Lessons learned from Canada's real estate trenches

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It has been a month since we launched the Buyer Diaries blog, and it's time to say good bye and good luck to the community bloggers who have shared their house-hunting exploits with us.

This week our bloggers discussed what they have learned from their house-hunting experiences and outlined their next steps.

In Winnipeg, Corey and Angela wrapped up their blog with a vow to keep their heads and not be pressured into a deal by pushy sellers. Over the past month, they have witnessed a lot of tricks sellers play to try to push up prices and do not want to be taken advantage of.

"Having been immersed in the chaos and shenanigans for a few weeks now, we have already lost some of our outsider's perspective, which can be dangerous," Corey wrote.

"The Globe recently showed what can be bought for $200,000, which reminded me to pay careful attention to what a home is actually worth, as opposed to what people are willing to pay."

Vancouver blogger Kristin received a lot of feedback about whether it's a good time to buy, with many readers suggesting she wait to see if prices come down or broaden her search to other parts of the province.

This week, Kristin said that after a lot of introspection, she has decided to continue renting in Burnaby while she saves up a bigger downpayment and researches the market.

"The truth is, our hearts just aren't in it at the moment," she wrote. "We have admitted to ourselves that it's not the right time - and that it might be a good idea to wait for the market to correct."

And in Toronto, Carl reflected on all the advice readers had given him and said he'll continue to look for the right place at the right price.

"The advice more or less reinforced my belief that a long-term house for a family is a very different beast than an investment property," he wrote. "The two certainly require two different mindsets about when you should move and what risk you can live with."

We hope you've enjoyed our Buyer Diaries feature. The Globe and Mail would like to thank our bloggers, Carl, Kristin, Corey and Angela for sharing their stories with our readers.