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2010 St. Augustine Board of REALTORS Newsletter
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FLORIDA NEEDS TO KNOW, DID YOU GET
COUNTED?
July 10 is the deadline for the 2010 Census
to finish in Florida. Every person counted by
the census means as much as $1,500 per
year in federal funding for Florida. Those are
the dollars of Florida taxpayers returning to
Florida. And for every person counted,
Florida's representation in Congress has the
opportunity to increase. That is why the
Florida House of Representatives recently
launched www.myfloridacensus.gov.
With your help, www.myfloridacensus.gov can
help Florida identify homes, neighborhoods
and communities that may go uncounted in
the 2010 census. If you reside in FLORIDA,
please let us know if the census contacted
you or not (via mail, phone or door-to-door),
by visiting www.myfloridacensus.gov. If you
have not been counted, there is still
time. You can also call the Census Bureau's
assistance center at 1-(866)-872-6868. In
many instances, you can answer the census
questionnaire over the phone.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I WAS MISSED?
When you let us know, by visiting
www.myfloridacensus.gov, the Florida House
of Representatives will alert the U.S. Census
Bureau that you have been missed. In
addition, this feedback helps to identify
whether your neighbors, and maybe even your
entire community, were missed. So when you
visit www.myfloridacensus.gov, you actually
have the opportunity to speak for your entire
community.
HOW DOES THIS HELP MY COMMUNITY?
The census helps your community express its
needs and shape the future of child care,
senior care, schools, and more. The census
helps ensure your community gets its fair
share of federal funding for job training. The
census helps hospitals and emergency
services effectively allocate their resources to
help those in need. An accurate census will
help determine where to invest to best serve
our local communities!
Thank you for taking the time to visit
www.myfloridacensus.gov. If you have any
questions, please direct them to
Julie Jones
District Secretary to Representative Bill
Proctor
Florida House of Representatives
904.823.2550 District
904.823.2252 Fax
A S P E C I A L M E S S A G E F R O M T H E F L O R I D A H O U S E O F
R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S A B O U T W W W . M Y F L O R I D A C E N S U S . G O V
ST
. A
UG
US
TI
NE
&
ST
. J
OH
NS
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BO
AR
D O
F R
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S®
J U N E 2 0 1 0
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5
B O R F O R W A R D
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
O F F I C E R S &
D I R E C T O R S 2
C A L E N D A R 3
R E A L T O R ® /
A F F I L I A T E
S P O T L I G H T
4
N E W M E M B E R S /
B O A R D N E W S 5
C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S 6 -
7
T E C H T I P 8
G O G R E E N 9
T I D B I T S 1 0
1 1
C O M M I T T E E
U P D A T E S
1 2
1 3
W C R 1 4
V A L U A B L E
R E A L T O R ®
I N F O / L I S T H U B
1 5
A D V E R T I S E 1 6
D I S T 1
C O N F E R E N C E
1 7
W A L L Y C O N W A Y 1 8
M O N T H L Y
S T A T I S T I C S
1 9
J U N E P R E V I E W
S T A F F C O N T A C T
I N F O
2 0
BOR PUBLIC WEBSITE: www.stjohnsrealtors.com
Page 2 B O R F O R W A R D
2010 ST. AUGUSTINE & ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS® AND MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC.
BOARD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS BOARD OF REALTORS® MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC.
Chuck Pacetti, PRESIDENT Andrew Birchall, PRESIDENT
Homestar Pacetti Realty St. Augustine Realty
(O) 827-0600 (F) 819-9907 (C) 669-5000 (O) 824-3331 (F) 825-2685 (C) 392-3362
[email protected] [email protected]
Roy Barnes, PRESIDENT-ELECT Dirk Schroeder, PRESIDENT-ELECT
St. Augustine Realty Century 21—St. Aug. Prop.
(O) 824-3331 (F) 825-2685 (C) 669-1430 (O) 797-6000 (F) 797-7963 (C) 540-2360
[email protected] [email protected]
Bob Mays, TREASURER Gene Johnson – SECRETARY
Century 21—St. Aug. Prop Ocean Breeze Real Estate
(O) 797-6000 (F) 797-7963 (C) 501-4549 (O) 794-9697 (C) 710-1090
[email protected] [email protected]
Kea Blalock, SECRETARY Robert West, TREASURER
SaltWater Property Group Premier Properties
(O) 829-2002 (F) 829-2029 (C) 814-2424 (O) 471-4204 (F) 471-4216 (C) 814-2006
[email protected] [email protected]
DIRECTORS DIRECTORS
Arnold DeLorenzo (1) Robert Lindsey (1)
Olde Carriage Realty Lighthouse Realty
(O) 824-4500 (F) 824-6866 (O) 471-3400 (F) 471-7574 (C) 669-6924
[email protected] [email protected]
Edward Paucek (1) Katherine Delaney (1)
Moses Creek Realty Watson Realty
(O) 794-7787 (C) 669-6422 (O) 797-8600 (F)797-8606 (C) 669-2115
[email protected] [email protected]
Winston Burrell (1) Joe Hatin (1)
Coldwell Banker Devonshire Realty Saltwater Property Group
(O) 826-0403 (F) 826-0040 (C) 669-6585 (O) 829-2002 (F) 829-2029 (C) 669-5099
[email protected] [email protected]
Dianne Pittman (2) Tom Scheirer (2)
Watson Realty -US 1 / 32086 Scheirer & Scheirer Realty
(O) 797-8600 (F) 797-8606 (C) 540-9644 (O) 461-9557 (F) 471-7220
[email protected] [email protected]
Gayle Logan (2) Ian Edmonson (2)
Watson Realty—A1A Edmonson & Associates Real Estate, Inc
(O) 461-9066 (F) 461-9925 (C) 669-2778 (O) 315-0997
[email protected] [email protected]
Judi Schuyler (2) Michael DeLorenzo, PAST PRESIDENT
Premier Properties Olde Carriage Realty
(O) 471-4204 (F) 471-4216 (C) 669-0788 (O) 824-4500 (F) 824-6866
[email protected] [email protected]
Teresa Mercurio, PAST PRESIDENT Chuck Pacetti, EX-OFFICIO
Re/Max 100 Realty Homestar Pacetti Realty
(O) 461-9500 (F) 461-9501 (C) 377-0974 (O) 827-0600 (F) 819-9907 (C) 669-5000
[email protected] [email protected]
Victor J Raymos, EX-OFFICIO Victor J Raymos, EX-OFFICIO
(O) 829-8738 (F) 823-9512 (O) 829-8738 (F) 823-9512
Page 3 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
S C H E D U L E O F E V E N T S
1st—RPAC Committee
1:30pm
2nd—Board Orientation
9am
7th—Education Committee
9am
9th—Affiliate Committee
9am
15th— MLS Orientation
1pm
Finance Committee 9am
16th—Commercial
Committee 8:30am
MLS Board Meeting 12pm
17th—BOARD Meeting
12pm
21st—Realtor Safety &
Security 3CE Webinar 1pm
23rd—Public Relations
Committee 9am
28th— Technology
Committee 9am
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8 9
10 11 12
13 14
Flag
Day
15 16 17 18 19
20
Fathers
Day
21
1st Day
of
Summer
22 23 24 25 26
27 28 29 30
June 2010
Janet has been a Florida Realtor for
approximately 30 years. She started her
career in leasing and property
management in Fort Lauderdale which
necessitated her obtaining a Real Estate
license. She continued her career by
obtaining her Brokers license and then
opened her own office in Ft. Lauderdale.
