Roger That Newsletter - November 2021 by Son Nguyen

A WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR PAGE 9

3 WAYS HOUSING COUNSELORS CAN HELP DURING A PANDEMIC PAGE 14

HONORING MILITARY FAMILIES PAGE 12

VAREP FACES IN THE CROWD PAGE 33

N OV E M B E R 2 021 REGISTER TODAY! CLICK HERE

JUNE 26 - 28, 2022

GRAND HYAT T WASHINGTON WASHINGTON, D.C.

VAREP NATIONAL NEWS

ROGER THAT NOV 2021

A Letter From Our President E D ITO R I A L

Dear VAREP Members,

VAREP National to communicate happenings

PUBLISHER USA Homeownership, Inc. DBA Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals EDITOR Gretchen Mccroskey

within our organization to our membership.

C R E ATI V E

VAREP experienced tremendous growth and

SENIOR DESIGNER Jesus Lopez

I present you “RT – ROGER THAT – NOV 2021” E-Zine Newsletter. This is the best way for

recognition in 2021 for the important work that we do. Each of you should be proud and stand tall knowing that your passion to empower veterans to realize the American Dream of homeownership has enabled VAREP to be

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Nick Preston SENIOR WEB DEVELOPER Francisco Labias

recognized by key leaders in the real estate,

WEB DEVELOPER David Santana

financial, and government sectors as the authority

CO NTAC T VA R E P

on, and voice of, military and veteran financial-

HEADQUARTERS 951·444·7363 info@VAREP.net 495 E. Rincon St., Suite 110 Corona, CA 92879

literacy and homeownership. VAREP ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM 2014 - 2021 • 49 homes donated mortgage-free to deserving heroes across America. • 1,500 military and veteran families realized the American Dream of homeownership through our

w w w .V A R E P. n e t

programs and services. • 20,000 real estate and lending professional were trained as a result of the 80 live events and online membership training. • 5,000 military and veteran families educated about homeownership, financial literacy, and

Son Nguyen is the founder and president of the

the VA loan program through the live Veteran Housing Summits events hosted by VAREP local

Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals

chapters across the country.

(VAREP). Mr. Nguyen creates, implements, and

• 2,000+ military and veteran families were provided food, utilities payment, rent back payment, basic supplies, clothing, and blankets during the holiday season. This was made possible through our VAREP Cares program implemented by the VAREP local chapters. • $70,000 in the form of housing assistance grants for down-payment, closing costs, and adaptive needs. This was in partnership with the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). HOW TO EXPLAIN WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO I frequently receive phone calls from our membership on how to explain VAREP as an organization. Depending on your audience, you may want to adapt the points listed below to introduce VAREP. • VAREP is a 501.c.3 nonprofit organization that was founded to directly educate the 1.4-plus million active military and 22-plus million veterans on sustainable homeownership, financialliteracy education, VA loan awareness, and economic opportunity. • VAREP is the only organization that educates military and veteran families on the importance of financial health on the road to homeownership. • VAREP is the only organization that educates the real estate practitioner on the important housing-policy and lending initiatives that affect the military and veteran communities. VAREP Comparison to Other Veteran Nonprofits The comparison chart to the right shows that we fill a much needed gap in financial-literacy and housing components that the other veteran service organizations simply do not offer…In other words: We complement them and do not compete with them.

overseas the programs within VAREP including working with government agencies and policy makers to create and reform veteran housing policy to remove barriers to homeownership. He is frequently called upon as a subject-matter expert by government agencies, the real estate industry, the lending industry, and real estate trade organizations to consult on a variety of veteran housing issues. Mr. Nguyen has more than 19 years’ experience in real estate, public speaking, supplier diversity, curriculum development, and non-profit management. His record demonstrates innovation and leadership at the highest level. Mr. Nguyen established VAREP as a housing nonprofit for vets, by vets. He believes VAREP’s proactive stance of providing financial-literacy education and advocating homeownership can greatly impact homelessness among the veteran community, by both reducing the current epidemic and preventing future occurrences, one veteran at a time. Mr. Nguyen entered the Navy in 1996 and served as a Radioman on the USS Vincennes (GC-49) and USS

Our organization has only scratched the surface of creating awareness and having people rethink

Constellation (CV-64). A proud service-connected

how to better serve underserved military and veteran housing needs. To a great 2021...Cheers!

disabled veteran, Mr. Nguyen holds a bachelor’s

degree in Public Relations from of the University of

Son Nguyen VAREP Founder and President

ABOUT SON

Florida and a Master’s in Organizational Management.

VETERAN NON-PROFIT COMPARISON CHART Target Audience

VAREP

MILITARY WARRIORS FOUNDATION

OPERATION HOMEFRONT

WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT

USA CARES

Veterans = 22+ Million Active Duty = 1.4+ Million

Wounded Warriors OEF, OIF, ND = 51,849

Active Duty Family of E1 - E6 = 1.1 Million

Wounded Warriors OEF, OIF, ND = 51,849

Post 9/11 Servicemembers & Family

Financial Assistance

Emergency Food

Emergency Home Repair

Critical Baby Items

Home and Appliance Repair

Furniture and Household Items

Local Moving Assistance

Apartment Transitional Housing

Permanent Housing Placement

Employment Job Board

Rehabilitation with Recreational Therapy

Peer-to-Peer Counseling

Family Support Retreats

Peer Mentoring

Information Technology Training Academy

X X

Community Outreach

Live Community Housing, Financial Literacy, and Employment Fair Outreach Events

REALTOR, Housing Professional, and Lender Military and Veteran Certification Course

Military and Veteran Friendly Database

Financial Literacy Education

VA Home Loan Program Education

Housing Education

Housing Counseling

Credit and Debt Management Education

Credit and Debt Management Counseling

Military and Veteran First Look Affordable Housing Purchase Program

Mortgage Free Donated Homes for Wounded Warrior and Spouses of Deceased Warriors

X Advocate with a Written Policy Plan

Military and Veteran Housing Lending Policy

Housing and Lending Policy Conference

Military and Veteran Financial Literacy, Housing, and Employment Resource Center

X Wounded Warriors

NOTE: The non-profit comparison chart does not list the national minority real estate trade organizations including AREAA, NAHREP, and NAREB because we are not structurally set up as a trade organization. We have our membership whom we educate to better serve the military housing needs, but ultimately we are all here to serve the military and veteran communities.

NOV

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2021

LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDERS............................ PAGE 2

LEGISLATIVE CORNER......................................

PAGE 22

A WORD FROM THE ASSISTANT ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR..................................... PAGE 9

IN MEMORIAM: DANIEL RETTIG .......................

