Homes Sales for September

Dues Discount Reminder

Anyone who pays 2022 dues by Monday, November 1st (includes a November 1st postmark) can take advantage of a $50 discount. Simply go to www.RVAR.com and click on User Login (upper right hand corner). Follow the instructions to log in to access and pay your dues bill online. OR drop by the RVAR office with your check or credit card 8AM-4:30PM M-F OR use the drop box outside RVAR’s front door.

The final date to pay 2022 dues is Wednesday, January 12th. Any member may contact Susan Edwards to request a dues bill via email or mail.

RVAR's 2022 Board of Directors

Congratulations to the following who have been elected to serve on the 2022 Board of Directors. Because the number of applications received matched the number of openings on the 2022 Board, no electronic election is required this fall.

• President-elect: Meg Smith, MKB, REALTORS®
• Vice President: Jay Kilby, RE/MAX All Stars
• Director: Shannon Hines, Long & Foster, REALTORS®
• Director: Rob Logan, The Real Estate Group
• Director: Kelly Soriano, Wainwright & Co.



Continuing their service on the 2022 Board will be: President Ashley Donahue (Wainwright & Co.); Immediate Past President Walter Grewe (Wainwright & Co.); and Directors Dana Berenbaum (MKB); Julie Kingery (Mountain to Lake Realty); and Todd Wampler (Century 21 Wampler Realty).

Volunteer to Be an RVAR Star in 2022

RVAR needs you in 2022! When you volunteer to serve on one of RVAR’s 12 Committees, you will be better informed, better networked and better able to impact decisions made. Both REALTORS® and Affiliate members are welcome to serve. Click here to volunteer for a Committee, plus review a description of each Committee’s purpose and how often it meets. Please submit your request by Monday, November 29th.

SAVE THE DATE - Installation and Awards Breakfast

Mark your calendar now and make plans to join us as we complete our celebration of our 100th Anniversary and install our 2022 Officers and Directors including our 2022 RVAR President, Ashley Donahue. Our Installation & Awards Breakfast will be held at The Hotel Roanoke on Friday, December 10th from 8:30am until 10:30am. The Installation Breakfast will be complimentary this year, but seats are very limited. Registration will begin on November 1st.

RVAR 100th Anniversary Series

As we wrap up our 100th Anniversary Video Series, Laura Benjamin, RVAR CEO shares some of the changes and successes she has seen over 30 years with the RVAR and why the future is so bright for the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®.

What Does The 2022 Market Look Like?



What’s the market outlook for next year? What are the market trends to watch? Will the market change soon? If these are questions you are asked by clients, you will not want to miss the next “Economic Update”.

Dr. Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist for Virginia REALTORS®, will be our guest presenter for the December “Economic Update”. Dr. Sturtevant will provide a reflective look at the real estate market both statewide and regionally while also giving us some insight on what to expect in 2022. Dr. Sturtevant does an outstanding job and this is a “don’t miss” presentation.

The “Economic Update” will be held on Tuesday, December 14th via Zoom. The presentation will begin at 9:00AM with a brief welcome followed by Dr. Sturtevant’s presentation and include time for questions & answers. We should conclude no later than 10:00AM. 

Click here to register or contact the RVAR office. Once you are registered, the Zoom meeting link will be sent to you in a reminder email a few days prior to the meeting.

The “Economic Update” has the goal of providing local, informative presentations regarding topics that affect you and your business. All REALTOR® and Affiliate members are encouraged to attend.

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.

Roanoke County Plans

Roanoke County is in the process of updating two vital plans that will shape the County for the next several years.

ELEVATE Roanoke County 2026 Plan is the County's five-year strategic plan for economic growth. Roanoke County Economic Development staff will conduct its last public input meeting on Tuesday October 26th at 6:00 PM at the South County Library to provide feedback on driving economic growth in Roanoke County for the next five years. You will be able to provide comments and ask questions about the ELEVATE Roanoke County 2026 draft Economic Development Strategic Plan. Click here for more information.

Roanoke County 200 Plan is the County’s updated comprehensive plan through 2038. Click here for more information on this plan.

