The Evolution Of The Canadian Mall & What It Means For Investors

Our shopping habits may have changed a lot in some ways since the construction of the first covered Canadian shopping mall in 1950. Though in many ways they have stayed the same, and so has the way people enjoy shopping.

While the first monster sized shopping mall, Park Royal in West Vancouver, has certainly had its successes, not everyone wants to have to go to a large mall every time they need something. More and more shopping centres are being converted, or are developing plans to be converted, into large, mixed use, luxurious malls, though many Canadians say they love their local shopping centres just the way they are. People still prefer buying from faces they recognize and who know their names, and perhaps more importantly, don’t want to have to take 15 minutes to park and then walk equally as long to get to a single store they want to visit. They like the small local shopping centre feel. Some citizens are even very actively protesting against this new breed of mall.

Likes and dislikes are one thing, and no matter what you do, and how well you do it, there will always be critics. But the real question is, what does this trend means for investors? Of course brand new super malls demand higher rents and can accommodate more tenants, however this doesn’t always mean higher profits, and certainly means waiting longer for significant returns. For those investing in shopping malls, major renovations can mean having to pay out big figures to tenants and extended periods without income. Plus those projects that include residential units don’t always provide the best possible use of the available square footage.

For those looking into commercial real estate investment through shopping centres and who are seeking immediate income along with larger lump sum profits down the road, it is often best to put your money into existing small and medium shopping malls that already offer established tenants and rents. Should you really desire to do some type of renovation to boost your equity you will often find that the best returns are to be had from simple extensions to parking, improved signage and basic cosmetic updates to the fascia.

What about those who say that ‘malls are dead’, and that the Internet is the future of shopping? Studies show that while consumers are certainly doing a lot of research and window shopping online they are still choosing to head to the local shopping centre to execute their purchases for the most part. So there is no need for the Internet to mean doom for smaller retailers or franchises. In fact they are often best served by sticking with affordable rents in smaller shopping malls and focusing a good portion of their marketing budget on Internet and mobile marketing that drives traffic in their physical doors.

Want to learn more about how commercial real estate, or get information on some of the great deals that are available? Contact Howard Manley of Redev Properties today by phone at 1-866-668-7344 or via email at howardm@redevproperties.ca.

Thank you for reading,

Richard Crenian
www.redevgroup.com

Canada Ranks 7th In Global Commercial Real Estate Investment Study

The recently released report, the ‘International Investment Atlas Summary 2010’ from Cushman & Wakefield places Canada seventh in global investment in commercial real estate. Even better, this report shows that commercial real estate investment volume is up 150% over the previous year!

The other leaders in this study included:

1. China

2. USA

3. UK

4. Germany

5. Japan

6. Hong Kong

While China is certainly huge and attracted about $200 billion in commercial investment, it obviously has it’s own complexities when it comes to investing for the average individual. Plus, government manipulation of the market and the threat of sweeping changes at any moment are always scary. Obviously the US made it on the list from sheer size, not because of performance which continues to weaken. While similarly the UK, especially London, an old favourite, finds its way on the list due to the incredibly high prices, even though it is also still battling the credit crunch in a big way. Germany may have seen impressive economic growth recently, but it is not the easiest of countries for foreign investors to try to invest in, and definitely presents a number of challenges including the high cost of entry. Then there is Japan which is going to be a seriously scary place for anyone to put their money for a long time due to the recent tsunami.

The report further praised Canada for having one of the most stable banking sectors in the world, and pointed out the improvements in employment figures and the stabilization of commercial rents. In fact they did not go far enough to recognize that cities like Calgary are currently sitting on an almost zero vacancy rate in the retail sector.

What does this all mean for Canadians who are looking for the best place to invest their money? Clearly for many reasons Canadians are much better off keeping their money at home these days, and will also see their investments further boosted by outside attention from foreigners looking to capitalize on the country’s strength and growth.

Commercial real estate investment is a fantastic choice for those looking for an income investment and equity growth in a vehicle that provides great security and solid returns. While every commercial property and area is slightly different, recent official reports have put the average returns for commercial real estate investors as high at 11-15.7% in places like Vancouver and Calgary.

The retail sector in the Western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan in particular, offer many great opportunities for the individual investor looking for a safe and secure place to put their money to work for them, while realizing above average returns. This has led many of the most savvy investors to start picking up more and more retail properties, such as local shopping malls and plazas.

Want to learn more about how commercial real estate, or get information on some of the great deals that are available? Contact Howard Manley of Redev Properties today by phone at 1-866-668-7344 or via email at howardm@redevproperties.ca.

Thank you for reading,

Richard Crenian
www.redevgroup.com

Best Canadian Cities For Commercial Real Estate Investment

Calgary

Calgary is perhaps the most buoyant and brightest commercial real estate market in the country with retail sales already seeing the second highest growth rate in Canada, and predicted to soon become number one. This is a pole position expected to be held until at least 2015 with many retailers choosing Calgary as the location for their first and second Canadian store openings. In fact this jewel in Alberta’s commercial real estate crown already boasts a vacancy rate of just 2.4% with some areas as low as 1.7 percent!

