I have written many topical real estate articles, which have been published in national print magazines, television, WebTV, and on online real estate forums.
Below are some of the "expert/authority" media coverage I have received.
     
Financial Results of Solar Panel Project in Toronto, Ontario, Canada  
Financial Results of my Solar Panel Pilot Project (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Solar panel-based renewable energy has been tossed about so much, and fake news is so pervasive that it's tough to know the truth of its real savings potential. And every utility company's predisposition towards solar power is different too.

 

I wanted to know how much electricity expense I could potentially reduce if I installed solar panels on two electrically-heated buildings that I own and operate. To separate fact from fiction and get to the truth of solar panel financial viability, I installed a solar panel system on my home roof, which went operational June 12, 2021. Performance monitoring began July 12, 2021.

 

Date: June 24, 2022

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Who Profits most from Unaffordable Housing?

Runtime: 93 minutes
(streaming YouTube)
 
Real Talk With Gary Hibbert - The Canadian Housing Crisis - What's Next? (YouTube)

 

n this interview Gary Hibbert discusses with me a wide range of matters related to Canada’s, and especially Ontario’s, unaffordable housing crisis. We zero in on its causes, symptoms and a variety of solutions. In particular, Chris focuses on why “government cannot afford affordable housing.” Other topics discussed include:

  • Retiring on investment property income
    • Preparing for hyper-inflation
  • What investments besides real estate track with inflation?
  • Impact of stress test on unaffordable housing
  • Why are the greatest housing shortages in the most socialist provinces?
  • Government can’t afford affordable housing
  • Feedback on the province’s Affordable Housing Task Force report
  • NIMBYs contribute significantly to unaffordability
  • Oshawa rental property licensing program is a national concern
    • Licensing instantly wipes out $110 million in rental property equity
  • Understanding cap(italization) rate
  • Long-term tenants wipe out vast amounts of growth-building and retirement equity
  • Ontario’s Above Guideline Increase fiasco
  • Tenants (not landlords) pay property taxes and some capital expenses
  • New (ludicrous) tax schemes
  • Government massively widened the wealth gap between haves and have-nots
  • Significant danger in over-leveraging in this economy
    • Don’t borrow—pay down your mortgages

 

Date: March 30, 2022

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Heat Pumps: Harnessing "free" heat for long-term sustainable heating and cooling (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

"Free" electricity (like solar panels) and "free" heat (like heat pumps) is always compelling, especially with the unaffordability crisis of rental and purchase housing. This is my analysis of why I invested in a high-end heat pump using my after-tax retirement money, especially with the 850% increase in carbon tax heading our way by 2030.

Date: May 16, 2023

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The Big Bang Event of Ontario’s Housing Shortage Crisis

 

The Big Bang attempts to explain how our universe began from just a single point called a singularity. The universe has been expanding ever since.

Ontario’s housing crisis, more specifically the unaffordability and unavailability (shortage) crisis also had a Big Bang moment, the singularity from which the housing crisis has been worsening over the long term ever since.

How much money did the Ontario governemnt spend to save tenants $237 million during the last "vacancy control" rent registry debacle?

 

Date: July 24, 2023

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Solving the Human Rights Pitfalls of Residential Tenancy Applications

 

The laws, rules, forms and legal procedures of residential tenancy applications, pre-screening and the so-called moral intent behind fair and unbiased residential tenancy applications are woefully confusing, convoluted and esoteric, all in the name of imposing a particular moral code that currently results in all housing providers being characterized by government by the lowest common denominator of slumlord.

 

Much of the conflict between tenants and housing providers is easier to resolve than many people might think. The legal pitfalls and other moral issues involved in the residential tenancy application process has already been solved for half (figuratively, not literally) of the housing market.

 

Date: July 24, 2023

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2024 Rent Increase Guideline - Government Takes Undue Credit, and Consequences

 

The Government of Ontario issued a press release written to tenants, taking credit for capping the annual rent increase guideline at 2.5% for the 2024 calendar year. This rent increase cap was put in place many years ago during the decade of incredibly low interest rates, and long before the current provincial administration.

 

The "savings" for tenants that the government bragged about resulted in $6.8 BILLION of property value being instantly wiped out.

 

Why would any investor or developer want to build housing in Ontario?

 

Date: August 12, 2023

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Strong Powers, Weak Mayors

 

On June 16, 2023, Ontario conferred “… Strong Mayor Powers to Build More Homes Faster … to the mayors of 26 large and fast-growing municipalities that have committed to a housing pledge as part of the province’s work to build 1.5 million homes by 2031.

 

Now mayors have the power to effect real change but some mayors refused to embrace these powers that could break NIMBYism deadlocks and city council contrarian agendas. Still other mayors claimed the powers were undemocratic. Weak and/or populist politicians hide behind their failures to implement their campaign promises because they claim either that they have only one vote on city council or they are unable to change the bureaucracy of the civil service that run the municipality.

 

Date: July 14, 2023

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Misunderstood Co-insurance Don’t be Surprised When it’s Too Late

 

Arguably, all tenants and most small-to-medium housing providers are unaware of the insurance industry’s controversial and contentious “co-insurance” scheme that can significantly impact tenants and policy holders. The label “co-insurance” is misleading. One could not be faulted for thinking It means your insurance company is “sharing” the risk with another insurance company, for example, but that's not correct.

 

Date: April 16, 2023

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Insurance Companies Wrongly Deny Coverage for 60A Service

 

Two of the companies replied that they would not quote on the renewal of my building insurance policy because the property operates with a 60A (amp) service and they demand a minimum 100A service before they’ll consider coverage.

 

 I’ve not found any evidence of any kind that 60A service with a circuit panel poses any consequential risk of any kind.

