Rob Zwick

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BUSINESS BASICS

Started as a Realtor in: 2006, but has worked in related industries since graduating from UBC in 2002.

Specialization: East & West Vancouver, North Shore and Downtown.

One-piece of advice for your clients: Be patient, but pounce the second you find something that meets all of your criteria.

Why RE/MAX? Rob started at a boutique firm, but found that it didn’t give a strong brand name behind him when it came to selling higher priced properties. RE/MAX allowed Rob to step into higher-end properties and enabled him to be surrounded by the best of the best.

“Beyond his expertise in the lower mainland real estate market, which I seriously needed in a volatile and fluctuating economy, I found Rob to be a genuinely caring human being. His patience, determination and commitment to meeting my needs rose above and beyond what I could have hoped for. He is bar none a great realtor and more important to me, an integral and hard working person that shows up, does the work and gets the job done.” -L. Johnson, Ubber Happy Client.

Q & A

1.What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area? A combo of factors:

• I studied urban geography, which is the pre-requisite to urban planning
• My OCD mentality with customer service
• Finally, my work ethic

2. Who has been your most interesting client? One client tested me more than anyone; they were extremely diligent and worked Finance and Law. I worked with them for well over a year to find their perfect new house, then was hired to sell their older townhouse. They analyzed every part of my contract, requested multiple inspections and took their time to look at over 100 homes in multiple areas. Although it tested me, it also validated the level of my knowledge, will, and patience as a Realtor.

3. What was your favorite success story? I sold a 3-story sky loft in the Woodwards building. We put it for sale during the downturn in ’08. It was an impressive home, but limited to a particular seller. It was essentially a 1 bedroom, with lots of stairs, 2000 square feet and a 1.5 Million price tag. It was challenging to find the right person. After 5 months, with no sale, the owner who had an investing partner gave them an ultimatum to fire me or to lose their investment money. I was fired for the first time in my career. The owner hired another Realtor, the leading Realtor in the downtown market at the time. They couldn’t sell it. The owner came back to me and I encouraged them to rent it for a year before we put it back on the market. Once I was again hired to relist the property, we were able to sell it for over $100,000 more than our previous listed price. It was nice to have a client compare what I was doing versus an industry powerhouse, and clearly see the benefits of what I brought to the table.

4. What inspired you to be a Realtor? It was a situation of circumstance. Growing up my dad built architectural models for some of the best developers in North America. From school, my urban geography developed to an internship with Concert Properties where I realize I wasn’t meant for the corporate world. I was much more entrepreneurial. I started a real estate magazine with a couple of my friends in 2001. I ran it until 2007. In the last year, I stepped away after I got my license. It made me realize that this is what I was meant to do.

“Of the 1100 plus Realtors in town, Rob is definitely one of my favourites to work with. He’s smart, professional, hardworking and he really cares about his clients.” -Gina Rossi, Relator

PERSONAL SNAP SHOT

About: Rob’s wife is a massage therapist and they have two kids. He lives along Main Street (which was a home he jumped on the second he saw it. From the moment it was listed until his offer to purchase was agreed upon, only 90 minutes transpired).

Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of): This past holiday season Rob had the opportunity to spend some quality time with family for nearly a month straight. He realized that value that he brings to his family when he is around more. With that he candidly noted his needs to limit the time he devotes to his work. He understands the importance of working with clients who value and appreciate his time and the work he does. He wants to focus his time to working with people that he wants to work with.

Rob wants to give more time to his family, get more social hours in with friends and spend quality working hours with his clients.

Loves (can’t live without): The guy stuff: electronics, cars, and photography. In particular, photography is a personal passion. Originating from his job as Realtor and wanting to capture the right pictures for his clients. He has been working on his art for the past 5 years and has enlisted friends to give him private lessons on specific aspects and perspectives. He’s appreciating that photography is become much more mainstream these days.

Thoughts on the current market: After seeing the run up, he thinks it’s nice to see a pull back. The market has been very inconsistent for both the buying and selling. The media is feeding the misconceptions, however, the stats are supporting what is happening. It’s a slow market, but there is little to choose from, the market is flooded with poor quality listings. The goods listing are selling quickly. There are a lot of buyers that are nervous and waiting for others to flinch. It’s a game of who looses patience first, the buyers or the sellers?

