OC REALTOR® - July/August 2021

Introducing Your NEW Directors Become better acquainted with the six new members of the Orange County REALTORS® Board of Directors. Learn where they think the real estate market may be headed and how they view the housing crisis. Discover what they believe may be the largest post-pandemic challenge facing REALTORS® and what they propose to do about it. on pages 26–29

CONTENTS

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER

A FRESH BEGINNING

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Enjoy A Safe

The CDC reports that, as of June 16, a total of 44.1 percent of the U.S. population had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Within fifteen months, the country has moved from a situation in which it was frightfully vulnerable to a deadly virus to one in which steadily increasing immunity offers a widening margin of protection—and the possibility of a fresh beginning.

Many of the restrictions that were put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus have been relaxed or lifted entirely. People can come together to work, worship, and play. They can gather either to celebrate special occasions or simply to enjoy one another’s company. While it is wise to take precautions, it is possible to conduct business as (almost) usual and to take pleasure in being together once again.

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Increase your water competency, know how to spot a swimmer in trouble, teach young children to swim, never swim alone, and always watch the water!

Thus, the focus of this issue is on a fresh beginning—on welcoming six

By Sherri Butterfield new Directors and on making the most of summer. On its pages, you will WRITER AND EDITOR find ideas about how to harden your home against wildfires, how to enjoy On June 16, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that a total of a safe swimming season, and whether you can feel comfortable to travel 146,456,124 Americans, or 44.1 percent of the U.S. once again so that you can spend time in the places you’ve missed, with population, had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In California, 18,660,531 people, or the people you’ve missed.

47.23 percent of the Golden State’s population,

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COVER STORY:

STATE UPDATE:

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Introducing Your New Directors The six new members of the Orange County REALTORS® Board of Director share their thoughts about the disparity between housing supply and demand, and the need to make the real estate agent central to the transaction once again.

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE:

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Making the Most of Summer Looking forward to time away from her computer, Lori Namazi writes, “Whether we are working or traveling or enjoying some fun in the sun, it’s our responsibility to take care of ourselves and of those we care about.”

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had been fully vaccinated. Within fifteen months, the country has moved from a situation in which it was frightfully vulnerable to a deadly virus to one in which steadily increasing immunity offers a widening margin of protection.

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California Department of Public Health Updates Open House Guidance 38

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C.A.R. President Dave Walsh reports that C.A.R. provides specific information about this guidance—which allows in-person showings of properties such as open houses—on its website so that REALTORS® can be in full compliance.

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER:

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Is It Safe to Travel?

In a panel discussion sponsored by the Orange County Business Council, travel industry experts describe what aircraft companies, airlines, airports, and hotels have done to make travel safer and guests more comfortable.

As a result, many of the restrictions that in place beginning in mid-March 2020 t the spread of the coronavirus have bee relaxed or removed entirely. People ca together once again to work, worship, They can gather to celebrate special o or simply to enjoy one another’s compa can either travel by airplane, bus, or tra vacation spots or stay close to home a amusement parks, museums, beaches, and swimming pools.

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Wildfire Season Is Here: Are You Prepared?

Sabrina Blair lists the steps readers can take now to make their homes less vulnerable to the ravages of fire and prepare their families to evacuate if necessary.

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Enjoy a Safe Swimming Season Sherri Butterfield reminds readers that children drown without a sound and urges them to install safety devices in the pool area, supervise actively when children are in the water, and avoid swimming alone.

FEATURES:

DEPARTMENTS:

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Steven Thomas says that, as mortgage rates continue to rise, the housing market will evolve from its current crazy pace to one that is much more manageable.

In a photo essay, Sherri Butterfield describes what happened when a water distribution line under her street broke and tells readers to report leaks of this kind immediately to the city public works department and to the district that supplies water to the neighborhood.

The Orange County Housing Update: The Coming Change

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Opinion: The Real OC Majority Diane Harkey explains that the political divides in Orange County are over the right to live freely as prescribed by the Constitution versus having to obey Government edicts without question.

Water Supply: The Anatomy of a Water Leak

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Member Anniversaries: Congrats!

Orange County REALTORS® recognizes and congratulates REALTORS® who are marking twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty years of membership in our Association and its predecessor boards.

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Names in the News

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Education Central: Upcoming Classes by Track ON THE COVER Featured on the cover are photographs of the six new Orange County REALTORS® Directors. They are (from left to right) Erin Barry, Len Herman, Jeff Jackson, Eileen Oldroyd, Lacy Robertson, and Lisa Yi.

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ORANGE COUNTY

REALTOR®

25552 La Paz Road Laguna Hills, CA 92653

949-586-6800

10540 Talbert Avenue, Ste. 225 West Fountain Valley, CA 92708

714-375-9313

2021 OFFICERS Lori Namazi President Adam Rodell President-Elect Joyce Endo Treasurer Danielle Corliss Immediate Past President Dave Stefanides Chief Executive Officer

2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mary Jane Cambria Matt Cortez Sandra Deering Dorinda Francois Michele Harrington Julie Hile Jeff Jackson Joyce Leonard Liz Lewis Yami Martinez Chip McAllister

Ed Molina Charleen Nagata-Newhouse Pamela Pedego Joe Pierce Vinil Ramchandran Lacy Robertson Lisa Schulz Jessica Siguenza Lynne Suzanski Scott White

MAGAZINE STAFF Sabrina Blair

Breanna Reed

Sherri Butterfield

Ivan Salmeron

Director of Communications sabrina@ocrealtors.org Communications Specialist sherri@ocrealtors.org

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Accounting Administrator breanna@ocrealtors.org Print & Marketing Specialist ivan@ocrealtors.org

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Online Magazine Love the Orange County REALTOR®? Did you know that you can read it online, anytime? Read past issues at www.ocrealtors.org/magazine.

MAGAZINE

OC REALTOR®

Mission Statement The mission of the OC REALTORS® is to promote the REALTOR® Code of Ethics; to provide education, services, and resources to our members; and to advocate the protection of real property rights.

Notice to All Members It is the long-established policy of this Association, the California Association of REALTORS®, and the National Association of REALTORS® to adhere to both the letter and spirit of the federal and state antitrust laws. For their own protection, members should be aware of the antitrust laws as they affect their specific business activities. Any illegal activity under the state and federal antitrust laws is not in compliance with Association policy, nor is it in the interests of the Association or its members. Participation in Association activities must occur only in harmony with these very important laws. Federal law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, or national origin in connection with the sale or rental of residential real estate, in advertising the sale or rental of housing, in the financing of housing, and the provision of real estate brokerage services. The Orange County REALTOR® editor reserves the right to review and edit all submissions. Orange County REALTORS® makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily the opinions of Orange County REALTORS®.

Orange County REALTORS® does not necessarily endorse the companies, products, or services advertised in this magazine unless specifically stated.

The OC REALTOR® (USPS 025-445, ISSN 1945-2179) Volume 12, Issue 4, is published by the Orange County REALTORS®, 25552 La Paz Road, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Periodicals postage paid at Laguna Beach, CA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Orange County REALTORS®, 25552 La Paz Road, Laguna Hills, CA 92653-5127.

Annual membership dues include $3.13 for a one-year (6 issues) subscription to the OC REALTOR® magazine. OC REALTOR® cannot be responsible for unsolicited materials.

Publisher: Orange County REALTORS® Printer: The Monaco Group

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Making

the Most of

Summer Planning ahead and staying present are key to ensuring that everyone remains safe.

By Lori Namazi 2021 PRESIDENT, ORANGE COUNTY REALTORS®

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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

S

ummer is upon us. I don’t know how you feel, but I am really looking forward to spending more time away from my computer! As we transition from one season to the next, we cannot help but acknowledge that everything in our lives is in transition as well.

In fact, life as we have known it over the past fifteen months has been a constant transition!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 51 percent of Americans have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 41 percent are fully vaccinated.

In the Golden State, the numbers are even better: 58 percent of Californians have received at least one dose, and 44 percent are fully vaccinated. As a result, the Los Angeles Times reports, California’s COVID infection rate is among the lowest in the nation.

“My hope is that all of us enjoy the bounty of our business and have some much-needed time in the places we’ve missed, with the people we’ve missed.”

At last, we can heave a sigh of relief and expect some things to go back to the way they were before the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, and the White House issued social-distancing guidelines five days later. But because we can expect other things to stay as they are for a while, it is important to remain patient and flexible as we move forward together.

We also have more distractions in our daily lives, which can make us lose our focus. Whether we are working or traveling or enjoying some fun in the sun, it’s our responsibility to take care of ourselves and of those we care about. Planning ahead and staying present are key to ensuring that everyone remains safe.

“Whether we are working or traveling or enjoying some fun in the sun, it’s our responsibility to take care of ourselves and of those we care about.”

