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Where to live for a family of 3?

scylla

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Its right next to Toronto City Hall.
Brampton and pretty much all of Mississauga are both out in that case. Your commute will take longer than 40 minutes. Heck - if you live in Etobicoke, your commute can very easily run more than 40 minutes. For 40 minutes, you really need to be right on the subway line.
 

scylla

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We dont want to stay honestly for 1 year on rent or may be a option lease where rent-to-buy kind of option. Not sure how populate it is.
Rent to buy is unfortunately not very popular at all due to current real estate prices.
 

canuck78

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Yes if you are buying it will be much harder to be near go or ttc station. Agree. 40 minute commute is uncommon. Spending 40 minutes on a public transportation (not bus) to work is more realistic. Time getting to a TTC or GO station depends on where you live. Although the market has slowed down there are likely many families who are looking for the same thing as you.
 

harpreethwalia

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Dec 27, 2017
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Thanks All. I am travelling to Canada this weekend to check few properties. as I understand, 40 mins does not seem possible. From brampton GO train, it shows just 50 mins in commute itself, not adding any time before or after that.
 

scylla

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Thanks All. I am travelling to Canada this weekend to check few properties. as I understand, 40 mins does not seem possible. From brampton GO train, it shows just 50 mins in commute itself, not adding any time before or after that.
Yep - exactly. You still have to factor in the time it takes you to get from Union Station to City Hall, plus getting to/from the GO Train Station parking lot (just getting out of the GO Train parking lot can take a while), and of course sometimes there are late trains and other delays...

40 minutes is definitely possible - but you have to be significantly closer which means either paying more or giving something up (i.e. size, space, newness, etc.). I have a 20-25 minute commute door to door to the financial district. However I effectively live downtown (near Christie Station and Bathurst Station).
 

canuck78

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You're probably looking at 1.5 hours to get from Brampton on a good day if you live in a 15 minute radius from the GO which is not always possible. Brampton is really not ideal to go downtown.
 

rajibsam

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What I understand: your office downtown, wife’s may be Mississauga, baby - daycare, don’t want to rent longer

I think Mississauga could be ideal place for you (near square one or on Hurontario upto Bristol intersection). From square one, cooksville go station is 10 minutes by bus, 7-10 minutes by car). Cooksville to union station is 27 minutes by go train. Frequency of go train is 15-20 minutes. Union station to townhall would be around 5 mins in subway. Lots of day care around square one (range from $1100 to $1900). Some have waiting, some are available. Lots of apartment and condo around square one. 1bed room may range from $1300 to $1600. 2bed room range $1600 to $2000. But any good place won’t be available for less than a years lease. Month on month rental is usually available for basements. If you are interested in this area, you may try Hillcrest condos. It’s right on the cooksville station, Commute to station would be 5 minutes walk. This condo is decent. Schools are good in this area. But it’s unlikely you would buy a house here, unless you opt for condo.

Another option could be Etobicoke near islington or Kipling station (Kipling also has GO, commute in go will take 15-20 minutes). Commute on subway will take 40 minutes. Personally I like square area better than Etobicoke.

Commute from Brampton will take 40-45 minutes on GO. But Brampton is less expensive as compared to square one area or Etobicoke in terms of rental/house price. But if you plan to buy a car, insurance is way higher than other places. Just keep in mind, insurance isn’t cheap like US. Insurance is often more expensive than the car loan (for beginners it could be around $350 to $400 per month - crazy!)

From Mississauga, monthly GO expense could be around $350-$400. If you live in Etobicoke, subway monthly expense would be around $150 (unlimited travel)

Usually rent to buy schemes aren’t good. In a new country, stay in a decent place (usually one year lease), check the ground reality and then move to your desired location.
 

harpreethwalia

Star Member
Dec 27, 2017
133
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What I understand: your office downtown, wife’s may be Mississauga, baby - daycare, don’t want to rent longer

I think Mississauga could be ideal place for you (near square one or on Hurontario upto Bristol intersection). From square one, cooksville go station is 10 minutes by bus, 7-10 minutes by car). Cooksville to union station is 27 minutes by go train. Frequency of go train is 15-20 minutes. Union station to townhall would be around 5 mins in subway. Lots of day care around square one (range from $1100 to $1900). Some have waiting, some are available. Lots of apartment and condo around square one. 1bed room may range from $1300 to $1600. 2bed room range $1600 to $2000. But any good place won’t be available for less than a years lease. Month on month rental is usually available for basements. If you are interested in this area, you may try Hillcrest condos. It’s right on the cooksville station, Commute to station would be 5 minutes walk. This condo is decent. Schools are good in this area. But it’s unlikely you would buy a house here, unless you opt for condo.

Another option could be Etobicoke near islington or Kipling station (Kipling also has GO, commute in go will take 15-20 minutes). Commute on subway will take 40 minutes. Personally I like square area better than Etobicoke.

Commute from Brampton will take 40-45 minutes on GO. But Brampton is less expensive as compared to square one area or Etobicoke in terms of rental/house price. But if you plan to buy a car, insurance is way higher than other places. Just keep in mind, insurance isn’t cheap like US. Insurance is often more expensive than the car loan (for beginners it could be around $350 to $400 per month - crazy!)

From Mississauga, monthly GO expense could be around $350-$400. If you live in Etobicoke, subway monthly expense would be around $150 (unlimited travel)

Usually rent to buy schemes aren’t good. In a new country, stay in a decent place (usually one year lease), check the ground reality and then move to your desired location.
Thanks for this rajibson. I am kind of stuck between two things. My wife job is similar to my profile but we will be targeting mississauga for her. If not, she might get into Toronto.

Either way, we dont want to spend too much time in commute because we will need to drop/pick up kid as well. The friends we know are all in Brampton, that that is our first choice. but this commute is really keeping my options limited.