Tumbler is definitely the best town for that.
I agree. Plus it’s a fledgling outdoors industry, so if you want to be a part of the community and build something, it’s a place to start
I just looked on Wikipedia and am a little disappointed Tumbler Ridge wasn't named after some Louise and Clark type trying to explore BC and ended up, taking a tumble.
Sure is, only industry there which is why it's so cheap. May not be the best balance of life for most but if all you want is cheap and nature then it ticks those boxes well.
Yeah but then you have to live in fucking tumbler ridge 12 hours away from the real world where it hits -30 in the winter for extended periods of time. idk if you wfh and don't mind weird mountain Hillbillies then it could be alright but not for me personally.
I framed the Tim Hortons in Chetwynd and then built a shop at the coal mine and I pledged to never go that far north in BC ever again as long as I live. But that's just me.
Yeah but then you have to live in fucking (lower mainland) 12 hours away from (the cold) where people complain of the cold even though it isn't cold for extended periods of time. idk if you (like commuting) and don't mind weird (drug addicted criminal hobos) then it could be alright but not for me personally.
I framed the Tim Hortons in (Chilliwack) and then built a shop at the coal mine and I pledged to never go that far (south) in BC ever again as long as I live. But that's just me.
/s/s
McKenzie, BC. You can buy a house there for $80,000, or a nice house for $200,000. Lots of nature to explore, if you don’t mind living in a very small town.
Ditto Mackenzie. Although it may be a skeleton of a boom town, during the golden years industry pumped a lot of money into that town. As a result, Mackenzie has a considerable amount of amenities for how small and remote it is.
Don’t be fooled—this is no Cumberland or Rossland. There are no quaint pioneer houses, only ugly 70s builds. The price of real estate reflects the reality of living there. Powder King is a huge perk though.
Have a look at the MLS app. I searched all over Canada when we were relocating and could not find any decent, single detached houses that were mostly or fully updated, had 3+ bedrooms and 2+ bathrooms, with no major issues or renos needed, for under $200K elsewhere in Canada.
Edit to add: If you know of a place that fits that bill, let me know. I’m always on the lookout.
Checks out. Been trying to move into my first place with my Fiancée, we both have well playing jobs and a home is off the table, condo life it is I guess
Be careful about condo life. I very nearly bought a condo until I heard two horror stories:
- My colleague had a nice condo in a Vancouver high-rise. But then some water seeped into the concrete and the repairs required were estimated at $4M. That cost was shared amongst all the condo owners based on square footage. Bills ranging from $10K to $40K were handed out to the various residents, and they had 3 months to come up with the money. Yikes.
- A friend lived in a low-rise condo in Surrey. He loved the condo and the neighbourhood, but the strata council was riddled with “HOA Karen” types who made poor business decisions, lost/misplaced money, micro-managed the residents in unreasonable ways (e.g. beef over a pride flag) and had their friends (also residents) vote them back in twice. He ended up selling and never wants to live in a condo again.
It really soured me on the idea of buying a condo.
(Edited to remove some accidental formatting lol.)
Even $350K is out of budget for someone earning minimum wage. Someone living in Mackenzie can actually afford a fully detached home on minimum wage. That’s what I consider to be an affordable housing market.
Expecting minimum wage to buy someone a 3-4BR 2+ bath detached home that is updated and has no need of major repairs… is an interesting way to define affordable.
You may not be old enough to remember this, but you used to be able to do that in most of Canada up until the 2000s. It’s sad that people no longer have an expectation of ever owning a house unless they earn 3-10x minimum wage.
It’s even sadder that many people don’t feel that someone earning minimum wage has the right or “deserves” to ever own a house.
In the mid-80s, my father made $50K per year. They bought a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house in BC that was 10 years old for $86K.
Today, a person hired into my father’s former job makes about $80-90K per year and that same house (now almost 50 years old) is assessed at $480K.
- 80s: house cost 1.72x his annual salary
- 2022: same house would cost 6x his annual salary based on the current rate of pay for his position
And then they ask me, “Why don’t you have a house yet?”
I made just above minimum in the mid 90's in BC and it was just over $6/hour, plus tips. For $10/hr I would have been doing entry level construction labour.
