Is it possible to find a large one story home in GTA (Canada)?

[Savak]

We are presently living in a 3000 sq feet house in Toronto with a basement, living room, second floor and master bedroom on the top floor. The biggest plus point of the house when we acquired it 5 years ago was the fact that it was just 5 minutes walking distance from the TTC station.

However now things are different for us as a family now. My mother has been battling Parkinson's for a year and a half and her symptoms have rapidly progressed and she has difficulty walking unassisted and it freaks us out having to see her climb these stairs. Plus since my mom and sister moved full time to Canada this year, we find that the house is no longer spacious and big enough for 4 people now.

Based on this, our considerations have changed now. Being close to a TTC station is no longer a factor for us now. Both me and my dad have our own cars. My dad works in downtown Toronto and he is prepared to drive his car to a subway station or a Go Train Station and then use it to get to downtown.

But what we are ideally looking for a large decent sized house which is one story where everything is on one floor ie the living room, the bedrooms, master bedroom, the kitchen so that we don't have to worry about mom having to climb stairs. I understand that there might be a basement which is fine.

Do Canadian ppers feel it is reasonable and possible to find a large one story home in the GTA in places like Mississauga, Etobicoke, Oakville, North York etc?

 

[Slog]

Why not talk to a real estate agent?

I know PP has its fair share of Canadian desis but why not just talk to an expert?

 

[Savak]

Why not talk to a real estate agent?

I know PP has its fair share of Canadian desis but why not just talk to an expert?

My dad will speak to an agent. I thought i would just ask folks living in Canada for their opinions, insights, suggestions and whether they feel the idea is practical, reasonable etc

 

[Abdul]

http://lmgtfy.com/?iie=1&q=one+story+house+toronto

 

[ahsan17]

Use realtor.ca to find listings. You should be able to find something quite easily, but be warned, the prices will be very high. You might have to look into Guelph or Waterloo region for cheaper prices.

 

[Savak]

Use realtor.ca to find listings. You should be able to find something quite easily, but be warned, the prices will be very high. You might have to look into Guelph or Waterloo region for cheaper prices.

Guelph, Waterloo will be too far

 

[emm-tee]

We are presently living in a 3000 sq feet house in Toronto with a basement, living room, second floor and master bedroom on the top floor. The biggest plus point of the house when we acquired it 5 years ago was the fact that it was just 5 minutes walking distance from the TTC station.

However now things are different for us as a family now. My mother has been battling Parkinson's for a year and a half and her symptoms have rapidly progressed and she has difficulty walking unassisted and it freaks us out having to see her climb these stairs. Plus since my mom and sister moved full time to Canada this year, we find that the house is no longer spacious and big enough for 4 people now.

Based on this, our considerations have changed now. Being close to a TTC station is no longer a factor for us now. Both me and my dad have our own cars. My dad works in downtown Toronto and he is prepared to drive his car to a subway station or a Go Train Station and then use it to get to downtown.

But what we are ideally looking for a large decent sized house which is one story where everything is on one floor ie the living room, the bedrooms, master bedroom, the kitchen so that we don't have to worry about mom having to climb stairs. I understand that there might be a basement which is fine.

Do Canadian ppers feel it is reasonable and possible to find a large one story home in the GTA in places like Mississauga, Etobicoke, Oakville, North York etc?

What you are looking for is an oversized Bungalow or if you need a basement too, then a raised Bungalow. They will be older as newer homes are all two storey etc. So a fully renovated one will be what you should look for.

Good luck and hope things get better for your family, especially for your mom.

 

[kingusama92]

I'd recommend going to realtor.ca and searching for bungalows (use the search filters to do this).

This should reveal multiple options in the GTA.

You'll likely have to sacrifice on the property's age as most are decades old.

 

[ahsan17]

Guelph, Waterloo will be too far

It depends on your budget - you might be able to find something for 500-600k in GTA that may not be in very good condition, but would still be liveable. Search on realtor.ca and filter by your price range (maybe a little higher or your price range even, assuming you can negotiate the price down a little bit).

One thing I'd suggest - wait for the month of December to buy. This December is almost over, so your next shot might be December 2019. You can find some real steals in December, because people are generally not looking to buy in December because of Christmas, school year still going and the winter. You might notice a 10-15% difference in price if you buy in December instead of most other months. I am not sure how much better January and February will be - you might still find good deals in those months, but I don't have as much experience with those.

 

[srh]

We are presently living in a 3000 sq feet house in Toronto with a basement, living room, second floor and master bedroom on the top floor. The biggest plus point of the house when we acquired it 5 years ago was the fact that it was just 5 minutes walking distance from the TTC station.

However now things are different for us as a family now. My mother has been battling Parkinson's for a year and a half and her symptoms have rapidly progressed and she has difficulty walking unassisted and it freaks us out having to see her climb these stairs. Plus since my mom and sister moved full time to Canada this year, we find that the house is no longer spacious and big enough for 4 people now.

Based on this, our considerations have changed now. Being close to a TTC station is no longer a factor for us now. Both me and my dad have our own cars. My dad works in downtown Toronto and he is prepared to drive his car to a subway station or a Go Train Station and then use it to get to downtown.

