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记者的观察
The realities of real estate, h2 s# o* }0 O# k3 _% j2 m1 E
3 a' Q- a2 k6 Y; Y9 ePublished: Friday, October 06, 2006 . @$ B. u4 Q& k9 F# n
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.( b9 U8 h8 j4 H3 ]3 i( }
3 U6 [; }1 A2 e; a% v- i, |The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
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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., `/ P( `6 |) Q
5 R5 q. s; B" A9 Y* qBut 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."
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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- G$ w: b: J& UBut 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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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.$ f2 ^4 h' c; k* n* x4 P
" E p" s. K! d# ULaas 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.; L* \1 O% }" g. m D
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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.0 V! _/ J* r' {/ b
]( [ P9 J. [She 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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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.
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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"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."# W: b+ ?2 N6 o8 T1 y( @3 @4 c" `
5 U9 t A" M/ H1 c1 W K8 D! GTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher. [, Z2 H( Y# r# ?
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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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4 K6 l) H9 |" y) ~6 f" O; ZThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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7 e3 E' q' q {: a, P"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."6 \- n7 P# v% H0 o4 O9 k
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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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