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ROANOKE VALLEY REALTOR®
Online
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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
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Count
--------------------------- REALTOR@ 1,134 Offices 132 Affiliate 244
Click here
to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently.
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NAR Focused on New Congress
The National Association of REALTORS® is gearing up for what is expected to be a busy first three months of the legislative session as a new Congress and new Administration tackle a number of priorities affecting real estate.
Health Insurance Reform: NAR is prepared to represent the interests of REALTORS® and real estate companies as the debate to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act begins. NAR favors retaining certain aspects of existing laws that benefit REALTORS® -- including not letting insurers deny coverage to people who have a preexisting condition, preventing insurers from charging markedly different premiums based on factors such as age, gender and health status, and allowing people to keep their children on their plans up to age 26.
Tax Reform: NAR's priority is to preserve longstanding tax incentives for home ownership and real estate investments, including the mortgage interest deduction and property tax deductions. On the commercial side, preserving 1031 like-kind exchanges is paramount.
Flood Insurance: Another pressing priority for NAR will be getting the National Flood Insurance Program reauthorized before it expires at the end of September. NAR is seeking another long-term reauthorization combined with additional reforms to increase the accuracy of flood mapping, provide financial assistance for more homeowners to mitigate their risk before a flood occurs, and develop a more robust private insurance market.
Click here to read more about NAR's legislative efforts.
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Advocacy @ Work is an article aimed at updating members on what is happening in our region regarding Economic Development and/or Governmental Affairs.
The Virginia General Assembly convened on Wednesday, January 11th for the start of the 2017 session. This is considered a "short" session of 45 days and the legislature will consider over 2000 bills and resolutions.
Virginia REALTORS® has 4 bills making their way through the General Assembly that RVAR is supporting.
- Transfer of Security Deposits upon the Sale of a Dwelling Unit- Allows a property manager to transfer a security deposit to the owner and to simply provide notice to the tenants, versus having to obtain the written consent of the owner and tenants.
- Licensee Responsibilities Transfer of Escrow Funds and Foreclosures - Allows for a smoother transition for an existing tenant and a new owner following a foreclosure and clarifies the written property management agreement to continue in place following a foreclosure on a month-to-month basis.
- POA Act & Condo Act Amendments - This bill helps to further clarify and define aspects of POA / COA's such as the restrictions Associations can place on "For Sale" signs and imposes a $1000 fine on Associations if the disclosure packet is not delivered in the 14-day required timeframe.
- Amendments to the Residential Disclosure Act - Allows for electronic delivery of the form to the potential purchaser and cleans up the Residential Disclosure Act.
Last week, Virginia REALTORS® issued a "Call to Action" to easily send an email to your legislators to support these bills. The Call to Action is a quick and easy process (the email is already written for you!) and is effective in sending a message to all legislators of our unified support. If you have not done so already, please take a brief moment and
click here
to respond.
Click here
to track progress of
Virginia REALTORS®' bills and find more details about each one. The 2017 session of the General Assembly is scheduled to conclude on February 25th.
Article provided by Joe Sutliff, RVAR Director of Economic & Governmental Affairs.
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2016 Year End Home Sales Statistics
2016 ended with record breaking MLS statistics -- 5,046 homes sold, the highest number of homes sold since 2006. And over 1 billion dollars in volume, the highest volume since 2007. A link to the year end home sales statistics, along with a 4-year comparison, is provided on the front page of RVAR.com. The MLS releases its monthly
home sales statistics around the 15th of the following month.
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RVAR is seeking a person to fill a full-time position to help plan, promote and implement the various programs and events for the Association as well as continue to expand the successes of our Community Service projects. This person will serve as the Staff Liaison for the Program & Special Events, Affiliates and Community Service Committees, as well as help coordinate logistics for all the events of the RVAR.
Do you know someone who might be interested in this dynamic role as a team player who is detailed-oriented, energetic, and possesses the ability to plan and coordinate events and meetings? Communication and social media skills are preferred, along with knowledge of Microsoft software applications. The ability to multi-task is essential to this position. NOTE: RVAR employees are not permitted to have active real estate licenses.
Anyone interested should submit a resume and salary requirements to Joe Sutliff at the RVAR office.
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RVAR Community Service Day Project
Join In & Help Make A Difference!
The 2017 Community Service Committee needs your help by volunteering just a little of your time throughout the year! The Community Service Committee is seeking REALTOR® & Affiliate Members to volunteer at the first RVAR Community Service Day Project for 2017 at Feeding America Southwest Virginia.
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Our first RVAR Community Service Day Project will be Friday, March 3rd at Feeding America Southwest Virginia (1025 Electric Road, Salem, VA 24153). There will be two opportunities to volunteer that day either from 9:00AM - 12 Noon or 1:00PM - 4:00PM. Breakfast snacks and lunch will be provided for volunteers. Our primary service will be helping to inspect and sort dented cans, crushed boxes, or other superficially damaged food to ensure the food inside is safe.