My hope is that all of us enjoy the bounty of our business and have some much-needed time in the places we’ve missed, with the people we’ve missed. May the information in this issue provide you with resources to do just that. May it also provide you with some important tips that you can share with your clients to help them take the risks out of the season by being more prepared to stay safe and enjoy this beautiful Southern California summer!

The theme of this month’s issue of OC REALTOR® is Making the Most of Summer: Preparation and Prevention. Many areas of our lives expose us to risk. We face new threats that we did not have in the past. News headlines tell of natural disasters and of man-made ones, including shootings. There are cyber threats, and there are unknown liabilities based on the effects of the pandemic. In this new territory, we need to be sure that we are doing everything we can to reduce our personal and business risk.

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NAMES IN THE NEWS

in the

California Association of REALTORS® CEO Joel Singer Will Retire at Year’s End California Association of REALTORS® Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joel Singer has announced that he will not renew his contract at the end of the year.

Singer joined C.A.R. in 1978 as the Association’s chief economist and head of its Public Policy Department.

In 1989, he became CEO and has held that position for almost thirty-two years. He was instrumental in developing Real Estate Business Services, Inc. (REBS), C.A.R.’s for-profit subsidiary, and served as its president. He also served for a time as president and chief executive officer of zipLogix. C.A.R. will undertake a formal search to find Singer’s successor.

Metropolitan Water Board Confirms Adel Hagekhalil as General Manager In June, the thirty-eight-member Board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted to approve a contract with Adel Hagekhalil, making him the fourteenth general manager in the district’s ninety-three-year history. Hagekhalil, a registered civil engineer and board-certified environmental engineer, replaced long-time General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, who had led Metropolitan since 2006.

A cooperative of twenty-six member agencies, Metropolitan provides more than half the water used by 19 million people in six Southern California counties. Metropolitan imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies and provides financial incentives to help local agencies develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage, and other water management programs.

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Two of the World’s Largest Firefighting Helicopters Become Part of Quick Response Force Southern California Edison (SCE) has contributed nearly $18 million to the Quick Response Force (QRF), a multi-agency team assigned to battle wildfires across Southern California.

The arrangement enables the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), and the Ventura County Fire Department to lease a pair of CoulsonUnical CH-47 helitankers, the world’s largest fire-suppression helicopters, and a Sikorski-61 helitanker. All three aircraft have unique waterand fire-retardant-dropping capabilities and can fly day and night. In addition, a Sikorski-76 command and control helicopter, along with ground-based equipment, will be available to support rapid retardant refills and drops.

North Orange County Chamber Chooses Andrew Gregson as Its New CEO Andrew Gregson has succeeded Theresa Harvey as chief executive officer of the North County Chamber of Commerce. To find a replacement for Theresa, who had been with the chamber for sixteen years, the chamber board of directors undertook a rigorous strategic planning and succession process during which it determined that Andrew’s experience, combined with his vision for the organization, made him the ideal candidate to succeed Theresa.

NAMES IN THE NEWS San Clemente City Council Makes Interim City Manager Erik Sund Permanent On a 3-1 vote, the San Clemente City Council erased the term “interim” and officially made Eric Sund city manager. Sund first came to San Clemente as assistant city manager in 2013 and spent six years serving alongside previous city managers Bob Dunek and James Makshanoff, who left in January 2020 for a job in Pomona.

Sund will receive a base salary of $250,000 in addition to pension and benefits.

Ortiz Resigns from HB City Council; Delgleize Named Mayor Pro Tem In early June, Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz resigned abruptly from the City Council saying, “This job isn’t working for me.” A mixed martial artist, Ortiz was elected on November 5, 2020, with 42,000 votes, the most in the city’s history.

Sworn into office on December 7, Ortiz had served fewer than six months. Members of the Huntington Beach City Council chose Barbara Delgleize to replace Ortiz as mayor pro tem. First elected to the City Council in 2014, Barbara served as Surf City’s mayor in 2017. She is a long-time member of Orange County REALTORS®. While serving as OC REALTORS® President in 2005, she was instrumental in establishing OCAR Cares, the Association’s member relief fund.

Dirissy Doan Named Among the 2021 NAAPPPA 40 Under 40 Orange County REALTORS® Government Affairs Director Dirissy Doan was among those honored when the National Association of Asian Pacifics in Politics and Public Affairs (NAAPPPA) named its 2021 NAAPPPA 40 Under 40. Among the other NAAPPPA honorees were Victor Cao, who is senior vice president for local public affairs at the California Apartment Association; Arvind Krishnan, who is manager of fundraising for Targeted Victory and has raised more than $120 million for his clients digitally; Ali Navid, who is chief of staff for California Assemblyman Phillip Chen (R–55th District) and owner of California Talk, LLC, a public polling company; and Stephen A. Nguyen, who is district director for California Assemblyman Phillip Chen and has served his hometown of Santa Ana as a city commissioner on the Historic Resources Commission.

San Clemente Withdraws from the Transportation Corridor Agencies On May 13, 2021, the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) Boards of Directors voted to allow the City of San Clemente to withdraw voluntarily from the Agencies as a member city effective July 1, 2021. With its withdrawal, San Clemente forfeits its voice and vote but is obligated to continue collecting development impact fees (DIFs) and remitting them to the TCA because the fees are a financial commitment pledged to secure bonds issued by the Agencies.

The Agencies are Joint Powers Authorities created to plan, finance, construct, and operate the largest network of toll roads in California.

The TCA has successfully financed, constructed, and operates more than 420 lane miles of toll roads, including the 73, 133, 241, and 261. TCA’s Boards of Directors include representatives from eighteen member cities and three supervisorial districts.

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NAMES IN THE NEWS Turning Fifty, Mission Hospital Ranks No. 1 in Orange County

Anaheim Will Borrow up to $210 Million to Cover Pandemic Shortfalls

When Newsweek joined with Statistica to recognize the World’s Best Hospitals 2021, Providence Mission, in Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach, was ranked No. 1 in Orange County and was listed among the top fifteen hospitals in California and among the one hundred best hospitals in the nation. “This recognition really validates the dedication of our caregivers and physicians and their commitment to provide extraordinary care,” said Seth Tietgen, the hospital’s chief executive. Coincidentally, the recognition comes as Mission Hospital, which opened on August 11, 1971, prepares to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary.

When the COVID-19 pandemic brought tourism to a halt, Anaheim lost revenue it might otherwise have received from Disneyland, the Anaheim Convention Center, Angel Stadium, and Honda Center and from the hotels, restaurants, and shops that cater to visitors. As a result, the city was facing a deficit of more than $100 million this year and multi-million gaps in each of the next several years. Because council members cannot predict how quickly tourism will return to pre-pandemic levels and because they do not want to cut city services while they wait for revenues to catch up with expenditures, they voted to borrow the money needed to fill what had become a widening fiscal gap.

PACE: Orange County Contractor Accused of Misleading People in Two Counties The state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has barred John Jacob Berry of Orange-based Community Solar Inc. from marketing Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) energy loans. The consent order Berry signed applies also to companies operating as Premier Community Construction, PACE Consulting Agency Inc., The PACE Program of California, and PACE Marketing & Communications.

Saying that Berry and his companies had deceived homeowners by making it appear that The PACE Program of California was a state government agency, the state Department of Financial Protection ordered Berry and his companies to stop offering PACE financing to consumers and to stop using “PACE” in business names, websites, marketing materials, or communications.

The new state consumer protection agency, which was created as part of the California Consumer Financial Protection Law that took effect this year, says that Berry has falsely proffered his services to homeowners in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties as part of a “no-cost” government-funded program.

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NAMES IN THE NEWS

Regional Board Approves Huntington Beach Desalination Plant In late April, on a split vote, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board approved the permit for the proposed Huntington Beach Seawater Desalination Plant, clearing the way for the California Coastal Commission to consider the last remaining permit Poseidon Resources must obtain before it can begin construction on the industrial site of the old AES generating station, near the intersection of Newland with Pacific Coast Highway.

C.A.R. Honors Orange County REALTORS® Treasurer Joyce Endo During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month In late April, the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) wrote to OC REALTORS® Treasurer Joyce Endo to let her know that she was among the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders they wanted to honor during AAPI Heritage Month. Joyce was asked to tell how she became a REALTOR®, touch briefly on the importance of homeownership, and describe her leadership style. Joyce’s response was posted on C.A.R.’s Facebook and other social media accounts.

Poseidon Resources long has touted its plant— which was first approved by the Huntington Beach City Council more than fifteen years ago—as a drought-proof source of water for a drought-prone area. Operating at full capacity, the plant will provide 50 million gallons of fresh drinking water every day, enough to supply water to 300,000 people, or to meet about 8 percent of Orange County’s water needs.

