st. augustine board of realtors august borforward newsletter
DESCRIPTION
St Augustine & St Johns Board of Realtors member newsletterTRANSCRIPT
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A U G U S T 2 0 1 1
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 8
B O R F O R W A R D
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Officers & Directors 2
Calendar 3
REALTOR/Affiliate 4
New Members 5
St. Augustine August
Schedule of Events
6
MARS Rule 7
Builders Council News 8
Go Green 9
Tech Tip 10
CCIM
& REALTOR Trivia
11
August General
Membership Luncheon
12
RPAC Update 13
August S.A.F.E Article/
REALTOR Trivia
14
Victor J. Raymos/
John “Jay” Kane
15
Important Contact Info 16
Master Trainer Seminar 17
Commercial CIE Forum 18
Affiliate Trade Show 19
2011 Legislative Re-cap 20-21
Wally Conway 22
Monthly Statistics 23
September Preview
Staff Contact Information
24
BOR PUBLIC WEBSITE: www.stjohnsrealtors.com
Dear Florida Realtors and Affiliates;
We know that you are very concerned about property insurance. Companies are canceling policies or raising rates, sinkhole coverage is getting more and more expensive, Congress is running up on a deadline to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program…I could go on and on.
In light of the tremendous interest in property insurance issues, we wanted you to know about several opportunities at the Florida Realtors Convention. The Convention and Trade Expo is being held at Orland at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort from Tuesday, August 23, 2011 through Sunday, August 28, 2011.
The Florida Realtors Insurance Subcommittee meets on Friday, August 26 from 1:00-2:30pm in Wekiwa 6. Florida’s Insurance Commissioner, Kevin McCarty, will be at this meeting. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (CPIC) will also be represented at this meeting by their director of legislative affairs, Christine Turner Ashburn.
As an aside, those with health insurance coverage concerns will be pleased to hear from Rose Naff, CEO of Florida Health Choices, about health insurance options at this meeting.
Next, Florida Realtors is pleased to announce a new addition to our Trade Expo. The Insurance Subcommittee has arranged for approximately 15 property insurance companies - representing one sixth of Florida’s total property insurance policyholders – to be on hand for both days of the Expo. Representatives will be present so that Florida Realtors can have all of their property insurance questions answered.
Realtors attending the Convention are encouraged to bring their policies, claims questions and other issues so that they can have face time with these insurance officials. If successful, this could become an annual part of our program.
Look for the specially designated ―Property Insurance Company‖ section of the Expo. Among the insurance companies that have confirmed their attendance at the Expo so far are:
American integrity Insurance Company – Tampa
Security First Insurance Company – Ormond Beach
Sawgrass Mutual – Ft. Lauderdale
United Insurance Company – St. Pete
Southern Oak Insurance Company– Jacksonville
Florida Peninsula Insurance Company – Boca Raton
Federated National Insurance Company - Ft. Lauderdale
Cypress Insurance Company –Jacksonville
Safe Harbor Insurance Company/Cabrillio General Agency - Gainesville
Universal North America – Sarasota
Olympus – Orlando
St John’s – Orlando
I certainly know that property insurance is a major issue for property owners and Realtors across Florida. We hope these opportunities at the Convention will prove successful in conveying our concerns to both state officials and insurance company representatives.
John S
John M. Sebree, DPL
Page 2 B O R F O R W A R D
2011 ST. AUGUSTINE & ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS®
AND MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC. BOARD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
BOARD OF REALTORS® MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC. Chuck Pacetti , PRESIDENT Andrew Birchall, PRESIDENT Homestar Pacetti Realty St. Augustine Realty (O) 827-0600 / (F) 819-9907 / (C ) 669-5000 (O) 824-3331 / (F) 825-2685/ (C ) 392-3362 [email protected] [email protected] Roy Barnes, PRESIDENT-ELECT Dirk Schroeder , PRESIDENT- ELECT St. Augustine Realty Century 21- St. Augustine Properties (O) 824-3331 / (F) 825-2685/ (C ) 669-1430 (O) 797-6000 (F) 797-7963/ (C ) 540-2360 [email protected] [email protected] Kea Blalock - SECRETARY Katherine Delaney – SECRETARY Saltwater Property Group Watson Realty (US1)
(O) 829-2002/ (F) 829-2029/ (C ) 814-2424 (O) 797-8600/ (F) 797-8606/ (C ) 669-2115 [email protected] [email protected] Gene Johnson – TREASURER Robert West - TREASURER
