OT - GTA Advice?

[Sarah_Rose]

My DH just received a job transfer to Mississauga from Seattle. We are Canadian, but have never lived in the Toronto area. I grew up in Calgary, and DH grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo. We are simultaneously freaking out, but very excited, as our immediate family lives in Southern Ontario (my parents are in Bruce County) and it will be so nice for our children to grow up close to their extended family.

DH's company wants us to move in the next 4-6 weeks, so we're scrambling. His new office is in the Meadowvale area of Mississauga, and we would like a commute of less than 45 minutes, if possible. We would like to spend less than $350K on a house, need at least 3 bedrooms, and would like a fenced yard (we have dogs). Is this possible?

There seems to be quite a bit available in the Brampton and Burlington areas in our budget. Can anyone comment on what these areas would be like with a young family? Real estate seems to be very reasonable in Guelph/Cambridge, but I'm guessing we'd be looking at a 60-90 minute commute on the 401, right? Any suggestions on other areas that might work for us? I am a SAHM for at least the next 5 years, so I don't have to worry about finding work right now.

Thanks to any advice that anyone can provide! We're scrambling right now, so any guidance is very appreciated!

 

[mkmommy]

I work in that area and commute from Guelph and it is an easy commute, straight down the 401 and most days it take 35-40 minutes.

I would be surprised if you can find a house for $350K in Oakville or Brampton. My in laws were looking in Milton a couple of months ago and there was little there for less than $400K, you can find a few places in Guelph for $350K. Guelph is a nice place to live, big enough city to have everything you need, but not too big and cheaper to buy a house.

You would be amazed at the number of people that commute from KW to Toronto, so that is an option, but I think house prices are higher than Guelph, I think Cambridge is less expensive and not much further of a commute than Guelph.

 

[encinc]

I agree that the south end of Guelph is a manageable commute to Mississauga. Some parts of Cambridge might be OK too, but I think Guelph would be easier. There are certainly houses in the area in the $350 000 range. The south end tends to have fairly new developments, with lots of houses built within the past 10 years. There are ample grocery stores and other basic amenities in that end of the city as well.

Guelph is a great place to raise kids. The school system is good and there are plenty of activities for little ones. Maybe not quite as many as Mississauga or Oakville, but plenty.

 

[kuhltiffany]

But you couldn't pay me to live in Brampton. Burlington is quite expensive, you won't get much on that budget.

We're in Guelph now and love it. Our kids are 6 and 7, there's lots for them to do, tons of family friendly activities, easy access to 401, lots of greenspace, dog friendly trails and parks. You will have a lot of options for that budget. Cambridge would also work well for commuting too, as would Milton or Georgetown.

We have an awesome real estate team we always work with (it's a mom and daughter team), let me know if you want their contact number!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I live in Oakville....you won't find anything here or in Burlington in the $350K range other than very tiny townhouses or condos....think 1000 Sqft maximum. I would estimate that the average house price in this area is $600K+. One of my clients just listed her 3br home for 1.1 million.....million dollar homes(and up) are very common here


As far as Brampton goes....my friends just moved out of Brampton because they didn't want their son to go to a school that had regular lock downs for weapons and they lived in the newest, nicest part. Also, Brampton is very, very ethnic. Aside from that you won't have an abundance of homes in the $350K range there either.

 

[roxysmum123]

I'll be another vote for Guelph. Great city, reasonable commute, good prices.

 

[darwinsrule]

Brampton is like a lot of other places. Parts of it you don't want to be anywhere near, others are quite nice. Your biggest issue is going to be finding a nice spot for the family that has everything you want/need and doesn't result in a stupid commute - and there are a lot of people doing really stupid commutes in the GTA.

Brampton, Milton, Georgetown have all been growing rapidly. We have friends who have lived in Georgetown and love it. Same with Brampton. Regardless of where you end up it will be very different than where you are now. Good luck with the search and the move.