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记者的观察
The realities of real estate
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
6 I u1 M/ c) P! R1 {0 K+ B6 OEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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M; E0 M% `6 U: T0 w Y& ^" T& EThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.' q7 f1 E0 |* M% L
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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.0 a$ |* l; @- N" P
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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.
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|) R& M) Y# y) ~: j( A8 o- U"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating.", o, ~' N) g, {/ |4 `$ f' ?' k
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do." Y2 r9 r6 d) Q, {
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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2 s, Z# M, U7 ~; p X. F c# F3 XOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.6 Z: D! w8 M, k/ e( n
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.
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1 P6 M+ F) Y0 n& m1 @3 Z' R9 @* |, uForty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter." S$ O5 l/ C# t" M& x
6 b; {9 a8 I. Q( qShe 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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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.9 U# O5 Q4 R* n" \7 [5 H- ]" ^ i
7 @8 R. h4 j$ e) `+ cSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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6 N2 w7 O" D m- `+ R0 O8 g @"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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1 A. r; ]9 A$ M$ p1 E2 B {' Z& ]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.% r0 u4 ~; U9 c
6 I) r9 \- N, J% k+ I1 BThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.% @ y( c, V0 u; S7 ]" v
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"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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