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You may have seen the Oreos. You may have seen the Italian food. If you’ve been around me on a Friday night you may have seen me with a Corona or Scotch in hand.

Am I a hypocrite?

How can someone espouse the tenants of Money, Mouscle and Mindset and then go dabble in processed foods and alcohol?

If you’re one of the people that asks yourselves that question, to you i’d say “give me a fucking break”.

Also, don’t buy into the archetypal fitness nuts you see online, and be more aware of both who you are and what’s realistic and what isn’t.

In REAL LIFE, you can enjoy a little processed food and alcohol in small amounts and be perfectly fine. I would argue that about 95% of your diet should be clean, and 95% of your focus and time should be on self improvement.

The other 5%?

For God’s sake – have 2 Oreos and a scotch.

You know what? Have 4 Oreos and 2 scotches.

Not the end of the world amigo.

As long as you’re aware of what you’re doing, you don’t do any of this in excess, you’re aware of what it will take to make any corrections, and most importantly – you do the work to stay on track, then do it.

You can be a machine and still enjoy a little dark matter lol.

Keep in mind this requires discipline and willpower. If you’re the type that absolutely CAN’T enjoy just a little because you have self control issues – then DON’T dabble.

Again – self awareness is key.

I believe you should be able to out work 99% of the general public, be able to hangout a little, then get right back to kicking ass.

This brings me to my last point.

Ever hear things like..

“If you love something, let it go, and if it comes back to you it’s yours”

Or

“A weak man is not a good man, but rather a dangerous man in control is a good man”?

In the same vein, I believe that it is NOT impressive to have something if you haven’t faced the discipline required to have it.

A skinny guy with abs

Someone born into riches

Etc

Big whoop

Show me someone that’s not only earned something, but who CONTINUES to earn it – someone who has a RESILIENT character and who WORKS for what they have.

That’s impressive

So in that sense, I personally pride myself on the ability to have copious amounts of Italian Food for Saturday dinner and then get on the stepper Sunday morning.

I’m in control.

That’s G to me.

In 2022 an Official Plan and Zoning By Law Amendment application to permit some MASSIVE changes to the already incredible venue we’ve all come to love.

Just this past October, some changes to those applications were put forth that are now seeing to add TWO additional towers up to 40 storeys high, a stand alone Event Center at the East of TD Place Stadium, and a remodeling of the North stands.

There are also significant plans to maintain/update the aging infrastructure, enhance the quality of the existing experience, and reinvent the community spaces, sport, music, art and Canal connections.

Current estimate of the cost of this project is at 420 Million.

What are your thoughts on the project?

Have a look at the new Ceremonial Entrance and storefronts in the third picture!

Do you really want the best house for the best price?

Or do you just like how that sounds?

Does it not make sense that you CAN NOT DO WHAT EVERY OTHER BUYER is then doing?

Because if you are – then you’re just competing with them all.

I want you to have an UNFAIR advantage.

When I started in Real Estate 16 years ago, I learned my 3 basis value propositions would be a) my access to properties BEFORE they hit the market, b) my access to the best lenders in the industry, and c) my specialized knowledge that would help them get the best deal.

Problem was, a massive amount of other Realtors in my market could compete with that, so I had to find something that they couldn’t compete with.

After a decade of coaching, experimenting, writing hundreds if not thousands of deals – I stumbled upon the silver bullet during a slow market when there was no inventory.

What happened was that since there were no homes that matched what my Buyer was looking for, I took a few hours and EDUCATED my buyer not only as to how the process worked, but also how homes were being priced, what homes were listed for, what shape they were in, the dollar amount and HOW they were selling, and how offers could look on them.

I called the process Marketplace Education, and it proved to be the single largest advancement in my clients’ success. To make this even better, I’m more than happy to explain to you how I get this done, as I know in my experience as a Sales Trainer of many of the Top Teams in the City, that most won’t have the patience to do what I’m about to explain.

The process revolves around two key points a) property value and b) property acquisition.

To begin, property value is the process in which we will physically take you out to see homes in and around your desired parameters to help you get a better sense of what properties are worth. We go out WITHOUT the intention to buy a home, but rather with the intention to educate ourselves as to what a good/bad deal is, and what properties are looking like in the scope of what you’re looking for. This does many things, the least of which is putting you in a better position to make an informed decision when the time comes, and not simply take our word for it. How much more comfortable would you be if you KNEW what a property was worth, and what was a good/bad deal? That’s the major goal here.

