z- h- G# V5 Q/ H5 F7 l7 @
 Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
 2 K0 q+ d+ p8 V% [EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
 6 b1 x, R, q5 d& S1 ~# z) |* {6 Y, `$ ^% |( e: D
 The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
 9 Z% j! ]  |9 @, J$ x$ L" h& X; Z) R$ P- J+ a7 P6 X
 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.
 2 U( u) ~/ ?5 @) ^+ O$ S: T0 X, Z8 \
 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., y* X. e# \2 |- G. \, J* x
 ( U! ^' ]' x* M& H* W4 D
 "It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."
 1 D" P# y! s% |: m( t* E- l8 S( J  K9 y$ F0 v2 E! ^
 Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
 * a- u0 h2 H$ l  t% D# L1 r' n, m6 g
 8 Z" \6 }0 \' J! e* e5 TBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.9 l' F! a  D" p( o* N, @2 E
 " k* O6 r" c! V+ a2 X2 F. Z/ @
 She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
 ( e: D( p' _/ P. K# j0 |0 m
 : U9 e* H2 \2 M1 F( X3 |  ]9 \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.
 " |# o1 {6 J9 J: j# I9 W- O* S! z7 N3 |2 ^- A/ T: r
 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.
 ! y9 x- b3 D' J2 o7 e  Y7 Q
 % J, [. c$ z$ G- M  ~% `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.
 * @1 H2 Z; M* l: q
 j) N) S% `+ OShe 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.4 P5 A% s/ @" `+ t' ~8 I0 P! {9 i, F
 
 ) G2 y9 t) A* c5 C- [: w0 CBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
 ( R4 P% I) _) r5 q' D2 @3 T; N$ u6 J6 c6 o6 h3 E. W( K( x, l
 So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.3 E  m' U( n. n+ I& Y( `
 5 I- H! d* i/ T: p% J: B. T4 f
 "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."
 P0 n$ ^7 _- S# e
 3 a4 @# j0 N$ p6 X# vTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
 ; t; e8 w1 d& e- G0 n1 F& P% j7 a  w0 ]+ G
 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.- a! r; N  Y% a+ `6 S  |
 4 t6 S' R* M) v# U% e
 The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
 + Q. O. A5 |" {, c8 F2 C, o
 $ R$ Y% r3 P" u% _! 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."' k+ H8 g$ f+ k! o! b
 
 1 {; S: k% N# U7 @5 t9 _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.
 | 
 |