Why Invest with US... We are a Winning Team.

Mark and Terry Kruse

• Ten years RE Investment experience
• 20+ years new property marketing experience
• Ten years Home renovation experience
• Multiple large and small renovation experience
• Currently experiencing cash flow of over $3000 per month on one furnished duplex ($60,000 per year minus expenses)

Our Business Model

• Positive Cash Flow: Rent minus all operating expenses (e.g., property management fees, repairs, utilities, property tax, etc.) is still positive
• Mortgage Pay Down: This is also paid for by the rental income
• Value Increase through: Improvements / development
• Impeccable property management. Higher rents and decreased expenses
• Time / inflation / appreciation

Invest with people who directly partner with you - not a fund manager.

The end of 2008 marked serious problems in the world financial market.

Throughout this mess, investment fund managers pulled in fantastic salaries whether they made or lost money for their investors.

We do not receive a salary when we work with investors. Our success is only achieved only when our investors succeed.

When you invest with us you are investing with a Calgary couple who oversees all elements of the investment including property management.

The Value of Education

We have been educating ourselves and seeking real estate opportunities since 2000. We strive for continuous improvement and attend seminars and conferences on a variety of real estate topics. We read related materials and associate with Sophisticated Real Estate Investors through membership with the Canadian Real Estate Investment Network (REIN). Our education and associations help us to stay up to date with world economic conditions and to continually re- evaluate our investment strategies.

An Inspiring Success Movie

Successful people usually don't get that way by sitting still. They may look that way because you didn't see the struggle or work it took to become successful. In the end people may think they were just lucky but in reality they gave the extra percent it took to win.

click here for the movie...

December 17, 2009

Our House is Finally Sold!

Mark & Terry carefully staged my home to accommodate the color scheme and it looked beautiful. The Offer came within a 2 day silent auction and was sold immediately to the highest bidder with only one condition due to financing. Like any other home sales, the condition was removed to a lovely family whom is very excited to move into their very first home. Many thanks to Mark & Terry for their hard work and making this sale possible without realtors.

Amal
Calgary

Bio of Terry Kruse

Terry Kruse is an award winning graphic designer. She began operating under Perceptions Design in 1986. This targeted experience marketing new home and condo developments has dovetailed perfectly into Mark and Terry’s growing real estate investments.

In 2004, Terry and Mark moved into a 15 year old log home between Calgary and Okotoks. This home was bought for $385,000 and was in need of extensive repairs. The next 2 years were spent renovating the home with Terry acting as the designer and general contractor for this extensive project. The couple completely refinished and renovated the 3,200 sq ft home, added a 3 car garage and a solar thermal heating system.

The Calgary Herald did a 6 part series on the home and its eco-friendly renovation. The home was sold for $1.275 million.

Presently Terry combines the business and property management for Renewed Homes with advertising and marketing for new home builders and developers under Terry Kruse Design.

Bio of Mark Kruse

Mark Kruse graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1991, earning his Professional Engineer designation 3 years later. His sense of ethics, responsibility and fair play serve him well in his professional and private life.

Mark has worked in various positions connected to his education. He progressed through team and project lead positions managing both technology and people.

Presently Mark is responsible for 16 people in his role as Manager, IS Projects Portfolio and Business Solutions. Mark’s strong sense of organization, team building and capital budget management fill out the strengths in Mark and Terry’s investment team. Mark’s project management ability was an important part of the success of the log home renovation. His attention to detail and budget was immensely important in the overall log home project and valuable in our present real estate endeavours.

Mark and Terry: A Very Successful Team

We have seen success with numerous real estate ventures over the last few years. This includes renovations, rentals and quick turn properties.

Our plan going forward is to purchase 17 or more holding properties over the next five years. The primary focus is single family and small multi-family buildings in good Calgary neighbourhoods.

One of our great strengths has always been marketing. This strength has allowed us to buy properties direct from homeowners while helping homeowners get out of a bad situation.This creates a win/win for both parties. We either lease option (commonly called rent to own or lease to own) the home to a tenant buyer, - sell the home to another investor, or keep the property as a rental, for a long term hold.

