Technology and the internet have been fantastic tools and resources for information. However I’m starting to see people confuse Real Estate with stocks and start to over analyze all the stats packages, analysis reports and predictions. It can keep people permanently frozen on the sidelines and missing fantastic long term opportunities.
A quick recap on where the market is currently at. The flight to detached and the huge spike in prices we have seen over the past 3 months. Also discuss the Downtown Vancouver condo market and the current downtown office market during Covid.
As discussed at great length in my book "Along For The Ride", here are the steps to achieving financial security and creating a substantial retirement: 1. Buy your principal residence. Take advantage of the principal residence exemption and the leverage at 2% interest rates. 2. Max out you RRSP & TFSA. I recommend a diversified portfolio of low cost ETF’s 3. Buy investment Real Estate. Put tenants in and rent them out for long periods of time. One again, take advantage of the leverage and record low interest rates. It’s a tangible and tax preferred asset that will provide steady long term capital gains while your tenants pay for most, if not all of your holding costs.
Many people have been caught off guard by the recent surge in both Vancouver real estate sales and prices especially in the detached market coming out of the Covid lockdown. Last week I attended our annual Macdonald Realty Conference and this year was dedicated to the reasons why our market has been so strong while so many other sectors of the economy have been badly damaged. The 4 main reasons i will discuss are: 1. The world is awash in liquidity and how 80% of the job loss occurred at the bottom end of the income scale. 2. Changing consumer preferences. Working from home. 3. Flight to quality. An exodus from high-income, low-quality of life areas to high quality-of-life areas 4. Stable is the new sexy
I just finished uploading this House/Single Family for sale, 10973 130A STREET, North Surrey, BCA fantastic home with Mid-Century/Scandinavian design located in a quiet family neighbourhood close to shops & restaurants at Central City. This 5 bed, 2.5 bath, 2,860 sf. home on an extra large 8,705 sf. flat lot has newer updates incl: roof, furnace & hot water tank. The spacious & bright living area has a beautiful cathedral ceiling & wood burning fireplace. The lower level has a large 2 bed/1 bath mortgage helper. This is a great liveable home & excellent investment to LIVE, HOLD, or BUILD your new dream home! Only 10 min walk to Gateway Station, short walk to school catchments of KB Woodward Elementary School & Kwantlen Park Secondary. ...
There still seems to be people who think home buyers in Vancouver are able to purchase homes and condos using high ratio financing (5-15% downpayment) I’m here to tell you that the vast majority of buyers in Vancouver as well as the surrounding cities are using conventional mortgages (20% downpayment). Conventional mortgages are mandatory on a purchase price of $1 mil and over as well as on investment units regardless of price. A conventional mortgage also eliminates the need for the expensive CMHC default insurance.
I’ve been involved in quite a few multiple offer situations over the past 3 months on both the listing and buying side. Multiple offers have been very common in the Vancouver detached market as well as on good quality homes in areas like Burnaby, Richmond and Delta. In this blog I will give you some of the basics on how multiple offers work and how to strengthen your chances when you’re involved in one.
In this video I discuss the steps towards financial success. Buying your principal residence, investing for retirement and the final step of diversifying your portfolio by buying an investment unit. The high quality tenant pool we have in Vancouver, and trusting your advisor.
In this blog I’m going to walk you through some of the tools I use to stay motivated and on top of my game. The podcasts, newsletters, books and how I receive my media and news.