Contents SUMMER 2022
Features
06
Take The Lead
08
Best Real Estate Advice
Departments
09
Read To Get The Competitive Edge
In Every Issue
10
Ask Vonnie! Real Estate Questions
03
MEMO FROM THE EDITOR Vonnie Judge
04
Calendar of Event Upcoming Classes
Cover Credits: Vonnie Judge Photo Credit: Silvio Suarez
COMPSNEWS.COM | SUMMER 2022 | 2
MEMO FROM THE EDITOR
COMPS NEWS WWW.COMPSNEWS.COM Publisher & Editor Savonnia Sharp Judge Editorial Consultant Scherrie Poindexter Art Design & Support Zyaire Judge Contributing Photographers Silvio Suarez
Welcome to Comps News, Photo: Trey Hopkins
Media Consultant Savonnia Sharp Judge Distribution
This business-focused publication shares valuable advice from successful industry leaders while highlighting the journey of our current and former students. As we launch into new territories, I thank my wonderful students and sponsors for making Comps Academy one of the most highly sought-after real estate schools for the past 4 years. Let's continue to victoriously grow our industry, communities, and businesses together!! Kind Regards, Vonnie Judge
6271 CAROLINA COMMONS DR. INDIAN LAND 867 STOCKBRIDGE DR. FORT MILL 1750 HWY 160 W. FORT MILL 500 MERCANTILE PL. FORT MILL 2750 CELANESE RD. ROCK HILL
COMPS NEWS is published three times per year by JUDGE REALTY LLC.
All rights reserved. Reproduction electronically or in print format without the express written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited and a violation of US copyrights laws Inquiries to: COMPS NEWS PO Box 532, Huntersville, NC 28070
MARK YOUR CALENDAR www.CompsAcademy.com
May
2
Upcoming Classes
May
16
SC Property Management May 2 - May 6 9 am to 3:30 pm Online via Zoom SC Real Estate Property Manager Applicants must complete a 30-hour Property Management course.
NC Post License 302 May 16 - May 25 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Online via Zoom
NC Provisional Brokers must complete 90 hours of Post Licensing courses within 18 months for a full Broker license.
Jul
18 SC Advanced Principles August 8 - August 12 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Online via Zoom
SC Real Estate Salesperson Applicants must complete a 60hour Pre-Licensing course and 30-hour Advanced Principles.
COMPSNEWS.COM | SUMMER 2022 | 4
Aug
8
SC Pre- Licensing July 18 - July 29 9 am to 3:30 pm Online via Zoom
SC Real Estate Salesperson Applicants must complete a 60-hour Pre-Licensing course and 30-hour Advanced Principles.
www.CompsAcademy.com Tel. 800-941-2130
Aug
Upcoming Classes
16 Aug
30
NC Post License 303 August 16 - August 25 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Online via Zoom NC Provisional Brokers must complete 90 hours of Post Licensing courses within 18 months for a full Broker license.
SC Pre- Licensing Aug 30 - Nov 3 6 pm - 9 pm Online via Zoom
SC Real Estate Salesperson Applicants must complete a 60-hour Pre-Licensing course and 30-hour Advanced Principles.
Sept
12
SC Pre- Licensing Sept 12 - Sept 29 9 am to 3:30 pm Online via Zoom
Submission
SC Real Estate Salesperson Applicants must complete a 60-hour Pre-Licensing course and 30-hour Advanced Principles.
Comps News Submission Deadline July 5 News@CompsNews.com We want to hear from current or former Comps Students!! Participate in the upcoming issue by submitting your Must Read author and book’s title or Best Advice for new, or experienced agents.
Jul
5
Take The Lead As a child, I had some learning delays. Fortunately, my family always told me that I could do anything that I set my mind to do. The problem is that I believe them, and it's reflected in my journey. I'm so grateful to have such an encouraging family and impressive male mentors who recognized and honed my talents and skills. Words can't describe my appreciation, so Thank You!