Property Acquisition deals with HOW and HOW MUCH these properties are selling for. To begin, we will select a property and get a grasp of the value, the offer climate (holding offers/ how many days on market/ competing offers etc), and structure a MOCK offer to simulate what we would do in a real life scenario. This also does many things, the most valuable of which is make you comfortable with the process, but also making you familiar with the paperwork and getting an understanding of how successful our strategies would have been. This can save you from dramatically overpaying for or completely losing out on the perfect home.

So imagine…. all of this Marketplace Education is done, and now BOTH OF US are completely equipped to size up a good deal AND to act on it.

How do you think it goes when we see a home before anyone else and we are able to confidently and capably act on it?

It goes very well, that’s how.

And that’s also how our clients have been able to make sure they don’t overpay for a home, over expose themselves to risk, or worse – lose out on their dream home.

Sometimes people forget that when you are buying AND selling Real Estate – what you buy and sell for is all relative. For example, if you SELL for a lot of money, you’re also likely turning around and BUYING for a lot of money. On the contrary if you sell for LESS than you would have like, well – you’re likely going to buy for less than you would otherwise as well (that’s good).

So what’s the overall difference? Should people just NOT CARE about upsizing or downsizing and live their best lives in any house they want?

No – of course not.

What you SHOULD be doing as looking at the complete financial picture after all cash inflows, outflows and taxes are taken into account.

Here’s what I mean:

• is the sale of your property going to be subject to income or capital gains tax? If so, how much?
• What will your total payments look like? Mortgage, Property Taxes and Insurance?
• What about utility or maintenance costs/fees? Are those much higher or lower?

What is your bank account and cash flow going to look like?

The other aspect to consider is what is your LIFE going to look like?

Will you be much happier? Be busy with repairs or have more free time? Doing what you love or hate??

All of those matter a great deal.

When you look at the picture ENTIRELY like this, you can sometimes see that buying or selling Real Estate can either make total sense or no sense where you may not have thought otherwise before.

I just had a meeting with a good friend, and she was expressing how home prices rise so much over time that she has no idea how her kids are going to be able to afford a home in 10 years.

I get it.

The average price will be well over a million by then, and wages won’t increase as much in the mean time. For context, since 1998 wages have gone up 23% (it’s August 2023 as I write this), and the average house price in Ottawa has risen 350% in the same time period.

In other words – affordability as a ratio of income:house value has eroded tremendously.

So what’s the solution?

I know one… buy something for them NOW.

I have a handful of clients who have bought small investment properties over the years and have leveraged them into ’empires to be’ for their kids.

Here’s a case study:

Client/ good friend of mine bought a Triplex in a small town for 178k 9.5 years ago. The property just barely cash flowed and they slowly fixed it up over the years.

5 years ago they refinanced it and pulled out 90k and put 20% down on a SIXPLEX in another small town for 425k.

Their oldest daughter was 9 when they started.

Guess what phone call I got a few days ago?

Their mortgage on the 6plex is due in 6 months and they want to pull out 20% of the value of their NEXT multi unit and have their daughter (now 18) live in one of the units!

They will have over 10 units in as many years, have over 800k in equity in the 2 properties (will have about a million in the 3), have a home for their oldest child and have set them up for success.

The cost? They pulled out 40k when their mortgage on their principle redidence was due – and made a move.

10 units, 10 years, 1M equity.

They had the foresight to make this small move a decade ago, and the only regret they have is they didn’t start 10 years sooner.

If you’re curious to know how you can get started on the same path – just send me a message and ask. There are so many ways to rearrange mortgage debt, qualify for more, get creative private financing, or even build a plan that you can’t afford NOT to look into it.

In my opinion of course.

Hope to hear from you.

Best

Note: Addresses have been left out. This communication is strictly for educational purposes

Here are the answers:

1. Value of Semi’s: $1,050,000

2. Value of Sixplex: $3,100,000

Note: I’m trying to be SHARP with values to set expectations. It’s possible to get a little more depending on the quality of finishes, exact state of the market when these projects would hit the market, and the active comparables or update values on sold comparables at that time. 