Watson Realty (US 1) Coldwell Banker Premier Properties (O) 797-8600 (F) 797-8606 (C ) 710-1090 (O) 471-4204 / (F) 471-4216 / (C ) 814-2006 [email protected] [email protected]
DIRECTORS DIRECTORS Roberta Odom (2) Ron Barry (2) Re/Max 100 Realty St. Augustine Team Realty
(O) 461-9500 (F) 461-9501 (C ) 466-0114 (O) 825-0099 (F) 513-9264 (C ) 501-2424 [email protected] [email protected] Edward Paucek (2) Paula Silberberg (2) Moses Creek Realty Watson Realty (A1A)
((C ) 669-6422 (O) 461-9066 (F) 461-9925 (C ) 687-8803 [email protected] [email protected] Bill Thew (2) Joe Hatin (2) Olde Carriage Realty Saltwater Property Group (O) 824-4500 (F) 824-6866(C ) 347-6736 (O) 829-2002 (F) 829-2029 (C ) 669-5099 [email protected] [email protected] Dianne Pittman (1) Tom Scheirer (1) Watson Realty (US 1) Scheirer Realty (O) 797-8600 (F) 797-8606 (C ) 540-9644 (O) 461-9557 (F) 471-7220 [email protected] [email protected] Gayle Logan (1) Ian Edmonson, P.A. (1) Watson Realty (A1A) Edmonson & Associates Real Estate, Inc. (O) 461-9066 (F) 461-9925 (C) 669-2778 (O) 827-0722 (F) 638-4746 (C) 315-0997 [email protected] [email protected] Judi Schuyler (1) Michael DeLorenzo, PAST- PRESIDENT Coldwell Banker Premier Properties Olde Carriage Realty (O) 471-4204 (F) 471-4216 (C ) 669-0788 (O) 824-4500 (F) 824-6866 (C ) 377-5582 [email protected] [email protected] Teresa Mercurio, PAST-PRESIDENT Chuck Pacetti , Ex-Officio Re/Max 100 Realty Homestar Pacetti Realty (O) 461-9500 (F) 461-9501 (C ) 377-0974 (O) 827-0600 (F) 819-9907 (C ) 669-5000 [email protected] [email protected] Andrew Birchall, Ex-Officio St. Augustine Realty Victor J. Raymos, Ex-officio
( O) 824-3331 / (F) 825-2685/ (C ) 392-3362 (O) 829-8738 (F) 823-9512 (C) 505-220-8683
[email protected] [email protected]
Victor J. Raymos, Ex-officio
(O) 829-8738 (F) 823-9512 (C) 505-220-8683
Page 3 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 8
S C H E D U L E O F E V E N T S
1st—Education Committee
9am
RPAC Committee 12pm
3rd —Commercial
Committee 8:30am
Technology Committee
9:30am
4th—Vacant Land 9am
8th—Android Users Group
9am
10th—Affiliate Committee
9am
11th—Success Series 11CE
8:30am
12th—Success Series11CE
8:30am
Core Law 3CE 1:30pm
16th— Finance Committee
12pm
MLS Training 1pm
17th—Public Relations
9:30am
MLS Board 12pm
REALIST 1:30pm
18st— Board 12pm
19th— General Membership
Meeting Luncheon 11:30am
“School Supply Drive”
31st— iPhone User’s Group 9am
Successfully Selling HUD
Homes in Florida 4CE
1pm—5pm
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8
9 10
11 12 13
Full Moon
14 15
16
17 18 19
General
Membership
Meeting
School Supply
20
21
22 23 24 25 26 27
28
29 30 31
August 2011
Birthstone: Jade, Peridot Flower: Gladiolus
Astrological Signs: Leo: July 23rd - August 22nd, Virgo - August 23rd - September 22nd
“Perseverance and dedication are the key’s for Success.”
R E A L T O R ® S P O T L I G H T – T O N Y P A L A Z Z O
A F F I L I A T E S P O T L I G H T – L O R I E Z E M L O — T D B A N K
Page 4 B O R F O R W A R D
Tony Palazzo
Real Estate Background – Anthony ―Tony‖
Palazzo has resided in St. Augustine since 1983 when he
began his real estate career. After obtaining his brokers
license in 1985, he opened Palazzo Realty and has owned
and operated the business to the present. In May of 1996,
he purchased a Coldwell Banker residential franchise for
the St. Augustine area.
In September 2010 he terminated the association with
Coldwell Banker and returned to Independent status of
Palazzo Realty, Inc.
The office is currently located at 5315 A1A South St.
Augustine, Fl 32080. Specializing in the listing & selling of
residential Homes, Lots, Condominiums and residential
Property Management.
Designations & Awards – Holds the
Realtor designation of GRI Has received designation awards from Coldwell Banker
including:
Premier Office Award
Diamond Society Award
President’s Circle Award
Sterling Society Award
Membership -
National Association of Realtors, Florida Association of
Realtors, St. Augustine Board of Realtors, St. Augustine
Multiple Listing Service, BPOE #829, Knights of Columbus
#7121, Habitat for Humanity, past director, St. Augustine
Yacht Club
Past Experience –
Owner of a dry cleaning plant
Owner of 2 coin laundry locations
Police officer for City of North Miami, Florida
Retired after 24 years with the rank of sergeant in 1983
Tony has served the St. Augustine Board in many capaci-
ties over the years such as MLS Director, RPAC chairman,
Professional Standards, Grievance Committee chairman,
Ethics panel, Arbitration panel, Board of Realtors Director,
Vice Present, and in 1992 was elected Board President.
