Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

SignUp Now!

Doom and Gloom .. or Opportunity ?

Thomas Beyer

0
REIN Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2007
Messages
13,879
I received this personal message .. and it is abbreviated .. but I thought I'd give this answer here and my world view right now for those who like to hear it .. for those you were spooked like me for the last few months .. for those who've lost 20% (or more) of their RRSP or stock portfolio (like me) .. and for those with a large or small cash-flowing real estate portfolio (like me) who wonder: buy more, sit tight, sell everything, do nothing, improve what we own or what ....



QUOTE
...



With everthing thats talked about and guys like harry dent talking of large scale depression. I'm not sure of anything these days.




The event talked about for late 2009 happened a year earlier: a collapse of trust and failing banks in the last few months .. this is now being dealt with .. and thus, stock market tanked 40-50% .. and real estate values went down to more normal levels .. from -10% in Alberta to -30% in Kelowna/Vernon/Canmore to perhaps -60% in some overheated California and Florida markets ..



The world's government action has been UNPRECEDENTED, both in terms of size and speed: flooding the system with low interest rates, $s, bailouts, loan guarantees, buying back commercial paper and mortgages, stimulus packages .. all that means to me: higher inflation going forward .. after a value calibration back to normal.



So, the 50 year view depicted here is still quite accurate:



http://myreinspace.com/rein_members_only1/Members-Only_Discussion/81-6621-50_Year_Calgary_House_Price_View.html



So, if you can borrow money at 4-6% with inflation being 6% or so .. and buy real estate at 75% leverage WITH CASH FLOW .. that is a very prudent investment.
While we will not have the booming 2000's going forward, with prices doubling in an unhealthy 4-5 years, we still have



a) inflation of easily 5-7% once this calibration down to a normal level is over

b) in-migration / population growth of over 1% into North-America (and thus, no deflation like Japan which has a declining population) or higher in certain sub-markets

c) A huge and growing Asian + South American middle class that wants cars, fridges, A/C, cell phones, travel, lifestyle, condos, .. i.e. everything we take for granted in NA (thus driving Canadian supplied resource demand for uranium, oil, gas, copper, nickel, cement, steel, coal ...)

d) a growing world population until about 2050

e) a stable (or being stabilized) banking system

f) no major wars between developed nations

g) more cars will be on the world's roads .. and gasoline is still the cheapest way to propel them for many decades to come ..

h) some markets where you can buy well below replacement (or build) cost .. so that oceanfront condo in Miami that costs $400/sq ft to build is now selling for $200 / sq ft .. how long will this last .. or some incredible bargains in the stock market





What has changed is that banks will lend less, ask for more security and thus, you'll be less levered .. but still you can get 95% financing on Canadian real estate as an investment or as your own home ... we just bought a property in Sudbury, ON (93 units) and one in Campbell River, BC (65 units) with leverage over 80% and rates well below 5% .. with cash-flow even with a 20% vacancy .. and excellent rental upside on renovated units ... with tremendous cash-on-cash ROI ... WHERE IS THE RISK HERE ??



Yes, lending environment is more difficult .. yes, it will take a more normal 15 years for real estate to double in value .. yes, some markets will still have to decline some more .. yes, we still have some unstable banks and manufacturing companies out there .. yes, oil might go down to $30 for a while .. BUT very healthy growth is in the pipeline despite all the gloom-and-doom media reports due to items a-h above !



Happy, but more prudent investing !
 
Thomas;

Thank you very much for your insights. I (and I`m sure a lot of other people too) really appreciate that people like you take the time out of your busy days to spread your knowledge and help educate people..


Thanks!

Mitch
 
Well said, Thomas. That is the reason I remain optimistic. We will go through a period of uncertainty. But, we will begin the upward ascent sooner than later.
 
QUOTE (Dan_Eisenhauer @ Dec 6 2008, 07:58 PM) Well said, Thomas. That is the reason I remain optimistic. We will go through a period of uncertainty. But, we will begin the upward ascent sooner than later.
indeed .. 2009 will be interesting / flatish / worrisome / negative / challenging .. but don`t wait too long as in 2010 or at the latest in 2011 you will look back and say "man, I should have bought more real estate in 2008 / 2009 ..." .. the bottom is visible only in the rear-view mirror ...
 
