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ArcadiaREALTOR®The Official Publication of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®

VOL. 17, NO. 1WWW.THEAAR.COMJANUARY 2013

See page 9

2012 Annual Installation of Officers & Directors

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Arcadia Association of REALTORS®601 South First Avenue

Arcadia, California 91006626.446.2115

626.446.4072 FAXwww.TheAAR.com

2013 ASSOCIATION OFFICERSAndy Bencosme {President}

Mike Vachani {President-Elect}Joe Pacilio {Vice-President}

Jill Nelson {Secretary/Treasurer}

2013 ASSOCIATION DIRECTORSMicah Adams

Ryan AsaoRoy Blume

Kelvin ChangMargaret Garemore

John LeePaulina Lee

Sylvia RamosIrene Yamagata -Bermudez

2013 C.A.R. DIRECTORSRyan Asao

Andy BencosmeMargaret Garemore

George MonteRandall Traw

Mike VachaniKelvin Wong

ARCADIA ASSOCIATION STAFF We are here to help you with your needs! Office Phone 626.446.2115

Robin Allen Ext. 307 Director of Finance / Office Manager Robin@TheAAR.com

Michael Beltran Ext. 302 IT Director / Webmaster Michael@TheAAR.com Brenda Faltes Ext. 304 Director of MLS Data Integrity, Supra & Social Media Brenda@TheAAR.com Stephanie Maertens Ext. 303 Director of Education, Publications & MLS Caravan Stephanie@TheAAR.com

Maria Roberts Ext. 305 Director of Membership & Professional Standards Maria@TheAAR.com Jane Shriver Ext. 301 Director of Association Services Jane@TheAAR.com

Andrew Cooper Ext. 308 Executive Vice President Andrew@TheAAR.com

{ Arcadia REALTOR® | January | Two Thousand and Thirteen | Volume Seventeen | Number One}01.13

ArcadiaREALTOR®

January 2013

REGULAR FEATURES

4 Events Calendar

4 From the EVP’s Desk Andrew Cooper, Executive Vice President

5 Attorney Comments Dave Freeman, AAR Legal Counsel

6 Market Matters

12 Through the Lens A Look at What’s Happening Around the AAR

13 Affiliate Corner “Make Direct Mail Work For You” Gina Horn, Print and Mail Concepts

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ON THE COVER9 2012 Annual Inaugural Installation of Officers and Directors A recap of the recent Holiday-themed 2012 Installation.

ADDITIONAL CONTENTS3 “Understanding the Impact of the Economy and the Stock Market on Real Estate” We hope you join us for this extremely popular course! You will receive 3 free DRE Consumer Service credits.

7 AAR New Members The AAR welcomes its newest REALTOR® Members.

8 E4C Auxiliary Donates $11,000 to Local Charities! The AAR and the E4C Auxiliary recently bestowed a large charitable donation to a variety of local charities at the MLS Annual Holiday Membership Breakfast.

10 REALTOR® of the Year Award Congratulations to our 2012 REALTOR® of the Year Award winner, George Monte, Richmont Investment.

10 Affiliate of the Year Award Congratulations to our 2012 Affiliate of the Year Award winner, Nikki Felix, PNC Mortgage.

10 Outstanding Community Service Award Congratulations to our 2012 Outstanding Community Service Award winner, Bruce Pfeiffer, Coldwell Banker Arcadia.

11 Meet the 2013 AAR President, Andy Bencosme Learn about the recently installed 2013 President and what he see’s in the AAR’s future in 2013.

11 Congratulations Lanny Aplanalp! The Arcadia Association wishes to congratulate Lanny Aplanalp who recently received the honor of REALTOR® Emeritus.

13 MLS Holiday Breakfast At our last MLS Caravan meeting of the year, the AAR offered its free annual Holiday Breakfast to help get AAR REALTORS® and Affiliates in the holiday spirit.

14 “Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Designation” This designation educates REALTORS® on how to profitably and ethically serve the real estate needs of the fastest growing market in real estate, clients age 50+.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine3

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FROM THE EVP’S DESK

Join the Anti-Resolution Revolution

With a new year comes great excitement for some people and trepidation for others. Many of us are thinking how we can make

2013 a better year than last year and some will even go so far as to make a new year’s resolution or two. The problem with resolutions is that most, if not all, will probably be forgotten long before the Super Bowl. The new year is a great time to review your past, plan your future and make changes as necessary. Writing down our goals – or our little “wish list” as I like to call it – is the easy part. As I always stress, goals are only wishes unless they’re backed up with a detailed, written plan. For any real behavioral change to occur and to achieve your goals, there has to be a long term commitment (not a resolution) and that’s the more difficult part.