 

Date: September 16, 2022

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Oshawa proposal is state-sanctioned surveillance by unaccountable enforcement officers

Oshawa proposal is state-sanctioned surveillance by unaccountable enforcement officers


City of Oshawa rebuttal to article that  city-wide rental licensing is state-sanctioned surveillance by unaccountable enforcement officers - 2022 03 29

Detail response email to City of Oshawa proposal for a city-wide rental licensing program - 2022 04 11


 

Oshawa's City-wide Rental Housing Licensing Program

 

Background: The City of Oshawa proposed to implement a city-wide licensing program for rental housing properties of every type. The program called for 33 additional by-law staff in additional to the existing 28 at a cost of almost $5 million per year ... to be paid for by residential housing providers.

 

Video Presentation (YouTube): On April 21, 2022 I did a Zoom presentation to the Quinte Region Landlords Association on the consequences I foresee if Oshawa moves forward with its city-wide program to license all residential rental properties.

 

 

Original Article: On March 29, 2022, Real Estate Magazine published an article I wrote titled "Oshawa proposal is state-sanctioned surveillance by unaccountable enforcement officers"

(Real Estate Magazine link)

 

 

Oshawa's rebuttal: On April 01, 2022, Real Estate Magazine published a rebuttal article written by the City of Oshawa titled, "Oshawa says REM column misrepresented facts on rental housing licensing review"

(Real Estate Magazine link)

 

Meeting & Petition: A City committeee meeting scheduled for April 04, 2022 was established to receive feedback from the public on the licensing proposal. I submitted a petition of 517 signatures (since passed 550+) and made a 10-minute delegation presentation calling for the cessation of the proposal. Petition is here: https://chng.it/cpvNgPjS

 

Follow-up Feedback: On April 11, 2022 I submitted a detailed response to Oshawa's City Councillors about the possible negative consequences of the licensing program as well as suggestions on other solutions that the City could consider in addressing the issues conteplated by the prposed licensing program. 

 

Speech to Oshawa Safety Committee: On Sept. 18, 2023, based on the intended duties and inspection cycles, plus the additional staff and resources listed in Oshawa's Safety Committee report SF-23-28,  attempted once again to classify all residential rental housing providers as profit-centric, insensitive, low-class operators with no moral inclination to operate anything better than pest- and mould-ridden, electrically-dangerous, fire traps. This is my speech to that committee. 

     
    Date: March 29 to May 03, 2022, September 18, 2023
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Who Profits most from Unaffordable Housing?  
Who Profits Most From Unaffordable Housing - Real Estate Magazine

Rental and purchase housing unaffordability will be the top-of-mind determining factor in our next provincial and federal elections. The federal political parties are indistinguishable when reviewing their respective solutions. None understand the core fundamental causes of unaffordability, nor do provincial housing ministries and CMHC.

 

Who’s driving unaffordability? All tenant advocates and most politicians and media blame the obvious culprits: landlords and investors. But who really benefits? Who stands to profit most from increased prices? Follow the money.

 

Date: April 19, 2022

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Affordable Housing - Causes and effects and how to fix it
First video
Runtime: 102 minutes
(streaming YouTube)


Affordable Housing - Causes and effects and how to fix it

Second video
Runtime: 98 minutes
(streaming YouTube)
 
Affordable Housing: Causes and Effects and How to Fix It (YouTube)

 

How to Fix Unaffordable Housing (YouTube) second presentation

 

The affordable housing crisis is incredibly complex and crosses all boundaries and lines of government, political parties, high- to low-income groups, societal demographic groups from millennials to seniors, health-related groups and many other definitions of need.

 

Despite the uninformed opinions of tenants, their advocates, some media and public housing agencies, government does not have the money to make a dent. Even the federal government’s 10-year $40-billion housing plan could generate only perhaps 18,900 units/year across Canada. Most government solutions such as speculation taxes, banning “renoviction,” a $1-million home tax, foreign ownership taxes and so on all add cost to housing, making it more unaffordable despite political optics.

 

There are thousands of stories about what’s causing unaffordable housing. Rather than regurgitate symptoms and causes, the following are actionable items to create immediate and near-immediate results to alleviate housing availability and affordability. Rather than regurgitate symptoms and causes, watch this video to learn about a variety of actionable items to create immediate and near-immediate results to alleviate housing unavailability and un-affordability.

 

Download slide presentation used in this video.

Date: January 11, 2022 and February 07, 2022

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Making your residential property more affordable to you  
Make Your Property More Affordable to You as a Landlord (YouTube)

Real Estate Podcaster Luca Andolfatto interviews Chris Seepe for "The Way It Is" podcast. Chris discusses a wide variety of topics that an owner-operator needs to know about successfully managing and improving the value of residential rental investment properties in Ontario, Canada, one of the most heavily-regulated, tenant-biased rental markets in the world. Chris discusses how to make informed financial decisions that can help a residential housing provider stay ahead of the onslaught of legislation that perpetually siphons away to government agencies the financial incentive for investors to otherwise provide housing.

 

Date: Fenruary 02, 2022

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Affordable Housing - Causes and Effects
Runtime: 30 minutes
(streaming YouTube)
 
 
Causes & Effects of Unaffordable Housing - Hitting Home with Mike & Arif (Rogers TV on YouTube)

Mike and Arif, talk show hosts of Hitting Home, discusses with Chris Seepe the causes and effects of the Affordable Housing crisis.

 

Date: December 07, 2021

 
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Affordable Housing - Causes and Effects  
Three-year Delays in Recovery of "Forced Loans" to Tenants - Real Estate Magazine

The arcane Above Guideline Increase process severely negatively impacts the tenant-landlord relationship and feeds the hysteria and misperception that landlords are greedy and immoral. Meanwhile, landlords must wait three years or more without any benefit to recover money that landlords were legislatively forced to loan to tenants so that the government was paid in full and on time.

