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记者的观察
The realities of real estate; s( m" I% ?3 e) d# O, K
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 ; M6 Q0 j2 F9 Z B' [
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.% J/ L' f8 k! |/ i
, k9 q3 K# z) F# S! K+ \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.4 t5 W- I2 W- I( O& ?
3 p Z( B4 }# A% a, EBut 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."
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! P/ T/ j B! l" t; g0 xLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.8 g( ^" Q X3 N f/ N4 q2 m
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."4 R5 \! ?8 R0 w6 @! x! H" F; u8 b
" f. L8 t C& H2 zOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.
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6 ]$ D6 h, z. F+ r+ 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.- B& ]9 {: t8 B) X, _9 k- _9 B
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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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( a, V) l* f0 qBack 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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+ h+ r) h5 f& ]6 vSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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"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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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.( S. D7 ^6 b% W k: {
4 x' W l4 z& l5 l! `- f! sAn 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 $175,922.
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The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
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! h8 C8 S% w4 M! r& a7 ["It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable."+ \: |5 c; Q2 p- j% X: T
6 N& G! `) W5 v' Q7 f$ ~7 YThat 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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