Here are the findings:

Georgetown/Halton Hills

Address: 19 Guelph St. (Guelph & Main) Property size: 8,712 sq. ft. (approx. 1,300 sq. ft. of living space in house, not including hallways, bathrooms or unfinished basement) 2 storeys
Price: $419,000
Style: Detached house  Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2
Distance to Georgetown GO Train Station: 1 km, Distance to Union Station: 55.5 km
Time to Union Station on GO Train: approx. 1 hour
Cost of monthly adult GO Train pass: $281; $3,372 annually

Bonuses: located in Georgetown community of Halton Hills; close to transport, farmers market, library, restaurants, hospital; large living and dining room; recently restored hardwood floors throughout; high ceilings; new kitchen with glass mosaic backsplash and separate breakfast area; main floor bedroom could be converted into a family room; upper level contains three large bedrooms and large four-piece bathroom with separate laundry room; large driveway with six parking spaces; large backyard with deck.

Downtown Toronto

Address: #720-156 Portland (at Queen)  Property Size: approx. 525 sq. ft., 1 storey
Price: $419,900 (plus monthly maintenance fees of $381.37)
Style: Condominium  Bedrooms: 1 + den  Bathrooms: 2
Cost of monthly adult TTC Metropass: $121; $1,452 annually

Bonuses: Great location on Queen West strip above Joe Fresh and a soon-to-be-completed Loblaws; 9 ft. ceilings; Euro-style with integrated and stainless-steel appliances, south-facing balcony with views of CN Tower and skyline; locker; access to fitness centre and 20,000 sq. ft. terrace. Parking however, is $35,000 extra.

So after all is said and done, which is the best value? There really is no right or wrong answer. Value is perceived and in this case it depends on your personal living situation, where you work, whether you have children and your lifestyle.

Will there always be people wanting to live in small downtown condos? Probably. Will there always be demand for homes in Georgetown? Probably.

Here’s how I see things. More and more businesses are choosing to leave the downtown core and locate their facilities and jobs to the 905 regions. Land is cheaper.  There are often tax benefits, less traffic congestion and a large labour pool. Gone are the days where everyone headed downtown to work. Our lives no longer revolve around downtown Toronto. We live a more transient lifestyle so proximity to major highways is more important to many of us then living close to downtown.

Georgetown is about a 20 minute commute to highway 401and highway 407 with the 403 not far beyond that.  Personally, I love the quality of life in Georgetown. I love that it has a vibrant downtown yet if I want to go to Toronto on the weekends, I can get there often in less than an hour. I like small town living, fall fairs, having a large spacious home and property. Georgetown real estate is a solid investment too.

The average sale price of a home in (Halton Hills which includes Acton and Georgetown) in 2010 was $413,772 and today’s average sale price is $434,015. That’s almost a 5% annual increase. For me, Georgetown real estate offers significantly more value for the dollar.

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