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  • Bad Rental Applicants? Where Landlords Should Advertise
    2026/09/25
    Bad Rental Applicants? Where Landlords Should Advertise + Condo Bylaws & Getting Started Where should landlords actually advertise rental properties? What should real estate investors look for inside condominium bylaws? And what do you do when you know you want to invest in real estate, but you just can't seem to take that first step? Today's Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show is a listener Q&A covering three very different problems that ultimately come back to the same thing: Good real estate investing requires good systems, good information and the confidence to actually take action. Where Should You Advertise a Rental Property? A listener wrote in after getting poor-quality rental applicants through Facebook Marketplace and wanted to know whether there is a better place to advertise. Wayne's answer: Know your audience. There is no single rental platform that is automatically best in every Canadian city. Facebook Marketplace may dominate one market. RentFaster may work better somewhere else. Another city may have a completely different platform tenants use. The first question should be: Where do tenants in MY market actually look for rentals? One simple exercise is to pretend you are the tenant. Google rental properties in your city. See which websites appear first. Look at where competing rentals are being advertised. That gives you a much better idea of where your potential tenants are actually searching. Bad Applicants May Not Be a Facebook Problem Gabby makes an important distinction. If Facebook Marketplace is where most tenants in your city search for rentals, getting bad applications does not necessarily mean Facebook is the problem. You want exposure. You want inquiries. You want enough applicants that you have choices. The real issue may be what happens after the inquiry comes in. Why Good Tenants Get Taken Quickly Wayne explains the rental process as a funnel. A good tenant may inquire about dozens of listings. They are comparing: PriceProperty conditionLocationPhotosCommunicationAvailabilityLandlord responsiveness If your listing is poorly presented, overpriced or you take six hours to respond, another landlord may already have booked the showing. The best applicants often disappear first. That leaves slower landlords competing over whatever applicants remain. Better Systems Produce Better Tenants Wayne's experience has been that landlords with better systems tend to attract and secure better tenants. That means: Great photos. Correct pricing. Fast responses. A desirable property. Professional communication. Strong screening. Efficient showings. Clear expectations. Wayne recently filled an Edmonton basement suite within days despite expecting the rental to be difficult. The successful applicant ended up being one of the strongest applications Wayne and Gabby had seen recently. The lesson: Where you advertise matters. How you operate matters more. Facebook Marketplace, RentFaster and Other Platforms Wayne does use Facebook. RentFaster is another commonly used option in Alberta. Other platforms may dominate other markets. But Wayne does not believe there is some secret website where only great tenants are waiting. Research where your local tenants actually search and make sure your property appears there. Then outperform competing landlords once the inquiry arrives. What Should Investors Look for in Condo Bylaws? The second listener question comes from Carmen, who asks for a simplified breakdown of what investors should look for inside condominium bylaws. Gabby's approach is straightforward. Ask: What rules could prevent me from operating this rental property the way I intend to? That is the lens investors should use when reviewing the bylaws. Rental Restrictions Some condominium corporations restrict how many units within the complex may be rented. Before purchasing, determine whether: Rentals are allowedThere is a rental capOwner occupancy requirements existYour specific unit can currently be rented Buying a condo and discovering afterward that you cannot legally operate it as a rental creates an obvious problem. Short-Term Rental Restrictions If your plan involves Airbnb or another short-term rental strategy, check this immediately. More condominium corporations are restricting or prohibiting short-term rentals. Do not assume they are allowed simply because municipal rules permit them. The condo corporation can have its own restrictions. Business Restrictions Another issue is operating businesses from condominium units. This can create insurance and liability complications. It can also violate condominium bylaws. If a tenant begins operating a business and the condo corporation prohibits it, the landlord may suddenly be stuck dealing with a lease that conflicts with the condo rules. Understand the restrictions before leasing the property. Pet Restrictions This is one of the biggest issues Wayne and Gabby look for because they operate pet-friendly rentals. Condo bylaws may ...
