April 16, 2020 


Roanoke Valley Associathion of REALTORS  
    R OANOKE VALLEY REALTOR® ONLINE   

   You are receiving this online enewsletter as a benefit of being a member of the Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®.
 
Like us on Facebook  

MEMBER TYPE / COUNTcount
REALTOR®            1353 Membership Update Logo
Offices                    141
Affiliate                   319
 
Click here to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently.
Message from RVARmessage
RVAR remains committed to the health and safety of our members and staff. RVAR has cancelled all in-person classes, events and Committee meetings through May 31st. Every effort will be made to reschedule as many classes and meetings as possible, once it is safe to do so.

The RVAR / MLS Office remains closed. However, the RVAR staff continues to serve members by working remotely. Staff is available online 9AM-4PM M-F (send your email to contactus@rvar.com or email staff members directly).

Also, the RVAR / MLS Office is open every Wednesday, 1-4PM for lockbox, fob and REALTOR® Store purchases.

Walter Grewe 2020 President

RVAR recommends that members rely on the following links for real estate specific guidance related to COVID-19. These links are updated regularly:

https://www.virginiarealtors.org/coronavirus/

https://www.nar.realtor/coronavirus

Still have questions?
  • VAR recommends submitting your questions to the VAR Legal Hotline. Click here and follow the instructions to submit your question.
  • NAR has established a COVID-19 hotline: 800-874-6500
March Home Sales sales   
The 487 homes sold through the MLS during the month of March is the highest March number on record at the MLS.
 
A link to the March   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.      
MLS Rule Change: Clear Cooperation Policy Effective May 1strule 
As of May 1st, NAR requires all REALTOR® Association MLSs to adopt its Clear Cooperation policy that reinforces the pro-consumer, pro-competitive benefit of entering listings into the MLS to provide broad exposure of listings to all MLS members and their buyer clients. The NAR policy requires listing agents who are MLS members to submit their listings to the MLS within one business day of marketing the residential property to the public.

According to NAR, "public marketing includes, but is not limited to, flyers displayed in windows, yard signs, digital marketing on public facing websites, brokerage website displays, digital communication marketing (email blasts), multi-brokerage listing sharing networks (private Facebook groups) and applications available to the general public."

Effective May 1st, the Roanoke Valley MLS will implement NAR's Clear Cooperation policy. Here's what this change means for you:
  • NO CHANGE to the MLS rule requiring all exclusive right to sell and exclusive agency listings located within the MLS service area to be entered into the MLS system no later than twenty-four (24) hours (or by 5:00PM next business day) after the commencement date of the listing agreement.
  • NO CHANGE to the current MLS Coming Soon status and related rules.
  • NO CHANGE to the ability for a seller and listing agent to submit a Listing Exclusion Form to the MLS office indicating that the seller does not want the property entered into the MLS, either for the entire listing period or for a shorter period of time.
  • CHANGE - the Listing Exclusion Form will be revised as of May 1st to inform the seller of the definition of public marketing and the requirement that the listing be entered into the MLS system if publicly marketed.
  • CHANGEfor any Listing Exclusion submitted to the MLS office May 1st or after, public marketing (see definition above) of a residential property excluded from the MLS will require the listing to be entered into the MLS system within one (1) business day of the public marketing. Failure to do so will result in an Unreported Listing violation and $100 fine.
The Roanoke Valley MLS does not receive many Listing Exclusions, with less than half of those received excluded for the entire period of the listing. NAR has provided the following guidance regarding Office Exclusives: "Office exclusive listings are an important option for sellers concerned about privacy and wide exposure of their property for sale. In an office exclusive listing, direct promotion of the listing between the broker and agents affiliated with the listing brokerage, and one-to-one promotion between these agents and their clients, is not considered public advertising. If office exclusive listings are displayed or advertised to the general public, however, those listings must also be submitted to the MLS for cooperation."

If you have any questions about implementation of this new rule, contact RVAR CEO Laura Benjamin.  
Standard Forms May 1st Change: Inspection Addendumforms 
Effective May 1st, the following revision to the RVAR Inspection Addendum will 'go live' in zipForms.
 
Paragraph G of the Inspection Addendum relates to additional structures and/or systems to be inspected. Revisions have been made to the Results of Inspection paragraph. Effective May 1st, if the report(s) of any additional inspection(s) performed pursuant to Paragraph G require repairs, those repairs will no longer be tied to the definition of Defects from Paragraph A Home Inspection. For example, if 'dock inspection' is written into Paragraph G, the results of the dock inspection and any recommended repairs will no longer fall under the Paragraph A definition of Defects. 
Advocacy @ Workadvocacy    
Advocacy @ Work is an article aimed at updating members on what is happening in our region regarding Economic Development and/or Governmental Affairs.
 
