vancouver housing

[Tapioca]

I'll chime in with my experience here.

You won't get into a detached home with that salary, but if you aren't having a family, why would you? I have a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo (I've rented out the other bedroom) and I don't need any more space. But, having grown up in a detached home, I understand its appeal. There are a lot of downsides to condo living - inconsiderate neighbours, special assessments for things that break or get damaged (they will, trust me), lack of customization, etc. In my opinion, when you buy a condo, you don't actually own land - you just pay for the right to live in several hundred square feet of air in the sky (that has a legal title.)

If I were to do it all over again, I would strongly have considered renting. Unless you're chained to your job, renting gives you flexibility. Moreover, renters, at least in this province, have tremendous rights. There's the lifestyle angle as well: unless you're one of those anti-social types, you're going to want to spend your money on things like nights out, clothes, toys, etc. Once you have a mortgage, you'll have to sacrifce a lot (or somehow, make more money to have it both ways.)

And netting $50k a year is equivalent to roughly $80k gross... let's not kid ourselves $80k/yr is not an easy salary to achieve.

80K is not an unreasonable total income for someone in their late 20s. I would say that 60K is an average salary for your typical university-educated person in their late 20s. Most people I know have side gigs (whether it's part-time businesses or jobs and/or investments) which pushes up their incomes by another 10-20K a year.

[wouwou]

Originally Posted by UFO

You sound like you are in a profession where overseas demand is huge, and you can make a lot more overseas than here. Not every profession has this potential. What will happen to your income when you come back here to work because you want to spend the time with your family?

I really respect your approach to this. For me, what is the point of getting married and starting a family, if you cannot be there to enjoy and grow with the family. I know you are working your tail off to provide the best for your family and to make things easier for them, but my take is that contributions to family run much deeper than just money. It sounds like you are feeling that too.

Hey I know what you are saying. I just quit my job because of the long distance is not working out, and missing a year when my daughter is growing up absolutely kills me. I actually saw a picture in the powerful picture thread in NSFW section and that was the last straw. I just picked up my phone and gave my notice right then and there.

I am in Finance, and I will say that my position is unique. I went back for a holiday, then a job was mentioned and after weighing the pros and cons we decided to take it and spend two years for a much brighter outlook.

Now I can return to Canada, get a 30k job and know my family is provided for because I have the capital needed for a home and a investment property for supplemental income.

My wife is also free to choose to work part time if she so prefers, and I get to spend a lot of time with my family and won't have nightmares of losing my job and the mortgage payment is up.

Will I do it again? fuck no. Do I regret taking up that job? not really either. My advice is you are young & single: work your ass off, leave your comfort zone, explore and take shit load of risks. Once you are in a relationship/have a family, good luck doing that.

And guess what, when you can buy stuff without looking at the price tag, and mature enough because you worked everywhere?

EVERY FEMALE WANTS TO FUCK YOU.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

80K is not an unreasonable total income for someone in their late 20s. I would say that 60K is an average salary for your typical university-educated person in their late 20s. Most people I know have side gigs (whether it's part-time businesses or jobs and/or investments) which pushes up their incomes by another 10-20K a year.

30% of Canadians get a university degree, 40% some form of post-secondary degree, and 60% have some form of post secondary education.

~10% of Canadians make more than $80K/yr, with most of that concentrated in the 40-60yo age group.

That works out to be about 2% of all 25-29yos with a university education make > $80K, which would be not be very reasonable at all.

All data is available on StatsCan.

[HonestTea]

Originally Posted by UFO

You sound like you are in a profession where overseas demand is huge, and you can make a lot more overseas than here. Not every profession has this potential.

I'm curious, which professions have the most demand overseas?

[darkfroggy]

Parent's House

Free 2 bedrooms.
Free utilities.
Free car + gas.
Free high-speed internet.
Free flatscreen TV + HD channels.
Free food prepared daily.

(Okay, it's not free if you pay, but you get my point).

vs.

Renting your Own Place

Full-time university student working 5 days/week splitting a cramped apartment/basement eating take-out food everyday. Have to use neighbour's unsecured wi-fi because the landlord is too cheap to include it, and only available channels are CBC and some random stuff. Roommate's classes start at 1:00PM, while yours starts at 9:00AM.

Fuck that "independent" shit, why would you ever move out? You must enjoy shelling $1000+ to live like some second-worlder. At least when I pay my parents, shit stays within the family.

