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About Me
As a Seattle native I have extensive experience in the Pacific Northwest play ground and am passionate about both the outdoor and urban amenities that the region has to offer. I specialize in a number of real estate market segments including: international real estate for both incoming and outgoing investments, seniors and estate planning changes, housing for university students and first-time home buyers. I have a professional background in construction management and so also work in property development.
I will support your desire to sell or purchase real estate anywhere in the Pacific Northwest and in many countries around the world. I do not participate in dual agency because I believe that my clients deserve undivided attention. My knowledge of the international and Pacific Northwest real estate markets will help you or a friend make informed and confident real estate decisions.
I chose Coldwell Banker, and specifically CBBain, because of their international reputation for quality and professionalism. CBBain has been the #1 performing Coldwell Banker affiliate for the past five years. My clients will be treated professionally at every step in the process. My clients will be treated with unwavering respect and patience. Their communications will be addressed regularly and promptly.
Thank you for your referral!
I will support your desire to sell or purchase real estate anywhere in the Pacific Northwest and in many countries around the world. I do not participate in dual agency because I believe that my clients deserve undivided attention. My knowledge of the international and Pacific Northwest real estate markets will help you or a friend make informed and confident real estate decisions.
I chose Coldwell Banker, and specifically CBBain, because of their international reputation for quality and professionalism. CBBain has been the #1 performing Coldwell Banker affiliate for the past five years. My clients will be treated professionally at every step in the process. My clients will be treated with unwavering respect and patience. Their communications will be addressed regularly and promptly.
Thank you for your referral!
Testimonials
"John recently helped my wife and me with the purchase of our first home. John was very helpful in educating us on all the particulars of the contracts and agreements of which neither my wife nor I had any experience. John went well out of his way to achieve an extremely tight closing date, working in the evenings and weekends to get our house closed on time. We both can’t say enough about how helpful it was to have John as our agent."
Jared & Qin Qin Mon Jun 23
Jared & Qin Qin Mon Jun 23
My Q&A
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John Stewart,…'s Questions (0)
John Stewart,…'s Answers (9)
John Stewart, CIPS,SRES answered:
Well put, Scott.
Sitting with an attorney would help decide what the options are.
Sitting with an attorney would help decide what the options are.
Good work on going to the plumber. That is simply the best practical approach to solving a problem.
Completing and including a disclosure form is usually state law and doesn't have anything to do with the inclusion of, or exclusion of, a professional in your transaction.
Please remember that I’m speaking from my experience in Washington State and that there may be nuances in the laws that are different in Ohio. Please tell me if you find differences in the system there; I’d be interested in hearing about it. I am also not an attorney and suggest that you seek the advice of an attorney on his/her read on this situation.
In Ohio’s case the law is currently in section 5302.30 of the Revised Code and rule 1301:1-4-10 of the Administrative Code. It is an easy find on the internet. This version was revised in January of 2007.
On page 3, Section K ZONING/CODE VIOLATIONS/ASSESSMENTS/HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION: (asks) Do you know of any violations of building or housing codes, zoning ordinances affecting the property or any nonconforming uses of the property?
Obviously you would like to declare your innocence of knowledge but someone in opposition may question if that is a reasonable position. I’ve seen it happen and the point I’m trying to make is that you have made an opening that is subject to an interpretation of law. I really don’t think that personal opinions or elaboration of the events with someone who is not an attorney is going to change the interpretation of the law of disclosure.
It is my own belief that one of the short comings of relying solely on an attorney in a real estate deal is that they are paid to focus on the interpretation of the law and not on the big picture of what is essentially an emotional business transaction. If a real estate agent is a member of the National Association of Realtors (a Realtor©) they are governed by: the 3rd oldest code of ethics alive in this country, they are licensed by the state that they do business in (governed by those laws), they are governed by the rules of the MLS system that they use, they are responsible to the managing broker of the company that they work for and most importantly they owe a fiduciary responsibility to their client. This is a professional service that is built to benefit the consumer. An honest and transparent Realtor helps you stay clear of these kinds of issues in a complex deal and an attorney helps you interoperate the law to your best advantage. So as a Realtor, I’m suggesting that you seek the advice of an attorney who will help you interoperate the law. It shouldn’t cost you an hour’s time and it will be money well spent. If they don't think that you have a problem, you are done. If they think you have a problem they will lay out some alternatives for you.
Oh, and the building department? They may have been asked by the new owner for another building permit or they may have received a complaint from a neighbor about anything that may have lead someone to the permit file. The permits are all public information and are usually available on the department's web site. Anyone can look up what the status of a permit on a given property is. Discrpancies in permit status usually don't cause a problem until someone wants to do something else with the property. It's like a lien, nothing happens until you try to sell the property. The final inspection is just one of the loose ends that they are trying to close and they have the law behind them to enforce it.
