march/april 2012 update magazine

NVAR ReAltoR® update March :: April 2012 http://go.nvar.com/1202 1

published by the northern virginia association of realtors®

March/April 2012

RealtoR®

inside:8 Job Growth, Spring Market Inch Up

12 Fair Housing: Not Just in April

34 The Right People Board the Bus to Richmond

The Latest, The Greatest In Technology Real estate pros offer their advice on

the must-have tech tools for today’s

successful practitioner.

http://www.genesis.virginia.remax.com/


RealtoR®

Interested in advertising? Please call 703. 207. 3206 for information.

March/April Volume 95, Issue 2

2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORSChairman of the Board: Pat Kline, CIPS, GREEN, GRI, SRES, TRCChairman-Elect:Jon WolfordImmediate Past Chairman:Karen TrainorSecretary/Treasurer:Mario Rubio, CIPS, SRES

DIRECTORS-AT-LARGEBob Adamson, CRS, GRIJulia Avent, ABR, CRS, GRIMary Bayat, GRIBrian Block, ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GRI, SRESHeather Embrey, ABR, e-PRO, GRI, SRS, SRES, SFRVirgil FrizzellSuzanne Granoski, ABR, ASP, CDRS, GRISita Kapur, CRS, GRIShane McCullarThai-Hung Nguyen, ABR, CRS, SFRPeter Rickert, ABR, e-Pro, GREEN, ESRESNancy Harvey Steorts, ABR, GREEN, GRI, TRC

Publisher/CEO: Christine M. Todd, CAE, RCEEditor-In-Chief: Jill Parker LandsmanManaging Editor: Ann GutkinAssociate Editor: Amy LarrabeeAdvertising Sales: Tracy ReynoldsGraphic Designer: Wanda Ng FontanaContributors: Michael Allen, Fred Bowers, Laura Farley, Michele Lerner, Lisa Vierse May, John McClain, Sarah Louppe Petcher, Kenneth Saunders and Susan Scoville

The Realtor® update (ISSN 10988475) is published bi-monthly by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors® as follows: combined issues for January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December. Periodicals postage paid at Fairfax, VA 22030 and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions account for $19 of each member’s annual dues. Annual subscriptions are available to non-members for $39. Subscription inquiries may be sent to the Realtor® update at the address below. Copyright 2012 by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors®. All rights reserved.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Realtor® updateNorthern Virginia Association of Realtors®8407 Pennell Street Fairfax, VA 22031-4601

Telephone: 703. 207. 3200 | FAX: 703. 207. 3268Web: nvar.comE-mail: [email protected] Advertising Info: [email protected]

By Pat Kline, 2012 Chairman of the Board

2012 Chairman of the Board

One of my goals for this year was to conduct a strategic planning session with members who are experts in various aspects of our business. This past January, NVAR held a two-day planning

retreat, chaired by 2008 NVAR Chairman Jane Quill, with participants that included members, senior NVAR staff and outside consultants. I’m very excited by the results.

A primary issue identified by the survey responses was how to deliver classes to you the way YOU would like them – either in the classroom, online or in some type of virtual format. We are committed to using technology to make all of these options available soon. Our pledge is to continue to offer the best classes, taught by excellent teachers, at a reasonable price.

In keeping with that commitment, NVAR is offering a Passport to Success package throughout 2012 that can be used to complete all of your Continuing Education or Post Licensing classes for one low price this year! Please see the information about this money-saving offer on page 39 of this issue.

Another initiative that arose out of our strategic planning session is for NVAR to spread the word in our local media that those who want to buy or sell a home should have confidence in the housing market. Our area experienced an increase in average sales price at the end of 2011. Now is the time for buyers and sellers to act. Increasing local consumer confidence will help all NVAR members to prosper and all neighborhoods to grow. Look for our media blitz this year.

Finally, I want to thank you for all of the great feedback regarding our surveys. We plan to continue to ask what you think, so please respond! We hope to have even more of our members provide input, and to share the results with you as the year progresses.

And don’t wait for our next survey to let me know what’s on your mind. Email me at [email protected] with your NVAR or industry concerns at any time. Your constructive feedback is always welcome!

We Asked, You Answered, We Acted: Survey, Strategic Plan Spur NVAR Initiatives

4 http://go.nvar.com/1202 March :: April 2012 NVAR ReAltoR® update

https://www.cardinalbank.com/Index.asp


this issue: latest technology columns

3Chairman of the BoardMember survey results and strategic plan produce new NVAR initiatives.

8Market UpdateTaking the Pulse of the National and Regional Economies: What Do They Portend for the Housing Market?

17Legal Lines: Agency ABCsUnderstanding the Basics of Virginia Agency Law.

23Agents Need to Know:Save-the-Date; Wanna change your password on NVAR.com? Here’s how.

34Government Affairs:NVAR Realtors® Invade Richmond to Advance Industry Legislation.

37Ask NVAR: Making Sense of Septic InspectionsUnderstand the new options available under the Virginia Well & Septic Addendum.

7 NVAR Leadership Day Trains New 2012 Volunteer Lineup

10 Northern Virginia Mega Projects

12 April is Fair Housing Month: Celebrate Equal Access To Housing For All

22 NVAR Blood Drive Exceeds Goal

28 Tax Tips for Individuals Selling Their Home; Bowl for NV/RPAC

30 The Ups And Downs of FHA and VA Financing; Legislative Reception

32 Remembering Tricia Chroussis, NVAR Freelance Graphic Designer

33 YPN Nosh and Network

38 Florence Daniels Named VAR’s Outstanding Real Estate Educator of the Year; Realtor.org offers new info

39 What’s Up with the Update Name Change?

40 2012 NV/RPAC Contributor List

41 The Secret to Our Success

42 Class Schedules Offered

43 Your Letters to the Editor Encouraged

44 Welcome New Members

45 Appraisers and Affiliates Directory

24The Latest, The Greatest In TechnologyReal estate pros offer their advice on the must-have tech tools for today’s successful practitioner.


http://www.samsonproperties.net/


leadership day

Newly-installed 2012 Chairman Pat Kline of Avery Hess-Springfield and her team of volunteers enjoyed a morning of networking, team training and techniques of good sportsmanship at the NVAR Fairfax

headquarters on Friday, January 20. With a nod to Kline’s Virginia Tech roots, the session reflected an upbeat Hokie theme.

Presentations from NVAR’s CEO Christine Todd, General Counsel Sarah Louppe Petcher and Northern Virginia Realtors® Political Action Committee Campaign Chair Thai-Hung Nguyen offered attendees a tutorial about the internal workings of the association. Participants were coached about their expected roles when they are “on the field.” In keeping with the sports analogy, Todd explained her role as the coach for the all-star NVAR Team, with Kline as her starring quarterback.

Embracing the leadership theme, Nguyen charged the volunteers to set an example for their colleagues by supporting NV/RPAC. The group responded with $5,500 in RPAC investments. By every measure, the first practice session was a success. NVAR’s new leaders are ready to take the field.

A New Year, New Leaders, New Team SpiritNVAR LeAdeRship dAy TRAiNs New 2012 VoLuNTeeR LiNeup

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2.1. Board member Peter Rickert of Coldwell Banker-Alexandria (left), 2011 Leadership Institute members Lorraine Arora of Coldwell Banker-Arlington (center) and Heather Embrey of McEnearney Associates-McLean (also a 2012 board member), network before the January 20 Leadership Day program begins.

2. Leadership Institute graduates (left to right) Rick Khosla, Michael Huang and Siu Cheung celebrate the completion of their year-long program. Huang serves as the 2012 Chair of NVAR’s Chinese Realtor® Forum.

3. Pat Kline, 2012 NVAR Chairman, presents Immediate Past Chairman Karen Trainor with a memory book of her year as NVAR’s chair.

4. The 2011 NVAR Leadership Institute class receive graduation certificates during the Leadership Day program. Pictured (left to right): Jeanne Siracuse, Weichert Realtors® - Ashburn; Rick Khosla, Westgate Realty Group - Falls Church; Michael Huang, Kirin Realty - Vienna; Ruth Henriquez, Casa Latino Real Estate International - Manassas; Heather Embrey, McEnearney Associates – McLean; Reggie Copeland, Long & Foster - Fairfax; Moon Choi, RE/MAX Presidential - Fairfax; Siu Cheung, Global One Realtors - McLean; Lorraine Arora, Coldwell Banker Residential - Arlington; Dedra Brown, RE/MAX Allegiance - Reston; and Immediate Past Chairman Karen Trainor, Weichert Realtors® - Ashburn.

5. Sarah Louppe Petcher, NVAR General Counsel, delivers a presentation about the legal obligations of association volunteers.

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NATioNAL ecoNomic oVeRViewAt the beginning of last year, most economists were predicting that 2011 would see a continued improving national economy as the year progressed. Several measures on the economy in early 2011 were clearly pointing up. The expectations were that the recovering sectors would carry over into housing, and that more new construction of housing would accelerate that year.

In hindsight, the positive signs were not positive enough to overcome the strong headwinds that 2011 produced. Multiple factors buffeted the recovery: severe winter storms, return to higher gas prices resulting from Middle East problems, Japan’s tsunami that disrupted markets, the European financial roller-coaster crisis throughout the year, and the inability of Congress and the Administration to negotiate agreements on national debt and budgets.

The resulting slow recovery was not just a matter of circumstances. Rather, it was due to an economic fragility caused by lower consumer and business confidence and a more dysfunctional political system. Given all this, it is actually fortunate that a ‘double dip’ did not occur.

Yet, as was true one year ago, most economic measures are pointing up, and even more strongly entering 2012 than was so at this time last year.

As 2011 ended, almost all measures of economic performance were headed in the right direction. Chart 1 summarizes the trend direction for each of the key economic measures at the end of last year.

Of the 11 key indicators in the chart, 10 are positive. Several of the indicators have been positive for some time, particularly the manufacturing index, the services index, corporate earnings and the leading index. Most importantly, consumer confidence had strong improvement in the last two months of 2011.

At the national level, only housing is not participating or contributing to the recovery. Prices nationally continue to decline, although many regions now see that improving as the year progresses and more of the foreclosures are resolved. With continuing low mortgage rates, easing of financing processes, increasing demand that had been restrained by the economy, and improving consumer confidence, the housing sector will see improvement in 2012.

National data clearly show that the recession suppressed household formation and normal rates of residential moving – two factors that showed improvement in 2011 that will boost the housing market in 2012. Also, the increasing cost of renting is beginning to make purchasing a home more attractive. This is helping the recovery of home building.

Key factors for economic strength in 2012 will be:

• whetherpoliticalforcescanreachsomekindofaccommodation and forward direction

• acalmingoftheEuropeanfinancialtroubles

• aresumptionofthehousingsectorwithnewconstructionto absorb pent up demand

• thehopethatnoneweconomic‘wildcards’emerge.

Gross Domestic Product in the U.S. should improve from a 1.8 percent growth in 2011 up to about 2.2 percent in 2012, 2.6 percent in 2013 and 3.5 percent in 2014.

Taking the Pulse of the National and Regional Economies:What Do They Portend for the Housing Market?

Chart 1

market update

By John McClain Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis


wAshiNgToN AReA ecoNomyThe Washington metro area began 2011 showing strength in job growth and several other indicators. However, the region’s strong recovery lost a little steam in the summer and early fall as confidence was affected by discussions of government cutbacks.

This is a continuing vulnerability of the region’s economy, and there have been threats about cuts many times before. It is not known what will happen in the political environment of the budget discussions in 2012.

History says that many threatened cut-backs do not happen. Many cuts of Department of Defense funds have been for a military project or major piece of new equipment. Cuts to headquarters’ functions (which is mostly what happens in this region) have not happened to any significant extent that would affect the region’s economy. Also, any decreases so far proposed will not happen until 2013, and most threatened reductions are not for today’s spending, but are cuts from future increases in spending.

Regional job growth in 2011 averaged 18,000 jobs on an annual basis. As shown in chart 2, growth was strong through April, flattened during the summer, and appeared to be returning toward normal in the last two months of the year.

The region’s unemployment rate continues to be one of the lowest in the country at 5.4 percent. The region’s leading economic index reflects the job growth trends in its upward acceleration as 2011 ended. In November, the index was up 2.9 percent. (See chart 3.)

The leading Index projects the economy six to nine months ahead, which means that the region’s economy should be

performing reasonably well in late spring and into summer of 2012. This should bode well for the region’s spring housing market.

