2008_11-12_Commonwealth

November/December 2008

A journal for real estate professionals published by the Virginia Association of REALTORS® • www.VARealtor.com

Umbrella Policy How VAR ensured your business in 2008

THIS JUST IN

Quick Hits VREB appointments Three REALTORS® have been named to the Virginia Real Estate Appraisers Board: Betsy Critzer of Earleysville, certified residential appraiser at Pape and Company; Glenn James of Norfolk, member and manager of Commercial First Appraisers; and Ryan Myers of Potomac Falls, branch manager of Woodbury Financial Services.

Impressive site The good folks at Advanced Access — the company does real estate web site design, marketing, and the like — picked a pair of Virginia REALTORS® as a winner of their “Most Impressive Real Estate Website” contest.

Congrats to Mary Lou Majdeski and Rolf Kramer of Williamsburg, for their site at RetiringinWilliamsburg.com.

Blogger kudos

Rothamel

Martin

Daniel Rothamel of Palmyra, a/k/a the Real Estate Zebra, was named as one of the world’s 25 most influential real estate bloggers for 2008 by Inman News. Also on the list, thanks to his work on VARbuzz, is VAR’s vice president of communications, Ben Martin. Props, kudos, and a big w00t! to both of them.

VOLUME 15 ● ISSUE 6

It’s the end of the year, which means lots of announcements, appointments, and the like. So let’s get to it.

Caroline, won’t you be my neighbor?

REALTOR® magazine named five people as recipients of its Good Neighbor Awards, and — as you might imagine seeing that you’re reading it here — one of them hails from Virginia.

Caroline McCartney of GSH Real Estate in Norfolk received a $10,000 grant for her charity (St. Jude Children’s McCartney Research Hospital) and a $2000 Lowe’s gift card — not to mention a crystal trophy for being a REALTOR® who gave back to her community in a big way — showing “a commitment to improving the lives of those around [her],” according to NAR. McCartney’s done that by working for 18 years to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It treats and researches cancer and other catastrophic diseases in children, and it takes in all kids regardless of whether their families can afford it. McCartney has raised millions of dollars for the hospital, including almost $1 million in 2007 alone.

You can read her story — and even see video showcasing her work with St. Jude — at www.VARealtor.com/McCartney.

Loudoun is rich Folks in Loudoun county can feel free to quote Daffy Duck: “Oh boy, I’m rich! I’m wealthy! I’m independent! I’m socially secure!” So says the U.S. Census Bureau, which named Loudoun as the richest county in the country with 250,000 or more residents.

Loudoun and Fairfax counties have been battling over that distinction for years — they were even tied in 2007. Now Loudoun’s got the top spot again. (Oh, and Prince William county also made the top-10 list.)

Blogger brawls her way to Inman, cash Heather Elias of Loudoun County took home the top prize in VAR’s Blog Brawl 2 — a contest on our VARbuzz blog pitting 16 of the most popular real estate blogs in the commonwealth in a no-holds-barred shootout. (All right, some holds were barred, and it really is more of a popularity contest, but still.)

Heather takes home a free registration to Inman’s Real Estate Connect NY event in January, along with $1000 cash to get her there and score her a nice hotel room. Second-place finisher Tina Merritt of Virginia Beach received a free Inman registration (worth about $500), and thirdand fourth-place contestants took home Flip Mino video cameras.

Next up: the nationwide Blog Brawl, coming soon to VARbuzz. ●

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 • Volume 15 Issue 6

“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” — Churchill Yes, it’s been a long year, and for many of us a tough year. But year-ends give us a chance to prepare a fresh start and look forward to what’s to come. They also give us a chance to look back on the good we’ve accomplished in the past 366 days.

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2008 Convention Recap

VAR’s Convention and Expo 2008 brought hundreds of REALTORS® from Virginia (and even some nearby states) together in — as requested by members — beautiful downtown Baltimore. But why tell you about it when we can show you? Check out these snapshots of the show.

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Umbrella Policy: How VAR ensured your business in 2008

The harder the economic times, the harder we work for you and your business to help you weather the storm. Here’s a timeline of some of the major events and milestones of 2008. And, as we expect (and hope) you’re busy, we went light on the words and heavy on the photographs — we hope you enjoy them.

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Realty Check

In a year of wild economic ups and downs — Gas is $2.00! Gas is $4.00! Gas is $2.00! — REALTORS® have had to make choices and adjustments. So we asked some: What did you do? How do you handle it?

What does it mean? Read their answers.

38 2009 Awards Are you up to win an award from VAR in 2009? Should you be? Time is running out to get nominations in for many of them, so don’t miss this list.

DEPARTMENTS 1 This Just In – The latest news and tidbits from around Virginia 4 Legal Lines – Lem Marshall answers reader questions about the law 10 Sticky Situations – Pearl of Wisdom 26 RPAC Report – See who’s investing in Virginia’s second-largest PAC 32 Blogspotting – What’s the buzz in the REALTOR® blogosphere?

34 VAR Update – We’re your organization, and we’re hard at work 40 Thank You, Volunteers 42 VAR Staff Directory – Who’s whom at VAR 44 The Last Word 2

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PUBLISHED BY THE VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® The Business Advocate for Virginia Real Estate Professionals John Powell, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI President Cindy Stackhouse, GRI President-Elect John Dickinson, CCIM, GRI Vice President Pat Jensen, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI Immediate Past President John Daly Treasurer R. Scott Brunner, CAE Chief Executive Officer scott@VARealtor.com Lisa G. Noon, ABC, CAE Vice President, Marketing & Communications lgnoon@VARealtor.com Ben Martin, CAE Director of Communications & New Media bmartin@VARealtor.com Andrew Kantor Editor & Information Manager andrew@VARealtor.com For advertising information, Brittany Sullivan at (410) 584-1968 or email var@networkmediapartners.com The mission of The Virginia Association of REALTORS® is to enhance its membership’s ability to achieve business success.

Commonwealth magazine (ISSN#10681388) is published bi-monthly by the Virginia Association of REALTORS®, 10231 Telegraph Road, Glen Allen, VA 23059-4578; (804) 264-5033.

Virginia Association of REALTORS® members pay annual dues with a one-year subscription included within their dues. Periodicals postage paid at the Glen Allen, VA post office and additional mailing offices. USPS Per. # 9604.

Postmaster: Send address changes to: Commonwealth magazine, 10231 Telegraph Rd., Glen Allen, VA 23059-4578.

Custom Publishing Services provided by Network Media Partners, Inc. Executive Plaza 1, Suite 900, 11350 McCormick Road Hunt Valley, MD 21031

VARbuzz.com. Your virtual café for real estate news, views, and issues. Read the perspectives of your fellow Virginia REALTORS®. Join the conversation at VARbuzz.com today.

Get it? Got it? Good!

In addition to the print version of Commonwealth, VAR publishes these electronic newsletters at regular intervals. Among them:

The online version of our print mag, published every month.

If you’re not receiving these newsletters via e-mail from time to time, it may be that we don’t have your correct email address. Contact your local association of REALTORS® to enter your address in the database.

Also, check the spam filter on your computer and authorize any email from VARealtor.com.

lEgAl liNEs

by Lem Marshall, VAR Special Counsel

Close, but not quite MANY OF THIS issue’s questions evoke the kind of feeling you get when you hear Yogi Berra say, “I’m not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did!”

Q.

A listing agent has a listing in which she is to receive a fee of 600 chickens from the seller. she places the listing in the Mls and offers 300 chickens to the cooperating broker. A short sale results, and the listing agent agrees to cut her fee to 550 chickens. when the selling agent refuses the listing agent’s request to accept only 275 chickens instead of the promised 300, the listing agent instructs the settlement agent to withhold the entire selling fee until the selling firm agrees to accept the reduction. is this legal?

A. Actually, I laugh at Yogi (“I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous”) but this behavior is no laughing matter. First, the selling fee can be changed only with the consent of the selling firm. And even if there’s a legitimate dispute, the uncontested 275 chickens should be released.

The selling firm should demand payment of the entire amount (or at least the uncontested amount), and the settlement agent should be reminded that he has obligations under CRESPA and under the Wet Settlement Act to disburse within two business days.

But more important is the pathology this situation demonstrates. Listing agents can and should demand from the payoff lender their entire fee. They’ll almost always get it, and if they don’t have the nerve to do it, they should bear the burden and not force the selling firm to pay the price of their spinelessness.

I suggest the next time a payoff lender hits you with this kind of thing you let it know that you’ll be happy to share in a fee reduction pro rata with the settlement agent, the title company, the home inspector, the surveyor, the pest inspector, the mortgage broker, the lender, the clerk of the circuit court, the well and septic inspector, and hazard insurance company, and all the other service providers who would, of course, never agree — and are thus never asked — to cut the fee they have been promised. If we won’t grow a backbone we should eat the concession.

By the way, look up the word “conversion” in a legal dictionary.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

Q.

speaking of short sales, a seller has first and second liens, and the second demands $12,000 at closing. it offers to take $7,000 from the seller in cash before closing and the remaining $5,000 at settlement. the first lienholder will agree to permit $5,000 to be shown on the settlement statement as going to the second. the seller pays the $7,000 to the second before closing and only $5,000 shows up on the settlement statement. Does the listing agent (who knows of the $7,000 payment) have to disclose it to the first lien holder? Does the entire $12,000 have to appear on the settlement statement?

A. I wish I had an answer to this question, because I’m tired of answering it.

I think it depends on what the first lien holder knows.

If it does not know of the payment, and would likely not agree, someone (the seller) needs to let it know, and the listing agent should make this clear. Not to disclose this could well cost the seller any forgiveness of debt he gets from the first. Add to this the fact that he’s not getting anything for it, because the second will almost certainly accept what’s offered ($5,000).

But if it’s just that the first wants to handle the payment of the additional $7,000 outside of closing, I see no problem with that, and there might be lots of reasons the first wants this information out of the public domain. The buyer’s lender shouldn’t care, because it cares only about the total the seller is paying.

So if the first is not aware, disclose. If it and the mortgage lender are aware, and just want it handled POC, I don’t see why it can’t be handled this way. These are difficult situations, and sometimes when you come to a fork in the road, you just have to take it.

Q.

the Mls permits listing agents to list the owner as “Owner of record.” the buyer agent asks the listing agent the seller’s name, but the listing agent won’t give it. should this be permitted?

