Invest in a good realtor who knows the REIN system and knows strategic areas of whatever market you`re planning on investing in. He/She will more than pay for themselves because they will leverage your time and knowledge. I say invest because you want to build and nurture a great relationship...

The reason that there are bidding wars with final sales prices thousands over asking is that the realtors in Winnipeg have developed a nasty habit of setting the asking price artificially low in the hope of starting a bidding war between buyers. Then people get caught up in the frenzy and emotion.

QUOTE (MrsChas @ Apr 30 2008, 04:52 PM) I know that you are talking about rental properties, but what do you think about getting 100% financing for your principal residence if you are planning on investing in the future? What are the implications of having the high premium? You end up having to...

Great post as usual Thomas. I`ll be bold and predict REIN members will have about $3.5 billion worth of property. And given the rise that`s likely to happen after we clear out all this residential inventory currently for sale we`ll be smiling and loving Alberta.... even if it snows in late April.

QUOTE (MONEY @ Apr 22 2008, 03:08 PM) To work within the guidelines of the `LAW`. That`s very easy to do. Go buy an RF3 property in Edmonton that has a suite with proper window sizes, ceiling height, escape routes, etc. Make sure it has smoke detectors that work. Rent to quality tenants who...

It`s always better to have a line of credit in place before you actually need it. That way if a killer deal shows up you can readily access deposit or down payment money without having to scramble. All the best Jason

Hey Monte, Yes, I`m sure she will do that. She`s at the extremely early stages of exploring the idea. Thanks for your help. Jason

A friend of mine is considering starting a cleaning company in Edmonton with rental properties being the target market. So I`m helping her by seeing what sort of demand there is for a service dedicated solely to cleaning recently vacated units. She`s trying to determine how many crews she could...

Well said Rebecca.

I think there are great opportunities in Manitoba. Brandon has a shortage of affordable housing and there is an influx of people who are working at new meat packing businesses. Winnipeg has very affordable property although some parts of town have very rough tenant profiles. Parts of the North...

Tim, Be fair but be firm and explain that they have violated the lease. Give them the option of having this new guy stay... for more money and only if he checks out when you do your background checks on them. You must maintain your control and authority position otherwise your tenants may try to...

Treat them with respect and sincerity!!! But be firm when you have to. They all have my cell phone and I answer immediately if possible or return the call as soon as possible. I`ve never been called at an unreasonable hour unless there was truly an issue.

Help!! I loaded bootcamp and Windows XP on my intel chip mac. Latest and greatest. When I boot Windows I loose my ability to connect to the internet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance Jason

It all depends on how comfortable you feel with a break even property. If it`s going to cause stress and anxiety for you and your husband don`t buy it. If the higher monthly payments are going to greatly hinder your ability to qualify for your next property, don`t buy it. How about paying a...

If you truly don`t want a JV partner from the wider community then I`d suggest getting your dad involved even if it isn`t your first choice and might be emotionally challenging. Make the deal a win/win for him like a standard JV deal is structured. Finally, don`t let this experience stop you...

It depends on how dirty the ducts are, how dusty the house is, if there's pets. etc. So it could very well be monthly. Go with the cheap $2 or $3 filters and change them up monthly. I've heard the higher rated filters end up making furnaces run hotter and ultimately break down sooner. QUOTE...

One thing I might consider is "What is your plan for the property?" Are you holding it for longer than three years or are you considering sell or refinancing sooner than that. There are lenders with products (MCAP`s VIP Select comes to mind) where after three years you can get out of it without...

Way to go Mike! By the way, I keep tabs on the Brandon Sun and Brandon is experiencing an influx of foreign workers who are working at the meat packing plants in town and apparently there`s a real rental property shortage there. Might be an opportunity for you if you`ve got relatives there who...

Great post! Your story is very inspiring and shows that age, experience and financial resources are not prerequisites to succeeding in real estate investing. Keep up the great work!

Hi All, A friend of mine has a daughter who is heading to the University of Alberta in Edmonton and hopes to rent a two-bedroom apartment with a friend starting in January. Ideally it will be near the university or at least an easy transit ride and rent will be between $900 and $1000. They don`t...