Notwithstanding the threat of cuts in federal spending, we are forecasting job growth in 2012 to be slightly better than 2011, and that 2013 will improve compared to 2012. Federal jobs and spending are predicted to show flat to very modest increases during the next two to four years, which inhibits the job growth forecast.

By 2014, the region should be adding jobs close to its long-term historical average of 36,000 jobs per year. Northern Virginia will have the healthiest job growth in the region, and during the next four years will get about half of total growth in the region. These job forecasts provide a backdrop for a regional housing market that will continue to show improvement and gain strength through 2012 and beyond.

The leading index projects the economy six to nine months ahead, which means that the region’s economy should be performing reasonably well in late spring and into summer of 2012.

This should bode well for the region’s spring housing market.

Chart 2

Chart 3

Chart 4

market update


Virginia megaprojects

For the last few years, the ride on the Capital Beltway

in Northern Virginia may have seemed challenging,

with lane shifts and traffic cones dotting the

landscape. However, as the new 495 Express Lanes

enter the last year of construction, drivers should find

that the final product would be worth the wait.

When the Express Lanes are completed, drivers on the Beltway will have choices for the first time: carpools with three or more occupants travel free, and cars with fewer riders can pay a toll for a faster trip or use regular travel lanes.

“It’s all about choices,” said John Lynch, the Virginia Department of Transportation Regional Program Director. “By giving motorists more choices on the Beltway, the transportation picture in Northern Virginia gets another dimension that was not available before.”

The 495 Express Lanes are just one of the transportation improvements currently underway that make up the “Virginia Megaprojects,” a series of large-scale

transportation projects designed to get drivers from point A to point B faster. Other megaprojects include the Dulles Corridor Metrorail; the Telegraph Road interchange in Alexandria; the Fairfax County Parkway extension; and the proposed I-95 HOV/HOT lanes. Together, these projects represent several billion dollars’ worth of local transportation improvements.

The 495 Express Lanes, formerly known as the HOT Lanes, are the product of a partnership between VDOT, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and Transurban-Fluor, two private companies in a joint venture to build and operate the new lanes for 75 years. When completed in late 2012, there will be two new lanes in each direction from Springfield to just past the Dulles Toll Road. These lanes will be tolled using overhead electronic toll gantries and a special E-Z Pass that will allow motorists to pass through at highway speeds while deducting the toll from their E-Z Pass accounts. Single occupancy or two-passenger vehicles will pay the tolls, but buses and vehicles with three or more passengers will ride for free using a new E-Z Pass Flex. That device will allow drivers to flip a switch depending on how many occupants are in the vehicle.

The Dulles Corridor Metrorail project also dominates the landscape in Fairfax County. It creates a new Silver Line that will run from the current Orange Line between the East Falls Church and the West Falls Church stations, to Loudoun County past Dulles Airport. Most of the Silver Line tracks will run above ground, with the exception of two 1,200-foot tunnels just west of International Drive in Tysons Corner Center.

The rail project is divided into two phases. Phase One, which runs from Falls Church to Reston, will be completed in 2013, and Phase Two to Dulles Airport and Loudoun County, is scheduled for completion in 2016.

East of the Springfield Interchange along the Beltway is the Telegraph Road Interchange project, which includes bridges, overpasses and non-toll express lanes that cross the

Virginia Megaprojects: Transportation Upgrades Moving Closer to CompletionBy Mike Salmon, Virginia Megaprojects Public & Community Outreach Specialist

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Woodrow Wilson Bridge into Maryland. For local motorists, this project includes an overpass that carries traffic from Telegraph Road to the Hoffman Center, a popular destination also served by the Eisenhower Avenue Metro Station. This interchange is scheduled for completion later this year.

Along the Fairfax County Parkway, a 1.8-mile extension was opened in September 2010, completing the 35-mile parkway from Route 7 in northern Fairfax County to Route 1 in the south near Fort Belvoir. This project was part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) plan which relocated nearly 19,000 jobs to offices in Fort Belvoir, Alexandria and Springfield. The final phase of this parkway project, to open in late spring, is a bridge carrying newly-relocated Rolling Road over the new section of the parkway. A nearby 535-space park-and-ride lot in Saratoga will open this summer.

The planned I-95 HOV/HOT lanes are future toll lanes from Duke Street to Garrisonville that will provide a seamless connection to the I-495 Express Lanes. For the first time, motorists from the south will have the option to pay a toll and skirt traffic delays. Officials are currently negotiating the details of this proposed project.

The I-95 Widening Project is one Megaproject that was finished last summer, providing a new lane for travelers on I-95 between Springfield and Occoquan.

To learn more about the Megaprojects, visit vamegaprojects.com. For additional information, or to be included on the regular Megaproject email list, email Mike Salmon at [email protected] or call 571.483.2642.

Pictures by Trevor Wrayton, VDOT1. Looking north to Tysons Corner, the ramp leads to a future 495 Express Lanes link.

2. South on I-495, cars travel in the lanes that will soon become the 495 Express Lanes.

3. The 495 Express Lanes link (right) is supported by a special 250-ton box beam (left). A box beam is used to support the ramp over the travel lanes.

4. At the Dulles Toll Road and I-495, there are 17 new bridges to link the 495 Express Lanes.

5. Looking east along Route 123 in McLean, the East Tysons station of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail takes shape inside the beltway.

6. At Telegraph Road and I-495, new ramps and bridges link the City of Alexandria with Fairfax County.

Virginia megaprojects

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http://www.vamegaprojects.com/

http://www.vamegaprojects.com/


fair housing

Providing equal housing opportunity is a priority that Realtors® everywhere must ensure. Known as Title VIII of the Civil Rights

Act of 1968, this law serves as a tool to help integrate neighborhoods. It allows people to consider every available housing option.

NVAR’s leadership backs the principle that equal opportunity is the rule, not the exception. “Diverse communities are our ultimate goal, achieved through education and advocacy,” said Pat Kline, NVAR Chairman of the Board.

“Realtors® must deliver this message every day,” Kline said. “NVAR always works with the staff of local and state agencies to help eliminate practices of housing discrimination and raise awareness about fair housing compliance.”

The passage of the federal Fair Housing Act prohibited discrimination in residential “dwellings” on the basis of race, color, national origin, and religion. The act was amended to include gender in 1974. Then, in 1988, it included handicap (physical or mental disability) and familial status (families with children under the age of 18).

sexual orientation Now in NAR code of ethicsA new category in the NAR Code of Ethics was adopted two years ago by the NAR Board. It amends Article 10 of the code to prevent discrimination against colleagues or consumers on the basis of sexual orientation.

To acknowledge April as Fair Housing Month, Update magazine features insights from those in the Fair Housing compliance trenches. Be sure to read and share the information on these pages to ensure that you steer clear of discrimination, complaints and even the perception of a fair housing violation. Also, plan to attend the Fair Housing Luncheon, co-sponsored by NVAR and Fairfax County. See the announcement on page 19.

Barrier-Free Housing Means Steering Clear of DiscriminationThis ApRiL ANd eVeRy moNTh: ceLebRATe equAL Access To housiNg FoR ALL

By Jill Parker Landsman, VP Communications & Media Relations

After the passage of the Fair Housing Act 44 years ago, our country is still plagued by housing discrimination. Many communities continue to be characterized by segregation. Victims of discrimination are often unaware that it is illegal, or that they have rights that can be enforced with the assistance of federal, state and local governments, non-profit groups and even attorneys.

Discrimination distorts the marketplace, and it injures its victims and the community. When we allow government policy to be driven by the values of “NIMBY” (Not in My Back Yard), and allow prosperous neighborhoods to exclude affordable housing, we perpetuate segregation and ensure poor life outcomes for people forced to live in low-opportunity neighborhoods.

Whether it is the right of an African-American family to live in a neighborhood with good schools or the right of person with a disability to live in an accessible apartment building, the principle that has motivated the work of fair housing advocates is the concept of integration.

Nobody should be “steered” to a particular neighborhood or housing type because of “assumptions,” and none should be relegated to low-opportunity neighborhoods because of skin color, ethnicity or lack of income.

One recent case involves a retired couple who purchased an Arlington condominium, only to find that the “handicapped” parking spaces required by federal law had been given away to unit owners without disabilities. Consequently, a wheelchair-using owner has not been able to live in the condo for nearly five years.

pRomoTiNg housiNg choice: peNALTies cAN be sTeep FoR suppoRTiNg Nimbycompliance with Fair housing Laws is The only optionBy Michael Allen, Attorney at Relman, Dane & Colfax, PLLC, Washington, D.C.



fair housing

Cases Closed: le$$on$ in Fair Housing Don’t Let Fair Housing Violations Cost You Time, Money, Loss of Reputation

norTHern VirginiaAlleged violation/Protected Class:Refused to rent/Familial StatusMaking discriminatory statement/Familial Status

Complaint summary:Complainant alleged respondent real estate firm and property owner listed a property for rent stating “No Kids,” and broker stated that the subject property was only being rented to someone without children.

Terms of Conciliation agreement: • Respondentrealestatefirmshallpaycomplainant$5,000.• Respondentsagreetoattendfairhousingtraining.• Affirmativerelief(displayfairhousinginformation).

CenTral VirginiaAlleged Violation/Protected Class:Reasonableaccommodation/Handicap(physicaldisability)

Complaint summary:Complainant is physically disabled and alleged respondent real estate firm refused to allow her to terminate her lease early without additional fees or penalty when she became too disabled to navigate the steps leading up to her apartment. The complainant provided medical documentation advising of her need to reside in an assisted living community due to her disability. Complainant alleged respondents refused to grant her request without requiring additional fees and penalties.

Terms of Conciliation agreement:• Respondentrealestatefirmandpropertyownershallpaycomplainant$13,000.

• Respondentsagreethatpropertymanagerandregionalmanageremployed by real estate firm will attend fair housing training.

• Affirmativerelief(displayfairhousinginformation&adoptnon-discriminationpolicy).

souTHWesT VirginiaAlleged Violation/Protected Class:Refused to rent/Familial StatusDifferent terms and conditions/Familial StatusMaking discriminatory statement/Familial Status

Complaint summary:Complainants alleged respondent real estate salesperson and property owner refused to rent, discriminated in the terms and conditions of a rental, and made discriminatory statements that expressed a preference or limitation because of the complainants’ familystatus(parentsoffiveminorchildren).

Terms of Conciliation agreement:• Respondentrealestatefirmandpropertyownershallpaycomplainant$10,000.

• Respondentsagreetoattendfairhousingtraining.• Affirmativerelief(adoptnon-discriminatoryoccupancypolicy).

Source: Department of Professional & Occupational Regulation (DPOR) Richmond, Virginia

Another involves a real estate company that falsely told renters they would have to move from a house in a beautiful rural area because the owner was worried about liability after learning that the family’s teenage daughter had a seizure disorder.

Penalties for discrimination can be steep. In the past several years, judgments have required discriminators to pay large fines. These include:

a. A settlement of litigation against Westchester County, New York of $62.5 million.

b. A consent decree with A.G. Spanos Company requiring the retrofitting of 12,300 apartments to make them accessible to people with disabilities and the establishment of a $5 million retrofit fund.

c. Multiple findings of race discrimination against St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana regarding its resistance to affordable housing, resulting in an award of attorney’s fees of more than $1.5 million.

d. A verdict of $10.8 million against the City of Zanesville and Muskingum County, Ohio, for its refusal to extend municipal water service to an African-American neighborhood.

To make housing choice a reality, people need to know their rights and understand that they can enforce them. The Virginia Fair Housing Board, Housing Opportunities Made Equal based in Richmond, the Equal Rights Center in Washington, D.C. all provide enforcement resources, as do private law firms.

continued on next page



As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century, diversity has taken on a new meaning. The visual images of our social environment include an African American President, the multi-racial and multi-cultural families of high-profile people like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and multi-ethnic ordinary folks portrayed looking for housing on HGTV. It is therefore easy to forget the deep historical and institutional roots of housing discrimination that continue to affect many seeking housing.

Housing industry professionals – and others – are frequently surprised that discrimination is still a barrier to housing choice. Yet more than 10,000 complaints of housing discrimination are filed every year with federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. In Virginia, 286 fair housing complaints were filed in 2010 with the Virginia Fair Housing Office. More than one-third of those were from Northern Virginia region. (Chart 1)

The threshold step in effective fair housing compliance is a two-pronged process: acknowledging that discriminatory housing practices still artificially limit the housing choices of many Americans, and being consciously mindful of

potential fair housing issues to ensure that discrimination does not happen.

