So this has been something I have thought about for years.

I do not love or hate Canada. But I think I could really like it there based on the time I have been there.

Mostly thinking British Columbia, Victoria. But would not rule out other places as well.

I am just throwing this out there for anyone who has done it or has and info.

I heard a radio program recently about many Canadians buying real estate in the states.

We have a wonderful, buildable small acreage that could be sold or traded to obtain a place.


My email is in my profile if you wish to discuss.

Thank you guys and gals.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: old rugged cross,

Have you been there in the winter? I would visit in the winter to see how it is. Unless you're planning on being a snowbird.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Have you been there in the winter? I would visit in the winter to see how it is. Unless you're planning on being a snowbird.

And check out their healthcare there too.



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I am not planning on giving up my US citizenship to live there full time. I would spend certain times there.

I am a winter person by nature. So rain, snow, wind do not bother me.

I have a boat I could take up there to fish. It is not a huge boat. But a smaller seaworthy vessel to fish. I have been there to fish before. but has been years ago. I want to get back. And would love a place to travel there to fish and spend time there. And allow other family and friends to use it as well.

Not to mention firearms laws being a bit more stringent, I've been to Vancouver, it was a beautiful area, people are nice, city seemed quite clean in the area we stayed which was smack downtown before leaving on our AK cruise.

Plenty of things to see and do and it is very very expensive property wise in the Vancouver area, not as sure about where you'd trade, I'm sure there are areas that would provide a decent trade.

I was in Canada this past weekend. Why is it every time in the last few years I've crossed the border via car I am asked if I have any firearms with me?

Canada is fun to visit but way too cold for me to want to live there.

Have you considered a Northern State that gives you the Canadian ‘feel’? It would be a lot less hassle.

I like Canada too, but wouldn’t plan to move there. I was prairie dogging in SD one year, the guy had his ranch near a river 17 miles down a gravel road. I told him the world could end and he wouldn’t know it.

I had visited Canada dozens of times on vacation and on business trips.

In 2014, I became an expatriate living in Alberta, Canada, full-time designing an oil & gas project. Living there was much different that visiting, and the differences became apparent. For example, I'm allergic to most deodorants, but I had found one aerosol that I could find in any US drug store, super market, or big box store. Turns out, it's only sold in US and Great Britain and since it's aerosol I couldn't fly it in with me. That started the unfun period of trial and rash . Amazon Canada blows (limited selection, high prices, slow delivery, etc), and many of the sellers are actually American companies so you have to be super careful buying or you'll get hit with tariffs and customs delays.

Socialized medicine sucks. I had a hard time finding a primary care physician (they only got $50 from Alberta government so not a lot of people go through all of the years of schooling to end up with a government limited income), but I ended up liking the guy. He described their health care as a 1980s Soviet bread line, and if I needed more care than he could provide he said "good luck." I was supposed to be on the 3 year colonoscopy plan, Canadian "death panel" wouldn't hear of it. I couldn't have any specialist doctors (e.g. I have sleep apnea and have always had a sleep specialist). My 25 year old coworker got in a mountain bike accident crushing a major artery in her thigh. She really needed a stint, but they are only allowed 2 stints in their life and doc advised to save for her heart in later years so she went physical therapy route to try to get blood to flow around the crushed artery.

One thing that was frequently on the news was how the Chinese were buying real estate in British Columbia and creating a huge price bubble. Not sure if this applies to Victoria, but definitely make sure you're not buying into an inflated bubble that may burst.

The other potential real estate issue I heard about was how communities were putting regs into place for non-occupied foreign owned residences. They had a lot of problem with this from the Chinese where they would buy into a high rise, not live there, a pipe would burst, and it'd damage several floors of unoccupied residences before it hit an occupied residence. As you can imagine, by the time it was found it wasn't just a leak it had mold issues as well. The reason I mention this is that governments tend to poorly write laws and something like non-occupied foreign owned residences could impact your single family property if you intend to spend part of year in Canada and part of year in US.

Another consideration is taxes. Once you have been there 5 years, all of your US assets are now taxable by the Canadians. It would behoove you to consult a Canadian tax accountant or attorney to insure the number of days you spent in Canada didn't make your US asset subject to their crazy high taxes.

I moved back to the United States just before the 4th of July 2016 and I couldn't be happier. I had a Canadian PAL that allowed bolt action rifles and some of my shotguns, but the guns I really enjoyed shooting and owned for self-defense had been at a relatives house in the Upper Midwest. Heck, one time I went to an indoor range with a female coworker, rented a pistol, and had to have a GD chaperone to shoot the pistol. It has nice to be reunited with my firearms, shoot at ranges without a GD chaperone, and to be able to go on a buying spree on ammo and guns.

If you own property and spend more than six months a year there, you have to apply for immigrant status.

Thanks guys. Not moving there. So much discussed does not apply.

My daughter lived in Victoria, BC, for 4 years. We visited several times. They call it the land of the "newly wed and the nearly dead." Lots of young people and retired people. Absolutley beatiful place. Winter weather is much better than the midwest, rarely freezes, not a lot of snow. But you have plenty of winter sports a few hours drive away. Not too much different from WA / OR weather.

But real estate prices have gone absurdly out of sight in recent years. Too many people from Asia and CA buying up there. And the cost of living is much higher. Gas is $4.50 per gallon (in US$) now, food is much higher.

But if I could afford it, I would sure love to live there.

Thanks Ranger, because of that probably more likely BC and not Victoria.

Move to the Yoop. And visit the Canucks.