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记者的观察
The realities of real estate, S2 b- p9 j+ M) W' U% Q$ j
' K, d6 d7 [* L: w3 g7 HPublished: Friday, October 06, 2006
1 @4 f8 Y6 ^4 b& c/ \0 dEDMONTON - 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.
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g- l1 N/ c. T4 q* U/ O+ 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.- s. e1 J, h0 g. V1 e
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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.
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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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* X6 q% X+ h+ RLaas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do., {$ p5 U$ z5 j4 N
`3 \# P% Y: n6 K. d# }6 _But 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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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.9 J/ ], L/ b5 m9 c4 I
& R4 B! [# ]9 }. d0 ^, W3 d2 b4 {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 b4 Q5 P9 V$ v, {' ^3 l
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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.+ C4 v# F) [0 X
5 N1 ~$ X* V' ?Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
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) o' M( L) a; p/ t8 \+ aSo Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
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"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."; V7 B6 U, I- N
8 u. T9 j* ] a* f0 g' ?Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.' `" G: W' H% S. Z/ s# {, e/ @$ z6 o
! k( Q& [' C$ j) `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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8 d0 z* T, @" D6 l3 t5 UThe 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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0 J4 J! B! B* a) J( P# Y. c8 M"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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