Supervisor Don Wagner Recognizes Dirissy Doan for Fifteen Years of Service In celebration of National Homeownership Month in June, Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner presented Orange County REALTORS® Government Affairs Director Dirissy Doan with a resolution recognizing her fifteen years of dedicated service to the Association. During her employment by Orange County REALTORS®, Dirissy has held the positions of members services team leader, community affairs administrator, and director of strategic partners. In these positions, she has created positive and productive partnerships with organizations throughout Orange County and has found ways to burnish the REALTOR® brand while providing opportunities for Association members to be of service to the wider Orange County community.

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in the

Home Sweet Home: Orange County Teacher Wins First-Ever Wheel of Fortune House Giveaway In late April, Laura Trammell, a sixth-grade teacher at Melinda Heights Elementary School in Rancho Santa Margarita, became the first person ever to win a brand-new home on Wheel of Fortune in that popular television show’s forty-six-year history.

Although the theme for the show was “Home Sweet Home,” Laura says she had no idea that the prize might be a house and, instead, expected something for the home like furniture. The house Laura won is part of Jimmy Buffet’s Latitude Margaritaville planned communities in Florida and South Carolina. Currently, Laura and her husband have no plans to leave California and will, instead, look for a tenant for their new home.

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Names in the News is intended to be primarily a place where REALTOR® and Affiliate members of Orange County REALTORS® can share both personal and professional news—about births (of children or grandchildren), graduations, weddings, anniversaries, accomplishments, awards, and other milestones—with one another. If you have news to share, email it to Orange County REALTORS® Writer and Editor Sherri Butterfield at Sherri@ocrealtors.org.

Photos by Marion Butterfield

NAMES IN THE NEWS

Photos by Marion Butterfield

NAMES IN THE NEWS

Author Dan Smith Interviews TJ Gallaudet In mid-May, Dan Smith, the author of Failing Greatly: Your Guide to Achieving Success After Failure, interviewed TJ Gallaudet as part of the Real Interviews Series. TJ oversees Zillow Group’s Broker and Franchisor Relations team and is responsible for creating and maintaining partnerships with top firms across North America. Before joining Zillow Group in 2014, TJ led a top real estate team in Southern California, where he was named REALTOR® of the Year in 2011. Excerpts from their conversation appear below.

Dan: Let’s talk about this whole Zillow brokerage thing.

TJ: We became a brokerage because of Zillow Offers. What this allows us to do is provide amazing partner leads. It’s allowed us to streamline the experience for sellers. We’ve joined Multiple Listing Services across the country. We have a direct feed. Conflicts and picture problems have been fixed by joining the MLS. Dan: Will Zillow be offering any franchise opportunities in South County—or anywhere?

TJ: That is not our plan. We will lean on partners. We fundamentally believe in this partnership model and believe it will remain a huge part of our business.

Dan: Zillow becomes a broker. Zillow throws out $500 million to acquire ShowingTime.

TJ: We are fundamental believers in how important scheduling and showing are in automating the process. A real point to underscore here is that ShowingTime is valuable if everyone uses it. This will remain an open platform for everyone.

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STATE UPDATE

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATES

C.A.R. is providing more specific information so that REALTORS® will be in full compliance.

By Dave Walsh C.A.R. 2021 PRESIDENT On May 12, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated its guidance on open houses to allow in-person showings of properties, such as open houses, which must follow the indoor capacity limits in the CDPH gatherings guidance. C.A.R. will be providing more specifics regarding this guidance so that REALTORS® are in full compliance. You can also get the information currently on the California State official COVID-19.ca.gov website or see the article on C.A.R.’s website.

Thank you to all of you who participated in C.A.R.’s first-ever, fully virtual Legislative Day in April. Your participation made it a great success! Nearly 4,300 of you registered to hear Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk, and Assembly Member Blanca Rubio discuss the hottest housing issues facing our state. Additionally, C.A.R. Chief Executive Officer Joel Singer sat for a Fireside Chat with Dan Walters, California’s preeminent political columnist, to discuss the Golden State’s evolving political landscape. Other sessions included fair housing challenges, getting more involved in C.A.R.’s legislative efforts, and a video tour of affordable housing developments. While registration is closed, those who previously registered can view the sessions from that day on the event website until July 26 and on the Whova mobile app until October 26.

Keeping with the theme of virtual events, save the date for the must-attend industry event of the year, REimagine! Real Estate Virtual Conference & Expo, coming to you online October 5–7, 2021. More than 13,000 real estate pros and industry leaders virtually connected and learned together in 2020, and we can’t wait to bring you an even bigger and better virtual event this year. Join us from wherever you are and get ready to take in a wealth of knowledge over three days.

Registration is free for all C.A.R. members.

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STATE UPDATE

By now, I hope you’ve been able to catch C.A.R.’s new consumer ad campaign, which is airing in Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Each year, in addition to educating home buyers and sellers across California about the value of working with a REALTOR®, the campaign provides members with new client marketing opportunities. Knowing the ins and outs of this year's consumer ad campaign will allow you to take full advantage of its marketing benefits.

C.A.R. is partnering with “home” experts Realtor.com and HGTV, reaching more than 10 million unique visitors monthly. And with more than 4.1 million impressions, C.A.R.'s paid social media ads will continue to amplify the message of California Proud by driving consumers who are looking to buy or sell a home to the newly updated consumer-facing website, championsofhome.com.

This column is based on and has been excerpted from the Monthly Message by C.A.R. President Dave Walsh that was distributed via email on May 13, 2021. It is being reprinted here with permission.

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THE ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING UPDATE

As mortgage rates continue to rise, the housing market will evolve from its current crazy pace to one that is much more manageable.

By Steven Thomas REPORTSONHOUSING.COM The Los Angeles Lakers reached the playoffs ten years in a row between 1995 and 2004. They hoisted the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy three times between 2000 and 2002.

The team was stacked and included Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Fisher, and Rick Fox. What happened in 2005? Shaquille O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, and Derek Fisher signed as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers won only thirty-four games and missed the playoffs for the first time in eleven years. In sports, phenomenal teams do not last forever.

Housing is in the midst of its own playoff run and has been a Hot Seller’s Market since June of last year, twelve months straight. It is the longest such run since the sixteen-month streak from March 2012 through July 2013. What happened in the summer of 2013 to end that run? The market decelerated because of higher mortgage rates.

In 2013, there was very little supply, and low mortgage rates were juicing demand. A low supply and a truckload of demand—doesn’t that sound familiar? The difference between 2013 and 2021 is that the supply of available homes to purchase today is even lower and demand is a bit higher because of even lower mortgage rates.

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In 2013, the Orange County active inventory was at its lowest level since tracking began in 2004 (prior to this year), starting the year with 3,161 homes. It remained at that low level until April, when it finally began to rise.

Mortgage rates were at 3.34 percent in January 2013 and had increased to 3.63 percent in March. In June, rates increased to 3.9 percent, and they reached 4.37 percent in July. The active inventory increased from 3,208 homes at the end of March to 5,522 to start August, a 72 percent rise. Typically, the inventory peaks between mid-July and the end of August. The 2013 peak did not occur until October at 6,350 homes, a 98 percent rise from the low levels of March (see Figure 1).

The late peak occurred when mortgage rates reached 4.5 percent at the end of August, which took a bite out of demand. Many homeowners also placed their homes on the market over

THE ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING UPDATE

the summer, expecting the market to behave as it had earlier in the year with multiple offers, bidding wars, record sale prices, and sellers who got away with stretching their asking prices. Instead, they lingered on the market with no success. The market had shifted. The shift could be felt in the marketplace during the summer of 2013 as mortgage rates had climbed more than 1 percent from the start of the year. Rising interest rates impacted home affordability, and demand softened, which enabled the inventory to finally rise.

The Expected Market Time (time between pounding in the For Sale sign and opening escrow) in 2013 started the year at 47 days, a Hot Seller’s Market (below 60 days) and had been hot since March 2012. It dropped to 33 days in March and then slowly rose from there. It reached 42 days in June, still hot, but not as crazy.

In September it reached 80 days, a Slight Seller’s Market (between 60 and 90 days), where it remained for the rest of the year. A Slight Seller’s Market is one in which sellers still get to call more of the shots during the negotiating process, but values are not rising much at all, and there are not as many multiple-offer situations (see Figure 2).

Figure 1. In 2013, the Orange County active inventory started the year with 3,161 homes. Typically, the inventory peaks between mid-July and the end of August. The 2013 peak did not occur until October at 6,350 homes, a 98 percent rise from the low levels of March. Housing started 2021 with 2,633 homes, 17 percent fewer than in 2013. Since then, the inventory has shed an additional 15 percent, dropping to 2,251 by June.

Figure 2. The Expected Market Time at the start of 2013 was 47 days.

