President`s Pen - Reading-Berks Association of Realtors

®
An Official Publication of the READING-BERKS ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, INC.
Volume 21
Number 3 - 2012
Pardon Me, Your Crass is Showing
Realtor Etiquette
®
by Brad Bentz
I get a fair amount of solicitations from web sites and
search engine companies, the “Googles” and “Bings” of
the world, each proclaiming to be the #1 search engine
for Realtors®. We all know that the web site companies outsource these lead generation solicitations to a
company that likely hires people who otherwise might
be unemployable. More often than not, however, these
solicitors proclaim to be “The # 1 Real-a-tor Site”. For
me, this is like chewing on tin foil.
I politely respond to each solicitor “ I am not interested,
however if you are open to some gentle advice I might
be able to help you in the future, otherwise you might
think I am a jerk by the end of this call.” I point out “if
you are going to call on a trade organization, it might be
important to pronounce the organizations name correctly. Realtor® has two syllables, not three.” Typically by
this time they have hung up the phone and think I am
a jerk. Unfortunately the mispronunciation of Realtor®
is not isolated to these solicitations; from time to time
I hear it from our own members and affiliate members.
I have been a Realtor® since I was 19 years old, and I
take the professionalism that comes with the registered
trademark very seriously. As an organization, we hold
ourselves to higher standards of practice beyond that
which is required to merely hold a license. We promote
professionalism and live by the Golden Rule. Our community, sometimes, does not always agree with our own
proclaimed commitment to professionalism, and if some
of our own members simply cannot pronounce
our trade name correctly,
who can blame them?
It is important for us to
remember that while we
are all competitors in a
local market; we belong
to an organization that
depends on all of our
members for our image.
Much like an organism,
we all play our separate
parts but all depend on each other for our overall advancement. The Realtor® image is up to each and every one of us to promote, and there are some basic
things we can all do to that end.
…continued on page 2
President’s Pen
By Jeffrey Sicher
“Business is never so healthy as when,
like a chicken, it must do a certain
amount of scratching around for what
it gets”.
Henry Ford
Many boom and bust business
cycles result in disappointing and
dramatic slowdowns like the one
our industry has witnessed in
the past few years. These cycles
have always been present in business dating back to
the 3rd Century AD when the Roman Empire was hit
by a general recession. Recessions are not new and
neither are recoveries. The question now is are we at
the bottom of the
market and is a
housing recovery
taking place?
Agents with whom
I’ve been speaking locally and
across the state
are seeing an increase in showing
activity and written agreements of sales. Consumer confidence is up,
agent confidence is up and capital is flowing a little
more freely. Headlines in the recent months have
been reflecting a recovery in the market. An article
released by the National Association of Home Builders and published in the Reading Eagle in May, stated
that the Reading area is among 100 improving housing markets nationwide. To make the list, a market
must make gains in housing permits, employment and
house construction prices for at least six consecutive
months from when those numbers bottomed out. This
report has been released for the past eight months,
and this is the first time it included Reading.
Another article in LinkedIn Today published in March
titled “March Pending Home Sales Rise, Market Recovering” Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors said “2012 is expected
to be a year of recovery for housing first quarter sales
closings was the highest first quarter sales in 5 years”.
Your Association prepared a Press Release in July stating, “Median Sales Price Increased to 2.9%, Quarter 2
Statistics Show Berks County Real Estate on the Rise”.
continued on page 3
…continued from page 1
Pardon Me, Your Crass is Showing
Realtor® Etiquette
by Brad Bentz
While the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, to which we all adhere, establish enforceable ethical standards, it does not address the issues of courtesy or etiquette. The Professional Standards Committee of the National Association addressed this etiquette with a wonderful voluntary courtesy and etiquette list called “Pathways
to Professionalism”. I suggest you take some time to review this link by copying and pasting it into your browser.
http://realestateinberks.com/content/upload/AssetMgmt/Property%20Lines%20Files/Pathways%20to%20Professionalism%20-%20-%20revised%2011-04.pdf
There are very simple ways that we can advance our professionalism to our clients, and help our brethren in the
process. After showing a property, most of us receive an email requesting feedback on the showing. Often these
are not returned, or are just returned without any constructive comments, and our sellers are wondering “what
did the buyer have to say?”
