May 2007

Fun things you can do in Kitchener Waterloo this summer

Waterloo Region, and more specifically Kitchener Waterloo is a great place to enjoy summer. There are a ton of things going on !

What do you enjoy doing in Kitchener Waterloo in the summer? Leave your tips in the comments, and I’ll incorporate them into the ‘master list’

From the Waterloo Cord

Music festivals

In search of a great time at a music festival? The Uptown Waterloo Jazz Festival takes place from July 12th until 15th with headliners like Ivana Santilli and Sophie Milman. If you’re not into jazz, check out the Kichener Blues, Brews, and Barbeque Festival from August 9th to 12th with groups like Eric Burdon and the Animals and the Jeff Healey Blues Band.

Waterloo Park

Waterloo Park has a petting zoo, fields to play all sorts of sports on and it is perfect to shape up and go running, take a stroll or just sit in the sun on one of the swings. Go out and have a cheap lunch by packing one up and enjoying the picnic facilities.

Arts and crafts

Summer is a great time to do all those crafty things that came to mind, but were pushed back due to a lack of time. To get some craft ideas, head over to Michael’s, a bead store like the Bead Bazaar on King Street or a pottery shop like Lucy’s Mud House. If you feel like seeing or buying some art, check out Stitch’n’Kitsch’s summer fling sale and show on June 9th, located at the corner of King and William streets.

Biking

Biking can be a great workout and a great way to see more of Waterloo Region. The Iron Horse Bike trail is just one example of the routes you can bike along, found on the Waterloo Cycling Club website. It’s a five kilometer paved trail that stretches from one end of Kitchener through Waterloo.

Endurrun

The Endurrun is held in Waterloo from August 12th until 19th and is what they call the Tour de France of running. It starts and finishes at RIM Park and goes all around the Kitchener-Waterloo region. It takes a great runner to run 160 kilometers in eight days.

Canoeing the Grand

A way to see more of the Waterloo Region’s surroundings is by canoeing the Grand River where you can rent canoes or kayaks for up to 10 hours. It will be a great workout and it will definitely be more fun that hitting up the gym.

Go-karting

Grab a few friends and find out who’s the fastest person on wheels at Erbsville Kartway, located in the northwest corner of Waterloo. It’s a combination of action and fun while having a great time with a few friends.

St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market

One of the area’s tourist attractions can also be attractive for locals. St. Jacobs Farmer’s Market is a place to shop, visit the outlet mall and find some amazing foods that seem to be impossible to find anywhere else. You can also go for a horse-drawn trolley ride for a tour of a Mennonite farm.

Camping

Spending the weekend at a campground can be very relaxing without breaking the bank. Waterloo offers some campgrounds like Laurel Creek, which is located at Northfield and Westmount, a 10-minute drive from Laurier. It offers swimming, windsurfing, hiking, and bird watching at 130 campsites.

Bingeman’s

Venture into Kitchener and hit up Bingeman’s, which offers the area’s biggest water park, beach volleyball, and campgrounds. Play a round on the golf course at Glen Ridge Golf, also located at the park.

Baseball

Catch a Kitchener Panthers Intercounty ball game at the Kitchener Auditorium, located just 10 minutes from downtown Kitchener. Their schedule can be found at http://panthersbaseball.com/schedule.htm.

I would add to the list:

Toastmasters

Take in a Toastmasters meeting! Toastmasters is a group dedicated to improving communication through public speaking. My club, the Black Walnut Toastmasters, meet every Wednesday at 7:30 AM. For my nocturnal friends, there are clubs that meet at lunch and dinner hours as well.

Morty’s

No list of summer hotspots is complete with Morty’s. Located just north of University and King in Waterloo, Morty’s has the best wings, great food, and an awesome patio. For those so inclined, you can enjoy a fine cigar with your beer.

Bechtel Dog Park

An oasis in the city for dog lovers, Bechtel park offers 5 fenced acres for dogs to roam free. Located one block south of Bridge and University, off of Bridge, the park is at the end of the long winding road, behind the sports complex. You might also want to check out the KW Humane Society’s dog park.

