Calvin Poon and his fiancée, Lichee, had some initial hard lessons after buying at the height of the market but ended up successfully renting out their first property and then completing a flip.
Guest: Real Estate Investor, Calvin Poon
In this episode learn about:
Insights on developing land and infill developments
Risks and the pros and cons of land development, including financing and costs
Various stages of land development, timelines and processes
The value of mentorship coaching
Calvin and his fiancée, Lichee, had some initial hard lessons after buying at the height of the market but ended up successfully renting out their first property and then completing a flip.
Now they are doing an infill land development project in St. Catharines, Ontario and documenting their journey on their website to help other real estate investors see what it takes to do what they term “Flat (land) to Doormat”.
Not coming from a construction background, Calvin emphasizes that land development and construction is more about your mindset, he has discovered it is 80% mental and only 20% actual construction.
Alex Kouramanis is a real estate investor from Toronto, specializing in Wholesale and Flipping strategies throughout Ontario and is easily recognized at investor meetings for wearing his name badge upside down! Double B. A. majors in Cognitive Science & Philosophy and graduating on the Dean’s Honour roll could have meant a very different career path than real estate.
Guest: Real Estate Investor, Alex Kouramanis
In this episode learn about:
Leveraging the internet for sharing knowledge through online courses
Having a different mindset and not caring about real estate
Cashflow strategy tips and tips on planning and financing your deals
Why is it important to have a solid broker
The reason he wears his name badge upside down
Alex Kouramanis is a real estate investor from Toronto, specializing in Wholesale and Flipping strategies throughout Ontario and is easily recognized at investor meetings for wearing his name badge upside down! Double B.A. majors in Cognitive Science & Philosophy and graduating on the Dean’s Honour roll could have meant a very different career path than real estate.
However, after leaving school he invested almost all his savings on a real estate investment program in 2013. With no prior construction experience, Alex borrowed everything to buy his first bungalow in the overheated Toronto market and then worked 7 days a week as a bartender to help cover renovation costs and support himself.
Alex has still been able to use his degrees and knowledge for practical application by putting together three online courses on the Udemy and Skillshare platforms, with over 11,000 students, covering investment, finance, relationships, personal development, psychology and philosophy.
After a handful of successes in real estate, in 2017, Alex quit his job as a bartender so he could take real estate investment on as a full-time career. As of 2019, he has done over a dozen deals in Ontario, using flips and assignments to create investment capital that he can funnel into rental properties to hold for long term wealth. Alex’s greatest achievement to date is his assignment of a prime Toronto property he bought with a $1 deposit and using under 24 hours of his time, for a whopping $130,000 fee.
When he stops thinking about real estate Alex loves spending his time with his wife and dog, as well as skateboarding, playing videogames, board games, reading, thinking, writing, travel, watching documentaries, enjoying great beer & food, and just about all other things fun. His ultimate goals are to be a professional bum living off of passive income from multifamily properties, to help other investors succeed and to raise a family and grow old with his wife.
Book Mentioned: Personality Plusby Florence Littauer The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Sarah Eder went from a former international professional athlete to raising over 7-figures in real estate investments in a little over 3 years. As the owner of Sarah Eder Investments, she approaches the real estate investing world differently than most, with an innovative approach and the mind of a savvy, socially connected millennial.
Guest: Real Estate Investor, Sarah Eder
In this episode learn about: – Understanding a Vendor Take Back Mortgage – What to do when you can’t find a deal. – Leveraging social media to gain more than visibility. – Structuring for a standard deal. – Tips for short and long-term goals.
Sarah Eder went from a former international professional athlete to raising over 7-figures in real estate investments in a little over 3 years. As the owner of Sarah Eder Investments, she approaches the real estate investing world differently than most, with an innovative approach and the mind of a savvy, socially connected millennial.
Her firm focuses on flips, multi-family properties, and more lately, larger-scale developments and commercial conversions. She specializes in multi-family properties and has funded an entire portfolio using none of her own money.