THE EXTRAS

Rob believes that clients are looking for someone to do their job in an ethical way. They want customer service and advice without being pushed. They need someone who can discern different patterns and developing neighbourhoods for future values. A person with neighbourhood and construction knowledge. Ultimately, they want an expert.

He thinks clients perceive him as a nice guy that works his ass off – who also has their best interest in mind, with a mentality to never give up.

Rob’s typical client tends to be young couples with kids. It’s an ideal client as he can relate as he has been through it and can provide recommendations on what to stay away from.

Rob enjoys working with great people and loves that no two days are the same. He reflected back on showing a float house in Ladner, a penthouse suite in downtown and a waterfront property in Indian River (North of Deep Cove) all in one day.

There are challenging days, which include dealing with highly emotional and stressful situations. In a buying situation, clients sometimes need things to happen instantly that are next to impossible, but Rob has built a network of contacts to manage and support their needs.

More than that, Rob maintains strong relationships with top Realtors in the community, which he believes helps him and his clients gain invaluable information about the market.

Contact Rob

Cozy Comfort

Cozy Comfort Brunswick Gardens 15, 12438 Bruswick Place, Richmond MLS: V988339

List Price: $549,800 Floor Area: 1537 Unit: 3 Beds; 3 Bath Maintenance Fee: $282.00 Taxes: $2066

PROS

1. Cozy and comfortable downstairs living area with living, dining, kitchen, ½ bath, laundry and patio.
2. Nice patio area including cedar deck and a small green area maintained by the strata. High fencing for increased privacy.
3. New designer kitchen.
4. Large master bedroom with deck and walk-in closet.
5. 3rd floor family room or office with roof-top deck.
6. Parks and schools nearby.
7. Nice neighbourhood/community, near boardwalk, dyke and Steveston Village.

CONS

1. 2nd and 3rd levels are dated and require updating – the bathroom, bedrooms and additional family room could use upgrades to modernize and maximize space.
2. Carpet on stairs, 2nd and 3rd floors should be replaced.
3. Kitchen is a bit snug, but an adjoining nook area provides additional storage and/or seating space.
4. Moderately high maintenance fees.

COMPARABLES

1. 10, 12438 Brunswick Place
2. 13, 12438 Brunswick Place
3. 16, 12438 Brunswick Place

MORTGAGE DETAILS

2.99%; 549,800

High Ratio Loan (less than 20% down payment); 25-year amortization Purchase Price: $549,800 Down Payment (5%): $27,490 CMCH fees:  $14,363.52 Total loan: $536,673.52 Amortization: 25 years Payment: $2,537.03

Approximate income required: $116,000

Conventional Loan (20% or more down payment); 30-year amortization Down Payment (20%): $109,960 Total Loan: $439,840 Amortization: 30 years Payment: $1,851.33