Completing and including a disclosure form is usually state law and doesn't have anything to do with the inclusion of, or exclusion of, a professional in your transaction.
Please remember that I’m speaking from my experience in Washington State and that there may be nuances in the laws that are different in Ohio. Please tell me if you find differences in the system there; I’d be interested in hearing about it. I am also not an attorney and suggest that you seek the advice of an attorney on his/her read on this situation.
In Ohio’s case the law is currently in section 5302.30 of the Revised Code and rule 1301:1-4-10 of the Administrative Code. It is an easy find on the internet. This version was revised in January of 2007.
On page 3, Section K ZONING/CODE VIOLATIONS/ASSESSMENTS/HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION: (asks) Do you know of any violations of building or housing codes, zoning ordinances affecting the property or any nonconforming uses of the property?
Obviously you would like to declare your innocence of knowledge but someone in opposition may question if that is a reasonable position. I’ve seen it happen and the point I’m trying to make is that you have made an opening that is subject to an interpretation of law. I really don’t think that personal opinions or elaboration of the events with someone who is not an attorney is going to change the interpretation of the law of disclosure.
It is my own belief that one of the short comings of relying solely on an attorney in a real estate deal is that they are paid to focus on the interpretation of the law and not on the big picture of what is essentially an emotional business transaction. If a real estate agent is a member of the National Association of Realtors (a Realtor©) they are governed by: the 3rd oldest code of ethics alive in this country, they are licensed by the state that they do business in (governed by those laws), they are governed by the rules of the MLS system that they use, they are responsible to the managing broker of the company that they work for and most importantly they owe a fiduciary responsibility to their client. This is a professional service that is built to benefit the consumer. An honest and transparent Realtor helps you stay clear of these kinds of issues in a complex deal and an attorney helps you interoperate the law to your best advantage. So as a Realtor, I’m suggesting that you seek the advice of an attorney who will help you interoperate the law. It shouldn’t cost you an hour’s time and it will be money well spent. If they don't think that you have a problem, you are done. If they think you have a problem they will lay out some alternatives for you.
Oh, and the building department? They may have been asked by the new owner for another building permit or they may have received a complaint from a neighbor about anything that may have lead someone to the permit file. The permits are all public information and are usually available on the department's web site. Anyone can look up what the status of a permit on a given property is. Discrpancies in permit status usually don't cause a problem until someone wants to do something else with the property. It's like a lien, nothing happens until you try to sell the property. The final inspection is just one of the loose ends that they are trying to close and they have the law behind them to enforce it.
Sharon,
The first question is: did you disclose the issue on your disclosure form that you should have given to the buyer? There is usually a place for exactly that information. If you said that the work was covered by permits and that they were completed, you may have a problem. The attitude of "buyers beware" died with the disclosure forms.
Second question is: do you know a good real estate attorney? Because you are asking for a legal opinion which is something that Realtors can't give. Just because you didn't follow up on your plumber doesn't mean you aren't at risk of being responsible for completing the process.
I'd start by asking the plumber to demonstrate that the work was done correctly under a permit and have them get it finaled. If they are capable of doing that, your problem is solved. If they can't, I'd talk to an attorney to find out what the read is on your risk.
John
The first question is: did you disclose the issue on your disclosure form that you should have given to the buyer? There is usually a place for exactly that information. If you said that the work was covered by permits and that they were completed, you may have a problem. The attitude of "buyers beware" died with the disclosure forms.
Second question is: do you know a good real estate attorney? Because you are asking for a legal opinion which is something that Realtors can't give. Just because you didn't follow up on your plumber doesn't mean you aren't at risk of being responsible for completing the process.
I'd start by asking the plumber to demonstrate that the work was done correctly under a permit and have them get it finaled. If they are capable of doing that, your problem is solved. If they can't, I'd talk to an attorney to find out what the read is on your risk.
John
John Stewart, CIPS,SRES answered:
Aren’t these exciting times? If we can’t reinvent ourselves in this market I’ll bet we go back to sweeping floors. I just have to share with you that our office closed 38 transactions in September of 07 and 42 in September of 08, with fewer agents. We had 2 listings in the end of September that had 4 offers on each.
My loan officer is still supporting buyers moving into new properties.
Who can predict where this global turmoil is going to lead? I’d think that the Asian meltdown in 1997 might give a little insight. What was the effect then in Sydney over the next few years? The west coast of the US (Seattle) is certainly affected by the Asian markets; I’ll take a look at our own data from that time period.