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    57 分
  • Canada Housing Starts Are Down — But What Does That Actually Mean?
    2026/09/24
    Canada Housing Starts Are Down — But What Does That Actually Mean? Housing starts are down. Sounds important. But does that mean Canada is building fewer homes? Does it mean housing prices are about to rise? Does it mean fewer rental properties are coming? Not necessarily. On today's Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show, Wayne and Gabby dig underneath the housing-start headlines and explain why the number most people quote does not tell investors nearly enough on its own. The problem is simple: When Canada reports "housing starts," that number combines very different types of housing. A detached family home is not the same thing as a townhouse. A townhouse is not the same thing as a 200-unit apartment building. And a condominium tower is definitely not the same thing as a purpose-built rental building. Yet much of that gets bundled together. What Is a Housing Start? A housing start is not a permit. It means construction has actually begun. In practical terms, that generally means work has reached the point where the building's foundation or equivalent construction stage has begun. That distinction matters. A building permit represents an intention to build. A housing start means construction has actually moved forward. But even knowing that still doesn't answer the most important question: What kind of housing is being built? The Headline Number Can Be Misleading Wayne uses recent CMHC data to demonstrate the problem. The national housing-start number includes: Single-detached housesSemi-detached homesDuplexesTownhousesCondominiumsApartment buildingsOther multi-unit housing The broad "all other" category can therefore represent completely different markets. Some units may eventually be purchased by homeowners. Others may become rental properties. Some could be high-rise condominiums. Others could be row houses or large apartment buildings. Without knowing the mix, investors should be very careful about making conclusions from the headline number. A Rental Unit Is Not the Same as a Home for Sale This is where Wayne believes the housing conversation becomes especially important. Canada has spent several years encouraging density and rental construction. Programs such as the Housing Accelerator Fund and favourable financing programs have helped make larger multi-unit developments attractive to investors and developers. The result has been a major increase in purpose-built rental development in many cities. But building more rental units does not necessarily solve the same problem as building more homes people can actually purchase. Those are two different markets. Are We Building the Wrong Type of Housing? Wayne raises a question that he believes deserves much more attention. What happens when a perfectly usable single-family house is demolished and replaced with eight or twelve small rental units? You created more rental units. But you also removed one house from the ownership market. If this happens repeatedly across a city, it is possible to simultaneously create: Too much rental supply while creating: Too little traditional ownership housing. Wayne believes this may already be happening in some Canadian markets. He is clear that the available national data does not provide enough detail to prove that conclusion definitively. But based on the information available, it is something investors should be watching closely. Why Local Data Matters More This is why Wayne does not rely heavily on national housing-start headlines when making investment decisions. Canada is not one real estate market. Edmonton is different from Toronto. Calgary is different from Vancouver. A neighbourhood can behave differently from another neighbourhood in the same city. And a single-family rental can behave very differently from a one-bedroom apartment. Investors need to go deeper. Look at what is actually being permitted and built in the municipality where you invest. Are developers building: Apartments?Condos?Townhouses?Duplexes?Single-family houses?Basement suites?Garage suites? That information is far more useful than knowing the national housing-start number. Permits Aren't Starts Either Gabby also points out another distinction. Building permits can help investors understand what developers are planning. But a permit does not guarantee construction. Projects can be: Delayed. Redesigned. Refinanced. Cancelled. A housing start tells you that construction has progressed further. Even then, the investor still needs to understand exactly what is being built. Why Multi-Unit Starts May Be Slowing Wayne believes much of the slowdown is likely coming from multi-unit development rather than detached housing. That would make sense based on what he is hearing within the investor and development community. Developers are dealing with: Softer rentsHigher vacanciesHigher construction costsFinancing challengesLarge amounts of competing supplyProjects that no longer produce the expected returns Wayne is also seeing and hearing ...
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    48 分
  • Which Canadian Cities Are Most Exposed to U.S. Tariffs?
