Should Canadian real estate investors refinance their rental properties to reinvest equity, or pay off the mortgage for long-term stability? In this article, Wayne Hillier shares his findings on both strategies, explains how to use the cashflow test to stress test your portfolio, and reveals how his bestselling book The 5% Rule™: A Real Estate Cash Flow Test for Canadian Investors has helped hundreds of investors build storm-proof wealth.

Want to make sure your next rental property actually makes money? In this post, I’ll show you how to analyze rental property cash flow like a pro using real-world examples from Alberta. Learn what numbers to look at, which hidden costs investors forget, and how to stress-test your deals before you buy. This is the foundation of smart, sustainable real estate investing.

Many real estate investors quit before they ever succeed — not because they can’t do it, but because they start with the wrong education and unrealistic expectations. Learn what really drives people out of the game and how to protect yourself from the most common mistakes.