Call for Action - Association Health Plans 
On April 15th, Virginia REALTORS® emailed all REALTOR® members a Call for Action regarding the Association Health Plan bills. This email was sent by Kemper Funkhouser, Virginia REALTOR®'s 2020 President.  
 
This legislation was one of the key legislative bills put forth by Virginia REALTORS® this year. This important legislation was passed by the Senate and House with overwhelming, bi-partisan support during the General Assembly session. The Governor has amended the Association Health Plan legislation with a re-enactment clause, which means the legislation is delayed for at least a year and the General Assembly would have to pass the same, identical legislation in 2021.  
 
We need your help now! Virginia REALTORS® does not agree with the Governor's amendment. The Call for Action sent to you requests you to ask your legislators to reject the Governor's amendment and support passage of the bills ( Senate Bill 235 and House Bill 795). The General Assembly will reconvene on Wednesday, April 22nd, and will take action on the Governor's amendment then. The Call for Action is asking you to act quickly and only takes a moment to send. 
 
These two key identical bills proposed by Virginia REALTORS® could allow Virginia REALTORS®, as a qualifying trade association, to seek affordable health insurance plans through providers in Virginia. Virginia REALTORS® needs your support by responding to the Call for Action. If you have not done so yet, please take time to respond either through the email that was sent or by simply clicking here.

Thank you for taking the time to respond quickly to this important issue .

May Elections Likely To Be Moved 
The General Assembly will reconvene on April 22nd to consider any bills the Governor amends or vetoes and to re-work the budget in light of the current economic situation. During this unprecedented time, the Governor will likely ask the General Assembly to move the local elections scheduled for Tuesday, May 5th until election day on Tuesday, November 3rd.  This would affect several of our localities, including Salem, Vinton, Rocky Mount and Boones Mill. Please stay tuned for future updates.

IRS Extends Deadlines on 1031 Like-Kind Exchanges and Opportunity Funds
The IRS, at the urging of NAR and its affiliates, announced on April 9th deadline extensions on 1031 like-kind exchanges and opportunity fund investments that are already underway.  
 
Investors who were doing 1031 like-kind exchanges and had already taken the first step by selling the old property will receive an extension to meet the requirements. If the 45-day or the 180-day deadline fell between April 1 and July 15, the deadline has been extended to July 15. 
 
Also, deadlines under the opportunity zone program have been extended. If an investor who sold a capital asset planned to roll over the gain into an opportunity fund, they may be able to extend the previous 180-day deadline if it fell between April 1 and July 15. Investors in those cases can make the investment by July 15. Visit IRS.gov for more information on these changes.

Virginia REALTORS® Weekly Facebook Updates
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Laura Farley, General Counsel for Virginia REALTORS®, and Dr. Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist for Virginia REALTORS® are providing weekly Facebook updates. Laura's "Legal Live" updates are Tuesday's at 3:30PM and Lisa's "Economic Updates" are Thursday's at 4:00PM. You are welcome to listen into those through Virginia REALTOR®'s Facebook page. Each of the segments are fairly short and provide some great updates.    
 
If you have any questions about specific topics, please feel free to contact me. Stay well!   
 
Article provided by Joe Sutliff, RVAR Director of Economic & Governmental Affairs. 
NAR Offers Telehealth to Members and their Familiesmeds 
 
In response to the current health crisis, NAR is supporting members by providing 2-months of access to Members TeleHealth as a benefit for those who do not currently have access to telemedicine, with an ongoing significantly-reduced rate available for members thereafter.  
 
Enrollment for this exclusive offer to members is for a limited time only. Go to https://www.realtorsinsurancemarketplace.com/telehealth-offer/ to find out more. 
 
TeleHealth provides access to a network of more than 2,300 board-certified physicians, who can address non-emergency medical issues via smartphone, tablet or computer. This important benefit is part of NAR's Right Tools, Right Now program.  
2020 Censuscensus
The 2020 Census is underway! The census is important for all REALTORS® because completing the 2020 census means more resources for businesses and our communities.

The census will collect information about those living in every U.S. household - driving funding for countless essential federal programs. Learn more about the census at nar.realtor/census.
 
