The Garbutt + Dumas Real Estate Podcast

Buying a new construction home can be an exciting prospect, but it also comes with its own set of considerations and potential pitfalls. Whether you're a first-time homebuyer or an experienced real estate enthusiast, understanding the ins and outs of purchasing new construction is crucial to making a well-informed decision. Denny and Monica highlight some of the negative aspects of buying new cons...

In the world of real estate, success stories are often celebrated, but failures can provide invaluable insights. Collapsed real estate deals happen and are more common than you think. Denny and Monica go into collapsed real estate deals, offering essential insights into not only understanding how these deals unravel but also proactively preventing such situations and ensuring the successful remova...

An upcoming change by real estate boards in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley promises to bring slightly more transparency to bidding wars over properties in the region. Denny and Monica go over these changes and share how they will affect real estate transactions in multiple offer situations. This episode will focus on the "Disclosure of Multiple Offers Presented Form" and what it means, the...

A Real Estate transaction is a delicate process with a lot of moving parts. Certain terms that appear on a contract can bring doubt to a buyer and even halt the transaction. Denny and Monica share how terms like "Special Levy," "Asbestos," "Bidding War," and "Subject free offer," can affect a real estate transaction and how they deal with these situations when they arise. This episode will focus o...

Since 2016 municipalities in Greater Vancouver have seen a lot of change when it comes to real estate. The region has witnessed a multitude of developments, market fluctuations, and policy adjustments that have shaped the housing landscape. James and Denny summarize Greater Vancouver's real estate transformation from 2016 -2023 and go over the neighbourhoods that have seen the most change. This ep...

Qualifying for a mortgage has become increasingly difficult in Canada due to the current prime rate of 6.95%. Because of this, the landscape of real estate financing has undergone significant changes over the past 18 months. James and Denny go over current financing numbers, and how much it is currently costing to borrow money. This episode will focus on the bank's current rates and discounts, var...

Two weeks ago the Bank of Canada raised the policy rate by 25 basis points, surprising most as underlying inflation remains stubbornly high. James and Denny share how the rate increase has affected current home prices in Greater Vancouver and what they are seeing day to day as realtors. This episode will focus on the current rate hike and how it has affected the Vancouver real estate market, the d...

Denny is once again joined by Nick Soldan as the two talk about investing options and opportunities in Whistler, BC. Nick and Denny go over Phase I vs Phase II zoning regulations and share what kind of property has the best value. This episode will focus on investment opportunities in Whistler, the difference between Phase I and Phase II zoning, the property types that offer the best value, foreig...

Whistler BC is home to North America's largest ski resort and with that comes popularity and high property values. Denny is joined by Nick Soldan Harriss to talk about real estate in Whistler and how much people are paying to live there. This Episode will focus on Whistler real estate and current rent prices, demand between different seasons, low housing and rental supply, municipalities not wanti...

Alex joins Denny once again, this time to talk about all the options first-time home buyers have when trying to qualify for a mortgage. Denny and Alex share tips for first-time buyers and talk about the incentives provided by the federal and provincial governments.  This episode will cover mortgage options for first-time home buyers, steps to achieving the dream of home ownership, where to find th...

Alex McFadyen is back with Denny to talk about presale completions and provide you with valuable insights on how to ensure you are well-prepared for this crucial phase. Denny and Alex go over the timelines for presale projects and the different rules with primary residence vs investment properties. This episode will cover how mortgages work with presale properties, the timeline before completion a...

What is currently going on in the home financing world? In this episode, Denny is joined by top mortgage broker Alex McFadyen to learn about the current state of mortgages. Denny and Alex talk about the impact of the current interest rates on borrowing and home prices. This episode will focus on the current state of home financing, a recap of the last 12 months and future predictions, lack of supp...

Although this episode was released last year, it still contains relevant and timely information that is significant today. When selling your home, it takes more than luck to get a buyer to make a solid offer. It usually involves careful planning and hard work to get the house ready to sell. Denny asks James questions regarding what steps he took to prepare his 1945 New Westminster house for a succ...

As real estate prices keep rising, more and more home buyers are finding it difficult to purchase their first property. The government has introduced a few savings programs, but is it enough? James and Denny go over the four main programs the government has offered to first-time home buyers and discuss the pros and cons of each one. This episode will cover the First Time Home Buyers' Program, the...

Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers came into effect on Jan 1st, 2023. The new measure bars most non-residents and foreign commercial enterprises from buying residential properties in Canada for the next two years. Recently a few changes were announced to the policy. James and Denny go over the new exceptions and share how they will directly affect Vancouver's real estate market. This episode will...

The Bank of Canada announced another rate pause and held its policy rate at 4.5% and the prime rate at 6.70%. Since the last hold, the Vancouver real estate market has seen an uptick in activity with buyers hoping the BoC is done with rate increases. James and Denny share what they are seeing in today's current market and go over what the rate pause will mean for real estate. This episode will foc...

Welcome to "Getting to Know Your Realtor!" This will be a reoccurring segment where we introduce members of the G+D team, giving you a chance to get to know us better. Denny and Monica engage in a question and answer session to learn about each other's experiences and backgrounds in the real estate industry. This episode will focus on Denny and Monica's early history and how they first got into re...

Following a sluggish winter, the Vancouver real estate market is beginning to show signs of recovery. With the bank of Canada pausing interest rate hikes properties are now attracting more attention and seeing more multiple offers. Denny and Monica share their personal experiences in a market shifting from a slow one to multiple offers being more common.  This episode will talk about multiple offe...

Real estate appraisals are an important part of the process of buying or selling a property. They provide an estimate of the value of a property based on various factors and are often used by lenders. Denny and Monica share their thoughts on appraisals and talk about personal experiences with them in the past. This episode will focus on real estate appraisals and why they are necessary, market val...

For the first time in a year, the Bank of Canada did not raise interest rates and maintained its policy rate at 4.5%. Denny and Monica share what they are seeing in Vancouver's real estate market as a result of the interest rate pause and what they think will happen over the next couple of months. This episode will focus on the current real estate market in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, the ba...

Investing in real estate is a topic that's often shrouded in uncertainty, with many people wondering whether it's a good idea. This is especially true in today's market, where high-interest rates and other factors can make the decision to invest even more challenging. James and Denny compare numbers between different property types in different areas to try to answer if it's possible to find a cas...

Single-family homes are unattainable to most families in the Lower Mainland and many are looking to townhouses as an alternative. James and Denny explore why townhouses are becoming the future of family homes, and the cities that are keeping up with demand better than others. This episode will cover townhouses and how they are the future family home, alternative options for young families, townhom...

While real estate has slowed down compared to the peak demand in 2021, the market still remains a seller's market, with a low supply of homes for sale and high competition for those that do become available. James and Denny share what they are currently seeing in the market and emphasize that conditions can vary depending on the type of property, location, and other factors. This episode will cove...

In Vancouver real estate is a common topic in the news, with many outlets presenting stories with a one-sided view. Denny and Monica share some articles and break down what they think is happening and relate it to what they are currently seeing in the market. This episode will cover random recent real estate articles, stratas going to 55+ to limit rentals, parking garage floods, fireworks set off...

Some investors who purchased presale homes a few years ago are deciding to sell their units as the project completes. Interest rates have had a significant impact on determining whether it is beneficial to get a mortgage and if they will make a profit from these investments. Denny and Monica discuss who could benefit from these sales and why you might want to buy a new construction project over re...