How is the Real Estate Market? That is the wrong question to ask.

I get asked all the time get asked all the time by clients, prospects, investors, other agents even what the real estate market is like. The answer always starts the same… (I did not even really consider the habitual way I answer this question and thus the inspiration for this post!)

That answer is “well, real estate is a cycle – it goes up and down and has a top/middle/bottom and in Alberta due the energy sector economy that cycle is typically 7-10 years in Alberta.

A better question might be, where are we at in the real estate cycle? Where do the fundamentals indicate where it might go next? Now, we can only ever have access to so much data from real estate boards, stats can, local media. I do not have a crystal ball, never profess to have owned one in fact – however I can and do speak on what the economic, behavioral, and most importantly the “in the trenches” intel that only those active in the industry are privy to. (those actively investing, renovating, renting real estate in a given market)

The stats year over year, and even month to month sometimes can be a bit deceiving – for example interest rates have dramatically changed in Canada which sort of makes comparing the 2 market conditions a bit silly…but we have to go with something and the public has a short memory so a 12 month period is normally used.

While interest rates do play a role in pricing, because more than 80% of buyers are getting mortgages – the demand side of this equation is not really driven by interest rates. Demand is driven by population growth/decline and that in turn is driven by the availability of mid-high paying jobs in the Market/Area in question.

The reason more people buy houses when money is cheap is that the people who wanted to buy a house can afford it in that current job market with a different “average wage” climate. Cost of labor and materials also drives prices as we have seen in markets like Ontario where developers can’t even complete the buildings due to costs rising over 50% in many categories.

Development does not support increases like that or the project will lose money, and the red tape that makes the process take so long is a post for another day. (I am looking at you government of all levels)

To your success,

Tim Reid

-Respect the Hustle

3 Ways Investors Impact the Price of Real Estate

There have been some interesting articles floating around out there speculating in the material impact that investors have on the real estate market.

Often we hear a lot of noise in the media about foreign buyers driving up real estate markets like Vancouver and Toronto, but what about the last 18 months through the Covid19 pandemic? There was a massive reduction in immigration and foreign investment, so that would indicate a lot of that noise is just that…noise.

For example the BoC (bank of Canada) published stats that would see investors accounting for 20.1% of residential purchases in Canada. That may seem like a lot, but that centers only around residential properties. With having 80% still being purchased by retail home buyers, the impact of investors in this space would seem not that large.

What are the key impacts that Investors do have on pricing?

1. They pay cash or have 20% down and don’t have insured mortgages. — That means they do not pay too much for properties (over market value) or at least they don’t very often and certainly not with our guidance! Typically savvy investors will pay less than market value but at only 20% of the market volume this does not drag the average down significantly

2. Investors force appreciation – through renovations, adding suites, garages, so this does drive up the prices because they are adding value to the properties (example flipping houses) in a short period of time. This has the largest impact on pricing, which often occurs in older areas with naturally higher prices and infill activity in the inner city areas of most Canadian cities

3. Rental increases – while updating, adding value, and of course for rental purposes the goal of a cash flow investor is to maximize that as much as possible, then doing a re-finance to pull capital back out of properties also can have an impact on valuations on properties especially when it comes to commercial assets (6 units or more)

These are the key areas that Investors have a material impact on the stats IMHO. Also, I always like to point out that a lot of residential investors buy directly from home owners which are private sales – which do not get reported by the real estate boards and therefore do not show up in the statistics.

The regulators, banks, real estate boards and media have to work with the data sets that they are given – but this is not the whole picture.

If you would like to know more about how to have your own impact on the real estate market through investing in real estate without the hassles of day to day management Contact us today and let’s chat.

To your success,

Tim Reid

-Respect The Hustle

Real Estate and Inflation

There is a lot of talk about inflation both in the media and in private conversations. With a Canadian election now looming in the fall of 2021, these are all hot topics for real estate investors, business owners, and what should be a topic of discussion for everyone else…but is it?

The price of most thing that people spend money on goes up slowly, like the analogy of a frog put in a pot of slowly boiling water will not jump out it will just cook because the change is happening so slowly. (that is a myth by the way the frog will actually jump out when it gets too hot!) Inflation can creep up on you devaluing your dollars and you get the same amount of goods for more money.

