Capital Area REALTOR® Sept/Oct 2016

R E A LTOR

CAPITAL AREA

®

gcaar.com

Official publication for the Greater Capital Area Assocation of REALTORS®

sept/oct 2016

ARE YOU IN COMPLIANCE? MRIS EXAMPLES

- page 6 NOW OVER 10,000 MEMBERS STRONG!

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014

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HOME OF THE #1 RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE NATIONWIDE 1 HOME OF THE #1 REAL ESTATE BRAND ONLINE2 HOME OF THE INDUSTRY’S TOP AGENTS Partner with a brokerage that feels like home.

CareersCB.com

1. NRT is ranked #1 in both closed residential buyer and/or seller transaction sides and sales volume (calculated by multiplying number of buyer and/or seller transaction sides by the sales price) in 2015 in the U.S. One unit equals one side of a transaction (buyer or seller). Data obtained by REAL Trends Survey, 2016.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is a subsidiary of NRT. Statistics include sides/sales volume for all NRT subsidiaries. 2. comScore, Jan.-Dec. 2015.

Nothing in this document is intended to create an employment relationship. Any affiliation by you with the Company is intended to be that of an independent contractor agent. ©2016 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker is a registered service mark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. 12536MA_7/16

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CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014

R E ALTOR

CAPITAL AREA

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Compliance Questions – p. 6

Silent Auction – p. 12

sept/oct 2016

Night Out with Nats – p. 14

Agent Spotlight – p. 25

features

in every issue

3

Association News

2

Ask the President

4

Don’t Let This Happen to You

5

Affiliate Spotlight

6

Everyday Compliance Questions

10

Membership Corner

9

QUIZ: How Well Do You Know

12

GCAAR Cares

Your REALTOR® Brand?

19

NAR Director’s Report

11

Lower Pricing for CE Classes

13

Code of Ethics Training Due December 31

20

Public Policy

14

GCAAR Happenings

16

REALTOR®Fest 2016 Highlights

28

Housing Statistics

17

Meet Your GCAAR Committees

32

Legal Hotline

23

Coaches’ Corner

34

Education Schedule

25

Agent Spotlight

37

GCAAR in the News

37

Upcoming Events

38

REALTOR ® Toolbox

40

Affiliate Directory

43

Welcome New Members!

48

The Back Porch

27 RPAC

Capital Area REALTOR® (USPS 017-467) is published five times a year by the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®, 15201 Diamondback Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850.

Periodicals postage paid at Rockville, MD. Member subscriptions account for $10 of each member’s annual dues. Annual subscriptions are available to non-members for $25. Subscription inquiries may be sent to Capital Area REALTOR® at the above address.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Capital Area REALTOR®, ATTN: GCAAR, 15201 Diamondback Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850.

The Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS® makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the officers, directors, or staff of the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®.

The Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS® accepts submissions of articles and photographs and the items become the property of the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®. The publisher reserves the right of full editorial authority and to decline publication of any article not deemed proper. Deadline for submissions, including camera-ready advertising, is the first of the month prior to publication.

Reprint with permission only. Reprints may be obtained by contacting the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS® at 301.590.2000; via fax at 301.590.2248; or send an e-mail to bbanks@gcaar.com.

REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies and may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribe to its Code of Ethics.

Copyright ©2016 by the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®.

All rights reserved.

15201 Diamondback Drive, Suite 100 • Rockville, MD 20850 Phone: 301.590.2000 • Fax: 301.590.2248 • gcaar.com Facebook.com/GCAAR2 Twitter@GCAARNow LinkedIn.com/company/958686 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 Instagram.com/GCAAR

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board of directors

ask the president Emails from the National Association of REALTORS® keep telling me to take the online Code of Ethics course to fulfill their “Quadrennial Ethics Requirement.” What does that mean? Didn’t I already take ethics to renew my license?

President-Elect Jamie Coley

President Peg Mancuso

Secretary Tom Daley

Great question and one we get often in years when the NAR requirement is due. All members of the National Association of REALTORS® are required to take a two-and-a-half-hour course in ethics every four years. Starting next year, this requirement will need to be fulfilled every two years. The requirement was put into place to ensure that all members have a good understanding of the NAR Code of Ethics and the obligations they have to clients, fellow agents, and the public.

If you have taken the Maryland Code of Ethics class at GCAAR either to renew your Maryland license or as part of the New Member Orientation, GCAAR has that information in its database and will report your completion of an Ethics class to NAR. If you completed an Ethics class elsewhere, GCAAR requires a Certificate of Completion which contains your name, the name of the school which held the Ethics class, and the date of completion of the class. If you didn’t take New Member Orientation in the last four years and only hold a license in DC, you may not have taken an Ethics course. If this is the case you will need to complete one before December 31, 2016.

Treasurer Tim Knobloch

I’ve heard such amazing things about the networking opportunities on GCAAR committees! Can I join one now?

Immediate Past President Suzanne Des Marais

Chief Executive Officer Mike Moran

Directors

Koki Adasi Thom Brockett Roger Carp Brandon Green Jacque Grenning Susann Haskins

Bill Hounshell Danai Mattison Sky Hildy Pollard Jason Sherman Frank Snodgrass Pat Weed

R E A LTOR

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Managing Editor Bobette Banks

Design & Layout Carla Conway, Uncommon Design

Advertising Representative Robert Silverstein 2 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

You are in luck! The GCAAR committee application process is gearing up to open in October. Watch your email for application announcements. For details on all the committees GCAAR has, visit www.gcaar.com and click on “Get Involved.” If you’re not sure which committee is right for you don’t hesitate to ask questions! Committees are a year-long commitment, each with its own meeting and time obligations. Contact the Chair, Vice Chair, or Staff Liaison for a committee that interests you before you apply to get your questions answereda Committee Appointments will be announced by December 1 and your first meeting will be in January 2017. All committees have oneyear appointments, so don’t forget to reapply if you want to return to a committee on which you currently serve.

association news IN MEMORIAM

Renada Johnson is New DC Office Manager

GCAAR Mourns Loss of Sheilah Scott

GCAAR is pleased to announce Renada Johnson has accepted the position of DC Officer Manager formerly held by Sheilah Scott who passed away in June. Renada joined GCAAR in 2011 as Education Coordinator, and moved into the position of Program Coordinator in the Education Department before accepting her new role in the DC office. We wish her the best of luck in her new position and know that she will continue the legacy left by Sheilah Scott, who will always hold a special place in our hearts.

On June 10, GCAAR lost its beloved DC office manager Sheilah Scott, after her valiant battle with cancer. Sheilah was a dedicated employee for over 30 years, and anyone who visited the DC office was always warmly greeted by her lovely smile, kind disposition, and helpful attitude. She will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate enough to have met her.

L-R: Harrison Beacher with client, Ryan Butler.

Harrison Beacher Featured in VOA China Video Segment on Millennial Buyers in DC GCAAR YPN Committee Vice Chair and 2016 30 Under 30 Winner Harrison Beacher was recently featured in a video segment done by the Voice of America (VOA) China on millennial buyers in DC. VOA, which first went on the air in 1942, is an international multimedia broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors.

VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of 125 million people.

Harrison took his client to one of DC’s hottest neighborhoods, Capital Riverfront, and also to a unit in Capitol Hill.

The segment will air online sometime this fall. Look for info on social media.

Every fall, real estate professionals from across the U.S. and around the world come together for the annual REALTORS® Conference & Expo, which will be held November 4-7 in Orlando, FL This year’s theme is Educate, Innovate, Celebrate.

The conference features: • More than 100 education sessions, featuring nationally-recognized speakers, trainers, and industry experts, who discuss timely topics and critical issues of value to REALTORS®.

• 400 industry vendors at the Trade Expo, the largest trade show floor in real estate, who present the latest innovative tools just for real estate professionals.

• Unlimited networking and referral-building opportunities, includ ing special events, networking lounges, and the Expo show floor.

• Celebrity Concert featuring Daryl Hall and John Oates!

• General Session featuring General Colin Powell.

An event you won’t want to miss! register at realtor.org CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 3

Don’t Let This Happen to You! Joy Liberti, 2015 Chair, Professional Standards Committee

Fidelity to Clients Extends Beyond the Listing Agent

specified that REALTOR® B, in consultation with him, had agreed that $137,900 would be a fair price for the house, and it had been listed at that figure. The complaint also named three different prospective buyers who had told Client A that while looking at the property, REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® C, representing REALTOR® B, when asked the price had said, “It’s listed at $137,900, but I’m pretty sure that an offer of $130,000 will be accepted.”

REALTOR® B and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® C were notified of the complaint and requested to be present at a hearing on the matter scheduled before a Hearing Panel of the Board’s Professional Standards Committee.

Listing a property comes with a lot of responsibility.

We spend a lot of time researching comparables, going to see active listings, exploring trends and market conditions, and discussing strategies with our sellers to come up with a reasonable list price. At times, however, the seller may feel that they can get more for their home than the comparable sales indicate. And even though you believe that the price decision by your seller may be “aggressive,” your duty to the seller requires you to promote the list price in all advertising and in all conversations with the public and other agents unless you have specific, written instructions from your seller. Since all listings belong to your Broker, that duty extends to all of your fellow agents in the same brokerage as well.

Article 1, Duties to Clients and Customers, and Case #1-1, Fidelity to Client, illustrates how important it is for you, and your fellow subagents, to follow the rules of fiduciary responsibility to your clients - loyalty, obedience, confidentiality, disclosure, accounting and care: Client A complained to a Board of REALTORS® that two of its members, REALTOR® B and his sales associate, REALTOR -ASSOCIATE® C, had failed to represent the client’s interests faithfully by proposing to various prospective buyers that a price less than the listed price of a house be offered. His complaint

During the hearing, REALTOR® B confirmed that he had agreed with Client A that $137,900 was a fair price for the house, and that it was listed at that figure. He added that he had asked for a 90-day listing contract as some time might be required in securing the full market value. Client A had agreed to do this,

by Michele Lerner but had indicated that he was interested in selling within a month even if it meant making some concession on the price.

The discussion concluded with an agreement on listing it at $137,900 and with REALTOR® B agreeing to make every effort to get that price for Client A. REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® C said in the hearing that REALTOR® B had repeated the comments of Client A and he, REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® C, had interpreted them as meaning that an early offer of about 10 percent less than the listed price would be acceptable to the seller, Client A. Questioning by the Hearing Panel established that neither REALTOR® B nor REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® C had been authorized to quote a price other than $137,900.

It was the Hearing Panel’s conclusion that REALTOR® B was not in violation of Article 1 since he had no reason to know of REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® C’s actions. The panel did find REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® C in violation of Article 1 for divulging his knowledge that the client was desirous of a rapid sale even if it meant accepting less than the asking price. The panel noted that such a disclosure was not in the client’s best interest and should never be made without the client’s knowledge and consent.

Don’t Let This Happen to You! 4 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

Affiliate Spotlight Debbie Benkert

First Savings Mortgage Corporation Senior Loan Officer How long have you been an Affiliate with GCAAR?

I became an Affiliate member in 2007 and had the honor of becoming the GCAAR Affiliate of the Year in 2011.

What are some of the events you support?

I’ve participated in the REALTOR® Fair/ REALTOR® Fest Events for both GCAAR and DCAR as an exhibitor for many years.

Three years ago I became an instructor for GCAAR and have taught the Financing Issues class during REALTOR® Fest with another Affiliate member, Chris Darby of Counselors Title. In addition to teaching at REALTOR® Fest, I teach 5 different financing classes as well as one GRI class for GCAAR. I have also been an active member of the GCAAR Public Policy committee and was the Vice Chair of the committee in 2010.

Why do you continue to support GCAAR as an Affiliate?

GCAAR not only works on behalf of its members it also works on behalf of homeowners. GCAAR maintains a close eye on local and state legislation and takes an active role in educating elected officials on the impact regulations, tax increases, etc. can have on current and future homeowners as well as those working within the real estate profession. As a mortgage professional and a Montgomery County homeowner, I have directly benefitted from GCAAR’s watchful eye.

How could I not support an organization that has helped improve my life?

What would you say to people considering becoming an Affiliate?

To borrower a Nike phrase – Just Do It! Becoming an Affiliate member has helped me have a better understanding of the complexities involved in being a REALTOR®, it has helped me become a better referral partner, and it has helped me become a better mortgage professional.

Why do you think being a member of GCAAR is important?

I think most Affiliate members join

for the opportunity to network with REALTORS® and grow our busi-

nesses; which certainly is a benefit.

However, the true benefit to becoming a GCAAR member occurs when you get involved. One voice or one action alone cannot effect change but – the strength of the GCAAR

members together does make a

difference and can effect positive

change for our community. I’ve seen that through the work of GCAAR

Cares and their community service

projects and fundraising efforts, and I’ve seen it through the work of the Public Policy committee and Board

of Directors as they strive to promote and protect private property rights.

I’m proud to be a member of an

association where the individual

members advocate the association’s mission statement – to advocate

professional and ethical service to the public and members.

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 5

By Michelle Yam, Manager

MRIS COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE MRIS COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT FIELDS OVER 1,500 QUESTIONS PER MONTH?

Everyday

By Michelle Yam Manager, MRIS Compliance Department

6 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

Which is condo ownership?

Both properties may be condo ownership.

Condo ownership refers to the legal ownership of the property and not the style of the property.

In which remarks type can the following information appear?

Agent (General) remarks or Internet (Public) remarks?

Listing Information Property has alarm system, please contact agent John Doe at (888) 888-8888 to make showing appointment. Seller willing to offer bonus to agent for contract by end of the month. For information on submitting the contract go to www.123mainstreet.com.

The above information can appear in the Agent (General) remarks. This information is prohibited in the Internet (Public) remarks. The Agent remarks are intended to provide information for cooperating brokers such as special showing instructions, third-party sites where a contract must be registered (HUD, VA etc.), special compensation instructions, and excluded prospects. Public remarks must describe the property, not the people in the property or information intended for cooperating brokers.

Compliance Questions

What is wrong with this photo?

Broker and agent branding are not allowed on the images submitted to MRIS or in the virtual tours.

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® CAPITAL AREA REALTOR • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA• REALTOR gcaar.com May/June® — 2016Sept/Oct 2016 7

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Can I call this a bedroom?

