Advice needed heading West (Vancouver, Lynden: fit in, for sale, real estate)

[repat]

I need a bit of help, some ideas. I presently live in NW AR. I moved here from New Zealand in 2009. My husband died in April of 2020, and it is time for me to move forward.


I don't know anyone around here at all, and I live 20 miles outside the nearest small town. I speak to the Vet twice a week when the dog goes in for her shots, and beyond that the lady that delivers my mail if she has something that won't fit in the letterbox.
My son lives in Vancouver BC, and I am looking to relocate as close to the border as I can.


I have one friend in Gig Harbor who says to come there, but the price of real estate is a shocker. My budget for housing is a joke I am afraid. I live on social security, and as my husband was a Veteran, I do collect DIC. The house I am in is 756 sq feet, it is a single wide trailer on 1/4 acre that I have been doing over this last year. I have added all new siding and windows, roof, fenced the place, added a tornado shelter, new plumbing and electric. I do own it outright, we paid cash for it at the time. I have no idea what it would sell for, but I don't think it would be all that much. It would sell I am sure, given the present market conditions, but when it does I have to have somewhere to go.



I am looking for somewhere a bit rural maybe, small, close to the border so I can go back and forth, should they ever open it again. I don't know if what I am looking for is even out there.

[StealthRabbit]

We have several retired friends living in WA but near BC Canada. (i.e 10 - 20 min) Gig Harbor is about 3 hrs!

Pt Roberts, WA is really close!!! (Have to drive through BC Canada to get there)

But Birch Bay, Ferndale, Lynden all are very nice communities. We have friends in each, you can DM me if you need specific contacts or advice, but churches and community volunteering will link you up with many people and options.

There are plenty of options for housing, but traditional homes are quite expensive. I would look for an alternative living situation. (Shared equity with another widow / retiree on acreage with multiple homes). We have very low cost rural sites that we build a barndominuim (Shop with apartment, bath, showers, laundry + RV hookups), then we rent out the main house to cover all expenses and we live there for free (in the apartment, seperate quarters, not visible from home and with seperate driveway. Nice to have someone around to plant / pet-sit. Mow the grass, get the mail, garden, help with chores.

There are also some senior living situations that might work, as well as some ROC's (Resident owned mobile home parks).

My SIL has been living in Hawaii for free for 42 yrs, just doing house sitting for wealthy people who travel a lot.

[Hemlock140]

Good suggestions from StealthRabbit, I was going to suggest Ferndale. Unfortunately since Covid even those smaller towns away from job centers have gone up in price, with typical homes reaching $500k but there are still some manufactured homes here and there up north available for less, and rents are still less. My in-laws just bought in Gig Harbor, $800k. That city was recently named one of the best places to retire and that immediately blew up the home prices.

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, if your son is a Canadian citizen, you can apply for a residency visa under family reunification, as his mother. You should look up Canada's immigration laws, and have your son look into the matter on his end, as well. If he could hire a lawyer to arrange it, that would facilitate the case tremendously. This is your only hope to move close to your son affordably. I hope it works out for you.

And btw, since you're originally from a Commonwealth nation (did you retain NZ citizenship?), that should smooth the way. Heck, being from a Commonwealth nation would already give you the right to move to Canada even without your son living there, although if you're not employed, I'm not sure how that would affect your chances in that case. But since your son is there, I'm pretty sure you're a shoo-in. You (or you and he together) might have to prove you can support yourself or that he could support you, but you have retirement income of some sort. Anyway, the lawyer can sort out those details.

Does your son have a spare room for you? You probably don't have enough income to rent on your own anywhere near Van or even Vancouver Island, so this project will take some teamwork to pull off, but you definitely should look into the option. Look at rents or possibilities to put a mobile home (or buy one) in some of the communities up the coast from Vancouver, too. Good luck!

[repat]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

OP, if your son is a Canadian citizen, you can apply for a residency visa under family reunification, as his mother. You should look up Canada's immigration laws, and have your son look into the matter on his end, as well. If he could hire a lawyer to arrange it, that would facilitate the case tremendously. This is your only hope to move close to your son affordably. I hope it works out for you.

And btw, since you're originally from a Commonwealth nation (did you retain NZ citizenship?), that should smooth the way. Heck, being from a Commonwealth nation would already give you the right to move to Canada even without your son living there, although if you're not employed, I'm not sure how that would affect your chances in that case. But since your son is there, I'm pretty sure you're a shoo-in. You (or you and he together) might have to prove you can support yourself or that he could support you, but you have retirement income of some sort. Anyway, the lawyer can sort out those details.

Does your son have a spare room for you? You probably don't have enough income to rent on your own anywhere near Van or even Vancouver Island, so this project will take some teamwork to pull off, but you definitely should look into the option. Look at rents or possibilities to put a mobile home (or buy one) in some of the communities up the coast from Vancouver, too. Good luck!

I actually was born in Canada. I have three passports, so all doors are pretty much open as it stands. Except that the borders are not.


Good ideas here, so I will see what I can come up with. Thanks all

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by repat

I actually was born in Canada. I have three passports, so all doors are pretty much open as it stands. Except that the borders are not.


Good ideas here, so I will see what I can come up with. Thanks all

Suspect the US-CA border won't stay closed long term. Maybe best to put off your move until it does. In the mean time, research what a move to CA would require, down size your stuff, get your current home ready for sale, maybe visit CA to get an idea what housing options might exist, and maybe take a trip there to keep yourself looking forward.

[jerzdevil]

The single wide trailers won't sell for as much. The singlewide or doublewides here in whatcom county are the same price as a house. Its a joke and only a fool would pay 300k for any type of trailer. The only advantage is that corporate investors aren't interested in trailers, so those are being spared during this panic buying of real estate. I expect real estate to eventually go back down and become a buyer's market after this great reset happens. The less invest-able homes should certainly fall, because the average joe who would want it won't have the cash or credit or income to qualify for one.

I say forget buying, for right now. Rent somewhere nice and save, maybe put your home on the market and leave plenty of time to see what it goes for. In whatcom you can rent somewhere nice for under a 1000. I know because that's what I pay for a 1 bedroom with everything included. If you don't mind some rural living whatcom county is full of options. I'm also waiting for the border to open. I don't think it'll open to unvaccinated people anytime soon, so I have learned to live with out going to Canada. Peace Arch park is still a nice place to meet people with out crossing the border or showing ID.

[509]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Pt Roberts, WA is really close!!! (Have to drive through BC Canada to get there)

I was an American living in Vancouver in 1973.



I always regretted that I didn't just move to Pt. Roberts. Nice community, except on weekends!!


It was very cheap in 1973-74 to live there. Not sure today, but those days I could rent a beach front house dirt cheap as a AMERICAN in winter.



Check it out. The pandemic is pretty much over, even in Canada. You might get a real deal for a year or two if your willing to sign a lease.....but do it before the border opens.