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Ron Chalmers, The Edmonton Journal
, b, O3 g- p o( l: xPublished: Tuesday, April 03, 2007' e" B# F) Y `4 P
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EDMONTON - Most Albertans think this is a bad time to buy a house -- but a good time to buy major household items.
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) p6 f* s# M; C6 j" S5 R% g0 kLeger Marketing surveyed 900 Alberta consumers for PricewaterhouseCoopers, in February, asking about the economy.. i- R) v7 ~# |: x" b8 `
j3 s8 _8 H# w( j- p/ ]& b+ ?Responses were compiled on a 200-point scale, with scores above 100 indicating optimism that conditions are good or will improve, and lower scores revealing pessimism that conditions are bad or will worsen.% V0 s+ ], q6 G# }# z
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Is this a good time to buy a house in Alberta?- E* ?, _8 ]2 c# P2 B$ \
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No, not according to the sample's composite score of 71, showing significant doubt.
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Leger's report noted "the relatively pessimistic sentiment regarding interest rates, combined with the fact that the housing market in Alberta has boomed over the last two years."3 [% B9 T. O9 t- ?, c
& V. ?, X+ Z/ xWhen asked specifically about interest rates, the sample scored 66, with a widely-shared belief that rates will rise.& [) _+ t( k# @, a
6 T' L" Q" t, X) kA question about household incomes drew a score of 141, as most people expected incomes to rise.8 |, N( X2 i# M, k9 W7 | i
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The sample scored 161 -- overwhelmingly affirmative -- when asked whether this is a good time to buy major household items "reflecting the fact that many Albertans are experiencing unprecedented levels of disposable income," the report said.7 Q3 n: v8 P4 m3 e* U* g* x0 t
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The prospect for future unemployment was highly optimistic at 127 -- although it's hard to imagine how unemployment could fall any lower.
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. D* g: o% `* {. k" bA related online survey of 420 Alberta business leaders similarly found optimism about fiscal conditions, current and future business conditions, and future unemployment -- all pushed by "the hot Alberta economy," the Leger report said.9 p h ?! e+ d' e
% p3 E% G& n' d3 O2 PAmong those several measures, it found that fiscal expectations were the least positive, "which may be attributed in part to the fact that Alberta has a new premier in place, creating uncertainty in relation to fiscal conditions if compared to the previous Klein administration."
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, d0 F. P% k1 l( N1 U1 ^ rThe business sample, like the consumer sample, expected interest rates to rise.) q/ A- g, }0 q( a) v" v: T
- E( K1 b. j% kBarry James, PricewaterhouseCoopers' managing partner in Edmonton, urged borrowers to consider the risk of higher rates.
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"If you're going to make a large spend, ask yourself what one or two or three more points would cost," he suggested. |
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发表于 2007-4-3 06:55
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发表于 2007-4-4 14:25
晕啊~~我看晕了~~~
