MEMBER TYPE / COUNT
REALTOR® 1327
Offices 141
Affiliate 331
Click here to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently.
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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.
Fourteen RVAR REALTORS®, Affiliate members and staff traveled to Richmond on Tuesday, January 28th, to visit with area Legislators. These RVAR members represent the Governmental Affairs Committee and the Board of Directors. We had the opportunity to meet with Legislators and/or their staff to discuss proposed legislation and other issues of interest to us.
The Virginia REALTORS® legislative agenda has made great progress with all the bills being passed through their originating Chamber (House bills on the House side / Senate bills on the Senate side). The General Assembly has now passed the halfway point for the session (Crossover) and bills will be considered in the opposite Chamber. Three bills of particular interest to mention:
Association Health Care Plans - Virginia REALTORS® is seeking legislation to allow an association, like the REALTORS®, to work with insurance providers in Virginia and establish health insurance plans that they can offer to members of their association.
The House version and Senate version both passed unanimously.
POA /COA Act Extension for Right of Rescission - Virginia REALTORS® is seeking legislation that would allow parties to a transaction for a property located in a POA or Condo association to agree to extend the three-day right of rescission for up to an additional 4 days.
The House version passed both the House and Senate with a unanimous vote. The Senate version has passed unanimously.
Rent Money into Escrow - Virginia REALTORS® is seeking legislation to clarify a perceived discrepancy between escrow law and regulations. This legislation will require all rent monies, including current rent, to be deposited into an escrow account instead of operating accounts.
This Senate bill passed unanimously.
The bill is just now being considered by the House.
Virginia's General Assembly will conclude this year's 60-day session on Friday, March 6th.
The Governmental Affairs Committee is already discussing ideas for future legislation. If you have a state issue or concern you would like the Committee to consider, please email me at the link below or call me at 540.772.0526.
Article provided by
Joe Sutliff, RVAR Director of Economic & Governmental Affairs.
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Recap from February BOD
Click on the photo above to watch the next installment of the video recap of what RVAR's Board of Directors accomplished at its February 13th meeting, presented by President Walter Grewe.
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January Home Sales Break Records
The 391 homes sold through the MLS during the month of January, 2020 and the 535 homes placed under contract in January represent the highest January numbers on record at the MLS.
A link to the January homes sales statistics, including a 4-year comparison, is provided on the front page of the RVAR.com. The MLS releases its monthly home sales statistics around the 15th of the following month.
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Supra Lockbox Exchanged Scheduled
Mark your calendar for the week of July 20
th! RVAR's Board of Directors has agreed to a 6-year contract extension with Supra and a 1 for 1 lockbox exchange. (Don't worry if you are out of town that week - you'll be able to exchange lockboxes the following week at the RVAR office.)
Details are still being finalized with Supra and will be provided to all MLS members soon. Here are the basics:
- Supra will conduct the lockbox exchange tentatively scheduled during the week of July 20th - one day at a Lake location and several days at a Roanoke location (specific locations yet to be determined). Lockboxes may be exchanged the following week at the RVAR office.
- All MLS members with a Supra key (eKey or Display key that is paid in full with Supra) may exchange their lockboxes on a 1 for 1 basis for Supra's new iBox BT LE (which stands for 'low energy Bluetooth').
- No money will be owed at the exchange.
- After the boxes are exchanged, no additional hardware will be required for most phones, including current iPhones (no more fobs!)
- Also after the exchange, listing agents will be able to provide secure access codes to non-MLS members such as out of area REALTORS®, contractors, inspectors etc.
- Display keys will be replaced with the new Xpress Key, which provides real-time showing notice.
Special thanks to the Lockbox Work Group for their efforts: Chair Walter Grewe, Connie Hash, Shannon Hines, Jay Kilby, Lori Shultz-Moore and Tom Wilson.
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Display Key Bills from Supra
Display Key users will receive their bill from Supra in March. However, due to the contract extension with Supra, the March bill will be for $98.02, representing 6 months - rather than the usual 12 month bill.
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Standard Forms Revisions
At the end of 2019, the Commonwealth of Virginia renumbered sections of the Code of Virginia - impacting 5 RVAR forms that need Code references updated. For example, the POA and Condo Disclosure paragraphs contain Code references that need to be updated.
The following forms will be revised in zipForms as of
Friday, February 28th with updated Code references:
- Purchase Agreement
- Lot / Land Purchase Agreement
- Exclusive Right to Represent Seller Agreement
- Residential Property Disclosure Statement
- Summary of Rights
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Lockbox Access Hours to Change
Daylight Savings Time begins on
Sunday, March 8th. Standard lockbox access hours will change to 9:00AM - 9:30PM. This will not be reflected on any Supra reports - which will still show hours of 8:00AM - 8:30PM.
