CALGARY — Calgary’s resale housing market continued to shine in April compared with the rest of the country as the city recorded the best year-over-year price growth and the biggest annual sales increase among major markets.

Melanie Reuter, director of research for the Real Estate Investment Network, said Calgary’s real estate market is following the employment in the city.

 TORONTO, Cananda - First-time homebuyers shopping for a mortgage have all the technology at their fingertips to make informed decisions, and financial experts say those resources should arm them with enough knowledge to prepare themselves and even negotiate a better rate.

Don Campbell, who has written seven books on investing in real estate, said preparation should include gathering enough information to give lenders confidence that you'll make your payments on time.

CALGARY — Several ‘market influencers’ have kept the reins on the expected Alberta real estate boom, says a new report on the housing market.

The report, by Don Campbell, senior analyst and founding partner of the Real Estate Investment Network, said debate is raging about why the market isn’t booming like it did in 2006 and 2007 when the job market and population in the province were growing at the same rates as they are today.
 

EDMONTON - Real estate guru Don Campbell has a simple message for homeowners: chill out.

Ignore all those gloomy headlines in the Toronto press about a looming Canadian housing bust, he advises.
 

CALGARY — Proximity to amenities – an area’s accessibility – has become one of the key determinants of a residential property’s value, according to the Real Estate Investment Network.

And a neighbourhood’s ‘walkability’ to those amenities is becoming increasingly more important to potential homebuyers.

The Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) has just published an article on the impact of walkability on real estate prices, using walkscore.com walkability scores as a proxy.

If you haven't heard of it, walkscore.com is a Google map mashup that computes a location's walkability (on a scale from 0 to 100) based on the number and variety of destinations within 1.6 kilometres (1 mile).

CALGARY — Canada is expected to embark on a gradual, modest, downward housing market adjustment over the next three years with a “measly” two per cent annual price gain over the next decade, says a study released Monday by TD Economics.

But the bank has also listed Calgary as an “out-performer” in Canada for the long-run rate of return on Canadian real estate. Compared with the national picture, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto were also listed as out-performers for the future.

Saskatchewan has transformed from one of the most undervalued places in the country to a real estate hot spot.

"Right now it's cheaper to buy a condominium or a standard two-storey house in Edmonton or Calgary than it is in Saskatchewan as a whole," said Don Campbell with Real Estate Investment Network.

Dramatically growing numbers of mobile, wealthy individuals around the world promise to push up demand for luxury real estate, making high-end properties in Canada’s biggest cities increasingly valuable.

Don Campbell, a senior analyst at Real Estate Investment Network in Vancouver, noted that the pattern of home price growth in Vancouver closely tracks the movements of Chinese GDP – an indication that Chinese investors have a considerable influence on the Vancouver market .

“Our stand has always been to avoid buying grow-ops because of the hidden dangers,” said Don Campbell, president of the B.C.-based Real Estate Investment Network. “If the choice is between an ex-grow-op and a property that hasn’t been one, the investor should avoid the risk of buying the ex- and even remediated grow-op.”

CALGARY — An opulent home described as a ‘French castle’ has set a record for the highest ever MLS sale price in Calgary as the property in Aspen Woods sold for $10.35 million on Wednesday.

The continued strength of the luxury market is an indicator of business confidence growing in the city, said Don Campbell, senior analyst and founding partner of the Real Estate Investment Network.
 

Barrie rates fourth among Ontario's top investment cities.

In its latest rankings, the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) ranks Barrie behind only Waterloo, Kitchener/Cambridge and first-place Hamilton as an area poised to outperform other provincial regions during the next three to five years.

The City of Orillia can hold its own.

For the first time, the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) — a Western Canada- based research organization — has given Orillia a standalone score in its rankings of top investment cities in Ontario.

The City of Orillia can hold its own.

For the first time, the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) — a Western Canada- based research organization — has given Orillia a standalone score in its rankings of top investment cities in Ontario.

CALGARY — While Canadian home sales dipped in January, particularly in major centres like Toronto and Vancouver, Calgary’s housing market remained strong and posted the best year-over-year growth in the country for MLS transactions.

The Canadian Real Estate Association reported Friday that Calgary MLS sales during the month were 1,572, up 20.2 per cent from January 2012 while sales across the nation dropped by 5.2 per cent to 23,579 transactions.

EDMONTON - Edmonton is the second-best market in the country to invest in housing, says real estate analyst Don Campbell.

“Population growth is strong, job growth is strong and things are supporting this market quite nicely, said Campbell, founding partner of the Real Estate Investment Network, a business that provides resources and information on real estate to members.

The senior analyst with the Real Estate Investment Network says Calgary remains among the hottest real estate markets in North America.

Don Campbell tells 660News, thanks to strong migration and job creation numbers, people continue to look to buy property here.

CALGARY — Calgary’s housing market experienced a record year for luxury home sales in 2012 and the pace of transactions in January 2013 suggests the market is not slowing down.

Don Campbell, senior analyst and founding partner of the Real Estate Investment Network, said that during market corrections luxury homes are the first to drop off, after recreational properties, and the first to come back unlike recreational which is always last to recover.

CALGARY — Calgary was the only major Canadian market to see a year-over-year rise in MLS residential sales in December as the national market plunged and the city finished 2012 with the best annual sales growth in the country, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.

In releasing a report Tuesday, the association’s data indicated Calgary MLS sales in December of 1,343 were up 7.2 per cent from December 2011 while Canada saw a decline of 17.4 per cent to 20,538 sales.

CALGARY — Average house prices in Calgary reached a record level in 2012, outpacing the housing boom peak of 2007.

According to the Calgary Real Estate Board, there were 21,207 MLS sales in Calgary in 2012 at an average sale price of $428,655, eclipsing the previous record of $423,770 in 2007 when there were 26,611 transactions.

CALGARY — Calgary’s luxury home market has been on fire this year and that flame is expected to continue burning into 2013.

Sales of properties valued at more than $1 million set a record in 2012 and the increase in sales in this market from the previous year is taking place at a higher pace than overall residential MLS sales in the city.

Throughout the world, 2011 was marked by the continued global economic crisis, which began in September 2008.

But it's not all doom and gloom.

Vancouver analyst, Don Campbell, of Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), Canada's leading real estate education, research and education organization, said Central Alberta is a great spot to be when the global economic downturn ends.

Okotoks council’s decision to eliminate the population cap is being applauded by a B.C. real estate think tank saying it opens the door to more investment in the local economy.

The Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) has given Okotoks solid marks as one of the top 10 communities in Alberta to invest in over the next six years. The Town ranked ninth on the list among the largest cities in the province. The top three communities on the list were Calgary, Edmonton and Airdrie.

Nationally, sales are forecast to decline by 0.5 per cent this year to 456,300 and fall by another 2.0 per cent in 2013 to 447,400 transactions.

The Real Estate Investment Network in Canada is “hot” on Calgary’s potential and has ranked it the top investment city in Canada for 2013 to 2016, said Melanie Reuter, director of research for the organization.

The market for Calgary apartments is about to get tougher.

A recent report ranked Calgary as the top real estate investment market in Canada, followed by Edmonton. The Real Estate Investment Network Ltd. released a report, Top Alberta Investment Towns, identifying the towns and regions that will outperform over areas in province over the course of the next three to five years.

Single-family home sales in Calgary of 14,367 are up 15.83 per cent from a year ago while the average sale price has increased by 2.84 per cent to $480,421. The condo apartment sector has seen sales jump by 11.06 per cent to 3,283 transactions with an average sale price of $283,400, up 4.33 per cent from last year. And the condo townhouse category has experienced a sales hike of 17.33 per cent to 2,478 with prices up 2.31 per cent to $317,335.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network in Canada, said Calgary bucked the national trend in 2012 due to the economic fundamentals underpinning the market.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), usually gets asked to forecast housing markets. However, that shouldn’t be a homeowner’s most pressing worry, he says.

“Due to the large number of people who are buying investment properties, or renting out their basement suites, a lot of untrained landlords are hitting the market and the biggest risk they are putting themselves in has nothing to do with which direction the average selling price is going. It is having the completely wrong property insurance,” says Mr. Campbell.

St. Albert is one of the best places in Alberta to invest, according to a national real estate think tank.

The Canadian Real Estate Investment Network recently released a new report entitled Top Alberta Investment Towns-Based on Key Economic Fundamentals, which found that St. Albert is poised to outperform other municipalities in the province over the next three to five years.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network in Canada, said places like Airdrie and Okotoks experience what’s called the Doppler effect in the real estate industry.

“It’s where a centre booms and then the smaller centres around it follow either a year or a year and a half later,” said Campbell.