A. Not in my opinion. How is the selling agent to prepare an offer that can be accepted without the seller’s name? You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.

In essence, the buyer’s offer here becomes a solicitation of an offer from the seller in the form of the counteroffer containing the seller’s name (presumably the REO owner).

This is what the MLS is supposed to be, and this www.VAREAltOR.COM

legal lines practice turns the MLS on its head.

As for listing agents who tell me it’s done because the seller wants to keep its identity confidential in the hopes of securing better offers, what do they think “Owner of record” signals to participants in the MLS?

Q.

Speaking of owners of REO… Listing agent of REO requests a packet from a POA, only to be asked for a copy of the deed (preferably recorded) by which the lender took title at the foreclosure sale. Can the lender be required to provide such a deed?

A. Look, if the association doesn’t want to give the packet to someone not listed in their records as the owner, you can’t force them. Actually, this request makes sense.

Why should they take the listing agent’s word that his client is the owner of the property? Their records show no transfer of ownership, and they’re required to preserve the confidentiality of their owners’ financial information.

What I don’t understand is why lenders take so long to obtain and record the deed they should get from their own trustee within a very short time after the foreclosure sale. Any reasonable proof of ownership ought to be acceptable, but we shouldn’t give POAs a hard time for imposing such a reasonable requirement on us.

Q.

Firm has a listing on the market at $3.5 million. A buyer offers to pay $4 million at closing and to take a note from the seller for $1 million, not shown on the settlement statement, making it a net $3 million deal. The buyer is using this transaction as the tail end of a 1031 like-kind exchange.

A. I first though of loan fraud, but this is different.

Here, the buyer and seller are messing with the Service, as in Internal Revenue. It looks like the buyer might be trying to shelter the $4 million he got from sale of another property, and if he paid only $3 million for the replacement property, he’d have $1 million in “boot” and would be liable for tax on that amount. This way, he gets to sink the entire $4 million into the replacement property and then take the boot out tax-free.

Now, there might be a perfectly legal reason for structuring the deal this way, but whenever I see things that are backwards (the buyer getting a note at settlement), I get suspicious. I’ve seen so much fraud connected with settlements lately, it’s like déjà vu all over again.

If I were the listing agent, I’d ask the seller to obtain from the buyer a statement from the QI (that’s 1031 talk for Qualified Intermediary) to the effect that he is aware of the complete nature of the transaction. The seller

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

VAR Legal Hotline: (800) 755-8271 Is it risky? Quick! To the Hotline…

The VAR Legal Hotline is a free, members-only risk management tool that is among the top-rated services offered by the Virginia Association of REALTORS®. Through the Legal Hotline, you can receive timely legal information on the issues you confront day-in and day-out in your real estate practice. The VAR Legal Hotline has one major objective: to increase REALTOR® professionalism and decrease professional liability.

Guidelines for Legal Hotline calls: All principal or supervising brokers are eligible to use the Hotline. In addition, one other designated person from each office (for example, an associate broker or office manager) may register as designees of the principal broker.

Before you call: Please note that many of the routine questions the Hotline receives have previously been answered in Commonwealth articles; check the indexed Hotline archives at VARealtor.com before calling.

How to sign up: Registration is easy. Complete the form found under the Member Services tab at varealtor.com. You must register before you call the Hotline.

Hours of operation: Monday through Friday (except holidays) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

How to contact the Hotline:

By phone: (800) 755-8271 or (804) 264-5033.

By e-mail: hotline@varealtor.com

Call handling process: When you call, please have your NRDS number ready, and include it with any e-mailed questions.

Questions?

If you have questions about the Hotline, contact VAR at (800) 755-8271 or (804) 264-5033, or by e-mail at info@VARealtor.com The VAR Legal Hotline should not replace your own legal counsel.

No questions will be answered on matters that are unrelated to real estate, real estate brokerage, or pending arbitrations.

www.VARealtor.com

legal lines and listing agent don’t want to do the Masochism Tango with the Service.

Q.

Speaking of unholy messes, a buyer submits an offer on a home listed by Firm A, with the offer contingent on sale of buyer’s home. Firm A’s listing agent, who represents buyer in the sale of his home and in this purchase, wants to purchase buyer’s home for $30,000 less than his listing price, but he’ll need his other seller client to reduce his asking price by $15,000 to make it all happen. The broker, with tongue in cheek, wants to know if there’s anything wrong with this scenario.

A. Where do I start? By my count, the listing agent has created at least five conflicts of interest: (i) representing buyer and seller; (ii) representing buyer in two simultaneous transactions in one of which he also represents the other party; (iii) representing a client in a transaction to which he is a party; (iv) making a below-market offer on his client’s property when his client is in a vulnerable position; and (v) encouraging his other client (the seller) to drop his price so the agent’s other below-market deal can happen. The only thing that could make this more fun would be if the original sellers were also divorcing.

If real people didn’t have their lives riding on the outcomes to these deals, it might be fun to see how it would all work out, because, you know, you can observe a lot just by watching. Here’s how I think it would work out. The listing agent will be waiting tables in Short Pump by fall.

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Every other business where fiduciary relationships exist makes a point of avoiding conflicts at all cost. Why do we go out of our way to create as many as we possibly can?

I used to think the REALTOR® gene caused us to fill our contracts with as many unnecessary termination rights as possible, but I’m beginning to wonder if the urge to create conflicts isn’t more prevalent.

Before you tell me the agent is doing well for his clients by getting them the deals they want, well, let me say there’s a right way and a wrong way to do things. He should (i) resign his agency relationships and get all his clients independent, unconflicted representation; (ii) make his offers closer to market price (after all, he did the CMA on which the asking prices are based); and (iii) get his broker’s consent to all this, because her E&O isn’t going to cover any claims that come out of these deals. How he’s going to claim he didn’t take advantage of confidential information he gained is another matter, but, well, you can’t have everything. Where would you put it? l Legal Lines is written by VAR Special Counsel Lem Marshall. Please note that answers to Legal Hotline questions are informational only. Consult your own legal counsel for legal advice. More Legal Hotline questions and answers are in the Legal Resources Center on VARealtor.com.

www.VARealtor.com

Pearl of Wisd m

Don’t Get Burned by Lack of Disclosure!

by Marcy Slane

Disclosure has been one of the top real estate topics for the past several years and is of the utmost importance to protecting everyone involved in a real estate transaction. Understandably, buyers’ attorneys in disclosure cases are getting more aggressive to protect their clients’ investments. Many seek punitive damages against both the seller and the real estate professional. In turn, many real estate agents are being held accountable for failing to instruct their clients to disclose a known material defect of the property.

Disclosure laws vary from state to state, and some states require a unique disclosure form for property sellers to utilize. To help avoid any disclosure issues, it is important for both the seller and the real estate professional to go through each item on the disclosure form and provide as complete and accurate a response as possible based on the information available.

Disclosure forms cover property issues such as: • When property was last occupied by seller • Condition of roof • Structural problems • Water/sewage systems or service • Electrical system • Heating and air conditioning • Plumbing system • Presence of hazardous substances • Municipal violations against the property • Presence of mold Review the disclosure form and verify the information is consistent with your knowledge of the property. Share the form with potential buyers, and advise the seller to update their disclosures as needed, especially after any inspections where a problem is discovered. Possible ill consequences of not disclosing property information include payment of claimed damages or punitive damages to the seller, rescission of the transaction, your loss of commission, disciplinary action by the real estate licensing board, and ultimately, loss of your real estate license.

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Tips to avoid disclosure predicaments 1. When the seller you represent discloses information regarding the property condition and any repairs, clearly document this in writing, and always have the seller sign your documentation. One example of a proper disclosure: “There is a stain on the kitchen ceiling. The seller has stated that it is a result of a second-floor plumbing leak that was repaired last year.” You are simply the messenger and should not try to cover up or brush aside any problematic property issues.

2. D on’t characterize or diagnose. Leave your opinions or interpretations regarding property conditions and their causes out of the written disclosure, unless you are a subject matter expert. Leave out descriptive words that tend to pinpoint the problem without absolute certainty.

Point out visible problems that may require further professional inspection to the best of your ability—such as ceiling stains or cracks, floors that aren’t level or are loose, strange or musty odors, excessive mold visible to eye, cracks in the foundation, and water lines in the basement.

3. Consistently defer to a qualified specialist when you’re asked questions regarding property condition. Instead of answering questions, respond to them. For example, instead of answering with a guess concerning where a specific problem came from, phrase your response in the following manner: “That’s a good question. Be sure to ask the home inspector when he’s here this afternoon.” Shift the risk to an appropriate party by advising the buyer to obtain a home inspection by a qualified expert. Don’t take responsibility for possible backlashes by providing services of another professional. If a buyer declines your recommended inspections, obtain a waiver in writing.

4. Even if the state in which you are representing a property seller does not require a disclosure form, it is a good idea to use one anyway—you can still be faulted for not disclosing problems. The National Association of REALTORS® has even included disclosure as part of its Code of Ethics, regardless of state law.

www.VARealtor.com

5. Finally, it’s always a good idea to advise the seller to purchase a home warranty for the buyer.

Whether you are representing the seller or the buyer, any agent who does not expose serious defects in the property can be held liable for the omission. These issues can lead to extensive and expensive property damage, personal injury, or even death.

Avoid litigation by providing as much relevant information to potential buyers as possible. Do your best to safeguard your career and your reputation as an ethical professional by being certain the property disclosure form is complete and that all parties involved receive a fully executed copy. ●

Information provided within this article is not to be taken as legal advice and is to be used for educational purposes only.

Pearl Insurance is a nationally known broker, marketer, and administrator that specializes in the design and administration of quality insurance plans for associations, affinity groups, unions, and large firms. In addition to providing real estate professionals with quality products and services for almost 30 years, its partnership with the XL Insurance companies (through Indian Harbor Insurance Company and Greenwich Insurance Company) solidifies their strength, allowing them to offer association members an A rated (by A.M. Best) E&O program. Pearl has been a sponsored E&O provider for the Virginia Association of REALTORS® since 1984.

For more information about Pearl’s sponsored E&O programs, call Debbie Bindeman, your association’s regional director, at 800-455-1154.