Real estate professionals are in a unique position to observe and prevent discrimination. They are often the nexus of real estate transactions, connecting buyers and sellers, renters and property owners, purchasers and lenders.

Educating and protecting clients and colleagues from fair housing violations and allegations is a part of risk management responsibilities, professional ethics obligations, and doing the right thing. A clear understanding of federal and state fair housing laws is essential to incorporating appropriate compliance into daily business activities.

Housing industry professionals – and others – are frequently surprised that discrimination is still a barrier to housing choice.

FAiR housiNg compLiANce: why iT mATTeRsBy Susan Scoville, Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the National Fair Housing Training Academy, Graduate School USA, Washington, D.C.

fair housing


pRAcTiciNg FAiR housiNg is good FoR ReALToRs®, TheiR cLieNTs ANd ouR commuNiTystay informed About the Latest Fair housing guidelinesBy Kenneth Saunders, Director, Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs

Practicing fair housing is a win-win situation; it is good for families, for communities and for real estate professionals. Practicing fair housing increases housing opportunities for clients and expands the customer base for Realtors®. Staying informed about fair housing laws and practices makes good business sense, and it is not an option: it is the law. Failure to comply with fair housing laws, whether intentional or not, can be costly financially and emotionally for all parties.

Some fair housing issues that real estate professionals operating in the sales market encounter are the same as those in the rental market; some are not. Given the current market, the client base for some real estate professionals has shifted to include more rental properties. The OHREP-HRD staff continues to encourage NVAR, its membership and others to collaborate with us to communicate information about and promote compliance with all fair housing laws. We invite agents to take advantage of our education and outreach services, and other resources that our agency provides.

For information, contact Kenneth Saunders at 703.324.2953 or [email protected].

raCe religion naTional origin

sex Familial sTaTus

elder- liness

disabiliTy ToTal

Northern Virginia 28 5 15 12 12 5 21 98

Central Virginia 27 3 5 8 8 9 27 87

Tidewater 20 1 4 11 9 3 19 67

Southwest 6 3 1 3 8 2 11 34

Total 81 12 25 34 37 19 78 286

CHarT 1: This chart shows the number of fair housing complaints filed with the Virginia Fair Housing Office in 2010. The numbers reflect the complaints alleging discriminatory housing practices accepted for investigation by the VFHO.

CHarT 2: For calendar year 2011, the Commonwealth of Virginia conciliated 24 fair housing cases; of those, only five cases involved real estate licensees.

Fair Housing Complaints Filed

Disability

10Familial Status

8

Race

3

Sex 1National Origin and Sex 1Race and Familial Status 1

CHarT 1

CHarT 2


examples of Fair housing Violations Craigslist ads that used blatantly discriminatory language about race, ethnicity, religion, the presence of kids, or offered to trade rent for sexual favors crossed the line. Craigslist has enhanced its warnings regarding prohibited discrimination to make it less likely that such discriminatory language is used. Examples include:

“Seeking an attractive, petite, dark skinned female age 25-38 to share house. No out of pocket expense, you take care of me and pay no rent.”

And

“Sorry no pets or little kids owner lives directly upstairs from this unit and prefers quiet adult neighbors as she works from home and needs conservative and quiet tenants.”

Then there is the 2005 litigation in Chesterfield County, Virginia, against Ruffus Matthews who was selling his own house and told the black woman who asked about buying it, a black tester, and the local TV station that he would not sell his house to a “colored person.” The court found that he intentionally violated fair housing laws but made the shockingly low award of only $12,000 in damages.

In addition, a black couple relocating to Richmond had been told by the property management company agent that they did not qualify to rent one house (located in a predominantly white neighborhood), but were encouraged to rent a more expensive house (located in a predominantly black neighborhood) because the owner there was not “picky.” It was revealed during the course of the litigation that the houses were owned by the same person. That case settled just before trial for $78,000.

which Fair housing Violations Top the charts?

The largest numbers of fair housing complaints are based on race and disability, followed by complaints based on familial status.

Since 1988, complaints of discrimination based on disability have steadily increased, in some instances outnumbering the number of complaints based on race. About one-half of the complaints received nationally by HUD and state or local agencies are related to disability, while about one-third of complaints are based on race. Another 15 percent are based on discrimination against families with children. (source: 2011 NFHA Trends Report)

fair housing

continued on page 16


http://www.nationalfairhousing.org/FairHousingResources/ReportsandResearch/tabid/3917/Default.aspx

http://joinathome.com/


fair housing

In Virginia, race and disability complaints are about even – in 2010, 27 percent of complaints received by the Virginia Fair Housing Office were disability complaints; 28 percent were based on race; 13 percent were based on familial status. However, complaints received from the Northern Virginia region in 2010 were 29 percent race and 21 percent disability; followed by 12 percent familial status complaints. (source: Housing Snapshot, HOME website)

It is important to note that race discrimination has not gone away. Race complaints have not necessarily declined, but as people with disabilities have become more aware of their rights – and housing providers have not quite kept up with these requirements – more disability complaints are being filed.

Many disability complaints are about housing providers who are unwilling to allow tenants with disabilities to make reasonable modifications (such as putting in a ramp to allow wheelchair access) or are unwilling to make reasonable accommodations in their policies and procedures (such as allowing service or therapeutic animals) for people with disabilities. Other complaints are about failures to meet accessibility requirements covered by multi-family housing and differential treatment because of disability.

hud has Added sexual orientation As A protected class

Housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity has become an increasingly visible issue. Sexual orientation is not a covered protected class under the federal or Virginia fair housing laws, although it is covered in 21 states and in some Northern Virginia localities by local ordinance. Some sexual orientation complaints may be covered as gender discrimination. Examples are: landlord willing to rent to two women but not to two men; refusal to rent to transgender persons because they don’t conform to gender stereotypes; or, disability in a case whereby a gay tenant is rejected because of fear of HIV/AIDS.

HUD is taking this issue seriously and issued a final rule on Feb. 3, 2012 protecting Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people against discrimination in federal housing programs. The rule clarifies that “families” (which can be an individual) that are otherwise eligible for HUD programs cannot be excluded because one or more members are, or are perceived to be LGBT or in a same-sex relationship. The rule applies to all HUD programs, including public housing, HUD-assisted or financed housing, and FHA insured mortgage financing.

Fair Housing, continued from page 15

http://www.bbt.com/


legal lines

In July 2012, Virginia laws governing agency will change significantly. In anticipation of this change, some of the basics of agency law are explained below.

AgeNcy deFiNedIn the context of a real estate transaction, the term “Agency” refers to every relationship in which a real estate licensee acts for or represents a person by such person’s express authority in real estate transactions, unless a different legal relationship is intended and is agreed to as part of the brokerage relationship.

Briefly stated, the law provides that Realtors® establish their relationship with a client as part of the brokerage relationship. Agency requires express authority unless something different is agreed to as part of the brokerage relationship. Always get the express authority in writing!

Agency includes representation of a client as a standard agent or a limited service agent.

When do I become an agent, and when does that relationship end?There are three components required in the contract establishing the brokerage relationship.

1. The brokerage relationship shall commence at the time that a client engages a licensee and shall continue until the termination date or other conditions prescribed in the contractual agreement.

2. The brokerage relationship shall have a definite termination date; and if not, the brokerage relationship shall terminate 90 days after the date upon which the brokerage relationship began.

3. After termination, expiration, or completion of performance of the brokerage relationship the licensee owes no further duties to the client except that the licensee shall:

a. Account for all monies and property relating to the brokerage relationship, and

b. Keep confidential all personal and financial information received from the client during the course of the brokerage relationship and any other information that the client requests during the

brokerage relationship be maintained confidential. This applies unless otherwise provided by law or the client consents in writing to the release of such information. This obligation continues after termination of the relationship.

What is a designated agent and what services can a designated agent provide?“Designated Agent” or “Designated Representative” means a licensee who has been assigned by a principal or supervising broker to represent a client while a different client in the same transaction is represented by another “licensee” affiliated with the same principal or supervising broker in a transaction. (The designated broker remains the “dual agent” in the transaction.)

A designated agent provides full representation to his or her client.

What is a dual agent?“Dual Agent” or “Dual Representative” means a licensee who has a “brokerage relationship” with both seller and buyer in the same real estate transaction.

As a dual agent what services can you provide?The code of Virginia sets forth what services a dual agent cannot provide.

1. The agent will be unable to advise either seller or buyer as to the terms, offers or counteroffers (except, however, that the dual agent may have already provided such advice to the seller prior to representing the buyer);

2. The agent cannot advise the buyer as to the suitability of the property, its condition (other than to make any disclosures as required by law of any licensee representing a seller), and cannot advise either party as to repairs of the property (to make or request);

3. The agent cannot advise either party in any dispute that might later arise relating to the transaction;

4. The agent will be acting without knowledge of the client’s needs, client’s experience in the market, or client’s experience in handling real estate transactions unless he has gained that information from earlier contact with the client.

Remember that either party may engage another licensee if additional representation is required.

Changes Ahead

Agency ABCs: Understanding the Basics of Virginia Agency LawBy Sarah Louppe Petcher, NVAR General Counsel




legal lines

What is a sub-agent?Sub-agency is a type of brokerage relationship. A defining characteristic of sub-agency is that the listing firm, with the permission of the seller, has extended its agency relationship with the seller outside the firm’s own agents and authorized other cooperating brokerage firms to represent the seller in a transaction. When this happens, the other cooperating broker becomes a “sub-agent” of the listing broker.

A sub-agent is a real estate licensee who provides real estate services to a buyer while actually representing the seller in a real estate transaction. It is important to note that sub-agency cannot take place within a firm. For an agent to be a sub-agent, he or she must work for a different brokerage than the listing agent.

Who represents the buyer when a sub-agent is involved in the real estate transaction?When a buyer is working with a sub-agent he or she is not being represented by any of the real estate licensees involved in the transaction. The listing agent and sub-agent both represent the seller, while the buyer remains unrepresented in the real estate transaction.

Does the seller have to consent to sub-agency?Yes. Agency relationships are consensual in nature and

require the informed consent of the principal (i.e. seller). The listing agent should discuss sub-agency with sellers when taking the listing to determine whether or not the seller will consent to sub-agency. Agents should consult with their brokers about their firm’s policies on offering and accepting offers of sub-agency.

Does the buyer have to consent to sub-agency?Yes. Even though the sub-agent does not represent the buyer, the licensee must still discuss agency relationships as mandated by state law. The buyer may decline to work with a sub-agent if he or she prefers to work with a real estate licensee under a buyer agency or non-agency (i.e. transactional brokerage) relationship.

Failure to disclose the sub-agent’s representational relationship with the seller to the buyer can create the potential for undisclosed dual agency which is a violation of state law. One contributing factor to the decline of sub-agency was the rapid increase in the number of lawsuits from buyers about undisclosed dual agency.

Why is a discussion of sub-agency important if it is so rarely used by real estate brokerage firms?Many Realtors® misunderstand the meaning of the term “sub-agency.” Those agents who do not understand the


Agency, continued from page 17

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legal lines

term cannot properly explain it to a seller when reviewing the listing agreement.

A few listing agents have mistakenly told their clients that “sub-agency” is the listing firms’ share of the commission while “buyer-agency” is the buyer broker’s share of the commission. This has also led to misunderstandings about how to input this information into the MRIS system.

Does a limited service agent have an agency relationship with the client?Yes. The agency relationship is limited in scope to the services the client has selected. However, a limited service agent still owes all the same duties (e.g., confidentiality, protecting and promoting the interest of the client, etc.) to the client as a regular agent. Regardless which services are selected, the duties created by the agency relationship remain the same.

What is a limited service agent?A limited service agent is an agent who performs limited services selected by the client. This can only be done pursuant to a written brokerage agreement in which the limited service representative (i) discloses that the licensee is acting as a limited service representative; (ii) provides a list of the specific services that the licensee will provide to the client; and (iii) provides a list of the specific duties of a

standard agent that the limited service representative will not provide to the client.

Such disclosure shall be conspicuous and printed either in bold lettering or all capitals, and shall be underlined or in a separate box. In addition, a disclosure that contains language that complies substantially in effect with the following shall be deemed in compliance with this disclosure requirement:

“By entering into this brokerage agreement, the undersigned do hereby acknowledge their informed consent to the limited service representation by the licensee and do further acknowledge that neither the other party to the transaction nor any real estate licensee representing the other party is under any legal obligation to assist the undersigned with the performance of any duties and responsibilities of the undersigned not performed by the limited service representative.”

This article will be continued in the May/June issue of Update. To read the complete article, visit go.nvar.com/agency.


