Moving out of Province? Pro's & Con's

[Lightcycle]

Moving to a new location can result in cultural shock. There are rednecks everywhere. There are cliques everywhere. Some are harder to crash into or accept than others. Being Canada we are polite and often the sore spots are politely hidden until, one day, you realize you're an outsider.

Agreed.

What has helped us is to find people with common interests. Motorcycling is such a passionate hobby. Most of our friends in Toronto are motorcycle people. Most of the people we hang out with here are also motorcycle people.

When you find someone that's into motorcycling as much as you are:

 

[Lightcycle]

Move for a reason (opportunity) not just grass looks greener or unhappiness as both may not change.

+1000

Too many people move because they believe that they're unhappy *where* they are living.

Then they move and realize their unhappiness has followed them. It's because they're unhappy people, not because their environment made them unhappy.

If you are going to move, move to somewhere that you love. Not away from somewhere that you hate.

 

[Jampy00]

Not always so cut and dry when it comes to happiness.
Also how is anyone 100% they will love where they move? Places and settings change.
This was part of the point of my post. I enjoy where I live, but my concern for what the future holds for the area is a reality.
If I have the luxury of moving I feel at the very least it is one that should be considered.

 

[backmarkerducati]

Not always so cut and dry when it comes to happiness.
Also how is anyone 100% they will love where they move? Places and settings change.
This was part of the point of my post. I enjoy where I live, but my concern for what the future holds for the area is a reality.
If I have the luxury of moving I feel at the very least it is one that should be considered.

The best you can do is stack things in your favour. As some of us noted move for opportunity not for just change (and opportunity could be compared to negative opportunity in the current location, or it could be better lifestyle, better job....). Move like for like if you are a city person or a rural person. Consider what you are giving up support/family/friends wise, don't underestimate this. Consider weather etc.

I know plenty of people that have moved (short or very long distance) because they were simply unhappy, the unhappiness did not change with geography.

 

[GreyGhost]

The best you can do is stack things in your favour. As some of us noted move for opportunity not for just change (and opportunity could be compared to negative opportunity in the current location, or it could be better lifestyle, better job....). Move like for like if you are a city person or a rural person. Consider what you are giving up support/family/friends wise, don't underestimate this. Consider weather etc.

I know plenty of people that have moved (short or very long distance) because they were simply unhappy, the unhappiness did not change with geography.

Also moving just to get cheaper housing (assuming owning to owning) is a dangerous decision. A friend moved from Aurora to Stouffville to free up some money. A few years later they realized they hated stouffville and didn't see it getting better but Aurora prices had run away and they could not afford to jump back. Normally there is a reason that the higher priced location is higher priced and the monetary gap between the two areas will increase with time. As a rough cut in the GTA, it is easy to move further from yonge street but very few people can afford to move closer to yonge street.

 

[Scuba Steve]

Interested in this I have considered buying a few acres outside of Calgary as I enjoyed it there in the summer but not sure about the winter.

Sent from the future

 

[backmarkerducati]

Also moving just to get cheaper housing (assuming owning to owning) is a dangerous decision. A friend moved from Aurora to Stouffville to free up some money. A few years later they realized they hated stouffville and didn't see it getting better but Aurora prices had run away and they could not afford to jump back. Normally there is a reason that the higher priced location is higher priced and the monetary gap between the two areas will increase with time. As a rough cut in the GTA, it is easy to move further from yonge street but very few people can afford to move closer to yonge street.

That is a big part of like for like.

As an example, living in Toronto where I am I have everything at my finger tips, walking to good restaurants, bars, stores etc. To get like for like means living in a good area likely near the centre of another largish city (like say Halifax, even that is a stretch). Never exactly the same of course. If I moved and did not get at least close to what I have now it means giving up what I enjoy today.

Same would go for the opposite.

Now to me (to be fair), Stouffville and Aurora, not sure I could tell the difference....

 

[GreyGhost]

Now to me (to be fair), Stouffville and Aurora, not sure I could tell the difference....