Long-Term Wealth Creation

Our Real Estate investing is based on the following fundamental principles:

• Buying value properties in neighbourhoods of better than average increasing value. We acquire only the right properties in the right locations.
• Buying properties with multiple exit strategies to maximize our liquidity.
• Buying only when the price and our detailed Due Diligence checklists fit our system. We always underestimate performance and over estimate costs. We purchase only if this worst case scenario still fits our system.
• Improving the properties to receive above average rents. This helps our homes to rent and stay rented when the vacancy rate is higher. The renovated rental must be of a quality that we would be happy to live in ourselves.
• Paying close attention to the economic fundamentals that affect real estate in our area.
• Win-Win Partnerships. If a situation does not work for both sides, we won’t do it. We specialize in 50/50 Joint Venture (JV) partnerships. We only make money if our partners make money. We also lose if you lose. Therefore, we will use our perseverance, experience and extensive renovation expertise to make each investment a success.

The investor's initial investment is returned before the profits are split between joint venture partners.

Present Success

Below is a great example of a fantastic long term hold property - Richmond Park, and a quick turn property where we helped a homeowner get a buyer for her home where a realtor failed. We continue to look for properties of both types and invite you to share in our success.

Richmond Park, Possession February 2008

The property consists of 2 sides of an attached duplex. The left side is a character bungalow with 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom up and 2 bedrooms down, each with a 4 piece ensuite (total of 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths). This side was also previously suited and enjoys a front and back lower entrance along with an upper entrance. At this time the home is not divided but we have a summer kitchen downstairs (no stove).

The right side is a bi-level with 3 bedrooms and a 4 piece bathroom on the lower level and includes a 2 piece bathroom upstairs.

The duplex also includes a heated 4 car garage, rented on possession for $500 per month.

This south west home is located about 20 blocks from downtown Calgary and is on a desirable street with $1 million + homes. The home is located in an area of gentrification and sitting on 2 extra large R2 lots totalling 56 by 160 foot (the average R2 lot is 25 x 120 ft). Eventually, when we decide to exit, we can sell to a developer, investor or homeowner.

These 2 sides of a duplex were on the market for several months and the investment was overlooked by many, prior to our interest. This allowed us to buy the property at $50k below asking (over 100k from the original listing price). With our renovation experience we were able to see past the deficiencies and turn the home into an above average rental home. We did extensive improvements to the property on possession and presently rent both sides furnished for rents that far exceed other rental properties.

A furnished rental usually rents for a shorter periods of time. We made a decision to rent for a minimum of 6 months, refusing anything less. This enabled us to rent one side to a company that is expected to have workers in the home for at least 2 more years. The other side - 4 bedrooms - is rented for a minimum of one year to adults that moved from PEI. It was easier for them to move into a furnished home than to transport their furniture.

The Round Robin Sale

In November of 2009, we received a call placed through online advertising, to buy a fully renovated home on a good street in a great Calgary neighbourhood. This was from an individual who had been trying to sell for many months. Unfortunately the realtors she used happened to be below average or the property would have sold.

We negotiated an option to buy this property at an under market price and decided to resell this home in a Round Robin Auction - similar to a silent auction. We staged the home and held a weekend open house with the auction planned on the Sunday evening, just nine days from signing the option.

Flyers were distributed throughout the week, ads ran in Kijiji and the Calgary Herald and about 40 signs were put up around the area. 2 sets of 3 teenagers were given signs and placed at a neighbourhood fitness centre and mall.

The seller got a property inspection and we displayed it for people to look through.

We invited a Mortgage Broker to set up in the open house. He brought a great rate on a fixed and a prime minus variable rate.

We had over 100 people in the home over the weekend. A lot were from the neighbourhood and were curious. Others from signs, our teenager's enthusiasm and other sources. This created a great response and we successfully sold the home at a price over our option price.

It was 9 days from the date of our option to the actual sale. The end result was that the home sold and the seller was happy to finally be able to move on, the buyers were happy as they got a great home and we were happy with as quick sale and a few dollars in our pocket. A win/win for everyone!