While the requirements for a legal bedroom may vary by jurisdiction, bedrooms generally must meet certain minimum requirements.

Here are just some of the requirements that may be applicable in your jurisdiction: • The bedroom must measure a minimum 70 square feet.

• Bedrooms usually require two egresses which must be in compliance with the fire code.

• If a window is one of the two egresses, it cannot be more than 44 inches from the bedroom floor and must have at least 5 square feet of net clear opening for an above grade window.

• A larger window may be required for below grade windows.

• The bedroom must have a heat source.

• Access to a bedroom cannot be through another bedroom.

• Closets may also be required.

Can I use this image?

Most images are copyrighted and you must have the image owner’s permission to use the photo. When you upload an image to MRIS, you agree to the Terms of Use which state that you have the rights to upload the image. If you upload a photo without the image owner’s permission, you may find that you will have to pay royalties to the photographer and reimburse MRIS for any legal expenses incurred.

WANT MORE HELPFUL COMPLIANCE TIPS? Log in to MRIS.com/Compliance to view a number of helpful resources. If you have other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the MRIS Compliance Department at compliance@mris.net or (301) 838-7140. Thanks for helping to keep the MLS data accurate!

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® CAPITAL AREA 2014 2016 8 CAPITAL AREAREALTOR REALTOR• ®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

quiz In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the REALTOR® trademark, take our quiz to find out just how much you know about the REALTOR® industry brand.

Q.1 What does the term REALTOR® mean? o o o o

A. A member of the National Association of REALTORS® B. Any real estate agent holding a current, valid license from his or her state C. A real estate practitioner who participates in a regional MLS (Multiple Listing Service) D. A real estate professional who represents a buyer or a seller

Q.2 What is the preferred format for the trademark? o A. REALTOR®

o B. Realtor o C. realtor

o D. realtor® o E. None of the above

Q.3 Which of the following is the correct representation of the REALTOR® Logo?

Hint: The Membership Marks Manual states: Members and Member Boards must always include the REALTOR® identifier directly below the block “R” when using the REALTOR® Logo.”

o A. blue logo with realty

o C. blue logo incorrect spacing side

o B. blue logo proper form o D. blue logo no ID

Q.4 What is the correct way to pronounce REALTOR®? o A. real-i-tuhr

o B. rill-tuhr

o C. real-tore

o D. real-i-tore

Q.5 Who may use the term REALTOR® in conjunction with his or her name?

o A. Only brokers who are members of NAR o C. Any real estate licensee

Q.6 The term REALTOR® may NEVER be used:

o A. On merchandise (e.g. T-shirts, ball caps) o B. In connection with political activities

o B. Only a member of a REALTOR® association o D. Only real estate brokers o C. On social media

o D. As a job title

Q.7 Which use of the REALTOR® logo is correct? o A.

Q.8

Q.9

o B.

o C.

Which use of the term REALTOR® is correct o A. Jane Smith, Commercial REALTOR®

o B. Sheila Johnson, Your Hometown REALTOR®

o D.

o C. John Jones, Your Local REALTOR® o D. Jack Miller, REALTOR®

Which of these is an INCORRECT use of the term “REALTOR®” in a website address for a member named John Smith? o A. www.johnsmithrealtor.com o C. www.realtorjohnsmith.com o B. www.localrealtorjohn.com o D. They are all incorrect; “REALTOR®” may never be used in a website URL

Q.10

o

o

o

o

What can REALTORS® do to protect NAR’s trademarks?

A. Lead by example: never use the term “REALTOR®” interchangeably with “real estate agent” B. Report misuses to their local association C. Educate the public about what the term REALTOR® means D. All of the above CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 9 Correct answers on page 17

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 9

membership corner

2017

GCAAR Annual Dues DEADLINE: Wednesday, November 30, 2016

FOR BILLING INQUIRIES Please contact our Accounting Department at (301) 590-8781 or at membershiprecords@gcaar.com.

Your 2017 GCAAR Annual Dues invoice was posted online at gcaar.com on October 1. Unlike MRIS, GCAAR does not keep credit card account information on file; all payment account details must be submitted each billing cycle.

GCAAR accepts all major credit cards (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa), personal/corporate checks, and money orders. We do not accept cash payments for dues.

GCAAR DOES NOT TAKE PAYMENTS OVER THE PHONE Payment options include:

GCAAR thanks you for your continued support!

F PAYING WITH A CREDIT/DEBIT CARD ONLINE at gcaar.com, where your invoice may be viewed, printed, and paid using our secure online payment system. You will receive an instant e-mail receipt if payment attempt is successful.

F FAXING a credit/debit card payment directly to our Accounting Department at: (301) 296-2188 F MAILING payment to our Rockville location below:

GCAAR

Attn: Annual Dues

15201 Diamondback Drive, Suite 100

Rockville, MD 20850 F PAYING IN PERSON at either of our office locations (Rockville or Washington, DC). Please consult our website for hours of operation. (Our Rockville location is open most Saturdays to provide service to our members.)

Payments postmarked on or before November 30, 2016, and received after this date, will not be considered timely. Payment must be received at GCAAR offices or paid online at gcaar.com by close of business (5:00pm), November 30. The easiest, quickest, and most secure way to pay your dues is online at gcaar.com.

As of December 1, 2016, all outstanding accounts will incur a $25 late fee.

If payment is not received by December 31, 2016, a $150 reinstatement fee will be placed on outstanding accounts. At that time, membership privileges, including SentriLock card services, will be suspended until full payment is received.

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® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 10 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

association news New Member Orientation At the recent New Member Orientation we asked the following question:

What was the most important thing you learned in your New Member Orientation class?

Erica Broady Wise Agent Realty

“Attending the New Members Orientation class was beneficial in many facets. My biggest take away was all the member benefits and career development that are available to me as a member of GCAAR, not to mention all of the useful “tools of the trade.” The opportunity to network and learn from seasoned REALTORS® also was a bonus.”

Stephen A. Jones Keller Williams Capital Properties

“I was very pleased to learn about the access to real estate books and statistical information available electronically through NAR!”

t

Did You Know?

As of October 1, GCAAR has rolled back the pricing on all of its continuing education (CE) classes to provide you with the high quality education you have come to expect from GCAAR for a fraction of the cost!

HOW ARE WE ABLE TO DO THIS? The National Association of REALTORS® made the decision to offer zipForm® as a benefit to its entire membership at their expense rather than GCAAR’s.

Here is the new pricing structure:

CE Classes

CE Classes

Four Hours or Less

Greater Than Four Hours

$10

$50

Early bird pricing

Early bird pricing

On-site/walk-in pricing

On-site/walk-in pricing

$25

$75

Please note This pricing is in effect starting October 1, 2016 for CE classes only.

Visit gcaar.com for class titles and times and be sure to take advantage of some of the lowest prices for CE in the region.

TO LEARN MORE please contact us at education@gcaar.com.

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GCAAR Cares

Ahoy Mates! L-R: J.D. Teitelman, First Savings Mortgage; GCAAR Cares Vice Chair Dina Paxenos, GCAAR Cares Committee Chair Michael Fowler.

Silent Auction Enjoys Another Successful Year at REALTOR® Fest GGCAAR Cares’ 7th Annual GCAAR Cares Silent Auction enjoyed another successful year at REALTOR® Fest on July 18. The Cares Committee displayed nearly 75 auction items, raising more than $7,800. An added attraction this year was the addition of sports and movie memorabilia which garnered lots of foot traffic and high bidding!

Thanks to everyone, particularly our GCAAR Cares

Committee, Silent Auction subcommittee, members, donors, and staff, for making this year’s silent auction another wonderful event and great success!

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® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 12 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

Pampering treats on display.

We are grateful for your support of this year’s event

GCAAR Cares

Memorabilia items were popular at this year’s auction.

Have You Completed Your Code of Ethics Training?

You only have until December 31 to complete your Code of Ethics training!

REALTORS® are required to complete ethics training of not less than 2 hours, 30 minutes of instructional time within an NAR-mandated cycle. The training must meet specific learning objectives and criteria established by the National Association of REALTORS®. The ethics training tests REALTORS® on NAR Code of Ethics concepts, identifying code violations, and enforcement of professional standards.

Failure to meet the requirement will result in suspension of membership for the first two months (January and February) of the year following the end of a cycle or until the requirement is met, whichever occurs sooner. On March

1 of that year, the membership of a member who is still suspended as of that date will be automatically terminated.

Training may be completed through local REALTOR® Associations, via realtor.org, or through another method, such as home study, correspondence, classroom courses, or online courses. Maryland Code of Ethics classes are available here at GCAAR. Enroll today at gcaar.com.

If you have fulfilled the training requirement through any method outside of GCAAR, you must submit a certificate of completion or transcript to education@gcaar.com.

Questions? Contact education@gcaar.com.

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GCAAR happenings Night with the Nats Popular GCAAR Destination The Washington Nationals stadium proved to be a popular destination this summer as GCAAR’s YPN and Events Committees hosted fun nights on July 23 and August 24 respectively.

August 24 L-R: Mike Patton, Kathy Fleskes, KC Chronopoulos, Scott Raba and Janice Young.

July 23 L-R: Jake Ryon, Brooke Lowry, Zach Bodine.

July 23 L-R: Chris Kearney, Chris Saabye, Tyler Siperko, and Shane Gaboury.

August 24 Above: Ed Wood, DCAR Past President.

L-R: GCAAR Past President Greg Ford and Greg Page.

July 23 L-R: David Munson, Rob Rothstein, and Todd Greenbaum.

14 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

July 23 L-R: Jessica Evans and Morgan Grace Swersey.

GCAAR happenings Women’s Council of REALTORS® Shrimp Boil Draws a Crowd The Women’s Council of REALTORS® (Greater Capital Area Chapter) had a packed house at their Shrimp Boil and Chapter Social at Mrs. K’s Toll House in Silver Spring on August 4. Guests enjoyed a picture perfect summer evening as they dined on a delicious seafood supper, networked with colleagues, met new friends, and supported Shepherd’s Table with a donation of toiletries.

Thanks to Our Sponsors! L-R: Mark Shrader, Millenium Title; Darren Soodak, BancStar Mortgage; Philip Kirlew, ServPro- Kensington, MD; Tara Houston, eXp Realty; Mike Houston, eXp Realty. Not pictured: Terry Crawford, Old Republic Warranty; Juan Campos, SMART Realty.

L-R: Juan Campos, SMART Realty, Darren Soodak, BancStar Mortgage; and Erica Romero, Re/Max Excellence Realty.

GCA WCR Officers: L-R: Maria Robinson, Ways and Means Committee Chair; Gwen Henderson, Past President; Holly Buchanan, Secretary; Jackie Bennett, 2016 President; Ed Rosenthal, Treasurer; GCAAR CEO Mike Moran; Elois Wiggins, President-Elect; Linda Kibunja, VP of Membership.

Established as a Toll House in 1820, Mrs. K’s has been serving the DC Metro area as a restaurant for nearly 100 years.

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 15

REALTOR® Fest 2016 Almost 800 real estate professionals received CE credits and professional development in one day at REALTOR® Fest, GCAAR’s annual education summit, on July 18. Attendees enjoyed the largest trade show to date with close to 120 vendors! New this year were two panels: the 30 Under 30 Panel, featuring some of the industry’s rising stars, and the Legends Panel, where industry veterans shared what’s worked and not worked for them over the years and how to be successful in real estate.

GCAAR was proud to support two organizations - Miriam’s Kitchen, dedicated to ending homelessness in DC, and Comfort Cases, an organization that provides backpacks for children in foster care.

786 REALTOR® attendees • Raised over $7,800 at the Silent Auction • Awarded 3,070 CE credits

Thank you to all of our sponsors, exhibitors, instructors and attendees for their support of this year’s event.

Don’t miss REALTOR® Fest 2017!

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Meet Your GCAAR Committee

Events Events Committee The Events Committee plans and executes GCAAR events, including soliciting and securing sponsors for REALTOR® Fest, presentations highlighting developments in the DC metro area, and networking events.

Chair: Sara Demb Goldstein Vice Chair: Mary DeRose Davis Staff liaison: Hakeema Shorter

L-R: Pushpa Mittal, Chris Suranna, Jessica Olevsky, Fred Dorsey, Bill Rozek, Ellie Shorb, Hakeema Shorter, Staff Liaison. Front L-R: Mary DeRose Davis, Vice Chair; Sara Demb Goldstein, Chair.

Not pictured: Cassey Coulibaly, Aylin Gokce, Danai Mattison Sky, Kerry Roth.

We are grateful for your commitment to serve.

Answers to Quiz from page 9 1. A – A member of the National Association of REALTORS® 2. A – REALTOR® 3. B – blue logo proper form 4. C – real-tore 5. B – Only a member of a REALTOR® association 6. C – As a job title 7. D – Correct REALTOR® logo

8. D – Jack Miller, REALTOR® 9. D – They are all incorrect; “REALTOR®” may never be used in a website URL 10. D – All of the above

17

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 17

SMART CONSUMERS. SMARTER YOU.

BRING YOUR EXPERTISE TO THE ONLINE SPACE

BY EARNING NAR’s e-PRO® CERTIFICATION.

> M A XI M I Z E YO U R O N L INE PR ES ENCE > E XPA N D YO U R RE A CH

The rapid pace of real estate technology and the digitally connected consumer makes it tough to stay one step ahead.

NAR’s e-PRO® certification puts you back in the driver’s seat. This two-day, hands-on program simplifies the complex world of online real estate technology. You’ll learn how to leverage proven techniques and tools that will connect you with consumers who are seeking a tech-savvy partner for their home buying or selling.

The technology won’t wait. You shouldn’t either.

REGISTER TODAY > epronar.com

18

® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 16 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

> E XP E RI E N CE T H E P O W ER O F T E CH N O L O G Y— S I M P LIF IED

NAR Director’s Report Suzanne Des Marais GCAAR Immediate Past President

Upcoming Events Don’t forget to register for the upcoming

NAR Convention and Trade Show, November 4 – 7 in Orlando!