After a few years Janet went to work for
Coral Ridge Properties in Coral Springs as
their Director of Leasing and Property
Management. During her time in Coral
Springs she also spent a few years
working toward her RPA designation in
this field. Janet then progressed to
commercial real estate sales with the
company and was promoted to Assistant
Vice President. After working for CRP for
approximately 13 years she then moved
to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where
she ventured into ownership of women’s
apparel and jewelry stores. Warmer weather
and family enticed her back to Florida and
St. Augustine and she instantly fell in love
with St. Augustine because it reminded her
of south Florida 30 years ago. Janet then
entered general real estate sales with
Watson Realty Corp. and has been with them
for 5 years. When she’s not selling real
estate you can find Janet playing with her
grandchildren, riding horses, working in her
garden and enjoying the other animals on
their ranch in Elkton.
Janet Monsour, Broker Associate Watson Realty Corp.REALTORS®
Cell: (904) 657-9366
Off: (904) 495-0155
R E A L T O R ® S P O T L I G H T
A F F I L I A T E S P O T L I G H T
realize their dreams of owning their own home
and reaching their financial goals.
Sandy Caraway is also a residential mortgage
Loan Officer based in our St. Augustine branch.
Sandy is a ―local‖ and has strong family ties in St.
Augustine. Her husband, Teddy, of 40 years is a
retired St. Augustine firefighter. Sandy graduated
from St. Augustine High School where she was
active as a cheerleader, a member of the swim
team and served as Treasurer of her senior class.
Sandy is currently an active member of the St.
Augustine Womens’ Council of Realtors. She and
Teddy have 2 children, Bobby and Karen and 2
awesome grandchildren who are the light of her
life.
The newest member of the St. Augustine PNC
Mortgage team is Susie Sullivan. Susie has been
a Mortgage Broker Associate for 8 years. Prior to
that, she was an Account Rep for North Florida
Credit Bureau for over 10 years. The experience
she gained in this field is a positive force when
helping borrowers through the mortgage
application process. Susie takes special pride in
sitting at the closing table knowing she has
represented her company and the home buyer in a
professional manner and knowing her customers
needs have been met. She has a commitment in
helping buyers achieve their own American Dream.
Please call 794-2950 or stop by our office located
in the Dave Mancino building at 2450 Old Moultrie
Rd Ste 201. We look forward to seeing you!!
PNC Mortgage is in the Affiliate Spotlight this month and
that is right where they should be! We at PNC Mortgage
want to close your next deal. This team has a total of
over 50 years experience in residential lending. Each
member of this PNC Mortgage branch is local and enjoys
a reputation of representing the buyer’s needs and
getting the deal closed!
PNC Bank, NA, is a division of The PNC Financial
Services Group, Inc. and is the fifth largest bank by
deposit market share and number of branches in the
U.S. and ranks among the nation’s top retail mortgage
lenders. Late last year, they acquired National City
Banks across the nation. While National City did not
have a depository in St. Augustine, we all know they had
a local mortgage branch. Hence, the orange PNC logo is
now present. PNC Mortgage offers a wide variety of
borrowing options to allow us to be competitive in the
current climate and ever changing mortgage loan world.
Among our most popular products are Fannie Mae
Homepath (no appraisal needed), FHA, FHA 203k rehab
loan, VA (both conforming and jumbo) and condos. We
also finance manufactured homes and duplexes.
Meet the team:
Carol M Alford is originally from Connecticut and moved
to St. Augustine in 1978. She has been a teacher
educating our young and then moving to a career in the
credit field working at North Florida Credit Bureau for 6
years as a Mortgage Representative. With her passion
for education and knowledge in the credit field it was an
easy transition to mortgage lending. In 1993 Carol
began her new career. Carol has helped many buyers
“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”
Page 4 B O R F O R W A R D
Janet Monsour
Carol Alford, Sandy Caraway and
Susie Sullivan
*Economic Issues & Commercial Business Trends
Forum
*Professional Standards Forum & Committee
*NAR Treasurer’s Budget Forum
*Grassroots and Diversity Reception and tour of
NAR Building
*Multiple Listing Service Forum Breakout
*Mediation Information Exchange
*Leadership Express I Diversification – It’s Good
For Business
*Regional Caucus, Region 05
In addition to the above, the group was able to
tour the White House and the U.S. Capitol. The
group was also able to attend a Baltimore Orioles
vs. the Seattle Mariners baseball game. They also
attended the NEFAR dinner as guests of NEFAR.
It was a very productive week and a lot of good
information was obtained and brought back to the
benefit of our Association.
The NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade
Expo was held from May 10-15, 2010 in
Washington, DC. Attending this event were Chuck
Pacetti, Association President, Roy Barnes,
Association President-Elect, Andrew Birchall, MLS
President and Victor J. Raymos, AE/CEO of the
Association and the MLS. Some of the meetings
and educational opportunities attended by the
group were:
*Board Leadership Forum
*Real Estate Symposium – Forum Presentation
Challenges & Solutions to Strengthening U.S. &
Global Capital Markets
*59 !/2 Minutes Member & Director Update
*Association Executives Committee/Forum
*Federal Taxation Committee
*State & Local Issues Committee
*AEC Association Models Work Group
*Membership Policy & Board Jurisdiction
Committee
*Multiple Listing Issues & Policies Forum and
Committee
*AEC Volunteer Leadership Resources Work
Group
N E W M E M B E R S
N A R M I D Y E A R L E G I S L A T I V E M E E T I N G S & T R A D E E X P O
Page 5 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
IAN EDMONSON EDMONSON & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE
Join Date 4/26/10 (Primary BOR-Primary MLS)
CHERIE PETERSON PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIERS
Join Date 4/26/10 (Affiliate Membership)
KAREN NASRALLAH PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIERS
Join Date 4/26/10 (Affiliate Membership)
MARY SONDGERATH WILSON LENDING GROUP
Join Date 4/26/10 (Affiliate Membership)
JENNIFER ELLEN-ELLIS NEW WORLD REALTY
Join Date 5/6/10 (Primary BOR-Primary MLS)
ROBERT SOLANO SOLANO REAL ESTATE, LLC
Join Date 4/26/10 (Secondary BOR-Secondary MLS)
CAMERON KIMBALL HOMES BY DELTONA
Join Date 4/26/10 (Primary BOR-Primary MLS)
JOHN ―SONNY‖ JEWELL HOMES BY DELTONA
Join Date 4/26/10 (Primary BOR-Primary MLS)
Victor J. Raymos, Andrew Birchall, Roy
Barnes Jr. and Chuck Pacetti in
Washington DC at the White House
“A healthy social life is found
only, when in the mirror of
each soul the whole
community finds its reflection,
and when in the whole
community the virtue of each
one is living”
Mr. Roy O. Barnes, Sr. and Eleanor
Barbuscio Barnes celebrated their 62nd
wedding anniversary on May 1, 2010.
They were married in Providence, RI, on
that date in 1948. The couple has four
children, Nancy, Florence, Roy Jr., and
Mary. Mr. Barnes served in the Army Air
Corps and then entered and managed
the family real estate and insurance
business, Eugene L. Barnes & Son,
established in 1895.
His son, Roy Jr., has carried on the
tradition in that he manages the real
estate company that is currently
named St. Augustine Realty. Roy is
also a Past President of the St.
Augustine & St. Johns County Board
of REALTORS®, and is currently
President-Elect of the Board.
Congratulations to Roy and Eleanor
Barnes on celebrating their
62nd Anniversary!
opportunity to have one father and
that alone shows us how important
celebrating his fatherhood is. As with
any other job done we all like to feel
appreciated from time to time and the
job of being a father is no exception.
He has been there all through your life
helping you along the way.
Whatever the situation, Fathers Day is
about honoring Dad, for all that he has
given and continued to contribute to
the family. Fathers Day 2010 is all
about Dads and Grandads.
Fathers Day is celebrated on
Sunday June 20th.
At its heart, Fathers Day is about fam-
ily with the focus on Dad. It should not
be about expensive gifts but rather
family values and a recognition of
Dad’s contribution to the family.
Throughout history we see the roles
that father’s play in the family
change. The stereotype father is the
one who has been out working all day
to provide all necessities for their
family. Times have however changed
and not all fathers work. Many have
taken the responsibility of raising the
children while the mother works.
In this world we only have the
C O M M U N I T Y N E W S / B A R N E S 6 2 N D A N N I V E R S A R Y
A C E L E B R A T I O N I N H O N O R O F A L L F A T H E R S
Page 6 B O R F O R W A R D
C O M M U N I T Y N E W S
St. Augustine Team Realty and
Sondra Sparapani was one of the
sponsors of the St. Johns County
Horse Council Open Horse Show at
the county fairgrounds. The mission
of the Council is to promote, defend
and propagate equestrian interests
in St. Johns County through its inclu-
sion and representation of all equine
enthusiasts in the county.
Ms. Sparapani said it is a pleasure to
be a part of St. Augustine’s rich horse
community. She also said that it’s great
to see all the different events, and espe-
cially to watch the young kids compete.
―Plus, as a fundraiser this helps the
Horse Council grow‖.
This is just another example of
REALTORS® participating in the
community to make the community a
better place for all citizens and all
community projects.
The 4th annual make it, bake it, sew it, grow it event was held at the
St. Johns County Board on Friday, April 30, 2010 and was a huge
success. As in past years, the event was sponsored by the St.
Augustine and St. Johns County Board of REALTORS®. The event was
to benefit the Associations Scholarship Fund.
This year’s event raised $3,603.00 which brings the total Scholarship
Fund amount to $9,214.40. For those of you who are not familiar
with this fund, it is awarded to selected high school seniors at the end
of each school year. Seniors submit an application with the Education
Committee and the committee then evaluates each application to
ensure it meets the required criteria like, GPA, Merit Awards,
Community Involvement, Letters of Recommendation, and of course
an Essay.
Also present was author Robert Cosmer, who was on hand to
autograph and talk about his latest book ―Mussolini’s Money‖, which
was also there and available for sale. Mr. Cosmer was generous
enough to donate a portion of each sale to the Scholarship fund. He
was sponsored by Estate Title and Guaranty.
A special thanks goes out to Vickie Rianda of Keystone Title for
supplying a great lunch.
High schools and categories participating in this year’s event were
Bartram Trail, Nease, Pedro Menendez, St. Augustine, St. Joseph
Academy, Creekside, Ponte Vedra, and a home schooled senior.
―These seniors are our future REALTORS and such‖ says Teresa
Mercurio, Vice Chair of the Education Committee.
Make sure you mark your calendars for next year’s event which is sure
to be another huge success!
Special thanks to the following companies and individuals. Without their support,
this event would not have been the great success it was.
Leona Brown Director - ST. JOHNS BUILDERS
COUNCIL
1789 Lakeside Avenue
St. Augustine, FL 32084
(904)824-8121
email: [email protected]
www.stjohnsbuilderscouncil.com
SJBC
"Building a better tomorrow"
The St. Johns Builders Council invites Realtors to join this years Parade of Homes in St. Johns County September 4th - 19th, 2010.
Realtors will have the opportunity to showcase their "special" ReSale, with a selling price of $500,000 and above, in a high glossy magazine that will be distributed in St. Johns County and Jacksonville through the St. Augustine Record and Times Union. Homes will also be displayed on the St. Johns Builders Council's website. Entries will also be acknowledged at the Parade of Homes Awards Banquet to be held at Marsh Creek Country Club on August 15th, 2010.
Entry fee for homes is $600. with deadline for entry July 16th, 2010.
Call Leona Brown at 824-8121 for more information and entry form. Entry forms are also available in the lobby at the Board of
REALTORS® Building.
