Podcasts Barry Mcguire: Real Estate Lawyer, Edmonton

Podcast Episode 96: “RRSP Mortgages.“ In Canada, it is possible to use money held in a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) to fund mortgages. While this strategy can yield a nice steady return on investment, there are rules in place that can make it a bit tricky to get into. One of those rules is … Continue reading Interest Rates on RRSP Mortgages

Podcast Episode 95: “A Couple on Due Diligence“ I talk a lot about due diligence because it is one of the most important aspects of achieving success with real estate. This is a two-part Tale, showing a couple different examples of problems to look out for when doing one’s due diligence. The first example is … Continue reading Due Diligence Fails

Podcast Episode 94: “Removing Conditions—Should I or Shouldn’t I?“ Conditions on a real estate purchase contract should only be removed once the due diligence is complete. But what if the conditions are sort of met, but not completely? Should you still remove conditions if the property seems good, the numbers appear to work, and due … Continue reading Removing Conditions on Purchase Contract

Podcast Episode 93: “Inspection Reports & Multi-family Diligence.” Under Alberta’s Residential Tenancies Act, an inspection report must be made whenever a tenant moves into, or out of, a rental property.  But what happens if you buy a property and can’t get the in/out report? Similarly, building permits for multi-family dwellings specify their maximum number of … Continue reading Property Inspections, Reports, and Permits

Podcast Episode 92: “A Few Quick Tales.” Here’s some great stories about people buying and selling real estate in Alberta. These five quick Tales from the Trenches are short, but they show a wide range of different issues, problems, and successes. In a joint venture, it’s always nice when a more experienced investor can help … Continue reading Joint Ventures, RRSP Mortgages, Due Diligence, & More!

Podcast Episode 91: “Keys & Cash.” Here are two quick Tales from the Trenches: 1) tips on keeping a property buyer motivated and 2) contract language to fix the cash portion of a real estate deal. Our first Tale shows one reason why a real estate deal can close late. Even when investors have good … Continue reading Giving Keys to a Buyer and Fixed Cash Deals

Podcast Episode 90: “Diligence Pays Off.” I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when you’re buying a property, never remove conditions on the purchase contract until you’ve done due diligence. A real estate lawyer like me can protect your interests and help you negotiate a better deal, but I can only work with … Continue reading When to Remove Conditions on a Purchase Contract

Podcast Episode 89: “Transfer of Land.” A Transfer of Land is a document that allows the Land Titles office to register a property in the name of a new owner. In rare circumstances, you might be able to get this done without seeing a lawyer. In this Tale, our investor got a Transfer of Land … Continue reading Transferring Property Without a Lawyer

Podcast Episode 88: “I Ain’t No Ho!” As a landlord, you need to be proactive about what is happening with your tenants. Be concerned if you suspect that a renter may be running an illegal business out of your property! This Tale is short and sweet because our investor took action as soon as they … Continue reading Tenant Running Illegal Business

Podcast Episode 87: “Fun with Mortgage Payout Math.” Paying off a mortgage early can result in penalties. However, there are ways of minimizing the financial repercussions. In this Tale, Barry works through some mortgage math that could save you money. Download the audio file HERE. (control click or right click + save as) Buying and/or … Continue reading Mortgage Penalties

Podcast Episode 86: “Joint Venture Blues.” Partnering up can be a good way to buy more property, but you still have to be careful. As with everything in real estate, due diligence is essential in joint ventures. In this Tale, you’ll hear about the all-too-common mistake of not getting an inspection. You’ll also hear about … Continue reading Personal Responsibility in Cooperative Investing

Podcast Episode 85: “Hurry Up and Wait.” When dealing with trustees or lenders, there are many things that can delay a transaction. The type of payment can trigger a processing hold, the shipping method can be slow or unreliable, and sometimes clerks just overlook things. If you need a certain result, in a specific amount … Continue reading Getting Payments through a Trustee

Podcast Episode 84: “Why the Ultra-Rich Like Real Estate.” Investing has its ups and downs. Real estate has some definite advantages in smoothing out the bumps. Ultra-rich people usually have some properties in their investment portfolios in order balance out the volatilities of stocks. Even if you’re not wealthy (yet!), the same advantages sought by … Continue reading Advantages of Investing in Property

Podcast Episode 83: “Lead Isn’t Dead.” Lead pipes are a very real risk with older houses; it’s a toxic metal and can make the water unsafe to drink. In this Tale, my client was given notice by her water utility provider that her rental property might have lead pipes. She took lengths to protect her … Continue reading Lead Pipes in Older Homes

Podcast Episode 82: “Diligence Time Bombs And Letters Of Intent.” When trying out a new real estate investment strategy, it’s important to know when to walk away. In this Tale, an attendee of one of my creative investing workshops was ready to try an Agreement for Sale, and contacted me for help with a Letter … Continue reading When to Walk Away from a Real Estate Deal

Podcast Episode 81: “Agreements for Sale 2.” I introduced Agreements for Sale (AFS) in a previous blog post and podcast, and now it’s time to review with a bunch more examples. In essence, AFS is a type of seller financing and is sometimes called a bond for title or contract for deed. The seller retains … Continue reading Buying Property Without a Bank

Podcast Episode 80: “Rent-to-Own.” Rent-to-Own (abbreviated as RTO and often interchangeably called a Lease-Option) is a two-part strategy. You start with a lease (the ‘Rent’ part) and add an option to purchase (the ‘Own’ part). In a Rent-to-Own scenario, the renter is, for some reason, unable to finance at the moment. Examples of financing problems … Continue reading What is Rent-to-Own?

Podcast Episode 79: “Creative Real Estate Strategies.” What is Creative Real Estate Investing? It is a method for making money with real estate that uses strategies like Rent-to-Own, Agreements for Sale, and Wholesaling, among others. This is an area not too many people know about, but it offers some tremendous opportunities. One of the things … Continue reading Creative Investing

Podcast Episode 78: “Contract Assignments.” The practice of selling one’s interest in a real estate purchase contract—a.k.a. an assignment—has been getting a lot of bad press in BC lately. In fact, the situation there may be changing thanks to government intervention. Contract assignments are a widely used and entirely legal procedure, but the laws governing … Continue reading Assignments: Clever Investment Strategy or Malicious Shadow Flipping?

Podcast Episode 77: “Is Title Insurance Worth It?“ In Western Canada, title insurance was created to cover problems with real property reports, but did you know that it also covers many other issues? In this Tale, we have a case where the lender got title insurance, but the buyer/homeowner did not. When there was a … Continue reading Title Insurance