April is Fair Housing Monthfair     
Each April, REALTORS® observe the anniversary of the passage of the 1968 landmark Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap. Article 10 of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, the 'Fair Housing Article', also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Every April, REALTORS® celebrate Fair Housing Month to reaffirm their continuing commitment to fair and equitable treatment and a professional level of service for all in their search for real property.  
 
Fair Housing protects our livelihood and business as REALTORS®. Fair Housing depends on a free, open market that embraces equal opportunity. In honor of Fair Housing Month, take a moment to review the NAR resources available by clicking here
In light of the challenges presented by COVID-19, and its impact on the real estate industry, NAR is taking steps to support members through these uncertain times. The Right Tools, Right Now initiative makes new and existing NAR products and services available for FREE or at significant discounts - right now.

As part of this initiative you can take the e-PRO® Certification Course for free and receive the e-PRO® certification Application Fee for 50% off ($74.50) if you register for the on-line class by May 31, 2020. The e-PRO® certification program teaches members how to effectively use real estate technology to grow their business and increase the efficiency of their business.

Check out all the offerings at https://www.nar.realtor/right-tools-right-now#courses. Many have deadlines for registering, so sign up soon.
VAR will be offering virtual CE classes on legal education through the end of May. Each class is capped at 50 participants. Registration opens 6 days before each class. Each class has a registration fee of $5, which VAR will donate to the Red Cross. Click here for a schedule of classes, including registration information. Questions? Contact Education@VirginiaRealtors.org
 
Two of the classes required to earn the GRI designation are only offered online.
Click here for more information on these classes:
  • GRI 509 Mastering Real Estate Negotiations (4 hours)
  • GRI 510 Beneath the Surface: The Anatomy of a House (6 hours)
Upcoming Educationeducation  
If conditions permit, the following classes will be offered in June:

GRI 501 Agency in Virginia
: Real estate is about relationships. You need to know what Virginia law stipulates about your business contacts. Plan to join Tim Vohar on Tuesday, June 16th, (9AM-4:30PM) for a detailed guide on important issues dealing with agency in Virginia. Topics will include agency disclosure, brokerage relationships and confidentiality. This class is approved for 3 hours of CE Real Estate Agency and 3 hours of CE Real Estate Related. This class is also approved for 3 hours of PL Agency Law. Click here to register.

Already have your GRI designation? Contact Louann Pagans to register for this class at the reduced rate of $45, includes materials and CE credits, but no exam.

Making Manufactured or Modular an Option: Learn the difference and details of manufactured and modular homes at this Tuesday, June 23rd class, ( 10AM-Noon) at the RVAR office. Randy Grumbine, Executive Director of the Virginia Manufactured and Modular Housing Association, will share what REALTORS® need to know about HUD tags, on frame vs. off frame plus how to convert to real estate and back to personal property. Click here to register for this FREE class.

Code of Ethics Training: This Thursday, June 25th (1-4PM) class, taught by Instructor 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 three years. NAR's current cycle expires December, 2021. Click here to register. ( Can't make this class? RVAR will offer this class again on September 24th.)

The following classes have been rescheduled for the fall:

Radon in Virginia Real Estate Transactions: RESCHEDULED Thursday, September 17th Radon is common in the Greater Roanoke Valley. Learn all about radon from Ryan Paris, Radiation Safety Specialist and Radon Coordinator for the VA Department of Health. This 9:30AM-Noon class will explain how to test for radon and how to mitigate the radon levels. Click here to register for this class.  This class is FREE - or pay $10 at the door for CE/PL credit. (2 hours CE Real Estate Related / 2 hours PL Current Industry Issues / Trends)

GRI 502 Sales Contracts: RESCHEDULED Tuesday, November 17th Michael Guthrie returns to provide guidance and tactical skills for writing and presenting a variety of real estate agreements, such as sales contracts, deposits and title insurance. The course will also cover, in detail, disclosure forms and contingencies associated with sales contracts. Students will gain hands-on experience with the basics of sales contracts along with the best ways to serve and protect their clients. This class is approved for 6 hours of CE Real Estate Contracts and 6 Hours of PL Contract Writing. Click here to register.
 
Already have your GRI designation? Contact Louann Pagans to register for this class at the reduced rate of $45, includes materials and CE credits, but no exam 
Upcoming Events Upcoming
                                                  
May 25th
RVAR Office Closed for Memorial Holiday
June 16th
Class: GRI 501 Agency
June 19th
Class: New Member Orientation
June 23th
Class: Manufactured / Modular Homes
June 25th
Class: Code of Ethics
  
 
Contact:

ROANOKE VALLEY
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
  |  540.772.0526