Approximate income required: $90,206.31

From my home to yours - Irene

Cowtown – Bullish

Overall Market

• Prospective sellers are waiting and prospective buyers are a bit shy
• The market right now is both slow and tentative, not really sure where things are going
• Concerns about the global economy may be another reason for the “tentative” market
• The latest Royal LePage report
  • Average housing prices were up between 2% and 4% in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the same time last year.
  • Average prices for Canadian residential real-estate will rise a further 1% by the end of 2013, as some owners opt to delay selling their property until conditions improve.
• Canada’s economy created far more jobs than expected in December, defying expectations amid sluggish growth and affirming the possibility of a central bank rate hike this year.
• Fewer homeowners listed their properties in the second half of the year, which kept inventory levels lower, and supported home values.
• The one thing missing from the market for those looking for a market crash is a catalyst or an event that will force people to reduce their asking prices. Before this housing market burns up in flames, it needs some type of spark. Two that come to mind are a spike in interest rates or job losses — this is not happening any time soon.
• Some financial advisors see that the long-term fall in home prices will not be reversed when the economy picks up, forecasting a smaller portion of the population, relatively speaking, is in their home-buying years calculating house values to be $100,000 less than they are now.
• If you are one of those who find their home to be their most significant retirement asset, financial advisors suggest taking the current opportunity to downsize, free up the equity, and invest in income-producing investments – bonds, preferred shares, income producing real estate or dividend-producing equities.
• Critics point out that despite the slowing mortgage growth, household debt, already at record levels, continues to rise. Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney has repeatedly warned that elevated personal debt is one of the greatest risks facing the Canadian economy
• ING will now focus on the direct channel to consumers while the brokerage lending business will be diverted to Scotiabank
• As expected, the Bank of Canada kept a lid on borrowing costs, with its trendsetting overnight rate — the main instrument used to guide inflation toward the bank’s 2% target — remaining at a near-record low 1%, unchanged since September 2010 and now the longest dormant stretch since the early 1950
• The central bank rate has remained near historic lows for more than two years amid slowing global growth, driven by lower demand for exports from emerging economies, political turmoil in the U.S. and an unresolved debt crisis in the Euro zone.
•  Forecasts that 454,000 homes will change hands in 2013, falling one per cent from the 2012 national performance.
• Slower sales and a flattening of home prices in Vancouver and Toronto — Canada’s two largest and most-expensive real-estate markets — will have a significant impact and drag down the national averages this year.
• The real estate market is relatively solid in Canada. There has been a slowdown in sales and in mortgage demand but price levels are relatively stable.

Calgary

• Alberta and Saskatchewan where the resource-oriented economies have been vibrant, are poised for significant growth in 2013.
• Alberta is the talk of the country and is planning on leading the country in economic growth.
• The city’s 2013 property assessments reveals a record number of single-family homes valued at $1 million or more, besting the previous high set in 2008.
• There are now 9,001 single-family homes assessed at $1 million or more, compared to 7,997 in 2012 — a 13-per-cent increase.  The previous record of 8,262 homes was set during the previous boom, prior to the economic collapse in 2008.
• Calgary Housing Market is experiencing home sales that are putting a momentum of unaffordable housing.

Vancouver

• Home sales dollar volumes down
• Unit sales down (10-year average 88,000 units, 15-year average 79,000, 2012 average between 64,000 and 68,000)
• Average prices dropping in Lower Mainland
• Prices falling more noticeably in single-family homes in more expensive areas of the west side of Vancouver and Richmond
• The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver said in January total sales in 201 were off 22.7% from a year earlier
• Slowing residential sales means fewer jobs in construction and lower prices will cut the value of most households’ key retirement asset, the club heard.
• According to B.C. Assessment, the total change in assessed property values, as of July 1, 2012, was about five per cent in Coquitlam, Surrey and New Westminster. Changes were more notable in Vancouver, which rose just two per cent this year, and Richmond, which dipped 0.64 per cent.
• This year, for the first time in many years, a number of homeowners in some areas of B.C. will see a drop in their property assessment, B.C. Assessment said Wednesday
• There were 19,027 housing starts in Metro Vancouver for the year 2012, up more than six per cent from the year and from the 10-year average. 19,100 total housing starts forecast for the year
• Vancouver’s rental vacancy rate is 0.9 per cent, which is very low — a boon to real estate investors. A good, strong rental market, people is part of the reason we’re seeing more multiple-units.
• The year-long downtrend in sales constrained annual provincial activity to 67,640 units, a 12-per-cent drop from the previous year and the lowest annual tally since 2000.
• Chinese investors may return; based on China’s increased GDP, potential policy changes and new leadership.

Toronto

• New home sales continue to plummet in the Greater Toronto Area with the latest statistics from RealNet Canada Inc. showing a 52.1% drop in sales in December from a year ago.
• Toronto ranked as the fastest growing economy in the country last year, but a new study from CIBC suggests Canada’s biggest city will be hard pressed to maintain that growth trajectory
• December home sales in Toronto fell 19.5% compared with a year ago, but prices were still up, according to the city’s real estate association.
• The Toronto Real Estate Board said there were 3,690 sales in the Greater Toronto Area last month through the Multiple Listing Service, down from 4,585 in December 2011.
• The average price rose to $478,789 from $449,566 — an increase of 6.5% from the year before.
• Home sales dropping a precipitous 19.5 per cent year on year in December even as average prices shot up 6.5 per cent in the region.