NAR Identifies Top Markets Where Renters Can Afford to Buy The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has one of the most robust and prolific housing economics groups in the country. If you need to know more about your buyers, sellers, or fellow REALTORS®, NAR’s Economist’s Blog is a fantastic resource that you can tap. In their latest HOME survey, NAR’s research delves into the impact that student debt has on today’s renters and what it means for their future as homeowners. Here’s an excerpt of the findings.

Read the full report on realtor.org.

This annual event is a great opportunity to meet

REALTORS® from across the country, learn some-

thing new, and celebrate the hard work you put in every day.

The HOME survey for the second quarter of 2016 revealed that carrying student debt is causing many to be uneasy about taking on additional debt. According to the survey, roughly two-thirds of non-homeowners and half of respondents under 35 with student debt said they aren’t comfortable also having a mortgage. Of those with student debt, non-homeowners and younger adults were less likely to believe they’d be able to qualify for a mortgage if they applied.

educate innovate Orlando 2016

®

REALTORS Conference &Expo November 4 - 7, 2016 | Orlando, Florida

Register now REALTOR.org/Conference

While many renters may not think they should take on more debt, NAR’s research uncovered that 25% of renters in the Washington Metropolitan area could afford to buy a home in 2015. This group included over 200,000 current renters with household incomes above the $100,000 they would need to qualify to purchase a median-priced home.

Housing for All Symposium in DC

Don’t Miss!

As REALTORS®, we are all committed to our communities. NAR is no different. NAR’s neighborhood blankets the entire country, and your national association is dedicated to addressing homelessness and the growing housing insecurity.

General Colin L. Powell will provide the Keynote Address for the Nov. 5 General Session.

On July 18, NAR convened a “Housing for All” Symposium in DC to address affordable homeownership issues across the country. More than a half million people experience homelessness in America on any given night, and the National Association of REALTORS® is looking for ways to help. Symposium attendees learned how to engage stakeholders on housing initiatives, exchanged ideas for driving meaningful change in the community, and heard from experts about the state of homelessness in America. As part of the event, REALTORS® assembled 30,000 “Meals for Hope” at NAR headquarters for distribution to the homeless.

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 19

public policy Montgomery County GCAAR Defeats Ban on Signs in Public Right-of-Way The Montgomery County Council proposed legislation this summer that would have made it harder for REALTORS® to do business in the County. The Zoning Text Amendment was set to ban signs in the public right-of-way, including all “Open House,” “Home for Sale,” and “New Homes” signs.

Thanks to advocacy efforts by GCAAR, there will be no new sign ban! After considering our opposition to the legislation, the Council decided to take no action and did not vote on the legislation.

Here’s what we did to make your voices heard: • We sat down with the Council to educate them on the importance of signs in the real estate industry.

• We testified in OPPOSITION to the bill at the public hearing, stressing that signs are critical to the real estate industry and the County clients we serve. A wholesale ban on signs would severely limit public communication.

• GCAAR members voiced their opposition in droves and let the Council know how critical it was for them to use signs in their advertisements.

Real estate brokerages estimate that 35 percent of consumers who attended an open house did so based solely on a directional sign. That number jumps up to 74 percent of consumers who buy a home within 6 months of attending an open house.

REALTORS® are encouraged to continue abiding by the current regulations— you must still apply for and get a permit for temporary signs in the public rightof-way. Learn more at permittingservices.montgomerycountymd.gov

GCAAR’S Position Signs are vital to REALTORS® and their clients. If signs are regulated in a reasonable manner, they are a safe way to communicate effectively with the public.

REMEMBER

At the end of the day— Don’t forget to take down your signs!

20

® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 20 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

New Radon Testing Requirement Now in Effect On October 1, 2016, a new Montgomery County law went into effect requiring single-family homes in Montgomery County be tested for radon with an approved device less than a year before the property’s transaction settlement date. The law requires the seller to perform the test or permit the buyer to do so. The test results will be disclosed to both seller and buyer.

GCAAR maintained vehement opposition to mandatory testing requirements and was successful in passing a number of amendments, including exemptions for sellers in a foreclosure sale, transfer of property in an estate, or sale to a buyer planning to demolish the home.

GCAAR also fought to ensure the new requirements could be met with proper use of a consumer-friendly radon test kit. Baseline kits start at around $25, with more sophisticated kits at higher prices.

There are no remediation requirements.

For a list of approved radon test kits or questions about the new law, visit the Montgomery Department of Environmental Protection at montgomerycountymd.gov/ dep or call 240.777.0311.

public policy District of Columbia DC Housing Protections for Ex-Offenders Helping citizens successfully reintegrate into the community after incarceration is a much discussed issue in DC. HUD recently issued federal guidance urging caution when using criminal history policies or practices to make housing decisions.

The DC Council is considering local legislation to limit rental housing providers’ ability to make inquiries about arrests or criminal accusation. DCAR testified in support of helping ex-offenders successfully reintegrate into the community. Given the new HUD regulations, we support making local laws consistent with federal law. Some form of the legislation is expected to move forward this Fall and DCAR will work to ensure any local law is streamlined and can be implemented uniformly.

In the meantime, NAR recommends review of HUD’s guidance. Here are some general points you should know:

Dos

Dont’s

• Be sure to have clear, specific reasoning for the criminal history-based policy/practice that can be supported by evidence.

• Don’t maintain a policy/practice, or any portion thereof, that does not serve a substantial, legitimate, nondiscriminatory interest.

• Exclude individuals only based on criminal convictions that present a demonstrable risk to resident safety or property.

• Don’t create exclusions based on arrest records alone.

• Consider the nature and severity of an individual’s conviction before excluding the individual based on the conviction.

• Consider the amount of time that has passed since the criminal conduct occurred.

• Don’t create a blanket exclusion of any person with any conviction record.

• Don’t provide inconsistent explanations for the denial of a housing application.

• Don’t use comparable criminal history differently for individuals of protected classes.

• Treat all applicants for housing equally, regard- less of protected characteristics.

Source: NAR Legal Affairs Department. Criminal History-Based Procedures and Policies.

For informational purposes only and not to be taken as formal legal advice. You should always consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction if you have questions about proper procedures.

21

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 21

t

public policy LEARN MORE AT: realtor.org

on the Hill Relief for Condo Purchasers – New Federal Law President Obama has signed into law the “Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act,” which includes reforms to current Federal Housing Administration (FHA) restrictions on condominium financing.

The new law addresses a number of concerns regarding FHA’s condo rules, including: • Reduces the FHA condo owner occupancy ratio to 35 percent, unless FHA takes alternative action within 90 days.

• Directs FHA to streamline the condo re-certification process.

• Provides more flexibility for mixed use buildings.

• Mirrors the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) rules regarding private transfer fees for FHA condo lending.

• Provides permanent authority for direct endorsement for approved lenders to approve Rural Housing Service (RHS) loans.

• Makes reforms to federally assisted housing programs to streamline the programs.

The legislation had wide spread support from REALTORS® and will be one of NAR’s biggest successes in 2016.

We brought the issue to Capitol Hill as part of the REALTOR® Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo in May, and our emailed Calls for Action had record response rates.

Because of your voice and support, homeownership is closer to reality for many!

22

® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 22 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

t

COACHES’ CORNER

Got a question for our coaches?

Send it to: communications@gcaar. com and it may be featured in an issue of Capital Area REALTOR®

We’ve asked two of the top real estate coaches the following question.

Take a look at what they have to say.

Q:

What is the number one mistake you see REALTORS® commonly making?

JULIE YOUNGBLOOD Julie was born and raised in Southern Nevada

and comes from a family that has been in the real estate industry for over 35 years. At an early age, Julie knew real estate was her passion. She has been engaged with her local association through various committees including, Community Outreach, Grievance, Professional Standards, YPN, Finance, Faculty, has served on the Board of Directors, and is a Trustee for the Nevada Association of REALTORS®’ Leadership Program. She runs Youngblood Coaching & Consulting, a coaching firm for real estate professionals. The objective is to give agents the tools they need to hit their goals. Julie was recently recognized nationally by Inman News as one of the “25 Best Real Estate Coaches in 2016.”

The most common mistake I see REALTORS® making is that once they “get busy” they forgo everything that got them there, essentially securing themselves a front row seat on the “Real Estate Roller Coaster.”

We’ve all done it; we get really excited about appointment and lead generation. We focus on it and with the right skill set, in just a few days or weeks we’ve generated some business. Now we’re off to the races! Listing appointments to prepare for, buyers to show homes to. That leads into properties to put into the MLS, signs to order, ads to write, home inspections to schedule, escrows to open, paperwork to follow up on, commission instructions to sign... you name it and suddenly it has become SO PRESSING that it’s somehow more important than the work we put in to actually generate our new found flurry of production.

We close a few deals and cash a few checks, and then...our business is a ghost town again. At this point we go one of two directions. We get back on the phone and generate some more business or, we wallow in how good it was and try to figure out why it stopped.

The truth about real estate is that consistency will set you free in this business.

As we grow and get busy, we must never forget the activities that we do daily that got us to that point. It’s truly a 90-day cycle in this industry. That being said, focusing on business you’ve already generated at the expense of creating more business opportunity is most certainly one way to make this business a roller coaster of financial and emotional uncertainty for yourself and those that you support through this business.

So, if you’re not getting paid today, ask yourself this: How many meaningful real estate conversations did I have 90 days ago? If the answer is ZERO, then you can choose to get consistent with your appointment and lead generation.

Stick to the program when you get busy.

Enroll an accountability partner at your office, one who won’t buy into your excuses. Ask your spouse, children, family, loved ones to help out with accountability. Make sure they understand it’s about holding you accountable to the daily activities-not the results. What do I mean by that?

GOOD Accountability Question: How many real estate conversations did you have today with NEW people?

BAD Accountability Question: Did you sell a house today?

GOOD Accountability Question: What script did you practice today?

BAD Accountability Question: Why didn’t you sell a house today?

In short, don’t forget where you came from. Lead/appointment generation is your job. Do it every day, and you’ll always be in business!

CANDY MILES-CROCKER “The Real-Life REALTOR®, coaches, mentors

and trains new and experienced real estate agents to transform their business by mastering her proven systems for success. She is a firm believer in managing expectations and her goal is to elevate the perception of real estate agents among the general public through education so every client has an amazing real estate experience. Candy’s unique training methods have shown agents what it takes to be successful! Inman News selected Candy as one of the Top 25 Real Estate Coaches in 2016. Learn more at www.RLRETraining.com.

Contrary to popular belief, being a REALTOR® means you are a small business owner. Sure you are affiliated with a broker, but you have to decide how you’re going to run your business. Only you get to determine what days and times you will work, what clients you will work with and how you will market your business.

When agents aren’t experiencing success it is usually because they aren’t putting in the time and doing the work. Just because you can set your own hours doesn’t mean that you don’t have a work schedule. Are you going to work seven days a week? Are you going to work eight hours a day? With no one standing over you telling you when to work it is far too easy not to work or to work sporadically. We all have periods of time where we do “busy work.” These are activities that give the appearance that you are working when in actuality, they aren’t income producing activities. Stop fooling yourself and put yourself on a daily schedule. Time block your activities to be most productive. Remember, activities will take as much time as you give them.

Hopefully you are in business to make a profit. How will you market yourself to get and keep people in your pipeline? How will you determine your marketing budget and how will you analyze what’s working and what’s not?

Real estate agents tend to spend money without keeping track of the results of that spending. Take the time to track where your business is coming from and what marketing activities are giving you the best return on your investment. Whether new or experienced, agents need to understand that they need to treat their business like a business. Put yourself on a schedule, know and watch your numbers and when you work, be intentional.

23

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 23

24

® CAPITAL AREAREALTOR REALTOR • Sept/Oct CAPITAL AREA • May/Jun 2014 2016 ®

Agent Spotlight MEET UZOMA MAKING A MARK IN THE COMMUNIT Y Parks are the jewels in our community; they are where we can escape from the daily grind of life in the city. Parks not only are critical to our health and well-being, they contribute to a healthy environment, act as a hub for our community, and help increase property values. Ensuring our parks are clean, green and vibrant is a priority of mine.

Whitfield Chapel Park is located in Lanham, Maryland and is not far from my office. In fact, I drive past it several times a day. The exterior of the park had been neglected for years and its neglect took away from the community.

While the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) won the prestigious 2015 National Gold Medal Award for excellence in Parks and Recreation Management, they did not maintain Whitfield Chapel Park to the same standard as the majority of Maryland’s great parks for the community to enjoy.

with elected local officials and various State and local government departments “ Iforworked several months to encourage them to become better stewards of the Whitfield Chapel

Park. Since, M-NCPPC improved the exterior of the park, community members have provided positive feedback on the improved appearance and are using the park a lot more.

I am still pushing for more improvements to the maintenance of the park.

”

While engaging in efforts to improve the park, I attended the Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) at the Maryland Association of REALTORS® and earned that designation. I followed that accomplishment by passing the MD and DC broker exams. I am now an associate broker with Fairfax Realty but I look forward to establishing my own brokerage at some point in the future.

Uzoma Olumba, GRI, Fairfax Realty

HAVE A STORY YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? Send it to: communications@gcaar.com.

25

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 25

Samson Properties Opens Bethesda Office 6701 Democracy Blvd. Suite 150, Bethesda, MD 20817

OVER O 12000

REALTORS Have Joined In

® ®

COMMISSIONS

ion New Locaetsda In BeFFthICES O EN! NOW OP

No Monthly Fees F O R A L L R E A LT O R S ®

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®

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12 Samson Properties Locations: • Alexandria • Bethesda • Chantilly • Culpeper • Falls Church • Fredericksburg

• Gainesville • Lake Ridge • Lansdowne • Locust Grove • Tysons • Vienna

703-896-5869

Contact Danny Samson Today dsamson@SamsonProperties.net | www.SamsonProperties.net

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With Samson Properties, your phone number is the MOST VISIBLE number on your yard sign.

Samson Properties

provides all our agents the “Agent/Company Showcase” plan so your Realtor.com profile and your Listings may be enhanced and ‘Showcased.’ (approx. $900 Value Annually)

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We hope to show you enough goodwill that you will consider our in-house Lender & Title company.

