Introduction to Investing in Ottawa

If you want to see listings or get an evaluation for your building, use these links.

• View all Multifamily Listings
• Get Your Building Appraised

Investing in real estate in Ottawa, specifically, MultiFamily Property.  If you want to buy or sell an income producing property, we recommend that you watch this movie before you go ahead. Patrick Walchuk, one of the most experienced Agents in the Multi-Unit residential part of this business.

Patrick can help you price and sell your Income Property, or help you find and purchase a small or larger building and make sure that you get the return you're looking for.

If you're just starting out, you might be considering buying a smaller property, such as a Duplex or Triplex, and these can be financed like a regular residential home.

Multifamily Buildings in Ottawa with 5 and more units are classed as commercial by most of the banks when it comes to financing them.  You might be asked to put a higher downpayment on these larger buildings.

Many seasoned investors are looking to buy apartment buildings with 30, or 50, or even 100 units.

You might also need to have further assessments or inspections done before being able to get financing. CMHC also might ask you for a higher downpayment before insuring these larger buildings.

Some issues you might encounter are aluminum wiring, asbestos, knob and tube, among other things that can affect the purchase or sale.

Duplex, Triplex and Fourplex Properties

These types of Properties sort of explain themselves.  A duplex has 2 self contained units, a Triplex has 3 self contained units, and a Fourples has 4 of them. These are usually a good entry into the Income Property Market for new investors, or for someone who wants to live in one of the units and get help paying down their mortgage.

There are less restrictions from CMHC on these smaller properties, but you will still need to ensure that the building is up to code and has a recent Fire Retrofit Certificate.

Larger Multifamily Properties with 5 or more Apartments

These are properties with more than 5 units, and the banks consider them as commercial property.  There may be more inspections and clauses needed before you qualify to buy these larger properties. You might be asked more questions by the lender, you might need to have a higher net worth and you might also pay a slightly higher mortgage rate.

Many times we have access to more Investment Opportunities that are not online or being advertised. If you want a complete list of all of the Multi-family properties that are currently for sale, simply contact us and tell us what you're looking for.

Investors Representation

For Investors, we have one of the most knowledgable and experienced agents on our team, who can help you buy or sell any type of Income or Investment property. From a small duplex or triplex, or even a multi-unit residential property with 5 or 50 apartments, Patrick Walchuk has been helping clients buy and sell these type of buildings for over 20 years

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Why should I invest in real estate?

There are many advantages to investing in real estate. Here are 7 reasons

• Appreciation
• Leverage
• Tax advantages
• Freedom
• Tenants pay for it
• Cash flow
• It's a solid asset

Here is what some of the most successful investors have said:

Appreciation:

Over the past years, real estate values have continually increased. In Ottawa the average annual increase is about 5% There have, of course, been some periods where values decreased, but the overall trend has been nothing but up.

Like anything else, the value of real estate is determined by supply and demand.

What are the factors that have made real estate in such high demand over the years?

One of the main reasons is that shelter is a basic human need. People need places to live, work, and shop where they aren’t exposed to the weather. In periods of high inflation, real estate values go up. Real estate is an investment that benefits from inflation.

Leverage:

One of the best things about buying real estate is that you can purchase a large asset with a relatively small amount of money. You can buy a $300,000 home with only 10% ($30,000), or less, down payment. To illustrate the power of this, consider this example; we will use small round numbers to keep it simple to understand….

Suppose you bought $10,000 worth of stocks, gold, or mutual funds. Let’s say that it goes up 10% for the year- not bad. Your investment is now worth $11,000. So your return is 10% of $10,000 = $1,000. Now let’s suppose that you take that same $10,000 and put it as a down payment and buy a $100,000 house. Again, let’s say that it goes up 10% for the year. Your property is now worth $110,000!
Your $10,000 investment increased by $10,000. That is a 100% return on your money (not even considering the equity build-up resulting from the constantly decreasing mortgage, cash flow, or tax advantages)!

Tax advantages:

You can deduct expenses such as property taxes, insurance, repairs, inspections, and depreciation on your investment real estate - no matter how much you own. Talk to your accountant about the specifics for your situation. Do not confuse this with the rule for personal residences. If you do sell an investment property you are subject to capital gains taxes, which do not apply to your principal residence.

Freedom:

Compared to owning an income producing business, real estate consumes less personal time. While there is some management and record keeping required, it is nothing compared to some other investments. If you invested in a business such as a dry cleaners or a restaurant, you would be married to the place, putting in who knows how many hours. Real estate investing can be done without too much interference with your current job allowing you to manage it and saving property management fees.

Tenants pay for it:

Tenants pay you rent every month that you then use to pay the mortgage. The tenants literally pay for your investment property for you! When you invest in stocks, bonds, or precious metals, you are the one who has to pay for it.

Cash flow:

Real estate provides you with a monthly cash flow. This can be very significant income, especially after the loan is paid off!

Solid asset:

Real estate is recognized as one of the greatest assets to have. It is viewed most favourably by anyone looking at your financial statements. Real estate is also easy to borrow against should you need extra capital. In fact may investors pull equity out of an existing rental property they own, and use that equity to buy an additional rental building.

Summary:

Wealth is primarily created in three ways with real estate; by a positive cash flow, paying down the mortgage, and the property appreciating in value. We mentioned the other benefits of freedom, leverage, taxes, and a bricks & mortar asset.

Caveat:

Like anything or any investment, real estate is not for everyone. A wise investor in real estate will also diversify into stocks, bonds, and REITS in the singular form or as Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s) or as Mutual Funds.  Also don’t purchase an investment building on your own, consult with and use the services of an experienced Realtor who specializes in this business.