RVAR is pleased to announce that Jim Sweetwood will be joining the RVAR staff as its  Coordinator of Events and Community Relations, effective June 19th. Jim has a background in event management and working with adult volunteers. Stop by the office over the summer and welcome Jim!

NAR recently surveyed a sampling of REALTORS® nationwide to determine the characteristics of today's typical REALTOR®. Ten years of experience, 12 transaction sides in 2016, with a sales volume of $1.9 million. The number of members who are very certain they will remain in the real estate business for the next two years is 82%.  Click here to check out how you compare.

The Virginia REALTORS® Legal Hotline is now available to all REALTOR® members as a member benefit. (The Hotline was previously available only to Brokers.)

Members can access the hotline at https://www.virginiarealtors.org/legal-hotline/ and submit their questions to the Legal Hotline via an online form. Brokers will automatically receive a copy of questions submitted by their agents. Questions will no longer be accepted via email or telephone.

NOTE: To access the Legal Hotline, you will need to be logged in to the Virginia REALTORS® website.

The MLS Monitoring Committee constantly reviews the listings in the MLS system. Based on some of the most recent errors spotted, the Committee offers these reminders:

1.     Front view photo: All Residential and Multi-Family listings must include at least one photo of the front view of the property listed for sale. The Committee encourages you to submit this front view photo at the time the listing is entered into the MLS system. Remember, all MLS listings go live to other websites within minutes.

2.     Mobile homes: A mobile home is personal property. REALTORS® are not licensed to sell personal property. Land with a mobile home may NOT be entered as a residential listing; instead, may be entered as a land listing, with information on the mobile home in Public Remarks. (Once the title to a mobile home has been surrendered at DVM and the mobile home and land on which it sits is assessed and taxed as real estate, then the mobile home and land may be entered in the MLS system as a residential listing.)

3.     No REALTOR® Signs: The photos entered into the MLS system may NOT contain the name of the listing agent or firm, which means NO photo may include the listing agent's yard sign.

4.     Other - See Remarks: Many fields in the MLS include "Other-See Remarks" as a selection (e.g., schools, showing instructions, heating etc.) Whenever "Other-See Remarks" is selected, information needs to be included in the Remarks field of your choosing.

5.     Owner/Tenant Phone Numbers: For all listings, only the Owners' phone number is allowed in the owner phone number field and only the Tenant phone number is allowed in the tenant phone field. The listing agent's phone number should not be entered into the owner or tenant phone number fields.

All members are encouraged to use the red Report Error button, in the upper right hand corner of every listing, to alert a listing agent to a possible error in their listing. Questions? Contact the RVAR/MLS office by email or phone: 540-772-0526.
 

Effective July 1st, the act of performing a home inspection for compensation in Virginia will require a license issued by DPOR. Also effective July 1st, home inspections of new construction will require a licensed home inspector with the additional New Residential Structure (NRS) specialty designation. Currently certified home inspectors whose certification is unexpired will automatically be issued a license as of July 1st.

Note: RVAR's Inspection Addendum will be updated as of July 1st to reference licensed home inspectors (instead of qualified home inspectors.)

Join us for a night at the ball park with the Salem Red Sox on Thursday, July 27th. 

Tickets are just $15 for adults and $10 for children (under 12) and includes admission and a picnic dinner with Baum's BBQ and sides, water and sodas.  

Order as many tickets as you would like - bring your family & friends for a fun, relaxing evening at the ball park under the Roanoke Times Pavilion!!  The game starts at 7:05PM and the picnic will be served from 6:00 - 7:30PM.

These are pre-purchase only tickets and must be ordered by 3:00PM Wednesday, July 26th. Tickets can be picked up at the "Will Call" window on game day.

GRI 508: Real Estate Laws / Virginia Regulations: This Tuesday, June 20th ( 9AM-4:30PM) class, taught by Donna Austin, will cover the most recent Virginia laws and Real Estate Board regulations. Learn how the laws apply to you and protect the interests of your clients. This class qualifies for 8 hours of CE credit (Legal Update and Flood) plus PL credit (8 hours real estate law and Board regulations). Click here to register.

Already have your GRI designation? Contact Louann@rvar.com to register for this class at a reduced rate of $45 (includes materials and filing of CE credit, but no exam required.)

Farm and Land Class: Learn how to be outstanding in your 'field', with everything you need to know about listing and selling farm and land properties. This Thursday, June 22nd (10AM-Noon) class, taught by David Hurt of MKB, REALTORS® and Joey Cornwell of Farm Credit of Virginias, will cover topics including: conservation easements, surveys and right of way, land use taxation, staging land listings and financing options. Click here to register for this FREE class.

Sympathy

RVAR expresses sympathy to Janie Whitlow of The Real Estate Group upon the death of her mother and to David Hipes of BB&T Home Mortgage upon the death of his wife.

Let RVAR know if you have news to share.