Thanks gents. I will consider these ideas, do more research, and as always, share my results so others can learn from my successes/mistakes. Cheers Keith

Thanks for the replies and advice here. This issue was resolved, so I thought I should share my results. I went to the dispute service. They told me the first hearing was in a month, and that I would have to try to serve them 3 times in 2 days. I have a life, and don't have time for this...

Thanks for your reply and expertise, Thomas. I appreciate your time. My answers to your questions are under them. --- Can you sub-divide the lot into 2 lots ? Yes, but there is a single R3 across the street someone has had for sale for years as well. Singles aren't selling any more than...

Hi all, Apologies for the length of this question. Before I understood real estate, I bought a 100' X 120' R3 lot in Innisfail. This is the real estate equivalent of getting pregnant when you're 16: now I know better, but I'm stuck with the thing so I need to make the best of it. For...

Thanks. I will certainly do that. This situation is proving to be a good educator. Keith

Thank you all for your in-depth replies. The 14 day period is up from my eviction notice. I have gone there and all their belongings are still there, and no one answers the door. I didn't go in. I don't want to jeopardize the eviction process. The guy's phone has been cut off so I can't call...

Thanks for the reply Matt. I will do as you've suggested. Pardon my ignorance, but what is the RTDRS RTDRS? (edit) Ahh. Residential Tenant Dispute Resolution Service. I will call them.(end of edit) Thanks Keith

Hello, I am in Calgary. I'm very careful about checking tenants' references, but it's looking like a bad one might have gotten through.(see my post, boasting about how great my system is...eye rolling) This is only his second month in the place. He is currently on a 6 month lease. I self...

Thomas, Thank you for your prompt and succinct reply. Regards Keith

Sorry to waste anyone's time, but I have purchased a copy of the LTA and can't find this specific circumstance. I have a signed one year lease with my tenant(I use the 6 page REIN residential tenancy lease) which expires December 31, 2014. They gave me a month's notice and vacated August...

At risk of being voted off the island, I don't do credit checks because, a) I try to only own decent places, which means if you're renting from me you have a good income, and if you have a good income but aren't buying, it means you have crappy credit, b) I've scared off people who were...

It still smells Titanic-esque to me. I'd suggest one of two tacks: 1-you buy, you pay for all materials, you rent the basement to him, and then hire him to do the work. That way you're not married to him if it doesn't work out. You take your chances that you can make the flip work. If...

I'm interested to know why you specifically want a retired handyman. Can you please explain?

Oh my goodness, I haven't heard anything in a long time that is such a recipe for disaster! You are talking about four individuals who will be living together, and deciding how best to renovate a space you're sharing. Stressors include: cabin fever, money stresses(as you'll be pretty much maxing...

Hi all, I've received a lot of good information from REIN over the years that has brought me closer to my goals, so here's a small nugget that might be helpful to someone. When I advertise a property, I always mention right in the ad that, "please be aware that I am very careful about...

The is for the insights all. I'm getting more information from them. On the one hand they don't have a lot of resources. On the other hand they have excellent credit for people their age, they have a vehicle that is paid off, they carry no credit cards, and they have some saved, just not the...

I just spoke with a young couple who are interested in doing a rent to own on a place I have for sale. They're just starting out. He works construction and she will be able to be employed in the next year or so . This is small town Alberta where buyers are few and far between. The purchase price...

My wife and I lived in a mobile 15 years ago on solar. And we've looked at it twice since then. I've come to the conclusion that there are exactly two scenarios where it pays in the long term to go solar. 1) you are rural and more than $30,000 from the nearest access to the grid. 2) you sell the...

Depending on who you believe, 70-80% of all partnerships dissolve at some point, and rarely is it pretty. In fact, it's usually a bloodbath. As Thomas says, you need to find someone with opposing attributes. The most obvious one in your particular situation is that you find an investor who is...

I would probably never be accused of being the most savvy or professional investor on the block, but this has served me well: I increase 5-8% per year. I accompany it with a letter saying that "some landlords will do nothing in bad times, and then jack their rent through the moon as soon as they...