C O M M U N I T Y N E W S / S C H O L A R S H I P
S T . J O H N S B U I L D E R S C O U N C I L
Page 7 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
Artist Series
Barbara Goll
Beau Redmond
Charles Cox
Collen Ihrig
Debbie Baseman
Deby Craggs
Dianne Pittman
Fidelity Mortgage
First Florida Insurance
Flagler Laser
Flamingo Travel
Fountain of Youth
Glen Weilbacher
Hasty Carpet
Jackie
Janet Monsour
Jeanette Smith
John Pack
Julie Campbell
Karl Vierck
Keith Delaney
Linda DeGrande
Lise Hays
Marcus Wally
Nails by Terri
PeterBrooke Chocolatier
Prime Real Estate Co.
Prudential Network
RE/MAX 100 Realty
Rick McChesney
RMG Mortgage
San Sebastian Winery
Sandy Price
Seymoine Schmidt St. Augustine Board
and MLS
St. Augustine Record
Susanne Murphy
Teresa Mercurio
Terry Pacetti
The Real Estate Book
Thomas Glower
Wendy Sawyer
As a member benefit, Florida Realtors, offers a free technology help through their Tech Hotline. They recently reported some helpful tips to use when you find your computer performing sluggishly. A number of things can cause slow performance, such as lack of disk space, disk fragmentation, the development of bad sectors, and so on. Use your computer's built-in tools to fix such areas and optimize its performance. Clear Disk Space A great way to clear up disk space on your hard drive is by using the Disk Cleanup tool. The tool allows you to choose which files you want to delete, such as:
Temporary Internet files
Downloaded program files (such as
Microsoft ActiveX controls and Java applets)
The Recycle Bin
Windows temporary files
Optional Windows components you don't use
Installed programs that you no longer use
To use the Disk Cleanup Tool, simply click Start, select All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Disk Cleanup. In the Disk Cleanup box, select each of the files you want to delete. It is safe to delete all items in the list, but read the description of each file type before doing so to double check. The process only takes a few moments to remove the files and replace disk space.
The process is the same for XP, Vista and Windows 7, but in Vista and Windows 7 you can simply type "disk cleanup" in the search bar to pull it up faster.
Disk Defrag Another easy way to improve performance is to do a disk defragmentation. A disk fragment happens when the data of a file is spread across several sectors of the disk, which requires your computer to search longer to piece the data together. By performing a disk defragmentation, your computer will rearrange the files on the disk so that they are stored closer together - thus, speeding up your access to the data. To complete a disk defragmentation, click Start, select All
Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Disk Defragmenter. In the box that opens, click on the drives you want to defragment, and then click on the Analyze button. The Analyze option will let you know whether or not you should defragment the selected drive.
Once complete, Disk Defragmenter will display the results. You can see detailed information about the defrag by clicking on View Report.
Fix Disk Errors
Find and fix disk errors by using the Error
Checking utility. Your computer can obtain bad
sectors, which basically slows down its
performance. One of the main attributes of a
bad sector is that it makes file saving difficult, if
not impossible. The Error Checking utility can
scan your computer for bad sectors and file
system errors, and can determine if you have
files or folders out of place.
Microsoft recommends running this once a
week to prevent data loss (for people who use their computers
daily).
Before you run this program, be sure to close all open files.
Click Start, and then My Computer . In the My Computer
window, right-click on the hard disk you want to search for bad
sectors, and then click Properties. In the Properties box, click
on the Tools tab, and click on the Check Now button.
In the Check Disk box that opens, you'll want to select the Scan
for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box, and then
click Start. (This is called Error-Checking in Windows 7). If any
bad sectors are found, choose to fix them.
About Technology Helpline
The Tech Helpline support team is available to answer
members' questions Monday - Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. Just call 407.587.1450 and have your membership infor-
mation handy (either your FREC license number or NRDS
number).
T E C H N O L O G Y C O M M I T T E E “ T E C H T I P ”
Page 8 B O R F O R W A R D
WHAT IS A “GREEN” HOME? Essentially, green homes (or buildings) strive to integrate into the
environment, use sustainable design and construction concepts, and
have a positive impact on occupant health and comfort.
They achieve this by considering the home in two fundamental ways:
1. A system of interconnected parts that all affect each other (much
like our natural environment);
2. A lifecycle—the design, building, maintenance/operation and
demolition.
For example, consider how home design affects window choices,
which affects lighting, which affects the heating/cooling system,
which then affects energy consumption, which affects planet
resources, pollution and, ultimately, potential climate change. Get the
idea?
5 KEY COMPONENTS Nearly all green homes consider the following key components
essential to green building and remodeling:
1. Design and size: Good site design and just large enough, as
opposed to larger is better.
2. Community connectivity: Located close to work, school,
recreation and other basics.
3. Energy and water efficiency: At least 15 percent or more efficient
than others.
4. Material selections: Use of some recycled and/or reclaimed
products.
5. Indoor air quality: Limiting use of materials with potential toxic
effects and increased ventilation.
You can research any one of these from the U.S. Green Building
Council Web site or simply earn your GREEN designation from the
National Association of REALTORS®, where each of these is cov-
ered in detail with case studies.
REMODELING CONSIDERATIONS Consider that when remodeling your home, you can have a significant
impact on energy efficiency and therefore utility bills—which in turn
affects air pollution and your environment—simply by making your
home more energy efficient.
For instance, adding more blown insulation (such as cellulose),
ensuring a correctly sized and annually serviced HVAC system, and
sealing doors, windows and leaks with weather-stripping and
caulking, can all save as much as 15 percent on utility bills,
according to many experts (when compared to similar homes).
Include an Energy Star refrigerator, programmable digital thermostat,
CFL or LED lights (instead of incandescent bulbs) and double-paned
insulated windows, and you should see 30 percent to 50 percent
greater energy efficiency!
Not only does this save on utility costs, but it also means less coal is
extracted and burned to create your electricity, which results in better air
quality and less greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly half of all U.S. elec-
tricity comes from power plants that burn coal, according to the U.S.
Department of Energy.
WHEN DO YOU GET A RETURN ON INVESTMENT? When you consider the lifecycle costs and total costs of ownership when
owning and operating a home over time—not just the initial sales price
or upfront cost of an energy efficient upgrade—then payback could be
immediate. This is often the case with a new Energy Star Qualified home
where the lower utility bill offsets the slightly higher sales price and
mortgage payment.
For an older home remodel or energy upgrade, the payback could be in a
few years, depending on extent of upgrades and the current-plus-
projected utility bills. The best strategy to correctly identify the highest
return on investment for a particular home is to get an energy audit
performed by a qualified professional. Many local energy raters will
assess your home for a fee. Visit the RESNET Web site for details on
how to find one.