    2026/09/28
    Which Canadian Cities Are Most Exposed to U.S. Tariffs? Tariffs and the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade dispute are creating another layer of uncertainty for Canadian businesses, workers, landlords and real estate investors. But the impact is not going to be equal across the country. In today's episode, Wayne and Gabby look at which Canadian cities have the greatest exposure to U.S. tariffs, why certain local economies are more vulnerable than others, and what investors should be thinking about when choosing markets and building portfolios that can survive economic disruptions. The Rental Market Is Getting More Competitive Before getting into tariffs, Wayne and Gabby share an update from their own rental portfolio. A new tenant moved in early over the weekend, and Gabby explains why they were particularly happy with the tenant profile, including strong credit, good communication, insurance in place, and rent and security deposit paid ahead of time. They also discuss the changing Edmonton rental market. Tenants currently have more options in certain property categories, which means landlords may have to work harder to attract strong applicants. Wayne and Gabby currently have multiple renovation crews moving between properties, but these aren't simply renovations for the sake of improving a property. They're strategic improvements designed to make their rentals more competitive, reduce vacancy and help achieve stronger rents. When supply increases, being "good enough" may not be enough. Presentation, pricing, tenant experience and property condition become increasingly important. What Happens When a Tenant Moves In Before the Lease Starts? A live viewer asked an important landlord question: If you allow a tenant to move in before the official lease date, does that create additional liability? Gabby walks through three things landlords should consider: • Update the lease commencement date and have the appropriate parties acknowledge the change. • Make sure the tenant's insurance begins on the actual possession date. • Collect the required rent and security deposit before possession is provided. Landlords can also decide whether to charge prorated rent for the additional days. In this particular situation, Wayne and Gabby chose not to charge extra because the property was already vacant and the early possession was only a matter of days. Real Estate Investors Need to Build for the Storm One of the biggest themes of today's episode is that economic disruptions are inevitable. Oil crashes, pandemics, rapidly rising interest rates, flooding, trade disputes and other unexpected events continually test real estate investors. Wayne's argument is that investors shouldn't build portfolios that only work when everything goes right. They should buy properties with enough cash flow and financial cushion to withstand periods when things go wrong. He discusses an example of a mentorship student's property generating approximately $670 per month in cash flow. That cushion gives the investor significantly more room to absorb higher expenses, lower rents or other unexpected changes than a property operating close to break-even. Cash flow isn't spending money. It's a risk mitigator. The 5% Rule and Surviving Economic Disruptions Wayne returns to the cash flow framework from his book, The 5% Rule™: A Real Estate Cash Flow Test for Canadian Investors. The formula is: (Annual Cash Flow ÷ Down Payment) × 100 5–6% = sufficient 7–9% = strong 10%+ = excellent Wayne's position is that investors should be buying properties capable of producing meaningful cash flow without depending on appreciation. The greater the cushion, the better positioned the investor is to deal with vacancies, declining rents, higher financing costs and economic shocks. Search "The 5% Rule by Wayne Hillier" on Amazon to learn more. Which Canadian Cities Are Most Exposed to U.S. Tariffs? The episode then examines Canadian cities whose economies have particularly strong exposure to trade with the United States. The industries highlighted include: • Energy in Alberta and New Brunswick • Automotive and manufacturing in Southern Ontario • Steel in Hamilton • Aluminum, forestry and manufacturing in Quebec Saint John, New Brunswick ranked at the top of the tariff exposure index discussed during the show, followed by Calgary. Calgary's position is particularly interesting for Alberta investors. The city's economy has significant exposure to the corporate and export side of Canada's energy industry, and an enormous percentage of its international merchandise exports are destined for the United States. Southern Ontario also features prominently because of its deeply integrated manufacturing and automotive supply chains. Windsor, Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Brantford and Guelph were among the markets discussed. Hamilton's steel industry creates another form of exposure, while several Quebec communities face risks connected to aluminum, forestry and ...
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    55 分
  • A $13 Billion Meta Data Centre Is Coming Near Edmonton. What Does It Mean for Real Estate?
