Blogs by Bruce | Bruce Firestone

How much term insurance do you need?

As readers of this blog will already know, I am not much of a believer in life insurance–it’s costly and

An official plan for the 21st century

The city of Ottawa has an ambitious goal–to craft an official plan (OP) that is suited to a modern 21st

Is it OK to ask?

Young clients of mine refused to meet with me last week to learn about how they could rent a house

How economic development is impacted by a city’s zoning and official plan

(A version of this article first appeared in OBJ, Ottawa Business Journal, https://obj.ca/article/op-ed-zoning-better-ottawa. An online poll is available for you

Stupid Zoning Rules

Here’s an excerpt from a book I wrote (Jenna’s Story, https://brucemfirestone.com/product/jennas-story/) in which Jenna McConnell launches into a diatribe on

Selling Towns Should not be a Swimsuit Competition

Look at the way this developer sells towns… see below. It’s more of a “swimsuit” competition rather than a value

How to pay off your mortgage faster?

Try this: reduce your amortization period from 35 years to 30, from 30 to 25, from 25 to 20, even

Recession or maybe not?

I suspect a recession is coming to the US and Canada as well as Europe and the UK in 2020.

In Defense of Suburbia

A Brief History It wasn’t that long ago (and the condition still exists in certain cantons of Switzerland, for example)

Who needs a basement or sideyard apartment or a backyard coach house?

If you talk to many developers like I do, the answer to this question is often, “No one” or “Not

10 decisions that made Ottawa, Ottawa

Andrew Duffy writes that ten crucial events shaped my hometown of Ottawa; the work I did with my dedicated team

Do you use historical prices or FMV when calculating cap rates?

It’s complicated. A client of mine is doing a PAAN (property animation and analysis report) for a client of his.

What to watch out for when buying a new home and lot

When you buy a new home from a developer or if you are buying a lot and building your own,

Ever wonder why Canadiens mid-week games are on TV in Ottawa and the Leafs aren’t?

Blame me. Here’s an excerpt from Don’t Back Down, the real story of the founding of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators

Sens founder Bruce M Firestone & OBJ publisher Michael Curran discuss the city of Ottawa’s new official plan

How can people from all sectors get involved in the city of Ottawa’s new official plan (OP)? Here are three