PAGE 27

HONORING MILITARY FAMILIES.......................... PAGE 12

3 GRAPHIC DESIGN TIPS FOR NON-DESIGNERS.......................................

PAGE 28

3 WAYS HOUSING COUNSELORS CAN HELP DURING A PANDEMIC.......................................... PAGE 14

NEC UPDATE........................................................ PAGE 30

6 TIKTOK POWER FEATURES & BENEFITS FOR DIGITAL MARKETERS...................................

FACES IN THE CROWD.......................................... PAGE 33

PAGE 16

2022 NATIONAL EVENTS POLICY CONFERENCE

VAREP 2022

JUNE 26TH - 28TH, 2022 GRAND HYATT WASHINGTON WASHINGTON, D.C.

POLICY CONFERENCE

STAY UPDATED AT:

JUNE 14, 2022 - VIRTUAL 9:30AM - 2:00PM PST

HTTPS:// W W W.VAREP.NET/POLICYCONFERENCE

SEE PAGE 12 FOR ARTICLE

VAREP 2022 NATIONAL CONVENTION

NATIONAL CONVENTION

OCTOBER 16TH - 18TH, 2022 SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

STAY UPDATED AT:

HTTPS:// W W W.VAREP.NET/NATIONALCONVENTION

VE SA E TH ! TE DA

VAREP 2022 POLICY CONFERENCE

JUNE 26 - 28TH, 2022 WASHINGTON, D.C.

The conference is filled with educational sessions and town halls to educate attendees on important housing policy, lending initiatives, and economic development affecting the military and veteran communities. VAREP members have the opportunity to meet with members of Congress to advocate VAREP’s Policy Positions on issues that affect military and veteran homeownership.

REGISTRATION C OMING S O ON 5

VAREP CURRENTLY HAS

32 CHAPTERS LOCATED IN 18 STATES

ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

ACTIVE CHAPTERS Alaska

VAREP South Central Alaska - Founded on June 23, 2020

Arizona VAREP Phoenix Chapter - Founded on September 3, 2013 VAREP Prescott Chapter - Founded on June 27, 2019 VAREP Tucson Chapter - Founded on January 28, 2015

Illinois VAREP Chicago Chapter - Founded on June 21, 2016

Kentucky VAREP Louisville Chapter - Founded on June 14, 2018

Maryland

California

VAREP Annapolis / D.C. Chapter - Founded on August 23, 2018

VAREP East Bay Area Chapter - Founded on August 24, 2017 VAREP Fresno Chapter - Founded on January 30, 2019 VAREP Los Angeles Chapter - Founded on April 23, 2014 VAREP Orange County Chapter - Founded on March 11, 2013 VAREP Riverside Chapter - Founded on June 17, 2013 VAREP Sacramento Chapter - Founded on June 4, 2013 VAREP San Bernardino Chapter- Founded on August 14, 2014 VAREP San Diego Chapter - Founded on July 29, 2013

Minnesota

Colorado VAREP Denver Chapter - Founded on August 14, 2014

Florida

VAREP Twin Cities Chapter - Founded on March 11, 2018

Missouri VAREP St Louis Chapter - Founded on March 10, 2017

Nevada VAREP Las Vegas Chapter - Founded on August 30, 2013 VAREP Northern Nevada Chapter - Founded on March 4, 2015

Oregon VAREP Central Oregon Chapter - Founded on February 12, 2019

VAREP Central Florida Chapter - Founded on April 14, 2015 VAREP Miami Chapter - Founded on July 13, 2015

Texas

Georgia VAREP Atlanta Chapter - Founded on January 22, 2019

VAREP DFW Chapter - Founded on December, 2015 VAREP Houston Chapter - Founded on March 30, 2015 VAREP San Antonio Chapter - Founded on December 10, 2013

Hawaii

Virginia

VAREP Honolulu Chapter - Founded on April 04, 2014

Idaho VAREP Treasure Valley Chapter - Founded on May 17, 2018

VAREP Hampton Roads Chapter - Founded on September 5, 2018 VAREP Northern Virginia Chapter - Founded on May 30, 2018

Washington VAREP Tacoma South Sound Chapter - Founded on December 15, 2014

16 CHAPTERS IN FORMATION Arizona VAREP Kingman Chapter- Coming 2021

California VAREP Modesto Chapter - Coming 2021 VAREP San Gabriel Chapter - Coming 2021

Colorado VAREP Colorado Springs – Coming 2021

Florida VAREP Jacksonville Chapter - Coming 2021

Georgia

Massachusetts

Puerto Rico

VAREP Boston Chapter - Coming 2021

VAREP Puerto Rico Chapter - Coming 2022

New Jersey

Tennessee

VAREP North New Jersey Chapter - Coming 2021 VAREP South New Jersey Chapter - Coming 2021

New York VAREP New York City Chapter - Coming 2021 VAREP Hudson Valley Chapter - Coming 2021

VAREP Nashville Chapter - Coming 2022

Texas VAREP Austin Chapter - Coming 2022

Pennsylvania VAREP Philadelphia Chapter - Coming 2021 VAREP Pittsburgh Chapter - Coming 2021

VAREP Augusta Chapter - Coming 2022

SA VE TH ED AT E

OCTOBER 16 - 18TH, 2022

The VAREP National Convention will educate, develop, and empower current and future leaders within the VAREP organization. VAREP leaders and members will be equipped with the necessary tools to serve the military and veteran housing needs. Attendees will participate in sessions to exchange chapter best practices and to explore new ones together. SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

REGISTRATION C OMING S O ON

A WORD FROM THE A S S O C I AT I O N D I R E C TO R

Ernie Gonzales

GREETINGS VAREP NATION! Its hard to believe that we have only 61 days left in the year at the time of this article. That means there is 54 days until Christmas and, 24 days until Thanksgiving. With each passing day, we grow. We grow in age, we grow in knowledge, and we grow into a better servants to our communities. Our gratitude and service to each other and our community is what makes us who we are. Our mission of helping every veteran, active service member and their families become homeowners is a valiant one. We are changing lives by being the source of knowledge for our local real estate communities to better serve our local veteran populations. That is another form of growth. The past year of shifting, and then shifting again, has shown that the VAREP Nation is not afraid of a challenge and growth. Some of you have proven that by thinking outside the box and significant changes were created to move the mission forward. Some of you have had to start all over during a worldwide pandemic and still persevered with flying colors.

This is because each of our chapter directors, members and sponsors all believe in the mission of improving the lives of our service members and veterans through education, housing and philanthropy. Without the dedication and drive of each one of you, our mission would not grow, your chapters would not grow, and our veteran homeownership population would not grow. Your commitment to your communities is thriving and proving that working together as a team with a mission, we can accomplish anything. In closing, we want to thank all our directors, members, sponsors and supporters for believing in our mission, for supporting our efforts to lift our veteran communities in ways no one else has ever tried and in just being a part of this little organization that is the VAREP Nation. "Stay afraid but do it anyway. What's important is the action. You don't have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow." Carrie Fisher Have a fantastic end of year. Ernie Gonzales, Association Director 9

MORE AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP POSSIBLE WITH VA NO LENDER FEES PROGRAM 1

Did you know there are more than 19 million veterans and service members living in the U.S.? And of these

veterans, more than 1.2 million took advantage of the substantial benefits offered through a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan in 2020, either buying or refinancing a home. In fact, more VA-backed loans were originated in 2020 than the previous years combined. The VA home loan is the only loan program broadly available that enables the borrower zero down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. In addition, ‘make-sense’ underwriting, reasonable credit and income requirements and very low interest rates make VA loans a popular program among veterans and active members of the military, many of whom might otherwise struggle to secure home financing. And PrimeLending, one of the top 10 purchase mortgage lenders in the country,2 is looking to help make homeownership for all VA loan customers even more affordable by waiving the lender fees1.