    2026/09/23
    A $13 Billion Meta Data Centre Is Coming Near Edmonton. What Does It Mean for Real Estate? A massive new technology investment is putting Alberta back in the national spotlight. Meta is developing its first Canadian data centre in Sturgeon County, just north of Edmonton, with an estimated investment of approximately $13 billion. But for real estate investors, the important question is not simply: "How big is the project?" It is: "What will this actually do to housing, rents, jobs and property values?" On today's Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show, Wayne and Gabby look at both sides of the story. Could large-scale data centres create new construction activity, jobs and economic growth around Edmonton? Absolutely. Does that mean investors should immediately start buying houses beside them? Not necessarily. Today's episode also covers another developing story out of Ontario, where investors connected to the Simple Investor property-management model were reportedly told that rental payments were being delayed while the company dealt with market and liquidity challenges. The two stories may seem completely different, but they reinforce the same lesson: Understand what you are investing in and never replace fundamentals with excitement. Ontario Investors Face Delayed Payments Wayne and Gabby begin with reports involving Simple Investor and its affiliated property-management operation. According to the report discussed on the show, some investors who owned properties through the model were told that rental payments were being delayed because of market and liquidity challenges. One investor reportedly owned six properties and had relied on the rental payments to service mortgages. That raises a question Wayne repeatedly comes back to: Where is the rent actually going? If a tenant pays rent to a property-management company, the owner should understand: Where the money is heldHow management fees are deductedWhen the remaining rent is transferredWhether funds are segregatedWho controls the accountsWhat happens if the management company experiences financial trouble Wayne's concern is not about making conclusions regarding what occurred in this particular situation without all the facts. It is about investors understanding the structure they are putting their money into. Hands-Off Investing Still Has Risk One of the attractions of these types of investments is that they can appear extremely simple. Buy the unit. Let somebody else manage everything. Collect the payment. But handing control to another company does not eliminate risk. It transfers some of that control to somebody else. Wayne explains why one of the reasons he originally chose real estate was the ability to control more of the investment himself. If something goes wrong with his property, tenant, financing or expenses, he can respond directly. The more layers added between the investor and the asset, the more important due diligence becomes. Then Comes Alberta's Data-Centre Boom The second half of today's episode shifts to a very different story. Meta is building a massive data centre in Sturgeon County, north of Edmonton. The development represents approximately: $13 billion in investment. Alberta is also attracting interest from numerous other data-centre developers. Why Alberta? Several factors make the province attractive: Large amounts of available landNatural gas and electricity infrastructureEnergy-industry expertiseCold temperatures that can reduce cooling requirementsA business environment actively pursuing major investment For Alberta, this could become a significant new industry. More Than 100 Projects Have Been Proposed There has been enormous interest in building data centres across Alberta. But Wayne stresses an important distinction: Proposed does not mean built. A hundred proposals do not equal a hundred completed projects. Investors need to separate: Announcements from Approvals from Construction from Completed operating facilities. Meta's project is significant because it has moved beyond being simply an idea. What Could This Mean for Edmonton Real Estate? A project of this size can create economic activity. Construction workers need somewhere to live. Contractors need services. Suppliers expand. Companies supporting the project may establish local operations. Infrastructure investment follows. All of those things can support an economy. But Wayne cautions against immediately converting an economic announcement into a real-estate prediction. A $13-billion project does not automatically mean: Rents will explode. Property values will skyrocket. Every nearby neighbourhood becomes a great investment. You still have to analyze the actual property. Don't Invest Based on the Headline Wayne's investment philosophy is straightforward. He does not want to buy a property because he hopes Meta causes it to appreciate. He wants to buy a property that already works. That means analyzing: Purchase priceMarket ...