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• FREE: 30 – 4-page COLOR LISTING BROCHURES, Printing & Delivery • FREE: ALL Samson listings are now “Featured Properties Listings” on “Listingbook” EVERYDAY your listing is on the market (normally $24.95 per week per listing) • FREE: Unlimited “Listingbook Open House Flyers” ($24.95 Value per Open House) • FREE: Copies: color & black & white (listing flyers & small jobs) large color jobs at 10¢ each (promotion, farming, etc.)

• FREE: 70 Marketing Dollars Per Million Closed Monthly • FREE: 100 large color postcards mailed to renters for Open Houses • FREE: Electronic Newsletter • FREE: Drop-in desks & printers available for use • FREE: Runners for helping with errands, deliveries • FREE: 1-on-1 business development planning (11:30am) • FREE: Customized Listing Presentation • FREE: Over 120 hours of online video training on sales contracts and technology training - Learn at your own pace

Over 1,300 Professional Agents Licensed in VA, MD & DC

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26

® www.SamsonProperties.net CAPITAL AREA • May/Jun 2014 2016 CAPITAL AREAREALTOR REALTOR • May/June ®

• FREE: $1,000 recruiting bonus • FREE: Electronic file submission • VALUE ADD: “SHOWCASE” your listing on Realtor.com ($30/Listing)

Full Management and Broker support at all times Private offices available from $200 per month © 2016 All Rights Reserved, Samson Properties, Samson Companies LLC

Realtor Party ®

Thank You RPAC Investors Platinum “R”

Sterling “R”

Dale Ross

Koki Adasi

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Allen Reiver

GCAAR

David Cox

Colin Johnson

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Robert Crawford

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Catherine Czuba

Tim Knobloch

Randy Rothstein

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William H. Highsmith, Jr.

Leigh Reed

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Michelle Yu

Golden “R” Bonnie Casper Ed Krauze Carole Maclure

Thank you to the many members who already support RPAC!

Capital Club ($250-$999)

Joe Detrick

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Kevin Breckenridge

Gwen Henderson

Rob Rothstein

Jan Brito

Amy Klein

Marie Shannon

Join with thousands of

Thom Brockett

Jeremy Lichtenstein

P. Joy Siegel

your fellow REALTORS®

Margaret Bryant

Sam Lin

Marty Stanton

by making the investment

Nathan Carnes

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today! You can invest

Lori Connor

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online at gcaar.com.

Judy Cranford

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RPAC is your ‘political E&O insurance’

*As of September 26, 2016

27

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 27

housing statistics

by Fred Flick, PhD, Consultant/Housing Economist

MONTGOMERY COUNTY & DC Montgomery County Sales Market

The July combined (single-family and condo/coop) sales market was in negative territory compared to a year ago. For all types of properties, the total sold dollar volume was over $649.2 million – a decline of 5% from a year ago. Similarly for unit sales, there were 1,250 closed sales, down 1.1% from a year before. The average sold price this July was $519,384 – declining 4% from a year before; however, the median sold price of $425,000 rose 1.2%. Average days on the market totaled 45, down 2% from a year ago; while, the typical or median number of 22 days was up about 5%.

Single-Family Listings and Inventory 7/15 - 7/16 Single-Family Listings and Inventory 7/15 - 7/16

3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0

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Single-Family Homes Through mid-summer, the single-family

sales market in Montgomery County has been doing well. Through July, year-to-date single-family settlements (5,831) were 7.5% over those for the same period in 2015; furthermore, year-to-date contracts (6,525) were up 4.6%. However, the July monthly results show some slippage from this time last year. July settlements (961) were down 2.9% compared to a year before, and new contracts for the month (953) were lower by 2.4%.

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Montgomery County Single-Family Prices: - 7/2016 Montgomery County Single-Family Prices: 2007 -2007 7/2016 $650,000

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$500,000

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Inventory still remains a problem and is on the decline from a year ago. At the end of July, 2,319 active property listings were down over 15% from the same period in 2015. For the month of July, there were 1,069 new listings and they were down almost 17%.

This year, at the July contracts pace, there was only a 2.4-months supply of active listings. This is improved from earlier in the year, where the figures were usually below 2 months. Nevertheless, the great supply shortage continues.

28

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Single-Family Contracts andand Settlements Single-Family Contracts Settlements7/15 7/15--7/16 7/16

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® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 28 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Average

2012

2013

2014

2015 Jul-16

Median

Nevertheless, the year-to-date price picture has been decent, rising above that of 2015. In 2015, the average sales price was $569,364 and the median was $450,995. Through July, the single-family average and median prices were $577,113 and $467,000, respectively. The average was up by almost 1.4%, and the median rose by 3.6% from 2015. At this point we are above the record annual peaks for 2014 ($576,205 and $460,000) and possibly could set another record if prices are maintained.

housing statistics Condominiums and Cooperatives

The County condominium and cooperative unit sales market, yearto-date, is performing slightly better than the single-family market.

And, its price performance is also better. Through July, year-todate settlements (1,783) were up 9% from the same period in 2015.

Furthermore, year-to-date contracts (1,934) rose 6.4% from a year before. July monthly performance was mixed. Settlements (293) rose nearly 7% from a year before; but, monthly contracts (275) dropped by almost 6%.

$315,000 $295,000 $275,000 $255,000 $235,000 $215,000

$175,000

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Average

2012

2013

2014

2015

Jul-16

Median

Washington, DC Sales Market

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Condo/coop inventory performance has been better than inventory for the single-family market. July total actives (682) were down only 6.4% from the level of a year ago; and, monthly new listings (347) slipped about 3% from July 2015. Based on the July contracts rate, there was a 2.5 months supply of listings. All through 2015, inventory had trouble breaking the 2.5-month barrier, and this problem continues well into 2016. This most recent figure is better than the rates for this spring.

Condo/Coop Listings and Inventory 7/15 - 7/16 Condo/Coop Listings and Inventory 7/15 - 7/16

800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

$335,000

$195,000

Condo/Coop Contracts Settlements 7/15 - 7/16 Condo/Coop Contracts andand Settlements 7/15 - 7/16 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

Montgomery County Condo/Coop - 7/2016 Montgomery County Condo/Coop Prices:Prices: 2007 -2007 7/2016

The District of Columbia’s July market (single-family and condo/ coops) slipped almost double-digits from a year ago. The total dollar volume of over $499.9 million was down 9.3% from July 2015.

In parallel, total closed sales came in at 757 units and they were down 7.8%. The July average sold price of $660,481 slipped 1.7%; but, the monthly median sold price of $570,000 rose 3.6% from a year before. On average, properties turned over more slowly in July. The average 30 days on the market were up 3.5% from last July. The median figure of only 11 days was unchanged.

Single-Family Homes The Washington, DC single-family mar-

ket, through July, has been doing well in both unit sales and prices.

Year-to-date settlements (2,520) edged up by 2.8% and contracts (2,788) rose 3.7% from July 2015. On a monthly basis, the July results were mixed. July new settlements (388) dropped by 10.4%.

However, new monthly contracts (386) grew by 3.2% compared to a year before.

Single-Family Contracts and Settlements 7/15 - 7/16 Single-Family Contracts and Settlements 7/15 - 7/16 Single-Family Contracts and Settlements 7/15 - 7/16 600 600 500 500 400 400 300 300

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Nevertheless, sales of higher end condo-coops continue to support average prices. Through July, the average price of $288,691 increased by 4.8% from that of 2015. Also, the median of $230,000 rose by almost 3.7%. In 2015, the yearly average price was $275,456, and was up 3.4% from that of 2014. Through mid-summer, the higher priced units now seem to be appreciating at a slightly faster rate.

200 200 100 100 00

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Single-family inventory has been doing much better than last year at this time. Through July, active listings totaled 644 homes, up 10% from last July. The recent monthly figures show 483 new listings – but these are up less than 1%. By the end of 2015, the active listing

29

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 29

housing statistics Condo/Coop Contracts and Settlements 7/15 - 7/16 Condo/Coop Contracts and Settlements 7/15 - 7/16

MONTGOMERY COUNTY & DC inventory totaled about 550 properties, 6% above December 2014; so there has been an upward trend in the inventory. So far this year, the peak was about 680 single-family properties. In July, there was only about a 1.7-months supply and that has been the pace for most of 2015.

Single-Family Listings and Inventory 7/15 -7/16 Single-Family Listings and Inventory 7/15 -7/16 Single-Family Listings and Inventory 7/15 -7/16

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Condo/Coop Listingsand and Inventory - 7/16 Condo/Coop Listings Inventory 7/157/15 - 7/16 1000 750 A A

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D D

J J

F F

M M

A A

M M

J J

J J

Inventory Inventory

Earlier in the year, single-family prices appeared to have peaked in 2015. However, 2016 year-to-date prices are up and may set a new record if the market holds up. Through this July, the single-family average and median prices were $793,557 and $678,000, respectively. These are up 1% and 2.5% from 2015. In 2015, the average price was $785,682 and the median was $661,750. Clearly, the rate of appreciation seems to be slowing down and whether 2016 sets a new record is yet to be determined.

District of Columbia Single-Family District of Columbia Single-FamilyPrices: Prices:2007 2007-- 7/2016 7/2016 $900,000 $800,000 $700,000 $600,000 $500,000 $400,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Jul-16 Average

Condominiums and Cooperatives

Median

The year-to-date District of Columbia condominium and cooperative market showed positive unit sales and increasing prices.

Through July, 2,448 settlements rose 6% above the pace for the same period in 2015. Similarly, year-to-date contracts (2,716) were 5% above a year before. However, the monthly figures were mixed.

30

J

Contracts

Listings Listings

$300,000

400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 30 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

500 250 0

J

A

S

O

N

D

Listings

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

Inventory

July monthly settlements (371) declined over 4% but, monthly contracts (395) edged up 2.6% from July 2015.

The supply of inventory seems to be going in the negative direction. Through July, the 655 total actives were 3.8% below those of a year before. And, for the month of July there were only 463 new listings – down just over 1% from a year ago. Unfortunately, at the end of July there was only about 1.7-months supply of properties.

This is up just a bit from the spring numbers. The inventory drought continues.

Listings supply has been incredibly tight, and this is likely contributing to the rise in property prices. Through July of this year, the average priced condominium and coop unit sold for $499,164 and that is up almost 1.7% from the 2015 levels. There is an even better story for the mid-priced units. Median prices through July rose 2.3% from the 2015 figure. If the recent trend continues, 2016 might surpass the previous peak 2015 prices.

National Resale Market The 2015 national market showed

solid performance throughout the year, up about 6.3% from 2014.

Through this June, total existing home sales (single-family and condominiums and cooperatives) came in at 5.57 million units at a seasonally adjusted and annualized rate (saar). These figures are up 1.1% from the May rate, but only 3% from the June 2015 rate. On

an annual basis, the median resales price for 2015 was $222,400 District of Columbia Condo/Coop Prices: 2007 - 7/2016 District of Columbia Condo/Coop Prices: - 7/2016 District of Columbia Condo/Coop Prices: 20072007 - 7/2016 (up 6.8% from 2014) and the average was $266,400 (up 4.3%). This $525,000 June, the median price was $247,700 and the mean was $292,100. $525,000 $500,000 Compared to June 2015, the median increased 4.8% and the aver- $500,000 $475,000 age rose almost 4.2%. This continues the positive trend in national$475,000 $450,000 housing prices that started after the economic recovery. $450,000 $425,000

Even with the recovery, the national market is still dealing with $425,000 $400,000 $400,000 inventory shortages. There has been little improvement in the $375,000 months supply figures since December. At the end of June there $375,000 $350,000 was a 4.6-months supply of all homes. For single-family types it $350,000 $325,000 was 4.6 months, for condo/coops 4.4-months. At the end of June $325,000 2016, the national resale inventory was 2.12 million properties; a $300,000 $300,000 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Jul-16 year before it was 2.25 million, so we are still down about 5.8%.

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Jul-16 Average Median Average Median The low equity hangover from the Great Recession is still with us.

Economic Growth and Jobs So far, the economic growth

numbers in 2016 are not doing too well, and this is causing the Fed to hold off on any rate increases. The Bureau of Economic Analysis’ estimate for the 2016 second quarter real GDP (economic growth rate minus the inflation rate) showed that it increased at a rather weak annual rate of 1.2 percent. Furthermore, first quarter growth was only 0.8%. For all of 2015 real GDP increased 2.4%. It is no wonder that politicians are always citing the slow recovery rate from the recession. Some economists have forecast that there is a better than 50-50 chance that we will have another recession in the next three years. We are seven years into the recovery and, historically, recessions occur every seven or eight years. That makes this prediction somewhat less prescient.

Policy makers are still worried about slowing growth rates in China and Europe and the possibility of an international recession, or even another recession in the U.S. However, since our product and service sales to China are only about 5% of our GDP, we probably will not be hurt much. Europe’s troubles can hurt our exports, but the central bank is taking measures to stimulate their economies. The European Central Bank has continued to implement a negative interest rates policy, and this is pushing down our interest rates as international investors are shifting into buying U.S. treasuries and corporate bonds.

The labor market seems to be stronger and holding firm. In July, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 255,000 jobs.

The overall unemployment rate from the household survey was unchanged from 4.9%. These figures are improvements over the spring markets. There are more people out there in the labor market, but many are taking jobs that pay less than what they had before. However, some recent studies show that income levels of households in the middle-income range (approximately $30,000 to $50,000) are seeing increases in their numbers and growth in pay rates. Tightness in the labor market is translating into higher wages and salaries.

Monetary Policy, Interest Rates and Inflation It is still likely

that the Fed will not raise the Fed Funds target rate at the September meeting, but will hold off until the December meeting. This

would keep it from being an issue with the election, and there are still some areas of softness in the economy. The most recent jobs number for July was very good, but recent retail spending has been weak and there just isn’t much inflation there.

For July, overall consumer price inflation (CPI) rose only at a 0.8% rate – that is less than 1% compared to July 2015. Again, the figures were primarily due to declines in energy costs, but used car and truck prices, and food also declined from a year ago. When food and energy prices were subtracted out, the residual “core” consumer inflation came in at its relatively constant value of 2.2%, which has been a consistent measure over the past nine months.

However, looking at the Fed’s preferred inflation measure, for June, the personal consumption expenditures index registered a “core” increase of 1.6%. The overall increase based on actual market prices was only 0.9%. Based on both of these measures, we are not even close to the Fed’s 2% annual inflation target.

