April 14, 2026

Episode #243 – Real Estate to Lifestyle Business: Melanie Reuter’s Next Chapter

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. How do I expect to be a real estate investor if I wasn’t buying real estate?” – Melanie Reuter

In this episode of The Everyday Millionaire, Patrick Francey sits down with Melanie Reuter, a former Director of Research at REIN and seasoned real estate investor, to explore her transition from data-driven analysis to hands-on entrepreneurship.
Melanie shares the unexpected story behind purchasing an off-grid fishing lodge near Kamloops, BC. What began as a spontaneous decision quickly turned into one of the most challenging and rewarding deals of her life. With no operational data, no bookings, and minimal support from the previous owners, Melanie and her husband Ray stepped into the hospitality business headfirst.
The conversation highlights how Melanie’s years at REIN shaped her mindset. Surrounded by entrepreneurs and immersed in real estate fundamentals, she developed the confidence to take action despite uncertainty. Her journey reinforces a key principle: learning alone is not enough. Execution is what creates results.
Melanie also reflects on the realities of entrepreneurship. From cleaning cabins to managing tenants and raising entrepreneurial kids, she emphasizes the importance of doing the work without ego. Her story demonstrates how leveraging equity, maintaining long-term vision, and adapting to challenges can build sustainable wealth.
The episode also touches on current concerns in the Canadian real estate market, particularly in British Columbia, where increasing regulation and uncertainty are shaping investor behavior.
Ultimately, this conversation is about more than real estate. It is about designing a life aligned with values, embracing risk, and building something meaningful for the future. Melanie’s journey is a powerful reminder that success is rarely linear, but with the right mindset and environment, it is always achievable.

Timestamped show notes
00:00 – Introduction
Patrick introduces the podcast and guest Melanie Reuter, former Director of Research at REIN and experienced real estate investor.
00:42 – Melanie’s Background
Overview of Melanie’s history with REIN, her investing experience, and transition into hospitality with an off-grid fishing lodge.
02:24 – Reunion and Context
Patrick and Melanie reconnect and set the stage for discussing her latest venture.
03:12 – The Lodge Origin Story
Melanie shares how a casual moment led to discovering and purchasing the off-grid lodge in just four weeks.
05:00 – Early Challenges
No booking data, limited seller cooperation, and jumping into hospitality with zero runway.
06:43 – Lifestyle and Vision
The lodge as a lifestyle asset, legacy property, and potential “bug out” location.
10:00 – REIN Influence and Confidence
How Melanie’s research background and exposure to investors built her confidence to act.
11:14 – First Investment Lessons
Buying at the peak, holding long term, and learning through experience.
12:09 – Leveraging Equity
Using their home as a financial tool to scale into multiple properties.
13:39 – Transition to Entrepreneurship
Leaving stable employment, evaluating risk, and choosing freedom.
15:00 – Doing the Work
Self-managing properties, involving their kids, and building a family business culture.
16:07 – Raising Entrepreneurial Kids
Lessons passed to their children and real-world exposure to business.
18:39 – Long-Term Payoff of Real Estate
The power of holding assets and compounding rent growth.
20:00 – Nature vs Nurture in Entrepreneurship
How environment and community shaped their mindset.
22:34 – REIN Environment Impact
Being surrounded by entrepreneurs accelerated their shift into business ownership.
24:45 – Real Estate Market Concerns
Melanie’s perspective on government policy, rent control, and market uncertainty in BC.
30:00 – Adapting to Regulation
Navigating Airbnb restrictions and finding creative workarounds.
31:01 – Future of the Lodge
Expanding amenities, improving experience, and long-term vision.
32:00+ – Lifestyle and Operations
Seasonality, activities, and the realities of running a remote hospitality business.

Episode Full Transcript

Length: 00:42:41
Host: Patrick Francey
Guest: Melanie Reuter

Show Full Transcript

00:00 – 02:24 | Introduction
Patrick Francey:
Hi there, and welcome to The Everyday Millionaire podcast. My name is Patrick Francey, and I am your host.

I want to begin by saying thank you for listening. On this show, I have conversations with seemingly ordinary individuals who have achieved some amazing and extraordinary results in both their life and business. My intention is to inspire and help you learn and grow by having my guests share their journey of how they face and overcome their challenges, but also how they celebrate their many wins.

Now let’s get on with this show and have a conversation with today’s guest.

My guest today, Melanie Reuter, is a very good friend. She is a real estate investor and the former Director of Research at the Real Estate Investment Network, where she worked from 2005 to 2016, where she analyzed market fundamentals and trends and helped guide investment strategies for other investors.

She authored much of REIN’s seminal research, informed publications such as Top 10 Towns and the transportation impact on real estate. Her own portfolio includes multifamily property, raw land, and an Airbnb in Chilliwack, British Columbia, as well as investment property in Alberta.

Recently, she stretched out of her comfort zone into the world of hospitality by purchasing an off-grid fishing lodge near Kamloops, BC, a beautiful property.

Now, Melanie splits her time between Kamloops and Chilliwack with her husband Ray, who also previously worked at REIN, and together they are raising their two teenage children.