The link that I've included allows you to search most of Washington and Oregon States for property.
My loan officer is still supporting buyers moving into new properties.
Who can predict where this global turmoil is going to lead? I’d think that the Asian meltdown in 1997 might give a little insight. What was the effect then in Sydney over the next few years? The west coast of the US (Seattle) is certainly affected by the Asian markets; I’ll take a look at our own data from that time period.
The link that I've included allows you to search most of Washington and Oregon States for property.
John Stewart, CIPS,SRES answered:
Mike,
Here's a simple test: search on Trulia, realtor.com, worldproperties.com and sellourhouseineurope.com for homes in Orlando. On Tulia you should filter for single family somehow to get apples to apples but without doing that I came up with 0 listings on sellourhouse, 711 on worldproperties.com, 7,988 on Realtor.com and 9,990 on Trulia. On first blush that tells me that Trulia is pulling from Realtor.com and that sellourhouse doesn’t have any traction yet.
Worldproperties.com is the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) website for listing. This is the international body that joins associations globally. From the US side it requires that the listing agent subscribe to an extended profile beyond the profile that is linked to their local MLS. Most MLS listings feed to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) website at Realtor.com. A Realtor needs to take another step on Realtor.org to push the listing to ICREA. Most CIPS designees should know how to do this; if they don’t, move on to the next one.
I will include the link to the National Association of Realtors’ International page for you. There you will find a search for CIPS designees in your area. I consider Orlando "flooded" with experts; you have over 44 who have completed the designation and are fully qualified. If you look at Seattle I am 1 of only 5. You will also find a section for research and the most recent report is The 2008 NAR Profile of International Home Buying Activity. What you will see is that the #1 international buyer in the US is from Canada, followed by Mexico and the UK. It may be less difficult for you, in Florida, to recognize that Canada is a foreign country but here in Washington it is hard for us to believe that they live in another country and are considered “international.” Whoo, they speak the same language!
So, who is your target and is the property listed at below market rate?
I like Rocknblues idea of shipping the home internationally unless it is a condo.
Here's a simple test: search on Trulia, realtor.com, worldproperties.com and sellourhouseineurope.com for homes in Orlando. On Tulia you should filter for single family somehow to get apples to apples but without doing that I came up with 0 listings on sellourhouse, 711 on worldproperties.com, 7,988 on Realtor.com and 9,990 on Trulia. On first blush that tells me that Trulia is pulling from Realtor.com and that sellourhouse doesn’t have any traction yet.
Worldproperties.com is the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) website for listing. This is the international body that joins associations globally. From the US side it requires that the listing agent subscribe to an extended profile beyond the profile that is linked to their local MLS. Most MLS listings feed to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) website at Realtor.com. A Realtor needs to take another step on Realtor.org to push the listing to ICREA. Most CIPS designees should know how to do this; if they don’t, move on to the next one.
I will include the link to the National Association of Realtors’ International page for you. There you will find a search for CIPS designees in your area. I consider Orlando "flooded" with experts; you have over 44 who have completed the designation and are fully qualified. If you look at Seattle I am 1 of only 5. You will also find a section for research and the most recent report is The 2008 NAR Profile of International Home Buying Activity. What you will see is that the #1 international buyer in the US is from Canada, followed by Mexico and the UK. It may be less difficult for you, in Florida, to recognize that Canada is a foreign country but here in Washington it is hard for us to believe that they live in another country and are considered “international.” Whoo, they speak the same language!
So, who is your target and is the property listed at below market rate?
I like Rocknblues idea of shipping the home internationally unless it is a condo.
Mike,
Have you had any luck selling your property?
As a Certified International Property Specialist I can help you market it.
John Stewart
Have you had any luck selling your property?
As a Certified International Property Specialist I can help you market it.
John Stewart
John Stewart, CIPS,SRES answered:
Kevin,
How is this project progressing?
As a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) I do have some contacts.
John Stewart
How is this project progressing?
As a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) I do have some contacts.
John Stewart
John Stewart, CIPS,SRES answered:
Wayne,
It is fascinating for me to see how long these questions are going unanswered.
As a Certified International Property Specialist in the US we have a number of tools to market property around the world.
How are you doing in your research?
John Stewart
It is fascinating for me to see how long these questions are going unanswered.
As a Certified International Property Specialist in the US we have a number of tools to market property around the world.
How are you doing in your research?
