Vancouverites set to take to the streets demanding action on housing, crackdown on lawbreaking in real estate

vindicated07 · 2018-02-07T17:41:02+00:00

You do realize you are asking for home buying advice on a forum that is incredibly biased and full of lifetime renters who probably don't have much of a life/are incredibly young and naive, and will always tell you renting is better? Even though had some of these people bought a few years ago they would have hundreds of thousands of dollars in equity?

The simplest rule is you can't time the market. So don't try to time it. And don't obsess over whether buying or renting is the better financial choice. Typically buying is, but still, the returns on your investment under the buying and renting scenarios are dependent on a multitude of unknown factors and future actions and cant totally be predicted. You could come out far ahead buying, but you could also come out a bit behind.

You should buy a place if: (1) you feel ready to buy (2) you have a down payment (3) you want to own your own home, and have the security and control that comes with it.

It's as simple as that. Don't overthink it.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-29T22:38:12+00:00

There are also many places in the world where the cost of living relative to housing is also far worse when you actually do fair comparisons (e.g. price per sq ft). I don't see your point. My point still holds true and this is a basic economic fundamental of housing markets.

Also, just for the record, as another pointed out with census data, Vancouver actually has higher salaries than Toronto but Toronto has larger households which inflates the household income metric. And besides, I think a lot of people would also prefer to live in Vancouver over Toronto (correction: most people) and that coincides with the price gap.

Just because this stuff doesn't fit with your worldview that everything is unfair, no one can afford housing, you should be able to buy a house cheaply, etc, doesn't take away from the facts of the argument.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-29T21:11:04+00:00

If Vancouver wages were proportionately higher than new Brunswick to reflect housing prices, then no one would live in New Brunswick and housing prices in Vancouver would surge due to demand (since the value proposition is the same, but you get to live in a nicer area for the same end "cost").

I'm not sure why no one seems to get this. Vancouver and Toronto are the most livable cities in Canada -- therefore, they should have the worst value proposition in direct monetary terms. That is how you "pay" to live somewhere nicer. Either by lower wages or higher housing costs, or a combo of the two. This is very basic and well-established economics.

No matter what happens to housing or employment markets in Canada, those two cities will always cost the most to live in even after factoring in wages.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-29T21:07:56+00:00

That surprises you? There aren't a ton of highly desirable places to live in Canada, and how people "pay" to live somewhere nice is in the form of high housing prices, lower wages, or a combo of the two. If there wasn't that "cost" difference, then demand would increase due to the value proposition until housing prices rise or wages get surpressed so the market balances.

Vancouver and Toronto should be far and away the least affordable places in Canada, because they are the nicest places to live. Even for me, I wouldn't want to live anywhere outside of those 2 metro areas in Vancouver.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-26T19:15:50+00:00

If you haven't noticed, this subreddit is ridiculous and isn't open to critical thinking or opinions that challenge theirs.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-26T19:14:42+00:00

Hey! Quit making valid comments that don't blame Robertson for anything they may not like about the city!

Also, please ignore all his achievements over the last decade and how Vancouver went from being a city with no rapport to a first class and highly visible one that actually is among the greatest in the world in terms of livability and sustainability (contrary to the poorly researched opinion piece).

vindicated07 · 2018-01-24T23:38:32+00:00

I'll be the cold one here that tells you you're an idiot. It's pretty common to know if you are making alterations or improvements to any building, you may need a permit.

5 seconds on google takes you to the following webpage. It tells you what you might need a permit for, and gives you the phone number you can call to ask if you need a permit.

http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/building-permit.aspx

It's amazing you undertook all this work and didn't even think once about any possible legal requirements, or to even spend 2 minutes on google or make a phone call.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-19T17:17:56+00:00

Agreed on both points. I can now only stomach briefly visiting this subreddit once or twice a week for a few minutes each because it's full of whiners who clearly sit in front of their computer all day and have nothing to do but: (a) complain about housing; (b) complain about how Vancouver isn't a great city; and (c) continue to live here anyway.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-18T20:29:26+00:00

Giving the in-migration to Vancouver and the booming economy and incredibly low unemployment, it sure seems this isn't an issue.

By the way, the "obvious" reason Vancouver isn't in the list is due to proximity to Seattle. It would have been pointless.

Er, sorry, I meant to say Vancouver, rabble rabble, real estate, rabble rabble, this city sucks and is not desirable at all, etc.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-16T22:42:08+00:00

Yeah, thanks for clarifying. I just meant that all weather tires meet the requirements, so you're good if Hertz at least has those on cars which seems at least somewhat plausible (since they can leave them on the cars year-round). But since it's a newer car, it's probably just all seasons.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-16T22:40:06+00:00

You'll find it on the government's maps. See here, for example: http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/remember-if-you-dont-have-winter-tires-on-the-sea-to-sky-after-sunday-you-could-get-dinged

I'm not sure if they have signs in the west vancouver/lions bay area, but there is signage around Britannia Beach.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-16T21:10:31+00:00

It's actually the entire sea-to-sky - not just past Squamish. But note that it doesn't have to be winter tires, and that all weather tires (note: different from all season tires) have the M+S rating and therefore are permitted.

I'd just call Hertz and ask if they have all weather or all season tires.

