Chris Seepe
Chris Seepe spent 35+ years in I.T. before entering commercial real estate a decade ago. He’s a published writer and author of two books on “landlording,” course instructor, president of the Landlords Association of Durham, and a commercial real estate broker of record at Aztech Realty in Toronto, specializing in income-generating and multi-residential investment properties. Call (416) 525-1558, or send him an email.
Who profits most from unaffordable housing?
All tenant advocates and most politicians and media blame the obvious culprits: landlords and investors. But who really benefits? Who stands to profit most from increased prices? Follow the money.
Oshawa proposal is state-sanctioned surveillance by unaccountable enforcement officers
Oshawa has set up a demerit point system that rates how “bad” every housing provider is by employing 33 additional bylaw officers at a cost of almost $5 million. The city essentially sanctioned a state-run surveillance regime.
Three-year delays in recovery of “forced loans” to tenants
Government effectively sets up residential landlords to take the full brunt of a tenant’s ire by forcing landlords to apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to increase each tenant’s rent above the annual guideline.
The dark clouds and silver lining of NIMBYs
NIMBYs (not in my back yard) are ad hoc groups of residents who band together to oppose real estate developments in their local area. They share traits that are similar in many ways to nimbus clouds; but maybe with a silver lining.
Municipal snow removal bylaws not cut-and-dried
Bylaw departments would have you believe the law is clear about who is responsible to clear snow and ice off city sidewalks. But that’s not true.
How to make your investment property more affordable …for you
I recently looked at the government’s substantial revenue stream from investment properties and realized that government has an affordable housing conflict of interest. The more affordable the housing, the less affordable it is to government.
How to fix the affordable housing crisis
There are thousands of stories about what’s causing unaffordable housing. Rather than regurgitate symptoms and causes, the following are actionable items to create immediate and near-immediate results to alleviate housing availability and affordability.
Opinion: OREA’s solution addresses symptoms, not causes of unaffordability
While the Ontario Real Estate Association’s proposal is a good first step, these suggestions address symptoms, not causal factors of housing unaffordability.
The affordable housing paradox
One of the least understood and arguably the most abused affordable housing misperceptions is what I call The Affordable Housing Paradox: the higher the property tax, the lower the property value on which the amount of property tax is based.
Opinion: Review of the Conservatives’ Recovery Plan for the housing crisis
The Conservative Party's Recovery Plan includes the party’s platform on housing affordability actions if they are elected, on pages 55 to 56. Here are my comments about their plan.