Lol... I have a 6-figure job and my commute now from Port Moody > DT on the WCE and it's already annoying. Anything further than Poco and I'd be out. Maple Ridge would take about $500k/year haha.

For me, it's not so much the time on the train, but rather how much of a pain in the ass the connections to/from the train are.

I'd rather take the WCE from PoCo where I had a house walking distance to the station than live in Anmore and have a 15 minute drive to the closer Port Moody station.

Mark (who is thinking when we buy a house, we will be buying in East Van instead of TriCities for that proximity to DT)

Saving 1 hour of commute time is huge. That adds up to 10+ days over the year, which is 2+ weeks of vacation, for us wage-slaves. The time savings, combined with the savings of fuel and car maintenance, is awesome. Side effects are significantly less stress, and more sleep and free time. I haven't had to crawl through traffic in 10+ years. I'll be 39 this year, and I credit my few gray hairs, and lack of losing it, with having an 8 min stress-free commute.

Looks like your WCE ride may possibly be full of toxic fumes as well. Might want to consider that on top of your life-shortening commute DansGame

No changes to WCE as study sounds alarm of seeping fumes - NEWS 1130

You don't realize the toll it takes until you're living it for a while thinking you can manage and get used to it. Think about how you'll cope as your life evolves over time (it will) like settling down and starting a family because commuting time will eat into everything else you do in your personal life. Some people can and will re-arrange their lives to fit things in and do well, others will dread the notion.

Just think, all the extra wear and tear on your car from commuting. You said you wrench your own cars. You may save money on paying for a mechanic and keeping your car on the road longer but eventually you won't have the time or energy to want to wrench and this is just all else being exactly the same! Personal time should also be time for you to R&R yourself not just catching up on things that need to be done.

Buying a condo closer to work and slowly moving your way up really is a more sensible (sane) option if you value your time. I work in real estate so I'm travelling all over creation to show clients around and with rising prices I've had to gradually travel more east over the years (Surrey>tri-cities>Langley>Maple Ridge>Abbotsford>Chilliwack) but it's not a daily grind. Trust me, that alone is quite enough. There's enough stress when running late.

It depends on how much down payment OP has. I don't think it is hard right now.

The whole strip where German Motor Car used to be will be torn down once the sawmill gets the okay to redevelop.

It is not within city limits you have to worry about, it is how you get there (basically from Pitt River to Harris Rd).. first you need another bridge over Pitt River, you also need right of way.. both side of the highway is ALR, and a good chunk of the farms are owned by Aquillinis.

With all the focus on Surrey and Langley LRT, those 2 lines will take priority. I just can't see any mass transit other than shuttle bus/ B line for Maple Ridge a couple of decades down the road.

As for marriage, if your potential partner's spending habit is vastly different than yours (or accumulated debt).. the odds is stacked against you. Finances is one of the many indicators.

This only applies to detached? Assume Condo/TH would have private collector paid with strata fee?

Surprised at how many Tri-city RSers there are.

At least with WCE, you just have to sit and wait, as opposed to be frustrated in traffic.

Thanks alot for the responses, alot of extra stuff that the guys at work/family did not bring up.

I dont have to worry about gas, company vehicle / contractor. Wrenching on my car is more of a hobby, not a money savings thing.
I dont need to move out, its more of a want, and cant go wrong with equity rising year by year.

Im not interested in langley or surrey, thats a topic on its own.
Buy a commercial space on spring street?!!?!? or one of the spots by german motor car?!!? Those are 1-2mil each, what are you smoking? Send it over! KappaPride

Im maxed out around 425k, as for downpayment, lets just say its iether an original NSX, a new corvette, or a townhouse down payment.
Pitt meadows is not bad, its just limited selection at the moment.

Im not concerned moving forward in regards to wife/kids/settling down, etc, if needed i will sell and move into the city, its just right now, what i want is a townhouse.
Who knows, i may even bail to Japan in a few years.

A con/pro list is a good idea, i will get on it.

If this is your budget, then this is about as good as you can get - 3 parking spots, including the garage:

https://www.zolo.ca/pitt-meadows-rea...0-ford-road/64

Keep in mind, property tax in Pitt Meadows is pretty high.

Have you considered buying a condo and using your parents garage when you want to work on your car? Seems like a good compromise if they're cool with it.

I seriously don't know how some people do it, driving 40+ min to work during rush hour. I guess you guys try to listen to audiobook to entertain yourself? I'm from poco and one of the main reasons I was okay moving this far from DT where my wife and I work is because of WCE. I've driven to work a few times last year and, each time it just starts to kill me from inside as I prepare to merge onto Hwy 1 and see the madness.

For me I'd be happier taking extra 10 min on WCE than taking skytrain or driving. My time on WCE is productive as I get to catch up on reading.