Happy February!

One of my goals for 2021 is to broaden and deepen SCVBR’s service to you, our members. Especially in these strange times, we need to remain in contact, building on our associations and sharing our knowledge, and SCVBR can and should make that easier.

Please note the expanded SCVBR Membership Calendar below and put all of our meeting dates in your calendar now. Several notices will go out prior to each meeting, usually through VAR over Constant Contact. In the months when we do not meet I will be hosting a Zoom Cocktail Hour to keep in touch in a relaxed way – dates and times are also on the calendar. Of course we all hope that, before 2021 has ended, all gatherings will once again be live!

Note also the exciting news shared in our Education report that the SCVBR Board of Directors has voted to cover the cost of the Mandatory Course taught by Randy Mayhew with surplus funds from 2020. You’ll receive a separate email soon with registration details.

As always, thank you for the honor of serving and representing you, and please reach out at any time with your thoughts and concerns.

Steve Stettler, President

South Central Vermont Board of Realtors®

SCVBR Zoom Cocktails

Membership Meeting on Zoom

A proud moment for Southern Vermont’s commercial real estate community came along when the $30MM+ Putnam Block Project in Bennington turned its lights on a few weeks ago in early 2021. With most, if not all, residential rentals leased by the time this piece goes to print and the commercial spaces 80% leased with long term, established businesses, the project has moved into the check box we like to call “A Success.” With over 31 new residential rental units and 14 commercial spaces totaling over 60k square feet on a full city block, this was no small feat! On the ground floor a lively bookstore and café, a full-service restaurant with bar, patio, and event space, a pet supply store, a salon/barber, a health services provider, a technology company, a deli/bakery, and many more – are just a few of the commercial businesses with staff arriving at the Putnam Block. And, above all this, 2 floors of tenants ranging from college students to local artists and young families to the elderly and young professionals to retired couples – all enjoying these new homes and amenities.

And, while there are many details to finalize and a lot more work to get the commercial spaces finished, by the end of 2021 we will see a live, vibrant, full-of-energy community smack dab at the four corners of Bennington.

None of this happens without the ideas, risk taking, commitments, and wherewithal of our own community members who created the initiative and saw it through. Yes, we can say it benefited from federal new market and historical tax credits. Yes, we can say it benefited from a seller who provided an opportunity to buy a city block. And, yes, we can say it benefited from a few dozen local business people and philanthropists believing! BUT, the real long term benefit of a downtown core being refreshed and alive, is that the project is contagious.

Investors from near and far are now investing in nearby downtown Bennington properties and taking swift moves to revitalize underutilized or abandoned properties for new industry, expanding businesses, etc. Namely, a recent investment in and a proposed redevelopment of the former high school on main street, the recent purchase of Southern Vermont College by Southern Vermont Health Care (the Hospital!) for a hybrid community, healthcare, and education use, the Monument View affordable housing development by the Shires Housing, the Bennington Brush property rehabilitation and development, the downtown Town Garage conversion to a distillery, and the downtown park initiatives – just to name a few! On the outskirts of town there are new businesses growing in the industrial parks, along Benmont Avenue and Northside Drive.

Downtown Bennington is being resurrected with real local energy, and with long-term community members putting their resources in the right place. For all of our mountain town and resort town agents, I highly recommend you jump off of the 279 Express By-Pass and take a stroll through downtown Bennington to see what’s happening – it’ll be an enlightening experience and one that may have you park your car, walk the streets, and visit some local businesses and amenities. And, tell your customers and clients – it’s the gateway into Southwestern Vermont and worth a slow roll down Main Street.

We have exciting news for SCVBR members. Your board has voted to dedicate unanticipated surplus funds from 2020 to cover the cost of the Mandatory Course taught online by Randy Mayhew for all of our Realtor® members. We have 4 dates scheduled exclusively for SCVBR members, and participation is limited to 35 people per session, so please register early. The dates are:

March 9 – 8:30am-12:30pm

March 24 – 12:30-4:30pm

April 6 – 12:30-4:30pm

April 21 – 8:30am-12:30pm

These are all offered via GoToMeeting and the course materials will be emailed to you upon registration. Watch your email for registration information and other details - dates will be filled on a first come, first served basis. And if you’ve already taken the course, don’t despair. We will reimburse you up to the cost of the course we are sponsoring upon presentation of an invoice from the course you have completed. Congratulations, and enjoy the course on us!

Is your smart home or office also culturally sensitive? Do you have a seller client recording every showing with their trusty nanny cam? Are the property videos that you’ve been taking with your drone going viral?

There have been a lot of changes in real estate recently and this class looks at Trista’s Favorite Five.

The purpose of the Public Relations Committee is to gather and provide information to our members and the public. Our committee is dedicated to working on some of the most important and pressing issues for the association. We meet to talk about and propose forward-thinking initiatives on a myriad of topics, including but not limited to: Public Relations, Media Relations, Website Updates, Social Media Platforms, Brand Awareness, Messaging, Video Marketing, Print Marketing, and more!

One of our main focuses is on recognizing member accomplishments and encouraging member participation in association activities. Please let us know of any public service, accomplishments, or awards that you think should be highlighted. As the voice of real estate in our community, let’s make sure our voice is presented in a positive and encouraging light.

Do you have any special skills such as marketing? Do you have any media connections? Would you like to host a podcast or a call-in radio show? Do you have any new ideas you would like to share with us? Joining our committee is a wonderful way to meet new people, share your talents, give suggestions, and help us think outside the box for new ideas. Not sure if it’s for you? We invite you to come to one of our monthly meetings to get a feel for what we’re all about. If you or someone you know would be an asset to this committee, please reach out. We look forward to meeting you!

