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记者的观察
The realities of real estate( C4 L4 J) Y* ]8 Q9 g
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
. ^- g) B* ^0 x/ u& T4 ?6 GEDMONTON - 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.$ e6 h* ^' |8 i9 f, F
( P' I S' b3 D4 y+ a/ A: F) UShe 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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1 v7 z1 P! y% B! D6 U! vBut 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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"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.") O& G1 _! Z) f& V% Y
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.6 ^/ {, A. Z: Q" m h% q3 Q3 v
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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/ q- W2 p; ?$ h/ d$ x1 S; MShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."$ [, h" x# e# G
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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.7 w$ f; i! O7 F& ~/ e; i
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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." V6 a' h# p2 x8 i9 [, l
+ X, }; ?! v: {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.( a' X" c S5 Q8 F, a4 W) C
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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.
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. }6 Q4 Y1 |- B1 W0 QBack 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.3 Z S# `# F# C3 Q2 @4 ?
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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."
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Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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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 $175,922.
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The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people. B; Z/ I/ f2 ], Z
5 p* n# N4 t$ D7 Z2 L"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."* ^( o5 F7 s1 u7 U
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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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