Month: February 2009

I just helped someone purchase a fully updated condo (Hardwood, forces air furnace, new ceramic and kitchen and many more) in a desirable part of town. Get this – the mortgage is under $700 a month!  -$660 I think it was! You know how much the rental rates in this area go for a unit like this? About $1200!!! Sound to good to be true? Well… it ALMOST is.. Condo fees are $210 a month – so about $870 a month cost, $1200 a month revenue.

Its a THREE BEDROOM, TWO BATHROOM – FULLY updated.  And I dont mean a ‘lipstick’ update – I mean organ transplant update. This new owner can afford to be picky with her tenants because the quality of the unit commands a quality tenant. There is $ value to the pride someone will pay to move into this kind of quality.

RATES ARE AT HISTORICAL LOWS. Find me on Facebook and accept my invitation to the Bank of Canada’s rate announcement on March 3rd, and I will email you the newest low rates and give you a QUICK example of what a mortgage payment would be on a unit. I guarantee you wont believe it.

Contact me and to find out how you can OWN something GREAT for LESS than what RENT is!  You can upgrade your life or even stay where you are, and rent this out for CASH every month! Sign a one year lease and guarantee yourself positive cash flow for a year!

I know you’ve heard about people doing it, well you need to BECOME ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!

Ask me how I CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOU.

mevans@partnersadvantage.ca 

P.S. Know anyone that needs to rent a beautiful 3 bedroom unit for $1200 a month? I hear thats what people are paying for this kind of unit in this part of town. Too bad for them – but some people dont listen to good advice when they hear it.

Here is a quick example of my fiancé’s Real Estate experience in buying her first condo.

She went to a lender to get pre-approved. The lender evaluated her current debt obligations, cash flow and savings and gave her a maximum mortgage amount and rate that she would be guaranteed for 90 days.

With that, I looked at desireable areas and housing that fit her affordable range.

We went and saw a few units, and chose one.

We submitted a CONDITIONAL offer, that was conditional upon us getting financing (even though we know we had it), an Inspection of the property (to make sure it is in good working order), on obtaining insurance (to make sure we are protected), and on our approval of the status certificate of the condo corporation (legal standing of corporation).

We went back and forth twice about the price (negotiations).

We had a DEAL!! – gving us a week or two to have our conditions waived or fulfilled.

We got the financing , we got a satisfactory inspection, we got insurance  and we were satisfied with the status certificate.

 We fulfilled all conditions!  The deal is now UNCONDITIONAL and we are ready to move in on Friday the 27th of February!

As you can see – the process of getting pre-approved is crucial – it gives us our working range. The conditions are put in place to protect the buyer and make sure they are in a strong position upon taking possession. The price was negotiated to an acceptable amount (we got it for a few thousand under what we think it was worth!!) The dates were all coordinated and facilitated by me.

I got the financing arranged (suggested lenders and helped her organize and communicate), I organized, attended and explained the inspection , explained the status certificate, and I arranged all the phone numbers and details for a great insurance rate!

Now she has a FREEHOLD condominium (completely separate and un-attached like a regular house), with a fully enclosed and BIG backyard, 3 bedrooms, a basement, ready to move in for less than an average one bedroom would cost to rent in most parts of town.

See how the process works? See the Value of a REALTOR?

Hi Everyone,

I received a quick update on the mortgage market from John Walsh – Mortgage Agent with Mortgage Alliance and Founder of www.oreio.org , here goes:

“Rates have started to fall in anticipation of yet another rate drop from the Bank of Canada. The market expectation is 25 to 50 Bps. So far the rate drop from the lenders has been close to 25 bps across the board. If the Bank of Canada does drop by 50 Bps, expect a further 25 Bps reduction next week in all the rates. In terms of 5 year money, expect things to fall just below 4%.
I don’t know how else to say this folks. Money today is dirt cheap. It wont last forever.

For some perspective, the last rate drop in January set the all time record low for the Bank of Canada. This only goes back ti 1956 as that’s when the Bank of Canada started making this a floating rate. We are living in historic times.”

John R. Walsh, B.Eng
Mortgage Agent with Mortgage Alliance
Licence Number: M08000603
Founder of O.R.E.I.O.