But what we are ideally looking for a large decent sized house which is one story where everything is on one floor ie the living room, the bedrooms, master bedroom, the kitchen so that we don't have to worry about mom having to climb stairs. I understand that there might be a basement which is fine.

Do Canadian ppers feel it is reasonable and possible to find a large one story home in the GTA in places like Mississauga, Etobicoke, Oakville, North York etc?

You are basically looking for a bungalow in Canadian terms. Use realtor.ca and in filter criteria select 1 story for a house detached.
Big Bungalows with 4 bedrooms are not many though in GTA, may be you will find some on Lawrence Ave at Victoria Park Av

 

[IMMY69]

We are presently living in a 3000 sq feet house in Toronto with a basement, living room, second floor and master bedroom on the top floor. The biggest plus point of the house when we acquired it 5 years ago was the fact that it was just 5 minutes walking distance from the TTC station.

However now things are different for us as a family now. My mother has been battling Parkinson's for a year and a half and her symptoms have rapidly progressed and she has difficulty walking unassisted and it freaks us out having to see her climb these stairs. Plus since my mom and sister moved full time to Canada this year, we find that the house is no longer spacious and big enough for 4 people now.

Based on this, our considerations have changed now. Being close to a TTC station is no longer a factor for us now. Both me and my dad have our own cars. My dad works in downtown Toronto and he is prepared to drive his car to a subway station or a Go Train Station and then use it to get to downtown.

But what we are ideally looking for a large decent sized house which is one story where everything is on one floor ie the living room, the bedrooms, master bedroom, the kitchen so that we don't have to worry about mom having to climb stairs. I understand that there might be a basement which is fine.

Do Canadian ppers feel it is reasonable and possible to find a large one story home in the GTA in places like Mississauga, Etobicoke, Oakville, North York etc?

Have you considered putting in a chair lift?
The one ones that are literally go through the ceiling and are just big enough for wheel chairs.

 

[IMMY69]

Something like this?

https://www.stannahhomelifts.co.uk/our-products/compact-homelifts/stratum

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Is there no possibility of extending the groundfloor of your existing home?

 

[Savak]

Something like this?

https://www.stannahhomelifts.co.uk/our-products/compact-homelifts/stratum

We explored the idea of a chairlift, our staircase has been designed in such a way that its not practical and besides my parents were like it doesn't look pretty.

Truth be told, my parents aren't also happy with the house. We believe its not big enough, we don't have a lot of place to put and store stuff.

 

[Savak]

Someone suggested to us why not build your own dreamhouse yourself. But that I am sure would cost a bomb and much more than buying a new place?

 

[kingusama92]

Someone suggested to us why not build your own dreamhouse yourself. But that I am sure would cost a bomb and much more than buying a new place?

It's not ideal from what I've heard (know someone who had it done). You don't realize how challenging it is until the process begins.

You're looking at building the most expensive type of property (bungalow) in a crazy expensive area. Remember, it's a lot harder to build horizontally then it is to build vertically (wider foundation = extra work + testing). Even then the property isn't your biggest challenge because the actual land will take up most of your time and money. You have to get it inspected and approved which takes months.

Suppose money isn't a problem, the timeline will make you pull your hair out.

You could also find a two-storey home with a bedroom on the main floor. Those do exist. I wouldn't restrict myself with the single-storey requirement just yet.

 

[Pakistanian]

Someone suggested to us why not build your own dreamhouse yourself. But that I am sure would cost a bomb and much more than buying a new place?

It takes like 3 years to build, do you have the time?

 

[IMMY69]

Also harder to get finance for new build due to the obvious lack of security.

 

[srh]

Buying a condo is another option. Will be cheaper than buying a bungalow.

 

[Savak]

Buying a condo is another option. Will be cheaper than buying a bungalow.

Condo fees are not cheap, utilities in houses is cheaper in comparison. Plus space in condo is very limited. Not worth paying $1,000,000 for such a limited space.

Have no idea how young people in Pakistan can afford houses in Pakistan where avg price of house in Defence is worth crores

 

[ahsan17]

Condo fees are not cheap, utilities in houses is cheaper in comparison. Plus space in condo is very limited. Not worth paying $1,000,000 for such a limited space.

Have no idea how young people in Pakistan can afford houses in Pakistan where avg price of house in Defence is worth crores

You can find condos around 400-500k easily.

 

[Savak]

You can find condos around 400-500k easily.

We have been unimpressed with condos worth a minimum of $1,000,000. Doubt it we will find anything below that impressive either

 

[Stewie]

Dang real estate prices in Toronta are INSANE!!! I am
Only a few hours away across the border and you can buy a huge mAnsion for that much!!

 

[kingusama92]

Dang real estate prices in Toronta are INSANE!!! I am
Only a few hours away across the border and you can buy a huge mAnsion for that much!!

Yeah, Toronto and Vancouver are nuts.

 

[Stewie]

Yeah, Toronto and Vancouver are nuts.

Its the chinese influx.. they have driven up the prices by bringing in enormous cash and paying moonh maangey daam for houses. The situation in the US isnt bad yet but it the prices have certainly gone up in major metro areas over the last few years. The chinese are just taking over!!

 

[Savak]

Buying a condo is another option. Will be cheaper than buying a bungalow.

You can find condos around 400-500k easily.