 

Well gosh golly gee wiz … isn’t that what residential landlords are asking for too? To be paid in full and on time, and for tenants to respect the property and their neighbours? I’d argue that 85 per cent of all conflict that arises between tenants and landlords can be categorized under one of those two criteria.

 

Date: March 15, 2022

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Aztech Realty - podcast interview - Chris Seepe - investing in multifamily multiresidential property
Runtime: 55 minutes
(50 MB download)
Discussion starts at 7:00
 
First-time Investor Discussion on Investing in Multifamily Properties - Breakthrough Real Estate podcast (audio only - no video)

This one-hour 'Breakthrough' real estate investing podcast discusses

     - How I got started and how I found some of my investment properties

    - How to properly analyze a multifamily investment property

    - What to do immediately after purchasing a multifamily investment property

    - What is a Break Even Ratio (BER) and why it matters

    - Analyzing different ratios including NOI, BER, DSCR, cash on cash return, cash flow to purchase price and what they mean

    - What cap rate is and isn't and what it truly means

    - Creative financing examples

    - And much more

Original podcast is here: http://breakthroughreipodcast.ca/episode-63-investing-in-multifamily-properties-with-chris-seepe/

 

Date: February 01, 2018

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Aztech Realty - Chris Seepe - The dark clouds and silver lining of NIMBYs  
The Dark Clouds and Silver Lining of NIMBYs - Real Estate Magazine

There are thousands of stories about what’s causing unaffordable housing. Rather than regurgitate symptoms and causes, this article proposes a list of actionable items to create immediate and near-immediate results to alleviate housing unavailability and un-affordability.  

 

Date: February 23, 2022

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Aztech Realty - webinar interview - Chris Seepe - COVID impact on reidential landlording today and in the future
Video
Runtime: 1.5 hours
(about 570 MB download

Real Estate Magazine - What you need to know about Ontario's new Standard (Form of) Lease
Audio only
Runtime: 1.5 hours
(about  MB download)
 
COVID-19 and Landlord/Tenant Issues - What You Need to know now and for the future - Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington webinar

Video (about 570 MB)

Audio (about 85 MB)


 This one and a half hour webinar discusses

     - How COVID has impacted April through June 2020 rental income & rtenant relationships

    - How COVID will impact investment property values

    - Realtors' tenant placement risk exposure

    - Some of the many statutes and other legislation affecting residential landlording

    - Dealing with tenants - legitimate needs and explotive abuse

    - Missing clauses from Ontario's standard tenancy agreement

    - Guarantors are not tenants

 

Date: June 04, 2020

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Aztech Realty - How to fix unaffordable housing  
How to Fix Unaffordable Housing - Real Estate Magazine

There are thousands of stories about what’s causing unaffordable housing. Rather than regurgitate symptoms and causes, this article proposes a list of actionable items to create immediate and near-immediate results to alleviate housing unavailability and un-affordability.  

 

Date: January 14, 2022

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Chris Seepe - Organized insurance scam or troubled industry  
Organized insurance scam or troubled industry? - Real Estate Magazine

From what I have researched I don’t see anything that indicates that the Canadian insurance industry and 82 per cent of its member companies were hurt by COVID-19 – quite the opposite.

 

Date: April 06, 2021

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 
     
Chris Seepe - The great Ontario electricity rebate con    
The great Ontario electricity rebate con - Real Estate Magazine

You may not be aware yet but I believe you’re in for a shocking (pun intended) surprise. Residential landlords in particular, but small businesses and consumers in general, have been hammered … again … by the Ontario provincial government. This article analyzes in great detail the deliberate misdirection by the provincial government to con consumers into believing they received a savings benefit from the supposed rebate on electricity in Ontario.

 

Date: April 27, 2021

 
    _______________________________________________________________________________________________  
     
Go Beyond Collections - podcast on collecting rent arrears in Ontario, Canada  
Podcast: Rent Arrears Collections - Go Beyond Collections

CEO of Go Beyond Collections Agency, Greg Maitinsky, discusses with Chris Seepe the challenges, reality, and "dark side" of residential landlording, as well as the arduous process of collecting rent arrears.

 

Date: August 2019

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - Is Ontario's Annual Rent Increase Fair?

Canadian Apartment Magazine - Is Ontario's Annual Rent Increase Fair?
 
Ontario’s Rent Increase Guideline – Is it Fair? - Real Estate Magazine and Canadian Apartment Magazine

Most residential landlords would say without hesitation that Ontario’s annual rent increase guideline does not fairly reflect the true cost of operating a residential rental property in Ontario. Is that really true?

 

Date: August 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: October 2019

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Aztech Realty - Chris Seepe video presentation on the Ontario Standard Lease Agreement
Runtime: about 2 hours, 16 minutes
(1.2 GB download)





Aztech Realty - Chris Seepe video presentation on the Ontario Standard Residential Tenancy Agreement
Runtime: about 1.5 hours
(5 GB streaming file through YouTube only)
 
Standard Lease Agreement Presentation (2-hour video)

This two-hour video is a recording of a presentation I did on Ontario's mandatory Standard Lease Agreement (SLA), which is now required for most residential tenancies. The presentation discusses details each of the 72 clauses that I feel are 'missing' from the SLA and which form my Appendix B of the SLA.

 

See: www.standardlease.ca  or  www.ontariostandardlease.com

 

Date: April 11, 2018

 

 

 

Ontario Standard Residential Tenancies Agreement Presentation (1.5-hour video)

This 1.5 hour video is a recording of a presentation I did before a group of realtors specializing in multiresidential investment properties, discussing the most important clauses of the 78 clauses I feel are 'missing', and which form my Appendix B. It's an update of the presentation immediately above.

