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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR VAREP MEMBERSHIP
VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS
A Letter From Our Founders son nguyen & Dusti n Luce
welcome new member! Dear VAREP Member:
EDI TOR I AL
Established in 2011, the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP) is a nonprofit
PUBLISHER USA Homeownership, Inc. DBA Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals
501.c.3 organization dedicated to increasing sustainable homeownership and financial literacy education for the low-to-moderate income active-military and veteran communities.
EDITOR Denise DiSalvo
We accomplish our mission through a Five Point Plan:
CR EATI VE
1. Homeownership Advocacy - Advocate nationally to develop programs that reduce barriers
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Heather Nelson
to homeownership in the military and veteran communities. 2. Community Outreach - Foster responsible homeownership in the military and veteran communities by providing housing education through live and online courses on such topics as foreclosure prevention, financial literacy, and understanding credit - pre and post-purchase. 3. Professional Membership - Provide a place where real estate and financial service professionals can share ideas, get educated, and be empowered to better serve the real estate needs of service members, veterans, and their families. Non-military members are welcome. 4. Veteran Job Creation - Collaborate with organizations in the financial service sector to support veteran employment, and help implement legislation. 5. Affordable Veteran Housing - Provide affordable home buying opportunities for veterans and service members who have gone through VAREP’s homeownership education and counseling services. All Five Points are equally important. However, Point #3 - Professional Membership, affords us the “Boots on the Ground” and creates a national footprint to better serve military and veteran housing needs. According to studies, culturally diverse homeowners have been hit the hardest in the housing crisis. Due to their unique circumstances, veteran homeowners have also been severely impacted and need our help. Our online professional membership community provides a place where real estate and financial service professionals can share ideas, get educated, and be empowered to better serve the real estate needs of service members, veterans and their families. We would like to welcome and thank you for joining the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals as we embark on a journey dedicated to making the American Dream a reality for those who have served us. Respectfully,
SON NGUYEN CO-FOUNDER / PRESIDENT
DUSTIN LUCE CO-FOUNDER
WEB DEVELOPER Francisco Labias VIDEO PRODUCTION Matthew Martin-Hall CON TACT VAR EP HEADQUARTERS 951 · 444 · 7363 info@VAREP.net 462 Corona Mall Suite 102 Corona, CA 92879 w w w . V A R E P. n e t
BECOME A MILITARY AND VETERAN-FRIENDLY SPECIALIST LEARN ABOUT THE VA HOME LOAN GUARANTEE PROGRAM
MILITARY AND VETERANS HOUSING CERTIFICATION For REALTORS®, Lenders, and Housing Professionals
The MVHC is designed for a comprehensive understanding of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Home Loan Guarantee Program. We want our members to have an industry recognized course to effectively serve the housing needs of our military and veteran communities. Our goal is to educate and empower attendees to embrace the VA loan program instead of shying away from it.
Take the MVHC Online or In Person The MVHC designation can be taken as an eight-hour live workshop or online format. Enroll in the class online and take the course in the convenience of your home or office.
MVHC Branding VAREP Members that complete the course can download the MVHC logo, press release, and other marketing materials online to promote their MVHC certification.
Continuing Education Members will receive continued MVHC related updates and education via webinars throughout the year via the Member’s Area of the VAREP website.
Get Professional Recognition A custom MVHC certificate along with a lapel pin will be mailed to VAREP members upon completing the course.
Course Auditing A reduced auditing fee of $99.00 is available when repeating the course online or during the eight-hour live workshop.
Online Housing Professional Database The MVHC logo will appear in your profile on the Veteran-Friendly Housing Professional Databases located on the VAREP website and w w w.Ve t H o m e o w n e r s h i p . o r g and marketed to the military and veteran communities across the nation.
REGISTER NOW AND GET STARTED TODAY!
If you would like to enroll in the MVHC, please visit our website at www.VA R EP. ne t and log into your VAREP account. Click the MVHC Certification menu item at the top, where you will find a link to enroll. The course fee is $199.00 and includes all highlighted topics above. Get educated today! Please note: The course is not compatible with tablets or phone devices and should be taken on a PC or Mac Desktop or Laptop.