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    56 分
  • Your Down Payment Is NOT Enough: The Real Cost of Buying a Rental Property
    2026/09/23
    Your Down Payment Is NOT Enough: The Real Cost of Buying a Rental Property You saved the 20% down payment. You found the property. You got the mortgage. You're ready to buy. Not quite. On today's Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show, Wayne and Gabby break down the costs investors often forget when budgeting for their first rental property. Using a hypothetical $500,000 legal suited house, they show why an investor who thinks they need $100,000 may realistically want closer to $116,000 to $117,000 available before closing. The difference comes from expenses that are not necessarily hidden, but are very easy to forget. The $500,000 Rental Property Example Assume you're buying a $500,000 house with a legal basement suite. At 20% down: Down payment: $100,000 Most new investors stop there. But the down payment is only one part of the cash required. Before buying, Wayne and Gabby say investors should also think about: AppraisalHome inspectionSewer scopeLegal feesTitle insurance or related closing costsProperty tax adjustmentsImmediate repairsCleaningFurnace and duct servicingYard cleanupReserve funds These seemingly smaller costs can quickly add thousands of dollars to the amount required. Appraisal Mortgage lenders commonly require an appraisal to confirm the property supports the value being financed. Wayne and Gabby suggest budgeting roughly: $300–$500 depending on the lender and property. Sometimes the investor does not even notice the cost because it appears through closing adjustments or is withdrawn separately. But you are still paying for it. Home Inspection Wayne and Gabby strongly recommend having the property professionally inspected. For the suited-house example discussed today, they suggest budgeting approximately: $600 A good inspector evaluates the major systems and components of the property, including: RoofAtticFoundationPlumbingElectricalHVACAppliancesMoistureSmoke detectorsDoorsFlooringExterior components The inspection also gives you a roadmap of items that may need attention immediately after possession. Sewer Scope This is one Wayne strongly recommends. For an older residential property, he suggests having the sewer line inspected with a camera. Budget approximately: $250–$300 Why? Because a sewer replacement can be extremely expensive. Wayne and Gabby discuss a previous replacement that cost approximately $15,000 before additional related work. A few hundred dollars spent investigating the line can uncover a potentially very expensive problem before closing. Legal Fees Legal costs are another expense investors sometimes underestimate. Depending on the transaction and legal team, Wayne and Gabby suggest costs may range from roughly: $1,500 to $2,000+ Wayne's approach is not to select a lawyer based solely on price. A straightforward transaction is straightforward until something goes wrong. That is when having the right professional matters. Title Insurance and Closing Adjustments Depending on the property and province, investors may also encounter costs such as title insurance. Property tax adjustments are another common surprise. If the seller has already paid property taxes for a period after your possession date, the seller is credited for that amount at closing. That increases the cash you need to bring to the lawyer. The Property Will Probably Need Something Wayne says almost every property they buy requires immediate work after possession. Not necessarily a major renovation. It could be: Expired smoke detectors. Doors that do not close properly. Loose baseboards. A leaking shower diverter. A thermostat that is not mounted correctly. A furnace that has not been serviced. A damaged closet door. Minor plumbing or electrical issues. Individually, these may seem small. Together, they add up quickly. Wayne and Gabby typically budget: $2,000–$3,000 per property for immediate repairs and maintenance. Don't Defer Everything One mistake investors make is saying: "It's not that bad. I'll deal with it later." But deferred maintenance eventually becomes your problem. Wayne and Gabby prefer to fix smaller issues before placing a new tenant whenever possible. That provides a safer, cleaner and better-maintained property for the tenant while reducing the likelihood of emergency service calls later. Cleaning, Furnaces and Landscaping Other costs investors can easily overlook include: Professional cleaning. Furnace servicing. Duct cleaning. Gutter cleaning. Landscaping. Lawn cleanup. These expenses can add hundreds or even thousands more depending on the condition of the property. When Wayne and Gabby added the potential acquisition-related costs together in today's example, they reached approximately: $6,750 beyond the down payment. And there is still one more major item. The Reserve Fund Wayne considers this one of the most important systems an investor can put in place. Start every rental property with a cash reserve. His recommendation: Three months of rent on day one. If the ...