 

Note that the file is about 5 GB in size, which is too large to download so it is best viewed through YouTube: https://youtu.be/0XE5l9YhXSE

 

See: www.standardlease.ca  or  www.ontariostandardlease.com

 

Date: April 04, 2019 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Sample compressed Ontario Standard Lease Agreement  (Canada)   
Compressed Word-editable and field-fillable version of the Standard Lease Agreement (SLA)

Compresses the SLA from 14 pages to 5.25 pages while retaining every letter and punctuation mark in the official .pdf version of the Ontario Standard Lease Agreement -- only the formatting has been edited in this Word version. Adding my own 72 clauses creates a total of 10.75 pages. User can password-protect the document so that only the fillable fields can be changed.

 

See: www.standardlease.ca  or  www.ontariostandardlease.com

 

Topic list and sample of compressed file can be found here.

 

Last Update: 2018 04 23

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________ 
     
Canadian Apartment Magazine - One Rental Property Owner Warns of Missing Standard  Lease Clauses  
Standard Lease Missing Clauses That Could Spell Trouble for Landlords - Canadian Apartment Magazine

Ontario's Standard (form of) Lease (SLA) is 14 pages long and yet is not only confusing in places, heavily tenant-biased in others and providing all kinds of legal advice for tenants, it is missing a large number of critical tenancy clauses that will cause Ontario landlords no end of misery if the respective topics aren't addressed.

 

 

Date: March 2018

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________  
     
Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine - How to Determine the Value of Your Investment Property

Commercial Exchange Magazine - How to Determine the Value of Your Investment Property
 

 

 

How to Determine the Value of Your Investment Property - Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine

This article is a primer for the first time and novice investor for determining the value of an investment property using Net Operating Income (NOI), as well as explaining the benefits and limitations of NOI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Determine the Value of Your Investment Property - Commercial Exchange magazine

This article is a primer for the first time and novice investor for determining the value of an investment property using Net Operating Income (NOI), as well as explaining the benefits and limitations of NOI.

 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Canadian Apartment Magazine - Pricing an Investment Property - Guidelines for Passing the Financing Clause

Real Estate Magazine - Pricing an Investment Property - Guidelines for Passing the Financing Clause
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Pricing an Investment Property: Guidelines for Passing the Financing Clause - Canadian Apartment Magazine and Real Estate Magazine

This is a follow up article to the primer above. It looks at extending your analysis to include the parameters and metrics that lenders use to assess the risk of their loan against your property, including Break-even Ratio (BER) and the Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) of the property (not the borrower). 

 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - The Misunderstood Cap(italization) Rate  
 
Dr. Landlord: The Misunderstood Cap Rate - Real Estate Magazine

This article explains what cap(italization) rate is and especially what it doesn't tell you about the property you're considering buying.

 

Date: February 27, 2018

 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - Where does Cap(italization) Rate Come From?  
Dr. Landlord: Where Does Cap Rate Come From? - Real Estate Magazine

Most investors and realtors can calculate cap(italization) rate nad apply it to determine the baseline value of a property. But where does cap rate come from? Who determines that a particular cap rate should apply to a specific building type in a local market?

 

Date: March 13, 2018

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Canadian Apartment Apt Magazine - Low Cap Rate Purchase Could Mean Future Trouble

Canadian Apartment Apt Magazine - Low Cap Rate Purchase Could Mean Future Trouble

Canadian Apartment Apt Magazine - Low Cap Rate Purchase Could Mean Future Trouble
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 Low Cap Rate Purchase Could Mean Future Trouble - Bull & Bear Financial Report, Canadian Apartment Magazine and Real Estate Magazine

Real estate investors must be VERY careful about purchasing an investment property with a down payment of 25% or less at a cap rate under 5%, at which many investment properties are currently trading.

   

Smaller investors, anxious to purchase a property without proper financial due diligence, could discover that a small decrease in their net operating income or a small increase in interest rate or cap rate could lead to a substantial drop in property value and return on investment.

 

A 2% increase in the interest rate of a mortgage could lead to a 25% reduction in the value of your property and/or cause your property to have more costs than the income the property generates.

 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - What you need to know about Ontario's new Standard (Form of) Lease  
Dr. Landlord: What You Must Know About Ontario's Standard (Form of) Lease - Real Estate Magazine

As of April 30th, 2018 most Ontario residential landlords must use the provincial government's Standard (Form of) Lease agreement.

 

If you don’t know the laws related to residential tenancy, you're almost guarantee as a realtor or landlord to become a victim of it. This article identifies some of the more obvious concerns and risks.

 

The actual editable clauses can be purchased as part of the 'Handouts' package of the Landlording in Ontario real estate course. A sample of the clauses and a list of topics can be found here.

 

Date: March 16, 2018

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Canadian Apartment  Magazine - Ontario's New Standard Lease - One property owner warns of missing clauses that could spell trouble for Landlords  
Dr. Landlord: Ontario's Standard Lease: Missing Clauses that Could Spell for Landlords - Canadian Apartment Magazine

The number one hedge against professional tenants and bad tenant behaviour is a solid qualification process; number two is a robust lease agreement.

 

A landlord must be familiar with  a confluence of Acts—Human Rights Code (HRC), Privacy Act, Residential Tenancies Act, PIPEDA, municipal by-laws, Fire Code, Building Code, Electrical Code, Municipal Act, Rental Fairness (for whom?) Act, Condominium Act, and more. If you think qualifying a tenant doesn’t require this breadth of knowledge then you’d be wrong.

 

Date: May/June, 2018

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Ontario Standard (Form of) Lease appendix summary  
Summary of Ontario Standard (Form of) Lease Appendix B - from the Landlording in Ontario Course and Book

As of April 30th, 2018 most Ontario residential landlords must use the provincial government's Standard (Form of) Lease agreement.

