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记者的观察
The realities of real estate* _, z" ]" A5 ]3 r$ H- ?) F
2 P5 X% }2 [6 P% K- ZPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
3 Y, j' ?' ^0 V4 ?2 z1 H9 q' NEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.3 O' `& v" P f4 Y9 H# W
% x3 k" H. A8 B9 p1 bThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta. q3 ~8 {3 q# n: Y" I+ T8 h w9 n
- E' ] p2 J& A' U; d c: gShe 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.3 A3 z9 H, F- F& L$ H4 ]
4 P; G+ z. h( T+ i' oBut 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.& U- D5 p+ e6 |; O- g# {, R0 B1 t
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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 $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."" i' v/ f. j7 I" `$ b6 @
9 P( L l, K- q2 x) jLaas 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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/ s4 I1 r/ M9 ~But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.5 f, m* C! B9 u% O8 X0 ?8 c* \! F5 t
1 ~) E3 V4 I4 s) p+ J7 pShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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9 o+ t/ g# H! h1 q, a4 O# {" V" POne 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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- x. W) \0 ]' @9 `1 WLaas 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.- m7 h' c8 H% t& H6 r
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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.: H. U" `9 h- n9 y9 N
4 j2 O- m, J# c0 t) \' {3 nShe 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.
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, n' H' C( ~( C9 XBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."' n. ^3 F7 _2 c0 l$ K) B% Z" z
( R- }2 P/ i; c$ q8 wTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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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 $175,922.9 @( N# W8 {: ~ _) v
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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.: ?2 R9 T3 t2 V# u8 O1 a% s8 P, ? V
1 h% h/ y/ {( H# S ^+ i"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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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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