“Our military men and women sacrifice so much to serve our nation,” said Tim Elkins, Chief Production Officer for PrimeLending. “The VA home loan is a great way of helping our veterans establish credit and become homeowners, made even more accessible when coupled with the PrimeLending no lender fees program.” VA Loan Benefits VA loan benefits are available to all eligible active duty, honorably discharged or retired service person from any of the armed services, even if they have an existing VA loan. These benefits make it easier to get a home loan. With interest rates still hovering near historic lows, now is the time to buy a home with 100% financing or refinance to a lower rate. • No down payment • No property mortgage insurance premiums • No lender fees • Higher loan value • Limit on closing costs • Option for seller to pay closing costs • No penalty fee for early payoffs • Possible VA assistance if you have difficulty with payments

The PrimeLending Difference:

A Step Above for Our Service Members

No Lender Fees on VA Loans

Additionally, borrowers beneﬁt from working with PrimeLending’s experienced VA lenders who know how to successfully navigate the VA loan process and provide a seamless, transparent experience from start to ﬁnish. In fact, we’ve perfected our process at PrimeLending to deliver an unparalleled experience, earning a consistent 96% customer satisfaction rating3 along the way.

By taking the unique step of waiving the lender fees on all VA loans, adding yet another benefit to the program, the PrimeLending is calling attention to the fact that military members have access to one of the most financially advantageous and flexible home purchasing programs on the market. How advantageous? It depends on the size of the loan, but it can be up to $1,000. That’s a significant savings.

Flexible Options for VA Loans With a VA loan, eligible applicants can: • Purchase or build a residence • Purchase a condominium or duplex • Purchase and improve a residence • Purchase a manufactured home/lot • Reﬁnance an existing home loan, including cash-out reﬁnance loans • Install energy improvements

“Many qualifying veterans and surviving spouses don’t take advantage of the VA home loan program for a number of reasons—they may not be aware of all of the advantages, they’re under the impression that it’s an overly complicated process, or we could be doing more as lenders to educate veterans on the program,” said Elkins. “The truth is, like all military processes, there is a lot of red tape that experienced VA lenders can help borrowers navigate.” A VA loan is a great beneﬁt to military personnel during and after their service. PrimeLending understands the importance of a “home base” for military and their families and is proud to be able to help active and retired military use this product to meet their unique needs.

1 All lender closing costs such as origination, processing, underwriting, and closing will be waived, borrower is still responsible for third party fees such as VA funding fee, title, and appraisal etc. Down payment waiver is based on VA eligibility. This offer is valid until 12/31/2021. Savings only applies to direct originations made by PrimeLending for first mortgage purchase or refinance transactions and is not available on loans obtained through mortgage brokers. Only one offer per loan transaction is available, and savings cannot be combined with any other offer. Savings will reflect on Closing Disclosure at closing. Borrower must lock their loan before 12/31/2021. 2 Ranked by Scotsman Guide Magazine for 2021. 3 Survey administered and managed by an independent third party following loan closing. 96% satisfaction rating refers to the average rating our customers have given our loan officers for the period 01/01/2020- 12/31/2020. All loans subject to credit approval. Rates and fees subject to change. ©2021 PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company (NMLS: 13649) Equal Housing Lender. PrimeLending is a wholly owned subsidiary of a state-chartered bank and is an exempt lender in the following states: AK, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN (1st lien), KS, KY, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, NE, NV, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI, WY. Licensed by: AL Lic. No. 21004; PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, 18111 Preston Rd, #900, Dallas, TX 75252, Phone: 888-812-2711, Ark. Lic. No. 105190; AZ Lic. No. BK 0907334; Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act - Lic. No. 4130996; D.C. Lic. No. MLB13649; HI Lic. No. HI-13649; Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee MB.6760635; IN Secy. of State-Securities Div. – IndianaSOS Loan Broker Lic. No. 11169.; MD Dept. of Labor, Licensing & Regulation - lender lic no. 11058; ME Lic. No. SLM8285; PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, MA Lender License No. MC13649; MI Lic. Nos. FR 0018489 and SR 0012527; ND Lic. No. MB101786; Licensed by the New Hampshire Banking Department – Lender Lic. No. 14553-MB; NJ Lic. No. 0803658; NM Lic. No. 01890; PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, 3144 Winton Road #600, Rochester, NY 14623, Licensed Mortgage Banker - NYS Department of Financial Services Lic. No. B500999; PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, Oregon Lic. No. ML-5260; Rhode Island Licensed Lender, Mortgage Banker Lic. No. 20102678LL and Broker Lic No. 20102677LB; VT Lender Lic. No. 6127 and Broker Lic. No. 0964MB; PrimeLending, a PlainsCapital Company, WA Lic. No. CL-13649; WV Lender Lic. No. ML31704 and Broker Lic. No. MB-31703. V010918.

Since November is designated as National Military Family Appreciation Month, we want to take the time to honor all of the military families, and acknowledge the sacrifices they make while supporting their servicemen and women. A lot of people don't realize the magnitude of sacrifices that kids and families make when their parents or other loved ones are serving in the military. They care constantly Watching and waiting for their loved ones on each deployment, and then having to say goodbye to new friends and adjust with each Permanent Change of Station — it’s a lot to deal with. I also don’t think that those outside of the military community realize how resilient military families are, and how they come together to get through each change, each absence, and each life event to the best of their ability. Military families come in all shapes and sizes, from the parents who see their sons and daughters off, to the spouses and children waiting at home. Military kids are nothing short of incredible. They change schools an average of six to eight times over the course of their parent's military career. They have to deal with long separations from loved ones and despite everything that's thrown at them, they are strong, brave and adaptable. The same can be said for military spouses as well. Military spouses make tons of sacrifices for their loved ones and their sacrifices deserve recognition. This November, VAREP takes the time to appreciate all of your contributions and sacrifices as a military family. Without you, our Marines, Sailors, Soldiers and airmen would not be where they are today — you are the Force behind the Force and we want to let you know that we appreciate everything you do and have done. 13

HOUSING COUNSELING CORNER

3 WAYS HOUSING COUNSELORS CAN HELP DURING A PANDEMIC While the tireless work of medical professionals, teachers and grocery store workers has rightfully been celebrated throughout the pandemic, you may be less familiar with the work of HUD housing counselors. During a challenging year that exacerbated the U.S. housing crisis, those close to the situation say that housing counselors are the pandemic’s unsung heroes Throughout the pandemic, housing counselors have continued to help their clients avoid eviction, get help with their mortgages, and remain in their homes. USA Homeownership Foundation is VAREP’s nonprofit HUD Approved Housing Counseling agency that 14

focusses on helping Veterans, Military servicemembers and patriots resolve their housing issues. Here are three ways we can help you and your clients during the pandemic and as we recover: 1. Offer homeownership advice: Navigating the process of home buying and homeownership is extremely challenging. USA Homeownership Foundation’s housing counselors are Veterans themselves and understand the challenges Veteran and military members face. They provide independent advice on buying a home, using your VA Loan, refinancing, defaults, foreclosure prevention, and credit improvement. They also provide advice on how to access your VA Loan benefit, obtaining your Certificate of Eligibility, and whether a particular set of mortgage loan terms are a good fit based on individual circumstances, all at no cost.