Its the chinese influx.. they have driven up the prices by bringing in enormous cash and paying moonh maangey daam for houses. The situation in the US isnt bad yet but it the prices have certainly gone up in major metro areas over the last few years. The chinese are just taking over!!

I know 2-3 people who have sold houses in Canada and in all three occasions the buyers were Chinese foreign nationals and they all offered 50% downpayment in cash up front straight away. A local Canadian living and working in Canada cannot afford to make such a large downpayment immediately

 

[ahsan17]

We have been unimpressed with condos worth a minimum of $1,000,000. Doubt it we will find anything below that impressive either

Ok, then next best options would be a detached house or town houses. Not sure what your budget is but if it's not very high (i.e. less than 800k) then you might not be impressed with what you find.

Its the chinese influx.. they have driven up the prices by bringing in enormous cash and paying moonh maangey daam for houses. The situation in the US isnt bad yet but it the prices have certainly gone up in major metro areas over the last few years. The chinese are just taking over!!

It's not just the Chinese. The record low interest rates had people buying houses for investment because the prices were going up significantly. Now that the interest rates are getting higher, you will see the typical 3% annual growth in property values.

I know 2-3 people who have sold houses in Canada and in all three occasions the buyers were Chinese foreign nationals and they all offered 50% downpayment in cash up front straight away. A local Canadian living and working in Canada cannot afford to make such a large downpayment immediately

The liberals changed the rules not too long ago, with the 15% tax on foreign buyers. That caused the prices to drop 10-20% in GTA. But still, based on current household income levels in GTA, affording a house is very difficult.

 

[Stewie]

I have some in laws in toronto area.. they are concerned their kids wont ever be able to buy their own houses because incomes are too low. Not enough well paying jobs and competition is too much.. its ridiculous really.. i thought canada was a great place to live..

 

[ahmedzee]

Canada is a lot more than Toronto. More jobs in the west with better affordability and quality of life (except Vancouver)

 

[slipcatch]

I have some in laws in toronto area.. they are concerned their kids wont ever be able to buy their own houses because incomes are too low. Not enough well paying jobs and competition is too much.. its ridiculous really.. i thought canada was a great place to live..

Got family in Toronto, too.

Everything is expensive, from grocery to owning a property.

It is really difficult to imagine that such a big country with only 36 million population (less than the state of California) can be this expensive when it comes to affording housing.

 

[Savak]

I have some in laws in toronto area.. they are concerned their kids wont ever be able to buy their own houses because incomes are too low. Not enough well paying jobs and competition is too much.. its ridiculous really.. i thought canada was a great place to live..

Reality is always harsher than perception. Now watch the desi Canadian nationalists come and pounce on me

 

[kingusama92]

I have some in laws in toronto area.. they are concerned their kids wont ever be able to buy their own houses because incomes are too low. Not enough well paying jobs and competition is too much.. its ridiculous really.. i thought canada was a great place to live..

I believe the issue is wanting to live in the GTA. Sometimes out of necessity (i.e. family is close by, work location) and sometimes out of preference.

Canada is more than just Toronto and Vancouver.

You can find tremendous deals in pretty much every other province but most people want to live close to the downtown core. If you want that, you will pay for it.

 

[ahsan17]

I believe the issue is wanting to live in the GTA. Sometimes out of necessity (i.e. family is close by, work location) and sometimes out of preference.

Canada is more than just Toronto and Vancouver.

You can find tremendous deals in pretty much every other province but most people want to live close to the downtown core. If you want that, you will pay for it.

Pretty much any place worth living in Ontario is quite expensive now. Believe it or not, you can go as far as Windsor, and any decent neighbourhood will run you 400k+ for a 3 br, 2 bath house. Montreal might be cheaper. The prairie provinces are extremely cold. Vancouver is extremely expensive, so I feel like Montreal is the only place left that is affordable and where people might want to live.

 

[Savak]

Some realtors are like there are some townhouses which have an elevator installed

 

[Stewie]

[MENTION=8597]kingusama92[/MENTION] ...But thats the whole point. Yiu want to live where decent employment opportunities are. Why would i want to move to calgary and buy a house there if there are only a few employers there? I am not saying thats exactly the case, i just used calgary as an example. Unless you are in a profession that can help you land a job anywhere, its tough for the rest. If i am an engineer or in the IT sector, i want to stay close to where the jobs are. And canada is so sparsely populated, you can either go to GTA or Vancouver for high tec work.. maybe Calgary .. montreal only if you can speak French if i am not mistaken.. your options are limited and those are all expensive areas.

People complain about the US, but its a much wider field here. Especially in the southern states, you can buy a house for much cheaper. You could buy a castle for $600-$700 k in Houston or Dallas area.

 

[Justcrazy]

I believe the issue is wanting to live in the GTA. Sometimes out of necessity (i.e. family is close by, work location) and sometimes out of preference.

Canada is more than just Toronto and Vancouver.

You can find tremendous deals in pretty much every other province but most people want to live close to the downtown core. If you want that, you will pay for it.

That is the problem.

These prices in GTA area is all artificially created. People hiking up the prices too much. Other provinces houses are much more cheaper.