John Stewart
My Listings
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Specialties
(CIPS) Certified International Property Specialist - This designation gives my clients access to a global network of qualified real estate professionals. It is held by only 2000 designees world wide and gives buyers access to recognized expertise if they wish to pursue an international property. It gives sellers access to a global market place. My listings are advertised on a plethora of websites that specialize in world properties.
(SRES) Seniors Real Estate Specialist - Most of us over 55 don’t like to think of ourselves as seniors. We tend to believe that life has just begun and that we have a lot of experience to justify our belief.
Sometimes a senior moment doesn’t reflect one’s age in years.
As my own tenure endures I find that I have gained a respect for those senior moments and I see that change in an elder’s life is not necessarily easy. This tenure has also given me an opportunity to build a network of professionals to answer the questions I haven’t experienced or know the answer to myself. These professionals include specialists in real estate, elder, business and international law, estate planning and sales, ADA design and construction, marketing, organizing and relocation.
I have both personal and professional experience in placing relatives into alternative living situations. I’ve experienced the emotions involved.
This unique cluster of specialties connects me with a very exclusive network of professionals in not only the US, but Canada, the UK and over 47 other countries around the world. Please visit the Seniors website at http://www.seniorsrealestate.com
If you are looking for help with a parent or relative, I would love to talk to you about it. If you know someone else who is in this position I would appreciate your referral.
(AREAA) Asian Real Estate Association of America - Founded in 2003, AREAA is a national professional trade organization dedicated to closing the homeownership gap facing the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Please visit their website at http://www.areaa.org.
AREAA will accomplish this mission by:
- Advocating for policy positions at the national level that will reduce homeownership barriers facing the APA community.
- Increasing business opportunities for mortgage and real estate professionals that serve this growing community
(SRES) Seniors Real Estate Specialist - Most of us over 55 don’t like to think of ourselves as seniors. We tend to believe that life has just begun and that we have a lot of experience to justify our belief.
Sometimes a senior moment doesn’t reflect one’s age in years.
As my own tenure endures I find that I have gained a respect for those senior moments and I see that change in an elder’s life is not necessarily easy. This tenure has also given me an opportunity to build a network of professionals to answer the questions I haven’t experienced or know the answer to myself. These professionals include specialists in real estate, elder, business and international law, estate planning and sales, ADA design and construction, marketing, organizing and relocation.
I have both personal and professional experience in placing relatives into alternative living situations. I’ve experienced the emotions involved.
This unique cluster of specialties connects me with a very exclusive network of professionals in not only the US, but Canada, the UK and over 47 other countries around the world. Please visit the Seniors website at http://www.seniorsrealestate.com
If you are looking for help with a parent or relative, I would love to talk to you about it. If you know someone else who is in this position I would appreciate your referral.
(AREAA) Asian Real Estate Association of America - Founded in 2003, AREAA is a national professional trade organization dedicated to closing the homeownership gap facing the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. Please visit their website at http://www.areaa.org.
AREAA will accomplish this mission by:
- Advocating for policy positions at the national level that will reduce homeownership barriers facing the APA community.
- Increasing business opportunities for mortgage and real estate professionals that serve this growing community
Experience
Latest:
Real estate professional for Coldwell Banker Bain
Please visit my website for a current profile. www.nwhome.us
December 2003—present
Previous:
Owner for John W Stewart LLC
Please visit my website for a past profile. www.projectpilot.us
January 1995—December 2003
Previous:
Project Manager for KrekowJennings Inc
Please visit my website for a past resume. www.projectpilot.us
January 1984—January 1995
Certifications & Awards
CIPS - Certified International Property Specialist
SRES - Seniors Real Estate Specialist
TRC - Transnatioinal Referral Certification
2007 Coldwell Banker International Sterling Society
2004-2007 Coldwell Banker Premier Office
SRES - Seniors Real Estate Specialist
TRC - Transnatioinal Referral Certification
2007 Coldwell Banker International Sterling Society
2004-2007 Coldwell Banker Premier Office
Interests
Mountain sports - skiing, hiking, fishing and the Winter Olympics of 2010 in Whistler
Water sports - sailing, rowing
At home - cooking, reading, films, gardening
Travel - Japan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, UK, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Turkey , Tanzania
Business - Puget Sound business issues that are connected to our international partners
City planning - Whistler growth management
Architecture - creative & esthetic approaches to design in private and public spaces, in both building and landscape environments
Water sports - sailing, rowing
At home - cooking, reading, films, gardening
Travel - Japan, Hong Kong, Mainland China, UK, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Turkey , Tanzania
Business - Puget Sound business issues that are connected to our international partners
City planning - Whistler growth management
Architecture - creative & esthetic approaches to design in private and public spaces, in both building and landscape environments
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