During the coronavirus emergency, they’ve also helped homeowners understand their current options for loan modifications, forbearance, deferment, and protections. 2. Provide help for renters: Housing security can be tenuous for renters in the best of times. During a global pandemic that caused widespread income loss, unemployment, and illness, many found themselves unable to make rent on time. Our housing counselors help individuals leverage protections for renters, as well as provided trusted guidance, including accessing rental assistance, and helping them to address sustainable rent repayment, debt management, and improve their long-term financial health. 3. Close the housing gap: The diligent work of housing counselors addresses systemic inequalities related to housing in an effort to close the housing security gap, particularly critical during the pandemic, which has disproportionally impacted Black, Latino and our Veteran and Military communities. If VAREP members have Veterans, Military Members or Patriots that need rental, foreclosure prevention, Home Buying, VA Loan, Down Payment, Credit, or Financial Literacy counseling, please refer them to our Housing Counseling Department to speak with our HUD Housing Counselors.

GETTING HELP IS AS

EASY AS 1, 2, 3

1. Contact Contacwt our Housing Counseling Department by visiting our website at MyHomeOwnership.org click on counseling and complete the online intake forms. And view our short video on Housing Counseling services: myhomeownership.org/counseling/

2. Call Call our toll free number 888. 273.7267

3. Email Email your request to Gabriel Cornejo Housing Counseling Administrative Assistant, at gcornejo@varep.net.

IT Corner

6 TIKTOK POWER FEATURES & BENEFITS FOR DIGITAL MARKETERS Why should you invest resources and budget into a TikTok strategy? Here are 8 great reasons that might convince you. By Ilya Cherepakhin It’s been just about a year since TikTok’s ad management platform launched. If there were any skeptics about TikTok’s potential as an online advertising platform, this past year’s growth has dispelled all doubt. So you know TikTok deserves a piece of your marketing. But why invest resources and budget into a TikTok strategy, other than because everyone else is doing it? Read on for eight compelling reasons and ad features that will give you the confidence to pursue TikTok or to double down, if you are already live on TikTok. 16

1. TIKTOK’S SUPERIOR USER ENGAGEMENT While many tout TikTok’s fastgrowing user base, it is the high user engagement that is truly noteworthy. According to TikTok, the average TikTok user spends 87 minutes per day (as of April 2021) on the platform. That is a colossal amount of time that brands can tap into. Furthermore, TikTok’s content is highly interactive. Not only do brands get a captive audience, but these users truly interact with the content they see as opposed to passively watching it. Unlike YouTube, Facebook, or Pinterest where users primarily watch a video, TikTok’s growing list of features invites users to contribute their creative touch to the content they are consuming. Snapchat does come close to TikTok in interactivity, with its lens offering. However, 52% of TikTok users do not use Snapchat. That’s a significant audience that, if not advertised to via TikTok, would not be reached otherwise.

2. ECOMMERCE CAPABILITIES While best known for its awareness and engagement solutions, TikTok is determined to offer marketers a suite of full-funnel offerings. At the end of last year, TikTok launched a partnership with Shopify which has now grown to 15 countries.

"TIKTOK’S POWERFUL CREATIVE TOOLS ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE CAPABILITY ALLOWING MERCHANTS A SCALABLE WAY TO CREATE ENGAGING ADS"

Unified Campaign Planning Shopify merchants can plan TikTok campaigns, target TikTok audiences, and track results all in one place. Scalable Creative Tools TikTok’s powerful creative tools are integrated into the capability allowing merchants a scalable way to create engaging ads, without needing to invest in extra development resources. “Turn-Key Pixel Tracking” Shopify now allows its merchants to link their TikTok Pixel with a single step simplifying conversion tracking.

This new functionality allows Shopify merchants to access the TikTok For Business Ads Manager without leaving the Shopify dashboard. Strategically, this is a big benefit to ecommerce businesses. It allows them to reach prospective customers early in their decision-making journey when they are researching on TikTok, while also seamlessly driving them to a conversion point thanks to Shopify. From an execution standpoint, the capability is also attractive thanks to these four features.

Retargeting Using Hashed Customer Data Shopify merchants can now retarget audiences and more accurately track TikTok ad conversions by leveraging customer data, all while maintaining user privacy thanks to the data being hashed.

3. BRAND EFFECTS

Set your ads apart by layering in Brand Effects. Similar to lenses on Snapchat, this is an AR feature for video overlays. However, it is specifically designed to highlight brand-specific elements. The most intuitive applications are for CPG, retail, and entertainment verticals, but this flexible feature can be well adapted to others as well such as travel or automotive. Tapping into users’ affinity for self-expression, this is just the feature to use for ensuring

a high level of engagement, brand recall, and the likelihood of your content getting shared.

4. CATALOG ADS Use TikTok’s catalog ads to display a variety of products in your ads. If you are not a retailer with a multitude of product versions or SKUs, this is still a worthwhile format to consider, even if you have just a couple of products. There are four reasons for that: Generating tailored videos for each of the products. Leveraging automated rules to customize your product details. Capability to house key information about products directly within TikTok’s Ads Manager. Creating specific sets for each product.

5. SPARK ADS Launched earlier this summer, Spark Ads is one of TikTok’s newest ad formats. Unlike other formats that require advertisers to create their own video content, this format does not — it leverages organic social content. Spark Ads allow brands to sponsor organic content. Instead of having to create new content and research to what extent it will go viral, brands can sponsor content that already exists and has proven itself by having gained momentum. 18

While this solution does not target audiences across their entire research journey, being the best fit for mid or upper funnel audiences, it is still a great weapon for your marketing arsenal. Spark Ads create synergy between organic and paid social channels. It also accomplishes a quick-to-market advantage thanks to not needing to develop custom content which often entails costly delays.

6. HASHTAG CHALLENGES If done right, a hashtag challenge can work wonders for your brand. Aside from capturing a large audience and driving high engagement, there is the meaningful benefit of embedding your brand within the prevailing culture by leveraging hashtags which are viewed as the more natural form of interaction on social media. The ongoing snowball effect of hashtag use often lasts well after the challenge is formally over, sometimes going on for weeks. Be forewarned, however, that several considerations are key to success with a TikTok hashtag challenge: A Significant Budget of $150,000 Unfortunately, this is currently a TikTok requirement without flexibility on the amount.