Remember, when we first start to write down our goals and behavioral changes, write them with the acronym S.M.A.R.T. in mind: They should be Simple. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic and have a Timetable attached to them. Here’s a simplified way to do that: start by writing down everything you want to achieve by the end of 2013. Then take each goal and write down how you can achieve them in 3 month increments (quarterly). Then take those 3 month increments and write down how you can achieve them monthly. Then weekly, then daily. By narrowing down your yearly goals to daily goals you now have something that is laser-focused, workable and S.M.A.R.T.

Now that we are truly committed to achieving our new goals for the new year we can stop calling them our new year’s resolutions. By converting our resolutions to actionable, written goals we will be more apt to make effort and take positive action in achieving them. Consider it a mental paradigm shift. I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, “If we continue to do what we’ve always done, we’ll continue to get what we’ve always got”.

Let’s all be unique this year and make our new year’s goals a true life-changing commitment and a living and breathing extension of ourselves that remains a part of our lives well beyond Thanksgiving.

Wishing you tremendous success in 2013,

Andrew CooperExecutive Vice-President

1 AAR Closed for New Year’s Day

2 No MLS Caravan

3 9:30 a.m. - Commercial Committee Mtg. 11:00 a.m. - Commercial Marketing Mixer

4 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Toastmasters

7 9:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - AAR Leadership Mtg. @ Doubletree Hotel

8 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - “Income Tax Changes” 10:00 a.m. - Global Real Estate Committee Mtg. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - “Income Tax Changes” 11:00 a.m. - Tech Committee Mtg.

9 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 8:45 a.m. - Affiliate Committee Mtg. @ Masonic Center 9:30 a.m. - Events 4 Charity Auxiliary Mtg. 9:30 a.m. - MLS Committee Mtg. 3:30 p.m. - Equal Opportunity / Housing Affordability Committee Mtg.

10 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - “Cancellation of Contracts”

11 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - CRMLS Training

14 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - “10 Reasons REALTORS® Get Sued”

15 10:00 a.m. - Zipforms Training 2:00 p.m. - Education Committee Mtg.

16 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Public Relations Committee Mtg. 1:30 p.m. - Local Governmental Relations Committee Mtg.

17 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Lunch & Learn Series “Tax Planning is a Tax Chess Game”

18 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - N.A.R. Candidate Training 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Toastmasters

21 AAR Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

23 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Young Professionals Network Committee Mtg. C.A.R. Meetings in Monterey (Jan. 23-26)

28 8:30 a.m. - New Member Orientation

29 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - “Short Sales Done EZ” 1:30 p.m. - Budget and Finance Committee Mtg.

30 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan

31 8:30 a.m. - Board of Directors Mtg. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - “Understanding the Impact of the Economy and the Stock Market on Real Estate”

January 2013

January Events Calendar

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AttorneyComments

By Dave Freeman, Association Counsel

January 2013

1. CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS: January 1, 2013 is the deadline by which carbon monoxide detectors must be installed in ALL dwelling units intended for human occupancy (not just single family dwellings). Carbon monoxide (“CO”) is a very deadly, undetectable gas which can kill within a short period of time. It is sometimes created by faulty heating devices, as well as by automobile exhaust. The devices must be centrally located, outside each separate sleeping area, in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.

C.A.R. has a Carbon Monoxide Detector Notice available for signature by Sellers and Buyers (C.A.R. Form CMD, 4/12). Also, a seller of a residential

one-four property who is required to complete a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement, (C.A.R. Form TDS) must use Section II A of that form to disclose whether or not the dwelling unit has a carbon monoxide detector.

2. CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY: Some time ago a well known builder built and sold a condominium complex in a local downtown area without completing the project and without a Certificate of Occupancy, as required by the City. Damages to the Homeowners Association and the individual homeowners combined to total in excess of $2,000,000.00, creating liability to the builder, the REALTORS® and the escrow company.

Do not allow escrow to close until you have made sure that the house, condominium, apartment complex or commercial property is property permitted, with final sign-offs, zoned for the proper use intended by the buyer, and has the Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Occupancy as required by the City.

