The Canadian Real Estate Investor

Nick & Dan explain Canada's Principal Residence Exemption (PRE) and Section 45(2) elections, focusing on how to protect tax-free capital gains when buying a second property. The discussion covers how capital gains work in Canada (50% inclusion rate), the PRE's tax-free benefit, and the critical Section 45(2) election that allows homeowners to continue claiming their former home as a principal...

Canada's banking system is dominated by just six major institutions (the Big Five plus National Bank), which control over 80% of banking assets. While this concentration was designed for stability, it creates limited competition and flexibility compared to the U.S., which has thousands of banks with diverse underwriting philosophies. Illusion of choice: Canadians feel like they have banking option...

Nick & Dan discuss co-ownership structures for real estate, focusing on joint tenancy vs. tenants in common, and land lease properties. Joint tenancy means equal shares with automatic transfer to surviving owners upon death, while tenants in common allows unequal shares that pass to heirs. Land lease properties let you own the building but lease the land, offering lower purchase prices but wit...

Canada's housing market remains stalled despite lower interest rates. The problem has shifted from mortgage costs to fundamental affordability — buyers don't believe prices have reset enough, sellers are discounting to move properties, and the market lacks conviction on both sides. Then in the second half of the show we are joined by our amazing event hosts for some national updates. Market...

Nick interviews Nathan Kennedy, otherwise known as New Money Nate  discussing content creation, personal finance, and real estate investing. Nate's Background: Full-time content creator who started in 2018-2019 during college, grew to over 1 million followers across platforms, and transitioned from a full-time job to content creation in 2021 when social media income exceeded his salary. Conte...

Canada's rental market experienced a dramatic shift in 2025, with vacancy rates rising to 3.1% nationally (the highest in a decade) due to record-high rental construction meeting slower population growth and reduced immigration. This has flipped the market from landlord-favored to renter-favored, with landlords now offering incentives like free months of rent to fill units. Vacancy hit 3.7% (highe...

The etymology and historical evolution of mortgages, from ancient collateral practices through to modern Canadian mortgage systems, including key regulatory developments and fundamental mortgage terminology. The word "mortgage" derives from Old French meaning "dead pledge", with collateral-based lending traced back to the fifth century B.C.and formalized through Roman law  Major transformatio...

Canadian real estate investors face new uncertainty due to Aboriginal title claims, particularly following the August 2025 Cowichan case in Richmond, BC. This landmark ruling recognized Indigenous title over 300 hectares of land that included existing private fee-simple properties – the first time in Canadian history this has occurred. The decision has triggered financing issues, cancelled d...

We finish part 2 of all the terms you need to know. Land assembly (combining properties for larger projects), liens (legal claims on property for unpaid debts), land transfer tax (provincial/municipal tax on purchases), letters of intent (preliminary commercial agreements), and minor variances (zoning exceptions). Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) | BMO Global Asset Management MULTIPLEX MASTERCLASS LIS...

In Real Estate, everyone speaks the same language but different sectors use different variations. Developers, flippers, lawyers, mortgage brokers, contractors, and realtors all use different variations of real estate terminology, in this episode we cover the first portion of very relevant terms you need to know. Each term includes what it is, how it works, why it's important, and practical context...

We are joined by commercial real estate broker, podcaster, investor and overall great guy, Dayma Itamunoala. Dayma has extensive knowledge and experience in the multifamily space and has also spent years interviewing the top figures in Canadian Real Estate.  What type of deals he is seeing right now What's working—and what's not How the podcast and LinkedIn changed the game for you Key...

We are talking conditions (contingencies) in Canadian real estate offers – protective clauses that allow buyers to back out of deals if certain requirements aren't met. After nearly disappearing during the pandemic housing frenzy, conditions are making a comeback as the market shifts toward buyers. Firm vs. Conditional Offers: A firm offer has no conditions and binds you immediately, while a...

The history and evolution of condominiums in Canada, covering their emergence in the 1960s through today's challenges, with a focus on multiplex stratification. The we are joined by Ben Singer of SR Law for a deeper legal dive.  Canada's first condo: The Brentwood Village townhouse complex in Edmonton (1967) was Canada's first registered condominium, enabled by the Condominium Act of 1967. Gr...

