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记者的观察
The realities of real estate/ q8 Q0 x: E' _
$ `/ l0 {% v p7 sPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
* d; [- x$ u# b; o' n; }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.' W5 A$ F' }' m+ T v/ ^
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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.& y: f6 b S7 {! c
) c' p! r( u% G) c' i5 x; xBut 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.1 s9 d: \# J% Y; l, g$ h
1 q0 F$ ?$ m( s" _"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."7 u0 O8 A7 \+ o
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.5 C4 V9 x2 o- J+ {
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.8 ~; b. j- o7 r* Z, a0 x
. Z* k1 h4 K: K; U2 O0 \She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.+ q6 e, t1 n( |
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then./ v- b) @8 ~+ }$ v) }, C- U
4 B0 ?) R9 R6 }0 O1 mForty-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.9 w4 M7 f- b6 l6 C# g u% B. f( l
9 H9 W6 X, ?) f: L& A: zShe 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.3 _/ g9 ^" ]& @6 X1 b( x. @* d
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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."
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7 J) A7 O5 w0 A: L, e" l* y9 CTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.. G* P! p: V/ f) Z
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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., ^( v2 h! D. g. z5 E
' P- m4 P- f' ]# E- m"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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3 n7 a' U/ i7 X8 v- XThat 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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