WHAT'S INSIDE:
- President's Message
- KWAOR Members Corner: Fair Housing Webinar August 13th
- NAR News:Payroll Protection Plan Update AND Covid-19 Liability Issues
- Education: Safety and Home Mortgage Lunch and Learns coming soon
- KWAOR Foundation: The Impact Of Your Generosity During Quarantine
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NEWS & UPDATES
June 11, 2020
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Dear Members,
It feels good to see our state re-opening and members getting back to work. Please be sure to check out all the news below. We've still got a long way to go, but we're getting there and KWAOR is here to help.
Please mark your calendars for our two summer Virtual Lunch and Learns detailed in the Education section below.
Due to the fact that everyone's busy re-opening, and restrictions on public gathering size are in still in flux, the decision has been made to postpone our planned June 25th President's Charity event at Yawgoo Bakes. We'll miss seeing everyone but feel it would be better to wait until we're sure that the permitted meeting size for gatherings in Rhode Island will allow us to accommodate
all of the members who want to participate.
I'm pleased to announce that we now have a great alternative for our August General Membership meeting due to uncertainty regarding allowable public gathering size. On August 13th KWAOR will host a webinar on Fair Housing with
Paula Monthofer, REALTOR®, ABR, GRI, e-PRO. Read more about Paula
here and watch for your email invitation to this event.
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Stay Safe!
Your President
Mary Coutu
“That’s Who We R”
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SAVE THE DATE !! KWAOR MEMBERS WEBINAR WITH PAULA MONTHOFER on August 13th
Inventory is scarce. Access to showings is challenging. Competing bids are common. Now more than ever, Fair Housing practices are an important consideration for all REALTORS
®.
Please plan to join us on Thursday August 13th to be informed and inspired by nationally-recognized speaker Paula Monthofer.
A dynamic and energetic speaker, Paula is known for taking new approaches to topics and for leaving learners empowered to take themselves to the next level.
She brings every subject to life by mixing passion, a quick wit and her experience as an active REALTOR® and business leader in a fun and relatable way. Learners appreciate her highly interactive teaching style. Her enthusiasm for collaboration is infectious and her energy keeps learners captivated and engaged. This graduate of Rutgers University was the 2017 President for the Arizona REALTORS®, the 2014 winner of the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce’s Young Athena Award, and 2017 Arizona REALTOR® of the Year. Paula was the 2019 Region 11 Vice President for the National Association of REALTORS®.
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LOCKBOXES and the SentriKey App
Can Save You Time and Improve Safety for
You and Your Clients
Are you "Old School"? SentriLock digital lockboxes can save you valuable time as you move between properties.
If you prefer to personally attend every showing for your listings, one great feature of digital lockboxes is the elimination of the great key chase. The key stays in the box, secure until the next time you or a contractor need it!
Your KWAOR 2020 Member SentriLock benefit includes:
- Free use of the SentriKey app (for smartphone or tablet) - a monthly benefit of $8
- Free training for use of the app and lockboxes, with support available all week long from 8 AM to 10 PM.
- Half-Price Lockboxes ($50 each)
The KWAOR Office is open Monday-Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Give us a call if you'd like to pick up a lockbox!
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PPP Flexibility Act Extends and Expands Benefits
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The “PPP Flexibility Act” was signed into law on June 5th. This bill amends the
CARES Act
to give more flexibility to PPP borrowers in how they can use their loan proceeds. Specifically, the bill makes the following positive changes to the program:
- Extends the PPP program through the end of this year. The application deadline remains June 30, 2020.
- Increases the amount of time borrowers have to use their loans from 8 to 24-weeks (borrowers who use it in 8 will not be penalized).
- Decreases the mandatory payroll amount of the loan from 75% to 60%.
- Extends the forbearance period for a PPP loan from six-months to a year.
- Extends the re-hire exemption for businesses from June 30 to December 31.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury will need to issue new guidance and new forms to reflect these changes to the program, which we anticipate will be top priorities for them. Your National Association of REALTORS
®
is updating its resources to reflect these changes and will keep you apprised as we learn more from the Treasury and SBA going forward.
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UNDERSTANDING THE LEGAL RISKS IN THE NEW NORMAL
Although
consumers are eager for physical home tours and open houses to resume
, it’s important to know what COVID-19 restrictions remain in place in your state.
