It's not that bad. My life here is actually pretty damn good. Busy and expensive but I have no issues living here.
You've got to figure out several things to enjoy it here IMO. Career, housing and social life. I mean you probably need to figure those things out anywhere, but they are more challenging here than in other cities and can take more time to develop. If any of that isn't lining up the winter rains just feel that much more gloomy. Being from Alberta but now having lived here nearly a decade of my life now, yeah its a weird place. I don't think any of the other major Canadian cities have the weird mix of cost stress and social awkwardness that goes on here. It's a different vibe. That being said, if you can figure it out, it is a good place to live.
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A few weeks after crashing head-first into the boards (denting his helmet and being unable to move for a little while) following a hit from behind by Bob Errey, the Calgary Flames player explains:
"I was like Christ, lying on my back, with my arms outstretched, crucified"
-- Frank Musil - Early January 1994
Yes. It's pretty clear in a place like Vancouver how many people are just one crisis or emergency away from being pretty screwed, and expensive housing could quickly lead to a downward spiral involving homelessness.
I also tend to think another big contributing factor is how isolating and atomized culture is in North America (maybe especially WASPy culture?). The emphasis upon independence, the extent to which people leave home and move away from family with expectations of standing on their own two feet, and the extent to which self-worth and societal value is so tied to social as well as economic independence means a lot of people end up without strong support systems from tight family/community networks to prop them up when times get tough or they enter into crisis.
Totally agree, and from an economic standpoint, move out when you're 18 and figure it out may be the single dumbest philosophy for modern life that people still loudly proclaim as some sort of badge of honour. It isn't the 1950s in middle America where you will get a job at the local factory, a new chevy and a bungalow in short order. You are putting yourself (or your kids) at a massive disadvantage in the marketplace by going that route, especially in expensive cities. Unless they come up with a miracle business at 19 they are going to be way behind the economic curve due to likely having to accumulate debt and the inability to save. You aren't really any more well adjusted, if at all, than the kid who lived at home during post secondary and then maybe the first year or two of work, and then went out and found a place to live with a bunch of savings in hand. Just a way better strategy.
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A few weeks after crashing head-first into the boards (denting his helmet and being unable to move for a little while) following a hit from behind by Bob Errey, the Calgary Flames player explains:
"I was like Christ, lying on my back, with my arms outstretched, crucified"
-- Frank Musil - Early January 1994
You've got to figure out several things to enjoy it here IMO. Career, housing and social life. I mean you probably need to figure those things out anywhere, but they are more challenging here than in other cities and can take more time to develop. If any of that isn't lining up the winter rains just feel that much more gloomy. Being from Alberta but now having lived here nearly a decade of my life now, yeah its a weird place. I don't think any of the other major Canadian cities have the weird mix of cost stress and social awkwardness that goes on here. It's a different vibe. That being said, if you can figure it out, it is a good place to live.
This is actually an intriguing point.
The absurdly high cost of living in some of these places means that people spend all of their time hustling to survive and so while they wax poetically about the beauty and natural wonder, so many people are too busy working to actually enjoy them.
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The housing affordability stories blow my mind. I know a guy that makes ~100k/year and his wife makes ~200k/year. They just bought a place that took 2 months to close because of when they had to sell, other's could buy, etc. He and his wife stayed in his parents place until they could get possession of the new place. They assumed they had the rate locked in and budgeted $6,000 a month for the mortgage payment. Unfortunately the rate was not locked in and the new payment was $7,500. At first I had super judgey thoughts, but then when you talk to other people in Vancouver it seems spending all of your after tax income on housing is just a thing you do there. It's insane to me
I cannot fathom the level of stress of owning a house with that kind of payment
Further to that though, in comparison to most people that couple is making really great money. You cut that income in half and its still well, well above normal 'middle class' and that payment is simply not manageable.
Now they might be buying a mansion or who knows what the specifics are, but just as a form of scale its insane.
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Further to that though, in comparison to most people that couple is making really great money. You cut that income in half and its still well, well above normal 'middle class' and that payment is simply not manageable.
Now they might be buying a mansion or who knows what the specifics are, but just as a form of scale its insane.