 

[kingusama92]

Pretty much any place worth living in Ontario is quite expensive now. Believe it or not, you can go as far as Windsor, and any decent neighbourhood will run you 400k+ for a 3 br, 2 bath house. Montreal might be cheaper. The prairie provinces are extremely cold. Vancouver is extremely expensive, so I feel like Montreal is the only place left that is affordable and where people might want to live.

You're right, the prices are definitely tickling upwards in those areas.

I suppose it depends on someone's willingness to enter the market. Current prices in the GTA make it near impossible for the average person so you have to venture out as much as you can.

Montreal is definitely the best balance of corporate opportunities, big city vibes, and good property prices.

[MENTION=8597]kingusama92[/MENTION] ...But thats the whole point. Yiu want to live where decent employment opportunities are. Why would i want to move to calgary and buy a house there if there are only a few employers there? I am not saying thats exactly the case, i just used calgary as an example. Unless you are in a profession that can help you land a job anywhere, its tough for the rest. If i am an engineer or in the IT sector, i want to stay close to where the jobs are. And canada is so sparsely populated, you can either go to GTA or Vancouver for high tec work.. maybe Calgary .. montreal only if you can speak French if i am not mistaken.. your options are limited and those are all expensive areas.

People complain about the US, but its a much wider field here. Especially in the southern states, you can buy a house for much cheaper. You could buy a castle for $600-$700 k in Houston or Dallas area.

Yeah Canada has very compact economic hubs in comparison to America. Most big-tier companies remain within that bubble. I think the only American counterpart remotely comparable would be the Bay Area with its tech companies all in one place.

The only solution is to live further out and increase transportation time. It's a sacrifice that can be made in the first 5-10 years of one's career while letting the property appreciate in value (if they can buy). There should come a point where a person's savings + raises catch up assuming they're fiscally responsible.

I do feel these Canadian cities needs to spend more on their transportation options to and from these far away suburbs. It's the only way to entice professionals to spread out.

 

[kingusama92]

That is the problem.

These prices in GTA area is all artificially created. People hiking up the prices too much. Other provinces houses are much more cheaper.

Definitely.

Combined with low interest rates, it rose to crazy heights before 2018.

 

[emm-tee]

It takes like 3 years to build, do you have the time?

3 years to build a house in Canada?
Unless you are actually doing everything yourself, it should be completed within a calendar year.

I've seen a few people do start to finish even quicker. Please do some research prior to posting.

 

[Savak]

So far my dad is thinking of re modelling our existing house which means installing an elevator, expanding the living room, redoing the garage overall creating more space in our existing house

He is not keen to leave this house because it is brilliantly located ie close to Mississauga, Oakville, Etobicoke, close to the subway station and various amenities, it's close to downtown, close to all the major hospitals, 15-20 min from Pearson Airport and 10-15 min from Billy Bishop Airport.

One aunt of ours lives in St Catherines, Niagara falls and she is one hour from our place, another uncle of mine lives in Pickering and he too is one hour from our place.

So from that perspective I guess I support whatever decision he makes.

The cost of the proposed modifications may not be cheap though and the other question is will it actually increase the value of the house?

 

[Slog]

Dang real estate prices in Toronta are INSANE!!! I am
Only a few hours away across the border and you can buy a huge mAnsion for that much!!

Depends on where. I mean if you’re comparing Toronto to Buffalo, NY them you are starting off the wrong foot

 

[Slog]

So far my dad is thinking of re modelling our existing house which means installing an elevator, expanding the living room, redoing the garage overall creating more space in our existing house

He is not keen to leave this house because it is brilliantly located ie close to Mississauga, Oakville, Etobicoke, close to the subway station and various amenities, it's close to downtown, close to all the major hospitals, 15-20 min from Pearson Airport and 10-15 min from Billy Bishop Airport.

One aunt of ours lives in St Catherines, Niagara falls and she is one hour from our place, another uncle of mine lives in Pickering and he too is one hour from our place.

So from that perspective I guess I support whatever decision he makes.

The cost of the proposed modifications may not be cheap though and the other question is will it actually increase the value of the house?

Generally renovation increases value of house

But in this case it seems it’s not so much jazzing up the house but making it convenient for your mom which the market may not value the same way

 

[Stewie]

Depends on where. I mean if you’re comparing Toronto to Buffalo, NY them you are starting off the wrong foot

And why is that? I have lived in three four different states in the US. And barring LA and NYC, all other major cities in the US have better real estate situation than Toronto and better and more jobs as well.

 

[ahsan17]

And why is that? I have lived in three four different states in the US. And barring LA and NYC, all other major cities in the US have better real estate situation than Toronto and better and more jobs as well.

Agreed, NYC, LA, Bay Area and Seattle will have similar housing problems as Toronto. But you are still left with Chicago area, Detroit area (the suburbs are very nice), Houston, Dallas, etc. Mind you, some of those cities are bland and not as nice overall compared to Toronto, but opportunities wise they can definitely compete.

As for Montreal, no you don't need to know French. It is a truly multicultural and bilingual city. I think that's a fear that keeps a lot of people from moving to Montreal, but once you figure out you don't need to know French, and check out the city, you find out it's a fantastic city to live and work in.

So far my dad is thinking of re modelling our existing house which means installing an elevator, expanding the living room, redoing the garage overall creating more space in our existing house

He is not keen to leave this house because it is brilliantly located ie close to Mississauga, Oakville, Etobicoke, close to the subway station and various amenities, it's close to downtown, close to all the major hospitals, 15-20 min from Pearson Airport and 10-15 min from Billy Bishop Airport.

