Category Archives for "Architecture"

[The problem with low appraisals] I am frustrated that Canadian real estate entrepreneurs have so few options when it comes to financing their projects. My friend, Matt Slobodian from Canada ICI wrote this: The regulatory framework in Canada focuses on safety and soundness (it is federally regulated via OSFI, which implies higher standards) whereas the […]

The story of Tamworth, a small town in Ontario “Animation” is a term I use to describe ways of adding new revenue streams to an existing property. For example, clients of mine are adding storage sheds, backyard workshops, basement apartments, backyard coach houses, play areas (things like outdoor ping pong tables), private patio areas, outdoor […]

[Another GaVinci Report by Corey Oliver] Pivot – in the business world it means to shift. To move to Plan B when Plan A isn’t working. It’s the art of recognizing change in a market or industry before the impact of those changes can damage a business or organization. The challenge is recognizing WHEN to […]

Substantial completion (aka, substantial performance) in real estate is usually defined this way: When approximately 97% of work outlined in a construction contract is done. This milepost is crucial in this industry for a number of reasons: a) so, a contractor can get paid out without having absolutely everything done, b) so, an owner can […]

(Excerpt from Don’t Back Down, the real story of the founding of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators and why big leagues matter) The most profitable businesses are either illegal (like drugs) or government-owned like property taxes, alcohol distribution (at least in Ontario and Quebec), utilities and lotteries (plus drugs, if you count legalization of cannabis in […]

This is the wrong questions to ask. Why? Because every entrepreneur knows how to pull endless rabbits out of his or her hat. So, what is the right question to ask? How do we turn a cost center into a profit center? This is what we did at Dunrobin Lake. We got permission from MNR […]

Yeah, right. In an alternate universe, maybe, but in Ontario, land of the RTA, residential tenancy act, it’s hard for landlords to acquire vacant possession. On behalf of a coaching client, I recently reached out to Brian Dagenais, founder of Dagenais Properties, and an expert property manager, for his advice on this subject. Here’s the […]

City of Ottawa Official Plan Poll Results and Analysis by Bruce M Firestone, PhD Decisions by municipal government can be even more important to individual residents than those made by higher levels—provincial, state or federal agencies. Noted urbanist Jane Jacobs called this the “subsidiarity” principal by which she meant that the closer government is to […]

I talk a lot about animation of individual properties–how to add new revenue streams to your real estate investment portfolio and boost your ROI and property value. But there is a whole other dimension to animation–how can you animate a whole neighborhood, indeed a whole town or city. If you learn something about property animation […]

Noted urbanist and planner Jeff Speck shares his views on how to create a more walkable city. Points covered include: -Euclidean zoning (separation of uses) started by moving housing away from dirty soot-producing mills with the result that life expectancy immediately improved… (the one and only success of urban planners, Ed) -large areas of single […]

The ROI Group was formed to create a forum for interested parties to get together online (and occasionally in the real world too) to speak to issues surrounding the creation of vibrant communities that are sustainable in every way. The idea is to find new, innovative ways to meet multiple “bottom lines” including how to: […]

[Negative Cost Labor (And Low-Cost Finance)] Sometimes, you can turn a cost into a negative cost. A former architecture student of mine, Dominique Tonetti and her husband, Frank Dutton, are managing to do that on their new project, Solisterra in Québec. Dominique and Frank are building wonderful straw bale structures on a 150-acre property they […]