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RVAR Community Service Day Project
Join us in helping make a difference
The 2020 Community Service Committee would like you to join us as we kick off the new decade with our first Service Day Project.
RVAR will be volunteering with Feeding America (1025 Electric Road, Salem, VA 24153) on Friday, March 13. There are two opportunities to volunteer, 9:00am - 12:00pm or 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Choose one or, better yet, both! Breakfast snacks and lunch will be available.
You can also call the RVAR at 540-772-0526 to have us register you for the shift of your choice.
Feeding America Southwest Virginia was founded in 1981 and proudly commemorates 39 years of fighting hunger and changing lives through community partnerships.
The Food Bank is an affiliate member of Feeding America and for the last three decades the Food Bank's ultimate mission has remained the same: eliminate hunger in the region.
The primary function of the Food Bank is to secure large quantities of food for the hungry. Over $27 million worth of food and grocery related products are channeled through a network of 354 partner feeding programs in our 26-county, 9 city region that provide food or meals to those in need.
If you would like to donate or get more information for Feeding America SW Virginia please log on to their website at www.faswva.org.
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March Tech Lunch & Learn
 Plan to join RVAR's Technology Committee for its Wednesday, March 18th Lunch & Learn (11:30AM-1:30PM) - Explore the Benefits of RPR: Complete Data @ Your Fingertips.
The REALTORS® Property Resource (RPR) is the nation's largest public records database, with complete MLS data, exclusively for REALTORS®. And it's a FREE benefit from NAR! Enjoy time saving access via its easy to use mobile app. Plus learn how to use RPR to create easy CMA's.
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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Save the Date...2020 Spring Golf Tournament
 The 2020 RVAR Spring Golf Tournament will once again be held at the Waterfront Country Club at Smith Mountain Lake on Monday, May 4th.
The day will start with check-in and a box lunch at 11:00AM and shotgun start at 12:00PM. It's going to be a great day of golf with great prizes and giveaways! Plus, what better way to start off your week than a day on the links!
Registration will begin on March 2nd!
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By the Numbers
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NAR Center for Financial Wellness
Have you discovered the Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness? This complimentary program has something to offer all NAR members.
Through this program you can assess your current financial profile, receive personalized financial planning goals, practice financial planning decisions in a risk-free way, and explore a robust library of budgeting, retiring, and real estate investing resources.
The Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness is a resource designed exclusively to meet the specific financial planning needs of REALTORS®. This comprehensive program includes education materials and resources for wealth building, business planning, and investing in real estate.
Click here to log into the NAR Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness.
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VAR PMX Update
The Virginia REALTORS® is offering a full day of property management updates in two locations: April 21st in Woodbridge and April 27th in Richmond. The sessions will focus on laws passed by the General Assembly and how they will affect property management. Plus an update on VAR's property management forms. Most of the sessions qualify for CE credit. Click here for more information or to register.
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Upcoming Education
Code of Ethics Training - This Wednesday, March 11th (9:00AM-Noon) 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 three years. Click here to register. (Can't make this class? RVAR will offer this class again on June 25th.)
Curb Appeal: Appearance Matters: This Thursday, March 19th (10:00-11:30AM) class will help you educate your sellers on the importance of curb appeal, including the best bang for the seller's buck. Before and after examples will be shared. Presenters include a landscape designer and two renovators. Click here to register for this FREE class.
Radon in Virginia Real Estate Transactions: 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 Wednesday, March 25th class (9:30AM-Noon) 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.
Environmental Hazards: Learn how to address common environmental hazards such as asbestos, lead paint, mold vs. mildew and buried oil tanks on residential properties. The presenters for this Wednesday, April 8th (10AM-Noon) class are ECS Limited and Top Hill Contractors. Click here to register for this FREE class.
GRI 502 Sales Contracts: Michael Guthrie returns to conduct this class on Tuesday, April 21st (9:00AM-4:30PM) at the RVAR office. This course will 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? You can attend this course for $45, with no exam needed. Contact Louann Pagans ([email protected]) for this registration option.
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Upcoming Events
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March 6th
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Class: New Member Orientation
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March 11th
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Class: Code of Ethics
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March 13th
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Community Service: Feeding America
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March 18th
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Tech Lunch & Learn: RPR
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March 19th
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Class: Curb Appeal
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March 25th
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Class: Radon in Virginia
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April 8th
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Class: Environmental Hazards
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April 10th
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Office Closed for Good Friday
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April 21st
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Class: GRI 502 Sales Contracts
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May 4th
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Spring Golf Tournament
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