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May 28th, 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®. 
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MEMBER TYPE / COUNTcount
REALTOR®            1356 Membership Update Logo
Offices                    141
Affiliate                   319
 
Click here to see which RVAR members have switched firms, gone inactive, or joined recently.
Message from RVAR: Next Phasemessage
In our continued efforts to keep our members and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the RVAR staff is now in the office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (9:00AM - 4:00PM).

However, no in-person meetings or classes are being held at the RVAR office until further notice.  

RVAR is available:
*    By appointment or for curb side pick-up (pre-order & pre-pay!) Tuesday, Wednesday and
     Thursday from 9:00AM until 4:00PM. Call us from your car 540.772.0526.

*     Walk-in service in the lobby on Wednesday from 1:00PM until 4:00PM.

*    Staff works remotely on Mondays & Fridays. Call 540.772.0526 to leave a message for staff.

Thank you:
*    For kindly wearing a mask inside the lobby. Masks are available (free) inside the door if
     needed.

*    For making purchases / payments using your credit card and avoiding the use of cash, if
     possible.
Please Call for Assistance
540.772.0526
We will continue to keep our members updated as plans evolve.
 
RVAR recommends that members continue to 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
Recap from May BOD 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 May 21st meeting, presented by President Walter Grewe.
April Home Sales sales   
The month of April ended with 436 homes sold through the MLS as well as 566 homes placed under contract.   
 
A link to the April  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.     
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.
 
Governor's Veto Stalls Association Health Plans for 2020 
 
On Wednesday, May 20th, Governor Northam vetoed the health insurance legislation bills Virginia REALTORS® supported (HB 795 and SB 235), despite nearly unanimous support in both the House and the Senate. This means any opportunity to move forward with creating a REALTOR® health insurance plan has stalled for 2020. 
 
Thank you to the many members and Affiliates who responded to the three Calls for Action surrounding this legislation. Know that Virginia REALTORS® remains committed to finding affordable health plan solutions for our members.

General District Courts are Reopening  

General District courts have begun to reopen and are beginning to hear non-emergency civil cases, including eviction-related hearings. Notices of new hearing dates for cases filed prior to March 16, 2020, that were continued during the COVID-19 court closure, should be mailed out at least 10 days prior to the newly scheduled hearing date. If you have questions about whether your court is open, scheduled hearing dates, or any new rules for attending hearings in person, you should contact your General District court.

Be patient - many courts are facing a huge backlog of cases and are operating under more COVID related guidelines which will slow the process of hearing cases.
 
IMPORTANT: Make sure you provide the legally required notice of any new court date to your tenant as required.

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. 
Join RVAR's BOD in 2021join 
Interested in a leadership role in RVAR? Are you ready to give back to the REALTOR® community? Do you have fresh ideas for change?

RVAR's Board of Directors has announced the following leadership openings for 2021: President-elect, Vice President and 4 Director positions. The process for applying for a Director or Officer position is simple:

*    The application period begins Monday, August 3rd and ends on Thursday, October    
     1st.    
*    A period of RVAR membership is required: 2 years for Directors, 3 years for Vice  
     President and 4 years for President-elect.
*    No more than 2 members from the same firm may serve at the same time on the  
      Board of Directors, with the exception of the Immediate Past President.
*    All applicants must meet the following objective criteria:
          o  Must have served on an RVAR Committee, Task Force etc. within the
              previous 10 years;
          o  No Virginia Real Estate Board violation within the previous 2 years;
          o  No Code of Ethics violation within the previous 2 years.

The Board is a hardworking body of 12 REALTORS® who set policy for RVAR. The group meets 10 times each year to consider issues, set the direction and manage the funds of the Association. If you are interested or have any questions about the requirements and benefits of serving on the Board of Directors, please contact President Walter Grewe CEO or Laura Benjamin.

