Volume 1 Issue 4

2014 Leadership of the DAOR Executive Directors: Mireya Ruiz, President Jason Cierpiszewski, President-Elect Carrie Uva, Vice President Esther Lee, Treasurer Jeanette Baumann, Executive Vice President Directors: Mario Acevedo Michael Berdelis, Immediate Past President Maria Cibrian Sossi Gabriel Ericka Saenz Ruben Sarinana Vicki Spearman Miriam Villanueva DAOR Chaplain: Ruben Sarinana

Downey Association of REALTORS 12073 Paramount Blvd - Downey, CA 90242 562 861-0915 - Fax 562 923-9995

www.DAOR.com Monday - Friday 9am-5pm Saturday 9am-1pm 24/7 text support :

Text DAOR to 55469 Volume 1– Issue 3

T[\l_ of Cont_nts:

CAR State Directors: Mireya Ruiz, Carrie Uva & Jason Cierpiszewski

1-2 Pi]tur_s From RE@LTOR Community W__k

Affiliates In Action Committee Tom Ramirez, Chairperson Awards Committee Larry Kooiman, Chairperson Budget & Finance Committee Nubia Aguirre, Chairperson DAOR YPN Laura Dominguez, Chairperson

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Grievance Committee Dan Nevarez, Chairperson

3-4 & 9 Down_y Unifi_^ S]hool Distri]t’s N_w Bon^, M_[sur_ O, on Nov_m\_r’s B[llot., if P[st [noth_r In]r_[s_ to Down_y Prop_rty T[x_s.

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LCRC Trustees John Lacey, Chairperson

@ssist[nt? H_[r From Oth_rs, T[k_ [ Quiz, [n^ MORE.

Local Government Relations Sandra Carnett, Chairperson

7-8 Th_ N_w R_[l Est[t_ Pur]h[s_ @gr__m_nt is R_l_[s_^ in Nov_m\_r. G_t th_ 411 [n^ Tr[ining Inform[tion.

Membership/MLS-Technology Committee Remoun Said, Chairperson Nominating Committee Russell Skersick, Chairperson Professional Standards Committee Bev Baumann, Chairperson

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10 YPN H[llow__n N_twork-

REALTOR Community Relations Committee Rowena Dominguez

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Scholarship Committee Diane Sanchez

11 H_lp Prot_]t Your Cli_nts Wh[t’s Th_ N_w_st in R_[l Est[t_ Fr[u^.

DAOR Staff Jeanette Baumann, EVP - evp@DAOR.com Customer Care Department Nelly Palma, mls@DAOR.com CeCe Robles, education@DAOR.com Hilda Inzunza, cs@DAOR.com Membership Department Julie Sartor, julies@DAOR.com Fausto Navarro, communications@DAOR.com Susie Gonzales, cs@DAOR.com

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Pl_[s_ fin^ on p[g_ 12 links to “join” D@OR’s F[]_\ook, Twitt_r, Instigr[m, You Tu\_, [n^ Vi_w 2014 Pi]tur_s on Pi][sso.

room materials and their teachers. DUSD is known for their career pathways program that prepares young students entering today’s competitive economy and The contents of Measure O consist of a $248 million school bond workforce. DUSD is a major proponent of emphasizing their stuwhich would be allocated to the dents to develop strong Downey Unified Measure O is a ballot measure that is currently on the November 4, 2014, skills in science, techSchool District for docket that would summarily raise property taxes in the City of Downey. nology, engineering, Measure O, a new bond measure, various projects math and the arts. DUSD believes and programs. The goal of the will have an effect on all residents that it is essential that all schools bond measure is to continue acain the City of Downey. This is an demic success for all students, within DUSD keep up academic important announcement designated not only for REALTORS, but provide STEM education and other career training standards in order pathways, and modernize our to provide access to advanced to all those who live and do busischool facilities. DUSD currently education for all students. To unness in the City of Downey. has a 91% student graduation rate derstand further the far reaching Measure O is a ballot measure effects that Measure O would have and DUSD’s Growth Academic that is currently on the November on our community, DAOR reperformance scores have been 4, 2014, docket that would sumincreasing over the quested a meeting with Superinmarily raise Many REALTORS at this open forum had concerns regarding the magnitude of the tendent John Garcia to discuss the property taxes in bond and the large burden may be put on past decade. property owners to pay for this bond.

