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记者的观察
The realities of real estate4 J$ }, b A; y4 H7 y
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 ' a8 P4 e9 G: \6 R
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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The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.( P* C! P: r. T0 K
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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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5 v7 ?- ?* { A: y4 j4 d4 RBut 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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# q8 N, Q5 Q/ q# g. A"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."
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! F6 P/ q$ R8 ~/ g5 x/ QLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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4 m7 C* U; L6 q5 J; t b9 ~But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.8 a5 l) ?* `+ ?/ q
_1 n( S7 V4 K0 H' QShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."% i/ c( M% n* `- W, p# B2 ], }
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One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.
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Forty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.
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& W9 H: ?) U8 L( VShe left a 23-marriage and a 1,700-square-foot home last year. She works as an administrator and now rents a three-bedroom townhouse.
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5 _* M% b$ \, n6 y c7 S2 y1 ^Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.8 E# l# K. B; F6 K6 w# C9 X
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her." B- c2 B H ?0 ?4 y* h/ d" l
/ l7 X. e! I7 s"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."1 K" Z: P$ X0 q0 P/ c' A1 a
7 T4 |- T, |' QTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher., A- E8 M, o; X" i9 a* `
1 q. ~: G, p* C. _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.. {* [0 ?7 V' W& M
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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."/ j4 l/ Q# K- [+ c0 g
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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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