 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate
, u F @: }( o( Z4 n$ j% c1 p3 u& _" M1 ]& q- d3 ]
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
* C7 e6 h6 a/ u& R% ZEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.& x q+ X( X5 |: J' g3 ~
4 ~2 i% j8 y. O! Z4 c! |- y& sThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta. ?0 M; \* s5 d2 t7 q
& X6 ~! e1 S) ?- rShe 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.
Q5 U: F7 S# \* A$ a$ S
# _& l$ H6 k% s: _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.
# w: t0 Q7 U- R, p# v3 m1 y2 r1 ^1 i* y O
"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."
1 _ h, U6 ^: @/ @0 U5 x: a5 S, \: r3 ?& @5 r4 z
Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.& t; I& O; o$ O0 q: |2 _. }
! [' M2 F! k0 F5 ~: G) s4 mBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
! Z$ W* F" D4 R3 `: e* X" b$ c3 q! H, e: B' c, ^
She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."/ e ~: x+ [+ C% f) C! c3 _
: B- ~. p' ?8 H: a, M* qOne 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.' U; T4 i U, N7 q
6 Z+ S1 s8 _# p8 P8 lLaas 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.: Z5 H2 ?; X" {, l
) b% X# N- @! ]7 w u8 z" |+ l" \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.
! b1 x( x& q2 [6 e) }- U4 \4 p0 ?& \* G
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.5 x6 }5 ?' r5 |$ H) K" f
! W: a. ~3 L0 SBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.- g( t/ I2 h( }( n
8 Q1 t7 h# h3 r# C: _+ J2 bSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.( Z# z+ H/ [6 v7 N
* i$ z8 T t; q: `6 n8 @; W
"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."
7 M4 Z9 E: ]0 s8 \( @) d$ g2 q5 e" B0 E- b0 _
Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.& ^6 W2 d( ?, U
: }- D8 A1 O8 {% v' o
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 $175,922.
2 z) M4 W$ F4 N4 }/ L2 ?7 c
+ d; @* n, Y8 p9 ]" PThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
' F# l% V+ z, A' G/ b Y; c! g7 C0 F* x# l( p
"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.": x5 [& h2 N5 h6 x) {( n7 h; [2 A# K$ I$ J
; ?# X# u8 i( m4 O7 A. h3 _
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. |
|