Rep your parent's basement, bros.


























































My mom still washes the dishes and does the laundry, and she calls home from work to wake me up every morning.

[Great68]

Originally Posted by darkfroggy

Parent's House

Free 2 bedrooms.
Free utilities.
Free car + gas.
Free high-speed internet.
Free flatscreen TV + HD channels.
Free food prepared daily.

(Okay, it's not free if you pay, but you get my point).

vs.

Renting your Own Place

Full-time university student working 5 days/week splitting a cramped apartment/basement eating take-out food everyday. Have to use neighbour's unsecured wi-fi because the landlord is too cheap to include it, and only available channels are CBC and some random stuff. Roommate's classes start at 1:00PM, while yours starts at 9:00AM.

Fuck that "independent" shit, why would you ever move out? You must enjoy shelling $1000+ to live like some second-worlder. At least when I pay my parents, shit stays within the family.

Rep your parent's basement, bros.

My mom still washes the dishes and does the laundry, and she calls home from work to wake me up every morning.

How old are you?

I have a cousin who's story sounds just like yours, lives at home, mom does his laundry, feeds him, etc...

The only catch is that he's 35 years old and isn't a student (has a job and money).

I find him pretty pathetic.

[darkfroggy]

Originally Posted by Great68

How old are you?

I have a cousin who's story sounds just like yours, lives at home, mom does his laundry, feeds him, etc...

The only catch is that he's 35 years old and isn't a student (has a job and money).

I find him pretty pathetic.

22 and I still need my mom to tell me to clean my own room.

[Great68]

Originally Posted by darkfroggy

22 and I still need my mom to tell me to clean my own room.

That's cool, but if you're still doing the same by 30, then something's wrong with you.

[Anjew]

oh moms... they're the best.... back to topic.

go get a place with your significant other if you have one to lessen the damage....

ignore the negative views on living at home with parents until your late 20's. it can be mutually beneficial for you AND your parents(if they want you at home lol)....

[Culverin]

Parents will always tell you to clean your room.

I've moved out and my place has always been a sty. Sure, some friends really can't stand it. But hey, it's still hygenic and sterile. It's just cluttered.

Only if you can't find your stuff do you have a real problem.

[Anjew]

Originally Posted by Great68

How old are you?

I have a cousin who's story sounds just like yours, lives at home, mom does his laundry, feeds him, etc...

The only catch is that he's 35 years old and isn't a student (has a job and money).

I find him pretty pathetic.

in ancient times that was norm for mothers to take care of their sons in that way their entire lives... Female lions hunt food for the entire pack. whats the difference between a man in his 20's and a man in his 30's.... would the former get smarter? more mature? (not necessarily).

i had a job and made money in my 20's but did i rush to move out "show" that i'm mature and independent? no.... that's the trend that Asian families have brought over and it i think is positive. (obviously a bad side effect of over protective moms, but whatever right?)

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by Culverin

Only if you can't find your stuff do you have a real problem.

The lunatics on Hoarders can usually find anything and everything in their piles of junk. Just saying...

[Great68]

Originally Posted by Anjew

in ancient times that was norm for mothers to take care of their sons in that way their entire lives... Female lions hunt food for the entire pack. whats the difference between a man in his 20's and a man in his 30's.... would the former get smarter? more mature? (not necessarily).

i had a job and made money in my 20's but did i rush to move out "show" that i'm mature and independent? no.... that's the trend that Asian families have brought over and it i think is positive. (obviously a bad side effect of over protective moms, but whatever right?)

I'm sure for my cousin, "I live with my parents" works as a GREAT pickup line for the women.

[Noir]

Originally Posted by darkfroggy

Parent's House

Free 2 bedrooms.
Free utilities.
Free car + gas.
Free high-speed internet.
Free flatscreen TV + HD channels.
Free food prepared daily.

(Okay, it's not free if you pay, but you get my point).

vs.

Renting your Own Place

Full-time university student working 5 days/week splitting a cramped apartment/basement eating take-out food everyday. Have to use neighbour's unsecured wi-fi because the landlord is too cheap to include it, and only available channels are CBC and some random stuff. Roommate's classes start at 1:00PM, while yours starts at 9:00AM.

Fuck that "independent" shit, why would you ever move out? You must enjoy shelling $1000+ to live like some second-worlder. At least when I pay my parents, shit stays within the family.

Rep your parent's basement, bros.



My mom still washes the dishes and does the laundry, and she calls home from work to wake me up every morning.

