 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate
. l& ~. l. d& ]! N: ]
2 a" W4 i; V+ D- W/ _. j& F) b: hPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
$ q* y/ d/ C) W' D# d, I2 M2 OEDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.3 k! n8 G P) g3 s
; s# X& F$ u3 `! A
The 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.
. f9 x, I$ n q, J; w% _1 Q: I/ ]& U+ g0 D
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.
4 k+ J! K% Q. ?0 |4 L; I' O2 i* W$ |
But 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.
* X3 G" u: P& m F0 i5 x+ B1 B0 Y8 E' H% ] @0 x# z
"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."
" d7 o7 {0 M* `9 q8 n+ s. [4 C5 P6 Z" Z+ q* J1 }
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.7 T. F. G' h) q8 O8 e& {
- o( |6 F8 R) ~6 U* i' I4 pBut she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.
* n2 \) q$ V& R$ D! z2 Y0 z5 k* _3 D+ l- M8 y. q' z* Q: w/ X
She's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned.") R$ g' U9 H( ^) c
! U2 Q6 A, k4 ]2 A+ @$ J- |$ u/ C
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.; \, l% N; }8 b& }
* ~( C) E+ ]$ i8 |% R
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.
, {. n3 i- `; _/ v) L! m
$ M& e! e6 _4 X/ r( I2 RForty-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.1 C* T5 q( K& n( f
i% y2 Y/ d! f& v2 ^ k% H
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.6 Q: c0 t! X) Q1 D) m* Q6 Q
/ |, c. Q- {* m8 A' J; A3 E7 u9 tBack in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.: b' A6 X* a" _; B4 C7 g
8 E+ v1 d: G, \# T8 GSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
: ]& v' V- B$ Q0 Q4 A" c6 Z3 w5 P& z' ]
"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."' t: U) j! B. s' r8 W" W
/ }; ~* p6 \& i' I: ?$ L0 fTime has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.
' {% W( Q- |: j: t; p3 p1 p# W/ K y* T. Q: B
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 $175,922.4 }/ A! N/ f5 F( }3 D& ], R
- |4 k1 s/ z! g
The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.8 R% \( K1 g4 j4 k- a
6 G+ }* V, B( \* x& w
"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."
# @$ D( ^% m1 Y
( _1 ?& c, ^9 cThat 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. |
|