In this interview I discuss with Jack Zhou, energy consultant with A & J Energy Consultants, the process of performing energy audits on multifamily properties of 5+ units to qualify for financing under CMHC MLI Select under the energy efficiency section of this program launched in March 2022. As you'll see, Jack is very passionate consultant who loves his work and is determined to contribute to having greener multifamily properties. CMHC MLI Select is designed to promote three social outcomes, which are: i) affordable housing; ii) energy-efficient housing, and: iii) accessibl ..read more

  When seeking financing for multifamily properties with five or more units, lenders and CMHC will inevitably request that the investor obtain a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment, ESA for short, to protect themselves against potential environmental contamination on the property's site. This interview covers the key process for obtaining an ESA and its content.   ..read more

As of the time of writing this post, August 8, 2023, CMHC is issuing mortgage lenders and brokers an advisory informing them on how they will temporarily prioritize financing applications for multifamily properties (five + units) based on the type of applications they receive. Watch this three-minute video to get the details. If the financing applications do not fit within CMHC's priority list, the advisory states that "it may take more than six months to assign the applications to an underwriter"... CMHC has faced an onslaught of applications resulting from the recent interest rate increases ..read more

Realtors are often the first point of contact for multifamily investors as they will not only bring properties to them, but they'll also have their back and can provide much market data and assist with the negotiation process.  However, in the world of multifamily investing, prior preparation by investors is not optional! Higher standards and expectations apply to investors wishing to invest in larger apartment buildings of five-plus units namely they're expected to have done their homework in advance as much as possible. This interview will go a long way in assisting you with your prepar ..read more

Great and inspiring interview with Khush and Tom Harper, husband and wife, from their new condo in Ecuador! Khush and Tom Harper took my live workshop in November 2020 as they were in the process of acquiring their first multifamily property of 9 units. Within months of the workshop, they not only closed on that 9-suiter, but they also acquired a 28-unit apartment building.  Now they own 103 doors spread out in 19 multifamily properties and they're working on a brand new 296-unit development project in New Brunswick. Their lender was so impressed with their knowledge of multifamily proper ..read more

Well! I think we can all agree it’s such a crazy world out there with so much going on, which creates so much uncertainty in our lives. With the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank and the Signature Bank a few days ago, for all we know, we might be on the verge of a total meltdown of the world financial system, reminiscent of the 2008-09 crisis. Let’s hope not! So, I wanted to shoot a short video to contextualize how apartment building investments fare in such circumstances. I’ve experienced several financial upheavals, both as a multifamily investor and while still a multifamily underwriter a ..read more

Very inspiring interview with a graduate student of mine, Shane Unruh, who took the on-demand version of my Canadian Multifamily Investing Blueprint back in 2019. There are many valuable lessons Shane offers! He's a bit of a contrarian as he started buying at the very beginning of the COVID pandemic when many other investors were frozen in fear.  The market was accordingly on his side. In my opinion, the key to his success is his utmost commitment once he starts something and his ability to see the big picture ..read more

Great interview with Nadeem Keshavje, mortgage broker at Greenbirch Capital. See Nadeem's contact information below! In this interview, Nadeem and I discuss the current state of the mortgage market for multifamily properties as well as the uptake for CMHC's MLI Select product which was launched in March 2022. Below, you will find a link to download the details about MLI Select! Regards, Pierre-Paul   Here is the link to download a PDF document on CMHC's MLI Select new product: CMHC MLI SELECT ..read more

Love sharing success stories from my graduate students who shortly after taking my Canadian Multifamily Investing Blueprint training go out there and take action. Needless to say it makes very proud.  As you'll see when you watch this interview, Mike Beer bought his 13-unit building just nine months after taking my workshop. He gave him the tools and the confidence he needed to pull the trigger. Yours truly,   Pierre-Paul   ..read more

Novice multifamily investors need to be careful when starting to invest not to bite more than they can chew. In this post, I interview commercial building inspector, Allan Spisak.  Allan tells the story of a recent inspection he did where the investor had grand ideas of adding more suites to a 140-year-old building that structurally could not support the additions.     ..read more