Those are all great perks and all, but there's a point where all those perks you're benifitting from will stop you from getting laid. at all.

Enjoy it while you're still young and can get away with it.

[alpinestars]

mfw op expects top 5 most livable city in the world, located in an indiscriminate nation with free healthcare, to be affordable:

[nns]

I'm not sure why the OP was failed. It's a perfectly valid question many people this age are wondering about.

I know I'm learning from some of these replies.

RS is just too damn fail-happy.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by taylor192

30% of Canadians get a university degree, 40% some form of post-secondary degree, and 60% have some form of post secondary education.

~10% of Canadians make more than $80K/yr, with most of that concentrated in the 40-60yo age group.

That works out to be about 2% of all 25-29yos with a university education make > $80K, which would be not be very reasonable at all.

All data is available on StatsCan.

I can't argue the statistics, but I find it hard to believe that some of my friends and colleagues comprise 2% of earners in my approximate age bracket. I would imagine that most people here have friends who are professionals - lawyers, health care practitioners, engineers, etc. and the numbers of these people would surely comprise more than 2%.

I don't know about you, but every time I log onto my LinkedIn account, everybody is a bloody manager, executive, or sales leader of some sort. Even if half are "pseudo-managers" and are making in the upper 40s, the other half have to be in the high 60s to low 70s.

i had a job and made money in my 20's but did i rush to move out "show" that i'm mature and independent? no.... that's the trend that Asian families have brought over and it i think is positive. (obviously a bad side effect of over protective moms, but whatever right?)

Well, all the power to you if you settled down with a humble Chinese woman. For the rest of us who have to compete for the ever-shrinking pool of decent women, living in the parents' basement ain't going to cut it.

[wouwou]

The only reason why I will live with my parents is to take care of them.

Once you tasted the freedom of living by yourself, there's no turning back at all. I will much rather not buying the dozen blu rays than watching porn with my doors locked and on headphone

[iEatClams]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

I can't argue the statistics, but I find it hard to believe that some of my friends and colleagues comprise 2% of earners in my approximate age bracket. I would imagine that most people here have friends who are professionals - lawyers, health care practitioners, engineers, etc. and the numbers of these people would surely comprise more than 2%.

I don't know about you, but every time I log onto my LinkedIn account, everybody is a bloody manager, executive, or sales leader of some sort. Even if half are "pseudo-managers" and are making in the upper 40s, the other half have to be in the high 60s to low 70s.



Well, all the power to you if you settled down with a humble Chinese woman. For the rest of us who have to compete for the ever-shrinking pool of decent women, living in the parents' basement ain't going to cut it.

for every successful friend I have, I can name like 5 other guys that I went to highschool/university with that aren't as successful.

the same can be said about women and looks.

We just notice the successful or attractive ones.

Try it yourself, go to a mall (any public place really), and count the number of average or ugly girls. You'd be surprise but how many you see when you actually trying to find ugly or average ones.

[Lomac]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

I can't argue the statistics, but I find it hard to believe that some of my friends and colleagues comprise 2% of earners in my approximate age bracket. I would imagine that most people here have friends who are professionals - lawyers, health care practitioners, engineers, etc. and the numbers of these people would surely comprise more than 2%.

I don't know about you, but every time I log onto my LinkedIn account, everybody is a bloody manager, executive, or sales leader of some sort. Even if half are "pseudo-managers" and are making in the upper 40s, the other half have to be in the high 60s to low 70s.

Part of the skewed stats on your part may be because of where we live. Vancouver has a high concentration of home offices, law firms and health care units. Sure, a large portion of Canada also has this (Toronto, Montreal, etc) but the majority of the country isn't as rich as you may think. The Maritimes are dirt poor because there are few job opportunities out there that can fetch you large sums of money. The Prairies are also relatively poor since farming is the main form of living out there. Hell, even North of Chilliwack there are few ways of making a decent living. Leave the surrounding areas of the major metropolitan areas of Canada (and subsequently end up with the majority of Canada's population) and you'll find that the people out there make relatively very little.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by azndude69

for every successful friend I have, I can name like 5 other guys that I went to highschool/university with that aren't as successful.

No doubt - 20% being what I call 'successful' is closer to reality, at least in my realm.

