Sarah and Ephren Pabon with their daughter Elaia at their North York condo in Toronto on June 10.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
Ephren and Sarah Pabon first met in 2006 as kids at an elementary school in Toronto’s North York area. They began dating at the end of high school and, up until their marriage in 2023, each lived with their parents.
The couple made plans to move in together for the first time after their wedding. They considered buying a place but decided to wait and rent instead. “The market was still pretty expensive at that point,” explains Sarah, a 31-year-old registered nurse. “We didn’t want to rush the process of house buying.” Ephren, a 30-year-old project manager, echoed. “Financially, it’s a lot of money,” he says.
They ended up renting a spacious one-bedroom, one-bathroom basement apartment in Vaughan, Ont., for $2,000 a month. It was an easy commute to Sarah’s workplace, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, while Ephren had a short drive to his office in Aurora, Ont.
At the end of 2024, they reconsidered the house hunt. They had saved up more for a healthy down payment. More importantly, they were also eager to start a family and needed more space.
The couple hoped to spend around $650,000 but could go as high as $700,000. Initially, they wanted to purchase a townhouse in North York, however, their budget meant looking further afield to the peripheries of the region – Newmarket, Stouffville and Pickering.
After viewing a few townhomes in the Greater Toronto Area, Sarah and Ephren decided to prioritize a more central location over space, downgrading their search from a townhouse to a condo in Vaughan or North York to stay closer to family and friends in the area. Equally important was accessibility to downtown Toronto. “We’re still young,” Sarah says. They wanted to be somewhere on a public transit line to easily visit restaurants, museums and shops, and still within an easy commute to their workplaces.
As for the parameters of their search, the couple wanted at least two bedrooms so they could turn the second into a future nursery. They also wanted two bathrooms – one for themselves and one for guests. Ephren and Sarah had an affinity for loft-style condos, with high ceilings and big windows, but they were open to traditional units, too. The couple also wanted a balcony or outdoor space and access to a gym.
They reached out to realtor Cynthia Hu to guide their search. Ms. Hu says that condos are becoming a more appealing option for families, thanks to more kids’ play areas and larger, multibedroom units. “I think a lot of builders are building spaces that can accommodate growing families,” she says. “You’ve also got the benefit of not having to do yard work or shovel the snow.”
Here were Ephren and Sarah’s top three options:
Bright one-bedroom-plus-den unit in Vaughan
A condominum at 2900 Hwy 7 in Vaughan was priced at $679,999.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Although it didn’t have a true second bedroom, Sarah and Ephren viewed this unit, priced at $679,999, since it was a generous 818 square feet. They loved the large kitchen, which had full-sized appliances as opposed to the compact alternatives in many Toronto condos. There were also family-friendly amenities in the building, like a kids’ playroom. However, the unit didn’t have a balcony. And the biggest downside was the den, which was an open area next to the front entrance without a door or division. It wasn’t an optimal setup for a future nursery. The building was a 15-minute walk from the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre subway station.
Older two-bedroom unit in North York
An 887-square-foot unit at 66 Forest Manor Rd. in North York checked a lot of boxes for the couple.Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
This 887-square-foot unit checked a lot of boxes for Ephren and Sarah. Listed at $699,900, it had two proper bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a large 131-square-foot balcony. The kitchen was equipped with full-sized appliances and the corner unit had floor-to-ceiling windows, which let in a ton of light. However, the space felt dated – there were popcorn ceilings and the appliances weren’t in great condition. The building did have good amenities, such as a gym, a pool and a large outdoor terrace and lounge area, but no dedicated kids’ play spaces. It was a five-minute walk to the Don Mills subway station.
New two-bedroom-plus-den penthouse loft in North York
The unit at Sheppard Avenue West had two bathrooms and appealed to the couple’s dreams of living in a loft-style home.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
This unit, which also had two bathrooms, appealed to the couple’s dreams of living in a loft-style home. It was built in 2024 with 885 square feet spread out across two floors. The main level had an open kitchen, living and dining area along with a full bathroom and access to a 114-square-foot balcony. On the second level, there were two bedrooms and a den, which the couple could use as an office. However, the kitchen had compact appliances and the layout felt cramped. The building had a gym, indoor and outdoor kids’ play areas and an outdoor lounge space. Priced at $710,000, the loft was slightly over the couple’s budget. It was a seven-minute walk to the Sheppard West subway station.
Their home: New two-bedroom-plus-den penthouse loft in North York
After some negotiations, they settled on a price of $703,000.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
The couple’s desire to live in a loft-style home made the penthouse unit their top choice. The sellers were actually the builders off-loading a unit that a preconstruction buyer was unable to close on. After some negotiations, they settled on a price of $703,000. A couple of weeks after closing the deal, in February, 2025, Sarah found out she was pregnant. They moved into their new home that April and their daughter, Elaia, was born in November.
“It was actually pretty crazy,” Ephren says of the move-in process. “We were already expecting, so it was about settling into the place but then also getting it ready for our baby.” They designated the second bedroom as Elaia’s nursery while the den served as a shared office. Ephren, who is now employed at a company in Vaughan, works from home two to three days a week, while Sarah works at home part-time as a telehealth nurse, in addition to her Vaughan hospital job (she’s currently on maternity leave).
The couple designated the second bedroom as Elaia’s nursery while the den served as a shared office.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
Despite the loft unit feeling smaller, the couple appreciates how well the two-level layout works for them. “Now that we have our baby, she can sleep upstairs and we can still hang out downstairs,” Ephren says. “We don’t really worry about waking her up.”
Jaunts downtown have been limited for the new parents so far, but they love being so close to Rogers Stadium, a temporary outdoor music venue that has hosted artists such as Coldplay and Chris Brown. “It’s actually really cool hearing the concerts,” explains Ephren.
Despite the loft unit feeling smaller, the couple appreciates how well the two-level layout works for them.Sammy Kogan/The Globe and Mail
The couple envision themselves staying in their new home for about five years, after which they’ll consider upsizing. They might get a townhouse but they’d also consider a larger condo. They were surprised to discover more young families living in their building than they expected. “Honestly, I think we prefer condo living now instead of home living,” Sarah says. “It’s really easy.”
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