 

The 13-page agreement comprises a 7 page lease that misses many issues and concerns that I have as a landlord. I have crafted an Appendix B with 65+ clauses, based on the 80 topics listed in this summary. The actual editable clauses can be purchased as part of the 'Handouts' package of the Landlording in Ontario real estate course.

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - Ontario's Broken LTB abuses authority



Canadian Apartment Magazine - Ontario's Broken LTB frustrates landlords
 
Dr. Landlord: Ontario’s broken Landlord and Tenant Board abuses authority - Real Estate Magazine

The LTB in Ontario, broken for years, is now resorting to deliberate underhandedness to further frustrate landlords into abandoning their right of due process.

 

Date: November 13, 2019

 

 

 

Dr. Landlord: The Landlord and Tenant Board: Service delays putting more strain on landlords - Canadian Apartment magazine

LTB (or ''Loves Tenants Best'') has been the source of frustration for landlords virtually since its inception in 2007.

 

Date: December 05, 2019

 

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - No Affordable Housing for Another Decade  
Dr. Landlord: No Affordable Housing for Another Decade - Real Estate Magazine

Governments seem oblivious to the fact that AH isn’t just about affordability for home buyers and renters. The AH pandemic will never be solved until the problem is properly defined: AH is “self-sustaining housing that is affordable for the tenant, the landlord and the builder.” Most mainstream lenders won’t fund affordable housing and the few that might demand CMHC mortgage guarantees. .

 

Date: February 21, 2020

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Dr. Landlord - Cannabis / Marijuana Leganization / Legalisation and Renters / Tenants


Canadian Apartment Apt Magazine - Landlords Seek Cannabis Veto
 
Dr. Landlord: Cannabis Legalization and Renters - Real Estate Magazine

The right to smoke in a rental property is not enshrined in any Canadian legislation, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Human Rights Code. Here are some of the serious issues that can adversely affect a landlord and what I did to mitigate that risk and impact.


Date: 2018 09

 
Landlords Seek Cannabis Veto - Canadian Apartment Magazine Online

Chris Seepe is interviewed on his views of permitting tenants to grow and smoke cannabis in his apartment buildings.

Date: 2018 01 25

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Dr. Landlord - Do Ontario residential tenants pay their own property tax?  
Dr. Landlord: Do Residential Tenants Pay Their OwnProperty Taxes? - Real Estate Magazine

Just about everyone beloeves that aprtment owners/landlords pay the property tax as part of their operating expenses. Well, that's not true as this article explains.


Date: 201
9 06

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Canadian Apartment Apt Magazine - Landlords' Guide to PIPEDA


Canadian Property Management Magazine - Landlords' Guide to PIPEDA
 

Dr. Landlord: Landlord's Guide to PIPEDA - Canadian Apartment Magazine

The right to smoke in a rental property is not enshrined in any Canadian legislation, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Human Rights Code.

 

Date: October, 2018

 
 
 

 

PIPEDA Complicates Background Checks - Canadian Property Management Magazine

The same article published in a magazine targeted to property managers.

 

Date: November, 2018

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Canadian Apartment Apt Magazine - Canada's Rental Housing Crisis

Real Estate Magazine - Canada's Rental Housing Crisis
 

 

 

 

 

Canada's Rental Housing Crisis: Where does the fault lie? - Canadian Apartment Magazine and Real Estate Magazine

According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), more than a quarter of Canada's renters and 6.5% of homeowners can't sustain their residence. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM subtle but slippery operative phrase to place blame on ‘market forces’ is misdirection and the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) June 2015 report titled, “Removing Barriers to New Rental Housing in Ontario” missed a variety of critical influences and driving factors.

 

On who's shoulders does Canada's rental housing crising squarely rest, why and what can be done to address it?

 

Date: September, 2018

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - Nuclear plant relocations may create a housing meltdown  
Nuclear plant relocations may create a housing meltdown - Real Estate Magazine

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) announced that it’s moving all its “non-station” personnel to a campus facility next to the existing Darlington Energy Complex in Clarington. These relocated people will compete successfully using their above-average incomes, lifestyles and other relocation incentives against the existing local citizenry who are already struggling to find an 'affordable' (meaning something they can afford, not the government’s fatally flawed definition) place to live.

 

Date: July, 2019

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Ontario Housing Action Plan Symposium summary January 31, 2019  
Summary of my attendance at the Ontario Housing Action Plan Symposium

This is my summary report on the all-day event hosted by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing on January 31st, 2019 to bring together over 200 individuals with disparate agendas and interests to work together to find solutions to Ontario's housing (and affordable housing) crisis.

 

Date: January 31st, 2019

    _______________________________________________________________________________________________
     
Real Estate Magazine - Ontario Canada's Affordable Rental Housing Taxed Higher than Single-family Homes  
Affordable Rental Housing Taxed Higher than Single-family Homes - Real Estate Magazine

As an investor, you should consider property tax rates of municipalities in which you’re considering buying (or building) a multi-unit rental property, not just for their unfair tax practice but also for the actual tax rate of multiresidential properties.

 

Can a municipality justify the overhead cost to service 10 families in the apartment building being about five times higher than servicing the equivalent number of single family homes?

 

Date: September, 2016

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

     
Real Estate Magazine - Solving the Affordable Housing Shortage  
 

 

Solving the Affordable Housing Shortage - Real Estate Magazine

There’s a powerful, compelling answer to addressing the pandemic affordable housing crisis with a huge financial pool available if the government would only take steps to unlock it.

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Real Estate Magazine - What's Causing the Housing Shortage in Ontario Canada  
This is What Causes Housing Shortages - Real Estate Magazine
Ontario’s recent 'Rent Fairness Act' continues the brutal, gratuitous, dystopian, anti-landlord legislation meted out by short-sighted, vote-pandering politicians who have literally (not metaphorically) persecuted landlords for decades; all of it resulting in the national pandemic critical housing shortage. This article cites numerous examples.