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    59 分
  • Canada's Construction Boom Is Finally Slowing Down
    2026/09/21
    Canada's Construction Boom Is Finally Slowing Down For the last few years, Canada has been building aggressively. More apartments. More condos. More purpose-built rentals. More infill. More density. But new Statistics Canada data suggests that construction intentions are finally beginning to slow. In July 2026, the total value of building permits issued across Canada fell 17.3% to $12.2 billion. Residential permits were also down, with multi-family projects accounting for most of the residential decline. For real estate investors, this matters because new supply has been one of the biggest forces affecting rents, vacancies and property values across the country. Today, Wayne and Gabby break down what the slowdown could mean, particularly for Edmonton and Alberta. Building Permits Are Falling Statistics Canada reported that the total value of building permits across Canada declined sharply in July. Residential permit values fell as well, including a significant decline in multi-family construction intentions. Alberta also experienced a meaningful monthly decline in total permit values. The important distinction: A permit is not a completed building. It represents an intention to build. A project may still be delayed, redesigned, refinanced or abandoned altogether. That means the rental supply already under construction is still coming. But fewer new projects entering the pipeline could eventually help the market rebalance. Edmonton Still Has a Lot of Supply Coming Wayne's concern is not that Edmonton suddenly stopped building. Far from it. There are still a significant number of purpose-built rental projects already under construction or far enough through the development process that they are likely to hit the rental market. Those buildings still need to be completed. Then they need tenants. The question is: How long will it take for Edmonton to absorb all of that new rental supply? Wayne believes it could take several years. Why Developers May Be Pulling Back Wayne discusses several reasons developers may be becoming more cautious. Financing costs have changed. Construction costs have increased. Rents have softened in some segments. Vacancy has increased. And developers now have to consider the large amount of competing inventory already coming onto the market. A project that looked great two years ago may look very different today. That becomes particularly important when a development was financed using construction or bridge financing and the permanent financing available at completion no longer produces the same numbers. Construction Costs Are Still Increasing Wayne and Gabby share a recent example from one of their own townhouse investments. Shortly after purchasing units in the complex, the condominium corporation received an updated roofing quote. The final cost came in approximately $90,000 higher than expected. The condo corporation responded by temporarily increasing condo fees rather than issuing a large special assessment. The lesson was not really about condo fees. It was about construction costs. If replacing shingles on a townhouse complex can suddenly cost substantially more than anticipated, developers working on multi-million-dollar projects are facing the same problem on a much larger scale. Edmonton May Have Overshot A few years ago, Edmonton had the opposite problem. Vacancy was extremely low. Rental supply was tight. Tenants were struggling to find housing. Rents were increasing quickly. Government and developers responded by creating and building more housing. Wayne and Gabby believe the market may now have moved too far in the opposite direction. The supply shortage was addressed. But construction kept coming. That creates a period where landlords may need to compete harder for tenants while the market absorbs the new units. Will Edmonton Rents Keep Falling? Wayne believes rents will continue softening in certain segments of the market. But he does not believe every rental property will be affected equally. The largest pressure may fall on property types facing the most new competition. That includes: Main-floor suitesBasement suitesSmaller infill unitsPurpose-built rental units competing for similar tenants There are simply more choices available to renters. Full Houses Could Be Different At the same time, Wayne sees a different opportunity developing in full-house rentals. If tenants search the market and see hundreds of smaller suites but very few full houses with basements, garages and yards, demand can shift toward the scarcer product. That is an important distinction. Saying: "Edmonton rents are falling" is too broad. The better question is: Which rents are falling? Different asset classes can behave completely differently inside the same city. The Supply and Demand Lesson This is ultimately a supply-and-demand story. When rental supply is too low, rents increase. Developers react. Governments react. Construction increases. Eventually supply catches up. Then supply can ...