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Please click here to sign up for the AM Shift. Please click here to sign up for the PM Shift. Or call RVAR to have us register you for a shift of your choice.
Feeding America Southwest Virginia's mission is to feed Southwest Virginia's hungry through a network of partners and engage our region in the fight to end hunger. They distribute more than 20 million pounds of food annually to nearly 400 partner agency soup kitchens, rescue missions and food pantries throughout the 26 counties and associated municipalities that make up Southwest Virginia.
Join in and help make a difference by donating just a few hours of your time. Collectively, we believe our REALTOR® and Affiliate members can make a huge impact on our community and the people that live here. Make plans to volunteer in 2017!
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How much has changed in the past 10 years? Click here to check out RVAR and the real estate market in 2007. (Hint: There were 1,700 REALTORS® in 2007, whereas RVAR begins 2017 with 1,133 members.)
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Check Out NAR's Library
Did you know that all REALTORS® are eligible to take advantage of NAR's Library, with thousands of titles that can be downloaded free of charge to your phone, computer or eReader devices. Find titles on all aspects of residential and commercial real estate, appraisal, sales and marketing, finance, personal growth, foreign languages, diet and nutrition, technology and more. Click here to access NAR's Virtual Library. Or contact NAR's Information Services at (800) 874-6500 for more information.
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Do You Need Ideas for Your Business Letters?
NAR's Library provides free downloadable business letter templates on topics such as expired listings, farming and prospecting, and news or announcements. Don't see a template to fit the need? NAR librarians will work with you to create one! Contact NAR's Information Services at (800) 874-6500 for more information.
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Self Defense Class: The Blue Ridge Mortgage Lenders Association welcomes you to register for this
Thursday, February 9th, 11:30AM-1:00PM class. This interactive class will be held at the RVAR Office and includes lunch. Please register in advance -- and pay at the door when you arrive.
Click here for the registration form.
The Key to Serving 1st Time Homebuyers: The second class in a two-part series is offered by RVAR's Education Committee in partnership with the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA). Learn how VHDA can provide affordable financing for 1st time homebuyers, including eligibility requirements for properties and borrowers, different types of financing offered by VHDA plus down payment assistance.
Click here to register for this
FREE class, scheduled for
Thursday, February 23rd,
1:30-3:30PM at the RVAR Office.
March Basics: RVAR's Education Committee will offer a
free three-part series in March on the basics. Mark your calendar -- details will be available soon.
March 8th: Lenders 101 (10AM-Noon)
March 15th: Comps 101 (10AM-Noon)
March 22nd: Closings 101 (10AM-Noon)
2017 Designation Classes:
RVAR's Education Committee is bringing four designation classes to the Roanoke Valley in 2017:
GRI 506, Risk Management, April 20th
Instructor: Donna Austin
GRI 508, Real Estate Law / VA Regulations, June 20th
Instructor: Donna Austin
GRI 503, Business Planning, November 9th
Instructor: LeRoy Houser
CRS 121, Win Win Negotiation, October 19th
Instructor: Mark Given
Click here to learn how to earn the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation, including a calendar of all the courses being offered in Virginia this year. Many of the classes provide continuing education (CE) and post license (PL) credit.
Watch this e-newsletter for further details!
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Our RVAR Family
Sympathy
RVAR expresses sympathy to Henry Scholz of MKB, REALTORS®upon the death of his mother; to Ed Hall and Lynn Hall of Hall Associates upon the death of their father; and to David Bullington of The Bullington Firm upon the death of his son.
RVAR also offers sympathy to our friends and colleagues at the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association upon the death of their CEO, Shelly Young.
Congratulations
RVAR congratulates Valeria Alphin of Long & Foster, REALTORS® upon her acceptance into the 2017 class of the Virginia Leadership Academy, a program hosted by the Virginia Association of REALTORS®.
RVAR congratulates HomeTown Bank, winner of the Real Estate Service of the Year award recently presented by the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber.
RVAR also congratulates those recently named "2016 Best of Smith Mountain Lake" by The Laker Magazine, which included categories for best real estate companies and best REALTORS®.
Best Real Estate Company: Gold -- RE/MAX Lakefront; Silver -- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate; Bronze -- Long & Foster Smith Mountain Lake
Best REALTOR®: Gold -- Tricia Johnson (RE/MAX Lakefront); Silver -- Dana Montgomery (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate); Bronze -- Vickie Millehan and Debbie Shelton (Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate)
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February 9th
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Self Defense Class
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February 23rd
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VHDA Class
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March 3rd
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Community Service Day: Feeding America
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March 8th
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Lenders 101
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March 10th
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New Member Orientation
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March 15th
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Comps 101
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March 22nd
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Closings 101
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Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS
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