 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate, n# O& ?# ~& {8 o3 S- h. q
8 o) q% r9 i# Z' ]" R3 n: V" H# HPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
0 c; e0 P7 J. u1 s0 J& ]% MEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
( T9 n9 R5 Y9 T# g/ s' W' E) u. c* O1 c- k$ Z/ O2 y# y
The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
9 F3 q% U! v7 w2 w
# m: r, Y" ]7 d4 y; h0 v( L# YShe 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.
! v) K% m; I0 y' H+ @! V- R6 Q" X1 c, J
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.
( w4 ^" b" [5 p1 [; y- {7 `* u0 |$ I3 h1 W, |- E' A; J7 \
"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.", U' a- s2 r5 f8 G: Q
2 X1 y! D9 @: k+ X9 T- E. `Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
& T8 y- R- K, J: Y+ _ w+ x- U# g8 [, W. r& D" N
But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house. c* I4 I/ O$ A# C
. z. G$ ~. v' S# j
She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."6 V) v E6 e3 r$ h
B5 a( M8 ^+ h, a! V- C( j1 {) v
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.. v- @4 M2 h0 ]7 P% R, \; ?
; A( W" K9 P% x% JLaas 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.# S& b$ P) ^# {# T5 A
0 }" s+ u- |8 ^2 l3 k) E cForty-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+ E2 X0 m2 Z/ {+ i
, _7 d7 x) E. Y- a$ B) D# ~
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.
0 b2 l* Y5 i6 `5 Q9 s3 G8 `( `! Z! F, @9 R
Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says. d, s' O" v4 U! ?- C& s8 `5 H s, P
* f& D6 Y9 e) c2 W* @/ n4 x, ESo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
/ J* ?5 ]3 e1 a6 ?" n- ^2 i5 u2 B$ F; `, Z: y+ 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."# X4 ?1 t3 a* m. Z, H) L: L
; @" s3 x/ B& c0 g8 v* }: U
Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
' k4 E! @# `! r/ s6 S1 e9 M4 J( V) x) j) M
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.
# S8 [+ a7 V) _' [7 m6 E+ ], d" ]5 @
* b* x7 w; v3 c4 ^2 SThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
" M P" v+ |4 n/ ?, p+ d; x ?% s# V. V
"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."2 {, c1 c) Z" F+ M2 [9 H
* r i7 z* B9 d- `1 B) h1 @
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. |
|