July/August 2010 Update magazine by Northern Virginia Association of Realtors®

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July/August 2010 NVAR.COM

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PUBLISHED BY THE NORTHERN VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS速

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Working Together to Avoid Pitfalls in the Appraisal Process FAIR HOUSING FEATURE Page 20 ONLINE DUES RENEWAL BEGINS AUG. 3 Page 29 NEW NVAR FAIRFAX HEADQUARTERS OPENS Page 40

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chairman of the board

UPDATE

REALTOR®

July/August 2010

2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman of the Board: Vinh Nguyen, CRB Chairman-Elect: Karen Trainor Immediate Past Chairman: Susan Mekenney, ABR, CRS, GREEN, GRI, ePro Secretary/Treasurer: Pat Kline, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE Val August, CRB, CRS, GRI Julia Avent, ABR, CRS, GRI Tammy Bagnato Robyn Burdett, CDPE, CRS, GRI Chris Call, GAA, IFA, RAA Delk Hamaker Scott MacDonald Peter Rickert, ABR, ePro, GREEN, SRES Mario Rubio, SRES Trudy Severa, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES Merlin Smith, ABR, CDPE, GRI Jon Wolford Publisher/CEO: Christine M. Todd, CAE, RCE Editor-In-Chief: Jill M. Landsman Managing Editor: Ann Gutkin Associate Editor: Amy Larrabee Editorial Assistant: Ainsley McDougal Marketing & Sales Manager: Tracy Reynolds Graphic Designer: Tricia Chroussis Contributors: Anne Gardner, Michele Lerner, Lisa Vierse May, Sarah Louppe Petcher and Dr. Lisa Sturtevant

Interested in advertising? Please call 703. 207. 3206 for information. The Realtor® UPd At E (ISSN 10988475) is published bi-monthly by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® as follows: combined issues for January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December. Periodicals postage paid at Fairfax, VA 22030 and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions account for $19 of each member’s annual dues. Annual subscriptions are available to non-members for $39. Subscription inquiries may be sent to the Realtor® UPd At E at the address below. Copyright 2010 by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors®. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Realtor® UPd At E Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® 8407 Pennell Street Fairfax, VA 22031-4601 Telephone: 703. 207. 3200 FAX: 703. 207. 3268 Web: nvar.com E-mail: updatemagazine@nvar.com Advertising Info: treynolds@nvar.com

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

Bittersweet Homecoming:

Volume 93, Issue 4

Our New Headquarters Represents The Start of a New Era By Vinh n guyen, 2010 Chairman of the Board

y the time this issue of Update magazine lands in your mailbox, NVAR will have moved to a new home! Our state-of-the-art, LEED-designed building will be the new central location to serve you at 8407 Pennell Street, right near our former location.

This new building was designed with an eye toward your convenience. From the large classrooms, student lounge area, laptop stations and underground parking leading directly to the first-floor member service area, all were designed with the members in mind. Our building has been “in the works” for at least seven years. This project represents the culmination of efforts from many volunteer leaders, past NVAR chairmen, several boards of directors and NVAR staff. Countless meetings took place with outside consultants, architects, construction companies and Fairfax County agencies. Many people are worth mentioning, but one rises above all others: former 2001 NVAR Chairman Jack O’Donohue. Jack was involved in different capacities right from the beginning and as head of the New Building Task Force. This task force included former chairmen Luis Lama, Jane Quill, Trish Szego, Margaret Ireland and Susan MeKenney, along with NVAR CEO Christine Todd, COO Maggie Mueller-Tyler and CFO Jim Foster. Jack and the leadership team managed the project with great vision, leadership, sound management and fiscally conservative decisions that have afforded us a new building without the burden of debt. Yes, we have a home with no mortgage! Kudos to Jack and all! Despite our excitement over the building’s completion, our September ribbon-cutting ceremony will be bittersweet. Jack O’Donohue passed away on June 6, one week short of the building’s completion. [See Jack’s obituary on p. 10] Pursuing the NVAR mission through our use of this new facility will honor his memory each day. I hope each of you take full advantage of this outstanding new home. Visit nvar.com for a complete listing of events and classes available to you in your Pennell Street headquarters. Welcome Home! And please attend our ribbon cutting on Sept. 23.

2010 Chairman of the Board July/August 2010

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in this issue

43 STATS

In This Issue 38 Education: Careers Under Construction

44 NVAR Young Professionals Host Inaugural Event

6 New Members; NVAR Partners 7 Letter to the Editor Praises May/June Article; RE/MAX Allegiance Alexandria Achieves Golden ‘R’ Status

Features

10 In Memoriam - Jack O'Donohue; Charlie Search 11 Arlington County Affordable Housing; Brokers Only Event Features Fuller

40 New Fairfax Headquarters is Open for Business

12 Government Affairs: Sign Regulations Do Yours Comply?

41 MASTER THE GAME: 2010 NVAR Convention & Trade Show Slated for Oct. 12

Ask NVAR: The Pitfalls of Social Media

17 New Property Tax Rates: Effective July 1; New nvar.com Adds Style and Innovation

23 NAR's Survey of NoVA Buyers & Sellers Reveals Preferences; NAR Benefits 28 Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club Members Celebrate at Awards Breakfast 29 Online Dues Renewal Begins Aug. 3 30 Legal Lines: VRLTA and Common Law Compared 34 Realtor® Emeritus Status Conferred Upon Bette Gorman 35 Agents Need to Know: NAR's Heart of Your Market Program; Keep Your License Current 36

Education Calendar

37 ABR & GRI Graduates

20 Opportunity Knocks on All Doors: Fair Housing Practices Explained

24 A VALU

18 NAR Policy: Implementing a Social Media Marketing Plan

14 Market Update: Ready for Take-off—D.C. Region Leads the Way

CAT I O N

8 NV/RPAC 2010 Contributors List

13 NVAR Co-Sponsors Annual Fair Housing Luncheon

Appraiser & Affiliate Directories

3 Chairman of the Board Column: NVAR Makes Its Move

MONTHLY AVERAGE SOLD PRICE 2000-2010

ON V E RI

Working Together to Avoid Pitfalls in the Appraisal Process

The views expressed in this publication may not reflect NVAR policy, and may be the opinions of the writer or interviewee.

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

JULY/AUGUST 2010

W new members

elcome New Members

Saher Farid Suzette Abbasi Kristen Foley Akil Abdella Anthony Foli Maribel Adad Anthony Ford Muneeb Adam Mario Fortin Rafsana Ahmed Marc Foster Linda Aldave John Frantz Daryl Andrews Christopher Fries Beth Anspach Luis Garcia Ravi Anumandla Ariana Gillette John Astorio Aruna Giri Samaa Awad Tara Graham Vicki Ballowe Amber Graham Darren Banh Holly Green Bayarbaatar Batchulwun Gaxexer Green IV Rodger Bauman Athindra Gundapuneedi Marsha Belvis Ajay Gupta Jean Benedett Matich Caroline Hacker Jodi Bentley Alan Hahn Keith Betts John Halpin III Zemede Bezuneh Saloumeh Hamidi Abusayed Bhuiyan Monica Hamrick Michael Blank Jason Harris Antonio Brooks Dorothy Heymann Jessie Brooks Caroline Hiban Regina Brown-Carter Shannon Hickey Thu Bui Deserie Hirsch David Burrell Kathlene Holzhauer Dawn Cales Jane Hunter Jenny Canales Michael Huynh Jonathan Carcone Alexander Irmer Matilda Caslli Kenneth Ivey Richard Castelli Sandra Jaymes Jisoo Cha Jan Jeffrey Pravin Chaudhari Kimberly Jones Khurrm Cheema Ziad Joumaa Victor Chi Adel Jrad Chong Cho Yasameen Karimi Anthony Chukwumah Eric Khaliqi Angela Colby-Rinker Qasim Khan Megan Cortez Joseph Kieffer III Carrie Cox Hyun Tae ”Nick” Kim Timothy Crews Jr. Peter Kim Shirley Davis Dae Kim Nima Derakhshanrokni Kun Kim Valerie DiMattina Rebecca King Kelly DiPierro Nizar Koussa Stacey Dirksz Andreas Kraemer Bryce Do Anna Krell Sheila DosSantos Kashmira Kroner Pamela Driscoll Young Ku David Dummett Michael Kuy Kelly Dunning Rosa Laitano Leonardo Duran Thao Lam Robert Edwards Michael Lee Hicham Elouaddane Dillon Lee Aneaka English Hongwei Li Patrick Ezzell Cynthia Libby Naney Fam

Fritz Liebig III Mindy Link Mary Liu Yu-Hin Lo Michael Lowry Virginia Lung Stephanie Lutostanski Akisha Mackritis Julian Macovei Peter Mak Srilatha Mandapati Brittany Martin Cassandra McBride Ian McCarroll Michael McCaughan Pamela McGee Aimee McKinney Edward Mead Dean Megginson Roy Melloni Richard Miller Brian Montgomery Nicholas Mormann Esmaeil Motedaeiny Timothey Mundia Lisa Mutschler Elizabeth Newman Trinh Nguyen Tien Nguyen Bret Nida Tina Nielsen Johnny Nigusse James Oleary Corinne Oliverio Roberto Olivo Torres Robert Olley Jr. Madonna Padilla Ji Hoon Park Carlos Parraga Erazo Ngoc Paton Brittany Patterson Kimberly Peele Nigama Pobbathi Charles Poulson Jr. Rebecca Quinones Jose Ramos-Santa Stephanie Randall Cesar Reategui Cory Rice Farrah Richardson Sang Roche Brian Rodgers Saul Romero Lana Rosenberg Cynthia Roy Michael Ruvinetz Wesley Saa Waleed Sabri

Maria Saenz Emel Safoglu Angela Sahni Pe Saing Jolly Saini Mohammad Sajid Lily Sakata Youssef Salaheddine Kambiz Salari Tara Salesses Halleh Sameni Patrick Samson Rocio Sanchez-Concha Stephanie Santiago Richard Schneck Sarah Scott Lacey Scully Majid Setayeshpour Sanjiv Shah Tamara Shifrin Amanbir Singh Paramvir Singh Sayasone Singhavong William Sjoberg Carl Smith Buncha Smuthkochorn Isabella Sullivan Rosa Susanivar Germaine Swanson Mazyar Tahoori Reuel Tayag Ayele Teklemariam Alice Thomas Chaweewan Thongpia Charles Tokam Alan Tran Raheleh Vafaeisaadi Anicetas Vaichekauskas Katie Van Tassell Lynnette Villanueva Robert Vohra Kayla Vu Quochai Vuong Daqi Wang Herbert Weissbratten Andrew Wian Adriana Wieczorek Roderick Williams Carola Williamson Jessica Wilson Vicki Lee Woods Jonathan Yates Chang Hee Yeo Grima Zambrana Delgadillo

2010 NVAR THANKS OUR PARTNERS PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

FRIEND

Yi Zhang Jin Zhou Frank Zoghi

July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

golden r re/max

Letter to the

RE/MAX Allegiance Office Walks the Walk

EDITOR

NV/RPAC Contribution Earns Alexandria Office "Golden R"

Recent Update Guest Column Delivers Important Deed Distinctions Dear Editor, I would just like to say ‘Thank You’ to Beau Brincefield for his timely and excellent article, ‘The Hidden Dangers in Deficiency Judgments,’ which appeared in the May/June issue of Update magazine. For more than 30 years Beau has steadfastly attended the Real Estate Finance Forum meetings and shared with the Realtor® community his legal expertise. During every period of change Beau has spoken words of caution and wisdom. Thank you, Beau, for continuing to watch our backs. And thank you, Update magazine, for making this information available to our members. Sincerely yours, Sonni Lieberman Weichert, Realtors® Ed it o r ’s n o t E: if you might have missed Mr. Brincefield’s and Mr. r ick d zubin's article, you can view it on nvar.com. Click on the Publications & Media tab; then on Update Magazine (from the left-hand menu). t he May/June issue is displayed there, with the column on page 28.

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

(Left to right) Mary Beth Coya, n VAr s enior Vice President of Public & Government Affairs, presents Charlie Bengel, Jr., CEo o f r E/MAX Allegiance, and his agent susan Mekenney, 2010 nV/r PAC campaign committee co-chair, with a plaque recognizing the company’s $5,000 “Golden r ” contribution. t he presentation took place at the r E/MAX Alexandria office on May 20. see next page for complete list of contributors.