In this conversation, we explore the journey of Melanie and Ray into this Airbnb property, and the impact that her real estate investing experience had on her in order to bring this deal together. Together, they are living their dream of owning this type of property. They’re working hard. They’re enjoying it.

This is an amazing conversation. Thanks for listening.
02:24 – 03:12 | Opening
Patrick Francey:
Melanie Reuter, welcome to The Everyday Millionaire podcast. Thanks so much for joining me.

Melanie Reuter:
Thank you, Patrick. It’s so great to be here and chat with you. This is going to be fun.

Patrick:
You’re a longtime friend and part of the REIN community. You worked with myself, Don Campbell, and the whole team. We get to share a cool success story here.
03:12 – 05:00 | The Lodge Story
Patrick:
Let’s talk about the lodge. What is “Wendego Lodge”?

Melanie:
I was sitting in the bathtub and said to Ray, my husband, that I would be happy if I never saw winter again.

He said, “Hold my beer. Look at this listing.”

He’s a marketplace junkie. It was a real estate ad for an off-grid fishing lodge in Kamloops, BC. About 60 kilometers down a forest service road, generators, solar power, 10 cabins, all lakeside.

He said, “I think we should do this.”

So we did it. The deal was done in four weeks. Now we own this lodge with all these cabins, and we’re in hospitality. Seriously, trial by fire.

It was one of the hardest real estate deals we ever did. The people who owned it got really deep into their isolation and didn’t want guests anymore. They were concerned about our intentions.

We didn’t get any books or reservations until the day we closed.
05:00 – 06:43 | Early Reality
We were behind the eight ball when we started.

But we love it. People are coming from all over the world, and they’re blown away by how beautiful it is.

I get to socialize with people, which I love. We’re figuring it out. We’re making toast on the wood stove. It’s super fun.

The hardest part is everyone is on vacation. They want to socialize and have a few drinks. This is our life, so we’re trying not to become alcoholics.
06:43 – 10:00 | Lifestyle and Risk
Patrick:
You’re basically on a private lake.

Melanie:
Yes, surrounded by thousands of acres of Crown land.

It was an interesting journey. My dad passed away a couple of years ago and left us his house. We partnered with my brother, who was going to run the business, but after a couple of months, it was too isolating for him.

We’re still working on buying him out.

It felt like a decision that filled a lot of buckets. Family, legacy, a place to work, learn, and make money.

If it works, great. If not, we still have an incredible property.

There didn’t seem to be any downside.
10:00 – 12:09 | REIN Influence
Patrick:
How much did your background help?

Melanie:
All of it.

I was Director of Research, teaching fundamentals, but I didn’t own real estate at first. That created imposter syndrome.

But being surrounded by people taking action inspired me.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

So I bought my first property.
12:09 – 13:39 | Scaling
We used our house as a bank.

We bought a 10-plex townhouse complex in Chilliwack by refinancing.

Then raw land, then more properties.

We kept using the same seed money to make more money.
13:39 – 15:00 | Leaving Employment
We were traveling a lot and missing our kids.

A business coach asked, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

We said, “We live on a beach in Hawaii and homeschool our kids.”

That’s not a bad worst case.

We had skills, contacts, and we just did it.
15:00 – 16:07 | Doing the Work
We manage everything ourselves.

Cleaning toilets, doing move-out cleans, pulling hair out of drains.

No ego around it.

That’s how we were able to support ourselves.
16:07 – 18:39 | Kids and Entrepreneurship
Our kids are involved.

My son started selling brownies and lemonade and made $100 in an hour at eight years old.

He’s 18 now and will never work for anyone.

We’ve passed those lessons on.
18:39 – 20:00 | Long-Term Thinking
We almost didn’t close on our 10-plex over $5,000.

Now rents have gone from $870 to $2,300.

That property changed everything.
20:00 – 22:34 | Mindset
Patrick:
Was it nature or nurture?

Melanie:
Nurture.

We were surrounded by entrepreneurs at REIN.

You become the average of who you’re around.
22:34 – 24:45 | Environment
That environment made a difference.

You absorb it.
24:45 – 30:00 | Market Concerns
Melanie:
I’m not optimistic about BC.

Rent control, rising costs, regulations.

It’s getting harder to cash flow.
30:00 – 31:01 | Adapting
We tried to Airbnb our home and were blocked due to regulations.

We worked around it with home exchange.

Eventually, legislation changed and we got licensed.
31:01 – 35:00+ | Lodge Vision
We want to make it more fun.

More docks, better amenities, maybe staff.

Right now, we’re doing everything.

Cleaning cabins, running the business.
35:00+ | Experience
It’s affordable, simple, and fun.

Fishing, snowmobiling, sauna, hiking.

Families, groups, retreats.

It’s about disconnecting and enjoying nature.

People mentioned (with URLs)
- Patrick Francey
  https://theeverydaymillionaire.ca/
- Don Campbell
  https://reincanada.com/
- Melanie Reuter
  https://wendegolodge.ca/
- Ray Reuter

Direct Websites and Brands Mentioned in the Episode + URLs
- The Everyday Millionaire Podcast
  https://theeverydaymillionaire.ca/
- Real Estate Investment Network (REIN)
  https://reincanada.com/

Episodes

Episode #243 – Real Estate to Lifestyle Business: Melanie Reuter’s Next Chapter

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