Calgary is the top real estate investment market in Canada but that could mean it starts to get even harder to find affordable rental units in the city.

The market for Calgary apartments is about to get tougher.

A recent report ranked Calgary as the top real estate investment market in Canada, followed by Edmonton. The Real Estate Investment Network Ltd. released a report, Top Alberta Investment Towns, identifying the towns and regions that will outperform over areas in province over the course of the next three to five years.

Transit services have become an important part of the real estate market – especially Toronto’s – dictating growth trends and establishing real estate price levels across the country. With recent developments in transit, we look into studies conducted by PWC, REIN Canada and others to see how transit will play its part in the future development of Toronto’s real estate market.

 

CALGARY — Calgary has been ranked as the top real estate investment market in the country followed by Edmonton by the Real Estate Investment Network Ltd.

In its Top Alberta Investment Towns report, REIN said that Alberta’s economy has come out on top after a few years of economic turbulence.

“After a couple of roller-coaster years, Calgary is back on a roll,” reads the report from Real Estate Investment Network Ltd. “The return of jobs to the city, as well as greatly reduced office vacancy rates show us that the city’s short slump has come to an end.”

The same goes ditto for Edmonton, albeit to a slightly lesser extent, according to REIN, which looked at GDP growth and the lowest unemployment rates in the country.

A lot of Canadians’ current interest in US real estate markets has strong ties to the snowbird community, that group of retired and semi-retired Canadians who routinely migrate south to escape the cold winter temperatures of their home country.

Over the last couple of years, these seasonal US residents have noticed the dramatic proliferation of Foreclosure and For Sale signs, and a growing number are asking if they should be treating their routine US holiday homes as investment opportunities. The answer is a resounding maybe! With US residential real estate prices at deep discounts, can these people reasonably expect to buy a US property, use it personally for part of the year, and then rent it out the rest of the time? If this is what you’re thinking of doing, we recommend extreme caution.

The Real Estate Investment Network says Kamloops is one of the top 5 communities in BC where it's best to buy real estate. REIN Founding partner Don Campbell says one reason Kamloops is at number 3 is because prices are lower than in most of BC.

Don Campbell. The name needs no introduction for Canadian real estate investors. Less well-known, however, are the seven investment rules the REIN founder shared with CREW for a recent feature profile. Got a pen and paper?

Last spring, Keith Roy noticed his phone wasn’t ringing so often. The Vancouver real estate agent typically booked at least 10 showings a week for the properties he sells in the city. But requests gradually slowed to a trickle. Something was up. His suspicions were confirmed as he watched the market data roll in. On the desirable west side of Vancouver, which Roy considers a bellwether for the region, home sales fell and listings rose. This continued for four straight months. In July, Roy took to his blog to issue an unusual proclamation for a real estate agent: anyone thinking about selling should cash out now. By then, Roy had even sold his own home, convinced it was about to decrease in value. “This is Econ. 101,” he says in an interview. “Supply is up, sales are down. Prices will adjust.”

Hamilton has been named the top city in Canada to invest in. Hamilton has attracted more industrial and commercial development than any other city in Canada over the past year. The Site Selection Magazine analyzed projects with at least one million invested and at least 50 new jobs created or at least 20,000 sqft of new construction.

This week, Burnaby city council has been holding a public hearing on a monumental real-estate development slated for Brentwood Town Centre.

Developers have also been extremely active around rapid-transit stops in New Westminster, Surrey, Richmond, and Vancouver.

According to Melanie Reuter, manager of research with the Langley-based Real Estate Investment Network, that’s because their projects can generate a “premium of about 15 percent within 800 metres of those stations”.

CALGARY — On a cool and rainy day in Calgary, five busloads of potential residential real estate investors embarked Friday on a tour of the area to check out the market.

“We’re calling it the Goldilocks market. It’s not too hot, not too cold. It’s just right,” said Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network in Canada, which organized the tour. “The underlying economic fundamentals like the job growth and the population growth are just starting to ripple into the housing market.

This is not just a fluke but a second year in the number one spot for the best city to invest in all of Ontario. Who is number two? Who cares? We are number one! The Real Estate Investment Network of Canada considers a great deal of factors to come to this determination. The biggest indicators are Real Estate and Jobs and our future looks pretty bright in these important factors.

Hamilton has been voted the best place in Ontario to invest for the second consecutive year, according to a report released by REIN.

The report detailed cities across the province set to provide the best investment opportunities over the next five years, based on key performance indicators such as population growth, vacancy rates and infrastructure. Hamilton remained atop the list trumping Kitchener and Cambridge, Ottawa and Toronto.

Hamilton has secured its title as the No. 1 city to invest in Ontario.

The Real Estate Investment Network of Canada (REIN) said Tuesday the city remains the top location across the province for investment for the second consecutive year. REIN is a Canadian business that provides resources and information to its 2,700-plus members regarding real estate investment.

Two new access-boosting bridges and financial incentives for developers have fuelled a significant rise in development applications and residential real-estate investment interest in Maple Ridge.

Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) president Don Campbell told Business in Vancouver August 14 that Maple Ridge is now the second best city in British Columbia, after Surrey, in which to invest – and the fifth best in all of Canada.

The Real Estate Investment Network of Canada today ranked the City of Hamilton as the top location in which to invest in Ontario (2012-2016). This is Hamilton’s second straight ranking in the top position.

When my husband and I were shopping for a home, a basement apartment seemed like a no-brainer.

House prices in downtown Toronto were already sky-high, so we loved the idea of someone paying us $800 a month to live in a space we could do without. We knew we’d have to find tenants, fix leaky taps, spruce the place up, and comply with various bylaws, but these seemed like tasks we could easily deal with in order to buy in the neighbourhood we wanted and become mortgage-free sooner.

Don Campbell, the Vancouver-based president of the Real Estate Investment Network and the author of a number of books on real estate investing, says a rental suite can be an effective way to help pay the mortgage, but you have to treat it like the business it is.

In the aftermath of a fourth round of rule changes designed to clamp down on the housing market, questions still linger about why Finance Minister Jim Flaherty needed to do anything.

“I think psychologically this will cool the entire market and force some people to tap the brakes a bit,” says real estate author Don Campbell who equates one of the main changes — the shift in amortization schedules — to a 0.9% increase in rates. Amortization lengths will drop to 25 years from 30 years (after being as long as 40 years.)

The federal government took direct aim at Canada’s hot housing market on Thursday. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty unveiled a number of new rules on insurance-backed mortgages that economists and commentators say will tame what many are now calling a housing bubble.

Many commentators say it’s about time the federal government took action on soaring home values.

Help someone buy a house and hope for repeat business when they decide to sell several years down the road. Or help someone buy a house and get repeat business several times in the same year. How? Become a Realtor who specializes in working with investors.

Realtor, speaker, developer and author Tahani Aburaneh shares her secrets about this lucrative niche market in her new book, Real Estate Riches: A Canadian Investor’s Guide to Working with the Right Agent.
 

Halifax is now in the sightlines of real estate investors from coast to coast, said Scott Bentley, a mortgage market specialist with Verico Premiere Mortgage in Halifax. “There are a lot of investors in other provinces, both with and without Halifax roots, now eyeballing, the Halifax market since the announcement.”

That interest is expected to steadily grow in the next year, with REIN head Don Campbell suggesting price growth will follow the same kind of trajectory and not the boom-bust of some Western markets coming to terms with their newfound economic wealth.

There’s something unsettlingly ephemeral about owning stocks and bonds in this era of default and constant volatility, which explains why many investors are thinking of turning to physical assets such as real estate.

But the problem with owning tangible real estate is all the work involved in maintaining it. When you’re a landlord, every leaky faucet, broken window and dirty swimming pool is your problem.

While all four projects boast paper profits for early investors, the simultaneous sale of dozens - perhaps hundreds - of exquisite suites may prove too much of a good thing.

"I think on the luxury side, the market has already peaked," said Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, an author who invests his own money and advises others about buying into Canada's housing market.

Chan, his wife Wendy Cheung and brother-in-law Peter Cheung, know all too well about difficulties faced by new immigrants. Originally from Vietnam, siblings Peter and Wendy spent a year in a refugee camp in Hong Kong before being sponsored by a church mission and arriving in Canada in 1980. They met Chan here in high school, who is originally from Hong Kong. “We didn’t choose Canada. Canada chose us,” Chan says. “We are glad our parents made the choice to come to Canada, and are so grateful for their decisions and sacrifices.” In 1982, they all moved to Vancouver, and over the next two decades worked hard in the business, investment and technology industries. “We learned from our parents that work ethics are important,” says Wendy. “Our expectation of ourselves is high.”

