08/13/2026
🏠 Buy vs Rent — My Honest Take (this is NOT the usual buy vs rent post)
Let me tell you about Violet and Red. 👇
Violet, 25, single, just started as an RN with Alberta Health Services. Excited about her new paycheque, she bought her own apartment. A year later — better job offer, this time in the US. She tried to sell, but her lender hit her with a $15,000 prepayment penalty. So she rented it out instead. Without proper tenant screening, things went downhill fast — loud parties, an unauthorized live-in guest, noise complaints, an eviction notice, and when she finally checked the unit — punched walls and broken appliances. Sobrang stress.
Then there's Red — married, two kids, rent kept climbing so they decided to buy. It was a hot market with bidding wars, so they skipped the home inspection condition to win the offer. Two months in — the roof started leaking. Now they're facing a $12,000 bill, with their savings already spent on the down payment.
Both buying AND renting have real downsides:
🏡 Buying:
– ⚠️ Interest is the BIGGEST cost. Over the life of a mortgage, interest can add up to at least 50% of the property's value — or more. Example: on a $200,000 property, you could pay at least $100,000 in interest alone — and that's assuming a LOW interest rate environment
– Other costs are also non-recoverable — condo fees, taxes, repairs
– Not every property appreciates fast (Calgary condos ≠ Toronto/Vancouver condos)
– A home you just live in isn't always a great "asset" on its own
– Renting it out means the hassle of finding good tenants
– Mobility can become a problem — if you're not 100% sure you're staying put and a better opportunity comes up elsewhere (like it did for Violet), selling can trigger penalties or bad timing, and renting it out puts you back into tenant-screening risk
🔑 Renting:
– You have no control over rent increases
– You're bound by your landlord's rules
– You can be given a notice to vacate (reno, etc.) anytime, depending on your province
There's no "one size fits all" answer here. It depends on your timeline, income stability, and goals. If you'd like to talk through your situation — buying, renting out a property, or figuring out your numbers — message me, no pressure.
📞 587-333-3519 | ✉️ [email protected]
Ryan Jacob — Mortgage Broker, Verico Compass Mortgage Group
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🏠 Bumili ba o Umarkila? — Ang Totoong Opinyon Ko (hindi ito yung karaniwang post tungkol dito)
Ikukwento ko sa inyo sina Violet at Red. 👇
Si Violet, 25 taong gulang, single, bago pa lang bilang Registered Nurse sa Alberta Health Services. Dahil masaya sa bagong sahod, bumili siya ng sariling apartment. Isang taon pagkatapos, may dumating na mas magandang trabaho — sa Estados Unidos. Sinubukan niyang ibenta ang unit pero sinabihan siyang may $15,000 na prepayment penalty. Kaya't pinaarkila na lang niya ito. Dahil hindi maayos ang pag-screen sa renter, mabilis na lumala ang sitwasyon — maiingay na parties, may hindi kilalang taong nakatira, mga reklamo mula sa kapitbahay, hanggang sa napilitan siyang mag-eviction. Nang siyasatin niya ang unit — may mga butas sa dingding at sirang appliances. Sobrang stress niya.
Pagkatapos, si Red — may asawa, dalawang anak, patuloy na tumataas ang renta kaya nagdesisyon silang bumili na lang. Napakainit ng market noon kaya tinanggal nila ang home inspection condition para manalo sa bidding war. Dalawang buwan pagkalipat, nagsimulang tumulo ang bubong. Ngayon, kailangan nilang bayaran ang $12,000 na gastos, gayong naubos na ang kanilang savings sa down payment.
Pareho may totoong hirap ang pagbili at pag-arkila:
🏡 Pagbili:
– ⚠️ Ang interes ang PINAKAMALAKING gastos. Sa buong buhay ng mortgage, ang interes ay maaaring umabot ng hindi bababa sa 50% ng halaga ng property — o higit pa. Halimbawa: sa isang $200,000 property, maaari kang magbayad ng hindi bababa sa $100,000 sa interes lamang — at ito ay batay pa lamang sa MABABANG interest rate
– May iba pang gastos na hindi na mababawi — condo fees, taxes, mga gastos sa pag-aayos
– Hindi lahat ng property mabilis tumaas ang halaga (ang mga condo sa Calgary ay hindi kasing bilis ng Toronto/Vancouver)
– Ang bahay na para lang sa sariling tirahan ay hindi palaging magandang asset
– Kung paarkilahan mo ito, may hirap sa paghahanap ng mabuting renter
– Maaaring maging problema ang mobility — kung hindi ka pa sigurado kung mananatili ka sa isang lugar at may lumitaw na mas magandang oportunidad sa ibang lugar (tulad ng nangyari kay Violet), ang pagbebenta ay maaaring magdulot ng penalty o hindi magandang timing, at ang pagpapaarkila naman ay dagdag na risgo sa pag-screen ng renter
🔑 Pag-arkila:
– Wala kang kontrol sa pagtaas ng renta
– Kailangan mong sumunod sa mga patakaran ng landlord
– Puwede kang bigyan ng notice to vacate (renovation, atbp.) anumang oras, depende sa probinsya
Walang iisang sagot na tama para sa lahat. Depende ito sa iyong timeline, katatagan ng kita, at mga layunin. Kung gusto mong pag-usapan ang iyong sitwasyon — bibili, paarkilahan ang property, o gustong malaman ang iyong mga numero — mag-message lang, walang pressure.
📞 587-333-3519 | ✉️ [email protected]
Ryan Jacob — Mortgage Broker, Verico Compass Mortgage Group
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This post was drafted with the help of AI and reviewed by Ryan Jacob.
Ang post na ito ay ginawa gamit ang tulong ng AI at sinuri ni Ryan Jacob.