Vancouver

Commercial real estate investment in Vancouver has rebounded at an amazing rate. British Columbia saw a 58% surge in dollar volume last year alone, with Vancouver making up a good portion of that figure. While aggressive growth is expected to continue during the next 5 years, investment returns are also staying high. At second place for the entire country average commercial investment, returns here averaged an appetizing 13.7%. Each of the 4 major sectors of the commercial property market performed well, but retail remained in the lead for a 2nd year running, with returns at an incredible rate of 15.6%.

Edmonton

While perhaps not in the headlines as often as some of the bigger metropolitan cities, Edmonton is still a thriving location with excellent business opportunities and a great place to live. In comparison to Calgary, you will find commercial real estate prices more affordable, yet still providing healthy returns. The city’s appealing lifestyle will continue to attract more residents and businesses during the coming years, providing excellent growth for investors. What to invest in? As the home to Canada’s 1st mall, the Westmount Centre, and the largest mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall, you can be sure shopping is big business here: and retail outlets offers many opportunities.

Regina

Nicknamed the ‘Sunniest Capital City in Canada’, Regina, in the western province of Saskatchewan, is an important economic hub and a highly desired location for both business and Canadians looking for a sunnier place to live. Real estate here is known for being very affordable, and as the country rebounds, it is certain there will be plenty of profits to be had, especially for those investing in shopping malls, and those who benefit greatly from the big tourist influx.

Victoria

Victoria felt much less of the effects of the global economic crises than other cities in BC, and has always been considered to be more stable. This commercial property market has continued to see a great upward trend since the second half of 2009, with retailers exceeding expectations, which has led many local businesses to launch plans for expansion including a number of car dealers announcing multimillion dollar construction projects.

Want to learn more about how commercial real estate, or get information on some of the great deals that are available? Contact Howard Manley of Redev Properties today by phone at 1-866-668-7344 or via email at howardm@redevproperties.ca.

Thank you for reading,

Richard Crenian
www.redevgroup.com

It is ok to be Boring! by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
March 3rd, 2010
Banking Money and You……by Richard Crenian
Just the facts, Ma’am:
First quarter profits…….
National Bank at $215 million up from 69 million;
BMO -Bank of Montreal $657 million from 432 million;
TD Bank shows double their quarterly profit posting a gain of 1.3 billion dollars.
These are the quarterly results of the Canadian banks. These banks are what the global standard is set by. It is obvious why.
With all the bank failures in the US (15 alone in the month of January), it is wonder why one picks Canada for safety and security. The knock about Canada and the Canadians is that they are too quiet, too polite, and too boring. If you are an investor boring is good, and if you are an investor past 45 years old, boring is great.
Oil, gold, etc have been great commodities for the rich commodity Canada. Is it any wonder why we are lucky to be here and live here? Is it any wonder that foreign investors are flocking here; wealthy immigrants are moving and wanting to move, to Canada. Boring is good sometimes, and being here in Canada we are glad.
Howard and I are both boring investor turtles, we will go slow and steady into the sunset, like we want our investments to do. Why not? We aren’t going to be around forever but when we are we will take care of our day to day concerns and leave well for those that remain.
Call Howard at 4036304544 or email him at howardmanley@shaw.ca to chat or exchange ideas. Of course you can always write to me at richardc@redevgroup.ca. Thanks for reading.

Richard Crenian
www.redevgroup.com

Canada, eh?

Richard Crenian Blogs
2-Mar-10

Canada Eh?

I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit. I’ve been reading in the newspaper about what’s happening in Greece. Their economy is so laden with debt. When you look at the countries like Greece, Germany, Portugal, Spain you can’t help but notice they are all in dire straits. It’s no wonder! The trouble starts because they’re buying each other’s paper and gradually there isn’t money to back the paper.

In the case of Greece, the country has so much debt it cannot issue any more paper as it isn’t worth anything.

Next thing you know the Euro is affected and the European Union is scrambling to figure out what to do. What a mess!

Also, last week we spoke about what is happening in the U.S. in terms of foreclosures.
It is still scary.

Yet is happening in the USA seems starts to seem tame by comparison to what is happening in parts of Europe. Now that the Euro is weakened by all the debt you are seeing the U.S. people are now buying the U.S. dollar despite the scary things happening in the States.

I am not an expert on world politics or the world economy but whenever you read things like this it really makes you appreciate what is happening in Canada.

As the Euro falls the Canadian dollar picks up steam.

How does that play into Canada or why is Canada such a good place? When you read what has happened in the last few days you know that the Canadian economy has expanded by 5% (annualized) in the fourth quarter of 2009, and when you see a number like a 5% annualized you know that things are going well.

We haven’t seen gross domestic product growth since 2000. Why is that? Well when you look at what is happening in Canada, we have mining we have oil and gas, and we have manufacturing, construction and a whole gamut of service producing industries.

This has continued to fuel the wholesale trade along with real estate in Canada.

