I've owned my Mirage for 85 months - 1 owner's time

[Fummins]

Honestly, if your life/personality allows for it, with an average amount of saving you could probably retire to an south/east Asian country and live comfortably for the rest of your life. I lived in China for some time and, assuming your a fairly self-sufficient person, it's actually quite fun because it's totally different from western culture and therefore new and stimulating for our little monkey brains.

The real pain in the butt is just the language barrier.

This just came to mind when you said you lived in China Attachment 21415

[dspace9]

Those are good ideas, thanks Fummins and PityOnU. I did some travelling in Mexico when I was much younger, and I noticed your money went way farther than in Canada. And I didn't have any money at the time lol. But I could live off the street vendors food for cheap, and drink good beer for cheap. I smoked then and Marlboros were cheap. Restaurants and accommodations were cheap. Taxis were cheap, and they were all Nissan Sentras.

Food was better than anywhere I have been before or since.

[PityOnU]

This just came to mind when you said you lived in China

Yeah, it really was like that. Your brain adjusts to it fairly quickly, as well, to the point where I can vividly remember coming around a corner in a train station and actually taking a step back in shock when I saw a group of 3 giants standing there.

...it was a group of European backpackers.

Also: It wasn't detrimental in nature, but as a white dude it was my first time being on the receiving end of actual racism. Little kids would actually stop on the street, point at me, and shout "laowai" (foreigner), followed by their parents shushing them and whisking them away. I'm bald as well, so I was "catcalled" Professor X on multiple occasions.

[Fummins]

Also: It wasn't detrimental in nature, but as a white dude it was my first time being on the receiving end of actual racism. Little kids would actually stop on the street, point at me, and shout "laowai" (foreigner), followed by their parents shushing them and whisking them away.

Sounds like the south east Edmonton lol.

[7milesout]

my first time being on the receiving end of actual racism. Little kids would actually stop on the street, point at me, and shout "laowai" (foreigner)

Being called a foreigner when one is a foreigner is not racist. My guess is the parent(s) may have thought it not polite to yell out the obvious and make an even bigger spectacle than your presence alone.

I find it intriguing and refreshing when innocent minds just come right out with something that crosses their minds that, over time, adults have gotten their panties all in a bunch about.

I think I would bust out laughing if some little kid (any race) pointed at me and yelled, "SHREK!" The kid is not trying to offend and I'm not easily offended, it's just what his innocent mind thinks.

[Dirk Diggler]

As huge as Canada is I figured land development and building homes shouldn't be a big issue right?

[Fummins]

As huge as Canada is I figured land development and building homes shouldn't be a big issue right?

[dspace9]

As huge as Canada is I figured land development and building homes shouldn't be a big issue right?

Housing has become very very expensive in Canada. Same I heard is happening in New Zealand, and other places.

Houses of all shapes and sizes, lots, all getting pricey. Toronto the average detached house was like$ 1.1 million last month, $1.4 million this month. I heard most places go for over $100,000 even in my area.

I'm sure pricing is more nuanced than I'm making it out to be. But for your average joe schmoe starting out, good luck. You are paying a lot .. and getting a lot less. And the shape doesn't even matter. You see ads on telephone poles saying "We'll buy your house cash, no matter the shape".

[Fummins]

Housing has become very very expensive in Canada. Same I heard is happening in New Zealand, and other places.

Houses of all shapes and sizes, lots, all getting pricey. Toronto the average detached house was like$ 1.1 million last month, $1.4 million this month. I heard most places go for over $100,000 even in my area.

I'm sure pricing is more nuanced than I'm making it out to be. But for your average joe schmoe starting out, good luck. You are paying a lot .. and getting a lot less. And the shape doesn't even matter. You see ads on telephone poles saying "We'll buy your house cash, no matter the shape".

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...l=1#post130324

Once again, Canada isn't your town Ontario lol. I could be wrong but I've always been under the impression that the most expensive places to buy a house in Canada were Vancouver and Toronto.
In my town average house price went up 11% over the last year but the average price dropped by $20k over the last 2 months.

Any shmoe with a half assed job can buy a house out here. It's way easier if you have 2 incomes. The hardest part for a lot of people is coming up with a min 5% down payment, but if you have any rrsp's you can borrow that money as a down payment for your first home without penalty and pay it back over a long time.

Other than the down payment the other new hurdle is the mortgage stress test that they brought out a while back, thankfully after I bought my first place otherwise I'd never be approved back then.
"mortgage stress test".

[dspace9]

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...l=1#post130324

Once again, Canada isn't your town Ontario lol. I could be wrong but I've always been under the impression that the most expensive places to buy a house in Canada were Vancouver and Toronto.
In my town average house price went up 11% over the last year but the average price dropped by $20k over the last 2 months.

Any shmoe with a half assed job can buy a house out here. It's way easier if you have 2 incomes. The hardest part for a lot of people is coming up with a min 5% down payment, but if you have any rrsp's you can borrow that money as a down payment for your first home without penalty and pay it back over a long time.

Other than the down payment the other new hurdle is the mortgage stress test that they brought out a while back, thankfully after I bought my first place otherwise I'd never be approved back then.
"mortgage stress test".

Always best to live under your means. If you make a million dollars a year, and spend every cent, you're not a millionaire.

I found the whole mortgage application process 8 years ago very stressful. I barely had the 5% saved for my comparatively cheap purchase. I was paying lots for rent at the same time. Meetings at the bank, no cosigner, alone in the room so to speak.

I still feel like I paid a bit more than I should have. Even though market inflation has made it a good buy looking back.

People at work are buying trucks more money than my original mortgage lol. And they're disposable cups to these folks. Some are builders, others destroyers.