It dropped to 33 days in March and then slowly rose to 42 days in June. In September it reached 80 days, where it remained for the rest of the year. In 2021, the Expected Market Time dropped from 42 days in January to 22 days in June.

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THE ORANGE COUNTY HOUSING UPDATE

“. . . experts are expecting a robust second half of 2021, the start of the next ‘Roaring Twenties.’ ” Housing started 2021 with the lowest level of homes since tracking began, 2,633 homes, 17 percent fewer than in 2013.

Mortgage rates reached a record low during the first week of January at 2.65 percent. Since then, the inventory has shed an additional 15 percent, dropping to 2,251 by June. As a result, the Expected Market Time dropped from 42 days to start the year, a Hot Seller’s Market, to 22 days. At 22 days, Orange County housing is nothing short of nuts.

Yet, behind the scenes, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey®, mortgage rates have risen to 2.99 percent. They are poised to continue to rise as inflation fears emerge with a rapidly improving economy forecast for the remainder of the year. There is a close correlation between ten-year U.S. treasuries and thirty-year mortgage rates. When the ten-year rises, so do mortgage rates. They typically rise and fall together. The ten-year had dipped below 1 percent for the first time ever last year, solely because of the pandemic. As a result, mortgage rates dipped below 3 percent for the first time ever. Now that 49 percent of the United States population has received at least one dose of vaccine, COVID-19 numbers have dropped to March 2020 levels, and there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, excellent vaccine news, an improving jobs picture, and better U.S. economic charts will all feed into a rising ten-year treasury and, ultimately, rising thirty-year mortgage rates.

Now, experts are expecting a robust second half of 2021, the start of the next “Roaring Twenties.” Mortgage rates are projected to increase anywhere from 3.5 percent to 4 percent, depending on the size of the economic boom. That is precisely where they were bouncing around prior to the pandemic, a much more normal range. These higher rates will be the catalyst for a market shift, and the market will decelerate.

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Like 2013, higher mortgage rates will ultimately slow demand, and homes that are overpriced will linger on the market. This will allow the supply of homes available to purchase to rise enough to reach a much more normal, healthy, and sustainable level. With dropping demand and an increasing supply, the Expected Market Time will rise. The housing market will evolve from its current auction-like, instantaneous atmosphere to one with fewer multiple offers, slower appreciation, and a less frenzied pace.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: It will still be a Hot Seller’s Market. This is not a shift to a Buyer’s Market. This is a shift from a housing market that is currently nuts, appreciating at about 1 percent per month, to a regular Hot Seller’s Market with normal, 4 to 5 percent appreciation per year. Sellers who overprice will sit and languish on the market.

Steven Thomas has a degree in quantitative economics and decision sciences from the University of California, San Diego, and more than twenty years of experience in real estate. His bimonthly Orange County Housing Report is available by subscription and provides housing market analysis that is easy to understand and useful in setting the expectations of both buyers and sellers. His website is

www.ReportsOnHousing.com.

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

Introducing Your

New Directors The ballots have been cast and counted, and six REALTORS® have been elected. Five will serve three-year terms as 2022–2024 Directors, and one will serve a one-year term as a 2022 Director.

By Sherri Butterfield WRITER AND EDITOR

Beginning on Monday, May 10, and concluding on Monday, May 24, REALTOR® members of Orange County REALTORS® voted to choose six Directors from among nine candidates. The nine candidates (in alphabetical order by last name) were Erin Barry, Leslie Eskildsen, Len Herman, Jeffrey Jackson, Gerald Koller, Eileen Oldroyd, Lacy Robertson, Jill Scognamiglio, and Lisa Yi. Their photos, candidate’s statements, and bullet-point résumés appeared on pages 16–19 in the May/June issue of OC REALTOR®.

Elected were Erin Barry, Len Herman, Jeffrey Jackson, Eileen Oldroyd, and Lacy Robertson, who will serve as 2022–2024 Directors, and Lisa Yi, who will serve as a 2022 Director.

Collectively, they believe the housing market will settle back to a more normal pace as the pandemic comes to an end. They are concerned about the disparity between the housing supply and the demand for homes.

Because the social distancing associated with the pandemic forced increased reliance on technology, they believe that the largest post-pandemic challenge facing REALTORS® may be finding ways to make the individual real estate agent central to the transaction once again. And they view education as the best offense and defense to remain relevant in an industry that is constantly evolving.

Erin Barry Although Erin Barry worked in advertising for thirteen years, she grew up knowing that housing was important because her mother was a financial planner, her aunt was a broker, and her uncles were either developers or in the construction industry. She became a real estate agent in 2003 and joined Orange County REALTORS® in 2017 after observing how this Association “valued every member and worked for the benefit of its members, not just for a profit.”

From the beginning of her real estate career, Erin recognized that not all real estate licensees are REALTORS® and understood the importance of having pledged to abide by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. In 2008, she became involved in the Women’s Council of REALTORS®; and since 2015, she has been a Director for the California Association of REALTORS®.

Echoing the headlines in several local newspapers, Erin says, “A critical issue we face in real estate right now is housing supply.” She adds, “With supply low and demand high, addressing fair housing is crucial.” She believes that one answer to the housing problem is education and that “it’s imperative to increase agent knowledge in a way that brings back personal networking.” Even though the COVID-19 pandemic put the emphasis on technology in the real estate process, Erin hopes that REALTORS® have not lost the personal touch because “a home is more than just a roof over someone’s head—it’s their life.”

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COVER STORY

Len Herman Len Herman spent twenty-five years in the field of information technology. Although he was good at it, he did not feel that he was having a meaningful impact on anyone. “I was working with senior corporate officers, managers, engineers, and buyers, and wanted to work with the end-user,” he explains. “What better end-user could there be than someone who is buying a home?”

Len was first licensed as a real estate agent in March 2003 and joined Orange County REALTORS® in that same month and year. Since then, he has served several terms on the OC REALTORS® Board of Directors and was President in 2013. He says, “I am happy to invest my time and energy to help ensure that our members have the best possible experience the Association can provide and the best possible opportunities for success.”

Len predicts that the overall effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on real estate will be mixed. He explains that some people, after spending a year at home, will be eager to move while others, who have grown to appreciate the comfort of their home, will want to stay put. He adds, “I think we will see a little spike in activity when the pandemic ends, and then things will settle into our normal routine.”

Whatever lies ahead, Len says the best way to prepare for it is education. “It seems like every year the number and relevance of classes offered increases. If our members take advantage of these classes to hone their skills, develop systems, and work intelligently, they will have the tools they need to adapt to change and continue to succeed.”

Jeffrey Jackson Jeffrey Jackson obtained his real estate license in 2014 and joined Orange County REALTORS® in that same year. Real estate is Jeff’s third career.

After spending many years as a governmental policy specialist and twenty years as an Indiana attorney, he chose real estate because it freed him from a nine-to-five job and gave him an opportunity to create his own career on his own time with his own effort.

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After serving on several OC REALTORS® committees, including the Political Affairs and Elections Committee, the Local Government Relations Committee, and the Multiple Listing Service Committee, Jeff decided to seek a position on the Orange County REALTORS® Board of Directors, to which he was first elected in 2018.

When asked about the way in which the pandemic has changed real estate, Jeff says, “COVID-19 changed the fundamental way we do business and forced all REALTORS® to embrace virtual technology as the preferred way to work.” But he points out, “The other side of the virtual coin is that some real estate entities do not see a place for traditional agents in their real estate models of the future.” After observing that banking has lost its personal touch, he adds, “The largest challenge we have is the ability to keep the individual agent relevant to the transaction and to the business as a whole.”

Jeff says, “The ability to be a true professional in any business is the ability to learn and grow as the business changes, bringing that new learning to the table for the benefit of the client. To achieve that, you need continuous education and training.” He adds, “Knowledge is power, and Orange County REALTORS® has the ability to give that power to its members through educational offerings. It’s the best offense and defense an agent has to stay pertinent to the industry.”

Eileen Oldroyd Eileen Oldroyd was first licensed as a real estate agent in 2004. She and her husband had had a miserable experience with an agent when buying their own home, and she was certain that she could provide better customer service. Because her job in Corporate America was being eliminated, she went into real estate. She adds, “I was hooked. I thrived in this industry. I wish that I had found it sooner.”

Eileen has been a member of Orange County REALTORS® for ten years. She says that she sought a position on the Board of Directors because the Association has been supportive of her leadership journey with Women’s Council of REALTORS® California. She explains, “This journey has been priceless. I wanted to give back to the Association that has given so much to me.”

COVER STORY When the COVID-19 pandemic came along, Eileen was state president of Women’s Council of REALTORS® California and broker/owner of Oldroyd Realty. Both organizations had to rethink the ways they did things. “Each day involved learning something new,” says Eileen. “We were functioning in a constant state of ‘evolve and pivot.’ It was exhausting yet invigorating. It allowed us to create a new way of operating and leading.”

