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ROANOKE VALLEY REALTOR® Online
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Greetings!
You are receiving this online newsletter as a benefit of being a member of the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®.
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Member Type | Count ------------------- REALTOR® 1,139 Offices 134 Affiliate 147 Click here to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently.
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RESPA/TILA Changes August 1st
The HUD-1 settlement statement and Good Faith Estimate forms are going away on August 1st. The Truth in Lending Act disclosure is going away as well. In their place will be a new closing disclosure and a new loan estimate. There will be changes to the closing process as well, including a new rule requiring everything to be in place three days prior to closing.
Learn about the upcoming changes in this 5-minute NAR video.
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Leadership Openings on 2016 RVAR BOD
RVAR's Board of Directors has announced the following leadership openings for 2016: President-elect, Vice President and 3 Director positions. The only stipulation for applicants is that there can be no more than two REALTORS® from the same firm serving on the Board at any given time. NOTE: The Immediate Past President is exempt from this requirement.
Monday, August 3rd is the deadline for receipt of written applications. The Nominating Committee will request a personal interview with each candidate in early August and recommend a slate of Officers and Directors to the Board of Directors. The membership will be notified of this slate in early September. Petition candidates may also file during September. Should there be any contested positions, an election by ballot will be held in the fall.
Continuing their service on the 2016 Board will be: President Donna Marie Harris (Long & Foster); Immediate Past President Vic Coffey (RE/MAX All Stars); and Directors Becky Fields (BHHS Premier); Fred Hall (BHHS Premier); Adam Lynch (Berkshire Hathaway Smith Mtn. Lake); and Renee Wiggins (RE/MAX All Stars).
Any questions about leadership responsibilities or the nominations process should be addressed to Nominating Chairman Betty Kingery or Chief Executive Officer Laura Benjamin.
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Office Suite Available in RVAR Building
RVAR has available for lease a second floor, 1200 SF office space, directly above the RVAR offices. Current floor plan has a reception room, kitchenette and 3 offices, two of which have been subdivided to accommodate 2 desks each. This suite has its own private entrance and restroom. Tenant pays electricity and own janitorial service. RVAR provides water and sewer. Signage available on building and at street. $1,000/month based on a 3 year lease. For further information, contact leasing agent Henry Scholz of MKB, REALTORS® or RVAR's CEO Laura Benjamin. |
VAR Alert: Wire Fraud Scam
VAR recently learned of a wire fraud scam affecting real estate Brokers, their Agents, their clients and customers. In the scam, a title or real estate agent's email accounts are hacked and fraudulent bank wiring instructions are delivered to a buyer. The scam email instructs the buyer to wire the purchase proceeds to an account, which the parties later learn is fraudulent.
Several REALTOR® associations and title companies around the country have issued alerts about this type of scam. VAR shared this scam alert so that Brokers and Agents can take measures to protect themselves and the consumers they serve.
For more information on wire-fraud scams or to report an incident, please refer to the following links:
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REALTOR® Safety: 10 Steps to a Safe Open House It's the season for open houses -- and a good time to brush up on open house safety tips.
Make your safety a consistent priority in all of your interactions. RVAR is providing monthly safety tips to assist you in developing your own safety plan.
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April, 2015 marks the 47th anniversary of the 1968 landmark Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibited housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap. Every April, REALTORS® celebrate Fair Housing Month to reaffirm their continuing commitment to fair and equitable treatment and a professional level of service for all in their search for real property. In honor of Fair Housing Month, take a moment to renew your commitment to the REALTOR® Fair Housing Declaration below: I agree to:
- Provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or sexual orientation of any prospective client, customer or of the residents of any community.
- Keep informed about fair housing law and practices, improving my clients' and customers' opportunities and my business.
- Develop advertising that indicates that everyone is welcome and no one is excluded, expanding my client's and customer's opportunities to see, buy or lease property.
- Inform my clients and customers about their rights and responsibilities under the fair housing laws by providing brochures and other information.
- Document my efforts to provide professional service, which will assist me in becoming a more responsive and successful REALTOR®.
- Refuse to tolerate non-compliance.
- Learn about those who are different from me, and celebrate those differences.
- Take a positive approach to fair housing practices and aspire to follow the spirit as well as the letter of the law.
- Develop and implement fair housing practices for my firm to carry out the spirit of this declaration.
Additional fair housing resources are available from the National Association of REALTORS®.
