 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate
* g* h1 J% n; j0 x, u
# j% _7 [' Z$ C! X3 xPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006 " t3 S. i5 D5 D* D# N8 m+ G5 t
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
8 ^& J* ~6 G5 J t. A4 G
; O" E2 \( O5 s% g( p2 vThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.7 P' N$ @" ^1 p3 V, d- Y
5 G, k" O! y6 `+ K
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.2 z5 w5 b/ m0 T! `
, I$ Y9 _0 H" y: i
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.
0 G6 X" ~5 B7 m( |! M' M6 [
8 ?4 Q- ]! d. Z$ E8 z2 }"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."
, W: I) y! e" y4 U7 P9 |
# C4 y2 q4 r8 P" Q; OLaas 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.
- h0 U; m5 k x* s! i/ L6 }: V' p, j) p4 U% R
But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.' G0 Y* P1 }: d! m! P6 z9 Y
( ?, t# `! F. h# T' f8 ?5 H
She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."; x! M0 i% ~% C, J/ W
0 `, {2 g! ~, n' x
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.
2 W' t5 I! Q9 s6 r
( p7 S0 V3 S- Z E+ z6 H, \0 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./ g* j @( s f% C9 U* b
( x/ g( D2 s( h+ u( y. T
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.6 y v1 E4 ^0 k4 @
$ A6 m' C' \6 q' A' EShe 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.9 J2 H- M3 n& a
% ?# H- Z8 Z; c/ M2 Y3 A7 a0 h3 WBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
2 G) [4 ~+ h! D/ H
, s& q* M" W: d+ j1 t8 m! \9 sSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her., l! w$ M5 h0 y f" e
4 u6 `1 K' j2 _: Q( l# r9 }9 m
"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."
3 I$ a! x% R7 F" G7 J; l1 T5 ?; _0 ]& h" O# x k
Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher." t: x, v0 o& J; D8 m
8 F5 d. C. A% q/ ~& t0 r% Z3 }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.( g* D: l! y! B1 z, V1 Z" S8 K8 U
# `: R' S5 ]2 H- @
The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.4 x! O- ^; }' G0 p0 F( Y
F/ h) E% S9 ]: u: W+ y0 \8 @
"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."7 w. Y: U' L( V" [( W% S
+ j# f* l" v, M2 y s; J
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. |
|