WealthBuilder

Real Estate Investor, Property Developer

“When I was 15 years old, I started flipping cars, buying and selling them. I’d go to police auctions with my dad. We’d fix up a car and then sell it. By the time I was 18, I had a brand new truck that I bought with cash.”

During those years, Michael Christiansen’s dad taught him to go big or go home.

After he graduated from high school, Michael took one year in a small business and entrepreneurship program. It reinforced the direction his career would take. His capitalist tendencies were ready to be unleashed.

In 2001, Michael heeded his father’s advice and went ‘big’. He facilitated the purchase of a complex, comprising nearly 230 town houses, for $20 million. By converting each unit to individual title and establishing a condo association, he was able to generate a greater return on the investment. It was the first of many projects.

By 2005, Michael was essentially in a position to retire. Instead, he started ReNUE Properties Ltd, which sources properties in generally unexploited markets that can provide above average returns. The focus is creating wealth: buying large apartment complexes—usually 100 units or more, renovating them as needed through general contractors, and converting them to condos for sale to individual investors and purchasers. For Michael, identifying the potential and acquiring the property is an exciting aspect of his business.

“I love chasing real estate deals—the thrill of the chase.” ReNUE has invested in properties in Edmonton, Calgary, Wainwright and Fort McMurray, as well as in recreational areas like Kelowna, Squamish and Invermere, BC. His sites are set on tapping into opportunities in the States. Michael always looks for ways to do bigger deals with higher stakes.

“What keeps me going is that I’m not the biggest company out there… yet.”

Michael is dedicated to his wife and their three children, aged six years, four years and 21 months. He loves spending time with his family, and being involved with his older kids’ school activities. He goes to the gym three times a week and participates in wakeboarding, skiing and other physical activities. He donates to various charities, including Mustard Seed.

When most 29-year olds wonder what they’ll wear to work that day, Michael ponders whether he’ll drive to the office in his Audi, Porsche or Mercedes. Or maybe he’ll charter a plane for a trip to Las Vegas.

It’s all good… it’s what entrepreneurship is about.

- Written by Lauren Henrie, Edmontonians Sept 2009