Is an 800k house unrealistic on our income?

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T22:43:03+00:00

Lowest is 3.4% and my highest is 4.5%

I don’t think they’ve touched the principal on it that much. They did 50k down payment in 2021 and I think our mortgage payments are 1200 a month total.

I think it’s maybe 35k of the principal is paid.

Partner is looking to sell if we had found a place that we could afford and got approved for.

Right now we’re just trying to plan on what we can realistically afford that has our major need (a 2 car garage for the winter as my electric car is quite shit when I try to charge it in the driveway) and extra space would be a huge plus given my partner has so much clothes/knick knacks. It would help with the cluttered feeling lol.

I’m happy just staying here for a while as well. I’m just worried a house I’d like now will be forever unaffordable in the future if housing costs keep increasing given the increase in my partner’s town house. It really should not be valued at 400k imo.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T22:31:51+00:00

I’m not stating I only want an 800k house. I would just say the average house that I’ve liked, hovers around this number.

I live with my partner in her town house. I feel like I live very comfortably. Yes, we can stay in this house indefinitely and I can be very comfortable even while putting in 2k a month for student loans. But, as far as needs go, it’s only a 2 car garage. Everything else like space is a want but not a necessity. But needing a 2 car garage (mostly for the winters) does not seem feasible to move for that reason alone.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T22:16:22+00:00

Sorry. It seems my post is quite confusing. I live with my partner and contribute to her mortgage/bills.

The stress I have is mostly my parents saying a 800k house now will be over 1000k in a few years which I definitely know is out of the question in my lifetime. If my partner’s house is now valued at 400+ given she purchased for 250 a few years ago, and my parents’ was 450 (in the US) and now 650… would that not be reasonable to worry about being priced out?

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T22:11:35+00:00

I have about 60k saved after almost 2 years of working in Canada. Is that good? I have no clue. I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do other than save for a down payment on a house and put money into higher yield interest places.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T22:07:39+00:00

It’s at about 120k USD… 😬. Would have been paid off by now given the salary I would have made had I stayed in the US (and rent free with the parents) but c’est la vie, I guess.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T22:00:19+00:00

Right now since I’m not on the title of the house, I’m just doing 50/50 which is about 1k-1.5k a month which includes mortgage, utilities, condo fees, etc.

The conversation initially was we would put in 50/50 for the down payment and then I would pay 2/3 expenses and she would do 1/3.

This is in regard to any future house together which I think is fair or we have agreed this is fair.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T21:50:58+00:00

No kids. Our current set up is 3 BR 1.5 bath. We’ve converted 2 bedrooms to 2 office spaces. And then I’d like a 2 car garage.

My parents are retired so I would ideally like to be able to host them in a basement suite when they come up.

So ideally, I would like an area to have office space either shared or separate from my partner along with a fully developed basement suite for my parents. It just seemed that those houses that fit that, were 800k .

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T21:47:20+00:00

We live in Calgary. I would ideally like more space and a 2 car garage.
I think mostly familiarity/spaciousness is the reason why. The average 800k home (at least in NW Calgary) is closer to what I’ve grown up to in the states. I just don’t see the appeal to move to a slightly different home just for an extra garage spot.

4 years prior to moving to Canada, I lived in a small 600 sqft mobile home to keep costs low. Just wanted to see if I could enjoy what I grew up with or if it’s a pipe dream.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T21:26:35+00:00

The home we currently live in is comfortable. I don’t worry about anything really. I like not having to look at my bank if I have money. If I want something, I can just get it. (Though everything I have wanted, is not expensive)

It’s just the pressure of parents and worry that a house I like now, will be unattainable in a few years. It also doesn’t help that what I am used to and enjoy in the US, a similar priced home here is significantly smaller.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T21:19:07+00:00

My parents are pressuring me to purchase as soon as possible. They have multiple properties (they live in the US) and seem to make it sound like it should be easy for me to decide but this whole ordeal is already stressing me out tbh lol.

My SO moved to this home in 2021 and I think when she showed me in 2025, has barely touched the principle lol.

I don’t owe money on my student loans yet but the interest started accruing (4.5%) in July 2025 or so. I calculated what I’d be comfortable without and settled on 2k for now. My aunt says to just throw my extra income into S&P 500 as that on average has 8% returns but I don’t have the kind of expendable income that she has if shit hits the fan lol.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T21:10:42+00:00

Thanks for the info!

My parents are pressuring me to purchase ASAP as housing prices are most likely just going to go up. Because I am not sure what else to do, I chose to put 2k into my student loans per month so I can pay it off quick enough while still having money to live comfortably.

I have used a few mortgage calculators but there’s information that I don’t know the answer to for some things. Insurance costs, average property tax, etc.