Now a full-time investor, coach, and mentor, Sarah is constantly developing innovative ways to raise capital, as well as mentoring others on how to successfully use joint ventures. She has been on multiple stages speaking about these topics and her success has been recently featured in Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine.
With over 20 years of investing experience in Ontario, Dean Curtis has chosen over the last 6 years to specialize in the growing investment area of short term vacation rentals.
Guest: Real Estate Investor, Dean Curtis
In this episode learn about: – Looking at the numbers and financials and what else to consider when considering potential investments. – Key amenities to look for that command higher rentals. – Challenges you can encounter and how to avoid them. – Advertising platforms and alternative ways to advertise. – The differences in using a property manager for vacation rentals. – How technology is going to change the market in the future.
With over 20 years of investing experience in Ontario, Dean Curtis has chosen over the last 6 years to specialize in the growing investment area of short term vacation rentals.
Through his management company Serenity Vacation Rentals he has grown his own personal investment portfolio and also manages an inventory of cottage vacation rental properties.
A sought after media source, Dean has been featured in Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine, and on AM 570 news “Your Money Matters” and the “Vacation Rental Success” podcast.
Dean also coaches investors from start to finish with purchasing the perfect cottage vacation rental, maximizing income potential, furnishing the property appropriately and providing customer service that ensures repeat rentals.
Get it touch with Dean: Dean can be reached through his website at www.serenityvacationrentals.ca
Steve Blasiak paints a very different picture now from an early career in the paint industry. Stemming from a background immersed in the residential and commercial construction industry, he brings over 30 years of accumulated experience to his current passion and position in wealth management consulting.
Guest: Real Estate Investor & Wealth Management Consultant, Steve Blasiak
In this episode learn about: – Insights on different investing markets – Private equity investing and why we don’t hear more about this – The private equity investing risks – Steps to take for the first-time investor
Steve Blasiak paints a very different picture now from an early career in the paint industry. Stemming from a background immersed in the residential and commercial construction industry, he brings over 30 years of accumulated experience to his current passion and position in wealth management consulting.
Comfortably transitioning from on-site to behind-the-scenes, Steve now enjoys the role of finding a match between investor and investment as a Private Market Specialist and Mortgage Agent with Pinnacle Wealth Brokers who have been recognized as one of the top growth companies in Canada in 2013 and 2018 by Profit Magazine.
Recognizing a sound investment opportunity includes all aspects; from concept and strategy to the communication and execution for everyone involved. Steve’s mission is to maximize all potential gains for both investor and investment success.
Through his company King Homes Inc, Ken Bekendam helps and advises other investors with their portfolios through rental property renovations and in particular legal second suite conversions. Ken does permit drawings and project management and currently has 6 legal second suite bungalows under construction in Brantford and Hamilton.
Guest: Real Estate Investor, Ken Bekendam
Through his company King Homes Inc, Ken Bekendam helps and advises other investors with their portfolios through rental property renovations and in particular legal second suite conversions. Ken does permit drawings and project management and currently has 6 legal second suite bungalows under construction in Brantford and Hamilton.
In this episode learn about: – What is a legal basement conversion and how long can a project take from start to finish? – Tips to meet building code requirements and the minor variance process. – Where to find the information needed for zoning and drawings. – The benefits of real estate investing when life throws you curveballs.
As a young, millennial investor Ken got started investing personally in 2010. He and his partners (Dad and 2 brothers) own and manage a diverse portfolio of 50 plus rental units including student rentals, second suites, duplexes, triplexes, four-plexes, self-storage and container businesses.
Ken lives on a hobby farm with his family and over 35 alpacas!
Dylan Suitor is an entrepreneur to the core! He is totally dedicated to offering his “Industry Best” expertise in residential real estate for clients in the Toronto, Oakville, Burlington and Milton areas. Whether buying a new dream home or selling their latest strategic residential business investment Dylan believes in helping his clients every step of the way.
