Weekly Notices - April 8, 2022

The Spokane Association of REALTORS®:

ENGAGES its members, ENCOURAGES professional excellence and cooperation,

ADVOCATES for real property rights, and PROMOTES strong, sustainable communities.

Weekly Notices

April 8, 2022

Fully nominate someone (more than just a name, must include reasons) for a 2022 SAR REALTOR® Award and qualify for a drawing to receive complimentary MLS fees for one quarter!

Watch this two-minute video to learn more:

2022 SAR REALTOR® Awards

Accepting Nominations Now!

Deadline next week: Friday, April 15

Applications are now being accepted for all 2022 SAR REALTOR® Awards!

You and your REALTOR® colleagues will decide who will be our honorees for:

2022 REALTOR ® of the Year

Steve Flinn REALTOR ® Achievement

REALTOR ® Community Service

Affiliate of the Year

Partner of the Year

Spokane's Citizen of the Year

The deadline by which you must submit nominations to the SAR for them to be considered is Friday, April 15th.

The 2022 SAR REALTOR® Awards will be announced and presented on Thursday, May 19th, at the SAR's annual REALTOR® Awards Luncheon at Ruby River Hotel

Get the Nomination Form.

Nominate online.

Get the Nomination Form.

Nominate online.

2022 SAR Legacy of Service Award

Deadline: April 15th

Your SAR is now accepting nominations for its 2022 SAR Legacy of Service Award.

This award is created as a "Lifetime Achievement" award to honor those REALTOR® members who are respected in our profession by colleagues and serve our profession through various Association committees.

Additionally, this award honors those who spend the majority of their years as active REALTORS® mentoring newer members, helping to define regulations within our field, all the while giving back to the community.

Nominations are due Friday, April 15th.

The 2022 SAR Legacy of Service Award will be presented at the SAR Awards Luncheon on Thursday, May 19th.

Get the Nomination Form.

Nominate online.

2022 Gary Fox Memorial Award

Deadline: April 15th

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2022 Gary Fox Memorial Designated/Managing Broker Award.

This award recognizes a Designated Broker or Managing Broker who serves as an example of loyalty, ethical behavior, and leadership in the real estate profession.

Nominations are due Friday, April 15th.

The 2022 Gary Fox Memorial Designated/Managing Broker Award will be presented at the SAR Awards Luncheon on Thursday, May 19th.

New!

2022 REALTOR® Awards Luncheon

Thursday, May 19th

Ruby River Hotel

Join us as we honor the 2022 REALTOR® Award recipients and the winners of this year's Third Grade Poster/Essay Contest - "What my home means to me."

This event always sells out quickly!

Reservation deadline: Thursday, May 12th

Get the event flyer.

Today!

WCR April Event:

Friday, April 8th / 2 to 4 p.m.

Come join us at Prohibition Gastropub to hear top leaders in our industry discuss the relevant topic Landlord Tenant Laws & Early Possession.

We are so excited to bring you Dezda Finn - Broker/Owner at Dezda Finn Properties , Ken Sax - WA Designated Broker at Professional Realty Services & Tyson A. Carson, J.D. Attorney-at-law at Law Office of Tyson A. Carman, Esq as our panel speakers.

There will be heavy apps & great networking!

Photo above - New Spokane Planning Director Spencer Gardner and Mayor Nadine Woodward unveil first phase of housing initiatives.

SAR photo

Spokane Mayor’s team

unveils housing initiatives

to Spokane REALTORS®

Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward’s team unveiled a series of changes to the residential codes aimed at spurring new housing and growth opportunities. In the first phase, there are seven key amendments to the city codes that will make it easier for landowners to develop everything from multi-family units to additional dwelling units (ADU’s).

Among the proposed changes:

Increase flexibility of development and design standards for Accessory Dwelling Units.
Clarify development regulations, and provide additional flexibility – removing most transition zones in the code
Reduce or streamline the notification and commenting requirements for short plats
Encourage infill development, update development and design standards to integrate more townhomes and attached housing
Expand the permitted zoning districts and lot types, update design standards for duplexes
Streamline the SEPA Environmental Review Thresholds to be consistent with state law
Expand allowable zones to enable more short-term rental licensing compliance.

More information.

April is Fair Housing Month!

2022 Fair Housing Toolkit

Fair Housing Month is observed each April to commemorate the landmark 1968 Fair Housing Act in which U.S. law was established that prohibited discrimination in housing.

Annually, NAR creates a poster (pictured) to promote the REALTOR® commitment to Fair Housing.