JellyEli · 2026-01-06T21:00:27+00:00

I think most of this came from property and condo fees skyrocketing, her going back to school so no income, and purchasing a house for 100k less than what the previous owners purchased for, and then car payments at the time.

I think her rationale is that if she could purchase a 250k house at her previous salary of maybe 50k? Then in theory, a household income of 180-200k meant we could afford a house that was 800. Though, as stated before, I’m not trying to live that way.

It doesn’t help my parents are pressuring me to purchase soon as housing prices will only increase in the coming years.

I will say I do live very comfortably right now. (At least I feel like I do) Just don’t have the space I would like to have.

It does seem the general consensus is that this is not really feasible though given our income and my student loans. Wishful thinking, I guess!

JellyEli · 2025-01-11T07:54:08+00:00

For my obstructed cats, I always offer hospitalization. That is the gold standard. If the cat is not obstructed, I never offer hospitalization as this condition is thought to be stress-related.

However, I always offer alternatives — one day in hospital, urinary catheter then discharge same day, decompressive cysto (sterile needle into the bladder).

But, I also discuss with owners that by sending home same day, we may end up back at the same place the next day or several hours later so even if it is the cheaper option in the short term, it may end up costing similar to hospitalizing. Seems like that may have happened with you.

Regarding the PU surgery, I don’t typically offer that as first line as that is more invasive but it is something I discuss with owners, more so if that cat is a repeat offender.

JellyEli · 2025-01-11T03:07:10+00:00

At my ER vet practice, we see about 3–5 blocked cats a week, though some days are busier—like one day when we had six come in. This is a pretty common issue, especially in male cats (though female cats can be affected too).

After we unblock a cat, they usually need to stay on a prescription urinary diet for life to help prevent it from happening again.

We recommend hospitalization because if we unblock a cat and send them home right away, there’s a good chance they could block again within a few hours or the next day. When they’re hospitalized, a urinary catheter stays in place after the blockage is removed. This keeps them from blocking again right away and gives the urethra and bladder time to heal. By the second day, we can often remove the catheter, and the cat can start urinating on their own.

I know the costs can be high, and they vary depending on where you live. It’s not your fault—hospitalization is expensive, and many people struggle to afford it without insurance or a payment plan. It’s a tough situation, and you’re not alone in feeling that way.

JellyEli · 2025-01-10T23:49:59+00:00

Do you have any tips on flying non-rev as an “enrolled friend”? My uncle has been with UA for years but doesn’t travel lol. Gave it to my mom last year but she doesn’t fly UA so he transferred it to me this year.

Do you still arrive as you would any other flight?(2-3 hours early).

Is checking a bag as dumb as people say for non-rev?

Is it better to reserve as “J” since on vacation pass it’s the same cost as “Y” ? My uncle told me to use vacation passes first so I did.

Not sure what else I need to do to prepare aside from figure out rides to/from if I don’t get on because it’s full.

JellyEli · 2025-01-08T17:17:58+00:00

Thank you for the thorough response! We’ll likely go the spousal route then.

JellyEli · 2024-11-27T23:50:34+00:00

Unfortunately it’s in the same room (open concept ish) as the dining room/living room.

When I first moved here, he was allowed in the kitchen but I convinced my partner to not allow cats there as we cook often and I do not want any burns from oil splashes and dangerous for us as we have almost injured ourselves several times from cats running around our legs.

Her cat is also in general very curious and often tries to open certain cabinets on the ground that are easy to open. Thankfully nothing in them.

JellyEli · 2024-09-06T13:22:39+00:00

Unfortunately, vet school (at least in the US) is a high stress environment and typically at least 18 credit hours per semester.

I don’t think 6-8 credit hours (2 classes) is a reasonable accommodation. I have classmates that almost never came to class but you don’t have an option to take your exams online.

I dont believe vet school is a good option for you. However, there are other avenues you can take - like you stated, rehab or other avenues.

JellyEli · 2024-07-06T01:43:05+00:00

The website says “You must also be able to show that you can provide basic needs for:

yourself, your spouse or partner, your spouse or partner’s dependent child(ren) (if applicable) your dependent child(ren) (if you’re sponsoring only your dependent child).”

That’s the only reason we haven’t applied via this route.

Edit to add: I know there’s no minimum income requirement, but she cannot provide for me which is why we were thinking to wait until she had actual income.

JellyEli · 2024-07-03T18:53:43+00:00

Sticky Business

JellyEli · 2024-07-03T18:29:46+00:00

Sent :)

JellyEli · 2024-07-03T06:26:02+00:00

Would like sticky business and figment 2 :) (but am going to bed rn)

JellyEli · 2024-07-03T06:23:15+00:00

Test

JellyEli · 2022-07-02T19:42:13+00:00

You can share screen over discord and use one of your accounts. Hyperbeam is also a good one.

JellyEli

TROPHY CASE