I bought a house Wednesday...

Virgule3 · 04-10-2008, 06:43 AM

Yup...

Last year, when my ex moved out (we stayed roommates for a year after we broke up), I bought our house but it was a huge house. I knew I would not be able to keep it but at the time, he had offered me some great conditions, a great deal, etc... And he also had given me 20, 000$ to add on my down payment if I wanted to keep this house...

But after a year, I can't keep it by myself anymore, it's too big and too expensive. I work way too much and I don't even have the time to clean it, I have to have a cleaning lady...

So... I bought a cute little half twin yesterday. I think I had shown it to you. Well, it's mine now. It's not great, it's very small compared to what I'm used to, but a family of 5 kids and 2 adults lived there... It should be enough for me and my dogs, right?

I'm moving on August first.

Sophie.

Casa Nova · 04-10-2008, 10:20 AM

Congrats, I remember you posting it a while ago it's a really cute house. Make sure you make Chris help you move lol

Doug of Montreal · 04-10-2008, 01:25 PM

Yep, that was a cute house! Congrats! It will feel darn good to get the weight of that huge home off your hands

BruceMiller · 04-11-2008, 12:10 AM

Congrats on the new home

Moving is always so much fun

Jimmidean · 04-11-2008, 07:27 AM

Congrats on the purchase.

StaceyJo · 04-11-2008, 08:00 AM

Thats great I think the way you described it, it would be ok for you and with your dogs..

Xrated J · 04-11-2008, 11:48 AM

congrats

Rania · 04-14-2008, 10:38 AM

Congrats got any pictures?

LAJ · 04-14-2008, 12:58 PM

Not a lot of people doing that right now... congrats.

Virgule3 · 04-15-2008, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAJ

Not a lot of people doing that right now... congrats.

Not a lot of people doing what... Buy a house? Here, yes. Especially in the area where I live. Right now, we are the place in Canada where houses are still the most affordable but not for long. The market is going to catch up soon, so NOW is the time to buy if you want one and don't already.

I'm having a bit of trouble selling my house for $215 000 and it's a huge house, garage, carport, shed, 40, 000sqft backyard... Wood floors, etc... In Montreal, you can add at least $100 000 for the comparables and everywhere else (Toronto, Vancouver, etc...), it would go for $400 000 to $500 000...

In Vancouver, you have a shithole for $200, 000. Literally... A friend's house, which was an hour outside of Vancouver was brand new but about the same size as mine but no basement and a mini backyard (my deck is bigger I think than her yard was) and she sold the house for 400, 000$...

I'm buying at the best time I think...

Sophie.

Evil Chris · 04-15-2008, 10:47 AM

Congratulations on the purchase Sophie. I remember seeing the pictures you posted several months ago. Buying a house is great, but moving is a headache. I hope it goes smoothly for you!

LAJ · 04-15-2008, 10:51 AM

Yup... lots of foreclosures in the US and a few ppl I know are having a hard time selling their house.

Stephane76 · 04-15-2008, 10:53 AM

Congratulations!

Moving sucks tho...

rhetorical · 04-17-2008, 01:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Virgule3

Not a lot of people doing what... Buy a house? Here, yes. Especially in the area where I live. Right now, we are the place in Canada where houses are still the most affordable but not for long. The market is going to catch up soon, so NOW is the time to buy if you want one and don't already.

I'm having a bit of trouble selling my house for $215 000 and it's a huge house, garage, carport, shed, 40, 000sqft backyard... Wood floors, etc... In Montreal, you can add at least $100 000 for the comparables and everywhere else (Toronto, Vancouver, etc...), it would go for $400 000 to $500 000...

In Vancouver, you have a shithole for $200, 000. Literally... A friend's house, which was an hour outside of Vancouver was brand new but about the same size as mine but no basement and a mini backyard (my deck is bigger I think than her yard was) and she sold the house for 400, 000$...

I'm buying at the best time I think...

Sophie.

I live on the beach in Vancouver and I went to an open house last week. A detached house that reeked of oil, beat up really badly (it had been some kind of frat house) on an irregular lot of a decent size. Certainly a tear down. It was 1.2 million dollars. Kinda sucks if you are starting out in Vancouver. Best you can do is a 500 sq ft studio/den kinda thing for about 400 K. Its pretty bad....or good depending on what rung of the ladder you are on. Oh and sorry I overlooked saying congratulations.

Slippery · 04-17-2008, 10:41 AM

Congratulations on the new home Virgule! Post a few pics of it after you move in and you have styled it up your own way!

Evil Chris · 04-17-2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhetorical

I live on the beach in Vancouver and I went to an open house last week. A detached house that reeked of oil, beat up really badly (it had been some kind of frat house) on an irregular lot of a decent size. Certainly a tear down. It was 1.2 million dollars. Kinda sucks if you are starting out in Vancouver. Best you can do is a 500 sq ft studio/den kinda thing for about 400 K. Its pretty bad....or good depending on what rung of the ladder you are on. Oh and sorry I overlooked saying congratulations.

For some reason, people like it in Vancouver. I'll admit it's a nice place to visit but would I live there? No way.

I just got back from spending a week there and it was cold and raining the entire week. Pretty much the status quo year-round in Vancouver. Couple the shitty weather with an over-inflated real estate market, and you've got a location where it's hard to understand what the attraction is. The mountains?

Cyndalie · 04-17-2008, 11:06 AM

Congrats Sophie! May you have many wonderful times there!

rhetorical · 04-17-2008, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evil Chris

For some reason, people like it in Vancouver. I'll admit it's a nice place to visit but would I live there? No way.

I just got back from spending a week there and it was cold and raining the entire week. Pretty much the status quo year-round in Vancouver. Couple the shitty weather with an over-inflated real estate market, and you've got a location where it's hard to understand what the attraction is. The mountains?

I moved here from Toronto 3 and a half years ago. But I did grow up in Vancouver. I lived in Toronto for 15 years so got a pretty good feel for the place and loved it. I used to like driving to Montreal and hooking up with DannyC and watching the wrestling, I loved the bars and communities in Toronto. I lived in the beach and everyone knows everyone. Then I moved out here. It took awhile. Folks in Vancouver are certainly not as friendly, but you take the good with the bad. Weather doesn't bother me, because I travel. This winter I was in South East Asia. But I do like access to good food. I love not having to drive through heavy traffic to get every little thing done. I love the markets. But most of all I like where I live. Over the years, I invested well and managed to get a place that I overlook English Bay and can watch all the boating activity from freighters to cruise ships. I walk in the mountains three or four times a week....way up high. In snow shoes at the moment. Its perfect winter, with clean snow and christmas trees everywhere and very few people around. The silence in the snow can be deafening. Its ironic that I drive half an hour to get into winter to escape winter. That overcomes the the rain issues for me. The climate is actually pretty benign and easy to take. I have lived in big cities like London and Moscow and Manila, and even moving to Toronto, I felt like I had moved to a small town. In Vancouver, I have moved to a small city and it suits me. Its also a pretty easy place to do our business with enough talent and locations to keep me happy.
Long post, but that is the Cole's notes version on why I like living here.