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CONVENTION

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RECAP

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VIP • Vice president and supervising broker of Long & Foster REALTORS® in Colonial Heights • Appointed by Governor Kaine to the Virginia Foreclosure Prevention Task Force 2007-2009 • Member (and former president) of the Southside Virginia Association of REALTORS®; also 2001 REALTOR® of the Year • Named VAR’s Manager of the Year in 2005 • 2001 recipient of the “C. Porter Vaughan, Jr., Outstanding Service Award” from the Richmond Association of REALTORS® • Member of Ducks Unlimited, Retail Merchants Association, and Rotary International

• Associate broker with Hall Associates in Roanoke • President and owner of the Moseley-Dickinson Academy of Real Estate in Roanoke

• Broker and owner of Century 21 Stackhouse & Associates in Dumfries • Broker since 1988 • 2008 president of the REALTOR® Association of Prince William (RAPW) • Certified Instructor for Code of Ethics and New Member Orientation • RAPW 2003 Volunteer of the Year and REALTOR® of the Year • Received the state’s prestigious Code of Ethics Leadership Award in 1998.

• Virginia REALTORS® Leadership Academy graduate (2006)

• Virginia’s REALTOR® of the Year • President of Montague Miller & Company in Charlottesville • Money quote: “I never expected to win an award for something I love to do.”

• 2003 president of VAR • Past chair of the Virginia Real Estate Board 14 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

Mary Dykstra of Roanoke was named 2009 RPAC Fundraising Chair, and Trish Szego of Haymarket was named vice-chair. Angela Dougherty of Williamsburg was named 2009 chair of the Virginia REALTORS® Leadership Academy.

• Managing broker at GSH Real Estate in Hampton • 2005 REALTOR® of the Year at the Virginia Peninsula Association of REALTORS®

VAR’s 2009 Policy Board VAR’s Delegate Body elected nine new policy board members on the last day of the convention: • Wes Atiyeh, Richmond • Deborah Baisden, Virginia Beach • Bob Blount, Virginia Beach • Candice Bower, Leesburg • Margaret Ireland, Manassas • Conrad Koneczny, Winchester • Trish Szego, Haymarket • Clifford Wells, Norfolk • Bill White, Richmond WWW.VAREALTOR.COM

KEYNOTERS

Waters: Go Beyond the Trends Anyone can spot a trend when it’s happening. But keynoter Robyn Waters — who helped propel upscale discount retailer Target to national prominence — argues that it’s more important to realize what’s behind a trend.

For example, say there’s a trend toward buying homes in older neighborhoods. A good REALTOR® might show more of those homes, thinking buyers might join the trend.

But a better REALTOR® might recognize that the trend exists because older neighborhoods have sidewalks, and what’s important to people (in this example) is a better connection to their neighbors and neighborhood.

That’s the idea to build a business on.

In an intensely consumer society like ours, there are people whose self-worth depends on what they own — the bigger car, the flatter television. They buy a large HDTV not for the better picture, but to impress their friends.

So, while you could focus on selling picture quality, the smarter move is to focus on impressiveness and self-worth.

Whirlpool recognized that when it introduced its Duet series of washer and dryers, which start at about $1000 each.

Why would anyone pay that much?

Prestige. So don’t jump on the bandwagon — see where it’s going and why.

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Sernovitz: Talk Isn’t Cheap Andy Sernovitz’s book is Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, so it was no surprise that such was the subject of his keynote.

In a nutshell, it’s like this: If you want to improve your business, you need to get your clients and potential clients to have your name on their lips.

That means, among other things, A) reminding them that you exist, and B) getting them to tell others.

As Sernovitz told Tina Merritt, a Virginia Beach REALTOR®, “[People] want to feel smart” and the more you can give them to show off to their friends and neighbors, the more they’ll talk about you.

And REALTORS®, he said, have lots of information — lots of gossip — at their fingertips. They know, for example, whose house sold and for how much. And that’s what people want to know.

“You guys are good at stuff,” he said.

“You’ve got your calendars and your magnets and your doodads, but all that stuff is designed for a person to keep, it’s not designed for a person to share.”

Changing that, he suggested, is a smart move. “Most marketing is about ‘How do I get the customer to buy?’ but what you’re really thinking about here is ‘How do I get a talker to share?’ Never let someone walk out of your office without something to share.”

Rushkoff: Community Expertise Do what you’re good at — that’s Douglas Rushkoff’s mantra. It’s something a lot of people and companies forget, as they let “mission creep” take over. Soon they’ve strayed from their expertise and are wondering why business isn’t booming.

What are (or should) REALTORS® be good at? Connecting with people.

Knowing the neighborhoods. Anyone can search a listing and find a house with the right number of beds and baths; consumers want someone to tell them about where the home is, about hidden gems in the neighborhood, and about the things that a data sheet can’t provide.

How did Rushkoff’s message hit?

“What a great choice it was,” said Danilo Bogdanovic, REALTOR® and author of the LoudounScene.com blog.

“Rushkoff told a story,” Bogdanovic said, “of how he thought one person’s blog showed they were the community expert. Later he found out they were a REALTOR®.”

And that’s a good thing. Paraphrasing Rushkoff, Bogdanovic wrote, “Consumers are now looking for community experts, not just ‘top producers.’ They want someone who knows the ins and outs of a local area.

“Rushkoff’s session was as much of a wake-up call as it was inspiring, and we all needed to hear it.”

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COVER STORY

Umbrella Policy How VAR insured your business in 2008

January–February

Every year gets its review, and this one’s no different. It was a busy one (aren’t they all?), from the launch of VARbuzz — our official blog and unofficial online gathering place — in January, to VARsupported laws being passed by the state legislature, to the launch of our new Member Services Center in October.

LLE Language Services becomes member service partner ( January 15)

Legislative Conference ( February 12 –15) Governor Kaine addresses REALTORS® at VAR’s Legislative Conference ( February 15)

VARbuzz launched ( January 24)

VAR gets a snappier new look and its first branding campaign ( January 14)

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REALTOR® day on the Hill ( February 13)

President-elect John Powell appointed to Governor’s Foreclosure Task Force

WWW.VAREALTOR.COM

March–May

Virginia Real Estate BloggerCon 2.0 (Leesburg) (April 4)

New edition of How to Best Buy or Sell a Home brochure released ( May 6)

Lem Marshall leads the first Risk Management Road Show for brokers (April 2)

VAR’s IdealRoute online mapping services launches (April 7)

RPAC hits 50% of its “fair share” goal ($378,444.25 in donations) ( May 30)

VAR’s first new-member welcome package sent out ( May 10)

End of General Assembly ( March 8)

New edition of REALTORS® Role brochure released (April 17) T-Mobile becomes member service partner ( May 15)

First of the new quarterly home-sales reports goes out (April 22)

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June–August

RPAC has more than 100 $1,000+ investors (August 31)

First CREST survey results give VAR a picture of how REALTORS® use their blogs ( July 18)

10,000 RPAC investor signs up — 29 percent of membership has invested ( July) th

Several new laws impacting real estate take effect, including reforms to the POA Act ( July 1)

First “Rookie Navigator” newsletter sent out (August 5)

VARedge insurance program launched ( June 15)

TASC becomes member service partner ( June 15)

Member Guidebook debuts (August 28)

Statewide grantor tax increase killed in General Assembly special session ( July 10)

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RPAC Trustees recommend endorsement of Governor Mark Warner for US Senate (October 30)

691 real estate pros attend VAR’s Convention & Expo 2008 (September 26 –28)

New Legal Resources section of VAR Web site debuts (October 15)

Delegate body approves new strategic plan (September 28)

ClientDirect launches (September 22)

Virginia Homeowners Alliance launches (September 27)

VAR Property Management Coalition Conference draws record attendance (October 8 –10)

Virginia REALTOR® Leadership Academy graduation (September 28)

Member Service Partners

VAR Program Launches

Events/Convention

VAR News

Legislative/Government

RPAC News

More than 1087 members have signed up for or are using ClientDirect (December 1)

VAR releases updated versions of all property management forms to comply with new laws ( November 18)

Members Services Center launches, giving members a single phone number for all their VAR questions (October 20)

September–December

REALTY

CHECK IT MAY HAVE had 366 days, but 2008 sure seemed like a long year. The economy, which had been sliding down for the past several years, finally took a big nosedive.

Foreclosures up, housing-prices flat or down. Gas prices up, then back down — but only because the stock market had collapsed. Banks going under, government nationalization, credit tightened…. an economic mess, especially if you make your living selling property. It had some REALTORS® doing things differently, while others just hung on and hoped for the best.

Curious about exactly how those REALTORS® and brokers around the state handled 2008, we sent Gary Duda , broker and owner at RE/MAX Action Real Estate in Glen Allen, to take their pulse — figuratively, of course.

How has this past year’s housing market affected the way you do business?

Kevin Allocca: It’s made me be smarter on how I approach the business and where I spend my marketing dollars. I’ve also maintained good contact and communication with my sellers to make them less apprehensive about the market.

Theresa Denaro: I’m wiser with my money and I’ve had to work harder than before.

Scott MacDonald: We’ve approached our business in a more business-like manner this year. Each contact we make with clients is less casual and more intentional.

Melissa Butler: It hasn’t affected my business at all because I’m having a better year. I’m just plugging away doing what I always do.

Scott Herndon: I’ve definitely been looking for more buyers than sellers.

Mike Trentadue: I’ve focused more on smarter marketing and building my core business.

Sheila Johnson: I have had to be a little bit more focused when it comes to my business plan: more precise when it comes to evaluating goals and objectives.

22 NoVemBeR/DeCemBeR 2008

How about higher gas prices?

Allocca: It hasn’t caused any impact on my business.

It’s just a cost of doing business. You just have to pay it. I don’t like it, but what’s the alternative?

Denaro: It causes me to be more selective about taking listings and less willing to negotiate commissions. I work in a rural area and spend $100 on gas every three days.

MacDonald: It causes us to be more efficient in our daily efforts.

Butler: I do think about that all the time. I try to plan out my day a little better since I drive a minivan and fill up a minimum of twice a week.

Herndon: I’m doing more research now online versus going out to see homes in advance of showing homes to clients.

Trentadue: It’s affected my wallet but is hasn’t affected my business. I’ve just spent more money at the pump.

Johnson: It’s a cost factor that exists. There is nothing I can do to change that, but by putting better systems in place it has allowed me to be more effective.

