Blog - Matthew Dekort

How to FLIP homes for a profit

Not much is written about HOW - TO successfully flip homes in Calgary.  Most agents just point you to some cheap homes, and say, fix them, sell them for more.  I think there has to be more to it.  More science.  More of a guide.  More steps.  So, I set out to start.  This is what I do for my FLIP clients.  Your agent might have other concepts, but this is what I consider advanced.

Here are my rules:

1. buy in a good location
   
   1. ensure the home isn't on a major road and/or backs to major road.
2. focus on the older areas. Think of the homes we grew up in or our grandparents owned.  Typically large lots.  Typically bungalows
3. use area VALUE CHARTS to quickly identify which areas are possible to flip
4. next, ensure that even if the value chart…

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Covid 19, Mortgage Deferrals and the Credit Score Gamble

This post is time sensitive, with implications for your mortgage, cashflow, and credit for April - Sept 2020, all due to Covid-19.

 I am not a medical professional.  I know NOTHING about health.  There are hundreds of news stories out there about Covid-19.  Many more about government actions.  About social distancing.  This is NOT one of those posts.  It should also be noted, that as with everything Covid, the situation is fluid and changing.

 The federal government announced the Covid-19 Mortgage Payment Deferral Program.  Essentially freeing up extra cash flow for mortgage holders NOW, in the middle of the outbreak.  The best page directly from the government describing the program…

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Mortgage Changes

The Government Has Made Changes

In the government's never ending attempt to influence the market, control risks to the larger economy (bubbles in Vancouver / Toronto), spur / restrict the economy, encourage home ownership, fund budgets (BC speculator tax), and otherwise create headaches for people wanting to buy, this is a list of the changes wrought to the mortgage industry in the last decade:

Confusing? This is why I stress the importance of using an experienced mortgage broker.  Someone who tracks these changes.  So you don't have to.

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Condo Fees? Waste of money? Or Useful?

Many people complain about condo fees, without fully understanding WHAT condo fees actually are, what they do, or how they are calculated.  Let's review a few of these before deciding if the fees are "bad".

What are Condos First, a condominium is a form of group ownership. When you buy an apartment (lets say 100 units, all same size), you are not only buying your individual condo, but a type of real estate that makes you a PARTIAL owners in the ENTIRE building.  In the 100 unit example, you become a 1% in EVERYTHING, for better and for worse.   In real life, we typically break down the fees by the size of the units, with larger units paying more.

What Rights / Privileges / Responsibilities Your ownership stake allows you to vote for the board of…

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Give Your Kids a Chance (and Fund Your Retirement)

Do you ever wonder how you’ll pay for your children’s education? Or your own retirement? The solution might be real estate. Consider:

FACT #1: “The Haves and the Have-Nots”
The gap between the rich and poor is growing rapidly. Top 20% average net worth family increased income by 80% over a dozen years; the rest averaged much less (38%).

FACT #2: Post Secondary Education is the Key
Earnings of full-time workers who have a college degree continue to accelerate faster than those with just a high school diploma. In 1979, the average college graduate earned 49% more a year on average than a worker with only a high school diploma. By 1994, the earnings gap had widened to 89%. Each year of formal schooling after high school adds 5% to 15% to annual earnings…

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Under Contract? Conditionally Sold? Pending? Confused Yet? Your choices after you accept an offer.

Years ago, when you accepted the offer, we marked the property as Conditionally Sold on the MLS, and since 80-90% of buyers waive conditions, we removed the property from the ACTIVE market. However, this procedure was unfair to the seller, as it precluded a chance of a back-up offer. So, the rules were changed (and it got confusing).

You still have the choice of us putting it as Pending (the new Conditionally Sold) on the MLS; during this time, we’ll stop actively marketing the listing and the property will be removed from Realtor.ca (or other sites).

Another option is Under Contract which informs other agents about the status (Conditional Sale), but it will remain on Realtor.ca. Buyer agents have the opportunity to present the home as an OPTION to…

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Hot Water Tanks? On demand? Tankless? Explained.

During the purchase process, clients are exposed to a variety of new and unfamiliar products. One of the newest and HOTTEST (pun intended) is tankless water heaters, also called instant water heater. These units are usually much more expensive to install, claim to be more efficient, save space, and offer limitless hot water. Do these claims measure up? Is the extra cost worth it? What is the payback period? No limits on water? Let’s look at a few options.

The regular hot water tank has been a fixture that everyone is pretty much familiar with. We heat a certain amount of hot water (often 50 or 60 gallons) to a pre-set temperature and STORE it until use. The tanks are insulated to help prevent heat loss. As hot water is called upon for bathing,…

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