"half of Victoria 2017".  Hmm.  Well, Doc, nobody intervened on my humble behalf a long time back, between 1971, when I first started house-hunting in the City of Gardens and 1980 when I bought my one-and-only house there.  Uplands?  You jest.  Broadmead? No chance. Oak Bay?  Ditto (especially in 1982, at 21% mortgage rate.) Even Gordon Head was out of reach. Saanich Peninsula?  Too much LRT--scarce housing. Lucked into a late 40s bungalow in--wait for it--Esquimalt, home of the Canadian Forces.  Happy to have it, too.  Wanted something better? Out to Metchosin for me! 

Didn't like the commute.  Saved a little and lucked in again: but not a detached home, though.  Townhouse.  It wasn't until 1994 that I found an affordable "home of my dreams." Two hours up-island.  In Parksville.  2017, indeed! 

That's the one city I'm familiar with. I'll let other respond to your other entries on your "place-and-year" list.