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记者的观察
The realities of real estate- _, i& R+ _* n0 F3 S5 R2 @# f) W
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
9 a7 z8 p; N0 m" ~! ?EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.+ U+ ]* ]4 I1 O8 C% r8 T! K
* A7 ?( h8 q+ R! J& l+ u. [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.
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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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"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! Q2 e8 [. Y( M: ` k
4 Q( |# H/ m; }, f- X2 L, MLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.0 D3 F/ f* F) v& Z, b: c
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house./ x T2 o, Y% `
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."9 [( h% R5 X. Z# q4 S# z" f
6 L; j g6 O; r6 w6 Q, K, LOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.. `4 P" G) `8 M( c
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.1 P: p: ]2 f$ J/ x. N& w+ r- \
. h) ~2 f8 e9 M9 M* [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.0 b- {( b7 h& H& w9 O9 L
$ N b+ U, j8 E" j# P6 V. v4 O& KShe 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.% J6 v+ `% t. a
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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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' t: Q1 K) b0 w% |1 o"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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a( t! Z: j( j; T& BTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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7 ?, ^( f: z! L6 WAn 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.* y& \+ \" N9 I% g
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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.& j- ~8 B" o6 L
5 k! D/ H# y. S"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."+ ^' [6 K2 j+ i1 W+ y1 D
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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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