Anthony “Tony” Palazzo
Lorie was born and raised in Long Island, New York. She
started her ―real‖ professional career in the airlines indus-
try. She worked for American Airlines in their corporate
office for ten years. Lorie served as a Commercial Sales
Auditor until the company relocated its corporate offices to
Oklahoma. She then had the very interesting experience of
working as a ticket agent at LaGuardia Airport. Just ask
Lorie about some of those days!
After starting a family and relocating to Florida, Lorie be-
came an elementary school teacher in Orlando and then
Melrose, Florida. Lorie taught for five years before entering
the banking profession with Merchants & Southern Bank
(M&S) in Melrose. It wasn’t long before she was lured into
the residential lending side of banking by the president of
M&S Bank who asked her to relocate to Gainesville, Flor-
ida.
In 1996 Lorie moved from M&S Bank to SunTrust Mort-
gage Corporation where she soon became a top producing
loan officer in Gainesville. After 8 years, SunTrust Mort-
gage offered Lorie an opportunity to move St. Augustine,
Florida – a move that she has never regretted. Lorie re-
tired from SunTrust Mortgage in early 2009 with over 17
years with the company.
Lorie Zemlo is now a Senior Mortgage Lending Officer for
TD Bank (formerly Mercantile Bank). Among Lorie’s many
strengths are her easy manor, humor, and personal touch
that she brings to her customers. She specializes in helping
busy professionals navigate complex deals whether they
are buying, building, or refinancing a home - in fact, the
main reasons Lorie joined TD Bank are their incredibly low
Jumbo rates, and their ability to lend at 90% LTV up to $3
million. Lorie’s ability to make the lending process as com-
fortable and stress free as possible has enamored her with
hundreds of loyal customers, as well as dozens of col-
leagues in the industry.
Now a four-time grandmother, Lola as the grandchildren
know her, looks forward to spending as much time as possi-
ble with them. Lorie is married to John Zemlo, and they
have four children - Emily, Brandon, Adam, and Brittany
who are all happy, healthy, and prospering. Please do not
hesitate to call Lorie for assistance or advice any time at
904-669-1188.
Lorie Zemlo Sr. Mortgage Loan Officer
904-669-1188 (FX) 904-471-3201
Lorie Zemlo
J U N E N E W M E M B E R S
Page 5 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 8
NOEL DAVID WEICHERT REALTY
Join Date 06/01/11 (Secondary BOR/Reciprocal MLS)
CARMELA HAENNI WATSON-A1A
Join Date 06/01/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
BEVERLY LANEY COLDWELL BANKER PREMIER PROPERTIES
Join Date 06/06/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
RYAN FORD WATSON-US1
Join Date 06/07/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
REBECCA ROMAINE WATSON-US1
Join Date 06/07/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
DONNA SCHUSTER PRUDENTIAL - SEAGROVE
Join Date 06/07/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
KEN YARBROUGH HOMES & LAND MAGAZINE
Join Date 06/10/11 (Affiliate Member)
LEE BICKNELL RE/MAX 100 REALTY
Join Date 06/13/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
DANIEL WELLS WATSON-US1
Join Date 06/14/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
CHRIS DALLAS PRUDENTIAL - SEAGROVE
Join Date 06/17/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
ROSEMARY DEAN MATANZAS PROPERTIES
Join Date 06/17/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
MICHAEL BURBAN CRESCENT BEACH REALTY
Join Date 06/17/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
COLLEEN IHRIG RE/MAX 100 REALTY
Join Date 06/17/11 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)
LAURA MCINNES VIP STAGING & HOME MANAGEMENT
Join Date 06/20/11 (Secondary BOR/Reciprocal MLS)
A U G U S T F E S T I V A L S A N D S P E C I A L E V E N T S I N H I S T O R I C S T . A U G U S T I N E
Page 6 B O R F O R W A R D
First Friday ArtWalk (Every Month 2011) - Self-guided walking tour of numerous art galleries 5p-9p (904)829-0065 Changing of the Guard: Saturday Night Nightly changing of the guard in St Augustine, a Spanish military tradition, will be re-enacted at 7pm each Saturday through Sept. 3 in front of the Government House in the Plaza de la Constitution. (Aug 5) Concert in the Plaza: Weekly Concerts in the Downtown Plaza are free of charge and those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Info: (904)825-1004. (Aug 12)Concert in the Plaza: Weekly Concerts in the Downtown Plaza are free of charge and those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. Info: (904)825-1004 (Aug 13) Florida Agricultural Museum-Orienteering Festival Bring the family and join us today at the Florida Agricultural Museum for a fun day learning how to navigate through the Florida wilderness. This orienteering event is open to all ages and levels of experience. There will be a light competition trail hiking program with different skill level trails featuring one, two and three mile courses. Compasses are available for rent. Admission is $2 per person and map fees are $4 per group. Call (386) 446-7630 for more information.