Keep the Hashtag Product-Focused To ensure users will keep supporting your brand and the original purpose is not forgotten, it is key to include the brand name and to focus content on the product’s benefits. Be careful to not make the content too dry or salesy, but do ensure users remember the product’s core feature(s). The More Intuitive the Spelling the Better. Avoid overly creative abbreviations, symbols or number substitutions, and anything that someone who is not a brand insider may not immediately recognize. Hashtags need to catch on instantly and be as easy as possible on the typing. A single typo can tank your sizable investment or take the hashtag in an unpredictable direction. Going for something less innovative but more predictable is safer. Avoid Using Date or Month References To maximize the hashtag’s shelflife, don’t use references that can become dated. No one will want to use a hashtag mentioning May in June. While many causes are celebrated over a period of time (e.g., Mother’s Day is often associated with activities leading up to as well as after the actual day), choosing a hashtag that is more thematic will garner more momentum (mothers in general vs Mother’s Day specifically, for example).

Reinforce Your TikTok Channels across Other Platforms When your challenge runs, don’t forget to support it across other social media and your marketing efforts at large. Most users are present across multiple platforms and will benefit from being reminded to use the hashtag wherever they are. Don’t Shy Away From Influencer Support Especially if your TikTok or general social media following is not that strong, it is worth investing in influencer support to ensure the hashtag challenge launches as strongly as possible. Yes, this means paying even more on top of the already sizable minimum. However, that can well make a difference between a hashtag challenges taking off vs catching on much slower. These are only a few of the many features that you can use TikTok to market your products or services. Make sure that you take advantage of all of these tools and tricks to keep your business on top.

THE PATH TO SUSTAINABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP VAREP’s Housing Counseling Department is a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency providing home buying, credit, budget, post purchase and foreclosure prevention counseling services to Veterans, Active Military and the community nationwide. Over the past year, from January to December 2021, we provided the following housing counseling services:

2021 COUNSELING & OUTREACH STATISTICS

416

INQUIRIES FOR SERVICES

306 84 CLIENTS COUNSELED

GROUP WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS FROM VHS CHAPTER EVENTS

222

1 ON 1 HOUSING COUNSELING CLIENTS

TYPES OF COUNSELING PROVIDED

124 27

29 16 FORECLOSURE

FINANCIAL

HOMEOWNERSHIP

PREVENTION

HOMEOWNERSHIP

COUNSELING

PRE-PURCHASE

POST PURCHASE

CREDIT

SUSTAINABILITY COUNSELING

VISIT W W W.VETHOMEOWNERSHIP.COM OR CALL: 888.273.7267

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“To maintain the momentum from the Policy Conference, I have appointed G-II Varrato, Yeimalis Acevedo-Rasmussen, Robbie Grossman, Lynn Jabs, Nacho Castro, Dex Cajigal, Victoria Blass and Michael Hamilton to form VAREP’s National Legislative Committee (NLC). The NLC’s task is to do the background and heavy-lifting work necessary to move our mission and the bill forward.” - Son Nguyen, VAREP Founder & President

G-II VARRATO NLC Chairman U.S. Air Force

NACHO CASTRO NLC Member U.S. Army

YEIMALIS ACEVEDO-RASMUSSEN

ROBBIE GROSSMAN

LYNN JABS

DEX CAJIGAL

VICTORIA BLASS

MICHAEL HAMILTON

NLC Member Patriot

NLC Member U.S. Marines

NLC Member Patriot

WHERE THE VAREP NLC HAS BEEN AND WHERE WE’RE GOING The primary VAREP NLC legislative mission for 2021 is for VAREP to become a congressionally chartered VSO (Veterans Service Organization), this does not mean that VAREP has set aside other, especially important legislative initiatives and efforts, and I will post an update on those in the final section of this article. The following is an update on all current legislative efforts in process to advance the mission of VAREPs efforts to become a Chartered VSO and other legislative initiatives. VAREP is involved with the following Congressional initiatives in the 117th Congress. The 117th Congress will conclude on 10 December 2022 for the Senate and in the House, the 117th Congress will conclude on 3 January 2023. For the period of 117th Congress, VAREP National directed the NLC to place a primary focus on the VAREP becoming a Congressionally Chartered VSO. To that end, the NLC has been hyper focused on that initiative. Nevertheless, there are a few legislative outliers that also remain in the cross hairs of the NLC. In particular, continuing to get the ‘Military Question’ on the URLS to be moved back above the signature line and then to change/improve the Informed Consumer Choice law that would require loan officers to offer a written disclosure, comparing the FHA loan to a Conventional loan to that of a VA loan. As you know, currently that requirement is nonexistent, thus the need to change U.S. Code › Title 12 › Chapter 13 › Subchapter II › § 1709 12 U.S. Code § 1709 Insurance of mortgages.

VAREP as a VSO Status Report A quick history of where we have been with this initiative. VAREP has been pursuing this dream for nearly a decade. Over the years we have had many encounters with members of Congress both in the house and in the Senate. Most of the time we are met with enthusiastic engagement. Nearly all of the time the staffers that the GADs interact with have that deer in the headlight look when we speak to them about veteran’s service organizations or VSO's. Before I get into this I want you to understand the reason I'm sharing this little bit of history with you is because I feel it is important for all VAREP members to understand the complexity of gaining congressional cooperation to check the box to make VAREP a congressionally chartered VSO. The process is not as simple as turning on a light switch. We've all heard the term sausage making and indeed getting VAREP to a point where we become congressionally chartered as a VSO is in fact some of the ugliest sausage we have yet to make. Remember most of the staffers in the U.S. Congress are in their late 20s or early 30s. This statistic is important because unless a staffer is in their late 40s to early 50s they would have no idea about the VSO congressional chartering process. I am going to share this with you so that you have a clear understanding of the incredibly tall mountain the VAREP NLC is climbing. It was 1965 when President Lyndon Johnson threw a hissy fit about VSOs. he was asked to sign a bill that would have given congressional charter to the Youth Councils on Civil Affairs. President Johnson vetoed that bill and shortly after that told Congress that he had been concerned with the question of whether the government was granting federal charters to private organizations

on a case-by-case basis without the benefit of clearly establishing standards and criteria to establish the eligibility. He went on to say that were the civic, patriotic, and philanthropic organizations can and do incorporate their activities under state law. However, he said it seemed obvious to him that federal charters should be granted if at all only on a selective basis and that they should meet some national interest standards.

that they would impose a moratorium on granting of federal charters. Then in 1992 congressman Barney frank went on to call the process a nuisance. So even though congressionally chartering VSOs have taken a backseat on Capitol Hill since 1989 more than half a dozen congressionally chartered VSO's have been granted since 1982. The VSO moratorium is reconfirmed at the beginning of every Congress.