One aunt of ours lives in St Catherines, Niagara falls and she is one hour from our place, another uncle of mine lives in Pickering and he too is one hour from our place.

So from that perspective I guess I support whatever decision he makes.

The cost of the proposed modifications may not be cheap though and the other question is will it actually increase the value of the house?

It depends on how much of the renovations are general (i.e. will appeal to the general public) and how much is specific for your case.

 

[Stewie]

Lived 20 years in Texas. You might call it bland but in terms of employment, education, pakistani community and overall living index and cost of living, you cant find a better place. We have huge mosques, big eid and august 14 frstivals, basant, tons of pakistani businesses, Islamic schools and social gstherings. So its not bland for pakistanis... but to each his own, i guess

 

[slipcatch]

So far my dad is thinking of re modelling our existing house which means installing an elevator, expanding the living room, redoing the garage overall creating more space in our existing house

He is not keen to leave this house because it is brilliantly located ie close to Mississauga, Oakville, Etobicoke, close to the subway station and various amenities, it's close to downtown, close to all the major hospitals, 15-20 min from Pearson Airport and 10-15 min from Billy Bishop Airport.

One aunt of ours lives in St Catherines, Niagara falls and she is one hour from our place, another uncle of mine lives in Pickering and he too is one hour from our place.

So from that perspective I guess I support whatever decision he makes.

The cost of the proposed modifications may not be cheap though and the other question is will it actually increase the value of the house?

That is an absolutely prime location.

I wouldn’t leave, rather make it more convenient for your mom with renovating.

 

[slipcatch]

Lived 20 years in Texas. You might call it bland but in terms of employment, education, pakistani community and overall living index and cost of living, you cant find a better place. We have huge mosques, big eid and august 14 frstivals, basant, tons of pakistani businesses, Islamic schools and social gstherings. So its not bland for pakistanis... but to each his own, i guess

Dallas, Houston( personally never like Houston), and Austin are far from bland.

 

[Stewie]

They have the best schools as well. The UH justt started a medicine program and the first batch will have tuition free of cost.. free med school.. can you believe it? Then there is UT, A&M, Rice.. top schools. And yes desi life in Dallas, Houston, Austin/San Antone is far from bland..

 

[iHammad]

The topic of overpriced GTA real estate has been beaten to death in the media, at social gatherings and all over the internet.

Eventually in order for millennials to buy houses they will need serious help/inheritance from their parents for down payments to qualify for mortgages.

 

[Stewie]

Quite honestly, I did not know about that till we moved closer to the area from Texas a few years back. I love the whole area. Apart from the extreme winters and exorbitant real estate prices, its wonderful in GTA.

I dont know much about employment conditions though.

 

[ahsan17]

Lived 20 years in Texas. You might call it bland but in terms of employment, education, pakistani community and overall living index and cost of living, you cant find a better place. We have huge mosques, big eid and august 14 frstivals, basant, tons of pakistani businesses, Islamic schools and social gstherings. So its not bland for pakistanis... but to each his own, i guess

I honestly haven't been to Texas, so I can't say for certain Dallas/Houston are bland, but based on what I hear from most people that live there, that seems to be the case. Very large and sprawling suburbs, huge commutes, etc, and not much to do in the city except to maybe work. But for someone more closely involved in the Pakistani community and culture, I can see why it would be appealing.

I hear Austin is a lot more happening city, with a large tech scene and a more vibrant city core.

 

[Stewie]

Austin is much smaller than Houston or Dallas. It boasts some big names in tech but overall Houston is better due to its huge oil and gas and healthcare sector. Dallas has some big tech names too. If you graduated from one of the top Texas universities with a degree in a STEM field or business, its very improbable you cant find a job in any of these three cities.
I hear you cant say the same about Toronto, now. Can you?

 

[iHammad]

There's really no comparison between the economies of the metros in Texas and Toronto...GDP of Texas = GDP of all of Canada

 

[Stewie]

There's really no comparison between the economies of the metros in Texas and Toronto...GDP of Texas = GDP of all of Canada

Guess you learn something new everyday! I had no idea about that. I was always under the impression that like Texas, Canada had a booming Oil n Gas scene. I worked for a Petroleum engineering firm in Houston for a while, which had HQ in Canada.

I only came to realize how difficult things are for the younger generation here once a cousin of mine moved to Ontario and with her high qualifications and all is still struggling to find a job.

 

[iHammad]

Guess you learn something new everyday! I had no idea about that. I was always under the impression that like Texas, Canada had a booming Oil n Gas scene. I worked for a Petroleum engineering firm in Houston for a while, which had HQ in Canada.

I only came to realize how difficult things are for the younger generation here once a cousin of mine moved to Ontario and with her high qualifications and all is still struggling to find a job.

O&G scene in Canada is secluded to Alberta, mostly. The oil patch in that province has been having serious problems due to a lack of pipelines.

in Ontario the employment heavily relies on the public sector, financial services, real estate/construction, and manufacturing.

 

[Stewie]

Got it. Anyhow, apologies for kind of taking this discussion off topic. Cheers!