OTHER REMODELING FEATURES Although greening homes is a topic too big for one article, some other
green home remodeling features include these and other practices:
Recycling demolition waste to avoid landfill;
Using sustainably harvested wood labeled “FSC” (Forest
Stewardship Council);
Using countertops made of recycled content such as terrazzo;
Using a rainwater harvesting system for landscape irrigation and to
reduce storm water runoff;
Switching to low-flow water fixtures and toilets;
Using low-carbon concrete;
Planting deciduous shade trees;
Using low-VOC paints and finishes (volatile organic compounds); Using formaldehyde-free interior products in interior paint, carpet and
adhesives, etc.
WHERE TO LEARN MORE We discussed one component—energy—in detail because energy
efficiency is the largest single component of a green home (but certainly
not all of the consideration). I encourage you to spend some time on the
Web sites listed below and check back with us as we cover Green Buyers
and Sellers, Listing and Selling Green, and Green Certifications and
Rating Systems in upcoming articles.
I S Y O U R L I S T I N G R E A L L Y “ G R E E N ” ? B Y E R I K F O W L E R
Page 9 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
Many conventional building materials and coatings release chemical vapors into the air, sometimes for decades after construction. Green building design and construction dramatically reduce or eliminate emissions of volatile organic compounds, such as formaldehyde.
A H U R R I C A N E P L A Y E D R O L E I N C I T Y ' S F O U N D I N G
Page 10 B O R F O R W A R D
Hurricane season is almost here again. June 1 marks the National Weather Service's official beginning of the season.
Hurricanes played an important part in the beginnings of the city of St. Augustine. As with most things, hurricanes took on both a positive and a negative role. Hurricanes served as an important consideration when planning the timing of sailing ventures. They still do.
Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who founded St. Augustine in 1565, was well aware of the role of these tropical storms. Two years before establishing our city, Pedro Menendez had warned his only son Juan to avoid sailing during hurricane season. Historian Eugene Lyon tells us that Pedro Menendez wrote: "I left express commands to Don Juan, my son, he could come out of the Bahama Channel, because in the beginning of August, some years, they often have very great hurricanes."
Son Juan ignored his father's warning in hope of making up time that had been lost when his ships were becalmed. Juan Menendez set out from Havana for Spain on Aug. 15, 1563.
On Sept. 10, he and his crew found themselves in the middle of a full-scale
hurricane. No one with the rest of the fleet knew the fate of Juan's ship. The fate of Juan's ship was unknown.
Eugene Lyon suggests Pedro's hope to find his son in Cuba, other islands or in Florida encouraged Menendez to change his earlier assessment of Florida as worthless to urging for its settlement.
How ironic that it was a hurricane, or at least a strong storm, that offered Pedro Menendez the opportunity to overcome the French who had already placed a settlement in Florida.
Most of us know this part of the story well. Pedro Menendez established St. Augustine on Sept. 8, 1565. Ten days later he set out from the brand-new settlement with hundreds of soldiers to attack the French at Fort Caroline on the St. Johns River. The French put their ships out to sea, hoping to avoid damage from the coming storm. Most of the French fighting men were on the ships. Not only did the French not expect an attack in the face of a storm, but there were few at Fort Caroline to put up a defense.
The French ships broke up in the rough seas and survivors came ashore in the Cape Canaveral area. Menendez was able to head off the French as they walked northward along the beach, heading to Fort Caroline. Menendez killed almost all of the French stragglers in the Matanzas Inlet area.
The other day a visitor asked me if there was a "founding legend" about St. Augustine. I told him that it wasn't a legend, but history that is well documented. But it surely sounds like the stuff of a legend.
1st St. Augustine Fort
Florida Memory
Laying out the City of St. Augustine
New York Public Library
A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a
knife under the flap. The envelope can then
be resealed. (hmmmmmm..)
============
Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords It keeps
them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it be-
longs to.
==========
For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and
put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't
refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)
==========
To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer
for a few hours.Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside
down. The wax will fall out.
===========
Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag,
dipped in baking soda.Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!)
==========
Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt
BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
============
Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair
of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw-
away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that
this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last
me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened''
this way!
=============
Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen
peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of
blood. Works every time! (Now, where to put the body?) LOL
==========
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizon-
tal for inside windows.... This way you can tell which side has
the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean.
Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will
probably streak.
============
Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a
lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
========
Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes
will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with
towels and linen.
=========
Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3
hours prior to burning .
======
To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add
the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
============
To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop
or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a
boil on stove top.
===========
Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pour-
ing in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains
===========
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep
for weeks.
=============
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the
corn's natural sweetness
===============
Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing will go away.
=============
Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in
casseroles and sauces ........LEFT OVER WINE, WHAT'S THAT? :)
=============
To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and
you will experience instant relief.
============
Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a
chalk line.. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever
ants tend to march. See for yourself.
============
Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves
a lovely smell to the shine.
===========
When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweez-
ers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, andthen pull
it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
=====
Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer...... ... Clean a toilet.
Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and
flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China ......
========
Clean a vase.
To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with
water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
=============
Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water
and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
==============
Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four
Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
===========
Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer
tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar..
Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.
================
D I D Y O U K N O W . . .
Page 11 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
C O M M I T T E E U P D A T E S
Page 12 B O R F O R W A R D
E D U C A T I O N C O M M I T T E E N E W S
A F F I L I A T E C O M M I T T E E N E W S
The [newly formed] Public Relations Committee continues to
evolve into what we hope will be the catalyst for a much im-
proved public outreach in an effort to promote Realtors lo-
cally. In the past, the extent of outreach to the public was
simple, occasional press releases, often not timely or educa-
tional to the general public. We are on task to change this
on many levels. The Board is now publishing our local trans-
actional statistics monthly to allow local homeowners and
perspective Buyers to be more informed locally and not just
listening to the nightly, national doom and gloom on TV or
some NeFAR release which is too often mistaken as inclu-
sive of our market conditions. Soon, with the assistance of
all of our Board Committees, we will generate and filter huge
amounts of news-worthy and educational releases aimed at
P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S C O M M I T T E E N E W S
the positive promotion of local Realtors, how we can and do
help the Public on a daily basis, how we make a living and why
loyalty is a must, the level of education required, licensure law,
and a series of informative articles aimed at answering a wide
range of industry topics. I am excited about the potential we
have in our undertaking and encourage anyone with sugges-
tions to please help in this needed transition. Finally, if any
members would like to join this committee, please contact Vic-
tor. Your experience can and will help…
Bill Thew, Chair
Time for another update about what your Education Committee
has been up to. It has been a busy couple of months; we
completed the selection process to award our 2010 St. Johns
County Board of Realtors Scholarships. This year we had the
great pleasure to award a total of 9 scholarships worth $9,000;
8 to local St. Johns County high school seniors and 1 to a
Realtor/Affiliate’s high school senior. Our winners as awarded
are as follows;
We have also just added 6 additional CE credits classes (a total
of 22 additional CE hours) to our Education Calendar for 2010
thru Florida Realtors University 2010 iCE Virtual Campus CE
Series. This is a new program being offered by Florida Realtors
to local boards to add CE credited classes taught by
professional instructors via live webinars. These sessions are
fully interactive. Check out the Education Calendar and make
plans to attend these exciting CE credited classes.