Take the 30 seconds to give good feedback; let the seller know exactly what the buyer thought, thus allowing
the listing agent to have a tool to give objective information to the seller. It may help reinforce a message that
the listing agent has already been trying to convey to his/her seller.
If you have scheduled an appointment and are going to be late, early, or not going to show the home, call the
showing service or office and alert them to the change in the appointment. Few things cause more anguish (well
perhaps home inspections), than owners taking the time to get their home ready for a showing only to discover
that the agent never showed up.
Practice safe showing techniques. Our sellers entrust our industry with the security of their home while we are
showing it. Make sure all doors that were locked, are locked upon leaving. Tell owners, if they might be waiting
on the patio for you to leave, that you are finished and they may have their home back. Leave your card so the
seller doesn’t have to look for clues such as footprints on the freshly vacuumed carpet to know the showing took
place. Knock before entering, even on a vacant home it is polite courtesy. If there is a problem in the home, or
a cat escapes out the door when you open it, call the listing agent and inform them before their seller calls with a
complaint. Make sure that all members of the family, such as young children, are all together and not discovering
personal property on their own.
Always communicate. Keep your buyers and sellers up to speed, even if you have no information to convey.
Both our sellers and clients are under a tremendous amount of pressure, and when they have no information to
process, they often create more self-induced anxiety allowing their fears to overwhelm their logic. A quick phone
call from the agent will immediately calm our clients.
Show respect to your peers. When soliciting listings or buyers never degrade a competitor, always promote your
own talents. Show courtesy, trust and respect to your fellow Realtors®. There is enough emotion in home selling/purchasing without us introducing our own. Respond to other agent’s calls, emails and faxes promptly and
courteously.
These are but a few efforts we can make to help establish our professionalism. In the end, remember, we all live
by the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you wish to be treated; we depend on each other for our overall image.
Give all of us a reason to be proud. Borrowed from the immortal words of the Marshall Football team… WE ARE,
REALTORS®!
President’s Pen.................................1
Realtor Etiquette.............................1
R-BAR Store....................................4
Save the Date..................................6
Jim Goldsmith Article...................7
Carol’s Corner.................................8
Government Affairs Update.........................9
Code of Ethics Training................................10
Drop of REALTOR® Membership...............10
Transfers/Reactivation of Membership......10
RPAC Investors..............................................11
Property Lines - Page 2
New Members...............................................12
REALtor Life Adventures.............................13
Committee Sign up.......................................15
Advertising Do’s & Don’ts....................16
Almost the Last Word...................................18
PROPERTY LINES
…continued from page 1
President’s Pen
By Jeffrey Sicher
The signs of a recovery are here. It doesn’t mean
that challenges will not lie ahead but rest assured
that your Association will continue to promote the
value of using a REALTOR and to educate the public
with accurate local data. Are you ready to meet the
challenges of the improving market? Do you have
the skills, education and the tools to be productive
and profitable? Do you have the work ethic to assure your success? Keep up to date on Association
activities, education opportunities and helpful news
articles by reading the Weekly E- Update, and promote your properties in “your paper”, the Buyers
Real Estate Weekly.
Wishing you continued success
Jeff Sicher
President
Reading-Berks Association of Realtors 2012
don’t forget to donate to RPAC.