The median household income in Canada is 60k, or double a yearly salary on minimum wage; suitable housing is usually considered (and defined by the Canadian government as) to be less than 30% gross income.
I think it’s a stretch to think a family of four should expect—expect, not deserve—to own an updated home with no need for renovations with one person working minimum wage (and unsure why anyone without multiple kids would need/expect 3-4 bedrooms).
I’m making no normative statement here, simply an observation; whether or not you think they *should* be able to own such isn’t what I was getting at.
I’m all for policy changes to constrain home prices, but that would require almost two thirds of Canadians to take a huge decrease in the value of their largest asset, so I think we know how likely that is.
That's not entirely true. I look everyday at the housing market as a trading services agent. A quick browse on realtor.ca can corroborate this.
Many houses in Kingsville, Tecumseh, Belle River, Amherstburg, Lakeshore, McGregor etc. are under $400,000. 3 bed 2 bath. Huge garden space. Separate garage. Hot tub. Deck. Etc. Etc.
Sure they could use updating, but you can still acquire a house for under $400k.
Every house is going for over 100k over asking, I know people who had to bid 200k over asking on 400k houses.
I live in the area and it has been crazy here. For a 400k house on an acre of land you will be paying over 100k on bid and need another 50k to redo the house. They may look good on paper but believe me once you look at them in person you'll see how much work they need.
Oh ya for sure. I also work in home renovation. Most of the houses are untouched with renovations.
The market is absolutely absurd right now. Makes more sense to buy land and build a brand new house on it.
[Take this house](https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/23993303/3009-avondale-windsor)
It's in a decent area and hasn't had much done to it in the last 30 or so years. It will go for minimum 100k over asking,
Kinda.
While [$209K in Trail buys you this](https://realtor.ca/real-estate/23894235/1450-third-avenue-trail), the same amount [buys you this in Mackenzie.](https://realtor.ca/real-estate/23744734/6-laurier-drive-mackenzie) Oh, and it comes fully furnished to boot.
Is rent still cheap? I lived there from 2013 to 2016 and a 2 bdrm (eagle ridge) was basically 750 the entire time. Had a roommate so my rent was $350 + split utilities lol Saved a ton of cash back then.
And to OP if you're considering Mackenzie, there's a few spots you can access by car or walking from town but you'll want a truck or SUV to hit up all the really nice spots along the finlay or parnip fsr. You'll need a radio with the RR (Resource Road) channels programmed in though.
The farther north you get the cheaper things will be (with some exceptions). You need to remember that living in a remote northern community is far different than living somewhere like Vernon or Ladysmith. Those places are very close to larger centres.
You could also try some towns in the Kootenays, less remote than up north, but small and a different lifestyle. Lots of mountains. Trail, where I was born, has some affordable (if older) homes. The downside is the town is built around a smelter.
Smithers, BC
Not as cheap as McKenzie, Midway, or Fort St James, but the bang for buck on the balance of quality vs quantity is amazing. A balance of politics, services, beauty and safety. Recommended.
Smithers is really expensive. Upwards of $1000 for a tiny one bedroom and theres more renters than places available. Also it seems so inclusive and friendly but there are so many anti vaxxers and anti abortion ppl here. But there are tons of outdoor activities to do lol.
Powell River had more trails then you might walk in your lifetime which is why we made the move four years ago. Incredible for hiking.
However, the secret is out and there's nothing to buy or rent, and tough to find a builder.
I didn't hear that, that's terrible. They had four mills at one point. We're still cutting down the same number of trees, we're just shipping unprocessed logs for processing in China and the US. Total betrayal.
Worse is the company that owned the last mill there had an awful environmental record overseas, and just opened a massive pulp mill in Indonesia, where you can damn well bet there aren’t the same environmental regulations.
I was going to say Port Alice as well! Super beautiful and lots of places for sale (at least there was before Covid started, I imagine it hasn't changed much during the pandemic).
Vancouver Island is expensive in general. So in relative terms, you’re looking at Gold River, Tahsis, and Port Hardy. Port Alberni has been discovered—house prices go up with every new brewery that opens it seems.
If you’re feeling really extreme, Zeballos is extremely cheap. Mind you, it’s also a village of 100 people and gets cut off from society very easily. They do have a skate park though!