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    46 分
  • Edmonton Garden Suites Are One of Canada's Biggest Real Estate Opportunities
    2026/09/18
    Edmonton Garden Suites Are One of Canada's Biggest Real Estate Opportunities Today's episode is all about one of Wayne's favourite real estate investment opportunities right now: Multi-unit garden suites in Edmonton. Wayne and Gabby break down why Edmonton's current zoning creates an unusual opportunity to keep an existing house at the front of a property while developing multiple additional rental units in the backyard. For the projects Wayne is currently working on, the attraction comes down to three major things: Cash flow. Forced equity. The potential to refinance and redeploy capital. And unlike traditional infill development, the strategy does not necessarily require tearing down a perfectly good house. Why Wayne Started Looking at the Backyard When Edmonton changed its zoning rules to encourage more housing density, much of the development community focused on tearing down existing houses and building more units on the front portion of the property. Wayne looked at it differently. Instead of asking: How much more can we build if we tear the house down? He asked: What if we keep the house and develop the unused land behind it? That led to the multi-unit garden suite strategy. On the right Edmonton lot, Wayne says investors can potentially keep the existing house and add as many as four additional rental units in the backyard. Why Edmonton? According to Wayne, Edmonton currently provides a unique combination of: Flexible development rulesAffordable land and housingStrong rental demandHigh-paying employmentA strong tenant profileAlberta's landlord and tenant operating environment That combination is what makes the opportunity especially interesting to him. Wayne says that if this same development opportunity existed in a market where he did not want to operate a rental business, he would be far less interested. The market still matters. The Housing Accelerator Fund Wayne explains that Edmonton's zoning changes followed broader efforts to increase housing supply and density. He discusses the federal Housing Accelerator Fund and Edmonton receiving significant funding in exchange for housing and zoning initiatives designed to allow more homes to be built. Those changes opened the door to development opportunities that previously did not exist. Why the Opportunity May Not Last Forever One of Wayne's biggest warnings: Do not assume today's zoning rules will exist forever. Rules change. Municipalities adjust development regulations. Neighbourhood opposition can increase. Height, setback and density rules can all be modified. Wayne points to Calgary as an example of a city where development rules have already started changing. His concern is that investors may discover the opportunity after the rules have already become more restrictive. The Lots Are Limited Too Zoning is not the only constraint. The property itself needs to work. Gabby explains that multi-unit garden suites require enough usable backyard space. Wayne calls it needing a: "Big booty." A large backyard. That means investors are competing for a limited number of properties with: Large enough lotsThe right configurationA usable existing houseA purchase price that still makes the development profitable Today, Wayne says much of the competition for those properties is still homeowners. But if more investors and developers begin targeting the same lots, demand could increase. Wayne's First Fourplex Garden Suite Is Almost Finished Wayne and Gabby also give an update on their High Park multi-unit garden suite project. The four suites are essentially complete internally. Remaining work includes exterior items such as: SidewalksLandscapingFencing Wayne is preparing to begin marketing the four one-bedroom suites. This is one of five projects Wayne says they currently have underway. The Cash Flow This is where Wayne believes the strategy becomes especially compelling. On the type of fourplex garden suite projects he is developing, Wayne says there is potential for: $1,500+ per month in additional cash flow after financing and operating expenses. That is not gross rent. That is the projected remaining monthly cash flow from the additional units based on the project assumptions Wayne is discussing. How Does It Perform on the 5% Rule™? Wayne then applies his 5% Rule™ Cash Flow Test. His framework: 5–6% = minimum acceptable 7–9% = strong 10%+ = exceptional For the garden suite project discussed in today's episode, Wayne says the projected result is approximately: 13.8% or roughly: 14% on the Cash Flow Test. That is why Wayne considers these projects unusually attractive from a cash-flow perspective. Actual results will depend on construction cost, financing, rents, operating expenses, property price and the specific project. Cash Flow Is Only Part of the Opportunity Wayne says the bigger opportunity may be what happens to the value of the property after construction. Suppose the total amount invested into the property and development is one number...
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    47 分
  • Should You Invest in Vancouver, Montreal or Laval?
