MEMBER TYPE / COUNT
REALTOR® 1367
Offices 138
Affiliate 305
Click here to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently.
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RVAR Supports Mahoney for Roanoke County Board of Supervisors Race
RVAR's Board of Directors voted to endorse Paul Mahoney for the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors - Cave Spring District race.
During individual candidate interviews, the three candidates for this seat were asked the same questions about the top issues facing the district: creating and/or expanding jobs in the region, views of the 3 ReImagine Planning Studies (specifically the 419 Town Center Plan), improvements to the aging infrastructure and funding, and support of expanding Valley Metro to increase coverage and operation times. A $1,000 RPAC contribution will be made to Mahoney's campaign.
The election will take place on Tuesday, November 5th.
Special thanks to RVAR's Governmental Affairs Committee for its efforts to conduct the interviews with all the candidates.
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Leadership Openings on the 2020 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 3 Director positions. The process for applying for a Director or Officer position is simple:
- The application period began Thursday, August 1st and ends on Tuesday, 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, four Director candidate applications have been verified by the Credentials Committee: Barry Bridges of Weichert Bridges & Co.; Shannon Hines of Long & Foster, REALTORS®; Rob Logan of The Real Estate Group; and Scott Miller of Nest Realty. In addition, the President-elect application submitted by Ashley Donahue of Wainwright & Co., REALTORS® and the Vice President application submitted by Meg Smith of MKB, 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
Neil Conner
or CEO
Laura Benjamin
.
Click here
for more information on the candidate application process, including the application form.
Continuing their service on the 2020 Board will be: President Walter Grewe (Wainwright & Co.); Immediate Past President Neil Conner (The Real Estate Group); and Directors Dana Berenbaum (MKB); Jay Kilby (RE/MAX All Stars); and Julie Kingery (RE/MAX Mountain to Lake).
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Recap from September BOD
Click on the picture above to watch the next installment of the video recap of what RVAR's Board of Directors accomplished at its September 12th meeting, presented by President Neil Conner.
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September is REALTOR® Safety Month
Did you know that:
- 33% of REALTORS® have experienced a situation in 2019 that made them fear for their personal safety. The most common situations that caused fear: open houses, vacant homes, properties in remote areas, meeting clients alone or buyers who refused to meet in public places.
- 44% of REALTORS® choose to carry self-defense weapons such as pepper spray or a firearm.
- 53% of REALTORS® use a smart phone app to track their whereabouts in order to alert colleagues in case of an emergency. (The Find My iPhone app is the most widely used app.)
These statistics come from NAR's recent REALTOR® Safety survey.
REALTORS® interact with strangers for a living. Make safety a priority in all of your interactions. Click here for a collection of NAR's safety tips.
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2020 Dues Confirmed
The 2020 dues amount has been set at $625:
NAR $185 (no increase)
VAR $170 (a $15 increase)
RVAR $270 (no increase)
Anyone who pays dues by
Friday, November 1st (includes a November 1st postmark) can take advantage of a
$50 discount provided by RVAR. The final date to pay 2020 dues is
Monday, January 13th.
The dues bill will include a request for a voluntary contribution of $30 to RPAC (REALTORS® Political Action Committee.)
Watch your inbox on September 30th for an email with instructions on how to access and pay your dues bill online. Dues bills will NOT be mailed. However, any member may request to receive a hard copy invoice by mail. Questions? Contact
Susan Edwards at the RVAR office.
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REALTOR® and Affiliate Night
The Affiliates Committee has your route mapped out for this year's REALTOR® & Affiliate Night at Hidden Valley Country Club on Tuesday, October 15th from 5pm-8pm. We are proud to announce that this year's theme is The Great American Road Trip. Don't miss the excitement as we enjoy an evening of fun, 'American road trip' inspired culinary treats and the opportunity to support our fantastic crew of Affiliate members! Tickets are just $15 if purchased by October 8th ($20 between October 9-15) 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!
So, pack the car, grab your partner and let's go road trippin'! Click here for all the details and to order your tickets now!
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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.
Reminder -- National Flood Insurance Program Set to Expire
The current National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is scheduled to expire on September 30th. At this time, it appears the NFIP will get caught up in a Continuing Resolution for a short-term extension (the 18th extension!). Work is still taking place to make more substantial long-term reforms to the program. NAR supports extending the NFIP for 5 years, improving flood mapping, enhancing mitigation investments and removing the barriers for private flood insurance options.