Date: 201
7 07 14
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Canadian Apartment Magazine - The Imperiled Investment Property Tax Rate  
The Imperiled Investment Property Tax Rate - Canadian Apartment Magazine
Investment property owners who don't earn their primary income from investment properties could face a much higher tax rate (Seepe cited but is not article's author).

Date: 2018 03 13
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Real Estate Magazine - What the Future Realtor Won't (will NOT) Be  
 
What the Future Realtor Won't Be - Real Estate Magazine
Investment property owners who don't earn their primary income from investment properties could face a much higher tax rate (Seepe cited but is not article's author).

Date: 2018 12
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Aztech Realty - podcast interview - Chris Seepe - GM Oshawa plant shutdown - how will landlords be affected
Runtime: 32 minutes
(62 MB download)
 
General Motors (GM) Oshawa Plant Shutdown - How will it affect local landlords? Boots on the Ground podcast (audio only - no video)

This half-hour Internet radio program session discusses Chris Seepe's view on how the shutdown of the Oshawa automobile manufacturing plant may affect local and regional landlords, and delves into related topics on the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit (RHEU), the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) and the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)

Date: recorded 2018 12 21, released 2019 01 17

 

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Real Estate Magazine - Top 10 Most-Read Articles in the Past 10 Years  
 
Top 10 Most-Read Articles in the Past 10 Years - Real Estate Magazine

Here are the most-read articles of all those that have been published in Real Estate Magazine from 2000 to 2019. Two of the 10 were written by me.

 

Date: 2019 06 26

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Real Estate Magazine - Pearls of Wisdom: Insprational quotes for real estate professionals  
Pearls of Wisdom: Inspiration Quotes for Real Estate Professionals - Real Estate Magazine

The real estate business is a constant emotional and financial roller coaster ride, and it’s easy to forget how fortunate we are. The next time you’re wondering why nothing’s going right, why is this happening to me and what did I do to deserve this, consider these pearls of wisdom in the form of inspirational quotes from some well-known and perhaps not-so-well-known thinkers.

 

Date: 2016 06 28

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Real Estate Magazine - Canada's Rental Housing Crisis  


Does the Rental Industry Have an Image Issue?: - Canadian Apartment Magazine

Chris Seepe is interviewed by Canadian Apartment magazine for his reply to this question .

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Real Estate Magazine - light bulb return on investment (ROI)
Real Estate Magazine

Canadian Apartment Magazine - light bulb return on investment (ROI)
Cdn Apartment Mag

Real Estate Magazine - light bulb return on investment (ROI)
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LED Light Bulb Comparison and Cost Analysis (and spreadsheet) - Real Estate Magazine

 

Whether lighting a single family home or the common areas of an investment property, the difference in electricity cost between LED, fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs is astounding. It costs possibly six times as much to operate an incandescent bulb as it does the equivalent illumination (lumens) of an LED bulb.  This spreadsheet is a detailed analysis and comparison between purchasing and operating an LED, fluorescent and incandescent light bulb. The spreadsheet with all calculations can be downloaded from here so you can plug in your own numbers.

 

 

 

Date: April, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<--- Accompanying do-it-yourself, downloadable, fully-modifiable spreadsheet.

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Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine - Latent Defect: Be Careful What You Sign

Real Estate Magazine - Latent Defect: Be Careful What You Sign
 
 
 

 

 

Latent Defect: Be Careful What You Sign - Canadian Apartment Magazine and Real Estate Magazine

A “patent” defect is one that can be discovered by observation (“obviousness”) or inspection using generally accepted industry-standard practices. A “latent” defect is one that is present but is not obvious, visible, apparent or actualized and can’t be discovered by industry-standard inspection practices. The principle of caveat emptor appears to be either becoming more specifically defined or more exceptions are occurring.

 
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Real Estate Magazine - Fentanyl a Threat to Landlords and Realtors  
Fentanyl a Threat to Landlords and Realtors - Real Estate Magazine

Fentanyl is an incredibly powerful synthetic opioid analgesic approved to treat chronic pain and as an anesthetic that's 100 times more powerful than morphine, 50 times more toxic than heroin, and 20 to 40 times more potent than heroin. Four salt-size grains of pure fentanyl can kill the average adult. It can be a serious threat to first responders because fentanyl can be absorbed through the skin.

 
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Canadian Apartment Magazine - Inside Ontario's (Canada) Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)

Real Estate Magazine - Inside Ontario's (Canada) Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)
 
 
 
 
 
Inside Ontario's Landlord-Abusive Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) - Canadian Apartment Magazine and Real Estate Magazine
A review of the listed rights of the landlord and the tenant in Ontario's (Canada) Residential Tenancies Act shows that 34 provisions specifically benefit tenants (against landlords) and eight that balance the rights of the landlord and tenant (eg. changing locks). How many uniquely benefit landlords?
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Real Estate Magazine - Who Failed 45% of First-time Homebuyers?  

 

Who Failed 45% of First-time Homebuyers? - Real Estate Magazine
A Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) news release summarized its November 2015 survey: “… almost half (45 per cent) of first-time buyers and 41 per cent of homeowners wish they had done something differently during the transaction ." A Globe and Mail article stated, “It is widely accepted that about 90 per cent of all home sales in Canada take place through the Multiple Listing Service ..."  Who failed these buyers?
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Real Estate Magazine - Canada's new Anti-Spamming Law will Change the Way you do Business  

 

Canada's new Anti-Spamming Law will Change the Way you do Business - Real Estate Magazine (online)

A 2014 update on a solar panel review done in 2012. Green' is often a euphemism for 'money' and rental property owners faced with major capital costs are likely going to give the highest priority to the use that makes the best overall business sense, with return on investment likely being a major factor. This story looks into the pros and cons of, and the business case for and against, installing roof-based solar panels.

