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G one are the days when families could buy their first home at a reasonable price in downtown Toronto. If you already own a home then you have the advantage that you can sell and then upgrade. But you might be in the same situation that my little family is in. We can't afford to buy a house right now so instead this past summer we bought a condo that is currently under construction, and hopefully we get to take possession this summer.

For the past few years Toronto has been experiencing a condo boom and tonight I was watching a TV program that actually proclaimed Toronto to be the third largest condo living centre in North America and that the trend would not stop but rather continue to grow, mostly because the baby boomers were downsizing and the affordability factor for young families was very attractive.

A few people I know were actually surprised with my decision of a condo purchase and not a house. But the decision to buy a condo was based on so many valid reasons that when it came time to buy, all arrows were pointing to buy a condo. And not just any condo, but a condo that would be a safe family environment for Mia and Justin, and one that was affordable and had low maintenance fees.

This mommy wants to avoid balcony mishaps, so we're getting a first-floor unit.

When the time came to start looking, many things had to be taken into consideration: location, size, maintenance fees, purchase price, security and the decision to buy a unit on the first floor to avoid any balcony mishaps. Yes, maybe I am being a tad paranoid, and we could have looked at units on the second and third floor, but knowing how active and curious Mia and Justin are, this mommy decided not to have any anxiety attacks constantly worrying about accidents on the balcony. I thought it would be best just to stick to the ground floor with a private patio.

With Mia and Justin so young and both in diapers, and daycare not an affordable option, our circumstances made location a huge factor in our search. The search began not with price but rather geography. I wanted to be close to my mother's home because Nonna is the daycare when my maternity leave is completed. So a short walk, quick drive or minimal TTC travel was key. Luck actually came our way when I found that a new condo building was being constructed within walking distance from my parents' home and that was a total miracle. The location is perfect and TTC is very close by, and even though we won't have a backyard we will have two parks right at our doorstep. So my checklist of the things our young family needed was beginning to be met.

Then the time came to choose the unit and make the purchase. The plan was to buy a two-bedroom unit on the first floor. A room for the babies and the other of course for the adults. It started off that way, but then floor plans changed and the gym was relocated to the first floor and the units had to be redesigned. So our two-bedroom unit turned into a one-bedroom unit but with more square footage. A decision needed to be made. Do I go ahead and buy the one-bedroom or start to look at available units on the second floor? I kept thinking about balcony safety, so a decision was made: Go for the one bedroom unit that had more square footage located on the first floor with a private patio, give the babies the room and just section off an area in the living dining area and create an adult sleeping nook. However, more square footage means a higher monthly maintenance fee. One of the other big attractions to this building was that the only real luxuries it housed was a fitness room and a party/conference room. I didn't want a building with a pool, tennis courts and saunas. I knew that would jack up the monthly maintenance fees. With St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club and parks close by, we don't need all that extra fancy stuff located right in our building. Location, location, location. Safety, safety, safety and low maintenance fees. I didn't want to lose these very important factors. The affordability was another key factor. The price was right and the realty taxes are decent.

In a couple of months we should be picking our finishes. It will be fun to choose cabinets, flooring and planning what Mia & Justin's room will be like. If all goes well, the building should be ready this July or August. At first we were told it would be ready this past December, but a delay in construction pushed back the date by about six months. Naturally I panicked since we're all crammed on the second floor at my parents' home until the condo is ready. Moving back home was not easy, but the instant babysitting service and a Nonna's love can't be beat so I won't complain too much. But I have to admit, I do pass by the construction site about twice a week hoping to witness vast progress, but it being winter, there is a shortage of construction workers in Ontario and it just seems like it is taking forever. So I started packing boxes of things that I know we won't be needing anytime soon in hopes that it will make things go by quicker. Is it working? Not yet, but Mia loves to help with the packing.