Interest rate projections

• RBC expects The Bank of Canada could raise its trend-setting interest rate by half a percentage point before the end of this year.
• Both Scotiabank and CIBC said in December they expect rates to remain at their current level for the rest of 2013.

Bring Feng Shui to your home

Feng Shui is based on a Taoist vision.  It’s an ancient art and science that seeks balancing the movement and energy within a space or environment.   Land’s energy, also known as Chi, brings the theories of yin and yang and the five elements together to create the basic concepts of Feng Shui.  Arranging and decorating a space in a manner that projects a positive flow of life’s energy, or chi flow, can bring a positive flow towards you.

YING AND YANG

Yin-Yang are opposites They are either on the opposite ends of a cycle, like the seasons of the year, or, opposites on a continuum of energy or matter. This opposition is relative, and can only be spoken of in relationships. For example: Water is Yin relative to steam but Yang relative to ice. Yin and Yang are never static but in a constantly changing balance.

Interdependent: Can not exist without each other Nothing is totally Yin or totally Yang. Just as a state of total Yin is reached, Yang begins to grow. Yin contains seed of Yang and vise versa. They constantly transform into each other. For Example: no energy without matter, no day without night.

Mutual consumption of Yin and Yang Relative levels of Yin Yang are continuously changing. Normally this is a harmonious change, but when Yin or Yang are out of balance they affect each other, and too much of one can eventually weaken (consume) the other. Four (4) possible states of imbalance:

• Preponderance (Excess) of Yin
• Preponderance (Excess) of Yang
• Weakness (Deficiency) of Yin
• Weakness (Deficiency) of Yang

Inter-transformation of Yin and Yang. One can change into the other, but it is not a random event, happening only when the time is right. For example: Spring only comes when winter is finished.

(resource: http://www.sacredlotus.com/theory/yinyang.cfm)

FIVE ELEMENTS

Fire

• Considered the most powerful of all the elements
• Represents energy, passion, expansion and transformation.
• In the home, represented by: a candle, or by color (e.g. red lampshade)
• Color: red, orange and yellow
• Season: summer
• Direction symbolized: south
• Triangular

Wood

• Helps to develop creative energies such as inspiration, motivation and passion.
• Represents: personal growth and renewal and purifies and redirects chi.
• In the home, represented by: plants, trees or by green objects, (e.g. green pillows)
• Color: green and sometimes purples, not pastels
• Season: spring
• Direction symbolized: east and southeast
• Shape: Rectangle

Water

• Directly related to the flow of money and career.
• Flowing water helps us to let go of things we no longer need.
• Still water helps the surrounding energies to be calm and offers the feeling of a new beginning and renewed strength.
• In the home, represented by: a water feature, fish tank or pond. Crystals, wavy statues or artwork and paintings of water scenes are other ways the element of water may be represented.
• Color: blues
• Season: winter
• Direction symbolized: north
• Shape: Wavy

Metal

• Draws and unifies all of the elements together. They act as transmitters, conducting the various energies to different areas.
• Stimulates mental strength and intellectual abilities, making it easier to focus and think clearly.
• Color: white, silver, gray and black
• Season: fall
• Direction symbolized: west and northwest
• Shape: Round

Earth

• Representing permanence, stability and home, the earth element is solid giving a sense of security and grounding support.
• It strengthens the feelings of safety and adds a sense of comfort from within.
• Rock features, thick carpet, antique pottery and old books help to bring the earth element indoors.
• Color: brown, beige, sierra and other muted colors
• Season: end of summer
• Direction symbolized: center, northeast and southwest
• Shape: Square

The elements interactions

Productive Cycle Water feeds plants to give rise to Wood. Wood in turn can create Fire. The by-product of Fire is ash, in this case the Earth element. From the Earth comes Metal, which in turn can help collect Water, thus going full circle.

Destructive Cycle Water puts out Fire, Fire melts Metal, Metal axes fell Wood, the Wood tree roots hold down Earth and Earth absorbs Water.

FENG SHUI AT HOME

Feng Shui examples for you whole home Feng Shui Do’s and Dont’s Feng Shui Colours Feng Shui of House Numbers

Bernadette Dunnigan

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BUSINESS BASICS

Started as a Realtor in: 2010; currently #1 in Edgemont for attached home sales.