So, in 1969 in response to President Johnson's request the subcommittees of both the house and the Senate Judiciary Committee jointly agreed to a statement of policy standards for granting of federal charters. This statement set forth 5 minimum standards to be met by a private organization seeking a federal charter from Congress Any private organization petitioning Congress for the purpose of obtaining the status of a federal corporation shall be required to demonstrate to the satisfaction of Congress that it is an organization which is

To name just a few, the Air Force Sergeants Association was chartered congressionally in 1997 then the Korean War Veterans Association was chartered in 2008 and then in 2009 the Military Officers Association of America was chartered. I give you this short background just to demonstrate that The VA Rep NLC is hard at work training the VAREP government affairs director team to be able to effectively head off the inevitable conclusion from the staffers, “we have been told that Congress doesn’t charter VSOs anymore”. Thus, keep in mind that the staff are offering that declaration in most cases wasn't even born when Barney Frank initiated the moratorium or at best was possibly a toddler around five or six years old :) they simply have no perspective.

(1) Operating under a charter granted by a state or District of Columbia and that it has so operated for a sufficient period of time to demonstrate its permanence and that its activities are clearly in the public interest (2) Of unique character that chartering by the Congress as a federal corporation is the only appropriate form of incorporation (3) Organized and operated solely for charitable, literal, educational, scientific, patriotic, and civil improvement purposes (4) Organized and operated as a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization; and (5) organized and operated for the primary purpose of conducting activities which are of national scope and responsive to a national need which the need cannot be met except upon the issuance of a federal charter However, in 1989 chairman of the house subcommittee on administrative law and government relations Barney Frank and ranking minority member Craig James announced

So now moving on to our progress thus far. Over the past two or three years we have had firm commitments, we thought, from senators and house representatives to take up the mantle and push our congressional charter forward. In all those meetings we have successfully convinced those senators and congressmen and women of the need for Congress to grant a congressional charter to VAREP. However, it seems that every year in every Congress, the 115th Congress, the 116th Congress and now that 117th Congress that question is posed nearly every time in every congressional office. As of the middle of last year towards the end of the 116th Congress Dex Cajigal had made successful inroads with congressman Lou Correa of California gaining a commitment from the congressman to introduce legislation drafted by the VAREP NLC that

would instruct Congress to congressionally charter VAREP as a VSO. Unfortunately, congressman Correa is reluctant to introduce the legislation in the house without a commitment from a senator to write the companion bill. We have had commitments or so we thought from several senators all of which are slow moving. The latest round of obstacles we are encountering, in the Senate, seems to center around a request from several senators, Senator Hirono, Senator Sinema, Senator Rosen and Senator King. in near unanimity we have been asked to produce documentation that supports our allegation of alleged inappropriate stewardship of the veteran’s home loan benefit by the lending and real estate industries. Therefore, the VAREP NLC will be asking the chapter government affairs directors to make a concerted effort to collect data that supports the need for VAREP to become a congressionally chartered VSO. While VAREP can certainly satisfy the first four elements of the standards for granting federal charters it is number 5 that seems to be the fly in the ointment, “5organized and operated for the primary purpose of conducting activities which are of national scope and responsive to a national need, which need cannot be met except upon the issuance of a federal charter.” Even with these inconvenient manifestations of additional hoops to jump for we are making progress. And we still truly believe The VAREP will become a congressionally chartered VSO during the 117th Congress and of course our primary focus is to actually have that occur before the end of 2021. One last important note about the VSO effort. At the beginning of 2021 the NLC worked successfully with the state of Maine’s legislature and successfully got a Joint Resolution signed into law urging the Congress of the United states to pass legislation establishing a VETERAN’S service organization for housing. There are three types of resolutions are Joint Resolutions, Simple Resolutions and Concurrent Resolutions. The cool thing about joint resolutions which are by far the strongest of the three resolution types is that there is

literally no difference of the weight of law between a Joint Resolution and a Bill. An even cooler thing about joint resolutions is they do not have to be signed by the governor. They are simply passed by both the House and the Senate as Bicameral Legislation and instantly becomes law. At the upcoming convention in San Diego all of the GADs will be given a copy of that Joint Resolution and instructions on how to pursue their state legislatures to produce a replica or exact duplicate of the main legislation. The URLA Battle Of course, everyone by now knows that VAREP was the tip of the spear in getting the military question add or two the URL a period and by now you know that originally our success had planted the military question firmly on Page 1 of the new revised URL a period that foreman format was poised to be released in June of 2019. Unfortunately, in April of 2019 FHFA director mark Calabria took the reins at the department and totally screwed up what we had worked so hard for so many years to get on the URLA. You also know that the military question was moved to the bottom of the URLA, but not only to the bottom actually moved to the bottom below the signature line of the applicant. For the last year and a half the NLC has toiled feverishly to force FHFA to put the military question appropriately above the signature line. I'm happy to report that congressman Al Green from California has introduced an amendment to the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 that will fix the mess created by the former FHFA director. Once the National Defense authorization act is signed into law FHFA will have six months to enact the correction to the URLA moving the “Military Question” above the signature line. The success that VAREP head with fixing the URLA and the screw up that the previous FHFA director created has taken nearly six years to accomplish. This was sausage making at its best by VAREP. FINALLY, The Informed Consumer Choice correction Equally for as long as VAREP has been working on the URLA the NLC has been pursuing Congress to

make improvements or upgrades to the informed consumer choice disclosure requirements of lenders to borrowers who are securing a mortgage for their home purchase. In 2014 Representative Mark Veasey out of Texas introduced HR 2777. That was our very first piece of legislation. There were three elements to that legislation. The first to instruct the Department of Defense to build a financial literacy model or module to be trained to our active-duty service members from the beginning of their military careers. The second element of that legislation was to make changes to the URLA to include what is now known as the military question. And the third element of HR2777 was to update and improve the informed consumer choice disclosure.While the VAREP NLC worked tirelessly in feverishly to try and get HR 2777 across the finish line, we got short stopped by the parliamentarian when he directed HR2777 to be diverted to the Armed Services Committee. Our bill got stuck in that committee for months and we couldn't move it along. But fortunately, the NLC cunningly devised a work around and picked off two of the three elements in HR2777 and brought them to fruition. The first element, guidance to the Department of Defense to create a financial literacy module for service members who are actively serving was successfully introduced and signed into law when Senator Sinema then Congresswoman Sinema introduced an amendment to none other than the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018. Her legislation championed by VAREP was a landmark piece of legislation that started the ball rolling at the Department of Defense with a recommendation that the Department of Defense “… ensure members obtained sufficient financial literacy to affectively leverage conferred benefits and opportunities for employment, education, vocational training, and entrepreneurship…” this was literally the very first piece of legislation that VAREP how to hand in pushing through Congress. The second element was tackling the URLA. Of course, by now we all know the history of the URLA battle but remember that