As a member, you are authorized to print, post, and share this Fair Housing Month Poster.

It can be printed 18 x 24 or 9 x 12.

Find the poster, and other Fair Housing graphics, on NAR's 2022 Fair Housing Toolkit page.

Fair Housing Toolkit.

SAR Launches New Member Benefit:

Domus Analytics

Spokane Association of REALTORS® members now enjoy full use of Domus Analytics at no additional member cost.

The new service was announced at the Quarterly Membership meeting last week.

"It's always a pleasure to give members more value for their money," says 2022 SAR President Eric Etzel. "Association leadership has been testing this service for some time. It is an incredibly powerful tool and, we trust, a valuable addition to the Spokane REALTOR® toolbox."

See a sample screen online here.

From the company:

In today's competitive market, it's essential for REALTORS® to show the value they bring to every transaction through subject matter expertise.

Your knowledge needs to be a mile wide and at least a foot deep. And that's a lot. Let us make your job easier.

Domus Analytics dashboards are the most powerful, accurate and easy to use market stats tools available today.

We do all the heavy lifting so that you can quickly zero in on your client's concerns, and be the expert they need.

Next week!

Domus Analytics Training

In-person / Virtual Lunch & Learns

Your SAR will be offering two Domus Analytics training sessions in coming weeks, both in a "lunch & learn" format.

You may participate in these either in-person (limited to 20 students per session) or virtually via Zoom (unlimited), as you choose. NOTE: Lunch is not included in any of these sessions; you may bring your own.

Domus Analytics will be offering its online training later this month - dates and times will be announced soon.

Wednesday 4/13 Noon-1:00pm

Wednesday 5/25 Noon-1:00pm

Deadline: April 20th!

2022 Home Buyer

& Home Seller Guide

The Spokesman-Review is now creating its 2022 Home Buyer & Home Seller Guide to publish in the newspaper on May 4th!

Members of the SAR Communications and Member Services committees served as a focus group for story ideas and relevant content in these special secsions.

Quarter page, half page, and full page opportunities are available to promote your brokerage, lending institution, home inspection service, building/repair company, appliance or floor covering dealer/installer, home furnishings retailer or other housing-related business.

Get the flyer (pictured) to learn more:

Get the flyer.

New!

Luau on the Bluff

Thursday, June 9th

Arbor Crest Winery

Tickets $40 through May 26th!

Enjoy an evening under the stars with friends and colleagues - and one of the best views of the area - at the celebrated Arbor Crest Winery's Cliff House!

All included with your ticket: great Hawaiian-themed food, live music, door prize drawings, dessert dash auction, silent auction, photo-booth, corn-hole game, and "best-dressed" contest!

Have questions or need special attention? Contact Tami at the SAR: 509-326-9222.

Tickets.

Get the flyer.

Save the Date

Washington REALTORS®

Spring Business Conference

April 20-22 at Suncadia in Cle Elum!

We are looking forward to seeing our members at the Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum.

If you haven't registered yet, don't miss out on this fun and productive event.

Conference is a wonderful time to network and play an important roll in your association's governance.

Plus, there is an air of excitement for our first in-person conference in almost two years and there is also quite a bit happening at this event.

So, make sure you've registered and then start planning your conference schedule in our event app now!

Washington DC

reopens in time for 2022

REALTORS® Legislative Meetings

After being shut down to the public for the past two years, Washington D.C. has officially reopened to the public, just in time for the annual REALTORS® Hill Day.

Learn more.

New!

Legal Hotline:

Licensed Transactions Coordinators?

with Washington REALTORS®

Legal Hotline Attorney

Annie Fitzsimmons

In today's market, there is a lot of advertising of "licensed transaction coordinators" and some Brokers are putting themselves out there as such.

But what does it mean to have a licensed transaction coordinator operating outside of your firm?

Tune in as Annie Fitzsimmons, Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer, digs in to this subject!

The video runs about nine-minutes.

April 11 & 12

Have you been to law school?

Probably not… yet you are expected to draft and use purchase agreements with the same expertise as a lawyer when preparing and using real estate forms to create contracts between buyers and sellers.

Complicating that task, you have over a hundred forms at your disposal through the statewide forms system and you must be able to navigate the forms and know which form to use when and how one form impacts another.

Enjoy Draft Like a Lawyer in person over two days in Kennewick, WA.

Next Week!

Draft Like a Lawyer

Back Live and In-person!