In 2004, they attended a real estate seminar. “That’s when a light bulb came to me,” says Peter, “and I started taking notice of real estate.” Buoyed by strong demand and low interest rates, the housing market was booming. Sensing the opportunity, they founded Peak Performance Investments. Over the next four years, they bought and sold residential property, eventually building more than $25 million in real estate assets. Peter, an active Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) member, won player of the year in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 for having the highest real estate acquisitions. Wendy and Chan are now award-winning realtors. Wendy is also a member of the top five per cent Medallion Club and the recipient of several REIN awards.

Canada Revenue Agency statistics show Hamilton had about 350 more businesses in 2010 with revenues over $30,000 compared to 2009. They’re not all imports, of course. But Everson said their success breeds local startups and expansions, too. “It’s all part of a positive momentum for the city,” he said.

The city doesn’t specifically track transplanted businesses or out-of-towner expansions into Hamilton, but Everson can rattle off a list of the biggest without a second thought.

 

Real estate investor, researcher, bestselling author and educator Don Campbell of Abbotsford is this year’s recipient of Toastmasters International’s District 21 Communication and Leadership Award. The CEO of the Real Estate Investment Network™ (REIN) and Cutting Edge Research Inc. donates one hundred per cent of his author royalties directly to Habitat for Humanity. So far, he and members of the REIN™ network have raised over $855,000 to build homes for those in need of a hand-up.

With most new Vancouver and Toronto condos now priced too high to cover investors' carrying costs, buyers are increasingly looking to suburban markets in Ontario and B.C. in addition to other Canadian cities like Montreal and Halifax, interviews with brokers, developers and property managers suggest.

"You're bumping up against a ceiling in Toronto and Vancouver, and that's why the money is starting to shift," said Don Campbell, president of the B.C.-based Real Estate Investment Network of Canada.

 

B.C.’s Interior is not a wise choice to invest in real estate because the forestry sector is set to suffer huge job losses, which will then reduce house prices, Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) president Don Campbell told Business in Vancouver Thursday.

Looking to sell your condo? Good luck. A potential glut in multi-unit dwellings may mean a soft resale market in the very near future.

Construction of condominiums and apartments continues at a furious clip -- most notably in Ontario and the Prairies -- according to the latest report on national housing starts from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

 

Mark Turcotte does fit the profile of an aspiring real estate mogul. Four years ago he was working as a retail Manger. Today, he owns six homes in Barrie Ontario and is on the hunt for more.
 

Focusing solely on a realtor’s potential commission is a big mistake, according to Canadian real estate expert Don R. Campbell.

“This often leads to the home seller making a decision that will cost them money rather than save money,” Campbell says. “Often times, if you have the right realtor on your side they can attract the buyer who is willing to pay more for the property than you could get if you sold or listed it yourself.”

 

For those adventurous enough to get into real estate investing, Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, says it is possible to get a yield that either equals or exceeds many dividend-paying stocks, not counting the price appreciation on the property. He explains the key to being a successful real estate investor is to approach it the same way as you would a stock.

Local real estate investor Richard Killeen-Payne isn’t holding his cards too close to his chest.

Instead, the co-owner of Invicta Property Investments will be flying the flag for Halifax and promoting the municipality as a hot real estate market that investors coast-to-coast should consider when he addresses the national membership of the Real Estate Investment Network in Toronto next week.

Now selling, moving and buying a home involves incredible amounts of time, energy and money. It's not a decision to be taken lightly, especially considering the drastic financial repercussions an ill-advised or poorly-timed move can have.

To make sure that we've covered our bases, I spoke with real estate investor Don R. Campbell to find out the questions everyone should ask before they decide to sell their house.

Hamilton’s 3.1 per cent population growth may look modest beside Burlington’s 6.9 per cent, but it’s still good, says Hamilton’s economic director, Neil Everson.

Everson also points out that the Real Estate Investment Network last May identified Hamilton as the third best city in Canada and best in Ontario to invest in, and in 2009, Foreign Direct Investment magazine named Hamilton the third best largest city in North America in quality of life.

 

One big advantage of buying a residence over other investments is that owners can put down a fraction of the purchase price and borrow the rest, magnifying the amount of any increases they see.

Campbell, who expects strong returns on Edmonton property starting next year, suggests prospective buyers look at homes within 800 metres of new LRT stations as one factor that will lead to higher returns in the long run.

Property investors from outside Nova Scotia have already moved to ferret out opportunities in Halifax following announcement of that $25 billion shipbuilding contract, says one local expert, suggesting those buyers may claim a significant share of acquisitions in the next 12 to 18 months.

That interest is expected to steadily grow in the next year, with REIN head Don Campbell suggesting price growth will follow the same kind of trajectory and not the boom-bust of some Western markets coming to terms with their newfound economic wealth.

The Halifax area is on the cusp of a real estate renaissance that will see average rents and home prices begin a slow and long-lasting rise, real estate guru Don R. Campbell said Monday.

“It’s going to be a slow and healthy sort of increase in real estate values, and not the boom-and-bust sort of cycle that we’ve seen in some western communities in the past,” said Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network of Vancouver.
 

The real-estate think-tank Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) also had its eye on Orillia in 2011, ranking the city as one of Ontario's top 10 towns in which to invest for 2011.

"Being in the top 60 places to live and the top 10 investment opportunities in Canada are selling points," Landry said.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, said the past year’s market has been a year of recovery as the market adjusted to the job and population slowdown of 2010.

“Any job and population changes aren’t reflected in the real estate market until 18 months after they occur. Confusing signals from the market numbers were expected and that is what we experienced,” he said

“Real estate investing is not for everyone,” says Vancouver-based Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network.

“You cannot do it sitting in your basement in your pyjamas, like you can when you trade stocks. When you buy a property, immediately upon getting the key, you are running a business.”

There is good news for those looking to buy real estate in Prince George. The Real Estate Investment Network has listed this city in its top ten communities in B.C. in which to invest in real estate.

Prince George comes in at number 10, one place ahead of Vancouver.

Throughout the world, 2011 was marked by the continued global economic crisis, which began in September 2008.

But it's not all doom and gloom.

Vancouver analyst, Don Campbell, of Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), Canada's leading real estate education, research and education organization, said Central Alberta is a great spot to be when the global economic downturn ends.

With City Hall labour strife on the horizon and the condo craze still firing on all cylinders, downtown Toronto city councillors will consider a stack of development applications in the new year that propose to add another 7,000 residential units to the market.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, said that is "a massive amount of keys" to be handed out and will lead to an oversupply in 2012, followed by a cap in home value increases in 2013 and 2014.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), and best-selling author of books like Real EstateInvesting in Canada and 97 Tipsfor Canadian Real Estate Investors is recognized for his unbiased, nohype look at Canadian real estate.

And where does he live? In Abbotsford, a city just listed by REIN (www.reincanada.com) as one of the top four cities and towns in B.C. for real estate development.

As wealthy foreign buyers snap up more and more luxury homes in Canada, high-net-worth Canadians are similarly showing strong interest in purchasing multimillion-dollar residences abroad. But while their sights were once set on a French château, perhaps, or a Tuscan villa, the trend now is towards buying in the United States.

As wealthy foreign buyers snap up more and more luxury homes in Canada, high-net-worth Canadians are similarly showing strong interest in purchasing multimillion-dollar residences abroad. But while their sights were once set on a French château, perhaps, or a Tuscan villa, the trend now is towards buying in the United States.

Abbotsford ranks number four on a list of top cities and towns in B.C. for real estate investment.

The result was released earlier this month in a report created by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN).

Whether you're a prospective real estate investor, or someone who's simply in the market to buy a primary residence, we can all benefit from the nuggets that were shared via Twitter during the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) BC Workshop last Friday (@REINCanada).

And investors can look forward to a projected real estate boom, according to a report released by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) that predicts the local real estate market to outperform other regions of the province over the next three to five years.

The report, which analyzes current and future prospects for real estate investment opportunities in B.C., ranks Fort St. John fifth out of hundreds of towns and cities.

A Canadian real estate expert says the best way to predict housing sales and price gains is to track population and job growth numbers.

Don Campbell with the Canadian Real Estate Investment Network tells 660News, Calgary leads the country in those two categories which usually produces a bit of a housing boom 18 months later.

It’s behind Surrey, but being in the No. 2 spot isn’t so bad.

The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows area is considered the second-best real estate market in B.C. and is expected to outperform the rest of the province over the next three to five years.

Out of all the cities and towns throughout the province, Penticton has been ranked ninth for real estate investment.

The Real Estate Investment Network released its latest report this week identifying the top regions that are likely to perform amongst the best over the coming years.