July/August 2010

nv/rpac recognition

2010 NV/RPAC Contributors List* GOLDEN R ($5,000) John E. McEnearney RE/MAX Allegiance – Charles W. Bengel, Sr. Tom Stevens

CRYSTAL R ($2,500) Jane A. Quill

STERLING R ($1,000) Bob Adamson Julia H. Avent Mary Bayat Robyn Burdett Christopher Call David Charron Virgil Frizzell Margaret C. Handley Margaret Ireland Jo Anne Johnson Sita Kapur Patricia O. Kline Scott MacDonald Shane McCullar Susan Mekenney John Meyer

Tom Meyer Vinh Nguyen Susan Oh Booﬁe O'Gorman Tracy Pless Anne Rector Peter A. Rickert Tom Rickert Zinta Rodgers-Rickert Trudy Severa Trish Szego The Belt Team Gail Belt Terry Belt Christine Todd Karen A. Trainor

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Brian Block Phil Bolin Sue Bowers Tom Boyle Madeline Caporiccio Kate Casey Kathleen Corradetti Mary Beth Coya Dan Daniels Florence Daniels Bhavani Ghanta Mark Goedde Nagaraj Gomathi Delk Hamaker Doris Houston David Howell GOVERNOR’S CLUB ($500) Rosemarie Johnson Tammy Bagnato Karen Kidwell Patricia A. Buck Nicholas Lagos Suzanne Granoski Margo Lockard Kristin Kelly Laura Marsh Connie Vanderpool Maxine McLeod Miller Gayl Warman Jessica F. Opert Jon S. Wolford Mario Rubio Fetneh Schacht

Audrey Shay Jake Sullivan Leslie Thurman Tony Yeh

$99 CLUB Mark Ackermann Kevin P. Adams Rafael Aguilera Nancy P. Alert Azmi Al-Kurd Kannan Annamalai Mary Anthony Roger Applegate Lorraine Arora Gay Ashley Donald Atkinson Val August Judy Austin Carlo Baietti Fahad Bakir Dale Barr Thomas Beames Wylie Bean Lee Beaver Barbara Bechtle

Charles Bengel Jr. Patricia Blackburn Ann Bogat Jose Boggio Fanny Bonilla Jaime Borda Susan Boslough Michael Briggs Alicia Brown Alan Brylawski Champlin F. Buck William Buck Judy Buckley Shirley Buford Jianxin Byers Boyd Campbell Marilyn Cantrell Craig Canute Clotilda Cassidy James Castle Juan Castro Ron Cathell Jan Chang Lin Chen Martha Cheyne-Ramirez Moon Y. Choi

Joanne Chung Ui Chung Candyce Clanton Matthew Cockerham Robert Cole Georgiana Copelotti Judy Cranford Victoria Christianson Janet Croft Shunmugam Damodaran Omprakash De Donald DeBragga Bic DeCaro Munirshah Dellawar Lynne DePaso Anand Devadas Barbara Dill Nicholas Dorosheff Francis Douglas James F. Dronsfield Maryann Dunn Trinh T. Duong David Eaton Kathleen Eaton Nita Elder

JOIN THE POLITICAL CROSSFIRE

2010 NV/RPAC Legislative Breakfast GUEST SPEAKER:

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NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

nv/rpac recognition Stephanie Ellis Heather Embrey Donna Evers Susan Fadoul Nancy Fahy Shahnaz Faily Laura Fall Beverly Feitshans Miriam Fernandez Scott Fortney Charles T. Fowler Robert Froehlich Paul Gale Anne M. Gardner William Garrett Clarence Gatton Bhavani Ghanta Catherine Gill Teddy Goodson Brandon Green Bruce Green Sheila Gregory Thomas Hagedorn William E. Halloran Ray Hamilton Terrylynn Harrell Shawn Harris Albert Heidmann

Barbara Hendrickson Janet Hewitt Sharon Hickok Lucinda L. Hoveskeland Michael Huang Kenneth Hunnings Raja Ihsan Samuel Jacknin Forrest Jaggar David Jandrositz Eui Kang Zamarrud Karim Mohammad Z. Khan Abdelkader Khatib Lauren Kivlighan Robert Koenig Rolfe S. Kratz Bonnie Kyte Dana Landry Anita S. Lasansky William Laughlin Annie Lauler William Lauler Bruce Lauther Connie Lauther Doris Leadbetter Diep Le Francis Lee

Joseph Lee Kevin J. Lee Sherri Lee Ashley C. Leigh Sonia Lieberman Mary Loenichen Michael Lorenzo Davidson Lunger Helen Lyman-Healy Ann B. Malcolm Ali Mansouri Ronald Marraccini Sandra Mason Raymond Mayer John G. McAllorum Natalie H. McArtor Pamela S. McCoach John McMillin Kayvan Mehrbakhsh Debbie Menzer Thomas C. Merical Marie Louise Meyer Ernest F. Miller Puran C. Mittal Priscilla P. Moore Cynthia Moses Regina Mullins Diane G. Murphy

Allene Murray Kamal Mustafa Muraji Nakazawa James W. Nellis Stuart Nesbitt II Giao Nguyen Thai-Hung P. Nguyen Daniel Odio-Paez Lydia Odle Jack O’Donohue Eleanora Panizza Leonardo Pareja Peggy Parker Maria Pastorelli Julie Pearson Vic Pereira Gwenda A. Plush Tafweez Qureshi Thomas E. Reed III Thomas E. Reed IV Andrea L. Reid Esin A. Reinhardt RE/MAX Presidential – Benjamin Zurun Mary Zurun Melissa Zuran Christine Richardson Katreen Rinaldi

David Rosenmarkle Marjorie Rosner Carol Ross Elizabeth S. Ross Evelyn Ross George Saab John Sabo Stuart Saltzman Jesse Sampson Brian Schantz Peter Schlossberg Tazuko Schmitz Kornelia Schreiber Thomas Sehler Linwood Shelton Arlis J. Simmons Carol Simmons Suzanne Simon Maureen Simpson Rajinder Singh Sukhjiwan Singh Hope C. Skilling Thomas Sklopan Anise W. Snyder Jonathan Spinetto James Stakem Piedad Suarez Carol Sutfin

Swindell Sutton Xin Tao April Taylor Jonathan Taylor Beverly Thomas Kathleen F. Trainor Tanya Tran Jeffrey C. Turner Maggie Mueller-Tyler Hans Ugaz Kenneth Ulsaker Rajiv Vashist Virgilio Vasquez Hector Velasquez Kamlesh Verma Diane Wagner Katherine Watkins Richard Whealen B. Blair White Kevin Wiles Lisa Williams Felicia Wu Hua Xu Ann M. Yanagihara Laura Yi Yili Zhang

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July/August 2010

in memoriam

NVAR’s Jack O’Donohue, A Man For All Seasons By Jill Parker Landsman, NVAR Communications Director

ol. John D. O’Donohue, US Army Retired, 2001 NVAR chairman and commercial real estate broker in Northern Virginia, died on June 6, 2010 after a twoyear battle with melanoma. He was 79. O’Donohue was dedicated to the Realtor® organization and to its political activities in particular. For 20 years he served on the Government Affairs Committee and reviewed thousands of pieces of legislation to assess their impact on the real estate industry. “Jack served as a trustee of the Realtors® Political Action Committee, putting politics aside and making tough decisions on legislative candidates,” said Mary Beth Coya, NVAR senior vice president of public & government affairs. “He was respected by both Realtors® and legislators for his fairness and objectivity,” Coya recalled. “The passing of Jack O’Donohue is a great

Remembering Charlie Search

loss to NVAR and the end of an era.” As a commercial broker, O’Donohue immersed himself in all disciplines of real estate. He served with distinction on the Professional Standards Committee and brought a new perspective to every panel on which he served. “It was obvious that the Realtor® family loved him,” said NVAR CEO Christine M. Todd, who delivered a eulogy at his June 10 Memorial Service in Fairfax. “I think Jack received every honor or award a Realtor® could achieve: Realtor® of the Year, NVAR Life Member, inductee into the Hall of Fame of the Virginia Association of Realtors®, to mention a few." After 29 years of service, O’Donohue retired as a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, serving in France, Hawaii, Guam, England, Iran and other posts. In 1975 he was the commanding officer of Operation New Life, which transited more than 115,000 Vietnamese refugees through “Tent City” at Camp Orote (aka Camp Rainbow), Guam.

In 1976 he received the U.S. Ambassadors’ Award for the American making the greatest contribution to British-American relations. His military honors include four awards of the Legion of Merit, four awards of the Army Commendation Medal, the Joint Service Commendation Medal and six awards of the Air Medal. Born in New York, O’Donohue received his bachelor of science degree from Benedictine College and a MBA degree from George Washington University. “A hero, a father, a husband, a volunteer without equal, a mentor, a businessman, and most of all a true gentleman,” Todd concluded at his service. ❈

NVAR mourns the loss of Charlie Search, known to many as “Colonel,” and a member since 1978. Charlie had been affiliated with Jobin Realty in Alexandria since 1997. In addition to serving for six years on the Board of Directors, Charlie was an active participant in several NVAR committees. Search chaired the Government Affairs Committee, the Legislative Bill Review Task Force, the Condominium Committee and Issues Mobilization Political Action Committee, among others. In 2003, as chairman of the Northern Virginia Realtors® Political Action Campaign Committee, he achieved a new fund-raising record. He also served on VAR’s Board of Directors and was a Trustee of RPAC of Virginia at VAR. “Charlie’s guidance and support of fellow agents was unmatched,” said Scott Fortney, owner and supervising broker of Jobin Realty-Alexandria. “His wealth of knowledge was sought after by the best of agents. And for this, Charlie was single-handedly a significant contributor to the professionalism in our industry.” In 1998, Search was inducted into the NVAR Hall of Fame for his meritorious service to the Association and was a Lifetime Member of the NVAR Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club. ❈

JulAug.indd 10

JULY/AUGUST 2010

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

7/7/10 12:39:08 PM

brokers-only event

Good News for First-Time Home Buyers in Arlington County Arlington County has a low-interest mortgage program through the Virginia Housing Development Authority. VHDA’s Sponsoring Partnerships and Revitalizing Communities Program offers 30-year fixed mortgage rates below 4 percent*. The county’s SPARC allocation for calendar year 2010 is $12.5 million. There are maximum income and purchase price limits.

Brokers-Only Event Draws Dedicated Crowd of Professionals June 17 gathering in Herndon features GMU's Dr. Stephen Fuller

Arlington also has a down payment and closing cost assistance program (MIPAP) for households earning up to 80 percent of the Area Median Income. Eligible households can receive a loan for up to 25 percent of the purchase price under a shared appreciation model. The maximum MIPAP loan amount is $92,000. No interest or payments are required for the MIPAP loan during the 30-year loan period. When the home owners choose to sell or refinance the property, they would then pay the county back the original loan amount plus a proportionate share of the net appreciation on the property, if any. Income limits apply, and funds are allocated via a lottery system. For more information about either of these programs, contact Doug Myrick, Arlington County Homeownership Program Coordinator, at dmyrick@arlingtonva.us. ❈ *Ed it o r ’s no t E: r ates at press time.

(Left to right) n VAr Chairman Vinh n guyen and CEo Christine t odd introduce d r. Fuller to a group of 54 brokers who received a mid-year status report on the region’s economy.

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NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

10995

government affairs

By Lisa Vierse May, Government Affairs Manager

ome of the most frequently asked Realtor® questions involve local sign ordinances. While the specifics of each ordinance vary by locality, the following represent areas of common regulation. All agents should remember these rules when posting signs for active listings.

Know your location. Are you in a locality that allows off-site signs in the right of way? Are off-site signs allowed at all? Does the property fall within a Homeowners or Condo Association that has specific sign posting requirements? Every jurisdiction has different requirements for real estate signage. Before you post, make sure you know what you can—and can’t—do, both on and off the property.

Six Things to Know About Current Real Estate Sign Regulations

There are time limits. Many Northern Virginia localities place limits on the length of time that off-site directional signs may be posted. New legislation approved this year allows Fairfax County only to limit off-site sign posting to Saturday through Monday; other jurisdictions already have these limits in effect. There may also be a requirement to remove the on-site signage within a set time frame following settlement.