Eileen says that the greatest challenge REALTORS® face today is lack of inventory. “We are not building enough housing for our citizens, and they are leaving the state. We just lost a congressional seat for the first time in one hundred years because of outbound migration.” She adds, “We need to protect our current housing stock and to help our local elected officials with innovative zoning solutions.” She encourages Associations to “listen to the experts” and adds that “NAR and C.A.R. have outstanding resources to help local Associations thrive and overcome these challenges together.”

Lacy Robertson Lacy Robertson started her career in lending, where clients urged her to become licensed as a real estate agent because, she says, “they wanted to work with someone they already trusted.” She adds that she was also encouraged to become a REALTOR® by a REALTOR® to whom she was referring business. Acting on this advice, Lacy obtained her license on September 5, 2012, and joined Orange County REALTORS® that same day.

When asked why she decided to seek a position on the Orange County REALTORS® Board of Directors, Lacy replied, “I have always run my business by advocating for what is right for my clients, and thought I could certainly do that for my industry and my fellow REALTORS®. The Orange County REALTORS® Leadership Academy opened my eyes to the opportunity, two members encouraged me to run, and here I am.”

When asked about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lacy says that, personally, she lost several friends and an uncle to this terrible disease. Professionally, the restrictions associated with the pandemic caused her to embrace technology and Zoom for broadcasting content and going over contracts and paperwork with clients by sharing her screen. She adds, however, that she is still old-school and prefers to “sit down with people and have that interaction.”

Lacy is ambivalent about technology. While she acknowledges the need for it in some instances, she sees a potential business threat if REALTORS® lose their connections with their clients and with the community. She believes that Orange County REALTORS® must continue to vet technology offerings for its members to make certain that they are a benefit rather than a hinderance.

Lisa Yi Lisa Yi’s interest in real estate was sparked by helping her parents purchase their family home in the United States as new immigrants. She says that she fell in love with touring homes and learning about every aspect of the home purchase process.

She also saw the need for non-English speakers to receive credible and ethical service from real estate professionals. First licensed as a real estate agent in 2014, Lisa says that she is about to pay off her student loans.

Lisa joined Orange County REALTORS® when she was first licensed and decided to seek a position on the Board of Directors after serving on Association committees for several years. She wanted to gain a better understanding of how the Association makes decisions and to see if there were ways to make the overall membership experience even better.

Also, she wanted to broaden representation from all racial groups, ethnic backgrounds, and social and community groups by sending out the message that Orange County REALTORS® stands ready to welcome all voices.

When the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Lisa from working as much as she had in the past, she viewed her extra time as an opportunity to take some of the classes offered virtually

by Orange County REALTORS®. She is hopeful that, as life returns to pre-pandemic normal, the Association will continue to offer more educational opportunities and to increase awareness by actively sharing important messages. She hopes to see even more emphasis on training new agents and on educating both Student and Affiliate members.

Regarding service on the OC REALTORS® Board of Directors, Lisa says, “I want everyone to feel free to contact me if they have any suggestions or concerns. I want to be the voice our members are looking for, and I want to put my position to good use to help fellow members be more connected.”

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Is It Safe

Five industry experts respond with an emphatic yes and describe what has been done to make it so.

By Sherri Butterfield WRITER AND EDITOR

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he content of this article is based on and has been excerpted from conversations during the first event in the Orange County Business Council’s Resilient OC Virtual Economic Development Forum Series titled Safe Travels, which was broadcast on May 20, but also includes more recent information from other sources.

The OCBC event featured a panel of travel industry experts discussing the safety of air travel, new industry standards for tourism and hospitality, and the documentation that is required of travelers. The panel was moderated by Jodi Duva, vice president, Cox Business, Orange Coast.

Among the panelists were Carole Bindels, director, Field Service and Operations Center, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Customer Support; Leah Koontz, vice president controller, Southwest Airlines; Michele Richards, chief executive officer, OC Fair and Event Center; Jerry Amante, executive director, Anaheim/Orange County Hotel and Lodging Association; and Barry Rodinella, airport director, John Wayne Airport.

Jesse Ben-Ron, vice president of workforce and economic development at the Orange County Business Council, acted as master of ceremonies and introduced Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva (65th District), who is chair of the Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media Committee. Anticipating the June 15 reopening, Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva said, “Welcome back to our places and spaces in California!”

Tourism and travel have long been mainstays of California’s economy.

In an article titled “Tourism Critical to State’s Rebound” (Orange County Register, June 13, 2021, page H3), Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva reported that “visitor spending and taxes generated were down by half after a record 2019 brought $145 billion in visitor spending.” To put that number in perspective, she added, “That’s about three times the size of the state’s agriculture economy and more than Apple’s global annual iPhone sales.”

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Graphics by SMSka

to Travel?

The lockdown took a terrible toll on Orange County’s travel and tourism business.

“Over 100,000 Orange County residents . . . lost their jobs in leisure and hospitality in 2020,” continued Quirk-Silva. “The travel and hospitality workforce was by far the hardest-hit employment sector across the state: 600,000 lost their jobs a month after lockdown.”

Barry: COVID turned our world upside down. At one point, John Wayne Airport was 97.5 percent down from pre-pandemic numbers.

Leah: Business travel has been more severely impacted than leisure travel.

At the lowest point, business was down 98 percent.

Jerry: Fifteen days to flatten the curve became fifteen months to flatten the curve. But now, we are starting to see a real rebound.

Orange County has always been a mecca for leisure travel, and we’re expecting to see California leisure travel come back online.

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How safe is it to travel, fly on an airplane, and stay in a hotel?

Jerry: We have seen our industry focus on the issue early, placing additional emphasis on improving ventilation, cleaning rooms, cleaning common spaces, using keyless check-in and entry to rooms, and changing the method by which food service is delivered.

Barry: At the airport, we follow all the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and do many of the same things Jerry has mentioned. We want you to get off to where you are going and know that it’s going to be safe.

Michele: At the fairgrounds, we are tracking daily attendance and creating plenty of elbow room for our guests. Masks are required, and we do rigorous cleaning.

We have implemented contactless payment and have changed some programs to be COVID safe. For example, we have replaced live bands and karaoke with dueling pianos.

Carole: Boeing has been focused on giving information to airlines regarding how to manage cabin cleanliness— air quality, cleaning, disinfecting. Some of this predated COVID, especially where international travel was involved. And we have changed surfaces to make them easier to clean.

What new protocols are likely to remain in place long term?

Carole: Some of the changes—for example, procedures involving how you efficiently load, unload, and move people through the cabin— are here for the long term because they are best practices anyway.

Barry: I think social distancing is a thing of the past in both amusement parks and airports.

Leah: Mobile phone apps existed before COVID, but we are encouraging people to make more and better use of them.

Jerry: Our real focus is on air filtration and the manner in which surfaces are sanitized. More attention is being paid to methods that require less contact.

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Graphics by Jesussanz

Leah: There is low risk of disease transmission on an aircraft. We are using hospital-grade HEPA filters. As a result, cabin air systems remove 99.7 percent of small particles. And every night we give the cabin and interior of the plane a deep cleaning.

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“It’s time to come out of the fifteen-month cocoon and become a butterfly.”

—Jerry Amante

What are you saying or doing about vaccinations?

Michele: The Orange County Fairgrounds will not perform vaccine checks, but we do encourage people to get vaccinated.

Jerry: I don’t foresee that our industry will focus on either credentials or a clearing procedure.

Barry: There absolutely will not be a domestic vaccine passport.

Carole: Internationally, there’s a lot of confusion because so many different practices and jurisdictions are involved. A lot of work is being done to align policies and practices in different countries. We are watching that carefully.

What do you do about conflicting guidelines?

Michele: The Orange County Fair and Event Center is an agency of the California State Department of Agriculture. It’s been confusing.

Leah: Southwest Airlines has a website where you can look up the restrictions various countries have in place. You should also check with the CDC and with the individual countries you plan to visit. We are trying hard to partner across industries, but it is difficult. The information is very fragmented right now. Currently, the State of Hawaii requires a negative COVID test and your vaccination card.

Barry: We have clinics in the airport where you can get tested. Know what you need to do before you go.

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In closing, what message would you like to send?

Barry: I hope that folks take away from this panel today the idea that you are safe. We are focused on your comfort and safety.

Jerry: All our industry partners are focused on giving you a safe travel experience.

Michele: We’ve spent fifteen months getting ready for the return of our guests and the reopening of our economy. We in the industry have done our part, and we are asking visitors to do their part so that we can continue to offer great travel and great experiences.

Leah: When it comes to safety measures, we’ve got you covered.