A report by the Real Estate Investment Network has Fort St. John as one of the top regions that will outperform others in B.C. over the next three to five years. Top British Columbia Investment Towns 2011 ranks Fort St. John's real estate market in fifth place, behind only Surrey, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, Kamloops and Abbotsford.

For the third year in a row, Surrey has been named the best place in British Columbia to invest in real estate, according to a new report released today by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN). The report predicts Surrey’s market will outperform all other regions in the province over the next three to five years.

“The City of Surrey has been working very hard to ensure businesses, investors and residents have confidence in our city. We have one of the lowest tax rates in the country, and we offer high quality, efficient services. We’re creating thousands of new jobs and businesses, and building world-class facilities in each of our town centres,” says Mayor Dianne Watts.

 That’s the same place the city finished when the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) carried out a ranking two years ago, but is still impressive considering 51 communities in total were accounted for, said the company’s president Don Campbell.

A real estate consultant is rating Prince George the 10th best place in B.C. to invest.

Prince George, B.C – The City of Prince George has made it to the top ten list of cities and towns in B.C. in which to invest.

Real estate brokers, like teachers, doctors and other professions, have long been panned and praised by anonymous users on countless generic “rate my” websites. But for the first time in Canada, a new program launched by organized real estate will allow Quebecers to rate the men and women they hire to help buy and sell their homes.

“The data and the relevance would only be accurate if all participated,” said Don Campbell, the B.C.-based president of the Real Estate Investment Network. “Those who do not provide professional service and conduct would obviously opt out – even if they opt out in the second or third year due to a bunch of negative reviews.”

Surrey has been ranked number 1 in the Real Estate Investment Network’s (REIN) latest report on the top cities and towns in B.C. for real estate investment

Top British Columbia Investment Towns 2011 analyzed the current and future prospects for real estate investment opportunities in the province, and identified the top regions that will outperform in the coming decade.

Surrey has been rated the hottest market for housing investment in the province by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN).

REIN, a leadingn real estate research organization in Canada, has released it's latest report on the top cities and towns in B.C. for real estate investment.

Surrey took top spot.

Surrey's real estate market is on a tear.

The city is set to outperform other B.C. cities over the next three to five years in terms of real estate investment.

That's the word from the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), the country's leading real estate research organization. Its latest report, Top British Columbia Investment Towns 2011, ranks Surrey No. 1 out of hundreds of cities and towns in B.C.

Surrey is the hottest market for housing investment in British Columbia, according to a rating by Real Estate Investment Network.

Daykin also pointed out Maple Ridge’s success in real estate.

For 2010-2015, the Real Estate Investment Network named the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows area the second best (after Surrey) for real estate investment.

Kamloops is poised to be one of B.C.’s best real estate markets in the next five years, according to a report released Tuesday by a Greater Vancouver-based firm.

Real Estate Investment Network placed Kamloops No. 3 in its list of top 10 markets. That’s up one place from a similar survey two years ago.

Northeastern BC continues to be among the top 10 in British Columbia for real estate investment, according to a recent study.

The report, by the Real Estate Investment Network, puts Fort St. John at #5 in BC in a list of top places to invest in real estate. Dawson Creek sits close behind in 6th.

A recent report by the Real Estate Investment Network says Surrey will have the hottest real estate market in the province over the next three to five years, and perhaps surprising to some, it predicts Surrey will surpass Vancouver in population within the next decade.

This is a key issue for all Surrey candidates to focus on.

“Pay attention. Something’s happening here,” says Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network in Canada.

Campbell is paying attention to the all the reports coming out these days showing some positive economic news for Alberta and Calgary. Good economic growth. In-migration levels rising. And employment growth leading the way in Canada.

The City of Surrey is the best place in Western Canada to invest in real estate, according to a report published by Western Investor Magazine.

Surrey has received similar accolades from the Real Estate Investment Network, which has repeatedly named Surrey the best place in B.C. to invest and ranked the city fourth on the list of top Canadian investment cities in 2010.

We recently sat down with Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), to discuss his new book Secrets of the Canadian Real Estate Cycle and get his expert take on the market today. The Canadian real estate market appears to be outperforming markets elsewhere in the world, with some major cities even experiencing double digit growth while others move at a slower pace. Is this a boom that’s about to bust, or is this growth supported by the right fundamentals? Don was more than happy to answer this and our other real estate questions.

Despite erratic markets and a lingering world recession, Calgary's office and commercial real estate market rivals Toronto as the most robust in the country, driven predominantly by the continued growth plans of energy companies.

Don R. Campbell, president of the Calgary-based Real Estate Investment Network, says that on a per capita basis, Calgary has already redefined itself as a leader in commercial and office space.

EDMONTON — If shovels hit the ground on a new downtown Edmonton arena, real-estate investors should dig around area neighbourhoods for house-buying opportunities, says real-estate author Don Campbell.

Arguments in favour of expanding rail transit typically focus on environmental and social benefits; looking out for the little guy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions makes for sound political strategy. But the biggest beneficiary of the new LRT lines in Edmonton and Calgary might be business owners in both cities.

Other advantages exist, too. Reports issued by the Real Estate Investment Network predict that transportation improvements will make real estate values increase up to 20 per cent for property near the development in either city. And increased pedestrian traffic near the new stations should boost the revenue of nearby retail businesses.

Hamilton is second only to Toronto among Canadian cities in attracting new corporate investment over the past year.

It’s the second year in a row Hamilton has ranked among the top cities in Site Selection magazine’s Canada Best to Invest.

Hamilton was also named the top real estate investment choice in Ontario and the third best in Canada over the next five years by the Real Estate Investment Network.

The lines once drawn between for-sale-by-owner sites and traditional real estate brokers are blurring, with property owners now trying one or more different methods to sell their homes.

Indeed, with Canadian for-sale-by-owner sites actually joining forces with brokers so their clients can list on the popular Realtor.ca – the listing website used in the vast majority of real estate transactions – it’s becoming increasingly difficult to determine who made the sale.

“It’s really not black and white,” said Don Campbell, president of the Vancouver-based Real Estate Investment Network.

The scrapping of the controversial harmonized sales tax, or HST, in British Columbia could prove to be a bonanza for the province's realtors.

Don Campbell of the Real Estate Investment Network predicts a spike in home building over the next 6 to 12 months.

B.C.'s harmonized sales tax has been a "disaster" for the recreational property market, critics say, and scrapping it will open the doors for buyers, many from Alberta, who have been sitting on the sidelines.

 

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, said the scrapping of the HST will increase the demand in the condo market.

 

"When the HST came on it actually put a bit of a cap on demand," said Campbell. "You'll start to see new homebuilding increase over the next six to 12 months.

Stock investment has out performed property investment according to Investor Warren Buffet, who stated, "All things considered, the third-best investment I ever made was the purchase of my home, though I would have made far more money had I instead rented and used the purchase money to buy stocks,"

Barrie and Orillia have again been identified as among the most promising places in Ontario to invest in real estate. The list appears in Top Ontario Investment Towns, a 102-page report prepared by Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), a Western-Canadian based research organization. The report analyzes the current and future prospects for real estate investment opportunities in Ontario.

As private lakefront properties go, John Hooper's 17,000-square-foot mansion nestled in the trees of Hudson, Que., should have been an easy sell.

But a market alternative like auctions is unlikely to replace traditional sales by brokers, says Don Campbell, president of the Vancouver-based Real Estate Investment Network.

"It's not going to catch fire here. It's too much of a risk to the vendor. In our country, it doesn't make sense for a vendor to go to auction."

Though a $150,000 four-bedroom house seems like a steal, home buyers need to be sure they don’t end up in a house that will be unsellable a few years down the road, says Don R. Campbell, a real-estate analyst and author of the Real Estate Investing in Canada series. Many of the lower-priced cities on the list have been hard hit by the loss of manufacturing jobs in the country, and buyers looking for a bargain home need to take certain factors into account, Mr. Campbell said.

When Dave Snively began house-hunting about a year ago, he was looking for an updated home, a nice neighbourhood and plenty of outdoor activities nearby. But most importantly, he was looking for something inexpensive.

The option of rent control and reform of it has been debated across Canada, especially in cities like Winnipeg and Ottawa, where vacancies are low and rents are rising.

But Real Estate Investment Network President Don Campbell told CRE Online such rent control regulations have unintended consequences that will hurt investors, developers, the government, and even renters. Politically, controlling the rising cost of rents might look good to voters, but it will be a long-term detriment all around, he said.

Canadian real estate expert Don Campbell says it might appear that developers are not interested in whether the city gets LRT or not, but that's not the case. They are waiting for station locations to be finalized and for a commitment to be made.