ADVERTISING INDEX
Affinity Bank of Pennsylvania............................10
Anderson Insurance Brokers..............................17
AnnieMac Home Mortgage................................17
Buyers Real Estate Weekly...................................16
Diamond Credit Union.........................................8
Fleetwood Bank....................................................14
Fulton Mortgage Company...................................6
Furniture Soup.....................................................17
Greater Reading Economic Partnership.............6
Homes & Land of Berks County..........................9
Jamison Appraisal Services.................................12
M & T Bank..........................................................14
Mortgage America...............................................14
Petro Heating & AC Service...............................11
Puroclean..............................................................17
Reading Eagle Company.......................................5
Real Estate Education Center..............................17
Reliable Home Inspections..................................12
Schlicher-Kratz........................................................6
TREND.....................................................................8
VIST Financial......................................................14
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.................................9
An Official Publication of the
READING-BERKS ASSOCIATION
OF REALTORS®, INC.
2201 Ridgewood Road
Berkshire Commons, Suite 350
Wyomissing, PA 19610
(610) 375-8458 Fax (610) 375-6298
email: [email protected]
Website: www.RealEstateInBerks.com
OFFICERS
Jeffrey Sicher, President
Peter J. Champagne, President-Elect
Kerry Engle, Immediate Past-President
Victoria Venezia, Vice-President
Tara Furer-Romig, Treasurer
Dawn E. Hickernell, Secretary
DIRECTORS
Eva Eisenbrown
Gregg Guydish
Michael Klonis
Gary Lando
Jaime Perez
Sharon Sapp
Randy R. Skokowski
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE:
Lorrayne B. Klahr, Chair
Brad K. Bentz
Carol Prines-Newbury
Denyne Potts
Deb Scheidt
The Newsletter Committee is looking for more
members or featured writers. Contact the R-BAR office
if you are interested in finding out more information.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS:
National Association of REALTORS® (NAR)
1-800-874-6500 • www.realtor.org
Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® (PAR)
1-800-555-3390 • www.parealtor.org
PAR Legal Hotline
1-800-727-5345
PA State Real Estate Commission
1-717-783-3658 • www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa
TREND: 1-877-330-9900 • www.trendmls.com
Property Lines - Page 3
R-BAR
or®
t
l
a
e
R
r
e
Septemb
th
n
o
M
y
t
e
f
Sa
Mention this ad and receive
10% off Pepper Spray
Kelly J. Pieja
R-BAR/BREW
Managing Director,
Interim Association Executive
Chuck Liedike
R-BAR
Government Affairs Director
Debora Scheidt
R-BAR
Membership and
Communications Director
• Yard Signs
• Closing Gifts
• REALTOR® logo items
• Lock Boxes
• Open House shoe covers
• Open House registers
• Key Hiders
• St. Joseph’s Statues
• Shirts, Hats, Jewelry!
J. Kitridge Fegley, Esq.
Association
Counsel
BREW
Denyne Potts
BREW
Art and Production Manager
Anna Held
BREW
Graphic Designer
Dave Renninger
BREW
Sales Executive
Property Lines - Page 4
Shop the
R-BAR
Store!
Property Lines - Page 5
SAVE THE DATE!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Dates subject to change.
Check www.realestateinberks.com for up-to-date info! All events at R-BAR unless otherwise noted.
SEPTEMBER
13-Golf Outing - Willow Hollow Golf Course
18-PAR New Forms Meeting - Inn at Reading
19-Code of Ethics Training - Chamber Training Center
OCTOBER
3-Trend Classes
10-Campaign School - Chamber Training Center
31-Fall Membership Meeting - Toscani
NOVEMBER
7-New Member Orientation
14-Trend Classes
15-Code of Ethics Training - Chamber Training Ctr.
22-23 Office Closed
DECEMBER
1-NYC Bus Trip
4-6 Triple Play - Atlantic City, NJ
12-Holiday Membership Meeting - Crown Plaza
SCHLICHER-KRATZ
For the best pre-licensing &
continuing education instruction.
Evening, Weekend, Daytime Classes;
New classes Every month.
Call 610-926-9747 or
visit www.learnrealestate.com
Property Lines - Page 6
Listing or buyer agent: whose job is it?
