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记者的观察
The realities of real estate
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
# c& p2 f7 x1 F0 X' BEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton." @8 f( U+ F1 U$ E2 `8 D
( t# J9 a; X% p, y; Z; |2 W) YThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.. |/ h6 M5 [) E6 M2 ]; _- t/ c
/ R2 t/ P/ P0 x% LShe 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.
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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.: f3 R& n% T4 o& M7 l
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"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."5 v" \8 Y/ @7 _' a
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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.% U M+ C; T2 ~* b
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.. c; C/ m8 `- i# c- }/ b
2 ^- V2 D% J. C( @4 UShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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: f6 R7 m. d' pOne 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.
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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.7 x5 O! O* W& H- E1 u
: F; J ~* S* _( C3 oForty-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.1 I. r, L' s+ X2 w0 V
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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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3 K0 o/ ]) `" \+ x7 I+ XBack 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.0 f6 L( q- P) f5 R) a
$ u" Q, [+ P: F: A5 s0 `: @So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.9 ?: X0 d9 u% i2 _" z9 r& N
5 M# {4 e4 t ^7 K# B5 u"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."8 F' M+ N( ?+ Z X" v, L
2 E m; ~2 F3 c6 @/ q$ M' XTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.8 g7 k- |+ [. X3 d9 A! C
, X$ h" g; b3 a1 S$ }! ?& q" @) ?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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The 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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"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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