The Truth About Real Estate Investing... for Canadians

In January 2026, Ming Lim and Bryan Ma closed on AccounTrain, a 25-year-old bookkeeping firm based in Ottawa with clients across Canada. They beat out five other offers. They paid 1.3 times annual revenue. They spent almost two years searching for the right deal. Ming is the managing partner of Volition Properties, where his team has helped Canadians transact on more than $300 million of Toronto investment real estate. Bryan spent 20 years in Canadian financial services. He's a CPA, a CFA, and holds an MBA. He worked at three of the biggest professional services firms in the country and most recently at Intact Insurance in mergers and acquisitions. In this conversation, we cover: Why these two real estate operators are buying a business instead of more rentals How they sourced AccounTrain through Poe Group and a buy-side community called Village Wealth The difference between bookkeeping and full accounting firms, and why the simpler business won How multiples in this industry actually work (1.2 to 2.5 times revenue depending on quality) Why vendor take-back mortgages are standard in business sales, even though they're rare in Canadian real estate The seller's 25 years of institutional knowledge that was kept entirely in one person's head How Bryan and Ming approached due diligence with Bryan's M&A background as the advantage The lifestyle case for a business over a rental portfolio What they're modernizing now that they own it (CRM, workflow management, AI tools) Practical advice for small business owners with messy books This episode is part of TAFI's coverage of the great wealth transfer from retiring boomers to the next generation of Canadian operators. If you're an active real estate investor looking at what's next, this is the playbook.📩Connect with Ming and Bryan AccounTrain: https://accountrain.com/ (Their bookkeeping firm) Volition Properties: https://www.volitionprop.com/ (Ming's real estate brokerage) Reach them through LinkedIn or via the AccounTrain website 📌 Free training on the investment loan strategy: Saturday, June 27th (Oakville hybrid):https://wealthhacker.krtra.com/t/x5X1OCIDrAXc and Tuesday, July 7th (Zoom only): https://wealthhacker.krtra.com/t/n98gpqD3cVoQ Walking through the math, the loss scenarios, and how it fits alongside a real estate portfolio. 📌 Timestamps00:00 – Welcome & Tesla update01:30 – Investment club math ($35K → $140K)07:12 – Introducing Ming Lim & Bryan Ma09:30 – Why buy a business when you already own real estate 13:00 – How Ming and Bryan met and decided to partner up 17:00 – Two years of searching, joining Village Wealth 21:00 – Bookkeeping vs full accounting, why the simpler business won 26:00 – Deals closing in 24 to 48 hours, the competitive reality 31:00 – Multiples in the industry, 1.2 to 2.5 times revenue 41:00 – Vendor take-back mortgages, standard in business sales 46:00 – Maintaining the seller relationship after closing 52:00 – AI in the accounting industry, where it is and isn't useful 63:00 – Cash flow management as the real value of bookkeeping 67:00 – Toronto market check-in, May 2026 72:00 – Final thoughts on buying a business

Carlos Rodrigues spent 20 years in Canadian financial services. Mutual funds, life insurance both levels, and a full mortgage broker with five agents under him. He tried to start his own fund. Canadian compliance costs killed it. Now he drives 4.5 hours each way from Hamilton to Cleveland, Ohio to buy duplexes for $70,000 that appraise at $170,000 after renovation. In this episode, we get into: The $70,000 duplex near the Cleveland Clinic with a toilet falling through the floor How Section 8 rentals pay 20 to 30% above market, with one tenant paying $14 of her $1,400 rent Why 100% loan-to-cost financing is back, and why this isn't 2008 The joint venture partner who added $30,000 to $40,000 in renovation scope while Carlos was at Home Depot The contractor who ghosted him a week before closing How ICE enforcement is hitting the US construction labor pool Cleveland's side yard program: buy a vacant lot next to your house for $100 Why Carlos won't invest in Hamilton anymore, even though he lives there Plus my own update: my Hamilton duplex tenant has been non-paying for 7 months, $12,000 deep, and we're still waiting on the LTB. This is the world we're operating in. Want the investment loan strategy that produced a 40.6% return since September 2025? I'm hosting a free training on Saturday May 30 (Oakville hybrid) and Tuesday June 2 (Zoom only). Walking through the complete strategy, the math, every loss scenario, and how it fits alongside a real estate portfolio. Register at: ⁠https://wealthhacker.krtra.com/t/uqyHFbipnPrK⁠Connect with Carlos: Website: cashflowcarlos.com, Instagram & TikTok: @cashflowcarlos Connect with Erwin: Podcast: tafipod.ca Free Wealth Freedom Blueprint: infinitywealth.ca/freereport Book a Wealth Planning Call: linked at ⁠www.infinitywealth.ca⁠ 