Once that happens, you will see lots of purchases around stations. That happens everywhere in North America exactly the same.

Last week, Propertyguys.com Inc., which helps people sell their own homes, joined forces with flat-fee brokerage Realtysellers Real Estate Inc. The merger will help owners outside of Quebec pay a flat fee and list their properties on realtor.ca, which generates the listings for the vast majority of home sales in Canada, the companies say.

But market alternatives like auctions and sell-it-yourself websites are unlikely to replace traditional sales by brokers, said Don Campbell, president of the Vancouver-based Real Estate Investment Network.

RBC raised residential mortgage rates Monday by as much as 15 basis points.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, tells BNN the increase will “barely, barely” affect mortgage payments and most of the banks won’t follow RBC's lead.

If you're looking to make money in real estate, Durham Region has income property opportunities, heard hundreds of real estate investors.

As Durham's population projections head upward over the next 10 years, so will the demand for rentals, with two-unit properties with basement suites becoming the main source of affordable housing, according to Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network.

Orillia has once again scored among the province's top cities in terms of real estate investment potential, according to the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN)

Orillia has been ranked third in REIN's latest report, which lists cities in Ontario based on their current and future prospects for real estate investment opportunities.

Barrie and Orillia are once again near the top of the list of the best places in Ontario for real-estate investment.

Simcoe Shores follows Hamilton and the Kitchener/Cambridge areas as the third-best place for residential real estate investment, in an analysis of top Ontario investment towns.

BARRIE - The 'for sale' signs always pop up in the spring. Pop up and then sport sold signs in the blink of an eye. It's a good sign that people are on the move, changing house sizes, changing neighbourhoods.

That cycle just expanded to commercial and industrial space as well with the news this week that Barrie and Orillia's real estate market will outperform most other regions in the province over the next few years.

Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) purports to be the country's leading real estate investment company and it reports that in all of Ontario Barrie and Orillia rank third for growth.

WATERLOO — Waterloo has lost its top spot as a place to invest in real estate due partly to concerns over the regulation of rental housing.

A new ranking of Ontario’s leading investment towns downgrades Waterloo to fourth spot, two spots behind Kitchener and Cambridge

A planned LRT system for Hamilton will bring a hefty windfall to property owners around its stations.

Don Campbell, head of the country’s largest real estate research company, told an audience of commercial realtors Tuesday anyone lucky enough to own commercial space within 50 metres of an LRT stop can expect to command a 16 per cent rent premium for the property. Apartments within 800 metres of a stop will get the same premium.

Hamilton has scored the top spot on a new list of the best places to invest in Ontario.

The annual ranking by Toronto-based Real Estate Investment Network also names Hamilton the third-best place in Canada for investment, after Edmonton and Calgary. The honour is the second time in two months the city has been given a gold star as a target for investment

“Real estate goes in cycles, and if the music stops at that exact point you want to sell – as it did in 2008 – you are stuck,” says Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network.

Many people set out to flip and achieve a quick windfall after viewing a real estate-themed reality television show on flipping, says Mr. Campbell.

One of the biggest mistakes real estate professionals and consumers often make is gauging their actions against national reports about the state of the real estate market, says Vancouver’s Don Campbell. He says there is no Canadian real estate market and the sooner realtors understand that, the better.

First-time homebuyers should behave like investors because that’s how they’ll save money and ultimately live a happier life, says Don Campbell, a Vancouver real estate expert.

“If you prefer not to save money, then think like a homebuyer,” says Campbell, an investor who analyzes and writes about the Canadian real estate industry.

Everyone wishes they had a crystal ball, with a clear picture of the future. But homeowners and investors looking at the housing market numbers for clarity are looking in the wrong place.

That’s because the numbers (average price, housing starts, sales-to-listing ratios, etc.) are only a reflection of what has occurred in the past.

He’s calling it the Wake Up Alberta tour — and while real estate expert Don Campbell refuses to say another boom is on the way, he says to be prepared.

“Alberta is 18 months away from a real estate frenzy,” says the author of the bestselling book, 97 Tips for Canadian Real Estate Investors. “There’s no question the frenzy is coming here.”

Want to invest in real estate without the hassle of becoming a landlord?

Pretty much every advantage of buying property directly and renting it out can be achieved passively through REITS or funds invested in them.

Vancouver-based Don Campbell, author of the best-selling Real Estate Investing in Canada, has helped thousands of Canadian investors climb the hefty learning curve to real estate riches.

Average house prices in Calgary could flirt with record levels within the next two years due to a commodity boom in the province, says a real estate industry analyst.

Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network, said house prices could increase five to seven per cent this year and another five to seven per cent in 2012.

Edmonton is on the verge of another real estate boom, says expert Don Campbell.

Robust growth in the region's gross domestic product and labour market will set off a chain of events over the next few months that will heat up housing again, said Campbell, president of Real Estate Investment Network and author of the bestselling 97 Tips for Canadian Real Estate Investors.

The potential merger of the TMX Group, operator of the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the London Stock Exchange Group has sparked hot debate throughout the Canadian business community.

“I've been studying this market for 20 years and I've never seen so much international money coming into Canada to park,” says Don Campbell, president of the Real Estate Investment Network and author of Real Estate Investing in Canada. “Canada has become a safe haven for capital, for Asia and Europe and the Middle East, and right now, in order to get into the market, they have to buy one of our assets or a portion of one of our assets.

In early 1992, Don R. Campbell wasn’t much involved in real estate. He’d saved up enough at a retail job to buy his first residential property in 1985 in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. But other than that, his professional focus was on aviation; he was working at Edmonton’s Sky Harbour Aviation as the general manager. Don’s career was going very well and he was earning good money, in spite of the fact that he didn’t have any formal post-secondary education. He had no need to change course.

Nine years ago, regional politicians abandoned their caution and embraced rail transit as a tool to shape land use.

They were encouraged in part by two supportive factors. In 2000, regional council assumed control of transit. Soon after, senior governments put cash on the table for transformative projects.

Canadian real estate sales are down, yet prices are up. An outright collapse doesn't seem imminent, but investors should still be wary

The resiliency of the Canadian housing market has to impress even the most cynical observer. And while the consensus even among industry insiders is the days of double-digit percentage price increases are over, nobody is expecting an American-style housing collapse in Canada. "The fear proved to be unfounded," says Pascal Gauthier, a senior economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank. He points out average prices in Canada only dropped 13% from peak to trough. Other than a brief blip in 2008, the average home price has been on a tear since 1996, reaching almost $340,000 in 2010. A decade ago, it was $163,992.

SIMCOE COUNTY - Battle-weary from the recent stretch of economic woes that had local businesses scrambling to change or die, a look back says it wasn’t all bad, according to entrepreneur Gini Stringer, whose year-long term as president of Orillia and District Chamber of Commerce ended Dec. 31. But it isn’t all over either.

She’s not alone in that opinion. According to the national Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) that lumps together Orillia and Barrie under the regional moniker Simcoe Shores, the two cities ranked eighth among surveys investors on the 2010 top 10 Canadian cities in which to invest report. REIN president Don Campbell called them, “a hot bed for growth,” referring to the expansions of Georgian College and Lakehead University, the addition of GO trains, a respectable 4.7 per cent vacancy rate and the youngest residents on average.

Looking for a good real estate investment in these shaky economic times?

Buy where people will want to live when you're ready to sell, says Don Campbell, one of the gurus of real estate investing.

The real estate mantra that it's all about location is only part of the equation of why people love the condo lifestyle in the suburbs, says one of Canada's real estate investment leaders.

"It's about the lifestyle it provides," says Don Campbell, author and president of REIN (Real Estate Investment Network).

Seven busloads of real estate investors swooped through St. Albert Friday to check out the city that recently ranked seventh in the country as a place to invest.

When investing in real estate, sometimes it’s necessary to look beyond your own backyard.

The Real Estate Investment Network, a national organization of investors, has compiled what it says are the top 10 Canadian cities in which to invest, with Calgary leading the way. But only a handful are major cities, and some are surprising.

When investing in real estate, sometimes it’s necessary to look beyond your own backyard. The Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), a national organization of investors, has compiled what it says are the top 10 Canadian cities in which to invest. Few are major cities and some are surprising. Don Campbell, president of REIN, as well as one of the researchers on the study, says the results are based on factors such as planned transportation improvements, or if the area’s average income, population growth and job growth are increasing faster than the provincial average.

A real estate expert has written a book aimed at helping Canadians recognize opportunity in the midst of housing bubbles and changing regulations.