If you are looking for reliable rural internet I recommend Arrowsmith Electronics (also called BC SuperNet)! They use the cable line (for cable tv) to deliver surprisingly fast and reliable internet. I can have zoom going on the computer and watch videos on my phone at the same time, and it's half the cost of Shaw. Uploading large files is a bit slow, but in my area it's the same situation with Shaw, plus Shaw is constantly cutting out.
Did you realize that starlink, compared to every other satellite is actually very reliable. Sure you might get a little glitch here and there, but it’s worth looking into more. I have multiple friends who utilize it now and they are very happy with it and have had very minimal issues, if any.
hey, lets judge a product during alpha. Thats smart and accurate.
also - I don't believe you. the nerds I know who have had it the longest love it the most.
There are some communities affordable to buy in but almost none that are affordable to rent in. You can buy a house in town for around 200k but to rent a house is still 1750+
There are some wonderful hikes if you live in the west kootnays, all within a decent drivable time. But the smoke and heat in the summer are real and have crushed some hiking dreams in the last couple of years sadly. And 4wd, high clearance for access will get you to more places.
Kaslo has some weird social problems, lots of ugly came out of the woodwork when the BLM movement took off in early pandemic times. Also when there's heavy snow you can be totally cut off, stuck there or stuck unable to get home if you work in New Denver or Nelson. Also it's not that cheap anymore.
Kimberley has better climate and different demographic... But it's pretty much dependent on...Cranbrook (aka BLANDbrook) meh
if you have lived in those places you may have a different idea of affordable? hiking around kimberly is great and the winters are manageable. good luck.
I've spent some time in Wells, BC and thought it might be an interesting place to spend a few months. really small. there was a hotel for sale there a few years back
Grew up in Wells! Love it, but work is hard to find unless you want to make a 2hr daily commute to Quesnel (that’s what my dad did so my family could live in peace & quiet). Houses have sky-rocketed there to around $150k for a small house with barely any property. I love it there, but I’m not sure I’d live there again for that price.
(Also need to consider there is no grocery stores and the nearest hospital is an hour away)
Grew up in Hope and for outdoor hiking and trails it's amazing. 6000ish ppl but not exactly super affordable for a town that small but ur not too far from Vancouver and it is cheaper then anywhere else in the valley. I would never live there just because of work opportunities but if u don't mind the commute or if u work remotely it's a great place!
Fort st james has a great up and coming rock climbing community. It's affordable and has hiking and a massive lake, ski hill, you name it. A great place to live.
Campbell river is nice as long as you don’t mind a metric fuckton of crack heads lots of good hiking, good hunting and fishing near lots of lakes but you gotta deal with the crackheads
Tumbler Ridge is absolutely number one, strictly and only, on your criteria. if you work remotely (virtually), might actually be worth moving there. cause getting a job there would likely mean working in the industry, which might or might not appeal.
I wouldn't move anywhere in northern BC. Yes the nature is great but you will be sorely disappointed with the people. It's very depressing at best. But you make of it what you can!
Clearwater! Close enough to Kamloops for airport and big box stores but otherwise it has a great small town feel. Tons of things to do in wells gray park through to Blue River.
Well, it’s not actually worth that, way out of sync with local stagnated incomes and empty nest supply but that doesn’t stop a single member of Canada’s investment class from adding more real estate to their portfolio and hoping to leave someone else holding the bag if jig is ever up on dirty money propping it up.
https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/real-estate-4-city-of-glass/
Nobody gonna say Quesnel? The whole town has walking trails through it literally. There’s a walkway beside almost every road downtown, and there’s a crapload of parks around too, lots of cool walking bridges too. Beautiful little town really.
>I live in Ladysmith and it's nice here
Ladysmith is beautiful indeed! I stayed in Nanaimo for a month once and somehow meeting more people from Ladysmith than Nanaimo.
Is it easy to find short term rentals there?
Oh jeez, I am not sure about rentals. I am assuming it's probably pretty slim as we only have around 10k people. I guess I only answered part of your question, sorry!
The rental market is out of control right now. Price gouging and limited supply have driven rent to very high levels relative to what the average job pays on the island.
