We are dedicated to helping good tenants get into good property.  www.rentalberta.info is our own listings website that allows for online applications, and  viewing of property. 

If anyone knows where there are any websites that are dedicated to helping tenants find rentals please let us know as we always have available rentals for good tenants. 

Libertas Property Management Inc.  has been for the last year now been quietly taking on landlords to mange property for in Edmonton and area.  We've got the sign up on the office and happy landlords are giving referrals.  Our official launch will be in stages with a series of open houses and other such events for realtors and investors.  We think we have what it takes to provide a good service in a tough industry doing a job not many people like to do.  We have many innovative ideas that we will bring to our clients.

• Property diaries will keep landlords updated as to all the activity in there portfolio
• In house maintenance team will make sure properties are impeccably maintained
  
• Reno crew to take care of larger projects
• Working on having an in house cleaning crew so vacant property shows well

The other evening my business partner and I went to a function at the college we graduated from in Camrose.  It has been swallowed by the U of A which looks to be a good thing.  Lots is happening growth wise at the school which is now a rural campus of the U of A making it quite unique.  They are adding a management school there, something they did not have when I was there.  It was a liberal arts school when I was there, still is but with expanded scope. 

The neat thing for us was we were there because we were contributing to the start of that new school.  Next year 2 students will be able to attend the management school because they will be the recipients of the first annual Libertas Leadership Awards.  It was a great feeling to be giving back to a community that brought us together as friends and ultimately business partners. 

Although I have been involved with this site for a couple of years now I am only now, sort of getting a feel for what will elicit a response here.  Blogging is a skill to be learned and I am a student, thanks in part to this site.   

1. As this is a community dominated by Realtors, you need to make comments that  interest them.  I am still figuring out what interests realtors...lol especially as an investor
   
2. Having a good title really helps.  I have read many blogs that have a great tile but the content wasn't there for me, but if it weren't for the title I wouldn't had read to blog
3. This is just a hunch, cannot substantiate it but the time of day would probably factor in.  More specifically how many available readers are online to comment and give feedback.
4. Get into a comments conversation and you can ask more directly to someone what they think.
   
5. If anyone would like to add their points; although asking for feedback doesn't seem to get feedback.  That might just be the whole give a little info to get a little info thing

I am not sure the structure of value this site gives to various blogs and bloggers in the form of featured but you can search for stuff and find all sorts of information.  I myself value this site for all the amazing individuals that are on here and have intelligent things to say.  You can read for true talent, creative thinkers, and just darn nice people that you would want to do business with.  Huge benefit in that you can get to know them before getting to know them.

Obviously many regurgitate news articles and others information for points and ranking, but read some of there stuff and you're like page 3 column one of the local newspaper told me that.   BORING!!   Is this person saying anything original?  The consumer is smart and knows what they want and if the right information is there they read it; even if it is recycled news they want.  I just worry they lose patience to dig from the right stuff and get turned of the site.

Another benefit to this site for me is contacts in other markets.  I know that if I ever get investing in another market I can find professionals there to jump start into a new city or area.  Also the saying "We are all smarter together than individually" or "Not one of us is smarter than all of us."  We can all benefit from the group think here whether blog or comment.

I am beginning to venture forth into/onto a new frontier in my business.  We are putting on a seminar that will highlight how as a 'Bird dog' for our business someone can make extra income.  It is a step I must say out of my personal comfort zone as I am not a public speaker.  I do feel comfortable and passionate about real estate and my company.  

It will be a referral system for people to earn extra income as well as get involved with investing in real estate.  It is a big step out of a comfort zone for me and I hope it goes well.  I remember years ago revealing my ideas and structure to another RE investor who promptly stole and borrowed things to structure his business and has done quite well for himself.  I as a  bit of a perfectionist didn't think the time was right for us as I want it to go big or go home.  I think the timing is better and as we have hired on our first dedicated sales person we have the team to make it work.  Fingers crossed...lol

The seminar will be this May 13th at 7pm Contact my office for details.  It will be a success on many levels and if anyone local reads this feel free to pop by as I believe the information we are giving away will truly make you millions.  A decade ago I myself thought that making big money was difficult and hard.  Now I feel that making little money is what's hard.  The point that I am trying to make is that the information and knowledge is all around and you can get it from someone like me or anyone else that has had some measure of success, it is how you use it that counts.  This seminar might just be the stepping stone you need to launch you on your success journey.       

One of our most unique marketing ideas came in fortune cookies.  We had marketing messages made up and put into fortune cookies and then gave them out as a snack.  They were an instant success from the point of getting noticed but it took some time to actually attract clientèle. 

The long term thing was that we were remembered for a long time as the fortune cookie guys and that were creative.  If thats the purpose of marketing then mission accomplished.

Keenan

I went to a marketing seminar put on by a fellow activerain member in the morning today.  It was great to actually meet someone from this site, outside of this site, for the first time.  I'm not sure if I should or could give anything away; Walter & David had good content and presentation. 

I will reveal just that having an industry expert confirm that  our underlaying attitudes and beliefs in our marketing plans are solid is reassuring.  Some of the market trends & dynamics they presented were inspiring and interesting.  Niche marketing, especially on the internet as they showed has the potential to be very effective.  As our company institutes some of their suggestions we'll fill you in on how we are doing.

I was great to have 5 of my staff there to soak it all in.  It was the first seminar that we took staff to and at the staff meeting tomorrow I get to debrief them on what they got out of it.

Keenan 

One quote that comes to my mind whenever someone older, like my mom, complains about where society and kids are going(in her option downhill) is a quote that you'd agree with if you felt the same way.  It goes something like this:

"Our youth love luxury; they have bad manners;contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love to talk in place of exercise.  Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households.  They no longer rise when elders enter a room.  They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyranize their teachers."

 Sounds true depending on your circumstances and experiences.  Believable and a current issue.  Then when you find out the quote is attributed to Socrates you wonder if thats how its always been.  One generation to the next; age and youth facing an ongoing timeless challenge of transition, growth pains.

Keenan 

There are 3 different ways to use RRSP money to invest in property.

1. Home Buyer's Plan - you borrow from your own RRSP to buy your first home, withdrawals must be repaid over no more than 15 years, the catch on this one is that it must be paid back yearly by at least 1/15 of what you borrowed or you pay tax on that portion.  Many, and I mean most people get caught in having to pay the extra tax each year because they do not re-invest money back into their RRSP account.
2. Non-Arms Length Mortgage - you borrow from your own RRSP or that of a family member, money is borrowed in the form of a mortgage and must be insured by CMHC, which is fees to borrow your own money basically and pay yourself interest if you want or not if you don't want, you must qualify as with a normal mortgage (CMHC's guidelines)
3. Arms Length Mortgage - you borrow from someone else's RRSP (must be unrelated) or lend yours to someone else(unrelated), money is borrowed or held in the form of a mortgage, no insurance or qualification is required

As you can see, each method is quite different.  There are rules laid out but CRA and CMHC that guide you as to what you can and cannot do.

Keenan