3. UNPERMITTED BUILDING AND ADDITIONS: Once again some local cities are starting to crack down on unpermitted additions to

buildings. It is common knowledge that virtually any addition or change to a property, even as small as changing a toilet in some cities, must first have a permit issued from the Building and Planning Department. Over the years, many local properties have had extra rooms added to the property or two rooms made out of one by adding a wall. Kitchen and restroom enlargements are not uncommon as well.

An unexpected situation arises when your client buys a property with one or more of these additions or changes in place. Some cities do not require an occupancy permit and some inspectors do not notice the changes or call them out at the time of the occupancy permit inspection. However, at some later date, the City may come to inspect the property and discover the unpermitted additions or changes. At that time, the City will require the addition or change to be removed or rectified, sometimes at great expense to the homeowner. The fact that this situation existed at the time of the purchase, and perhaps a City inspector did not notice same or call it out, is no excuse. The homeowner must often remove a portion of the house, sometimes remove a guest house altogether, or redo or remove a particular change within the house.

The solution is to be sure that the homeowner visits the Building and Planning Department, secures the permits and inspects the final sign-off to be sure that the property that he or she is purchasing is in a legal and permitted condition. An additional precaution is to carefully measure the actual square footage of the property and each part therein to be sure it conforms to that which has been permitted.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine5

Standing (left to right): Julie Nguyen, Kai Wu, Jackie Ramos, Liem Ho, Yolanda Vidales, Suzie Archuleta, Luly Goodmand and Jojo Ong.Sitting (left to right): Terri Fabbri, Alexis Ostensen, Kay Gass and Shelly Malicek

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MarketMatters

Market Statistics for the San Gabriel ValleySingle Family Homes Condominiums SFR Only

City Zip Code

Sales of Single Family

HomesPrice Median SFR ($1,000)

Price % Chg from

November 2011

Sales Count

Condos

Price Median Condo

($1,000)

Price & Chg from

November 2011

Median Home Price/

Sq. Ft.Alhambra 91801 10 $495 6.3% 11 $388 29.3% $313Alhambra 91803 11 $375 -1.3% n/a n/a n/a $311Altadena 91001 46 $470 16.8% 1 $220 n/a $345Arcadia 91006 30 $725 -22.5% 1 $620 18.6% $390Arcadia 91007 19 $868 0.3% 13 $395 -21.6% $420Azusa 91702 23 $275 8.9% 11 $155 -11.4% $221Duarte 91010 13 $378 59.0% 8 $310 12.5% $292El Monte 91731 9 $319 5.6% 1 $240 42.0% $242El Monte 91732 12 $300 20.0% 9 $305 -12.9% $252El Monte - South 91733 18 $288 -4.2% 3 $257 -27.3% $260Glendora 91740 15 $330 6.5% n/a n/a n/a $252Glendora 91741 32 $530 26.2% 5 $359 -0.4% $298La Cañada Flintridge 91011 21 $1,085 3.3% n/a n/a n/a $505La Verne 91750 29 $460 32.9% 1 $86 -40.7% $260Monrovia 91016 13 $590 49.4% 9 $310 -8.8% $346Pasadena 91101 n/a n/a n/a 14 $416 13.6% n/aPasadena 91103 11 $430 -34.4% 2 $511 11.1% $376Pasadena 91104 21 $505 7.5% 3 $225 -4.3% $359Pasadena 91105 12 $1,193 -2.6% 4 $570 -10.0% $499Pasadena 91106 10 $758 15.4% 10 $398 33.6% $456Pasadena 91107 26 $608 6.6% 5 $435 -12.1% $388Rosemead 91770 15 $400 8.4% 3 $295 2.8% $273San Gabriel 91775 18 $568 2.8% 1 $377 n/a $376San Gabriel 91776 9 $413 3.1% 5 $301 -14.0% $370San Marino 91108 12 $1,550 -6.6% n/a n/a n/a $643Sierra Madre 91024 7 $483 -30.3% 3 $489 -18.5% $431Temple City 91780 18 $574 8.5% 5 $391 -26.9% $352

Source: DQNews.com

November 2012

January 2013

7Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

(626) 831-8862www.morrisoninspects.com 7

AAR New MembersThe Arcadia Association of REALTORS® would like to formally welcome our newest REALTOR® members!