Here is the work (if you want to see it)(all supporting material attached)

Semi Detached

1. Sold Comparables

Comparable 1 is 2100sf. 2021 Build in Glabar Park Sold July 14th 2023. 442/sf so comparable @ $1,139M, however that’s in Glabar Park ( less 100k), and without in-law suite (add 50k) , Comparable @ $1,089M

Comparable 2. 3 Bed Semi, 2019 Build, unknown SF and in Queensway Terrace North(QTR) (South of Lincoln Fields) Sold June 2023 for 950K. Fisher is newer w/ in law suite ( Add 100K), Comparable @ $1,050M

Comparable 3. 3 bed semi w/in law suite, 2022 Build in Queensway Terrace North (QTR), Sold Sept 2022 for $1,050M. Less approx 25K for time difference (stats show 2.5% decrease). However add back 25K for newer build, comparable @ approx $1,050M. Best Comparable

2. Active Listings

Comparables 4 and 5. New Semis w/in law suites, in QTR. No SF disclosed, likely haven’t sold because of style. Listed at 1M. Worth??

Comparable 6. Exact same as the sale at Comparable 3which sold for $1,050M. Listed at $1,074M. 

Note: Subject assumed to have rooftop balcony as pre original plans, however the value there is offset by the main street (others were on quieter streets). Also, the ‘Buyer’ I spoke to had the opinion that a semi here wouldn’t sell for over 1M (for whatever that’s worth – not much).

SIXPLEX

1. CBRE 2023 Q2 Reports for Multifamily Low Rise, Class A from 4.1 to 4.25 Cap. Assuming 20% TOE, 180K GOI becomes 144K NOI. 4.25 Cap is 3.51M, 4.1 Cap is 3.388M. Personally I always find these reports a little too aggressive for the market compared to the comparables – as seen below.

2. Sold Comparable @27 Monk St. Honestly? A steal of a deal. 7 units in a GREAT location (Glebe – 100m from TD Place!) for 3.4M, TOE 13.4% ADD 5% for Management = 18.4%. Adjusted NOI @ 162,057K.  W/ SP@ 3.4M, Cap = 4.76. This is the Glebe, so if Cap was 5% on Fisher w/projected income of 144K = 2.88M. At list price of 3.75M Monk would have been a 4.3 cap, which would comp us at 3.348M, but it didn’t… but again – this place sold for a steal. 

3. By the reports, and by what Monk SHOULD have sold for, a 6 unit on Fisher should be worth approximately 3.34M, however the actual Sale Price of Monk being 3.4M for 7 units in the Glebe puts a BIG damper on those plans. 3M seems more appropriate. This property sold in Nov 2022, so I’m hoping the rising interest rates/ cost of borrowing have caused upward pressure on rents – meaning you can get the 2500/month or maybe a little more on the 2 bed units and carry the value over 3M. Perhaps I can add 100K for presumed parking @ Fisher and bump the value to 3.1M. 

P.S. This is what a CBRE Cap Rate Report looks like. We use them to apply Cap Rates to different types of investments.

• 

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist, and I’m here to tell you that you’ve been fooled.

He’s here.

He’s in your head, he’s dragging you down – and you don’t even know it.

God gave you your body, mind and spirit to be able to contribute to the world to the best of your potential.

You are literally a gift to this world – sent here to benefit us all and live a rewarding life. The power to speak, to think and to be creative are all divine gifts that are yours to weild as you see fit.

The fatal flaw that plagues us all is that devil has crept in our minds in the form of self doubt, self pity, lack of confidence, a desire for comfort and an aversion to risk.

These are not the sins we’ve all heard about and are 8n guard against… lust, greed, envy, gluttony etc… no… those are too easy to defend against …. I’m talking about the chains and shackles that have slowly wrapped themselves around us in the night, imprisoning us with a false sense of security and ease…. That’s the devil luring you in – and keeping you down, snuffing out Gods’ greatest creation and his gift to the world.

You were meant for more.

You were meant for greatness.

You need to point the spotlight on the devil within, call him out, and watch him cower and run away. Don’t let him hide and fool you any longer.

Those shackles and chains need to be BROKEN, and you need to step in to who you are, and more importantly – WHO YOU WERE MEANT TO BE.

Break free of the restraints he’s put upon you, step out of the dark and become that blinding source of light you feel in your soul!

See you at the top

Note: I’m actually not very religious, but I do believe in good and evil, and I do believe we have both inside of us.