I just keep doing the math in my head and it's insane. $90,000 a year mortgage payment and you're take home is maybe $200,000. How do you make that make sense? I get that leaves $110,000 after mortgage, but it's still insane.
What makes it worse is I got the sense that they don't share bank accounts and are paying it 50/50. If so, that's well north of 50% of his net income. Then the realization that no matter what investing you do, almost the entirety of your net worth is subject to the whims of the housing market
I just keep doing the math in my head and it's insane. $90,000 a year mortgage payment and you're take home is maybe $200,000. How do you make that make sense? I get that leaves $110,000 after mortgage, but it's still insane.
What makes it worse is I got the sense that they don't share bank accounts and are paying it 50/50. If so, that's well north of 50% of his net income. Then the realization that no matter what investing you do, almost the entirety of your net worth is subject to the whims of the housing market
It is very expensive but they likely have a rental suite in that property paying $2000-$3000/month.
They probably also see it as their primary investment strategy being how well Vancouver real estate has appreciated and being a tax free gain as a principal residence.
So being "subject to the whims of the housing market" isn't a consideration people here make.
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Here are couple of interesting videos about how Finland and Vienna have tackled homelessness and housing affordability. I like the Vienna system where 62% of people actually live in socialized housing and 80% of the population qualifies. It creates a demographic spectrum where people from all walks of life choose to go that route and avoids ghettoization of the poor.
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Last edited by FlamesAddiction; 09-24-2022 at 09:22 PM.
You've got to figure out several things to enjoy it here IMO. Career, housing and social life. I mean you probably need to figure those things out anywhere, but they are more challenging here than in other cities and can take more time to develop. If any of that isn't lining up the winter rains just feel that much more gloomy. Being from Alberta but now having lived here nearly a decade of my life now, yeah its a weird place. I don't think any of the other major Canadian cities have the weird mix of cost stress and social awkwardness that goes on here. It's a different vibe. That being said, if you can figure it out, it is a good place to live.
I don't own, missed that boat. But I am lucky with rent. It's not a great place by any means, older townhome but it's a good size and in a good location and I currently pay half of what new renters pay in here. My wife and I do fine but we don't have near enough for a downpayment to get a house around here. $500K still leaves me with a million dollar mortgage. Insanity to me. If I was paying over $3K for a place my tune might change.
I've been here for over 20 years so I might just be immune to it. I have my work and group of friends and of course the kids keep you busy. I have no desire to hit bars and clubs anymore which is good as there are none. Now that I have broken down out of sports I find I do need a hobby. Something other than work, kids and chores to fill the day.
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I don't own, missed that boat. But I am lucky with rent. It's not a great place by any means, older townhome but it's a good size and in a good location and I currently pay half of what new renters pay in here. My wife and I do fine but we don't have near enough for a downpayment to get a house around here. $500K still leaves me with a million dollar mortgage. Insanity to me. If I was paying over $3K for a place my tune might change.
I've been here for over 20 years so I might just be immune to it. I have my work and group of friends and of course the kids keep you busy. I have no desire to hit bars and clubs anymore which is good as there are none. Now that I have broken down out of sports I find I do need a hobby. Something other than work, kids and chores to fill the day.
I see that and instantly think is one of two things, malicious AF or gross negligence like he was looking at his phone or totally distracted from something else. Either way, no Bueno.
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And under the new rules, the victim has also lost the right to sue for any kind of injuries.
Seriously? What new rules are these? Because it's a cop (didn't have lights on from the video, maybe had the siren on though?)? Maybe if the victim ends up testing positive for a substance? Honest question.
Really? What legislation was that that? That's awful.
No more lawsuits for motor vehicle collisions in BC.
He might be able to get something from ICBC, if he has a permanent impairment. That's difficult to prove for someone who's likely already not working and has a variety of disabilities though.
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Seriously? What new rules are these? Because it's a cop (didn't have lights on from the video, maybe had the siren on though?)? Maybe if the victim ends up testing positive for a substance? Honest question.
No fault insurance.
__________________ "Everybody's so desperate to look smart that nobody is having fun anymore" -Jackie Redmond
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