Eight interest rate hikes in less than a year have left thousands of Canadians feeling like homeownership is out of reach for now 91裸聊视频� and maybe even forever.

The benchmark rate, which sits at 4.5 per cent and has pushed borrowing costs up, is eating into prospective buyers91裸聊视频� budgets and leaving many stuck in a tight rental market.

Rentals.ca found the average national rent hit $1,984 in February, an almost 10 per cent rise form the same time last year,while the Canadian Real Estate Association said the average national home price totalled $662,437 last month.

From single parents on the hunt for a place to raise their children to millennials just wanting a rental that won91裸聊视频檛 cost most of their salary, these are stories of how Canadians are being priced out from coast to coast.

91裸聊视频業 didn91裸聊视频檛 end up with a home91裸聊视频�

Average Saint John home price: $250,664

In New Brunswick, the high interest rates made 29-year-old Lauren Fitzgerald dramatically alter her home-buying plans.

The Saint John-area physician support worker, who works a second job as a waitress, made it her goal in 2020 to buy a house in her nearby hometown of Rothesay. At the time, she moved in with her parents and a year later, with her savings and a $250,000 loan, she began her search.

After nearly two years of weekly open house visits, watching the interest rate double, and the 91裸聊视频渉eartbreaking91裸聊视频� experience of being outbid on a 1,000-square-foot home that she had fallen in love with, Fitzgerald decided she had to change plans.

91裸聊视频淚 even went above the asking price on that home, though not by much because I couldn91裸聊视频檛 afford to. But I actually cried over that one,91裸聊视频� Fitzgerald said of the Rothesay home, one of multiple properties she bid on that were sold over asking price.

After that, she began looking into buying land instead.

On March 8, Fitzgerald closed on a 10,900-square-foot lot near some of her favourite hiking spots, right next to the Rothesay home she had lost out on.

91裸聊视频淚 used the money I had saved for a down payment. And hopefully I91裸聊视频檒l be able to get a loan that can build me a nice 1,000 square foot house,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淪o I didn91裸聊视频檛 end up with a home, because as a single woman I couldn91裸聊视频檛 afford to.91裸聊视频�

Fitzgerald said despite the frustration of the experience, she is happy to be moving towards having a home of her own.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 a landowner now. So there was a silver lining for me.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� By Lyndsay Armstrong in Halifax

91裸聊视频業t91裸聊视频檚 just wild91裸聊视频�

Average London, Ont. rent: $1,998

Average London and St. Thomas, Ont. home price: $613,916

For the last two months, Kate Simpson has been looking for a two-bedroom rental apartment for herself and her two children in London, Ont.

The 27-year-old has been staying with her parents since moving to the city with her 10-year-old daughter and four-month-old son after leaving an abusive relationship in Guelph, Ont.

While she once had dreamed of buying a home, Simpson said that91裸聊视频檚 not currently in the cards.

91裸聊视频淚t would be nice, but the way that it91裸聊视频檚 looking with the economy 91裸聊视频� I don91裸聊视频檛 think that91裸聊视频檚 a possibility, especially in London,91裸聊视频� she said.

Simpson lived in London three years ago, when she paid about $950 in rent for a two-bedroom unit. A similar unit now costs about $1,500 a month, she said.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 just wild,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淓ven having a two-bedroom apartment is like we would be technically underhoused because I would be sharing a room with my son.91裸聊视频�

Simpson, who worked as a personal support worker before getting pregnant with her son, said finding housing for her family would make her feel stable and secure so she can look for a job.

91裸聊视频淗onestly, just to find somewhere safe for my children and I to rest our heads,91裸聊视频� she said.

91裸聊视频淚 would love to just be able to work again and take care of my children in a peaceful place and not feel I91裸聊视频檓 relying on everybody else to do that for me.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� By Maan Alhmidi in Toronto

91裸聊视频楬ow are you going to compete with that?91裸聊视频�

Average Toronto rent: $2,838

Average Greater Toronto Area home price: $1,095,637

Sheeren Anis has run a tech business since 2015, but in recent months, she found herself eyeing a job at Boston Pizza.

91裸聊视频淭hey were like why are you applying for this job when you91裸聊视频檙e overqualified?91裸聊视频� she recalled.

91裸聊视频淏ut that91裸聊视频檚 just the lay of the land right now.91裸聊视频�

The 30-year-old startup founder, who lives with her parents in Barrie, Ont., was applying for the pizza chain gig because, despite decent savings, she found herself struggling to get into Toronto91裸聊视频檚 rental market. (Anis won91裸聊视频檛 buy right now because she feels the market conditions aren91裸聊视频檛 right.)