Real estate values are derived in a number of ways but the primary metric is the value of the land and the replacement cost. Rent naturally may fall when depressions occur however they rebound faster than many other investments once things start to recover. The investment of real estate has been called a “hedge against inflation” because its value keeps pace with inflation due to labor costs for construction and rents keeping up with inflation very closely.

In an uncertain world, which is less certain now than usual real estate has always been the cornerstone of building wealth for Canadians.

Further detail on this concept in this article here from Crew;

http://ow.ly/nqUD50FSUYt

If you would like to learn more about how to add passive real estate to your portfolio or expand your investments without the headaches of day to day management. Contact us for a discovery a call

PS: did you know that you can invest you RRSP’s in real estate to get great returns secured like the banks? Give is a call and we can show you what the banks will never tell you.

To your success

Tim Reid

-Respect The Hustle

Calgary Real Estate Market Real Deal

What is going on in the market? Is it slowing down? Is it speeding up? Are there still competing offers?

These are the questions that I get often both as a realtor and investor these days. There is no simple answer, but what we are seeing on the ground is what I had predicted for the most part back in April/May with the looming stress test and the opening of the economy (whatever that really means is up to your personal world view!).

Summer generally sees a shift in buying behavior with kids being out of school and vacation mode kicking in. I have a number of deals on the go at the moment which have been heavily impacted by what I call the “vacation factor” -so that happens to residential as well in any given year.

Inventory is up, buyers pool/motivation has shifted, and financing is now harder to get – this will have downward pressure on pricing as well as speed of sales. Reminder that sales are only recorded by the real estate boards once the property closes…so it could have sold 3 months ago and now is just getting reported.

There is now the ability to show properties relatively easily whereas bookings were tough for the first few days of any new listing on the market. There can still be competing offers for aggressively priced properties relative to the competition in a given community.

Investor demand for renovation projects remains strong, as there is a lack of new builds in the closer in amenity rich neighborhoods. Also, certain schools with differing programs with a draw radius draws families to those areas as well.

Properly marketed properties, that show well, and are priced right are selling very well under the 600K mark where more expensive homes have flattened out/slowed down. If you would like to learn more about how to get top dollar for your home or sell privately in the non-traditional way contact us today for a discovery call.

To your success,

Tim Reid

-Respect The Hustle

3 Tricks to buying a new home from a builder.

When buying your first home, you might look at buying new or “resale homes” both are very difference processes. With a re-sale home bought through the original or future owners most choose to work with a Realtor in Calgary or other markets.

Having an agent to navigate you through the process, help with referrals to service providers, really makes the process a lot smoother for many buyers.

When buying a new home, driving up to that shiny sales center with the smiling representative in that gleaming show suite/show home is very exciting! However there are some things that many buyers do not know about the staff working in there.

1.

Firstly, the best way to not get tricked is by being educated about the dynamic.The staff in the sales center work for the Developer, they are paid to maximize profit for their employer – not get the best deal/value for money for the customers that walk through the door. They do the best they can with the scenario they are given, remember that they work for the “man/woman” not really for the customer.

2.

With all new product sales GST is applicable, for all new home sales in Alberta GST will be added to the purchase price and the price of any upgrades made to the property prior to construction. There will need to be disclosures singed to acknowledge that you understand were an how GST will be calculated for the sale.

3.

The most important thing to consider is that the builder will more often than not use THEIR OWN CONTRACT for the purchase. This is often non-negotiable and the builder’s team of lawyers have written this contract in their favor – not the consumers. Like any good business their lawyers wrote that sucker to protect THEM not YOU. Having this reviewed by your real estate agent or your own lawyer is highly recommended. (both would be a best practice)

Buying a brand new-home with new home warranty in a brand new building or a spanky new house in a new community with great amenities and new schools is exciting, make sure you keep that excitement all throughout the process by asking good questions and having a professional help you through the jungle -that way you are protected and often will be able to negotiate a better deal.