International bond-buying policies have helped keep mortgage rates low. The mid-August mortgage rates are below the early May figures and significantly below 4% for long-term financing. The most recent Freddie Mac survey rates were: 30-year fixed conforming mortgages at 3.43%; the 15-year fixed averaged 2.74%; and, the 5/1-year ARM was at 2.76%. The impact of negative interest rates occurring in countries like Germany and Japan have shifted bond demand to the U.S. and that is pushing down interest rates here.

The Bottom Line Through mid-summer, Montgomery County

and the District of Columbia unit sales and prices were up solidly for both single-family and condo/coop properties. Lack of inventory still remains a problem for all local markets, as well as nationwide. Most experts attribute this to negative equity problems, debt burdens of first-time buyers, and lack of affordable developable land.

At this point, forecasters still expect the overall U.S. economy to grow about 2% this year, although some are suggesting a figure as low as 1.5%. Since there is little inflation pressure, there is not likely to be another rate rise until late fall. The possibility of a global recession in the next year or so continues to torment the minds of policy makers.

31

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 31

legal hotline

By Chris Darby, Tom Muldoon, and John Nalls of Counselors Title, LLC, and Pardo & Drazin, LLC, General Counsel

Q

QUESTION: The Leasing Listing Agreement (GCAAR Form 1202) states that for DC property the “Owner will provide a copy of their Rental Accommodation Registration/Exemption Certificate.” Is this required?

ANSWER: In order to rent property in the District of Columbia, first, you have to have a Basic Business License (BBL). The license application is available at http://dcra.dc.gov.

Second, the rental unit will need to pass inspection by the Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ Inspection Division. A sample checklist of requirements for rental units can be found at http://dcra.dc.gov.

Lastly, you will need to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy for the rental unit and register the rental unit with the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Rental Accommodation Division. Information regarding the registration can be found at http://dhcd.dc.gov.

Q

QUESTION: I am representing the Seller on a Maryland listing wherein the seller chose to provide a Disclaimer rather than a Disclosure. The roof of the property was replaced 14 years ago and the agent for the proposed buyer is demanding that the Seller provide documentation of the roof repairs, which the seller no longer has in her possession. Is the Seller required to provide this information?

ANSWER: No. Maryland law requires a Seller who chooses to disclose to list: “defects, including latent defects, or information of which vendor has actual knowledge in relation to the following:

1. water and sewer systems;

2. insulation;

3. structural systems;

4. plumbing, electrical, heating and AC;

5. infestation by wood-destroying insects;

6. land use;

7. hazardous materials;

8. any other material defects of which vendor has

actual knowledge; and

9. whether smoke detectors provide an alarm in the

event of a power outage” Maryland law also permits a Seller to disclaim and not provide such a list. However, even if a Seller chooses to Disclaim, they

32

® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 32 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

must disclose any “Latent Defects” defined as “Material Defects that: a) Purchaser would not reasonably be expected to ascertain or observe by careful visual inspection; and b) would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of Purchaser or an Occupant of which they have actual knowledge. Either of these options is accomplished by providing the “Maryland Residential Property Disclosure and Disclaimer Statement” (GCAAR Form 912).

Unless the condition of the roof meets these criteria, there is no need to disclose any facts regarding it. Even if disclosure is required, there is no requirement that the seller produce documentation of any prior repairs or maintenance on the property unless such a requirement is specifically negotiated in the Contract. That being said, it is always a good business practice to provide any documentation that the seller may have as to prior repairs or maintenance as part of the disclosure process.

Q

QUESTION: I am representing a Buyer who is purchasing a Maryland property which is located in a Homeowner’s Association. We have discovered through review of the HOA documents and speaking to the management company that there are several existing violations. Is the Seller required to cure or pay for these violations prior to settlement? Do I need to negotiate for this?

ANSWER: Assuming that the HOA has issued a Notice of the Violation, the Seller is contractually required to cure the violation. There is no need to negotiate this. Paragraph 17 (“TITLE”) of the Regional Contract of Sale (GCAAR Form #1301) provides, in pertinent part: “Unless otherwise agreed in writing, Seller will pay any special assessments and will comply with all orders or notices of violations of any county or local authority, condominium unit owner’s association, and/ or homeowners’ association or actions in any court on account thereof, against or affecting the Property on the Settlement Date” Therefore, the Seller is contractually obligated to comply with the violation notices without any further negotiation between the parties.

Q

QUESTION: The condominium documents were sent to the agent, and receipt was acknowledged on a Tuesday. The agent did not provide the documents to the Buyer until Wednesday.

The agent is claiming the 3rd business day condominium document review timeframe should run through Monday and not Friday. Is that correct?

ANSWER: No, that is incorrect, provided that Paragraph 31, Notices, of the Regional Contract (GCAAR Form # 1301) was not amended in the negotiation of the transaction. Paragraph 31 provides that “Notices to Buyer shall be effective when Delivered to Buyer or an agent of Buyer named in the Contract or that agent’s supervising Manager.” The question of whether the Condominium Documents and Statements is a “Notice” is answered further in Paragraph 31 when it states that “the provisions of this paragraph regarding Delivery of Notices shall also be applicable to Delivery of resale packages for condominiums, co-operatives and/or homeowners associations as may be required in a separate addendum.”

Therefore, delivery to the agent on a Tuesday would start the 3rd business day window which would expire on a Friday.

DID YOU KNOW? The Legal Hotline

is a free member benefit offered by GCAAR Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Monday through Thursday, excluding holidays.

Phone: (202) 686-0100 Email: GCAARhotline@ctitle.net

Disclaimer: The answers provided here are the opinions of the authors, are for informational purposes, and are only for GCAAR members. Neither Counselors Title, LLC, nor Pardo & Drazin, LLC is providing legal advice, but rather providing a general statement of law. No lawyer/client relationship is – or will be – established as a result of this material. Readers are encouraged to retain their own counsel for their specific questions. Answers may have been edited for formatting purposes.

rd s a C t f i G $100st individual aens!d for be am costum e best t

Wednesday

Oct 26 5-8 p.m.

Bowlmor Bethesda 5353 Westbard Avenue, Bethesda, MD

We will be supporting Miriam’s Kitchen with donations of food and clothing items.

Check your email for details.

GCAAR Is Going Boo-ling!

Join us for a frightfully fun event!

Register at gcaar.com

33

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 33

2016 EDUCATION SCHEDULE

october

October 10, 2016 DC Legislative Update CEU: 3 hours DC (required) Instructor: Thom Brockett Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 10, 2016 DC Fair Housing CEU: 3 hours DC (required) Instructor: Thom Brockett Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

October 13, 2016 GCAAR @ NVAR: MREC Agency - Residential CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Thom Brockett Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. *NVAR Fairfax Location (8407 Pennell Street) October 13, 2016 2011-2015 Maryland Legislative Update CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Maria Deligiorgis Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

October 14, 2016 Maryland Code of Ethics and Predatory Lending CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Thomas Rodden Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 17, 2016 NAR Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) Certification Class CEU: No CE Instructor: Barbara Maloney Time: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

October 19, 2016 Maryland Fair Housing CEU: 1.5 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

October 19, 2016 Broker/Manager Forum: Regional Economic Outlook and Area Housing Market Conditions and Trends CEU: No CE Instructor: Lawrence Yun, Ph.D. Time: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.

34

® CAPITAL AREA AREA REALTOR 2014 2016 34 CAPITAL REALTOR•®May/Jun — Sept/Oct

October 19, 2016 Fortify Your Firm – Sensible Solutions for Identifying and Reducing Risk CEU: 2 hours MD, DC, and VA (elective) Instructor: Debbie Bindeman Time: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

October 20, 2016 New Member Orientation CEU: No CE Instructor: Dana Hollish Hill Time: 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

October 20, 2016 Maryland Code of Ethics and Predatory Lending CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Dana Hollish Hill Time: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

October 26, 2016 Virginia Mandatory Agency CEU: 1 hour VA (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

October 26, 2016 Virginia Legal Update CEU: 1 hour VA (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.

October 26, 2016 Virginia Fair Housing CEU: 2 hours VA (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

GCAAR

October 21, 2016 Financing Issues/ Update CEU: 3 hours DC (required) and MD and VA (elective) Instructor: James Semeyn Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 27, 2016 Montgomery County Green REALTOR® Class CEU: 3 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

October 24, 2016 MREC Agency - Residential CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Al Monshower Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 27, 2016 Mortgage Basics CEU: 3 hours MD, DC and VA (elective) Instructor: Jamica Browne Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

October 24, 2016 GCAAR @ NVAR: VA Financing CEU: 3 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Derek Harman Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. *NVAR Fairfax Location (8407 Pennell Street)

October 28, 2016 USDA Lending CEU: 3 hours MD, DC and VA (elective) Instructor: Natalie Winter Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 24, 2016 MREC Required Supervision CEU: 3 hours MD (required for Brokers) and DC (elective) Instructor: Al Monshower Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

October 26, 2016 Virginia Ethics CEU: 3 hours VA (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

October 26, 2016 Virginia Mandatory Contract Review CEU: 1 hour VA (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

October 28, 2016 Real Estate Tax Update CEU: 1.5 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Kevin Matthews Time: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

november

November 2, 2016 Financing Issues Update CEU: 3 hours DC (required) and MD and VA (elective) Instructor: Alex Peters Time: 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.

November 3, 2016 Maryland Code of Ethics and Predatory Lending CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Al Monshower Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

2016 EDUCATION SCHEDULE November 3, 2016 Procuring Cause CEU: 3 hours MD (elective) Instructor: Al Monshower Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

November 14, 2016 DC Fair Housing CEU: 3 hours DC (required) Instructor: Counselors Title Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

November 9, 2016 Maryland Fair Housing CEU: 1.5 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 9:30 – 11:00 a.m.

November 14, 2016 DC Legislative Update CEU: 3 hours DC (required) Instructor: Counselors Title Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

November 9, 2016 1031 Exchanges & Updates CEU: 1.5 hours MD and DC (elective) and 1 hour VA (elective) Instructor: William Horan Time: 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

CARES

November 10, 2016 GCAAR @ NVAR: 2011-2015 Maryland Legislative Update CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Counselors Title Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. *NVAR Fairfax Location (8407 Pennell Street) November 10, 2016 Title Insurance CEU: 3 hours MD, DC and VA (elective) Instructor: Lee-Anne Rodriguez Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

November 10, 2016 GCAAR @ NVAR: Comparative Difference Between the GCAAR and MAR Contracts CEU: 1.5 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Counselors Title Time: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. *NVAR Fairfax Location (8407 Pennell Street)

November 15, 2016 New Member Orientation CEU: No CE Instructor: Thom Brockett Time: 4:00 – 9:00 p.m.

November 15, 2016 Maryland Code of Ethics and Predatory Lending CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Thom Brockett Time: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.

November 16, 2016 Contract Basics CEU: 3 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Jessica Chipoco Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

November 16, 2016 Anti-Trust CEU: 1.5 hours MD and DC and 1 hour VA (elective) Instructor: Maria Deligiorgis Time: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.

November 17, 2016 Comparison Between the GCAAR and NVAR Contracts CEU; 2 hours DC and VA (elective) Instructor: Jason Sherman Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

November 11, 2016 Tax Strategies CEU: No CE Instructor: Maine Shafer Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

November 17, 2016 FHA Financing CEU: 3 hours MD, DC and VA (elective) Instructor: Paul Nowacek Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

November 11, 2016 TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) Rule CEU: 1.5 hours MD and DC and 1 hour VA (elective) Instructor: Steven Buckman Time: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

November 18, 2016 GCAAR @ NVAR: Foreclosures CEU: 3 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Lee Morris Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. *NVAR Fairfax Location (8407 Pennell Street)

November 21, 2016 Virginia Broker Management and Agent Supervision CEU: 8 hours VA (required for Brokers; elective for agents) and DC (elective) Instructor: Thom Brockett Time: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

November 21, 2016 New Member Orientation CEU: No CE Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

November 21, 2016 Maryland Code of Ethics and Predatory Lending CEU: 3 hours MD (required) and DC (elective) Instructor: Mary Chieppa Time: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

November 28, 2016 First Time Homebuyer Financing CEU: 1.5 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Brian Willingham Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

November 28, 2016 Mortgage Basics CEU: 3 hours MD, DC and VA (elective)

Instructor: Jamica Browne Time: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

November 30, 2016 Evolution of the Reverse Mortgage CEU: 3 hours MD, DC and VA (elective) Instructor: Eric Rittmeyer Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

November 30, 2016 Introduction to Wells CEU: 3 hours MD and DC (elective) Instructor: Eric Garrett Time: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

NOTE: All classes are held at GCAAR’s Rockville office unless otherwise noted.

35

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 35

Succeed THE SUPPORT YOU NEED TO

Embrace is growing and looking to add talented Sales Professionals to our Team

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36

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014

800.333.3004 www.joinembrace.com Embrace Home Loans, Inc. NMLS ID # 2184 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) is licensed in MD.

GCAAR in the news James E. Savitz, Real Estate Law Icon, Joins Shulman Rogers PR Newswire September 12, 2016

– GCAAR President Peg Mancuso quoted

New Record for Median Home Prices in DC WTOP Radio July 14, 2016

– GCAAR June Housing Stats mentioned

What to Do When the Seller is a REALTOR® Who Gives You False Information About the House You Bought The Washington Post September 6, 2016

– GCAAR mentioned

Twitter

5 Real Estate Trends to Know Before Selling Your Washington, DC Home US News & World Report August 20, 2016

– GCAAR members David Bediz, Kimberly Cestari, and Nate Guggenheim quoted

CNBC- Diana Olick, July 14, 2016

– GCAAR June Housing Stats mentioned

Real Estate Industry Opposes Blanket Ban on Signs in Road Medians, Near Sidewalks Bethesda Magazine August 3, 2016

– Bill Highsmith, GCAAR VP & COO quoted

Mark Your Calendars!