The plan:

• Expresses an overarching community vision as well as unique goals for 11 community planning areas within the County and the Town of Vinton.
• Provides guidance for public policies about land development, public services and resource protection.
• Allows decision makers to study the long-term consequences of current decisions and recognize that today's actions will impact the county for many years to come.

Upcoming meetings will be held at the following locations:

• Back Creek: Back Creek Elementary School - Thursday, October 28
• Bent Mountain: Bent Mountain Center - Thursday, November 4
• Glenvar: Fort Lewis Elementary School - Monday, November 8

Legislative Pre-Session Breakfast

This year the RVAR is proud to be partnering with the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association and the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce to sponsor a Legislative Pre-Session Breakfast on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, from 7:30AM to 10:00AM in The Community Room at the Salem Civic Center located at 1001 Roanoke Blvd, Salem VA 24015. The program will include a delicious hot breakfast followed by a panel style question and answer session with our area Legislators.



You are cordially invited to attend this free event; however, please register no later than Tuesday, November 23rd to reserve your seat. Click here to register or contact the RVAR to reserve your seat. 

National Flood Insurance Program Set to Expire

While the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was recently extended it is part of the massive budget omnibus bill that is currently set to expire on December 3rd. NAR staff anticipates Congress will pass another extension and does not foresee the need for a Call for Action to Congress. NAR continues to push for improvements to the NFIP including 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!

A Personal Note

RVAR Friends – This is my last Advocacy @ Work article.

I have been offered and accepted the Association Executive/ CEO position for the High Point Regional Association of REALTORS® in North Carolina. My last day with the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS® will be Friday, November 5, 2021.

The last eight years on staff with the RVAR have been both very rewarding and a tremendously positive experience for me both professionally and personally. Taking what I have learned from here to there is both a great and exciting aspect to help me start this new and challenging role. I will carry with me many fond memories of the events and people that make up this outstanding Association – both REALTORS® and Affiliates. You all are special!

My very best to each of you! Peace!

 Joe

Article provided by Joe Sutliff, RVAR Director of Economic & Governmental Affairs.

Farwell to Joe Sutliff

Joe Sutliff, RVAR's Governmental Affairs Director, will be leaving RVAR on November 5th. He has accepted the Association Executive / CEO position for the High Point Regional Association of REALTORS® in North Carolina.

Joe has a long history with RVAR, serving as RVAR President in 2011, before joining the RVAR staff in 2013. Joe's enthusiasm, creativity and leadership have benefitted us all.

Click here to wish Joe well.

"Your Vote is Your Voice!

Election day is Tuesday, November 2nd!

Every election is important. This year the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and all 100 General Assembly House of Delegate 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. To see who is on the ballot in your area, click here to view the list of candidates by localities.

Remember to VOTE by or on Tuesday, November 2nd!

Good Neighbor Award

Each year the RVAR, in association with its Community Service Committee, accepts applications for our Good Neighbor Award, presented to a REALTOR® and an Affiliate for their charitable work in our community. We are excited to offer these awards again for 2021!

The recipient will receive recognition for their efforts as well as $1,000 for their respective charity.

If you know someone that has made a difference in our community and you would like to nominate them for these awards, please contact Jim Sweetwood or 540-772-0526 for more information on the nominating process. Deadline for nominations is Friday, November 12. 

Be A Part of the Magic (part II)!

Join us beginning Monday, November 1 for our 2021 Virtual Angel Tree benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of SWVA. Simply click here, beginning on Monday, November 1, and you will be transported to the Boys & Girls Club of SWVA's Amazon Wishlist, choose your gift and checkout. Amazon will deliver the package directly to the Boys & Girls Club. The staff of the Boys

& Girls Club will wrap it and make sure it reaches the intended boy or girl. 

Be the reason someone smiles this holiday season! 