Agents on AgencyThis pAsT FebRuARy, The NVAR LiNkediN gRoup AddRessed duAL AgeNcy.

here are excerpts from that discussion:

moNikA kAiseR: duAL AgeNcy: yes oR No?

shawn Washinko >> Never ever ... as the Principal Broker for my company, we do not allow any of our agents to participate in dual agency relationships.

Kristi morgan >> I also do not recommend dual representation. How can you get the best price for both the seller and the buyer? How do you fairly negotiate home inspection items? Each party needs their own representation/Realtor®.

Heather embrey >> No to dual agency, but if there is a buyer who wants to write an offer, you can do so, and only represent the Seller. With so much information availabletoconsumersnow-a-days,Ifindmorebuyerswho feel they can “wing it” on their own.

Catherine Cleland >> I moved here from NYC where dual agency is the norm. It truly is a completely different world there. Sometimes, having a single agent involved who knows both parties and can do what needs to be done to make both parties happy can be a good thing ... here in Virginia, however, I think it is different.

mark Forror >> Both parties need to understand that the agent’s help is limited in a situation like this.


http://nvar.com/2012-march-april-issue/changes-ahead-agency-abcs-understanding-the-basics-of-virginia-agency-law

http://nvar.com/misc-nvar-notices/fair-housing-lunch


linkedin


I always give an unrepresented buyer the chance to have representation(eitherwithmeoranotheragent),whichhealmost always declines. Then, I simply represent my client and the buyer goes unrepresented.

I do not think, however, that this is better for all parties concerned than dual agency. Working with an unrepresented buyer almost always results in problems, whereas I have never had a problem in a dual agency situation. It is imperative in a situation like this that the unrepresented buyer be given a Disclosure of Brokerage Relationship [to sign.] Remember also that writing a contract for a buyer in Virginia is a ministerial act; it does NOT create an agency relationship. *

Jim agnew >> Dual Agency in today’s market is a slippery slope most Realtors® should never attempt to slide down. Years ago it was the norm, since we always worked for the Seller and the Buyer really had no representation. The better road is to only work for your Seller with the Buyer acknowledging that fact, or suggest the Buyer obtain representation!

monika edwards Harrison >> I do not serve as dual agent. I can just imagine how contentious it can get. ... Even though the process shouldn’t be adversarial, there are areas of negotiation that have buyers and sellers at opposite ends

of agreement, and each should be looking to their agent for assistance in resolving them. How does dual agency advance that?

Win singleton >> Designated Representation by two agents in the same firm [or] on the same team can and does offer full representation to both the seller client by one agent and thebuyerclientbytheotheragent.Bothagentscangive100percent to the client they represent. But I have always found it hard to understand how one agent can protect and promote the interest of each client when engaged to represent both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction as Dual Agent. Something usually has to give.

Jon Wolford >> There are situations where buyers and sellers MIGHT be better accommodated by dual representation than for each side to hire their own.

Pretend you are a seller. Your agent meets a potential buyer at your home while conducting an open house. You first option might be for the agent to solely represent you. But, if the buyer feels uncomfortable, would you rather your agent represent you both or send the buyer off to find an agent on their own? With dual representation, your agent might negotiate a win/win scenario. If another agent gets involved they might feel “their worth” in this transaction is

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negotiating the best deal for their buyer client.

I say education not legislation.

marcie Flournoy >> Just say “NO” to dual! Dual is like the same attorney representing the defense and the prosecution. How is anyone really represented except the attorney’s own interest?

maureen dawson >> Under no circumstance should an agent represent the buyer and seller and it is surprising in the Commonwealth of Virginia, they have not eliminated this practice. As for teams, there should be no dispensation for this practice. They too, should be held to the same standards as agents.

erick blackwelder >> One of the benefits of having a team is having different staff members responsible for each side of the transaction. My Listings Manager deals with the sellers, while my Buyer Agents work with the buyers. This allows us to use what Virginia calls, “Designated Agency,” with both seller and buyer acknowledging that they are working for the benefit of their respective parties.

Tillie Cassidy >> Every case is different. If you notice one side is not comfortable after understanding fair and honest disclosure in writing than you can advise them to get representation elsewhere. To eliminate the choice would

be unfortunate. Florida has “Transaction Brokers” and outlawed Dual Representation, which I am not advocating, but [would be an option.]

Jim agnew >> The biggest question seems to be that if teams do it under the guise of Designated Representation it’s OK. Not agreeing or disagreeing, except remember that Maryland treats a transaction within the same company as dual agency. We, in Virginia, are lucky to have the option of designated agency; don’t abuse it with teams.

lorraine arora >> Never do it. I learned the hard way, when I was selling. Even though both parties sat across the table and we wrote the offer, at the end the buyers wanted an item thatwaspersonalproperty(apooltablenotlistedtoconvey)and felt that the seller should have left it. [The buyers] felt I should have sided with them. There was heartache all round.

Peter rickert >> Never. And I mean Never! Successful real estate is about limiting liability not increasing it.

* Editor’s Note: Completing a contract with terms pre-determined by the principal is indeed a ministerial act. Assisting a principal and providing advice on what the terms of an offer are is not a ministerial act.

http://www.vhda.com/Pages/Home.aspx


nvar blood drive

More than 50 people responded to NVAR’s call for donors at the association’s first American Red Cross blood drive on January 30. The day-long event, which took place at NVAR’s Fairfax headquarters, yielded 45 productive units of blood – seven more than the stated goal. The first-time NVAR Blood Drive was cited in local TV websites, the Washington Post and other newspapers.

A team of six American Red Cross staffers transformed the Fairfax Great Falls classroom into a temporary phlebotomy lab, with separate stations for interviewing potential donors, drawing blood, packaging blood and offering a donor canteen.

Scenes such as this play out about 20 times each month in this region, said James Boese, the American Red Cross account representative who helped to organize NVAR’s drive.

Boese works with area community organizations and businesses to host blood drives throughout Northern Virginia. An organization can hold a drive every 56 days, which is the amount of time required between donations for a person who is donating blood. “Most people who are donors [at these drives] are repeat donors,” Boese said.

The donated blood is taken to a facility in Baltimore where it undergoes extensive testing. This is a two- to four-week process, after which the blood is available to fill orders from local hospitals. “Right now we’re in a low collection period,” Boese said, “so the units donated here today will probably be shipped out to hospitals as soon as the testing is completed.”

Thanks to the efforts of NVAR staff member Gerie Kruchko, who spearheaded the event, volunteers and donors at the blood drive were treated to a free catered meal at NVAR from Outback Steakhouse on Lee Highway in Fairfax. Asked if the offer of a meal was helpful in recruiting donors, Boese replied, “They may not come because of it, but it definitely can help them have a positive experience!”

NVAR Blood Drive Exceeds GoalAssociATioN ANd commuNiTy membeRs giVe The giFT oF LiFeBy Ann Gutkin, NVAR Communications & Media Relations Manager

1. GerieKruchko,NVARreceptionist,registeredpresentingdonorsintheFairfaxatrium,includingSaraRubida(left)ofLong&Foster.Kruchko,aformer American Red Cross employee, spearheaded the NVAR drive, a first for the association.

2. The Great Falls Room at NVAR’s Fairfax headquarters became a temporaryRedCrossblooddrawingfacilityonJanuary30.Inadditionto five beds for standard donors, there were also two stations for “R2” donors, or those able to provide two units of red cells. There were four R2 donors at the NVAR drive.

3. Allpresentingdonorsmustcompleteaquestionnaire,undergoaconfidential interview and have a preliminary blood analysis to determine eligibility.

3.

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agents need to know

sAVe The dATe: spRiNg pRogRAms oN TAp AT NVAR Watch nvar.com and your NVAR e-Newsletters for details about these programs, coming soon to an NVAR center near you!

NVAR’s Real Estate Finance & Settlement Forum Presents:

• UntanglingtheWebofHomeMortgageOptions Wed.,March21,1-3p.m.,NVARFairfax

Learn about financing choices available to your clients in Maryland, D.C. and Northern Virginia.

• MayFinancePanel Wed.,May23,1-3p.m.,NVARFairfax

Industry insiders offer their perspective on the state of the U.S. and regional mortgage market.

NVAR Legal Summit:Wed.,June20,10a.m.-2p.m.,NVARHerndonVirginia legal experts will speak on a variety of timely topicsCE approval pending.

NationwideOpenHouse:April28-29Join Realtors® across the nation hosting open houses for the home buying and selling public.

peRsoNALize youR pAsswoRd oN NVAR.com! New Feature allows MeMbers to MaNage PersoNal Data

We are pleased to provide members with the ability to maintain NVAR member data online. To edit your member information, including your password, please visit go.nvar.com/members to log-in to the NVAR Members Only section of our website.

Click the “Edit Membership Info” button on the right side of that page. On that screen you can edit member

data, including your password. Items in red cannot be blank.

Once your edits have been completed, click Update at the bottom of the page.

Agents Need to Know

REFSF

https://store.nvar.com/process/memlogin.asp?m=false&i=1&s=1&l=&r=/membersonly/default.htm

www.ekkotitle.com

https://store.nvar.com/realtorstore/product.htm?departid=38000&in=2e7:13553654863:-703e

http://www.realtor.org/topics/nationwideopenhouse


latest technology

Five years ago, being a tech-savvy Realtor® meant having a Blackberry®, a website with a database on the backend and possibly a customer relationship management (CRM) software package. Today, blogs, social media, smartphones and ‘cloud computing’ have given Realtors® a goody bag of tools and technologies that enable them to create closer, real-time relationships with their customers. Through blog postings, tweets and bulletin boards, agents now are able to engage in a daily conversation with their clients.

This closer relationship comes with a price. Innovations have multiplied with mind-boggling speed, leaving many Realtors® overwhelmed with choices. There are so many new ways to communicate with customers that cyberspace threatens to become a new Tower of Babel with everyone using a different social media package.

Using all the new technological tools at their disposal would leave Realtors® no time to run their businesses, but failing to take advantage of the new technology would deprive them of a powerful sales tool. Another related concern is that the new technologies are made to be integrated with one another to create multi-faceted sales campaigns. How can a Realtor® optimize technology to create a suite of tools out of this overwhelming variety of innovations and apps?

How Much Is Enough??By Liz Milner



latest technology

The Basics for Every AgentWhen asked to name the essential tools for establishing a Realtor’s® online presence, Adam Gallegos, real estate blogosphere star and broker/founder of Arbour Realty, (ArbourRealty.com), named four items that should be on a real estate website:

1) A home search tool (IDX)

2) Information about how the market is doing

3) Community information

4) A tool to learn the value of a visitor’s current home.

What is often missing from real estate websites, Gallegos notes, is a strategy for how consumers will find the site. “You can have the most informative and useful website in town, but it is useless if consumers do not find it. Before investing a penny on a new website, develop a solid strategy for reaching consumers.”

Google placement is the number-one strategy for Arbour Realty. Gallegos acknowledges that getting first-page placement on Google took “a tremendous investment of time and money, but it is paying off. Luckily, we have had a great SEO – [search engine optimization] – advisor or we could be spinning our wheels.”

Simplicity, Mark Wilson of Long & Foster says, is the key to an effective real estate website. Otherwise you risk overwhelming your potential clients. Include a home search tool, information on the agent and the agent’s company, Wilson suggests. Update it every week to keep it in the search engines, he adds. Blogs are wonderful, Wilson says, but only if you update them frequently.

Blogs Boost Web PresenceBlogs have become a key part of most Realtors®’ marketing campaigns. The most read blogs don’t only deal with real estate, but focus on issues that are of profound interest to their communities. Arbour Realty’s blogging strategy has positioned it as one of the most innovative real estate companies in the country.

Before Gallegos established Arbour Realty, the concern Arlingtonians felt for green technology and practices had been overlooked by most local Realtors® and media. Arbour Realty was founded as Northern Virginia’s first green real estate company. Gallegos used his web site and blog to establish himself as the region’s expert on ‘green realty’ and as the premiere source for hyper-local information.

His blog is a ‘one-stop shop’ for information pertaining to Arlington, with an extensive “365 Things to do in

Arlington” calendar of local events, discount coupons and special offers from local merchants. It provides a ’watering hole‘ where potential clients can see what a fun place Arlington is.

In the social media world, contacts are power, and with offers such as a downloadable “Free E-Book: Getting the Most Money for Your Home,” or a subscription to an e-newsletter, the website provides opportunities for potential clients and local businesses to join the mailing list. This provides Gallegos with an extensive list of contacts he can use to target his marketing messages.