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July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

fair housing luncheon There are size limits. Localities in our area have generally imposed a size limit of between four and six square feet for all on-site signs. This measurement includes all riders that are used on the sign. The height of the sign is also typically capped at six feet. Similarly, off-site directional signs cannot exceed certain height and area limits. Be sure to measure the overall size of all of the signs (including those riders). Balloons are banned. So are streamers, pennants, flags and banners. Both state code and local ordinances prohibit any sign or part of a sign that is set in motion by wind. These moving parts create a hazard for drivers that can lead to traffic accidents. When advertising a property for sale, omit balloons, streamers, etc. Get permission. If you are posting off-site signs on private property, you must have the permission of the property owner. Similarly, you

should check with the Homeowners or Condo Association to ensure compliance with their regulations. Finally, jurisdictions may require permits for signs posted longer than a certain time frame. There are penalties for illegally posted signs. What happens if you post a sign that doesn’t comply with regulation? Your sign may be confiscated by a locality or its designated volunteers, and you can be fined for violating the local zoning ordinance. Widespread violations by the real estate community could also result in further restrictions on sign posting through future zoning ordinance changes. Your cooperation, along with the efforts of NVAR, will help keep such restrictions to a reasonable level. Summaries of sign ordinances for each Northern Virginia locality are available on the nvar.com Government Affairs page. Check it before posting your signs. ❈

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NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

Fair Housing Lunch Raises Awareness Among Realtors®, Government Agencies

n VAr Chairman Vinh n guyen introduces Penny Gross, Vice Chairman of the Fairfax County supervisors, on April 28 at the annual n VAr /Fairfax County Human r ights Commission Fair Housing Forum. t he luncheon, which took place at the Waterford in Fairfax, also featured a training session by fair housing consultant susan scovill and a keynote address by civil rights attorney Michael Allen of r elman, d ane & Colfax, PLLC. s ee page 20 for an analysis of fair housing laws in this region.

Bring GREEN To Your Business in 2010.

market update

By Lisa A. sturtevant, Phd George Mason University Center for r egional Analysis

Ready for The National Economy

nation will begin to add jobs in 2010 and that the national unemployment rate—which is currently at 9.7 percent—will fall to near 9 percent by 2011.

There are signs that the national economy, which officially went into recession in the middle of 2008, is making its way into a tentative period of recovery. An economic recession is formally defined as two consecutive quarters of a drop in Gross Domestic Product. GDP measures the total market value of goods and services produced in a region in a given time period. After four quarters of negative GDP growth (third quarter 2008 through second quarter 2009), the national economy began to improve. (Figure 1)

The Washington D.C. Metro Area Economy As with many past recessions, the economic downturn has not been felt as acutely here in the D.C. region compared with other places around the country. However, we have had job losses here. In 2009, the Washington D.C. metropolitan area lost about 52,900 jobs—around the same number of jobs lost during the 1991 recession. While the national economy continues to shed jobs, this region actually added jobs in April 2010. It was the only major metropolitan area in the U.S. to gain jobs. (Figure 3) The Washington area added nearly 6,000 jobs in April 2010.

Figure 1. U.S. Gross Domestic Product Quarterly Change: 2006 - 2012 8

Forecast 4

During the same month, the New York metropolitan area lost about 91,000 jobs. The Dallas and Houston areas— two regions that had been faring relatively well in the recession—lost 15,000 and 41,000 jobs, respectively.

0 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

-4

-6

-8

Source: Global Insight

The region’s job gains have been in the high wage Professional and Business Services and Federal Government sectors. Gains have also been seen in the Retail and Leisure & Hospitality sectors, which is a good sign for bringing down the region’s unemployment rate. Growth in these sectors is also an important indicator of the overall health of the region’s economy since these are sectors that support many other industries.

GDP was up 2.2 percent in the third quarter of 2009 and increased 5.6 percent in the last quarter of 2009. A large share of these gains in late 2009 was directly tied to the Federal stimulus package, which pumped billions of dollars into the economy. However, there are positive signs that the national economy will maintain and build on the recovery instigated by the Year USGDP stimulus package into 2011. ##### 2006 2593 was up 4.4 percent##### in the first 2692 ##### 2830 quarter of 2010. ##### 2533 4,000

2009

3,000 2,000 1,000

2008

0 -1,000

2007

Job growth tends to lag GDP growth in periods of recovery, and in early 2010 the nation continued to lose jobs, albeit at 2007 a much slower pace. (Figure 2) At the depth of the recession, the nation had lost more than 6.5 million jobs. In May 2010, the number of jobs was down by 477,000 compared with May 2008 2009. It is anticipated that the

2006

2524 2355 2253 2200 2244 2215 2040 2132 1991 1754 1665 1555 1693 1696 1471 1378 1269 1311 1233 1128 888 715 411 140 -232 -542 -628 -853 -1360 -1813 -2802 -3621 -4285 -5042

Jobs

##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### ##### #####

Figure 2. Annual Change in U.S. Payroll Jobs Month-over-the-Year Change

2010

2006

-2

2009

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Percent Change

5.4 1.4 0.1 3 1.2 3.2 3.6 2.1 -0.7 1.5 -2.7 -5.4 -6.4 -0.7 2.2 5.6 3 4.4 3.1 2.7 2.5 2.7 3.1 3 3 3.2 3.1 2.9

off! e k a T

-2,000 -3,000 -4,000 -5,000 -6,000 -7,000 -8,000

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

market update

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Even after Federal support of housing programs ends, including the expiration of the home buyer tax credit, the underlying regional economic fundamentals point to a sustainable recovery in the region’s housing market this year and into 2011.

Jobs

Seattle

Phoenix

Minneapolis

SF-Oakland

Detroit

Atlanta

Miami

Boston

Houston

Philadelphia

Dallas

Washington

-40

Chicago

-20

Los Angeles

New York

-60 -80 -100 -120

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The metro area unemployment rate is typically lower than the national figure. The rate is improving much faster in this region compared with other places. In April 2010, the local unemployment rate was 5.9 percent, which was lower than all of the other major U.S. metropolitan areas. (Figure 4) Series 1

Figure 4. Unemployment Rate of Largest U.S. Metro Areas April 2010 16

14.8

14 12 10

8.2

8 6

5.9

8.2

8.3

8.4

9.8

8.8

10.7

10.5

11.3

10.9

6.8

for housing that has been building. People still need to sell their homes due to job transfers, changes in family circumstances, and other factors. There is also demand among first-time, move-up and down-sizing buyers. As a region that is at the leading edge of the economic recovery, the housing market will pick up more quickly here than in other places.

Detroit

Los Angeles

Miami

Chicago

SF-Oakland

Atlanta

Philadelphia

New York

Phoenix

Houston

Boston

Seattle

Dallas

Minneapolis

5.9 6.8 8.2 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.4 8.8 9 9.8 10.5 10.7 10.9 11.3 14.8

Washington

ashington inneapolis allas eattle oston ouston hoenix ew York hiladelphia tlanta F-Oakland hicago iami os Angeles etroit

Figure 3. Job Change of Largest U.S. Metro Areas April 2009 - April 2010

Percent

91 11 01 6 15 43 41 27 42 46 67 66 29 30 35

D.C. Region Leads the Recovery

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Not Seasonally Adjusted

Leading economic indicators for the Washington D.C. region point to moderate economic recovery in 2010, with faster job growth than in any other metropolitan area, and continued strong growth in 2011 and beyond. Historically, the region adds about 37,000 jobs each year. The Center for Regional Analysis forecasts the region will add 32,200 jobs in 2010 and 37,300 jobs in 2011. More than half of these new jobs will be added in the Northern Virginia region. (Figure 5)

Historically low interest rates—added to the positive signs in the regional economy and growing consumer confidence— will be an added boost to the housing market. In fact, there are a number of signs that the market has already begun to accelerate. Home prices in Northern Virginia have been up every month in 2010. Even after Federal support of housing programs ends, including the expiration of the home buyer tax credit, the underlying regional economic fundamentals point to a sustainable recovery in the region’s housing market this year and into 2011. ❈

What Do These Numbers Mean for Realtors ? ®

A relatively strong recovery and faster job growth means that individuals and families in the Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia regions can act on the pent-up demand Figure 5. Employment Change by Sub-state Region (000s) 2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

District of Columbia

5.3

10.1

-1.7

6.2

7.2

6.7

7.2

7.3

Suburban Maryland

4.8

-1.4

-26.7

9.3

9.7

11.1

13.3

14.7

Northern Virginia

13.2

4.4

-24.5

16.7

20.4

26.5

28.3

29.9

Washington DC Region Source: GMU Center for Regional Analysis

23.3

12.9

-52.9

32.2

37.3

44.3

48.8

51.9

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

JULY/AUGUST 2010

ask nvar

ASK NVAR

Avoiding Pitfalls in the World of Social Media Keeping In Line While Going Online By sarah Louppe Petcher, n VAr G eneral Counsel

ocial media has become a new medium through which Realtors® can reach broader audiences and potential clients. Many Realtors® have a Facebook page, use Twitter and LinkedIn or write a blog. As your use of these technologies expands, it is very important to keep in mind a few do’s and don’ts.

Let’s now turn our attention to pictures. It has become standard for MLS listings to include photos of the advertised property. How do you select your pictures, can you alter them, and what are the consequences of posting pictures on your MLS listing?

First, let’s address the issues surrounding the choice of pictures. If the pictures of the house reveal some of the problems with the property, is it permissible to “clean them up?” I believe that any time you make a material change to a photo that alters the physical condition of the property, Are there rules for Realtors® that apply to blogs, you may be violating Article 12 of the Code of Ethics. Article Facebook and other similar interactive Web sites? 12 requires that Realtors® present a true picture in their advertising and real estate communications. As always, some If you operate a blog, be mindful of the following: While scenarios will be clear code violations and others would get there is some case law indicating that bloggers are not different results from different panels. An example of a clear liable for information posted by third parties on their blogs, violation would be to erase a visible crack in the foundation, NAR has taken a different approach. A new Standard of or fill in a hole in the roof. But what about removing the Practice, SOP 15-3 states: dandelions in the grass, or removing a cloud in the sky? For these I would say that reasonable people could disagree. “The obligation to refrain from making false or misleading statements about competitors, competitors’ businesses, Once the photos have been selected and you are about to and competitors’ business practices post them on MRIS, other rules come into play. MRIS has a includes the duty to publish a “Photo Upload Terms of Use” that you agree to every time clarification about or to remove you post a picture. Here is a summary of those rules: statements made by others (1) Photos and images are uploaded on a per listing basis on electronic media the Realtor® and are not transferable to another listing. controls once the Realtor® knows the statement is false or misleading.” (2) The photos and images are copyrighted by MRIS. (Adopted 1/10) (3) You assert that you will not submit an image or photo that you do not have the right to assign to MRIS. As a Realtor®, you therefore have a higher level of duty than a member Finally, other Articles, such as Article 2 (misrepresentation of the public. If you operate a blog, or concealment of pertinent facts about a property) and 10 you must delete false or misleading (prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, comments or publish clarifications about handicap, familial status or national origin), also impact them as soon as you have determined how social media can be used by Realtors®. Agents should they are false or misleading. familiarize themselves with those Articles. ❈ See page 18 for a discussion of NAR's Ed it o r ’s no t E: Michelle Yam of Mr is provided the social media policy template. summary of the Photo Upload t erms of Use.

Q A

July/August 2010NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

nvar.com

New Property Tax Rates Effective July 1

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Residential real estate property taxes increased for most Northern Virginia home owners on July 1. Below is a list of current tax rates for local jurisdictions.

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FY 2010-2011 Residential Real Estate Tax Rates (all rates are per $100 of assessed value): City of Alexandria $0.978 Arlington County $0.945 + $0.013 stormwater fee Town of Clifton $1.09 + $0.015 stormwater fee City of Fairfax $0.96 Fairfax County $1.09 + $0.015 stormwater fee City of Falls Church $1.24 Town of Herndon $1.3725 Loudoun County $1.30 City of Manassas $1.472 Manassas Park $1.65 Prince William County $1.236 Town of Vienna $1.3498

Later this year, nvar.com will offer improved navigation features with increased functionality for users. The streamlined site will enable members to update their contact and other information with the click of a few keys.