Shameless plug: Planning the Ideal Route It’s like a ninth-grade math problem: Find the shortest distance between these five (or 10, or 20) points. when you’re driving from property to property, there’s nothing more wasteful than having to backtrack, re-track, and drive all over creation, especially if you’ve got a big area to cover.

A little planning can go a long way. VAR’s IdealRoute lets you enter all your stops for the day, then maps the best way to get from one to the other. It maximizes your time with clients and minimizes your carbon footprint — and the dollars you put into exxonmobil’s pocket.

www.VAReAltoR.Com

This issue’s opinions come from…

Kevin Allocca, Broker Newmann & Dunn Real Estate Richmond

Is there a silver lining for REALTORS® in the current market?

Allocca: It gives a lot of the new agents a reality check.

There’s more to the business than just sticking a listing in MLS. You have to work.

Denaro: While I’m not rooting for this, I do think the market will weed out some agents and make a stronger industry.

MacDonald: Hopefully have fewer agents doing more business better.

Butler: I don’t really see a silver lining for REALTORS® other than that sellers are getting more realistic in their pricing.

Herndon: We are having to step up our game and we’re having to hone our skills to be able to compete.

Trentadue: It’s going to leave a more professional industry.

Johnson: We are going to get more committed agents who are more dedicated to serving the client.

Short sales have been more common this year than ever before. How have they affected your business?

Allocca: I personally haven’t done one, but for those in my office who have, they’ve been extremely difficult. The banks are an impediment to the process. We’re trying to clean up their mess, and they’re making it more difficult.

Denaro: I haven’t done one; they are not as common in our area. But I would recommend that someone do a short sale before a foreclosure.

MacDonald: We used to avoid them but now we can’t because of the high number of them in our market. We’re engaging short sale companies on the listing side. On the buyer side we check the listing agent’s history in getting short sales through.

Butler: I haven’t done one and they are not big in this area. I took a class on short sales. If it came up I’d have to deal with it but it’s not something I’m looking forward to.

Herndon: The short sales we have dealt with have been so difficult that we ended up looking at other homes.

Trentadue: I haven’t done any. All I see is agents working hard for no results or less money.

Johnson: I have had to educate myself more to the process of short sales and by doing that I have become more valuable to my clients.

Volume 15 ● Issue 6

Theresa Denaro, REALTOR® Coldwell Banker Lafoon Realty Farmville

Scott MacDonald, Broker RE/MAX Gateway Chantilly

Melissa Butler, REALTOR® Century 21 Monticello Properties Palmyra

Ken Herndon, REALTOR® Century 21 Real Estate Resources Charlottesville

Mike Trentadue, Associate Broker RE/MAX Action Real Estate Glen Allen

Sheila Johnson, REALTOR® Long and Foster Virginia Beach

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 23

Name three things REALTORS® can do to help survive the current down market.

Allocca: 1. Stay in touch with your base. 2. Keep your current customers educated about the market. 3. Build your listing inventory — when the market turns around, the folks with the inventory are going to be poised to take off.

“

Ultimately word of mouth is what can make you or break you.”

Denaro: 1. Don’t take over-priced listings. 2. Make sure you have qualified buyers before you take them out.

3. Go that extra mile and give the best service you can to stand out above the rest. Ultimately word of mouth is what can make you or break you.

MacDonald: 1. Increase your education and knowledge of your market. 2. Get out there: Don’t just sit there and wait for it to happen because it won’t.

3. Get involved. It’s not all about business. Give back to the community by being part of your HOA, coaching kids, becoming part of a charitable endeavor, or PTA. The more give, the more you get.

Butler: 1. Keep trying to get listings. 2. Stay in communication with your clients. 3. Spend wisely and budget your money.

“

You can’t go into a shell and stop all your advertising: people still need to see your face.”

Herndon: 1. Take a hard look at what you’re spending and trim the fat. 2. You can’t go into a shell and stop all your advertising: people still need to see your face. 3.

Make sure everybody you know knows that you’re an agent and can work for them.

Trentadue: 1. Stay in touch with past clients and ask for referrals. 2. Track where you are spending money on marketing and see what has the best results. 3. Just be out there — if people see you, they’ll use you.

Parker: 1. Create your own brand identity. 2. Remain knowledgeable of the market and its changes. 3. Continue to expand your skill set.

24 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

What do you see happening in the housing market in the coming year?

Allocca: I think the market is going to trend up, especially after the elections. As things improve overseas and we get through the bank bailouts, I think it will be a traditional bull real estate market by mid 2009.

Denaro: I think the market will remain stable but I do think by spring of 2009 things will pick up - but that might be wishful thinking.

MacDonald: Until we see more owner-to-owner sales, we will stay in the market we are in for some time. It could be another 18 months of what we see is what we get.

Butler: I sort of think it has hit bottom in this area and will pick up despite predictions that 2009 will still be a down year.

Herndon: For the next year things are going to be flat.

There are a lot of issues still up in the air such as politics and gas prices.

Trentadue: I hope it goes up but my crystal ball has been broken for years. I’ll just hope for the best and plan for worse.

Johnson: I’m an optimist. I can see that this is going to get much better because we have almost bottomed out. l

Shameless plug: Getting Direct with your Clients The best way to keep your head above water is to make sure you’re on your clients’ minds. Recipe cards, football schedules, letter openers — those aren’t going to do it. You need to give them something useful. Enter VAR’s ClientDirect. It’s an electronic newsletter that you can customize to your heart’s content.

Add your own content — personal analysis, neighborhood info, a bad joke, whatever — or choose from lots of real estate-related material.

The end result is something that’s not just another toy or piece of spam. Done right, it’s a valuable message for your clients, and one that will earn your name a bit more mindspace.

www.VARealtor.com

2008 RPAC Report

GOLDEN R INVESTORS ($5,000)

Thank you to all who invested in RPAC in 2008.

As of November 30, 2008, the following REALTORS® and local associations have joined RPAC of Virginia as Major Investors. For more information on the value of RPAC and how your investment works to protect your business, contact Meredith Cox at mcox@ VARealtor.com or (804) 264-5033.

Or, if you want to get invested today, please visit rpacofva.com.

Linda Belcher-Brown Coldwell Banker Residential Manassas

William Chorey Chorey & Associates Realty Suffolk

Dennis Cronk Poe & Cronk Real Estate Group Roanoke

Joseph Funkhouser, II Coldwell Banker Funkhouser Harrisonburg

Dorcas Helfant-Browning Coldwell Banker Professional Virginia Beach

Steve Hoover MKB, REALTORS® Roanoke

Thomas Jefferson, III* Joyner Fine Properties Richmond

Tom Jewell Carter Braxton Real Estate Co. Leesburg

John McEnearney McEnearney Associates, Inc. Alexandria

Stanley Palivoda Century 21 Battlefield – Tappahannock Dahlgren

Tom Stevens* Coldwell Banker Residential Vienna

Melanie Thompson Century 21 AdVenture Realty Fredericksburg

GOLDEN R ASSOCIATION ($5,000) Dulles Area Association of REALTORS®, Leesburg Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS®, Fredericksburg Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS­®, Harrisonburg Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS®, Fairfax Richmond Association of REALTORS®, Richmond Roanoke Valley Association of REALTORS®, Roanoke Williamsburg Area Association of REALTORS®, Williamsburg

* Hall of Famers have contributed a cumulative amount of at least $25,000 to RPAC. 26 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

Jack Torza Long & Foster REALTORS® Mechanicsville

Commission Express Commission Express Woodbridge

www.VARealtor.com

CRYSTAL R INVESTORS ($2,500)

Angela Dougherty William E. Wood & Associates Williamsburg

Patricia Jensen Real Estate III – North Charlottesville

Keith Kreuer Exit Elite Realty Midlothian

Michael Minnery Re/Max Allegiance Woodbridge

Todd Rogers Hometown Realty Mechanicsville

Dee Spraker Keller Williams Realty Dumfries

STERLING R INVESTORS ($1,000–$2,499)

Barry Allbright Keller Williams Realty Reston

Julia Avent Re/Max Allegiance Arlington

Deborah Baisden Prudential Decker Realty Virginia Beach

Jerry Bartlett Jobin Realty Springfield

Bob Barton Barton Real Estate Services Richmond

Mary Ann Bendinelli Weichert REALTORS® Manassas

Charles Bengel Re/Max Allegiance Alexandria

Patricia Billheimer Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Sterling

Karen Bohlke Re/Max Select Hampton

Kevin Breen Coldwell Banker Elite Fredericksburg

R. Scott Brunner Virginia Association of REALTORS® Glen Allen

Charles Burnette Burnette & Company, Inc. Blacksburg

David Charron MRIS Rockville, MD

Florence Chittenden Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Nokesville

Billy Coons Realty Executives Virginia Beach

Julie Crist GSH Real Estate Hampton

Beth Dalton Coldwell Banker Townside Blacksburg

Tommy DeWitt DeWitt Real Estate & Auction Lynchburg

John Dickinson Hall Associates Inc. Union Hall

Mary Dykstra RE/MAX Valley REALTORS® Roanoke

Angela Eliopoulos Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. McLean

Volume 15 ● Issue 6

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 27

2008 RPAC Report

STERLING R INVESTORS ($1,000–$2,499)

Sandee Ferebee GSH Real Estate Virginia Beach

Claire Forcier-Rowe Coldwell Banker Elite Fredericksburg

Robert Froehlich Jobin Realty Clifton

Karen Gaskins Rose & Womble Realty Chesapeake

Katy Gilliam Coldwell Banker Traditions Williamsburg

Millie Green Re/Max Commonwealth Richmond

Lynn Grimsley RE/MAX Peninsula Newport News

Kit Hale MKB, REALTORS® Roanoke

Margaret Handley M.C. Handley, Ltd. McLean

Lizzie Hernandez Re/Max Regency Bristow

Steven Hill Century 21 Real Estate Unlimited Harrisonburg

Eugene Hobart Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Haymarket

Donn Irby Rose & Womble Realty Chesapeake

Betty Jasmund Coldwell Banker Elite Stafford

Jo Anne Johnson Westgate Realty Group, Inc. Falls Church

Lilian Jorgenson Long & Foster Real Estate Vienna

Kathleen Kennedy Weichert REALTORS® Gainesville

Luis Lama Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Alexandria

Amy Hudson Long & Foster – Christiansburg/Blacksburg Blacksburg

Tom Innes Rita Huggins-Halstead Re/Max Commonwealth Long & Foster Richmond Real Estate, Inc. Sterling

