{"id":91241,"date":"2026-06-16T20:55:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/91241\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T20:55:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T20:55:17","slug":"this-young-couple-had-a-700000-budget-for-a-north-toronto-condo-to-start-a-family-what-did-they-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/91241\/","title":{"rendered":"This young couple had a $700,000 budget for a north Toronto condo to start a family. What did they buy?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Sarah and Ephren Pabon with their daughter Elaia at their North York condo in Toronto on June 10.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

Ephren and Sarah Pabon first met in 2006 as kids at an elementary school in Toronto\u2019s North York area. They began dating at the end of high school and, up until their marriage in 2023, each lived with their parents. <\/p>\n

The couple made plans to move in together for the first time after their wedding. They considered buying a place but decided to wait and rent instead. \u201cThe market was still pretty expensive at that point,\u201d explains Sarah, a 31-year-old registered nurse. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to rush the process of house buying.\u201d Ephren, a 30-year-old project manager, echoed. \u201cFinancially, it\u2019s a lot of money,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

They ended up renting a spacious one-bedroom, one-bathroom basement apartment in Vaughan, Ont., for $2,000 a month. It was an easy commute to Sarah\u2019s workplace, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, while Ephren had a short drive to his office in Aurora, Ont. <\/p>\n

At the end of 2024, they reconsidered the house hunt. They had saved up more for a healthy down payment. More importantly, they were also eager to start a family and needed more space.<\/p>\n

The couple hoped to spend around $650,000 but could go as high as $700,000. Initially, they wanted to purchase a townhouse in North York, however, their budget meant looking further afield to the peripheries of the region \u2013 Newmarket, Stouffville and Pickering. <\/p>\n

After viewing a few townhomes in the Greater Toronto Area, Sarah and Ephren decided to prioritize a more central location over space, downgrading their search from a townhouse to a condo in Vaughan or North York to stay closer to family and friends in the area. Equally important was accessibility to downtown Toronto. \u201cWe\u2019re still young,\u201d Sarah says. They wanted to be somewhere on a public transit line to easily visit restaurants, museums and shops, and still within an easy commute to their workplaces.<\/p>\n

As for the parameters of their search, the couple wanted at least two bedrooms so they could turn the second into a future nursery. They also wanted two bathrooms \u2013 one for themselves and one for guests. Ephren and Sarah had an affinity for loft-style condos, with high ceilings and big windows, but they were open to traditional units, too. The couple also wanted a balcony or outdoor space and access to a gym.<\/p>\n

They reached out to realtor Cynthia Hu to guide their search. Ms. Hu says that condos are becoming a more appealing option for families, thanks to more kids\u2019 play areas and larger, multibedroom units. \u201cI think a lot of builders are building spaces that can accommodate growing families,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019ve also got the benefit of not having to do yard work or shovel the snow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here were Ephren and Sarah\u2019s top three options: Bright one-bedroom-plus-den unit in Vaughan Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

A condominum at 2900 Hwy 7 in Vaughan was priced at $679,999.Fred Lum\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

Although it didn\u2019t have a true second bedroom, Sarah and Ephren viewed this unit, priced at $679,999, since it was a generous 818 square feet. They loved the large kitchen, which had full-sized appliances as opposed to the compact alternatives in many Toronto condos. There were also family-friendly amenities in the building, like a kids\u2019 playroom. However, the unit didn\u2019t have a balcony. And the biggest downside was the den, which was an open area next to the front entrance without a door or division. It wasn\u2019t an optimal setup for a future nursery. The building was a 15-minute walk from the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station. <\/p>\n

Older two-bedroom unit in North YorkOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

An 887-square-foot unit at 66 Forest Manor Rd. in North York checked a lot of boxes for the couple.Fred Lum\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

This 887-square-foot unit checked a lot of boxes for Ephren and Sarah. Listed at $699,900, it had two proper bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a large 131-square-foot balcony. The kitchen was equipped with full-sized appliances and the corner unit had floor-to-ceiling windows, which let in a ton of light. However, the space felt dated \u2013 there were popcorn ceilings and the appliances weren\u2019t in great condition. The building did have good amenities, such as a gym, a pool and a large outdoor terrace and lounge area, but no dedicated kids\u2019 play spaces. It was a five-minute walk to the Don Mills subway station. <\/p>\n

New two-bedroom-plus-den penthouse loft in North York Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

The unit at Sheppard Avenue West had two bathrooms and appealed to the couple\u2019s dreams of living in a loft-style home.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

This unit, which also had two bathrooms, appealed to the couple\u2019s dreams of living in a loft-style home. It was built in 2024 with 885 square feet spread out across two floors. The main level had an open kitchen, living and dining area along with a full bathroom and access to a 114-square-foot balcony. On the second level, there were two bedrooms and a den, which the couple could use as an office. However, the kitchen had compact appliances and the layout felt cramped. The building had a gym, indoor and outdoor kids\u2019 play areas and an outdoor lounge space. Priced at $710,000, the loft was slightly over the couple\u2019s budget. It was a seven-minute walk to the Sheppard West subway station.<\/p>\n

Their home: New two-bedroom-plus-den penthouse loft in North YorkOpen this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

After some negotiations, they settled on a price of $703,000.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

The couple\u2019s desire to live in a loft-style home made the penthouse unit their top choice. The sellers were actually the builders off-loading a unit that a preconstruction buyer was unable to close on. After some negotiations, they settled on a price of $703,000. A couple of weeks after closing the deal, in February, 2025, Sarah found out she was pregnant. They moved into their new home that April and their daughter, Elaia, was born in November. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was actually pretty crazy,\u201d Ephren says of the move-in process. \u201cWe were already expecting, so it was about settling into the place but then also getting it ready for our baby.\u201d They designated the second bedroom as Elaia\u2019s nursery while the den served as a shared office. Ephren, who is now employed at a company in Vaughan, works from home two to three days a week, while Sarah works at home part-time as a telehealth nurse, in addition to her Vaughan hospital job (she\u2019s currently on maternity leave).<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

The couple designated the second bedroom as Elaia\u2019s nursery while the den served as a shared office.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

Despite the loft unit feeling smaller, the couple appreciates how well the two-level layout works for them. \u201cNow that we have our baby, she can sleep upstairs and we can still hang out downstairs,\u201d Ephren says. \u201cWe don\u2019t really worry about waking her up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jaunts downtown have been limited for the new parents so far, but they love being so close to Rogers Stadium, a temporary outdoor music venue that has hosted artists such as Coldplay and Chris Brown. \u201cIt\u2019s actually really cool hearing the concerts,\u201d explains Ephren.<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite the loft unit feeling smaller, the couple appreciates how well the two-level layout works for them.Sammy Kogan\/The Globe and Mail<\/p>\n

The couple envision themselves staying in their new home for about five years, after which they\u2019ll consider upsizing. They might get a townhouse but they\u2019d also consider a larger condo. They were surprised to discover more young families living in their building than they expected. \u201cHonestly, I think we prefer condo living now instead of home living,\u201d Sarah says. \u201cIt\u2019s really easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to participate in Home Run, send an e-mail to hello@andreayu.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Open this photo in gallery: Sarah and Ephren Pabon with their daughter Elaia at their North York condo…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91242,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[903,904,12458,48],"class_list":["post-91241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto","tag-aud-headline","tag-aud-url","tag-pf-ca","tag-toronto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91241"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91241\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}