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记者的观察
The realities of real estate) Q7 m4 e3 c5 `+ C4 p5 ?$ _/ p
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 3 m# a9 Z+ U/ v' U, \# S m( O2 P6 W
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.
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The 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.6 L8 t/ @7 ~) A( ?
1 n' K4 J% P$ Q$ {3 OBut 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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1 ~3 @- K& j/ I; \: a"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."- h8 q* Q: L7 N: s/ i' Y
% S! q- `+ r9 X. R, g; kLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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% \/ I v% t2 {* t' `One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.9 J% W% h# X6 M, K. Y" X
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.9 G0 I b6 B7 l0 X5 S4 X5 o' V
" E6 F: K( w, ^# X; M# S# a& ~Forty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.
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3 J- ]6 _- v. P$ a# wShe 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.7 w: f9 ^/ U) U+ T
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Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.# G/ P! J2 I3 w
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.7 f4 q+ z& d$ K% \! B
8 s; x! y* u- S2 j& I8 p' `"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 H* v9 W1 v# T; T
9 s. _" ~- r% D( p2 H2 ?Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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, a W, z' W; {& B5 n8 K+ aAn 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 $175,922.. z8 p" G+ D4 F* `$ w
1 }( V* Y- d: aThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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) f }" y! c# s. p2 V' y" ^3 c"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."1 n) [8 H. Y) {% Y, g9 V2 p
0 g7 C, I* b: E, t, aThat 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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