A Monthly Newsletter for our Members and Affiliates – January 2021
Our Mission Statement
The South Central Vermont Board of Realtors (SCVBR) offers members services, programs, and education. We encourage professionalism, cooperation, and ethical real estate practices while promoting a positive Realtor image in the community.
From the President

Have you ever been more eager to welcome a new year? While 2020 was a banner year for real estate, it also presented unimaginable challenges for all of us. I hope you took time over the holidays to be grateful for all that you accomplished and to recharge a bit – we deserve it.

2021 will not be without its own challenges, but I wish for us all a year that continues to value this special place in which we live and work and that eventually allows us to get beyond Covid forms, masks, FaceTime tours and Zoom meetings to the face-to-face relationships that are the essence of what we do.

The SCVBR board is just beginning to look at our goals for the year, the core of which is service. Service to you, our members, to the community that sustains us, and to the statewide and national associations that enlarge our perspective and foster our standards. 

Huge thanks to Jenifer Prouty Hoffman for skillfully guiding us through uncharted waters in 2020. And here’s to this year’s officers and committees who are generously donating their time on our behalf. Please note our meeting dates and put them into your calendar now – we need and value your participation. Together we’ll make 2021 a year to remember for all the right reasons!
Steve Stettler, President
South Central Vermont Board of Realtors®
SCVBR 2021 CALENDAR
February 1 – 9am
April 5 – 9am
June 7 – Time TBD
July 13 – 9am
September 14 – 9am
November 1 – Time TBD
December 6 – Time TBD
Membership Meeting on Zoom
Membership Meeting on Zoom
Membership Meeting at TBD (Awards)
Membership Meeting at TBD with CE Class
Membership Meeting at TBD with CE Class
Annual Meeting at TBD (Elections) with Panel
Holiday Party at TBD (Installation)
VAR EDUCATION
Do You Have What it Takes to Be One of the Best?
By Robin Apps and Lauren Behm

Gaining knowledge and insights that help your customers and clients is key to advancing your career. 

Now, VAR members have a unique opportunity to obtain the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR®) Designation via ZOOM! The ABR® is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation, and will help you provide the expertise your clients need in today's competitive home buying market. Register for this unique opportunity to get your ABR® Designation via Zoom.
ABR Designation (8CE)
February 10-11 8:30am-4:30pm
Registration – $259
Class offered via Zoom
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Making a Difference in Our Communities During the Holidays
By Justine Curry and Jessica Flannery

Thanks to all of you, this year we were able to donate a total of $18,475 to seven area food pantries to help communities impacted by COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic, food insecurity rates and reliance on food pantries are skyrocketing.

Typically, in any other given year, we collect donations at meetings. However, this year we were not able to meet in person. This sparked us to form a fundraising committee and we were able to far surpass our goal of $10,000.

Diana Allen of the Jamaica/Wardsboro Food Pantry stated that for the holidays they usually hand out hams. With all of the money raised from SCVBR, they were able to offer side dishes and fruit!

Scott Winslow of The Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services says, "Every year, GBICS kitchen cupboard serves almost 1,000 families struggling with food security. Of course, the greatest risk to the program right now is COVID, but continuing community support helps keep us running."

This fundraiser has shown how important it is to work together for the greater good and we hope that this success will carry on into future endeavors and inspire others to do the same! Thank you again for your generous support.
VAR UPDATE
Three Things That VAR is Monitoring and Working on in Early 2021
By Claudia Harris

ENERGY AUDITS AT TIME OF SALE
There is a concerted effort among some consumer groups to require an energy audit at the time of sale for all single-family residential properties. VAR does not support this proposal and feels it will jeopardize housing “affordability” for moderate- and lower-income buyers, possibly stigmatize some properties, and in general add to the cost of selling and buying real property. VAR’s Government Affairs Director Peter Tucker reported in November and December that he has been participating in the Residential Energy Performance Workgroup created by Act 62 in 2019, and VAR will continue to monitor this issue closely. VAR supports efforts to reduce the consumption of energy and to help homeowners lower energy costs through improved energy efficiency. VAR does not support mandated energy efficiency efforts or time-of-listing and time-of-sale disclosure mandates related to energy labeling.
 
For more information on energy audits (and labeling), see VAR’s update and position here.
HOMEOWNER, LANDLORD & TENANT ASSISTANCE
VAR is working with NAR to advocate homeowner, landlord and tenant assistance as impacted by COVID and subsequent economic hardships for some. The $900 billion COVID relief package that was approved on December 28, 2020, authorizes rental assistance, stimulus checks to individuals for $600, loans for struggling small businesses, and more. For information on issues impacting real estate, realtors and homeowners, see VAR’s summary of the stimulus package here.
 
VAR also continues to monitor the “just cause” eviction charter change in Burlington, VT. Staff has communicated with NAR about a possible issues mobilization grant should this move forward because this could impact other municipalities in Vermont.
VREC MODEL DISCUSSIONS
Finally, as reported in December, VAR has been monitoring the State’s effort to essentially do away with the Vermont Real Estate Commission (VREC) and replace it with an Advisory Panel. Many Realtors® believe that the VREC does not pay enough attention to our business, is out of touch with reality and has evolved into a disciplinary board rather than one of cooperation and collaboration. The Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), which includes the VREC, is in the midst of what they call a “sunset review” to determine the future course of the Commission versus an Advisory Model.

