Katie Fahrland and her daughter Zoe in Montreal, where they recently moved. A Connecticut native, Ms. Fahrland wanted to settle in Canada, where she went to college. She had a budget of around $660,000. Renaud Philippe for The New York Times

After living in 15 cities across the United States, Britain and Africa, Katie Fahrland plotted a course to a life in Canada. She didn’t expect that it would lead through Colorado and Florida.

Ms. Fahrland, who grew up in Connecticut and graduated from McGill University in Montreal, worked in software sales before a career pivot to international development work in Africa. Her daughter Zoe, now 9, was born shortly after she moved back to Washington, D.C., for a new job. In 2018, after losing both that job and a trusted au pair, she decamped to Denver, where a brother lived.

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“I’m a single parent and it was a lot to handle,” said Ms. Fahrland, now 44. An experienced world traveler, she got a job with a private tour operator. “I was unhappy,” she said. “I had no friends. My people were in Montreal, where I went to school.”

In 2020, she applied for permanent resident status in Canada, which would allow her to purchase a home despite Canada’s ban on most foreign buyers.

“I wanted to live somewhere that aligned with my values,” she said. “People here are kind, friendly and supportive. And subsidized education, along with national healthcare, was important.”

Ms. Fahrland sold her Denver house and set out for Montreal, only to learn that her residency application had been delayed. Frantic, she made another detour to Jupiter, Fla., where friends had invited her and Zoe to stay. Finally, in 2024, the paperwork came through, and the two landed in Montreal. “It was a project four years in the making,” she said.

Her first stop was a rental apartment in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a leafy neighborhood southwest of downtown filled with century-old brick homes. Zoe enrolled in a school there, and the area enabled a car-free lifestyle. Its main artery, Monkland Avenue, offered plenty of dining, shopping and services.

“She knew exactly where she wanted to be, and had very specific criteria for the apartment,” said Ms. Fahrland’s agent, Monique Assouline of The Agency.

The right place would have at least four rooms — one each for her and Zoe, an office (she now works remotely for a New York-based hospitality marketing firm) and a guest room. Two bathrooms were also a must. But Ms. Fahrland’s budget of 900,000 Canadian dollars (about $660,000) would be a challenge in Montreal’s hot condo market.

“I had wanted to spend less, but realized I wouldn’t find what I needed,” she said.

Among her options:

No. 1

Three-Bedroom With a Deck

Renaud Philippe for The New York Times

This two-level condo with around 1,775 total square feet had an eat-in kitchen, an open-plan living and dining room, two bedrooms and an office space (or small bedroom) on the main floor. Large windows brought in ample sunlight, and the smaller room stepped out to a front balcony. A hallway led to the eat-in kitchen, which opened to a wood deck. The finished basement, reached via a narrow spiral staircase, had a family room, a full bathroom and two big closets. The kitchen needed updating, and a previous inspection report had revealed issues with the building’s brickwork. It was steps from lively Monkland Avenue. The price was C$680,000 ($497,000), with annual taxes of C$5,190 ($3,800).

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No. 2

Three-Bedroom With Renovated Basement

Renaud Philippe for The New York Times

Located on bustling Monkland Avenue, this condo unit also had a main floor with most of the living spaces and a finished basement, totaling around 1,500 square feet. Upstairs were three bedrooms (two on the smaller side), a full bathroom, a renovated kitchen and a dining nook clad in big windows. The living room had a decorative fireplace, with French doors opening to a family room. The smallest bedroom had a balcony. The basement held a family room and another full bathroom added during a 2022 renovation. Living on Monkland Avenue meant more convenience, but also more traffic and noise. The price was C$769,000 ($562,000), with C$4,725 ($3,450) a year in taxes and C$300 ($220) in monthly condo fees.

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No. 3

Four-Bedroom With Stained-Glass Windows

Renaud Philippe for The New York Times

This condo with 1,770 square feet had four bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms and an office space. There were restored hardwood floors, stained-glass windows, and moldings from 1928. A long hallway bisected the apartment. Two bedrooms shared a wall with the kitchen, and another was separated from the living room by pocket doors. A front balcony and rear kitchen patio provided private outdoor space. There were only one and half bathrooms, and the apartment had a tenant whose lease was expiring in June. Monkland Avenue was steps from the front door, with a metro station a short walk away. The price was C$879,000 ($642,000), with C$5,800 ($4,250) in annual taxes.

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Find out what happened next by answering these two questions:

Which Would You Choose?

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Three-Bedroom With a Deck

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Three-Bedroom With Renovated Basement

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Four-Bedroom With Stained-Glass Windows

Which Did She Buy?

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Three-Bedroom With a Deck

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Three-Bedroom With Renovated Basement

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Four-Bedroom With Stained-Glass Windows