We will continue to monitor this program and alert members if a Call for Action is needed. Please stay tuned!
We Need More New Construction!
Governor Northam visited Virginia Western Community College on August 26th as part of his eight-stop Workforce Development listening tour across Virginia to hear about the needs of employers from around the region. I attended the session to represent our industry and also hear the needs of the various employers that were present.
We all know that one of the greatest needs our industry faces is for more new construction. Finding contractors and well-trained tradespeople is increasingly difficult. New construction is an important part of the real estate market, and like many places across the country, we have a shortage of new construction in our market.
We are not alone in finding enough qualified workers. Many other industries and employers are facing vast shortages of qualified, well-trained employees. Many of the speakers and company representatives expressed frustration that many of these jobs could be filled but folks can't get the training. It will be interesting to see what policies and programs will be proposed to help ease the workforce shortage many industries are facing. Hopefully, it will be soon.
Article provided by Joe Sutliff, RVAR Director of Economic & Governmental Affairs.
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"Your Vote is Your Voice!"
Election day is just 41 Days away! Are you registered & ready to vote?
Every election is important. This year is no different. This year all 140 General Assembly seats are up for election, plus many local election races. When REALTORS® vote, our elected leaders notice. As a REALTOR® member, make certain your voice is heard before decisions are made that affect your business.
Registering to vote or updating your address is quick and easy! The deadline for registering / address changes is Tuesday, October 15th.
Click here
to check your voting information today! You can also submit for an absentee ballot from this site. You can even send the link to your clients!
Remember to VOTE on Tuesday, November 5th!
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August Home Sales
The 584 homes sold through the MLS during the month of August, 2019 is a 14% increase over August, 2018. The 596 homes placed under contract in August is a 9% increase over last August. Both the number of homes sold and the homes placed under contract in August represent the highest August numbers since 2005.
A link to the August
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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Good Neighbor Award
Each year the RVAR, in association with its Community Service Committee, accepts applications for our Community Service Award, presented to a REALTOR® for their charitable work in our community. RVAR is excited to announce two changes to our annual Community Service Award.
First, we have changed the name to the Good Neighbor Award to truly represent our members and the work that they do in our community. Secondly, and most exciting, is that upon the recommendation of the Community Service Committee, the Board of Directors has added a second Good Neighbor Award to be presented to an Affiliate member. Each award winner will receive $1,000.00 for their charity of choice. Winners will be announced at the Installation Breakfast on Friday, December 13 at the Hotel Roanoke.
If you know someone that you would like to nominate for this award please contact Jim Sweetwood at
jim@rvar.com or 540-772-0526 for more information on the nominating process. Deadline for nominations is Friday, November 15.
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November Tech Lunch & Learn
 Plan to join RVAR's Technology Committee for its Tuesday, November 5th Lunch & Learn (11:30AM-1:30PM) - zipForms: Work Smarter not Harder. Learn how to integrate zipForms and CRS with FlexMLS. Three members of the Technology Committee will share their tips for making the most of zipForms and its integration with FlexMLS.
Bring your lunch and phone or tablet - RVAR will provide drinks, chips and dessert! Click here to register for this FREE event.
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Upcoming Education
Don't Sabotage Yourself - Why is it that many agents fail to create thriving businesses? Those nagging Gremlin voices of doubt and self-criticism that haunt each of us. Join Business Coach Sarah B. Rawz on Tuesday, October 8th, 10:00-11:30AM to learn how to identify and manage your Gremlin voices to clear your professional path toward easier lead generation, greater productivity and increased sales. Click here to register for this FREE class.
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Broker 8 Hour CE Class - RVAR's Broker Council and Education Committee present this 8-hour course required for anyone renewing a broker's license. (This course is in addition to the 16 hours of continuing education required for all licensees.) Instructor John Dickinson, Moseley Dickinson Academy of Real Estate, will conduct this class on Friday, October 11th, 8:30AM-4:30PM at the RVAR office. Click here to register.
