VREP #437 | Metro Vancouver Responds to Bill 44 with Tara Gronlund

“Sellers Await Buyers’ Return” was the headline that marked the end of the summer 2024. And the same could be said for the spring. And 2023. And most of 2022. As goes interest rates, so goes Canadian real estate apparently.But are high interest rates the total story? Former President of Mortgage Architects Dustan Woodhouse has spent a lot of time thinking about the Canadian lending environment & has come to a different conclusion.Dustan sits down with Adam and Matt this week to discuss the seismic shifts in Canada's lending landscape that began well before the meteoric rise of interest rates. How have multiple regulatory changes over the past 15 years dramatically reshaped the borrowing power of middle-class Canadians? Who wins and who loses with all the behind-the-scenes tampering with borrowing requirements? And what will it actually take to bring our real estate market out of its deep freeze?This episode is a master class!  

The BC provincial government stunned observers late last year when it legislated all BC municipalities change zoning regulations to permit multiplexes on single family lots by June 30, 2024. The provincial order was clear. But implementation has been another thing altogether. Architect Tara Gronlund joins Adam & Matt to discuss how different municipalities around Metro Vancouver have responded to this directive from on high. Which municipalities have dramatically upped what can be built on single family lots? Where has the directive had basically no impact? And how will these municipal zoning changes potentially change the course of the region for decades to come? The devil, as they say, is in the details, so listen up!

The Fraser Valley's real estate landscape is evolving rapidly & few know its contours better than Zenterra’s VP of Marketing & Sales, Derek Fenton.Derek sits down with Adam and Matt this week to discuss the Fraser Valley on the cusp of the 2024 fall market, a conversation that ranges from regional market conditions to in depth analysis of certain neighborhoods in the valley street by street. What were the key factors that led Zenterra to bet big on the Fraser Valley nearly 15 years ago? Where are the best pockets of opportunity that still have considerable runway? And why is Zenterra all-in when t comes to betting on the Fraser Valley moving forward? This episode is a primer for anyone interested in one of the fastest growing regions in Canada. Listen up!

It is rare to find a consistent push toward innovation in the real estate industry. Today’s guest first sat down with Adam & Matt years back to champion the benefits of building with mass timber, the little understood but increasingly popular building material in Vancouver & beyond.Rocky Sethi returns this week, in his new position of Managing Director of Stryke Group, to talk about our current real estate market as well as Stryke’s recently launched Penticton master-planned community, Innovation District.Are green shoots emerging from our summer market doldrums? Why is Stryke betting now is the time to launch its bold move in the Okanagan? And is Penticton the next Kelowna? Do not sleep on this one!

Today we revisit our classic (and timely!) episode with Harvard's Teo Nicolais.Everyone knows that markets are cyclical, but how do they work and where are we at in Vancouver? Harvard Extension School Instructor Teo Nicolais sits down with Matt & Adam to detail the 4 stages of a real estate cycle and how it relates to the Vancouver real estate market.This episode is a must for those interested in real estate!

The most recent Greater Vancouver Realtors Housing Market Report paints a surprisingly grim picture of the Vancouver real estate market. New listings are up 20% year over year and transactions are down 17.6% below the 10 year average. And this is with two Bank of Canada rate cuts! What is going on? And, more importantly, what does this mean for the upcoming fall market and for housing prices in Metro Vancouver?The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver’s Director of Economics & Data Analytics Andrew Lis sits down with Adam & Matt this week to discuss the unpredictable first half of the year & what the future holds.Why have we seen such a significant inventory spike? What does this mean for fall housing prices? And what will it take to get sales volume trending in the right direction? Listen up!

We often talk about Vancouver exporting real estate talent throughout North America. But what are the best & brightest in the industry actively learning from other cities? And what can these creative ventures outside of Vancouver tell us about ourselves?This week, Chad Boorman, Chief Financial Officer of Rize Alliance, sits down with Adam & Matt to talk all things Vancouver real estate, with a specific focus on Rize’s push to build down the West Coast of the United States.How have recent Rize projects in Los Angeles informed the company’s building practices in Vancouver? What are we getting right & what are getting wrong in our current housing market? And is Vancouver still considered a global city by anyone outside of Vancouver?This is a unique perspective on our market. Listen up!

It is time to take stock. We are more than halfway through 2024 and this year’s real estate market has been a doozy. We have seen sales volumes well below historical norms, a surprising spike in inventory, a number of new impactful housing policy measures & now a BoC second rate cut with signs of more to come.But what does this all mean for the future of Vancouver real estate? SFU Beedie School of Business Professor Andrey Pavlov has a few ideas & he doesn’t mince words. Andrey sits down with Adam & Matt this week for a wide ranging conversation that tackles the hot topics impacting today’s housing market. Where are we in the real estate market cycle? Why so much inventory & why now? And has government regulation finally (& potentially permanently!) curbed demand in real estate investing in the region. Sound the alarm!

Here’s something few could have predicted: inventory in Metro Vancouver has almost doubled in six months and a rate cut has done little to spark sales. Many investors are sitting on their hands. But smart money continues to target Vancouver and there are many reasons why.Wendy Waters, Vice President, Research Services & Strategy at GWL Realty Advisors, returns to the show in this very unique moment to provide a data-backed view of why investing in Vancouver still makes sense for pension funds and institutional money.Where are we at in the market cycle? Is now the time to buy? And what real estate asset class will outperform the market in the coming years? Tune in for a candid behind-the-scenes analysis that is usually reserved for those in the corner office!

Last week, we covered buying properties in the USA as Canadians. This week is all about financing and investing in the USA.Alain Forget and Hatim Tichout, RBC Cross Border Banking & U.S. Home Equity Financing, join Matt & Adam to discuss opportunities for investment, emerging US Markets, navigating market dynamics, and how Canadians can best secure financing.How can you get a mortgage in the U.S. without a credit score? What are the driving forces behind increased US real estate demand? What are the rising trends for snowbirds and vacationers? And how can you start earning USD today? Let's go!