Towns with affordable homes

[chathamf]

Starting to get sick of the grind in Calgary and starting to realize I'll never be able to own a home here and still have money left to enjoy life.

Anyone recommend any towns that have lower housing prices but still some decent jobs? Don't want to live way up north and would rather something with trees rather then out on the Prairie. Been looking at places like Sundre and Carstairs but haven't talked to anyone that lives there.

[89s1]

If you don't make enough now working in Calgary to afford a place in the city, chances are anything you find outside the city will be affordable at your current wage, but not the new wage you will get in the new town you look for work in...

So you'll find yourself commuting into the city to work, which would likely get tiresome and what you spend in gas could very well offset your home savings and put you right back where you started, but with a much longer commute.

Have you actually thought about this at all or did you just make this thread because you're having a bad day/week?

[chathamf]

Thanks for all the great help lol. Yes I have thought about it. It doesn't matter where I live my wages will be the same as I work out of town. Mostly looking for somewhere my wife can find a decent job.. Doesn't really matter if she makes as much as now I make enough working away to make up for it. Mostly just sick of the awful traffic and overpriced everything. We are small town people just getting sick of it all.

[darthVWader]

Take a look in the Crowsnest area.

[89s1]

Well ok, now we're getting somewhere.

I don't expect it to be extremely easy for your wife to find any type of serious employment in a small town, unless her idea of serious is at the co-op full time as opposed to part time.

You're certainly right about the traffic, but I wouldn't go so far as to say things in Calgary are overpriced. hell, shopping for your weekly groceries out of town may very well cost you more than it does here in the city.

Living in the country has it perks, don't get me wrong. You generally get more property for your dollar as far as actual space goes, and other things like the endless night sky. But IMO there are far more offsetting positives to living in the city.

[dirtsniffer]

Crowsnest, not bad. I would recommend Fernie if first though. Canmore is also nice. Not sure if you would consider either affordable though.

[revelations]

Rocky Mountain house can be a rough area. Crowsnest pass same, lots of run down places.

I know what you mean about forests, coming from the west coast I feel the same way but we live in a neighbourhood that has lots of big trees so its not that bad at all.

Medicine Hat is probably the cheapest place to live in AB if memory serves (average house prices). Lethbridge has some nice areas as well that are not house farms.

[spike98]

Originally posted by revelations
Rocky Mountain house can be a rough area. Crowsnest pass same, lots of run down places.

I know what you mean about forests, coming from the west coast I feel the same way but we live in a neighbourhood that has lots of big trees so its not that bad at all.

Medicine Hat is probably the cheapest place to live in AB if memory serves (average house prices). Lethbridge has some nice areas as well that are not house farms.

Id second medicine hat if you work out of town anyways. Cheap housing, minimal crime, all the amenities.

We just moved here from medicine hat and it definitely served its purpose. You can get into a 1500sqft attached brand new for $350k in any area of the city if you dont mind an unfinished yard.

Our problem was that my career outgrew the opportunities there as its limited for people in oil and gas AND wanting to work in the city.

[klumsy_tumbler]

What sort of work would your wife like to do? I grew up in Sundre, so I completely understand the draws of small town living :)

[masoncgy]

I moved to Vancouver Island to get what you are looking for... small town, nice scenery, close to amenities... the job part was a little trickier, but fortunately it's all panned out very nicely for me. Open mind & a little hard work gets it done, especially out here where 'island time' is the norm... you come here with a good work ethic and it's easy to dance circles around your competition... haha.

Not sure if out-of-province is what you're wanting though.

[revelations]

Originally posted by masoncgy
I moved to Vancouver Island to get what you are looking for... small town, nice scenery, close to amenities... the job part was a little trickier, but fortunately it's all panned out very nicely for me. Open mind & a little hard work gets it done, especially out here where 'island time' is the norm... you come here with a good work ethic and it's easy to dance circles around your competition... haha.

Not sure if out-of-province is what you're wanting though.


If you dont smoke dope, that also puts you ahead of the brain-dead masses when it comes to finding a job, or taking up a contract.

[chathamf]

Isn't real estate as expensive or worse than Calgary out on the coast?