    2026/09/17
    Should You Invest in Vancouver, Montreal or Laval? Plus the 2 Numbers Wayne Uses to Analyze Deals Can you find a good rental property in Montreal or Laval? Should you invest in Vancouver? What numbers actually matter when analyzing a rental property? And if you already bought a bad deal, should you hold it and hope it recovers, or sell it and move on? Today's episode of the Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show is another investor Q&A covering exactly those questions. Wayne and Gabby break down how to evaluate a market, how borrowed down-payment funds affect cash flow, why Wayne would personally avoid certain provinces even when the numbers appear to work, and the two metrics he actually uses to compare real estate deals. The main message: Don't force a market to work. Find the market, property type and deal that actually fit your investment criteria. Can You Cash Flow in Montreal or Laval? A listener from Laval, Quebec asks whether it is realistic to find a property in Laval or Montreal that meets Wayne's cash-flow criteria. Wayne says it may be possible. But instead of starting with one predetermined property type, investors should study the entire market. Look at: Apartment condosTownhouse condosDuplexesSingle-family housesHouses with secondary suitesSmall multifamilyLarger multifamily Then compare purchase prices across different neighbourhoods with the rents those properties can realistically achieve. The goal is to become a master of the market. You need to know: What different property types cost. What different neighbourhoods cost. What tenants will pay. What areas attract stronger tenants. Which property types produce the best rent-to-price relationship. Only then can you determine which opportunities deserve deeper investigation. Don't Start With the Strategy and Force the Market The listener specifically mentions wanting to purchase a plex. Wayne's approach would be slightly different. Instead of deciding: "I want to buy a plex." Start with: "Which asset type in this city produces the best combination of cash flow, tenant profile, risk and long-term potential?" Maybe that is a plex. Maybe it is a townhouse. Maybe it is a suited house. Maybe it is something completely different. Do not force the property type. Follow the numbers. Borrowing Your Down Payment From Home Equity The listener is also considering borrowing against their existing home to fund the down payment. Wayne likes the concept of taking otherwise unused equity and redeploying it into another productive asset. But there is an obvious trade-off. Borrowing the down payment creates additional debt. Additional debt means additional monthly interest. That increases the risk. If the investment property itself produces $500 per month in cash flow but the borrowed down payment costs $300 per month to service, the investor's actual financial position is very different. That needs to be considered. Look at the Entire Portfolio When investors use equity from one property to fund another, Wayne sometimes prefers looking at the cash flow of the entire portfolio instead of judging only the new property in isolation. Maybe one property produces excellent cash flow. Another is tighter. Together, the portfolio may still be healthy. The question becomes: Does the entire portfolio still pass the cash-flow test and remain resilient? Borrowing money to scale increases potential profits. But it also increases risk. The goal is finding the right balance. Borrowed Investment Funds May Be Tax Deductible Gabby also points out an important tax consideration. When money is borrowed and used for qualifying investment purposes, the interest may be deductible. That can reduce the true after-tax cost of the borrowed funds. Investors should confirm the exact treatment with a qualified accountant based on their specific circumstances. Why Wayne Still Wouldn't Choose Quebec This is where Wayne's answer changes. Could somebody potentially find a property in Quebec that produces good cash flow? Yes. Would Wayne personally want to operate his rental-property business there? No. The issue is the landlord and tenant laws. Wayne views real estate as a business. And if the jurisdiction makes it unnecessarily difficult to operate that business, enforce agreements or manage risk, that becomes a major negative. Even if the numbers work. For Wayne, that can be enough to eliminate the market. A Great Deal in the Wrong Province Can Still Be the Wrong Deal Wayne compares Quebec with other provinces where investors have historically found strong deals. The purchase price might work. The rent might work. The appreciation potential might work. But if the operating environment creates significantly more landlord risk, the deal becomes less attractive. Wayne would rather invest in a market where: The property works. The cash flow works. The tenant profile works. The long-term fundamentals work. And the laws support the operation of the business. Wayne's "Ice Age" Theory ...
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