Featuring a curriculum that teaches drafting skills and integrated use of the most popular statewide forms, this class offers 16 clock hours to students as they learn about real estate forms and how to use them in their business.

Draft Like a Lawyer allows for students to catch up on high demand topics taught by the Legal Hotline Lawyer, Annie Fitzsimmons!

We highly recommend you attend both days, the curriculum is integrated together over two days and if you only attend one, you may get lost.

REALTORS® know the importance of adapting and remaining relevant in today’s marketplace. By developing a business practice rooted in inclusion and equality, REALTORS® can help buyers of all cultural backgrounds achieve the dream of home-ownership.

Next Week!

At Home with Diversity with

Washington REALTORS®

Past-president Margo Wheeler

April 14th & 15th 9-12 via Zoom

6.0 CE

Gustafson Law

Announces Name Change to

G&R Law Group

Gustafson Law, founded in 2002, is excited to announce that it has changed its name to G&R Law Group.

G&R Law Group is a locally owned and operated law firm specializing in serving the real estate needs of our community.

The firm offers a wide range of real estate related services, including: landlord tenant law, short sale negotiation, drafting of easements, deeds between family members and businesses, drafting of covenants and private lending services, to name just a few.

Get the flyer.

Member 2 Member is a complimentary service available to SAR members to announce a new firm, new partners/staff, new address or other one-time information to all members here in the Weekly Notices.

New!

Remodeling: New Hardwood Floors and Home Offices Bring Most Joy

Hardwood floor refinishing received a 10 Joy Score because the homeowners felt happiness and satisfaction in their home after undertaking the upgrade. Sixty-four percent of those polled answered that they have an increased sense of enjoyment when they are at home now that their hardwood flooring is installed. Another 64% said just thinking about the completed project gives them a "major sense of accomplishment."

Adding a new home office is another task that earned a perfect Joy Score based on homeowners' sentiments. Ninety-one percent of consumers said they have a greater desire to be home now that their office is in place. Seventy-three percent said they have an increased sense of enjoyment when they are home.

Get the report.

Professional Development

The SAR offers a full schedule of virtual classes to help members satisfy their professional development requirements to keep their REALTOR® status current.

Please be in touch with Tami at the SAR if you have any questions about classes or your license education requirements, by phone at 326-9222 or by email.

Next week!

Purchase & Sale with Sabrina Jones Schroeder

Tuesday 4/12 8:30am-5pm

You can sign up to take this class in-person at the SAR or you can zoom in for this full day class.

7.5 clock hours

This mandatory course will include: An introduction and discussion of intentions, goals, and purposes in properly completing the new Purchase & Sale Agreement; the deposit, parties and property; financing and the financing contingencies, title insurance and transfer and inspections; representations and disclosure; and remaining provisions.

This class must be taken once every four years.

New!

TransactionDesk Class

with Eric Johnson

In-person at the SAR

Monday 4/18 1:00-4:00pm

3.0 clock hours

Eric Johnson will be teaching his TransactionDesk on Basic Sale/Listing Creation.

You won't want to miss this class!

You'll learn all you need to know about the TransactionDesk.

Here are some of the highlights he'll cover in class: Introduction to key features and how to become a paperless office, System Navigation, Settings & Templates, Creating a Sale Transaction, Uploading Signed Documents, Creating an Authentisign Electronic Signing, Archiving Transactions and Receiving & Counter offering an offer.

New!

Current Issues in WA Residential Real Estate with Sabrina Jones Schroeder

Tuesday 4/19 9-Noon

You can sign up to take this class in-person at the SAR or virtually by Zoom.

3.0 clock hours

The Washington State Real Estate Commission and Department of Licensing requires the completion of this three clock-hour class.

The three mandatory clock hours must be included in the 30 clock-hours required for active licensees.

"Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate 2022-2023" is required by DOL.

Remember, you must take this class every two years for your license renewal. We are now in the 2022-2023 two-year cycle.

New!

What Else do we Need…

PSA Addenda

with Sabrina Jones-Schroeder

Tuesday 4/26 - 9 am - noon

- and -

Thursday 4/28 9 am - noon

6.0 clock hours

Zoom class

THIS CLASS REQUIRES A SPEAKER & YOU TO BE ON CAMERA. BE PREPARED!

Two day Zoom class - both days required.

This course focuses on the addenda which might be added to a Purchase & Sale Agreement - the foundation of the transaction between the buyers and sellers of real estate. Understand the importance of using our local forms including the Spokane Addendum & the Spokane Buyer Representation Agreement. Plus, much more.