[In the face of adversity] “I just knew there was a task to be done and there was a significant amount of pressure around that. But we don’t give up and we don’t give in and we don’t cave. I made an obligation and I’m going to live up to that.” – Jules McKenzie

Jules Mckenzie has been in the business of real estate investing in the Orillia and Barrie areas for over 17 years. His strategy has been buying and holding residential real estate and he currently holds 20 investment properties. His portfolio is a mix of single-family condominium town homes and small multifamily buildings. Together with his beautiful wife Ange, Jules has raised the money to buy his properties with joint venture investors and they continue to manage these properties on their own.

Alongside his real estate investing business, Jules has also worked as a Police Officer for 29 years. For 11 of those years he worked with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and subsequently moved to where he is currently works with the Rama Police Service. Rama Police Service happens to be focus of the A.P.T.N. series: Tribal Police Files which followed Jules and team during season 2.

In this episode Jules shares his investing knowledge and experience, how he acquired his portfolio along with a tremendous story of lessons learned, adversity overcome and gratitude within it all.

 



 

Show Notes
[02:07] Patrick introduces his next guest in the REIN Member Series: Jules Mckenzie.
[04:39] Jules and Patrick get to work straight away and open the door to Jules’ elevator pitch.
[05:15] Jules touches on a bit more of what he’s up to, including raising his new dog Peaches![07:07] In addition to a real estate investor, Jules is also a police officer and he shares how his father’s encouragement and inspiration led him on his path to work with the Rama First Nation.
[08:45] Jules’ path to real estate investing began in 2001 with a U.S. infomercial and a couple of houses that added up to a lot of debt. After an introduction to REIN and a mind-blowing REIN event, Jules found hope, systems and direction which started to turn things around.
[12:40] Although Jules’ wife Ange wasn’t fully on board after their first experience, she came to understand REIN’s value in educating Canadian investors about Canadian real estate and 17 years later they are still going strong!
[14:09] Jules talks more about his background, his challenging childhood on the reserve in Quebec where his father served as Chief for 18 years, then his decision to move off the reserve.
[16:50] At the other end of the road in Ottawa, Jules had to learn how to navigate and integrate into life outside of the reserve into a big city. He describes it as a bit like the scene from Crocodile Dundee. [take that reference back to 1986!]
[19:19] As an early aptitude test suggested, while studying to be a counsellor, Jules found his true calling with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Service and quickly moved through training to become an officer.
[21:41] After his father fell ill Jules transferred to a detachment to be closer, and there he began coaching a young officer who had become jaded with his career. Together they investigated a new opportunity with the Mnjikaning Police Service, now called Rama Police Service. There, Jules refined his calling.
[27:02] In the first phase of Jules’ move, still working as an OPP officer, his dedication and integrity to the service was stretched to the point of breakdown with the heavy responsibility to train four young officers. Time for a change, and a transfer to Rama Police Service.
[29:16] Jules explains what motivated him to pursue real estate investing and dive in wholeheartedly.
[33:32] Yah, but what was the real tipping point behind the motivation?