(Aug 19) Concert in the Plaza: Weekly Concerts in the Downtown Plaza are free of
charge and those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for
seating. Info: (904)825-1004
(Aug 26) Concert in the Plaza: Weekly Concerts in the Downtown Plaza are free of
charge and those attending are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for
seating. Info: (904)825-1004
Page 7 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 8
I M P O R T A N T I N F O R M A T I O N O N T H E M A R S R U L E
For several months NAR has been working with the Federal Trade Commission to minimize the potential impact on real estate
professionals who assist financially distressed clients who obtain short sales. On July 7, 2011 NAR President Ron Phipps met with FTC
Commissioner Jon Leibowitz to further highlight the importance of this issue to REALTORS®. Today the FTC announced that it
will not enforce provisions of the rule against real estate professionals. This is a substantial victory for REALTORS®
S T . J O H N S B U I L D E R S C O U N C I L
Page 8 B O R F O R W A R D
www.stjohnsbuilderscouncil.com
Leona Brown—Director
1789 Lakeside Avenue
St. Augustine, FL 32084
(904)824-8121
Email: [email protected]
Sponsors
Visit
www.st.johnsbuilderscouncil.com
to view last year’s entries and
Showcase Home.
St. Johns Builders Council
It’s that time again!
Sponsored by the St. Johns Builders Council
St. Augustine Record and the Florida Times-Union.
September 3—18th, 2011
Look for Parade of Homes Magazine in the
St. Augustine Record and Florida Times-Union on September 3rd.
Thank you for participating!
Standard Pacific
Mattamy Homes
Richmond American
Lennar Homes
D.R. Horton
Ryland Homes
Providence Homes
Mercedes Homes
St. Johns Housing Partnership
Homes by Deltona
Challenge yourself for one month
The summer months, including August, are typically high energy usage months. The summer heat drives the use of air-conditioners and electric fans. These devices may be partially offset by longer daylight hours that demand less artificial light, but the long, hot days of summer lead to increased energy usage overall. To participate in the first annual August Green Living Challenge, all you need to do is reduce your own electrical consumption.
Develop green living habits
The majority of Americans know the most effective ways to live a greener life already. Driving less and using less fossil-fuel derived electricity are two of the biggest things we can all do to lower our carbon footprints and to live a greener lifestyle. The problem is that it is inconvenient to cut back on our energy consumption. It means turning off our computers when we are away from them and then having to wait for them to reboot. It means planning ahead to consolidate trips instead of running out in our car for each little thing. It is our penchant for choosing the more convenient option that has put us in this position today. For the month of August, the Green Living Challenge is designed to help participants develop green living habits that will persist longer than just one month of the year.
Lights off in empty rooms
The first thing we need to do is dispel the myth that turning the lights on and off uses more electricity than leaving them on when we leave a room for a short time. Who better to dispel myths than the Mythbusters of TV fame. In Episode 69 aired in December of 2006, the Mythbuster crew set up a device to measure the consumption of electric lights when they are turned on and turned off. They found that even the most inefficient electric light bulb used in the home saved more electricity by being turned off for even brief periods than by remaining on. In fact, the break-even point was less than half a second for every bulb tested. If you are leaving a room for less than one half of one second, by all means, leave the light on until you return. If, however, you are leaving the room for more than that, you’ll reduce your usage of electricity by turning the lights off and turning them back on when you return.
Computers and electronics
The next thing we can all do to reduce our electric bills for the August Green Living Challenge is to turn off our computers when we are going to be away from them. That means overnight, while we are away at work, during dinner time, and any other time when we
are not actively using the computer. A typical desktop computer will draw as much electricity as a 100 watt light bulb. Even in standby or sleep mode computers and most peripherals continue to use electricity so follow these tips for reducing electricity usage by electronics devices including televisions, game consoles, and other home entertainment appliances.
Keeping cool without air conditioners
Air conditioners are a big hitter when it comes to reducing electricity usage during hot summer months. Leave the air conditioner off if you can. If you can’t keep it turned off altogether, then adjust the temperature setting. Add five degrees so that it comes on less often and for shorter periods of time. Human beings become acclimated to temperatures relatively quickly. It won’t be long before you barely notice the difference if at all. Turn off the air conditioner overnight altogether. Night temperatures in the Northeast rarely exceed the sixties, and almost never get above the low seventies. Open some windows and let the cool night air in. Lowering window shades on the south side of the house will block the sunlight and reflect it back out through the window so that there is less solar heating during the day. The use of awnings to stop the light from even hitting the window in the first place is even better. Keep the windows closed during the worst of the daily heat to keep the cool air inside, then open them up whenever the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature.