613-237-7044 x148
888-474-0137 (toll free fax)

jwalsh@mortgagealliance.com
jr2walsh@gmail.com
http://ForAllYourMortgageNeeds.com

A problem I have noticed in many circles of life, is trust – and a lack thereof. The speed of life is so fast these days, that TRUST becomes a key element to getting things done. THAT my friends, is what a Realtor does – they GET THINGS DONE, atleast that is what this one does.

Example: I have three midterms this week and a project to be finalized by Saturday. I have a slew of meetings to attend, clients to keep tabs on and help progress through their own endeavours, not to mention my development projects that are a constant cry for attention. To make things worse, one of the most incredible women I have ever known, a true inspiration on how to love, live and laugh, my grandmother Maxine Evans, passed away yesterday.

I am left working all hours of the night and morning and somehow enjoying it tremendously. I am spending all of my time doing what I love, and REALLY HELPING people move forward with their lives. Not even two hours ago I received a call from a client telling me that a cheque had bounced and their deal was in jeopardy. What did I do? I got in my car, drove across the city to get a bank draft drawn up a Bank, then personally delivered it to the other brokerage and shook their hand saying “Now it is resolved! Congratulations!” On my way out of the parking lot, I get a call from the client who is now in shock because they have concerns about the status certificate of their purchase. What do I do? I drive over to THEIR place of work, park outside, run up to the building and look at it with them, address their concerns, explain the situation, and boom – GREEN LIGHT.

When you are stuck at work, fumbling through legal documentations, under pressure from your boss, your family and the others in the deal, trying to organize and coordinate your lenders and the required paperwork, schedule inspections to a time that works for you and fits your busy life, MAYBE THEN you will realize that you NEED someone on YOUR SIDE that will work FOR YOU and that you can TRUST.

I am one of those people. I am a REALTOR.

 

Greek mythology is a wonderful collection of traditional stories that have a tremendous importance to Greek society. One of these types of myth is divine myth, whose main characters are divine beings involved in a plot which often parallels theoretical science in that it attempts to explain aspects of the natural and social environment. Interestingly enough, these myths are often transmitted orally, which inevitably leads to a great deal of evolution of the myth itself, and therefore allowing for differing perspectives of the same tales.  An excellent example of a divine myth which has changed both shape and significance over time is that of Prometheus as illustrated by first Hesiod in Theogony, and then Aeschylus in Prometheus Bound. In these plays that were created over three centuries apart, the character Prometheus evolved from a typical trickster who is to blame for humanity’s hardships, to a celebrated divinity responsible for bestowing great benefits upon mankind.

 

In Theogony, Hesiod describes a meeting between Prometheus and Zeus where Prometheus attempts to play a trick on Zeus. He presented Zeus with two gifts; one of ox meat inside the ox stomach ( edible food encased in undesirable wrapping) and the second being ox bones enveloped in ox fat (non-edible parts packaged in savoury and delicious wrapping). “Zeus, most glorious and greatest of the eternal gods, take which ever of these portions your heart within you bids” Prometheus exclaimed.

 

“But Zeus, whose wisdom is everlasting, saw and failed not to perceive the trick, and in his heart he thought mischief against mortal men which also was to be fulfilled. With both hands he took up the white fat and was angry at heart, and wrath came to his spirit when he saw the white ox-bones craftily tricked out”(Theogony, 548-558).

 

What Zeus proceeded to do next was punish mankind by taking fire from them. Prometheus, not to be outdone, pleaded with Athena for re-entry to Olympus, where he proceeded to steal the celestial fire and smuggle it in a giant fennel-stalk and bring it back to earth for mankind. This is where Hesiod’s version of Prometheus and his actions start to take an identity of its own. Hesiod describes Zeus as a wise and noble god, who is a victim of Prometheus’s trickery and theft. An example is:  “So spake Zeus in anger, whose wisdom is everlasting…” (561), and “But the noble son of Iapetus outwitted him and stole …” (565) and also as seen in Hesiod’s Works and Days , “Prometheus the crafty deceived him”(42-53). The price Zeus made mankind pay for these actions was to have Hephaestus and Athena create Pandora, and “contrived within her lies and crafty words and a deceitful nature” (69-82). He gave her a jar full of ills, hard toil and heavy sickness that would soon be unleashed upon man. Zeus sent Pandora down to Epimetheus, who of course accepted her and quickly enough Pandora opened the jar and scattered all the ailments upon mankind. Hesiod not only depicts Prometheus in a negative light, and Zeus in a positive one, but he clearly attributes Prometheus’s actions as the cause of all of mans hardships and illness through Pandora’s arrival as punishment for his behaviour.