Landlords weren91裸聊视频檛 comfortable renting to someone whose income isn91裸聊视频檛 uniform throughout the year, she said, especially when the heated rental market has more than enough steady earners prepared to offer more cash to snag a place.

91裸聊视频淚f a unit is going for $3,000 a month, one bedroom, one bathroom 91裸聊视频� they91裸聊视频檙e willing to put up $3,500 a month and one-year rent upfront,91裸聊视频� said Anis.

91裸聊视频淗ow are you going to compete with that?91裸聊视频�

On one occasion Anis, decided to make a similar offer only to find out the landlord was out of the country and not prepared to rent their place after all.

In frustration, Anis bought a $7,000 Cartier watch, thinking 91裸聊视频渁t least you have an asset on your wrist.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� By Tara Deschamps in Toronto

91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檓 going to wait until the bubble bursts91裸聊视频�

Average Montreal rent: $1,848

Average Montreal home price: $562,874

Alexandre Lagreou has been thinking about getting into Montreal91裸聊视频檚 real estate market for about four years.

91裸聊视频淚 would love to be able to buy now, but I don91裸聊视频檛 think it91裸聊视频檚 a good idea with what is coming,91裸聊视频� the 33-year-old photographer and urban farmer said.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 going to wait until the bubble bursts.91裸聊视频�

He said he is looking to purchase his first property in the city but is also considering the option of buying further away, in the suburbs, and perhaps even flipping a home.

Lagreou, who rents in Montreal91裸聊视频檚 Mile End neighbourhood, also worries that even if he finds a property within his budget, he will be outbid.

91裸聊视频淲hen I spoke to the real estate agent, she told me that there are still so many bidding wars that the price would be driven up.91裸聊视频�

In order to get into the market, Lagreou said he is now open to the idea of buying with a friend.

91裸聊视频淎lthough my plan was to buy alone, buying with a friend would allow us to have access to something a bit more interesting, like a duplex or triplex.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� By Marisela Amador in Montreal

91裸聊视频業91裸聊视频檓 excited to leave my parents91裸聊视频� house91裸聊视频�

Average Calgary rent: $1,862

Average Calgary home price: $521,896

Landon Roett91裸聊视频檚 buying power was significantly reduced when interest rates started climbing last year.

The 27-year-old said his loan approval based on his salary fell to $300,000 from $500,000.

91裸聊视频淭hat has hurt me quite a bit, as well as the understanding of what my payments would look like,91裸聊视频� the digital marketing specialist said.

Roett, who lives with his parents, has been actively looking to buy a two-bedroom condo in downtown Calgary for at least two months.

However, he said it91裸聊视频檚 just been a series of failed competing offers in a high-demand and low-inventory market.

91裸聊视频淚 think I had to manage my expectations on the quality of properties that are out there and what my price point holds for quality,91裸聊视频� he said.

So long as its near his office, Roett is now also looking at one-bedroom units.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 excited to leave my parents91裸聊视频� house. And that has been the main driver for why I91裸聊视频檓 looking for the place.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频� By Ritika Dubey in Edmonton

91裸聊视频榃e decided to move a little bit slowly91裸聊视频�

Average Vancouver rent: $3,120

Average Greater Vancouver Area home price: $1,219,919

For the past six months, Vancouver lawyer Alex Bres and his wife have been looking to buy a home to accommodate their growing family.

The couple, who have an eight-month-old baby, said their downtown Vancouver rental isn91裸聊视频檛 big enough, nor does it offer the permanency they crave.

They are keeping an eye out to buy a larger property in British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 Lower Mainland, one of Canada91裸聊视频檚 most expensive housing markets.

91裸聊视频淲e decided to move a little bit slowly just to get a sense of what91裸聊视频檚 available on the market, as well as keeping an eye on what the Bank of Canada is doing in terms of what sort of mortgage rate we91裸聊视频檙e being quoted by various financial institutions,91裸聊视频� Bres said.

As a dual high-income couple, Bres said they have the advantage of biding their time.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e fortunate to be in a position to afford a home in this market and I know not everybody is in that position,91裸聊视频� he said.

In terms of housing supply, Bres said 91裸聊视频渨e91裸聊视频檙e not disappointed by the options available, but at the same time not blown away.91裸聊视频�

The couple is now weighing moving farther out of the city in the hopes of finding something bigger and cheaper, while trying to keep commute times under an hour.

91裸聊视频� By Darryl Greer in Vancouver

Average rental prices came from Rentals.ca91裸聊视频檚 latest rent report, which does not include data for Saint John, N.B., and average home sales prices came from the Canadian Real Estate Association91裸聊视频檚 February report.