Dishwasher and freezer efficiency
If you use a dishwasher, make sure that it is completely full before running it. If you can cut out several cycles a week through better utilization of the space in the dishwasher, you can add to your energy savings. Keeping the freezer full will also help it maintain its temperature and reduce the compressor’s on-time. If your freezer has lots of empty space, add milk jugs or other containers full of water. Just be sure to leave room in the containers for the water to expand as it freezes. This is especially effective if the freezer is busy, being opened and closed often by the kids looking for popsicles in the summer.
Multiply the effect of your efforts
To really make a difference, pass the August Green Living Challenge along to your friends and family. The biggest impact you can make is to get others to follow your example in reducing the usage of electricity around the home. Be sure to leave comments with your energy saving tips below, and let us know how your participation in the August Green Living Challenge affected your electric bill.
Page 9 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 8
T H E A U G U S T G R E E N L I V I N G C H A L L E N G E
How do you find out how much memory is
left on your computer’s C: drive or any other
drive in your computer?
Follow these steps: (1) Click on ―Start‖ (2)
Click on ―All Programs‖ (3) Click on
―Accessories‖ (4) Click on ―System Tools‖ (5)
Click on ―System Information‖ (6) Under
―System Summary‖ Click on the (+) sign in
front of ―Components‖ (7) Click on the (+)
sign in front of ―Storage‖ (8) Click on
―Drives‖
Once you have arrived at ―Drives‖ you are
able to review all the information concerning
the drives in or attached to your computer.
Example: Find the most common drive, your
c: drive on the list of drives.
Under the Item and Value columns on the
right side of the screen locate ―Drive‖ & ―C:‖
then look for ―Size‖ – this tells you the size
of you C: drive in ―GB‖
Under the Item and Value columns on
the right side of the screen locate ―Drive‖ &
―C:‖ then look for ―Free Space‖ – this tells
you the amount of Free Space let on the C:
drive in ―GB‖
Using this method you can find out the size
of you drive and the amount of available
memory ―free space‖ you have left for your
files. With this information you can deter-
mine if you need to clean out files or buy
another drive.
John Taylor
Broker /Owner
Awesome Real Estate
904-429-0600
Technology Committee ―Tech Tip‖ By: John Taylor
Page 10 B O R F O R W A R D
Page 11 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 8
F U N R E A L E S T A T E T R I V I A
The floors of buildings are called stories because early European builders use to paint picture stories on the sides of their houses. Each floor had a different story.
The most expensive piece of property ever recorded was in October 1988, the Mediya Building in central Tokyo was sold for 358.5 million yen ($248,000) per square foot.
There are almost 314,000 million-dollar homes in the United States, and 41% of these are located in California.
Q. Whose mansion sold for about $2 million after just one day on the market?
A. Soon after the death of George Burns his home was put on the market; the home sold in 24 hours.
Q. Which U.S. hotel has more fountains than any other hotel in the world? A. The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada has more than 1,000 fountains embellishing an 11+ acre artificial lake.
Page 12 B O R F O R W A R D
A U G U S T G E N E R A L M E M B E R S H I P S C H O O L S U P P L Y D R I V E
Page 13 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 8
Yup, we are on top of the HEAP!
Thanks to having a very hard working board and support from our Association members.
As of August 1st
, there are 22 local Associations who have reached goal in 2011. Congratulations to the following Associations:
Amelia Island Nassau County Associa-tion
Citrus County Association
Daytona Beach Area Association
Dixie/Gilchrist/Levy Counties Association
Hernando Area Board
Lake Placid Association
Marathon and the Lower Keys Association
Marco Island Association
Melbourne Area Association
Naples Area Board
Northeast Florida Association
Ocala / Marion County Association
Palm Beach Association
Punta Gorda Port Charlotte Association
St Augustine St John’s County
Association
RA of Indian River County
RA of Martin County
RA of Palm Beaches
Sanibel/Captiva Island Association
Tallahassee Board
Venice Area Board
West Pasco Association
Ed Paucek 2011 RPAC Committee Chair
S T A U G U S T I N E R P A C R E A C H E S G O A L !
Page 14 B O R F O R W A R D
A U G U S T S . A . F . E . A R T I C L E B Y A N D R E W W O O T E N
I know since it's summer, we've been discussing safety basics and we will resume that
next month. But in today's newsletter, I must address this violent trend going on in our
industry. Already in 2011 we have seen a 40% increase in crimes in our industry compared
with all of 2010. This past year has been the most violent year in real estate in all my 26
years of teaching safety to REALTORS. Your safety is important to me, so here are some
basic safety reminders.
