Category Archives: secondary suites

Making it Happen FAST – 32 Properties in 32 Months



Erika Spencer and husband Jay, now both realtors and investors, discovered an interest in real estate investing and made their first moves in 2015, with rent to own properties and then family rentals. They scaled fast, leveraging joint ventures and completing 32 property investments in 32 months!

Guest: Erika Spencer, Real Estate Investor / Realtor

Erika Spencer and husband Jay, now both realtors and investors, discovered an interest in real estate investing and made their first moves in 2015, with rent to own properties and then family rentals. They scaled fast, leveraging joint ventures and completing 32 property investments in 32 months!

Their portfolio now consists of 26 properties with 90% of them being brick bungalows with basement apartments or the capacity to develop them and rather than rapid growth they tend to advocate their coaching clients to build more steadily.

Their investing journey started in St. Catharines and as the Niagara Region has boomed they have tried to stay ahead of the growth curve by looking beyond, investing in Welland, Port Colbourne and also Hamilton.

Erika was nominated as Rising Star of the Year by the Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine in 2017.  Her focus is now currently building a 4-plex on a severed lot which was possible after buying a bakery.  She is looking to get involved more in small and then larger multi-family investments and likely seeing herself getting involved in private lending.

With so many lessons learned in her real estate career to date, Erika has found her experience, knowledge and just do it motto has attracted newer real estate investors who she now coaches and helps find their own journey to success. You will learn about: – Scaling your business fast and the downsides – Lessons learned and mistakes made along the way – Structuring your JV deals and finding a good JV partner – Setting up corporations, pros and cons – From Bakery to a 4-Plex!

Get in touch with Erika: Email: erika@rockstarbrokerage.com Niagara REI MeetUp https://www.meetup.com/St-Catharines-Real-Estate-Investment-Club/

“Where Should I Invest” is brought to you in part through the sponsorship and support of the following;

Dalia Barsoum of Streetwise Mortgages.

Contact her to book a FREE Goals Analysis – be sure to mention the podcast when you call.

DALIA BARSOUM, MBA Finance President and Principal Broker, Streetwise Mortgages

Direct: 416-985-4698 | www.streetwisemortgages.com | Toll Free & Fax: 1-800-208-6255

Mail:  53 Berry Trail, Woodbridge, ON, L4H 2T4 | License # 12900

An award-winning Mortgage Broker, Real Estate investor and financial advisor with over 20 years experience in the banking sector, spanning: Wealth Management, Lending, Strategy and Real Estate.

Dalia holds an MBA in Finance from Dalhousie University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers Association.

She is the author of Canada’s best selling Real Estate Financing Book and an Amazon Best Seller: “Canadian Real Estate Investor Financing: 7 Secrets to Getting All the Money You Want”.

Dalia’s lending practice encompasses:

> Strategies: Buy / Hold, Renovations, Construction Financing, Rent to own, and Student Rentals, Flipping, Land development and private lending > Structures: Corporations, Joint Ventures and Personal Holdings > Asset Classes: Residential, multi-residential, Commercial, Mixed-use and Land

Direct: 416-985-4698 | www.streetwisemortgages.com | Toll Free & Fax: 1-800-208-6255 ]

Mail:  53 Berry Trail, Woodbridge, ON, L4H 2T4 | License # 12900

Dylan Suitor of Elevation Realty

Helping a personal record number of families so far this year, I am totally dedicated to offering my “Industry Best” expertise in residential real estate for clients in the Niagara, Oakville, Burlington and Hamilton area. I believe in assisting my clients in every endeavour whether buying a new dream home or selling your latest strategic residential business investment.

By upholding a 0% contract cancellation rate I strive to guarantee your satisfaction by utilizing an extensive knowledge of property renovation and vast network of industry contacts. I will facilitate my customer’s every desire while smoothening the real estate transaction when marketing your properties far and wide.

My team of qualified and totally committed real estate agents will get the job done right! By honing my team of agent’s real estate matching skills through continuous education and professional development, I maintain a competitive edge for the individuals and families we work with.  I can safely say that I can ensure that my customers receive the best price for their home; prices they deserve.  More importantly, I listen to all my client’s wishes to only deliver those properties that match their needs.

With more than a decade of continuously improving performance and results in successfully helping clients, I have offered the ultimate customer service strategies, met all key goals and deadlines for clients, and negotiated for my clients real winning results.  My team of agents have all committed to doing the same.

So here is my promise to you:

“ I guarantee an awesome experience while locating and negotiating the best real estate deal for you, and then I can confidently coordinate your whole moving experience to ensure a stress-free real estate transition. I do this by truly listening to my client’s needs and dreams to help those dreams come true.  This is my promise to you!”

Call me today at (905) 592-4220 for a free strategy session to discuss your heartfelt real estate needs.”

Elevation Realty Network

Direct: 905-407-4289

Office: 905-844-7788


From Auto Mechanic to Becoming The Vertical Split Genius



Ryan Carr is a full-time real estate investor from the Durham Region who specializes in helping homeowners get out of tough situations. His company, R.W. Carr Investments, has completed dozens of transactions with people across the GTA where debt, timing, maintenance, and repairs, or family nuances are a critical component to the deal.