Thomas, I think it was you who said in a previous post, We will not know we are at the bottom unto 6 -7 months after we have been there."

I have been using that quote in some of my own presentations.
 
QUOTE (thomasbeyer2000 @ Dec 6 2008, 10:52 PM) ..." .. the bottom is visible only in the rear-view mirror ...

Real estate is not like the voltile stock market. Its slow and steady. You could have bought real estate in 1990, 1995 2000 etc with a cash flow and you are still doing good now. THe thng is there is no hurry to rush into the market. Weather you buy 6 month from now dos`t make any diffrence in the long run. Just buy property that works!
 
QUOTE The event talked about for late 2009 happened a year earlier: a collapse of trust and failing banks in the last few months .. this is now being dealt with .. and thus, stock market tanked 40-50% .. and real estate values went down to more normal levels .. from -10% in Alberta to -30% in Kelowna/Vernon/Canmore to perhaps -60% in some overheated California and Florida markets ..


As for Harry Dent, I`ve read and own The Great Boom Ahead and The Roaring 2000s. I also own, but have not yet read, The Next Great Bubble Boom. His work is interesting stuff, pretty much operates under the precedent of "Demography is Destiny". In The Roaring 2000s, actually, he mentions Calgary`s McKenzie Towne area as ahead of its time and what we can/should expect for communities going forward (shared-services, connected). Hope not - ugly as sin community, in my opinion, with cookie-cutter houses that look like they`re made of styrofoam, small lots, and just one of those "Pleasantville" types of places that make me want to vomit.

Stock markets plummeting shouldn`t be much of a surprise. With tens of millions of baby boomers retiring in the next few years, their investment strategy has gone from "growth" to "preservation". This means bye-bye to emerging market mutual funds, bye-bye to small caps, and hello
to T-Bills, hello to low-yield bonds, hello to low-beta stocks, etc. Really sucks for the next wave of DC pensioners, as there will probably be a lot less liquidity in the market, driving plan values down.

QUOTE g) more cars will be on the world`s roads .. and gasoline is still the cheapest way to propel them for many decades to come ..

Please explain this one. Have you seen Who Killed The Electric Car?
I wonder if some rogue, maverick-type entrepreneur who likes being a celebrity (Richard Branson, Mark Cuban) will decide to sink a bunch of money in this technology and become the millenial version of Henry Ford. Decent documentary, makes you wonder if Big Oil`s been behind this type of technology not yet taking off (mafia style). Or
, it could be that it`s simply too expensive, as you suggest, and I`d like to hear you elaborate on this point.
 
QUOTE (Jack @ Dec 7 2008, 06:17 PM) Stock markets plummeting shouldn`t be much of a surprise. With tens of millions of baby boomers retiring in the next few years, their investment strategy has gone from "growth" to "preservation". This means bye-bye to emerging market mutual funds, bye-bye to small caps, and hello to T-Bills, hello to low-yield bonds, hello to low-beta stocks, etc. Really sucks for the next wave of DC pensioners, as there will probably be a lot less liquidity in the market, driving plan values down.

Defined Contribution pension plan puts employees AT RISK. Most employees do not have any idea what they are investing in; little do they know how to rebalance their portfolios to minimize risk and maximize gain from time to time. All this "Buy, hold and diversify
." sales talk has put most people`s RSPs and pension into trouble, and make the fund managers and institutional investors RICH. When the market lost trillions in a matter of weeks, who took the money? It`s obvious not me.. and not the average Joes.

When pension used to be DB, it is the employer`s responsiblity to generate enough income to pay the benefits. So the risk is at the employer. Now it`s all reversed. In short, financial literacy is never this critical in our lives. If I don`t know what my money is doing, then someone else will take the money.

By the way, thank you so much for your input Thomas. Your posts are always appreciated.

Regards,
Tommy
 
QUOTE (Jack @ Dec 7 2008, 06:17 PM) ... could be that it`s simply too expensive, as you suggest, and I`d like to hear you elaborate on this point.

Tim Johnston is the co-founder of REIN .. who sold his interest to Don Campbell a few years ago ..

Please elaborate on the car topic .. no fuel except nuclear is as efficient in storing energy per lire of space as gasoline .. so electric makes sense only once the battery problem (charging fast, weight, and disposal) is solved which it is not ..
 
Back
Top Bottom