This three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in South Central Brandon offers open concept living space, a large yard and a double garage, all in a little over 1,250 square feet. The profile of a first-time homebuyer varies from province-to-province, depending on both affordability and the inventory available. While a starter home in B.C.’s Lower Mainland can have young couples scrambling to put together a down payment for a $450,000 home, the prairies paint a much different picture. In Manitoba, buying a starter home is much more affordable than in B.C. – that is so long as you can find a property to buy. In the province’s capital city, Winnipeg, there aren’t enough homes for sale compared to the number of people who want to buy. “The market is getting tougher and tougher for first-time buyers, because there’s so much competition,” said Winnipeg realtor Tim Burns. “A house can be listed on the weekend, receive 4-10 offers, and be sold within a week.” Because the competition is so tough, not only are houses selling quickly but they are selling for anywhere from 10-25% over and above the asking price.

“People normally understand that but what I have a lot of problems with is that sellers are looking for buyers with no financing conditions,” Burns added. “One of my clients was the highest bidder by $10,000, but he didn’t get [the home] because he had a 48-hour financing condition.” So what type of homes are first-time buyers competing for? Young couples in Winnipeg can usually get themselves into a 2-3 bedroom home with 700-1,000 square feet of living space and a single garage for $240,000-300,000. “It’s rare to find a home under $250,000.” In River Heights, which Burns says is the hottest part of the city, there is currently a 2-bedroom condo listed at $169,900 – but don’t expect it to sell for that low. “A home in River Heights was recently listed at $269,900 and, after receiving 15 offers, sold for $335,000.” In Brandon, Manitoba’s second biggest city, the situation is a little brighter. While there is still no excess of inventory, there is no shortage compared to what Winnipeg is seeing.

“If a starter home is priced right, we will run into competing offers, and sometimes it will go for more than [the] asking [price],” said Zach Munn, a realtor in Brandon. With that being said, prices are generally much lower than what is found in Winnipeg.Commercial Property For Sale In Olney Bucks “You can purchase starter homes in Brandon for as low as $120,000,” said Munn. Homes For Sale Victoria Place Bobcaygeon“For that price, the house would typically be built in the early 1900s, have two bedrooms and may need some work.”Fixer Upper Motorcycle For Sale For young couples or families, 3-bedroom bungalows are typically in the $200-250,000 range. And one area that has been growing more rapidly in Brandon is the condo market.

“Our bungalow condos usually pre-sell and you have to wait for your unit to be constructed,” explained Munn. [To buy into] a four-plex, you are looking [to spend] about $205,900. A 3-bedroom unit would be $225,900.” To give you a better idea of starter home prices in Manitoba’s two largest cities, we pieced together this chart using real homes listed on MLS. Note that both of the homes used as Winnipeg’s examples are in River Heights. Now, the bonus for both cities is that buyers are usually able to buy within the city, rather than having to move outside of it. As Munn points out, buyers who do move to small towns around Brandon end up moving back because of the pains of commuting. “[Buyers] don’t factor things such as Manitoba roads in the winter and how often they may need to drive them to get to appointments, sporting events, nights out, etc.” No matter what city a buyer is looking to buy in, now could be the best time to look, while Manitoba mortgage brokers are still offering historically low rates.

But as Burns’ examples show, first-time buyers in Manitoba need to stay on top of the market and be ready to put in offers fast.Real estate is a crazy game. House prices just seem to keep going up and there doesn’t seem to be any ceiling that can’t be shattered. But if you’re really looking to get into the luxury market, buying the best of the best properties, there is no shortage of places to stash your millions across Canada. The most expensive place currently on the market in Canada is just outside of Montreal, but it’s almost tied with Alberta’s most expensive property. Both are hovering around the $30 million mark. Here are the most expensive houses (condos and large stretches of empty land omitted) on the market as of Aug. 13, 2013 in each province across Canada. B.C. is a beautiful province. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. So why not get the best of both the forest and the oceans with one double-island extravaganza? For the low low price of $29 million, you get two islands totaling 85 acres of land with two stunningly gorgeous buildings in the spattering of islands north of Vancouver and east of Vancouver Island.

The property includes a main house, guest house, staff quarters, boat house and some beautiful gardens. Oh yeah, and it’s got a decent privacy screen provided by your very own forest. Alberta is home to a lot of wealth. So it’s no surprise that there are some stunning homes in the province. This beast of a home near Cochrane is worth $12 million, features a two-storey library and a separate wing for the nanny to live in. It also has a six-car garage and that green-house looking thing you see in the photo is actually the glass ceiling on a pool and hot tub. Bored later in the day? It also has an 18-seat movie theatre. Go on, kick your feet up. Working east, there just isn’t quite the level of luxury on the market right now in Saskatchewan. This $3.3 million stunner is just south of Saskatoon and is 100% wood-framed with four bedrooms and a great family entertainment room in the basement. Unlike the others, this isn’t meant to be a palace, though it could easily stand in as one, but is instead meant to actually be a family home.

It has 24-foot ceilings. It has nine bathrooms. It has more than 13,000 square feet of living space. It has its own wine cellar, gym and spa. This is actually a resort made to look like a single family home. It’s a $4.7 million behemoth just east of Winnipeg. The office even has a private entrance so you don’t need to disturb the rest of the family if you need to work from home. Of course, the most expensive house for sale in Ontario is in Oakville. Where else would it be? The shining selling point of this $12 million palace is the 159 feet of protected lake frontage. It has a winterized spa, “multiple” places to BBQ and a separate fire pit for entertaining near the lake. Almost feels like a cottage, doesn’t it? Oh yeah, it also has a four-car garage, more than 7,000 square feet of living space and 3 fireplaces all tucked in a gate community to keep the unpleasants out. This is all yours. It’s on a private island, first of all. And thought it may look like an ancient estate, it was only completed in 2001.

So it’s going to last a long time without the need for two many repairs to the expert stone work. What else do you get for a $30 million castle in Laval? Well, to get on to the island you have to pass a private gated bridge with a security post. It has an elevator, huge fireplaces, a pool, home gym and the pool house even has its own kitchen with a built-in grill for great BBQs. Also: It’s Celine Dion’s home. Time to invite your friends over, right? It’s technically a hunting cabin, but it’s so luxurious you could definitely live here full time. The $2.9 million worth of hunting cabin has four bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms, and a separate chef’s quarters next to a huge kitchen. It already has a huge trail network through the adjoining forest to keep outdoors lovers busy for weeks. It was originally built for the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and has just gone through a huge restoration. A seaside mansion facing the north shore of the island is exactly what you need to pretend you’ve been transplanted into the way-overpriced Hamptons region of the United States.

This $7 million hideaway should do just fine. The stone and hardwood building is built to last generations, and it should keep your grandkids comfortable with marble floors and a separate suite labelled specifically “in-law suite.” It’s also fully wheelchair accessible, which is a nice bonus for modern architecture.Everyone kind of wants to live like Tony Stark. Huge mansion by the ocean, ultra-modern design and the feeling that everything in your life is automated? It feels kind of cool. This $6.7 million place could fit the bill. A brand new concrete-and-glass design with ultra-modern stylings has custom designed lighting fixtures and heated floors throughout the entire place. The walls are made of windows throughout most of the building to allow for great ocean views. It’s so isolated on 41 acres of land you’ll feel like you have the world to yourself.This is about owning something pure, rugged and historic. This $3.9 million home is nestled in Long Pond, with protected access to the ocean from its front door, and easy access to beaches and trails around the coast.