 

[oneindia]

@OP: Hows your accounting career turning out? I saw your posts on various forums regarding your bad experience with CPA. I hope it finally turns out good for you.

 

[oneindia]

Reality is always harsher than perception. Now watch the desi Canadian nationalists come and pounce on me

No, you're right. I cant dream of living in Toronto, Extremely expensive real estate & ridiculously long commute makes it difficult for me to even think about it. It seems like theres no decent city in Canada where you have decent real state, decent job market and decent salaries. This country is going downhill.

 

[ahsan17]

Austin is much smaller than Houston or Dallas. It boasts some big names in tech but overall Houston is better due to its huge oil and gas and healthcare sector. Dallas has some big tech names too. If you graduated from one of the top Texas universities with a degree in a STEM field or business, its very improbable you cant find a job in any of these three cities.
I hear you cant say the same about Toronto, now. Can you?

University of Toronto and University of Waterloo (1 hour from Toronto) are two world renowned universities. You should be able to easily find jobs not just in Toronto but in most places in Canada or the US if you graduate from there. There are several other universities in GTA - York, Ryersen, McMaster, Laurier. With that being said, it is more about the individual that the university they graduate from. That applies to all universities and all individuals.

No, you're right. I cant dream of living in Toronto, Extremely expensive real estate & ridiculously long commute makes it difficult for me to even think about it. It seems like theres no decent city in Canada where you have decent real state, decent job market and decent salaries. This country is going downhill.

Montreal is your best option. It has some good career options and you don't need to know French (it is the only city in Quebec where you can live without knowing French).

 

[Savak]

@OP: Hows your accounting career turning out? I saw your posts on various forums regarding your bad experience with CPA. I hope it finally turns out good for you.

So far so good. On track, have one final exam left and a couple of months of work experience left. Am weighing up my options on what to do next in the next 3-5 years.

If I will remain in North America for the rest of my life, then after obtaining the Canadian CPA designation, I will pursue the US CPA designation and try to move to the US as my parents are already US green card holders and try to open up my practice and alternatively see if I can get into teaching on the side as well.

If I have to move back to Pakistan then I will just look into getting into teaching accounting subjects full time in Universities, High School and even offering tuitions to accounting students looking to clear the ACCA exams.

After having experienced the harsh realities of working for others, i dearly would not like to be at the mercy of employers in the long run.

Even though the official retirement age in Canada is 65. Have seen many people laid off in their 50's and struggle to get back in their Professional fields as a result of which these individuals have had to get odd jobs for the rest of their working years. Plus have seen many partners and owners of Accounting practices, law and architecture practices work well into their 70's and late 80's.

 

[oneindia]

So far so good. On track, have one final exam left and a couple of months of work experience left. Am weighing up my options on what to do next in the next 3-5 years.

If I will remain in North America for the rest of my life, then after obtaining the Canadian CPA designation, I will pursue the US CPA designation and try to move to the US as my parents are already US green card holders and try to open up my practice and alternatively see if I can get into teaching on the side as well.

If I have to move back to Pakistan then I will just look into getting into teaching accounting subjects full time in Universities, High School and even offering tuitions to accounting students looking to clear the ACCA exams.

After having experienced the harsh realities of working for others, i dearly would not like to be at the mercy of employers in the long run.

Even though the official retirement age in Canada is 65. Have seen many people laid off in their 50's and struggle to get back in their Professional fields as a result of which these individuals have had to get odd jobs for the rest of their working years. Plus have seen many partners and owners of Accounting practices, law and architecture practices work well into their 70's and late 80's.

I am glad its finally working out well for you. I am actually on the exact same path, except, i am just one step ahead. Passed CFE this yr,
just started to study for US CPA,( hopefully i will get US CPA this summer). If there is anything i can help you with, feel free to let me know. ( I am sorry for going off topic on this thread).

 

[faraz39]

No, you're right. I cant dream of living in Toronto, Extremely expensive real estate & ridiculously long commute makes it difficult for me to even think about it. It seems like theres no decent city in Canada where you have decent real state, decent job market and decent salaries. This country is going downhill.

I've lived in Alberta for over 21 years and we love our lifestyle. Medium sized cities mean no overcrowding for health and other gov't services, highest household income in Canada (30% higher than Ontario), reasonable real estate prices, Rocky mountains, not as diversified as ON economically but more so than other provinces.

The desi community is not as big as ON but it's big enough for me. For a high quality of life, AB is easily at the top for Canada. By the way, my wife lived in ON (downtown Toronto and graduated from UofT) so we know both sides of the coin. Only way we'd move to Toronto is if we were making $300k or higher. Otherwise, the quality of life drop is not worth it in leaving AB for other provinces.

 

[Savak]

I've lived in Alberta for over 21 years and we love our lifestyle. Medium sized cities mean no overcrowding for health and other gov't services, highest household income in Canada (30% higher than Ontario), reasonable real estate prices, Rocky mountains, not as diversified as ON economically but more so than other provinces.

The desi community is not as big as ON but it's big enough for me. For a high quality of life, AB is easily at the top for Canada. By the way, my wife lived in ON (downtown Toronto and graduated from UofT) so we know both sides of the coin. Only way we'd move to Toronto is if we were making $300k or higher. Otherwise, the quality of life drop is not worth it in leaving AB for other provinces.

