MEMBER TYPE / COUNT
REALTOR® 1,286
Offices 130
Affiliate 275
Click here to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently.
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Leadership Openings on the 2019 RVAR BOD
Interested in a leadership role in RVAR? Are you ready to give back to the REALTOR® community? Do you have fresh ideas for change?
RVAR's Board of Directors has announced the following leadership openings for 2019:
President-elect,
Vice President and
4 Director positions. Based on Bylaws revisions approved last year, the process for applying for a Director or Officer position has been streamlined:
- The application period began Wednesday, August 1st and ends on Monday, October 1st.
- A period of RVAR membership is required: 2 years for Directors, 3 years for Vice President and 4 years for President-elect.
- No more than 2 members from the same firm may serve at the same time on the Board of Directors, with the exception of the Immediate Past President.
- All applicants must meet the following objective criteria:
o Must have served on an RVAR Committee, Task Force etc. within the previous 10 years;
o Must not have had a Virginia Real Estate Board violation within the previous 2 years;
o Must not have had a Code of Ethics violation within the previous 2 years.
To date, five Director candidate applications have been verified by the Credentials Committee:
Jeff Fletcher of BHHS Premier, REALTORS®;
Shannon Hines of Long & Foster, REALTORS®;
Jay Kilby of RE/MAX All Stars;
Julie Kingery of RE/MAX Mountain to Lake Realty and
Lori Shultz-Moore of Wainwright & Co., REALTORS®. In addition, the Vice President application submitted by
Ashley Donahue of Wainwright & Co., REALTORS® and the President-elect application submitted by
Walter Grewe of Long & Foster, REALTORS® have been verified.
If you are interested or have any questions about the requirements and benefits of serving on the Board of Directors, please contact President
Connie Hash or CEO
Laura Benjamin.
Click here for more information on the candidate application process, including the application form.
Continuing their service on the 2019 Board will be: President
Neil Conner (The Real Estate Group); Immediate Past President
Connie Hash (MKB); and Directors
Barry Bridges (Weichert Bridges & Co.);
Jerry Cohen (Park Place Realty) and
Meg Smith (RE/MAX Valley).
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Online Rental Scams Continue
Online rental scams continue to be a problem. Such a scam was recently reported in Roanoke County where a prospective tenant paid a deposit for a purported rental and moved in! It turned out to be a scam.
Click here for guidance on what REALTORS® should do, including tips for your buyers and sellers.
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Advocacy @ Work
Advocacy @ Work is an article aimed at updating members on what is happening in our region regarding Economic Development and/or Governmental Affairs.
Throughout the summer months, members of the Governmental Affairs Committee are meeting with area Legislators to discuss items of local interest and continue to build important relationships between Legislators and the RVAR. Some items typically discussed include real estate market updates, transportation and infrastructure issues, broadband expansion and issues they see on the horizon.
At this time, Committee members have met individually with:
- Delegate Sam Rasoul
- Delegate Terry Austin
- Delegate Charles Poindexter
- Delegate Chris Head
- Senator Steve Newman
- Senator John Edwards
Meetings with other Legislators are being scheduled over the next few weeks. These meetings are valuable in establishing rapport and providing opportunities to express issues of concern and interest to our elected leaders.
Flood Insurance Update
Good news! Congress did extend the National Flood Insurance Program - until November 30th. Our Call for Action efforts were very helpful to let Congress know that REALTORS® did not want the NFIP to expire and put thousands of property owners at risk of losing flood insurance coverage.
NAR will continue to urge Congress to pass a 5-year extension and make meaningful reforms to ensure long-term viability of the program.
We will continue to monitor this program as the new deadline quickly approaches. Please stay tuned!
Delegate Greg Habeeb Resigns
Delegate Greg Habeeb has announced his resignation from the General Assembly effective August 31st. Delegate Habeeb has been an influential leader in the legislature since 2011 and a strong advocate for the Roanoke region. A letter of appreciation was sent to Delegate Habeeb on behalf of the RVAR for his good work, service and dedication.
Special Election for 8th House District
The resignation of Delegate Habeeb means there will be a special election for his successor. Joe McNamara (R) and Carter Turner (D) have announced their candidacies to represent the 8th House District. The election will be held Tuesday, November 6th.