Gallegos chose to focus on developing his blog because “Blogging was the best way I could find to rank well on search engines and reach my audience.” He emphasized that writing solely for search engine rank is a mistake. “Even if your website climbs to the first page of Google, it is not going to help you if people are not interested in what your website contains.” He keeps his blog content fresh and interesting by writing in a friendly, engaging voice about topics he enjoys, sticking to a consistent set of topics and welcoming guest contributors to lend their expertise and “fresh, new” voices and perspectives to the blog.

Heather Elias, a Realtor® with Century 21 Redwood Realty in Ashburn writes the influential real estate blog, LoCoMusings.com. Elias explains that she decided to focus on blogging in 2007 when she discovered that consumers were no longer looking for the static buyer and seller information found on traditional websites.

Her blog enables her to give them more dynamic, up-to-date content and cover issues in real time. She can be more responsive to what her customers want to know. The blog is about 75 percent local information and 25 percent real estate information.

LoCoMusings blog content is driven by Elias’ clients and their interests. She surveys neighborhood online home owner association bulletin boards and local news sites, but the conversations she has with clients are her best sources of content.

A website with a companion blog is best, says Elias. She uses her website to show relatively static information such as listings, slide show tours and professionally produced videos. Her blog promotes her business. It contains frequently updated, hyper-local information including informal video chats that Elias records using her cell phone camera.

The website is an endangered species, according to Long & Foster sales associate Trudy Severa. Cell phone



http://arbourrealty.com/

http://www.locomusings.com/


latest technology

apps such as Curbside Shopper and VoicePad, where the customers simply input a four-digit code on their cell phone to receive instant information on price, bed and bath count, property description, photos, Realtor® contacts and, in the case of VoicePad, a recorded presentation, make websites seem slow and unresponsive by comparison.

She says that Realtors® who plan to use a website as their primary web presence need to keep it fresh by including videos or a blog to engage the client. Agents need to update their blog at least once a week, Severa advises, to keep it at the top of the online searches in search engines such as Google. And whatever else is on a website or blog, she adds, the key tool is a good search vehicle because people come to a Realtor’s® site to find a home.

Maya Paveza, a Realtor® with Coldwell Banker Preferred in Delaware, who runs the website, MayaREGuru (mayareguru.com) and the blog, The Hip Roof (thehiproof.com), says that the blog, launched in February 2011, positioned her as an expert on social media for real estate. She says that keeping her blog content fresh is simple. “I look at the questions my clients ask and write about that. Fresh content is easy to come by; everybody wants to know what the market rates and conditions are and why they should buy. Answer those questions and, if in doubt, just ask yourself what the most common question you hear from clients is and then write about it. That way, when you hear the question again, you can just direct them to your blog.”

WordPress (wordpress.com) is the favorite blogging platform among R ealtors® interviewed for this article. WordPress makes it easy to integrate a website with a blog. Learn more about WordPress in the July/August 2011 Update video tutorial article found at go.nvar.com/WPsite.

Google analytics (google.com/analytics) is a free tool that tracks traffic to a site and identifies the topics that are of the greatest interest to readers. This, Elias says, is “really important if you’re blogging to see how the consumer is interacting with your site.”

Social Media Adds Networking ValueMany Realtors® integrate popular social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter with their blogs and websites so that they appear to be everywhere on the Internet. Social media dashboards such as Tweetdeck or

HootSuite can be used to customize and manage social media interactions.

Elias outlines her tactics for achieving a strong presence on the Internet while conserving time and money. She uses her Facebook business page to share information about what’s happening in the area and to highlight articles that appear on her blog.

Her blog and Twitter accounts automatically feed in to her LinkedIn account. She also does e-mail blasts using Mailchimp.com. To manage her social media interactions she uses the social media dashboard HootSuite (hootsuite.com) and Roost.com (roost.

com), a social marketing platform.

All of Arbour Realty’s blogs are posted on Facebook with links that entice readers to click through. Arbour’s Facebook page links to interesting articles on other sites. Arbour also hosts Arlington365, (facebook.com/

Arlington365), a Facebook page that promotes local events. Gallegos uses Constant Contact to send a monthly newsletter to 4,000 subscribers that recycles the top blog posts of the month.

Videos Boost MarketabilityRealtors® differ in their approach to video marketing. Gallegos hired a company called Digital Accomplice to produce Arbour Realty’s videos, which he posts on Youtube and Facebook. Having professional quality videos is much more expensive, but Gallegos believed it was an important branding decision.

Long and Foster’s Mark Wilson favors a do-it-yourself approach, using his smartphone to take videos of homes he lists and surrounding neighborhoods. He stores videos on his laptop, then edits them and loads them to his website and Youtube channel.

Going Ape Over Apps“Blackberries are passé,” says Wilson. “Smartphones are a requirement and Androids are in.” Mobile apps are very “in,” he adds. Paveza likes Realtor.com’s apps. With them, she can set a radius and identify all the houses available within that area. Other favorites are Smarter Agent (smarteragent.com) and Recake, (recake.com) which offers customized mobile apps for Realtors®.


Technology, continued from page 25

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Smartphones, according to Severa, are the primary tools that agents and customers now use to get information. She puts QR codes on flyers she leaves in her brochure boxes. The QR codes link to a website that showcases the home. She also uses text messaging so that clients who don’t have a QR code reader can enter a number on their keypad and receive a text message giving information on the house.

Cloud Computing: A Virtual PlusMany Realtors® have embraced external “cloud computing” services that can expand their local computer or smartphone’s capabilities. Elias loves the convenience of Dropbox (dropbox.com) because it allows her to save documents in the cloud and access them from her phone, laptop or iPad. Gallegos also praised Dropbox, “I love being able to have the same user experience regardless of whether I am working from my home computer, work computer, iPad or an internet cafe.”

A self-confessed “data hoarder,” Paveza has reservations about ‘the cloud’. “If there’s some kind of server and network failure, how will I get my information? Things go down, and it’s going to be that moment when I need the information at my fingertips. So I back files up to external drives and I save PDFs of contracts to my mobile phone.” That said, Paveza says Dropbox is very useful, and she confided that she is a “[virtual signature] junkie” because [some products offer mobile apps that make] getting signatures on contracts really easy.”

Tech Learning Never StopsSevera keeps her knowledge of the technology fresh through constant review with her colleagues at Long & Foster. She’s a founding member of the company’s Office Technology Club, which meets regularly to pool information and keep current on new technology.

Meetings are Elias’ primary means of keeping abreast of new technology. The workshops at the Inman News conferences, the NAR conferences, the NVAR-hosted technology conferences and The Real Estate Technology South Conference are especially helpful. In addition, most association conventions have added technology workshops to their programs. She says that Nicole Nicolay at Agent Evolution’s Social Media training program is a fantastic resource for real estate technology. Elias follows technology topics on Facebook and Twitter and reads Mashable and Tech Crunch as well.

Wilson recommends E-Pro Certification (epronar.com) through NAR. This six-month, online course teaches Realtors® to use social media effectively.

The best place to learn is online, according to Paveza. Her blog is a learning environment for real estate and new technology. It features forums, blogs, calendars, webinars, an “Expert Series” of weekly interviews, eBooks and on-line courses. Paveza also recommends Drew Myers’ “Geekestate” Blog, geekestateblog.com, a resource for real estate professionals “who want to learn more about how they can grow their business through smart use of technology.”

Realtors® at all levels of technical proficiency would do well to heed Paveza who says, “I don’t feel there’s an advantage to an agent racing off to the latest and greatest innovation. If the consumer is just getting comfortable in something, that’s where we need to be.

“We don’t gain anything by leading the pack in technological innovation. We’re selling houses, not trying to be the top technology agent in the country. If that’s your priority, you’re forgetting the fundamentals. This is just a new area to farm.”

Visit go.nvar.com/2012Catalog for a listing of NVAR’s technology courses.


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http://epronar.com/

http://www.nvar.com/images/documents/2012-course-catalog.pdf

http://www.realtysignpost.net/

http://www.geekestateblog.com/


tax tips

The Internal Revenue Service offers this important information to share with individuals who have sold or are about to sell their home. Sellers who have a gain from the sale of their main home may qualify to exclude all or part of that gain from their income.

Here are 10 tips from the IRS to keep in mind when selling your home.

In general, you are eligible to exclude the gain from income if you have owned and used your home as your main home for two years out of the five years prior to the date of its sale.

If you have a gain from the sale of your main home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your income ($500,000 on a joint return in most cases).

You are not eligible for the exclusion if you excluded the gain from the sale of another home during the two-year period prior to the sale of your home.

If you can exclude all of the gain, you do not need to report the sale on your tax return.

If you have a gain that cannot be excluded, it is taxable. You must report it on Form 1040, Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.

You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.

Worksheets are included in Publication 523, Selling Your Home, to help you figure the adjusted basis of the home you sold, the gain (or loss) on the sale, and the gain that you can exclude.

If you have more than one home, you can exclude a gain only from the sale of your main home. You must pay tax on the gain from selling any other home. If you have two

Ten Tax Tips for Individuals Selling Their Home(Internal Revenue Service Tax Tip 2011-15 – August 8, 2011)

http://nvar.com/government-affairs/rpac-bowling-night-march-26


tax tips

homes and live in both of them, your main home is ordinarily the one you live in most of the time.

If you received the first-time homebuyer credit and within 36 months of the date of purchase, the property is no longer used as your principal residence, you are required to repay the credit. Repayment of the full credit is due with the income tax return for the year the home ceased to be your principal residence, using Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit. The full amount of the credit is reflected as additional tax on that year’s tax return.

When you move, be sure to update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive refunds or correspondence from the IRS. Use Form 8822, Change of Address, to notify the IRS of your address change.

For more information about selling your home, see IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home. This publication is available at irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Protect Yourself from Phishing ScamsThe IRS does not send taxpayers unsolicited emails about their tax accounts, tax situations or personal tax issues. If you receive such an email, most likely it’s a scam.

Many impersonations are identity theft scams that try to trick victims into revealing personal and financial information that can be used to access their financial accounts. Some email scams contain attachments or links that, when clicked, download a virus that infects your computer or direct you to a fictitious form or site posing as a genuine IRS form or web site.

Some impersonations may be commercial Internet sites that consumers unknowingly visit, thinking they’re accessing the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov. Such sites have no connection to the IRS.

http://www.irs.gov/

http://www.hometowntitle.net/


fha financing

There have been recent changes to both FHA and VA loan limits, as well as some modifications in their guidelines. FHA has increased the maximum mortgage limits back to $729,750 from $625,500 for most of the Washington Metro area. However, it is important to check the outlying counties before assuming these increases.

The total mortgage amount can be increased to cover the upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP). Acting FHA Commissioner Carol Galante announced in February a new premium structure for FHA-insured single family mortgage loans. FHA will increase its annual MIP by 0.10 percent for loans under $625,500 and by 0.35 percent for loans above that amount. Upfront premiums will also increase by 0.75 percent.

These premium changes will impact new loans insured by FHA beginning in April and June of 2012. Details will be published in a Mortgagee Letter to FHA-approved lenders.

There also has been major change to the guidelines governing how FHA treats condominiums. (See facing page article about FHA Certification.)

In addition to the two-year approval renewal policy, FHA now requires its exposure of owner occupancy to be no less than 80 percent of FHA insured units. FHA will allow funding of units in properties that continue to meet the 50 percent owner occupancy requirement (second home units count in this number)

The Ups And Downs of FHA and VA Financing poLicy chANges impAcT upFRoNT pRemiumsBy Fred Bowers, NVAR Real Estate Finance & Settlement Forum Co-Chair

HUD Mortgage InsuranceSection203(b),thecenterpieceofFHA’ssinglefamilymortgage insurance programs, has several important features:

• Downpaymentrequirementscanbelow.Incontrastto conventional mortgage products, single family mortgagesinsuredbyFHAunderSection203(b)make it possible to reduce down payments to as littleas3.5percent.

• Somefeesarelimited.FHArulesimposelimitson some of the fees that lenders may charge in making a mortgage.

• HUDsetslimitsontheamountthatmaybeinsured.

https://store.nvar.com/realtorstore/product.htm?departid=38000&in=2e7:135541eb227:5526


fha financing

of all condominium units in that complex. This will decrease the FHA’s risk exposure, and the agency will charge an upfront MIP of 1.5 percent as opposed to the 1 percent that will remain the same on non-condos. The cost is $500 per $100,000.