October 1

2017 Dues Billing Cycle Begins

October 17

Pricing Strategy Advisor Class

November 6

3rd Annual GCAAR Cares Blood Drive

November 11

Tax Strategies Live Class Location: GCAAR Rockville

November 30

Deadline to Pay 2017 Dues

December 1

$25 Late Fee Imposed on Unpaid 2017 Dues

December 7

GCAAR Board Installation Location: Columbia Country Club

December 12

GCAAR Legislative Breakfast

Location: GCAAR Rockville

December 21-22

Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) Class

Location: GCAAR Rockville

December 31

Suspension of Members Who Have Not Paid 2017 Dues

December 31

Deadline to Complete NAR Quadrennial Ethics Requirement

Location: GCAAR Rockville Location: GCAAR Rockville

coming up 37

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR® • May/Jun 2014 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 37

REALTOR Toolbox ®

Get your home ready to meet the fall head-on!

fall

HOME MAINTENANCE

CHECKLIST

You’ll be ready for winter’s worst and head off pricey repairs with these simple preventative tasks.

When the last of summer’s heat is a faint memory, and you’re pulling out your hoodies more than your shorts, it’s time to tackle a few simple chores that’ll make winter more pleasant and prevent some nasty surprises next spring.

2 C HE C K YO UR FUR NAC E

1 STO W YO U R MO W ER If you’re not familiar with fuel stabilizer, get to know it. If your mower sits for months with gas in its tank, the gas will slowly deteriorate, which can damage internal engine parts. Fuel stabilizer ($10 for a 10-ounce bottle) prevents gas from degrading. ADD STABILIZER to your gasoline can to keep spare gas in good condition over the winter, and top off your mower tank with stabilized gas before you put it away for the winter. RUN THE MOWER for five minutes to make sure the stabilizer reaches the carburetor.

38 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

Another lawn mower care method is to run your mower dry before stowing it.

1. When the mower is cool, remove the spark plug and pour a capful of engine oil into the spark plug hole.

2. Pull the starter cord a couple of times to distribute the oil, which keeps pistons lubricated and ensures an easy start come spring.

3. Turn the mower on its side and clean out accumulated grass and gunk from the mower deck.

Schedule an appointment with a heating and cooling pro to get your heating system checked and tuned up for the coming heating season. You’ll pay $50 to $100 for a checkup.

An annual maintenance contract ensures you’re at the top of the list for checks and shaves 20% off the cost of a single visit.

Change your furnace FILTERS, too. This is a job you should do every two months anyway, but if you haven’t, now’s the time. If your HVAC includes a built-in humidifier, make sure the contractor replaces that filter.

3 D ON ’ T BE A DRIP Remove garden hoses from outdoor faucets. Leaving hoses attached can cause water to back up in the faucets and in the plumbing pipes just inside your exterior walls. If freezing temps hit, that water could freeze, expand, and crack the faucet or pipes.

Make this an early fall priority so a sudden cold snap doesn’t sneak up and cause damage.

5 SEAL T HE DE AL

While you’re at it, DRAIN garden hoses and STORE them in a shed or garage.

Grab a couple of tubes of color-matched exterior caulk ($5 for a 12-ounce tube) and make a journey around your home’s exterior, sealing up cracks between trim and siding, around window and door frames, and where pipes and wires enter your house. Preventing moisture from getting inside your walls is one of the least expensive — and most important — of your fall maintenance jobs.

You’ll also seal air leaks that waste energy.

4 D E - G UN K YOUR GUTTERS

Pick a nice day when temps are above 50 degrees so caulk flows easily.

TURN OFF any shutoff valves on water supply lines that lead to exterior faucets. That way, you’ll guard against minor leaks that may let water enter the faucet.

Clogged rain gutters can cause ice dams, which can lead to expensive repairs. After the leaves have fallen, clean your gutters to remove leaves, twigs, and gunk. Make sure gutters aren’t sagging and trapping water; tighten gutter hangers and downspout brackets. Replace any worn or damaged gutters and downspouts.

6 EYEB ALL YOUR RO O F If you have a steep roof or a multistory house, stay safe and use binoculars to inspect your roof from the ground.

If you find colored grit from asphalt roof shingles in your gutters, beware. That sandlike grit helps protect shingles from the damaging ultraviolet rays of the sun. Look closely for other signs of roof damage (#5); it may be time for a roofing replacement.

Your downspouts should extend at least 5 feet away from your house to prevent

foundation problems. If they don’t, add downspout extensions; $10 to $20 each.

Look for warning signs: Shingles that are buckled, cracked, or missing; rust spots on flashing. Any loose, damaged, or missing shingles should be replaced immediately.

Black algae stains are just cosmetic, but masses of moss and lichen could signal roofing that’s decayed underneath. Call in a pro roofer for a $50 to $100 eval.

A plumbing vent stack usually is flashed with a rubber collar -- called a boot -- that may crack or loosen over time. They’ll wear out before your roof does, so make sure they’re in good shape. A pro roofer will charge $75 to $150 to replace a boot, depending on how steep your roof is.

7 P RUNE P LAN T S Late fall is the best time to prune plants and trees -- when the summer growth cycle is over. Your goal is to keep limbs and branches at least 3 feet from your house so moisture won’t drip onto roofing and siding, and to prevent damage to your house exterior during high winds.

For advice on pruning specific plants in your region, check with your state extension service.

8 PUT YO UR SPRI N K L E R S TO SLE E P Time to drain your irrigation system. Even buried irrigation lines can freeze, leading to busted pipes and broken sprinkler heads.

• TURN OFF the water to the system at the main valve.

• SHUT OFF the automatic controller.

• OPEN DRAIN VALVES to remove water from the system.

REMOVE any above-ground sprinkler heads and shake the water out of them, then replace.

If you don’t have drain valves, then HIRE AN IRRIGATION PRO to blow out the systems pipes with compressed air. A pro is worth the $75 to $150 charge to make sure the job is done right, and to ensure you don’t have busted pipes and sprinkler head repairs to make in the spring.

9 DI RE CT YOUR DRA INAG E Take a close look at the soil around your foundation and make sure it slopes away from your house at least 6 vertical inches over 10 feet. That way, you’ll keep water from soaking the soils around your foundation, which could lead to cracks and leaks. Be sure soil doesn’t touch your siding.

Continued on page 42 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 39

AFFILIATES Agent Services Agent Photos John Brueske

877-774-4720

Beta Solutions F&BC Kevin Matthews 301-787-0782 Home Staging Vivian Gilbert 301-802-5166 Weichert Referral Atusa Salvidio 973-605-1600

Appraisals

Anne M. Powell Appraisals Anne Powell 410-721-7505 Appraisals Xpress Inc. Jeffery Chen 301-385-9669 Brett Bessell Brett Bessell 301-208-0330 Chase Commercial Appraisal Division Chad Harris 202-312-1160 Carlos Ortiz 202-312-1160 Anna Pagi 202-312-1160 Foremost Appraisals & Realty Folusho Bello 240-304-7782 J. D. Egly & Associates John Egly 301-428-0113 J. Hansen Appraisal Assocs. LLC John Hansen 301-464-2878 James Blaine Miller Jr. James Miller Jr. 301-933-9881 Kevin Gowen Kevin Gowen

240-460-9926

Magee Appraisal Service Diana Magee 301-846-9696 Roxann Novel Appraiser Roxann Novel 800-232-7196 Washington Appraisal Frank John Jr. 202-646-1150

Attorneys

Adams, Morris & Sessing Michelle Adams 301-637-0143 Elizabeth Morris 301-637-0143 Timothy Sessing 301-637-0143 Andrew FitzGerald Atty at Law Andrew FitzGerald 301-933-6550 Bregman Berbert Schwartz Gilday LLC Wendy Pullano 301-656-2707 40 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

Attorneys

Britton PLLC Lisa Britton 202-416-0121 Bromberg Rosenthal

Jonathan Bromberg 301-251-6200

Attorneys

Richard W. Lawlor PA Richard Lawlor 301-340-2400

Samuelson Law Offices LLC Kenneth Samuelson 202-494-0848

Curtin Law Roberson Dunigan Shaner & Helf LLC Thomas Dunigan 202-530-3300 Thomas Helf 301-913-9306 Glazer Winston Honigman Ellick Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy L. Mark Winston 202-537-5500 Matthew Alegi 301-230-5200 Greenstein DeLorme & Luchs PC Amy Klein 301-230-5200 Richard Luchs 202-452-1400 Marc Lipman 301-230-5200 Vincent Mark Policy202-452-1400 Law Offices of Jill Pogach Michaels

Owen Jarvis 240-425-0008 Jackson & Campbell PC 240-425-0008 Roy Kaufmann 202-457-6710 Jill Michaels Ben Silver 240-425-0008 Jacobs & Associates Harvey Jacobs 301-300-6252 The Sacks Law Firm PLLC Michael Sacks 301-948-2300 Kase & Associates Sadaf Saberi 703-444-4100 Vaughn W. Royal Attorney at Law Vaughn Royal 202-895-1530 Kass Mitek & Kass PLLC Benny Kass 202-659-6500

Credit Unions

Home Inspection Companies

ProTec Inspection Services Heather Dice 301-972-8531 Michelle Hopkin 301-972-8531 Robert Hopkin 301-972-8531 United One Resources

Michael McNamara 443-864-1150

Old Republic Home Protection Terry Crawford 925-866-1500

Housing Interests

Holman & Associates Keith Holman 202-246-6834 Linda Holman 202-246-6834 Thomas Holman 202-246-6834 JCAMS Jimmy Cullum

703-349-6405

MD Dept of Housing & Community Development William Ariano Jr. 410-514-7014

KVS Law Capital Area REALTORS® FCU Orchard Development David Kanstoroom 301-605-1420 Tony Launi 240-314-0734 Corporation Lisa Lamphier 301-605-1420 Olympia Overton 240-314-0734 Robert DeSantis 410-964-2334 Marty Stanton 301-605-1420 Rent the District Home Inspection Lasso & Lasso PC Hanna McClain 202-210-0043 Ricardo Lasso 202-537-0343 Companies Law Office of Mark A. Bayer Mark Bayer 202-466-4747

1st American Home Inspections LLC Henry Toman 443-388-2410

Law Office of Arthur Konopka Arthur Konopka 202-686-0600 Alban Home Inspection Svcs. Inc. Virginia Sulcer 301-662-6565 Law Office of Robert McCarthy Robert McCarthy 301-654-3730 Anderson Inspection Consultants Inc. Law Offices of David P Modell Gary Anderson 301-855-3337 David P Modell 301-634-9820 Building Inspector of America Law Offices of Michael Vimal Kapoor 301-916-0300 Frissel/Wolf Title Michael Frissell 301-951-0940 Green Home Solutions of MD Law Offices of Quinn O’Connell Jr. Jennifer Sherwood 301-591-2470 Quinn O’Connell Jr. 202-537-1820 Home Land Septic Consulting

Eric Garrett Lynn Candle Boynton Esq. Lynn Boynton 240-499-7465 Tim Shotzberge

301-591-2470 443-995-5385

Miles & Stockbridge PC Mid-Atlantic Inspection Srvcs.

Casey Cirner 301-762-1600 Alan Beal 202-607-4153 Moses & Aiken Robert Moses

301-468-0080

Pearl Certification 888-557-5543

Insurance Companies

Combined Insurance Company Anthony Forde 765-983-6172 Duffy Insurance Group Joe Duffy 301-384-5000 Mike Duffy 301-384-5000 Pearl Insurance Deborah Bindeman 800-455-1154

Mortgage Companies

Academy Mortgage Corporation Raymond Shelton 571-225-5066 Annie Mac Home Mortgage John White, Jr. 866-312-6682 Apex Home Loan Erin Finke Larry Finkelberg Michael Parsons Brian Willingham

301-610-9600 301-610-9600 301-610-9600 301-610-9600

BB & T Mortgage Pillar to Post Montgomery County Patricia Widerman 301-590-2382 Paley Rothman 301-590-2382 301-455-5994 Mike Kidwell Katherine Palumbo 301-951-9362 Rocky Banks GCAAR now brings you a complete listing of our Affiliates in every issue.

AFFILIATES Mortgage Companies

Mortgage Companies

Movement Mortgage BB & T Mortgage 410-740-5250 Kari Sansom 301-493-8917 Maria Clark Michelle Mathews 410-740-5250 Daniel Shea 301-493-8917 Kimberly Smrek 410-740-5250 Caliber Home Loans Jamica Browne 301-660-3292 MVB Mortgage 202-751-2146 Charles Clapper 301-660-3292 Chris Kearney 202-751-2146 Robert Kirchner 301-660-3292 Robert Ross Jason Turner

301-660-3292

Prospect Mortgage Cedric Johnson 540-882-4176

Real Estate Investment

Realty Exchange Corporation William Horan 703-754-9411 TL Caldwell Homes LLC Terry Caldwell 202-286-4389

Tax Consultants

Exchange Solutions Group LLC William Gessner 703-787-3893

Title/Insurance Companies

District Title A Corp.

Brendon Sheperd 202-518-9300 Marc Sushner 202-518-9300 Steven Sushner 202-518-9300 Federal Title & Escrow Co. Todd Ewing 202-362-1500

Fenton Title Co. Tax-Masters Inc. Corridor Mortgage Group Inc. Louis Pettey 301-590-0220 Linda de Marlor 301-230-0200 First Class Title Inc. Sara Lenes 301-443-5749 Prosperity Home Mortgage LLC Daniel Kotz 301-770-4107 Natalie Winter 301-443-5749 Romy Espino 301-838-3172 Title/Insurance Brian Haug 301-838-3172 Flynn Title EagleBank Corp.

