I totally understand. I don’t know how people can afford it.
- thundachunk

We got in at the right time. Most people who afford it either don't have kids, or live in rent controlled areas. Once both of our kids are in school, the lower mainland is easily affordable. but our youngest is 2 years away from that.

We live in Pitt Meadows. Problem with the lower mainland is that it continuously gets harder to live here. We own our home but still owe 250k in the mortgage(worth about 700k right now). We mostly don't want to move due to my mom being here and having a great neighbor. But we both like small town life, and we could afford to have more toys. The only thing I need as far as stuff is a store to go play MTG and there is one in williams lake. I could never live on the island or too far away from family. We have family in 100 mile as well. It is unlikely we do it, but rising property taxes, strata fee,s gas, insurance, etc could eventually force us to do something.
- Retinalz

Dude, we might be neighbours, what part of Pitt Meadows are you in?

We live in Pitt Meadows. Problem with the lower mainland is that it continuously gets harder to live here. We own our home but still owe 250k in the mortgage(worth about 700k right now). We mostly don't want to move due to my mom being here and having a great neighbor. But we both like small town life, and we could afford to have more toys. The only thing I need as far as stuff is a store to go play MTG and there is one in williams lake. I could never live on the island or too far away from family. We have family in 100 mile as well. It is unlikely we do it, but rising property taxes, strata fee,s gas, insurance, etc could eventually force us to do something.
- Retinalz

A few friends I know from college live in Burnaby, I believe.

4 of them in a 2 bedroom condo and each person is paying around 800-1000 bucks a month in total for rent/utilities. Only 2 of them are a couple. The other two are basically dorm living in their late 20s. All are working decent jobs that would let them own decent places of their own if it was somewhere else.

A friend of mine's company just moved its head office from Vancouver to Winnipeg because they couldn't afford to stay out there and they couldn't afford to pay anyone enough to get them to move to Vancouver either.

Apparently Winnipeg has actually become an attractive place for head offices of small/mid sized corporations. He was saying that a bunch of HO's from Toronto have relocated as well for similar reasons.

I know Edmonton is overflowing in empty office space and is working to provide similar opportunities for businesses.

I’ll be there Thursday for the night on my way to Savary for a little R&R.

Edit. Pitt Meadows that is.

Do you think Baer will be traded?
- Eldebrink

Nope. Better than wasting time on Duclair or Reider.

Dude, we might be neighbours, what part of Pitt Meadows are you in?
- DariusKnight

North of the train tracks on Harris

I’ll be there Thursday for the night on my way to Savary for a little R&R.

Edit. Pitt Meadows that is.
- thundachunk

I love it here in Pitt Meadows. I just wish that enough money to pay my mortgage/penalty fell into my lap.

North of the train tracks on Harris
- Retinalz

We're close, I'm just off of Ford about a block past the Jolly Coachman

We got in at the right time. Most people who afford it either don't have kids, or live in rent controlled areas. Once both of our kids are in school, the lower mainland is easily affordable. but our youngest is 2 years away from that.
- Retinalz

I hear you. Our child care is more than double what our mortgage is and I am also putting my wife through university. Once we have two incomes it will be a lot easier financially but that is still three years away.

Nope. Better than either of wasting time on Duclair or Reider.
- Nighthawk

Agreed

Taking in cast-off UFA wingers doesn’t help us. We are flush on the wings. We either ride it out or get a solid C for a plug for 2yrs at most. Gagner & MDZ are gone soon enough & in time for the prospects to win a spot.

I’ll be there Thursday for the night on my way to Savary for a little R&R.

Edit. Pitt Meadows that is.
- thundachunk

Savary Island?
Passing through the Comox Valley?

I hear you. Our child care is more than double what our mortgage is and I am also putting my wife through university. Once we have two incomes it will be a lot easier financially but that is still three years away.
- thundachunk

Ya i know how you feel. We are lucky that my wifes work bends over backwards to keep her happy. She works part time so we dont pay that that(except we put our eldest in preschool, and our youngest will start it in september). Once they are both in school things will be easier because my wife can keep her hours between school hours and be able to drop off and pick them up. Only problem is if I can get a mon-fri 8-4 type job that pays at least 45k/year. I work nights now and it is having a very negative impact on our marriage.

