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记者的观察
The realities of real estate$ R$ P5 U4 e( h& l: G% ?6 u( E; E
# u7 a* Y. D H' o: lPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
+ k3 X: z1 q& g( J% P7 ]# cEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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" s) y+ W8 N$ S/ k# AThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.4 b0 N, o7 R$ O q1 P: ?
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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. A/ {* ?/ w+ Z( F2 ~ L+ s9 g9 {
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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. m" F" k" H* k5 ~3 _ K
0 T, R3 I9 J( s8 H, J; ^0 A"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 S; ~) P: V3 R6 S/ L1 |
( d' @# ^( O% `7 g8 u' y, ELaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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( Z: W* i4 ?3 q1 vBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.$ w" f: P8 W. b: R$ X% p
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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.% A* H' e$ f" L& \& V- E* d
/ ^9 W; b S1 o2 J% e- D; b- GLaas 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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5 J# A' J6 @2 w/ ZForty-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.7 D2 E, x0 n5 `! A5 a
J# T/ K* ~; W% k1 `5 o3 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.* k4 k+ a9 c2 X
) b1 @5 H J0 A R, sBack 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.2 W, v( m _& }% M& ?. g" \) v
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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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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.! E" z( u! c! V1 e
/ t* ~. D6 ]- \% fAn 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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& g/ V# X# x+ BThe 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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) h) l7 p' @* o) i0 b2 Z7 G"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."# p0 J9 b9 n% z
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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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