HST Rebate: background info: I wrote about the HST issue a couple months ago, calling it the “Elephant in the Room” with respect to the pre-construction condo market. I wanted to follow up this post with my own personal experience with dealing with the HST rebates (New Residential Rental Property Rebate-NRRP) when buying a new […]
Once upon a time in Toronto real estate, there was a rule that investors followed religiously – you only buy a pre-construction condo if the price is lower than that of a comparable existing resale condo. If the price wasn’t lower than existing resale condos of similar quality in the immediate area, then it just […]
Around this time last year I predicted 2009 was going to be the year of the assignment. I was wrong. While assignments did begin to take a greater role in the overall Toronto condo market, they still have not gone ‘mainstream’. Quite frankly, this method of buying and selling real estate will probably never go […]
Investing in Toronto condos used to be a pretty straightforward proposition: buy a property with as little down as possible then rent it out with the income from the rent covering your mortgage, taxes, maintenance on the property etc. For much of 90s and the first half of the 2000s, this was the way it […]
The Globe and Mail had an article last week that suggested that the rental market was heating up as would-be buyers were leaving an overheated condo market in favour of renting. As a result, the rental market is now heating up considerably. The evidence for this hypothesis provided by the author was strictly anecdotal, so […]
Buying a pre-construction condo takes guts. It takes vision. It takes money. It’s not for everyone, but for those who understand the game and play it well, the rewards are huge. Those who are fearful, lack vision, and have no access to capital will continue to sit on the sidelines and wait. And wait… Every […]
In contrast to yesterday’s post, “Losing Mentality“, I wanted to present to you some observations about the people who are successful condo investors. Those who buy (and sometimes sell) multiple condos over years and understand that condos as a great way to accumulate long term wealth. They are entrepreneurial. Either they run their own businesses, […]
At the risk of sounding trite, do you work for your money, or does your money work for you? Is your money sitting around collecting dust in a savings account at 1% interest, or worse – going up and down like a yo-yo in the stock market? Have you been thinking and talking about buying […]
NOTE: the following blog post is not to be considered legal or tax advice. I am not a lawyer or an accountant. I’m writing this strictly for informational purposes only. Always consult a lawyer when purchasing pre-construction real estate. ANOTHER NOTE: If you find this article confusing, good. That’s the number one point I’m trying […]
My Experience With the New Residential Rental Property Rebate (HST Rebate)
December 20, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
HST Rebate: background info: I wrote about the HST issue a couple months ago, calling it the “Elephant in the Room” with respect to the pre-construction condo market. I wanted to follow up this post with my own personal experience with dealing with the HST rebates (New Residential Rental Property Rebate-NRRP) when buying a new […]
Read more
Pricing Starting to Favour Pre-Construction
December 2, 2009 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
Once upon a time in Toronto real estate, there was a rule that investors followed religiously – you only buy a pre-construction condo if the price is lower than that of a comparable existing resale condo. If the price wasn’t lower than existing resale condos of similar quality in the immediate area, then it just […]
Read more
Why No One is Buying Your Assignment
January 29, 2010 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
Around this time last year I predicted 2009 was going to be the year of the assignment. I was wrong. While assignments did begin to take a greater role in the overall Toronto condo market, they still have not gone ‘mainstream’. Quite frankly, this method of buying and selling real estate will probably never go […]
Read more
What Ever Happened to Cash Flow?
June 1, 2010 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
Investing in Toronto condos used to be a pretty straightforward proposition: buy a property with as little down as possible then rent it out with the income from the rent covering your mortgage, taxes, maintenance on the property etc. For much of 90s and the first half of the 2000s, this was the way it […]
Read more
Rental Market Heating Up?
June 21, 2010 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
The Globe and Mail had an article last week that suggested that the rental market was heating up as would-be buyers were leaving an overheated condo market in favour of renting. As a result, the rental market is now heating up considerably. The evidence for this hypothesis provided by the author was strictly anecdotal, so […]
Read more
Losing Mentality
September 29, 2010 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
Buying a pre-construction condo takes guts. It takes vision. It takes money. It’s not for everyone, but for those who understand the game and play it well, the rewards are huge. Those who are fearful, lack vision, and have no access to capital will continue to sit on the sidelines and wait. And wait… Every […]
Read more
Investor Mentality
September 30, 2010 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
In contrast to yesterday’s post, “Losing Mentality“, I wanted to present to you some observations about the people who are successful condo investors. Those who buy (and sometimes sell) multiple condos over years and understand that condos as a great way to accumulate long term wealth. They are entrepreneurial. Either they run their own businesses, […]
Read more
What is Your Money Doing for the Next 4 Years?
November 9, 2010 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
At the risk of sounding trite, do you work for your money, or does your money work for you? Is your money sitting around collecting dust in a savings account at 1% interest, or worse – going up and down like a yo-yo in the stock market? Have you been thinking and talking about buying […]
Read more
The Elephant in the Room: HST
June 17, 2011 / by Andrew la Fleur / Insights
NOTE: the following blog post is not to be considered legal or tax advice. I am not a lawyer or an accountant. I’m writing this strictly for informational purposes only. Always consult a lawyer when purchasing pre-construction real estate. ANOTHER NOTE: If you find this article confusing, good. That’s the number one point I’m trying […]
Read more