The mayor of Maple Ridge, Ernie Daykin, isn’t shy about talking up his community, which lies at the northeastern edge of the Lower Mainland past Port Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows. Not surprisingly, the real estate is less expensive there

National Independent Real Estate Research Company Releases for the First Time the Best Canadian Cities for Real Estate Investment. The research analyzes current and future prospects for real estate investment opportunities and names the best 11 cities; cities that will outperform the rest in the coming decade. 

A warehouse owned by Calgary's mayor is among the more than 100 properties that council will be asked to rezone today to create a pedestrian-friendly, high-density district around the future West LRT Sunalta station.

Calgary has the demographics and the dynamics to attract people to live downtown -- even with the recent slump in highrise activity in areas such as the Beltline, says an expert in inner-city condos.

Calgary is the best place in Canada to invest in the residential real estate market, according to a report released Friday. The Real Estate Investment Network's report said Calgary experienced one of its best economic and real estate periods in Canadian history a couple of years ago but then entered a strong, and needed correction.

Calgary is the best place in Canada to invest in the residential real estate market, according to a new report released today. The Real Estate Investment Network’s report said that Calgary experienced one of its best economic and real estate periods in Canadian history a couple of years ago but then entered a strong, and needed correction.

Building a real estate portfolio can mean working toward financial freedom – or it can mean taking risks that will give you more sleepless nights than days on the golf course.

The difference, according to Don Campbell, is cash flow.

Calgary and Edmonton are the places to invest, says a leading real estate expert.

Despite the strong real estate markets in Toronto and Vancouver, those cities can't beat the hot spots in Alberta, says author Don Campbell.

The Winnipeg real estate market -- both resale volumes and values as well as new home construction -- is back on a healthy trend line.

April home sales in Winnipeg topped $300 million, only the fourth month that has ever happened. And April is not the busy month.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of a housing bubble in Canada are greatly exaggerated.

The reports have been circulating since early this year -- reports I found unconvincing, which is shared by Don R. Campbell, author and president of the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN).

The biggest mistake a real-estate investor can make is to buy on a tip, property expert Don Campbell says.

Investors must back up their decisions with hard facts, treating exuberant gab from a friend with healthy skepticism, says Campbell, president of the Abbotsford-based Real Estate Investment Network.

Edmonton's resale housing prices, listings and sales all posted double-digit increases in March compared with a year earlier, according to figures released Tuesday by the Realtors Association of Edmonton.

Don Campbell does not sell real estate. But the bestselling author does know a thing or two about making money off it.

Barrie is one of the best places in Ontario to invest, says the Real Estate Investment Network.

Barrie and Orillia have again been identified as among the most promising places in Ontario to invest in real estate.

Vancouver investor Don Campbell thinks Scarborough is due for a real-estate renaissance. He figures the oft-maligned area offers the greatest potential price gains in Toronto in the next five years.

The city has made a list of top 10 Ontario communities for real estate investors for the third year in a row.

A new entrepreneurial spirit that is breathing life into a once-battered economy is the reason Hamilton has become one of the province's top real estate bets.

An internationally known, year-round, luxury executive retreat centre in the Calgary region has sold for $13.1 million--Canada's most expensive residential real estate sale of the year.

Residential construction will continue at a slow pace in Calgary next year, says data released yesterday by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

What would you do if you saw a train wreck about to happen and there was nothing you could do to stop it? You’d get out of the way. So why don’t many Canadians do that with their investment decisions? Simply, because we can’t help ourselves – we have the sun in our eyes.

Pine Beetle Biting into Property Values Investment adviser cautions against deals in forestry-reliant towns Bill Mah, Edmonton Journal Mountain pine beetles are doing more than ravaging Alberta forests: The inva...

The mountain pine beetle infestation is likely to affect real estate values in Alberta over the next decade, says a report released today by the Real Estate Investment Network.

The members of the Real Estate Investment Network(REIN), led by President Don Campbell, are passionate in their support for Habitat for Humanity. REIN Canada is 3,400 members strong, and through book sales and other initiatives, they have raised almost $500,000 toward the building of new homes for families in Edmonton since 2005.

When it comes to the housing market, E-town still rules.
That's the word from Don Campbell, president of Canada's Real Estate Investment Network.

Home Values Hitch Ride on LRT, Henday By Bill Mah, Edmonton Journal Ongoing expansion to Edmonton's LRT and ring-road systems will benefit not only commuters, but homeowners and real estate investors, says a rep...

Vultures in the desert Canadians are snapping up foreclosed homes in the U.S. Southwest. Is it the opportunity of a lifetime, or a disaster in the making? Written by Nicholas Köhler, Macleans.ca In her f...

Ring Road, Transit Improvements will Drive up Home Prices on Calgary's Fringes By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald CALGARY - House prices in select Calgary neighbourhoods, feeling the impact of upcoming transpor...

Hot Markets By: Wayne Karl When host George Stroumboulopoulos and producers of the CBC TV show The Hour needed an expert to put today’s real estate market in perspective, they called on a guy named Don Campbell. ...

Rural Real Estate Follows City Lower Home Values By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald CALGARY - The town and country and rural residential housing market is mirroring what’s happening in the city during the first...

How to Find Someone To Take Care Of Your Home While You're On Vacation or Extended Trip!

Rural Real Estate Follows City Lower By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald CALGARY - The town and country and rural residential housing market is mirroring what’s happening in the city during the first quarter of t...

Our Real Estate Price Obsession Values Dramatic ups and downs have many Calgarians riveted to real estate By Mario Toneguzzi, April 11, 2009 It has become a national obsession. And just like sports aficionado...

Real Estate Guru Shares Money-Making Tips By Pamela Fieber, Calgary Herald, The recession isn't necessarily bad news if you're looking to invest in real estate. In fact, you could say it's a great opportunity. ...

Abbotsford one of B.C.'s Best Investments By Kevin Mills - Abbotsford News,March 12, 2009 2:00 PM If the uncertain economic forecast has you wondering where to invest your money, you may want to take a close l...

Kamloops in top four of best B.C. investment towns By Robert Koopmans – Kamloops Daily News, March 12, 2009 Kamloops’ property market is poised to outperform the majority of other B.C. cities in the next five to ...

Surrey Best Real Estate Buy in BC March 12, 2009, Kevin Diakiw, Surrey Leader Surrey is the best place in B.C. to invest in a property, according to an independent real estate analyst. The Real Estate Investment...

Sweet for Suites in Surrey Sam Smith, Metro Vancouver, March 12, 2009 5:55 a.m. Surrey is turning into one suite place. According to a report released yesterday by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN), B.C.’...

City real estate good bet, report says Written by Mark Nielsen – Prince George Citizen, Wednesday, March 11, 2009 A real estate consultant is rating Prince George the 10th best place in B.C. to invest. The city'...

B.C.’s Top 10 Growth Towns Surrey, Maple Ridge, Abbotsford lead the way for investors By Gordon Hamilton, Vancouver Sun, March 11, 2009 Despite a recession, declining home prices and slowing real estate sales, t...

Book says real estate always a good long-term investment February 25, 2009 NICOLE MCLAWS SUN MEDIA For long-term investment purposes, you can't beat real estate -- even in today's economy. According to Don R. Ca...

Edmonton still No. 1 for real-estate investing, author says Economic slump seen as temporary setback February 24, 2009 Bill Mah The Edmonton Journal Homes in areas close to the ongoing extension of the LRT line a...

Over the past two years, the real estate market in Western Canada has boomed as oil revenue and demand blows out the housing inventory in Calgary and Edmonton. Now the high prices in these large cities have started to drive up housing costs in second-tier cities. In part one of ‘Boom towns’, Wayne Karl examines the trends, infrastructure and economic climate of the west as it relates to the property market. In parts two and three in upcoming issues, he’ll look at the central and eastern Canadian markets

Sometimes finding the perfect Real Estate Realtor can take a bit of time, but when you find one, they will be worth their weight in gold.

Suddenly it seems everyone you meet at a summer BBQ is a real estate expert and they want to share with you all of their extensive knowledge about how the world will end. If you have seen the Lotto commercial with the two snobby 'rich' people talking about what to wear at a BBQ and what to speak about you will understand that the ad is funny because it has a base of truth to it.

Edmonton tops Calgary for housing investment Mario Toneguzzi Calgary Herald Wednesday, August 27, 2008 CALGARY - Edmonton tops Calgary as the best place to invest in the residential real estate market, accor...

City real estate No. 1 Report cites real-estate investment performance in resale, rental markets Bill Mah The Edmonton Journal Thursday, August 28, 2008 Looking for the best place in the world to invest in ...