Don’t forget to like and follow our Facebook page! Invite your friends and colleagues as well. We welcome your participation in growing our voice in the community!

I sent my full report to the membership directly at the end of January, but here are a few important highlights:

VAR continues to monitor “sunset” review and Real Estate Commission (REC). Kathy Sweeten has been all but assured that OPR will maintain the REC rather than move to an Advisory Committee model. VAR supports the Commission model rather than Advisory Committee model. Kathy believe VAR’s overall relationship with OPR and the REC is positive and getting more so with increased access and dialogue.

VAR launched VAR Connect in late January after beta-testing with board members and local board leadership. Kathy Sweeten shared it briefly at our first Membership Meeting on February 1. From the site: VAR Community Hub is “a member-only resource that aims to connect Realtors® with information and tools, and with one another! Connect, engage, learn, and share through VAR's Community Hub.” This is a web-based service that will provide VAR members a platform for messaging on a state or local board discussion board, collaboration between members, local boards and VAR. It will also serve as a point for document exchange (VAR is moving away from DropBox) and more. All members are encouraged to create a profile, get to know the program and use it!

Focus on Short Term Rentals Continues

We are keeping our eye on proposed bill H200, which focuses on Short Term Rentals. The bill as proposed would impose strict guidelines as to who can rent their properties on a short term basis. H200 proposes requiring homeowners to occupy their home a minimum of 270 calendar days and register their property with the state ($130 fee).

The bill as written would enable the original concept of Airbnb, that of people renting out a room in their house to help with the rent. But it would shut down the Airbnb houses in ski towns and vacation areas. It is also problematic for those folks with an old family camp on the lake that they rent out, because it was never owner occupied.

It is tough to determine what “equitable” is in this case, and there are many sides to the issue. VAR does not support this proposed bill, while the Chamber of Commerce currently supports it on behalf of established Inns and B&Bs.

Our membership has grown tremendously over the last year, and with so many new faces joining our board we thought it would be nice to share a little information on our newest members in each of our monthly newsletters. Please help us in welcoming these new members to our amazing community.

Monique Geannelis has called Vermont home for more than 30 years. She has an appreciation of the natural beauty that Southern Vermont offers, and loves sharing her enthusiasm with new people. Raised on Long Island, graduating from high school in NYC and attending Northeastern University in Boston, Monique can interact with many different people with ease.

Design, attention to detail and real estate are passions that Monique can bring forth whether a matchmaker of new homes, letting go of family estates and building new futures. With compassion and learning to understand your needs, Monique has the ability to bring her skills to the table for her clients and customers.

Living in Vermont allows you the opportunity to explore many ventures. Monique can be found skiing at Mount Snow, working on her golf game, cooking for friends and family, or cultivating the seasons’ fresh harvest from her garden.

Kristin has worked and lived in the Manchester area for over 15 years. She loves meeting people and lending a hand in the local community—currently as a member of Zion Episcopal Church and a volunteer with Manchester Community Food Cupboard, in years past as a local school board member and as the Manchester Hub Director for Therapy Dogs of Vermont.

After a lifetime of visiting friends and family in Southern Vermont, Kristin moved to Manchester in 2006 to work at Orvis, where she met her husband Jon. In her free time these days, you’ll find Kristin cross-country skiing, walking the trails, practicing yoga, entertaining friends, or baking with her daughter (and two hopeful English Setters).

Whether you’re buying or selling, Kristin’s attention to detail and keen focus on service will help make the transition a smooth one. She looks forward to helping you in your search to find your place in Vermont!

Beth Vickers is a local chef, mother of three, food entrepreneur, home renovator, and lover of the outdoors. Beth recently fulfilled her dream of becoming a licensed real estate agent and is thrilled to begin working with clients who are buying or selling properties in the area she has called home for the last 20-plus years.

Beth is a native of Seacoast New Hampshire, but has lived in Southwest Vermont since attending Green Mountain College in the late nineties and graduating with a self-designed degree in Sustainable Community Development. Her three wonderful children currently attend schools in Manchester. As a family, they love hiking, skiing at Bromley Mountain and Stratton, swimming in our local rivers and lakes, cooking and eating lots of local food.

More information about NEREN Affiliate Connect coming soon.

New Policies from NAR to be adopted by 3/1/2021 to have all MLS’s conform to standards that they are setting. NEREN is working to comply with same.

The moment we now find ourselves in calls to mind a quote from Winston Churchill. In the fall of 1942, he gave a famous speech marking a military victory that he believed would be a turning point in World War II, “This is not the end,” he warned. “It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

When it comes to COVID-19, we are optimistic that the end of the beginning is near. It has been a trying time for all of us, but especially for seniors, many of whom live alone. A recent poll shows a lack of social interaction or companionship is more common among seniors, especially those with health issues, but good neighbors and community services can help.

Here are some of the area resources serving our senior population:

Vermont CDC has been working hard in providing sites throughout the region for Seniors to get the First COVID Vaccine. To mention some of the locations, Springfield Hospital, Brattleboro Hospital Clinic, Burr and Burton, Grace Cottage, Rutland Hospital, Walker Farm.

Senior Solutions, located in Springfield, VT is the Area Agency on Aging designated to serve older adults in the southeastern region of Vermont. This Agency provides a wide variety of services to older adults within our 46-town service area, giving priority to those with the greatest social and economic needs. This is attained through a comprehensive and coordinated system of information and referral, home-based assistance, case management, nutrition services and many community partners like Meals on Wheels. Visit their website, or call (800) 642-5119.

Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) has launched a new grocery and supply shopping service to support older Vermonters, age 60 and over, in Bennington and Rutland counties during COVID-19. If you or someone you know is interested in accessing the shopping service, or if you’re interested in volunteering, please call SVCOA at 802-786-5990.