# In Town or Out side - Toronto



## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

whats your advice .... for first time movers to Toronto.

Live in town with the hustle and bustle or move out in the suburbs straight away bigger house bigger Commute.

Two kids to consider as well 10 and 13 

Working in Bloor as a daily commute 

We are caught between options

Cheers everyone :spy:


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Whereabouts on Bloor Street? It is a very long thoroughfare so more info needed.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

I like Oakville: great schools, nice parks, the lake and close enough to Toronto to enjoy the big city while far enough away not to have the disadvantages. ;-)
(I loved the city when I was younger with no kids.)


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

I lived in the city for 30+ years until this past year. Now living in Richmond Hill just north of the city. All things considered I would prefer to live in the city but housing is very very expensive. We sold our big house in the city and bought a smaller one in the burbs so that we could save some money. Where kids are living is not a real concern. There are bad areas in the city but there is so much to do both for the parents and the kids that it is a great place to live. If you live in the city you can usually get by with one car but you almost have to have 2 cars if you live in the suburbs.


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

My Brother and his Wife and their two kids live north east of Downtown Toronto, but still within the city limits/easy access to the subway. Both my Brother and Sister in Law take the subway everywhere, as they don't own a car (they lived in a 1 bedroom condo near the lakefront but moved after their second child was born).

Sister in Law's parents live in Oakville and come in to town to visit on a regular basis. My Mum's Auntie lived in Mississauga until she passed away... it's not so very far. Oakville is a nice area to raise a family and I know people who live out farther than that (Niagra Falls) who commute into Toronto on a daily basis (there's GoTrain service).


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

Hey Thanks everyone, really helpful.

I am anticipating working on Bloor East, if that helps a straightforward commute would be appreciated. when i put in locations in Google Maps public transport seems so complicated with changes and stop starts and driving seems to take half the time ?

Please keep the help coming as its a big important decision.


Cheers


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

PastyPete said:


> Hey Thanks everyone, really helpful.
> 
> I am anticipating working on Bloor East, if that helps a straightforward commute would be appreciated. when i put in locations in Google Maps public transport seems so complicated with changes and stop starts and driving seems to take half the time ?
> 
> ...


Actually the TTC (Toronto Transit System) is probably one of the easiest to use in the world. The subway (underground to you) runs all the way under Bloor Street, east to west. There are bus connections at every station for north/south transit. Can you tell me the address of your work location?


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

Auld Yin said:


> Actually the TTC (Toronto Transit System) is probably one of the easiest to use in the world. The subway (underground to you) runs all the way under Bloor Street, east to west. There are bus connections at every station for north/south transit. Can you tell me the address of your work location?


this is so helpful thanks as I have not signed on the dotted line yet prefer to keep this confidential at the moment. hope you understand.

Seems like lots of places where i could live and walk to the office, which would be awesome :bounce:

That would mean no big garden..... maybe one less bedroom..... 

Decisions ?


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## Li&Norman (Oct 26, 2013)

PastyPete said:


> whats your advice .... for first time movers to Toronto.
> 
> Live in town with the hustle and bustle or move out in the suburbs straight away bigger house bigger Commute.
> 
> ...


This is a big decision for sure. Mississauga could be an option. It has great transit system for downtown commuters. Lots of nice parks. John Fraser secondary School is one of the good school in the city.

Etobicoke is the other option if you have bigger budget. It is even more convenience to get to downtown.


I was born in the east side of Toronto (Scarborough) and have also lived downtown and in the west end (Etobicoke and Mississauga). My preference is central Etobicoke as many of the top schools are located there and convenient access to downtown Toronto. Homes are a bit pricier though - likely $600000 to $1 million ++ depending on budget and wants.


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

Hi, any schools help is most welcome as well, we may have to start with the school then find the house.

this is a really helpful piece of advice 

Thanks


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Overall Ontario has a great public/catholic school system. No need to pay extra for private schools.
Schools with lots of ESL students (English as a Second Language) often don't score that high on provincial tests.
If your kids are in elementary school, look at what high school they feed in. Is this high school primarily offering University Level courses, or do they offer a lot of workplace level courses? Do they offer IB? (IB and University level = good for high performers, workplace is good for those who don't want to go to university of even college)
Good school often means that it's a little bit pricier to live than within a bad school boundary.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Fraser Institute is a good place to start to compare schools:
https://www.fraserinstitute.org/report-cards/school-performance/ontario.aspx
(always check if there's place in the school, because I heard that sometimes they can't accept new students because they are full and your kid will have to go to other school)
Some Catholic schools don't accept new students if you can't show rental agreement for a year (we were turned down with our short-term rental for 4 months, so we send our son to public school)


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

that is so reassuring EVHB, you do worry about schools. The Fraser list should be really helpful.

some one has told me that mid term admissions carry a stigma and you should wait until the new term wherever possible. anyone any thoughts on this ?