That's what they expected. They also thought aurora wasn't that far so they could swing by. A 20+ minute drive each way turns it into an outing and they went back far less than they expected. Honestly, for the price, Aurora is pretty crap. It is surprising how few places there are that you want to go (restaurants, coffee, etc). Newmarket has a better downtown, more places to visit etc and it's cheaper. Paying for the cachet of an address seems silly to me but lots of people do it.

 

[Jampy00]

As it pertains to this topic, I think making any big change only for a single reason can be risky.
I also think that opinions should always be considered along with you own research etc.
My intention with this post was focused on the "what to do" and the pro's and con's that came with this.
When we dive into the the "why you would do it" waters, they tend to be murky and salty.. lol

 

[Mad Mike]

You m

Adding 500K people per year with no controls over where they live is a solid driver of GTA dwelling prices. Lets be honest, not too many are going to pick north bay or moosejaw as a place to settle.

Might be surprised. I spend a fair amount of time in Northern Ontario, if you visit North Bay or Timmins 5 years ago, the only faces you would see belonged to caucasian and indigenous people plus the 2 Chinese families who operated the Chinese Food takeouts. Today I'd say SE Asians outnumber indigenous in many northern cities.

 

[Mad Mike]

Also moving just to get cheaper housing (assuming owning to owning) is a dangerous decision. A friend moved from Aurora to Stouffville to free up some money. A few years later they realized they hated stouffville and didn't see it getting better but Aurora prices had run away and they could not afford to jump back. Normally there is a reason that the higher priced location is higher priced and the monetary gap between the two areas will increase with time. As a rough cut in the GTA, it is easy to move further from yonge street but very few people can afford to move closer to yonge street.

Stouffville is considerably more expensive than Aurora today, not so a few years back. Aurora and Newmarket suffer a bit from what I call stretch ownership. A lot of buyers got to stretch the size of their homes compared to Richmond Hill, King and closer in locations. Those big homes eventually need big maintenance -- tossing on a new $50K roof and $25K of windows proved to be outside the budgets of many. Instead of maintaining, owners sell, and the cycle repeats. In good times, the appreciation funds maintenance. Not now... expect the splendor levels of Aurora and Newmarket to return to the sadness they saw in 10 years ago.

 

[nobbie48]

Stouffville is considerably more expensive than Aurora today, not so a few years back. Aurora and Newmarket suffer a bit from what I call stretch ownership. A lot of buyers got to stretch the size of their homes compared to Richmond Hill, King and closer in locations. Those big homes eventually need big maintenance -- tossing on a new $50K roof and $25K of windows proved to be outside the budgets of many. Instead of maintaining, owners sell, and the cycle repeats. In good times, the appreciation funds maintenance. Not now... expect the splendor levels of Aurora and Newmarket to return to the sadness they saw in 10 years ago.

Buddy lives in Stouffville and real estate isn't cheap. He's been there over a decade and has made the RE killing. The downside is his drive to work occupation with next to no work in his patch. 404, 407 ETR, and DVP are his daily scenery.

 

[Lightcycle]

Buddy lives in Stouffville and real estate isn't cheap. He's been there over a decade and has made the RE killing. The downside is his drive to work occupation with next to no work in his patch. 404, 407 ETR, and DVP are his daily scenery.

Where I live, people complain about the traffic and congestion if they have to touch the brake pedal when the stop light isn't red...

 

[mimico_polak]

I’m more curious where you are currently and what is it that is making you consider moving? You said you don’t like the direction the area is going as I understand it.

What don’t you like about the current area?

 

[Mad Mike]

Not always so cut and dry when it comes to happiness.
Also how is anyone 100% they will love where they move? Places and settings change.
This was part of the point of my post. I enjoy where I live, but my concern for what the future holds for the area is a reality.
If I have the luxury of moving I feel at the very least it is one that should be considered.

I was 100% sure when I went to California. If I didn't havevthe best wife on the planet, I'd have lived out my life in Santa Barbara.

She loved the place but struggled not having her extended family close by (I believe all 40 of them would live in a longhouse together if they could).

So, after 10 years there it was back to Toronto.

