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记者的观察
The realities of real estate! T& W' z' Y0 _2 E
9 N+ M; k& s' p: jPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006 ! }/ g, p# Q4 P3 R/ v8 A7 C2 M0 m# U
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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& Z" o/ D2 l" H. N+ U! F+ w3 S" a9 h, VThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta./ `, a; W* M6 o6 ]9 C5 R* Z0 j
* i, P6 s* T g4 s& PShe 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.
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5 R, t3 N3 q3 _* h# G8 L"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."
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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; @4 u8 o+ {! n4 k) t/ ?# t9 U" p: ZBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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% e! b; ]$ ~" D& |: {0 ^She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."( H. ~; ]* {/ [8 X) l
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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.
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* h2 q9 ?- q9 l' z$ A0 b7 |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., [+ i! N1 u0 t8 ?, B* Z0 p' x
! I+ S" ]+ U h7 j& d2 n" _2 TForty-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.! F& @2 n' g9 `5 R( D+ Q
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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.0 y. ^9 N9 H9 _* \/ Q( ~
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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.
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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. [) G; v7 ^. T0 Y* S' T1 [3 h"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."; u1 H9 ]' x1 b: g9 X: B, n+ X
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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; a8 T: @) n3 D2 OAn 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.* ?4 y( `8 P! s
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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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) Y* E5 b1 |* J4 ]: \"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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9 Y( |9 ~- \8 W1 l; V/ ]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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