What's happening to America's middle class? - 04/30/09 11:34 PM
A really interesting BBC broadcast on the changing 'typical America'."Stephen Smith finds out how the city of Muncie in Indiana reflects the impact of the economic crisis on the American middle class.In 1929, the Rockefeller Institute published Middletown: A Study in Modern American Culture, a scientific study of a 'typical American city' which examined church, school, family and work in Muncie. The book was an instant hit and is still in print. It launched Muncie's reputation as the most widely studied small town in the world.Today it is a rust-belt city grappling with de-industrialisation and deepening recession.A co-production with American RadioWorks … (0 comments)

What a week! - 04/30/09 08:00 AM
The week before Golden Week is always so busy. The sentiment is do everything possible before the holiday so you can relax, with a settled mind.I've called banks, written articles, tweeted, blogged (not so much) calculated, estimated and networked. I can see why Golden Week is called Golden! It will certainly be enjoyable to relax.What better way to drive yourself than with the carrot than the stick.
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Skip-a-payment for Canadian mortgages - 04/28/09 04:45 AM
I spent the morning contacting banks to see if our mortgages are eligible for the skip-a-mortgage program. Some banks offer it as a new service to customers while others see it as a privilege that must be carefully reviewed and only granted in financial straights.As a investor it's crucial to always be proactive with your property. When vacancy rates are high the most important thing to do is keep your cash reserves high and maintain the staying power fund of your property.Here is a short list of banks and their policy on deferred payments:RBC - just enrol in the "Skip-a-mortgage" payment … (2 comments)

Interest rates are amazing - 04/26/09 08:25 PM
If now isn't the time to buy real estate I don't know when is. One of my variable mortgages is down to 1.9%. We've also heard of a colleague getting 3.5% on a commercial loan. The Bank of Canada has indicated that rates will stay this low until the first or second quarter of 2010.We've got soft prices and low interest rates which seems like a sale to me. As long as it's backed by economic fundamentals it doesn't mean go and buy in Windsor with it's auto companies shutting down or Williams Lake with the sawmills closing. … (0 comments)

Could your trashcan solve the energy crisis? - 04/23/09 07:35 PM
I know some people who have enough rubbish in their car to fuel any roadtrip. I find it hard to believe that there are opponents to this, I mean what could be more perfect burning trash for clean energy. When will people be satisfied? … (0 comments)

Ontario Residential Tenancy Act is lame - 04/22/09 01:52 AM
Ontario investors saw their 150-year-old investment property trashed by unscrupulous tenants. Animal carcasses, toilets rigged to run continuously, a mountain of garbage and an incredible mess are the legacy left behind. Unfortunately, it took 14 months to get the tenants out, by that time they had all but destroyed the beautifully renovated and furnished property. Lucky for us Alberta has this country's most owner-friend tenancy act. You can get good-for-nothing tenants out in much more quickly than 14 months.The thing to learn from this is to diligently screen your tenants and keep checking up on the property. Do whatever it takes, … (0 comments)

Canadian Business Magazine Podcast - 04/20/09 07:27 PM
Scott Steele interviews the magazine's features editor Andy Holloway. Generally they're saying it is a good time to buy if you think for the long term. Andy suggests that if you buy now then be prepared for the prices to drop over the next 6 months. This may be true in some areas but not necessarily all. It's a very generalized interview but the key points are true for any region.Other points:1. Houses are safer than stocks. Stocks have dropped about 43% and housing about 11%2. Now is not the time to sell, unless you bought 10 years ago. (Long term … (0 comments)

Canada and Alberta Get Big Thumbs Up - 04/17/09 08:25 PM
Canada's natural resources are what the world needs.
"Despite its economic ills, Canada is the best place to ride out a worldwide recession, ....And the best place in Canada is Alberta.
"Compared to the ailing economies of nations such as the United States, Germany, France, Italy and Japan, Canada is faring well..."
"We've got a lot of problems in this country, but there's no country in the world that you want to be in to weather the economic storm (other) than in Canada," Warren Jestin Scotiabank's senior vice-president and chief economist Wednesday
Click Here To Read Full Article
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Make your game plan for the long run - 04/15/09 07:06 PM
I hope that everyone celebrating Easter had a wonderful weekend. Spring seems to have blown in like a breath of fresh air and lifted spirits. We'll get some good news, then temper it with a bit of bad. I imagine that we'll ping-pong this way for another year or so before deciding that things will be ok and we can get on with a healthy economy.I was speaking with a partner and good friend of mine last night who is based outside of Canada. He said, "So, how are things going to be in Alberta over the next few years - … (0 comments)