effort, to correct fix and improve the URLA, actually started with the piece of legislation that we work with Congressman Veasey in creating in 2014. With the help of Tony Hutchinson at Freddie Mac and backed by the support of the National Association of Realtors, the National Bankers Association, the National Association of Credit Unions, the Mortgage Bankers Association, Congressman Raul Grijalva, then FHFA Director Mel Watt and then CFPB Director Mark Cordray, VAREP got the military question added to the URLA. Remember too, that question had never been on the URLA since the beginning of the VA loan program over 3/4 of a century ago. Nevertheless, we pulled it off and that form is active today and being used on every transaction in America since March 1st, 2021. Of course, footnote the fact that the military question is still in the wrong place… but we have, as I explained above, fix that. checking off those first two elements of HR 2777 left only one element remaining. I'd like to call this our dangling participle and of course that is the need to correct the informed consumer choice disclosure. I'm happy to report that on the evening of September 30th, 2021, I exchanged email with Michael Wong a staffer in Senator Sinema's office. The discussion was centered on getting the Informed Consumer Choice disclosure bill added, as an amendment to either one of the two Infrastructure Bills, currently making their way through Congress, or as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 but they would also try to find an opportunity to get that legislation introduced as a standalone bill. Stay tuned and watch this space. Stay Safe! Stay Healthy! And… keep your #SocialDistance #IAmVAREP G-II Varrato II VAREP National Legislative Committee Director

In Memoriam DAN I EL RETTIG

he Greater Louisville Chapter of Kentucky suddenly lost an extremely valued member of their chapter and community, Daniel Rettig (Dano), a Patriot. Dano served as a member of the founding Board of Directors as Vice President and was currently serving as Chair to the Education Committee. Dano was a lender by trade with over 10 years of experience. At the time of his passing he was the Vice President of Mortgage Sales & National Sales Trainer with Republic Bank & Trust. Dano leaves behind the love of his life Kersandra and their three beautiful children.

Dano was the living example of what it means to be a “big brother.” He was a man with a deep love for everyone he met. He was never one to shy away from an opportunity to discuss “you”. We asked friends what the first word they thought of when they thought of Dano and here are just a few of what we received… Inspirational, Infectious Smile, Loving, Generous, Mentor, Friend, & Most of all FAMILY MAN. Daniel leaves a tremendous whole in our hearts and we will forever miss him. Rest easy brother, we will take it from here.

DesignCorner

3 GRAPHIC DESIGN TIPS FOR NON-DESIGNERS BY MIDORI NEDIGER

Given the power of visual content (it’s more memorable and more engaging than text-based content), many marketers have turned to DIY graphic design software. With traditionally text-focused people taking on more design tasks, it’s time for a brief introduction to or refresher on the essential principles of graphic design. I’ll show you how the strategic use of white space, typography, and color can drastically improve the efficacy and aesthetics of your visual content. Try these three graphic design tips to keep your blog, social media, and other visuals on the right track.

WHITE SPACE 101: USE PLENTY OF IT A telltale sign of an amateur designer is a shortage (or misuse) of white space. White space (also called negative space) refers to the unmarked spaces around or between visual elements in a design.

Apple’s use of white space for its original HomePod page is extreme but effective. The stark emptiness of the design forces viewers to focus on the product, which is presented as a work of art. In contrast, non-designers often itch to fill every inch of space with text, images, or other design elements, leaving no place for the eye to rest. Here’s one of the top graphic design tips — take a less-is-more approach. Remove elements that don’t add value to your design. This gives more breathing room to the core elements.

"Remove elements that don’t add value to your design"

GRAPHIC DESIGN TIP #1 FOR NON-DESIGNERS: "White space is your friend. Don’t fill every inch of space with text or images." TYPOGRAPHY 101: BALANCE READABILITY WITH STYLE Typography refers to the technique of positioning and styling type, but true typography aficionados say designing with type is both a science and an art. A lot of technical knowledge is required to master type design, including: • Anatomy of letterforms • Rules for kerning, tracking, and leading • Typestyle classifications.

Use wider margins around the design’s edges and expand the space between unrelated elements to clarify page structure. Leaving unmarked space in a design can immediately improve its visual appeal and ability to communicate. Always ask before you finish a design: Is there anything I can remove to improve this design?

Marketers and amateur designers can’t be expected to learn all these details. This is one of the most important graphic design tips for beginners when it comes to typography: Balance readability with style.

GRAPHIC DESIGN TIP #2 FOR NON-DESIGNERS: "Balance readability with style to up your typography game." Since the fundamental purpose of type is to communicate information, used highly stylized, hard-to-read fonts with caution.

COLOR 101: USE CONTRAST TO FOCUS ATTENTION Color is tough to get right. Even some full-time designers struggle to use color effectively in their designs. At the same time, because color is innately intertwined with emotion, color choices have an immense influence on a viewer’s perception of a design. How do you make great color choices? Try these tips and tricks for using color in your visuals. Use simple, high-contrast color schemes to focus attention on elements of the design. Use contrast to add visual interest and, more importantly, to direct the viewer’s eye toward important information like keywords, icons, or data points.

That doesn’t mean, however, that type must be boring. An easy way to balance readability and style is to use stylized fonts for large header text and minimal, traditional fonts for body text. The combination allows you to inject your brand’s flair or taste into the graphics without forgetting the graphic’s purpose: communication. Oh, and don’t go overboard with fonts, either. Stick with a maximum of two to three fonts per graphic. Any more, and you’ll have trouble creating a cohesive design. Any professional designer will tell you there’s a lot more to the process of choosing fonts than balancing style with readability, but this simple rule serves as a great entry point into the complex world of typography.

GRAPHIC DESIGN TIP #3 FOR NON-DESIGNERS: "Use stylized fonts for header text and traditional fonts for body text."

WHAT IS A HIGH CONTRAST COLOR SCHEME? High contrast schemes use colors found across from each other on the color wheel. Traditionally, these schemes are referred to as complementary and split complementary.

When picking colors for your next project, keep in mind that strategically used high contrast color schemes create visual impact and highlight the most important information. I don’t recommend creating a color scheme from scratch – even seasoned designers struggle with this tricky task. Use a free app like Color Hunt for inspiration. It gives you access to user-made color schemes from designers across the world, and its “popular” filter is great for getting an idea of what palettes work well.

Complementary color schemes feature two colors with the highest possible contrast. Check out how FinancesOnline uses a variation on a split complementary color scheme for a visual in its digital marketing statistics post:

FINAL THOUGHTS If you start thinking like a designer, you can produce more beautiful graphics that do the job more effectively. Keep these three graphic design tips in mind to take your visual content to the next level:

The bright, bold “200%” jumps out. The stat catches the eye because it’s featured in the warmer, more saturated color. This is a strategic decision by a clever designer who knows research shows that humans react to warm, saturated colors, while cool, desaturated colors recede into the background.

White space: Use the unmarked areas of the page to balance your design for a polished, professional look. Typography: Use a stylized header font and readable body font to strike the right balance between personality and clarity. Color: Use a high contrast color scheme to draw attention to key information.