I lived in Alberta too for a year and a half. Compared to Toronto, Downtown would just die by 6 pm. But apart from that there was nothing wrong with the place. I was there at the time period when oil prices had dropped to an all time low and I saw many Oil Gas firms laying off people left right and centre and rampant unemployment which scared me and showed how oil dependent the province was.

But its hard for people to move to a place where they don't know anyone, have no friends, family and having to live alone vs living in a place, region where they have plenty of friends, family.

I personally wish that Toronto had a sea and beaches like California and Florida.

 

[ahsan17]

I personally wish that Toronto had a sea and beaches like California and Florida.

There are plenty of beaches along lake Ontario, but you can't really get in the water for too long because water is cold, and you can forget the winter. With that being said, water in California is also cold basically all year round.

 

[faraz39]

I lived in Alberta too for a year and a half. Compared to Toronto, Downtown would just die by 6 pm. But apart from that there was nothing wrong with the place. I was there at the time period when oil prices had dropped to an all time low and I saw many Oil Gas firms laying off people left right and centre and rampant unemployment which scared me and showed how oil dependent the province was.

But its hard for people to move to a place where they don't know anyone, have no friends, family and having to live alone vs living in a place, region where they have plenty of friends, family.

I personally wish that Toronto had a sea and beaches like California and Florida.

Yes agreed that the hardest part about moving to AB (or any place) is not having a support system in place. This is why I tell people that once you form a social network (takes at least 5 years), it's very hard to leave AB because you won't find the same quality of life anywhere else in Canada (for the same amount of money).

 

[ahsan17]

I've lived in Alberta for over 21 years and we love our lifestyle. Medium sized cities mean no overcrowding for health and other gov't services, highest household income in Canada (30% higher than Ontario), reasonable real estate prices, Rocky mountains, not as diversified as ON economically but more so than other provinces.

The desi community is not as big as ON but it's big enough for me. For a high quality of life, AB is easily at the top for Canada. By the way, my wife lived in ON (downtown Toronto and graduated from UofT) so we know both sides of the coin. Only way we'd move to Toronto is if we were making $300k or higher. Otherwise, the quality of life drop is not worth it in leaving AB for other provinces.

Hasn't Alberta's economy been decimated by the drop in oil prices? What percentage of people that were employed at the peak in 2014 are employed now? Another issue with Alberta is the extreme cold. -30 and less are quite common from what I hear.

 

[srh]

So far my dad is thinking of re modelling our existing house which means installing an elevator, expanding the living room, redoing the garage overall creating more space in our existing house

He is not keen to leave this house because it is brilliantly located ie close to Mississauga, Oakville, Etobicoke, close to the subway station and various amenities, it's close to downtown, close to all the major hospitals, 15-20 min from Pearson Airport and 10-15 min from Billy Bishop Airport.

One aunt of ours lives in St Catherines, Niagara falls and she is one hour from our place, another uncle of mine lives in Pickering and he too is one hour from our place.

So from that perspective I guess I support whatever decision he makes.

The cost of the proposed modifications may not be cheap though and the other question is will it actually increase the value of the house?

Thats a good decision of remodeling. Let me know if you find a good honest contractor to do this stuff. I may also required his services.

 

[faraz39]

Hasn't Alberta's economy been decimated by the drop in oil prices? What percentage of people that were employed at the peak in 2014 are employed now? Another issue with Alberta is the extreme cold. -30 and less are quite common from what I hear.

Decimated is relative. Even after the drop in energy industry, we are sending money to ON and Quebec to upkeep their government services (equalization payments). Even during the tough times our economy doesn't need money from other provinces and we maintain the highest household income in the country.

 

[Savak]

Thats a good decision of remodeling. Let me know if you find a good honest contractor to do this stuff. I may also required his services.

My dad mostly relies on my Chacha who is one of the top civil engineering consultants in Ontario and the guy he usually recommends are not cheap but they do a very high quality job and don't cut corners though he uses his influence with them to give the best possible deal.

 

[Savak]

Unless you have your own thriving business due to which you are able to take out a salary, management fee or dividend worth atleast $1,000,000 per annum, you will find many people doing jobs and making $100-150-175-200k per annum with a dependent house wife, kids living pretty much hand to mouth, situation changes slightly if spouse is also working full time and bringing in $100k per annum but that means putting kids in child care and day care or having to hire nannies, baby sitters and house keepers which are by no means cheap.

Both husband and wife come home after a long day at work extremely exhausting. Cooking on a frequent basis will be tough and doing household chores on regular week days taxing which means they can best be done over the weekend and this doesn't just include doing the laundry, Ironing clothes, cleaning the house, gardening, cutting the grass, taking out the trash but also doing grocery and other shopping which means half the weekend is gone.

My elder brother and bhabi just had twins this year and already in a matter of six seven months both are completely exhausted and dying to take their vacations. My bhabi has many times blurted that she really misses living in Pakistan like never before.

Most Salaried folks I always speak to complain that the cost of utilities is not the issue but the fact they have to pay so much in taxes makes it really hard to save up fast

 

[Stewie]

$150-200 k in US is considered a pretty darn decent living. Sure you cant afford a 10 bedroom mansion and a high end Mercedez, but its good enough for a nice 4-5 bedroom home, and a couole of accords with enough savings to out a couple of kids through college if you invest wisely. Nothing hand to mouth once you hit six figures..