AAR new members with Membership Committee Vice Chairman, Cindy Shiao and Committee Chairman, Sylvia Ramos are (in no particular order): Mary Brannon, Harbor Mutual Financial Group; Alina Chen, Zip Realty, Inc.; Qiuping Chen, Grandmark Realty Inc.; Wilson Chen, Long Dragon Realty; Gina DiMassa, Coldwell Banker Arcadia; Leigh Gluck, Showcase Homes Realty & Investment; Jerry Hsu, Long Dragon Realty; Cheryl Johnson, Coldwell Banker Dynasty Temple City; Yoko Kawaguchi, Long Dragon Realty; Gina Kuns, Dilbeck Real Estate; Janet Lee, Keller Williams West Foothills; Sylvia Lee, Coldwell Banker New Century; Haohang Li, Highland Real Estate; James Maceo III, Keller Williams West Foothills; Brian Peralez, Coldwell Banker Arcadia; Trung Phan, Coldwell Banker George Realty; Chiming Qu, Grandmark Realty Inc.; David Sanepour, Coldwell Banker George; Jian Situ, IRN Realty; Chad Tam, Re/Max Omega; Rachel Wan, Zip Realty, Inc.; Haibo Wang, Long Dragon Realty; Hong Wang, Wilshire Investments Capital; Johnny Wang, Treeline Realty & Investment; Ivy Yang, Coldwell Banker George and Jessica Yang, Treeline Realty & Investment.

8January 2013

Every year, the Events 4 Charity Auxiliary hosts several events including the weekly 50/50 raffle, Bingo, Bumper Bowling, and the Day at the Races. The proceeds of these charitable events are distributed to local charities at the end of each year.

With the state of our economy and the dire situations of need that many are finding themselves in, the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®, along with the E4C Auxiliary strongly believe in giving back to our local communities.

We sincerely thank each and every person who not only has volunteered so generously of their time and effort, but also those who attended these events and contributed financially. It is because of you that the E4C Auxiliary and the AAR were able to give so generously this year to those in a time of need.

Our special thanks to E4C Chairman, Micah Adams for his tireless efforts on behalf of all of us. Thank you also to our energetic and willing Affiliate members who support our efforts in numerous ways.

Recipients of the 2012 E4C charitable fundraising efforts include: Lincoln Training Center, Friends of Foster Children, Foothill Unity Center, Santa Anita YMCA, Options A, Casa de las Amigas, Assistance League of Arcadia, Convalescent Aid Society, Foothill Pregnancy Services and Kids Reading to Succeed.

Thank you all for helping us give to these very deserving organizations and charities!

E4C Auxiliary Donates $11,000 to Local Charities!

Recipients of the 2012 E4C charitable fundraising efforts and members of E4C.

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The Arcadia Association of REALTORS®2012 Annual Installation

The Arcadia Association of REALTORS® recently installed the new 2013 Officers and Directors at the 89th Annual Inaugural Celebration held on Friday, December 7th at the Altadena Town and Country Club. More than 200 REALTORS®, Affiliates and guests attended the holiday-themed event.

Master of Ceremony for the evening was Dr. Ji Han with Long Dragon Realty. The Installation ceremony was conducted by the California Association of REALTORS® Chief Economist, Leslie Appleton-Young.

The Officers installed were: Andy Bencosme, President; Mike Vachani, President-Elect; Joe Pacilio, Vice President and Jill Nelson, Secretary/Treasurer. The 2012 Directors are: Micah Adams, Ryan Asao, Roy Blume, Kelvin Chang, Margaret Garemore, John Lee, Paulina Lee, Sylvia Ramos and Irene Yamagata.

The Installation ceremony of 2013 President, Andy Bencosme and Officers and Directors was followed by the presentation of the coveted “REALTOR of the Year” award presented to George Monte, Richmont Investment and the “Affiliate of the Year” award presented to Nikki Felix, PNC Mortgage.

Outgoing President, Ryan Asao, received special honorariums and recognition from Senator, Bob Huff; Los Angeles County Supervisor, Michael Antonovich; Assemblyman, Anthony Portantino; Mayor of Monrovia, Mary Ann Lutz and City of Arcadia Councilmember, John Wuo.

Acknowledgement of special guests included twelve Arcadia Association Past Presidents along with Presidents and Association Executives from several neighboring Associations.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by the Barnhart Chorus, which concluded with dancing to the music of KillerB.E.E.

Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Ji Han (L) presenting 2012 President, Ryan Asao (R) with an honorarium.

Andy Bencosme (L) receives the gavel as C.A.R. Vice-President and Chief Economist, Leslie Appleton-Young installs him as incoming AAR 2013 President.

The “Passing of the Gavel” by AAR Past Presidents (L to R): C.A.R. Chief Economist, Leslie Appleton-Young; 2012 AAR President, Ryan Asao; Paulina Lee; 2013 AAR President, Andy Bencosme; George Monte; Randall Traw; Kelvin Wong; Richard Stone; Michael Ferlisi; Terry Earll; Jim Thomas and Ji Han.

2013 AAR Officers and Directors being sworn in are (L to R): Secretary/Tresurer, Jill Nelson; Director, Sylvia Ramos; Director, Irene Yamagata; Director, Paulina Lee; Director, Margaret Garemore; President, Andy Bencosme; C.A.R. Chief Economist, Leslie Appleton-Young; Director, Kelvin Chang; Director, Roy Blume; Director, Micah Adams; Director, Ryan Asao; President-Elect, Mike Vachani; Vice-President, Joe Pacilio and Director, John Lee.

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2012 REALTOR® of the Year,George Monte

2012 Affiliate of the Year,Nikki Felix

Our 2012 REALTOR® of the Year, George Monte, was born and raised in Pasadena and currently resides in Arcadia. He graduated from Pasadena High School and continued his

education at Pasadena City College resulting in an Associate of Arts degree. George then went on to California State University Los Angeles to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree. As if that wasn’t enough, he continued to pursue his education and graduated with a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Better luck next year, Trojans.

During the early years, Mr. Monte received the Leadership Award from the Business Department at Pasadena City College and was named Business Person of the Month from the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce.

Taking a break from education, George heard the call of patriotic duty and proudly served our country for six years in the California Army National Guard.

Returning to civilian life, he continued in a career of banking industries and eventually, commercial mortgage banking. Moving toward a different direction, he began to pursue commercial property management, commercial leasing, commercial sales, receiverships, and consulting for the next fifteen years. This eventually resulted in the opening of his own office.

On a personal note, George has been married to his wonderful spouse for more than 42 years. Together, they have two children and two grandchildren.

Our honoree has been extremely involved in the AAR since joining 13 years ago. One special achievement of note was that George started the AAR Commercial / Investment Committee eight years ago and was its first Committee Chairman. He helped to charter the course of the direction for our Association in bringing numerous benefits and advantages to our commercial practitioners and also those who wish to learn more about commercial and investment real estate. George was and is very instrumental in furthering the commercial efforts within the California Association of REALTORS®.

I would like to offer my congratulations to the 2012 AAR REALTOR® of the Year Award winner…Mr. George Monte!

I am happy to bestow this honor to this year’s Affiliate, Nikki Felix. I must say it was a unanimous decision when choosing this year’s Affiliate winner. She is someone who is involved with the Association and shows up at the weekly caravan meetings with a smile on her face. She is a member of the Events 4 Charity Committee and has chaired numerous successful charity events for the E4C Committee over the past few years. In fact, her company was one of our sponsors for

our annual installation gala.

Nikki Felix is a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll! She loves the outdoors, camping and riding sea doos on the river with family and friends. Her all-time favorite country star is Dwight Yoakum.

Nikki was born in the United States and is a huge Bruce Springstein fan. She was raised in Glendora and currently lives in Monrovia with her husband of over 20 years. She has been in the mortgage industry since 1992 and is active with the Arcadia, Monrovia and Duarte Chambers of Commerce.

One of her quirks is that she talks to herself….a lot. I know this because I had the privilege of working with her and we gave her a lot of grief over it! So without further ado, I would like to congratulate this year’s Affiliate of the Year, Nikki Felix with PNC Mortgage.

By Ann Watson, First Priority Financial

Outstanding CommunityService - Bruce Pfeiffer

We would like to recognize our award winner, Bruce Pfeiffer for his years of service to the Union Rescue Mission. The Union Rescue Mission serves men, women and children who are experiencing homelessness. They provide services to help people escape the perils of Skid Row.

Bruce has served the Union Rescue Mission for more than 20 years helping to provide

food, funds and clothes to those who are in need. He did this by organizing and personally collecting truck load upon truck load of supplies year in and year out for over 20 years.