The Purpose of the National Education Committee (NEC) is to assist with empowering and preparing all communities for sustainable homeownership through the advancement of knowledge and financial literacy. JAIMIE GARRETT NEC Chair Patriot

JOHN MILLER NEC Chair U.S. Air Force

EDDIE DE LEON NEC Member Patriot

STEPHEN DEMUTH NEC Member Patriot

SEAN SELTERS NLC Member U.S. Army

KIMBERLY LARKIN RITTER NEC Member Patriot

JEFF WILSON NLC Chairman U.S. Army

2021 continues to be a busy year for the NEC. The Committee is in the process of updating course presentations and manuals, creating new lunch and learns, and staying appraised of changes at the congressional level in partnership with the VAREP National Legislation Committee (NLC). As changes occur the NEC will continue to update the MVHC and lunch and learns to keep everyone in the know.

MICHELLE CRUMLEY NEC Member Patriot

Local VAREP chapters are getting back into in-person teaching and it’s great to see. Following are highlights on how VAREP brings additional education to boots on the ground. In collaboration with Caliber Home Loans and Brittany Hahn Boccher, VAREP worked with 6 local chapters to bring additional education to local communities by presenting the PCS Know Your Orders class. In Nov. 2021 the Homeowner Education & Literacy Program (H.E.L.P.) will be taught live in Louisville through a local community college.

Lunch and Learns are taking place more regularly at the chapter level and the Military & Veteran’s Housing Certification (MVHC) course is being taught live once again. In addition, financial sustainability webinars re being presented on line in connection with our HUD Counseling Department and are a great opportunity to help those seeking help in qualifying for a Loan Modification after Forbearance, Rental Assistance and Repayment Programs to Avoid Eviction and providing information on how to use your VA Loan to Buy a Home and Credit Repair. Please look for these and utilize the valuable information.

She is a Military Client & Community Liaison, providing military and veteran outreach and homeownership education, and is part of the VAREP Hampton Roads Chapter.

In August, Julie Owens, a long-time VAREP member and NEC member, was presented a business opportunity and has decided to step down from the NEC and VAREP to focus on that. Julie has been a large part in the growth and success of the local chapter and assisting with NEC matters. Her knowledge, kindness, and connections to the military has advanced our education in so many ways it’s hard to list them all. Her departure left a hole for sure, but she will always remain part of the VAREP family. Thank you, Julie, for your dedication to the mission and your vision to move the NEC into the future.

Kimberly was a military spouse and brings a passion for education to the table. As an original VAREP member of the Northern Nevada chapter, Kim is certified and instructs the MVHC program. She truly enjoys assisting and educating her peers in the real estate industry on how to better serve our military and veterans. Her passion is to serve those who have served our country and it shows. Kim is also the coordinator for the VAREP House a Vet program.

As of September, the NEC is a complete committee of 8. The talent of people of this committee is outstanding and 2022 will bring amazing growth. Please welcome Michelle Crumley, Eddie de Leon, and Kimberly Larkin-Ritter who join Stephen DeMuth, John Miller, Sean Selters, and Jeff Wilson to round out the National Education Committee.

Eddie began volunteering in 2016 with VAREP Chapter, San Bernardino, California. He has served as the Government Affairs and the Education Director on the chapter Board. His passion is Veterans and education. Not only is Eddie focused on his teaching, he is always seeking ways to help others. Eddie teaches the MVHC, and he is a certified CreditSmart® instructor teaching financial literacy.

Please welcome Michelle, Eddie, and Kimberly! On behalf of the NEC, we want to thank the local chapters, communities, sponsors, and industry leaders for your continued support. YOU make the difference one Veteran at a time. Jaimie Garrett, National Education Committee, Chair HUD Certified Educator, Patriot 253-224-8906

Michelle, a military spouse of 30 years, is passionate about authentic relationships and defines herself as helping others become the architect of their success. Her commitment to the military and veteran community goes far beyond lending. She uses her career, experience, and volunteer activities to focus on, and support, the financial education and betterment of military and veteran families.

PROMOTING VETERAN STABILITY TO PREVENT VETERAN SUICIDE WHO WE ARE The Stop, Drop and Push Campaign (SDPC) is part of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals’ (VAREP) philanthropic platform of giving back (VAREP is a 501c.3 non-profit focused on housing for veterans). Although our focus may be on veteran housing, we cannot stand idle while our brothers and sisters are part of the 22 veteran suicide statistic.

HISTORY OF THE NUMBER 22

STOP, DROP & PUSH MISSION

In 2012 the Department of Veterans Affairs

To lower the 22 veteran lives lost each day

released a 59-page report outlining veter-

due to suicide by educating the public about

an suicide. The report states the numbers

veteran reintegration issues; connecting al-

of Veterans who die from suicide each day

ternative veteran therapy providers to those

has remained relatively stable over the

who need treatment; and provide the neces-

past 12 years (varying from 18 -22 per day).

sary funding to ensure treatment is possible so our heroes will rediscover purpose and lead productive lives.

ALTERNATIVE THERAPY Research has determined in addition to medication and traditional therapy, a holistic approach including alternatives therapies such as existential/transpersonal, animal-assisted psychotherapy and play therapy (examples include martial arts, fly fishing, mountain climbing and rafting) are important as part of the road to recovery for many veterans.

951-963-9386 | info@stopdroppush.org

w w w.S TOPDROPPUSH.org

FACES IN THE CROWD “Faces in the Crowd” is a handful of responses to an intriguing question... VAREP Members share their stories of all things VAREP related!

P E R A V #IAM Why do you give your money, time, & energy to VAREP and its mission? I believe that the American Dream is still viable and Military have a special need that needs to be met. Homelessness is a national disgrace for veterans and media seems to put illegals before our Veterans.

WHY I’m VAREP What is unique about VAREP?

VAREP is the only organization of which I’m aware that actively advocates for veterans throughout the year using it’s membership to get things done rather than doing mail out marketing campaigns for contributions.

WHY I’m VAREP What would go undone if VAREP closed tomorrow?

More veterans will remain homeless, even more veterans will not completely understand how to use their VA loan and realtors will go on and push veterans from using their benefits. 37

P E R A V M A #I What would go undone if VAREP closed tomorrow? Oh my... This is a huge “pipeline” to all veterans by reaching out to the storm communities. If this shuts down a huge percentage of veterans could miss the window of being educated and awarded mortgage free homes.

WHY I’m VAREP Why do you give your money, time, & energy to VAREP and its mission?

WHY I’m VAREP What is unique about VAREP?

The mission is to set veterans up for success vs. greeting them on the other end of tragedy. In addition to that, the national presence and advocacy on a political level is unique as well.

I’m a Navy vet and know that I had zero knowledge of my housing benefits exiting the service. I want to ensure my shipmates and other veterans don’t miss out on any opportunity they have earned.

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.” - George Washington

VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS info@VAREP.net

w w w . V A R E P. n e t

951- 444 -7363