This may mean we will see our Canadian government raise interest rates in the third quarter or fourth quarter of this year (2010) so the economists say, in an effort to control growth and inflation and help maintain the safe economic environment we’ve grown accustomed to.

Its little wonder Canada’s fast becoming worlds preferred place to invest in.

Good governance, good place, good timing. Go Canada, go!

Richard Crenian

www.redevgroup.com

richardc@redevgroup.ca

Why invest in Canada?

Here is a transcript of my latest chat with our media consultant.

Q: Why does redev focus primarily on Canada?

RC: Our strategy and focus on Canada goes hand-in-glove with my professional aversion to risk. I only shop for opportunity where risk can be controlled, minimized or eliminated completely. These days this means staying inside our traditional investment zone.

These days when you look at the US home prices are deflating in 21% of the 143 markets according to The Economist. According to the web site zillow.com 1 in 5 home owners are under water on their mortgages especially on the fourth quarter of last year. We see that for this year in the US there have been 4.5 million foreclosure filings up from 2.8 million in 2009, according to Realty Track. When I hear those kinds of numbers, I’m actually scared. I see in the States, quoting from the mortgage bankers association that 15% of homeowners are either in foreclosure or behind at least one payment on their mortgage in quarter four. According to the mortgage bankers association at least 3.9 million Americans are more than 90 days behind on their payments, which is triple the level of two years ago.

In the US in 2010 there were four more regional banks that failed recently bringing the total to 20 banks that have failed. We’re talking 20 billion plus in assets.
Those are the kinds of numbers I hear and see, I have to ask do I really want to invest in a place where things are going so poorly? Being risk averse this is something I just don’t want to do. You have to worry and you have to wonder.

In Canada we have good government and a well-regulated banking system and a safe economy and we have many resources. We should be very thankful to live here in Canada. So the bottom line is, "I go where I know and know where I go..."

Richard Crenian
richardc@redevgroup.ca
http://www.redevgroup.com

On risk aversion

Here is a transcript of my latest chat with our media consultant.

Q: Having read a number of your blog posts it seems you have a strong aversion to risk. Why is that?

Richard Crenian: That’s a good question. I think the older you get the more adverse to risk you become. Later in life you realize that if you loose money you don’t have the energy and time you once had to make up the differences. So it’s very import to try and save your money and not blow it on something silly.

So I think that you know that if you lose money at age, (whatever your age is) say your 55 years old and you are planning to retire by age 65 it will be much harder to make that money up in the next 10 years. So you really want to watch where you invest your money and at a minimum make sure you are not going to lose your money which you are saving for retirement.

Beyond your retirement goals being conservative means protecting those you might one day leave behind. Obviously you want to make sure your family is well taken care of. In my view this is the legacy of a good human being.

When you’re 35 years old, the possible losses associated with risk are easier to compensate for, assuming you don’t compromise the welfare and safety of your family.
When you get into 55 and beyond, is there any real need for you to take on unnecessary risks?

Richard Crenian
richardc@redevgroup.ca
www.redevgroup.com

The New Sheriff by RIchard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
February 19, 2010
The Sherriff of Wall Street
Wow, the Globe reported a story from the Associated Press that former CEO of Bank of America Ken Lewis misled investors about Merrill Lynch before B of A acquired it.
Lovely. Imagine being misled by Wall Street. Who would have thunk.
Bottom line the story is that B of A knew that the losses at Merrill were larger than anticipated but they chose not to tell investors. A Bank doing what? To whom?
Yes those mutual fund cos that bought into B of A and thought they were going great guns. What was the problem anyhow? The Bank had to report full disclosure, right?
Wrong. So here we are that the AG’s (Attorney General’s office) is charging them, and we also learn that B o A were trying to resolve the matters with the SEC as well. (Of course since the SEC was to regulate Bank of America as well.)
Anyhow, Howard and I like investing in what we control. Simple retail shopping centers. It is what it is.
I don’t have to worry about our investments, we have professionals we deal with and life is good. We are not in the get rich quick scheme of things. Just slow and steady. Just imagine, how big your savings would be today if you started investing and saving since day 1. Assuming of course you were choosing safe investments, and not gambling on the stock market.
Call Howard at 4036304544, or email him at howardmanley@shaw.ca to discuss strategies, or write me at richardc@redevgroup.ca.
Thanks for reading.
Article attached from the Globe below.
Richard Crenian
www.redevgroup.com


From the Globe website
Stephen Bernard and Ieva M. Augstums

New York — The Associated Press
Published on Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010 11:44AM EST

Last updated on Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010 1:54PM EST


.The New York Attorney General's office said Thursday it filed civil fraud charges against Bank of America Corp. (BAC-N14.90-0.63-4.06%) and its former chief executive officer Ken Lewis, saying the bank misled investors about Merrill Lynch before it acquired the Wall Street bank in early 2009.

Civil charges were also being filed against Joe Price, the bank's former chief financial officer.

At the same time Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office was filing its civil charges, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reached a settlement to resolve separate federal charges it brought against Bank of America over similar issues. It is the second time the SEC and Bank of America have tried to settle the case.

