Welcome back to a brand new year, Real Estate Insiders! We thought this month would be a great time to cover a variety of topics including living life in a big city, creating wealth, performing background checks, and even why the numbers in your address could deter potential buyers!      

• Is the “American Dream” an outdated concept? Does yours involve a house with a yard and a white picket fence, or something more suited to your lifestyle? Read about why everyone might be a lot happier if they made their own definition of the American (or Canadian) Dream. Read more  
• Does your address contain the number 4 or 13? If so, that might be a deal breaker for some cultures. Read here how these numbers have caused headache in housing developments and how city planners and contractors are dealing with it. Read more
• If you’re thinking of how to split your estate between your children, this article won’t help you decide who is your favourite, but it will help with a few of the tax questions! Read more
• Finding the right property manager is essential to creating and maintaining a good portfolio. If you decide to use a property manager, be sure to read this article to help find the right one for you! Read more
• Are you thinking of buying your first home? Take it from someone who’s been there before! This article describes almost every cost you should prepare for when buying a home. Read more 
• Not every investment you make is going to be a winner, however a big part of investing is not making impulsive, emotional decisions! Read how this investor “lost” $130,000 on his rental property but managed to turn it around by keeping a level head and trusting the process.Read more
• Don’t be blinded by the cap rate. Here’s a list of things to consider when evaluating cap rates or multiples on a property—and why these tools are simply a starting point. Read more
• There are so many options when it comes to creating wealth for yourself, but the common strategy between them all is to diversify. This blogger decided she needed a way to diversify her portfolio and caught the real estate fever! Read here how she turned her love of HGTV into a very profitable investment strategy. Read more
• Tenants can make or break an investment property, so we want to make sure you are doing everything you can to ensure you have the best tenant possible! Here’s a list of what you should do to complete a successful background check. Read more
• For many people, living in the big city would be a dream come true, but is it really worth it? Read here how the high costs of living are pushing many young adults to pursue a larger life in smaller cities. Read more