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记者的观察
The realities of real estate1 Z. X( h! p0 v! `2 Z$ i
3 {' x; i. q( r9 EPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006 & C" A0 O4 O( X. C" V+ u; v7 p
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.3 S1 R' W! t( u, m2 m1 V
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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.# U4 ?; K I8 m: D
0 q& S' m: e$ H* _" U6 XShe 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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$ M" Q" ] O8 ^0 x4 cBut 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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4 K* M+ w$ k: A( l2 i; w2 C"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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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.+ x! f4 \% @6 t Q
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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( H' v0 {" v* ^, c3 } {. p fShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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9 {$ s' {4 M0 q! Z* ~: r; U+ Z/ wOne 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.4 M9 h% j; D9 ~1 p% V, w( D, Y
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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.# V$ z* w( A/ T( T: w2 e
. p1 I3 f. X0 Y [; j/ UForty-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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% {$ H p/ {# V; F# [5 s3 PShe 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.. V2 q; O$ c/ n8 h, p* n
3 w8 [* U' R0 {$ vBack 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.( n) z y- q2 J" n6 X& }
. k1 X( X, Z" T- b( K# L2 nSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.( j* h, j* H. t0 T, N! h
7 v% ^9 |3 o M0 A+ ~( \"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."5 }# a2 U/ G8 [8 j
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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k3 Y( w X5 k7 A! GAn 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 $175,922.
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4 y5 h0 J* P# }6 H$ K9 a! Y: CThe president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.+ x+ R$ @' M1 n" A7 l2 S+ j
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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."
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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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