1. Jesse and Colette

Jesse and Colette

Allow us to introduce you to Jesse and Colette.

He knew he wanted more. He had a decent job but felt handcuffed to it.  He had a family he loved and, in general, was satisfied with life.  That was fine but he wanted more for the future and believed real estate investing could give him that. He read self-development books, was building his first investment property (a gorgeous fourplex) but was feeling uncertain, scared and generally like this should be a lot f*cking easier.  It’s not that his wife and him were not on the same page – but it didn’t feel like she was willing to be involved or totally supportive either.

She was struggling with trust.  She didn’t feel like her and her husband were fully connected and communicating well.  There was nothing in particular that was going on and she couldn’t necessarily explain it.  They had three great kids but as a family it felt more like going through the motions than anything else.  She was a nurse which left her little time for herself.  On the surface she agreed with investing in real estate. She believed that it would give her the opportunity to work less which would solve the “problem”.

Hypothetically Speaking…

Let’s say they join a typical real estate investing group.  They’ll be told to define their purpose which they will say is to quit their jobs and live happily on a beach somewhere.  Then they’ll go to meeting after meeting where people give talks to a room full of people about the theories of buying real estate – how to structure a joint venture, where to buy, how to manage properties etc etc.  People will be brought on stage and rewarded for the number of properties they have in their portfolios.  There’s nothing wrong with this … or is there?

Before we go any further, we need to put a disclaimer on this.  We are not here to criticize real estate investing groups.  In fact, we work with a number of good ones all the time.  The issue is that the information is too general because they are talking to a group of people.  Even when they aren’t talking to a group, the information being given is theory – the value is limited by the pure nature of it.

The Issues.

So, getting back to our couple and their path.  The first issue is their “purpose”.  It’s rarely about your job but your job is typically the easiest thing to blame.  Also, you don’t have to wait to be successful to be happy – you can live your best life now.  But that’s not what we’re taught to believe – we’re taught you either sacrifice now for your future or you indulge now at the expense of later.

The second issue is that real estate theory.  Regardless of how good it is, it’s only half of the solution.  Theory alone won’t allow you to implement and act on it.  Theory is written in books that sit on shelves.  Real estate investing is an action.  See the disconnect?

The third issue is a little less obvious.  Often at group meetings the membership fees are per person which discourages couples from attending.  One spouse goes and the other stays at home with the kids.  This way you don’t have to get a babysitter AND you don’t have to pay for 2 memberships.  Our couple was already experiencing a lack of alignment.  Creating more separation would have been like trying to put out a fire with gasoline.   It would have led to further resentment and lack of trust.

The final issue is rewarding people for buying more properties. More properties don’t necessarily equal more success. If you remember, we mentioned our couple just built their first investment property – a GORGEOUS 4-plex.  They built the property like they were going to live in it – with all the upgrades.  People are emotionally driven when it comes to their homes.  But this isn’t their home.  This is an investment property. It’s a business and should be treated as such.  If they continued to accumulate properties based on emotion they would have continued to over-invest and make bad business decisions.

What Actually Happened.

Luckily that was a hypothetical and not what actually happened.  Here’s what actually happened.  This couple came to a weekend event Jared was hosting.  Because spouses came for free, both attended.   Hearing Jared, an actual investor, talk about the challenges he faced in a no bullsh*t manner inspired them to join the private coaching program.  The private coaching program encourages (to the point of almost requiring), couples to participate together.

Jared worked with them on creating structure and systems for managing their portfolio.  He helped them define their specific strategy and goals.  He stayed one step in front and two steps behind them on their journey (anticipating what was coming up while pushing them and holding them accountable).

Krista helped Jesse show up differently – to understand the impact that he had on his wife and others, communicate effectively, slow down and be conscious.  She helped Colette get back into her heart – open herself up to connecting and being able to trust.  Colette’s ability to trust Jesse also empowered him which allowed him to show up trustable – creating a situation where they mutually reinforced each other.

Today things are easier – they are moving faster and in sequence.  They are connected to each other and themselves.  They have moved beyond “fine” and are happy now (versus waiting for happiness in the future).  He has quit his job and manages the kids, home and all the real estate. He has started a men’s group and is working towards becoming a coach.   He shows up as trustable and is able to attract business partners and investors in a way he couldn’t before.  She is loving her job and doing things for herself like taking yoga classes.  They are better parents because they listen and hear each other.  They are better set up for success – not only in real estate but in their marriage and life.

Allow us to introduce you to a happier, more fulfilled Jesse and Colette!

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FAQ

Why is integrity so important to you and your company?