DUSD predicts that main topics of Measure O. the City of these numbers will only continue Downey. If passed, Measure O As REALTORS, it is crucial that to rise as students become more would add an additional property you understand all pieces of a engaged and focused with classtax of a maximum of $60 per

Having it’s own school district has always been a benefit for selling/buying homes in Downey, and Superintendant John Garcia is taking the school district to even higher levels.

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$100,000 assessed property value for approximately the next thirty years.

California, detailing that DUSD document before you sign your brings in top talent and with an name. The same could be said about Measure O. DAOR’s Board ever growing youth population, more quality teachers are needed of Directors met with Superintento educate our future leaders. dent John Garcia on August 7, 2014 to discuss the many related It is important to address how issues and concerns related to Measure O will not only impact Measure O. Superintendent Garyou as a REALTOR, but the comcia gave an informative presentamunity at large. Measure O is on tion and somewhat answered the November 4, 2014 ballot and questions that the Board of Directors had. The results of that meet- consists of a $248 million bond in which the DUSD is in control of ing prompted an additional meetmonetary spending. If passed, the ing to take place. In order to DUSD has approximately 15 years broaden the discussion and get for completion of construction effurther clarification to some questions posed at their previous meet- forts, however payment to the ing, DAOR held an open forum in- bond does not end once construction and projects end. The repayviting all members of DAOR to attend, including the Board of Direc- ment period for bonds typically last tors and Superintendent John Gar- for 25 to 30 years, that means that property owners will be paying 30 cia. This Open Forum was held years from now for a on August It is important to note that property 25, 2014, owners in the City of Downey are still to bond measure that this day paying for two school bonds was passed in with many from 1996 and 2002.

If Measure O 2014. It is important REALTORS were to pass, property owners will to note that property attending to have to pay for 3 bonds until at least owners in the City of discuss the the late 2020s.

Downey are still to pertinent isthis day paying for two school sues pertaining to Measure O. Many REALTORS at this open bonds from 1996 and 2002. Property owners will still be paying for forum had concerns regarding the those two bonds until the late magnitude of the bond and the 2020s. If you combine the total large burden may be put on propsum of what is still owed from the erty owners to pay for this bond.

1996 and 2002 bond, residents in the City of Downey still owe over The DUSD currently holds a $65 million. If Measure O were to healthy financial reserve while pass, property owners will have to asking the community for an agpay for 3 bonds until at least the gressive bond measure that will late 2020s. cost that same community for the next approximately 30 years.

As Southern California residents DUSD teachers are also among and REALTORS, you know that some of the top paid teachers in

property taxes are high in our region. In the City of Downey, property taxes for unified school districts are almost three times what residents pay who live in the cities that encompass the ABC Unified School District. With this new aggressive bond, property taxes will only increase, and will not go down for a long period of time.

As a REALTOR, a businessperson, and a community member, it is important to discuss how this bond will affect the community, however at the end of the day, every vote counts this November 4, 2014. It is the payers obligation to vote for what they want.

Concerned REALTOR Members have submitted a few questions to DAOR, we forwarded these questions to Superintendant Garcia… he did reply. Please continue reading the following Q&A. Q. Do you have the results from the poll that was sent out earlier this year detailing the community’s interest in a school bond measure? Answer. The results from the polls done in February and June show approximately 60% of residents in favor, 20% undecided, and 20% against a bond measure.

Q. When will the school bonds from 1996 and 2002 be fully paid off? Answer. The original allocations were refinanced approximately 10 years ago at a savings of almost $4M to the district tax Continued on Page 9

A Few DAOR Assistant Members

(l-r) Brian Carr, assistant to Sonya Moncayo; Mary Eshak, Assistant to Natalie Romo; Jacquelyn Meza, assistant to Roman Meza; Rosie Galindo, assistant to Betty Ulloa; Monica Villamil, assistant to Excellence Innovative Real Estate; Amie Hernandez, assistant to Erwin De Leon; and Steven J Padilla, assistant to Steven Padilla.

