Affordable housing

Don’t you love those real estate ads that start with “ideal for investors and first-time buyers?” They’re admitting right off the tee that they’re pitting first-time buyers against somebody looking to expand their “portfolio.” Of course they are. They’re paid by the home-owner to get maximum price for their property. Whether it goes to a family starting out or some guy buying the 17th income property for their portfolio isn’t their concern. My dear father, who was in the business for about a hundred years, liked to say; “if somebody bought it, it was obviously affordable.” Hard to dispute that. And there’s a lot more affordable real estate out there than people realize. Problem is, there’s a huge cohort who have convinced themselves they need to be in the GTA. Alrighty then! You can settle for $2000/month for a basement studio, or look a little further afield for affordable housing. I keep an eye on the market around here, and there’s a habitable place on offer right now in Teeswater for under $200k. Definitely a starter, but a roof and 66×132 of real estate. That’s a mere two hour commute to the GTA! Invest a sliver of your accommodation savings in a Tesla twin-motor, and you can probably cut that commute time in half! And here’s a current listing in Owen Sound, two hours out of the GTA. A 19th century townhouse that would be a million in downtown Guelph and at least two million near downtown Toronto. In downtown Owen Sound, a short walk from the waterfront and the farmer’s market, you’re under 300k. Back in the day, people used to go to where the jobs were. That’s how my clan got to Canada, and that’s why we have Newfies clear across the land. Today, there seems to be an expectation that everyone is entitled to a cozy life wherever they please. Who’s going to break the news to the Gen Zs and the millennials that things don’t work that way?