Am I greedy to buy this property?

This. Who cares what the next person thinks. Buy it, enjoy it and live your life. Someone has to buy it and if those that need it can’t buy it, then why shouldn’t you. I can’t imagine caring this much about anyone else to not buy an investment property

I will never be able to afford a holiday home but don't begrudge more fortunate people having one (or several!)

Let's flip the question, am I wrong for ensuring my disabled child has an income when I'm gone?
Very different responses is expect from the same action.

Agree.

OP, YANBU at all — and honestly, your post comes across as thoughtful, conscientious, and very un-greedy, if that’s even a word 😄
You’re clearly not just buying a second property for the sake of bragging rights or to make a quick profit. You’ve:
Chosen a location with a slow market — so you’re not snatching up housing stock in a high-demand area
Prioritised sustainability — no flights, high-efficiency systems, etc. Major kudos for the heat pump, by the way!
Planned for your daughter’s long-term security and income — which is something many parents would absolutely understand
Honestly, there’s a huge difference between someone buying ten flats in London to let out on Airbnb and a parent purchasing a single modest vacation property with future care and income in mind. If anything, you’re future-proofing and thinking very long-term. That’s wise, not selfish.
And the "holiday home guilt" some posters express on here tends to come from seeing places like Cornwall or the Lake District hollowed out, where locals can’t afford to stay — but what you’re doing isn’t that situation. If the house has been sitting unsold for ages, you’re not pushing anyone out.
Also: can we please stop making people feel bad for being careful, sensible, or lucky with money? You’re not buying a private island or a gold-plated Tesla. You’re just trying to build some stability for your family and enjoy a change of scenery without wrecking the planet.
So no, OP — you are absolutely NBU, and I’d be thrilled if more second-home owners were as considered and forward-thinking as you!

You should definitely buy it and you’re being an amazing mother to your daughter by helping her in this way.

I agree with the pp who suggested to offer it as a vacation property rental for people with mobility issues. It’s so difficult to find suitable properties to stay in as a wheelchair user. Many hotels are not fully accessible and Airbnbs are usually hopeless.

Well very few of us know what the housing market is like in Canada so we can't say. It's selfish af in the UK.

I don't see this as a moral issue. It isn't intrinsically moral or immoral to own a second home.

The issue in parts of the UK is that second homeowners have completely priced workers in those areas out of a home. The additional council tax, stamp duty etc is a nudge to try and increase the number of homes available to local workers by encouraging some of the second home owners to consider whether they wish to continue given the additional costs of ownership. It isn't a personal attack on the morality of the owners of second homes.

I support these policies, but also have friends with a second home who've decided that as they use it regularly they will swallow the additional costs. I don't see them as 'immoral'.

The definition of greed is an excessive desire for more of something than you need. It sounds to me like you have some need for this additional house - to provide an income for your daughter, and as somewhere to spend your holidays, so no, by that definition, I don't think you're greedy at all.

Very common in Canada. I think some people don't realize that it's not like the housing market in the UK.

Surely you don't listen to the opinions of people who don't realise the housing situation in Canada is completely different to that in the UK.

UK = 68 million people
Canada = 40 million people

UK = 0.24 million sq metres
Canada = 10 million sq metres

Canada is about 40 times larger than the UK and has significantly fewer people.

nb this was all AI generated, could be wrong, but overall - there are loads more people in a smaller space in the UK.

Why? The Canadian government is as useless as the UK government, it allows 500,000+ immigrants in every year then the same people that say "immigrants welcome" complain about a lack of housing and school places etc.

It's the governments fault for letting in too many people and not building enough houses... it's not the fault of some worker wanting to buy a holiday home to enjoy with their hard earned cash.

The UK can sustainably support 30million people yet we are way past that and yet the government still lets in 700,000 immigrants a year. Makes no sense at all.

You say it's for your disabled daughter? If that's true then it seems reasonable enough.

If you want to give something back could you basically rent it out for free to a charity for the weeks it's empty? Like for a retreat for sick/disabled people, or the temporarily homeless? Or to do classes/therapy sessions?

You are obviously incredibly privileged. Not that I begrudge you spending your money how you wish. It just seems a shame to just leave an abode unused for many months when so many people have no roof over their head.

Yep, I’m aware of this in Canada. In fact person I know won’t sell her Condo right now due to prices declining as market saturated and trump effect.
canada is completely different ball game

so not sure why you’re even posting here. You’ve got money, other than give it away to charity, what else do you do with your wealth if you’ve covered bases like pension, providing for loved ones etc.

greedy is nothing to do with it unless you’re taking a property form someone else. Not case in Canada. Not even case it,l raise prices for locals if truely remotely area…most of areas around lakes are built up due to the second home market anyway.

greed will come in if you’ve made other people worse off by acquiring your wealth . If you’re an employer for instance that takes a big wage and profit form
business, and pays staff as little as possible . Or you run money schemes not short of fraud. If you’ve made your money honesty, ethically and do some good with some of it, then greed isn’t the pint on whether you buy this property or not

entriely different case in uk. You’d be increasing property prices locally, and taking houses from someone who needs it.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jul/06/homesick-catrina-davies-review

This is a very interesting book about how some people's greed impacts on others.

Might not apply in Canada but it certainly applies in the UK.

I am interested to know what people think because I enjoy discussions.

"I love a bunfight'.

Surely buying a holiday home in Canada is better than you going on holiday and renting an Airbnb in a touristy place which really is pricing people out of the area?

Where I'm from there's a similar culture with regards to holiday homes - a large minority of people have them and they often get passed down from generation to generation and it's just a really lovely vibe! My family have never been fortunate enough to have one, but I never begrudged my friends who did.

In that case if you're not negatively effecting the local community by buying the property and you need it to help your daughter in the future I don't think it's greedy. And if that was a way I could help my disabled child I would do it in a heartbeat. It sounds like it will be a good place for respite and also give her a bit of extra security in her future.

As I said before though these sort of grey areas shouldn't be the concerns of individuals anyway, if its legal and profitable someone will do it, whether an individual or a business. When housing turns into a gold brick commodity and investment rather than to make sure everyone in a country has access to an affordable place to live, government needs to step in and regulate the market. (And also provide alot more decent social housing)

We have many priorities in India (a few flats and a big house). DH and I will soon retire in India, live off the money we've accumulated there and then when we pass our DC have good real estate.

Do you really think a month is a long time for a house to be on the market without selling?

Btw I saw cabins for sale in UK and am well tempted with one. Wood, forest, quiet. But I don't believe in leashold so... No.

YANBU. Invest in property all you want. No need to justify.

I can't afford the second property, but if I could, I'd buy it in a shot and weird thoughts about 'greed' wouldn't even enter my mind. Some people are richer, some people are poorer. It was ever thus

100%. I plan to buy a second property at some point in the future, it's a great investment for my future retirement as I dont have a decent pension. It wouldnt even occur to me to think it made me "greedy". Like, WTF? 😂

The poll would suggest otherwise