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

Mid-term admissions carry a stigma? I have a family riddled with teachers and I've/they've never heard such rubbish. A one time happenstance has probably created the myth.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

With kids being 10 and 13 years old, I wouldn't worry.


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

Auld Yin said:


> Mid-term admissions carry a stigma? I have a family riddled with teachers and I've/they've never heard such rubbish. A one time happenstance has probably created the myth.


Thank you so much, spookily is is some one who has not been ever so helpful to me over this at all and may be i should treat there advice with caution.

That is such a relief a it can fee us up time wise


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

Ok.... we love the Beaches ...... any thoughts ........ seems in town but suburban ......


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

PastyPete said:


> Ok.... we love the Beaches ...... any thoughts ........ seems in town but suburban ......


It's not difficult to love The Beach. It's one of Toronto's most desirable areas. It is however, quite expensive from housing standpoint. What is your mortgage/rental payment in your budget.


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## luvcanada (Nov 10, 2011)

PastyPete said:


> Ok.... we love the Beaches ...... any thoughts ........ seems in town but suburban ......


The "beach" as it likes to be called is not suburban. It was suburban over 100 years ago when people who lived in town used it as a cottage area. Now it is a very desirable area that few can afford. It is only one street car ride to downtown, close to the lake and with a real neighbourhood feel. 

Also, the Fraser Institute study has its critics. It does not really evaluate the schools it evaluates the students. All things being considered children whose parents are highly educated and with more money tend to have greater interest in education and are supported more with additional tutoring if required. The "better" schools tend to be in wealthier areas where students have more support, where there are fewer single parent families, where students are highly encouraged by their parents to seek a better education and where there are not any financial issues forcing students to work to help support the family.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

So if you have a bright kid, you can wonder how challenged this kid will feel if it has to attend classes in a school with bad results...

Anyway, there is a socioeconomic indicator that you can see in the results of the schools. They compare the results on test to what you should expect based on socioeconomic status of the families. The outcome can be positive (test results are better than expected), or negative (worse than expected). But even with a negative socioeconomic factor, the school can be in the top with their results.
(as was our high school, within the top 10 of schools in Ontario, but with a negative socioeconomic factor).


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## Merina123 (Oct 31, 2013)

*re:*

I came to Toronto an year before for official works.My family also shifted with me.Mac Suites Toronto famous for corporate housing in Toronto arranged an apartment for us.It was in Ontario. Beautiful place.But i think cost of living is a bit higher there.


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

We thought renting first $2-$4 K per month then buying.

Will that get a house in "the Beach"

Next question how do the mortgages work here ?


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

PastyPete said:


> We thought renting first $2-$4 K per month then buying.
> 
> Will that get a house in "the Beach"
> 
> Next question how do the mortgages work here ?


$3-4k should do it.

If you deposit less than 20% you need to buy default insurance which is based on value of house. It can be added to the mortgage amount. The mortgage company will arrange. Otherwise buying is straightforward. Find a house and make an offer. Chances are your realtor will negotiate with seller's realtor until deal us reached. It's a good idea to have arranged a pre-approved mortgage before buying. The is no gazumping allowed here. Once you've signed the deal you're stuck with it.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

But because you don't have a credit history/credit score it's possible that the bank won't give you the mortgage for the frist 1 (or 2) year(s).


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## PastyPete (Oct 13, 2013)

Auld Yin said:


> $3-4k should do it.
> 
> If you deposit less than 20% you need to buy default insurance which is based on value of house. It can be added to the mortgage amount. The mortgage company will arrange. Otherwise buying is straightforward. Find a house and make an offer. Chances are your realtor will negotiate with seller's realtor until deal us reached. It's a good idea to have arranged a pre-approved mortgage before buying. The is no gazumping allowed here. Once you've signed the deal you're stuck with it.


phew that is a much better system than the uk ...thanks


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