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记者的观察
The realities of real estate
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' e- v. J: ?; _" ?" k' v( w% {2 rPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006 - j/ F. c! m! x0 ?0 H* [8 [* Q9 g
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.2 C+ k& u: _. {* g
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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.
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6 I% s4 o( d$ J. S6 F* `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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) q7 _( s5 V; q3 r! aBut 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.; S5 l, ]8 F( X/ V" g! v
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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."8 m! C& p8 M% o6 f. B8 E
8 l2 R9 ?+ p6 V' V# iLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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6 [+ y) C {; `4 F1 eShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.' A a6 z' g$ B. X5 f {8 j
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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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. X3 T. Y( l# z, D& UForty-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.# Q; {( R" w1 q- a" S) s
( u- H+ f) I5 Y& E Q) S: mShe 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 }4 ?8 b# U
/ Y( ]% y- a# w0 y5 hBack 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.0 Y# a7 J, s! F% x: O6 J
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.9 ?* k9 @1 V P! j
. g, v! F# U3 ]: `/ M8 c# x"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.8 H3 `& H- F6 M% e
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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 $175,922. L6 h' C6 r9 O; l ~% p
, B, j1 I6 R2 }: X4 v+ R9 KThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.0 M6 o9 _- Z" `: J' w; z5 g
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"It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable."$ Z0 ^" \5 R) _6 W
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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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