Tom O’Keefe 301-838-3172 Companies Gregory Flynn 301-545-0150 Thomas Biegler 202-292-1581 Atlantic Closing & Escrow Deborah Levy 202-292-1581 Sandy Spring Bank Isadora Connor 202-730-2635 GPN Title Inc. Jeffrey Nelson 301-617-4233 Embrace Home Loans Sam Houston 202-730-2635 Jessica Chipoco 301-294-4055 301-617-4233 George Glekas 301-294-4055 Adriana Clapper 301-921-0070 Guy Silas Avenue Settlement Corporation Tina Del Casale 301-921-0070 Kenneth Storck 301-617-4233 Stephen Ballard 202-296-4500 Hutton Patt Title William Rozek 301-921-0070 SunTrust Mortgage John Hutton 240-575-6333 Avenue Title Group Jordan Giles 301-961-0903 Fidelis Mortgage David Helfrich 202-296-4500 Lakeforest Title & Escrow Co. 301-961-0901 Eric Rittmeyer 410-668-6501 C. J. Kemp Capitol Title Insurance Agency Marc Malakoff 301-590-0500 Russell Rothstein 301-961-0903 Lisa Bosse 301-231-7250 First Home Mortgage Kelly Wadsworth 410-897-6406 Logan Title Sara Demb Goldstein 301-231-7250 Brooke Lowry 202-448-0880 Patrick Tangney 202-244-3200 Stanley Goldstein 301-231-7250 Dominic Turano 202-448-0880 Wells Fargo Home Mortgage 301-956-1573 William Splitgerber Jr. 301-231-7250 M Title Nicolas Matsangakis 301-657-1003 Pat Bowman Patricia Gillis 301-956-1573 David Toaff 301-657-1003 Maria Deligiorgis 703-216-4875 CLA Title & Escrow 301-956-1573 Ryan Angier 301-656-4388 Paul Nowacek John Coester 888-929-6000 Zachary Bodine 301-656-4388 Thomas Schultz 703-760-6220 Matt Landsberg 888-929-6000 Main Street Settlements Inc. John Ferguson 301-570-3600 Scott Story 301-656-4388 Wells Fargo Private Mortgage Joel Steinberg 888-929-6000 Kevin Walsh 301-656-4388 James Semeyn 410-573-6411 MBH Settlement Group LLC Clarke Title Timothy Whittier 301-656-4388 Jill Messier 703-277-6800 Henry Clarke 301-840-8988 Christopher Jordan 301-562-9540 Moving Companies Michaels Title & Escrow LLC Travis Vollmerhausen 301-562-9540 Interstate Moving & Storage Classic Settlements Jill Pogach Michaels 240-425-0008 Jacob Ryon 301-220-0999 Pauline Dent 703-226-3220 Joe Detrick 301-921-2667 Mid-Atlantic Settlement Services Jonathan Levy 301-921-2667 First Savings Mortgage Perry Moving & Storage William Burkart 410-252-1208 Mary Papagjika 301-921-2667 Deborah Benkert 240-223-1558 Alvin Lewis 410-799-0022 Peter Parente 410-252-1208 J. D. Teitelman 703-564-1746 Closeline Settlements LLC Joseph Russo 410-252-1208 Pest Control Companies Elliot Liss 301-622-6000 First Washington Mortgage Capitol Termite & Pest Control Monarch Title Inc. Chanin Wisler 301-526-0020 Confidence Title & Escrow Nelson Borda 301-657-4480 Katherine Brewer 202-546-3100 Vittorio Muzzatti 301-740-1880 FitzGerald Financial Group and Julio Gonzalez 301-657-4480 Moses & Aiken /Home Team Title Monarch Group Stanley Robinson 301-657-4480 Counselors Title LLC Robert Moses 301-468-0080 Evelyn Miller 240-403-1868 Brian Schoonmaker301-657-4480 Christopher Darby 202-686-0100 L. William Woods Jr. 240-403-1868 Marie Enderle 202-686-0100 New World Title & Escrow Property Management James Griffin 202-686-0100 Morgan Swersey 703-691-4330 Home Savings & Trust Mortgage Companies Thomas Muldoon 202-686-0100 Derek Harman 703-766-4634 North American Title Company Timothy Mullin 202-686-0100 Columbia Property Management Janelle Gaughan 202-237-8222 Homesnap 202-686-0100 Scott Bloom 888-857-6594 John Nalls Stephanie Rall 202-999-2903 Noreen Hathaway 301-670-0100 Palisades Title Company Transwestern Steven Buckman 202-351-6100 Robert Kuczarski 301-670-0100 McLean Mortgage Corp.

Donald Wilson 301-896-9000 Colleen Smyth Cogan301-670-0100 Alex Peters 240-800-4502 continued on page 42 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 41

AFFILIATES

REALTOR Toolbox

continued from page 41

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist — Continued from page 39

Title/Settlement Companies

®

Paragon Title & Escrow Co. Philip Raskin 301-986-1114 Randy Rothstein 301-986-1114 Rob Rothstein 301-986-1114 Pinnacle Title & Escrow Inc. Scott Goldschein 301-424-5400 Marci Maged 301-762-6757 Marie Daugherty 301-424-5400 Pride Settlement & Escrow LLC Jay Brody 888-729-0145

Pride Settlement & Escrow LLC D. Leigh Hewartson 888-729-0145 Lee Anne Rodriguez 888-729-0145 RGS Title LLC Suzanne Feinstein 301-230-0700 Thomas Rodden 301-680-0200 Helen Dankos 301-230-0700

RGS Title/Tradition Title Anthony DeVol 301-654-9800 Sage Title Group LLC Bobby Lee 301-654-2560 Joseph Hansen 301-670-2812 Settlement Ink P. Joy Siegel 301-907-8808

Settlement Professionals Carol Calomiris 202-363-1870 Settlement Corp.

David Deckelbaum

202-537-0005

Standard Title Group Kevin Anderson 202-888-0132 Stewart Title Group Dale Baker 202-349-0220 R. Bradley Runyan 202-349-0220 Christopher Saabye 202-349-0220

10 GIVE YOUR FI RE PLAC E A O N C E -OVE R To make sure your fireplace is safe, grab a flashlight and look up inside your fireplace flue to make sure the damper opens and closes properly. OPEN THE DAMPER and look up into the flue to make sure it’s free of birds’ nests, branches and leaves, or other obstructions. You should see daylight at the top of the chimney.

CHECK THE FIREBOX for cracked or missing bricks and mortar.

You fireplace flue should be cleaned of creosote buildup every other year.

A professional chimney sweep will charge $150 to $250 for the service.

If you spot any damage, order a professional fireplace and chimney inspection. An inspection costs $79 to $500.

Title Town Settlements Todd Greenbaum 301-580-2850 Village Settlements Inc. David Hahn 301-486-0799 Carey Brennan 301-590-9300 Leslie Childs 301-590-9300 Michael Hollman 301-590-9300 As of September 1, 2016

If you are interested in becoming a GCAAR Affiliate or have a correction to this list, please contact us at: communications@gcaar.com

W HI LE YOU’ RE AT I T, M AK E SURE Check From the Outside There’s no bird nest or debris buildup on the cap.

Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this.

Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the National Association of REALTORS® 42 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

WELCOME to the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®. We are pleased that you have chosen to join our organization. GCAAR is your voice for real estate issues in DC and Montgomery County, MD. It offers venues for networking and allows you to connect with your peers and exchange best practices. We invite you to take full advantage of your benefits as a member.

Stay connected at gcaar.com.

New Members

Trever Bellew Coldwell Banker Residential

Heidi Bennett Evers & Co Real Estate

Mariquita Fuller Weichert REALTORS®

Monica Mack Gordon Keller Williams Capital Properties

Claudia Pinto Coldwell Banker Residential

Lisa Galiber Douglas Realty

Daughan Pitts Redfin Corporation

Spencer Bodian Keller Williams Capital Properties

Kristen Brinsfield Long & Foster Real Estate

Montoo Gandhi Keller Williams Capital Properties

Maurice McKinney Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America

Michael Buckman Long & Foster Real Estate

Laurence Gibbons Coldwell Banker Residential

Elizabeth Burns Long & Foster Real Estate

Ellen Gittleson Long & Foster Real Estate

Christopher Cargill RE/MAX Success

George Glekas GPN Title

Kaitlyn Clayton Redfin Corporation

Daisha Gregory Long & Foster Real Estate

Elizabeth Coleridge-Taylor Keller Williams Metro Center

Paula Hantman W C & A N Miller REALTORS®

Jimmy Cullum JCAMS Enterprises

Yolanda Hawkins-Bautista Capitol Service Management

Carol DeGraba Long & Foster Real Estate

Blake Hering Wydler Brothers

Lisa Delligatti Long & Foster Real Estate

Randy Hill Keller Williams Capital Properties

Naquia Dent Exit Deluxe Realty

William Horan Realty Exchange Corporation

Zenail Dickens Long & Foster Real Estate

Manah Hung Coldwell Banker Residential

Fredy Donado RE/MAX Elite Services

Chanda Ijames Taylor Properties

Ernest Duran Coldwell Banker Residential

John Ippolito Redfin Corporation

Christal Edwards RE/MAX Sky Real Estate

Stephen Jones Keller Williams Capital Properties

Giorgia Eigen-Zucchi H A Gill & Son

James Kim McEnearney Associates

Stephanie Evans RE/MAX Town Center Patricia Faison-Ball Keller Williams Capital Properties

Min Kyong Kim Keller Williams Capital Properties

Aaron Lamere DeLuca & Associates

Billie Fox RE/MAX Realty Group

Jermaine Lemons Long & Foster Real Estate

Rahel Balcha Redfin Corporation

Wendy Friedman Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Kit Li Long & Foster Real Estate

Kateryna Balitska Long & Foster Real Estate

Wendy Fronzoli Exit Realty Plus

MAY Venus Brown Exit Deluxe Realty Brian Crump Keller Williams Capital Properties Cynthia Dougherty eVenture LLC Isaiah Hazward Coldwell Banker Residential Susan Hoch Coldwell Banker Residential Michael Greissing Coldwell Banker Residential Randy Louis Keller Williams Capital Properties Frank Mitchell RE/MAX 2000 REALTORS® Easton Moore Coldwell Banker Residential Ronald Payton Nomadic Real Estate Broker Svs. Stephen Ruben Keller Williams Capital Properties Thomas Schultz Wells Fargo Home Mortgage James Smith Acqtel Realty Pete Spiropoulos Goodman REALTORS® Casandra Tressler Keller Williams Capital Properties John White AnnieMac Home Mortgage Ata Yavalar W C & A N Miller REALTORS®

JUNE Damila Adams Exit First Realty Olumide Akinwande Capital Park Realty

Lizbet Garcia RE/MAX 2000 REALTORS®

Ping Liu PM Management

Michael McNamara United One Resources David Mecklenburg Keller Williams Capital Properties Megan Meekin Compass Jonathan Merlis Keller Williams Capital Properties Anthony Moorman Certified Realty Group

Christopher Nagy Keller Williams Capital Properties Laura Narvaiz Real Living at Home

Michael Seay W C & A N Miller REALTORS®

Taylor Siegel Coldwell Banker Residential

Philip Nicosia RE/MAX Platinum Realty

Lesley Silverstein Long & Foster Real Estate

Efrata Obsa Keller Williams Realty Centre Janina Olarte Quilacio Keller Williams Capital Properties

Anna Pigotti Weichert REALTORS®

Robert Scheer Scheer Partners

Henry Shiu Long & Foster Real Estate

Nia Newsome Scout Properties

Zachary Pierce Goodman REALTORS®

Christopher Sabate RE/MAX Success

Cheryl abazz-Muhammad Long & Foster Real Estate

Joy Nasser Coldwell Banker Residential

Reinaldo Perez Weichert REALTORS®

Nicole Roeberg Slate Properties

Said Saidi MCM Realty Company

Melba Muschette Samson Properties

Thomas Paro Century 21 Redwood Realty

Leticia Rivera Fairfax Realty

Nicole Sadeghi Long & Foster Real Estate

Farshad Mohseni A-K Real Estate

Ellie Paget Long & Foster Real Estate

Ryan Rigazzi Slate Properties

Blayther Sabbat Keller Williams Capital Properties

Christopher Morton Weichert REALTORS®

Michael Orlando Infinity Realty & Investment

Jaclyn Rafferty TriStar Realty

Matthew Similuk Capital Park Realty Orelie Sodolo Real Living at Home Vivek Sood Coldwell Banker Residential Terry Spencer LKF Realty Matthew Stevenson Long & Foster Real Estate Valerie Strahl Keller Williams Capital Properties Mai Tran McEnearney Associates

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 43

New Members Yee-Mei Tse Long & Foster Real Estate

Spencer Brimage Long & Foster Real Estate

Erica Franklin Exit Flagship Realty

Naima Johnson Keller Williams Capital Properties

Gabriela Nitescu Keller Williams Capital Properties

Rita Vaught Weichert REA1LTORS®

Erica Broady Wise Agent Realty

Gregory Freeman Coldwell Banker Residential

Pauline Johnson-Brown TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Paul Nowacek Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Henry Vicks Coldwell Banker Residential

Jamie Bui Keller Williams Capital Properties

Matthew Gannon S. Henderson Realty Services

John O’Sick Long & Foster Real Estate

Jacquelyne Ward Richardson Weichert REALTORS®

Frank Caron Century 21 Redwood Realty

Eric Garrett Home Land Septic Consulting

Dennis Jones Realinvestors Real Estate Services

Carole Whitaker Long & Foster Real Estate

Stephen Carvelli Realtyka

Keyanoosh Ghorbani TriStar Realty

Armani White Weichert REALTORS®

Joanna Chacon Molina Weichert REALTORS®

Giancarlo Giaimo Long & Foster Real Estate

Freida Williams Keller Williams Capital Properties

Ai Chang Profound Realty

William Gilbreath Douglas Realty

Marcus Wilson Coldwell Banker Residential

Qing Chen Evergreen Properties

Michael Gilchrist Keller Williams Capital Properties

Diane Yochelson Evers & Co Real Estate

Michael Choi Silverline Realty & Investment

Patricia Gillis Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Huan Zhong United Realty

Beth Cleveland McEnearney Associates

Andrew Gottlieb Long & Foster Real Estate

Kristie Zimmerman McEnearney Associates

Sorah Cohen Certified Realty Group

Moises Granda Linares Coldwell Banker Residential

JULY

Tracy Comstock Silverline Realty & Investment

Marcus Gruenfelder Long & Foster Real Estate

Bethel Abate Long & Foster Real Estate

Erica Cooper Long & Foster Real Estate

Vikas Gupta Evergreen Properties

Lucky Ajueyitsi Long & Foster Real Estate

Naomi Cordy W C & A N Miller REALTORS®

Courtni Hall Prestige R E & Investment Co.

Belayhun Asrese Heymann Realty LLC

Norman Corkhill CityWorth Properties

Mona Hall McKenzie Prestige R E & Investment Co.

