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记者的观察
The realities of real estate* a& K; u! q9 `, w
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Published: Friday, October 06, 2006
! y" s2 c: z: o/ t6 BEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.6 s; f# n6 a f8 l
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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.
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- T: O9 ?- m* y* ^/ sShe 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) K4 C) ~- [
# C" K4 {* o$ wBut 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., w( B# d' w" H2 w. _
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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."
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Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
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But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
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; _5 W& P$ u5 o1 N$ s/ |She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
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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." R. R6 j/ l" L2 D ^6 }
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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.8 v) Q" j# T- C' i- u3 G
5 V" {. z$ s3 Y- o) D: }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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1 h" Y, f$ F5 ^' H1 FBack 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.4 n/ }8 I; H8 F" F- H( V- |, K
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So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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/ @, t6 N* g7 |5 h8 c"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."' }2 Z5 b; A- d/ [6 [1 a( k
9 A) O! z' Y- u6 uTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
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7 O9 `3 R! e/ A3 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 $175,922.
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$ M; A/ j: I' |" v" u( f' k$ XThe 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."- ]# M% @. R! u# b/ k: q, c' D- v
% s2 l' H. r7 q' J/ fThat 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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