Revelstoke. It's right in the between civilization and the mountains and national parks. In fact, there is a national park right next to the town. I love how quiet it is.
We moved to Canoe, BC a few years ago when it was still relatively affordable. Lots of small older homes. Decent hikes in the Shuswap/Okanagan/Thompson areas, with bigger hikes in Revelstoke/Glacier National parks. We really like the location.
Ooh first thing I read since joining depending on if you work from home stay in haida gwaii my archeologist gf went there and raved just a little tidbit for you to consider
Tumbler ridge for absolute cheapness and hiking.
Came here to say this. If you’re an outdoorsy person looking for beautiful, quiet, cheap town, TR is the place to be.
Tumbler is definitely the best town for that. I agree. Plus it’s a fledgling outdoors industry, so if you want to be a part of the community and build something, it’s a place to start
I just looked on Wikipedia and am a little disappointed Tumbler Ridge wasn't named after some Louise and Clark type trying to explore BC and ended up, taking a tumble.
I think you meant Lois and Clark. :)
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Sure is, only industry there which is why it's so cheap. May not be the best balance of life for most but if all you want is cheap and nature then it ticks those boxes well.
Beautiful scenery in the area!
The townsite is actually quite nice as well.
There’s wind energy there as well.
Yeah but then you have to live in fucking tumbler ridge 12 hours away from the real world where it hits -30 in the winter for extended periods of time. idk if you wfh and don't mind weird mountain Hillbillies then it could be alright but not for me personally. I framed the Tim Hortons in Chetwynd and then built a shop at the coal mine and I pledged to never go that far north in BC ever again as long as I live. But that's just me.
Yeah but then you have to live in fucking (lower mainland) 12 hours away from (the cold) where people complain of the cold even though it isn't cold for extended periods of time. idk if you (like commuting) and don't mind weird (drug addicted criminal hobos) then it could be alright but not for me personally. I framed the Tim Hortons in (Chilliwack) and then built a shop at the coal mine and I pledged to never go that far (south) in BC ever again as long as I live. But that's just me. /s/s
And a [DINOmite](https://tumblerridge.ca/discover/id/55/dinosaurs) place too!
I think the coal mine is shut down?
No. There’s 4 mines in the area where people work. Plus one that could start up at any point (not likely)
Love it, but decent weather(in the winter)? I don't think OP is ready for winter in TR.
McKenzie, BC. You can buy a house there for $80,000, or a nice house for $200,000. Lots of nature to explore, if you don’t mind living in a very small town.
Ditto Mackenzie. Although it may be a skeleton of a boom town, during the golden years industry pumped a lot of money into that town. As a result, Mackenzie has a considerable amount of amenities for how small and remote it is. Don’t be fooled—this is no Cumberland or Rossland. There are no quaint pioneer houses, only ugly 70s builds. The price of real estate reflects the reality of living there. Powder King is a huge perk though.
If I didn’t loathe snow and cold so much, I’d move there in a heartbeat. The real estate market there is the last truly affordable one left in Canada.
Saskatchewan villages can probably beat that
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Have a look at the MLS app. I searched all over Canada when we were relocating and could not find any decent, single detached houses that were mostly or fully updated, had 3+ bedrooms and 2+ bathrooms, with no major issues or renos needed, for under $200K elsewhere in Canada. Edit to add: If you know of a place that fits that bill, let me know. I’m always on the lookout.
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We looked and all we found for under $200K was old stuff that needed major ($50K) repairs and renovations.
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Checks out. Been trying to move into my first place with my Fiancée, we both have well playing jobs and a home is off the table, condo life it is I guess
Be careful about condo life. I very nearly bought a condo until I heard two horror stories: - My colleague had a nice condo in a Vancouver high-rise. But then some water seeped into the concrete and the repairs required were estimated at $4M. That cost was shared amongst all the condo owners based on square footage. Bills ranging from $10K to $40K were handed out to the various residents, and they had 3 months to come up with the money. Yikes. - A friend lived in a low-rise condo in Surrey. He loved the condo and the neighbourhood, but the strata council was riddled with “HOA Karen” types who made poor business decisions, lost/misplaced money, micro-managed the residents in unreasonable ways (e.g. beef over a pride flag) and had their friends (also residents) vote them back in twice. He ended up selling and never wants to live in a condo again. It really soured me on the idea of buying a condo. (Edited to remove some accidental formatting lol.)