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More Than Likes: A Blueprint for Online Success - Nationally known speaker Marki Lemons will share a blueprint for maximizing your ROI and tips on how to target your clients. With so many platforms and so little time, where should you focus your online efforts? Marki will demostrate how to produce a Facebook Live video, plus create Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories. Join Marki on Tuesday, October 22nd, 9AM-Noon at the South County Library. Early bird registration fee of $40 through September 30th; $50 beginning October 1st. Click here to register.
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GRI 505 Working with Sellers: Well-known instructor LeRoy Houser returns to conduct this class on Wednesday, October 23rd (9:00AM-4:30PM) at the RVAR office. Learn proven strategies for lead generation for Sellers. Learn tips for listing presentations and a 'how to' for marketing listings in your local area. Strengthen your communication skills with sellers. PL credits = 2 hours Current Industry Issues / Trends. Click here to register.
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To Improve or Not to Improve - Help your clients evaluate possible renovations. Whether it is your buyer asking how much it would cost to renovate the bathroom? Or your seller asking whether he should renovate his kitchen before listing his house? Learn how to evaluate cost vs. value, as well as the options for renovation financing. Instructors will be Jamie Bailey (Alcova Mortgage); Appraiser Brad Elkins (Smith Mountain Lake Appraisals); and Contractor Justin Enquist (Enquist Enterprises). Click here to register for this FREE class on Thursday, October 24th (10AM-Noon).
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Fair Housing - RVAR's Education Committee presents this class in conjunction with the Moseley Dickinson Academy of Real Estate, Friday, October 25th 2:00-4:00PM at the RVAR office.
New members: This class is free - earn 2 hours PL or CE credit.
Existing members: Pay $10 at the door for 2 hours CE credit.
Click here to register.
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GRI 504 Working with Buyers: Instructor Tim Vohar returns to conduct this class on Tuesday, October 29th (9:00AM - 4:30PM) at the RVAR office. Learn about different generational buying habits. Learn the latest marketing tips for Generation Y first-time buyers. Plus learn the latest techniques for lead generation and negotiation strategies. CE credits = 6 hours Real Estate Related; PL credits = 2 hours Current Industry Issues / Trends. Click here to register.
Already have your GRI designation? Contact Louann Pagans to register for either GRI class at the reduced rate of $45, includes materials and CE credits, but no exam.
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Tax Deductions for REALTORS®: CPA Timothy Boitnott of Boitnott & Schaben, LLC, will share tips to increase tax deductions for REALTORS® on Thursday, November 14th, 11:30AM - 1:30PM at the RVAR office. This session will be offered as a Lunch & Learn - so bring your lunch and RVAR will provide drinks, chips and dessert! Save the date for this class - registration will open soon!
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Code of Ethics Training - This Wednesday, November 20th (1-4PM) 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. Click here to register.
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Our RVAR Family
Congratulations
RVAR congratulates Kit Hale of MKB, REALTORS® upon his recent induction into the Virginia REALTORS® Hall of Fame for his many years of volunteer service at all levels of the REALTOR® organization.
RVAR also congratulates Betty Kingery of RE/MAX Mountain to Lake Realty upon being elected to a second term on the Virginia REALTORS® Board of Directors.
RVAR offers condolences to Tim Basham of RE/MAX Lakefront Realty upon the recent death of his father.
Let RVAR know
if you have news to share.
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Upcoming Events & Deadlines
October 1st
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Deadline for BOD Applications
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October 8th
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Class: Don't Sabotage Yourself
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October 11th
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Class: Broker 8 Hour CE Class
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October 15th
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REALTOR® & Affiliate Night
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October 22nd
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Class: More Than Likes: A Blueprint for Online Success
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October 23rd
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Class: GRI 505 Working with Sellers
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October 24th
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Class: Renovations: To Improve or Not to Improve
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October 25th
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Class: Fair Housing
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October 29th
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Class: GRI 504 Working with Buyers
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November 1st
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Deadline to pay 2020 dues with discount
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November 5th
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Tech Lunch & Learn: Work Smarter with zipForms®
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November 14th
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Class: Lunch & Learn: Tax Deductions for REALTORS®
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November 20th
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Class: Code of Ethics Training
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Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®
Proudly Recognizes Our 2019 Partner / Sponsors
Platinum Level Partner / Sponsor
Diamond Level Partner / Sponsor
Gold Level Partner / Sponsor
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