Are You Ready For An Assistant

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Today’s real estate industry is fast paced, highly technical and fully immersive. As a REALTOR® and professional in this field, you have developed skills to be successful. The task of trying to keep up in this ever changing industry may seem daunting, but you are not alone in this struggle. To ease some of the tensions and duties that befall upon you, hiring a personal assistant may be an important investment for your business. A personal assistant can perform many duties to assist you and your business. One of the main duties of a personal assistant is to focus on the many administrative tasks of the business, thus allowing the REALTOR® the time and opportu-

nity to properly concentrate on expanding and perfecting his/ her business.

If your typical day is often filled up by stress and overbooked schedules, it may be time to ask yourself if it is the right time to hire a personal assistant. There are several benefits of actually having a personal assistant as an employee. In addition to general administrative services, a personal assistant may assist you in keeping an organized market-

ing and planning strategy in place to maximize the time that you may devote to conducting your business. A personal assistant will also keep important detailed records for your business.

As you look at your everyday business plan and the needs of your office, you may find that a personal assistant may be a benefit to your business. As you plan for the future, hiring a personal assistant could be a great asset to any REALTOR®.

How much time does your assistant save you? At what point in your career did you know you needed an assistant? What do you feel makes a good assistant?

My two assistants Armando Martinez and Rosie Soto Fraire save me countless hours in a month. They make it possible for me to prospect for new business, meet with current clients to list & sell property, and most importantly, allows me to still have a life away from real estate.

I knew I needed an assistant within 6 months of starting real estate. It became difficult to be in two to three places at one time, so I knew it was time to get much-needed help.

My assistant Marisol Diaz saves me half of my time . After 15 years in real estate, my business took-off, I started making $150,000 ... it was time for an assistant. A good assistant is someone that handles pressure, great communicator, hardworking, dependable and willing to go the extra mile. Top Producer, Sandra Alvarez, American Team Properties

A good administrative assistant is someone that is good on the phone, personable, has good computer skills, able to learn quickly and learn from his/her mistakes, and as a real estate assistant, ... someone that can start to understand the process and start doing more agent-duties (if licensed) over time and/or when he/she is comfortable stepping out of the comfort zone behind his/her desk. Top Producer, Michael Berdelis, Prudential 24 Hour RE

My Assistant, Erica Kang is a full time assistant who does everything other than the clients consultations.

She handles accounting, customer services, transaction coordinations, signing documents with clients and many more.

I hired an assistant as soon as I started real estate.

As much as all the other work (such as, paper works, customer services, transaction coordination etc.) is important, I needed to be out there on the field to meet more prospected buyers, sellers and investors.

I feel a good assistant, is someone who has Loyalty, Consistency, Promptness, Accuracy, Passion, Priorities and many more. Top Producer, Wonnie Kim, Realty World Capero

Hiring an assistant can be an excellent business move, but careful planning is critical. Take this quiz to find out if your fully prepared to bring an assistant on board. http://www.realtor.org/rmoquiz2.nsf/ assistantquiz?openform

Benefits from becoming a DAOR Unlicensed Assistant: - Be part of the “team” setup - giving you access to work on behalf of your Agent /Office.

- Your contact information may be included in your “agent’s” listings.

- You will receive a user ID & Password to the CRMLS System.

DAOR unlicensed assistant fees Are only $19.00/month.

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There is an application fee of $50 Application must be complete and signed by the Broker Dues are collected at $19 x remaining months of the year Membership is non transferable Supra key cannot be assigned to assistants BRE License NBA status is NOT considered unlicensed

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New Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA) Please be advised all REALTORS® New changes are coming to the Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions form.

Coming this November 24, 2014, California’s Standard Residential Purchase Agreement will be undergoing some major renovations and changes. It is important that all REALTORS fully understand the changes that are coming to the Residential Purchase Agreement form. Various changes will occur to the Residential Purchase Agreement form which include minor changes to some of the language in the document and substantive changes in transactional practices.