STERLING R ASSOCIATION ($1,000–$2,499) Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS®, Charlottesville Greater Augusta Association of REALTORS®, Staunton Lynchburg Association of REALTORS®, Lynchburg New River Valley Association of REALTORS®, Christiansburg Virginia Peninsula Association of REALTORS®, Hampton

28 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

Pamela Jones Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. Ashburn

www.VARealtor.com

STERLING R INVESTORS ($1,000–$2,499)

Barbara Jean LeFon Rivah Realty LLC Montross

Casey Margenau Re/Max Distinctive Real Estate McLean

Andy Mason Mason-Davis Company, Inc. Onancock

G. Edmond “Ned” Massie, IV Grant Massie Land Company Richmond

Susan Mekenney Re/Max Allegiance Fairfax

Kayvan Mehrbakhsh Sperry Van Ness Vienna

John Meyer Re/Max Allegiance Alexandria

Tom Meyer Condo 1, Inc. Falls Church

Percy Montague Montague Miller & Co. Charlottesville

Kurt Negaard Napier REALTORS® ERA Midlothian

Vinh Nguyen Westgate Realty Group, Inc. Fairfax

Kathy Nunnally Re/Max Valley REALTORS® Roanoke

Lee Odems Buyer’s Advantage Real Estate Woodbridge

Forrest Odend’hal Long & Foster Real Estate Manassas

Gwen Pangle Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Sterling

Gail Penman Century 21 Team Real Estate Stafford

Tracy Pless Long & Foster Real Estate Reston

John Powell Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Colonial Heights

Jane Quill Re/Max Presidential Fairfax

Peter Rickert Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Alexandria

Gene Sampson Jobin Realty Fairfax

Trudy Severa Long & Foster Real Estate Reston

Cindy Stackhouse Century 21 Stackhouse & Associates Dumfries

Wes Stearns Mo Wilson Properties, Inc. Woodbridge

Volume 15 ● Issue 6

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 29

2008 RPAC Report

StERlING R INVEStORS ($1,000–$2,499)

Suzy Stone Century 21 AdVenture Realty Fredericksburg

Thomas “Mack” Strickland, Jr. Strickland Realty chester

Patricia Szego ERA - Elite Group REALTORS® Haymarket

Richard Thurmond William E. Wood & Associates Virginia Beach

Christine Todd Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS® Fairfax

Kevin Turner Century 21 All Service-Bedford Bedford

Drake Van de Castle Envirian of Charlottesville charlottesville

Glenda von Dameck Long & Foster Christiansburg christiansburg

Robert Waring GSH Real Estate Virginia Beach

Cliff Wells Century 21 Nachman Realty Norfolk

William A. White Joyner Fine Properties Richmond

Karen Wilkinson First Horizon Home Loans Woodbridge

contributions are not deductible for income tax purposes. contributions to RpAc are voluntary and are used for political purposes. The amount suggested is merely a guideline and you may contribute more or less than the suggested amount. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal and the National Association of REALTORS® or any of its state associations or local boards will not favor or disfavor any member because of the amount contributed. 70% of each contribution is used by your state pAc to support state and local political candidates. Until your state pAc reaches its RpAc goal 30% is sent to National RpAc to support federal candidates and is charged against your limits.

John Wilson Coldwell Banker Traditions Williamsburg

Holly Worthington Long & Foster Real Estate Washington, Dc

When you’re good to RPAC...

RPAC’s good to you Get invested today at www.RPACofVirginia.com 30 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

www.VAREAltOR.COM

BLOGSPOTTING

by Andrew Kantor

Feeling the pulse of the real estate blogging community Bailout, schmailout

Don’t wait — move now

So says Paul Jackson on HousingWire.com, where he argues that, left to itself, the market is pretty good at sorting things out.

Jonathan Bunn at the Real Estate Bakery in Loudoun

As Henry Paulson and the rest of the Bush administration push forward with “the new kapitalism,” there are yet examples of a free market working, providing at least some fuel for the argument that says the market must eventually clear itself…

In other words, we’re nowhere near the bottom, but — surprise! — the market actually works if we just let it.

The need to push out tax credits, change conforming limits, push in cramdowns in bankruptcy, etc. — all are essentially a crutch designed to fight what may end up proving to be something akin to gravity.

Shortcut: www.VARealtor.com/08111

•••••••• Doin’ donuts with Frank There are blogs, photo blogs, video blogs, and now there’s Frank Llosa’s twist on the latter, which he calls it “Wheel Estate.” Frank’s mounted a video camera in his car, pointing at him, and he creates his video-blog entries while driving.

That’s kinda cool on its own, but what makes Wheel Estate especially worthy of note is that Frank has mounted his camera on the steering wheel.

That means that, unless he drives in a perfectly straight line, you may feel the need for some Dramamine.

Thumbs up for creativity (and a great blog in general), but we’re still not convinced about the delivery. Hopefully that Dramamine will help.

Shortcut: www.VARealtor.com/08112

32 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

County warns against waiting to sell your home: If you would have placed your home on the market to sale in October 2007 you would have had less of chance to sell it since less homes sold during that time period than compared to April of 2008 (the spring market). However, if you would have sold it during October of 2007 you would have netted an average of $40,000 more on your home! Some would consider this worth moving during the holidays for.

“In other words,” he said, “don’t confuse more activity in the market with higher prices.”

Shortcut: www.VARealtor.com/08113

•••••••• …and on VARbuzz Brian Block wants you to chill out: There’s a lot of fear out there right now among homebuyers, homesellers, and people sitting on the fence deciding what to do in the current real estate market.

Some REALTORS® are panicking too. It is not a time for panic. It’s a time for REALTORS® to learn all they can, digest and analyze that information, and present it in a calm and counseling way to their clients.

While Matthew Rathbun is annoyed about people ignoring the Code: I’ve been witnessing a trend of abandonment from our ideals, as of late. I’ve been hearing more and more complaints from REALTORS® and consumers alike, about the action or inaction of practitioners to hold to the stand of practice set before us. I’ve witnessed bad politics played out both nationally and within the association; I’ve seen school-yard-bullies taking lunch money from those who are smaller than they are; I’ve been witnessing those with superior intellect take advantage of those without…or with simply less experience.

And frankly, I’m tired of it. We’re sitting idly by, bogged down with “tradition”, “politics”, “archaic idealism,” and it’s causing more long-term damage than I think any of us are capable of comprehending.

Shortcut: www.VARbuzz.com ●

WWW.VAREALTOR.COM

VAR uPDATe

What’s VAR up to these days? Plenty.

Image is everything One of VAR’s most important mandates is to boost the image of REALTORS® in communities across the commonwealth. In 2008 we distributed “Image Funds” to local associations. They took that money and spent it on, well, making us all look good.

The Bristol Association of REALTORS® is buying at least one page every month in the Bristol Homes Magazine and the Wise/Lee County Homes magazine. The campaign will take a look back at first 60 years, promote the importance of the Code of Ethics and highlight involvement in the community.

The Dulles Association is using its Image Funds to place the new NAR “buy now” ad, which focuses on the value a REALTOR® brings to the transaction, in Leesburg Today, Loudoun Easterner, and the Loudoun Times Mirror Home Section.

The Greater Piedmont Association has sent press releases to local papers in five counties, and it has distributed signs and buttons to its members, reminding (begging?) people that “now is the time to buy.”

The New River Valley Association’s campaign includes radio ads, public education forums, literature, and newspaper- and Web-based ads. The goal is to promote the use of a local REALTOR® and it includes public education forums on buying or selling a home.”

The Southside Virginia Association is working to re-educate the public with VAR’s media materials touting “Real Knowledge. Real Service. Real Value.

REALTORS®” on billboards in the Colonial Heights and Fort Lee areas.”

The Northern Virginia Association is planning to place the NAR-provided ad “Buyers market. Sellers market.

Either way, it’s an I Need A REALTOR® market” in various publications.

The Hampton Roads REALTORS® Association designed two marketing programs: “Look for the logo” and “Is Your Agent One?” including a separate web site (isyouragentone.com). The goal is “to raise public awareness of the difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR®.” The association has been running ads in (and contributing articles to) local newspapers and magazines.

The Roanoke Valley Association is continuing its 34 NoVemBeR/DeCemBeR 2008

“Get Real. Straight Talk.” public relations campaign, and plans to expand it to the fast-growing Smith Mountain Lake area, where the message will be “that home sellers need to entrust the sale of their high-value property to a professional.”

The Fredericksburg Area Association is focusing on working with home buyers and sellers from other cultures; it wants to position REALTORS® as people who can help members of the “ethnic community.” The big event will be the University of Mary Washington’s Multicultural Fair on April 4, 2009.

•••••••• Strategic plan approved The Policy Board approved VAR’s extensive and comprehensive strategic plan. You can read the whole thing at www.VARealtor.com/stratplan, but here’s a look at some of the highlights.

The big three areas of focus: 1. Member outreach 2. Partnering with local associations 3. Providing more and better marketing tools Member outreach We’ll appoint a workgroup to determine what services we supply and what services we should supply (whether based on dues or fees). Then we’ll make any changes we need to the organization’s structure and budget to fit those goals. (And, of course, we’ll continue to evaluate them and our effectiveness.)

• We’ll make sure that all our members are aware of our legislative agenda every year, and how RPAC and the public policy team will be working to achieve it.

• We’ll expand and refine our repertoire of communications tools. We’re planning a major recreation of our Web site in 2009, and we’ll continue to use e-mail, paper mail, and face-to-face communications, as well as explore the ever-growing list of social media tools, from our own blogs to sites like Facebook and LinkedIn.

WWW.VAReAlToR.Com

Partnering with local associations Among other things, we went to increase public awareness of REALTORS® as knowledgeable, trustworthy professionals who hold themselves to the highest standards of practice. The best way to do that is on the local level.

• We’ll work with local associations to foster stronger ties with the media, and make sure everyone has a handle on the latest sales data and what it means.

• We’ll create programs to help REALTORS® get in touch with business leaders, and we’ll encourage them to get involved in local business groups.

• We’ll appoint a work group consisting of VAR staff and state and local leaders to determine the roles of the three levels of the organization, including what services VAR can and should offer to local associations. And we’ll use these decisions to review any future programs.