VAR’s CEO Kathy Sweeten and Government Affairs Director Peter Tucker had a Zoom call with Secretary of State Jim Condos and Deputy Secretary Chris Winters. Kathy reports that the meeting was very cordial and she feels it “reopened a door to better communication. . . (and she was) clear with them that VAR very much wanted to be at the table for the VREC Sunset Review process. They agreed our input is important and have planned a meeting with OPR to discuss legislative initiatives with OPR’s Administrator Lauren Hibbard and General Counsel Gabe Gilman.” 
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Focus on Short Term Rentals
By Robin Chesnut-Tangerman and Sean Dillon

Greetings to our membership from the Government Affairs Committee.  The year has just begun, but we have a few items to share.

Of interest to us all is the ongoing discussion around short term rentals. We anticipate a continued dialogue around how to treat short term rentals the same as Inns and other hospitality groups. 

In addition, VAR signed on to a letter to the governor and legislators urging them to focus on COVID efforts and economic recovery in this session.
MEMBERSHIP
Membership is Growing!
By Melissa Genovart

Happy New Year to all South Central Vermont Board of Realtors® members! As Membership Chair, I am here to welcome new members and to serve as a resource to help navigate the requirements for your Realtor® membership, and I work with the officers to coordinate our Membership Meetings throughout the year. 
 
Last year was unprecedented in many ways, and our industry and our board have grown tremendously. The state of Vermont now has 2176 licensed REALTORS®.  SCVBR currently has over 170 members and nearly 30 affliliates with 30 new members or transfers in 2020 alone! I hope to see all of you via Zoom at our first Membership meeting on February 1.  
NEREN NEWS
A Tip from our NEREN Director
By Nancy Jensen

Did you know?  Download all Documents at once!

Multiple documents can now be downloaded at once. From the “Associated Docs” report view, select the documents to be downloaded, then click “Export” from the command bar. Select “Download” and a .zip file will be downloaded containing the selected documents.

We’ll have talking points from the NEREN Board in the February newsletter.
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Resources for Children
By Pat DelGiorno, Sandy Laserte, and Phil Lewis

The holiday season is a time to reflect on the past while ringing in the new year gives us an opportunity to focus on the future. Investing in future generations is hope for brighter days. SCVBR Community Affairs Committee would like to share some amazing resources for children, small business resources from the State of Vermont, and a ski resort update to help you navigate 2021!
Vermont PBS is here for you. Many of our neighbors are feeling the uncertainty and demands of COVID-19. During this time of disruption, we would like to help. We are seizing this opportunity to dive into our mission of “connecting neighbors through stories that changes lives.” The programs that inspire, educate, inform and entertain every day are more important now than ever. Find out how we are helping by clicking below.
RiseVt offers Windham County Winter Activities Resource Guide Lots to do for adults and kids!
The Collaborative in Manchester and Londonderry is committed to promoting the development of a healthy involved community supporting substance free youth in a caring environment.

Refuse to Use: The Collaborative, in partnership with West River Valley Thrives, is offering middle and high school students the opportunity to get outdoors. When students register for the Refuse to Use Program, they pledge to remain substance free and engage in a 5 evidence-based substance misuse and asset building activities. For their efforts, they receive a season pass to Stratton, Magic or Viking Nordic. Go to natalie@thecollaborative.us
The Collaborative Mentoring Program at Flood Brook School has moved online. Mentors are willing to do whatever it takes to support mentees and community youth by becoming bi- weekly pen pals. Contact: Devon@thecollaborative.us or click below.
The Community Kindness Challenge is a challenge to our youth and parents to engage in acts of kindness, generosity, and learning. Follow along with the calendar and try to push yourself to complete as many tasks as you can. Click below to get started.
Business Update To aid Vermonters as we all respond to and recover from the COVID-19 outbreak, ACCD has developed a Recovery Resource Center of available tools including financial assistance programs, unemployment information, and a series of Frequently Asked Questions to help businesses and individuals navigate the resources available in this time of need. Information may be found below.
Ski Area Update Ski Vermont is working with the state on overall VT Ski Resort Winter Operations Guidance and will update as this process progresses. This information is intended to help prospective guests make informed decisions in the best interests of not only their own safety and well-being, but also that of the ski area employees and members of their surrounding communities. View this resource below.
Thank you for reading our monthly SCVBR Community Affairs news and Happy New Year! We value your input and are open to your suggestions. Please let us know if there is a community affairs topic you would like us to spread the word about. You can find our contact information in the contact list below.
SCVBR BOARD LEADERSHIP
President

President-Elect

Treasurer

Secretary

Immediate Past President

State Director
Members at Large

NEREN Director/Shareholder

NEREN Alternate

COMMITTEES

Community Outreach
Education

Government Affairs

Membership

Public Relations