We are about to change the paradigm of landlord and tenant relationships. The time has come for us as investors to start to understand that the business we are in is actually a business, and is no different from any other business out there.

Recently I was asked for some do's and don'ts to being a successful real estate investor for a radio interview and it was an interesting exercise to grab all of these thoughts together.

This is a list of possible extra costs involved in buying a home. Some of them are one-time costs and others, such as condominium maintenance fees and property insurance, will be ongoing monthly expenses. The good news is that not all of these costs may apply in your circumstances.

Over the past few years I have consulted with hundreds of Real Estate Investors and have seen a wide variety of mortgage scenarios. When sitting down with these clients to map out a game plan or course of action to attain their real estate goals, the single most common question I get from those investors is how to make a limited amount of equity stretch over a maximum number of investment properties.

A Special Edition For The Subscribers Of The Official REIN™ Canada Web Site! Welcome to a special edition of the Don R. Campbell’s “Results Only” Marketing E-letter a newsletter devoted solely to helping you get better results in your business and real estate. Each issue gives you SPECIFIC, STEP-BY-STEP actions you can take to vastly improve your marketing results.

When I started investing in real estate in 1982, I thought you had to have money. I was working a job and was broke. Since then, I have learned that you don't need money, credit, or a steady job to do this type of investing. Of course, having a little cash wouldn't hurt, but I know some of my readers don't have any I so this article is for you. Mortgage Brokers and Short Term Money.

I was sitting in the back of a Chicago cab discussing business with Ray Rach. Upon overhearing our conversation, John, the cab driver, interrupted and began telling us his experiences with real estate.

I've just finished reading (for the second time) a book called Magic Words That Bring You Riches, authored by my good friend Ted Nicholas. Ted has sold over 200 million dollars worth of information products worldwide by direct marketing. Over the years, he put together a collection of "magic words" to get people to do things they ordinarily wouldn't do.

Everyone has a comfort level in which they live and work. That level is determined by several factors and can be changed with practice and time. We have a choice of what we do each day, how we spend our time and how much money we make.

Whoever said it takes money to make money was someone trying to justify why they’re broke. It does not take money to make money, and I’ll prove it. I’ll give you a step by step plan to buy and sell a house, even if you’re absolutely broke, have a negative net worth, no job, no friends, no credit and just got pardoned from the state prison. The truth is, if you can’t make money without money, you can’t make money with money!

Having a quality realtor on your side is critical in the game called real estate. With this said it is important to note the word 'Quality'. How do you define a quality realtor? How do you find one? How do you maximize that relationship?

If you have a business mindset with all your dealings, you will automatically have a professional hat on’ as it were. It will also remind you to keep your emotions in check when making decisions with respect to your real estate dealings.

Over the last 13 years we have been working with some of the most successful real estate investors in Canada. This group of investors has purchased over $1.0 Billion Dollars of Canadian residential real estate using the provenACRE System as their foundation.

The emergence of the World Wide Web has had an amazing impact on our day to day lives, especially in the way we shop.   The convenience and speed of the Internet has turned many industries into a commodity.  Searching for the lowest airline tickets and car rental rates, purchasing shares of your favourite stock or finding the lending institution with the lowest home mortgage rates has become a simple process without leaving the comfort of your home computer.  The days of obtaining sound advice and great service from your travel agent, stock broker or banker is becoming a thing of the past. The lowest price seems to be the only factor when consumers make major purchases or financial decisions.

This report is the 2nd in a series that has been developed using research into the habits of overachieving real estate investors. When interviewing these overachievers, we discovered that most of them had the same pattern of habits. Habits that allowed them to deal with the obvious ups and downs of real estate -- habits that did not allow excuses to get in their way.

The vendor can only defer a portion of the Capital Gains taxes if he takes a vendor take back mortgage. How does this work? Well, you can elect to defer the taxes on the ratio of the portion monies collected to the total capital gains over a maximum of 5 years with 20% of the profit in each year.

My wife and I were driving up to Penticton the other day for her Grad Reunion. I love the Okanagan but have lived virtually all of my life in Vancouver. My wife, needless to say, being an Okanagan gal, often finds herself pining for the sun drenched days of her childhood on the shores of Skaha Lake. This usually occurs on one of our ubiquitous rainy days in Vancouver.

As the credit market tightens and the real story begins to emerge, we’re starting to see who’s been exposing themselves to unhealthy levels of risk and who, by playing the game conservatively, will end up happy and fully clothed as the tide rolls out.

Over the last 13 years, we have taught thousands of people the secrets and strategies of successful real estate investing. And, we are proud to say, that during that time many of our students created success more quickly and easily than we ever did.

Generally speaking, you need to incorporate if you are running an active business and making at least $30,000 per year. A corporation allows you the flexibility to defer income, manage your personal tax brackets and limit legal liability where there are no personal guarantees.

Marketing and advertising are critical at all times of the year for landlords. However, the big question is; ‘Am I making the most of it?’ If you have a vacancy problem there could be many symptoms contributing to your situation but the first and easiest thing to look at is your marketing. More specifically: Is the advertising you’re doing making the phone ring?

Continually educating yourself, and exposing yourself to quality ideas is critical in any business, especially real estate. However, there is a lot of 'poor' information out there that can be a distraction... and in fact could be financially harmful.

These are the types of economic times where both fear and greed often take control of a marketplace. It is our job as Real Estate Investors to ensure that we do NOT get caught up in the media-created fear, and separate the facts from the misinformation. It is a good time to take a deep breath and review your investment strategies, based upon the long term fundamentals.

Yes, it is true, anyone can create results and do well in the real estate game, but ultimately there's only one PERSON - YOU, responsible for your own success or failure.

Now that you have you own business, how do you organize your paperwork? Well, the secret is not to do any of it yourself - just organize and delegate. The objective of organizing your paperwork is to be able to retrieve it at a moment's notice. You want the right document in your hand now! Anything else is called a mess and causes stress! It is causes stress because it is unfinished business.

The mortgages you place on your properties can be a substantial dollar amount.  Knowing some of the rules and basics can be a substantial savings to your bottom line, and in your ability to sleep at night.  Below is a list of 3 ideas you will want to review, compiled from the perspective of a veteran Real Estate lawyer.

Many property investors are able to increase monthly cash-flow from a property by adding an additional suite (such as in the basement). Given the significant increase in property values, sometimes the additional suite is the only way to obtain positive cash-flow. Interestingly, many property investors develop these suites AFTER the property is acquired – and, although the investor is always worried the suite will be shut down by the municipality, the investor fails to address an equally important issue – insurance.

Sadly, the real estate market is often manipulated by two key emotions: Hype & Fear. These two emotions are used continually by certain people within the real estate market to get you to take action. Free Seminars (which turn out to be one big sell-fest trying to get you to buy their products) what did you think, they were putting on a free event out of the goodness of their heart?

Flipping houses is a business fraught with risks and is not actually investing in real estate, it is pure speculation.  Although they make it look somewhat easy on the multitude of TV shows, it really isn’t.  That is why HGTV are changing the formats of a number of these shows because the risks have recently really started to take their toll on the people in the shows.

More real estate investors are making the shift these days from buying single-family homes or condos to multi-family apartment buildings.  As an investment strategy, buying a multifamily building definitely has its benefits– the most obvious of which is that you are able to create some economies of scale by having only one property to maintain and one property manager to look after it.

Real estate prices are still breaking records across Canada, although higher interest rates are expected to affect the affordability of the residential sector through the end of this year and in 2008. The average property is expected to rise in value by more than 10 per cent this year and more than 5 per cent in 2008, says the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Accountants generally charge for their services on an hourly basis. They purchase time from their staff or themselves and sell it to clients. Unfortunately the hourly rate is not important –the value you get for your services is important. Also remember accountants are not mind readers –ask and tell them.

Renovators can help homeowners find the funding for substantial renovations by explaining some innovative financing programs, according to mortgage brokers Peter Kinch of the Mortgage Centre, which has offices across Canada.

And now the race for real estate begins Big money to be made where lines are going Kent Spencer The Province Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Real estate in Coquitlam and Surrey just got a whole lot pricier after th...

Visiting realtors will offer property overviews in foreign markets Ron Chalmers The Edmonton Journal Friday, January 11, 2008 EDMONTON -- Six realtors will visit Edmonton to discuss property in foreign market...

Are condos a wise investment? MONEY 401 | They can be, but you must know the lay of the land ELLEN ROSEMAN Aug. 6, 2006. 08:43 AM Is it a good time to invest in a condo apartment in Toronto? And if so, what are...

Campbell: Opt for one overseas location The international property market has long mastered the act of seducing the Irish investor. Dublin, Ireland The Sunday Business Post (Ireland) 06 August 2006 By Laura N...