Providing more and better marketing tools Whether it’s the latest version of our extremely popular “10 things you should know about today’s Virginia real estate markets,” initiatives like the Virginia Homeowners Alliance, or tools like our ClientDirect customizable e-newsletter, we’ll keep our creative juices flowing so we can keep giving our members useful, innovate tools to help them every day.

Part of that will be a detailed assessment of our members’ needs. We’ll create a business trends forum to keep that assessment updated — and that includes finding partners that can help provide and analyze that information.

There’s more, of course.

The one thing VAR won’t be is static. Every day we’re working to serve our members the best way we can, and every day we’re asking ourselves how to do that. l

2008 VAR Affiliate Members 24 Karat Gold Affiliates

LLE Language Services www.LLE-inc.com

VHDA www.VHDA.com

10 Karat Gold Affiliates Moseley Real Estate Schools www.Moseley.org

18 Karat Gold Affiliates

2-10 Home Buyers Warranty of VA www.2-10.com Baseline Inc. Land Surveying www.BaselineLandSurveying.com The Crack Team www.TheCrackTeam.com

TASC - BizPlan www.VARealtor.com/BizPlan

Custom Chimney Service & Repair Dabney Properties www.DabneyProperties.com

Real Estate Information Network, Inc. www.REINmls.com

Volume 15 ● Issue 6

Fairfax Times www.FairfaxTimes.com

Pearl Insurance www.PearlInsurance.com

First American Home Buyers Protection www.HomeWarranty.FirstAm.com

Pollard Environmental www.PollardEnvironmental.com

Interstate Worldwide Relocation www.InterstateWorldwide.com Investors Title Exchange Corporation www.InvTitle.com JES Construction, Inc. www.JESwork.com Magnets USA www.MagnetsUSA.com MBH Settlement Group www.MBH.com Old Republic Home Protection Co. Inc. www.ORHP.com

Priority Corporate Housing www.PriorityCH.com Seal-Tite Basement Waterproofing Co. www.SealTiteBasement.com ServPro of Chesapeake www.ServPro.com Union Mortgage Group www.Union-Mtg.com Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University www.VT.edu Virginia Press Services www.VPA.net

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 35

VAR uPDATe

Stop the trinkets!

No more giving your clients calendars or recipes or other doo-dads. It’s time to upgrade and give them something that no only will help them remember you, but will actually give them useful information.

That’s why we’re giving you ClientDirect. It’s simple: It’s an electronic newsletter you can send to your entire client list, and it’s chock-full of interesting real estate information. And it’s free.

But that’s not the cool part. What makes ClientDirect such a great tool is that you can customize it. Pick the articles you want to include. Mix and match to make the perfect, useful, message. Oh, and it comes from you, too; your photo and contact info’s on top.

So now you’ve got a reason to write to your clients every month; it’s a great way to keep yourself on their minds. (Sign up today at www.VARealtor.com/ClientDirect.)

Ted Truitt wins award (seriously) If you’re an ethical REALTOR® (and we know that you are), you were probably a bit turned off

by VAR’s Ted Truitt campaign.

We created Ted in 2006 to call attention to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics — and to show that unethical Realtors reflect poorly on the entire profession.

So while many of you didn’t fall in love with Ted, the Business Marketing Association liked him — the organization gave the Ted Truitt campaign the award for best integrated campaign in the October issue of B2B Magazine (“B2B’s Best”). Ted’s up there with the FedEx Kinkos, GE, and the U.S. Postal Service.

So say what you want about Ted, he’s a winner. ●

ReAlToR®-to-ReAlToR®

36 NoVemBeR/DeCemBeR 2008

WWW.VAReAlToR.Com

Annual Awards

Kings and Queens of the Hill

Time’s running out to nominate someone for one of VAR’s annual awards

We love to recognize the best

VHDA REALTOR® Service to Virginia Award Presented by the Virginia Housing Development Authority, this award recognizes the Virginia REALTOR® who has made a significant difference in the cause of minority homeownership during the year, or whose life work merits recognition and celebration for dedication to this issue.

Applications due: January 3

Outstanding State Real Estate Educator This award is designed to recognize the Virginia REALTOR® who has made the most significant contributions to educating REALTORS® and potential REALTORS® at the local or state levels.

Applications due: January 10

of the best, and every year we present a whole bunch of awards to do just that.

Some are narrowly focused, others — like REALTOR® of the Year — are open to just about anyone. Some have specific requirements, others need peer

CRS of the Year The CRS of the Year is the Virginia REALTOR® who demonstrates the best qualities of a residential specialist. Besides the requisite experience, nominees should have worked with their local boards (as officers or on committees); work with VAR also helps, as does community service and contributions.

Applications due: January 10

recommendations.

Each has its own application, which you can download at www.varealtor.com/awards.

The deadline for most is January 10, but others (Honor Society, VHDA REALTOR® Service to Virginia Award, REALTOR® of

VAR Manager of the Year VAR’s annual Manager of the Year Award, presented by the Virginia Managers Council, is presented to a Virginia broker/manager for individual achievement as a broker/manager.

That includes a commitment to education; outstanding business or civic accomplishments; and outstanding management skills.

Applications due: January 10

the Year) differ.

If you know a REALTOR® or a broker/manager who you think deserves recognition, now’s the time to fire up your Web browser and fill out a nomination.

38 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

REALTOR® Code of Ethics Leadership Award The Code of Ethics Leadership Award is presented to an individual who exhibits knowledge and use of the Realtor® Code of Ethics. It includes sharing this information with other real estate professionals or civic groups (through classes and seminars), and participating in local, state or national association grievance, professional standards, arbitration, or ethics related activities.

Applications due: January 10

Appraiser of the Year The Appraiser of the Year honors the Virginia REALTORS® appraiser that has made contributions to the appraisal profession in Virginia and supported appraisal activities at the local and state association level.

Applications due: January 10

Ann Swearingen Property Manager of the Year This singular award is presented to a Virginia residential property manager recognizing individual achievement.

Applications due: January 10

Virginia REALTOR® Hall of Fame This honors Virginia REALTORS® who have made extraordinary and distinguished contributions to the real estate profession and markets in Virginia over a period of at least 25 years. Hall of Fame induction is considered VAR’s highest career honor.

Applications due: January 10

REALTOR® of the Year This award recognizes outstanding achievement and volunteerism at the state level. This includes: REALTOR® spirit (faithfulness to principles of organized real estate, laws and regulations, and NAR Code of Ethics); efforts to encourage good real estate practice among other real estate brokers, time spent with press and general public explaining the real estate profession; civic activity; local, state, and national association activity; and educational experience.

Applications due: August 1

Honorary Organizations VAR Honor Society Recognizes education and activity at the local, state, and national association levels.

Applications due: April 1 Omega Tau Rho Recognizes exemplary dedication and service to the Realtor® organization.

Applications due: January 10

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Thank you, 2009 volunteers!

VAR has a small staff, but a wonderfully large volunteer group — these are people who serve on committees, on the Policy Board; who help run our convention and keep members informed. We owe them all our thanks.

Blue Ridge James E. Barb, ABR, CRB, CRS Diana D. Cleveland Lea B. Glembot, GRI, ABR Conrad E. Koneczny, CCIM Roger Lamborne, ABR Anna L. McDonald Thelma J. Ratliff, GRI, ABR Traci Shoberg, ABR Janice L. Soto, CRS Nancy Walker, CRB Bristol VA/TN Patrick Callebs Loretta T. Trayer, ABR Jim W. Warren Victoria P. Warren Wiley E. Webb, Jr, GRI Charlottesville Area Marjorie G. Adam, ABR Robin T. Amato, GRI, CRS Rives R. Bailey Linda M. Broadbent, GRI, CRS Timothy P. Carson, GRI Lori J. Chapman, GRI, CRB, CRS Carol F. Clarke, GRI, CRB, CRS Kathleen M. Conlon, GRI, ABR, CIPS, CRS Carol Costanzo, GRI, CRS Benton B. Downer, III Anita D. Dunbar, CRS James E. Duncan Michael R. Guthrie, GRI Patricia B. Jensen, GRI, ABR, CRS Lynda L. Lewis, GRI, ABR William P. May Linda M. McCauley Barbara G. McMurry, GRI, CRB Percy Montague, IV, GRI, CCIM, CRB Patricia B. Owens, CRB Donna K. Patton, ABR Robert H. Ramsey, GRI, CRS Daniel W. Rothamel, ABR Judy L. Savage, GRI, CRS Gregory L. Slater Patricia L. Sury, GRI, CRB, CRS Drake C. Van de Castle, ABR Thomas W. White, Jr. Rebecca T. Wickline Patricia J. Widhalm, GRI Arleen S. Yobs, CRS Chesapeake Bay & Rivers Rosanne E. Bunting, GRI, ABR E. Diane Caplan, GRI, ABR Jeanne P. Hockaday, GRI, CRB, CRS Jane B. Ludwig John Polson

40 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

Susan K. Silvus Donna M. Smith, ABR Dan River Region Robert L. Chenery, GRI, ABR Carmen J. Davis Robert E. Echols, GRI Thomas L. Haley, GRI, ABR Janet J. Holley, GRI, CRB, CRS Carl E. Manasco, GRI, CRB, CRS Anne T. Pritchett, GRI, CRS Emily C. Russell Sarah W. Welch, GRI Dulles Area Barry H. Allbright Danilo D. Bogdanovic Bradley J. Boland Candice C. Bower, GRI, ABR, CRS Richard H. Cockrill, GRI, ABR, ABRM, CRS Thomas G. Donegan Trudy M. Goodwin Fred B. Hetzel, GRI, CRS Rita J. Huggins-Halstead Thomas G. Jewell, ALC, CIPS Melissa A. MacKimm, GRI, ABR, CRS Dale P. Myers Gwen H. Pangle Rachael P. Remuzzi, GRI, ABR, CIPS, CRS Eastern Shore Jane K. Bulette, ABR William Chandler, Jr. David N. Griffith Eugene A. Mason Martha Parks William C. Parr Fredericksburg Area Sharon U. Bailey, GRI Merlyn M. Banks, CPM Patricia L. Bodolosky Suzanne M. Brady Catherine F. Butler Christopher C. Call Claire Forcier-Rowe, GRI, ABR, ABRM, CRB Latana K. Locke, ABR Alex Long, IV, CCIM Anne S. Overington Bryan J. Penman, ABR Gail M. Penman, GRI, CRS Andre R. Perry, Sr., CIPS Christine Singhass, ABR Sandra H. Stein Sarah E. Stelmok, GRI, ABR Suzy C. Stone, ABR