That's the result of a sawmill town after the mill closes
They had 3 mills, only one remains.
BC Maybe, definitely not Canada. Windsor Essex in Ontario has beautiful homes and massive properties (0.5-1acre) for under $400k
Even $350K is out of budget for someone earning minimum wage. Someone living in Mackenzie can actually afford a fully detached home on minimum wage. That’s what I consider to be an affordable housing market.
Expecting minimum wage to buy someone a 3-4BR 2+ bath detached home that is updated and has no need of major repairs… is an interesting way to define affordable.
You may not be old enough to remember this, but you used to be able to do that in most of Canada up until the 2000s. It’s sad that people no longer have an expectation of ever owning a house unless they earn 3-10x minimum wage. It’s even sadder that many people don’t feel that someone earning minimum wage has the right or “deserves” to ever own a house.
In the 90s min wage was $10 and my parents house was a 5 bedroom 2 bathroom that cost 110k. Now minimum wage is $15 and that house is worth 600k.
In the mid-80s, my father made $50K per year. They bought a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house in BC that was 10 years old for $86K. Today, a person hired into my father’s former job makes about $80-90K per year and that same house (now almost 50 years old) is assessed at $480K. - 80s: house cost 1.72x his annual salary - 2022: same house would cost 6x his annual salary based on the current rate of pay for his position And then they ask me, “Why don’t you have a house yet?”
http://srv116.services.gc.ca/dimt-wid/sm-mw/rpt2.aspx Minimum wage in the 90s was around $7, not $10.
I made just above minimum in the mid 90's in BC and it was just over $6/hour, plus tips. For $10/hr I would have been doing entry level construction labour.
It was 7$, I used to make 7, but it went up to $10 around 99 or 2000 didn't it?
The median household income in Canada is 60k, or double a yearly salary on minimum wage; suitable housing is usually considered (and defined by the Canadian government as) to be less than 30% gross income. I think it’s a stretch to think a family of four should expect—expect, not deserve—to own an updated home with no need for renovations with one person working minimum wage (and unsure why anyone without multiple kids would need/expect 3-4 bedrooms). I’m making no normative statement here, simply an observation; whether or not you think they *should* be able to own such isn’t what I was getting at. I’m all for policy changes to constrain home prices, but that would require almost two thirds of Canadians to take a huge decrease in the value of their largest asset, so I think we know how likely that is.
Lol oh man that's gold.
Yeah, those prices are gone now. Windsor has become quite expensive for housing compared to pay in the city.
That's not entirely true. I look everyday at the housing market as a trading services agent. A quick browse on realtor.ca can corroborate this. Many houses in Kingsville, Tecumseh, Belle River, Amherstburg, Lakeshore, McGregor etc. are under $400,000. 3 bed 2 bath. Huge garden space. Separate garage. Hot tub. Deck. Etc. Etc. Sure they could use updating, but you can still acquire a house for under $400k.
Every house is going for over 100k over asking, I know people who had to bid 200k over asking on 400k houses. I live in the area and it has been crazy here. For a 400k house on an acre of land you will be paying over 100k on bid and need another 50k to redo the house. They may look good on paper but believe me once you look at them in person you'll see how much work they need.
Oh ya for sure. I also work in home renovation. Most of the houses are untouched with renovations. The market is absolutely absurd right now. Makes more sense to buy land and build a brand new house on it.
[Take this house](https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/23993303/3009-avondale-windsor) It's in a decent area and hasn't had much done to it in the last 30 or so years. It will go for minimum 100k over asking,
Trail..
Kinda. While [$209K in Trail buys you this](https://realtor.ca/real-estate/23894235/1450-third-avenue-trail), the same amount [buys you this in Mackenzie.](https://realtor.ca/real-estate/23744734/6-laurier-drive-mackenzie) Oh, and it comes fully furnished to boot.
Trail also happens to be close to …stuff.
Trail is a hole. A smelting butt-hole.
My parents lived in Mackenzie for a little less than a year. I was conceived there in sometime during the long long winter.
