Weekly Notices
Friday, August 7, 2020
 
 
 
PAUSED INDEFINITELY
PHASE 1 -> PHASE 2 -> PHASE 3 -> PHASE 4
 
 
WR Fall Business Virtual Conference  
        
   
WR FALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE
GOES VIRTUAL
 
Washington REALTORS® informs it will be convening this year's Fall Business Conference - which was to be physically held here in Spokane this fall - to a virtual format online.
 
As this year's host association, the SAR had formed a committee to plan a Fun Night for conference attendees.  
 
This event is now cancelled.
 
 
From WR:
 
The 2020 WR Fall Business Conference will be held virtually from September 21-25, 2020.  
 
We will be moving forward with virtual platforms to conduct our committee and board of director meetings, as well as our elections.   
 
Additional details, including a schedule of events will be coming soon. 
 
 
 
 
SAR Membership Committee 
        
 
 
NEW!
 
2020 SAR Membership Committee Chair Ken Sax is here, this week, with a video message to reach out to our local Designated Brokers and Firm's Managing Brokers to ask the question: "What can your Association do for you?"
 
First, watch his new two-minute video online, below. 
 
Then, send your answer to the SAR front desk
 
 
SAR's Membership Committee
SAR's Membership Committee
 
 
 
 
 

 




Washington Governor Jay Inslee has paused indefinitely all 39 Washington counties in his Safe Start recovery program due to the increasing numbers of infection from COVID-19 across the state.

This means Spokane County will stay at Phase 2 for the foreseeable future.







UPDATED July 20th

Spokane County remains paused at Phase 2 in the governor's Safe Start recovery plan; Washington state continues to require face coverings in places of public gathering across the state.   
View the full Face Covering Requirements document from the governor's office (pictured above) online here.   
 
 
 
     
 
Updated July 29, 2020
 
 
Spokane County remains in Phase 2 of the governor's Safe Start Recovery Plan.
 
Each county's status is based on five risk assessment areas: COVID-19 activity, testing, healthcare system readiness, case investigations and contact tracing, and the protection of populations at higher risk.
 
You can check the status of any county, any time, on the state's COVID-19 Risk Assessment Dashboard, online here.
   
 
 
 
 
 

 
Updated July 7th 
 

Washington REALTORS® and the Northwest Multiple Listing Service continue to revise the FAQ guidance document for Brokers as information changes.
 
The current version of this document is new as of July 7th.
    
Download this document (pictured above) online here 

 
 
 
All Washington REALTORS® COVID-19 resources are online here.
 
 

Spread Kindness. Not COVID-19. 
        
 

 
   
NEW!

 
Leaders in the regional business community - GSI, Downtown Spokane Partnership, Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, Inland Northwest Business Alliance, Visit Spokane, and West Plains Chamber of Commerce - have partnered to create a new campaign to encourage all of us to "Spread Kindness. Not COVID-19."
 
From the group: As a business community, we care about the health of our customers and our region. We want and need to do our part to stop the spread of illness. But it's not easy. As we work to maintain new safety measures, we've also been tasked with communicating those changes to customers and employees.

Spread kindness toolkit materials help you:

  • Assure customers your business is safe to visit.
  • Clearly State the safety measures expected of customers when they visit.
  • Join forces with business throughout our county to support recovery that lasts.
 
 
Download the poster (pictured above), online here.
 
 
Read more about this campaign, and download additional resources to support it, online here
 
 
 
 
INW Fair Housing Conference - 3.0 Clock Hours! 
        

 
   

2020 Inland Northwest
Fair Housing Virtual Conference


 
 
Your association is a proud sponsor of this year's Inland Northwest Fair Housing Virtual Conference, and one of its presenters.  
 
 

 
NEXT WEEK!  
 
FAIR HOUSING FOR REAL ESTATE BROKERS 
 
Wednesday, August 12th
9 a.m. to noon 
 
Approved for 3.0 WA DOL Real Estate Clock Hours!
 
Proudly sponsored by Washington REALTORS® 
 
 
 
 
 
There are many other valuable sessions in this year's conference. Check out the entire program to see them all.  
 
The register button above will take you there. 
 
 

 
NEW!
 
 
NAR Director of Fair Housing Policy Bryan Greene reaffirms our fair housing principles and shares why those principles matter in this current climate of examining racial inequality and the pandemic.

Watch his new four-minute video online here:


The Reaffirmation of Fair Housing Principles
The Reaffirmation of Fair Housing Principles





All National Association of REALTORS® COVID-19 resources are online here.



Winning the Minds and Hearts of Consumers
        
RISMedia photo

 
   
When brokerage and MLS leaders first came together nearly six years ago to discuss the Broker Public Portal (BPP), I had the good fortune of being in the room.  
 
At the time, real estate search was dominated and operated by ad companies, not brokerage or MLS firms.
 
The Zillows of the world used our listing data to attract consumers and charged us to connect with customers interested in buying the property.  
 
Worse, consumers were relying more on what the ad companies had to say than their agent.  
 
Ad firms were entrenched in the middle, interfering with the relationship between agents and their clients.
 
It was time to win back consumers.  
 
To do that, we had to win back real estate search.
 
Read the excellent RISMedia commentary by Donna Kreps
 
 
 
Right Tools, Right Now 
        
Right Tools, Right Now
 
   
The National Association of REALTORS® has relaunched its Right Tools, Right Now program which offers several business resources - many of which are free to members to help them in their businesses.
 
Right Tools, Right Now offers access to webinars, tips for managing finances, educational resources, and more.
 