Jerry: People are traveling once again. It’s time to come out of the fifteen-month cocoon and become a butterfly.

And in the article mentioned above, Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva encourages readers “to plan a road trip in state. Visit our urban centers to take in their fantastic arts scene and nightlife. Rediscover all the best destinations and experiences we as Californians love about our state. Maybe even to go Disneyland.” She adds, “It’s the most important thing we can do to celebrate the reopening of California and jumpstart its economy.”

Graphics by Jesussanz

Leah: Maybe vaccination can help people avoid quarantines. Right now, each country has different requirements and different credentials so standardizing validation is hard.

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Travel Tips 1. Plan ahead. Now is not the time for spur-of-the-moment touring. If you want to visit specific amusement parks, battlefields, caves, museums, national monuments, peaks, theaters, valleys, volcano viewing areas, or other special attractions for which access is limited and reservations or tickets may be required, be aware that some of these destinations are limiting crowd size. Make your arrangements well in advance to avoid being disappointed.

2. Allow time to wait. People are traveling again in droves. Make your reservations early and adjust your schedule to allow time for the inevitable periods spent caught in traffic or waiting in lines. Also, be aware that many restaurants are still understaffed and, in some instances, are not yet operating at full capacity. Getting seated and served may take longer than usual.

3. Know what is required. When choosing both a means of travel and a destination, check with your carrier(s) and on destination websites to learn what regulations are in place and what credentials and certifications are required either by your carrier or by the places you plan to visit.

Know in advance whether you will need a mask, proof of a recent and negative COVID test, or your vaccination card. In some instances, failure to comply could result in your not being allowed to enter or in your being quarantined somewhere short of your destination for several days.

Graphics by Ivan Salmeron

4. Apply for a Known Traveler Number (KTN). If you plan to travel by air, consider taking advantage of the Transportation Security Administration’s Precheck Application Program to apply for a Known Traveler Number. After your number is issued, you can use it when making reservations and purchasing tickets. Participating airlines may include an indicator such as “TSA PreCheck,” “TSA Precheck,” or “TSA PRE” on your printed or mobile boarding pass. At the airport, signs will direct you to the TSA PreCheck security checkpoint lanes.

You can apply at the PreCheck Enrollment Center on the Arrivals Level in Terminal C at John Wayne Airport. You will need a valid passport and will have your face and fingerprints scanned.

The processing fee is $85. Once the number is assigned, it is valid for five years. Appointments for this service are recommended and can be made online. For more information, visit either universalenroll.dha.gov or www.identogo.com/tsa-precheck, or call 1-855-347-8371.

5. If you are going on a cruise, check with your travel agent or the cruise line. In mid-May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new guidance for cruise lines which allowed fully vaccinated passengers and crew to gather for activities outdoors, including engaging in extended meal service or beverage consumption, without wearing a mask—except in crowded settings. Although specific requirements vary by cruise line, many require proof of vaccination and use of masks on some occasions.

6. If Hawaii is your dream destination, you are not alone. Be aware that Hawaii requires a negative COVID test and a vaccination card. In addition, the state’s strict COVID policies limit access to tourist sites, and online bookings for favorites go quickly.

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WILDFIRE SEASON

Is Here:

Are You Prepared?

Here is what you can do now to make your home less vulnerable to fire and to be ready to evacuate if you are told to do so.

By Sabrina Blair

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PROGRAMS

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ypically, wildfire season starts in the summer months and lasts until early fall; however, with climate change, the season is starting earlier and lasting longer each year. Southern California is especially prone to wildfires as we have seen with the Holy Fire in 2018 and the Blue Ridge and Silverado Fires in 2020. As we enter the wildfire season, we suggest that you consider what you can do to make your home less vulnerable to fire and to be better prepared to evacuate should you be told to do so.

Home Hardening You may have heard the term “hardening,” but what does it mean? Hardening is the process of making your home less likely to burn and more likely to survive a wildfire. Below are some tips from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) for hardening your home.

Vents. Carried by the wind, embers can travel as far as a mile. To prevent wind-borne embers from entering your home through the vents, cover all vents with 1/16-inch to 1/8-inch metal mesh or use wildland-urban interface (WUI) vents, which are ember resistant.

Rain Gutters. Remove dry leaves, pine needles, and other plant debris from rain gutters. To prevent debris from accumulating in gutters, install a noncombustible gutter cover.

Windows. When you are designing, building, or rebuilding a house, limit the size and number of windows facing any large areas of vegetation. Use dual-paned windows with one pane of tempered glass to resist breakage.

Add screens to increase ember resistance.

Graphics by Ivan Salmeron

Roof. When building a new house or reroofing an existing one, select composition, metal, clay, or tile materials because they are fire resistant. Wood or shingle roofs burn readily and are at high risk of being destroyed during a wildfire.

Walls. For exterior walls, use stucco, fiber cement siding, or fire-retardant and treated wood rather than wooden boards, panels, or shingles, which are more flammable.

Fences. To reduce the likelihood that flames from a burning fence will ignite your home, either leave space between a wooden fence and your house or upgrade the last five feet of the fence to a noncombustible material.

For a complete list of tips and additional resources to help you harden your home, visit www.ocrealtors.org/hardening.

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Evacuation Plan In addition to preparing your home for a wildfire, you need to make plans to evacuate quickly, especially if you live near large expanses of vegetation or in an area that is prone to wildfires. Although what you need to do and take with you may seem obvious now, when your local fire department or city government calls to tell you to evacuate, panic may set it and you may have difficulty remembering. Cal Fire suggests that you take the following steps to prepare in advance for an evacuation.

Emergency Meeting Location. Designate an emergency meeting location outside the fire or hazard area.

Fire Extinguishers. Have fire extinguishers on hand, teach family members how to use them, check their expiration dates regularly, and recharge or replace them when necessary.

Emergency Supply Kits. Assemble an Emergency Supply Kit for each person in your family, as recommended by the American Red Cross, and keep one in your car as well.

Pets. Have an evacuation plan for pets and large animals such as horses and other livestock.

Utility Shut-Offs. Know where your gas, electric, and water main shut-off controls are located and how to operate them safely during an emergency.

Communication. Designate an out-of-area friend or relative as a point of contact for family members so that everyone knows to contact that one person in case you become separated from one another.

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For additional tips about evacuation preparedness, visit www.ocrealtors.org/evacuation. To view all wildfire preparedness resources from Cal Fire, visit www.readyforwildfire.org. And to learn more about Emergency Supply Kits, visit www.redcross.org and see Emergency Preparedness.

Graphics by Ivan Salmeron

Exit Routes. Plan your exit route. Have an alternate route in mind in case the one you initially selected is blocked, closed, or otherwise impassable.

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The Six P’s for Your Evacuation P eople and pets P apers, phone numbers, and important documents P rescriptions, vitamins, and eyeglasses P ictures and irreplaceable memorabilia P ersonal computer hard drives and disks P lastic (credit cards, ATM cards) and cash

Your Emergency Supply Kit Depending on the type of emergency, the length of time your evacuation is expected to last, and the number of people and pets in your family, your Emergency Supply Kit might include some or all of the following items:

Face masks or coverings Three-day supply of nonperishable food Three gallons of water per person Map marked with at least two evacuation routes Change of clothing Emergency blanket Flashlight First-aid kit Sanitation supplies An extra set of car keys Battery-powered radio with extra batteries Pet food and water

For additional tips about evacuation preparedness, visit www.ocrealtors.org/evacuation. To view all wildfire preparedness resources from Cal Fire, visit www.readyforwildfire.org. And to learn more about Emergency Supply Kits, visit www.redcross.org and see Emergency Preparedness.

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Enjoy A Safe

Increase your water competency, know how to spot a swimmer in trouble, teach young children to swim, never swim alone, and always watch the water!

By Sherri Butterfield WRITER AND EDITOR

On June 16, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that a total of 146,456,124 Americans, or 44.1 percent of the U.S. population, had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In California, 18,660,531 people, or 47.23 percent of the Golden State’s population, had been fully vaccinated. Within fifteen months, the country has moved from a situation in which it was frightfully vulnerable to a deadly virus to one in which steadily increasing immunity offers a widening margin of protection.

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As a result, many of the restrictions that were put in place beginning in mid-March 2020 to slow the spread of the coronavirus have been either relaxed or removed entirely. People can come together once again to work, worship, and play.

They can gather to celebrate special occasions or simply to enjoy one another’s company. They can either travel by airplane, bus, or train to distant vacation spots or stay close to home and visit local amusement parks, museums, beaches, lakes, rivers, and swimming pools.

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER

No matter what the destination, the lure of water is hard to ignore. Water can be both delightful and dangerous. The primary danger associated with water is drowning. Drowning is suffocation by submersion.