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I N V E S T M E N T S

July/August 2010

nar policy

NAR Policy: Guidance for Implementing A Social Media Marketing Plan

AR has created a template for Brokers that may be used when developing a social media policy for their own firm. The template must be customized to meet the needs of the broker and reflect unique business practices. The template is not a document that can be adopted and used without customization. SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY TEMPLATE: As used in this policy, Realtor® shall refer to the principal broker or a broker standing in the shoes of the principal broker. Agent shall mean a licensed real estate agent employed by or affiliated with the Realtor®. Users shall mean individuals visiting the Social Media sites of Agents. Social media as used in this policy shall apply to activities at the agents’ Web sites (e.g., blogging) and the use of third-party social media tools (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).

business would include any use in which the Agent seeks to promote or capture real estate business from consumers or other Agents). This policy is not intended to cover the activities of Agents falling completely outside the real estate business; however any conduct that reflects adversely upon the Realtor® or the brokerage may be reviewed under the terms of this policy. Whenever identification is required by this policy it shall include the following (include those that apply): a. Name/Logo of brokerage b. Name of Realtor® c. Address of the brokerage office with which the Agent is affiliated d. Phone/Fax/E-mail of the brokerage office e. Name of the Agent responsible for the Web site f. State of licensure g. Name of the team, if Agent is affiliated with a team h. Phone/Fax/E-mail of Agent or team responsible for the Web site i. Any other requirements mandated by state law/regulation j. Any additional brokerage identification requirements

Because there already exist hundreds of different Social Media tools that may be utilized by agents, and more are constantly being created, the provisions of this policy should be interpreted generally to apply to the types of interaction the Agent has with the Social Media service rather than to specific Web sites and providers. BLOGGING Notwithstanding anything in this policy, 1. Agent shall be responsible for it remains the responsibility of the compliance with all laws and Agent to comply with the requirements regulations governing real estate of local, state and federal law and business including fair housing, the Code of Ethics of the National antitrust and real estate license laws Association of Realtors®. and regulations. a. Where identification is required, the The scope of this policy shall extend to same items of identification listed in all uses of Social Media in connection the Internet policy shall apply or with the real estate business (use b. Where identification is required, at in connection with the real estate 18

July/August 2010

a minimum the following elements shall be disclosed (see list above to select) 2. Agent shall be responsible for informing the Realtor® (and obtaining approval) of any blogging site maintained by Agent, and Realtor® shall be provided with information necessary to subscribe to the blog 3. Terms of Use a. Realtor® is responsible for establishing the process for governance of the blog by posting terms of use for the blog. i. Agent shall use the terms of use of the brokerage for blogs; or ii. Agent shall create terms of use and allow them to be reviewed by Realtor® prior to launch of the blog; or iii. Agent shall make the terms of use available to Realtor® upon request. b. The terms of use shall include: i. An admonition that Users shall abide by any legal requirements related to the use of the blog and the site’s terms of use for the blog, including specifically its privacy policy. Users shall be responsible for their conduct on site ii. A provision for obtaining clear authority from Users to utilize anything the User includes on the site NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

nar policy

iii. A prohibition on the unauthorized use of third-party content or the posting of any unlawful or objectionable materials iv. A prohibition on the use of the site to harass or stalk anyone v. A prohibition on the posting of content that infringes on the rights of any third party vi. A prohibition on the posting of content that expresses a preference based upon an individual’s membership in a protected class vii. A take-down policy in the event any such materials are posted to the site viii. A disclaimer of responsibility for any third-party sites linked to the site ix. A general disclaimer and limit of any liability arising from the content of the site, whether provided by Agent or a User x. Provision of a privacy policy consistent with that used by the brokerage

4. Agent shall not pay or provide anything of value to another party in consideration of comments placed on the blog. If Agent does allow comments to be posted in return for consideration, the fact that the commenter has received compensation shall be disclosed. 5. Identification a. Agents shall identify themselves when establishing a blog in such a way that Users of the blog shall know their name, their status as a real estate licensee and the name of the brokerage with which they are affiliated b. In any posting related to the brokerage, the Agent shall ensure that the Agent’s relationship to the brokerage is clear so as to avoid violation of the Federal Trade Commission rules c. Agents shall not participate in the blog of another party without disclosing their identity and the brokerage with which they are affiliated

6. Responsibility for Maintenance a. All blogging must be monitored by Agent for false/defamatory/ demeaning/degrading comments at least once per ___ (insert time frame preference here) b. Agent is responsible for removing or clarifying any comment if the Agent knows that it is false or misleading 7. Agent is responsible for ensuring that the content and operation of the blog conform to the standards established in the Code of Ethics 8. Realtor® must be notified of any offer of compensation to the Agent for real estate related services communicated or established through the blog To view the complete policy template, which also covers the use of third-party Social Media sites (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.), visit http://budurl.com/ zche. Note: you will need to be logged in to view the page. ❈ Ed it o r ’s no t E: t his excerpt is adapted from nAr ’s social Media Policy created by nAr ’s r isk Management Committee and found at the above link.

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NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

fair housing

PPORTUNITY

Knocks On All Doors By Jill Parker Landsman, Communications & Media re lations d irector

ealtors® understand that all people have the right to live in the home of their choice that they can afford. Federal, state and local laws ensure this right is protected. Unfortunately, that right does not come with a bullet-proof guarantee.

“Housing discrimination is not always as obvious as a bigoted remark or a slammed door,” said Mary Broz Vaughan, Director of Communications, Legislation & Consumer Education for the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. “Equally illegal are subtle, insidious and even unintentional forms of discrimination.” Although there have been setbacks and dilemmas since the federallymandated Fair Housing Act of 1968 was enacted, the requirement continues: it is illegal for housing providers to discriminate based on the race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status (families with or without children) of the prospective renter, purchaser or client. A rising number of complaints are filed nationally each year through non-profit fair-housing agencies, 20

“At the state level, the Fair Housing Board at DPOR administers and enforces the Fair Housing Law,

although the Virginia Real Estate Board is responsible for fair housing cases involving real estate licensees or their employees,” explains Broz Vaughan. “Each board investigates housing discrimination through the Fair Housing Office, which receives approximately 180 complaints each year,” she says. “The greatest number of complaints continue to allege racial discrimination;

Fair Housing Advocates Dispatch Testers

arE You uP To THE TEsT?

A landlord can take an application, be kind and courteous, and yet never call that applicant. That could be an undercurrent of discrimination. Sometimes people who are denied housing do not realize that they are being discriminated against.

the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Justice, along with state and local agencies. Housing officials and advocates say that there are more discrimination cases than those in formal complaints.

By Margaret s . squires, Fair Housing Coordinator, Fairfax County Human ri ghts Commission

Fair housing testing is a method to determine whether a home seeker is treated differently in his or her search for housing or housing related services. A person’s race or national origin, for example, would be impermissible factors upon which to base a denial of an opportunity to lease an apartment or buy a house. The experience of testers is sometimes used to compare the treatment of one home seeker (protected class) to another (unprotected class) as determined by the information and services provided by real estate firms, property management companies and others providing housing or housing-related services. Fair housing tests are performed for a variety of reasons, including audits, self-tests and complaint-related tests. A fair housing organization might conduct an audit to determine if any and what types of discrimination are occurring and use the information to raise awareness about the problem. The agency would then target and develop training materials accordingly. Similarly, a management company concerned that its leasing agents abide by fair housing laws might arrange for its properties to be self-tested to determine if its employees are complying with fair housing laws. This determines if additional fair housing training is needed. Complaint-related testing is used to corroborate or challenge charges of discrimination. When applied judiciously, fair housing testing can be a valuable tool for organizations tasked with helping to eliminate housing discrimination through education and outreach efforts and enforcement of fair housing laws. It can also provide important information to help housing providers and others understand the issues, ensure compliance with fair housing laws, and limit their exposure to fair housing complaints. July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

fair housing

Zero Tolerance Toward Unfair Housing Practices Is the Rule County Human Rights Commission actively works to further fair housing through its enforcement, education and outreach efforts,” he says.

disability and familial status run a close second and third,” says Broz Vaughan.

Getting the Word Out: Fair Housing is the Law “Awareness about fair housing law is essential,” explains Kenneth Saunders, executive director of the Fairfax County Office of Human Rights & Equity Programs. “The Fairfax

“In addition to vigorously enforcing fair housing laws, the leadership at the Commission recognizes the positive role that education can play in helping to eliminate discrimination in the housing market,” Saunders states. “Consequently, agency staff members employ a variety of methods to educate housing providers, those seeking housing, current residents, and others involved in housing activities in the county about their rights and responsibilities.

Virginia Fair Housing Cases from DPor

“Local complaints have been on the rise. The commission, in the past three years, has seen the number of housing complaints double,” Saunders said. “The increase in complaints can be partly attributed to the state of the economy, which has led to an increase in the demand for affordable rental housing and the commission’s education and outreach efforts that have increased the public’s knowledge of their rights.” More citizens have learned how to file a complaint as a result of these campaigns.

northern Virginia Alleged Violation/Protected Class: Reasonable accommodation/Handicap (physical disability) Complaint Summary: Complainant alleges Respondents failed to enforce apartment policy governing handicapped parking spaces, by allowing non-disabled tenants to park in his assigned handicapped parking space. Complainant provided medical documentation to acquire an assigned handicapped parking space, but alleges that Respondents were argumentative or non-responsive in enforcing his right to use the space. Terms of Conciliation Agreement: » Respondent Principal Broker shall pay Complainant $1,000 » Respondents agree to continue fair housing training program already in place for employees » Affirmative relief (display fair housing information for general public) southwest Alleged Violation/Protected Class: » Different terms and conditions/Race (interracial couple) » Sexual harassment/Sex (female) Complaint Summary: Complainants allege Property Manager used “N-word,” doubled rent after learning of Complainants’ race, and made sexual advances toward female Complainant. Respondent property owner was a licensed Real Estate Broker, but the subject property was not rented under his firm. Broker/owner used only verbal agreements with tenants and failed to provide written policy or guidance to the hired Property Manager. Terms of Conciliation Agreement: » Respondent Broker shall pay Complainants $1,200 » Fair housing training for Respondents (Real Estate Broker acting as Association Manager, as well as Association officers) » Affirmative relief (display fair housing information for general public) NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

Sexual Orientation As a Protected Class: Sometimes Yes; Sometimes No Bias complaints and lawsuits nationwide make it clear that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people face housing discrimination, but studies have never captured how often this occurs. Under the Obama Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to begin collecting data next year. Sexual orientation and gender identity are not protected categories under federal fair housing law, but HUD’s Assistant Secretary Raphael Bostic said 80 states and localities include them in theirs. The District and Maryland include sexual orientation as a protected category; Virginia does not, however, Alexandria and Arlington do have local laws that include sexual orientation in their list of protected classes. Fairfax County has made ongoing efforts to add sexual orientation to its protected class list, too. “Since 2002, Fairfax County has proposed legislation in the Virginia General Assembly that would allow it to add sexual orientation as a protected class under its human rights ordinance and as a prohibited discrimination in the county,” Saunders explains. Fair Housing continued on next page

July/August 2010

fair housing Fair Housing continued from page 21

Role of Real Estate Professionals is Key Real estate practitioners need to detect all abuses and practice a zerotolerance level for unfair treatment. Realtors® learn this in their first ethics and orientation classes. “We have to be ever vigilant and not allow a seller or landlord to draw us into a conversation that may violate fair housing,” says NVAR instructor Dan Daniels. “By simply answering a question such as ‘is the person black?’ or ‘what is the sexual orientation of the buyer or tenant?’ we have stepped over the line. At that point we are violating fair housing.” ❈

Virginia’s Fair Housing Law Summary of Protected Classes Virginia’s Fair Housing Law makes it illegal to discriminate in residential housing on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or disability. In addition, the law prohibits applying one standard to one class of individuals while applying a different standard to another class of individuals. For example, it would be illegal to ask a disabled individual applying for an apartment to provide a credit report if non-disabled applicants did not have to provide one. Virginia’s Fair Housing Law applies to: rental transactions– trying to rent an apartment or house; sales transactions– trying to purchase a home; financing transactions– trying to obtain a mortgage; insurance transactions– trying to obtain homeowners or rental insurance; and advertising transactions–

July/August 2010

how individuals, companies and newspapers advertise about rental vacancies or homes for sale. Non-protected classes Several groups are not protected under either the state or federal fair housing law. For example, students and smokers are not protected. Income status, sexual orientation, marital status (that is unmarried couples) and age are not protected groups either. However, these classes may be protected under a local ordinance. For example, marital status is a protected class in Fairfax County. Therefore before drafting a fair housing policy, a housing provider should determine if local ordinances protect certain classes that are not protected by the state or federal law. Source: Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations (DPOR)

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

nar data & beneﬁts

Local Sellers Do Not Stray Far

NAR’s 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers for the Northern Virginia region shows that local sellers are often local buyers. The 11-mile median range of Northern Virginia seller/ buyers reflects that people living here like to stay here. Distance Between Home Purchased and Home Recently Sold, By Region (Median Miles) 45

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valuation veriﬁcation

ON V E

I R

A VALU

July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

valuation veriﬁcation

CAT I O N

By Michele Lerner

I R

Working Together to Avoid Pitfalls in the Appraisal Process

hen Miguel Avila, a Realtor® with Long & Foster, Realtors® in McLean, listed a town home that was the largest model in the complex, he was stunned to learn that the appraiser had correctly made adjustments to reflect the larger size, but only allowed an additional $25 per square foot.