Bank of America has been accused of failing to properly disclose losses at Merrill and bonuses paid to investment bank employees before the deal closed. Mr. Cuomo called Bank of America's actions “egregious and reprehensible” in deceiving not only shareholders, but also the federal government.

The bank received an additional $20-billion (U.S.) in government bailout funds in January, 2009, to help offset losses it absorbed as part of the Merrill Lynch acquisition. In December, Bank of America repaid the $20-billion, plus the initial $25-billion it received in government bailout money.

Mr. Lewis stepped down as CEO from Bank of America on Dec. 31 after almost a year of strife that followed the bank's purchase of Merrill Lynch. Mr. Price became head of the bank's consumer banking division, taking over for Brian Moynihan, who succeeded Mr. Lewis as CEO on Jan. 1.

Mr. Moynihan is not under investigation.

Advising mom on real estate investment

Here is a transcript of my latest chat with our media consultant.

Q: Richard, if you were going to give your mother advice on what to invest in, when it comes to real estate or commercial real estate, what would you tell her?

RC: One of the things that I would do is ask her if the company that she's investing with, or the project that she's investing with, would it have all of the necessary experience regarding management? Does the management have good skills to ensure that they're going to do what they say they're going to do? She needs to do her proper due diligence on the company and the people she's dealing with, first and foremost.

Number two, what I would suggest to her is that she make sure that all of her funds go into a lawyer's trust account, and that when her funds goes into this trust account, that she has some kind of interest attached to this money that goes into this account until it closes. By giving her money to the lawyer's trust account, she ensures that she would get a proper and legal closing. That would be essential to make sure that she plays by the rules, and the company that she invests with, or the project that she's investing into, is also properly following the rules.

I would also ask her, what does the company sell? If it's investment in real estate, is the company an expert in real estate? Has it had a lot of experience selling real estate only, or is it also selling oil and gas, stocks and bonds, mutual funds? Is it selling insurance? Is it selling land banking? I think the most important thing is to always go to a specialist, who works in only one project or one area of expertise. I don't believe that anyone can be an expert in every subject, so I would be very concerned if they're selling everything. My thought would be that they're simply looking for commissions, to make money off of the deal. If they're responsible in selling one type of product, then that's all they're selling, and you know that they're experts, that's it and no worries.

When the monies come to my mom, I'd want to know if there's a third party appointed, to disperse and handle all of the funds. In other words: I love the developer, I think the developer is great and I love the people, but I don't want to love them to the point where I'm going to have to have blind trust in them, I'd want to know if there's a third party appointed to handle and disperse all of the funds. That is just another layer of safety for me, and that is something that I would tell my mother that is absolutely necessary.

I'd want to know if there are any third parties involved, if the third parties are indeed licensed by the provinces, and if indeed they are looking after the investors' interests. Again, you can't be a jack of all trades. If you use third-party, arms-length licensed property managers, what you're doing is adding another layer of disclosure, and another layer of people (and by that I mean the province) looking over the investment. I think it's important to layer yourself in as much protection as possible.

As well, when I get the form from the company, I don't want the company reports - company reports only tell me the nice and glossy things. I want to know that there's a third party, arms-length accounting firm - a proper accounting firm, like a big six CA firm - that's compiling the statements and issuing proper tax forms for investors.

Last but not least, I would tell my mother to go with her gut feeling. If your gut tells you not to invest, or that it's too good to be true, don't invest. I think if you've got a good checklist, and she's gone through it, then she should be fine.

Richard Crenian
richardc@redevgroup.ca
www.redevgroup.com

A New Sherriff by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
February 8, 2010
The Sherriff of Wall Street
Wow, the Globe reported a story from the Associated Press that former CEO of Bank of America Ken Lewis misled investors about Merrill Lynch before B of A acquired it.
Lovely. Imagine being misled by Wall Street. Who would have thunk.
Bottom line the story is that B of A knew that the losses at Merrill were larger than anticipated but they chose not to tell investors. A Bank doing what? To whom?
Yes those mutual fund cos that bought into B of A and thought they were going great guns. What was the problem anyhow? The Bank had to report full disclosure, right?
Wrong. So here we are that the AG’s (Attorney General’s office) is charging them, and we also learn that B o A were trying to resolve the matters with the SEC as well. (Of course since the SEC was to regulate Bank of America as well.)
Anyhow, Howard and I like investing in what we control. Simple retail shopping centers. It is what it is.
I don’t have to worry about our investments, we have professionals we deal with and life is good. We are not in the get rich quick scheme of things. Just slow and steady. Just imagine, how big your savings would be today if you started investing and saving since day 1. Assuming of course you were choosing safe investments, and not gambling on the stock market.
Call Howard at 4036304544, or email him at howardmanley@shaw.ca to discuss strategies, or write me at richardc@redevgroup.ca.
Thanks for reading.
Article attached from the Globe below.
Richard Crenian
www.redevgroup.com


From the Globe website
Stephen Bernard and Ieva M. Augstums

New York — The Associated Press
Published on Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010 11:44AM EST

Last updated on Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010 1:54PM EST


.The New York Attorney General's office said Thursday it filed civil fraud charges against Bank of America Corp. (BAC-N14.90-0.63-4.06%) and its former chief executive officer Ken Lewis, saying the bank misled investors about Merrill Lynch before it acquired the Wall Street bank in early 2009.