It’s a huge mind f*ck for us to be acting outside of integrity. Most people can agree that it’s a good thing to have integrity.  But for us it goes further than that.  When we are out of integrity, we make bad decisions, we lose clarity and it creates tension – not only in ourselves but in our relationships with others.  That is not how we want to live or how we want to do business.  

Can you tell us more about the deep dive sessions and why they are so important?

Holy sh*t!  We cannot say enough about the deep dive sessions and how much they light us up!  This session is all about our client.  Literally you will never experience a time when the focus of a day is more about you and you alone (and your partner if you have one). 

This is a “lockdown” day where the three of us (Jared, Krista and Carla), get in a room with you and dig deep into who you are and what you want.  It is immersive.  We create a container for magic to happen – everything from the meeting space, to the format to the graphically facilitated brainstorm is deliberate.  Everything is designed to dig deep. It jump starts your journey in a meaningful and effective way.  

There is a key to this process that would be impossible for others to replicate – hence why it’s such a differentiator for us.  The key is that all three of us are extreme listeners.  We can’t count the amount of times we have been in meetings where people don’t listen.  They have a predefined box or service and they slot you into one of these.  We have all experienced not being heard and it really f*cking sucks.  We don’t really blame people for this – the ability to listen, to stay in the moment, to not hear with a lens of your own biases is extremely difficult and why our deep dives are so successful.

How Do I Start Investing in Real Estate?
  1. Write Out Your 10 Year Vision. Where are you and who is with you? Most people will write all the big dreams they want but let’s go one step further. Let’s attach a monthly or yearly income to the lifestyle. Is this something you can attain and aspire to achieve? Write it down!
  2. Read Rich Dad Poor Dad.  This was one of the most inspirational books my wife and I read at the beginning of our investment journey. This is the book that made us realize there was an opportunity with real estate that we wanted to learn more about.
  3. Get Learning. It’s too early in the process to decide on a complete strategy as you don’t know what you don’t know right now. You just outlined the dream life and attached an income to it. So now it’s time to learn all you can. Go to a few investment workshops and/or weekend events to gather knowledge and resources but be careful to not get caught in the sales trap they are offering at these events. You’re there to learn, not to overcommit yourself.
  4. Make Some Decisions. Decide if you want to do this journey on your own or with some guidance. All the real estate groups are teaching textbook theory.  No offence to these groups, but it isn’t always hands-on enough to be personal to you and your individual needs. The other option is to hire a coach. Be careful, as you want to use someone who is still currently in the investment realm. An investor who bought 100 properties 15 years ago may not work for you as their strategies may be outdated.
  5. Evaluate Your Finances. It’s time to analyze your opportunities. If you have a coach, they should be taking you through this process. If you’re doing it alone, then take the time to evaluate your financial position. How much cash do you have? Do you have access to lines of credit?  What’s your credit rating? How much will the bank lend you?  Do you have equity in your house you can use? Take stock of all your resources.
  6. Meet with a Mortgage Broker. The truth is if you only have $25,000 you cannot go and buy a $500,000 property that cash flows $1000/m. You need to know the product you can buy.  If you want to flip houses and only have access to $50,000 then you need to know what type of property you can afford. A mortgage broker will help with this.
  7. Research the Market.  If your budget is $500,000 then spend the time looking at areas where that’s the average price of a house. Get to know the area, its shops, parks and features. The goal here is not to find the house yet but to understand the end user. Understanding the potential tenant you’re seeking comes before buying the house!
  8. Get in Touch with an Agent.  A real estate agent’s job is to sell you something as they need to pay their bills. Even an investment realtor needs to sell a product, so you should never fully trust their opinion. Nothing against agents, but they all have bills to pay. In the end, if the house isn’t good they will not buy it back from you. So do your homework and work with someone you trust.
  9. Start Thinking Long Term. While connecting with your agent, it’s a good time to get reading the tenancy act in your province. Get thinking about managing your investment property. Do you want to manage the property yourself or do you want to hire a manager? Both have their pros and cons and you should consider exactly how you will manage your property before diving in.
Why do you mainly invest in Edmonton?

It starts with Alberta and the favourable tenancy act which includes fast evictions, no rental raise restrictions and you aren’t mandated to rent to pets.  No land transfer tax and no pst on property services is also huge.  Edmonton specifically (despite what the news tells you) has a favourable rental market with in-migration and steady or growing GDP.  Also, TILT, our property management company is located in Edmonton.  All property management companies are not equal.  This became VERY apparent during the pandemic.  While most property management companies were seeing upwards of 30 – 40% delinquencies in rent payments, TILT saw only 2 people out of 500 not pay rent.  Management matters.

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