By James L. Goldsmith
A recently filed lawsuit raises the question of who, if anyone, must account for the appurtenances that are to be
sold with the home. Appurtenances are those things that belong to or go with something else, like pool balls
go with a pool table or a front door to a home. Central air is the subject of the suit that gives rise to this article.
The listing agent swears she got a “yes” from her elderly client when she asked whether the property was centrally cooled. Obviously the agent did
not look closely enough for an outside condenser and fan, but these kind of mistakes happen.
The buyer was represented by the buyer’s agent, and he too never noticed the MLS error that described the property as being cooled by central air
conditioning. Either that, or he read it and thought it was accurate. Regardless, it did not take a 100-degree day to alert the buyer that oops, no
a/c! So, who is at fault?
One repercussion is already evident. Suit has been filed. The buyer sued the listing agent and the listing agent has joined the buyer’s agent (joinder
is a process where a defendant in a lawsuit can bring in an additional defendant; the original defendant has the burden of proving a case against
the additional defendant just like the plaintiff has the burden of proving a case against the original defendant).
To many, especially buyers, this seems like it would be an easy case. The MLS “promised” central air conditioning and it was not delivered. But it
is hardly that simple. The MLS makes clear that the information is “not guaranteed.” Further, the MLS is not a traditional advertisement. The MLS
serves members as an index so that those working with buyers can find properties that generally meet their client’s wish list.
Further, the agreement of sale says that only its contents control the agreement between the buyer and seller. This clause is found in the current
version of the Standard Agreement of Sale (“ASR”) at Paragraph 22, Representations. That is the paragraph that says:
All representations, claims, advertising, promotional activities, brochures or plans of any kind made by the seller, brokers, their licensees, employees, officers or partners are not part of this Agreement unless expressly incorporated or stated in this Agreement. This Agreement contains the
whole agreement between the Seller and Buyer . . . (emphasis added).
With that clear language agreed to between buyer and seller, it is going to be very difficult to argue that what is in the MLS is part of the agreement
of sale and the MLS description of central air means that the sellers has breached his agreement. This is not only the argument that the seller will
use, it is also the argument that the listing agent will advance in her defense and what the buyer agent will advance in his defense. The buyer agent
is going to have more trouble as you will see.
Four parties made a mistake: seller, buyer, listing agent and buyer agent, yet all are not equally culpable. While the seller thought she was selling
a property with central air, or at least said she was, she never promised or agreed that it was included. Her agreement of sale is silent as to air
conditioning. She described the property that she was selling and that includes all the appurtenances, but central air was not one because it was
not there or mentioned. Had the agreement stated something to the effect that “central air is included” then the seller would be in breach of an
agreement of sale and bear responsibility.
The listing agent, likewise, is able to escape liability. The Real Estate Licensing and Registration Act (“RELRA”) specifically provides that a licensee
does not have an obligation to undertake an inspection of the property nor need she verify the accuracy of her client’s representations. As long
as the listing agent reasonably believed her seller was telling the truth, she was not in error (or at least legally so) in describing the property as
having central air. Further, since she represents the seller and not the buyer, she has no duty to assure that the buyer’s wish list is being satisfied.
The buyer and buyer agent have problems. The buyer does have a duty to assess the property or at least determine that it includes what the buyer
thinks she is getting. We all have responsibilities for ourselves and when we fall down on the job, we are said to be contributorily negligent. This
buyer’s contributory negligence could be a bar to her recovery. On the other hand, the buyer agent has a responsibility of coaching his buyer and
helping the buyer understand the need for assessing the property to assure that it meets with the buyer’s expectations. It is this failure on this
buyer agent’s part that is likely to lead to his culpability.
Take a moment to reflect: while mistakes on all parts are abundant, it is the buyer agent and buyer who get stuck holding the bag. It bears repeating
that errors in the MLS do not generally lead to seller or listing agent culpability. They should be accurate; we expect them to be accurate, but do
we have the legal right to demand accuracy? There is no doubt that if the same information is found in the agreement of sale, which is indeed a
promise that is enforceable, then the listing agent and seller would have a greater problem.