V
onnie is a proud Navy brat who has lived in many places, including Japan, California, and New Jersey. Still, she considers Charleston, South Carolina or more specifically Wadmalaw Island, to be home. She recalls,” I was a little country girl who enjoyed running down my grandparent’s field barefooted trying to keep up with my older cousins to play tag, climb trees, or catch lightning bugs. ”
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Her grandparents raised her for most of her life while Vonnie’s mother, Cheryl, was in college and after her death. Her family was poor, but her grandparents’ love meant everything. “As a child, I was so goofy and felt so out of place most of the time, but my grandparents’ love made me whole. They always just let me be me,” she reminisces. After graduating from St. John’s High School, Vonnie visited a high school friend in Charlotte, North
Carolina. They explored Uptown, where the statues and buildings hovered over them like giants. She shares, “At that moment, I knew that I was moving here.“ The towering skyscrapers transcended her to the first time she saw buildings so memorable in Tokyo, Japan, with her parents. Upon completing her two-year program at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, Vonnie transferred to UNCC in Charlotte to pursue her engineering degree. “I was so motivated to become an engineer despite its challenging curriculum. I remember in my freshman year having a male instructor telling me that I should consider a less demanding field, because I was struggling,” she recalls. Unlike most 19-year-old college students, Vonnie not only worked part-time while attending college full-time, but she became a firsttime homeowner who was briefly the sole legal guardian of her two teenage siblings after the death of their mother. “I didn’t want pity, so I never told any of my instructors about the levels of my responsibilities. I just worked harder to be my best,” she shares. In 2000, Vonnie moved to Charlotte without knowing anyone since her high school friend had relocated to Florida. She credits growing up as a military child for making it natural to be in a foreign place that required her to get out of her comfort zone to meet new people. She says, “ I worked to support myself, and nothing was paying well, so I worked two jobs at times.“ Then she landed an incredible opportunity with Centex Home Team, where she started as a scheduler. Within less than a year, she became the youngest office manager for the multimillion-dollar brand. She expresses, “I discovered a new love, and it was for business.” Her branch manager, George Bond, was understandably nervous about
giving someone so young the significant responsibility of assisting him in running the Charlotte branch. However, Vonnie approached the critical moment focused on being her best, and over time George trusted her to lead in her own fashion. The Charlotte branch began to thrive, and their corporate office took notice. The Charlotte branch continued to set records and received corporate recognition under Vonnie’s leadership. She confesses, “I was living a crazy dream where I was working a respectable job that I unquestionably cherished. It paid well, so I was able to purchase my second home at the age of 22 without a college degree. I’m not saying to not finish school, because I did. “ Entering her senior year of college, Vonnie realized that she no longer desired to be an engineer. “I changed direction and never looked back. The field of business allowed me to be my authentic self where I honestly felt out of place in my male- dominated engineering classes where I had to tone down my personality to fit in,” she describes. Vonnie moved back to North Charleston where she graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.S in Accounting. She spent the summer before graduating college in real estate school. She admits, “I really didn’t have a clue of all the responsibilities required of agents, but since I was interested in real estate investment, I took my Charlotte real estate agent's advice and got my license.” Vonnie began her real estate career working with a small firm under the supervision of Paul Samuels, whom she praises as being the most influential mentor that she still turns to for advice in her career. “He saw my potential and afforded me the support and freedom to develop my niche to build my business. I’m a broker today, because of his stern
encouragement to do so early in my career, ”she shares. Under Paul’s leadership, Vonnie received sales recognition for being in the Million Dollar Club in her first year in business. Vonnie was offered the opportunity to be the broker in charge of the firm before she was 30, but Vonnie declined the opportunity. “I was flattered, but I understood leadership requires strategic planning and vast experience. I feared that I didn’t have either at that time,“ she explains.
industry. I had impressive male mentors who shaped me into a competitively strong, courageously bold, kind yet tough business leader. But more importantly, they just let me be the phenomenal woman that I am. I’m truly grateful for my late stepfather, Terry Sharp, who instilled the importance of temperament and leadership in me as a child, which I embody in all that I do." Currently, Vonnie is the first black woman to successfully own a
photo credit: Silvio Suarez
Therefore, Vonnie joined another remarkable real estate mentors, Jason Pee, at a more prominent firm. She flourished under the eventempered supervision of Claude Loadholt Jr. She shares, “My business revenue more than tripled through their unwavering support and guidance.” Vonnie worked at that firm until she and her family moved back to the Charlotte area in 2014. “ Moving back to the Charlotte was unexpected, but I knew it was time for me to take the lead in this transition.” She continues, ” I love telling people I have been groomed to survive in a male-dominanted
real estate school in South Carolina, and she is also one of the first black woman brokers in charge in South Carolina. Her real estate firm, Sharp Judge Realty Group, and real estate school, Comps Academy, are licensed to operate across the Carolinas. When she is not leading her new agents or students, Vonnie enjoys spending time with her family in the two places, that she now calls home, near Charleston and Charlotte.