Ya i know how you feel. We are lucky that my wifes work bends over backwards to keep her happy. She works part time so we dont pay that that(except we put our eldest in preschool, and our youngest will start it in september). Once they are both in school things will be easier because my wife can keep her hours between school hours and be able to drop off and pick them up. Only problem is if I can get a mon-fri 8-4 type job that pays at least 45k/year. I work nights now and it is having a very negative impact on our marriage.
- Retinalz

Yeah, I hear that myself, I used to work nights at Safeway until they closed 10 stores (one of which was mine) and I took the severance. Not fun to be unemployed at 40 with 2 kids and a wife to support.

I left the lower mainland 10 years ago. I make a lot less money but my quality of life has tripled.

Yeah, I hear that myself, I used to work nights at Safeway until they closed 10 stores (one of which was mine) and I took the severance. Not fun to be unemployed at 40 with 2 kids and a wife to support.
- DariusKnight

I actually wish my job would offer me a buyout option.

I left the lower mainland 10 years ago. I make a lot less money but my quality of life has tripled.
- Marwood

Ya, Cumberland sounds nice, but I couldn't live on the island. Maybe someday but not now.

Yup. All my buds have left for the gulf islands, Squamish, Sunshine Coast or further abroad.
Sucks.
- dbot

We're full, plus it sucks in the islands. Go north instead.

Yeah, I hear that myself, I used to work nights at Safeway until they closed 10 stores (one of which was mine) and I took the severance. Not fun to be unemployed at 40 with 2 kids and a wife to support.
- DariusKnight

Luck to you and yours . I have had2 bigger corps swallow my employer over 26 years and each time was worse than before. Luckily we manage to make em enough profit they dont shutter us.

Ya i know how you feel. We are lucky that my wifes work bends over backwards to keep her happy. She works part time so we dont pay that that(except we put our eldest in preschool, and our youngest will start it in september). Once they are both in school things will be easier because my wife can keep her hours between school hours and be able to drop off and pick them up. Only problem is if I can get a mon-fri 8-4 type job that pays at least 45k/year. I work nights now and it is having a very negative impact on our marriage.
- Retinalz

You might look at Hope, can work in Chilliwack and still get to the Ridge/Meadows in not to bad a time. I moved from the Ridge to Mission at the right time and cashed in a bit to lower the mortage. Work in Delta so that sucks. But i now go out to Chilliwack/Abbotsford a lot and past Chilliwack the house prices and taxes drop. Just make sure if you look in Hope that you dont buy on the shady side of the mountains

Luck to you and yours . I have had2 bigger corps swallow my employer over 26 years and each time was worse than before. Luckily we manage to make em enough profit they dont shutter us.
- Tigersmyle

It could be worse, some of my work mates were sent out of the Lower Mainland in order to keep their jobs and the rest far away from where they live. Heck before I took the severance I was commuting to the ass end of Richmond to work from Pitt Meadows and I was told if I took the option to transfer I was likely going to be sent to Caulfield which is next to Horseshoe Bay Ferries.

It could be worse, some of my work mates were sent out of the Lower Mainland in order to keep their jobs and the rest far away from where they live. Heck before I took the severance I was commuting to the ass end of Richmond to work from Pitt Meadows and I was told if I took the option to transfer I was likely going to be sent to Caulfield which is next to Horseshoe Bay Ferries.
- DariusKnight

North Van on top of that commute , ugly . If able to take the south perimeter at least you had a chance to get past the mess. But all i hear in traffic on the way home is North Van blocked here, there, everywhere.

North Van on top of that commute , ugly . If able to take the south perimeter at least you had a chance to get past the mess. But all i hear in traffic on the way home is North Van blocked here, there, everywhere.

- Tigersmyle

Yeah, they gave me pretty generous severance, enough to pay the bills for 6 months and I'm looking to changing careers and getting into the trades like plumbing or carpentry and am looking for labourer jobs in those fields to work my way to becoming an apprentice.

North of the train tracks on Harris
- Retinalz

I got lucky with the market a while back. Bought a new townhouse on Como Lake and sold 18 months later for $100k more and bought a house in Poco. 1 year left on the mortgage fingers crossed. How about Kelowna? Homes are more affordable and cost of living isn't bad. Hope to move there one day.

I got lucky with the market a while back. Bought a new townhouse on Como Lake and sold 18 months later for $100k more and bought a house in Poco. 1 year left on the mortgage fingers crossed. How about Kelowna? Homes are more affordable and cost of living isn't bad. Hope to move there one day.
- Eldebrink

My mother and sister-in-law live there, it's not bad, but it's getting up there plus it has some of the same issues that you have with lack of rentals and properties snatched up for speculation.