While there will be several changes to the current RPA, there will also be some minor changes to certain sections and modifications to the lan-

guage in the document.

In order to give you some insight into some of the changes that will occur this November, we have highlighted a number of the more noticeable changes that will happen next month. These changes are: a new paragraph will be added to the

Finance Terms section which is titled Lender Limits on Buyer Credits, a section will be added entitled "Representative Capacity,” loan contingency will not automatically be tied

to appraisal, added to the section detailing what items are included and excluded from the sale is a section for Leased or Liened Items and Systems, a large Scope of Duty

section has been added, and a Termite Report will be removed from the list of inspections whose cost is allocated, by negotiation, either to the buyer or the seller.

The Termite Report may be the most significant change that REALTORS in our association may notice because it affects Southern California buyers and sellers. Termite reports are no longer part of the list of inspections, however, a buyer can request a termite report like any other inspection they may choose.

Another one of the major changes came under the finance terms section. The following is the text of the newly added paragraph: LENDER LIMITS ON BUYER CREDITS: Any credit to Buyer, from any source, for closing or other costs that is agreed to by the Parties (“Contractual Credit”) shall be disclosed to Buyer’s lender. If the total credit allowed by Buyer’s lender

(“Lender Allowable Credit”) is less than the Contractual Credit, then (i) the Contractual Credit shall be reduced to the Lender Allowable Credit, and (ii) in the absence of a separate written agreement between the Parties, there shall be no automatic adjustment to the purchase price to make up for the difference between the Contractual Credit and the Lender Allowable Credit.”

CAR is currently finalizing all the changes to the RPA form, the final form will be released this November. The new RPA will be coming this November 24.

For your convenience, you can click HERE to see exactly what has been modified on the RPA form. Changes to the current form are highlighted in blue.

of classes related familiarizing REALwww.DAOR.com or TORS with the new Residential education@DAOR.com for more Purchase Agreement form. Sign up information. now to reserve your spot to learn about the upcoming changes to the Residential Purchase Agreement DAOR’s Class on 11-13-14 is days form. Plan ahead so that you before the release of the new will remain informed about RPA….sign up and have it fresh in all of the most up to date your mind. DAOR’s President, Mireya Ruiz has been certified by business news.

Contact DAOR at (562) 8610915 or visit our website

The California Association of REALTORS to teach the changes of The RPA weekly at DAOR.

C.A.R. will be conducting several programs that will assist both brokers and agents regarding training in new standard forms. Participants learn what points to emphasize, and what pitfalls to avoid when training agents. In addition, participants will receive relevant instructor materials including a PowerPoint™ template and a Sample Forms Book. Click HERE to see further information about the C.A.R. Certified Trainer Program.

You can earn 4 hours of CE credit when you register for a “Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA)” training class.

DAOR will be offering a full set

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payers. Since they were refinanced, they will sunset in approximately 2030.

Q. Will there be a community campaign to inform community members about the current bond measure? Answer: An ongoing informational campaign has been happening since the first mailer in April. Since the DUSD Board of Education officially passed the resolution in July, a bond campaign committee was formed by members of the community. Information on that organization is available at http://www.voteyesonmeasureo.org.

Q. If there is a campaign, are there plans to hold an open forum for community members to voice their opinion toward this proposed bond? Answer: his would be a question for the Measure O Campaign Committee.

Q. If this bond measure is voted to be successful on the November ballot, what is the duration that homeowners will be paying for the bond until it will be paid off? Answer: Each draw taken from this authorization would have a repayment period of approximately 25 years. In addition, there would be no prepayment penalties associated with any of the draws and they could be paid off early.

Q. How much of this bond measure will be dedicated to developing new curriculum and hiring new teachers? Answer: By law, these types of bonds can only be spent on facility upgrades, new construction, furniture, and equipment.