800-674-3662
Best Real Estate Advice Featuring former Comps' students in random order.
Jasmine Clyburn Denise Gordon LLC Real Estate Services 114 East Gay St Lancaster, SC 29720 803-577-4852 www.denisegordonllc.com
Find a broker-in-charge that will take the time to train you, answer any questions that you may have, and make sure you have a good foundation under you.
Kim Hanushek
Brandon Gafgen The Baxter Team @ RE/MAX Executive 6280 Carolina Commons Drive, Suite 300 Indian Land, SC 29707 843-290-2368 https://thebaxterteam.com
Learn as much as you can from the classes you take, your BIC, other Realtors in your office, and do not be afraid to ask questions.
Sydney Johnson "Never compare your success to another agent’s success." 704-999-1876 Sydney@ABCharlotte.com
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Barbara Garcia "Being a silent agent will eventually result in you having a very expensive hobby." 646-275-4697 Barbara@SharpJudgeRealtyGroup.com
EXP Realty 1376 Broadcloth Street Suite 102 Fort Mill, SC 29715 704-618-6081 www.hanushekhomes.com
Always remain humble, ask questions, and become a student of the business. Knowledge is power. Always give exceptional service to your clients and other agents.
Garrett Small "Be in it to win it, don’t be afraid of rejection, consistency conquers it all." 910-523-8921 Garrett@StephenCooley.com
Read to Get the Competitive Edge The Intentional Inclusionist Dr. Nika White | 2017 | $14.99 In this short read learn how powerful inclusion can be for your company. The Intentional Inclusionist™” is for leaders who want to grow as inclusion-minded individuals and exercise their leadership to enhance the workplace, build communities, and have a positive impact on any circle of influence to which they belong. Order: www.NikaWhite.com & Amazon
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent Gary Keller, Dave Jenks, Jay Papasan | 2002 | $16.70 The Millionaire Real Estate Agent explains: Three concepts that drive production, Economic, organizational, and lead generation models that are the foundations of any high-achiever's business, How to "Earn a Million," "Net a Million," and "Receive a Million" in annual income Order: Amazon
Brave Leadership: Unleash Your Most Confident, Powerful, and Authentic Self to Get the Results Kimberly Davis | 2018 | $23.70 Brave Leadership is the essential guide for leaders in today's ever-shifting world. Wherever you are in your leadership journey new, seasoned, young, or old. If you aspire to be the best leader you can be, then this book is for you. Order: Amazon & www. braveleadershipuniversity.com
Ask Vonnie!
Q
The number of real estate questions I answer daily often surprises me. While teaching a CE class, I asked licensees who would they call to answers their real estate questions. A student shouted, “We would just Ask Vonnie!”
Q.
A.
the SC’s purchase Q. Since agreement has a due
When is the effective date of the new South Carolina's purchase agreement?
diligence clause, is the finance contingency automatically waived?
like the appraisal A. No, contingency, finance is still another term within the purchasing contract for the buyer and seller to negotiate.
It's June 13, 2022.
the SC's purchase Q. Since agreement has a due diligence clause, is the appraisal contingency automatically waived?
A. No, the appraisal contingency clause is still a term in the contract that the buyer and seller may negotiate.
COMPSNEWS.COM | SUMMER 2022 | 10
Is the due diligence Q. fee payable to the seller upfront?
A.
No, it’s only paid if the buyer cancels the contract during the due diligence period.
Got A Real Estate Question?
Q
Department
AskVonnie@CompsNews.com
Does the new SC’s purchase Q. contract requires the sellers
Q.
to address certain repairs as a standard like the old contract?
A.
No. All repairs are negotiable between the buyers and sellers.
Q. A.
a start, but buyers A. It’s must also deliver the termination fee to the sellers before the 6 pm due diligence deadline.
What if the sellers refuse to make repairs or ignore the buyer's repair requests?
A buyer may accept the home as-is or pay the due diligence fee to terminate the contract.
Does sending the letter of termination sufficiently cancels the contract during the due diligence period?
the buyer's Q. Can earnest money be used to pay the due diligence fee?
A.
No. These are two different categories of funds that are held and payable to two different parties in the transaction.
Got A Real Estate Question? Ask Vonnie! Submit your questions to AskVonnie@CompsNews.com.