The Burn Your Mortgage Podcast

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Co-Ownership of Real Estate with Lesli Gaynor

Lesli Gaynor is a real estate agent specializing in co-housing. In 2016, she founded GoCo Solutions, part of the Fridman Team at Forest Hill Real Estate, to help people navigate the process of co-operative real estate and find a home in the Toronto and GTA real estate market. As well as supporting her clients, Lesli hosts events and conferences to educate about co-housing. These have included ‘Co-housing speed dating’ evenings, to match prospective home buyers together.

In my interview with Lesli, we discuss why someone might consider the co-ownership of real estate, how weOwn.ca came to be and the life-changing benefits of co-ownership.

The Growing Appeal of Online Housing Auctions with Katie Steinfeld of On The Block Realty

Katie Steinfeld is a seasoned real estate broker who is passionate about making the real estate industry better for both consumers and registrants.  She is a board member with the Real Estate Council of Ontario and enjoys staying involved in all levels of governance. Together, with her partner, Daniel, On The Block Realty and On The Block Auctions was created to bring more innovation and modernization to the Canadian real estate industry. Too many people have been frustrated and turned off by the limited information in the real estate process and they have set out to change that.

Although rather new to Canada, the auction option has enjoyed consistent growing success in major markets like Australia and Great Britain. On The Block Auctions provides a secure bidding platform, allowing prospective home buyers the ability to purchase their dream home without guessing at what price to pay. In addition, sellers can be sure that they are maximizing the sale price of their home by giving all buyers an equal chance to offer their top price.  Their primary goal through this unique platform is to provide greater choice for consumers and greater transparency of the process.

In my interview with Katie, we discuss the pros and cons of buying and selling a home the traditional way, the benefits of buying and selling through the auction process and how the real estate industry is going to be modernized in the coming years.

Rent-To-Own Real Estate Investing with Anthony Molinaro and Adrian Omasta

Anthony Molinaro and Adrian Omasta are two high school pals who are going all in on their dreams!

Anthony Molinaro first found his way onto the front page of the Toronto Star at the age of 20 years old for his work ethic and drive to get ahead in life. Since that article Anthony has graduated university and now works full-time for a real estate investing educational company, Rock Star Real Estate.

Now recently at the ripe old age of 24 years old, Anthony and Adrian have jumped into the real estate investing game and purchased their first investment property in St. Catharines, Ontario!

With one property under their belt, they're soon going to purchase their second property and many more properties afterwards as well!

They are also launching Rat Race Real Estate, an avenue for sharing content of their own journey of escaping the rat race using the power of real estate investing so that they can inspire and help other Canadians to escape the rat race as well.

In my interview with Anthony and Adrian, we discuss factors to consider when buying an investment property, why you might choose to do rent-to-own for your investment property and tenant screening.

Buying and Selling a Home during COVID-19 with Jas Takhar

Toronto native, Jas Takhar, has been in the sales and service industry for over 25 years. Soon after deciding to try his hand in real estate, he co-founded the REC, and in the course of 15 years, has successfully propelled his team to the 1st place position in Canada under Royal LePage.

In my interview with Jas, we discuss how Coronavirus is affecting the real estate market, steps realtors are taking to protect home buyers and sellers and how homebuyers can still views properties if they aren’t comfortable seeing them in person.

Buying a Home and Getting a Mortgage as a New Canadian with Enoch Omololu

Enoch Omololu is a personal finance enthusiast and a veterinarian. He has a master's degree in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Aberdeen Business School and has a passion for helping others win with their finances.

As a first-time homebuyer in Canada, Enoch learned a lot about the intricacies of buying a home in Canada and has written about his experiences and other personal finance topics on his blog at savvynewcanadians.com. His writing has been featured or quoted in some of the top personal finance publications in Canada including the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, MSN Money and the Financial Post.

In my interview with Enoch, we discuss buying a home as a new Canadian, getting a mortgage as a new Canadians and top tips to make the mortgage process go smoother as a new Canadian.

The Best Strategies for Achieving and Maintaining a Good Credit Score with Julie Kuzmic of Equifax Canada

Julie Kuzmic is Director of Consumer Advocacy at Equifax Canada and a recognized authority on consumer credit. She often speaks to industry groups, government, clients and consumers to shed light on the credit lifecycle. She is passionate about financial literacy and is always testing out new metaphors to describe the nuances of credit scores.

In my interview with Julie, we discuss how credit scores are calculated, why there are multiple credit scores and how credit scores are affected by shopping around for a mortgage.

Rich Is a State of Mind: Building Wealth and Happiness with Robert Gignac

Robert Gignac is the best-selling author of Rich is a State of Mind and a highly sought-after speaker at financial industry seminars and client events, currently based in Oakville, Ontario. With an entertaining yet direct speaking style, Robert offers a light-hearted look at financial planning with the serious message of personal responsibility. Audiences love his dynamic and engaging presentations which challenge them to see things from a different perspective. Robert has been a student of the financial planning process for almost two decades. His goal is to passionately encourage people to take control of their finances in order to have a “Richly Imagined Future.”

In my interview with Robert, we discuss pitfalls to avoid when investing in real estate, the downsizing trend and achieving mortgage-free financial freedom.

What the New Real Estate Rules Mean for Homebuyers with Michael Walsh of Exclusively Buyers

Michael Walsh is the President and Broker of Record at Exclusively Buyers Inc (EBI), the only real estate brokerage in Ontario that is dedicated exclusively to home buyers.  His brokerage does not accept sales assignments, thereby avoiding the conflicts of interest inherent in traditional real estate brokerages.  Clients of EBI receive a guarantee of single agency, the gold standard of real estate brokerage services.

In my interview with Michael, we discuss the driving force behind the proposed Trust in Real Estate Services Act 2019, what is multiple representation and why were some industry pundits lobbying for its prohibition.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Being a Successful Landlord with Rachelle Berube of Landlord Rescue

Rachelle Berube is the founder of Landlord Rescue. She has 25 years’ experience as a property manager. Rachelle rents properties on behalf of homeowners and manages properties. She does all the work for the homeowner. She shows the property, screens the tenants and makes up leases. She works hard to match the tenant to the homeowner.

In my interview with Rachelle, we discuss the benefits of being a landlord, avoiding bad tenants and how to determine whether it’s better to manage a rental property on your own or hire a property manager.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Urban Planning with Sean Galbraith of Galbraith & Associates

Sean Galbraith is President of Galbraith & Associates, a boutique urban planning firm in Toronto, specializing in small projects. Sean speaks the language of planning. Sean has over 20 years’ experience as an urban planner. Sean's career has primarily been focused in the private sector, where he has worked on a wide variety of residential development applications. He also provides planning advice to community groups and others.

In my interview with Sean, we discuss how a city’s policies around urban planning influences the type of homes that are built, what could cities be doing better from an urban planning standpoint to help make real estate more affordable and what could all levels of government be doing to help put shovels in the ground faster for new homes.