Do buyer agents have to, then, verify all information found in the MLS? Do we have to verify that the taxes are described accurately, that the
property has every feature promised, that the square footage of the lot is accurate? That depends! If our buyers are not properly admonished as
to the fact that the MLS is not part of the Agreement, not a reliable promise and that it may contain inaccuracies, then maybe the listing agent has
to verify all information. On the other hand, the buyer agent is better off telling the buyer of the information in the MLS and while we hope that it
is accurate, and while it was intended to be accurate, it is not a promise one can rely on. With that in mind, a buyer can decide to gamble or can
agree with the buyer agent how the information is going to be verified. The buyer and buyer agent also have the choice of including provisions in
the Agreement of Sale that echo those found in the MLS. This may be a good choice, especially for those MLS “promises” that are difficult to verify.
Copyright © James L. Goldsmith, Esquire,
CALDWELL & KEARNS, P.C., 2012
All Rights Reserved
Jim Goldsmith is an attorney with Caldwell & Kearns and serves as general counsel to PAR. A substantial portion of his practice is dedicated to providing advice and counsel to
real estate licensees. He and his firm represent and defend real estate salespersons and brokers in civil lawsuits and licensing claims across the Commonwealth. Jim also defends
REALTORS® in disciplinary hearings conducted by the Real Estate Commission. He routinely counsels employers on employee relations issues and is one of the voices of the PAR
Legal Hotline.
He may be reached at www.realcompliance.com.
Property Lines - Page 7
C
It wasn’t until I wore my client’s shoes that I really understood the seller’s side
when it came to moving. Easy to say….you have to be packed and ready to
go when settlement rolls around.” But, after being in my house for 14 years it
was no picnic. I knew my husband had a lot of wood for the projects that were
never started, but, until we were moving the stuff, did I realize HOW MUCH he
had! I might mention, we still have! Moving is the easy part…getting ready
to get the house on the market takes work and time. Not to mention trying to
decide what to paint, what to replace, and what to take or leave. One of the
By Carol Prines-Newbury
questions I always faced was what should my seller do about their flooring…..
Is it ok to leave the 20 year old carpet with pet stains on the floor, or should I
replace it……Should I use hardwood, Pergo, or some cheap stuff since I won’t
be living here? Do I really need to replace the kitchen floor that has a just a few holes in it from the kids sliding their chairs back and forth? What
if I put a rug over it, will it be noticed? If any of this sounds familiar then you will enjoy reading the article provided by Daniels Floor Care on Penn
Ave. in Robesonia! This information will be useful when your clients asked about anything related to floor!
arol’s
orner
Flooring Trends for 2012
One of the greatest assets to your property is the way it is finished; granite countertops, tile bath rooms, wall to wall carpeting or hardwood floors. Over the years there are trends that happen in the housing industry for floors in both new homes
& older homes. According to data from PA Builders in an August 2003 article, the following materials were used to build an
average 2,082 square-foot, single-family home:
• 2,082 square feet of flooring material is made up mostly of carpeting while the rest is vinyl flooring, ceramic tile or wood
plank (http://www.pabuilders.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=851)
Also, as reported by the Flooring Trends website, the most popular choices in residential flooring are hardwood, ceramic tile
and laminates. But it appears that “rugs are leading the way as the hottest decorating feature of 2012”.
(http://www.flooring-trends.com/index.php) That could be due to the versatility and overall choices we can get with rugs. It
can change a room from drab to luxurious seconds after you lay it down.