Civil charges were also being filed against Joe Price, the bank's former chief financial officer.

At the same time Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office was filing its civil charges, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission reached a settlement to resolve separate federal charges it brought against Bank of America over similar issues. It is the second time the SEC and Bank of America have tried to settle the case.

Bank of America has been accused of failing to properly disclose losses at Merrill and bonuses paid to investment bank employees before the deal closed. Mr. Cuomo called Bank of America's actions “egregious and reprehensible” in deceiving not only shareholders, but also the federal government.

The bank received an additional $20-billion (U.S.) in government bailout funds in January, 2009, to help offset losses it absorbed as part of the Merrill Lynch acquisition. In December, Bank of America repaid the $20-billion, plus the initial $25-billion it received in government bailout money.

Mr. Lewis stepped down as CEO from Bank of America on Dec. 31 after almost a year of strife that followed the bank's purchase of Merrill Lynch. Mr. Price became head of the bank's consumer banking division, taking over for Brian Moynihan, who succeeded Mr. Lewis as CEO on Jan. 1.

Mr. Moynihan is not under investigation.

Everyone is an Expert? by Richard Crenian

Is it time to change your investments advisor?
Here's a transcript of my latest conversation with our media consultant this week.

Q: Richard, when does one know when it?s time to change their investments adviser?

Richard Crenian: You know, sports and business are so intertwined. I live in Toronto and one of our offices is in Calgary. Yesterday at around noonish in Toronto, the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team announced that it was trading a bunch of players to Calgary and Calgary was trading a bunch of players to Toronto, with the idea that it would shake up the team. What happens is, by trading off players and bringing in new players, it sometimes brings new blood into the team, so that the teams have a different approach, a winning approach to playing the game and winning also brings about one important thing, is that the clubs make money. So ideally if sports is business and clubs are there to make money, they?re there wanting to shake up staff to allow themselves to win and make money.

While it?s funny that we don?t realize the kind of approach we have towards our investment advisors. Because they are stockbrokers, we?ve gone through the whole gamut where we?ve lost a bunch of money and now the mutual funds where a lot of people are invested in have started creeping back but not quite to the levels that we lost those big numbers at. So everybody sings the same tune, everybody tells the same thing. What is it about that one special adviser that you need to listen to or go to and every time you sit down with your investment adviser, they tell you the same story that six hundred other advisors tell you about. And the thing is you are always looking for a winner because the investment adviser is giving you advice today isn?t making you money. He is not the guy risking his own money and so if he gives you bad advice, a wrong advice or market advice or some advice that his economists or his staff has told him to give you, then, then maybe it?s time you should be looking at a new investment adviser, someone that will be able to give you different kinds of products. You know if you are only used to stocks and bonds and mutual funds, and there?s an opportunity for you to diversify. You?re a stockbroker there sitting there isn?t telling you to go buy this other product cause he is not making commission doing so.

Anybody can be an investment adviser today. Everybody says that "I am an expert at this", "I?m an expert at that", when in reality they are an expert at making money for themselves. What about making money for you as a client? If you?re really bogged down with the same story that you hear, you read every paper and you hear the same story and you?re tired of it, it?s time to look for somebody new.

Economists. I had a breakfast with the economists that works for a big investment adviser, a wealthy investment company in Toronto one day, and they were telling me that a, a story and I turned around and I said, ?Listen, I appreciate what you?re saying, how you?ve framed the economy, where it?s going and stuff. What products are you selling today?? So he was telling me what kinds of products he was selling and his conversation of what he told me was framed completely to sell his product. So a lot of times when you hear an investment adviser who is giving you advice, it?s because they have hired guns on staff to give you advice to buy their product.

Here it is, here is the rent roll. We say here?s what you look at, here?s the cash flow you can expect to get and you know, you can expect to get it. We, we tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. If everything goes well, this would be the your returns, if it doesn?t go well, we can tell you. We?ll tell you too. We don?t like to tell you bad news, if a tenant leaves or whatever, but that?s the reality of the day. We?ll replace, we?ll replace the tenant. Sometimes it takes longer, sometimes it doesn?t take as long but you know I think, you need to have somebody telling you the good, the bad, the ugly. We?ve got nothing to hide. So if your investment adviser telling you that everything is great, everything is better, buy gold, buy silver or buy everything else, find out what products they are selling. And if they are selling the products they are harping about, that?s the time you change investment advisers.

Meanwhile, go to our website and you?ll be able to see the products we are selling and you make up your own mind. If you think we are selling good products, come buy from us. If you think we are selling junk, don?t even bother calling us cause, you know what, we don?t want to be there, if, if you think we are selling junk. We just want to be able to sit down and have a heart to heart talk to you. We?ll explain to you our position and if it sounds like we are making sense, come talk to us. If it doesn?t then you know what, no worries at all. We understand and we?ll both carry on.