“An adjustment of just $25 per square foot may have been acceptable in the 1970s, but certainly not in today’s market,” says Avila. “The buyers were using VA financing, and I learned that VA guidelines only allow appraisers to make square footage adjustments at that price.” Avila recommends that Realtors® listing a condominium or town home model that is larger than others in the same development discuss with their clients the possibility of refusing to accept VA financing in order to avoid similar problems with the loan. “On a nice condo that is 100 square feet larger than other recent sales, you are talking about an appraised difference of perhaps $30,000 versus $2,500, because a lot of condos are valued at $300 per square foot,” says Avila. While Avila’s example may be shocking, appraisers and Realtors® say that the Home Valuation Code of Conduct agreement of May 1, 2009, combined with

the volatile real estate market, has created a perfect storm of appraisal problems. As the market recovers, however, these issues seem to be fading.

HVCC AFTERMATH: THE AMC EFFECT

The HVCC agreement is due to expire November 1, 2010, but few appraisers believe that the established new practices resulting from it will change. “As a practical matter, lenders are not likely to revert to their previous practices,” says Chris Call, owner of AREAS Appraisers, Inc. in Springfield. “HVCC has resulted in an overemphasis on the separation between appraisers and lenders, so that good appraisers who have worked in this area for years and developed good relationships have seen those relationships damaged.” While HVCC has alleviated the problem of lenders pressuring appraisers for a specific value, says David Hendershott, owner of Hendershott Appraisal Services in Fairfax, the downside is that appraisers are unable to communicate with lenders directly if they have questions. Many lenders have opted to funnel their appraisals through an appraisal management company (AMC). Call says that there are both good and bad AMCs, with the worst taking a higher percentage of the appraisal fee away from the appraisers. “Realtors® have complained a lot about appraisers being assigned from outside the Valuation Verication, continued on next page

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

valuation veriﬁcation

10 TIPS

TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF AN ACCURATE APPRAISAL » Return an appraiser’s call as soon

as possible: appraisers are under intense time pressure to meet lender deadlines.

» Ask appraisers if they are familiar with the neighborhood. If the appraiser is from another area, request a local appraiser from the lender.

» Meet the appraiser at the property, especially if there is any concern about the appraisal.

» Offer the comps used to price the

property, and either email them or print them to give to the appraiser.

» Provide a written list of home

improvements, including price estimates if possible, to the appraiser, along with approximate dates of installation or completion.

» If any improvements are hidden

(such as insulation or new wiring), be especially sure to provide written documentation about them to the appraiser.

» Provide a plat and a floorplan to the appraiser if available.

» When selling a condominium,

provide information about the condo association, such as number of units, to the appraiser.

» Use the "Disclosure of Sales Price

to Appraiser" Clause from the NVAR clause library, which will allow you to discuss the terms of the contract with the appraiser.

» Recommend that the sellers keep the home spotless at all times. ❈

Valuation Veriÿ cation, continued from page 25 geographic area who lack local knowledge,” says Donald Boucher, a Senior Residential Appraiser (SRA) in Washington, D.C. and member of the government relations committee of The Appraisal Institute. “It can be a problem for someone from the Eastern Shore or Pennsylvania to appraise a home in Herndon. My sense is that the complaints have been heard, and geography is now being taken into consideration more often when assigning appraisals.” A continuing problem with HVCC is that when lenders use AMCs, the appraisers are generally less qualified, he points out. These appraisers are paid less than the full fee and are often forced to meet extremely short deadlines, according to Boucher. “Last spring, I sold a condominium which, as is usually the case, was the same size as others in that same tier,” says Realtor® Phyllis Papkin, with RE/MAX Allegiance in Burke. “An appraiser from out of town was assigned and he opted to measure the unit by hand rather than accept the square footage from the tax records. He said the unit was 25 square feet smaller than the other units and that the tax records were, therefore, wrong. But then he proceeded to use the tax records for the comps. The appraisal came in $5,000 less than what we needed.” Papkin and the buyer’s agent complained to the appraisal company and to the lender, but in spite of the obvious error, the appraisal stood. The buyer’s agent and the listing agent split the difference in order to allow the transaction to go to settlement. “That condo sale was the only time I have had a problem with an appraisal, and I do think since last fall I have heard fewer complaints from other agents, too,” says Papkin.

REALTORS® TO THE RESCUE

While lenders are prevented from communicating directly with appraisers, HVCC allows Realtors® to have extensive interactions with appraisers. In fact, most appraisers value the information they can receive from real estate agents. “Realtors® can help appraisers by providing them information about the comps they used to establish the price of the property as well as a written list of home improvements,” says Hendershott. Bic DeCaro, a Realtor® with Westgate Realty Group in Falls Church, recently listed a home that had no recent comparable sales. “I provided potential buyers with an explanation of why we priced the home as we did, and then I gave that same information to the appraiser,” says DeCaro. “We ended up with multiple offers and a contract at $21,000 over the list price, but the home appraised just fine. I think the key is to make sure the price reflects the condition of the home. I put a list of all improvements, and if available, the price of the improvements, in the brochure and give it to the appraiser, too.” DeCaro offers to provide every appraiser with the comps she used to help determine the price of a listing, particularly if it is difficult to find comps.

JULY/AUGUST 2010

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

valuation veriﬁcation

“I always prepare my sellers for the possibility of a problem with the appraisal, especially if the home is being listed at the higher end of the price range of comparable homes,” says DeCaro. “I would never simply price a property lower in order to make sure it appraises because I think that would be doing a disservice to my clients. But the price does need to make sense, too.” In the one listing she had that appraised below the contract price, DeCaro says that the property had multiple offers and the buyers had used an escalation clause to increase their offer. The agents were able to negotiate a compromise between the buyers and sellers that allowed the transaction to go through. “One problem we are having is that competition is fierce for properties below $400,000, so we are seeing bidding wars,” says DeCaro. “If homes in an area have been selling for $350,000 and the property is larger and in better condition than the others, the temptation is to price it closer to $400,000. But if

the buyers use escalation clauses then the offer can go so high that the home won’t appraise. In that case, it might be better to list the house at $375,000 in anticipation of offers above the list price.” While Realtors® cannot tell an appraiser a price at which the property should appraise, Avila says agents should always provide the appraiser with estimates of the cost of home improvements. “I work with a client who improves homes and then flips them, so it is even more important in that case to make sure the appraiser understands the things that have been done to add value to a home,” says Avila. “I create a Web site for each property I list and add a Web page about improvements, including links to photos and a description of each improvement. This is especially important for appraisers and buyers who may not notice that the new windows are of much higher quality than the ones they are replacing.” Avila saves all the comps he uses to estimate the price on a listing in the MLS system until the property has gone to settlement so that he can offer that information to an appraiser. “Real estate agents can be a great resource for appraisers,” says Boucher. “ In fact it is extremely important that we talk with the agents

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

involved in the transaction, and also the agents for the comps we are looking at. Agents should never try to fool an appraiser, but they should provide appraisers with good information about comps and the property itself, such as a plat, floorplans and any other pertinent information. For instance, if the house has a higher price than others [nearby] because it has special waterproofing in the basement and is the only one that doesn’t get flooded, make sure the appraiser knows that.” Call says that in addition to providing information, Realtors® should make sure they develop clear lines of communication with appraisers. “All appraisers are being pressured now to look at more comps and to finish their appraisals faster, so it helps us if the Realtors® can return our calls quickly and make sure we have access to the property,” says Call. “Agents should leave the lockbox on the house until the appraisal has been completed. Anything the agent can do to make the appraiser’s job easier is appreciated.” While some Realtors® attempt to attend every appraisal, Call prefers to be alone so he can concentrate on his job. If Realtors® do attend an appraisal, he suggests they provide written material and then quietly remain available to answers questions. In spite of the changes to the appraisal process that resulted from the HVCC agreement, appraisers and Realtors® can and should work together to achieve an honest, accurate appraisal of each property. ❈

multi-million dollar sales club

First-Time & Anniversary Multi-Million Dollar Club celebrate their success at May 3 awards breakfast Members Honored Members in Falls Church.

1 1: Patrice Mukenge Muya and Maribel r eyes, firsttimers with Fairfax r ealty, are two of 109 r ealtors® admitted to the Multi-Million d ollar sales Club for the first time in 2009.

2: First-time sales Club members celebrate together at the Multi-Million d ollar sales Club breakfast on May 3, 2010 at the Fairview Park Marriott in Falls Church. 3: scott Macd onald, broker with r E/MAX Gateway congratulates first-timer Kathleen Caputo Worek from his Chantilly office. 4: (left to right) n VAr C Eo C hristine t odd congratulates agents Yong Lim and d aniel Hong of n ew star r ealty & investment, with their broker susan o h and nVAr Chairman Vinh nguyen.

Why REALTORS® recommend VHDA financing.

EASON

№1

Down Payment HELP with the

VHDA’s FHA Plus loan offers down payment help for your first-time homebuyers. For details, call 800-227-8432 or visit vhda.com. Virginia Housing Development Authority 28

July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

2011 online dues

Save a Stamp, Save a Tree, Save Time— Renew Online! 2011 dues billing will be paperless again this year. For a smooth renewal, follow these simple steps:

» Confirm that NVAR has your current email address. If you are not sure, contact the Membership Department at 703.207.3256.

» Read all NVAR email communications to learn important information about this process. Dues renewal will begin August 2, 2010.

Pay on time to avoid late payment fees or cancellation of your SentriCard®! Deadlines To Know: August 2, 2010: Dues Billing Period Opens September 30, 2010: Renewals Must Be Received October 1, 2010: Late Fee Imposed November 1, 2010: SentriLock Disabled For Non-Renewal

Plan Ahead to Ensure Seamless SentriLock Service and NVAR Membership Benefits ONLINE AGAIN IN 2010 - PAY 2011 DUES AT NVAR.COM

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

JulAug.indd 29

JULY/AUGUST 2010

7/6/10 9:13:02 AM

vrlta and common law

VRLTA and the Common Law: Many agents have requested a description of how VRLTA and Common Law leases compare.

ITEM

COMMON LAW

VRLTA

Warranty of habitability & duty of repair

There is now imposed on residential landlords a statutory warranty of habitability, compliance with building codes, as well as other duties which are the same of those imposed in VRLTA with the exception that the landlord and tenant may waive non-building code requirements in writing. § 55-225.3

Landlord warrants the property to be fit and habitable as well as other obligations to comply with the building codes, provide running water and hot water, etc. The landlord can only shift some of these duties to tenant. § 55-248.13

Before July 1, 2001, the tenant took the property as is, with no such warranty or burden. The landlord now has statutory duties similar to those under VRLTA including requirements for mold disclosure and remediation. §§ 55-225.1 thru 55-225.10 & 8.01226.12. Deposit

There are no statutory requirements in reference to security deposits. No interest is required and there are no specific requirements as to inspection of the property.

Both refundable and non-refundable are now OK. Interest must be paid on deposits held more than 13 months. Pre-paid rent is now allowed if landlord puts it into an escrow account. 45 days are allowed for return of deposit with 15-day possible extension. The court is to return the deposit, over and above unpaid rent, if the landlord fails to comply with the time requirements under this section. § 55-248.15:1

Rent Escrow

There is no rent escrow permitted under the common law.

Rent escrow permitted under specified conditions. §§ 55-248.27 et seq.

Retaliatory Eviction

Landlord may evict tenant regardless of his reason if based on default, or 30-day notice to quit a month-to-month tenancy.

Tenant may defend an eviction or prosecute an affirmative action for the landlord’s retaliatory conduct as defined in the Act. § 55-248.39

Self-Help

Self-help in all residential situations is now prohibited. Self-help is still available in nonresidential situations. § 55-225.1

No self-help is permitted for either the landlord or the tenant. § 55-248.36

Attorney’s Fees

No attorney’s fees can be awarded unless they are provided for in a written lease or by a statute.

Reasonable attorney’s fees are awarded to either the landlord or tenant unless the action complained of is shown to have been reasonable under the circumstances. §§ 55-248.21 and 55-248.31

Access

A landlord has no right of access to the property except where provided in a written lease.

Reasonable access to leased property is permitted to the landlord with safeguards against abuse of access for the protection of the tenant. § 55-248.18

Waste

A landlord can recover double damages for willful waste. §§ 55-212 to 55-214

A landlord may recover actual damages plus his attorney’s fees. § 55-248.16

Constructive Eviction

A tenant must vacate the property before he can recover diminished rent. If he stays he only recovers his cost to repair. There is no rent abatement if the tenant stays. THERE IS NO RENT ESCROW AT COMMON LAW.