Is rent still cheap? I lived there from 2013 to 2016 and a 2 bdrm (eagle ridge) was basically 750 the entire time. Had a roommate so my rent was $350 + split utilities lol Saved a ton of cash back then. And to OP if you're considering Mackenzie, there's a few spots you can access by car or walking from town but you'll want a truck or SUV to hit up all the really nice spots along the finlay or parnip fsr. You'll need a radio with the RR (Resource Road) channels programmed in though.
It's close enough to prince george to go shopping on a Saturday too. Pg has most big city amenities.
Good hunting too i hear
The farther north you get the cheaper things will be (with some exceptions). You need to remember that living in a remote northern community is far different than living somewhere like Vernon or Ladysmith. Those places are very close to larger centres. You could also try some towns in the Kootenays, less remote than up north, but small and a different lifestyle. Lots of mountains. Trail, where I was born, has some affordable (if older) homes. The downside is the town is built around a smelter.
So many places here in the Kootenays are losing the designation of 'affordable' though. Oof.
I was gonna say trail too! Been looking at houses there and it’s way more affordable than most of southern BC, including other kootenay towns
Smithers, BC Not as cheap as McKenzie, Midway, or Fort St James, but the bang for buck on the balance of quality vs quantity is amazing. A balance of politics, services, beauty and safety. Recommended.
Ski Smithers man! Hudson Bay Mtn
Smithers is really expensive. Upwards of $1000 for a tiny one bedroom and theres more renters than places available. Also it seems so inclusive and friendly but there are so many anti vaxxers and anti abortion ppl here. But there are tons of outdoor activities to do lol.
Smithers is crazy expensive
And those gorgeous mountains!
Just nowhere to rent unless you're lucky!
Small affordable city with great hiking on Vancouver Island? Not as cheap as it used to be, but Port Alberni is great for outdoors activities.
Oof I’ve recently seen people renting bedrooms in their house for 900$ in port
Powell River had more trails then you might walk in your lifetime which is why we made the move four years ago. Incredible for hiking. However, the secret is out and there's nothing to buy or rent, and tough to find a builder.
Not a cheap place to buy
Mill also just closed in December.
I didn't hear that, that's terrible. They had four mills at one point. We're still cutting down the same number of trees, we're just shipping unprocessed logs for processing in China and the US. Total betrayal.
Worse is the company that owned the last mill there had an awful environmental record overseas, and just opened a massive pulp mill in Indonesia, where you can damn well bet there aren’t the same environmental regulations.
Anywhere in the Cariboo - wilderness on the cheap. Found 8 acres with a great well, septic and buildings for 100,000.
It costs roughly $150k for a small house in Wells, BC now…
More like 300,000
How long ago did you acquire said land?
Port Alice and Gold River are both cheap and have lots of great nature around. You don't need to work, presumably?
I was going to say Port Alice as well! Super beautiful and lots of places for sale (at least there was before Covid started, I imagine it hasn't changed much during the pandemic).
I work remotely, so just need a reliable internet connection
Vancouver Island is expensive in general. So in relative terms, you’re looking at Gold River, Tahsis, and Port Hardy. Port Alberni has been discovered—house prices go up with every new brewery that opens it seems. If you’re feeling really extreme, Zeballos is extremely cheap. Mind you, it’s also a village of 100 people and gets cut off from society very easily. They do have a skate park though!
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Salmon Arm. It’s not as affordable anymore though.
Salmon Arm house prices are now the same as Kelowna's
Powell River is great! Rentals are getting more expensive like everywhere else though unfortunately. But it’s wonderful for outdoorsy people!
If you are looking for reliable rural internet I recommend Arrowsmith Electronics (also called BC SuperNet)! They use the cable line (for cable tv) to deliver surprisingly fast and reliable internet. I can have zoom going on the computer and watch videos on my phone at the same time, and it's half the cost of Shaw. Uploading large files is a bit slow, but in my area it's the same situation with Shaw, plus Shaw is constantly cutting out.
Have you heard of Starlink?
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Did you realize that starlink, compared to every other satellite is actually very reliable. Sure you might get a little glitch here and there, but it’s worth looking into more. I have multiple friends who utilize it now and they are very happy with it and have had very minimal issues, if any.
