Why I decided real estate investing was worth my time and money and how it became my passion.

The North-American dream is to obtain an education, a good career and a buy a big beautiful home and spend the next 25-30 years working to pay off the mortgage. Once I graduated from university and had a career all I needed to do was buy a big beautiful home, though I did not want to struggle making the mortgage payments. I instead purchased a property that would pay me; a rental property in an Ontario city with the best ratio of home prices to rental income rates available. This decision was what catapulted me into the world of real-estate and helped me find my passion.

My passion wasn’t always real estate. I loved hiking, camping, mountain biking, rock climbing and twice a week I volunteered at a soup kitchen and a homeless shelter. I found that I had so many passions and I needed more time and money in order to enjoy them more often. As cashflow from my rental property increased, I eventually decided it was time to purchase a second property. I learned quickly that in real estate, to maximize profits it was best to buy properties that need some repairs and do the work myself. I bought homes that were fixer-uppers, spent months renovating them in my free time, had them re-appraised and rented them out at higher prices. When it was all said and done, I had money coming in to do more of the things I loved doing. I realized real estate was the key that would help me accomplish my life goals. It allowed me to leverage money to a degree that far exceeded most, if not every other investment available.

So far real estate has helped me by doing more than providing me with money. It has caused me to learn and grow much more than I ever expected; every flood, tribunal court date, destroyed unit, drug addict tenant has been an incredible opportunity to learn and grow. One excellent lesson I’ve learned is that I can overcome challenges even though they may initially seem insurmountable. Real estate has stretched my faith, it has allowed me the opportunity to work with my wife on big/challenging projects which has helped strengthen our relationship. There are also numerous opportunities to help people, as tenants sometimes go through difficult times.

There are many adventures to be had in the world of real estate and I'm excited to see where my passion will take me.