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Ron Chalmers, The Edmonton Journal) \8 q9 P3 t% t- y& R1 V
Published: Tuesday, April 03, 20076 n% e) y7 L" p+ S9 _, B6 }; a
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EDMONTON - Most Albertans think this is a bad time to buy a house -- but a good time to buy major household items.
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5 q2 m4 K3 p3 S+ \! ILeger Marketing surveyed 900 Alberta consumers for PricewaterhouseCoopers, in February, asking about the economy.! j- p! V+ j% e j& j6 a) P
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Responses were compiled on a 200-point scale, with scores above 100 indicating optimism that conditions are good or will improve, and lower scores revealing pessimism that conditions are bad or will worsen.& U7 ]: t# T w3 K7 X! ~ y
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Is this a good time to buy a house in Alberta?, b5 Y1 G- a |0 L% j) e- r
+ N$ U9 I+ p. b8 D* R8 q( k G* MNo, not according to the sample's composite score of 71, showing significant doubt.
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Leger's report noted "the relatively pessimistic sentiment regarding interest rates, combined with the fact that the housing market in Alberta has boomed over the last two years."
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When asked specifically about interest rates, the sample scored 66, with a widely-shared belief that rates will rise.
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" w6 g* t$ V) XA question about household incomes drew a score of 141, as most people expected incomes to rise.. ]* A$ W1 m& t' a1 m
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The sample scored 161 -- overwhelmingly affirmative -- when asked whether this is a good time to buy major household items "reflecting the fact that many Albertans are experiencing unprecedented levels of disposable income," the report said.) l4 D2 r; H) o: u
+ Q0 T- w5 M7 @4 V$ Y( C$ DThe prospect for future unemployment was highly optimistic at 127 -- although it's hard to imagine how unemployment could fall any lower.
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A related online survey of 420 Alberta business leaders similarly found optimism about fiscal conditions, current and future business conditions, and future unemployment -- all pushed by "the hot Alberta economy," the Leger report said.
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& E- Y6 N: _: f8 s8 O' ~Among those several measures, it found that fiscal expectations were the least positive, "which may be attributed in part to the fact that Alberta has a new premier in place, creating uncertainty in relation to fiscal conditions if compared to the previous Klein administration.": [' B- p1 v* F4 i: [! b/ r ~
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The business sample, like the consumer sample, expected interest rates to rise.5 G0 i: i' o: z
: R+ p/ t4 G( l9 u8 LBarry James, PricewaterhouseCoopers' managing partner in Edmonton, urged borrowers to consider the risk of higher rates.
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"If you're going to make a large spend, ask yourself what one or two or three more points would cost," he suggested. |
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发表于 2007-4-3 06:55
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发表于 2007-4-4 14:25
晕啊~~我看晕了~~~