Deyi Awadallah DSA Properties & Investments

Crystal Cornish TriStar Realty

Tyler Hartman Keller Williams Capital Properties

Julia Baun TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

James Crew Coldwell Banker Residential

Christopher Hawkins-Mast RE/MAX Excellence Realty

Antonisia Baynes Real Estate Professionals

Jeremy Cronin RE/MAX PROS

Yue He BMI

Maya Ben-David Coldwell Banker Residential

Elena Denisova Keller Williams Capital Properties

Patricia Herrera Keller Williams Capital Properties

Steven Berson McEnearney Associates

Varoujan Derbarghamian TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Marcia Holmes Penn Premier Real Estate Group

Arlene Blaylock Coldwell Banker Residential

Rodney Dyer S. Henderson Realty Services

Chin-Yu Huang Smartmax Realty

Chelsea Bolden Pearson Smith Realty

Patricia Elliott Coldwell Banker Residential

Lukas Iraola RE/MAX Excellence Realty

Raquel Boone RE/MAX PROS

Jerome Exum Keller Williams Capital Properties

Olumese Iyomon TriStar Realty

Kcrystal Boschma Compass

John Finklea Keller Williams Capital Properties

Vattel Jackson RE/MAX Excellence Realty

Pat Bowman Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Princesse Fouefack Keller Williams Capital Properties

Xinli Ji Libra Realty

44 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

Nickie Jordan Investco Real Estate Bryan Kerr Kerr Realty Services Dominique Khieu RE/MAX Elite Services Ashley Klearman DSA Properties & Investments Ana Lara Fairfax Realty Kelvin Law Weichert REALTORS® Lynn Lewis Keller Williams Capital Properties Tu Lin Exit Flagship Realty Martha Lopez Elkind Weichert REALTORS® Zhengwu Lu Union Plus Realty Janet Lucas RE/MAX Realty Centre Colin McKevitt RE/MAX Realty Centre Francis Meekins Coldwell Banker Residential Dorothy Menelas RE/MAX Town Center Alexandria Middleton CityWorth Properties Raymond Miller Taylor Properties Gene Mock Keller Williams Realty Maynold Moreno Aguilar & Associates Kathleenn Morrison Long & Foster Real Estate Ashley Mosquera CityWorth Properties Kathryn Mould Long & Foster Real Estate Sandeep Narpala Fairfax Realty Advantage

Peter Paglio Keller Williams Capital Properties Sabrina Paige Washington Fine Properties Adriene Palucho Weichert REALTORS® Paul Pavot McEnearney Associates Demond Pollard Certified Realty Group Anthony Pradier Sourceone Realty Keren Rave Weichert REALTORS® Daniel Reed Living In Style Real Estate Lisa Resch Compass Mary Reyes Weichert REALTORS® Henry Reyes RE/MAX Town Center Ronald Robinson RE/MAX Realty Group Bradley Rohrs RE/MAX Five Star Matthew Rosenblatt Long & Foster Real Estate Eleazar Rubenstein Edberg Long & Foster Real Estate Richard Ruhlman Long & Foster Real Estate Jill Salmon Gustama Taylor Properties Thomas Schatz S. Henderson Realty Services Sheila Scholl Renters Warehouse DC Kathy Schreiber Long & Foster Real Estate Louis Schreiber Long & Foster Real Estate Tim Shotzberger Home Land Septic Consulting

New Members Lee Sobel Long & Foster Real Estate

Kevin Barber Long & Foster Real Estate

Anita DiPietro National Realty USA

Vincent Iliceto Alexander & Company REALTORS®

Elizabeth Nourse Customer Realty

Cassandra Spicer Compass

R. Taylor Barden McEnearney Associates

Chanelle Dohawk Weichert REALTORS®

Rasha Iqbal ERA Pro Realty

David Ochsman Long & Foster Real Estate

Homare Stout Long & Foster Real Estate

Michael Bates Capital Park Realty

Gepricia Doyle Carrington Real Estate Services

Rasaan James Keller Williams Capital Properties

Seazante Oliver Keller Williams Preferred Prop

Cheryl Summers Long & Foster Real Estate

Thelma Bergdoll Long & Foster Real Estate

Ethan Drath Washington Fine Properties

Monica Jenkins Long & Foster Real Estate

Michaela Pacak Weichert REALTORS®

Christina Swe Century 21 Redwood Realty

Deborah Bindeman Pearl Insurance

Marquis Evans Keller Williams Capital Properties

Dana Jensen Realty Connect

Anthony Pace Samson Properties

Morgan Swersey New World Title & Escrow

Anna Black Washington Fine Properties

Andra Ferguson Keller Williams Capital Properties

Makalay Kamara-Komba Weichert REALTORS®

Carlos Parada Ayala Long & Foster Real Estate

Heather Sylvester Keller Williams Capital Properties

Gbessay Bockai Keller Williams Capital Properties

Kyle Findlater Keller Williams Capital Properties

Kameron Kang Keller Williams Capital Properties

Casilda Parker Long & Foster Real Estate

Sarah Brazell City Chic Real Estate

Timon Fleiter Coldwell Banker Residential

Mustafa Karaca Fairfax Realty Advantage

Meredith Peace Long & Foster Real Estate

Shayne Brescia Greenline Real Estate

Jason Fogarty Weichert REALTORS®

Patricia Laney Long & Foster Real Estate

Sean Perkins Keller Williams Capital Properties

Ashlei Brown Frontier Realty Group

Anthony Forde Combined Insurance Company

Peter Leiter Long & Foster Real Estate

Jorge Portalea Long & Foster Real Estate

Russell Brown Modern District Realty

Shaun Gaither Keller Williams Capital Properties

Joseph Liehr Long & Foster Real Estate

Hanh Rachefsky W C & A N Miller REALTORS®

Mark Buckley Donna Kerr Group

Abel Gebremichael Keller Williams Capital Properties

Vanessa Lizana Coldwell Banker Residential

Lyna Ramirez De Mayorg Long & Foster Real Estate

Patsy Bucksell Taylor Properties

Voncy Granger Long & Foster Real Estate

Michael Lopez Long & Foster Real Estate

Anna Richards TriStar Realty

Lindsay Bunker Keller Williams Capital Properties

Mary Ellen Grant DCRE Residential

Keith Mantel Keller Williams City Wide Realty

Shalisha Rinck Long & Foster Real Estate

Marco Calderon Long & Foster Real Estate

David Guerra Long & Foster Real Estate

Karyn McCombs A-Z Real Estate

Ann Robertson Keller Williams Capital Properties

Katherine Williams Fairfax Realty

Liyu Cao Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Kevin Gunthert Cornerpoint Realty Mid-Atlantic

Cameron McFadden Washington Fine Properties

Paula Santos Independent Realty

Cong Zhang Evergreen Properties

Careen Carlton Keller Williams Capital Properties

Cheryl Guy Keller Williams Capital Properties

Stephanie McGovern TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Lauren Setlen Coldwell Banker Residential

Frank Zhang Coldwell Banker Residential

Wesley Carreno Keller Williams Realty Centre

Adam Hall Keller Williams Realty Centre

Tenneal McNair Long & Foster Real Estate

Jennifer Sherwood Green Home Solutions of MD

Patricia Harris-Bentley Long & Foster Real Estate

William Milewski Long & Foster Real Estate

Lisa Siegel Coldwell Banker Residential

Cara Herman Redfin Corporation

Jordan Monroe Compass

Jamie Smith Exit Deluxe Realty

Shannon Hettinger TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Kevin Moran Realtyka

Daniel Sprouse Long & Foster Real Estate

Marvin Holmes Majerle Management

Raymond Moussazadeh Central Properties

Cecilia Terrazas Long & Foster Real Estate

Timothy Holt Keller Williams Capital Properties

Janet Nettles Exquisite Realty

Vihanh Tham Spring Hill Real Estate

Rachel Howard Town Center Realty & Renovations

Chun Nie Union Plus Realty

Omolara Toler Sourceone Realty

Ross Howe Weichert REALTORS®

Miroslav Nikolov Evers & Co. Real Estate

Brandi Tovar RE/MAX Executives Real Estate

Sharon Szostak Showcase Real Estate Scott Teribury Coldwell Banker Residential Cary Thompson Premier Properties of DC Darryl Tittley Smart Realty Daniel Ungar Long & Foster Real Estate Barbara Van Der Vossen Red Cedar Real Estate Damian Walls Long & Foster Real Estate Melissa Watts Long & Foster Real Estate

AUGUST

Yolanda Carrera Long & Foster Real Estate

Cynthia Adams Pearl Certification

Stanton Cass Keller Williams Capital Properties

Georges Aguehounde Keller Williams Capital Properties

Subhaker Chigurula Showcase Real Estate

Andrew Amurrio Long & Foster Real Estate Julia Avent RE/MAX by Invitation Douglas Bado Keller Williams Capital Properties

Natchanok Chotchatchaval Keller Williams Capital Properties Jane Dehais Long & Foster Real Estate Gloria DeRusso Keller Williams Capital Properties Kalil Deschamps Keller Williams Capital Properties

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 45

design trends Five top designers weigh in on the HOTTEST TRENDS you’ll be dying to try this season Matte Black Fixtures Matte black and brushed gold fixtures are one of my favorite things to use right now. They can really add the perfect finishing touch to a space and can even be the centerpiece. This is the easiest one to add to your own home. Just be sure to think about the other accents, like lights and cabinet pulls, that the fixture will need to coordinate with.

– Jordan Iverson Iverson Signature Homes

Photo by Darius Kuzmickas, Ku Da Photography

Photo by Dino Tonn Photography

Low-Maintenance Materials One substantial trend has been to simply make spaces more livable and relaxed! Clients want to have distinctive and beautiful spaces but don’t necessarily want high-maintenance materials that they have to worry over constantly or be anxious about when guests visit. That has led to incorporating materials such as porcelain tile and slabs, as well as engineered quartz surfaces. I think the trend now is to create a livable luxury that is beautiful, inviting and resilient!

Art Starts the Design

– Nancy Boland, Duet Design Group

46 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

– Angelica Henry Angelica Henry Design

Photo by David Lauer

We love art and its ever increasing influence on design, including textured art, photography and oversized graphics.This black-and-white print was actually the beginning point of this bathroom design.

N E W T RE N DS — YOU’ LL WAN T TO T RY I N E VE RY ROOM O F YOU R H O M E Source: hgtv.com – Search Design Trends

Work with a REALTOR® to help you find more HOME DÉCOR TRE NDS.

Photo by Lauren Coburn

Unexpected Focal Points

I love the unexpected juxtaposition of modern furnishings with an eclectic pop of something stylistically interesting. I like to mix styles in a way that there’s an underlying aesthetic running through the home, yet unexpected details throughout that serve as focal points (like a great wallcovering).

New Members

– Lauren Coburn, Lauren Coburn, LLC

Photo by Emily J. Followill

Brass With White

I love white in combination with unlaquered brass accents. It’s a fresh look that adds warm sophistication and timeless appeal.

– Melanie Millner The Design Atelier

continued from page 45

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Tammy Tressler Keller Williams Capital Properties

Myriam Ahearn Weichert REALTORS®

Wayne Wallace Union Plus Realty

Joy Bamgbose RE/MAX Realty Centre

Dylan White TTR Sotheby’s International Realty

Deborah Baxter Coppermine Realty

Ross Wilhelm RE/MAX Success

Vernell Bell Keller Williams Capital Properties

David Williams Berkshire Hathaway Home Services PenFed

Mymy Cornelius Whiteman Real Estate

Hannah Davis Allison James Estates & Homes

Tony Kim Maryland Pro Realty

Miran Prasad Long & Foster Real Estate

Geaton DeCesaris Keller Williams Realty McLean

Rita Lee Nitro Realty

Yuan Ren Signature Home Realty

Andrew DiPaola New World Title & Escrow

Reza Lotfi Coldwell Banker Residential

Laura Sanders Washington Fine Properties

Osmar Esterque Whiteman Real Estate

Yousef Majlaton Long & Foster Real Estate

David Shepherd TriStar Realty

Todd Goldbeck Weichert REALTORS®

Sheila Murtland Long & Foster Real Estate

Stephen Homsey Real Living | At Home

William Pendleton Coldwell Banker Residential

Xiao Zou Weichert REALTORS®Plus Realty

CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016 47

BACKPorch TRIVIA FINDS 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE

t

FACTS

Sell-It-Yourselfers Are a Dwindling Crowd

110 MILLION

The number of sellers who sold

How Much the White

their home without a real estate

House Would Cost if

pro has dropped to 8%, accord-

It Ever Went Up for Sale

ing to the buyer and seller study — the lowest share since this stat

– Fortune.com

The Richest Lapdog in the World A little white Maltese named Trouble died at the age of 12 in her final days in luxury, every need tended to around the clock, in Sarasota, Fla. Trouble owed her coddled lifestyle to her former owner, New York Hotel heiress Leona

was first tracked in 1981.

Helmsley, who died in 2007 and turned her

back on relatives to bequeath the bulk of her

– Houselogic.com

estate, $12 million, to her dog.

DID YOU KNOW?

Helmsley bought the beloved pet for comfort

Sellers Who Spruce Up and Declutter Their Home Draw More Interest

after the death of her husband, billionaire

Staging a home makes a big difference in buyers’ ability to see its potential.

hotelier Harry Helmsley.

– ABCNEWS.com

Four out of five real estate agents who work exclusively with buyers say staging makes it easier for buyers to visualize themselves living in the staged home, according to NAR’s “2015 Profile of Home Staging.” – Houselogic.com

t

Monica’s apartment from “Friends” is estimated to cost $3,500,000 – wikia.com

APARTMENT STATS LOCATION: 90 Bedford Street,

Greenwich Village (Corner of Bedford/Grove) FLOOR: 3rd (Not confirmed ever but likely

since it is Apartment 20) SQUARE FOOTAGE: 1,125

(Estimated from appearance) WHAT SHE PAID: $200/month (Grandmother’s

apartment rent stabilized since the 1940s) TYPE: Pre-war walk-up RENOVATION: Unrenovated WHAT WOULD WE PAY TODAY?

$4,200-$5,500/month – Julep.Triplemint.com 48 CAPITAL AREA REALTOR ® — Sept/Oct 2016

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