As always if you have any questions about this or other real estate topics, contact us today to book a discovery call.

To your success,

Tim Reid

-respect the hustle

Timing and Motivation Client Immutable laws

Today I had what I would expect is a common challenge most business owners in real estate fact often, that challenge was the matter of timing. We have all heard the phrase “timing is everything” and I would agree that timing is the most important business force surmounting any other.

The client that I had a booked meeting with, albeit several days ago by the team – which in today’s faced paced real estate market might as well have been a lifetime ago …. had already bought a house. Now, this could result in frustration, anger, resentment, or many other colorful emotions and expletive language to go along with it! (the mental battle was touch and go for a few minutes there)

A better tactic is to ask yourself “self…what am I meant to LEARN from this experience?” Which was what I did to analyze the chain of events that lead to the outcome I didn’t want because if you constantly focus on what you don’t want you tend to get more of that.

Looking back through the booking process, sending the calendar invite (not accepted but that’s common), sending the zoom invite, text message the invite to be sure they got it, then as is my custom – the phone call 15-30 minutes beforehand to confirm they have it all and will by by the computer and not driving or walking the dog so I can garner their full attention to the meeting. I did not see many improvements that could be made in the system, other than calling the day before on a holiday weekend to ensure the meeting time still works.

Then I thought a bit harder, and I was reminded of the fundamental truths of sales: it could have just been the timing or motivation of the prospect. In this case the motivation was there clearly – just not the timing of our sales presentation. That is something that no salesperson or staff member can change. If someone does not have the problem your product solves or they have said problem and are unmotivated to solve it, you could have the cure for cancer and they will not pay attention let alone pay for that product or service!

Whether your business is in real estate investing, rocket ship repair, forestry, or IT timing and motivation is something you need to explore/ nail down/work within or you will have a real task on your hands wasting cycles attempting to convert those who are not in the end of the buying journey.

Thinking of investing in real estate in Calgary or other markets in Canada? Contact our team to book a discovery call to find out how building wealth for 3 generations could be easier than you think.

To your success,

Tim Reid

-Respect The Hustle

Calgary Real Estate Market Heating up?

The Calgary Real Estate market for buyers, sellers, investors is certainly a strange place over the last couple months. Everyone thought that after all the deferrals were done there would be a flood of foreclosures. Are they still waiting in the wings? Could be, but the low inventory situation that we find Calgary in right now has created an atypical surge in sales.

Low interest rates and much higher than average savings in Canadian bank accounts due to pandemic lock downs have allowed many families to inadvertently save up a down payment! Now, not all sectors of real estate in Calgary are moving fast:

  1. Luxury homes are slow moving over 1.5M in most areas of Calgary – some areas of aspen have seen motivated sellers drop prices 100’s of thousands of dollars to get the homes sold
  2. Condo market for apartment style homes in the inner city has been a slow mover, with inventory here being far higher than demand.
  3. Older un-renovated homes under 1000sft which are normally sold to developers are slow to move because spec-home developers are being very cautious on their purchase prices for lots.

Single family and semi-detached homes are moving quick, also demand for half-duplexes with no condo fees has skyrocketed due in part for the buyer now seeing the possibility of adding a basement suite for having that extra revenue. I had a younger client recently tell me that that type of property would be great for his first home so that he could rent out the 2 suites when he decides to upgrade – what a smart young man! I wish I was thinking in those terms when I was younger, things would be very different now if that were the case.

We are seeing CS properties before I can get clients in to view them, properties going 50K over list price, and even private deals which we specialize in normally not having as much competition…we got outbid by a neighbor for a private seller of a lot I was working on selling to a builder contact of ours! Ouch – losing out on a private deal in a great location is not normal operating mechanics for Calgary real estate.

The stats won’t support this opinion, but I am seeing a balanced market at the moment in Calgary and if we don’t see a volume of inventory hit the market by spring when it gets warm and everyone wants to move….then we could have a seller’s market on our hands.

What do you do in a sellers market VS a buyers market? Good question – contact us and we are thrilled to help advise/answer questions on what could be the best strategy for your goals.

To your success,

Tim Reid

-Respect the hustle