 

Aeschylus chose to take a much different perspective of Prometheus in his play entitled Prometheus Bound. Before the theft of fire had even occurred, it is understood that not only was Prometheus instrumental in Zeus’s victory in the Titanomachy, he is also responsible for saving the human race from destruction at the hands of Zeus. In regards to the Titanomachy, Prometheus explains how his effort was not recognized:  “Which things by me set forth at large, they scorned, Nor graced my motion with the least regard”. Furthermore, in regards to saving mankind:

 

“Rather it was his wish to wipe out man and rear another race: And these designs none contravened but me. I risked the bord attempt, and saved mankind from stark destruction and the road to hell.”

 

Prometheus then explains how he is the victim of Zeus’s wrath,

 

“But, for compassion shown to man, such fate I no wise earned; rather in wrath’s despite am I to be reformed, and made a show of infamy to Zeus.”

 

In this play, the perspective has shifted to that of betrayal on the part of Zeus, who is now depicted as vengeful, and irrational.  Another main difference between the two pieces is that in Prometheus Bound, there is no mention whatsoever of Pandora, or of the sacrifice of ox parts that was so famous for Prometheus’s labelling as a trickster. These are very significant events that have been omitted, and completely change the perspective of protagonist and antagonist throughout the myth. Finally, Prometheus Bound illustrates that Prometheus is privy to some very critical information that was provided to him from his mother (who is now said to be none other than Gaea). Here Prometheus is made aware of the name of the woman that would be Zeus’s future wife and give birth to a child that would eventually overthrow him. This difference gives a significant complement to Prometheus’s involvement in Zeus’ early victory, in that now he is has control over his potential downfall as well.

 

It is indeed a very interesting characteristic of myth to be able to take such a different perspective over time, as it so clearly does in this case. In Hesiod’s Theogony, the tale of Prometheus is one where he is a sneaky trickster, a thief, and clearly the cause of all of the evils cursed upon mankind. He is depicted as the antagonist not only to Zeus but also to the entire human race. Some three hundred years later in Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound, this relationship is reversed. Here, Prometheus is depicted as a hero in a sense that he sacrificed his freedom for the benefit of mankind, and he is betrayed by a cruel tyrant in Zeus, despite being one of the people that helped him arrive and stay in power. Staying true to the nature of divine myth, both accounts are parallels of the time’s theoretical science as played out by divine beings; however in this case, the dynamic of the myth has evolved over time and has exposed two differing and yet complementary perspectives. The study of Greek Myth is beyond doubt an adventure in itself!

Who wins?

 

RRSP’s come out of your pocket and into an account that are expected to increase dramatically in value over time and in the end cover you in your golden years – is that about right? Portfolio mix and management will all come in to play here as well.

 

Real Estate investments make money in THREE ways. 1) Increase in Value over time, 2) Decrease in Principle over time (and inherent increase in Equity, and 3) Positive Cash Flows from rental income in excess of total operating costs.

 

Since there are so many variables to look at, let’s take a simple approach and look at straight VALUE increase over time.

 

Lets look at real results.

 

Heck, lets make it interesting and look at MY results!

 

Here is a recent statement of my RRSP performance:

 

 

Yes, that says NEGATIVE 27.02 percent!      Look familiar?

 

Look at the Annualized Return since Jan 16th 2004! NEGATIVE 5.54%

 

 

Here is a recent tax statement of the objective increase in value of one of my properties:

 

( the tax assessment was actually a large document, so Im only showing the relevant section).

 

Look familiar? If you own Real Estate I bet it does.

 

See the difference?

 

Now take into account the rental income resulting in positive cash flows, the decrease in principle over time (about 5% value per year), and not to mention the actual improvements to the property which have increased its value dramatically.

 

One takes my money, and doesn’t really perform too well ( my numbers are pretty average for this current economy), and the other is much more stable, passive and GENERATES cash (again – average for even this economy).

 

Hmmm….

