Landlord by Design Blog
I started this blog as a form of therapy, a way to share ideas about ways to invest in real estate and manage your real estate investments.
I have found most of what is written online about real estate investing and property management is written with a slant to sell a service, course or investment. I wanted to be contrarian to that.
It is an interactive space with all my readers and followers. Some days I will just write a story based on one of my, or a reader’s experience. I welcome and appreciate all the stories from folks like you. Sharing ideas, solutions and advice has helped thousands of readers over the years.
If you are expecting perfectly edited corporate style blog posts with an agenda to sell you something, please leave this page (other than a link to buy one of our books).
If you want interesting helpful stories that tell the truth about the often chaotic world of real estate investing and property management, then enjoy the read.
Rent Control Is Here To Stay Until December 31, 2023
Well after a lot of rumors, speculation, protests and debate temporary rent control has been extended in Nova Scotia. What does that mean for landlords? Residential rent increases will be limited to 2 per cent per year and will be in effect until December 31, 2023...
Process To Serve Tenants Documents Nova Scotia
I get asked a lot about serving documents to tenants. A lot of times it can be hard to track down somebody who is avoiding you. The bigger challenge is when you hook a "professional tenant", they use the rules in their favor to drag out a process such as eviction. I...
The Secret To Quick Evictions
The secret to quick evictions. The other night I took a call that has been happening all too often lately. It was not a landlord, but a random tenant. Her voice was crackling, emotions were high, she felt powerless to what was happening. She put her boyfriend on the...
New Certification From IPOANS
Since I have been writing about and sharing property management stories over the past several years, I have noticed that for the huge amount of independent small landlords there are very few educational resources. Before I continue, I do want to disclose that I am a...
Free Online Centre Plan Package B Update Event June 23, 2021
If you are in the Halifax Nova Scotia area or plan to invest in the Halifax Nova Scotia area, you will not want to miss this free online event. Hosted by our friends Greg Ross and Amanda Gaetz of Halifax Real Estate Investors. Free to sign up and free to join the...
Residential Tenancy Is Now Online In Nova Scotia
Residential Tenancy Goes Online In Nova Scotia - I do want to give credit where credit is do, because although NS residential tenancy is only marketing their online communication plan now in 2021, they have been doing a lot of great things online already. Especially...
The Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission Report
The affordable housing issue in Nova Scotia has been amplified by COVID 19. This lead to some quick action by the government to make changes to help ease the damage being done by not having an adequate supply of affordable housing in Nova Scotia. Affordable housing is...
Nova Scotia Reopens Starting June 2021
NOVA SCOTIA REOPENS STARTING JUNE 2021 Well a roller coaster ride would be an understatement to all that has happened over the past year. Now here we go again. The plan to get back to normal starts this coming week on June 2, 2021. If all goes well the plan will work,...
Are You Financially Literate?
Financial literacy is a key component to success as a real estate investor. I always think of it as a house of cards. When your portfolio grows it can be over whelming. On my new book I am starting it with a section on financial literacy. The following is some of my...
Are You Sure You Have Insurance?
Insurance is one of the most expensive components of having properties. In recent years the cost has gone through the roof, in some cases turning cash flowing properties into cash negative properties. This can include a personal home or investment property. Prior to...
What Is Your Biggest Red Flag?
We have placed a lot of rental ads over the years and have scene all kinds of responses. Some responses raise red flags right from the start. In the past year in many areas the rental market has become very limited, especially for well priced nice units. This has lead...
What Does The Third Wave Mean?
Well here we are faced with a third wave of COVID spreading. In my area we were pretty much back to normal (or the new normal) by mid April 2021, then it all changed. COVID case counts started to spike right here in Nova Scotia Canada. At first many blamed out of...
Why Don’t You Write A Book?
Why don't you write a book was a question asked to me from my friend Derek Kaye back in 2015. I thought wow, is that even possible, and if so, how? Fortunately he kept pushing me and coming up with ideas, which lead to one of my greatest accomplishments. The launch of...
Ways To Increase Rent With Amenities / Storage / Pets
We are in a time where we are faced with a lot of pressure around rent control. At the same time expenses like water, insurance & maintenance are sky rocketing, many governments are implementing forms of rent control. If you have somebody living in a place and you...
The Most Landlord Friendly Place In The USA
Where is the most landlord friendly place to own and manage rental properties? I have been researching a lot of areas around Canada and the USA to see how tenancy issues are handled. I will say, although there are many similarities, it is not consistent by state,...
Is This The Answer To Affordable Housing
Is this the answer to affordable housing? I am posting a summary of the details from the Nova Scotia governments introduction to protection for renters and forming an affordable housing commission bulletin on November 27, 2020. In Nova Scotia's largest city Halifax...
My Take On The Rent Control Announcement
Rent control has arrived in Nova Scotia Canada...well at least until February 21, 2022 or the COVID 19 state of emergency is lifted. Nova Scotia housing minister Chuck Porter made the announcement Wednesday November 25, 2020. The CBC reported on the story with the...
COVID Restrictions In HRM As Of Thursday November 26, 2020
We have been lucky throughout the pandemic here in my region of Atlantic Canada. Unfortunately in the past few weeks cases have started to spike. This has lead the government lead on the advice of Dr. Strang to impose some new restrictions. One in particular relates...
IPOANS – Residential Property Management Course
At Landlord by design we strongly recommend this course for all landlords and property managers. It is not just for professional property managers. The course is also perfect for small landlords and property managers. Residential Property Management CourseCourse...
Have Your Say Centre Plan Package B
HRM Centre Plan - Have Your Say!Centre Plan Package BOpportunity to provide input into Land Use Bylaws http://centreplan.ca/ The Centre Plan is a planning process for peninsular Halifax and Dartmouth within the boundaries of the Circumferential Highway that will help...