QUOTE (thomasbeyer2000 @ Jan 7 2009, 08:11 PM) why pay less ? That`s what a lot of our American friends thought, too. Why pay less? With a lower "introductory" interest rate, we can get an even bigger mortgage! Yay! And then when the variable rate catches up to the market, suddenly we don`t...

-The Canadian economy is in for a rough ride through the first half of the year and will see little or no growth in 2009 as the recession takes hold, top economists from Canada`s largest banks said on Wednesday.-The economy will also continue to shed thousands of jobs and the unemployment rate...

QUOTE (JordanRich @ Jan 7 2009, 03:07 PM) Question, if you buy a property today at the current interest rates and it cash flows but five years from now rates have gone up 3-4 points does this not totally erode your cash flow? do rents go up with interest rates? what happened in the 80`s when...

QUOTE (GarthChapman @ Jan 7 2009, 12:36 PM) Jack- well said; you are absolutely right about confidence being required for consumer spending to be re-started. But I am confused about why you think inflation won`t happen because of the increase in the money supply. Whether we hoard it or spend it...

A return to $100 oil may not be in the cards for at least the next three years, after industry observers sharply lowered their short-term oil and gas price forecasts. But Calgary-based AJM Petroleum Consultants on Tuesday said the longer-term outlook remains intact after it reduced its 2009 oil...

QUOTE and HUGE SUPPLY by governments .. aka INFLATION .. money supply is up 17% Year-over-Year in the US .. and with the US and Canadian and other governments ability to borrow money at 0% via T-Bills or printing press, cost of money are way down while supply and demand are high !! BUT, people...

QUOTE Jack - Won`t inflation lift boats? Your thoughts? Two things drive inflation: demand and costs. I don`t see demand being there. I don`t see many people rushing out to go buy real estate right now. It`s great to buy when there`s blood on the streets, yes, but, in today`s conditions, it`s...

QUOTE and meet someone, pick up a great idea worth $12,000 for your next deal. But that`s what this message board is for. I get enough great ideas & insights from reading posts from you, Garth Chapman, Adam Hoffman, Wealthy Boomer, etc.

QUOTE I`d like to see some back and forth exchange of ideas, even a debate, of what`s really driving our current real estate market. Perhaps a forum of some sort, with 3 to 4 speakers, like a roundtable discussion. What I really want most is to have the REIN team have some guest speakers who are...

QUOTE This is NOT a depression .. just a recession .. deeper and longer in the US .. All signs point to us being in a depression. A recession is a normal phase of the business cycle, defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. If we were merely in a recession, things will have...

-Five prominent economists who correctly predicted the 2008 world economic meltdown say the crisis is only going to get worse. "Beware the happy talk from those who say we are `turning the corner,` " writes Dean Baker of the Washington, DC-based Center for Economic Research. "Ignore the daily...

QUOTE There may be some exposure for the average Canadian to take out a 40 year AM versus a 25 year AM, however, for most sophisticated real estate investors, the 40 year AM has proven to be an effective tool to manage cashflow and advantageously postition their portfolio for future mortgage...

Oh man, what a crooked company. My advice would be to RUN. I went to one of their seminars about eighteen months ago, where they were featuring a Rich Dad Real Estate expert, the guy that wrote The ABC`s of Real Estate Investing. Ken McElroy, if I`m not mistaken. Anyway, he was introduced in...

-Thanks to a perfect storm of falling commodity prices, ravaged equity markets and higher royalties, Alberta`s outlook for conventional oil and gas exploration has never been so bleak in what is usually the busiest time of the year, industry observers say. "I think it`s (the economic downturn)...

QUOTE I thought a little update might be in order. I`m sleeping quite well with 50% downpayments. Good luck everyone! Haha, I love it. Good for you. If I was around when you made your original post, I would`ve applauded your strategy. Congratulations for not succumbing to the "buy as many...

QUOTE Hate to be biassed, but Waterloo. Hi-tech, insurance, two universities. And unbeatable demographics to go with it. About as recession-proof as you can get. In recessionary environment, I think buying in this City is about as defensive a move you can make. I`ve been doing an analysis with...

QUOTE Alberta was Canada`s top province this year with a score of 8.5 out of a possible 10 in the Institute`s annual index, which objectively evaluates the public policies that create and sustain a positive investment climate. Saskatchewan and British Columbia ranked second and third in a...

QUOTE Stick with Ontario Ontario does have significantly more non-residential investment than any other province in the country, and this statistic can basically be thought-of as laying the foundation for future output.

QUOTE So are you invested in Sask? by one of your posts, your logic was the faster they go up, the harder they fall, right? Sask went up by a greater percentage than Alberta (look at the averages, ereb vs srar and do the math, instead of heresay), so it should fall harder, right? I am not...

QUOTE These types of stories are great for book sales and blog hits!! Really? I think he makes some pretty good points, especially about the evils of loose-lending that`s gone on because of Jim Flaherty. Most mortgages used to have 25-year amortization periods, yes (heck, I remember my first...