It can occur in thirty seconds or less and will occur within three minutes. Children can drown in as little as two inches of standing water. Tragically, nearly half of all drowning incidents are fatal. And although most victims of nonfatal drowning recover, some are left with long-term neurologic deficits.

According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of injury death for young children ages one to fourteen.

In fact, drowning kills more children between the ages of one and four than anything else except birth defects.

Three children die every day as a result of drowning, and the majority of drownings involving preschool-aged children take place in swimming pools.

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During 2019, the Orange County Fire Authority responded to a total of 114 drowning incidents.

Most of these incidents occurred at the beach or the bay. Of these incidents, 33 involved children four years old and younger, and 33 involved adults over fifty.

The most common reason children drown is a lapse in active adult supervision. Among adults, most drowning incidents involve a medical condition or intoxication. Adults drown because they swim alone and no one is around to help them if they are injured, suffer a seizure, or otherwise become incapacitated while in water.

To prevent drowning, prepare yourself, your family, and your pool for a safe swimming season.

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PREPARATION 1. Prepare yourself. Learn to swim. Increase your water competency so that you are better able to anticipate, avoid, and survive common drowning situations. Be aware that children drown without a sound. Know how to spot a swimmer in trouble. Practice treading water and other skills you might use to aid a swimmer who is struggling or to keep yourself afloat until help arrives. Brush up on rescue and lifesaving techniques—including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

2. Prepare your family. The CDC says that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the likelihood of a childhood drowning death by 88 percent.

3. Prepare your pool. Mount a lifesaving ring, a shepherd’s hook, and a CPR sign near your pool. And keep a working phone close by to summon help quickly in an emergency.

4. Install at least two safety devices. For example, to prevent a small child from entering your pool unnoticed, install an unclimbable, five-foot fence between your residence and the pool. Install a self-closing and self-latching device with a release mechanism at least 54 inches above the floor on the door of your home that leads directly to the pool. And place in your pool a motion-sensing alarm that will sound in the event of accidental or unauthorized entry.

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MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER 12 ft.

8 ft.

SUPERVISION 1. Never leave a child alone near a pool, spa, bathtub, toilet, water-filled bucket, pond, or any other standing body of water in which a child’s nose and mouth might become submerged.

2. Supervise youngsters when they are near water. Do not rely on either swimming lessons or flotation devices to make any child “water safe.”

3. Keep your eyes on your own children. Do not allow them to play unsupervised in the pool or spa area of a hotel, motel, or club and do not assume that the lifeguard on duty at either a private club or a public pool is watching your children.

4. Remain within arm’s reach of any very young child who is in water.

5. Designate a Water Watcher. During pool parties and other similar social gatherings, ask responsible adults to take turns supervising the pool or spa area, and make the assignment official by giving the designee a Water Watcher tag to wear.

6. Insist that all swimmers leave the pool when swim time is over. Be diligent about ensuring that no child reenters the water unnoticed, unaccompanied, or unsupervised.

7. If a child is missing or unaccounted for, look first in the pool area or any nearby body of water.

PREVENTION 1. Make certain that youngsters wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim.

2. Never swim alone. Even if you are a skilled swimmer, always swim with a companion who can provide help if you need it.

3. Avoid mixing prescription medications, alcohol, and water. In far too many instances, this combination has proven to be fatal.

For More Information To learn more about drowning prevention, water safety, and where to purchase barriers, sensors, and other water-safety devices, visit one or more of the following websites:

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov

Orange County Fire Authority www.ocfa.org/SafetyPrograms/DrowningPrevention.aspx

Jasper Ray Foundation www.jasperray.org

Stop Drowning Now https://stopdrowningnow.org

Orange County Drowning Prevention Task Force https://drowningpreventionoc.org

USA Swimming Foundation www.usaswimmingfoundation.org

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OC REALTOR®

OPINION

THE REAL OC MAJORITY While deep political divisions do exist, they are not because of a virus. They are really over the right to live freely as prescribed by the Constitution versus having to obey Government edicts without question.

By Diane Harkey

Illustration Credit: www.istockphoto.com/Nadzeya_Dzivakova

The Orange County Register editorial titled “Orange County’s True Silent Majority” (June 2, 2021) claims deep political divisions over the virus in Orange County.

While deep political divisions do exist, it is incorrect and oversimplifying to state that they are because of a virus. The division is really over the right to live freely as prescribed by the Constitution versus obey the “authorities” or Government edicts without question.

Emergency orders that shuttered businesses, some forever, prohibited children from attending school, prohibited in-person worship, tracked illness, demanded quarantine of groups of people that were not ill, mandated masks that are of questionable value to prevent a virus, encouraged neighbor tattling on neighbor, and in many instances simply removed or rewrote property rights protections, should have been short-lived but were not. Three weeks to slow the spread turned into over a year and a color coding for a one-sizefits-all state, which is not California.

People are moving to Orange County in droves to escape the crime and lockdowns in other counties, in particular, from our adjacent county Los Angeles. My hope 42

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is that they understand that the reason we are different is because we are wellmanaged financially, and those elected still do listen to constituents.

We are not de-funding our Sheriff, police, deputy sheriffs, or District Attorney. We support law and order and public safety.

We do not want our law enforcement to be on mask detail but to deal with real criminals, especially considering the state’s continued prisoner early release policies.

Deferring to unelected staff for policy is misguided. I vigorously oppose protesting or harassing staff; their job is to make recommendations, not set policy. As elected representatives, the Supervisor’s job is to set policy based on the best advice from staff and input from constituents, which is what I believe the majority of Supervisors have tried to do. When you get five hundred to one thousand people who care enough to stand outside for hours to be heard, you’d better listen to them.

The editorial—and one County Supervisor, newly elected—depicted them as a bunch of anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers or, in essence, uneducated rubes. This is incorrect: most are highly educated and

OPINION

"When you get five hundred to one thousand people who care enough to stand outside for hours to be heard, you’d better listen to them." well-informed. After what they have witnessed over the past year, the concern with further virus mandates, such as passports and vaccination of their children for a virus that rarely affects the young, do not seem far-fetched.

While a few of the protestors outside the County Administration Building may believe the virus was a hoax, or oppose any vaccine, the majority know the virus is real and have done their part to obey the Governor’s State-of-Emergency orders. Many have been vaccinated, which is verified in the editorial, on par with the state, which includes those protesting.

The real objection and fear is that we will be forever tracked and traced, prohibited from living our lives, and that medical passports will become the norm. This is not an unreal fear after what we have witnessed across the nation and this state, and the apps that can be downloaded on your phone to track your medical records.

While OC may have gotten off to a slow start, per the Grand Jury report, our county has outperformed many in virus control. And while this virus or variants may be floating around for a while as most do, we have crossed the Rubicon and can hopefully put this debate behind us. It’s time to move on.

View the editorial in the Orange County Register at https://www.ocregister.com/2021/06/02/ orange-countys-silent-majority/.

Diane Harkey, who formerly served as mayor of Dana Point, represented the 73rd District in the state Assembly, and chaired the California State Board of Equalization, is a candidate for County Supervisor, Fifth District, 2022. Her website is www.HarkeyforSupervisor2022.com, and her email address is diane@dianeharkey.com.

OC REALTOR®

JULY | AUGUST 2021

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WATER SUPPLY

The

ANATOMY of a WATER Leak

By Sherri Butterfield WRITER AND EDITOR

Like the air we breathe and the food we eat, water is essential. In much of Orange County, water is stored in large tanks that have been placed atop hills. Gravity brings the water downhill though larger pipes called water mains to local neighborhoods.

Then, smaller distribution lines carry the water through meters to individual homes.

Valves attached to this system of pipes control both pressure and flow.

Ordinarily, the system operates smoothly, but occasionally, one of the pipes breaks.

Breaks can be caused by excavation work, sudden pressure changes, soil movement and settling, earthquakes, tree roots, corrosive soils that weaken pipes over time, and the natural aging of the material from which the pipes are made.

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Although pipe breaks can happen anywhere, they occur more frequently in older neighborhoods, where the pipes have been in place for a long time. Because these breaks occur underground, they may go unnoticed for a while. Unfortunately, the result can be many gallons of water lost and considerable damage done by water flowing uncontrolled under a sidewalk or roadway.

To minimize the damage and the loss that can be caused by leaks of this kind, be on the lookout for unusual accumulations of water on residential roadway surfaces and report them immediately both to your city public works department and to the district or department that supplies water to your neighborhood. If it is after business hours or on a weekend, use the 24/7 emergency number.

WATER SUPPLY PHOTO

A

1. Late one evening, water from no obvious source begins to flow down the middle of a residential street. (Photo A)

2. The water flows downhill from one or

more cracks in the asphalt in a stream that is almost fifty feet long and seven feet wide and then disappears into another crack in the asphalt. Alerted early the next morning by a concerned resident, the Moulton Niguel Water District sends a crew to identify the source of the leak, turn off the water, mark the asphalt, and put No Parking signs along both sides of the street. The volume and location of the water suggest that the water distribution line to the house across the street is the most likely source of the leak.