Melanie S. Thompson, GRI Penny M. Traber, GRI, ABR Teunsha Williams-Hinnant, GRI Francisca A. Worley, ABR Greater Augusta Delene H. Adams, GRI Timothy R. Armentrout, ABR Fred W. Morgan, GRI, ABR, CRS Patricia B. Rexrode, GRI, CRS Deborah M. Shickel, GRI Minnie E. Stevenson, GRI, ABR Lynn Wagner, ABR Greater Piedmont Area Loni Colvin, ABR Charles B. Cornwell, Jr. Julie A. Emery, GRI Nancy G. Heflin, GRI Karen A. Ingram Robert E. Johnson, GRI, ABR, ALC Louis Kreh, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS Ralph Monaco, Jr., GRI, ABR, CRS Kemper Quaintance Greater Washington Commercial Cassandra M. Combs, CPM Betsy T. Critzer Elissa M. Fisher Thomas M. Fulcher, Jr. Edward Krauze, Esq Julia A. Kriss, ABRM Christopher Sowick Jim W. Tucker, CCIM Hampton Roads Deborah A. Baisden, ABR Wilburn M. Blount, GRI, CRB Tina M. Bradley Billy E. Coons, GRI Clyde Cooper, Jr., CRS Joanne P. Cross, GRI, ABR, ABRM, CRB, Thomas R. Duckett, GRI, ABR, CRS Margaret J. Everton Gladys M. Fain Sandra W. Ferebee, GRI, ABRM Karen P. Gaskins, GRI, ABRM, CRS Matthew J. Gavano Gail Gowin, ABR, CRS Nicholas E. Gretakis, GRI Dorcas Helfant-Browning, CIPS, CRS Donn W. Irby, GRI, ABR, CRS H. Glenn James Deborah S. Lesyshyn, GRI, ABR, CRS Donald W. Mathias Samuel N. Mayo, III, CRB Michael C. McCartney

Christine Merritt Jay S. Mitchell, GRI, ABR, CRS Ann M. Palmateer, GRI, CRB, CRS Michelle L. Robertson Samuel B. Segar, Jr., CCIM, SIOR Henry T. Thrasher, GRI, GAA Timothy Vohar, GRI, ABR Clifford L. Wells, ABR Kathleen M. Werneke, GRI, ABR Richard W. West Barbara M. Wolcott

Harrisonburg-Rockingham J. K. Funkhouser, III Joseph K. Funkhouser, II, CRB Steven H. Hill Jeanette T. Kelly, GRI, CRS Elizabeth F. Kistler Keith A. May Scott P. Rogers Judith R. Smith, GRI, CRS Sallye S. Trobaugh, GRI, ABR, CRB Lexington-Buena Vista-Rockbridge Antoinette C. Brown Amy Gianniny Candace H. Lynn, ABR Lisa M. Markham, GRI G. O. Mead, III, GRI JoAnn Morgan Lana H. Nicely Joseph A. Vita, Sr., GRI Lynchburg Doris M. Brammer Jerry E. Brammer Elizabeth A. Burch, GRI, ABR, CRS Karen W. Hall, ABR Betty B. Kain Patricia R. Lovern, GRI, ABR, CRS Dee B. Meredith, GRI, ABR, CRS R. Schaefer Oglesby, GRI William F. Overacre, GRI, CRB Brenda R. Puckett Norris W. Ramsey, Jr. J. P. Vaughan, Jr. Martinsville Henry Patrick Counties V. R. Berry, II, GRI Diana L. Bowden Judith L. Childress, GRI, CRB Johnny Lambert Wanda G. Rakes, GRI, ABR, CRS Massanutten Dora Buck Cynthia Dellinger, GRI

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Shirley R. French Suzanne Matthews Kerry A. Sheridan Patricia C. Snyder, GRI, ABR Stephen H. Sober, ABR New River Valley Ward W. Angle Charles Burnette, GRI, ABR Beth Dalton Jeremy Hart Amy E. Hudson, GRI, ABR, CRS Thomas S. McCallie, III, ABR Nancy P. Page, CPM Dana K. Spraker, CRS Glenda von Dameck Garrett Weddle Northern Neck B.W. Beauchamp George D. English, Jr, GRI Barbara J. LeFon, GRI, ABR John E. McEwen Wendy S. Newsome, GRI, ABR Ken R. Scott, Jr Northern Virginia Robert C. Adamson, GRI, CRS Mary Bayat, GRI Gail L. Belt Charles W. Bengel, Jr, ABR, ABRM, CRB, CRS Nathan H. Booth, CIPS Patricia J. Buck, GRI, CRS Robyn C. Burdett, GRI, CRS Patti Chapell, GRI, ABR, CRS Martha Cheyne-Ramirez, ABR, CIPS George J. Creed, GRI, ABR, CIPS, CRS Susan H. Daly Dan Daniels, ABR Florence L. Daniels, GRI John J. Dickman Heather L. Elias, ABR Angela C. Eliopoulos, GRI, CIPS David L. Howell, GRI Margaret C. Ireland, GRI, CRS Jo Anne Johnson, GRI, CIPS Cynthia C. Jones Matthew A. Kahn Nicholas J. Kuhn, Jr Luis A. Lama, GRI, CRS Margaret L. Lockard, GRI Laura A. Marsh, CRS James H. McMullin, GRI, CPM, CRE Susan S. Mekenney, GRI, ABR, CRS Thomas K. Meyer Renee Miller, GRI Vinh H. Nguyen Maria E. Nicolau, GRI, ABR John D. O’Donohue Edward E. Pagett, GRI Julie A. Pearson, GRI Tracy Pless, GRI, CRS

VOLUME 15 ● ISSUE 6

Jane A. Quill, GRI, ABR, CIPS, CRS James B. Robinson, CIPS, CRS Zinta K. Rodgers-Rickert, ABR Deborah A. Shockley, CRB Thomas M. Stevens, GRI, CRB, CRS Patricia A. Szego, CRB, CRS Jon S. Wolford Prince William Linda Belcher-Brown, ABR Florence R. Chittenden Paul R. DiCicco, CRB Sally Z. DiMiero Peggy L. Holloway Burke Lisa M. Kelly Kathleen M. Kennedy Michael T. Minnery, GRI, ABR, CRB Lee Odems, Jr., ABR Forrest P. Odend’hal Madonna M. Padilla, GRI, ABR Fatima A. Pereira Delores S. Spraker Cynthia B. Stackhouse Wes Stearns Gwendolyn M. Walton, GRI, ABR Matthew A. Wilkins, GRI, ABR, CRS Richmond Edward W. Atiyeh Jacqueline S. Atiyeh, CRS Donald W. Atkinson, GRI, CRS Lisa B. Atkinson, GRI, CRS, LTG John Bagby, III, GRI Robert E. Barton, Sr., GRI, CRE Darlene S. Brent Olive M. Chambers, GRI Martha M. Edwards Durnett Blake Eudailey Jo Garey, GRI, CRS, LTG Philip B. Gee, CRS Eleanor M. Goode, GRI, CRB David C. Gould Pamela H. Hathaway Frances T. Hessler Nathan V. Hughes Nancy H. Hungerford, GRI Michael C. Hunt Thomas N. Innes, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS Thomas Jefferson, III, GRI, CRB, CRS John F. Johnson Thomas Johnson, GRI, CRS Crawley F. Joyner, III, GRI, CCIM Jody L. Korman, GRI, ABR, CRS George E. Massie, IV, GRI, ALC, CCIM, CRS Curtis M. Mummau, CPM James T. Napier, GRI Richard M. Nelms, GRI, CRS Joanne S. Panek, GRI Dewey C. Reynolds, GRI, CRB Kathryn S. Richards

Cathy P. Saunders, GRI, ABR R. Scott Shaheen, GRI, CRS Susan L. Shoop Emmett T. Smith, GRI, ABR, CRS Carter Snipes Karen K. Tilson, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS Jack F. Torza, GRI, CRB, CRS Perry E. Turner, Jr C. Porter P. Vaughan, Jr. Jacquelin E. Wade William A. White, Jr. Roanoke Valley Karen Bertrand, GRI, ABR Neil Conner Dennis R. Cronk, GRI, CCIM, CIPS, CRE Bitsy H. Davis, GRI, CRS John Dickinson, GRI, CCIM Gary E. Dogan Joseph S. Durrer, Jr. Mary V. Dykstra, ABR, CRS Bill Gearhart, GRI, ABR Kit Hale, GRI Edwin C. Hall, CCIM, CPM, CRE, SIOR Stephen A. Hoover, GRI, CRS Richard Limroth Jim D. Lugar, GRI, CRS Jonna McGraw Kathy A. Nunnally, ABR Douglas A. Sawyer, CCIM, CIPS Henry Scholz Joseph Sutliff, GRI, ABR Todd Wampler Janie Whitlow Beth Wilson, GRI, CRS Tom E. Wilson, GRI LeRoy P. Worley, GRI South Central Loretta G. Gant Patrick Hoffman H. D. Jones, GRI, ABR Carlton H. Lafoon, Jr. Jason Meeks Donald L. Moseley, ABR Harold D. Robinson, Jr. Marshall A. Thackston Richard Vaughan Southern Piedmont Land & Lake Lise Burnett Scotty E. Felton Janice A. Pitts, GRI, CRS Deborah W. Powell, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS Southside Virginia Elizabeth Abernathy, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS John W. Brockwell Donald E. Carnesi, GRI, ABR

