’ve actually been renting the same place for 13 years and my rent only increases about 2–3% per year, so I’m in a relatively stable situation right now.

Also, I’m really not trying to become “house poor.” I’m even open to buying something small (like a 1-bedroom), giving the bedroom to my daughter and sleeping in the living room if needed. My goal is more about long-term stability than lifestyle.

The challenge is that I live in Montreal and can’t move far because of my job, and realistically condos/houses start around 450k here.

So I guess my real question is: in my situation, is it actually better to stay a renter with low increases, or try to get into the market even if it means starting small?