Chris Thorman - How to hire property management.

Chris Thorman, who blogs about programs for property managers, recently sent me an article about What to Consider When Hiring a Property Management Company.


Chris touched upon both self-management of property and outsourcing the management of your property. Here's a preview:

Deciding when to outsource and which company to hire is one of the most important business decisions a property owner can make. Choose wisely, and an owner will be rewarded with the peace of mind that comes with responsible property management. Choose incorrectly, and an owner will be working harder after hiring a property management company.

Whether an owner has one or one hundred properties, it’s important to consider whether or not they’re prepared to hire a property management company. Handing over the management of property is a major decision. Before making that choice, owners will want to make sure they understand the following:
• The implications of self-owned management;
• The pros of outsourcing management to a third party;
• The corresponding cons; and,
• The alternatives to outsourcing.
You can read all of Chris' article at his blog.

James Cameron is a black eye on film making.

Movie maker James Cameron today stated that the Alberta Oilsands were a black eye on Canada's environmental record.

Seems like everyone in Hollywood has something to say or has a cause to champion and is seemingly the expert on something or the other.

Well Terminator was ok I guess.

One caller on CBC today said that James Cameron's plastic DVD cases are filling landfills and will take millions of years to breakdown. Talk about the not seeing the log in your own eye...

Anyway it's Earth Day why not sell some DVDs with attention drawing statements. I'd like to see him make a movie using solar and wind power.

The best comment yet:
"I'd love to see wind power lubricate the engine in my car."

Entrepreneurial Edmonton

When you read that Albertans are more entrepreneurial than other Canadians it's an understatement. The spirit of owning a building your own company is alive and apparent all around the city and province.

Whenever I leave my house I see truck after pick-up after half-ton pulling trailers with a variety of company names on them. All obviously small but making it in a slew of very specialized fields.

It's this spirit that keeps Alberta's economy leading the nation.

Variable to stay low for another year

This article from The Financial Post will ease the worry lines out of those riding the variable rate. It looks like at least another 6 to 8 months of low rates and big savings for home owners and investors.

"With the Canadian economy doing surprisingly well over the past six months, many see higher interest rates from the Bank of Canada in the not so distant future, but according to a report released Thursday from CIBC's chief economist Avery Shenfeld, rates are likely to remain at a very low 2.5% through to 2011.

In CIBC World Markets' latest Global Positioning Strategy report, Mr. Shenfeld lists several reasons for Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney to keep interest rates subdued after July. He points out that the U.S. will probably have a more gradual approach to raising rates and if Canada gets too far ahead, that could send the Canadian dollar soaring."

So enjoy it while it last - if you use your smarts and bank the difference in what you would have paid at a higher rate you might have quite a lot put away for a rainy day.

My eyes are full.

The Japanese have a saying "mei ga ippai" the literal translation is my eyes are full, the nuance would equate to "I've got a lot on my hands".

My eyes have been full for the last 2 weeks. An international move with a baby and 10 years of memories in a boat floating across the pacific. The funny thing is we did it like the proverbial band-aid. In fact when we left our little house we drove away without even looking back.

By all accounts the Alberta economy is set to lead the nation and the world again. I can tell you being on the ground here is like being on the back of a racehorse that is at the gate and primed to win the race. People are restless and ready to get back to work, gears are waiting to be turned and millions are waiting to be made. Oh wait it's Alberta - make that BILLIONS.

Enough of this recession! We're back and ready to rock. Who's coming for the ride?