All aboard Alberta's real estate express PATRICK BRETHOUR June 27, 2006 Globe and Mail Update ROCKY MOUNTAIN HOUSE, ALTA. — Scott Rosseu has had a first-hand look at the oil-induced real estate mania in Dubai...

People are sold on Central Alberta By SUSAN ZIELINSK Red Deer Advocate staff   Jun 26 2006 Real Estate Investment Network, a Calgary-based organization with international membership, attracted about 400...

Bracing for the Gateway Effect A new study says highway improvements will increase land values by up to 20 per cent. But the skeptics believe there's more to the story MARCIE GOOD, June 2, 2006 Special to The ...

Report promises local Gateway to prosperity Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Times Fri 02 Jun 2006 Byline: Derrick Penner  So many of the province's proposed Gateway transportation improvements lead to Maple Ridg...

The Gateway Effect Vancouver Sun Tuesday, May 30, 2006 The Gateway Project will deliver a 10%-20% increase in real estate values in the areas listed, over and above the rest of the Lower Mainland and Fraser Val...

Mega-projects to boost land values Shorter commuting time drives demand and fuels higher prices, real estate consultants say Derrick Penner, Vancouver Sun Tuesday, May 30, 2006 Highway improvements and new ra...

When thinking real estate, think local: Investment decisions should be based on the numbers where you buy Edmonton Journal Wednesday, May 17, 2006 Byline: Ray Turchansky Source: Freelance  The second bi...

Alberta best for real estate investment themovechannel.com 2 May 2006 The province of Alberta has been tipped by the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) as the best place in Canada to buy residential real es...

REPORT ON ALTERNATIVE INVESTING: REAL ESTATE Forget everything you knew about mortgages If you approach the financing of rental property as if you were buying your own home you could make costly mistakes THERE...

Financing a Rental Property Feb. 12, 2006. 09:02 AM ELLEN ROSEMAN A popular rallying cry for real estate investors is, "No money down."  When you buy property in a hot market without risking any of your o...

Digging for condo gold The future looks good, but do the math before investing By LINDA LEATHERDALE, BUSINESS EDITOR, TORONTO SUN January 29, 2006 The view took my breath away. Toronto's skyscape reflecting o...

Cashing in on the real estate boom By: ELLEN ROSEMAN Jan. 22, 2006. 01:00 AM Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Raymond and Angelina Wu live in Toronto. He works in pharmaceutical sales and she's a regional sales man...

Exclusive Insights For REIN From Australia’s #1 Real Estate Expert

As a consultant to many business owners and real estate investors around the world I am blessed with the opportunity to speak with many leading edge entrepreneurs. And from these discussions, I have found that there is a very clear theme, almost a trap, which grabs most entrepreneurs at one time or another.

Advertising is one of those necessary evils in this industry. It’s expensive and we’re always wondering if we’re getting a good return on our investment. As vacancy rates continue to climb, so to it seems do advertising budgets. But it doesn’t need to be this way.

You must stop what you are doing right now and take an hour to work out your "perfect," sure-fire concise elevator speech. Once memorized and refined, have it ever at the Ready when you get the opportunity for those 45-second presentations.

Stouffville makes list of real estate hot spots Homeowners should 'have big, goofy smiles' April 17, 2004 Jeff Mitchell Staff Writer Stouffville Sun-Tribune So, you own a home in York Region. You genius...

Edmonton Economy Will Enjoy Strong Growth Through 2005, says EDE President Edmonton, Alberta - April 17, 2004 - Massive resource developments in Northern Alberta and Greater Edmonton, high disposable incomes ...

Markham makes list of real estate hot spots Homeowners should 'have big, goofy smiles' April 17, 2004 Jeff Mitchell Staff Writer Markham Economist & Sun So, you own a home in York Region. You genius. ...

Beware of bankers bearing gifts April 17, 2004 Sandra E. Martin National Post These days, shopping for a mortgage is a lot like shopping for cosmetics. Financial institutions are all offering some kind of dep...

ADDING VALUE B.C. Lower Mainland Edition -- Internet Vol. 12  Week of Apr 16 - Apr 22, 2004 Even minor modern upgrades to a bathroom or kitchen can add value to a house and lead to a quicker sale, accordi...

Barrie, Orillia ranked best places to invest April 16, 2004 Toronto Metro Barrie and Orillia are the best Ontario communities to invest in, a report has found. The Real Estate Investment Network, an organizatio...

Report gives Orillia top spot for Ontario real estate April 16, 2004 Toby Gorman Orillia Packet and Times An organization formed to help average Canadians learn to successfully invest in residential real estat...

Ottawa 9th in growth forecast Outlook is hurt by slowdowns in construction, PS hiring April 15, 2004 Kristin Goff The Ottawa Citizen A slowdown in construction and the more cautious spending approach of the...

London makes ‘farm team’ in home investment area April 15, 2004 Hank Daniszewski Business Reporter London Free Press London has been consigned to the ‘farm team’ in a survey of the best Ontario cities for res...

Report cites Windsor for real estate potential April 15, 2004 Bob Meyer Business Reporter Windsor Star Windsor did not make a list of the 10 best communities in Ontario to invest in residential real estate, bu...

City homes valuable investments April 15, 2004 Mark McNeil Hamilton Spectator Hamilton is one of the best places in Ontario to invest in real estate. A new study by the Calgary-based Real Estate Investment N...

Real estate figures nothing to flip over April 15, 2004 By Derek Abma Ottawa Sun Despite a rapid run-up in house prices in the past three years, Ottawa is ranked only the ninth-best place in Ontario to invest...

Cost Effective Ways to Ensure the Sale March 14, 2004 Edmonton Sun Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Whether you’re sprucing up your own home for    resale, or upgrading a rental property, there are tr...

Investing in Your Alberta Backyard All his life, Don Campbell has been investing in real estate. Ten years ago he started telling other people how to do it. March 2004 By Connie Van Der Byl Business in Ca...

Edmonton earns top spot in investment ranking Nov. 20, 2003 Murdoch Macleod Real Estate Columnist Business Edge Edmonton is in first spot and Calgary ranks fourth in a list of the 10 best places to invest in...

Red Deer real estate a good bet Nov. 20, 2003 Johnnie Bachusky Business Reporter Red Deer Express Red Deer has once again placed in the top five best places in Alberta to invest in residential real estate, ac...

Edmonton Gets High Marks Nov. 16, 2003 Edmonton Sun A new province-wide study has identified Edmonton as the best community in Alberta in which to invest in real estate this year. According to the Real Esta...

Devon is a ‘can’t miss’ investment REIN Places Devon Second Nov. 14, 2003 George Brown Editor Devon Dispatch News Devon is Alberta’s ‘can’t miss’ real estate investment opportunity. A province-wide annual...

Calgary Among Alberta’s Best Communities in which to Invest in Residential Real Estate Ranked among top 5 of 31 towns/cities by REIN™ for six straight years Nov. 14, 2003 Calgary Real Estate News Calgary...

Market among best in province for investment Nov. 13, 2003 Steve Dills Editor Sylvan Lake News Sylvan Lake’s real estate market is among the best in Alberta for investment. The community was ranked third, beh...

Cochrane still top investment opportunity Nov. 12, 2003 Darryl Mills Editor Cochrane Times No doubt there are a lot of blue chip investors in Cochrane, but what is likely no surprise to anyone, the town conti...

Lacombe ranked sixth in province for investment Town in top 10 for six straight years Nov. 12, 2003 Globe Staff Lacombe Globe Lacombe is slowly climbing the ladder of residential real estate attraction. Th...

Okotoks ranks high on provincial real estate investment study Town in top 10 for six straight years Nov. 12, 2003 Pamela Roth Staff reporter Okotoks Western Wheel According to a new province-wide study, Oko...

We're No. 8! Nov. 12, 2003 Bill Laye Staff Writer Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune In its annual survey of 31 Alberta communities, the Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) has again placed Grande Prairie ...

Calgary lags Edmonton as place to invest Nov. 7, 2003 Michael Lau Calgary Herald Fourth-Place Finish: The Real Estate Investment Network issued a report Thursday saying Calgary's hot real estate prices make ...

Only No. 10? Real Estate Investors Rank Alberta Cities Nov. 7, 2003 Alexandria Collins Staff Writer Fort McMurray Today Fort McMurray is only the 10th-best Alberta community in which to buy real estate, a...

Red Deer, Sylvan Lake in REIN’s top 10 Oct.18, 2003 Harley Richards Business Editor Red Deer Advocate Sylvan Lake has been identified as one of the best places in Alberta to invest in real estate, behind only...