1. Showing Your Listings
When a client calls from one of the houses you have listed, please do not go over to the
house. Have that client meet you somewhere public, like Starbucks, McDonald's or a gas
station parking lot. Meeting the client at the property is simply dangerous and has been
proven to be life ending.
2. Driving with Clients in Your Car
This service should have disappeared with the horse and buggy. However, if it is absolutely
necessary, please have someone else ride with you.
3. Listing Appointments
Going over to someone's home alone who you do not know and have only spoken to over
the phone is not a good choice. Just because all the information they gave you checked
out, doesn't mean it's safe. You going over to a listing appointment by yourself is like
playing Russian roulette with a gun. Please take someone with you.
4. Social Media
Social media is a wonderful thing. However, you are in the people business, so please be
mindful of the images you project to the world. Pictures of you relaxing with family and
friends at your pool is not the professional image you want to present. Neither is posting
messages about the wonderful vacation you're on or that you're bored, sitting at an open
house by yourself.
I realize my tone may be a bit harsh, but your safety is important to me and I want you to
just be safe!
Next month we will continue our conversation on safety basics. Should you have any
questions about the information in this newsletter, please contact us.
Andrew Wooten is a certified crime prevention practitioner and the president of S.A.F.E.
(Safety Awareness Firearms Education). He has been in the safety and security industry for
over 26 years. Andrew teaches a variety of safety course all over the country. Visit the
S.A.F.E. website, www.justbesafe.com, for more information.
Page 15 V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 8
V I C T O R J . R A Y M O S C E L E B R A T E S 2 Y E A R A N N I V E R S A R Y
J O H N ― J A Y ‖ K A N E R E C E I V E S N A T I O N A L A C C R E D I T A T I O N
John (Jay) Kane has received the designation of Certified Automotive
Locksmith from the Associated Locksmiths of America. To earn this
designation, Jay had to comply with stringent eligibility requirements,
including meting education and work experience. He also had to
successfully complete a comprehensive examination that tested his
knowledge and skills in major areas of automotive lock-smithing.
Jay is the senior locksmith at Pop-A-Lock of St. Augustine which is
an Affiliate member of our Board.
John ―Jay‖ Kane
Can you believe it? It is my honor and privilege to announce that our new AE –
Victor J. Raymos has been with us now for two years as of July 1st, and is doing
a fantastic job! So I guess he’s no longer our new AE, but our carefully chosen,
extremely competent AE! If you haven’t met Victor yet, I encourage you to stop
by the Board office and do so. While you’re there – be sure and ask Victor how
you can get more involved in your association.
Best regards to all,
Chuck Pacetti
President—St. Augustine and St. Johns County Board of Realtors
Page 16 N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E
THE MOST VALUABLE SQUARE INCH IN REAL ESTATE
Why wear your REALTOR® pin? Because three out of four consumers would choose to work with a REALTOR® rather than
an agent who is not a member.* Simply wearing your pin lets everyone know that you’re a REALTOR®,
a member of the National Association of REALTORS®. It makes a first impression that shows potential clients how knowledgeable
and valuable you are to their real estate transaction. Proudly wear the pin and always place the REALTOR® logo on
your materials. It’s a small thing, but it can make a big difference.
Tell them. Show them.
Wear your REALTOR® pin with pride.
S T . A U G U S T I N E B O A R D O F R E A L T O R S C O O K B O O K
The Board, through its' Public Relations committee, is putting together a cook book which will
include recipes provided by you, photos of recognized St. Augustine landmarks, and interesting facts about St. Augustine. The cook books will be branded as a Board publication.
They will be available for sale (to cover cost only) at the Board office and at various Board booths which will be available at upcoming events (Trade Show, etc.). They will be
professionally produced on high quality stock and include information about our Board. This is an opportunity to promote our Board as well as a unique way to market yourself by including
them in your future farming / prospecting.
If you would like to participate, please forward a "tried & true" recipe including a very short paragraph of its origin and/or creation, etc., to Victor. The recipes will be selected by
committee and, if published, will include your name only - no company name or contact information can be included. The Board website is available to the public to provide agent and
affiliate contact information. When used for marketing, you may personalize the cook book as you like. Unlike calendars with a short shelf life, a cook book can hang around for years.
Please submit recipes no later than August 15th to [email protected] .
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M A S T E R T R A I N E R S E M I N A R S E P T E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 1
Page 18 B O R F O R W A R D
C O M M E R C I A L C I E F O R U M
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A F F I L I A T E T R A D E S H O W
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P R E S I D E N T S M E S S A G E
The Perfect Time for NO Home Inspection? by Wally Conway, President of HomePro Inspections 904-268-8211
Page 22 B O R F O R W A R D
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peace of mind! Infrared technology separates the professionals from the pretenders
in the home inspection industry, and only HomePro utilizes infrared technology on
every exclusive 5 Star Inspection™ Package. Call for your 5 Star Inspection today –
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Have Wally Conway speak at your office or for your favorite group! Wally is a speaker,
writer, FREC instructor, host of HGTV’s ―House Detective‖, host of DIY Network’s
―Finders Fixers‖, and host of The Home and Garden radio show on WOKV AM 690 and
106.5 FM. And don’t forget to pick up Wally’s book, ―Secrets of the Happy Home
Inspector‖, available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. Book Wally for your next
speaking event today!