A tenant may offset rent, claim reduction, use rent escrow (with conditions) plus recover actual damages, and attorney’s fees. He does not have to leave the property to escrow his rent with the court. § 55-248.27

July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

vrtla and common law

Do You Know the Difference?

This chart explains the differences between the two NVAR lease forms. ITEM

COMMON LAW

VRLTA

Notice to Cure Breach

No notice to cure is required unless called for in the lease or a breach is for nonpayment of rent, in which case a 5-day notice to cure may be mandated by § 55-225. A reasonable notice to landlord of breach is required by Restatement.

A 5-day notice to pay or quit for nonpayment of rent is required. A reasonable notice to repair (without terminating lease) is necessary. A 21-day notice to cure or terminate in 30 days is required to terminate for a breach other than a recurrent one or certain criminal willful conduct. §§ 55-248.21, 55-248.31

Waiver

Accepting rent knowing of a default, especially rent into the future, is a waiver under the common law. The reservation letter may establish no intent to waive and thus be effective. There is no statutory provision on waiver in the common law. It is recommended that the VRLTA provision on waiver be incorporated, in some form, into a common law lease.

Accepting rent from a defaulting tenant is not a waiver if the landlord gives a written notice to the tenant, within 5 business days of receipt of the rent, that the acceptance of rent is made with reservation of the landlord’s rights. Landlord may include the reservation of rights in the written notice to cure. § 55-248.34:1

Redemption

A tenant still may redeem possession under § 55243 if he tenders all rent due, costs and attorney fees to landlord on/or before first return. This right is available to tenant only once every 12 months. It occurs automatically upon payment of the required amount. § 55-243

Prohibited Terms

OK to waive remedies; OK to exculpate landlord; OK to exact specific attorney’s fees; OK to indemnify landlord; OK to confess judgment against tenant.

A lease may not: waive any remedies; exculpate landlord; indemnify landlord; confess judgment; call for other than “reasonable” attorney’s fees. § 55-248.9

Assignment

The assignment of a lease by a landlord will not release him from liability on the lease.

A landlord’s assignment of lease will relieve him of liability to the tenant. § 55-248.14

Abandonment

Physical possession is not necessary so long as rent is paid. If abandoned without rent being paid, the landlord must post a 10-day notice to cure; landlord’s retaking is a surrender. No rent accrues after surrender unless a contrary provision is written into the lease OR Landlord retakes to re-let premises. § 55-224

A lease may provide for deemed abandonment if the unit is left vacant without notice for more than 7 days if appropriate language is written in the lease. A landlord may accrue rents after abandonment up to the re-let of the unit. If abandonment status is unclear, then the code permits a 7-day notice to determine abandoned status. §§ 55-248.33, 55-248.38:1

Mandatory Disclosures

There are none.

Landlord must disclose the presence of visible evidence of mold to the tenant on the move-in inspection, giving the tenant the opportunity to terminate or accept. § 55-248.11:2 Landlord must disclose the agency, new owners, certain conversion information. § 55-248.12 Disclose presence within a “noise zone or accident potential zone” where located near a military air installation. § 55-248.12:1

Delivery of Possession

Delivery of possession is not mandatory at common law if lease gives tenant a right to possession.

If a landlord willfully fails to deliver possession, then tenant’s rent abates and tenant may terminate lease on a 5-day notice or regain possession through court action. § 55-248.22

Chart continued on next page NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

vrlta and common law

VRLTA and the Common Law

Chart continued from previous page ITEM

COMMON LAW

VRLTA

Military

Mere change of duty station of a military tenant will not entitle the tenant to terminate lease unless governed by the Service Members Civil Relief Act. Provided however, if the rental is exempt from VRLTA because of the number of single family homes or condominiums that the landlord owns, then § 55248.21:1 applies and permits the military tenant to terminate a lease on 30 days’ notice upon a permanent change of duty station of more than 35 miles or a TDY of more than 35 miles and 3 months. § 55-248.21.1

A military tenant may terminate the lease on 30 days’ notice upon a permanent change of duty station of more than 35 miles or a TDY of more than 35 miles and 3 months. § 55-248.21:1

Rules & Regulations

Nothing is specified in the common law about rules and regulations. Traditional contract law bars unilateral modification of a written lease unless the terms of the lease otherwise provide.

Rules and regulations are automatically deemed a part of the lease, including certain later unilateral modifications. § 55-248.17 (See also definition of “rental agreement.”)

Effect of Unsigned Lease

Traditional contract formation rules apply where one of the parties fails to sign or deliver the signed lease. Any such tenancy would be monthto-month, if the rent IS paid monthly, unless the court finds acceptance of the lease has occurred by conduct.

If a landlord fails to sign but accepts rent from tenant who does sign, the lease has same “effect” as if signed for up to one year. Same “effect” is given if a landlord signs but tenant does not and tenant takes possession and pays rent. § 55-248.8

Pre-trial Rent Protective Order

The pre-trial rent escrow is limited by its terms to actions for possession under VRLTA and is not applicable to rent cases exempt from VRLTA.

A pre-trial rent escrow protective order applies when requested by the landlord in the situation where the tenant is sued for nonpayment of rent and the tenant seeks a continuance or a trial date. This code section is limited to VRLTA situations and requires the escrow of past, present and future rent unless the court finds that the tenant is asserting a good faith defense. The landlord may obtain early judgment for rent and possession if the tenant fails to pay the court ordered rent escrow. § 55-248.25:1

Tenant’s Guests or Invitees

The law governing trespass and public nuisance at the state and local levels may apply to non-VRLTA situations. §§ 48-1 et seq.; §§ 15.2-900 et seq.

Under VRLTA, a landlord may bar a tenant’s guest or invitee from the premises on written notice if the person’s conduct violates the rental agreement or the law. The tenant may challenge the landlord’s action by filing for court action to vacate the bar notice. § 55-248.31:01

Confidential Information Landlord

No corresponding code section exists for common law situations.

Under VRLTA, disclosures by landlord without written consent of tenant are listed. § 55-248.9:1

Accelerated rent

Accelerated rent at common law is permitted as liquidated damages provided it is not deemed a penalty.

Under VRLTA, actual damage only. No accelerated rent is permitted. § 55-248.35

Injunctive relief

Injunctive relief governed by common law.

Under VRLTA, any person aggrieved may seek injunction relief as well as damages in circuit court. § 55-248.40

Adapted from: Friedlander, Virginia Practice - Landlord-Tenant Handbook pp 4-13 (2009-2010 Edition)

JULY/AUGUST 2010

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

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realtor emeritus

40 Years as a Realtor® and Counting Bette Gorman Awarded Emeritus Status NVAR CEO Christine M. Todd (left) presents Bette Gorman of Long & Foster - Alexandria with NAR’s Realtor® Emeritus pin, commemorating 40 years of membership with the organization. The presentation was made on Thursday, June 10, 2010 in the Alexandria office. ❈

Thursday, September 16

MOVING FORWARD

Economic & Policy Issues That Affect Your Career

NVAR’s 14th Annual Economic Summit Location Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus

Event Time Registration & Continental Breakfast - 8:30 a.m. Program - 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

SUMMIT SPEAKERS:

Charles Capone

Chief Economist Federal Housing Administration

John Courson

President & CEO Mortgage Bankers Association

Jerry Giovaniello

Sr. Vice President/Chief Lobbyist National Association of Realtors®

SPONSORS:

Dr. Stephen Fuller

Director, Center for Regional Analysis George Mason University

DOMINION Title Corporation

You can’t afford to miss this event. Go To: 34

NvarEconomicSummit.com July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

agents need to know

Is Your License Current?

Don’t let this happen to you. Go to dpor.virginia.gov today to see what CED/PL credits are needed prior to license renewal. Then visit nvar.com and click on the Education tab to choose courses that will satisfy these requirements.

Procrastination May Leave You Hanging! Plan Ahead: It Works Are you in the habit of waiting until the last minute to satisfy your CED/PL requirements? This could result in an unintended suspension of your license – even if you think you satisfied all of the renewal requirements. How is this possible? There are more than 300,000 business licensees – not limited to the real estate industry – in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Each month, a significant number of these are due for renewal. At the end of every month, Realtors® and other business licensees across Virginia are submitting their hours and renewal fees for processing. DPOR does not have the capacity to absorb all of this information instantaneously. It’s important to allow at least four to five business days for DPOR to process credit hours and renewal payments. What’s the possible result of waiting until the last minute to renew? A temporarily inactive license and termination of NVAR membership and SentriLock access until you are active with DPOR!

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

Keep track of your renewal deadlines, complete classes prior to the month before your license will expire, and don’t wait until the last days of the month to pay your fees! Questions? Contact our Education Department (registrations@nvar.com; 703.207.3244) or the Membership Department (membership@nvar.com; 703.207.3256).

You are the Heart of Your Market Share your story with NAR about why you love being a part of the Realtor® family. These stories will be shared with the community to demonstrate your expertise and commitment. Visit http://budurl.com/3rzy for more information and to share your story. Act today to receive your free “I Love Being a REALTOR®” pin! ❈

July/August 2010

class schedule

CONTINUING EDUCATION

D.C. CONTINUING EDUCATION

FAIRFAX HEADQUARTERS

DATE

COURSE

TIME

DATE

COURSE

7/19

Broker CE : Brokerage Risk and Liability

8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

7/13

D.C. Fair Housing and DC Legislative 9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. Update

7/19

Broker CE : Productive Agents and Offices

1 - 4:45 p.m.

9/14

D.C. Fair Housing

7/24

16 hr CED - Day 2

8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

8/10

16 hr CED - Evening (part 1A)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

8/11

Broker CE : Brokerage Risk and Liability

8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

8/11

Broker CE : Productive Agents and Offices

1 - 4:45 p.m.

8/12

16 hr CED - Evening (part 1B)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

8/17

16 hr CED - Evening (part 2A)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

8/19

16 hr CED - Evening (part 2B)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

8/27

Broker CE : Brokerage Risk and Liability

8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

8/27

Broker CE : Productive Agents and Offices

1 - 4:45 p.m.

9/10

Broker CE : Brokerage Risk and Liability

8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

9/10

Broker CE : Productive Agents and Offices

1 - 4:45 p.m.

9/14

16 hr CED - Evening (part 1A)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

9/16

16 hr CED - Evening (part 1B)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

9/21

16 hr CED - Evening (part 2A)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

9/23

16 hr CED - Evening (part 2B)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

DATE

COURSE

TIME

7/13

16 hr CED - Evening (part 1A)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

7/15

16 hr CED - Evening (part 1B)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

7/20

16 hr CED - Evening (part 2A)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

7/22

16 hr CED - Evening (part 2B)

6 - 9:30 p.m.

7/27

CED: 8 hr Mandated Course

8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

7/28

CED: Environmental Issues

8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

7/28

CED: Construction Essentials

1 - 4:45 p.m.

8/14

16 hr CED: Day 1

8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

8/21

16 hr CED: Day 2

8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

8/24

CED: 8 hr Mandated Course

8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

8/25

CED: Construction Essentials

8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

8/25

CED: Green Building

1 - 4:45 p.m.

HERNDON

Bank of America & NVAR are proud to bring you the best in continuing education! 36

JulAug.indd 36

TIME

9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

POST LICENSING FAIRFAX HEADQUARTERS DATE

COURSE

TIME

7/31

New Member Orientation

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

8/28

New Member Orientation

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

COURSE

TIME

7/17

Post Licensing (Day 2) - Agency Law & Ethics

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

7/24

Post Licensing (Day 3) - Marketing & 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Technology and Prospecting & Selling

7/31

Post Licensing (Day 4) - Listing Strategies and Business Planning

9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

8/3

New Member Orientation

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

9/1

New Member Orientation

9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

9/13

Post Licensing (Day 1) - What’s In a Contract & Real Estate and Contract Law

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

9/15

Post Licensing (Day 2) - Agency Law & Ethics

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

9/17

Post Licensing (Day 3) - Fair Housing & 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Business Planning

9/21

Post Licensing (Day 4) - Listing Strategies and Pricing the Property

1 - 5 p.m.

9/23

Post Licensing (Day 5) Prospecting & Selling and Marketing with Technology

8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

HERNDON DATE

WELCOME TO NVAR’S NEW HOME THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 OPEN HOUSE, 1˜3 PM Tour the new headquarters facility at 8407 Pennell Street, Fairfax, VA 22031. (See article on page 40) Learn about the construction and building features that are part of our application for LEED Certification. Tours and refreshments will be offered by the NVAR Green Task Force. Win super door prizes, free CE and PL classes and enjoy great specials in the store.