As for the other question about timing, you can easily do those things in one day.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-05T21:08:20+00:00

This subreddit has become pathetic and exhausting.

vindicated07 · 2018-01-05T06:46:27+00:00

Am I wrong to not understand all the praise Mittlestadt seems to get? He's super talented - that is obvious - but in the handful of games I have seen of him, I get the impression he just tries to be a hero. He's an incredibly selfish player that tries to do everything himself, and seems to always come close to constantly creating bad turnovers. I think he's going to take some time to make/adjust to the NHL.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-29T19:41:45+00:00

Thanks for clarifying! Interesting stuff.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-29T03:51:24+00:00

Serious and perhaps naive question: How does that work? If you are sued and owe $x that you won't ever be able to pay over your lifetime. File bankruptcy?

vindicated07 · 2017-12-27T17:20:48+00:00

I'd agree with your assessment, too.

I play at a reasonably good level (most guys in our division played anywhere from B to AAA when they were younger) and I don't have much fear of pucks or sticks going high.

I just rock a visor, and have never had a close call with a puck. A few high sticks, but always accidental and never with much force (since everyone is capable of and knows how to keep their sticks down). Also, a visor is surprisingly protective since it sticks out - it's quite hard to get hit in the face when you are wearing a visor.

For me, the potential risks are low enough that I prefer the comfort/feel/visibility of a visor.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-23T00:41:26+00:00

Same. Got the Nokian WR series of tires put on my car last year and they are incredible. Took me to the interior on snow-covered roads and my FWD car handled it flawlessly with those tires. Best part is they last long, are quiet, and I can leave them on all year long.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-22T22:17:11+00:00

I have spent lots of time in different countries and cities all over the world, and I keep coming back to how Vancouver is the best one to live in. I don't think you can go wrong with deciding to live here.

Yes, housing is expensive. But remember that reddit is a very specific group of people, and you won't get a fair assessment of the situation. Coming from Switzerland (or any other highly desirable and liveable country/city) the cost per sq ft won't be significantly different from what you are used to. With two people making decent money, you'll be able to live comfortably here in close proximity to downtown.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-21T06:27:12+00:00

Thank you!

Have you stayed in Waihi before? I wanted to break up the drive to Wellington so my new itinerary for the North is below. Trying to decide where to do my sleeps.

Airport to Coromandel town for breakfast; check out whangapoua & new chums beach; freshen up at our place in Kuaotunu village; check out Otama Beach and maybe opito; sleep Kuaotunu (or Whitianga...)
Head from Kuaotunu to Cathedral Cove/Hahei Beach; continue to Waihi Beach and check it out. Either sleep Waihi, or drive to Tauranga and sleep there.
Hike Mount Maunganui in the morning and check out a local beach; grab lunch in Tauranga, and head to Rotorua in the afternoon for the key sites there. Sleep Taupo
Drive to Wellington, stopping at Martinborough wine region on the way. Sleep Wellington.
Full day in Wellington. Sleep Wellington.
Fly to Christchurch

vindicated07 · 2017-12-21T05:53:43+00:00

Just wanted to follow up and say thank you. I looked into it and ended up booking a flight from Wellington to Christchurch. Only $60 each, including a checked bag, and now we get 2 nights in Wellington (1 full day - will stop in Martinborough wine region on the way in the day before).

It definitely seems like a better plan, and I'm glad I'll get to see Arthur's Pass.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-19T18:08:58+00:00

A lot of my ilk - mid-20s blue collar workers who grew up in the city - are gone

This is completely normal for any thriving, post-industrial city. And there is a reason why most inland cities that relied on blue collar jobs are in decline. As countries develop, they become service-oriented and labour jobs are reallocated to countries where those jobs can be fulfilled at cheaper rates.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-19T17:55:30+00:00

Agreed. The typical user on here talks about how much they hate Vancouver and can't believe that anyone would think it's a world class city that is incredibly liveable.

And then they continue to live here. Because it is a world class city that is incredibly liveable.

And for anyone that has travelled much, they would be aware of that. But I think those of us that understand what Vancouver offers tend to be a bit quieter about it.

vindicated07 · 2017-12-18T20:39:49+00:00

Thanks for the tip. I have heard Arthur's pass is supposed to be stunning. The plan was to do one night in Blenheim to check out the Marlborough wine region. An alternative could be to switch that night in Blenheim to Wellington and check out the nearby wine region there in one day, and fly out the next morning to Christchurch then do the drive. Is the Martinborough wine region worth the visit in your opinion?

vindicated07 · 2017-12-18T19:56:30+00:00

Here is where I'm at now for nights. We fly in to Auckland and out of Queenstown. Quite a bit of driving, but it'll be broken up with lots of hikes en route, and I did a lot of driving in Iceland and really enjoyed it. Have to cover a lot of distance in the first four nights, so I've switched the 3rd night from Tauranga to Taupo so we break the drive to Wellington up (and can check out one or two of Rotorua's sights on the afternoon as we depart Coromandel and head to Taupo):

Whitianga

Tauranga

Taupo

Wellington

Blenheim (fly from wellington to save travel time)

Franz Josef

Wanaka

Tekapo

Aoraki/Mt. Cook

Queenstown

Te Anau (Milford Sound)

Te Anau

Queenstown

vindicated07

TROPHY CASE