A panel of members of the Governmental Affairs Committee and the Board of Directors are planning to conduct interviews of the candidates in the next few weeks. Any endorsement by the Board of Directors will be published prior to the election.
Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Plan
The Virginia Department of Transportation, the Office of Intermodal Planning and the Investment Department of Rail and Public Transportation continue to study the entire length of the I-81 corridor in Virginia.
The second in a series of meetings for public input are being scheduled at locations along the I-81 corridor. The closest meeting for the Roanoke region will be held Tuesday, August 28th at the Salem Civic Center (1001 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem) and will focus on potential improvements and revenue sources. The public meetings will be held from 4:00-7:00PM with update presentations at the beginning of each meeting at 4:00, followed by an open house through 7:00 which will allow attendees to speak one-on-one with study team members, ask questions and provide written and verbal comments.
You can also submit comments /input by contacting Ben Mannell, study manager, at
[email protected] The comment period will end September 30, 2018. For more information about the study, or to view meeting materials, visit
http://www.va81corridor.org/.
Article provided by Joe Sutliff, RVAR Director of Economic & Governmental Affairs
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Do you have a stake in Roanoke City's future? Are you interested in jobs, housing, land use or environmental stewardship? How about public health, transportation or arts and culture?
If you have an interest in how Roanoke City plans to address these or other topic areas, please attend one of the PlanRoanoke input meetings. Your ideas will help shape policy for the next 20 years through the next comprehensive plan - City Plan 2040.
Make Your Voice Heard! Input meetings will be held at the following locations:
- Raleigh Court Branch Library - Thursday 8/23 from 5-7:00 PM
- Jackson Park Branch Library - Saturday 8/25 from 2- 4:00 PM & Tuesday 8/28 from 5-7:00 PM
- Downtown Main Library - Saturday 8/25 from 10-12:00 PM
- Gainsboro Branch Library - Thursday 8/30 from 5-7:00 PM
If you can't attend one of the meetings, please take a few minutes to complete the input survey at planroanoke.org.
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RVAR &
You!
 What is the value of RVAR to you and your business? Do you believe the RVAR is important to your business?
Walter Grewe enthusiastically says,
"yes!" He explains that "I started my involvement with the Association in 2008 when the market went sideways because I figured if I was going to be successful, I needed to be as knowledgeable as possible. The reason I initially joined the Education Committee was to be aware of the trends and classes that were being offered before they were offered."
Walter points out that "I have gotten a lot more out of being of service to the Association than I have put in. The relationships with the other agents, the differing viewpoints that have expanded my own mind and the sense of accomplishment from seeing projects through from conception to completion are just a few." Walter also encourages other members to get involved with
your Association.
Walter is an agent with Long & Foster, REALTORS®. He currently serves on the RVAR Board of Directors and on the Education Committee.
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The 578 homes sold during the month of July marks the highest number of July 'solds' since 2003 and an 18% increase over July, 2017. A link to the July home sales statistics, including 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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MLS Update - Two School Changes
Two schools in our MLS area have changed names:
Bedford: Bedford Middle School has changed its name to Liberty Middle School
Roanoke City: Stonewall Jackson Middle School has changed its name to John P Fishwick
Middle School
FlexMLS added the new school names to the system on August 14th. Also, FlexMLS updated every active, pending and withdrawn listing impacted by one of these changes. FlexMLS also updated all saved searches that include these schools in the search criteria. Agents will not need to update their listings -- since FlexMLS handled the update process.
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Learn a Lesson: Misleading Images
RVAR recently received the following from a consumer who had driven hundreds of miles around the greater Roanoke Valley and Smith Mountain Lake areas looking at listings she had first seen online. "Imagine our disappointment when we reach a listing to find that the photos on the website have been altered by the sneaky method of 'stretching' and 'distorting' to make the rooms look larger than they really are. I really find this is fraudulent and false advertising of property. It is very frustrating to spend a whole day touring property to find that the information provided online is not true. It really leaves the impression that the REALTOR® and the company they represent are not honest."
The 2018 Code of Ethics includes only one change -- related to misleading images. REALTORS® are prohibited from using misleading imagery in real estate marketing materials. NAR recognizes that as consumers increasingly rely on photos to assess properties, images that have been excessively altered or distorted can harm the credibility of the real estate industry and members. See below for the related change to the Code of Ethics.
