Originally Posted by taylor192 (Post 7504565)

I used to own a house, now I rent. Thus I can appreciate why people want to own a house, I enjoyed it while I did.

I bought a house cause "it was the thing to do" and affordable at the time (2003). I wouldn't buy today cause it is not affordable, and I've learned more about the pitfalls of home ownership.

For instance, I rent a 2bdrm condo in Kits for $1800/mn. The same condo sells for $500K, and with 10% down on 30yr mortgage the payment would still be $2150 + $300 condo fee + $200 property tax. That's $850 more to own than to rent, at the lowest rates and longest amortization. Meanwhile you're only paying down the principal $650/mn.

Thus without house appreciation, you're negative $200/mn owning vs renting. So who's throwing away money now?

Then consider that house values don't always appreciate. We are nearing the end of a long run of appreciation, and history tells us that is usually followed by a claw back or a long flat period. For every year house values don't appreciate, you lose with respect to inflation.

Then consider the costs of maintenance. Houses don't last forever, certainly not the ones they build today. I put about $5K into my house in the 5 years I owned it in basic maintenance and upkeep. I put $0 into my rental, and don't do any of the work myself.

On that note - having a 20x20' patch of backyard is overrated. Its not big enough to do anything useful, and you have to mow it once a week. I prefer the beach, the city takes care of it, I just walk 4 blocks and enjoy it.

I reno'd my home, adding tile, built in units, deck, fence, landscaping, ... it was not cheap yet it was fun. Obviously I cannot do the same while renting - yet if I get tired of where I'm renting, I just find a nicer place and move. No hassles of renos, no expense of renos. Especially with condos, since even if you own there's a limited amount you can reno (there's only so much space!) so its often easier to move than reno a condo.

Renting is more stable than owning. Why? If you lose your job, you still have that high mortgage payment to make and you're stuck in that area looking for a job. If I lose my job I can give my landlord a month's notice, move somewhere cheaper, or move somewhere there is a job.

So the question is: why do you foolishly think renting is throwing money away? Did you just buy into the hype without actually thinking for yourself? No worries, I did too when I bought, I'm just glad I've had the chance to reflect on it without being caught in a wealth trap.

Originally Posted by Mr.C (Post 7504771)

I have settled in Vancouver. Surrey to be specific. I'm originally from Rio de Janeiro, but I have lived in Cleveland too. Surrey is way nicer than Cleveland (at least it's not Detroit!), but not as nice as Rio, of course. There's no violence here whatsoever (at least by my standards), people are nice, easy-ish access to transportation, and while I overpaid for my condo, I didn't buy it with purely investment in mind, especially the way shit is going.

I would not move to Toronto, unless we were talking low six figures. Even then, I can get that in Vancouver. I went to Toronto in the summer, and it was just like Rio, except without the good food, beaches and beautiful women. Hot and muggy. Yuck.

Montreal is like Cleveland. Bad winters. Pass.

My brother's girlfriend is from Edmonton. Fucking tundra in the winter. Pass.

GVRD is nice. Not thinking of leaving.

Edit: Oh, yeah, I wouldn't buy a house in Vancouver. If I had a million to drop on a house, I'd buy something in Abbotsford, on top of a hill, overlooking all those beautiful mountains. And then drive to Whistler if I wanted to snowboard. It's not as if Vancouver has beaches anyway.

Originally Posted by Death2Theft (Post 7505804)

So from this post I gather that toronton has no good food and women
Montreal/Alberta has good food and women just bad winters
You like to drive 8 hours to and from abby to snowboard.
How can vancouver not have beaches we are surrounded by water and a shipping port.

Originally Posted by RFlush (Post 7507682)

It's quite sad seeing people say they will live in Vancouver for the rest of their life since they grew up here and love it.

People should explore the world, or at least their own country and see things from a different perspective before making such a judgement. But that's typical Vancouver mentality. Live in a bubble, die in a bubble.
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Originally Posted by AWDTurboLuvr (Post 7504795)

Quebec City (outside the tourist areas) are noticeably not very nice to minorities, especially if you do not speak French-Canadian. However, using rudimentary French-Canadian, you will be in fine in Montreal. As long as you try to speak the language, they will be okay with you...especially amongst the younger generation there.

Originally Posted by RFlush (Post 7507682)

It's quite sad seeing people say they will live in Vancouver for the rest of their life since they grew up here and love it.

People should explore the world, or at least their own country and see things from a different perspective before making such a judgement. But that's typical Vancouver mentality. Live in a bubble, die in a bubble.
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Originally Posted by RFlush (Post 7507682)

It's quite sad seeing people say they will live in Vancouver for the rest of their life since they grew up here and love it.

People should explore the world, or at least their own country and see things from a different perspective before making such a judgement. But that's typical Vancouver mentality. Live in a bubble, die in a bubble.
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Originally Posted by wouwou (Post 7508346)

easy access to friends and family aside, Vancouver has one of the most comfortable lifestyle that I've seem as long as you have a steady income.

Weather is nice (imo anyways), a great variety of cuisine choices, people are friendly, streets are safe (yes it is, even after you factor in C-lai driving) etc.

Overall it's a great place to raise a kid

Originally Posted by RFlush (Post 7508453)

Wouwou, you are correct, Vancouver is a great place to raise a kid depending on what you want. For you, you are at that stage where you need to consider this for family planning and from what I gather, you have been working in China and can understand different culturues and cities and see what suites your needs.

My post was more directed to those who are in their early stages of life (majority of RS) who have the mentality to stay here only because that is all they know. They are afraid to take risks and leave their sheltered lives just because they lived here for the first quater of their life. Vancouver is no doubt a beautiful city, but people need to go out to compare first, not just make irrational judgements. But like I said, typical Vancouver mentality; feel entitled to things and never live outside their buble.

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Originally Posted by Tapioca (Post 7508565)

Sometimes I do lament what Vancouver has become... I grew up in the 80s so I remember when Vancouver was a great place to raise children for families on modest incomes. Then Expo 86 happened and Vander Zalm sold False Creek for a penny to Concord Pacific and the rest is history. Condo disease and real estate speculation, offshore money, immigration (from overseas and within Canada) and this myth that we're world-class.

Originally Posted by SFUguy (Post 7509322)

Okay slightly off-topic but still applicable:

Would you raise your kids up in Vancouver?

Looking at the kids now, it seems to get worse and worse. They don't seem to have any direction in life except trying to be hardcore. All they know is Gucci murses, crooks & castles, nammer squats, and hoodrat bitches with right-angled eyebrows? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THE KIDS IN VANCOUVER NOWADAYS?!!!!!!!


Man... I grew up in the Vancouver East side and I picked up so much negative influence as a youth it was scary! I'm still trying to weed out some of the bullshit out of my system as I type this right now.