In the latest video from NAR’s
“Pivot in Place”
series, Lesley Muchow, NAR’s deputy general counsel and vice president of legal affairs, discusses your legal duties to keep clients safe during the course of real estate transactions and best practices for mitigating your risk.
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Remember to keep fair housing in mind as you navigate the reopening of your business.
For residential investment property owners and managers, NAR’s legal team is recommending accommodations for those who may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
And since we’re commemorating
Homeownership Month
, now is a good time not only to review all your obligations under the
Fair Housing Act
but also to push yourself toward a greater understanding of your own hidden biases.
To that end, NAR has worked with the Perception Institute to create a new training video,
“Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing.”
The video explains how our brains’ associations with stereotypes can cause us to treat people unfairly—even if we have good intentions. The latest issue of REALTOR® Magazine also includes guidance on
avoiding implicit bias
.
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Now More Than Ever,
RPAC is Working for YOU
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The REALTOR® Party is a powerful alliance of REALTORS® and REALTOR® Associations working to advance public policies and candidates that build strong communities, protect property interests and promote a vibrant business environment.
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By The Numbers-How RPAC Works for YOU
Weeks per year NAR brings its advocacy might with member of Congress on behalf of REALTORS
®
. With every industry working overtime during the COVID-19 pandemic, REALTORS
®
are fortunate to have an advocacy team in Washington with strong relationships in Congress, the regulatory agencies, and the White House.
Easy steps it takes to customize the
Protect Your Investment
(log-in required) brochure. This brochure encourages homeowners who are struggling to meet their loan obligations to work with REALTORS
®
and housing counselors. It also offers guidance on options provided by lenders.
Weeks you may qualify for unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) programs if you’ve suffered a loss of income, either completely or partially, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Consumer &
REALTOR®
Safety
in Real Estate
Facebook Live
Virtual Lunch and Learn
Thursday, June 18th at Noon
We are in an industry that needs to protect our consumer and ourselves. What do we need to be aware of?
Join us for a virtual Lunch and Learn on Facebook Live for
Steve Antoni’s dynamic presentation with Q & A.
Complimentary for KWAOR members. Your Facebook Live Link will be distributed via separate email soon!
Brought to you by the KWAOR Education Committee
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Lunch and Learn - July 15th
will present
"Navigating the Mortgage Process."
Watch this space for registration information.
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YOU
MADE A DIFFERENCE during Quarantine!
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KWAOR members should be extremely proud that their participation in our 2019 Holiday Party AND the thoughtful efforts KWAOR REALTOR® Relief Task Force volunteers helped enable the KWAOR Foundation to make six $500 gifts to the following local charities. Read on to see the impact of your generosity.
Lucy's Love Bus:
"...This gift will help families coping with cancer with urgent needs, such as housing, groceries and medicine."
Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale:
"...Your gift has allowed us to significantly ramp up our food purchases to meet the needs of children home from school, seniors staying put, and workers who have lost their jobs. This
very generous
gift...is making a big difference."
RI Community Food Bank:
"...As a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency, we are distributing 40% more food now than we were at this time last year... Your support ensures that we can continue to acquire and distribute food through our statewide network of agencies so no Rhode Islander has to go hungry."
RI Pride:
"...The contribution you made helped us feed over 13,000 Rhode Islanders experiencing food insecurity during this unprecedented time. We could not have done this work without you!"
Westerly Hospital Foundation
:
"... Your crucial show of support for our clinicians and caregivers, some of whom have been working virtually non-stop since the novel coronavirus disease was declared a national health emergency on March 13, is truly appreciated. You are helping to keep our hospital well-resources and our staff morale high."
Westerly Warm Center:
"Our meal site, Anita's Kitchen is busier than ever with over 35,000 meals served to low income individuals in the last year alone... Your support helps us provide a warm welcome; a warm, safe place to stay; and a warm meal."
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PROGRESS IS BEING MADE, BUT WE'RE STILL IN Phase 2!
Stay informed
of the latest regulations and necessary procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Check the
RIAR COVID-19 web page
daily
to stay abreast of your responsibilities and for useful resources for real estate professionals and their colleagues in the industry, including information on
municipal and state regulations/office access
,
RI renters relief
and
RI mortgage forbearance
.
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Please Support Our 2020 Sponsors
Click logos to link to their websites!
Three-Star Sponsors
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