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REALTOR® After Hours at the Lake 
Come celebrate Cinco de Mayo with us on Thursday, May 7th from 5:00 until 7:00 at Bridgewater Bay Clubhouse for our REALTOR® After Hours! There will be great food with a Taco bar, music, door prizes, lively conversation and...assorted beverages! This free event is made possible by our 2015 Partner / Sponsors! REALTORS® -- Bring a Business Card for a chance at 4 Cash Door Prizes $100 -- $50 - (2) $25 Bring your REALTOR® friends and help us celebrate Cinco de Mayo... at the Lake! Click here to register and for details about this free event! |
Vacation Home Buyers Increase
The share of vacation home buyers increased in 2014 to 21% of all homes purchased nationwide, according to the NAR Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey just released.
One-third of vacation home buyers plan to use their property for vacations or as a family retreat; 19 percent plan to convert their vacation home into their primary residence in the future; 13 percent bought for potential price appreciation and 13 percent purchased because of low real estate prices. The typical price in 2014 was $150,000 for vacation buyers.
The share of vacation buyers who paid all cash fell slightly to 30 percent last year.
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CCIM Class: Financial Anaylsis
The CCIM Institute is bringing CI 101: Financial Analysis for Commercial Investment Real Estate to Virginia, May 18-21, 2015. This course will be taught at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. Click here for more information. |
The Speaker's Forum Presents...
The Speaker's Forum presents Marc Nelson, Special Projects Coordinator with the Department of Economic Development for the City of Roanoke. Economic development for the Roanoke region has been in the spotlight following the recent Norfolk Southern announcement. Marc will provide an update about the City's efforts for future economic development and its impact on your business. The Speaker's Forum will be held on Tuesday, June 2nd at the RVAR office starting at 8:45AM with coffee, juice and pastries provided. From 9:00 - 9:45 we will have a brief welcome followed by Marc Nelson's presentation. There is NO CHARGE to attend this event, but seating is limited. Click here to register or contact the RVAR office. The Speaker's Forum helps to provide local, informative presentations regarding topics that affect our businesses. The Forum welcomes any REALTOR® and Affiliate members and there is no charge to attend. Additional Forum meetings for 2015 are scheduled for September 22nd and November 19th.
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VAR Broker Day May 6th
VAR's Broker Day is a must for managing brokers who want to be sure their firm and agents are ready to face today's risk management and profitability issues. The day long event (9AM-4:00PM) will be held on May 6th at the Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville. Cost to attend is $125.
This program will serve as your connection to industry best practices and key insights that will make your business more efficient and profitable. Keynote speaker Rich Casto will address agent productivity and becoming an effective coach. Additional sessions will focus on DPOR investigations and the latest news from VAR's Legal Hotline. Click here for more information or to register.
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NAR's Midyear Trade Expo will be held May 13th and 14th (10AM-6PM), at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. The Expo features the latest in real estate products and services from industry-leading companies. There is something for every REALTOR®, such as lead generation systems, Internet prospecting solutions, virtual tour technology, financial services and more. Plan to stop by the show, talk with experts in the industry and find profitable ideas to gain an edge in today's market. Admission to the Expo is FREE for all REALTORS®. Click here for more information or to register. And NAR's Annual Convention is in San Diego November 13th-16th. Why not plan to treat yourself after a successful year! Mark your calendars. Details will be available from NAR soon.
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Brokers Breakfast June 17th
All Brokers and Managers are invited to attend RVAR's Brokers Breakfast on Wednesday, June 17th at the RVAR office. (Coffee/continental breakfast 8:30-9:00AM, followed by the program 9:00-10:30AM.) The primary purpose of this Breakfast is sharing -- RVAR with Brokers, Brokers with RVAR and Brokers with each other.
RVAR currently plans to share information on the August 1st RESPA/TILA changes with the following speakers: RVAR Counsel David Bullington and representatives of the Blue Ridge Mortgage Lenders Association (Dave Henry of Atlantic Bay Mortgage and Scott Vaughan of Union Mortgage Group). Plus Dan Vollmer of Lynchburg, a member of VAR's Board of Directors, will offer a VAR update. This is a FREE event, though advance registration is appreciated. Click here to register.