Your Education Committee needs your input. If you have not
joined a committee, please consider visiting an Education
Committee meeting and see if we are the right committee
for you. We meet the first Monday of each month at 9:00 AM
for 1 hour at the board office. Come check us out.
Scholarship recipients are...
Bartram Trails—Alicia Jacobson Clarke Murphy Scholarship
Nease—Robert Stern Dominic Mercurio
Pedro Menendez— Kenisha Williams
St. Augustine H.S.– Kalani Aponte
St. Josephs Academy—Katelyn McCallum
Creekside H.S.— Alexis Lawson
Ponte Vedra H.S.— Max Rubenstein
Hayes Home School—Ryan Hays
REALTOR®/Affiliate Scholarship— Kelsi Kling
education, networking, community and other endeavors of the
Association.
What is your special talent? I look forward to seeing you at the
General Membership Meeting!
I would like to invite you to attend one of our meetings.
Our next meeting is July14th @ 9am.
Marlene Lagasse’ Chair
[email protected] 904-829-5674
This month the committee has invited the Executive Director of the
Betty Griffin House to speak at our General Membership Meeting.
We are also collecting items to donate! See flyer in the newsletter
for a complete list. Please bring items to the board.
August 20th General membership meeting is Collecting School Sup-
plies and having the Superintendent speak.
October 15th Tradeshow and Chili Cook-off.
Our job as a committee is to apply the special talents and re-
sources of REALTORS and REALTOR Partners in support of
Dianne Pittman, Chair
If you are interested in the latest technology, or
just want to learn a little, please consider joining
the Tech Committee.
We meet the last Friday of each month from 9am-
10am.
Text or call me, Marjorie Taylor, at
904.591.9121. Or shoot me an e-mail at
[email protected] and I’ll be happy
to answer any questions you may have.
Want to see the latest in Smart Phones? Want to learn
about the newest laptops on the market? How about a
new Contact Management System or other software
that will help us work more efficiently? The Technology
Committee is in the midst of planning a Technology
Fair. We are hoping to combine courses with our local
chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors to bring
you a great hands-on, information packed Tech Fair.
More details to follow soon.
The Commercial Committee (Florida Commercial Real
Estate Alliance) has changed the monthly meetings to the third
Wednesday at 8:30 AM. The earlier time seemed better based
on recommendations from committee members. With the
decline in commercial real estate activity, committee
participation has declined, but we would like to continue to
provide a venue and opportunity for commercial practitioners
within the St. Augustine and St. Johns County Board of
REALTORS® to gather for property exchange info as well as the
opportunity to discuss issues related to commercial real estate.
Board members are encouraged to register and use the NAR
affiliated commercial real estate site
www.CommercialSource.com to promote their commercial
listings. The committee is also exploring ways to use our local
Innovia Commercial Information Exchange (CIE) to improve
listing info between all board affiliated commercial practitioners.
Please join us. The coffee is always fresh and hot.
Charles “Sonny” Shanks– Chair
Page 13 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
C O M M E R C I A L C O M M I T T E E N E W S
T E C H N O L O G Y C O M M I T T E E N E W S
R P A C C O M M I T T E E N E W S
Your REALTORS® Political Action Committee meets the first Tuesday of
each month, at 1:30 pm, at the Board of REALTORS® meeting room.
Meetings last 1 hour or less. We welcome all REALTOR® and Affiliate
members of the St. Augustine & St Johns County BOR, to join us. RPAC is a
very interesting & fun committee that discusses local, state and national
politics and important issues that affect all of our businesses.
Did you know?
RPAC Protects Your Livelihood! Only because of past RPAC investments
have the REALTORS® been able to successfully fight off attacks on their
livelihood. But we can only fight with YOUR help! The Realtors® Political
Action Committee makes sure your voice is heard!
RPAC protects your income and maintains your commissions by fighting a
sales tax on services.
RPAC educates and elects policy makers who support our REALTOR®
issues.
RPAC helps you sell more homes by improving the quality of life in our
communities and marketability of property in our neighborhoods.
RPAC opposes onerous constitutional amendments, like Hometown
Democracy, from finding their way to our ballots.
RPAC contacted millions of voters to promote REALTOR® candidates and
support Floridians quality of life issues.
All of that being said, the next thing on the RPAC agenda is making
preparations for an upcoming Local Candidate Screening event to be held
at the Board of REALTORS®
We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting,
the 1st Tuesday of each month.
Barb Goll
RPAC Chair Dianne Pittman, Chair
The St. Augustine Chapter of the Women’s Council of REAL-
TORS 6th Annual Invitational Golf Tournament was quite the
success! It was a beautiful day at Marsh Creek Country Club
on May 3rd while 96 golfers and 26 sponsors enjoyed the day
of fun and networking. The dedicated committee and
volunteers all helped the event run smoothly. The St. Francis
House is the charity that the Council has chosen for this event
and is proud to be able to make a sizeable donation to them. A
check will be presented to Renee Morris of the St. Francis
House at the Council’s Business Resource Luncheon on June
3rd. To view pictures of the event visit the website
www.wcrstaugustine.org. Save the date – May 2, 2011 for
next year’s golf tournament.
The Business Resource Meeting and Luncheon on June 3rd will
feature a panel of Real Estate Listing Experts. Non-competing
professionals from surrounding counties will share the
practices and principles that contribute to their success.
Come to lunch and learn at Carrabbas on 312 from 11:30am
– 1pm. Cost is $15. R.S.V.P. to Jessica LaCaze at 819-5565 or
District 1 Networking with St. Augustine Regional, Jacksonville,
Gainesville, Flagler County, West Volusia, and Daytona
Women’s Council of REALTORS®, Certified International
Property Specialists, and the Council of Real Estate Brokerage
Managers. Power Professionals of Real Estate Conference
with dynamic speakers and cross networking will be on July
15th. It will be held at the White Room Loft and Rooftop in St.
Augustine from 9am – 4pm for only $35 including lunch.
Sponsorships are available for wide spread visibility.
Contact Chris Rich at 349-6163 or [email protected]
for more information.
