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记者的观察
The realities of real estate9 n( J- R9 N' z/ i. h, b
/ A9 T8 N$ y# C) ^( Q# lPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
5 z+ T5 \+ s! |2 v- u& I* f6 X; vEDMONTON - 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.7 D8 @' ]% {. d$ t
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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." o; f2 i9 Q; z+ u
; z- k o! a/ [4 l9 d: g0 b* {8 SBut 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.- N8 n* s i( z7 ]7 @8 k& Y ]3 E
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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 $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."+ l. a8 ~( }- ?& }4 B7 X
# c4 Y( a' n1 U2 m8 h$ Q% ALaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.( z0 o% Y& Q. ]0 e' [
% A2 Z5 |0 V' j* l2 nBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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: z, s6 h* v, ?1 p% TOne house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
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Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.' J) t" ` W" ~! b s: n: U
( P G B, O, b) u! K3 sForty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.
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She left a 23-marriage and a 1,700-square-foot home last year. She works as an administrator and now rents a three-bedroom townhouse., {( o$ p% g" I, [
& R; ^7 @4 S- g% x; g l0 j: f/ kBack 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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"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."4 n4 J. \6 a. |2 ]6 f, o
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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Q \) o3 f& P! W' Y6 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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"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."4 o) e/ I2 L5 b
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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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