We cover the PWC-ULI Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2026 report, which analyzes Canada's real estate market through interviews with industry professionals. The report highlights housing affordability challenges while noting resilience in alternative sectors like retail, student housing, and industrial properties. Despite current difficulties, industry leaders remain cautiously optimistic about ada...

Ontario's Bill 60 (Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025) introduces major changes to landlord-tenant law aimed at speeding up evictions and reducing Landlord and Tenant Board delays. The legislation shortens timelines for tenants to respond to eviction notices, limits their ability to raise defenses at hearings, and reduces compensation requirements for certain evictions. Faster evictions fo...

Nick & Dan discuss the benefits of owning a home, both financial (building equity, fixed mortgage payments, tax advantages) and emotional (stability, freedom, community), while acknowledging affordability challenges. They introduce the episode's focus: a step-by-step guide to buying your first home, including building a "power team" of professionals and using tools like the First Home Savings...

The Canadian housing market in October 2025 showed modest growth with sales up 0.9% from September, marking the sixth increase in seven months. The market is balanced but gradually tightening, with the sales-to-new-listings ratio at 52.2% and months of inventory at 4.4 months. Prices have stabilized, with the national average at $690,000 (down just 1.1% year-over-year) and the MLS Home Price Index...

We interview Jayden Haywood  of River Developments  on site at one of his 4+1 developments to discuss what we think is the best way for homeowners, developers, and investors to make money in Canadian Real Estate right now.  Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) | BMO Global Asset Management MULTIPLEX MASTERCLASS UGLY SWEATER HOLIDAY PARTY LISTEN AD FREE free 1 week trial for Realist Premium...

Is real estate passive?! We look at real estate investing strategies, ranking 15 different approaches from most active (fix-and-flip) to most passive (turnkey rentals, REITs, and syndications). We explore the spectrum of real estate investment strategies, emphasizing that true passive income requires either upfront work to build systems or choosing inherently passive vehicles from the start. The m...

Canada's Budget 2025 and its impact on housing policy. The hosts critique the $25 billion housing investment as insufficient, noting it includes infrastructure conditions, a limited GST rebate, immigration cuts, and controversial OAS spending — while the construction industry warns of job losses. The federal HST rebate on new homes up to $1 million only helps about 20,000 buyers per year nat...

Canada's housing market in 2025 is stuck in neutral—not booming or crashing, but stagnant. Despite interest rate cuts, buyer confidence remains low due to employment uncertainty and immigration policy reversals, creating a prolonged stalemate between cautious buyers and reluctant sellers. We're also joined by some of our national event hosts for some boots on the ground updates.  Toront...

We interview David Chilton, aka The Wealthy Barber  aka a former Dragon. We had an amazing discussion about personal finance, entrepreneurship and money. We asked David;  The original motivation for writing the book and what financial issues he observed Why he revisited the book and what needed updating Challenges faced as an entrepreneur in the financial industry Why "pay yourself first...

We cover three major shifts in Canadian real estate: BC Land Ownership: The Cowichan Tribes won a land title ruling in BC Supreme Court, challenging ownership certainty since 95% of BC is unceded land. This creates risk for developers and lenders due to legal ambiguity. Ontario Rent Control: The government quickly abandoned plans to consult on "security of tenure" rules, showing the political powe...

We are on site at the  OHBA's annual conference in Collingwood, Ontario where we had some amazing conversations with experts in the industry and spoke about things like policy, illegal building, and whats wrong and right with the industry right now!  Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) | BMO Global Asset Management Sign Up For Futures Faster Program LISTEN AD FREE free 1 week trial for Realist...

Nick and Dan analyze the CMHC Housing Design Catalogue, which offers over 50 free standardized housing designs across Canada. They explore opportunities for real estate investors including reduced design costs and faster approvals, while critically examining challenges like high construction costs, lengthy permit processes, and questions about Housing Minister Gregor Robertson's track record. Exch...