From Renter to Investor: One Couple's Journey
Dreaming of buying property in Canada and making it big with your investment properties, but not sure where to begin? Look no further - today, we're diving deep into our real estate journey thus far. Our story is one of perseverance, creativity, and a relentless drive to achieve financial freedom. We have navigated through the challenges of getting started in real estate, from securing financing to finding and vetting tenants. Along the way, we learned valuable lessons that ultimately led to the success that we enjoy today.
The First Step: Becoming a Homeowner
For us, the journey began with the search for an affordable first home. Like many young couples, we found the housing market daunting, with prices seemingly out of reach. But we discovered a creative solution - a duplex. By purchasing a duplex and living in the basement unit, we were able to generate rental income from the upstairs unit, making our mortgage payments more manageable. This initial step not only provided us with a place to call home but also laid the foundation for our future real estate investments.
Overcoming Obstacles: Financing and Tenant Management
As we expanded our portfolio, we faced new challenges, including securing financing and navigating the world of property management. The first hurdle was understanding the various financing options available, such as home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). What we realized is we don't need to save the down payment every single time we want to purchase a property. Why not take out some Equity through a home equity line of credit and then use that as the down payment? This innovative approach allowed us to leverage the existing assets to fund our next investment. Managing tenants also presented its own set of obstacles. We had some lessons that we learned over the years. We cant emphasize the importance of thorough tenant screening and clear communication. Always have things in writing, to make sure that you protect yourself. This will also make sure that you're upfront and fair with your tenants from the very beginning, creating a strong relationship with your customers.
Scaling Up: From Duplexes to Apartment Buildings
As our real estate portfolio grew, we ventured into larger multi-family properties, including a 9-unit apartment building. This transition required navigating more complex financing options, such as vendor take back mortgages. In order to scale, we basically pulled all the equity we could from our other properties. We were able to come up with a sizable down payment. The rest of the funding came from vendor take back mortgage from the seller. This strategic approach allowed us to expand our holdings while maintaining a healthy cash flow.
The Power of Diversification: Cleaning Company Acquisition
In addition to our real estate investments, we recently acquired a commercial cleaning company, Twin City Commercial Cleaners, which further helped us diversify our income streams. The rationale for this move was to find a "recession-proof, COVID-proof" business that could provide stable, recurring revenue. We really like the services type businesses. Every month the money is coming in - its more about the relationship building and less transactional. The business also complimented our Real Estate portfolio locations. It currently services the following markets: Brantford, Cambridge, Guelph, Hamilton, Kitchener, and Waterloo. This was not a deal breaker by any means, but definitely a value add.
Leaving a Legacy: The Next Generation
Our ultimate goal is to create a lasting legacy for our family. We aspire to provide our children with more opportunities than we had growing up. This vision of generational wealth and entrepreneurship is a driving force behind our real estate and business ventures.
For those inspired by our story and looking to embark on your own real estate journey, our advice is simple: "Focus on the first steps." Its important to set up clear goals, breaking them down into actionable steps, and taking that crucial first leap of faith, even when the path ahead may seem daunting. Whether you're a first-time home buyer or an aspiring real estate investor, we hope our story serves as a powerful reminder that with determination, creativity, and a willingness to learn, the Canadian dream of building wealth through property can be within reach.
If you are interested in finding out more information on how you can invest with us on our next deal – reach out to us directly at 289-242-6294 or steeltowntitovs@gmail.com
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Have you seen our book "The Novice Investor"? https://tinyurl.com/y3gbtw3a
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER
The information provided in this blog is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be a source of advice with respect to the material presented. The information contained in this blog do not represent legal or financial advice and should never be used without first consulting with a financial professional to determine what is in your best interest to meet your individual needs.
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