Ken Anderson, Broker in Burlington, Ontario

A lot of people think that real estate investment is simply passive investing. On the face of it, it appears that way, but most successful real estate investors take command of their investment. Firstly, by acquiring knowledge and creating alliances or a 'team' to work with. Before plunging into residential rental property investing, I recommend that you read, understand and know all facets of the Residential Tenancies Act (in Ontario, similar in other provinces or states) its quidelines and methods. Anything you don't understand you should call the bureau involved and ask questions. If it's a legal question, ask a lawyer who specializes in this type of property law. If it's a real estate method of procuring, divesting or renting this type of property, consult with a seasoned agent who is highly conversant and experienced in this type of property.

Okay, now you're set. Have your agent show you some various listings of the type and in the area that you are interested in, and explain the advantages, disadvantages and types of return to expect. It's not good enough just to have the return stated in a simple fashion as 10% positive cash flow or the like. You need to know a lot more, and it's your responsibility to learn more. If you aren't getting the answers you need to make a logical buying decision, find someone who will get them for you.

Before you even look, though, you need to align yourself with a good lender or mortgage broker and go over the plan you have for investing in rental properties. Find out what financing options are available to you, alternative options and rates, conditions and special privileges.

You should already have been working hand-in-hand with your tax accountant and lawyer to ascertain the best methods for taking ownership to save you tax monies and increase write-offs.

Now you're ready to call that agent back and start looking into the market in earnest!

Happy Hunting!

Finally I've done it!

I've always had an affinity with nature and ecology, as far back as I can remember. Oh, we may have had different terminology, but just the same, I have always cared for nature and all things to be conserved by watching nature and it's wonders folding and unfolding again.

As a little boy on our farm in western Manitoba, I spent all my waking hours and days out-of-doors. We had no TV or internet, and our neighbours were miles down the road. So I played with my friends the birds, the farm animals, the creatures of the forest, the fields, the ponds and the streams. I could swoop like a hawk, chatter like a magpie, chastise like a bluejay, threaten like a crow, and quack like a mallard. I made up stories and games with the plow-horse, the milking cows, the hens, the pigs and, of course, my constant companion, Nipper, our herding Border Collie, who kept me in check.

So finally, instead of just telling my clients about ways to save money on heat, electricity and water in their homes, I now have credentials to back it up. Funny, what a few letters do for you.

I now am an Accredited Green Agent (AGA)!

When you're considering buying or selling, consider the Green aspects of your purchase and sale. Many buyers, especially those born after 1975, are conscious of keeping our planet green, and will lean towards a Green home, all things being equal. They are usually willing and expect to pay a little more for it.

Besides, a Green home is a comfortable home.

Want some knowledgeable advice on buying, selling or converting to a Green home, give me a call, I'm an ACCREDITED GREEN AGENT now!

I was sitting across from my sister-in-law (also a realtor) when her sister told her that her friend would like to see the house on her street that was for sale privately with a FSBO marketing company sign on the lawn. My sister-in-law's response was 'no way, I don't show privates, especially if they are with one of 'those' companies. I questioned her on it, saying most of them will cooperate with agents, and if you have a Buyer's Agency Agreement with the buyer, what's the problem? She said she didn't want to do 'all the work' of a listing agent and buying agent for only half the commission. I shut up then, as I didn't see any point of debating the topic in the milieu of a birthday party (hers, to boot).

Mere postings on MLS, therefore Realtor.com/Realtor.ca are a relatively new phenomonen in our balliwick, and I know that a lot of you have been dealing with this a lot longer than we, so I wondered what your attitude and response might be.

Personally, I used to avoid private sales in the past, because only about one in five would cooperate with agents anyway. Also, they were usually never priced attractively, and unless my buyers drove by it and loved it from the outside, hardly ever even asked about them. On the odd occasion that happened, I would call the seller and find out if he would cooperate, and if so, I would run over with an 'Agreement to Pay Commission' to be signed, then show it. I even sold a few.

With the advent of Buyer Agency I was less inhibited about showing privates, as I made my buyers understand that they were responsible for making up any difference if the seller refused to pay a buying agents commission. With the changes that allow FSBO 'marketing' firms to post listings on the MLS site (through a cooperating Realtor), buyers now see these listings on Realtor.ca and if they are relavent may want to view them. Protected by my Buyer Agency agreement, and the fact that more and more private sellers are advised to cooperate with agents, I have no problem showing them, and on occasion have gotten full listing/selling commission even.

Anyway, what do you do with FSBO's and 'mere listings'?

" I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it". - Thomas Jefferson

Do you find yourself listening to the news, or reading the paper and hearing how bad things are in the real estate market? Or how good it is in your area, and you've been dry for a month? Depressing isn't it? I decided long ago not to pay attention to the news as it pertains to real estate. But my prospects hear this stuff, and watch the reality shows about how to sell a house, how to buy a house, how to choose an agent, how to buy/sell without an agent and so on.