Real estate journey — public log

Learning real estate in public.

I'm a digital marketer and web architect based in Kamloops, BC, with no background in property. I'm working toward my BC real estate licence while studying the Interior market — and documenting every step in public.

Read the posts →Why I'm doing this
3Markets researchedKamloops, Kelowna, Vernon
14Deals underwritten0 purchased (yet)
2026BC licence targetBCFSA exam prep underway

The honest answer

Why I'm entering real estate.

The short version: I build digital systems for a living. I've watched compounding work in technology — codebases that get more valuable as they grow, audiences that build on themselves, products that get stickier at scale. Real estate is the oldest version of that idea.

The longer version is that I'm 26, I've had a good run as a freelancer and consultant, and I've been diligent about saving — but I have nothing that generates income when I'm not working. That needs to change. Not out of fear, but out of design.

I chose to document this publicly because I couldn't find many accounts from people in BC's Interior market who were actually learning — not the retrospective success story, but the real-time process, licence exam prep and all.

“The goal isn't passive income. The goal is building something that compounds — in Kamloops and across BC's Interior.”

Not doing this

  • Flipping for quick profit
  • Speculating on Kelowna appreciation
  • Leveraging to the edge

Doing this

  • Cash-flowing rentals in the BC Interior, long hold
  • Getting licensed before buying
  • Starting smaller than I could

The writing

The journey, post by post.

Real-estate essays on the blog →Published as I learn. No editing for hindsight.
001Why a web architect is learning to underwrite dealsI've spent 7 years building systems that scale. Now I'm applying the same logic — leverage, compounding, asymmetric risk — to a completely different asset class. Here's the honest reason.Jan 14, 2026 · 6 min002BC Interior real estate 101: what I wish I'd been told firstBefore you look at a single listing in Kamloops or Kelowna, there's a mental model you need. Freehold vs strata. The difference between BC Assessment and market value. What the Land Title Act actually protects. I built a cheat sheet.Feb 3, 2026 · 9 min003Learning to underwrite: my first attempt on a Kamloops duplexI found a duplex listed in Kamloops's Sahali neighbourhood. CAP rate looked decent on the surface. Then I ran a real underwrite and found three things the listing didn't mention. Numbers, mistakes, and what I learned.Feb 18, 2026 · 11 min004The data tools I use to research the Kamloops marketBC Assessment, BCREA stats, Zolo, Rentals.ca — I've spent 40+ hours across these platforms. Here's what's genuinely useful for the Interior BC market, what's misleading, and the custom Supabase dashboard I built to track listings.Mar 4, 2026 · 8 min005What happened when I finally talked to a real estate agentI walked into that meeting thinking I was prepared. I wasn't. Three things she told me reframed how I was thinking about timing, financing, and what 'the right deal' actually looks like at this stage.Mar 18, 2026 · 7 min006The mortgage pre-approval process is stranger than I expectedStress test. Debt service ratios. The difference between what a bank will lend you and what you should actually borrow. I documented the entire process — including the number that surprised me.Apr 1, 2026 · 10 min007Kamloops market snapshot: what the April 2026 data actually saysSales are up 11% month-over-month but median prices are flat. Inventory has ticked up in Sahali and Aberdeen, while North Kamloops stays tight. Here's what I'm seeing in the numbers and what it means for a first-time investor.Apr 5, 2026 · 8 min008Getting a BC real estate licence: what the process actually looks likeUBC Sauder's Licensing Course, the BCFSA registration, errors & omissions insurance, managing broker requirements — I've mapped out every step and the honest time and cost involved. Here's my roadmap.Apr 10, 2026 · 10 min009Kelowna vs Kamloops: which BC Interior market makes more sense right now?Kelowna gets all the press. Kamloops gets overlooked. I ran a side-by-side on CAP rates, rental vacancy, population growth, and infrastructure investment. The results weren't what I expected.Apr 15, 2026 · 12 min010Strata vs freehold in BC: what every first-time investor needs to understandIn BC, strata ownership comes with bylaws, special levies, and a depreciation report that can make or break a deal. I got surprised by a $12,000 special levy on a condo I was underwriting. Here's what I learned.Apr 20, 2026 · 9 min

What I'm reading

The reading list.

01

The Millionaire Real Estate Investor

Gary Keller

Mental models for thinking at scale, before you have scale.

02

Real Estate Investing in Canada

Don R. Campbell

The Canadian market is its own beast. This is the starting point.

03

What Every Real Estate Investor Needs to Know About Cash Flow

Frank Gallinelli

The one book that made underwriting click for me.

Concepts I've studied

The curriculum.

  • CAP Rate
  • NOI
  • Cash-on-Cash Return
  • GDS / TDS
  • Debt Service Coverage
  • Stress Test
  • Strata vs Freehold
  • Depreciation Report
  • Title Insurance
  • PTT Exemptions
  • CMHC MLI Select
  • Property Transfer Tax
  • BC Assessment vs Market
  • BCFSA Rules

Follow the journey

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