About Us
Greg
2014-10-14T22:06:26+00:00
GEMS is a small team of property investment professionals with a combined 48 years of real estate investment and property management management experience. We are based in St. Catharines and Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario, Canada and specialize in US property investment.
Our team began to explore investing in real estate outside Canada after finding property prices in the Greater Toronto Area prohibitive with low cash flow returns. Just across the border in the U.S. we found opportunity. The 2008 U.S. housing market crash which led to many to become renters also resulted in a large number of low priced homes for sale with great cash flows.
We carefully studied the U.S. property market for months, researching and visiting many different locations, checking the properties and neighbourhoods, and following the local and national economic developments in the areas of interest. After careful study and deliberation we set up GEMS Properties Of WNY Inc. to purchase affordable, high cash flow property investments in the Western New York area.
We find the right properties for investment by working with the GEMS’ Power Team composed of carefully selected and tested real estate agents, lawyers, accountants, property managers and contractors.
Investment Strategy Guidelines
The property must yield at least 10% cap rate and can be purchased at an affordable price.
Our properties must be located in a safe neighbourhood where one can visit even at any hour.
All our investments must be near a school, park, stores, and have access to public transportation.
Our properties must be presentable enough that we see ourselves living there at some point in our lives (past, present or future).
Multi – Family Residences : 100%! Duplex, Tri-Plex, and Four-Plex : 100%! Single Family Homes : 100%! Gregs’ career began in the office furniture field, assisting a small Canadian company to become a multi-national Manufacturer. His positions within the company ranged from project manager to Vice President of U.S. Sales and Operations. Purchasing his first duplex in 1995 as an investment, Greg started a new path in real estate investments and renovations. In 2005 it became his full time career focused on Property Management. In 2012 Greg, along with members of his extended family, decided to invest in the U.S. real estate market, forming GEMS Properties of WNY.
Susan Velasquez Financial Officer
Susan is an Electronics And Communications Engineer by profession and a financial professional by training and experience. She previously worked as Communications Engineer for a large power company outside Canada, and she has a wide experience in sales and marketing working for companies in Ontario with operations overseas. She completed computer and bookkeeping courses at Niagara College and she now handles all bookkeeping responsibilities for several investment properties she owns in Ontario.