 
 
SAR Professional Development 

 
SAR Professional Development 
 
Your SAR Professional Development Committee is pleased to announce we will be holding two virtual classes with local instructors this month - see details below.   
Please be in touch with Tami at the SAR if you have any questions about classes or your license education requirements, by phone at 326-9222 or by email.
 
 
    
 
 


 
NEXT WEEK! 

Tax-Reduction Strategies for the Real Estate Professional - with Maine Shafer with Bradford Tax Solutions.
   
FREE Zoom class
 
Thursday, August 13 
9:30 a.m. - 12:00 noon
No clock hours but great information! 

After this seminar, you'll have what you need to bring to your tax accountant, so you qualify for thousands of dollars more in deductions. 

Please plan to log in at 9:15 a.m. in case you have to download an app or encounter any login issues. Seminar begins promptly at 9:30 a.m.

 
 
 

     
 
 
Purchase & Sale Agreements with Sabrina Jones-Schroeder
 
Zoom class - must be present both days for credit 

Thursday August 20, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
and 
Tuesday, August 25; 8:30 a.m. to noon
 
7.5 clock hours 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
To stay current with your continuing education requirements, please visit The CE Shop - Washington REALTORS®' preferred vendor for online continuing education. 
 
These are state-approved, self-paced courses that you can take in the comfort of your own home or anywhere you have internet access.   





In This Issue
WR Fall Business Virtual Conference
SAR Membership Committee
Counties Paused Indefinitely
Spread Kindness. Not COVID-19
INW Fair Housing Conference
Fair Housing Principles
Winning the Minds and Hearts of Consumers
Right Tools, Right Now
SAR Professional Development
SAR CALENDAR
Race Gap in Spokane Home Ownership
President's Guest Column
SAR REALTOR® Food Drive
SAR REALTOR® Blood Drive
SAR Member Roster Update - June
SAR Market Activity Report - July - NEW!

SAR CALENDAR
 
Click on the calendar image below to see
the current SAR calendar showing dates and times
of classes, committees, and events. 
 
 
 
 
 
Other regional calendars:
 
    
 
 
 
    
Race Gap in Spokane Home Ownership
 
 
 
The survey also revealed that most Spokane voters believe an affordable home to be under $200,000.

But finding a home in an affordable price range can be extremely competitive.  
 
Many first-time home buyer loans and grants are based on an FHA model.  
 
As of this writing, there are roughly 12 homes in all of Spokane for sale that are FHA qualified in an affordable price range.
 
 
   
Read the SAR-sponsored article in the August edition of The Black Lens (pictured above) online here
 
 
 
 
 
President's Guest Column
  
 
 
We have some fun sayings in American English to describe things we think we'll never see.
 
Technically, these expressions are called idioms of improbability, used to denote that a given event is impossible or extremely unlikely to occur.
 
Here are a few of my favorites:
 
When pigs fly.
 
When it's a cold day in July.
 
When interest rates fall below three percent.
 
That last one happened this past week.
 
 
 
Read 2020 SAR President Tom Clark's Guest Column from Sunday's edition of The Spokesman-Review (pictured above) online here
 
 
 
 
 
SAR REALTOR® Food Drive
 
 
 
NEW!
Starts today! 
   
Due to the pandemic this year, we will not be able to staff the grocery stores like we have in the past so we came up with a great alternative.  However, it will only work if we can get enough of us to promote it.
 
This year's event starts today (August 7th) online.
 
Albertsons/Safeway stores will still prepare and sell $5 and $10 bags, as usual, starting September 1st.
 
The event concludes September 18th.    
 
We would like your office to participate in a "Friendly, Fun Food Fight" competition by signing your office up for a GoFundMe page.   
 
The winning office who brings in the most money will be presented a nice wall plaque that the office can keep for the year!   
 
Excited yet? 
 
Every year our Food Drive is one of the largest of the year for 2nd Harvest. They are very much depending on us. With your help, we can make this the biggest "Friendly, Fun Food Fight 2020" competition.  
 
If you have any questions, contact the Chair Judy Flemmer 216-1135 or Tami at the SAR 326-9222.
 
 
 
 
 
 
SAR REALTOR® Blood Drive
   
 
LAST CALL
for preliminary sign up
for REALTOR® Blood Drive 
 
The Inland NW is in critical need of blood donations.   
Because of the shortage, the Spokane Association of REALTORS® will be hosting a  blood drive to help our community.
 
To participate, please click on the button below.  
 
Then, in a few days, you will be sent another link to schedule a time that works for you on the Realtors assigned blood drive day.
 
Thank you!
 
Your SAR SOS (Serving our Spokane) Committee  
Spokane REALTORS® YPN (Young Professionals Network) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SAR Member Roster Update - June

 
 
 
Updated for June
 Click here to view the latest Member Roster Update (pictured above) - approved by the SAR Board of Directors at its most recent meeting.
   
Send a message to Brenda at the SAR with any changes.  
 



SAR Market Activity Report - July     
        

Market Activity Reports  
 
   
 
NEW!
Updated for July
  
 
The SAR Market Activity Report for July is now online.
 
See the latest full report - a member-exclusive product
- and archived full reports, online here.
 
 
 
 
   



See the July 2020Market Snapshot Report
(pictured above) online here.







See the 2020 Year to Date Market Snapshot Report (pictured above),  online here.




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This weekly newsletter is a member benefit of the

SPOKANE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
 1924 North Ash Street 
Spokane, Washington 99205
T: 509. 326.9222
F: 509. 324.8650

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