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What do you enjoy doing in the summer in Waterloo Region ?

Benjamin Bach is a Sales Representative with Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty in Kitchener Waterloo. Benjamin and Sarah love walking their dog Vincent all around Kitchener Waterloo, and are at the St Jacobs Farmer’s Market every weekend for Montreal Bagels. Benjamin wakes up each morning excited to fulfil his mission of building wealth for great lives through comprehensive Real Estate investment planning, and helping people achieve success.

If you are interested in how you can start your Real Estate Investment portfolio, have any questions about buying or selling an income or investment property in the Waterloo Region, or are looking for a tip on what to do around town, please email Benjamin (benjamin(AT)benjaminbach.com) or call him at 519 570 4447.

Another reason to invest in Kitchener Waterloo real estate…

… Waterloo is the smartest city in the world

From the Waterloo Chronicle:

Waterloo might not be the centre of the universe, but it is the world’s most intelligent community as selected by an international think-tank last Friday.

Waterloo Mayor Brenda Halloran said there was a buzz about the city’s bid before it was announced as the winner at the Intelligent Communities Forum in New York City, N.Y. The excitement was still contagious as local participants celebrated their selection and were reached on their BlackBerrys just moments after the announcement.

“The city is proud,” said Halloran. “This is a wonderful day for the City of Waterloo.

“It’s a day we should all celebrate as a community.”

Of course, the BlackBerry and its parent company Research in Motion are some of the reasons Waterloo was selected to be on a short-list of seven cities up for the annual honour. The mobile communication device has become synonymous with the city as it became the tool of choice for business, government and CrackBerry users around the world.

However, it was the city’s education sector and its ability to move ideas into commercial applications that has led to the high-tech revolution in Waterloo. And the Intelligent Communities Forum noted that while Waterloo only accounts for 10 per cent of the labour force in Canada’s Technology Triangle, it accounts for 45 per cent of the job growth and 40 per cent of the high-tech firms in the region.

“People wondered how we could do so much,” said Halloran, as Waterloo was once again the smallest city in the running going against areas like Ottawa-Gatineau. “We were up against some huge competition.”

Waterloo’s importance in the commercialization of new ideas and leadership in the knowledge-based economy was also acknowledged by a visit from Prime Minister Stephen Harper last Thursday, when the federal government launched it’s new science and technology initiative.

The Intelligent Community Forum said Waterloo’s success illustrates the power of getting a few critical things right and then pulling together to help nurture those success stories. The forum also acknowledged how Waterloo’s entrepreneurs, educators and government officials worked together to build for the future with projects like the University of Waterloo Research and Technology Park.

For Coun. Mark Whaley the stars were all aligned after Waterloo made the top 7 communities list at last year’s Intelligent Community Forum awards in Hawaii. He said members of this year’s committee learned a lot from last year’s experience.

More important than the kudos, is the way this win will put Waterloo on the map. Whaley said it should be a boost to the area’s economic development, and help attract the knowledge workers needed in the new economy.

“This gives them a great tool to market the city when they’re trying to entice knowledge workers to come to Waterloo,” he said. “That’s what it’s all about for me… I’m particularly happy for those organizations, agencies and businesses that need these knowledge workers.”

Benjamin Bach is a Sales Representative with Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty in Kitchener Waterloo. Benjamin moved to Waterloo in 2005 and loves the city.  He wakes up each morning excited to fulfil his mission of building wealth for great lives through comprehensive Real Estate investment planning, and helping people achieve success.

If you are interested in how you can start your Real Estate Investment portfolio, have any questions about buying a home or selling a home in the Waterloo Region, or are looking for a tip on a good restaurant in town, please email Benjamin (benjamin(AT)benjaminbach.com) or call him at 519 570 4447.

