Affordability is the easiest to pin down. CMHC guidelines look for roughly 39 percent of gross income on housing costs and 44 percent on total debt, so run each finalist through those two ratios rather than judging by monthly payment alone, since taxes, condo fees and insurance change the real number.
Condition is where a $400 to $600 home inspection on each serious finalist earns its cost, since two homes at the same Saskatoon benchmark price of $444,700 can carry very different repair bills once someone actually opens the panel and the crawl space.
Joel Dyck helps buyers compare finalists against recent comparable sales in Saskatoon rather than gut feel. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.