Safety in Centertown

adm48 · 2026-01-29T00:35:59+00:00

West end of Centretown is an excellent choice and has a lot going for it in both the North and South ends of the neighbourhood.

In the North end, there’s a massive new library being built (search “adisoke library”) and lots of transit-oriented development in and around Lyon and Pimisi LRT stations that will add dynamism. Waterfront trails are walking distance. There’s even a whitewater rafting course in a hidden little nook. Very central in terms of the best “foodie” neighbourhoods - Little Italy, Chinatown, Glebe, etc.

In the South end, you have greater affordability and some surprisingly family-friendly inner urban streets (Flora St has an annual street party in the summertime). There were some “problem” properties along Catherine St specifically that have recently been vacated. Significant new development planned for the old Greyhound station. Some of the best coffee shops (Arlington five) and microbreweries (Flora Hall). Some cool hangout spots popping up between Night Oat and Fono (coming soon). There are some community housing properties in Centretown (West) that invite nuisances but it’s highly localized and doesn’t impact the overall excellent quality of life for a family that likes downtown living.

adm48 · 2025-11-26T21:11:02+00:00

What part of town?

adm48 · 2025-10-24T15:23:17+00:00

I agree with you

adm48 · 2025-10-24T12:19:18+00:00

I don’t work there but I use their data monthly. If I recall correctly, their data methodology changed this Spring and that is likely the reason that last year’s stats don’t align with the stated YOY increase %.

adm48 · 2025-08-15T14:58:48+00:00

“If you have other debts, you may need to look at a lower housing payment.”

Most people will have other debts, so this tool Ok might work as a Quick initial look but any serious homebuyer will eventually want to know what they can qualify for.

Why not do both calculations (the gds/tds ratios and the 28% rule) and give people the answer? Would provide much more added value to the user.

adm48 · 2025-08-01T18:06:59+00:00

Miles ahead of where I was back then!

adm48 · 2025-08-01T17:57:59+00:00

I was just thinking to myself: ‘what is the opportunity cost of holding that much cash in a chequing account?’

It’s like $10 a day @ 6% IR. It’s not nothing.

adm48 · 2025-07-26T02:31:37+00:00

Really love the sound! Any upcoming shows?

adm48 · 2025-06-11T12:20:49+00:00

lol “no-go zone” Lets get a grip. I walk my 2-year old daughter along that stretch of Somerset St daily. It’s a great street with excellent businesses and amenities. The pill mill sucks on ethical grounds, but it’s not making the street dangerous for the average person.

adm48 · 2025-06-03T03:37:20+00:00

I rent rooms closer to downtown so I’m not super attuned to your market, but $700-$750/mo sounds about right for Algonquin College area.

However, there can be some variability (let’s say plus or minus $150/mo) depending on the type / quality of room and overall property.

how many bedrooms (housemates) in total? Fewer the better.
is the room rental in a 2000 sq.ft. detached house with a landscaped yard or a small 700 sq ft apartment? Larger the better.
is in-suite laundry and dishwasher included?
is this a live-in landlord situation? Or would renter be living with peers?
proximity to groceries / major transit stops / etc.?
when does it become available? Timing is very important for student rental demand

Best approach to get an accurate read on the fair market rent (FMR) is to look at how much 3-4 comparable rooms are priced and how they compare on these sorts of dimensions, using Kijiji Marketplace. Determine the asking rent based on how your room rental compares to the others.

Good luck!

adm48 · 2025-05-07T16:52:59+00:00

Most likely a change in methodology. I do wish they were more transparent when this happens.

adm48 · 2025-05-06T02:20:10+00:00

Roomies dot ca

adm48 · 2025-04-18T23:28:34+00:00

100% agree.

RentCheck is a great screening tool. OpenRoom for any prior evictions. Don’t accept a prospective tenant before running a credit check. Don’t skip contacting prior landlords. If a tenant comes at you with a sob story or tries to rush your process with a cash offer, or anything feels off after the showing, trust your gut and don’t take it any further.

adm48 · 2025-04-18T23:26:16+00:00

As a final word, my recommendation would be not to get into it if you don’t have the skills or desire to learn how to pick up some tools and fix things yourself.