Hi Everyone,

 

So you have been coming to read my blog for a little while now, and I am hoping that you have all learned something, if only something about me. Just a few hours ago I was setting up my new business cards, and I entered my BLOG url on there and just that alone generated a response! Not only are many people not taking care of their potential blog business, but those that have been are not necessarily promoting their blog enough!

 

Attaching your blog url to your business card is a great way to get people to check you out. When you hand out a business card at a meeting, interview, run-in on the street or to a new business contact, if the blog url is there, you have instantly provided them access to a more personal, in-depth look at who you are and what you are about. This can be very beneficial when a cover letter, elevator pitch, or pass-by are not enough to get the true message across.

 

Even before I had any good reason to have a business card, I had a personal one made that had my name, cell, interests (real estate development at the time) and my email. Now whenever I would have an interesting conversation with someone about Real Estate, I could pull out my card and give them an easy way to remember me. If only I knew about blogging then!

 

Dont wait – get yourself out there!

 

What do you take a special interest in? Hockey? Shopping? Carpentry? Reading romance novels 🙂 ?

 Start Blogging!

 

Hi Everyone.

 

As you may know, my fiancé just bought a courthome in Kanata – a beautiful 3 bedroom home with a basement and full backyard. We will be living about 10-12 minutes from downtown, and 5 minutes from major shopping centres, surrounded by tons of green space and a great sense of community. The only downside to this is that we are going to have to make an adjustment – we are used to the East side of town! About 4 years ago we purchased a 2 bedroom condo off of Jeanne D’Arc Blvd and lived there for about 2 ½ years and LOVED IT. We were walking distance to the mall, had a park in front AND in back of us, transit outside of our door, and even Tony’s Pizza right beside us that would make the best pizzas, burgers and subs in town. All of her friends are on the East side, and most of her family as well – not to mention mine too!

 

So what are we getting ourselves into? Well lets have a look at the two towns and see how we fair.

 

Orleans is a suburban area about 16km from downtown Ottawa with 95,491 people as of 2006 (11.5% increase over 5 years). Orleans has Place D’Orleans as its major shopping centre and even has Petrie Island for those hot summer days to go hit the beach. There are not really any social hot spots in Orleans – perhaps maybe a lonely pub or two. Orleans has however seen a massive increase in residential development in the past year or two, and the Queenswood Heights area now boasts a Wal-Mart, Superstore, Sobeys, Future Shop and new Canadian Tire to complement its existing Home Depot and Staples. Furthermore, many eateries have popped up including Boston Pizza, Montana’s and (drum roll…..) WENDYS. Who can forget the Shawarma Chef tucked away behind the MacDonald’s on Innes and Trim? So business appears to be booming in Orleans – what about Kanata?

 

Kanata is also a suburban area that is about 22 km from downtown Ottawa with 85,112 people as of 2006, which represented a 20% increase over 5 years! Kanata is home to the high-tech sector and a variety of big name enterprises. Kanata was designed as a mix of commercial and residential properties which contain a great amount of green space and is surrounded by the greenbelt. A major difference with Kanata is that it is comprised of many smaller sub-communities that each contains their own commercial centres and unique cultures. My new neighbourhood, Beaverbrook, is located right beside the greenbelt and is minutes from the Kanata Centrum power centre, Ottawa’s third largest shopping centre, and the AMC Kanata 24 Theatre complex. We are home to Canadian billionaire Terry Mathews and (one of my favourites) about 10 minutes away from getting out of my house and into the ScotiaBank Place! Kanata boasts a plethora of Elementary, Catholic, French Catholic and French Immersion Schools (over 20!). I know , I know, that only matters to people that HAVE children, but I AM getting married in 4 months – and kids could (hopefully) soon follow!

 

All in all, I would say Kanata is very much like Orleans. They are both suburban areas at approximately the same distance to downtown Ottawa, and they each have both have seemingly booming economies. What excites me about Kanata is the variety of local stores and outlets, and the amount of green space surrounding my neighbourhood. Also, I I am just out of earshot of the highway, so I can hop right on in under a minute! Best part you ask? NEW TOWN! There is nothing wrong with Orleans AT ALL… I love it dearly, but I am an adventurer, and the thought of new faces, new streets, new activities and new challenges excites me.

 

How do you guys feel about East VS West ends?

