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Ron Chalmers, The Edmonton Journal1 m8 z6 }2 X) `" a! D3 S7 ~
Published: Tuesday, April 03, 2007- r6 Y* U# y* S2 M% ~( F
0 O" _1 s, X l7 A2 s, PEDMONTON - 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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Leger Marketing surveyed 900 Alberta consumers for PricewaterhouseCoopers, in February, asking about the economy.6 r% P9 F- s4 d9 U9 a/ S
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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.
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/ F+ \' B% b4 u1 x! N, mIs this a good time to buy a house in Alberta?
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No, not according to the sample's composite score of 71, showing significant doubt.( X ^, x7 P" t' n
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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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8 T. E. v# c( H* O9 G7 cA question about household incomes drew a score of 141, as most people expected incomes to rise.! ~& o$ o+ O3 C( T+ K5 @7 w3 F6 R2 K
1 ~' }' m5 g) i# eThe 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.
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The 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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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.": |3 ]) \. P5 x% o9 _0 ~
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The business sample, like the consumer sample, expected interest rates to rise.% C' N. d y7 y& ^) I
/ _. B- c) C, [/ e/ |7 C- O" T7 Q; EBarry 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~~~