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Real Estate Magazine - Marketing a Luxury Property  

 

 

Marketing a Luxury Property - Real Estate Magazine

How many people in Canada are in the market to buy a 28-room summer home with 1,450 acres of land, 9,000 feet of lakefront, three wet slips, two farms and a modern four-bedroom log cabin? At $12 million, very few, so broadening the buyer field through exposure to a worldwide market is essential. This is not a post-it-on-the-MLS-and-wait-for-calls kind of listing. Creative strategies and a lot of hard work go into marketing a world class property to elite target markets.

 

Date: 2015 05.

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Canadian Apartment Magazine - Exploring Soloar (Panel) Systems  

 

 

Exploring Solar Systems - Canadian Apartment Magazine

A 2014 update on a solar panel review done in 2012. Green' is often a euphemism for 'money' and rental property owners faced with major capital costs are likely going to give the highest priority to the use that makes the best overall business sense, with return on investment likely being a major factor. This story looks into the pros and cons of, and the business case for and against, installing roof-based solar panels.

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Commercial Exchange Magazine - Sunny Days for Solar Panels  

Sunny Days for Solar Panels - Commercial Exchange Magazine

A 2016 update on a solar panel review done in 2014. Pricing of solar panel systems continue to drop and the microFIT payout drops in synch with that. The business case remains essentially the same. Getting a microFIT application approved id becoming much more difficult.

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Real Estate Magazine - Finding Opportunities in Adversity  
Finding Opportunities in Adversity - Real Estate Magazine (REM) 

Why are investment opportunities becoming more difficult to find for Canadian real estate investors? How will Canadian Organized Real Estate (CORE) need to change to embrace the tsunamic events that are bearing down on Canadian Realtors and what can Realtors do to brace for the impact?

 

 
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Canadian Apartment Magazine - Electronic Paying Processing of rent to landlords in Canada, TenantPay

Commercial Exchange Magazine - Checking out of Cheques


Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine - Electronic Paying Processing of rent to landlords in Canada, TenantPay
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Checking out of Cheques: Electronic Payment Processing Moving in - Canadian Apartment Magazine, Commercial Exchange Magazine

Why are landlords among the last to embrace the many benefits of electronic payment processing (EPP)? Why do the banking deposits when your tenants will do it for you? Why expose yourself to unnecessary Privacy Act legislation? Why accept even one more NSF charge?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Checking Out of Cheques - Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine

A more condensed version of the above article.

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Aztech Realty - television interview - Chris Seepe
Runtime: 1:15 mins
(35 MB download)
 
Video Interview - Investor Insight - Commercial Investment Checklist segment

This 1:15 minute segment briefly answers the interviewer's question: What is the single most important thing to look for in an a commercial real estate investment.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PuOmMc_Pio  (copy-and-paste this link into your browser)

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Aztech Realty - television interview - Chris Seepe
Runtime: 45 sec
(27 MB download)
Television Interview - Business News Network (BNN) Bellwoods Brewery segment

This 3:49 minute segment looks at the trials and tribulations a Toronto-based micro-brewery experienced in trying to find a location that met their sometimes conflicting business needs (an "industrial" place to brew with a retail pub for sit-down customers in a trendy area with an upwardly mobile demographic. Our 27-second interview starts at 1:18.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqIO4gcub6k (copy-and-paste this link into your browser)

 

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Globe and Mail Newspaper - To Be or Not to Be a Landlord

Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine - To Be or Not to Be a Landlord
 

    

 

 

 

 

 

To Be or Not to Be (a Landlord): 10 reasons to be and 40 Reasons Not to Be - Toronto Globe & Mail Newspaper, Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine

The reasons to be a landlord are mostly obvious. The reasons not to be are, by themselves, not big deterrents, but making just a few of these mistakes can cause you a great deal of misery and pain, especially if you operate in Ontario, Canada, one of the world's most heavily-regulated rental housing markets.

 
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Commercial Investor Magazine - Clauses You Might Want in Your Agreement of Purchase and Sale  
Clauses You Might Want in Your Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS) - Commercial Investor magazine

Buying or selling a multi-residential property is a commercial transaction and requires many more considerations than a typical house transaction. It also requires a different set of considerations than most other types of commercial real estate transactions, primarily because tenants’ homes and the Residential Tenancies Act are involved, and many costs that can be passed on to a commercial tenant cannot be passed on to a residential tenant.  

 
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Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine - How to Create the Best Rental Agreement

Commercial Exchange magazine - Creating the Ideal Rental Housing Agreement
 

    

How to Create the Best Rental Agreement - Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine

Like any other business in today’s litigious-prone society, supported by tenant-biased judicial authorities, you must take the time, and undertake proper due diligence, to ensure that you protect yourself in the operation of your landlord duties, or you will inevitably suffer the consequences. And, right after you've done a thorough credit check, you'll want a robust and balanced rental housing agreement like the one described in the article.

 

Date: 2013 04 16

 

 
Creating the Ideal Rental Housing Agreement - Commercial Exchange magazine

Like any other business in today’s litigious-prone society, supported by tenant-biased judicial authorities, you must take the time, and undertake proper due diligence, to ensure that you protect yourself in the operation of your landlord duties, or you will inevitably suffer the consequences. And, right after you've done a thorough credit check, you'll want a robust and balanced rental housing agreement like the one described in the article.