 

[Savak]

Thats a good decision of remodeling. Let me know if you find a good honest contractor to do this stuff. I may also required his services.

$150-200 k in US is considered a pretty darn decent living. Sure you cant afford a 10 bedroom mansion and a high end Mercedez, but its good enough for a nice 4-5 bedroom home, and a couole of accords with enough savings to out a couple of kids through college if you invest wisely. Nothing hand to mouth once you hit six figures..

Yes, have plenty of relatives living in places like Virginia, New Jersey, Washington DC where they told us for the price we paid for house in Toronto, we could easily have gotten a really huge place in some parts of the US.

I have been to the US a few times and must say the cost of groceries, utilities and fuel is definitely cheaper compared to Canada.

However health care and cost of University Education ie Bachelors and Masters is a real killer in comparison to Canada (except for the elite branded programs) which is why Canada probably has one of highest University graduates to population ratio in the world.

Canada also has a great Maternity Leave program for women where they can paid maternity leave for a year, Men too in some organizations can avail maternity leave as well for a couple of months. Canada also offers unemployment Insurance EI for almost a year if you are unemployed. The US lags behind in this

 

[Stewie]

You are right.. healthcare and cost of education is where US lags way behind..

 

[faraz39]

Much depends on how we choose to set our lifestyles. We are a single incoming family with 3 kids and are still able to save a considerable amount. But that's only because we consciously choose to spend money on experiences instead of possessions. We live in a relatively small house which annoys my parents but I don't want a big house. We don't own luxury cars, most of the furniture in our house is second hand, kids clothes/jackets/shoes/toys are all second hand. Instead we spend quite a bit of money on camping, hiking, swimming, sports in general, and any other kind of experiences which helps us and the kids grow as people.

We also believe in minimalism so we try to reduce our material footprint as much as possible. The side benefit of this lifestyle is that you don't need lots of money to truly enjoy life since the focus is on quality of experience versus the price of it.

 

[Stewie]

Much depends on how we choose to set our lifestyles. We are a single incoming family with 3 kids and are still able to save a considerable amount. But that's only because we consciously choose to spend money on experiences instead of possessions. We live in a relatively small house which annoys my parents but I don't want a big house. We don't own luxury cars, most of the furniture in our house is second hand, kids clothes/jackets/shoes/toys are all second hand. Instead we spend quite a bit of money on camping, hiking, swimming, sports in general, and any other kind of experiences which helps us and the kids grow as people.

We also believe in minimalism so we try to reduce our material footprint as much as possible. The side benefit of this lifestyle is that you don't need lots of money to truly enjoy life since the focus is on quality of experience versus the price of it.

Wow.. who would have thought, pakistani canadian hippies.. more power to you, brother.. you guys are certainly an exceptional case..

I cant clothe myself and my kids in second hnd clothes. I dont splurge and go brands that make $50 dollar t shirts Either. But there are plenty of good sales all year round to get good deals on good quality clothes and pretty much everything. The only used items i would consider buying Are cars or books.

 

[gazza619]

Much depends on how we choose to set our lifestyles. We are a single incoming family with 3 kids and are still able to save a considerable amount. But that's only because we consciously choose to spend money on experiences instead of possessions. We live in a relatively small house which annoys my parents but I don't want a big house. We don't own luxury cars, most of the furniture in our house is second hand, kids clothes/jackets/shoes/toys are all second hand. Instead we spend quite a bit of money on camping, hiking, swimming, sports in general, and any other kind of experiences which helps us and the kids grow as people.

We also believe in minimalism so we try to reduce our material footprint as much as possible. The side benefit of this lifestyle is that you don't need lots of money to truly enjoy life since the focus is on quality of experience versus the price of it.

I have actually spent a lot of money on my house (my first house in UK). Used to live in a small flat before. My philosophy is that one spends the majority of time home, and so home should be homely and spacious (hence I moved to Birmingham fron London due to property prices). My mom visits me every year and so i wanted her to have more space.

 

[faraz39]

Wow.. who would have thought, pakistani canadian hippies.. more power to you, brother.. you guys are certainly an exceptional case..

I cant clothe myself and my kids in second hnd clothes. I dont splurge and go brands that make $50 dollar t shirts Either. But there are plenty of good sales all year round to get good deals on good quality clothes and pretty much everything. The only used items i would consider buying Are cars or books.

We buy second hand for kids since they grow out of them in matter of months. Especially winter jackets and boots which are used for only a few months. Alhumdulillah our lifestyle allows us to do things others would consider impossible such as taking a few months off and traveling the world which we are doing right now. I'm not saying this to brag but to show that we don't always have to follow what society tells us. There are alternative ways of living which provide more financial security and higher levels of satisfaction if the family changes their worldview.

 

[faraz39]

I have actually spent a lot of money on my house (my first house in UK). Used to live in a small flat before. My philosophy is that one spends the majority of time home, and so home should be homely and spacious (hence I moved to Birmingham fron London due to property prices). My mom visits me every year and so i wanted her to have more space.

Everyone's circumstances are different so I understand where you're coming from. It's important for us to have principles in life which guide our decisions as you seem to have done here. Otherwise we're just following the herd.