Q. Give us your thoughts on how this bond will not only prepare students for university education, but those students wishing to enter a trade or health profession. Answer: To a large degree, the purpose of this bond is to upgrade and build career and technical education facilities, which prepare students for 21st century careers and university experiences. The emphasis would be on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education.

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Q. We were told the total amount of the bond was based on was not the amount property tax payers there were, but on the highest amount of funds the state would allow... Do you feel this is fair to the home owners? Answer: The quality of our schools has a direct impact on the market value of homes within the district boundaries. This correlation has been demonstrated time and time again. At some point, when a property owner decides to sell, anyone interested is going to check on the quality of schools when considering how much they will pay for a piece of property. When our schools are branded as one of the top school systems in California, market values will increase significantly.

Q. If passed, property tax percentages that taxpayers pay toward the school district in Downey will be three times the amount than cities in the ABC Unified School District. Can you please give us your response on this issue? Answer: ABC is currently proposing a $200M bond measure to their community because their facilities are also in need of upgrades.

The following is a statement to REALTORS from Superintendant John Garcia……..

Today’s competitive global economy requires that students have a solid education in math, science and technology. Our schools must upgrade science and computer labs, update classroom technology and improve facilities for career education programs in order to equip our students with the vital skills needed to succeed in college and the 21st-century job market.

Our district has very few options when it comes to making the necessary renovation and upgrades to our local schools. We can’t rely on the state to complete these repairs. Measure O would provide the local control necessary to complete the prioritized projects to provide a safe and modern learning environment for our students. In addition , our school district would be able to qualify for state matching funds if the measure passes – funds that would not be available otherwise.

DAOR YPN Halloween Networking Cocktail Party • • • •

Members who come in costume receive an extra ticket to a raffle Panel/Realtors® share their “Holiday Marketing/Client Gift Ideas” 2 Drink Tickets & Hors D’oeuvres - Free/DAOR Realtor® Members Costume Contests: best office group costume, and best female & male Individual costume

Thursday, October 16th 5:305:30-7:30 - Rio Hondo Event Center SPONSORS: -Carmen Meraz, Platinum Home Mortgage -Michelle Lopez, A Better Choice Escrow -Mario Loria, New American Funding -Claudia Contreras, ProActive Escrow -Angelica Lopez, Lincoln Escrow -Dani Clankaberry, Alfa Escrow -Rachel Robin, Disclosure Save -Tom Ramirez, iMortgage -Monica Meza, iMortgage -Hans Hilton, CutCo

Downey Association of Realtors® Luncheon Wednesday, October 15, 2015 11:30 am - Rio Hondo Event Center 10627 Old River School Rd - Downey, CA 90241

$12.00 per person $20 per person if reservation is not received and confirmed by October 14th.

Real Estate Fraud Help protect your clients.

What’s the newest in real estate scams and fraud, hear from Detective Ernest Munoz, Real Estate Fraud Unit, Los Angeles Police Department.

NO cancellation/refund after 9am the day of luncheon.

Also …..

Third Quarter Top Walk Ins are not guaranteed admission.

Affiliate members MUST by active DAOR Affiliates Producers.

Members to attend. & Realtor® City 1. _______________________________ Councilman ALEX SAAB “City Update” 2. _______________________________ 3. _______________________________ 4. _______________________________ 5. _______________________________ 6. _______________________________ 7. _______________________________ 8. _______________________________ 9. _______________________________ 10. ______________________________

Credit Card Number _________________________ Amount $_______ Expiration Date __________ Zip Code __________ V-Code ________ Card Billing Address: ________________________________________ Signature _____________________________________ Corporate Card? [ ]Yes [ ]No Type of Card? [ ]Visa [ ]MC [ ]AmEx [ ] Discover

Fax 562-923-9995

DAOR MEMBERS: Now! At the Association store we have a complete new product a Brochure Box and Stake Set. The brochure box has a clear front, that reads: "Please!

Take One", allowing your flyer to be easily seen it holds up to 100 flyers. The foot bar makes the installation easy and there's no assembly required.

So come on over and check out the store and get yourself a brochure box and stake set, we can guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Hilda cs@DAOR.com 562 861-0915

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