How I did it: We started looking at neighborhoods as soon as we moved to Ottawa. M identified the neighborhood he wanted pretty soon. I cast a wider net but in retrospect, that was unnecessary. Pick an area and then monitor it. We saved money but could have saved more. We both have jobs which helps immensely. We started paying attention in earnest over the summer. I created a spreadsheet based on mls info containing details for every home that was in the right area and within $100,000 of what we wanted to spend. Seems like way over but the house we ended up with listed $90,000 above what we paid. Pay no attention to anything cosmetic- everything can be changed. Get a good home inspector. They will miss things but hopefully nothing too big. We went to view the house on a whim, put in an offer within a week and signed the papers a week after that. I could have been more prepared but I don't think it would have made a difference. It's nice to own.

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Feb 11, 02:25PM PST | 0 comments | 9 cheers