Slated to continue their service on the 2021 Board will be: President Ashley Donahue (Wainwright & Co.); Immediate Past President Walter Grewe (Wainwright & Co.); and Directors Barry Bridges (Weichert Bridges & Co.), Shannon Hines (Long & Foster), and Rob Logan (The Real Estate Group). 
Status of Supra Lockbox Exchangesupra 
In February, RVAR announced that a 1 for 1 lockbox exchange had been scheduled for the week of July 20th. Also, Display Keys would be replaced with Supra's new Xpress Key.

RVAR staff is in regular communication with Supra to explore accommodations to ensure the safety of such an event. A decision will be made by June 19th as to whether the event will proceed as scheduled or be postponed until later in the year.  
FlexMLS News: 'Full Search' Will Be Retired in November mls 
FlexMLS plans to retire the Full Search feature in late November, 2020. The Full Search is not mobile friendly and some newer fields cannot be displayed in the Full Search. (NOTE: New FlexMLS accounts set up after November, 2019 have not had access to the Full Search feature.)
 
Start the transition now by using the Quick Search feature: just click on the FlexMLS menu (upper left hand corner of Flex home page to access the Quick Search.)
 
FlexMLS plans a seamless transition. Any previously saved full searches will remain unchanged - same name, search criteria and results. The only difference will be any change to a previously saved Full Search will be edited from the Quick Search screen. Client portals will also remain intact. Questions: Contact FlexMLS tech support at 888-525-4747 or [email protected]. 
Virginia's Blue Ridge has developed a fantastic campaign to help remind folks why this is a great place to visit, live and work - even if the visit has been delayed for the time being.

Take this time to remember your favorite things. And picture the good times ahead. Let's focus on the future and dream up adventure. Because some things are worth the wait.

Click here to watch a one-minute video to get inspired about why Virginia's Blue Ridge is worth the wait. Share this with your clients and let them know Virginia's Blue Ridge is worth the wait.
The Virginia REALTORS® is always looking for great volunteers to serve on its Committees. VAR is now accepting applications for 2021 Committee volunteers. Expand your horizons by working with REALTORS® from across the state. Click here to learn more about the Committee options and/or submit your application. The deadline to apply is June 30th at 5PM. Questions? Contact RVAR's CEO Laura Benjamin. 
Upcoming Educationeducation  
RVAR has cancelled the in-person classes which were scheduled to be held in June. Every effort will be made to reschedule as many cancelled classes as possible, once in-person classes can be held.
Our RVAR Familyfamily    
Sympathy  
RVAR offers condolences Scott Avis of MKB, REALTORS®upon the death of his father.
 
Congratulations
RVAR congratulates Walter Grewe (Wainwright & Co.) for earning NAR's C2EX (Commitment to Excellence) certification. 
 
RVAR congratulates those recently named "2020 Best Of" by The Roanoker Magazine, which included categories for real estate firms and agents. Some of RVAR's Affiliate members were recognized, too!

Best Real Estate Firm: Platinum - MKB, REALTORS®; Gold - RE/MAX (no specific office named); Silver - Mountain View Real Estate LLC

Best Real Estate Agent: Platinum - Brad Thomas (Mountain View Real Estate LLC); Gold - Norm Pullen (MKB, REALTORS®); Silver - Joe Kraft (Lichtenstein Rowan, REALTORS®)

Best Credit Union: Platinum - Member Once FCU; Gold - Freedom First FCU; Silver - Blue Eagle Credit Union

Best Mortgage Lender: Platinum - Jamie Bailey (Alcova Mortgage); Gold - Alexander Dykes (Intercoastal Mortgage Co.); Silver - Jonathan Sweat (Alcova Mortgage)

Best National Bank: Platinum - Wells Fargo; Gold - SunTrust (Truist); Silver - BB&T (Truist)

Best Regional / Local Bank: Platinum - Bank of Botetourt; Gold - Bank of Fincastle; Silver - First Citizens Bank

Best Local Insurance Provider and Agent: Platinum - Bill Meador Insurance Agency
 
Let RVAR know if you have news to share. 
 
Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS® 
Proudly Recognizes Our 2020 Partner / Sponsors partner 
 
Platinum Level Partner / Sponsor
 

    
Contact:

ROANOKE VALLEY
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®  |  540.772.0526