PHOTO

B

3. The following day, Water District

workmen come to open the pavement and make the repair.

4. Carefully, they cut along the lines that

had been marked to identify where the distribution line for the house across the street is attached to the main water pipe and then break the asphalt.

5. Once the asphalt has been removed, they Photos by Marion Butterfield

use a pumper truck to take the leaked water out of the hole. (Photo B)

6. After placing a trench-shoring device,

a workman climbs into the hole, where he confirms that the water distribution line needs to be replaced and discovers that the associated main line strap also needs to be replaced.

PHOTO

C

7. The Water District workmen install both a new water distribution line and a new main line strap.

8. Once the repair has been made, they fill the hole with dirt and gravel. (Photo C)

9. A temporary patch makes the street safe for vehicle travel.

10. Several days later, a fresh layer of

asphalt makes the street look as good as new.

OC REALTOR®

JULY | AUGUST 2021

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ANNIVERSARIES

Twenty-Year Anniversaries Abdul Abdul-Hafiz Shannon Adams Lisa Adams Michael A'Hearn Bonnie Ahrens Albert Albrecht Terry Antonius Diana Antoun Ramzi Ataya Nancy Babcock Joy Bailey Laura Baron BahramBehravan Tom Benton Sandra Birtwell David Bowen Donnie Bowen Ronna Jo Brant Freda Breen Lauretta Brown Shirley Bruce Gene Brunn Kenneth Bugna Thomas Bullock David Burress John Cahoon Bill Caiazzo Maggie Camarena Andrew Cano Ozzie Castaneda Albert Chan Pushpa Chandanani Elsa Chang George Chestnut Wen Chiang Elean Chik Rosemary Clark Sandra Clawson Tony Coil Robert Collins Steve Concialdi Kelli Cooper 46

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David Cops Helen Coughlin James Curtis Sharon Custer Sandra Dawson Elizabeth DeBiasi Susan De Mari Nita Desai Merrill DeVre Jamie Diamond Pat Doke Kathy Dorsa Peter Dorsa Beverly Dove Nancy Dresser Craig Druckrey Linda Earlywine Cyndi Elders Dede Engelbrecht Leslie Eskildsen Edward Estrada Tim Fahl Thalia Faklis Sami Fargo Tony Fletcher Gail Foor Laura Ford Tina Fowler Christopher Froboese Patrick Gallagher Geri K. H. Gaw Donna Gillespie David Golbahar Maria Elena Gomez Sanfeliu Heidi Gonili Chris Goodwin James Gordon Michelle Greer Stanfield Mark Griffith Stella Guild Moses Guillen Pat Gutman Suzanne Hall Patricia Halman-Menne Faith Hamer Steve Hathaway

OC REALTOR®

Robert Hays Lisa Heaney Wendy Hickman Jenean Hill Abe Hinderaker Donna Hinshaw Devon Hocker Daniel Hoeller Parisa Houshangi Janet Howland Samuel Hsieh Rory Hughes April Hung Bryn Hutchinson David Huynh Mary Jafarkhani Mike Jafarkhani Kathi Jesse Karl Jones Sam Kabab Michael Kanaly Lisa Karos Keyhan Kavoosi Nancy Keeley-Campbell Michael Kelly Carol Kemp Tobi Killion Elias Klaeb Kazia Kmak Sandy Kocsis Carol Kokol Linda Lambright Mike Langgle Jonathan Leo Karen Lett Pennie Levers Charlie Lewis Ty Loosmore Gloria Lozano Tamberlyn Luketich Jeannie Luong Cheryl Lynch Ed Maguyon Dan Mahgerefteh Sherry Mancini Azar Manoochehri

Jamie Marangell Linda Markunas Ryan Marshall Craig Martin Julie Martin Keli McCall Catherine McCartin Gail McClendon Diane McDonald Kindra McMahon Scott Mednick Paula Melanson Diane Merassa Richard Miller Glen Mills Diana Monroe Rose Marie Moriarty Larry Morris Ronda Mottl Frank Musetich Toni Nagel Leonard Newman Donna Newman Elinor Newman Alex Ngo Thao Nguyen Kathleen Niakan Pamela Norry Parisa Nourse Calley O'Henley Cesi Pagano Jennifer Palmquist Janet Panichi William Partnoff Arcilee Payne Gary Peterson Donald Pfaff Dollie Poulos Tami Pourtabib Prue Putnins Imelda Ranney Scott Redsun Fred Regius Angie Reyes Maureen Riggs Robin Riley

ANNIVERSARIES Dianna Roberson Robyn Robinson Rosario Rodriguez Jeff Roehrick Shawnna Rogalla Georgia Romero Darel Rosen Evi Rosen Andrew Rowan Elizabeth Ryan Christopher Samuelson Art Sanchez Danny Sanchez Mike Sandler Hosana Saputra Grace Sein Shohreh Shafizadeh Paul Shapiro Amir Sharifi Greg Sharp Daniel Shell Grace Shih Ben Shipin Kim Skjerven Mary Spitz Mary Jo Stackhouse Ronald Staley Gary Sully Jane Sungaila Bob Switzer Laura Syme Toshiko Takahashi Patti Tenerelli Jeff Tiss Misty Tracy Beatriz Valentine Brandi Vanderbeek Matt Vanderbeek Justin VanLeeuwen Tess Vizon Stephanie Walling Jack Wang Jenny Warkenton Fumiyuki Watanabe Gary Watts Deborah Willard Ann Williams Sandra Williams Brian Wilson Dale Wood Jon Woods Ed Wright Kimber Wuerfel Colleen Wurzell Maria Xanthakis David Yang Oliver Yildiz Edward Young Laura Zeis-Albert Karen Zivkovic

Thirty-Year Anniversaries Jason Abboud Mary Ann Aguirre Smita Aryamane Dod Bateman Peggy Coon Arne DeWitt Brad Dhesi Denise Durrell Mary Emami Nancy Feathers Dale Ford Sylvia Harsin Rosalinda Hernandez Brian Hoksbergen Susie Hopson-Blum Ed Hunter Christopher Mahr Joe Mestro Neil Nilchian Shalan Nowak Cas Pinkowski Roni Raczkowski Scott Richardson Medi Ryan Soheila Sadr Karim Salimi Elizabeth Scott Bharti Shah Jim Shockey Edward Sohn Harry Sukla Anthony Swift Rita Tayenaka Bob Wein Cathy Welch

Fifty-Year

Anniversaries ROBERT CONRAD

Congratulations, Robert Conrad!

Robert Conrad has been a member of our Association and its predecessor boards for an astounding fifty years, and we want to express our appreciation for his loyalty and dedication to organized real estate.

Bob received his real estate license in 1969 after graduating from San Clemente High School at the age of 18. He attended Northern Arizona University for a year, long enough to meet his wife, Mary Jo, then started his career under the mentoring of his father, George Conrad.

George passed the ownership to Bob in in 1975. Since then, Bob and Mary Jo’s sons, Jeremy, Steve, and Bill Conrad, have joined the business and will carry the torch into the future. Also, one of their twelve grandchildren, Micah, recently received his real estate license.

When asked the secret to his long and successful career, Bob responded, “I attribute my company’s success to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Values need to have a place to start from, and mine start with the Creator and His values!”

KEITH SNIDER

Forty-Year Anniversaries

Congratulations, Keith Snider!

Pat Chong Patty Ann Cook Lou Epstein Jim Haacker JoAn Hawley-Verstraete Michael Hixson Richard Julian Ara Kasarian Janice Konkol Jeanne LaFourcade Jeffrey Maass Kathy McIntee Cheryl Newton Dan Raphael Sally Reinholdt Diane Seidel Harry Solomon Rod Surratt Margaret Van Herk Joan Wilson

Keith Snider has been a member of our Association and its predecessor boards for an astounding fifty years, and we want to express our appreciation for his loyalty and dedication to organized real estate.

After a successful career in the automotive industry brought Keith to Orange County, California, he decided to activate his real estate license in the city where he and his family had chosen to locate—Huntington Beach. He joined the local board and took a job working under then-President Phillip MacManee. Two years later, Keith bought the business.

Today, Keith remains a dedicated real estate licensee and member of Orange County REALTORS® and would say to anyone considering going into the real estate business or just starting out in it, “No matter what kind of housing market you’re facing—good or bad—practice the fundamentals, prepare yourself daily, and plan to work hard.”

Orange County REALTORS® believes that there is no way to build a great Association without great people, and it is the work performed every day by longtime members like Bob and Keith that fuels our success.

OC REALTOR®

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