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Tech Lunch & Learn Classes: Flexing UR MLS
RVAR's Tech Committee continues its Lunch & Learn Series on Wednesday, June 24th with two FREE classes taught by Flex trainer Josh Hernandez (Josh was a popular speaker at the recent Tech Forum): - 10:30AM-Noon Basic MLS: Customizing Your Dashboard & Using Quick Search
- 12:45-2:30PM Advanced MLS: Map Searching, Mobile Apps and Portals
Bring your lunch and laptop ... RVAR will provide drinks, chips and cookies.
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Upcoming Education
Fair Housing: RVAR's Education Committee presents this class in conjunction with the Moseley Dickinson Academy of Real Estate, Friday, May 8th, 9AM-Noon.
New members: This class is free -- earn 3 hours PL or CE credit.
Existing members: Pay $10 at the door for 3 hours CE credit.
Click here to register.
Annual Lender Panel: "Give Your Buyers Purchase Power" is the theme of this year's Lender Panel, Thursday, May 14th, 10AM-Noon at the RVAR office. This session will cover a variety of topics including:
* Why does my lender need that?
* Where did my Buyer's pre-qual go?
* What's coming August 1st?
Presenters will be: Tom Floyd (Member One Federal Credit Union); David Hipes (BB&T Mortgage); Gail Perry (American National Bank); Jonathan Sweat (Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group); and Scott Vaughan (Union Mortgage Group.)This session is FREE! Click here to register.
Practical Landlording: If you manage rental property, you need to know the law plus practical tips from a fellow landlord, REALTOR® Gary Dogan. This Wednesday, May 20th class (10AM-Noon) will cover everything from screening tenants to security deposits to the eviction process. This class provides 2 hours of CE electives. Click here for more information or to register.
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Save the Date for Affiliates/REALTOR® Night
WANTED!!!
Whoa! Cowboys & Cowgirls saddle up and come celebrate Country & Western Style at this year's Affiliates / REALTOR® Night! Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 22nd at Hidden Valley Country Club from 5:00-8:00PM. Of course there  will be outstanding grub, drinks and prizes! Plus plenty of give aways and opportunities to chat with our fantastic Affiliates! Don't miss it! More details to follow.
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Our RVAR Family
Congratulations
RVAR congratulates Mary Dykstra of MKB, REALTORS® who has been appointed by the Governor to serve on the new Virginia Housing Policy Advisory Council, which will focus on developing policies that lead to more quality, affordable housing in Virginia.
RVAR also salutes RVAR's MLS Director Dick Davis who just celebrated 20 years of service at RVAR.
Sympathy
RVAR expresses sympathy to Roger Malouf of MKB, REALTORS® upon the recent death of his mother.
RVAR also offers condolences to Dick Davis of the RVAR Staff and Bitsy Davis of Long & Foster, REALTORS®, upon the recent death of his oldest daughter Becky.
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UPCOMING EVENTS & DEADLINES
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April 25th
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| May 7th
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REALTOR® After Hours at the Lake
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May 8th
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Fair Housing Training
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May 14th
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Lender Panel
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May 20th
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May 25th
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RVAR Office Closed for Holiday
| June 2nd
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June 5th
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New Member Orientation
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June 17th
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Brokers Breakfast
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June 24th
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Lunch and Learn: FlexMLS
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2015 RVAR Partner / Sponsors
The RVAR proudly recognizes our
2015 Partner / Sponsors
for their generous support this year!
Platinum Level Partner / Sponsors
Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group
Freedom First Federal Credit Union
Monarch Bank & Mortgage
Southwest Virginia Moving & Storage
SunTrust Mortgage
Virginia Varsity Transfer & Self Storage
Diamond Level Partner / Sponsors
Alcova Mortgage
First Choice Title & Settlement, LLC
Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation
Performance Title & Settlement, Inc.
Union Mortgage Group
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Gold Level Partner / Sponsors
Acquisition Title & Settlement Agency, Inc.
Bill Meador Insurance Agency
Colonial Mortgage Company
Consolidated Construction Services
Laura R. Wright, Attorney at Law
The Bullington Law Firm
Valley Bank Mortgage
Virginia Title Center
Silver Level Partner / Sponsors
Bank of Floyd
BB&T Home Mortgage
Bug Man Exterminating, Co. Inc.
Colonial Title and Settlement
First American Home Buyers Protection Corporation
First Citizens Bank
HMS Home Warranty
HomeTown Mortgage
Member One Federal Credit Union
Seal-Tite Basement Waterproofing Co.
Virginia's All American Movers
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Your Member Input Is Important
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Click here to offer your input or a suggestion for the Association.
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Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®
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