 

Date: 2013 11 01

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Real Estate Magazine (REM) - The Competition Bureau is Right to Open the MLS (Opinion)  
 
The Competition Bureau is Right to Open the MLS (Opinion) - Real Estate Magazine (REM)

The Compaetition Bureau is right to open the MLS ... but for the wrong reasons. Real estate boards should not be building MLS systems but this is not to say that they shouldn't have complete control over the MLS. There are better ways to monetize the MLS, improve Realtor qualifications, provide an infinitely better MLS system, and serve the best interests of the public and Realtors alike

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Real Estate Magazine (REM) - The Competition Bureau is Right to Open the MLS (Opinion)  
 (Competition) Bureau's Win is a Godsend (Opinion) - Real Estate Magazine (REM)

The breaking of the TREB and MLS stranglehold on the real estate industry is a godsend. Now, any realtor whose only contribution to a real estate transaction is knowing how to get information from the MLS is doomed. Breaking the MLS stranglehold will dramatically improve our ability to overcome the greatest threat to our profession …

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Canadian Apartment Magazine - Smokers Significantly Ruin Property Values

Real Estate Magazine - Smokers Significantly Ruin Property Values
 
Smokers Significantly Ruin Property Values - Real Estate Magazine (REM)

Smoking in the home may significantly affect property values, anywhere from 10% to 30%, and allowing smoking in rental units is costly to landlords.

 

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Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine - Closing Costs for Investment Property

  

The Real Costs of Buying a Multi-residential Property - Canadian Real Estate magazine

 If you have not purchased a multi-residential property before, and especially if the number of units is greater than six, you may be surprised by the myriad costs involved. This article lists and discusses most of the types of closing costs you could expect to pay, and providing estimates where possible for some of those costs.

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Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine - Handling Non-paying Tenants
 
Handling Non-Paying Tenants - Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine

Ontario is among the most heavily-regulated rental housing markets in the world, and the favouritism shown to tenants by all political parties and levels of government has created some unbalanced legislation, as well as significant business challenges for rental housing owners and operators. This article looks at what the Landlord & Tenant Board spends most of its time doing and how it has become absolutely essential that landlords astutely qualify their applicants to reduce their ever-increasing risk exposure.

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Aztech Realty - Article - How much property insurance to buy  
How Much Insurance Should I Have for my Investment Property? - Canadian Apartment magazine

Insurance companies are in the business of not paying out for damages, and will look for every means and angle they can to reduce or refuse to pay for your losses. The purchase price (market value) of a property is very often not representative of what it would cost to rebuild it. This article delves into the difference and what you must do to ensure your investment is not wiped out by a catastrophic event.

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Aztech Realty - Article - Are suite meters worth the investment?
Are Electricity Suite Meters Worth the Investment? - Canadian Apartment magazine

The landlord renting to an international fast food restaurant chain (franchisee-owned location in Scarborough) demanded an increase in net rent. The franchisee observed that the increase was not sustainable by the current revenue stream. It was determined that the location was part of a high-traffic "destination" mall and the asking rent was reasonable. We speculated (but did not confirm) that the demographics of the mall customers had changed dramatically over the years since the franchisee's location was opened, and that the new customer demographic was not suitable to the resturant's product offerings.

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Aztech Realty - Article - Are solar panels worth the investment?  

   

Sunny Returns for Solar Panel Installations - Condo Business magazine

'Green' is often a euphemism for 'money' and condo boards faced with major capital costs are likely going to give the highest priority to the use that makes the best overall business sense, with return on investment likely being a major factor. This cover story looks into the pros and cons of, and the business case for and against, installing roof-based solar panels.

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Aztech Realty - Article - Commmercial leasing tip sheet  

   

Commercial Leasing Tips Sheet - Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine interview online

Investing in and then leasing commercial space may seem like no-brainer, but there’s more to the process than meets the eye. From finding the property to finding the right tenants to securing the rent, here's your must-read primer.

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Aztech Realty - Article - Evicting Bad Tenants  

   

   

Evicting Bad Tenants - Canadian Apartment online
Evicting a bad tenant in Ontario, Canada can be an expensive and stressful process for a landlord. Two-thirds of all the applications processed by the The Landlord & Tenant Board (LTB) are for eviction due to non-payment of rent. Here's an alternative.
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Aztech Realty - Interview - Mutli-residential investing  

 

Multi-res Investing - Canadian Real Estate Wealth magazine interview

Any investment in real estate is about location. This is no less true for multi-residential properties where the economy, future growth and building types all play an important role. This article interviews Chris Seepe and others from around North America about what is important when looking for a multi-residential investment property.

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Aztech Realty - Interview - Mutli-residential investing  
Little Black Book of Scams - Competition Bureau of Canada

Scammers are sneaky and sly. They can target anyone, from youngsters to retirees. They can also target businesses. No one is immune to fraud. The Competition Bureau's group of superheroes has found a way to see through the scams. Their secret is simple: knowledge is power! Read on to find out how you can also become a fraud-fighting superhero. Share this booklet with family and friends and start powering up!

 

Date: 2018 03 01

     
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Aztech Realty - Article - Monster Commercial - Various Real Estate Articles
The following articles have been published on Monster Commercial.com, an exhaustive online resource for tenants and investors.

- Determining the Value of an Investment Property

- 10 Reasons to be a Landlord ... and 40 Reasons Not to Part 1

- 10 Reasons to be a Landlord ... and 40 Reasons Not to Part 2 

- Searching for the Perfect Site and Space for Your Business Part 1

- Searching for the Perfect Site and Space for Your Business Part 2

- How much insurance should you have for your multi-residential property?

- Is suite metering in multi-residential property worth the investment? Part 1

- Are electricity suite meters worth the investment? Part 2

- Purchasing a Multi-Residential Property – Closing Costs  Part 1

- Closing costs for buying a multi-residential property – Part 2  

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Ontario Private Sector Rental Housing Landlord Manifesto
  
This Landlord Manifesto is a written statement of the beliefs, aims, intentions, motives, views and policies that set out the collective understanding of what it means to be a private sector residential rental property landlord investing and operating in the province of Ontario, Canada.

 

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