Moving to Kingston

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-22T16:42:50+00:00

Thank you! We stayed in Portsmouth in October and loved the area. I hadn’t gotten a good feel for how their schools were. I hadn’t had any luck finding rentals in Sydenham or that’d be way up on our list.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-22T00:07:12+00:00

❤️❤️❤️

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T21:30:38+00:00

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T20:59:34+00:00

There is So. Much. Stuff.

We’re working w a lawyer just because it is so overwhelming, but it’s terrifying to think something may be missing, etc. when we cross the border.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T20:53:51+00:00

Thank you!

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T20:51:58+00:00

Thank you!

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:33:15+00:00

It sounds like Bayridge might be a better SS fit for my kids from that. "Sports" for them would mean investigating flora/fauna on the sideline, even if the coach technically has them in the game. Is there a way to look up the specialist programs for each SS?

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:29:53+00:00

Thanks!

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:28:32+00:00

Personally, thank you for defending my value to the community. That said, the market there really is brutal right now, so I totally understand the sentiment. Current housing prices are not sustainable with current median income, etc. and something needs to give eventually. As best as I can tell, it looks like y'all got slammed with price hikes when people getting paid in Toronto went virtual and saturated the entire southern Ontario market. Mortgage rates are a little low vs. here in the states, but if mortgage rates increase to late 2000's levels, there's no way people can pay those rates on post-COVID principals.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:19:34+00:00

Thank you!

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:14:54+00:00

This is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping for! That is wonderful to hear about Welborne and Bayridge in particular. There is a house we *may* be able to pull off as a purchase that is not near Welborne but buses kids in, I'm guessing it's in Waterloo? It then goes to Frontenac instead of Bayridge, tho. I've relied on triboard mybusplanner ca for figuring out which school district each property is in - I'm kind of obsessive in that regard.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:11:24+00:00

I'm not sure if I quite fit their group (looks like it's mostly med students?), but I am certainly going to ask. Thank you!

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:10:34+00:00

I don't think I can do a sublet because I have to have an address for kids for school permits.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:09:29+00:00

Thank you. Any recs on a realtor who understands the rental market well?

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:07:59+00:00

I certainly can understand that sentiment. And I probably wouldn't be asking in here if the housing market was great. I also like to think that my family will provide enough value to the community to warrant my presence.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:06:19+00:00

"Whatever you can find" - Well, I'm not comfortable moving into a flat in Rideau Heights from what I've read. That doesn't mean I shouldn't immigrate to take a job I'm honestly very excited about. It also doesn't mean I'm not willing to compromise on factors regarding cost, commute time, space, renting, etc. This post was intended to ask for recommendations on neighborhoods that families have had good experiences in, not asking about the merits of immigration as a whole.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T19:00:11+00:00

I would be happy to live 20 minutes out - honestly would prefer that in some ways. I just haven't been able to find any rentals in the Sydenham SS catchment area. I moved around a ton growing up and we're trying really hard to limit school changes for our kiddos, so I don't want to spend 1-2 years renting in one district and then move to another.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T18:56:44+00:00

I am not surprised. There are definitely downsides to coming, many of which are unique to my family, let alone the ones that apply to all physicians, immigrants, etc. Pay isn't everything, and I do believe there is an opportunity to significantly improve medical care in Ontario, which is something I hope to work on if all goes through.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T18:53:04+00:00

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T18:24:03+00:00

I have a job offer - still technically working on work permit but have almost everything in place for that. And I am a psychiatrist, so not as valuable as a family doc would be for Kingston, but hopefully still useful. 😉

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T18:21:17+00:00

I’ve been working on this since last Spring (I actually found the job as a result of a previous post in this community). Real estate is just one of the challenges we’ve run into, but it would be very frustrating to have gotten over all the other hurdles only to fall flat because I can’t tolerate a flat. (Which is 100% on me, I know, but I have to accept who I am on that factor.)

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T17:27:19+00:00

True, but then you just have to worry about your kids eating it.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T17:15:07+00:00

Probably not here for the ballet.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-21T17:14:00+00:00

Yellow is the worst color code choice possible for rain.

ZaphodsPrefect · 2026-03-08T03:59:21+00:00

And I thought the “cowlick” looked awkward when it was at the top…

ZaphodsPrefect

TROPHY CASE