The Settlement Group & NVAR are proud to bring you the best in post licensing education! JULY/AUGUST 2010

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

7/7/10 12:24:43 PM

abr & gri graduates

FEATURED OFFERINGS

PRINCIPLES OF REAL ESTATE

FAIRFAX HEADQUARTERS

COURSE

TIME

DATE

COURSE

TIME

7/15

Social Media Series: I’m Sooo Blogging & Tweeting This!

noon - 2 p.m.

7/23

Principles Exam Prep Course

9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

7/26

Green Designation - Day 1

8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

8/16 - 8/26

Principles of Real Estate: Days 1-9 (Mondays & Wednesdays Only)

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

7/27

Green Designation - Day 2

8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

8/27

Principles Exam Prep Course

9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

7/29

Green Residential Elective

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

6 - 10 p.m.

8/19

New GFE & HUD-1 Rules

10 a.m. - noon

Principles of Real Estate: Evenings 1-14 (Mondays & Wednesdays Only)

9/9

GRI: 401 Understanding Agency

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

9/28

Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) Day 1

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

9/29

Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) Day 2

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

9/30

Short Sales & Foreclosures (SFR)

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

DATE

COURSE

TIME

8/12

GRI 412: Residential Construction & Selling New Homes

8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

9/16

Social Media Series: Let's Go YouTube'n

noon - 2 p.m.

9/24

New GFE & HUD-1 Rules

10 a.m. - noon

DATE

HERNDON

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

JulAug.indd 37

9/20- 11/8

To register for a course listed or view a class description, visit realtorschool.com

Congratulations Graduates ABR Sondra J. Brandon ★ Vanessa V. Braun ★ Henry Davis Joseph I. Doman ★ Susan E. Lawrence Paramjit Sikand ★ Sherry Spinelli Setareh Tabatabai ★ Rhonda Walker

GRI Gene Mechling ★ Diane H. Miller ★ Kelly Normand

JULY/AUGUST 2010

7/7/10 12:30:44 PM

education

Careers Under Construction By Anne Gardner, Vice President of Education & Business specialties

hile NVAR’s new headquarters has been under construction, so have our programs, with a focus on building your real estate networks. Learn how to expand your reach with existing clients and prospect in new ways to yield results by taking advantage of these five NVAR career-builders.

everything now called ‘social networking.’ Drop in for NVAR’s monthly series to learn the step-by-step process for getting started. Our Social Media Engagement Series will bring you to the leading edge, but not the ‘bleeding edge’ of working with all things that are technologically innovative. Register for the series at nvar.com.

ONE: Get more mileage out of every contact. If you are not already working on an integrated plan to share your real TWO: Practice your elevator pitch. Grab your business cards and make estate expertise across several media forms, then you are missing the point of friends at one of more than a dozen

NVAR groups and forums. Meet, schmooze and learn from your peers at these networking events. Just added: NVAR’s newest networking group, YPN, geared for members under 40. Organized by the NVAR Leadership Institute members, the focus of our

Buy Five Sign Riders

NVAR Members Only

Coupon redeemable toward any purchase made at the NVAR Realtor® Store. Non-transferable. No cash value. Cannot be combined with any other vouchers or coupons, or used on sale items. Cannot be used on Sentrilock items.

Get One Free!

Expires: 09/15/2010

Visit our convenient locations: NVAR Fairfax Headquarters 8407 Pennell Street Fairfax, VA 22031

Herndon Service Center 520 Huntmar Park Drive Herndon, VA 20170 July/August 2010

www.nvar.com

Store: 703.207.3215 NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

education

Five Steps to Building YOUR Networks Young Professionals Network is on preparation, building referral networks, and gaining credibility. Our next event will be an NVAR new building tour and cookout on Tuesday, July 20. For details about joining the Northern Virginia YPN, contact Tracy Reynolds at treynolds@nvar.com THREE: Rub elbows where it counts. While 90 percent of life is showing up, success means showing up for the RIGHT things. This includes our economic cornerstone event with top level experts: the Annual NVAR Economic Summit on Thursday, September 16, 2010. We have an excellent line-up, and this is the year you cannot afford to miss! The original go-to event for insights into

our local housing market, this promises to be a memorable and interactive experience. The summit will provide you with facts, trends and insights to help keep your business strong during these challenging times. Early registration is advised to guarantee your seat – and heads-up: we are moving the event to the NVCC Annandale Campus. Visit nvareconomicsummit.com to register and learn more. FOUR: See and Be Seen. Location, Location, Location! More than 1,400 Realtors®, vendors and experts converge on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 for the NVAR Annual Convention & Trade Show. A one-day mega event, this year’s convention features keynote speakers Walter Bond, ‘Mr. Accountability,’ and hometown favorites, Coaches Morgan and Joe Wootten. No other opportunity affords you so many ways to learn new skills, meet with colleagues and suppliers and give back to your community – all in a relaxed atmosphere that is focused on your success!

Bring a full bag of groceries for United Community Ministries and make a day of it. Visit nvarconvention.com for more details. FIVE: Stay fresh and learn something new. Keep up on the trends that count, including the future of green building features. Learn about retro-fitting, new construction and most importantly, how to sell, appraise and finance these homes. The NVAR Green Task Force is hosting a half-day conference on Friday, October 29, 2010 at NVAR’s newlyconstructed LEED certified Fairfax Headquarters, tentatively titled, The Business of Green. We are gathering the experts who are leading national and local green building and energyefficiency initiatives for this powerpacked session. Our goal is to arm you with key networking opportunities and skills to engage clients who are ready to move into the fast-growing market for energy-efficient homes. Watch nvar.com for more details. ❈

UNLOCK YOUR COMMISSIONS NOW!

Convert your earned but unsettled commissions to CASH! We have an easy application process and a quick response. Call us today!

703-560-5500 Cash Flow Management for Real Estate Professionals www.commissionexpress.com/nova

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

new fairfax headquarters

HOME AT LAST! A

little more than one year ago, we broke ground on a new headquarters facility. Culminating seven years of planning, NVAR moved from temporary quarters in the Dewberry building to this state-of-the-art home located at 8407 Pennell Street – directly behind our temporary space.

This “green” building contains ecofriendly features that visitors probably won’t notice, including: building materials that were selected for high-recycled and low-VOC content; an energy-efficient building envelope and efficient heating and cooling systems. Housekeeping practices employ non-toxic cleaning products.

The new NVAR features: Two parking areas – one lot located in front of the building, accessible from Pennell Street, and an underground garage with an entrance at the end of Williams Drive.

Environmentally-friendly features that will be visible include: premium parking spaces for low-fuel vehicles; motion-sensitive light and bathroom fixtures; paperless hand-drying systems; designated recycling areas; staff cubicles and offices that maximize natural light;

Our building has three member entryways. The main entrance faces the Life With Cancer building to our west. Also on that side is a ramp that leads to our first floor. The third member entrance is accessed through our covered parking lot. Come visit us. ❈

JulAug.indd 40

the use of native plant materials, and a “green roof.”

JULY/AUGUST 2010

BUILDING DIRECTORY

NVAR’s New Energy-Efficient Fairfax Headquarters is Open for Business FIRST FLOOR (LOWER LEVEL) Member Services Education Realtor® Store Classrooms Member Lounge Restrooms SECOND FLOOR (STREET LEVEL) Receptionist Board Room Staff Offices THIRD FLOOR Arbitration Rooms Staff Offices

NVAR REALTOR® UPDATE

7/7/10 12:38:17 PM

Opening Keynote Speaker:

Walter Bond...Mr. Accountability

Closing Speakers:

Coaches Morgan & Joe Wootten “Coach Wootten’s Basketball Camp”

12 Breakout Sessions on exciting topics such as: Social Media, Business Planning, Short Sales, Foreclosures, Working with Foreign Investors & others

Mark Your Calendar Today! Tuesday October 12, 2010 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus

NvarConvention.com Follow us on Facebook:

Facebook.com/nvarconvention

80+ Trade Show exhibitors Networking Opportunities

Sponsors:

Dominion Title JK Moving RGS Title Listingbook VHDA

The only guide your buyers will ever need.

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Virginia Offices Alexandria (703) 519-7600 (703) 519-9471 FAX Annandale (703) 642-6100 (703) 642-6142 FAX Arlington (703) 351-0300 (703) 351-9978 FAX Ashburn (703) 726-9222 (703) 726-9368 FAX

Burke (703) 239-9600 (703) 239-0605 FAX Centreville (703) 818-8600 (703) 803-2867 FAX Fair Oaks (703) 502-3255 (703) 242-0725 FAX Fredericksburg (540) 372-4100 (540) 372-4114 FAX

Gainesville (571) 248-8777 (571) 248-8788 FAX Lake Ridge (703) 491-9600 (703) 492-7494 FAX Lorton (703) 495-9600 (703) 493-9302 FAX Manassas (703) 396-8838 (703) 396-8809 FAX

McLean (703) 903-9600 (703) 903-9606 FAX Oakton (703) 242-9600 (703) 242-0725 FAX Potomac Falls (703) 421-3300 (703) 421-6353 FAX Reston (703) 742-9600 (703) 742-9698 FAX

Springfield (703) 451-6600 (703) 451-1181 FAX Stafford (540) 288-1747 (540) 288-1797 FAX Warrenton (540) 341-7700 (540) 341-8574 FAX Winchester (540) 723-0662 (540) 723-0664 FAX Realtors Hotline 1-877-660-5150

Rockville (301)230-0070 Fax (301) 230-2536

Silver Spring (301) 680-0200 Fax (301) 680-2043

Washington DC (202) 966-0550 Fax (202) 966-5250

Maryland & Washington, D.C. Offices Bethesda (301) 654-9800 Fax (301) 654-8598

Gaithersburg (240) 683-4850 Fax (240) 683-6776

Download your free copy at www.rgstitle.com

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

July/August 2010

$200,000

$250,000

$300,000

$350,000

$400,000

$450,000

$500,000

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$600,000

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Northern Virginia 2000 – 2010

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MONTHLY AVERAGE SOLD PRICE

Brought to you by:

2010

2009

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2007

2006

2005

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monthly average statistics

nvar ypn

For The Young At Heart

1: Frank LLosa of Frankly r ealty (left) and Bic d ecaro of Westgate r ealty toast n VAr ’s newest group. 2: Left to right: Eliza Middleton of Logsdon Commercial Group, Marisa Alonso of Allstate and Paula Calvin of Century 21 n ew Millennium network with other n orthern Virginia young real estate professionals.

NVAR Young Professionals Launch YPN Group

3: Gathering for the first time on June 8, 2010 at the sea Pearl r estaurant in Merrifield, n VAr ’s Young Professionals Group enjoy a happy hour with colleagues. 4: Left to right: Brian Block of r E/MAX Allegiance, Angie d elboy of r E/MAX d istinctive r eal Estate and Helen Krause of d ominion t itle help kick off n VAr ’s inaugural YPn e vent.

2 5710-D General Washington Drive Alexandria, VA 22312 Showroom: Fax: Email: Web:

703-658-5353 703-658-5350 totalfloorsinc@yahoo.com www.totalfloorsinc.com

4th of July SALE! Carpet

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Elaine Rock, Beau Realty, Inc.

Texture Carpet

100% Ultra Strand Continuous Filament Nylon With Stain-Guard

$1.79 / sf Free Installation, Free 6 lb Pad, Free take-up, Free furniture move Min 300 sq.ft. Offer expires 8/31/10

Berber Carpet

Elegant & Durable with Stain & Fade Resistance

$1.69 / sf Free Installation, Free 6 lb Pad, Free take-up, Free furniture move Min 300 sq.ft. Offer expires 8/31/10

Unbelievable Prices! Shaw Prefinished Solid Oak

Made in USA, 25 year warranty 3/4” x 2 1/4” ● 3 Colors

$5.59 / sf

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And Much More... 44

Laminate Vinyl Ceramic & Porcelain Marble & Granite Rugs & Runners Sand & Refinish

Offer expires 8/31/10

Hardwood Floors Refinishing With stain & 2 coats

$2.29 / sf Min 300 sq.ft.