The maximum limits for VA loans, on the other hand, have been reduced for no-money-down mortgages to $625,500, including the VA funding fee. It is possible to get a larger VA insured mortgage by having a down payment of 25 percent of any amount above $625,500, up to a maximum of $1,000,000.

For example, for a loan on a home with a purchase price of $900,000, the buyer takes 25 percent of $274,500 ($900,000 - $625,500), giving a down payment of $68,825. The buyer then rounds up to $68,850 or 7.7 percent of the purchase price. This is still a great option, as there is no monthly mortgage insurance, only the VA funding fee of 1.5 percent. The mortgage would be $843,600. For both FHA & VA loans, the mortgages are rounded up to the nearest $50.

Another important change for 2012 is that the monthly MIP will no longer be deductible against income on the borrower’s tax return. This change also applies to conventional loans that have mortgage insurance. At press time, it does not appear that Congress will act to re-instate deductibility.

WELLSFARGO

HOMEMORTGAGE

DOMINIONTitle Corporation

2012NVAR ThANks OuR

PARTNeRsPlatinum

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friend

New FHA Certification Rules Adversely Impact Condo SalesBuyers who want loans backed by the FHA are being shut out of buildings that no longer qualify for FHA financing. That likely will impact the condo market and keep prices depressed in buildings not approved for FHA loans.

Meanwhile, owners in those buildings are sometimes stuck paying more in association fees to compensate for the unsold, often vacant units.

The issue is a recent government requirement that condo developmentsgetapprovedeverytwoyearsforFHA-insuredmortgages. Before that, only periodic approvals were required.

Buyers like FHA mortgages because they require down payments of only3.5percent,comparedwiththe20percentofconventionalloans.

HUD will insure mortgagees against losses on mortgage loans used for buying a condo or to refinance individual units in eligible condominium projects provided that they meet certain guidelines.

A. Project Eligibility. The condominium project must be on HUD’s approved condominium list.

B. ApplicantEligibility.EightypercentoftheHUD-insuredmortgages in a condominium project must be the principal residenceoftheowners(owner-occupants).

C. MaximumInsurableMortgage:SameasSection203(b)(exceptthatthemortgageamountmustbeinmultiplesof$50).

D. Minimum Investment, Mortgage Term, Refinancing: Same as Section203(b).

E. MortgageInsurancePremium:MonthlyplusUpfrontMIof1.5percent

https://www.bankofamerica.com/

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http://www.commissionexpress.com/

https://www.wellsfargo.com/

http://www.monarchtitle.net/

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http://www.bbt.com/

https://www.chase.com/

http://ww2.cox.com/

http://www.dominiontitle.com/

http://www.interstateworldwide.com/


in memoriam

graphic designer created NVAR’s update magazine, education and event Artwork

Hired by NVAR in 2006 as a graphic designer, Patricia “Tricia” Chroussis served NVAR as a graphic designer both as a full-time staff person and a freelancer who worked remotely. Tricia died from cancer at the age of 43 on January 23, 2012.

The creative force behind the award-winning Update magazine, Tricia also designed logos and collateral NVAR events materials. One recent example is the recently republished 2012 Realtor® School course catalog.

A native of Dundalk, Maryland, Tricia split her time between the Washington, D.C. metro area and a family home in Greece. A dedicated contractor, Tricia always gave NVAR’s design projects the highest priority, whether she was stateside or abroad. Her creativity, talent and spirit are missed.

Remembering Tricia Chroussis

Tricia Chroussis (holding trophy), pictured in November 2010 with NVAR Communications Department staff (left to right): Marketing Manager Amy Larrabee; Vice President of Communications & Media Relations Jill Parker Landsman; former Online Communications Manager Ainsley McDougal; Communications & Media Relations Manager Ann Gutkin. The team celebrated Update magazine’s receipt of its first-ever MarCom Gold Award.


young professionals network

Young Professionals Nosh and Network at 2012 Kick-Off Event

1. The NVAR Fairfax atrium was the setting for YPN’s first networking event of the year. Members had a chance to mingle before the program began.

2. Participants moved from table to table during the “speed networking” activity, exchanging contact information and discussing topics that were selected by the event organizers. Pictured here (left to right): Dominique Zarow of Keller Williams, Brian Block of RE/MAX Allegiance, Katja Hom of Avery Hess and Ana Tolentino of First Home Mortgage (front right).

3. Posted questions helped to keep the conversation flowing for NVAR’s young professionals.

Speed networking was the name of the game for the Northern Virginia Young Professionals Network on Wednesday, January 24. The group gathered at NVAR’s Fairfax headquarters for its first event of the year to enjoy wine and cheese while getting to know other ‘under-40’ real estate professionals. The group, led by co-chairs Katja Hom of Avery Hess Realtors®, Helen Krause of New World Title & Escrow and Brooke Schara of Arbour Realty, meets six to eight times each year.

To learn more, contact Tracy Reynolds at [email protected].

1. 2. 3.

http://www.commissionexpress.com/nova

http://decordecorum.com/


NVAR Realtors® Invade Richmond’s Political Scene to Advance Industry LegislationBy Lisa Vierse May, NVAR Government Affairs Manager

whAT do ReALToRs® ANd eLecTed oFFiciALs hAVe iN commoN?

AccordingtoDelegateMarkKeam(D-Vienna),they’rebothself-starters.Theynetwork.Andtheydrivearoundwithatrunkfullofyardsigns.On Thursday, February 2 they had one more thing in common: they were both in Richmond working on real estate legislation.

Forty-five NVAR Realtors® journeyed to the Capitol that day. They received briefings from Northern Virginia’s Delegates and Senators on a host of issues, from hunting on Sundays to transportation; from health insurance exchanges to funding autism treatments.

Participants also served as volunteer lobbyists, meeting with their elected officials in support of the 2012 Realtor® legislative agenda. They promoted measures to increase broker oversight of sales agents (HB 206), regulate appraisal management companies (HB 210), prevent localities from requiring bonds on alternative septic systems (HB 942), and reduce water and sewer liens on landlords resulting from tenant non-payment (HB 567).

To complete the Richmond experience, Realtors® viewed the House and Senate sessions, attended committee hearings and toured the Capitol and Governor’s Mansion.

Several legislators stressed the importance of NVAR’s legislative trip in achieving legislative success on our issues. Del. Jackson Miller (R-Manassas) noted that “participation is what keeps the legislature on your side.”

A General Assembly responsive to the real estate industry is likely to be achieved, thanks to the efforts of NVAR’s Realtors® on this year’s trip. Those NVAR members who did not attend should plan to join us in Richmond next year as we advance our legislative agenda at the Capitol.

legislative trip

1. 2.

3.

4.


leadership daylegislative trip

1. Delegate Tag Greason (R – Potomac Falls) speaks to the NVAR delegation about two Realtor® bills he has introduced dealing with landlord-tenant issues.

2. Waiting with Mary Beth Coya, NVAR Sr. Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, (2nd from left) for an opportunity to address NVAR members in Richmond are (left to right): Sen. Barbara Favola (D – Arlington), Del. Mark Keam (D - Vienna) and Del. Jim Scott (D - Merrifield).

3. Listening to deliberations in the Senate chamber are NVAR members (left to right): Brooke Schara, Tracy Pless, Sue Chong and Connie Vanderpool.

4. Pausing in front of the landmark George Washington Equestrian Monument on a lunchtime trek through the Capitol Square are (left to right): Thai-Hung Nguyen, Rocio Duty, Sen. Chuck Colgan (D – Manassas), Alicia Colgan, Noemi Stapula, Maria Albisu, Fetneh Schacht, Moon Choi, Mario Rubio and Tracy Comstock.

5. On the General Assembly Building elevator to visit their representatives are (left to right): George Creed, Ying Lu, Christine Arrington, James Shanahan, Marian Wang, Karen Mestemaker, Shane McCullar and Jon Wolford.

5.

Thank YouNVAR would like to thank del. Tom rust (r-Herndon) and sen. Janet Howell (d-reston) for announcing NVAR’s visit in the House and Senate Chambers, and the following members for speaking to the group during the morning briefings:

• Del. Tag Greason (R-Potomac Falls)

• Del. Ken Plum (D-Reston)

• Del. David Bulova (D-Fairfax)

• Del. Jim Scott (D-Merrifield)

• Del. Mark Keam (D-Vienna)

• Del. Jackson Miller (R-Manassas)

• Sen. Barbara Favola (D-Arlington)

• Del. Charniele Herring (D-Alexandria)

• Del. Vivian Watts (D-Annandale)

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https://www.bankofamerica.com/


ask nvar

Q: I don’t know anything about septic inspections – what do allofthenewoptionsintheWell&SepticAddendummean?

A: Under the old Virginia Jurisdictional Addendum, certified test results were required from either the appropriate local government authority and/or a private company licensed to perform these types of inspections. This language did not specify what type of inspection would be performed, which meantthatthesellercouldbeexpectingawalk-overvisualinspection of the drain field, while the buyer was planning to dig up the entire system to inspect it. In order to ensure that both buyer and seller agree about what type of inspection is going to be done, the new Well and Septic Addendum provides for three levels of review:

1. Walk-overvisualinspectionofthedrainfieldwithprobing – the least invasive method of inspection, which many in the industry consider to be the basic inspection.

2. Pumping and inspection of all tanks – provides a more thorough inspection of all tanks, but this is not enough to determine if the system is working. Buyers who would

like to have the tanks pumped should consider adding thisserviceontoawalk-overinspection.

3. Excavationandvisualinspectionofalldistributionboxes or systems – the most intensive inspection, which involves digging up portions of the yard.

Experts recommend that, at a minimum, buyers should haveawalk-overvisualinspection,andiftheywantamorecomprehensive inspection, they should consider also pumping the tanks and/or excavating all distribution boxes or systems.

Q: Sinceawalk-overvisualinspectionisthebasetestandthe others are more extensive, won’t checking the second orthirdboxincludeawalk-overinspection?

A: No, simply checking the second or third option does not mean that you are entitled to conduct the other inspections. It is not like a car wash package where purchasing a “deluxe” package also includes all of the items that come withthebasicwash.Ifyourbuyerswanttohavethewalk-over inspection in addition to pumping the tanks, they will need to check both sets of boxes.

Ensuring That Your Tanks Don’t Tankunderstanding the well & septic AddendumBy Laura M. Farley, NVAR Staff Attorney

http://nvar.com/nvar-news/realtor-risk-reduction-training-passport


VAR honorees

NVAR Member LaudedFLoReNce dANieLs hoNoRed As VAR ouTsTANdiNg ReAL esTATe educAToR oF The yeAR

Florence Daniels, GRI, Associate Broker and Vice President of Governmental Employees Realty, was named the VAR Outstanding Real Estate Educator of the Year on Tuesday, February 14 at the VAR Legislative Conference in Richmond. The award recognizes a Realtor® who exemplifies leadership and service and has made significant contributions to real estate education at either the state or local level.

A real estate practitioner for 23 years, Daniels has written and reviewed real estate courses for NVAR and other vendors, and served as consulting co-editor for Virginia Real Estate: Practice & Law,

Eighth Edition. Florence is a VREB licensed instructor and currently teaches multiple courses for NVAR’s Realtor® School.

A past member of the Virginia Real Estate Board, Daniels also served on the NVAR Board of Directors, as past chair of NVAR’s Arbitration Committee, as a mediator and as a member of NVAR’s Arbitration and Professional Standards Committees. She is a VHDA certified trainer and a VAR certified ethics trainer.

coNNecT wiTh coNsumeRs ThRough ReALToR.com: New NAR RepoRT shows how

In its January 2012 realtor.com report, NAR offers updates covering new realtor.com initiatives and improvements to the site.

Gain a better understanding of realtor.com and its efforts to expand ways to connect with consumers.

In addition to providing pertinent information, this report also explains why the information matters, offering meaningful context to the numbers and statistics.

Included in this report: • RecentInternetstatisticsandconsumer

site usage• Informationonrealtor.com Mobile and

the new Mobile Site Builder• Newsaboutfreesocialmediatoolsand

applications • Detailsonthenewrealtor.com

International site

To view the report, visit go.nvar.com/realtorCom.

Florence Daniels

http://provtitle.com/

http://nvar.com/images/documents/realtorcom-update-2012-01.pdf

http://nvar.com/images/documents/realtorcom-update-2012-01.pdf


What’s Up with the Update Name Change?

For the time being, our “rename Update” contest has been suspended. A tentative decision was made to keep the name for now, but the editorial team is giving the magazine a fresh new look.

