STORIES FROM THE STREET – CLICK HERE 

We found out about the first real estate group we joined from a neighbor.  You could also check Google, or ask realtors who deal a lot with real estate investors.

We met the first property manager we ever hired at a real estate meet up group, and although it did not work out long term, we learned a lot from the experience.

I can also remember a night when we had a commercial insurance agent as a guest speaker.  It was a bit scary when I realized that I did not have coverage for sewer back up, rent coverage etc..  I went home that night, and took action the next day to upgrade my policy and made sure I had the right coverage.

Several of the members of our current real estate team were met through these groups.  This includes our current general contractor and home inspector.

Shelly and I refer to it as a form of therapy, just to listen and network with other people in the property business can make you feel a sense of peace.

STORIES THEY DO NOT TELL YOU IN REAL ESTATE SEMINARS

We are fortunate in my community that we have several choices.  If you do not have a local investor group, it is easy to start one.  You can go to www.meetup.comThe first Real Estate group we joined was started by a guy named Richard Payne, He is a passionate real estate investor (and now a realtor) who is a REINmember, but could not find a local investment group.  When he started it, we met in a local bar, then we graduated to a community room in a grocery store and now it is hosted in his office board room.  The group has grown a lot over the years.  You can basically find a specialist for any aspect of real estate investing, from pest control to building a strip mall.  I cannot tell you how grateful Shelly and I are that Richard started this group.  If you are in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area make sure to check out Richard’s Meetup group.

The second group we belong to is another meet up group founded and hosted by an investor/realtor/property manager Nick Harvey, Nick hosts a group called TheHRM Real Estate Investors Group.  It is another valuable networking resource.  We have met so many amazing people at these groups.  I highly recommend you either join a group or start one if you are a Property Manager, Realtor, Contractor, Investor, Mortgage Broker or do anything real estate related.

The third important group we have locally is called IPOANS (Investment Property Owners Association Of Nova Scotia), it mostly consists of larger real estate investors.  It is the type of group that is perfect for property managers looking for large portfolios to manage.  We are not currently official members, however, we work closely with some of the board and have taken or (in Shelly’s case) are taking the IPOANs Certified Apartment Manager course (CAM), which is put on by IPOANs and NSCC.

If you are in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area, you will want to join and participate in this group started by Jenna Poirier Ross of Happy Place Property Management

It is a free group that you can find on Meetup.com, Halifax Real Estate Investors.

If you are not part of a group and would like advice on starting one, please feel free to email us.

Until next time,

Design your landlord experience,

Michael P Currie

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

The book you need – Click Here