Category Archives for "Investing"

A million-dollar TFSA, https://business.financialpost.com/personal-finance/taxes/the-road-to-the-million-dollar-tfsa-is-getting-shorter-for-millennials, sounds great except I’m not 100% convinced about these assumptions: a) earning 4.7% yearly, compounding annually, b) continuing to put in max $$$ every year for 47-consecutive years without fail. There are simply too many ups & downs over a lifetime. But, say you buy a half double like one of […]

I spoke with my friend Victor Menasce about the Ottawa Senators, the NHL, real estate investment and more on his podcast… I explained how we purchased (in the early 1990s) 600-acres in the far west-end of Ottawa (Kanata) for $12,000 an acre ($7.2 million, if you are counting), plunked an NHL expansion franchise (aka, the […]

I usually don’t really like rent-to-own (R2O) models either from an investor’s POV (point of view) or from a client’s POV. From a client’s POV, it’s an expensive way to buy property; they have to pay all of the costs of the property including mortgage payments, property taxes, insurance (tenant and landlord insurance), all repairs/maintenance, […]

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 […]

As someone who has tackled hundreds if not thousands of projects, I know the difference. It’s why now as a real estate investment and business coach, I preach using biz models instead of doing “projects.” In my day, I created over 1,200 home sites in multiple subdivisions, dozens of office buildings and shopping plazas, started […]

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 […]

OK, you are a real estate investment whiz. Then see if you can answer this question about cap (capitalization) rates: THE QUESTION Let’s say you buy a duplex for $500,000 and it has a going-in NOI (net operating income) of $26,500 per year. That’s without any renos, new leases, or animations, ok? This is a […]

[Note: feature image is international symbol for human rights.] So, a city committee has voted in favor of effectively banning Airbnb and other home-sharing platforms, https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/dozens-sign-up-to-tell-councillors-what-they-think-about-proposed-crackdown-on-short-term-rentals This is a terrible decision IMHO. Three councillors voted against the ban: Stephen Blais <stephen.blais@ottawa.ca> Eli El-Chantiry <Eli.El-Chantiry@ottawa.ca> Matt Luloff 613-580-2471×26699′ <Matt.Luloff@ottawa.ca> I wrote to them (see below). I […]

Think about it—Mr Buffett has been buying stock in well-managed, top brands for many decades. These stocks (for the most part) pay dividends, which Mr Buffett used to pay down debt he took on (through his principal investing vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway) to purchase these investments in the first place, which (again, for the most part) […]

I read Jon Willing’s October 5th, 2019 well-reported article, Ban some from renting homes short term if they don’t live there, consultant recommends (https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ban-some-people-from-short-term-home-rentals-if-they-dont-live-there-consultant-recommends). I believe the Maclaren Report is flawed, so I wrote the following to the city of Ottawa’s policy people: Dear city of Ottawa, My spouse and I own a home in […]

From time to time, Paul and I take students on a property tour to teach them what works in terms of real estate investing (and what doesn’t). “Wow, what an amazing property tour organized by Prof Bruce and Spirepoint Wealth’s Paul Blacquiere. It was very interesting and educational. It made the concepts of the course […]

Try answering this question. The list price for a duplex at 1234 Any street, Anytown is $575,000 and its NOI (net operating income) is estimated at $30,150 pa (per annum) based on its existing leases and revenue streams. You expect to incur some additional closing costs including land transfer tax estimate ($7,975), legal fees on […]