To show our appreciation for all of our readers’ excellent entries, each contest

participant will receive a $10 gift certificate to the Realtor® Shop. Please know that your entries will

remain valid if the contest is resumed.Readers may notice a redesigned

masthead on the front cover, as well as design changes on the table of contents and throughout the inside pages. We think these changes provide an updated look and offer greater readability. We hope you agree.Your feedback is always welcome. Please contact us at [email protected].

http://nvar.com/homepage/passport-to-success

http://nvar.com/education-resources-category/broker-pre-licensing


NV/RPAC contributor list

Golden R ($5,000)John McEnearney NVAR

CRystal R ($2,500)Jane QuillTrish Szego

steRlinG R ($1,000)Bob AdamsonMary BayatPat Buck & Champ BuckRobyn BurdettTracy ComstockVirgil FrizzellMargaret HandleySita KapurKaren KidwellPat KlineTom MeyerMuraji NakazawaTracy PlessAnne RectorZinta Rodgers-RickertFetneh SchachtChristine ToddKaren TrainorJon Wolford

GoveRnoR’s Club ($500)Moon ChoiLauren KivlighanThai-Hung NguyenRebecca OwenMario Rubio

Capitol insideR ($250)Maria AlbisuRussell “Tom” BoyleSiu Cheung

Mary Beth CoyaJenny DewenterHeather EmbreyNicholas LagosAli MansouriKimberly McClaryEsin ReinhardtChristine RichardsonAudrey ShayJonathan SpinettoJake Sullivan

$99 ClubJohn AdamsRafael AguileraNancy AlertAre AndresonKannan AnnamalaiLorraine AroraAugusto ArosteguiGay AshleyJames Atkins IIIThomas BakerBarbara BechtleJames BellThomas BellancaCharles BengelDavid BillupsAnne BlaicherPhil BolinJesse BraudawayJoan BreadyMichael BriggsJeanne BrownSusan BrowningWilliam BuckShirley BufordJan ChangLin ChenYa-Ting ChenJosh ChoeLouis CironiCandyce ClantonTracy ComstockGeorgiana Copelotti

Janet CroftTheodore DangMichael DayBic DeCaroStephen De FalcoMunirshah DellawarLeslie DickemannDavid DiMattinaEileen DuboseRocio DutyKathleen EatonMichele ForbesJames FoxPaul GaleChristal GolstonBrandon GreenChristopher GuldiStephen HalesJulie HallRebecca HanrahanMelinda HansonAnne HarringtonShawn HarrisJanet HewittPaul HoggeLeamon HowellRuth HowellGuo Michael HuangLeslie HutchisonMargaret IrelandRosemarie JohnsonLynne JonesTammy JonesLilian JorgensonEui KangKristen KellyBrian KlotzRobert KoenigSubba KollaRolfe KratzCindy LancasterWilliam LaulerDoris LeadbetterDiane LeeFrancis Lee

James LeeKevin LeeSherri LeeAshley LeighDiane LenahanRoberta LetkiewiczSonia Lieberman Lisa LieuScott MacDonaldAnn MalcolmSandra MasonJohn McAllorumNatalie McArtorRichard McCaffreyAnn McClurePamela McCoachEdward Mead IIIDavid MichalskiPuran MittalPriscilla MooreDiane MurphyAllene MurrayPatricia NassiefJames NellisPhi NguyenTruc NguyenBarbara NollMaureen O’HaraPeggy OremlandPatrick PageEleanora PanizzaLindsay PeakeJulie PearsonBrunhilda PetersJerry PetittJames PhillipsMary PilgrimGwenda PlushRichard PruittShoeleh RahnamaKatreen RinaldiBonnie RivkinMike RokniDavid RosenmarkleElizabeth Ross

Terence RyanJohn SaboPaul SaltzJesse SampsonSarah Santa AnaTazuko SchmitzTerry SeamanAlba SerranoJay SevilleLinwood SheltonCarol SimmonsSuzanne SimonMaureen SimpsonMonica SimsAnise SnyderE. Jame SouvagisJames StakemJane StottlemyerSpencer StoufferJeffrey SurdykCarol SutfinSwindell SuttonDavid SweetPatricia SykesJonathan TaylorBrian TerrebonneAnne ThaiGregory TomlinKathleen TrainorTrong TrinhRajiv VashistSanjiv VashistVirgilio VasquezSridhar VemuruMichael WangMary WhitlockKevin WilesSandra WilkinsonAnn WilsonChristina WoodHolly WorthingtonFelicia WuLaura YiAlla YunYili ZhangLouise ZinziBenjamin Zurun

(as of February 6, 2012)

2012 NV/RPAC Contributors List: We’re Getting There

40 http://go.nvar.com/1201 January :: February 2012 NVAR ReAltoR® update


The Secret to Our SuccessThese NVAR leaders have a secret. One that keeps their businesses running and their clients protected.

here are a few hints:”It is something I do each and every year…it is just as important as paying my dues and scheduling my CE classes.”

“It is perhaps the most important key to the success of our industry and our livelihood.”

“When I meet with my clients, I tell them about my participation…It matters to them, and I bet it matters to your clients as well.”

“It benefits me on a constant basis, and often in the pocketbook.”

“It is critically important to our business…and frankly, anyone that believes otherwise is kidding themselves”

What is their secret? Visit go.nvar.com/GA12 to find out.

1. Virgil Frizzell, Long & Foster – Reston2. David Howell, McEnearney Associates – McLean3. Pat Kline, Avery Hess – Springfield4. Zinta Rodgers-Rickert, RE/MAX Allegiance – Fairfax5. Karen Trainor, Weichert Realtors® – Ashburn

secret to success

http://www.nbirealty.net/

http://nvar.com/misc-nvar-notices/in-their-own-words-the-secrets-to-realtor-success

https://store.nvar.com/realtorstore/nvarproducts.htm


CONTINUING EDUCATIONFaiRFax HeadquaRteRs

DATE COURSE TIME 3/10 16 hr CED - Day 1 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

3/17 16 hr CED - Day 2 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

4/6 Broker CE : Brokerage Risk and Liability 8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

4/6 Broker CE : Productive Agents and Offices 1 - 4:45 p.m.

4/10 16 hr CED - Evening (part 1A) 6 - 9:30 p.m.

4/12 16 hr CED - Evening (part 1B) 6 - 9:30 p.m.



4/25 CED: 8 hr Mandated Course 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

4/26 CED: Environmental Issues 8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

4/26 CED: Detection & Prevention of Contract Fraud 1 - 4:45 p.m.





5/12 16 hr CED - Day 1 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

5/19 16 hr CED - Day 2 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

5/16 Broker CE : Brokerage Risk and Liability 8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

5/16 Broker CE : Productive Agents and Offices 1 - 4:45 p.m.

HeRndonDATE COURSE TIME 3/21 CED: 8 hr Mandated Course 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

3/22 CED: Agency & Disclosure 8:45 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.

3/22 CED: New Rules of RE Finance 1 - 4:45 p.m.

4/14 16 hr CED - Day 1 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

4/21 16 hr CED - Day 2 8:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

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

class schedules

FEATURED OFFERINGS bpor

DATE COURSE TIME LOCATION

5/9 Broker Price Opinion Resource Designation 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Herndon

sresDATE COURSE TIME LOCATION

3/27Senior Real Estate Specialist Designation - Day 1

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Herndon

3/28Senior Real Estate Specialist Designation - Day 2

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Herndon

risK reductionDATE COURSE TIME LOCATION

3/29 Risk Reduction: Negotations 9 a.m. - noon Fairfax

5/3Risk Reduction: Conquering Contracts Part I

9 a.m. - noon Fairfax

5/10Risk Reduction: Conquering Contracts Part II

9 a.m. - noon Fairfax

greenDATE COURSE TIME LOCATION

4/23 Green Course 100 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Herndon



TEChnOLOGyDATE COURSE TIME LOCATION

4/18 Using the Mac, iPhone + iPad in Real Estate 10 a.m. - noon Herndon

5/2 Web Marketing - Get Your Website Found 10 a.m. - noon Fairfax

abrDATE COURSE TIME LOCATION

2/29 Short Sales and Foreclosures (ABR Elective) 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fairfax

gri graduaTes w DALLISON R. VEACH w LIEN T. PHAM w SUSAN HOTTMAN

http://nvar.com/education-announcements/blog


POST LICENSINGFaiRFax HeadquaRteRs

DATE COURSE TIME

3/19Post Licensing (Day 1) - What’s In a Contract & Real Estate and Contract Law

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

3/21 Post Licensing (Day 2) - Agency Law & Ethics 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

3/23 Post Licensing (Day 3) - Fair Housing & Business Planning 101 9 a.m. - 4 p.m

3/20 Post Licensing (Day 4) - Listing Property and Working with Sellers 1 - 5 p.m.

3/22Post Licensing (Day 5) - Working with Buyer Clients and Marketing with Technology

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

4/28 New Member Orientation 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.


HeRndonDATE COURSE TIME 3/24 New Member Orientation 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.


5/14Post Licensing (Day 1) - What’s In a Contract & Real Estate and Contract Law

9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

5/15 Post Licensing (Day 2) - Agency Law & Ethics 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

5/16 Post Licensing (Day 3) - Fair Housing & Business Planning 101 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

5/17 Post Licensing (Day 4) - Listing Property and Working with Sellers 1 - 5 p.m.

5/18Post Licensing (Day 5) - Working with Buyer Clients and Marketing with Technology

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

D.C. CONTINUING EDUCATIONFaiRFax HeadquaRteRs

DATE COURSE TIME

5/8 DC Fair Housing and DC Financing Issues 9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

7/17 DC Fair Housing and DC Legislative Update 9 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.

RESIDENTIAL STANDARD AGENCYHeRndon

DATE COURSE TIME 3/15 RSA Course 9 a.m. - noon

4/19 RSA Course 9 a.m. - noon

FaiRFaxDATE COURSE TIME 5/17 RSA Course 9 a.m. - noon

BROKER PRE-LICENSINGFaiRFax HeadquaRteRs

DATE COURSE TIME 4/5 Broker Law: Day 1 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

4/12 Broker Law: Day 2 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.





PRE-LICENSINGFaiRFax HeadquaRteRs

DATE COURSE TIME 3/26 - 4/5 Principles of Real Estate: Day 1 -9 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

4/9 Principles Exam Prep Course 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

6/11 - 6/21 Principles of Real Estate: Day 1 -9 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

6/22 Principles Exam Prep Course 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

leTTer To THe ediTor: TexTs are ToPs! member appreciates Timely reminder

nVar Communications staff:Kudos on the text message [about the SentriLock renewal deadline]. This is great. While I have already renewed, if I hadn’t, your message would have saved me money. These kind of reminders are priceless—just like the email i got reminding me that my license was about to expire.nVar rocks!Susan Mekenney, Associate Brokerre/max allegiance

Editor’s Note: We appreciate all member feedback on relevant member issues. Do you have something to share with our readers? Please email your letters to the editor, with full first and last names, address and daytime phone number, to [email protected]. Due to space constraints, we reserve the right to edit letters.

letter to the editor




new members

Nader AbedCiro J. Aguilar-GamarraFarina AhmedSyed S. AhmedSainath V. AlluriLillian F. AndertonVeronica ArijonKristina M. AussemsJulie C. BabaeiMichelle L. BakerMauricio R. BarrazaTammy S. BoggsHarris J. BookforPhilomena M. BorghardSondra J. BrandonAnibal M. CampanoThai V. CaoDerek A. CareyMichael A. CastoDev ChadhaGeorge F. ChaplinRichard P. CheethamRonghui ChenBoHyon ChoiLarry M. CorbinMichael J. DanielsLindsay P. DeangelisMary Jean DePaolaJesse R. Devamithran

Emmett E. DingleyChristopher J. DowneyShristhi DudleyErika Duran-GarciaBarbara L. EckardAbir S. ElbashariManuwa S. EligweLuis A. EscobarMayra J. Estrada Alvarado Sean A. EverhartJesus C. FalconRenzo C. FallaWayne M. FoleyDeborah D. FonsecaHector R. FonsecaYee FungAlice E. GehlOrlando GonzalezValentyna GudymBrian S. HagartyDiane C. HagartyFiory W. HaileRita M. HarchelroadEuvetta D. HarrisAlfred L. Hawkins, Jr.William R. HicksAdriana T. HillTeresa R. HollingsworthNolan C. Hooper

Mary J. HowardJames C. HsiaDavid J. HuzzardLily JiangBelinda M. JohnsDarlene S. JohnstoneMartin D. JonesSam K. JungKimberly M. KaranikHassaan KarimRajwant KaurVijaya V. KavarthapuBrian KellenbergerArif M. KhanZafar A. KhanDenise KillingsSi Hwa KimGregory S. KirschCarol H. KogerDavid W. KondnerThaddeus S. KosowskiAbdulrehman LatibTrancito A. LaureanoMary S. LeagueBazawit LeclercPeter D. LeeJody L. LevinsonJiehong LiChien LiuMirtha E. Llanos

Angela M. LogomasiniMarijane LongRyan F. MamarilNeomar E. MartinezAhmar MasoodAnthony S. MauriceJames R. McCloskeyDiane Z. McConnellDavid L. McDanielRobert J. McKnightEloise McNealCheryl R. MillerJoseph S. MillerIsabelle MissudPouria Mohammad JavaheriEllen H. MooreSudie E. MottFarooq A. MughalJibran MuhmmadNicholas E. NoriegaLisa A. NovakoskiJenny NovilloChinero NwaigweChristine K. NwosuRafael F. OnateNancy L. ParkerGrace C. PepitoMian R. Pinkett-YoungJoseph A. Remondino

Javier E. RestrepoMary Ashley Z. RhuleYong-Suk RoVictor B. RodriguezKeith B. RudisillSudhir L. RupareliaMatthew W. RupertMegan M. RyanKulvir SaggiJerry G. SardoneManilay SarivannaraKevin M. SchneiderHunter C. ScottCourtney A. SebastianJeffrey SecrestDaniel C. SeilerJoan M. SenioKhalil A. ShahateetKevin ShinHarjot SinghSantosh K. SinghManvir SinghCassandra M. SmithMichelle D. SmithKristin W. SmithColby SmythKamran SoltaniSusan L. SpenceDelores S. SprakerTed L. Swearingen, Jr.

