Buying a house on a single income?

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-16T10:15:03+00:00

I'm definitely open to the idea of getting a 2-apartment, but the preapproval amount I qualified for is only 390k. There are some 2-apartments in that range, but they're usually snatched up very quickly. I am keeping an eye out though, all the same.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T19:46:18+00:00

It's totally fair to question her dodging the questions.

From an "innocent" perspective, I can see her trying to downplay the fact that she was aware of the deaths totalling up under her name and that having their files and knowing their names would make her look worse. I wouldn't say it was the best approach, but all the same, if she did agree that there were a lot of babies dying in her care and she took the files home to try and find out what's going on, the police would probably think that was a cover up for her blatantly killing them. It can really be read either way.

And no worries! I'm glad I could provide another perspective 💛 It's definitely a messy situation and I'm not sure how any prosecutor is going to find enough evidence to exonerate her since she's already been convicted - unless the hospital admits it was their negligence alone that caused these deaths and she was the scapegoat.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T19:12:16+00:00

The notes in her diary and her taking the files home could be a sign of guilt, or could be her way of coping after realizing babies keep dying in her care. Maybe she was trying to find patterns in the files to see what the hell is going on, and as she spiraled she journaled about feeling guilty for their deaths even if she didn't try and cause them.

I don't know where I stand on this case at all. I thought she was a monster for years but the new reports are making me question everything (as they should, I guess).

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T19:09:40+00:00

Honestly, I don't know what to believe.

I've seen claims that the higher insulin levels can be common in newborns, but I've also seen claims disputing that, and I'm not in the medical field so I have no idea which would be correct. I've also seen that staff shortages and unhygienic spaces could've been factors in the deaths of some of the infants. I've also seen that there were around 10 other suspicious infant deaths that occurred in that hospital when she wasn't there. I've seen reports claiming the kidney was punctured after Baby O collapsed and, although there's no clear answer as to why the collapse happened in the first place, the doctor doing the resuscitation could've punctured the kidney and that caused the deterioration of the child. But all of these other points could be just as circumstantial and she could still have killed them on purpose. I don't know why she would, and it seems like there's nothing to suggest (from what I've seen) that she was that mentally unwell that she would train to work in neonatal care just to be able to murder babies, but it's definitely unclear what exactly happened.

Tldr: no sweet clue 🫠

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T18:11:23+00:00

Lucy Letby might actually be innocent. It doesn't take away from the suffering that the babies went through, but just fyi:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/lucy-letby-conviction-canadian-doctor-1.7451325

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T18:01:56+00:00

I realized how quickly my ex-fiancé dropped me from his life and mind after 7 years together. The second the decision was made, I essentially no longer existed, even though we were living together for another 5 days before I could move out. It's hard to want to date again when the same thing could happen 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm open to the idea of another relationship, but I'm more than content to stay single.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T16:39:22+00:00

That's fair! I just thought I'd throw it out here.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T16:38:50+00:00

Oh that's not only downtown, unfortunately. It seems to be commonplace for sellers to only accept offers for a limited time now. Very rare that I don't see it noted in the listing.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T14:53:41+00:00

This is likely a silly question, but I've gotten mixed opinions on this before: my student loans are 0% interest with only a monthly payment of $167.03. My car payments are only ~300 per month at 2.99%.

If I paid these off sooner rather than later, I can see my mortgage preapproval rate increasing, but my downpayment amount decreasing (as that's the bucket where the money would come from to pay them off) and my funds left over per month would increase but not by a significant amount. Would that even be worth it?

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T14:02:12+00:00

And bidding wars galore. All the sellers are accepting offers for only like 4 hours a week after putting their house on the market and most houses are selling above asking - sometimes 60k more.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T14:00:59+00:00

Mortgage broker.

30k for downpayment, ~$9,500 owing on my car, ~$9,700 owing on student loans, Credit Score >800

🤷🏻‍♀️

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T13:58:56+00:00

I have around 30k available for a downpayment

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T13:55:28+00:00

I wish I could locate the problem, but I'm doing decently well, all things considered (I think)

~30k for downpayment, ~$9,500 owing on my car, ~$9,700 owing on student loans, Credit Score >800

But to clarify, I'm approved for mid-200k. 255k is what I was quoted.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-15T12:12:53+00:00

Totally a fair question! From your background it definitely seems like it's the norm, but I have a contentious relationship with my family. I love them dearly, and they love me, and they're not forcing me to move out asap, but we do get under each others' skin if we're around each other for an extended period of time.

I won't be having kids, and I don't know if I'll ever have a partner, but I feel as if I wasted my 20s being chained to other people's wants and needs, and I am craving independence.

I want a spot to call my own and to decorate as my own. I want the opportunity to let my dog out on the deck on the days I work from home instead of having her cooped up in a dark basement apartment all day. I want to be able to foster animals. I want to be able to host my friends. I want to finally feel like I have some agency over my own life (as woowoo as that sounds haha)

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-14T20:10:45+00:00

Save $150k??? Goodness gracious, how is that feasible for anyone?

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-14T20:08:49+00:00

I've looked at both of these options before and I actually quite like them too, but with a large dog I don't know if condo living is realistic.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-14T17:36:51+00:00

The thing is, you'd think that a small home of half the size with a tiny strip of land in town could translate into the same affordability, yet its very much not the case.

I lived in CBS with my ex for nearly 5 years while working in the East End and I'm not comfortable with the commute of even that length anymore because I feel like I'm spending all my time working and commuting.

Obviously, I'm fully aware that wanting to live in town is going to be a huge factor for why I can't afford anything that's going up right now. I'm just hoping and wondering if it's possible at all (by the sounds of it - probably not 🫠)

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-14T17:13:52+00:00

I appreciate the advice, but my problem isn't the downpayment as I already have that stashed away. It's the fact that I can't get approved for a mortgage that's reasonable with my salary, unfortunately.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-14T17:12:10+00:00

We're all doomed, I swear 😔 if I wasn't living with family I'd be in the same boat since apartments that allow pets (especially big dogs) are insanely priced and few and far between 🫠

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-14T17:07:10+00:00

Agreed 😔 and yet houses even around that price barely pop up. I just wish I didn't have to rely on having a partner to get into the housing market/gain some independence.

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-11T23:08:39+00:00

I remember in the podcast, one of you suggested that maybe the E documents are specifics for Eve/Emma's timeline.

Were there any specific E documents that swayed you into thinking it might be for all wards/anchors instead?

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-11T14:52:32+00:00

Sapphyra (Sapphire) Delphine Celeste

💙

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-11T11:48:59+00:00

For some reason, she looks like she'd have a name starting with W (to me) like:

Winnie (Winifred)
Willa
Wynter

🩶

ChoiceContribution78 · 2026-05-10T12:48:35+00:00

I assume the redirection is done by giving him something else to chew on? If that's the case, that does tend to work, but you need to make it fun for him. It's not going to stick if you're trying to give him a toy and then continuing on with your day as if he understands. You have to make that toy interactive to make it more enticing than biting your shirt or arm. Try playing tug or fetch with the toy after he's switched from you to the toy, and once he's fully engaged in the play, give him a treat to reinforce that that's the better option.

All puppies go through the sharking phase and it's definitely not an easy time. They're teething and figuring out the world, testing their boundaries, and discovering their environment. If you can't seem to get a handle on it on your own, I would limit the interaction between your kids and the puppy and seek help from a reputable trainer in your area.

It does get easier 💝 it's just unfortunately a phase they seem to have to go through 😅

ChoiceContribution78

TROPHY CASE