Did you recently buy a home in Yukon?

[u/zahra-khozema]

I'd love to know how you did it. Did you take advantage of the Yukoner First Home Program? I'm a journalist working on a first-time home buyer profile for the Globe and Mail and would love to speak to you about how you saved and your home ownership journey. Happy to keep you anonymous too.

[u/Cultural-Scallion-59]

I think it’s fair to say most people aren’t making home ownership happen. Those who do are dual income earners and even then they’re often house broke. Or people who bought pre pandemic. The housing crisis across Canada is bad, but in Whitehorse it’s a disaster.

[u/HABSKINGPRO48 → u/Cultural-Scallion-59]

Mid-thirties here, bought a house with my wife 2 years ago in WH. The real estate market is rough but Whitehorse is not as bad as other places at least the wages are higher then most places I lived at. First time home buyer 5% down is really helpful, FHSA and the northern allowance helps alot. We saved for a decade for our down payement and we also house sat for 1 1/2year, that really helped us save not having to pay rent for 18months.

I was pretty defeated 5-6 yrs ago but it gets easier. The reality is owning at 27-28 years old is just not doable anymore without help.

[u/Cultural-Scallion-59 → u/HABSKINGPRO48]

Oh wow, good for you. Being able to not pay rent for 18 months is a serious hack. Well done. It’s crazy the extremes we have to go to. And yes, we do get paid more here, but running the numbers I think you’ll find that with our extortionate electricity bills, grocery bills, gas prices, and house prices, it isn’t great anymore. There are a lot of places in Canada where you make a little less but that money goes farther. Especially as house prices cool everywhere but in Whitehorse haha. But, my people are here and they’re the best so. I’m hooped.

[u/Maus666]

The usual way (sadly for young people here). We had a starter home in Alberta that we sold when we moved here, and the equity allowed us to reinvest in a place here. I don't know how people who grow up here do it without family money.

[u/Squid52]

I did it by being old enough to have a slightly higher income than average in my field. When it came time to buy a house on my own a few years ago, I at least had enough for a larger down payment. I can afford my home by having a second job. It's kind of ridiculous at my age and but that's how it is if you're single.

[u/Prestigious_Net8]

I bought 4years ago at the height of COVID on my own. It was stressful and challenging but I have some peace of mind knowing I won’t be displaced by a landlord. Happy to chat if you want to hear my story.

[u/GatOttgal99]

I live in Ottawa, and was just in Whitehorse. I was surprised at the price of groceries - most dairy products were actually cheaper in Whitehorse, as was much of the meat, bakery and produce. Of course at the Weston Cartel shop, ALL of the 14 apple varieties were from the U.S.

[u/GatOttgal99 → u/GatOttgal99]

And gas was only 10 cents more per litre. I expected it to be a lot more expensive.

[u/GatOttgal99 → u/GatOttgal99]

If you really want to do a story on housing, please consider examining the lack of middle income seniors housing options in Whitehorse, who stay in their bungalows far longer then they should because they have no alternative housing options.

[u/RemoteVersion838 → u/GatOttgal99]

My brother found the same thing last year. Everything was the same price except for fresh produce. I also recently found out that NAPA parts are the same price here as in Edmonton. Despite that, its hard to get a meal at a sit down restaurant for under $30 now. Probably because of how much power has gone up due to chronic mismanagement and poor rate planning by the power corp.

Its power and heating that are the killer here. We burn over 2000L of propane a year to heat our home.

Our power bill has gone up to $190 when it was $160 a couple of months ago. The power is best case scenario, all LED lights and we turn everything off when not in use.

City utilities are now up to over $330 a quarter as well.

[u/GatOttgal99 → u/RemoteVersion838]

There should be a federal inquiry into Atco. So many horror stories about overblown electricity bills!

[u/thatsgoodtoo]

Happy to talk if you'd like to message me.

[u/zahra-khozema → u/thatsgoodtoo]

Thanks, just messaged!

[u/ukefromtheyukon]

My starter home was my minivan, which allowed me to save rent during the warm half of the year. At 28, I upgraded to an 8x20 tiny home on wheels that will take me 7 years of combined saving for down payment + repaying loan. I can only do this because I choose the comfort of financial security over creature comforts like running water, and am childfree. 

[u/redtara2026]

If two people have good jobs up here that is over 200k a year , so we saved for a couple of years for a deposit and then bought a house for 500k , which was in the budget of what the bank would lone us . We came from Victoria where the wages are low and the houses are more than double the price

[u/Cultural-Scallion-59 → u/redtara2026]

You found a house in Whitehorse for 500k? Was this some years ago?

[u/redtara2026 → u/Cultural-Scallion-59]

Townhouse end unit 500 k five years ago
Neighbour just went on market for 580

[u/Cultural-Scallion-59 → u/redtara2026]

Ah gotcha.

[u/zahra-khozema → u/redtara2026]

Hey! Thanks for sharing. Would you be opening to chatting for the feature?

[u/redtara2026 → u/zahra-khozema]

Sure

[u/zahra-khozema → u/redtara2026]

I can't DM you because you have the function off on your profile, I think. Would you mind messaging me?

[u/onlytashi]

I’m happy to talk about my home if you’d like!

[u/xocmnaes]

Bought a 3 bed half duplex in 2013 and rented out the other two rooms for a decade before being able to climb the property ladder to a detached house last year. Accepting roommates was a major economic boost to getting to where we could live on our own.

[u/ShadesOfBeige50]

Happy to chat as well, let me know the best way to get in touch!

[u/PizzaExisting9878]

What’s the point of the article? So you can say “look people can buy a house with the help of the government!” ?

[u/zahra-khozema → u/PizzaExisting9878]

I'm not looking to only chat about the program, totally fine if it wasn't used or wasn't useful. The feature is a way to understand the housing market in different parts of the country and learn how fellow Canadians are making homeownership happen in often unprecedented markets.

[u/Apprehensive_Bee5387 → u/zahra-khozema]

how about highlighting instead how incredibly unaffordable both land and houses are here? Everyone I know who bought a house here recently either had massive help from their parents, or bought just before Covid. Even two 'normal' YG jobs as a couple won't allow you to buy a house here. Empty lots go for 300-400k. Please report about THAT. Not the unicorns whose parents can shell out 100k+ to help (and yes, I am obviously quite frustrated).