REALTOR® of the Year Award

Do you know a REALTOR® who is well respected, known for professionalism and volunteers time to RVAR and / or the community? If you do, then you should take a moment to nominate that deserving REALTOR® for RVAR’s most prestigious award. The nomination process is as simple as sending an email to RVAR’s CEO Laura Benjamin explaining who you want to nominate and why. RVAR will contact all nominees to obtain their resumes. The nomination deadline is Friday, November 12th. The winner will be selected by the past five recipients of this award. Click here to see who has already won this prestigious award.

NAR's 2021 Profile of Real Estate Firms

NAR’s recently released 2021 Profile of Real Estate Firms revealed that 80% of real estate firms operate from a single office and 86% are independent, non-franchised firms. Nearly 58% of firms expect profitability or net income from all real estate activities to increase this year.

Maintaining sufficient inventory, housing affordability constraints and competition from nontraditional market participants were noted as the biggest challenges firms expect to face over the next two years.

When asked about generational effects on the real estate industry in the next two years, the top concerns for firms were young adults’ ability to buy a home (58%), young adults’ view of homeownership (33%) and baby boomers retiring from real estate (26%).

NAR's Requires Ethics Training by December 31st

Don't let your time run out . . . on this NAR requirement!

NAR requires all REALTORS® to complete 3 hours of REALTOR® Code of Ethics training every three years. The current cycle will end December 31, 2021. Failure to meet NAR's requirement is a violation of NAR's membership requirements and will result in suspension of membership until the requirement is met or until membership is ultimately terminated.

If you have already completed the REALTOR® Code of Ethics training for your license renewal, just send a copy of the certificate of completion to Susan@rvar.com. If you joined within the last 6 months and have not yet attended New Member Orientation, you will receive ethics training credit at Orientation. 

You can go to NAR's website to take this class! NAR provides two options - one option provides CE credit ($29.95 cost) or the other option is free, meets NAR's requirements, but provides no CE credit. Click here to access NAR's ethics training options. 

Upcoming Education

Water / Well / Septic – Learn the Ground Rules: Plan to attend this class, Tuesday, November 16th, 11AM-12:30PM. Topics will include: (1) different types of water tests; (2) different types of septic tests; (3) lending requirements plus (4) Inflow & Infiltration Inspections. Presenters include: Carroll Hale of Green Earth Naturally; Chad Sink of Sink’s Septic & Drain Services; Adam Johnston of OVM Financial plus Mike McEvoy, Executive Director of the Western Virginia Water Authority. This FREE class is offered by RVAR’s Education Committee.

This class provides two options to attend: (1) Attend class in person (limit of 14) for this option or (2) attend via Zoom, click here to register for either option.

Virtual GRI Classes: RVAR has partnered with Virginia REALTORS® to offer virtual GRI classes throughout 2021. Each class is offered in two half-day sessions. Below are the classes offered through the end of November. Click here for the complete 2021 GRI calendar.

GRI 507 Ethics & Professional Responsibility

November 3rd 9AM-12:30PM

November 4th 9AM-12:30PM

Instructor: Tim Vohar & Donna Austin

This course provides a hands-on opportunity for learning how to apply the Code of Ethics in business everyday. CE Approved = 4 hours Ethics / 2 hours Fair Housing; PL Approved = 3 hours Ethics & Standards of Conduct / 2 hours Fair Housing. Click here to register.

GRI 503 Business Planning

November 16th 9AM-12:30PM

November 17th 9AM-12:30PM

Instructor: Jeff Wu

This course covers the foundational skills for establishing a successful business, including developing your personal brand and setting goals for the future. No CE approved; PL Approved = 2 hours Current Industry Trends. Click here to register.

GRI 502 Sales Contracts

November 30th 9AM-12:30PM

December 1st 9AM-12:30PM

Instructor: Michael Guthrie

Students will receive guidance and tactical skills for writing and presenting a variety of real estate agreements, such as disclosure forms and sales contracts, including contingencies. CE Approved = 6 hours Real Estate Contracts; PL Approved = 6 hours Contract Writing. Click here to register.

Our RVAR Family

Sympathy

RVAR offers its sympathy to the friends, family and colleagues of Bill Thomasson of The Real Estate Group upon his recent death.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines

Platinum Level Partner/Sponsor