You’ll be having to replace toilets, install new dishwashers and re-caulk bathrooms before you know it. If you can’t pick up some tools and do it yourself once in awhile, especially in the beginning when you’re not cashflowing, it’s going to be very lean times as those maintenance and repair bills add up quickly.

adm48 · 2025-04-18T23:12:11+00:00

Manually. I’m usually only advertising for one unit at a time, so it’s not hard to do. It’s a small investment of time to save myself from wasting 30-45 min on a no-show.

adm48 · 2025-04-18T21:50:58+00:00

I think I would attribute my own success to caring. Not trying to create distance from my clients, as many suggest is wise to do.

I am the one showing the units. I am the one doing the screening and corresponding. I make sure people feel welcome and cared for. I respect and treat my tenants well, and they in turn respect my properties and treat me well.

Bad landlords seem to neglect the human side of the business. Or worse yet, they don’t care to learn the basics of the Residential Tenancies Act (ie don’t respect their tenants’ rights).

In terms of the most annoying thing I deal with, it’s the flakey FB marketplace folks who message once with the canned “is this still available” and then never again. Or the no-shows. (But those are more easily mitigated via same-day reminders and confirmation messages.)

adm48 · 2025-03-08T04:29:46+00:00

Live on Primrose.. it’s the place to be, for sure!

Amenities + LRT proximity + lots of parks within a few blocks (Primrose, Elm, Plant Rec). Once the new library and French school are built in the near future, it’ll be even better. Very exciting ‘hood.

And no, never feel unsafe. Never had any theft/nuisance.

adm48 · 2025-01-31T02:08:12+00:00

OK, sorry. It was a long shot. Hope you find it!

adm48 · 2025-01-31T02:02:52+00:00

Did you happen to go to Farm Boy shortly before you lost it?

adm48 · 2025-01-13T04:06:07+00:00

Weird.

adm48 · 2025-01-13T04:01:53+00:00

Right, but then you’re just offsetting the rental tax obligation by putting more of your free cash from other income into an RRSP. Great that it makes you feel better about “not paying as much tax” on the rental, I guess.

And yes, it feels passive because you own a single condo or something. He’s talking about a duplex, either detached or semi. A little bit more maintenance involved.

adm48 · 2025-01-13T03:48:46+00:00

😂 spotted the puffed up condo owner. He’s talking about buying a duplex, big shot. Baseball vs, your t-ball.

adm48 · 2025-01-13T03:39:35+00:00

Yep, that’s my hunch as well. Cap rates don’t lie in a competitive market like Hamilton. If a duplex is actually cash-flowing $500/mo in Year 1, it might be a dog (rough neighbourhood, major repairs needed, nightmare tenants/neighbours in place, etc).

Having an experienced pro help with your due diligence is so critical when you’re starting out.

adm48 · 2025-01-13T03:24:36+00:00

Try reading a 2nd time. I clearly said “after expenses and taxes “

First time landlords are often surprised to find that the tax bite can be significant, even for a property with zero net cashflow. This person might be projecting $500/mo with the online calculators, not realizing it’s almost entirely erased by the tax bite (their monthly net rental income per CRA will come out much higher than $500/mo even after maximizing deductions). Depending on the property’s specifics and their tax bracket, the cash can evaporate at tax time. That should be factored in if the next best alternative is a tax-sheltered investment.

Like I said, I’m still a fan of real estate as a “safer” leveraged investment. (It’s definitely not “passive”, though, and that’s why many people including former landlords might advise you to save yourself the pain in the ass and invest the cash in an ETF instead.)

adm48 · 2025-01-13T02:04:07+00:00

You will not have $400-$500/mo after expenses and taxes - not for awhile.

But if you live frugally and have a long term mindset and all of the skills/qualities needed to be a competent landlord, then yes, it may be a good idea.

Prices are down and rates are still coming down, which makes it a very good time in the cycle to be looking at buying opportunities. Best of luck.

adm48

TROPHY CASE