Women’s Council of REALTORS® is dedicated to increasing
the professionalism of real estate practitioners in the real
estate field. Membership is open to REALTORS® and
affiliates of the real estate field. For membership
information please contact Tony Bosco, V.P. of Membership
at 553-0240 or [email protected]. Or visit the website
www.wcrstaugustine.org.
Christine Rich, P.A.
REALTOR®, AHWD, CSP, PMN, SFR
RE/MAX Unlimited
Cell & Text - 904-349-6163
W C R N E W S
W C R M O N T H L Y A G E N T T O A G E N T P R O P E R T Y E X C H A N G E
Page 14 B O R F O R W A R D
Christine Rich– President
The St. Augustine Regional Chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® presents the
Agent-to-Agent Property Exchange.
This is a wonderful opportunity for REALTORS® and Builder Sales Representatives to help each
other sell listings, find properties for buyers, and learn more about the listing inventory. It is held
monthly at the Board of REALTORS® on Lakeside Avenue from 8:30-9:30am all while enjoying
breakfast provided by a WCR sponsor. You are welcome to join us and bring a fellow REALTOR®.
For the next date see the calendar at www.wcrstaugustine.org or ask Patsy Wilson. Please
R.S.V.P. to Patsy Wilson at [email protected] or calling 904-797-7442.
L I S T H U B I S H E R E
Search, Zillow, and many more. Statistics show that over 80% of homebuyers are searching online before they contact a REALTOR®. With the help of ListHub, our listings will be found in 36 more locations, and the listing information will be uniform.
While this part of the program is offered FREE to all agents PROVIDED their brokers ESTABLISH AN ACCOUNT, there are also opportunities for agents and brokers to purchase Enhanced programs which provide Account Traffic, and Specific Listing reports plus Listing Presentation Tools.
To find out more, go to ListHub.com.
Life just got easier for St. Augustine & St. John’s County Board of REALTORS® members, thanks to our MLS Board’s recent acceptance of the ListHub program. This program is a platform for real estate brokers to manage their most important asset – LISTINGS – in today’s most important marketplace – THE INTERNET.
While ListHub is not a consumer website, it will work directly with our MLS to facilitate the placement of our listings onto multiple consumer websites (36 at the current time). No more need to enter your listings in multiple locations. Enter once into MLS and ListHub does the rest.
Some of the supported websites where your listings will appear are: Google Maps, Yahoo Real Estate, Trulia Real Estate
If it keeps up,
man will
atrophy all his
limbs but the
push-button
finger.
~Frank Lloyd
Wright
Today we are excited to share with you two great opportunities currently available from REALTORS® FCU!
Two Great Ways to Save Get fixed low auto loan rates as low as 4.75% APR plus $100 cash and no payment for 60 days! Happy with your car, but not your payment? Consider refinancing. Get financing from an institution that understands your needs and drive away with a rate that is sure to make you happy. Learn how today. REALTORS® F C U is like a bigger, better piggy bank! Take advantage of their most popular investment. Open a 12-month certificate and enjoy an industry lead-ing dividend rate of 1.66% APY*. Open a certificate in-vestment online in minutes with just $1,000! Certificates from 3-60 months are available for both consumers and businesses. Stash your cash today.
Already a REALTORS® FCU Member? You can open a Certificate Account or apply for a loan through myAccounts Online under the “Accounts” tab.
Not a Member? Not a Problem! It’s easy and safe to join online in minutes. All REALTORS® (and immediate family members) are eligible for lifetime membership. During the new member application process, you can select the deposit products you're interested in. Once your membership application is complete and you have enrolled in myAccounts Online banking, you can apply for a loan by clicking the “Consumer Loan Application” link from the “Accounts” tab. If you need help, just call a friendly Member Care Representative. REALTORS® FCU is here for you 24-hours a day at 866.295.6038.
REALTORS® FCU helps REALTORS® manage everyday finances and prepare for the road ahead.
Created for REALTORS®, REALTORS® Federal Credit
Union offers its members real value in the form of fewer
fees, competitive loan rates and great dividends on savings
and investments. As a partner in NAR’s REALTOR®
Benefits® Program, you can trust that your credit union is
friendly to REALTORS®!
Page 15 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
R E A L T O R ® F E D E R A L C R E D I T U N I O N
A V E R T I S E W I T H U S
Page 16 B O R F O R W A R D
S T I L L T I M E T O R E G I S T E R - D I S T R I C T O N E C O N F E R E N C E
There will be a Florida REALTORS® District One conference on June 23, 2010 at the Jacksonville Marriott.
Our Association is in District One. You will have the opportunity to listen to two great nationally recognized
speakers and to meet and greet the candidates for the FR officer positions. The cost is only $15 for the
entire day long conference that includes a complimentary continental breakfast & buffet lunch.
Please consider attending this exceptional conference.
Page 17 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast
9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Education Session #1
10:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Education Session #1 continued
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Buffet Lunch
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Meet & Greet the Candidates
1:00 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. Session #2
W A L L Y C O N W A Y - U H - O H ! Y O U R C U S T O M E R J U S T A S K E D F O R A M O L D I N S P E C T I O N !
Page 18 B O R F O R W A R D
FREE In-Office
Presentations
Mold, Asbestos, Lead, Radon,
Infrared Technology, Wind, Chi-
nese Drywall – what’s all the
fuss about?
Have Wally Conway show you
how to reduce your liability and
increase sales!
Call HomePro today to learn
how to protect your ―assets‖
904-268-8211
HomePro Inspections is your go-to source for agent liability reduction and
customer peace of mind! Infrared technology separates the professionals
from the pretenders in the home inspection industry, and only HomePro
utilizes infrared technology on every exclusive 5 Star Inspection™ Package.
Call for your 5 Star Inspection today – 904-268-8211.
Have Wally Conway speak at your office or for your favorite group! Wally is a
speaker, writer, FREC instructor, host of HGTV’s ―House Detective‖, host of
DIY Network’s ―Finders Fixers‖, and host of The Home and Garden radio
show on WOKV AM 690 and 106.5 FM. And don’t forget to pick up Wally’s
book, ―Secrets of the Happy Home Inspector‖, available at GoHomePro.com
You just sat down to write an offer when the buyer blurts out that
they want a ―mold inspection‖… Great. It’s been awhile since
you had a payday and now here comes the curve ball, a MOLD
inspection!
So, what are the right and reasonable options to care to the
desire of the buyer, while not creating ire?
