Our Blog
Tips, news, and insights about real estate, business and life.
#1 is the Worst Number!
The number 1 is absolutely the worst number in business. It may be bad for you too! Think about it: 1 customer; 1 supplier; 1 bank; 1 employee; 1 market; 1 prod...
Big Hearts Remember Little Things
I’m blessed to work with an absolutely amazing team. My Renovator, Jim, is a big man with a big heart. One Winter afternoon Jim called to check in with me. He w...
Cap Rate Magic
Capitalization Rate: Explanation, Calculation, Application If you intend to master multifamily or commercial real estate investment, you’re going to need a clea...
Contrarian Communication
Secret: Never over-commit to communicating with investment partners. My written commitment to investment partners includes annual reporting for income tax purpo...
Differentiate or Die!
One of my favourite strategists, Jack Trout, wrote a book called Differentiate or Die. We live in a niche world. Whatever it is that you do, you must find a way...
It Takes A Village
In 2020, I had more tenant turnover than usual... About 3 times more valued long-term tenants moved on to other homes than would have in a normal year. Few, if...
Mortgage Renewal Intel
renew? I've coordinated renewal of several mortgages over the past few months (you may recall we sometimes try to time renewals for US election years because of...
The Best Recession <> Depression Chat Ever
What follows are notes prepared and shared by my friend John Diack on a recent web-conference. You are invited to view the full discussion and access source doc...
The Coming Canadian Crash
I used to have a rule of thumb: I’d buy any single-family home at 20% below current market value. Now, I’m not so sure. On May 27, Canada Mortgage & Housing Cor...
The First Few Days
I love working with new tenants! I love the way they get excited about transforming a house into a home. It’s the thrill of a fresh start and the anticipation o...
The Most Money, The Quickest Sale, and The Fewest Problems!
Almost without exception, when we sell something, what we really want is the most money, the quickest sale, and the fewest problems. Unfortunately, when it come...
The Powder Room
The wearing of masks, physical distancing, and hand-washing are not new concepts. They all contributed to controlling the 1918 'Spanish Flu' pandemic. And, did...
The Rhythm of Real Estate
Understanding Economic Cycles (Part III): The 18.6 Year Cycle & Coming CRASH Are you concerned about your financial future? Well, history leaves clues. This 18....
Understanding Economic Cycles (Part II): Generational WEALTH Shift
Billionaire investor and champion of capitalism, Ray Dalio, has been sounding an alarm, for some time now, about a coming cataclysmic shift in our monetary syst...
Understanding Economic Cycles: Part I
If we’re going to invest in real estate, wouldn't it be great if we could predict the future? Well we can, sort of. Our economy is made up of remarkably predict...
What Happens If I Die?
If you manage assets for partners, they likely know you add significant value to their investment. It's reasonable for them to wonder what would happen if you w...
What's My Condo Worth?
Hint: Condo's are Commodities The whole idea of most condominium developments – whether apartment or townhouse – is uniformity in size and design. In the eyes o...
Why Do Entrepreneurs Frame Their First Dollar?
Immediately out of high school, I moved to the Rocky Mountains to work in the resort industry – Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise. At first, I lived in staff accommoda...
Why I Should Never Visit My Own Renovation Projects...
One weekend early on, I thought I’d give my contractor a hand, so I offered to drop by on a Saturday afternoon and do just that – hold stuff for him while he me...
ZERO VACANCY: How to Maximize Rental Revenue
If you own a few rental properties, having zero vacancy can feel really good. Knowing your happy tenants are snugly tucked away in their homes makes it much eas...
What's This House Worth?
Would you like to know what any given house will sell for? The simple answer is: All houses sell for the highest price a qualified buyer will pay, and the lowes...
Happy Canada Day!
Canada Day, originally known as Dominion Day (until 1982), marks the anniversary of Confederation in 1867 when the British North America Act came into effect. H...
Choose Your Landlord Carefully!
The secret to enjoying a long, happy, and worry-free tenancy is to choose your landlord wisely. If you give yourself plenty of time to hunt for the perfect home...
Insurance Secrets Revealed
Is insurance good? Of course it is. It’s a great way to protect yourself from the unexpected. Is insurance bad? It is when you have too little or too much! Many...
Real Estate Markets Are Local
Each year, your municipality issues property tax assessment notices. The property 'value' is then multiplied by a Mill Rate (set by the City) in order to calcul...
Are You Ready for a Coach?
Most top-performers benefit by engaging a coach. To be successful, in any field, we must go well beyond acquired knowledge. A good coach can help translate info...
Condo Documents Checklist
One of the best things about buying a condominium is that we don’t have to worry about anything outside the walls of our unit – sort of. Exterior maintenance, i...
The Condo Documents Checklist
One of the best things about buying a condominium is that we don’t have to worry about anything outside the walls of our unit – sort of. Exterior maintenance, i...
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is my favourite time of year! It's a beautiful reminder to consider all the things we have to be grateful for... Near the top of my list are family...
Mortgage Deferrals
defer? Since March, Canadian lenders have offered borrowers an opportunity to defer mortgage payments (they're okay with this because interest continues to accr...
Exit Alberta Real Estate?
exit? 2006 and 2007 were frothy years in Alberta real estate, followed by a not-unexpected collapse in 2008. We waited for things to settle down before beginnin...
Caring for People in Crisis
COVID-19 has introduced significant uncertainty to our lives. A few days ago I delivered this message to all townhome tenants by email: Subject: Caring for Peop...
A Fresh Set of Keys
Locksmiths have great stories, and my first locksmith, Paul, was no exception! A teenager was travelling in Europe for nearly a year. His return trip took him t...
Joy in Sharing Secrets!
Did you know that most good landlords or investors – myself included – suffer from the anxiety of thinking they’ll never find a suitable occupant for their late...