We’ve kept this video under wraps until today when REIN officially announced Hamilton as the new #1 on their 2011-2015 Ontario Top 10 Investment Towns list. At the Toronto ACRE event a few weeks back, I caught up with Erwin Szeto who is best known as Mr. Hamilton to ask a few questions about Hamilton real estate. In this 9 minute video we cover:
- What’s going on in Hamilton?
- What are the best investment areas?
- What’s happening with Hamilton’s economy?
- Which areas should investors still stay away from?
If you’re pressed for time, I’ve also summarized some of the key points below the video.
Direct video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHSNO8pCQR8
Video Summary
Here are a few highlights from this fact filled interview with Erwin for those of you who are pressed for time but still want to know more about Hamilton.
What’s going on in Hamilton?
- Increased GO Train service to Hamilton
- GO Train extension to Niagara Falls
- Additional GO Train stations
- Proposed LRT (light rail transit) system
- 2015 Pan Am games projects such as Ivor Wynne stadium renovation
- Speculative buying around Pan-Am projects already occuring
What are the best areas for investments?
- Nicer single family homes found in Hamilton Mountain & Stoney Creek Mountain
- Areas along “The Link” (Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway) and Red Hill Valley Parkway
- Red Hill Business Park is a major hub for new job creation
What is going on with Hamilton’s Economy?
- Canada Bread company is bringing lots of jobs to Hamilton Mountain
- New solar panel manufacturing company in Red Hill Business Park
- Largest employer is Hamilton Health Sciences
- Hamilton’s steel industry accounts for less than 15% of the economy
- McMaster Innovation Park is bringing high paying jobs to the city
What areas should investors stay away from?
- Properties north of Cannon will attract a rougher tenant profile
Erwin’s Bio
Erwin Szeto (@MrHamiltonDotCa) is a real estate investor who focuses on residential real estate in Hamilton. Erwin is also a resident of the area and a Realtor who works exclusively with investors which means he really keeps up with what’s happening in Hamilton. As a member of the Real Estate Investment Network, Erwin understands the importance of key Hamilton real estate drivers such as improvements to infrastructure, job growth within a diversifying economy, in-migration, and revitalization of the downtown core.
To contact Erwin visit www.mrhamilton.ca.
Hi Andrew,
It was nice meeting you last night 🙂 I don’t know much about real estate in Hamilton, but your interview is very informative. You asked a lot of key questions which are very helpful to investors. The written summary is nice, so I don’t have to go through the video again.
Hi Sai,
It was great to meet you as well. If you’re looking to learn more about Hamilton, check out Erwin’s blog since that is his area of expertise.
I like to do the written summary because it saves time for people who prefer to read, and is also better for search engine optimization.
Glad you liked the video post, and I’ll see you again soon.
Cheers,
Andrew
Great video! Very informative keep up the good work. I personally find video format more interesting, guess I’m too lazy to read or just like to multi tasks lol. Hamilton is for sure an interesting area for long term growth, but GTA has all the jobs still so when employment starts to shift thats when ears will start to perk up. However, I do know some old money looking in that area now so maybe that time is fast approaching.
Hi KK,
Thanks for watching. There is a lot of job growth in Hamilton as the city’s economy diversifies. I am not a pro on multi-family but the area’s long term prospects are good.
Cheers,
Andrew
Hi Andrew, thanks for the interview!! Did we ever cover a lot of content in 9 minutes!
Good thing I have a whole 15 mins on stage at the REIN meeting July 7th. Those tips from Toastmasters will sure come in handy.
Best Regards,
Erwin
Hi Erwin,
You spilled quite a few specifics too. One of the best Toastmasters tips is to speak on personal topics or things you know very well. You’ll have no problem on stage next month given your topic.
Cheers,
Andrew