Sure, you could act on your first instinct and tell the buyer they
don’t need it, or that you’ve been in real estate since Ponce de
Leon was making low ball offers on the fountain of youth. Ponce
didn’t get a mold inspection, heck he didn’t even have a water
test! But, let’s agree that there is more at stake than your youth
if you get sued over a mold claim.
So, what to do? How should you respond to the buyer who has
the desire to have a mold inspection?
AGREE with them! They should have a mold inspection.
EVERYONE should have a mold inspection.
I know, you disagree. But now that I’ve gotten you to disagree, I
might ask you who are you disagreeing with? It’s not me, it’s the
EPA!
The EPA has a protocol for the visual inspection for mold. (You
can download a copy at wwww.GoHomePro.com or give me a call
and I’ll get copies to you.)
The EPA Mold brochure looks similar to the EPA Lead Brochure
that we have all come to know and love. Have you lost a deal
lately or been sued due to a lead issue? Didn’t think so. Next to
no one has. That’s because the EPA Lead brochure is our
protector and shield, but only if you ensure that both you and the
homebuyer are familiar with it. The EPA Mold brochure can do
the same for you!
Let’s say you did the right and proper thing and gave the
customer the brochure. But your buyer still wants a ―mold
inspection‖. What now? Once again, agree with them!
By my best guess, we here at HomePro have done over 5,000
mold inspections in the past three years alone. Have you heard
about the five thousand deals that we killed? Of course not,
because when homebuyers get the comfort they need, and get
information properly and professionally delivered, they buy
houses!
The fact is, a mold inspection performed to the EPA visual
protocol comforts buyers and closes deals! Sad truth is, most
agents are unaware of this brochure (did I mention you can get
them at www.GoHomePro.com, or call and I’ll get them to you?).
An even sadder truth is that the vast number of home inspectors
and mold premeditators are either uninformed or unwilling to
perform this inspection to protect you and your customer. They would
rather scare the snot out of your customer, which WILL kill your deal.
HOWEVER, HomePro has been doing these mold inspections for FREE
for over three years as part of our 5 Star Inspection, so there’s no
grousing about additional cost. And HomePro won’t kill your deal.
So, you did good for your customer, but now they want mold TESTING!
Seems like no good deed goes unpunished! But, once again, HomePro
makes it simple. We can easily take care of your customer’s mold
testing desires – but again, we will explain the process in such a way as
to inform and educate your customer, not to terrify them.
So don’t be scared of mold – in fact, encourage mold questions and
make your willingness to confront the issue and educate your customer
the very thing that differentiates you from your real estate agent
competitors.
And then if something comes up that you don’t know, just call me!
M O N T H L Y S T A T I S T I C S
Page 19 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 5
Monthly Statistics Report 4/2010 – 4/2009
St. Augustine & St. Johns County Compiled on May 20th, 2010
4/2010 4/2009 Percent
Change
YTD 2010 YTD 2009 Percent
Change
Residential
New Listings 418 353 18.41% 1,648 1,380 19.42%
Sold Listings 181 151 19.87% 618 485 24.42%
Volume Sold Listings $34,890,884 $35,181,352 -.83% $118,001,58
6
$120,091,88
6
15.58%
Average Sales Price $192,767 $232,989 -17.26% $190,941 $210,449 -9.29%
Average Days on Market 153 150 2% 156 148 5.41%
Lots and Land
New Listings 96 76 26.32% 394 400 -1.5%
Sold Listings 8 8 0% 49 34 44.12%
Volume Sold Listings $1,666,700 $784,900 112.35% $5,056,802 $6,690,380 -24.42%
Average Sale Price $208,338 $98,113 112.34% $103,200 $196,776 -47.55%
Average Days on Market 154 254 -39.37% 196 216 -9.26%
Commercial / Industrial
New Listings 14 12 16.67% 42 50 -16.00%
Sold Listings 3 0 n/a 9 0 n/a
Volume Sold Listings $355,000 $0 n/a 9 0 n/a
Average Days on Market 93 0 n/a 133 0 n/a
Multi-Family
New Listings 7 5 40% 28 16 75%
Sold Listings 3 2 50% 7 11 -36.36%
Volume Sold Listings $545,000 $516,501 5.52% $1,211,900 $2,275,001 -46.73%
Average Sale Price $181,667 $258,251 -29.65% $173,129 $206,818 -16.29%
Average Days on Market 173 25 592% 216 192 12.5%
Total
New Listings 535 446 19.96% 2158 1846 16.90%
Sold Listings 195 161 21.12% 683 530 28.87%
Volume Sold Listings $37,457,584 $36,482,753 2.67% $125,787,78
8
$111,057,26
7
13.26%
Average Sale Price $192,090 $226,601 -15.23% $184,170 $209,542 -12.11%
Average Days on Market 152 154 -1.30% 159 153 3.92%
Local statistics provided courtesy of your St. Augustine & St. Johns County Multiple Listing Service
S T . A U G U S T I N E & S T . J O H N S
C O U N T Y B O A R D O F R E A L T O R S ®
Page 20 JULY 2010 PREVIEW
5th EDUCATION COMMITTEE 9AM
6th RPAC COMMITTEE 1:30PM
7th AFTER THE CONTRACT 9:00am
8th REALIST 9:00am
9th FAR CONTRACT 9:00am
MLS ADVANTAGE 1PM
14th AFFILIATE COMMITTEE 9AM
15th COMPLETING AN EFFECTIVE PURCHASE &
SALES CONTRACT 3CE (WEBINAR)
9AM
20th MLS ORIENTATION 1:00pm
21st COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE 8:30am
MLS BOARD MEETING 12pm
22nd BOARD MEETING 3:00pm
26th TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE 9:00am
27th INNOVIA 2 1:30PM
28th TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE 9:00am
Main Office:
1789 Lakeside Ave.
St. Augustine, FL 32084
or
210 Office
140 Gateway Cir. Ste. 3
St Johns, FL 32259
Main Office
Phone: 904-829-8738
Fax: 904-823-9512
or
210 Office
Phone: 904-829-2704
Fax: 904-829-2706
C O N T A C T I N F O R M A T I O N
Main Office Staff
Victor J. Raymos, RCE
Association Executive
Professional Standards
Sharon Lainhart
Membership and Finance
Lise Hays
Education /SUPRA
Membership/Newsletter/Website
Branch Office Staff
Carla King
MLS , Website updates
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your Board, this is YOUR newsletter! We
can’t do this without you!
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407-587-1450
If you have an event you would like to
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Forward, please contact Lise’ Hays at the
Board Office by calling 904-829-8738 or
by email at
W W W . S T J O H N S R E A L T O R S . C O M / R E A L T O R P A G E S . H T M L