Guest: Real Estate Agent and Investor, Dylan Suitor
In this episode learn about: – How to close a deal with no money – Managing multiple real estate businesses – Top mistakes investors make when looking at or buying properties – Tips on financing and refinancing your properties – Insights into private banking
Dylan Suitor is an entrepreneur to the core! He is totally dedicated to offering his “Industry Best” expertise in residential real estate for clients in the Toronto, Oakville, Burlington and Milton areas. Whether buying a new dream home or selling their latest strategic residential business investment Dylan believes in helping his clients every step of the way.
With more than a decade of continuously improving performance and results, he offers the ultimate customer service in meeting all key goals and deadlines for his clients and negotiating real winning results.
Jeff’s career began in the Canadian Armed Forces. When returning home in 2012, Jeff started purchasing income properties in London, Ontario and has been focused on real estate ever since. Jeff has built a solid portfolio of income properties and a great reputation as a realtor helping investors.
Guest: Real Estate Investor and Realtor, Jeff Wybo
In this episode learn about: – using social media to attract clients – out of the box branding strategies – how to become a well known real estate entrepreneur- how to create a brand on social media – time management strategies
Jeff’s career began in the Canadian Armed Forces. When returning home in 2012, Jeff started purchasing income properties in London, Ontario and has been focused on real estate ever since. Jeff has built a solid portfolio of income properties and a great reputation as a realtor helping investors.
Jeff Wybo hosts Investment Property Limo Tours for investors offering a creative approach to learning how to make money in real estate. He also focuses on selling The Agency’s luxury listings and offers a unique marketing ability via social media.
Claire spoke at our March 20th, 2019 Anniversary Event, and is a regular attendee and speaker for all our other monthly events hosting the “News You Can Use” segments.
Claire is also partnering up with the REITE club on May 4th for our commercial and multifamily workshop. You do not want to miss this!
Guest: Real Estate Investor and Mortgage Broker, Claire Drage
In this podcast episode learn about: – How to find an ideal mortgage broker – How to scale up your portfolio with the right lenders – Top mistakes new investors make when it comes to financing – How to pick your power team – What is a Purview report? (Probably one of the best kept secrets many investors aren’t aware of)
More about Claire: As a licensed Mortgage Agent (and also an investor herself) for over 14 years, Claire has extensive experience in all fields of mortgage financing and lending. Interest rates and preferences for types of mortgages can change daily. As a Mortgage Broker, Claire keeps herself and her team current and always knows which lender to approach first. As a result, she obtains some of the best mortgage rates available and she doesn’t charge a fee!
Originally from England, Claire was a resident of Spain for 11 years before moving to Canada over 12 years ago. Since she is not Canadian born, Claire understands the challenges for new immigrants to Canada, and has arranged many mortgages for clients new to Ontario.
Claire calls Oakville home, but has been very active arranging low rate mortgages for clients across the province.
Alex & Kaely are real estate investors, realtors, entrepreneurs, husband and wife duo and the founders Pal Property Solutions. Through their investing journey, they have seen and gone through many of the challenges that both new and seasoned investors face on a day-to-day basis.
Guests: Real Estate Investors, Alex & Kaely Pal
Primary Investment Strategy: BRRR Strategy
Portfolio: 12 owned properties
In this episode learn about: – Quick tips and tricks to use on your contractor to work – Advantages of spending you reno-budget – Putting your goals together with your JV/business partner
More about Alex and Kaely: Alex & Kaely have a strong belief in creating and maintaining relationships and they work together to help individuals work towards financial freedom. Being investors themselves, they know of the joys and pains of watching a project come to fruition.
Whether it’s finding the right deal, obtaining the proper permits from city hall, or coordinating construction and trades we’ve learned some tricks of the trade. Their goal is to help others achieve their own goals through real estate investing and show you a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to get you there.