Hi Everyone,

Today is a good day – I passed my last Real Estate exam, and now I can apply for my Real Estate License! A few board fees, some insurance, registration fees, and I am IN! Who will I work for? Remax? Royal Lepage? NO! Partners Advantage GMAC Real Estate! The team over there is truly one of a kind – generous, cheerful, kind, extremely resourceful, very intelligent, and my favourite – DRIVEN! The broker I will be working for is none other than Ottawa’s own Dr. Bruce Firestone – best known as the Founder of the Ottawa Senators, but also as the Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Ottawa. I could go on forever about the TEAM and Dr. Firestone (his resume is about 4 feet long), but its enough to say that this is where I will be building my career and taking my life and as many others as I can to another level of success, happiness and wealth.

It has been over ten years now that I have been involved in Real Estate, and I have always wanted to get my license and help people start their own real estate projects, investments or purchase their live-in homes.

I remember being 16 years old starting one of my first jobs doing historical home renovations and restorations with my sister’s father in law. I loved the character of the old houses downtown, and even in a few pocket neighbourhoods in Ottawa. I would often find myself daydreaming about living in one myself, and how neat it would be to get a view of all these different kinds of homes and see what others are doing with them. The curiosity led me to purchase my own properties and develop them into beautiful living spaces that people would warm up to right away. As we speak, I am putting together a development project in the east end on Roslyn Avenue – Orleans’ only waterfront street! What can I say? I love what I do!

Just this past Friday (January 30th), my fiancé and I bought ourselves a diamond-in-the-rough 3 bedroom court-home in Kanata, and my mother in law just YESTERDAY purchased a beautiful duplex off of Beechwood Avenue. I will be showing my good friend his potential first investment property tomorrow night, and another good friend his very first the day after. It’s the time to buy!

Real Estate in Ottawa is truly a great market in a great industry. We are fortunate enough to have the tremendous ‘public service cushion’ as I like to call it – which sees a large portion of our population employed in the public service, and therefore at less risk of losing their jobs, and in turn stabilizing our economy in these ‘rough’ times.

I wonder, to people realize HOW LOW lending rates are right now?

Do they realize that these deals have not been seen in over 50 YEARS?

Have they seen what the 2009 Budget is offering as incentives for you to STOP reading my blog, pick up the phone, and find out how YOU can EASILY afford Real Estate?

Don’t have enough for a down-payment on a property? THAT’S OK!! What about your RRSP’s? The BUDGET just increased the allowable contribution from RRSP’s for a first time home buyer up to $25,000.00!

Don’t have 25K in your RRSP’s? Not many people do anymore after investing their hard earned money into intangible assets like the stock market, so fortunately for the rest of us, there are programs out there RIGHT NOW for ‘free down-payments’ that can take care of it! All you need is closing costs!

Worried about how the closing costs will affect your bottom line? The BUDGET just announced tax credits to be applied to these!

See? ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

You OWE it to yourself to see if you can find a way to take advantage of these opportunities.

STOP renting, and BUY for the same costs or even lower! Already own a home? INVEST in something! I just saw a 140K condo in Kanata on the market two weeks ago that was for sale, and currently leased until November 2009 at $1100 a month! That would EASILY pay for itself and put REAL MONEY in your pockets!

THERE ARE DEALS OUT THERE!

I should congratulate those of you who have had the sense to ASK and see if you can benefit – because many of you have, and I am so happy you did (not as happy as you are though, that’s for sure). And you know what, not EVERYONE can get their hands on something right away, that’s a given. But the fact that you have taken the interest to read and to see if there is anything you can do shows that you genuinely want to make a change for the better and upgrade your LIFE with a more secure and profitable means of living – and that alone is what will set you on the path to structure your life in the proper direction if you get the right advice at the right time.

Don’t believe ME that it is the right time – believe the statistics, believe the budget, believe the Bank of Canada, believe the GOING OUT OF BUSINESS signs on stores, believe people around you that are making SOME kind of move – that NOW is the time to TAKE ADVANTAGE of the situation YOU are in and DO SOMETHING.

If you were drowning, and I threw you a life jacket – would you grab it?

Yes?

Good!

Give me a call, I wont let you down.

613/868-4383  www.mevans@partnersadvantage.ca