Call Howard at 4036304544 or email him at howardmanley@shaw.ca, or write me if you have any thoughts you would like to share.

Thank you for reading.

Richard Crenian
www.redevgroup.com
richardc@redevgroup.ca

"Howard Manley" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs

May 3, 2009

“My Partner Howard!”

You all know that my business partner, Howard Manley, is a Saskatchewan native born and bred; He was born in a little town called Midale, just outside of Weyburn, in the South Eastern part of the province. Howard is a great guy- let me tell you how.

I always stress family and It is unbelievable to me that Pat, his wife and Howard are now married for 43 years!! That is a long time. He has three adult children and three grandchildren which he never stops talking about. The two older grand kids, are both boys, and Howard refers to them as his boys.

His little baby granddaughter, is referred to as “my little girl!” You could not have anyone as proud of his kids and grandkids as Grandpa Howard.

Howard and I go back since December 1976. That is a long time! He is my mentor and was my big brother that I never had. He was the most hardworking guy, yet full of fun and spirit in everyway. Leon, who works with us, another great guy, grew up with Howard in Midale. How small is this world. Leon would like to believe that he is retired, (no you are not Leon) and was another guy that worked hard all his life.

These two gentlemen are the picture of what a dictionary call hard work, honesty and caring people I know. Why, they still call their wives Ma’am! (Ok so I am only kidding about that part!) Respectful and full of ethics, their have great families and enjoy life to the fullest. Aren’t those men successful in their own right? Call Howard and ask him what his philosophy to a good life is……? 403-630 4544. He would be happy to share.


Richard Crenian

"Instant Success!" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
May 5, 2009

“Instant Success”

It is always unusual when people look at other people who are successful are call them Instant Successes! I am always amazed by this quick rush to judgment.

My definition of instant success is “Years of Hard Work and Tears of Experience!”
We know how hard it is for us and long it takes to be successful.

What is success….ahhh that is another definition.

To me a success is a person that is a good and kind human being. Nothing short of that.
Everyone that you read about always associates people with money as successful. They could be the biggest donkeys, but because they have what other people define as money they are great guys.

Not true. I would rather hang with guys that are black and white, and tell it like it is than jerks that think that their pooh poohs don’t stink even though they do! Who would you like to hang out with? Who would you like your kids to be friends with?
It is so great to see my friends that are salt of the earth, and good human beings. Their families are the same with good intent and based on loving, hardwork ethics that will survive them the test of time.

Howard my partner has taught me lots. He is that kind of person. He is hard working, a great family man, and been fortunate in business. He believes, like me in the slow and steady safety of investment, so that his kids and family can be taken of. Call Howard and ask him how he does it. 403-630-4544.

Richard Crenian

"Garnet and Gordon Campbell" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
May 3, 2009

“Garnet and Gordon Campbell-Canadian Heroes”

Canadian Men’s Brier Curling Champions, 1955.

Lloyd Campbell (lead), Donald Campbell (third), Glen Campbell (second), Garnet Campbell, (skip).

Amazing story, it was famed that Garnet and his brothers, learned their trade in a barn frozen likened to an ice rink. We shall keep that folklore alive I am sure.

Garnet and Gordon farmed together in the Avonlea area, Saskatchewan and Brother Lloyd farmed just west of Regina.

Garnet’s and Gordon’s father started that farm just south of Avonlea, Gordon still lives on the same site.

Garnet’s wife Daverne and Garnet are both doing well.
Garnet may be close to 80 these days. He and young and only wife Daverne, are doing well these days with kids, Vern in Calgary, married with kids and their daughter Cassandra, is busy with her Hair Styling shop in California!

Garnet and Daverne spend six months in a suburb NW Phoenix, during the winter escaping the cold weather of Saskatchewan.

Lloyd I heard has had 2 hip replacements and still a good golfer.

I was always impressed with this family. Such hard working, soil of the earth people who were long on honesty, integrity and represented the spirit of Canada as it always should be. I have been blessed to have had them enter my life and bestow upon me their goodness and laughter.

Hardwork, good fun, good humor and a great family. Shouldn’t they be recognized as heroes?

Howard my partner is also part of this group. He works hard for his money, and enjoys his life. Howard has a ton of stories. Ask him. 403-630-4544.

Richard Crenian

"Canadian Heroes!" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
Apr. 30, 09

“A Canadian Hero!”

Too often we hear about heroes and what they accomplished in business.

We have heroes like Obama too, the most likely NOT to be President, and here he is 100 days later.

What about the Canadians?

Having going to high school in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, it would only seem fitting to call the Canadian Farmer Canadian Heroes.

Hardy, hardworking, honest and unwilling to call defeat, the Canadian Farmer has suffered much and only lately been given an opportunity to earn some monies.