Elizabeth C. Gatewood, GRI, ABR, RAA George A. Grundy, GRI Marion H. Hawkins, ABR M. D. Hayes, GRI Sharon Johnson, GRI Fred C. Morene, GRI, CRB, CRS Jacqueline Parker Kimberly Porter, GRI, ABR John L. Powell, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS Kimberly S. Samuels, GRI Thomas M. Strickland, Jr., GRI, RAA Mary Ann S. White Robin R. Whitman, GRI Shanna M. Wiseman Southwest Virginia Thomas H. Arnold, GRI, CRS Donna Bise, GRI, ABR, CRS Glenna R. Buchanan Patricia A. Callebs, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS Kenneth Epling Carol F. Jones, GRI, CRS Elizabeth Stuart, GRI, ABR, CRS Virginia Peninsula Martha B. Anders, CRS Vicki L. Andrews Karen C. Bohlke Enriquez, GRI, ABR, CRS Joseph L. Carney, Jr. John C. Daly Paul W. Garman Lynn G. Grimsley, GRI, ABR, CRS Eugenia C. Jackson, GRI, ABR, CRS Dorothy N. McKelvin, GRI, ABR Frank A. McKinney, lll, GRI, CRS Elizabeth B. Moore, GRI Donna L. Moyer Chandra Patterson, ABR Robert T. Sullivan, ABR Thomas G. Sullivan Williamsburg Kathy Chambers, ABR Faye K. Dillman, ABR, CIPS Angela M. Dougherty, ABR Katrina K. Gilliam, GRI, ABR Frank J. Hughes, ABR Charlotte Jones Ronald Miscavige Al J. Patel, ABR Carl Pautlitz Lisa M. Remington-Smith, GRI John H. Roberts Shirley J Sulenski, ABR John C Wilson, CIPS Mary H Womack, GRI

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 41

VAR 2009 LEADERSHIP TEAM John Powell, GRI, ABR, CRB, CRS President Long and Foster Real Estate Colonial Heights (804) 520-5600 john.powell@longandfoster.com Cindy Stackhouse, GRI President-Elect Century 21 Stackhouse and Associates Prince William (703) 580-0880 c21cindys@aol.com John Dickinson, CCIM, GRI Vice President Hall Associates, Inc. Roanoke (540) 982-0011 jrdickinson@cs.com John Daly Treasurer (757) 481-8461 Pat Jensen, ABR, CBR, CRS, GRI Immediate Past President Real Estate III - North Charlottesville (434) 817-9200 re3@esinet.net R. Scott Brunner, CAE Chief Executive Officer (804) 264-5033 scott@VARealtor.com

VAR MEMBER SERVICE PARTNERS Advanced Access Internet Marketing & Website Development www.VARealtor.com/AdvancedAccess Bank of America WorldPoints Credit Card www.VARealtor.com/BankofAmerica DNCSolution, Do-Not-Call Solutions www.VARealtor.com/DNCSolution Security Code SC1795VR FBR Direct, Financial Planning Services www.VARealtor.com/FBRDirect Liberty Mutual Home, Auto & Renters Insurance www.VARealtor.com/LibertyMutual LLE Language Services Telephone Interpretation & Document Translation www.VARealtor.com/LLE Promotion Code VARM08 Office Depot Office Supplies & Copying www.VARealtor.com/OfficeDepot Outstaffing, Staffing & Payroll www.VARealtor.com/Outstaffing Pearl Insurance E&O, Medical, Life, Dental Insurance www.VARealtor.com/PearlHealth TASC/BizPlan Medical Expense Tax Benefits www.VARealtor.com/BizPlan T-Mobile, Wireless Service www.VARealtor.com/TMobile VAR Wireless Center (Coming soon) Wireless Plans & Hardware www.VARealtor.com/VARwireless Zipform, Electronic Forms Solutions www.VARealtor.com/ZipForm

VAR Staff Directory EXECUTIVE R. Scott Brunner, CAE Chief Executive Officer (804) 264-5033 sbrunner@VARealtor.com • Strategic Direction • Governance (including Leadership Team, Policy Board and Delegate Body) • Virginia REALTOR® Leadership Academy (VLA) • NAR Activities • Member Outreach Anne B. Taylor Executive Assistant ataylor@VARealtor.com • Governing Documents • Policy Board, Delegate Body, NAR Director & VLA Logistics • Leadership Team Support • Travel Planning ADMINISTRATION Debbie Talley, CPA Vice President for Administration dtalley@VARealtor.com • Financial Management & Budgeting • Local Association Liaison • Investment Management Committee • Facility Management • Special Projects Gini Bonnell Office Manager gini@VARealtor.com Accounting/Member Records Ann Kelly Controller akelly@VARealtor.com • Accounting • Budgeting • Financial Records and Reporting Kim Martin Member Records Specialist kmartin@VARealtor.com • Membership Records (NRDS) • Receivables Mike Shepherd Information Systems Manager mshepherd@VARealtor.com • Technology Systems • Website Management Meghana Bhatia Accounting Specialist meghana@VARealtor.com • Accounts Payable • Accounts Receivable MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Lisa G. Noon, ABC, CAE Vice President for Marketing & Communications lgnoon@VARealtor.com • Media Relations • Communication/Marketing Strategy • Virginia Home Sales Report • ‘The Code is Good Business’ Program • Research

Ben Martin, CAE Director of Communications & New Media bmartin@VARealtor.com • Member Outreach • Social Media • Publications • Information Management Advocacy Group Jovan Hackley Marketing Manager jovan@VARealtor.com • Marketing Communication • Publications Amanda Arwood Sales Manager aarwood@VARealtor.com • Sponsorship Opportunities • Affiliate Memberships • Trade Expo Management • Member Service Partners Andrew Kantor Editor & Information Manager andrew@VARealtor.com • Publications • Web content Career Development Tracey R. Floridia, CMP Director Professional Development tfloridia@VARealtor.com • Conference Management • Education Program Development • Professional Development Advocacy Group • Instructor Training Lili Paulk Professional Development Manager lpaulk@VARealtor.com • Education Program Management • Continuing & Post-License Education • In-house Systems Trainer • Conference Services Glenda Puryear Conferences Specialist gpuryear@VARealtor.com • Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) Administration • Conference Services Amy Hafer Professional Development Specialist ahafer@VARealtor.com • Education Program Implementation Member Services Carole Umbel, RCE Director of Member Services cumbel@VARealtor.com • Membership Policies (Rules and Regulations) • Specialty Education • Special Interest Group Liason • Membership Services and Recognition

Lynne Wherry Specialties Manager lwherry@VARealtor.com • Specialty Affiliate Records & Dues • Special Interest Group Liason • Specialty Education and Event Management Scottie Bosworth Professional Standards & Member Policy Manager sbosworth@VARealtor.com • Professional Standards Education & Administration • NAR Member Policy • VAR Standard Forms Logistics • VREEF Trustee Liason LAW & POLICY John Broadway Vice President/Law & Policy jbroadway@VARealtor.com • Public Policy Development and Outreach • General Counsel • Broker Relations • Regulatory Relations • Coalition Building Martin Johnson Director of Government Relations/Chief Lobbyist mjohnson@VARealtor.com • Legislative Representation / Lobbying • Political Strategy • Public Policy Advocacy Group • RPAC Trustees Lawrence “Lem” E. Marshall Special Counsel lmarshall@VARealtor.com • Legal Hotline, Principal • Risk Management Education • Virginia Real Estate Board Liaison Meredith Cox Political Communications Manager mcox@VARealtor.com • RPAC Fundraising and Administration • Public Policy Communications • Federal Political Coordinator Program Blake Hegeman Associate Counsel bhegeman@VARealtor.com • Policy Analysis • Local Issues Resources & Management • Legal Hotline, Secondary • Risk Management Advocacy Group • Standard Forms Working Group

Find us online at: VARealtor.com Read our official blog: VARbuzz.com Find us on Facebook: VARealtor.com/facebook

THE LAST WORD

Satisfaction guaranteed

Amid this season’s economic uncertainty, I’m taking a cue from my kids A FEW WEEKS ago I asked my boys — 10-year-old twins — what they wanted for Christmas. They couldn’t come up with anything. Nada.

Christmas list? Hadn’t thought about it. Santa? Ho-ho-hum.

Incredible. What kind of kid doesn’t know what he wants for Christmas — or, even more troubling, doesn’t really want anything?

••••••••

When I was a kid, Christmastime was for wish lists.

We were a family of modest means, strictly middle class at a time when that referred to average working folks who lived parsimoniously — there was enough to live on, but there was seldom margin for excess.

Only at Christmas was that rule stretched, and only then because of layaway and Christmas Club accounts. Then, it was okay to dream of impractical gifts — to unabashedly want a frivolous thing or two I didn’t have to wear and had nothing to do with chores — and expect actually to receive it.

Each autumn, the Sears Wish Book would arrive, and with it the prospect of conspicuous consumption. I’d tear through — blazing past the quotidian waffle irons and wristwatches, the Craftsman tools, even the models in their Cross-Your-Heart underthings – in search of the treasury of toys featured in its nethermost parts. Time to make my list.

I can’t remember a childhood Christmas when there wasn’t something to wish for.

The Wish Book doesn’t come anymore.

••••••••

I’m not sure what to think about my boys.

On the one hand, for a 10-year-old to be so satisfied that he can’t think of anything to want may be a good thing, provided it’s partnered with genuine appreciation — thankfulness — for what he has.

••••••••

“It’s not one or the other, Karen says. “Our boys are thankful, but they’re also as happy with simple things as they are with their Wii.” She reminds me about the fort they’ve been building down the street with the neighbor boy; about the homemade ink they figured out how to make from the berries of a bush in the backyard; about the intricate series of canals and dams they’d constructed in a nearby lot; about their recent realization that the library offers a better value than Barnes & Noble.

“They have plenty,” she tells me, “And they’re thankful for it. You should be so satisfied.”

She’s right, of course.

••••••••

Courtesy Sears, Roebuck and Co.

On the other hand, for a child to want for nothing — to have been given so much that his capacity to wish and wonder and anticipate may be permanently dulled into an indolent sense of entitlement — might lead one to question the fitness of parents who grant wishes too readily, frequently, lavishly.

I ask my wife: So which is it with us?

••••••••

The boys come to me: “We’ve thought of something we need, Dad.” 44 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008

“Tell me,” I say, ready to start a list for them.

“A refrigerator box. We’re building a clubhouse.”

This season, amid so much economic uncertainty, I aim to take a cue from my kids and be satisfied.

And if I make a list, it will be not of wants, but of blessings I already possess – the joy that is my family, the pleasure of friends, and gratitude for having far more than I deserve.

Now all I need is a refrigerator box… ● Scott Brunner is VAR’s chief executive officer. Email him at scott@VARealtor.com.

The cardboard box was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2005.

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