The Cacoeli Story

Hi, my name is Jedidiah (Jed) Liu. I am a Chartered Accountant. Ever since I was young, I have always had a keen interest in money management. I pretty much acted as a bank to my older siblings. I would always save my allowance and lend it out to them for a small return.

Now fast forward to 2002. Here I was…working as a senior associate at one of the Big Four accounting firms paying my dues for supposedly a “better” and more “secure” future both from career and financial perspectives. To be honest, compared to my peers, I actually had a pretty respectful job and was earning a decent income. But I wasn’t satisfied.

You know when you wake up in the morning dreading to go to work, wondering if this is what you will be doing for the rest of your life? When you question how your RRSP or whatever investment you put your hard-earned money into will actually support your lifestyle? When you know that your current income is not guaranteed to continue forever? When these things happened to me, I realized SOMETHING had to change.

After reading the book “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”, I made a decision to aggressively learn and invest in real estate for 3 simple reasons: financial freedom, financial security & most importantly, my flexibility and freedom to pursue things and spend time with people who matter dearly to me on my own terms. I called this my “Belize”. I quickly enlisted help from my then-boyfriend, now-husband in the process. After reviewing thousands of listings on MLS and stepping into hundreds of properties in Toronto, we found our first cash flow positive triplex property and closed it in August 2003.

In the following 2 years, we expanded our portfolio from 1 property in 2003 to 10 properties in 2005 managing 47 units, and slowly moving from single-family homes to multi-family residential properties. During this time, I left my job at the accounting firm so I could focus full-time on real estate investing.

We have learned tremendously along the way. We have made some big mistakes and many small mistakes. But it was one big mistake that put a halt in our expansion and ultimately drove me back to being employed again. One thing I learned dearly from that experience is that real estate can make you really wealthy but can also make you completely bankrupt. It comes down to 3 things: education, diligence and patience. Real estate is NOT a get-rich-quick investment.

Now…10 years have passed since we bought our first property, our remaining properties are still churning out positive cash flow and great capital appreciation. We have sold a couple of properties and realized a healthy return. We have purchased another 17-unit building. We have 3 young children: Caitlyn, Courtney and Elijah. I have left my job at an accounting firm for good. Most importantly, I have started Cacoeli Asset Management to help others achieve their financial freedom so that they can pursue what’s important to them without financial worry, just like what I have done. I have realized my “Belize” all because of real estate. And now it’s time for me to give back!

P.S. Ever wonder why we’re named “Cacoeli”? Remember my three kids: Caitlyn, Courtney & Elijah. They are the reason why I continue to invest in real estate, continue to learn and build, and continue to work damn hard for my investors.

This is just the beginning…

Jed