Somewhere between Brampton and Orangeville.

That's Caledon, mentioned above, nothing wrong with Caledon, but you have to go a way past Orangeville before it gets cheap.

I actually meant anywhere between Brampton and Orangeville - maybe even in or around Orangeville itself. Going "way past Orangeville" is going to mean more than a 2 hour commute to Toronto. A 2 hour commute from Orangeville might not even be possible - that depends on many factors e.g. traffic, weather, where in Toronto you're going. Anyone working downtown could get the GO train from somewhere like Brampton or Bramalea. It's a long time since I lived in that area (firstly Toronto and then Brampton) so the commute may be worse now than I remember it.

Also "cheap" in and around Toronto is relative and subjective. The OP is going to have to define "cheap". I have a friend in real estate in Orangeville and she thinks there are some good bargains out there - but, then again, she moved out there from closer to the city. Anyone moving to Orangeville from further out will think it expensive.

My personal limit for a one-way commute is 1 hour. I can't even imagine commuting 2 hours one way.

I drove from five miles north of Shelburne to Church and Gerrard daily for a year and a half. It was consistently an hour and a quarter to town but any amount of time coming back; it took especially long when there was drizzle, Canadians can't cope with drizzle.

I tried the GO train but, once in the car, I saw little point in jumping out of it to get on to a train and then a subway and so settle on driving all the way.

Shopping carefully, 10 acres south of Orangeville is $1,000,000. 10 acres north of Orangeville is $400,000.


She would say that, wouldn't she?

That's pretty good but was that during the rush or were you avoiding the worst of the traffic? What was the average time going home?

I've always found that most people could handle drizzle just fine. However, there would always be 1 or 2 idiots who drove like maniacs, caused an accident and then had everyone else tied up in traffic for hours. Same thing happens here in the Washington DC area.

Originally I was aiming to arrive at 7, slightly before the crowd. Once I did that everyone else started working from 6:30 but, not being a competitive sort of guy, I stuck to 6:45 to arrive. The trip the other way was inconsistent, between 2 and 5 hours, leaving at 2 seemed no better than leaving at 7.

My problem is lack of maniacs. Everyone just dithers along, do their right feet not work in the rain? I know DC's no different having driven from NoVa (a colleague's house) to various offices of the Feds (clients) umpteen times.

2 to 5 hours! Ouch! I think taking the GO train from somewhere like Brampton or Bramalea would provide a more consistent commute from that area (Orangeville-Caledon-Brampton). It wouldn't beat your 1h15m morning commute driving to downtown but it wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as 5 hours on the way home. Of course, it would also help if work was near Union Station. If you also have to take the subway from Union, then you add more time.

I was trying to hold back as I was not the original poster and did not want to hijack a thread not mine - but the original poster seems to have vanished!

For us, we would be looking for something probably around the $500,000 mark to start, maybe up as much as $700,000 (depending on my work) - detached, 3 beds, on the edge of development or rural, with a largish plot (1 or more acre - so not huge)... I was searching via the link provided right at the start of the discussion and seemed to be having some success around Haltonhills, Georgetown, etc ... these look to be a reasonable commute to Toronto. I would hope to be working outwith Toronto eventually but I am not fixed at the minute - but the other half is going to be working at the University so I think public transport should be an option ...

Theres a few more details - any one know what these areas are like? I see the properties here as being slightly more for your money than we get north of Edinburgh at the minute - and excellent value compared to further south ... am I mistaken?

PS thanks to all the helpful folk on here - I don't mind foray's into off topic rambles - they make me laugh!

The problem with Georgetown and area is transit, there are trains from there to Toronto but only a few, three I think, each way each day, they're only feasible if you know you'll be working fixed hours. Assuming the UofT, the second problem is that the trains go to Union so changing to the subway is required. An option might be a Greyhound bus as the terminal is at Bay and Dundas, walkably close to the university, but buses run through the same traffic jams as cars, they're not quick.

If the commute is tolerable then, yes, that money and that sort of housing are a match in that area. Somewhere else that might work is around Cheltenham, one could drive from there to the infrequent trains at Brampton or downtown if an affordable parking arrangement can be worked out.

having been a resident of Toronto for many years, I strongly suggest you stay clear of Jane/Finch and the Scarborough area as they are quite rough. you will find some really nice places to rent in Mississauga just west of Toronto which is an excellent and growing area as well as quite safe. it is about a 40 minute commute to downtown Toronto by the GO train. If you want to buy land, Metro Toronto is limited and very expensive, you would be better to go north of Mississauga or Oakville (west of Toronto) or up in King City or Markham (north of Toronto).
The University city of Guelph is about 60 miles west of Toronto on the 401 highway and has excellent plots of land for sale to build upon. My daughter is currently doing just that. It is a bit of a commute but Guelph is a very nice community. Bear in mind the winter !! Travel during snow storms can be quite testy to say the least and while places outside of Toronto can be idyllic in the summer, the real test comes in Jan and Feb when the snow flies and the temperatures drop.
Enjoy your move, and most of all enjoy Canada....you have done the right thing.

Yep - and I would add the Regent Park area of downtown to the list of areas to avoid.

I think it would depend on what side of T.O. you would be working on.

I have Commuted from:

Keswick ---> East Side
Bradford ---> East side
Bradford ----> Downtown
Aurora -----> Downtown
Hamilton ----> Airport Area

But i would never commute from Hamilton to east end or Keswick to west end.

My hubby has a 2 hour door to door commute - he has been doing it for 2 years now, and it is wearing on him. Keep in mind that 2 hours might be a bit much over time.

Good Luck tho

Two points:

- Scarborough is large and diverse, someone wanting a detached house is likely to notice that a flat in the Tuxedo Court housing project won't do and that a mansion at Vic Park and lake is out of budget. It's silly to discount all of Scarborough.

- "plots of land for sale to build upon" is likely misleading. Europeans imagine this as buying a field, living in a caravan, and starting by digging a hole. Canadians use this phrasing to mean buying a house in a new housing project and choosing the colours of the kitchen cupboard doors. As far as I am aware, the new building is not in Guelph but out in the tract houses by the 401; that's no better than living in Mississauga and worse than living in Scarborough. It's just subdivisions miles from anything and without transit.

Georgetown is nice and is a viable suggestion. A colleague of mine lives in Georgetown and commutes to downtown Toronto using the Go Train. This works if you have a fixed schedule and don't mind transferring and/or walking to get to your final destination. You are, however, at the mercy of the train schedule and it does not go unnoticed that those who have buses and trains to catch are able to be less flexible when it comes to working late or coming in early.

What is not viable is the suggestion that the Greyhound bus is an alternative. Traffic on the 401 is brutal from around 6.30am onwards and by the time traffic reaches the likes of Halton Hills it has generally degenerated to a slow crawl. The homeward journey takes much longer and can result in a thorough hatred for non-lane changing ditherers. If you are going to sit in traffic for the foreseeable future, you may as well do it in the comfort of your own car with the possibility of heating and music. I assume that UofT employees get free parking on campus.

Are there many 3 bedroom detached houses on 1 acre plots in Regent Park?! Plenty of cheap condos, small townhouses and the ever present social housing in varying states of decay, sure. Having lived just a couple of blocks north of there for 2 years, I would be amazed if the poster in question found something that fits the bill there. I imagine that one swift drive up Parliament would satisfy even the most green wanna be immigrant that this is an inner city 'hood with flagrant social depriviation on show. That said, I loved my place in Cabbagetown and would recommend it to anyone who is moving to downtown Toronto and intends to rent. To someone who wants to buy a big house with grass around it for $500k...not so much.