Offer expires 8/31/10

July/August 2010

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NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

appraiser & afﬁliate directories

APPRAISERS A+ Appraisals AAA Appraisals Advantage Realty Services Alan Lord and Associates Atlantic Appraisal Pros B. H. Potter B&B Premier Appraisals & Mgmt BFM Bishop Real Estate Service Bruce W. Reyle and Company Cambyse Goodarzi Appraiser Capitol Appraisal Service Chevy Chase Bank Chevy Chase Bank, FSB Classic Appraisals Dale D. Barr, Jr. Dan W. Mori DCO Appraisal Services Dennis J O’Brien Dickman & Associates Distinctive Homes Realty Donald R. Drake, Jr. Elite Appraisal Service F & F Appraisals Forte Appraisal Service G. Miller Real Estate Appraiser Gee Appraisers Glenn B. Staples & Associates H K Bentley Appraisers Harry Graef Harry H. Arikan Hartmann Group Hendershott Appraisal Services Home Appraisers Homestar Real Estate Services IK Hwan Kim & Associates Inman Appraisal Services James W. Mumaw Co. JDC Appraisals John Halacy Appraisals John L. Brady, Jr. JR Witt & Assoc. Karas Lawrence Mc Guire Leah Powell CRA Lesley Omega Appraisers NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

703-765-7579 703-865-5303 703-866-5050 703-768-1954 703-622-5555 703-848-2470 703-430-9420 703-670-2586 703-978-9322 703-273-7375 703-744-6849 703-691-8800 301-907-5850 703-648-9796 703-675-2265 703-730-2272 703-339-6136 301-855-3886 703-850-8445 703-938-6633 540-338-4606 571-237-9430 571-331-6374 703-963-1743 703-433-2205 571-261-5355 703-451-9020 410-224-5524 800-575-7513 571-213-7249 703-216-5147 703-406-7621 703-280-1637 703-709-5695 571-261-3367 443-739-9867 703-644-9877 540-659-8586 301-438-3300 571-214-3865 571-237-7430 703-266-9312 703-753-5635 703-123-4567 703-304-6552 703-403-2024

Marcia Ellen Cunningham Marquee Properties McGraw Appraisals Metro Appraisal Services Michael S. Mc Mahon Monir Moshashaie Nancy M. Pruett Newlevel Appraisal Group NOVA Home Appraisals NoVaStar Appraisals NVA Appraisal Omni Appraisal Services P & C Appraisals Parker Appraisal Service Philip Arnold Appraisal Co. Preston Hummer Real Estate Appraisals 4 You Renner, Hansborough & Reese Residential Appraisal Group Residential Appraisal Services Residential Valuation Services Residential Value Services Riverpoint Appraisals Ryan Appraisal Services Sandra A. Le Blanc Silvey Appraisals Square Feet Appraisals Stewart Jarrett R E Appr & Cons Suburban Appraisers & Consultants Susan Vanderzyl T. L. Hoover Appraisal Service The Appraisal Center The Mid-Atlantic Group of Virginia VA-MD Appraisal Group Washington Appraisal Group William E. Culbertson R. E. William Patten & Associates Woodbridge Appraisal Service World Mortgage

703-391-0514 703-754-7945 703-963-3988 703-644-7772 703-476-9472 703-255-6451 571-277-1671 301-252-3253 703-585-7357 540-786-8220 703-477-3178 703-591-4001 540-548-8625 703-762-2549 703-250-2132 703-929-0857 703-794-9118 301-258-8181 304-724-6041 703-338-0961 703-815-4407 540-347-4570 571-333-3747 301-694-6500 703-629-6842 703-577-1946 703-519-1790 703-671-3662 703-591-4200 703-969-3822 703-354-8981 703-204-4410 703-442-4780 571-438-0604 703-813-8160 703-322-1200 703-642-8224 703-978-3444 703-934-5502

Chem-Dry of Prince William

866-387-6320

Fairfax County

AFFILIATES APPLICANT SCREENING National Tenant Network

COMMISSION ADVANCE Commission Express

703-560-5500

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES HCC Remodeling Group of NoVA Sun Design

540-253-5788 540-751-1360

CREDIT UNION Realtors® Federal Credit Union

866-295-6038

ENGINEERING SERVICES LAND Engineering, plc

703-507-6586

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES Keystone Home & Environmental

571-261-3192

FINANCIAL SERVICES Acacia Federal Saving Bank Aurora Financial Bank of America - Annandale Bank Of America - Oakton BB&T Mortgage - Arlington BB&T Mortgage - Bethesda BF Saul Mortgage Capital Point Funding Group Chase Franklin American Mortgage Co. George Mason Mortgage Greenpoint Mortgage HSBC Mortgage Intercoastal Mortgage MetLife Home Loans Navy Federal Credit Union Prospect Mortgage Prosperity Mortgage SunTrust Mortgage TD Bank Union Mortgage Group United Investors Group VHDA Virginia Heritage Mortgage Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Reverse

703-506-8148 703-734-7704 703-750-4056 703-319-5647 703-855-7403 301-493-8386 703-787-4835 301-468-7063 703-326-9711 703-956-3544 703-407-2385 703-750-0080 202-496-8956 703-449-6828 703-631-0098 703-255-8480 571-536-8584 703-222-1800 703-279-6073 703-309-7843 703-941-0711 877-844-2488 804-782-1986 703-766-6400 703-803-3500 703-587-4363

GOVERNMENT SERVICES

BROKER CONSULTING Broker Helpline

703-680-1212

703-324-4804

GUTTER REPAIR 571-436-2844

CARPET CLEANING

Gagnon’s Gutterworks

703-523-6225

HOME CLEANING SERVICES

ACS Ayoub Carpet Service

703-255-6000

July/August 2010

Maid Brigade

703-823-1726 45

appraiser & afﬁliate directories HOME INSPECTION All Pro Services Best Home Inspections Consumer Resources Hurlbert Home Inspection LuxRE Inspections Old Dominion Home Inspection Pillar To Post U.S. Inspect

MOVING & STORAGE 703-385-1347 703-753-1176 703-690-8484 703-830-2229 703-716-1100 703-242-2520 703-352-1333 703-293-1400

HOME REPAIR SERVICES Finco Construction Co. G’s Remodeling Mid-Atlantic Waterproofing

703-359-2555 240-388-4250 301-206-9500

HOME STAGING SERVICES Preferred Staging Staged Interior

703-851-2690 703-261-7026

HOME WARRANTY 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty American Home Shield HMS Home Warranty of America Old Republic Home Warranty

703-587-6735 540-250-2064 800-843-4663 703-595-8965 800-445-6999

INSURANCE SERVICES Hutt Financial Group PBI Group, E & O Insurance Victor Schinnerer & Co., Inc.

301-571-6153 888-600-4130 301-951-5495

INVESTMENT PLANNING R.E. Investor Solutions

703-999-9842

JUNK REMOVAL 1-800-GOT-JUNK College Hunks Hauling Junk

703-934-4678 800-586-5872

LEGAL SERVICES Brincefield Hartnett, P.C. Joseph A. Cerroni, Esq. Keegan & Associates, PLC Kidwell, Kent & Curran Peterson, Noll & Goodman, PLC Sykes, Bourdon, Ahern & Levy

703-836-2880 703-941-3000 703-691-1700 703-764-0600 703-442-3890 703-517-7910

MARKETING/MEDIA Cox Communications Lands and Home of Northern VA Raggo Advertising Products The Washington Post

703-378-3953 703-673-8475 540-341-7844 202-334-7680

MOLD SERVICES MoldAid 46

877-932-7177

Busy Buddies Interstate Moving & Storage JK Moving & Storage Quality Service Moving Two Marines and a Truck

703-422-0797 703-226-3279 703-280-4282 703-495-8900 703-623-5288

NEW HOME BUILDER Brambleton Group Dominion Valley Country Club

703-542-2925 703-753-6688

PAINTING Blue Door Painters

703-504-2000

PERSONNEL SERVICES Personnel One

202-623-3204

PEST CONTROL SERVICES Alexandria Pest Services Asian Pest Services Connor's Pest Control Country Termite & Pest Control Patriot Termite PMSI Suburban Pest Service

703-923-0925 703-752-1634 703-321-0400 540-338-7821 703-330-9170 703-723-2899 703-335-6030

PLUMBING Plumbing Express

703-461-0345

PRINTERS Mc Clung Companies Stephenson Printing Inc.

240-475-5547 703-642-9000

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT All American Home Solutions

202-329-7054

REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHY Bert Goulait Photography BTW Images

703-945-0194 703-340-6383

REAL ESTATE SIGNS Realty Sign Post Co.

703-759-4901

TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

703-230-7663 703-467-0206

VIRTUAL TOURS

703-842-7525 703-658-1300 703-757-9500 703-537-0800 703-777-4261 703-354-0561 703-437-4600

703-742-9600 703-352-2900 703-933-3090 571-209-1240 703-250-9440 703-642-6002 703-971-4701 703-584-0450

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER SQ Consultants Listingbook Realty Empowerment Systems

SETTLEMENT SERVICES Absolute Title & Escrow Central Title & Escrow Dominion Title Corporation Ekko Title eTitle Agency, Inc. Key Title - Annandale Key Title - Reston

RGS Title - Reston Stewart Title & Escrow The Settlement Group - Alexandria The Settlement Group - Ashburn The Settlement Group - Burke The Settlement Group - Corporate The Settlement Group - Franconia The Settlement Group - McLean

202-256-0107

ROOFING DryHome Roofing & Siding Roofing & More, Inc.

MBH Settlement Group - Alexandria 703-739-0100 MBH Settlement Group - Annandale 703-852-3000 MBH Settlement Group - Arlington 703-237-1100 MBH Settlement Group - Burke 703-913-8080 MBH Settlement Group - Fair Oaks 703-279-1500 MBH Settlement Group - Kingstowne 703-417-5000 MBH Settlement Group - McLean 703-734-8900 MBH Settlement Group - Oakton 703-277-6800 MBH Settlement Group - Reston 703-813-9333 MBH Settlement Group - Vienna 703-242-2860 Mid-Atlantic Settlement Svcs 410-252-1208 Monarch Title - Alexandria 703-852-7700 Monarch Title - Herndon 703-890-0820 Monarch Title - McLean 703-852-1730 Northwest Title & Escrow LLC 703-796-6630 Provident Title & Escrow LLC 703-961-1750 RGS Title - Alexandria 703-519-7600 RGS Title - Annandale 703-597-3209 RGS Title - Arlington 703-351-0300 RGS Title - Burke 703-128-9600 RGS Title - Centreville 703-818-8600 RGS Title - McLean 703-903-9600 RGS Title - Oakton 703-242-9600

Real Estate Shows RealBiz360

540-662-1718 866-213-3709 703-876-4929 240-687-1008

Bold signifies NVAR Partners (Last updated June 30, 2010) Do you have a correction to this list? Please e-mail changes to Tracy Reynolds at treynolds@nvar.com.

P c

July/August 2010

NVAR ReAltoR® UPDATE

With the

confi denc e of R yland ’s

LUXURY, SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES

0 0 0 , $0 8 is e Tim

ing nn ru

d’s Luxurious community ou *planned e g shuttle th to the VRE, clubhouse, in with or tf n pool, walking trails, tennis and more! u o n ing ru n Single-Family Homes from the mid $200s n

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! T X I A D TAX DIRT! E T RC E C

With e FREDERICKSBURG the cth onfi r den ce o Idlewild f Ryl t fo an

With the c onfi den ce o f Ryl and ’s

Hurry in today to take advantage of these special limited-time offers!

Incredible Weekly Specials!

0 0 0 $ 8, *

ru is 4e model homes! m i T

540.370.0724

Directions: Take I-95 S to Rt. 3 E (Exit 130A). Immediate right onto Gateway Blvd. Ryland Model Home Park and Sales Center on right.

STUNNING 1-ACRE ESTATE HOMES e th for t ou * ing n n ru

SPOTSYLVANIA TAX DIT RE Stuarts Crossing C is

0 0 0 , $8

e Planned community featuring walking Tim trails, tennis and tot lot Stunning 1+ Acre Wooded Homesites from the low $300s Located across from the Ni River Reservoir Park

540.548.0841

Directions: From I-95 exit 130B - 2.4 miles to ** left on Gordon Rd. Travel 4.4 miles to Stuart’s Crossing - left on Browns Farm St. Model on right.

All Sales Centers Open Mon 2pm-6pm • Tues-Sun 10am-6pm **

RylandDC.com **

** For the latest news and promotional details join us on Facebook. Prices, plans and incentives are subject to change and can end without notice. The home depicted is a model and the actual home, landscaping, lot size, floor plan and materials may vary. See sales counselor for details. © 2010 The Ryland Group.

e Tim

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7/7/10 12:34:12 PM