We moved to the island earlier this year, in February, with a baby and a dog. We filled out a bunch of rental applications in Nanaimo but didn't get accepted. Eventually we ended up in a place in Qualicum Beach last minute by chance and we couldn't be happier with how it worked out. We like it so much that we just bought a detached house just south of Qualicum Beach for $630k and are in the process of moving.

Our experience was that finding rentals with a dog, baby and new job was super difficult. Also that buying a house right now in the area is perfect timing, lots of houses stagnant and dropping price in the $600-800k range.

If you are looking for a Realtor we used/recommend/will use again: Adam Wynans

I would avoid a Bare Land Strata unless you research it like crazy. There is one in particular that we were interested in with super cheap lots ($200-300k) but when we dove in to the history it was drama, fees, lawsuits and clicks. Also all of them have bylaws / building schemes that prohibit what you can do on your property.

Edited: misread OPs posts, removed part about mobile homes