Specialization: North and West Vancouver, with particular expertise in the beautiful Edgemont Village Community (North Vancouver).

One-piece of advice for your clients: Location is key, but trust yourself! Trust your instincts.

Why RE/MAX Crest Realty? They are the #1 brokerage in North Vancouver for number of sales, year after year and part of the group of brokerages (RE/MAX Metro Vancouver), which is #1 in the world! RE/MAX is known internationally as well has #1 in North Vancouver.

"She was super professional and even helpful after the transaction during the move process. She really cared about us!” -Susanna Li, Client

Q & A

1. What differentiates you from the 11,000 licensed real estate agents in the Greater Vancouver area? I work hard, harder than any one I know. I do whatever it takes to provide the top level of service to my clients and to meet their goals. I sincerely care about my clients and I support what I do with market knowledge and the ability to negotiate.

2. Who has been your most interesting client? I live and work in an area that has a smaller community; we all know each other. I had a recent client who had a reputation amongst our local Realtors for being hard, abrasive and difficult to work with. My experience was nothing like that. They were lovely and even wrote a beautiful testimonial for me, noting how they never felt pressured and that they felt as if their interests were always first and foremost. It validated my professionalism and character that everyone should be treated with respect.

3. What was your favorite success story? I had a client not willing to sell under the asking price. Four Realtors were asked to provide estimates on their property value. We were all within range from one another, but a decent amount below what the clients wanted.

The client chose me as their agent and said to me, “I believe in you and that you will get me my price.”

I gave the client a detailed list of “to dos” to prepare their house for listing and to maximize the sale price; paint, purchasing pillows, carpets, etc. The cost wouldn’t have even been $1000.00 and I helped stage the whole house.

We received offers very close to the original price estate, but they turned them down. We eventually negotiated an offer just shy of the asking price. …I made them a promise and I delivered.

4. What inspired you to be a Realtor? I was obsessed with real estate and always knew what was going on. I knew houses, pricing, inventory. I would search for friends and families all the time and help them find their homes. I knew I had the potential for a successful real estate career. Even while I was in the midst of a successful career in project management, with my husband’s encouragement, I made the move that I always wanted to.

“I have had the pleasure of working alongside Bernadette Dunnigan in a Real Estate transaction and would highly recommend her. She is professional, thorough, diligent, and makes her clients’ best interests her number one priority. She is extremely knowledgeable about the market she works in, and her business background and strong negotiating skills make her a wonderful asset to have when buying or selling a home.” -Michelle Vaughan, Realtor

PERSONAL SNAP SHOT

About: Bernadette loves living in her Edgemont community with her husband and three kids, 6, 4, and 2. Her high energy and enthusiastic personality thrives by meeting new people and being social. She enjoys playing tennis, snowboarding, and being active with her family and friends.

Bernadette runs a busy life, but she prides herself in focusing on doing the work she is good at, creating systems for efficiencies and teaming with partners and support staff to make it all run smoothly and let her focus on servicing her client and providing top-level negotiation. She has a background in project management and banking with a finance degree. She uses her past education and experience to access higher-level reports for her day-to-day research on current economic and market conditions.

Likes (If you had more time, what would you do more of): I would do more of everything. More business development, more time with friends, more time with family. More!

Loves (can’t live without): My Starbucks in the morning at minimum. I love to tuck in my kids at night. Going out for dinner, I’m definitely a foodie. I love to snowboard. I love to be social and I love that I’m going to Maui soon!

If she wasn’t a Realtor she would be a: Architect/designer or own her own business.

THE EXTRAS

Bernadette believes that clients are looking for a Realtor they can trust with their biggest investment; someone who has market knowledge with an area-specific niche and has proven success.

By virtue of her area of specialization, she tends to work with young families or those looking to downsize.

She finds her clients appreciate that she cares about them, is warm and a hard worker who knows the market well.

The process of paperwork is Bernadette’s least favorite aspect of the job. However, process and paperwork is largely trumped by how much she loves finding people their home. “I know it’s their home before they do, I’m like a home matchmaker!”

Contact Bernadette