Guest: Ryan Carr, Real Estate Investor, Speaker & Mentor

Ryan Carr is a full-time real estate investor from the Durham Region who specializes in helping homeowners get out of tough situations. His company, R.W. Carr Investments, has completed dozens of transactions with people across the GTA where debt, timing, maintenance, and repairs, or family nuances are a critical component to the deal.

Prior, Ryan was an auto mechanic and custom metal fabricator and his involvement with real estate began in 2012 with a rural bank-sale property, quickly followed by a series of deals including buy and holds, fix and flips, multi-family and new construction. The progression from these initial properties and subsequent resale led to fantastic experiences that propelled the concept of “vertical split” homes into the marketplace. The most interesting deal was a coach house that got national exposure on the news.

With a primary focus on the vertical split technique (A clever method of adding 2nd units to existing homes) Ryan has found as home values began to rise in the Durham Region, the cash flow crunch became the mainstream, which transformed the housing industry in two ways. The first being a solution to covering monthly expenses on properties, and the second being outside investor interest. His business focuses on purchasing properties from homeowners in sticky situations quickly and quietly.

Ryan is also involved in partnership opportunities, mentorship programs, and speaking engagements. He continues to innovate the industry with residential real estate purchases, coaching, new construction techniques, JV Partnerships, flipping, and small scale development. The purchasing of residential real estate has become his true passion and not just a business endeavour. You will learn about: – The importance of teamwork – Strategies to scale up your business – Taking deals and financing – Mistakes to avoid – Tips on buying properties

Books Mentioned: Winner Takes All: How Casino Mogul Steve Wynn Won and Lost the High Stakes Gamble to Own Las Vegas by Christina Binkley

Running Scared: The Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn Paperback by John L. Smith

Get in touch with Ryan: Website: https://rwcarrinvestment.com Email: info@rwcarrinvestment.com


Scaling to 200+ Doors in One Year



Dylan Suitor is an entrepreneur to the core! He first got involved in real estate investing when his mum helped him buy a student rental property that he lived in and managed whilst at University. The real estate investing bug had bitten him and he went on to invest in some new builds, a flip then a multi-family conversion.

Guest:  Dylan Suitor, Real Estate Investor & Realtor

Dylan Suitor is an entrepreneur to the core! He first got involved in real estate investing when his mum helped him buy a student rental property that he lived in and managed whilst at University. The real estate investing bug had bitten him and he went on to invest in some new builds, a flip then a multi-family conversion.

Two years ago Dylan met his mentor and now business partner who supported and showed him the way to really scale up his portfolio significantly to now over 70 properties. Last year he added 66 properties with 215 doors. His growth is based on legally maximizing each building that local by-laws allow.

One of the principal reasons he attributes his success is to investing in himself, mindset and being willing to make adjustments along the way. With more than a decade of continuously improving performance and results, he offers the ultimate customer service in meeting all key goals and deadlines for his clients and negotiating real winning results. Dylan is totally dedicated to offering his “Industry Best” expertise in residential real estate for clients in the Toronto, Oakville, Burlington and Milton areas. Whether buying a new dream home or selling their latest strategic residential business investment Dylan believes in helping his clients every step of the way.

You will learn about: – Setting goals and scaling up your business – Multi-Family Conversion – How to find a power team – Time Management insights – Tips on closing deals

Event Link: https://realestategrowthsummit.ca

Use coupon code SarahLarbi to get $50 off!

Book Mentioned: The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan, Dave Jenks

Get in touch with Dylan: Direct Email: dylansuitor@gmail.com Business Email: dylan@elevationrealty.ca / info@elevationrealty.ca Website: https://www.elevationrealty.ca Phone Number: 905-592-4220

“Where Should I Invest” is brought to you in part through the sponsorship and support of Dalia Barsoum of Streetwise Mortgages. contact her to book a FREE Goals Analysis.

DALIA BARSOUM, MBA Finance  President and Principal Broker, Streetwise Mortgages

Best selling Author: Canadian Real Estate Investor Financing: 7 Secrets to Getting All The Money You Want 

Winner of the Outstanding Customer Service Award: CMP

Top 75 Brokers in Canada ( 2017 and 2018): Canadian Mortgage Professionals Magazine ( CMP)

Mortgage Broker of the year (2017, 2015): Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine

Direct: 416-985-4698 | www.streetwisemortgages.com | Toll Free & Fax: 1-800-208-6255 ] Mail:  53 Berry Trail, Woodbridge, ON, L4H 2T4 | License # 12900.


Episode 23- What to Look for & What to Avoid With Basement Conversions



In this episode of Where Should I Invest the Podcast, we interview Ken Bekendam from my favourite investment city of Brantford Ontario. Ken Bekendam is a full-time Real Estate Investor and expert in basement conversions.
Listen and learn about. . .
– How to successfully complete a basement conversion
– What to look for and pitfalls to avoid
– What the numbers look like
– How to get permits and approvals
– Hear about how Ken was able to grow his portfolio
And so much more. . .

To get a hold of Ken, reach out to him directly on Facebook by searching Ken Bekendam or meet him in person at the next REITE Club meeting as he is a regular attendee.

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