Here is what they faced when they first came to Canada to toil the land:
“For many immigrants, life on the Prairies was more akin to a nightmare than a dream — a point underscored in the final section of the exhibition. When homesteaders first arrived, their "farms" usually consisted of virgin prairie, a survey stake and a swarm of mosquitoes. Once the land was broken, the bountiful crops promised in the advertisements were sometimes devoured by insects, ruined by frost or shrivelled by drought. Some immigrants faced discrimination and venomous insults; two newspapers quoted in the exhibition labelled immigrants as "the scum of other lands" or even "the refuse of civilization".
With the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, about 80,000 immigrants were declared "enemy aliens" under the War Measures Act and over 5,000 were sent to internment camps. The Golden Age of Prairie settlement had come to an end.
Chronologically, Acres of Dreams ends with the Great Depression — a supreme test of the settlers' mettle and ingenuity. Objects featured like a quilt fashioned from uniforms discarded by a baseball team in Moose Jaw or a violin made from packing crates and harness supplies illustrate the resourcefulness of settlers during this testing period of Canadian history.” http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cmc/acres/acrese.shtml
At the end of the story their second and third generations made it. Families and farmland, the heartland of Canada. I am proud of those that I know, so many of them. Howard is a good farm boy from Midale (near Weyburn), Saskatchewan. He knows the value of a buck. Ask him how he invests…..403-630-4544.
Richard Crenian

"The Smell of A New Car Interior!" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs

April 28, 2009

“The Smell of the New Car Interior!”

If you have been lucky enough to buy or lease a new car, you know what I mean. There is never quite like the smell of a new car interior.

When I was a kid, Uncle Mike and I used to work on older cars, and I was lucky enough to have owned some pretty hot cars, but none more than $400.00.
I had to borrow the money for that first car, but that beautiful 1966 Olds Cutlass was a beaut!

Although it was written off, (only a fender), the motor and and interior still looked good. While all the kids were partying, Uncle Mike and I worked on that beast, and bought used body parts to bring it up to sniff! Then a $99 Maaco paint job made that car smoke!!
So proud was I that I sold the beast for $600 and couldn’t believe that I made a profit from all that hard work!! The profit was small, after all expenses, but I was making $1.75 an hour so fifty dollars was like a billion to me.

Too bad that the majors didn’t take a lesson from a young boy. Instead of making a billion they are losing billions.
It really is sad.

Chrysler and why just a few months ago Kirk Kerkorian was trying to buy Ford. (See my previous blog below.) I guess as we retire, we need to make sure we have safe and secure investments. We used to say “ as strong as GM.”
That is no longer. Howard and his family grew up in Saskatchewan. They have been through the dirty thirties, He believes in slow and steady wins the race. Ask him what he does for investments? 403-630 4544.


Richard Crenian





Richard Crenian Blogs
January 8th -09

“Kirk what were ye thinking?”

I was reading about Kirk Kerkorian, the investor that made his billions in real estate in southern Nevada. His story is great and it’s always nice to read about someone that can overcome adversity and does it all himself. Not bad for a guy that didn’t speak English until he started school. Today he is rated at 41st richest man in the US although the new rankings haven’t come out yet.

http://www.1st100.com/part3/kerkorian.html

Today he is 91 years old and still has all the fire in the world to spirit him along.

So what has happened to Kirk as he is supposed to retire and enjoy all the fruits of his labor and his life? At 91 I hope to have his fire and drive but I would know better than to risk my money at 91.

Here is what happened.

Kirk decides he is going to buy shares of Ford. “Kerkorian's stake in Ford peaked in June, when he owned 6.49 percent after paying $1 billion at an average share price of $7.10. He began scaling back his ownership in October, selling shares at an average price of $2.43 each, according to regulatory filings. That marked a loss of about two-thirds of his investment, or roughly $650 million.” (from the Huffington Post).

Kirk when I am 91, I am going golfing with Howard and investing in cash flow real estate where you made your money first!! What’s the matter with you? What were ye thinking??

Richard Crenian

"What, Me Worry Again?" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
“What I Worry About!”
April 27, 2009

I really worry what happens when this market does turn around. Does that mean you will have forgotten all about your worries and pains, and start investing in mutual funds, equities and in the stock markets?
How did you end off before the famous crash took a bunch of your money (and mine) down with it? Why is it at the end of the RRSP season the mutual fund industry did so well?
Did we forget? Someone gave them their money? I was reading today that the China market is starting to warm up to IPO’s and I cannot for the life understand that.
Me, or I don’t worry about the ups and downs of the real estate market. I just worry about cash flow. You will drive yourself totally crazy if you think of what values are day to day.
Is your investment safe and secure? Are you getting cash or can get cash flow from your projects?
Even though in commercial real estate you get tenants in and out, so long as long term you are out of the woods. Real estate commercial cash flow investing is for people with a long term view. If you want heart attack, intensity and full out action go for the stock market. If you want peace and quiet, check out Howard at 4036304544. He doesn’t care what happens. He’s happy with all of our investments and some do well some could do better, but so what he says? He doesn’t have to worry about the long term. He is patient and knows that his money is safe.
Isn’t that the type of investments you want?
PS Just read that financier Danny Pang just ripped off investors to the tune of 4 Billion dollars! Another Ponzi.
Call Howard, no worries!