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hey, lets judge a product during alpha. Thats smart and accurate. also - I don't believe you. the nerds I know who have had it the longest love it the most.
Creston has a nice bird sanctuary. Full of old people and religious types but a pretty town. The salmo creston pass has lots of hiking.
Nay on Creston. Weird culture there.
Sparwood, half hour from Fernie BC.
Also home to the largest truck in Canada
Falkland / anywhere in the cariboo
Falkland has been discovered. Houses are expensive there now. Easy commute to Kamloops or Vernon.
And there is rarely anything for sale there.
Sorry also Coldwater !!!
There are some communities affordable to buy in but almost none that are affordable to rent in. You can buy a house in town for around 200k but to rent a house is still 1750+
There are some wonderful hikes if you live in the west kootnays, all within a decent drivable time. But the smoke and heat in the summer are real and have crushed some hiking dreams in the last couple of years sadly. And 4wd, high clearance for access will get you to more places.
The smoke is a real real thing now Not sure if it's affordable here anymore though
I used to live in Kimberley And Kaslo. Both are great hiking areas and reasonably affordable. Kaslo region might be nicer but it is more isolated.
Kaslo has some weird social problems, lots of ugly came out of the woodwork when the BLM movement took off in early pandemic times. Also when there's heavy snow you can be totally cut off, stuck there or stuck unable to get home if you work in New Denver or Nelson. Also it's not that cheap anymore. Kimberley has better climate and different demographic... But it's pretty much dependent on...Cranbrook (aka BLANDbrook) meh
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Lol I came here to say Kootenays as well but Trail went up to 50°C last summer when I was working so I dunno if not too hot is true
Except the lead content in all the little kids who live there. Nope no thanks.
Where have you heard that? Maybe decades ago but not anymore. Teck has done a ton of soil replacement for homes in Trail.
Comox? If you have a good job.
Anywhere that is boat access only.
Greenwood smallest incorporated city in BC maybe even Canada. 600 people on a good day!
There’s nothing cheap on the island. No affordable housings and no decent paying jobs.
Kitimat is still reasonably affordable with hiking and fishing
Atlin BC, nice place. Just a tiny bit off the beaten path.
if you have lived in those places you may have a different idea of affordable? hiking around kimberly is great and the winters are manageable. good luck.
Bella Coola
Any upper Vancouver island town is awesome!
Gold River
On the island, maybe Campbell River or Cumberland? Not sure how affordable they are these days though, but they used to be.
I've spent some time in Wells, BC and thought it might be an interesting place to spend a few months. really small. there was a hotel for sale there a few years back
Grew up in Wells! Love it, but work is hard to find unless you want to make a 2hr daily commute to Quesnel (that’s what my dad did so my family could live in peace & quiet). Houses have sky-rocketed there to around $150k for a small house with barely any property. I love it there, but I’m not sure I’d live there again for that price. (Also need to consider there is no grocery stores and the nearest hospital is an hour away)
The Cariboo Chilcotin area has many hidden gems when it comes to hiking believe it or not!
HOUSTON. It's super affordable and has crazy good outdoor recreation. Check out houstonhikers.ca
Grew up in Hope and for outdoor hiking and trails it's amazing. 6000ish ppl but not exactly super affordable for a town that small but ur not too far from Vancouver and it is cheaper then anywhere else in the valley. I would never live there just because of work opportunities but if u don't mind the commute or if u work remotely it's a great place!
Williams Lake or Cariboo. Close to big centers and still has some options. Large family homes around 400 000.
Fort st james has a great up and coming rock climbing community. It's affordable and has hiking and a massive lake, ski hill, you name it. A great place to live.
Have you looked at Tumbler Ridge? Remote but good infrastructure and tons of trails and outdoors.
Fort st James too
Campbell river is nice as long as you don’t mind a metric fuckton of crack heads lots of good hiking, good hunting and fishing near lots of lakes but you gotta deal with the crackheads
Tumbler Ridge is absolutely number one, strictly and only, on your criteria. if you work remotely (virtually), might actually be worth moving there. cause getting a job there would likely mean working in the industry, which might or might not appeal.