Could your wallet really betray you? - 04/14/09 03:00 AM
This article from MSN money is fantastic. Basically the state of your wallet is the state of your finances on a very small scale. So, if it's stuffed with crumpled bills and receipts your head is in the sand but if your bills are orderly and you know how much is in there you have a pretty good control of your money.It's not the first time I've heard this either, how you treat your money is how you TREAT your money. If you're disrespectful to it, leave it scattered around and generally aren't aware of it then you are probably trying … (0 comments)

Does Fiction Become Reality? - 04/13/09 03:12 AM
This is a great article by the Edmonton Journal's Gary Lamphier. When the media is all over the place with one faction calling for the worst recession/depression Canada has ever seen to another saying we completely will not follow our southern neighbours you need someone to say, "Hey these are the facts"It seems as though there is nothing more entrenched in the public's mind than Alberta is a boom and bust province. Well, what if it weren't?Mr. Lamphier's point is that when your really crunch the numbers (as you always should) the headlines and the facts are two completely different things."..... … (0 comments)

Edmonton Alberta Market Update - 04/12/09 11:11 PM
Edmonton detached bungalows are down 11.2% in price compared to the first quarter of last year, two-storey homes down 12.6% and condos are down 13.8%. Because Alberta was one of the first places to feel market corrections before the economic crisis could fully be appreciated, it's assumed that it will be one of the first places in Canada to stabilize. If the rest of Canada can expect their home prices to start to appreciate again in the first half of 2010, then Albertans can hope for a market upturn a little earlier than that.As the supplies decline and people come out … (0 comments)

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur - Reblogged - 04/10/09 12:03 AM
I don't usually go to this site but came across this fantastic post on The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur."7 Reasons Why The Recession Is Good For You" has some excellent reasons why spending less money, hanging out with family and friends, streamlining our businesses and eating home cooked meals MIGHT actually be good for you!Read the blog HERE … (0 comments)

The World and Your Backyard - 04/07/09 06:43 PM
Life in Fort McMurray has certainly slowed down since the oil prices dropped. Things haven't stopped though.The city where there were never enough workers now has a chance to pick and choose rather than hire the first body that walks in. The infrastructure that couldn't house a population that tripled can now catch up and improve housing.“When you take a population that has doubled and is on its way to tripling, every piece of infrastructure you can think of is still in a catch-up phase,” “This is a golden opportunity to get caught up to some of those needs and be … (1 comments)

It's a Scam! Or is it? - 04/05/09 08:57 PM
Stocks bonds, mutual funds and GICs aren't so appealing anymore. So how can you invest your money and feel safe?I read an article today on different types of investments offered to the public in the oil sands region. Specifically those that fall into the exempt market:"The exempt market covers a wide range of investment opportunities, including hedge funds, but it generally applies to any security sold without a prospectus. When a company wants to raise capital by issuing bonds, stock or mutual funds, it must file with the provincial securities commission a prospectus: often a lengthy, legal document outlining detailed business … (1 comments)

Spring - Think. Change. Grow. - 04/03/09 02:52 AM
Spring is in the air. A new leaf, a blossom blooming and so on..."The first day of spring was once the time for taking the young virgins into the fields, there in dalliance to set an example in fertility for nature to follow. Now we just set the clocks an hour ahead and change the oil in the crankcase." ~E.B.White, "Hot Weather," One Man's Meat, 1944 Kaizen Kanji Every 90 days we reevaluate our business plan and 4 key areas in which we aim to continue improving. Many companies and individuals can use the momentum of spring as an excuse to … (0 comments)

It's an Economic Speed Bump - 04/01/09 03:47 AM
The Conference Board of Canada says Edmonton's economy will shrink by 0.2% in 2009 the first decline in 20 years.However, there is nothing to be alarmed about we are coming from some very hot times and the city needed a little cooling break. It's not a slump its a bump. A tiny bump. "Some correction was required. The housing market was spectacularly hot, coming back down to more normal levels of activity if we want to call it that." "It's certainly not something I'd call a catastrophe, and we're going to look back on it in a few years can call … (0 comments)

 
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Todd & Danielle Millar

Edmonton, AB

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