Please help us to congratulate our 2012 AAR Outstanding Community Service Award recipient, Mr. Bruce Pfeiffer! Bruce was presented with his award at a recent MLS Caravan meeting in front of his peers.

Irene Yamagata (R) presented Bruce (C) with the Outstanding Community Service Award at a recent MLS Marketing Meeting. Bruce’s Office Manager, Claudia Storey (L), was there to congratulate him.

AndyBencosme

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Meet the 2013 AAR President,Our 2013 President is a native of New York City. He was born in the borough of Queens to two immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, where he used to spend his summers as a child. He graduated from Edison High School in Queens, where he was National Honor Society President. Andy completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Queens College of the City University of New York, where he majored in History. Fleeing the cold weather of his native New York, he moved to

Ocala, Florida where he became a High School teacher. Andy taught History, Journalism and Photography while also attending graduate school. In his first year teaching at Belleview High School, Andy was awarded the “Rookie Teacher of the Year Award.”

He completed a Master Degree in Business Administration from St. Leo College in nearby St. Leo, Florida and left for California shortly thereafter. Andy left the teaching profession for the wild world of the internet and began working for EarthLink in Pasadena. He went on to be the head of the eight nationwide technical support centers for EarthLink . During his tenure there the company was awarded the JD Power and Associates Customer Satisfaction Award for dial-up Internet service providers and top ISP awards from Ziff Davis Smart Business and CNET. All three awards were attributed largely to customer satisfaction in their Technical Support department.

Andy obtained his real estate sales license while still working at EarthLink and began selling part-time. After making the transition to real estate full-time, Andy obtained his Brokers license and got involved in the real estate community almost immediately. Andy has served the Arcadia Association as either a member or a Chairman of the Tech Committee, Grievance Committee, Local Government Relations Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, MLS Committee, Strategic Planning Task Force, Young Professionals Network Committee and the Leadership Academy. Andy has been Treasurer once, Vice-President twice and President-Elect twice and was the AAR President in 2008. Andy was honored with the AAR REALTOR® of the Year Award in 2010. Andy was also on the search committee which was charged with finding and hiring a new Executive Vice President for the AAR when Mary Rovarino retired.

He has been involved at MRMLS and later, CRMLS as the AAR representative to the Operations Committee and the Finance Committee. He also served on the Board of Directors and was elected the 2010 Treasurer at MRMLS and later CRMLS. During his time

there he was involved in the talks and later merger between MRMLS and CalREDD (forming CRMLS).

At C.A.R., Andy has been active on the Professional Standards Committee, MLS, REALTOR Risk Management, Land Use and Environmental, Global Real Estate, Legislative and the Local Government Forum where he served as Vice-Chairman for two years and Chairman in 2011.

Andy has also served at the National level on the N.A.R. MLS Committee, and has also served on the Board of NAHREP (National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals), Los Angeles Chapter. He has earned the e-Pro Designation, AHWD (At Home with Diversity) Designation and CRB (Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager) Designation.

Andy is actively involved in several youth and community related organizations. Andy served as Den Leader and Cubmaster of his son Adam’s Cub Scout Pack at Barnhart School. He has coached Youth Basketball at the Santa Anita YMCA and Barnhart School, Youth Soccer for AYSO Soccer Region 2 and Baseball at Santa Anita Little League. Andy is a member and past director of the Kiwanis Club of Monrovia. He also served as the Team Captain for the Kiwanis Relay for Life team in Monrovia. Andy is currently President of the Library Board for the City of Monrovia, where he has served since 2009. He is also a member of the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group and MENSA.

Andy enjoys watching his Native New York Knicks and has a passion for movies, which started when he took a film class in college. He enjoys reading and writing. His favorite authors include Julia Alvarez and Junot Diaz. He also enjoys traveling and spending time with his son Adam and his fiancé Julie and her son Thai-ler.

Congratulations to Andy Bencosme, 2013 President of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®!

P A R T I C I P A T I O N I S K E Y

The AAR wishes to congratulate Lanny Aplanalp, Dilbeck Real Estate, who recently achieved the status of N.A.R. REALTOR® Emeritus. This prestigious honor is given to any person who has held membership with the National Association of REALTORS® for a cumulative period of 40+ years. A benefit of this award is that Lanny will no longer have to pay his National Association of REALTORS® annual dues starting in 2013. Thank you for your lasting and valuable contribution to the real estate profession and the local community. Congratulations Lanny!