 

[jc100]

I lived in Paris (France) before coming here. I had a choice of working anywhere in the world and had offers in New Zealand, Israel, South of France, Toronto and Kingston, and Paris again. I moved (a) because I was young and I could and change is exciting and (b) chose Canada/Kingston as I would be able to live in a house and I was tired of living in an apartment. Turns out it’s been a good choice overall. Part of me wonders what New Zealand would have been like and I know I dodged a bullet (literally) by not going to Israel. The job was always secondary to everything else to be honest. I know I have to be happy where I wake up as my #1 priority.

Now I’m older any move would be for different reasons. #1 would be a year round decent climate if I ever did move again.

My family in the UK want to move from where they are for different reasons. They want space, it’s crowded where they are.

 

[Mad Mike]

Buddy lives in Stouffville and real estate isn't cheap. He's been there over a decade and has made the RE killing. The downside is his drive to work occupation with next to no work in his patch. 404, 407 ETR, and DVP are his daily scenery.

Stoufville was a dump till about 1985. Literally.

Toronto's toxic waste and landfill sent to a large landfill from '69 to 83. The dump site was at 48 and Bloomington. If took toxic liquid waste, household and industrial trash from Toronto for decades, polluting groundwater wells used bybthectown. The incidence of miscarriages and some cancers for locals doubled.

I remember in the mid 80s, every house had a giant water tote on the front lawn for a few years till the region got deep wells and pumping infrastructure built.

Till 2000 real estate was dirt cheap (realtors called the town Dirtweep), a home was 1/2 the price of neighboring Markham.

Things have certainly got better

 

[nobbie48]

I lived in Paris (France) before coming here. I had a choice of working anywhere in the world and had offers in New Zealand, Israel, South of France, Toronto and Kingston, and Paris again. I moved (a) because I was young and I could and change is exciting and (b) chose Canada/Kingston as I would be able to live in a house and I was tired of living in an apartment. Turns out it’s been a good choice overall. Part of me wonders what New Zealand would have been like and I know I dodged a bullet (literally) by not going to Israel. The job was always secondary to everything else to be honest. I know I have to be happy where I wake up as my #1 priority.

Now I’m older any move would be for different reasons. #1 would be a year round decent climate if I ever did move again.

My family in the UK want to move from where they are for different reasons. They want space, it’s crowded where they are.

A nephew moved to Canada and says he has no intention of moving back to NZ. Both he and his wife are well educated but couldn't afford to own a house in NZ. House prices are high but wages are low. They have the same rental issues as we have.

It's not apples to apples because he moved to Halifax pre covid and had a custom house built. His new employer paid for the move along with adjustments for 120 volt appliances. It might be a different story if he had to move to the GTA a year ago.

 

[nobbie48]

Stoufville was a dump till about 1985. Literally.

Toronto's toxic waste and landfill sent to a large landfill from '69 to 83. The dump site was at 48 and Bloomington. If took toxic liquid waste, household and industrial trash from Toronto for decades, polluting groundwater wells used bybthectown. The incidence of miscarriages and some cancers for locals doubled.

I remember in the mid 80s, every house had a giant water tote on the front lawn for a few years till the region got deep wells and pumping infrastructure built.

Till 2000 real estate was dirt cheap (realtors called the town Dirtweep), a home was 1/2 the price of neighboring Markham.

Things have certainly got better

My buddy's on a street in the historical area where you have to jump through hoops to change the look of your house or add on. It has gotten better but when the place ages and the Toronto DINKs start displacing the old timers it could easily go from quaint to snobby.

 

[Lightcycle]

My buddy's on a street in the historical area where you have to jump through hoops to change the look of your house or add on. It has gotten better but when the place ages and the Toronto DINKs start displacing the old timers it could easily go from quaint to snobby.

Only the exterior, I believe.

I have a few friends (Toronto DINKs as you call them) who have bought houses in these areas and they've extensively renoed the interior. They knew what they were getting into and were okay with the restrictions on exterior modification. I agree with the intent of keeping a historical neighbourhood looking the same, but time and tide will eventually wear down the sandbags.