Standard of Practice 12-10: "REALTORS®' obligation to present a true
picture in their advertising and representations to the public includes
Internet content, images and the URLs and domain names they use, and
prohibits REALTORS® from . . .
(5)
otherwise misleading consumers, including use of misleading images".
Take a fresh look at your listing photos. Are any misleading? Do the rooms look larger than in real life? Does the refrigerator look enormous? Take advantage of all the lessons to be learned in the
Code of Ethics.
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NAR Member Profile -- How Do You Compare?
NAR recently surveyed a sampling of REALTORS® nationwide to determine the characteristics of today's typical REALTOR®. Ten years of experience, 11 transaction sides in 2017, with a sales volume of $1.8 million. The number of members who are very certain they will remain in the real estate business for the next two years is 80%.
Click here to check out how you compare.
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NAR Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness
NAR recently launched its new Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness, a resource designed exclusively to meet the specific financial planning needs of REALTORS®. Simply log on to www.FinancialWellness.realtor to assess your current financial profile, receive personalized financial planning goals, practice financial planning decisions in a risk-free way, and explore a robust library of budgeting, retiring and real estate investing resources.
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2018 Annual RVAR Golf Tournament
 The 2018 RVAR Golf Tournament returns to Roanoke Country Club on Friday, September 7th. Tournament Day will start with check-in and a box lunch at 11:00am and a shotgun start at 12 noon. Roanoke Country Club has done an outstanding job hosting our event and we're excited to return. Plus, it's a great way to start your weekend!
The price for this year's event will be $75.00 per player/$300.00 per team. The cost will include lunch, range balls, golf, a Mulligan package (including one (1) each of a Mulligan, Red Tee & Grenade Lob) and a post play reception with great prizes.
The Community Service Committee will again be holding a 50/50 raffle to assist in supporting RVAR charities, so bring some cash.
Start putting your team together today! Come and play for $1,000.00 in CASH prizes (plus some braggin' rights) to the top two Net and Gross scoring teams. We will also have a Hole In One contest for a chance to win $20,000.00!
Don't wait! We anticipate a sell out so sign up today! Click here for all the details and the registration form.
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Economic Update
 The "Economic Update: All About YOU & Your Business" is excited to present updates on timely topics that have an impact on you and your business.
Landon Howard, President of Virginia's Blue Ridge, will be our presenter and will provide information on how Virginia's Blue Ridge is marketing the region to tourists and visitors, with a positive impact on your business.
The next "Economic Update" will be held on Tuesday, September 18th at the RVAR office starting at 8:45AM with coffee, juice and pastries provided. The presentation will begin at 9:00AM with a brief welcome followed by Landon Howard's presentation and include time for questions & answers. We will conclude no later than 10:00AM.
There is NO CHARGE to attend this event, but seating is limited. Click here to register or contact the RVAR office.
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School Supply Drive
 Remember what it was like as a kid, getting all new stuff for school? How about the excitement of having bright, unbroken crayons; pencils to sharpen; and the fun backpacks? More than 50 percent of the students in this area are from homes below the poverty level, and they deserve to feel the same excitement about school. They need your help.
Join the RVAR, in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Club of SWVA, help make things happen in our community- like helping kids who need school supplies but can't afford them.
The supplies teachers ask for the most includes, but is not limited to:
- Paper: lined paper, copy paper, construction paper, spiral notebooks, composition books, index cards
- Pencils & Pens: blue or black pens, #2 pencils, colored pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, pencil case, colored markers, crayons, highlighters, dry-erase markers
- General Supplies: dry-erase boards, paper clips, 3-ring 2" binders, pocket folders, report covers
- Classroom staples: stapler, staples, rulers, protractors, glue sticks, scissors, tape, calculators
- Things you can never have too much of: tissues, sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer
- Bookbags
- Lunch Boxes
Donation bins will be located in the lobby of RVAR and several REALTOR® and Affiliate offices throughout the Roanoke Valley and will be up beginning August 1st through September 15th. If your office would like to participate please contact Jim Sweetwood at
[email protected] or call 540-772-0526 to request a bin for your office. Monetary donations are also accepted. Simply write your check to Boys and Girls Club of SWVA and drop it off at the RVAR office. Thank you in advance for your help!