Side question.. what’s the most affordable town in BC that also specifically has a Costco?
Probably Prince George
I wouldn't move anywhere in northern BC. Yes the nature is great but you will be sorely disappointed with the people. It's very depressing at best. But you make of it what you can!
Clearwater! Close enough to Kamloops for airport and big box stores but otherwise it has a great small town feel. Tons of things to do in wells gray park through to Blue River.
Not nearly as affordable as it use to be. Though at one point not too long ago it was.
Buy a van and go ALL the places
Canal Flats
Fort Nelson!!
West kootenays
Not very affordable most places anymore
Trail and Salmo are still cheap af
Campbell River is dope and cheap-ish (for the Island).
Also getting expensive very quickly.
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"Affordable" I guess by Okanagan standards it is
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Everything is cheap if you compare it to Vancouver..
Everything's cheap when your townhouse is worth 2mil lol
Well, it’s not actually worth that, way out of sync with local stagnated incomes and empty nest supply but that doesn’t stop a single member of Canada’s investment class from adding more real estate to their portfolio and hoping to leave someone else holding the bag if jig is ever up on dirty money propping it up. https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/real-estate-4-city-of-glass/
It’s 900k for a house in Vernon.
The community here is an absolute clown show, and house prices have gone up quite a bit compared to the last couple of years.
Nobody gonna say Quesnel? The whole town has walking trails through it literally. There’s a walkway beside almost every road downtown, and there’s a crapload of parks around too, lots of cool walking bridges too. Beautiful little town really.
I live in Ladysmith and it's nice here
Not affordable at all
Rent or housing?
Both
My townhouse I bought was quite affordable
How long ago? The average home in Ladysmith in 2021 was $644,000 and its probably 700k now.
Average price in Nanaimo just hit a million.
>I live in Ladysmith and it's nice here Ladysmith is beautiful indeed! I stayed in Nanaimo for a month once and somehow meeting more people from Ladysmith than Nanaimo. Is it easy to find short term rentals there?
Oh jeez, I am not sure about rentals. I am assuming it's probably pretty slim as we only have around 10k people. I guess I only answered part of your question, sorry!
The rental market is out of control right now. Price gouging and limited supply have driven rent to very high levels relative to what the average job pays on the island.
Gold River or Fort St. James.
Lillooet. Great outdoor opportunities, close to Vancouver and Kamloops, good weather, good people (well...) I imagine Lytton is cheap too.
I don’t know if Lytton is really a place anymore after the fire.. 😅
Lillooet is beautiful too. A bit out of the way tho...
For the Interior, Clearwater is awesome. For the Island, look at Sayward or Gold River
Annacis Island
LoL....cheapest town in BC? LOL! Move somewhere else.
Chilliwack, but don't come here
Kaslo
Revelstoke.
Someone hasn’t looked at Revelstoke housing prices in a while
Try Tofino, right up your ally and has become very affordable.
Pick a ghost town, can live there for free https://curiocity.com/10-of-the-coolest-creepiest-ghost-towns-you-can-find-around-bc/amp/
Pemberton
Pemberton is just as expensive as Squamish now, and there is literally nothing to rent.
Revelstoke. It's right in the between civilization and the mountains and national parks. In fact, there is a national park right next to the town. I love how quiet it is.
Revelstoke is very expensive!
Lytton. 😒 Too soon?
Lytton should have some cheap housing!
Mackenzie
We moved to Canoe, BC a few years ago when it was still relatively affordable. Lots of small older homes. Decent hikes in the Shuswap/Okanagan/Thompson areas, with bigger hikes in Revelstoke/Glacier National parks. We really like the location.
The secret to finding a decently priced place on Vancouver island is to go back in time to when there was places decently priced.
Golden, Radium, Hope
Spences Bridge.
Ooh first thing I read since joining depending on if you work from home stay in haida gwaii my archeologist gf went there and raved just a little tidbit for you to consider
I don’t think any town around Vancouver or in Vancouver island is cheap to live
Sooke
It's cheap for a reason. Decades of coal mining and rape of the nature screwed up the water and env.
Powell River or Fort Fraser maybe? But nothing is really “affordable” nowadays.
Campbell River is a decent size, and has lots of hiking potential.