Real Estate Investing
I have always loved real estate (I have considered becoming a real estate agent, and still might), and have been continually drawn to the variety of spaces and homes in which people live. This was likely due to the fact that I grew up in a unique architect-designed mid-century modern house, complete with vaulted cedar ceilings with exposed beams.
Living centrally in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, I watched the value of my home increase over time after several years of ownership. The realization that my biggest financial gain to date was from the built-up equity in my primary residence, rather than from my financial portfolio, led me to the start of my journey as a real estate investor in 2011. I set up two Home Equity Lines Of Credit (HELOCs) and borrowed the equity from my home to use as a down payment to purchase two condominiums in Ottawa, one of which was a new build.
My knowledge about real estate investing expanded significantly after becoming a member of a real estate investment education organization. I have since made investments using various real estate investment strategies (private lending, private equity, development, value add multi-family), have grown a fairly large network of other real estate investors, and was a member of a real estate mastermind for high-level real estate investors wanting to collaborate, learn and scale their business to the next level.