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Charity of the Month
Boys & Girls Club of SW Virginia
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia began in 1997 and was known as the Boys & Girls Club of Roanoke Valley. Since then, additional Clubs have been established in Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and we joined efforts with the Boys & Girls Clubs of New River Valley which formerly served Montgomery County. Together, the Clubs operate as a regional effort, working to maximize resources and serve children in both the Roanoke and New River Valleys.
The organization is affiliated with the
Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the nation's fastest growing youth development agency. Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia is committed to the positive development of quality after school and summer programming for all youth residing in the region. We have 70+ employees and four executive staff members. Roughly 82% of all expenditures are dedicated to directly serving the children. Regionally, over 850+ youth in the Roanoke and New River Valleys become members annually. We place primary emphasis on serving disadvantaged youth and we located our facilities in areas of greatest need. These areas are determined through census track information, needs assessments, school assessments and various other forms on community data. Any boy or girl between the ages of 5 - 18 is eligible for membership into our organization.
For more information or to donate please visit their website at
www.bgcswva.org.
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REALTOR® & Affiliates Night
The Affiliates Committee has your seat reserved for this year's REALTOR® & Affiliates Night at Hidden Valley Country Club on
Tuesday, October 16th from 5pm-8pm. We are proud to announce that this year's theme is a
Night at the Movies. Don't miss the excitement as we enjoy an evening of fun,
'movie theater' inspired culinary treats and the opportunity to support our fantastic cast of Affiliate members! Tickets are just $15 if purchased by October 9th ($20 between October 10-16) and includes 2 drink tickets. Make plans now to attend and be sure to bring lots of business cards for a chance to win some fantastic prizes!
Click here for all the details and to order your tickets now! Let's give this year's event two thumbs up!
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REALTOR® Conventions in the Fall
Virginia REALTORS® Convention heads to Norfolk, September 25th - 27th. ACCELERATE 2018 is a must-attend opportunity to grow your business through powerful education from the nation's real estate stars and relationship building with Virginia's most successful members. This year's lineup includes keynote addresses from CNBC Senior Analyst and Financial Industry Expert Ron Insana and acclaimed negotiation expert Chris Voss.
NAR's Annual Convention will be held in
Boston, November 2nd - 5th. Choose from more than 100 education sessions during the four days, plus the world's largest real estate trade show, featuring over 400 exhibitors with the latest innovations and products. Plenty of networking opportunities plus a celebrity concert featuring
Fall Out Boy.
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VR BrokerPlus 2018
Brokers and Managers should plan to attend VR's BrokerPlus 2018: Trends & Training for Industry Leaders on
Thursday,
October 17th,
9AM-4PM in Richmond. The keynote speaker is Steve Murray, REAL Trends founder, the nation's leading trends and research organization. He will conduct two sessions: What's Working and What's Not in Real Estate Today and Effective Realty Leadership. Each of his sessions are approved for 2 hours of Broker Management CE credit. VR General Counsel Laura Farley will present 2018 Broker Updates, Trends and Resources, approved for 1 hour Broker Management CE credit. Cost to attend is $135.
Click here for more information or to registration.
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Virginia REALTORS®
Offer Free Benefits
All Virginia REALTOR® members have access to two key member benefits. (For new REALTORS®, these benefits will be activated for you within the first month of your membership.)
A Tech Helpline is now available to all Virginia REALTOR® members. Simply call 1-800-276-4216 for FREE assistance with personal and professional devices, hardware and software. (Or send an email to
[email protected]. ) The Helpline is available Monday - Friday 9AM - 8PM; Saturday 9AM - 5PM Eastern time. You will be asked to provide your First Name, Last Name and Email address. Click here for more information.
Complimentary access is now available for
Inman Select. This FREE benefit will keep you in the know with leading edge information and resources. Simply log in at
inman.com (top right corner) with your username (the email address associated with your NRDS number). Enter temporary password: welcome. That's it! Once you're in, you can change your password under Account Settings. If you need assistance, contact Inman Select directly at [email protected] or call 1-800-775-4662 and press 1 to reach Customer Service.
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Broken Lockboxes
Ever wondered "Where do I take a broken lockbox to have my key removed?" or "Who can I call to have a broken lockbox removed from a door?" RVAR has contracted with the following area locksmiths, who will remove the key or box and invoice RVAR for the service.