Congratulations Lanny Aplanalp!AAR 2012 President, Ryan Asao (L) presents Lanny (R) with his REALTOR® Emeritus Award at a recent MLS meeting.

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A Look at What’s Happening Around the AARthroughthe lens

PEPster Legislative Day with Local City Mayors,

Coucil Members andCongressmen

12January 2013

1313Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

Affiliate Corner“Make Direct Mail Work For You”

By Gina Horn, Print and Mail Concepts

When developing a direct marketing program, there are a number of issues you should consider:

The Direct Mail List.

Direct marketers often cite the 60-30-10 Rule – that 60% of your mail success depends on the list, 30% on the offer and only 10% on

the creativity. That’s why researching and defining your market is critical.

When developing your list, you should consider two criteria:

Customer lists. Your greatest potential for new sales lies with your existing customers. You want to be sure your customers know about all the services or products you offer and become consistent buyers. Be sure your list is up to date and includes current names, titles and addresses. Eliminate duplicates to ensure you are sending only to the likely decision makers for your products, services or offers.

Your customer list also serves as a data tool to help you develop a customer profile and target audience for use in selecting purchased lists.

Purchased lists. There are thousands of lists available for direct marketers, which you can select based on interest categories, geographics, demographics, psychographics and other areas. Working with your customer profile, a professional list broker

will develop detailed list recommendations segmented by such criteria as company size, types of products, SIC codes, titles, purchasing history and much more.

The Direct Mail Program.

Mail multiple times. A good mail program contacts your target audience multiple times each year. The frequency of your mailings depends on your product or service, but do not assume that a single mailing will generate the response you want.

Follow up. Establish a solid follow up program for your direct mail, whether in terms of fulfillment or lead generation. A well-planned telemarketing follow up program, for example, can be very effective if timed to coincide shortly after prospects receive your mail.

Vary the messages. Be sure that each mailing contains different messages, themes, and/or offers, while still building your brand image. One of the keys to direct marketing is selling benefits, not features. Focus on your target audience, letting them know how your product or service will benefit them.

Measure response. No one approach works best with each target audience. Test your response with specific messages, offers, packages, etc. and then tailor future mailings based on the best return results.

You can contact Gina Horn at (626) 444-5293 or email her at gina@ginahorndesigns.com.

MLS Holiday Breakfast The recent AAR Annual Holiday Breakfast was a festive affair complete with Christmas music. The Arcadia Association of REALTORS® would like to sincerely thank all of the Affiliates, under the guidance of Dave Scarminach, who planned the breakfast and decorated the Masonic Center for the event. Each of you helped to make the Holiday Breakfast beautiful and festive for those who attended. What a truly merry breakfast!

AAR Affiliate members who arrived early to help set up this special event are (L to R): Terri Fabbri, Kal Antoun, John Thompson, Ann Watson, Tina Thompson, Dave Scarminach, Diane Balsamo, Nikki Felix, Ted Wiersema and Joe Pacilio.

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www.DownstreamExchange.com

909 East Green Street, Pasadena CA 91106-2930

Phone: (800) 743-1031Fax: (626) 796-8222

C. Anthony Phillips, CPA President

We Provide A Complete Service To Successfully Accomplish Tax Deferred Exchanges

®

Pre-Exchange Tax Planning

Accommodation of Tax Deferred Exchange

Post Exchange Tax Planning

Call for your free Exchange Tax Analysis

Arcadia Association of REALTORS®601 South First AvenueArcadia, California 91006

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• Estate Planning• Trust Administration• Probate• Business Law• Commercial Transactions• Corporation, LLC & Partnership Formations• Business Contracts

Romy S. Rahmanian, Attorney

(626) 869-878737 E. Huntington Drive, Suite A • Arcadia, CA 91006

Call today for a free consultation

(626) 869-8787(626) 869-8787

romy@rahmanianlaw.com • www.RahmanianLaw.com

Dedicated to Providing High Quality Legal Services

(626) 869-8787

Call today for a free consultation

“Seniors Real Estate Specialist(SRES) Designation”

MARCH 11-12, 2013

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.AAR Building

Cost: $175*

*In order to attain and use your designation, you must successfully complete this 2-day course and join the SRES Council For new designees, the annual dues are

waived for the first year. Annual dues are $99 each year, thereafter.

Visit www.TheAAR.com for more details and to register