Real Estate Investment Myth #1

Real Estate Investment Myth #1 : “‘I can’t buy that property because I don’t have a (big enough) downpayment”

This past week I had the good fortune of helping a client buy the real estate investment property they are currently renting in. It’s really a great story how it all came about.

The Reitzel team in our office listed a gorgeous duplex on Schneider Street in Kitchener, Ontario, right at the opening to Victoria Park. Lovely old home, built in 1911, original hardwood & wood trim etc. Very nice. When it came on the market, I scheduled a showing for the property, for two reasons: 1) I like to see every income property that comes on the market so I can keep on top of inventory for my clients, and 2) because Sarah and I are currently looking for a duplex.

When I set up the showing, I got an email from a friend of mine, who as it turns out, was renting the first floor of the duplex. She told me how much she loved living there, and asked me to let any of my clients know, should they happen to buy the property, that she’d like to stay. The next two times I saw her, she was talking about how she’d likely have to move, since a buyer may want to live in the lovely first floor apartment; since she loved her place so much that would be an unfortunate situation.

One morning at Toastmasters, I asked her if she had looked into buying the property. She replied back, without batting an eye, that she would love to, but alas, she didn’t have a 25% downpayment, ergo she couldn’t buy it.

I told her I’d have my mortgage broker email her, and as it turns out, she qualified to buy a property (in fact, qualified for up to 15K more than what she paid) with zero downpayment.

Whereas her rent was $875 for the lower unit, the mortgage on the entire home is approx $1350. The upper unit brings in approx $900.

Suffice to say, she is exctatic. Moral of the story: You can afford to start investing in Real Estate TODAY!

To explore the wealth building opportunities available to you in real estate investment, contact me at 519 570 4447 or benjamin(AT)benjaminbach.com

Benjamin Bach is a Sales Representative with Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty in Kitchener Waterloo. Benjamin loves to help people start building equity and get on the road to financial freedom and abundance. He wakes up each morning excited to fulfil his mission of building wealth for great lives through comprehensive Real Estate investment planning, and helping people achieve success.

If you are interested in how you can start your Real Estate Investment portfolio, have any questions about buying a home or selling a home in the Waterloo Region, or are looking for a good book to read please email Benjamin (benjamin(AT)benjaminbach.com) or call him at 519 570 4447.

An investment property for $120,000 ? I don’t believe it !

Your eyes do not deceive you. There are great opportunities for real estate investment in Kitchener Waterloo, starting from under $100,000.

I just helped clients from Vancouver, British Columbia put a 2 bedroom condomunium in Waterloo, five minutes from picturesque St. Jacobs, under contract for $118,000.  The building is 20 years old, the condo corporation is in great shape, and its a location (and condition) that will rent very easily. I’ve even arranged to have a colleague of mine manage the unit (and rent it out !) for only 5% of gross rental revenue.

While my clients have chosen to put down a larger downpayment, this property will cash flow with $10,000 down, and has only slight negative cash flow if purchased with zero down payment (and yes, these loans are available OAC).

One of the biggest myths that holds people back from starting to invest in Real Estate is that they think they require a much larger initial equity investment than they have.  I would bet, because I know it’s true, that most people who have a retirement savings plan would be surprised to hear that you can purchase 2 or 3 condominium units – this week – and start building toward a magnificent retirement funded by smart real estate investments.

To arrange for a free, no obligation real estate investment consultation, contact me at 519 570 4447 or benjamin(AT)benjaminbach.com

Benjamin Bach is a Sales Representative with Keller Williams Golden Triangle Realty in Kitchener Waterloo. Benjamin loves nothing more than to help people start building equity and get on the road to financial freedom and abundance. He wakes up each morning excited to fulfil his mission of building wealth for his clients through comprehensive Real Estate investment planning, and helping people achieve success. If you are interested in how you can start your Real Estate portfolio, have any questions about buying a home or selling a home, or are looking for a good book to read please email Benjamin (benjamin(AT)benjaminbach.com) or call him at 519 570 4447.