In this episode, Erwin sits down with Greg—an engineer turned real estate investor and e-commerce entrepreneur who scaled his business to $700K/month and is now leveraging AI to build apps, automate workflows, and save tens of thousands of dollars.From buying his first property with no experience to renovating duplexes across Ontario, Greg shares the real ups and downs of real estate investing—along with how he expanded into e-commerce and built multiple income streams.But the biggest shift? AI.Greg breaks down how he’s using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to:Build apps without codingReplace $50K–$70K development costsCreate product images without expensive photoshootsAutomate business processes and marketingTo follow Greg: https://www.gregkowalczyk.com/ https://www.bronteharbourclassic.com/ (Discount code: Erwin) This episode is packed with insights for anyone looking to stay ahead in real estate, business, and the AI revolution.

What would you do if you had to sell your entire real estate portfolio… and start over?In this episode, we sit down with investor Sarah Copeland, who went from managing over 60 doors to liquidating everything—and now rebuilding from scratch in today’s market.She shares the real, behind-the-scenes story of navigating divorce, selling cash-flowing properties, and resetting her entire strategy. We break down how she transformed a distressed 12-plex into a high-performing asset, the lessons from a $1M+ renovation, and why she’s shifting back to joint ventures and simpler deals.This is a raw and honest conversation about what actually happens in real estate investing—when things don’t go as planned.If you're an investor trying to make sense of today’s market or wondering how to move forward in uncertain times, this episode will give you clarity, perspective, and practical takeaways.📩 Want to connect with Sarah?website: SarahCopeland.ca / tagproperties.caor, email: [email protected], don't miss the 🔥 Free Live Training: The $100,000 Zero‑Down Strategy. I’m walking through the full math, risks, and real use cases live.📍 Saturday, May 30 (Hybrid – Oakville + Zoom)📍 Tuesday, June 2 (Zoom Only – 8pm ET)👉 Register here:⁠ https://wealthhacker.krtra.com/t/uqyHFbipnPrK⁠🎧 Subscribe to The Truth About Financial Independence for Canadians (TAFI)🌐 https://tafipod.ca

Passive real estate investing in Canada has changed — and for many investors, the math no longer works.In this episode, Erwin Szeto explains why he’s been telling investors to diversify out of Ontario real estate since 2023 and what he’s personally doing instead to build wealth without turning investing into a second job.You’ll learn:Why passive real estate in Ontario is effectively goneHow rent control, LTB delays, and rising costs changed the landscapeWhy U.S. real estate, business ownership, and leveraged investing matterThe real‑estate‑style leverage strategy applied to the stock marketThis episode marks the evolution of the show into The Truth About Financial Independence for Canadians (TAFI) — focused on multiple paths to wealth, time freedom, and peace of mind.Also, don't miss the 🔥 Free Live Training: The $100,000 Zero‑Down Strategy. I’m walking through the full math, risks, and real use cases live.📍 Saturday, May 30 (Hybrid – Oakville + Zoom)📍 Tuesday, June 2 (Zoom Only – 8pm ET)👉 Register here: https://wealthhacker.krtra.com/t/uqyHFbipnPrK🎧 Subscribe to The Truth About Financial Independence for Canadians (TAFI)🌐 https://tafipod.ca

Real estate investors are feeling the squeeze—rising inflation, capital trapped in property, and nonstop landlord headaches.In this episode, Erwin breaks down the Zero-Down Wealth Strategy, a leveraged investing approach designed to help high‑income Canadians build long‑term wealth without buying more real estate.You’ll learn why investing $433/month can be equivalent to deploying $100,000, how leverage works outside of property, and who this strategy is (and isn’t) for.🎓 Free Training (Limited Seats):• Saturday, May 30 (Hybrid – In Person + Online) • Tuesday, June 2 (Webinar Only)👉 Link to register: https://wealthhacker.krtra.com/t/uqyHFbipnPrK