“Did it ever hit close to home. Add me to the list of young families looking at options East of the Rockies.”

“Did it ever hit close to home. I too am under 35 with two little kids and can relate 100% to the families interviewed. Add me to the list of young families looking at options East of the Rockies. They said it best when they said it doesn’t feel like you are making any financial progress. How can you with the outrageous cost of living here? For our generation the current path, with house prices the way they are, is financial failure…the type that you recently featured when profiling some 40 somethings. There literally is no money left at the end of the month after mortgage and bills. With both wifey and I working and earning over $120k combined, we are running on a financial treadmill. I don’t know how young families can manage here. A negative savings rate might offer an explanation. There is more to life than putting all one’s $ into a house in a region that is cold and wet basically 10 out of 12 months a year. Born and raised here but wanting out now. The nice cultural fabric we once had here has been shredded also in recent years, to add insult to injury.”
– ‘Metro Van Observer’ [greaterfool.ca 5 Oct 2011 12:54am] responding to stories on Global TV about young couples leaving Vancouver

6 responses to ““Did it ever hit close to home. Add me to the list of young families looking at options East of the Rockies.””

West Coast Woman | 6 October 2011 at 10:35 pm | Reply

The last sentence really hit home with me. This entire City has become consumed with real estate, especially as prices have risen. This has led to our City Councils destroying existing communities to meet developers’ demands for more locations to build condos, which in turn has shredded our cultural fabric. More condos along with the boom in property prices is in City Hall’s interest so that they can collect more in property taxes from us, but is it really in the City’s interest?
MM | 7 October 2011 at 8:48 am | Reply

in the Global TV story last night it was all about Port Moody, an affordable alternative for young families “only 45 minutes away”

… which is true, but nicer townhouses in walkable locations are still listed close to half a million, which is a lot to pay, esp. with three tiny bedrooms, and a bathroom sized “yard”, and most often a view of the other townhouses crowded around it.
- i luv port moody | 8 October 2011 at 7:40 pm | Reply
  
  Argh,Global leave Port Moody alone. My young adult children are hoping one day to stay in their Port Moody home town.Go speculate elsewhere.
E.G. | 7 October 2011 at 11:19 am | Reply

“…cold and wet basically 10 out of 12 months a year.”

This is what I never understand about Vancouverites. Yes, the deep, bitter cold of winter is mainly absent there – although -5 in Vancouver feels like -20 elsewhere with the humidity.

But most of non-territorial Canada endures about three or four (at most) months of winter, and the rest of the year is at least as good, of not better than, Vancouver. And even the winter months are generally sunny, which is more than you can say about the LM.

I can attest to this, having lived in Vancouver for 8 years, and in cities and towns elsewhere on both ends of the country.

But, it’s all propaganda. And the gullible Vancouverites buy into it so well.
Ulsterman | 8 October 2011 at 1:26 am | Reply

Waaay back in 93 i spent a summer in Chatham, ON. What i particularly remember were lovely hot days swimming in the lakes, and warm, balmy evenings that enabled us to sit outdoors until the early hours wearing shorts and T-shirts.

Chatham is the kind of town that westcoasters like to make fun of, but for the average person living there, the quality of life was pretty high.
DM | 9 October 2011 at 5:29 pm | Reply

I have two nephews, late twenties, Vancouver born and raised who have met girls from Chatham and have moved there in the last two years. For under $200K a nice house with a decent yard can be had. Both are working there and earning more than they ever did in Vancouver. Can’t say I blame them. What future did they have in Vancouver in terms of decent paying employment and housing?