In the
Roanoke area, Security Lock & Key
343-7600, 3736 Franklin Rd., SW, Roanoke
In the
Rocky Mount area, Virginia Shoe & Lock Services (ask for Kevin)
483-5435, 143 Franklin St., Rocky Mount
In the
SML area, Bill's Lock & Key
297-2946, 2532 Radford Church Rd., Moneta
Return your broken lockbox to the RVAR office for replacement, at no charge.
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Upcoming Education
Annual Legal Update - Join us on Thursday, September 20th (9AM-Noon) for this annual educational session at the South Roanoke County Library. The cost is $10 in advance and $15 at the door.
Topics to be covered this year by Virginia REALTORS® Associate General Counsel Erin Barton will be:
- 2018 New Laws - New laws passed by the 2018 General Assembly and how they will impact your business.
- Disclosure Shall Set You Free - Clear up common misconceptions in the often murky area of disclosures, including agency disclosure, property condition disclosure and material adverse facts.
The Legal Update counts for 3 hours Legal Updates with Flood CE; 1 hour Broker Management CE; 2 hours Current Industry Issues / Trends PL. Click here to register.
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 Wednesday, September 26th (10AM-Noon) class, taught by David Hurt of MKB, REALTORS® and Joey Cornwell of Farm Credit / Country Mortgage, 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.
2-Day ABR Course: This 2-day course, October 4th and 5th, taught by instructor Donna Austin, is required to earn the ABR designation. Plus the course offers the following credit. CE credits = 3 hours Ethics, 3 hours Agency, 3 hours Real Estate Related, 2 hours Fair Housing, 1 hour Legal and 1 hour Contracts. PL credits = 3 hours Ethics, 2 hours Fair Housing and 2 hours Current Industry Trends. Click here to register. Check out REBAC.net to learn more about the ABR designation.
Code of Ethics Training - This Friday, October 12th (9:00AM-Noon) class, taught by John Dickinson, not only provides 3 hours of CE credit for license renewal, but also meets NAR's ethics training requirement. NAR requires all REALTORS® to complete 3 hours of Code of Ethics training every two years. The current two-year cycle ends December 31, 2018. Click here to register. Can't attend? This Code of Ethics Training class will be offered next on Thursday, December 13th, 1:00-4:00PM.
GRI 502 Sales Contracts - Charlottesville instructor Michael Guthrie will conduct this class on Tuesday, October 30th (9:00AM-4:30PM) at the RVAR office. You might be able to market a house, but can you close a deal? This course covers a variety of real estate agreements, such as contracts and disclosure forms. CE credits = 6 hours Real Estate Contracts; PL credits = 6 hours Contract Writing. Click here to register.
Already have your GRI designation? Contact Louann Pagans to register for this class at the reduced rate of $45, includes materials and CE credits, but no exam.
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Our
RVAR Family
Sympathy
RVAR expresses sympathy to the colleagues, family and friends upon the passing of
Bill Mangus of Coldwell Banker Townside, REALTORS®. RVAR also offers condolences to
Karon Dyer of Long & Foster, REALTORS® upon the death of her mother and to
Amelia Gerner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate upon the death of her mother.
Let RVAR know
if you have news to share.
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Upcoming Events
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September 3rd
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RVAR office Closed for Labor Day
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September 7th
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RVAR Golf Tournament
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September 16th
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Economic Update
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September 20th
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Legal Update
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September 26th
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Farm & Land Class
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October 4th & 5th
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ABR Designation Class
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October 12th
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Code of Ethics Training
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October 16th
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REALTOR® & Affiliates Night
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October 30th
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GRI 502 - Sales Contracts
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Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®
Proudly Recognizes Our 2018 Partner / Sponsors
Platinum Level Partner / Sponsor
Diamond Level Partner / Sponsor
Gold Level Partner / Sponsor
Acquisition Title & Settlement Agency, Inc.
Blue Eagle Credit Union
Colonial Mortgage Company
Colonial Title & Settlement Agency, LLC
Consolidated Construction Services, Inc.
First Citizens Bank
Southwest Virginia Moving & Storage
The Federal Savings Bank
Virginia Title Center, LLC
Silver Partner / Sponsor
Bug Man Exterminating, Inc.
First American Home Warranty
HMS National Home Warranty
Lawrence Moving & Storage
Old Republic Title
Seal-Tite Basement Waterproofing Co.
Sticks & Bricks Home Inspections, LLC
VIA Insurance Agency, LLC
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