A GUIDE TO Four Simple Steps to Making the Most Out of Your Membership
STEP 1 · UPDATE YOUR PROFILE Do not be caught with an incomplete profile! As part of your membership, your complete VAREP profile will be included on the Military and Veteran Friendly Business Databases located at w w w.VA RE P. ne t and www.Ve tH om e ow ne rs hip . org where they will be marketed to military and veteran communities across the nation! Updating your advanced profile is easy! To update your profile, follow these simple steps below. 1.
Go to www.VAREP.net and log in using your VAREP username and password.
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Once in the VAREP Member’s Area Website, go to the My Account menu item at the top of the page and click Edit My Profile.
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Fill out your Basic Profile, Enhanced Profile and Cities of Service.
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Click update at the bottom once you have reviewed all your information.
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To update your profile photo, click the Edit My Picture button to the right, and upload your photo file there. (JPG/PNG/GIF files only) Once fully complete, click the Find a Member link at the top right of the Member’s Area webpage. Search for yourself and you should see what your full profile will look like to others!
John Smith
Professional Designations REO, GRI, ePRO, SFR Business Certifications MBA Professional Associations VAREP, NAR, CAR Cities Served Corona, CA; Riverside, CA Languages Spoken English
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Contact Information 462 Corona Mall Suite 102 Corona, CA 92879 T: 951-444-7363 E: info@VAREP.net W: www.VAREP. net
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REALTOR® Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals Industry: Real Estate Broker / Agent
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STEP 2 · KNOW THE MEMBER’S AREA The Member’s Area is full of valuable resources. See what information you have access to! On the Member’s Area Home Page, watch the Welcome Video to the right. This will direct you through all the features of the VAREP Member’s Area Website and where to find everything. See all the resources you have access to right at the convinience of your home or office computer! Features of the VAREP Member’s Area Website include: Downloads and Resources Members will have full access to VAREP’s Downloads section. The Member’s Area is a great resource for real estate professionals to learn more about how they can serve the housing needs of the military and veteran communities. Downloads available include: • Download VAREP logos. Show your support for the military and veteran communities by displaying our logo in your email signature, business cards, T-shirts … anywhere! Display VAREP everywhere to help get the word out about our organization. The best advertising we can get is by word-of-mouth from you! • Have access to Training PowerPoints. Miss a presentation? Need to catch up? No problem! Our archive of PowerPoint Presentations enables VAREP Members access to download PowerPoints that were used for all previous training sessions at any time. • Resources at your fingertips! Members can download brochures, special reports, studies, surveys and many more helpful items to use as reference points when serving the military and veteran communities. Resource downloads include topics specifically designed for military and veteran communities, such as Veteran Benefit Programs by State, Quick VA Loan Guides, Vow to Hire Heroes Act, and much more. Events Calendar Our Calendar of Events shows all VAREP events accross the nation, including Real Estate Outreach, Military and Veteran Community Outreach, Fundraisers, National and Local Events, and much more! VARAP Talk Radio VAREP’s Talk Radio will be a place to hear stories from our very own VAREP Members. Listen to Real Estate Professionals, Active Military, and Veterans tell their stories and how VAREP has influenced their lives. Learn more about this feature in Step 3 of the Guide to Active Membership. FREE Online Webinars Webinars are presented online throughout the year and are only offered to VAREP Members. Learn more about the topics of Webinars VAREP has to offer in Step 3. Certification Courses Learn in the convinience of your own home or office! Certification courses can be taken at your own pace or through an eight-hour live workshop. Our newest featured certification course is the Military and Veteran Housing Certification Course (MVHC) that is designed to educate about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Home Loan Guarantee Program. Please visit our website at w w w.VA R EP. ne t to learn more! “ROGER THAT” Member Newsletter Our member newsletter is quarterly publication and the best way for VAREP National to communicate the happenings within our organization to our general membership. Make sure to stay informed of VAREP updates and events that are covered by our newsletter.
VAREP’s Talk Radio Channel is geared towards educating the community. Log on and listen as professionals from the government, non-profit, real estate, and financial service industries discuss military and veteran related topics. To listen live or download the past Podcasts, please visit our website at w w w.VA R EP. ne t and log in to your account. Click the Talk Radio menu item at the top, where you will see all the Podcasts currently available to download, and when the next Radio Event will be broadcasted.
STEP 3 · ADVANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE VAREP offers military and veteran-related webinars throughout the year.
ONLINE WEBINARS Our VAREP real estate professionals will lead the discussion, where you can ask questions throughout the presentation and get instant feedback on the spot. Make sure to attend and take advantage of this valuable resource!