HomePro Inspections
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So you’ve been working with a buyer for months, visiting house
after house. Finally! A decision is made! It’s a foreclosure, so
you put in the offer, and wait. And wait. One day the offer is
accepted! Since the deal is a foreclosure, it’s obviously an ―as
is‖ purchase, so your buyer asks if the home inspection and
WDO inspection are really necessary.
You think silently to your self – that would be nice, less to deal
with. No meeting the WDO inspector, no letting in the home in-
spector.
So is this the perfect time NOT to do the proper inspections?
Of course not! Buying a home under ―normal‖ real estate condi-
tions is risky enough. There is a lot for your client to consider.
But when dealing with distressed properties, it’s more important
than ever to protect your buyer, which in turn will protect you as
the REALTOR.
Here are but a few reasons for all real estate professionals to
encourage their clients the have all the proper inspections, even
if the home is being purchased ―as is‖:
Now more than ever it’s a ―buyer beware‖ environment. As a
professional real estate agent, it’s important to have
your buyer’s best interest at the top of your mind. Most
distressed homes are sold under short due diligence
timeframes. Yet many of these properties contain un-
pleasant surprises that may not always be obvious, and
can be very costly to repair. Your buyer needs to know
what to expect in the future, so they can budget for re-
pairs and ongoing maintenance once they move into
their new home.
Vacant homes have often been broken into and vandalized.
Fixtures, copper wires, heating and air units, and other
items may have been stolen – these conditions can only
be found when an inspector goes into those places that
most buyers will not venture (crawlspaces and/or at-
tics).
Many foreclosure homes are vandalized by their previous
owners out of frustration. Cement down the toilet, elec-
trical outlets disconnected, wires cut in the attic, and
booby traps are just a few of the things people have
done before leaving their home. Again, things that can’t
be discovered just by walking around – it takes a profes-
sional inspector to find these things.
Even if the previous homeowners did not vandalize the
home, most did not have the financial strength to prop-
erly maintain the home. Neglect and deferred mainte-
nance are common when the mortgage can’t be paid.
Even if minor routine maintenance gets ignored, sys-
tems in the home can age prematurely, leading to cost-
lier repairs and faster replacements down the road.
Deferred maintenance often leads to moisture intrusion and
mold issues in vacant homes, some of which is not al-
ways evident at first blush. Pest infestations are also
common in distressed properties, from snakes to mice,
bats, bees, termites, and raccoons.
Back to our original question - since the deal is a foreclosure, it’s obvi-
ously an ―as is‖ purchase, so are the home inspection and WDO in-
spection really necessary expenses?
Absolutely! A thorough inspection process is essential to educate the
buyer about their new home, so they have a clear picture of the situa-
tion. Remember, most homebuyers, even in this market, are first time
home buyers OR haven’t purchased a home in long time or not in this
area in the country. There are many things for buyers to know and
understand about purchasing and maintaining a home, and your
home inspector can assist with this educational process. And don’t
skimp on a cheap inspection service – only an in-depth inspection can
discover many of the issues often present in a foreclosure; so your
buyer will get what they expect! Ultimately, the role of the inspector in
a distressed property transaction is to inform and teach the buyer
about all the aspects of their new home, so they can live happily in it
for years to come, which will make them happier with their real estate
agent (YOU!).
Buyers who are encouraged by their REALTOR to conduct every piece
of due diligence possible will be happier with that REALTOR, because
they will have a greater knowledge and understanding of the prop-
erty’s condition. And that buyer will know that you have their best
interest at heart, making for a client for years to come!
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Monthly Statistics Report
St Augustine & St. Johns Co.