Originally Posted by Lomac

Part of the skewed stats on your part may be because of where we live. Vancouver has a high concentration of home offices, law firms and health care units. Sure, a large portion of Canada also has this (Toronto, Montreal, etc) but the majority of the country isn't as rich as you may think. The Maritimes are dirt poor because there are few job opportunities out there that can fetch you large sums of money. The Prairies are also relatively poor since farming is the main form of living out there. Hell, even North of Chilliwack there are few ways of making a decent living. Leave the surrounding areas of the major metropolitan areas of Canada (and subsequently end up with the majority of Canada's population) and you'll find that the people out there make relatively very little.

Yep, no disagreement here.

I guess where I'm coming from is that I don't think these factors are all that relevant to the typical RS user. By that, I mean someone who had a relatively privileged upbringing (i.e. growing up in a detached house in Metro Vancouver) and had the opportunity to attend post-secondary.

[drunkrussian]

why would a single guy in his 20s need a house? and if ur not single, your and your common law's incomes shoild certainly be enough for a house. but why do you need a house anyway? whats with peoples obsession with owning everything and getting things NOW instead of working, saving progressing and then affording it, rather than being broke and owning right now. a lotta ppl complain about the market, but for me the depressing thing is the attitudes
Posted via RS Mobile

[bing]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

I'll chime in with my experience here.

You won't get into a detached home with that salary, but if you aren't having a family, why would you? I have a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo (I've rented out the other bedroom) and I don't need any more space. But, having grown up in a detached home, I understand its appeal. There are a lot of downsides to condo living - inconsiderate neighbours, special assessments for things that break or get damaged (they will, trust me), lack of customization, etc. In my opinion, when you buy a condo, you don't actually own land - you just pay for the right to live in several hundred square feet of air in the sky (that has a legal title.)

If I were to do it all over again, I would strongly have considered renting. Unless you're chained to your job, renting gives you flexibility. Moreover, renters, at least in this province, have tremendous rights. There's the lifestyle angle as well: unless you're one of those anti-social types, you're going to want to spend your money on things like nights out, clothes, toys, etc. Once you have a mortgage, you'll have to sacrifce a lot (or somehow, make more money to have it both ways.)



80K is not an unreasonable total income for someone in their late 20s. I would say that 60K is an average salary for your typical university-educated person in their late 20s. Most people I know have side gigs (whether it's part-time businesses or jobs and/or investments) which pushes up their incomes by another 10-20K a year.

Even with a bachelor's degree, unless it can get you a job as a specialist, engineer, or sales, 80k seems kind of optimistic. The average family incomes in vancouver and richmond are much lower at 60-70k, and that's a figure that counts 2 people.

StatsCan 2006
http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-re...R&GeoCode=5915

[UFO]

Originally Posted by wouwou

Will I do it again? fuck no. Do I regret taking up that job? not really either. My advice is you are young & single: work your ass off, leave your comfort zone, explore and take shit load of risks. Once you are in a relationship/have a family, good luck doing that.

Once again, I tip my hat off to you, and your wife also. That couple years must have been rough. To know that with everything you've gained from that great opportunity, you wouldn't do it again if you had the choice, really tells the story. I couldn't imagine spending the first couple years away from my wife after we got married. But you are fully right once you are engaged in any sort of family life, your ability to take risks takes a huge hit. With my situation, I'm not in a situation to take a gamble that big to risk a possible payoff or loss. You gotta roll big to win big right?

Originally Posted by HonestTea

I'm curious, which professions have the most demand overseas?

I wouldn't know, but not mine. It's not like working overseas is guaranteed big easy money. If you want money close to home, go work in the oil industry in Northern Alberta. Do a few years, manage your finances well, and enjoy the perks of high paying salaries. There's a reason why these jobs pay well, you give up a lot to do it and it's hard work.

[taylor192]

Originally Posted by Lomac

Part of the skewed stats on your part may be because of where we live. Vancouver has a high concentration of home offices, law firms and health care units. Sure, a large portion of Canada also has this (Toronto, Montreal, etc) but the majority of the country isn't as rich as you may think. The Maritimes are dirt poor because there are few job opportunities out there that can fetch you large sums of money. The Prairies are also relatively poor since farming is the main form of living out there. Hell, even North of Chilliwack there are few ways of making a decent living. Leave the surrounding areas of the major metropolitan areas of Canada (and subsequently end up with the majority of Canada's population) and you'll find that the people out there make relatively very little.

Vancouver has a lower average income than most major Canadian cities: Median total income, by family type, by census metropolitan area

80% of Canadians live in cities.
85% of Canadians live in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and BC.

The only way the stats are skewed is if all your friends live in Yaletown and aren't just pretending.