Topics of Online Webinars include, but not limited to: Military Culture - A Four Part Series Building rapport is the foundation to any relationship. Understanding military and veteran culture will help you better communicate with this demographic group. This series will cover various topics, allowing you to better connect with serving those who have served us. I am a Post 9/11 Veteran This informational webinar profiles the demographic of the post 9/11 veteran … I am one of the more than 2.5 million Americans who has served my country in a military uniform since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.
Getting Your Veteran-Owned Business Certified (VOSB) In an effort to help our VAREP Veteran-Owned Businesses, we have developed this webinar to prepare you for the VA’s “Veteran-Owned Small Business Verification Program.” Verification is not a simple process. In 2012, to date, approximately 58% of applications have been denied. We hope you find this webinar to be a powerful tool in your quest to get your business certified. VA Benefits - A Three Part Series VA administers a variety of benefits and services that provide financial and other forms of assistance to Servicemembers, Veterans, their dependents and survivors. This three-part series will teach you the basics of what every eligible veteran is entitled to for their service to America.
To See a Complete List of Upcoming Webinars: Please go to our website at w w w.VA RE P. n et and log in to the Member’s Area. Click the Webinar link on the menu bar at the top. All the planned webinars will be displayed here with details of date and time, who will be presenting, information covered, and how to register. To Register For a Webinar: When on the Webinars Page of the VAREP Member’s Area, click the register link to the webinar you would like to attend. We highly recommend registering before the scheduled webinar date to gather your login information and become familiar with the login process. This will ensure you do not miss the live webinar event! Missed an Online Webinar or Talk Radio Event? No Problem! All of our past Webinars and Talk Radio Podcasts will be readily available a few days after the event on the Member’s Area Website. Never miss an opportunity to learn something new!
STEP 4 · GET MORE INVOLVED We need people like you to help us spread the word. Find out how!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS To view our Calendar of Events, please visit our website at www.VA R EP. ne t and click the Events menu item at the top of the screen. Here you will see all the events happening on a local and national level. Click on a date with an event, where you will see more information event and a promotional flyer you can hand out or share on social media to help us with promotion.
Real Estate Professional Outreach Event Topics
Military and Veteran Community Outreach Event Topics
• Military and Veteran Housing Certification (MVHC)
• Financial Literacy
• How to work with the Military and Veteran Communities
• Understanding and Using Credit Smartly
• Banking Products for Military and Veteran Communites
• Pre-Purchase and Post-Purchase
• Lending Products for Military and Veteran Communites
• Foreclosure Prevention Workshops
• Local, State and Federal Military and Veteran Initiatives
• The Road to Homeownership
• The VA Home Loan Program - Three-Part Series
• First-Time Homebuyer Workshops
• VA Loan Expert Panel Discussion
• Distressed Loan Workshop
• Understanding Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
• Understanding VA Loans
• Veteran Employment and Small Business Initiatives
• Alternative VA Loan Solutions
• Military and Veteran Nonprofit Service Organizations
• Military and Veteran Open House Caravan • Military and Veteran Career Fair • Military and Veteran Housing Summit
JOIN OR START A NEW CHAPTER We are always looking for VAREP Members for our Board of Directors. If you are interested in becoming a leader in your area, consider applying as a Board of Director. To apply for a position on a current Board of Directors, or to start your own Chapter, please go to the Chapter’s Page of the VAREP website and fill out the Board of Directors Application Form.
Board of Director Positions • President
• Community Outreach
• Vice-President • Education Director • Membership Director • Secretary • Treasurer
• Government Affairs
Interested? Contact VAREP National Today! For more information about becoming a Board of Director, please contact VAREP National: National Office: 951 · 444 · 7363 National Email: info@VAREP.net
FOLLOW VAREP ON SOCIAL MEDIA! VAREP National is on Facebook and Twitter. Get updates on national and local events and connect with other VAREP Members. Make sure to “Like” and “Follow” us today! Facebook.com/VAREPNational
Twitter.com/VAREPNational
VAREP Charity Fundraisers will help fund future VAREP Events, including miltary and veteran financial literacy, homeownership, and job fair community outreach events. These events will also help raise funds for military and veteran “housing down-payment assistance” and “closing costs” grants given to qualified military and veteran families. Attend an event to help our mission!