Compiled on August 4, 2011
Jul-11 Jul-10
Change from 07/2010 to
07//2011 YTD 2011 YTD 2010 2010 - 11 YTD
Residential
New Listings 296 422 -29.85% 2429 2988 -18.70%
Sold Listings 170 175 -2.85% 1354 1233 9.81%
Vol. Sold Listings $ 29,710,879.00 $ 43,722,569.00 -32.04% $266,185,843.00 $ 251,654,740.00 5.77%
Avg. Sell Price $ 174,769.88 $ 249,843.25 -30.04% $ 196,592.20 $ 204,099.55 -3.67%
Avg. Day on Market 151 159 -4.45% 157 152 3.54%
Lots and Land
New Listings 93 95 -2.10% 571 669 -14.64%
Sold Listings 18 23 -21.73% 116 107 8.41%
Vol. Sold Listings $ 1,757,150.00 $ 2,087,250.00 -15.81% $ 11,931,357.00 $ 10,219,252.00 16.75%
Avg. Sell Price $ 97,619.44 $ 90,750.00 7.56% $ 102,856.53 $ 95,507.03 7.69%
Avg. Day on Mar-ket 287 135 111.89% 213 165 28.76%
Commercial/Industrial
New Listings 37 14 164.28% 115 83 38.55%
Sold Listings 3 1 200.00% 21 15 40.00%
Vol. Sold Listings $ 422,000.00 $ 97,000.00 335.05% $ 5,136,686.00 $ 4,568,500.00 12.43%
Avg. Sell Price $ 140,666.67 $ 97,000.00 45.01% $ 244,604.10 $ 304,566.67 -19.68%
Avg. Day on Market 293 1021 -71.30% 189 211 -10.59%
Multi-Family
New Listings 4 7 -42.85% 46 49 -6.12%
Sold Listings 0 5 -100.00% 21 15 40.00%
Vol. Sold Listings $ - $ 1,886,000.00 -100.00% $ 3,797,900.00 $ 3,605,525.00 5.33%
Avg. Sell Price $ - $ 377,200.00 -100.00% $ 180,852.38 $ 240,368.33 -24.76%
Avg. Day on Market 0 79 -100.00% 137 151 -9.18%
Total
New Listings 430 538 -20.07% 3161 3789 -16.75%
Sold Listings 191 204 -6.37% 1512 1370 10.36%
Vol. Sold Listings $ 31,890,029.00 $ 47,792,819.00 -33.27% $287,051,786.00 $ 270,048,017.00 6.29%
Avg. Sell Price $ 166,963.50 $ 234,278.52 -28.73% $ 189,849.06 $ 197,115.34 -3.68%
Avg. Day on Market 166 158 5.22% 162 153 5.28%
Search Criteria
Date Start: 7/1/2011
Date End: 7/31/2011
ALL INFORMATION DEEMED RELIABLE BUT NOT GUARANTEED
S T . A U G U S T I N E & S T . J O H N S
C O U N T Y B O A R D O F R E A L T O R S ®
Page 24
SEPTEMBER 2011 PREVIEW
1st-2nd CCIM– INTRO 8:30AM
2nd 1031 3CE 9:00AM
5th LABOR DAY– CLOSED
7th COMMERCIAL CIE FORUM 8:30AM
TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE 9:30AM
8th BOARD ORIENTATION 9:00AM
9th FR/BAR-1 3CE 9:00AM
12th EDUCATION COMMITTEE 9:00AM
ANDROID USER’S GROUP 10:00AM
RPAC COMMITTEE 12:00PM
13th iCE MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR PROPERTY MNGT
BUSINESS 4CE
1:00PM
14th AFFILIATE COMMITTEE 9:00AM
15th AFTER THE CONTRACT 9:00AM
16th CODE OF ETHICS 3CE 9:00AM
19th INTEGRATED MARKETING SPECIALIST PROGRAM 3CE 9:00AM
20th FINANCE COMMITTEE 12:00PM
MLS TRAINING 1:00PM
21-22 SRES DESIGNATION COURSE 8:30AM
21st PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE 9:30AM
MLS BOARD 12:00PM
22nd BOARD MEETING 12:00PM
23rd MASTER TRAINER PROGRAM 8:30AM
27th INNOVIA 2 1:30PM
MIXER @ ST. AUGUSTINE TEAM REALTY 5:30PM
28th iPHONE USERS GROUP 9:00AM
Phone: 904-829-8738
Fax: 904-823-9512
C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N
Board Office Staff
Victor J. Raymos, RCE
Association Executive
Professional Standards
Sharon Lainhart
Membership and Finance
Lise Hays
Education /Membership/
Newsletter/Website/ SUPRA
Carla King
MLS , SUPRA, Website updates
Just like the Board of REALTORS® is
your Board, this is YOUR newsletter! We
can’t do this without you!
B O A R D W E B S I T E :
S T J O H N S R E A L T O R S . C O M
1789 Lakeside Avenue
St. Augustine, FL. 32084
FloridaRealtors–www.floridarealtors.org
Tech Hotline— 407-587-1450
Legal Hotline— 407-438-1409
FR Event Registration—
800-669-4327
FR Orlando—407-438-1400
FR Tallahassee—850-224-1400
RPAC—850-224-1400
IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION
National Association of REALTORS—
www.realtor.org
1-800-874-6500
NAR Member Benefits Program—
800-NAR-5233
www.REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits
REALTOR.COM— 800-878-4166
INNOVIA (MLS) Support— 800-334-0831
FORMSimplicity— 407-587-1450
SUPRA Support—877-699-6787