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记者的观察
The realities of real estate5 E% N& x3 ~' ^" m
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 * v) j+ C& S* b4 R/ P
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.8 G* \* s9 S. Y
* ]" S( I7 C7 Z9 }* _; EThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
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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.* T; o. Z' l8 G0 a) k/ N6 y' Y; V. N
' Y5 o4 a7 z- o+ `- q; V" ?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.- h' R2 I& D F6 [
% F; S% A# s: p# [4 u( \- Z9 \"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."8 X* M7 E$ i- ]4 m; [& a7 _2 I
g" S Z8 @, GLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.& D/ `9 f4 t# v1 y1 \* j
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.- m4 F5 R; N, x- N
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."+ u: f- S( e% U& o9 R
0 P2 f2 {: Y% n: V2 v% Q" cOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.+ G5 E5 k3 `, f$ h/ f: ^3 s* I& N Q
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Laas 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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# u* S& m6 |/ x! E8 R3 KForty-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.
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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.
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4 I; n0 `) P. X2 A% V& `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.
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.4 t% K+ U4 S% W4 ~% O
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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."+ [* `2 D9 D9 e
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Time 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 $175,922.
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6 j m' C1 v' Y3 j/ b% O! _The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.6 H, _2 ], n7 N' |! J5 G! k+ T6 S5 w
8 c" y ~, H$ C ?1 M$ ^9 M y"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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