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记者的观察
The realities of real estate9 p0 I5 M" C# ?( l, b
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
9 ]9 s. n( b% a1 Z3 n# e2 jEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton., l, a& |% q$ e
/ X& R. B3 [0 h, B. SThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta., g5 M# v0 U0 X1 W+ b# T! _
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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." z& D, a- g0 N9 R n' k
8 F# |- N9 n! e! ^" |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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6 I7 x% c( ~5 E5 A* m"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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; p& ~( d+ `6 d! {6 d* hLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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4 B! t( U$ C! C0 ?4 M" e `She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned.": _( e/ o3 [+ z% }, A) {# |9 D, ~
2 G, [: A6 C4 HOne 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.
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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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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.( b, V/ d. u0 O) }1 O% M
& X% k( _5 x; Z- n4 {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.4 p# |! K7 H: T; C. a
) L5 i! s; n' s( 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.
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' f- A) j, g# cSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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9 u# @/ Q. k( p1 p1 j, 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.
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O% f: G' E3 X7 s: HAn 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.
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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."; n8 _+ {! G* w+ |# T& y
% S* v! E4 s3 F9 m4 M8 PThat 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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