Richard Crenian

"And the Headlines Read....Mutual Funds Gain!" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
April 15, 2009

And the Headlines Read….Mutual Funds Gain….”


From the Globe and Mail……
http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090415.wific0415/CommentStory/Business/home#comment3428101

Thinkingman FromCanada from Canada writes: During rrsp season my wife saw an ad for mutual funds. She said 'How can they be advertising after they lost so much money for people'. I never have and never will buy mutual funds. Too many crooks in the stock market. Now we have the evidence of this.
With empathy. Kevin.

Donald Duck from richmond, bc, Canada writes:
Yeah right !! See u in another 5 years when another scoundrel like Bernie Madoff steps in and wipes the slate clean.

The author, Shirley Won in the Globe and Mail today wrote, “the RRSP season ended on an upbeat note for the Canadian fund industry as investors plowed $3.4-billion into its investments amid the worst market turmoil in decades.”

What do you think?
Kevin’s wife is pretty smart. You lose 38% and you still put your money in.
What will it take for you to believe that there are other ways to be safe and secure?

It is unbelievable how many people get sucked in by slick promotion gimmicks etc. What’s that about. I say the slicker the presentation the higher the chance you will lose. So who knows?

Howard my partner knows, Call him at 4036304544. If you want black or white, you don’t have to go far. Speak to him.

Richard Crenian

"The New Asian Thinking?" by Richard Crenian

Richard Crenian Blogs
April 2-09
“The New Asian Thinking?”
Our Business Partner in Asia, Darwin Forer, who is from Avonlea, Saskatchewan (Home of the world famous 1955 curling champions, The Campbell Brothers), has been living in Asia in what seems to be forever.
He and his wife live in Hong Kong, with their two young ones. Mui, Darwin’s wife is from Thailand and the nicest lady you would want to meet.
Recently Darwin emailed me about what the South East Asians are investing in and what they invested in previously..........
“- Tree farming the buzz this quarter.
-Former "oil pods" manager (it collapsed as was a ponzi scheme) is now selling Vietnam property that appears to be cheap to S.E. Asians who seem to forget it is still communist there.
- Salespeople helping “friends" sell houses located in another country
I attended the SMART property expo today; of course Land Banking companies selling, but mostly resort property around Asia, also now Cayman Island land banking. And several motivational speakers, self help etc and several running around selling weight loss programs.”
It is amazing for me to see, when the S.E. Asians, one of the smartest and most intellectual people in the world, with such a keen sense of business acumen, can fall prey to greedy and unscrupulous promoters and hucksters. Their aggressive thinking and “the chase for big returns” may skew their thinking.
Yet, Asian Government Pensions Plans invest with a long view in mind.
Howard my Canadian partner lives right. He says to enjoy the investment he plays by these rules…….1. Does it provide cash flow? 2. Is it safe and stable? And 3. Is it operated by knowledgeable people? If the answer is yes he does it.
In his younger days did he go for riskier deals? Yes! Has he been burned? Yes.
He says he is too old to lose any money these days. Besides he says that it is for his kids and grandkids! He just needs a little money to eat and buy gas!
Call him in Tucson, he’s still golfing!! 4036304544.

Richard Crenian

"Gene says!" Richard Crenian Blogs

Richard Crenian Blogs
“Gene says...............”
March-29-09

Well, well it seems like the bad boy of Rock n Roll is out to teach us Canadians a thing or now. From the Globe and Mail link today:

http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090326.rmfive0326/BNStory/specialROBmagazine/home

Gene was asked and Gene replied,
“ You're a pretty rich guy—what's your take on the American economy?” asked the reporter to Gene.
Gene: “It's in a whirl. This is a great opportunity for you to stop spending stupid money, stop smoking, stop drinking, stop ruining your health and paying for the privilege, take all that money, all the stupid money, and buy. But don't buy stupid stuff. Buy real estate. Buy important things. It's the best time—the price is low.”
Gene we get the buy low and sell high concept (I hope). I like what you about taking care of yourself, not spending foolishly, and quit feeling like we are all entitled. (I think you get your business acumen from your Canadian “wife”, Shannon Tweed.........)
The real estate that you buy Gene should be geared towards well located, well tenanted cash flow commercial real estate as opposed to buying Land, Individual Lots, or even houses, as cheap as they seem to be now. The issue is negative cash flow. For instance when you buy a house, tenanted or not you still have to pay for all your maintenance, property taxes, etc and some times the rent doesn’t cover the mortgage payment (if you have one) let alone the property taxes.
Land is an investment so long as you have the time to bear, and a promoter that doesn’t rip you off, with them making the $ and ensuring that you don’t in the near future. What about cash flow from your land? Unless it is being farmed or rented out my guess is you are in negative cash flow as you need to pay your developer’s fees and the property taxes.
So what’s left? Buy some commercial property, have the tenants pay for everything, keep the net rents after mortgage payment, and enjoy the cash flow. Ask Howard, how he manages to spend time away from the office? Cash Flow, what else? Call Howard now and ask how him how he is doing today! 4036304544........., “rock n rolling all night and partying every day!”
Richard Crenian