Jonathan D. ThoburnFrehiwot TibebuRaymond TowlesTony T. TranCaitlin Q. TurnerChristopher M. UphamKeith D. Van CleaveRosa E. VasquezHelene A. VollmerDebbie H. Von IsakovicsSusan J. WadsworthAyda B. WalshBing-Sing D. WangChris J. WeathersKyle WernerMorgan L. WhiteLonnie P. WhiteheadJoseph L. WhitneyCarrie WilleyHolly U. WilliamsJennifer L. WilliamsKeith E. WilliamsJayson R. WingfieldMargaret L. WolffKeith C. WoodworthBetty A. WrightJennifer B. WyllieIman M. Zenhom

new members

http://wjdpm.com/


APPRAISERSA+ Appraisals 703-765-7579

AAA Appraisals LLC 703-865-5303

AD Brown Appraisals 703-541-8212

Advantage Realty Services Inc. 703-866-5050

Alan Lord and Associates Inc. 703-768-1954

Anthony Appraisers 703-319-0500

AREAS Appraisers Inc. 703-866-6000

BARCO 703-730-2272

BFM Inc. 703-670-2586

Bruce W. Reyle and Company Inc. 703-273-7375

Capitol Appraisal Service Inc. 703-691-8800

Chevy Chase Bank - Bethesda 301-907-5850

Chevy Chase Bank - Reston 703-648-9796

Classic Appraisals 703-675-2265

CMS Appraisals Inc. 703-209-9123

D&R Appraisal Services Inc. 540-751-2220

Dan W. Mori 703-339-6136

DCO Appraisal Services Inc. 301-855-3886

Dennis J. Park 703-750-0560

Diane V. Quigley Appraisal 703-830-6973

Dickman & Associates 703-938-6633

Distinctive Homes Realty LLC 540-338-4606

Dittmar Realty Group 703-893-0900

Donald R. Drake, Jr. 571-237-9430

Elite Appraisal Service 571-331-6374

F & F Appraisals 703-963-1743

Forte Appraisal Service Inc. 703-433-2205

Gee Appraisers Inc. 703-451-9020

Harry Graef 571-213-7249

Harry H. Arikan 703-216-5147

Hartmann Group 703-406-7621

Hendershott Appraisal Services 703-280-1637

Home Appraisers 703-709-5695

Homestar Real Estate Services 571-261-3367

Hundley and Associates 703-212-9080

Inman Appraisal Services Inc. 703-644-9877

JDC Appraisals Inc. 301-946-4865

John L. Brady, Jr. 571-237-7430

Karas Inc. 703-753-5635

Kinder Appraisal Services 703-268-0756

LandSafe 877-572-5673

Lesley Omega Appraisers 703-403-2024

McGraw Appraisals 703-963-3988

Metro Appraisal Services 703-644-7772

Michael S Mc Mahon 703-476-9472

Monir Moshashaie 703-255-6451

Nancy M. Pruett 571-277-1671

NB Valuation Group Inc. 301-654-1719

NVA Appraisal 703-477-3178

Omni Appraisal Services 703-591-4001

Patricia C. Johnson Appraisal 703-405-6070

Paul S Fitzgerald 703-742-9500

Philip Arnold Appraisal Co LLC 703-250-2132

Preston Hummer 703-929-0857

Real Estate Appraisals 4 You 703-794-9118

Renner, Hansborough & Reese 301-258-8181

Residential Appraisal Group Inc. 304-724-6041

Residential Valuation Services 703-815-4407

Riverpoint Appraisals 703-726-7595

Ryan Appraisal Services 301-694-6500

Sandra A. Le Blanc 703-629-6842

Silvey Appraisals LLC 703-577-1946

Stewart Jarrett R E Appr & Con 703-212-0479

Suburban Appraisers & Consultants 703-591-4200

Susan Vanderzyl 703-969-3822

T. L. Hoover Appraisal Service 703-354-8981

The Benjamin Group Inc. 703-684-3577

VA-MD Appraisal Group LLC 571-438-0604

Washington Appraisal Group Inc. 703-813-8160

Weichert Realtors® 703-893-1500

William C. Harvey & Associates 703-759-6644

William Patten & Associates 703-642-8224

World Mortgage 703-934-5502

AFFiliATeSCable seRviCes Cox Communications 703-480-5246

Cox Communications 757-222-8394

ClosinG GiFts Cutco Closing Gifts 703-967-9058

Commission advanCe Commission express 703-560-5500

CRedit union Realtors® Federal Credit Union 301-355-7541

FinanCial seRviCes 1st Portfolio Lending 703-564-9100

Acacia Federal Savings Bank 703-968-5685

bank of america - annandale 703-813-5171

bank of america - Commercial 571-527-6318

bank of america - Fairfax 703-227-2555

bank of america - oakton 703-319-2616

bb&t mortgage 703-855-7403

Carrington Mortgage Services LLC 888-813-2988

Chase Home Finance - Falls Church 703-326-9711

Chase Home mortgage - Columbia 410-992-6660

Fidelis Mortgage LLC 410-668-6501

First County Mortgage 703-506-3790

First Home Mortgage Corporation 571-732-4270

George Mason Mortgage 703-407-2600

Greenpoint Mortgage 703-323-1951

Homestead Funding Corp. 703-734-2424

HST Mortgage 703-766-4636

Intercoastal Mortgage 703-449-6828

Member Advantage Mortgage 703-236-7625

metlife Home loans - alexandria 703-706-4066

metlife Home loans - Fairfax 703-818-7893

metlife Home loans - mclean 703-287-3212

Monarch Mortgage 703-928-1204

Mortgage Access Corp. 703-996-3075

Navy Federal Credit Union 888-842-6328

Pentagon Federal Credit Union 703-838-1070

SunTrust Mortgage 202-624-1245

The Washington Savings Bank 240-544-2020

Union Mortgage Group 703-407-2385

VHDA 804-343-5981

Wells Fargo Home mortgage 703-642-2300

GoveRnment seRviCes Fairfax County 703-324-4804

GutteR RepaiR Gagnon’s Gutterworks 703-716-0377

appraisers & affiliates directory


appraisers & affiliates directory

Home CleaninG seRviCes Maid Brigade 703-823-1726

Home inspeCtions AmeriSpec Home Inspections 571-235-2755

Consumer Resources 703-690-8484

Hinson & Jung LLC 301-351-1113

House Inspection Associates 703-453-0442

Hurlbert Home Inspection 703-577-7127

Keystone Home & Environmental 571-261-3192

Old Dominion Home Inspection 703-255-9338

Pillar to Post Inc. 703-209-1566

Pillar To Post Inc. 703-402-2475

ProTec Inspection Services 301-972-8531

US Inspect 703-293-1400

Virginia Home Inspection Service LLC 571-283-8447

Home RepaiR seRviCes Mr. Sandless 703-794-9663

Home seCuRity Home Security Assoc of Virginia 800-367-1448

Home staGinG seRviCes Dekore Inc. 703-517-4568

Preferred Staging 703-851-2690

Staged Interior 703-261-7026

Home WaRRanty 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty 443-717-2761

HMS Home Warranty 800-843-4663

Old Republic Home Protection 800-282-7131

insuRanCe seRviCes The Hogg Insurance Group 703-204-1682

The Hutt Financial Group 301-571-6153

Victor Schinnerer & Co. Inc. 301-951-5495

Junk Removal Junk King 703-455-3861

leGal seRviCes Brincefield,Hartnett,Maloof 703-836-2880

Fredericks & Stephens, P.C. 703-691-7575

Joseph A. Cerroni, Esq. 703-941-3000

Keegan & DeVol PLC 703-691-1700

Law Office of Ann-Lewise Shaw 703-774-7626

Pesner, Kawamoto, Conway 703-506-9440

Peterson, Noll, & Goodman PLC 703-442-3890

maRketinG/media the Washington post 202-334-5775

mold Remediation AHS Mold Aid 877-932-7177

movinG & stoRaGe Busy Buddies Inc. 703-321-8564

JK Moving & Storage 703-856-0636

Quality Services Moving 703-495-8900

neW Home buildeR Toll Brothers 703-753-6688

peRsonnel seRviCes Employment Enterprises Inc. 703-361-2220

pest ContRol seRviCes Asian Pest Services LLC 703-752-1634

My Exterminator LLC 703-615-4028

Radon inspeCtion Accurate Radon Testing 703-242-3600

Arlington Radon 571-331-2876

US Inspect 703-293-1400

Real estate FoRms MB Associates 703-358-3515

Real estate seRviCes All American NOVA Home Buyers 703-344-1385

Real estate siGnposts RealtySignPost.com 202-256-0107

RooFinG DryHome Roofing & Siding Inc. 703-891-4663

settlement seRviCes Absolute Title & Escrow LLC 703-842-7525

ATG Title 703-934-2100

dominion title Corporation 703-757-9500

Ekko Title - Centreville 703-448-3556

Ekko Title - Fairfax 703-560-3556

Ekko Title - Vienna 703-537-0800

eTitle Agency Inc. 703-777-4261

Highland Title & Escrow 703-760-3300

Key Title - Fairfax 703-803-8600

Key Title - Reston 703-437-4600

KVS Title 301-576-5580

mbH settlement Group - alexandria 703-739-0100

mbH settlement Group - ananndale 703-852-3000

mbH settlement Group - arlington 703-237-1100

mbH settlement Group - burke 703-913-8080

mbH settlement Group - Fair oaks 703-279-1500

mbH settlement Group - kingstowne 703-417-5000

mbH settlement Group - manassas 703-393-0333

mbH settlement Group - mclean 703-734-8900

mbH settlement Group - Reston 703-318-9333

mbH settlement Group - vienna 703-242-2860

Mid-Atlantic Settlement Svcs 410-252-1208

monarch title - alexandria 703-852-7700

monarch title - Herndon 703-890-0820

monarch title - mclean 703-852-1730

monarch title - springfield 703-852-7710

New World Title & Escrow 703-691-4330

Paragon Title & Escrow - Bethesda 307-986-1114

Provident Title & Escrow - Chantilly 703-239-9600

Republic Title Inc. 703-916-1800

RGS Title 703-903-9600

Southstar Title & Escrow LLC 703-548-7979

Stewart Title & Escrow Inc. 703-352-2935

The Settlement Group Inc. - Alexandria 703-933-3090

The Settlement Group Inc. - Burke 703-933-3090

The Settlement Group Inc. - McLean 703-584-0450

Universal Title 703-658-1369

teCHnoloGy seRviCes HomeFinder.com 703-777-3172

mRis 301-838-7100

RealEstate Business Intelligence 301-838-7131

Solution Station 703-999-7341

viRtual touRs BTW images 703-340-6383

bold signifies nvaR partners(Last updated March 1, 2012) Do you have a correction to this list? Please e-mail changes to Tracy Reynolds at [email protected].


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march/april 2012 update magazine

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