Now let’s talk maintenance. If you are considering new flooring, it should be serviceable for your lifestyle. Then take into
consideration what that means. If you choose area and/or oriental rugs you need to think about where they are used and the
way they will need to be maintained. If you want your home to have that warm cozy feeling, then maintenance of the rug is
important. According to Daniel Lapp, Daniel’s Floor Care, “In-Plant Rug Cleaning is recommended for Oriental Rugs and loose
woven rugs. They should not be cleaned on location like wall to wall carpet.” Lapp added “for the wall to wall carpeting many
of the major carpet mills today recommend professional cleaning at least once per year. The buildup of soil in your carpet in
combination with foot traffic creates abrasion that breaks down your carpet’s fibers. The higher the traffic in a given area, the
more often the carpet will need cleaning.” These are all things that need be thought about when replacing old worn out flooring or building a new home.You want your asset to reflect the warm and cozy feeling you have envisioned.
Let’s review: whatever you choose to go with- the trend of area rugs, laminate, hardwood or wall to wall carpet- pick what
works for you and for your home. Couple with good maintenance as Lapp suggested, and this will keep it looking as good
as new!
Property Lines - Page 8
Truth About the 3.8% Tax
By Chuck Liedike, Government Affairs Director
There remains plenty of confusion about the 3.8% tax, and we don’t want any of our members (or their clients) to
get confused about it. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, individuals and groups on all
sides of the healthcare issue have been responding to various provisions that are included in the new law and regulations. Unfortunately, not all of the claims about the law have been accurate, making it difficult for those who really
want to understand the changes.
Over the past 18 months some of you may have received an email saying something like: “Did you know that if you sell your
house after 2012 you will pay a 3.8% sales tax on it? That’s $3,800 on a $100,000 home, etc. When did this happen? It’s in the
health care bill and goes into effect in 2013. Under the new health care bill all real estate transactions will be subject to a 3.8%
sales tax.” That sounds bad…and it is simply not true. As explained by the National Association of Realtors: “Understand that
this tax WILL NOT be imposed on all real estate transactions, a common misconception.
So, how will the new 3.8% tax get calculated? The tax will fall only on individuals with an adjusted gross income (AGI) above
$200,000 and on couples filing a joint return with more than $250,000 AGI. And perhaps
most importantly for some Realtors®, the existing capital gains exclusions that apply to
residential real estate still apply. Even if a seller has an adjusted gross income above the
income threshold, the new tax only kicks in if the profit from a sale (not the sales price,
but the profit) is greater than $250,000 for an individual or $500,000 for a married
couple. The new 3.8% tax is assessed only when Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is more than
$200,000/$250,000. AGI includes net income from interest, dividends, rents and capital
gains, as well as earned compensation and several additional forms of income presented on
a Form 1040 Income Tax Return. The tax is NOT imposed on the total AGI, nor is it imposed
solely on the investment income. Rather, the taxable amount will depend on the operation
of a formula.
The taxpayer will determine the LESSER of (1) net investment income OR (2) the excess of AGI over the
$200,000/$250,000 AGI thresholds. Thus, if net investment income is the smaller amount, then the 3.8% tax is
applied only to the net investment income amount. If the excess over the thresholds is the smaller amount, then
the 3.8% tax would apply only to the excess amount. Need an example? If AGI for a single individual is $275,000,
then the excess over $200,000 would be $75,000 ($275,000 minus $200,000). Assume that this individual’s net
investment income is $60,000. The new 3.8% tax applies to the smaller amount. In this example, $60,000 of net investment income is less than the $75,000 excess over the threshold. Thus, in this example, the 3.8% tax is applied
to the $60,000. If this single individual had AGI if $275,000 and net investment income of $90,000, then the new
tax would be imposed on the smaller amount: the $75,000 of excess over $200,000.
Rather than forwarding false information to your clients, be a resource.” Provide them with this synopsis so they fully
understand the tax.
4 Wellington Boulevard
Wyomissing, PA 19610
610-678-9702
Property Lines - Page 9
2663_Prty_line_ad_Final_Layout 1 2/11/11 12:30 PM Page 1
A f f i n i t y B a n k PA . c o m | 610.898.7700
Mortgages,
Simply Done.
Competitive rates and
customized mortgage products to
fit your clients’ needs are only
the beginning. The clincher is our excellent service.
Drops of REALTOR® Membership:
Bielanski, John, Century 21 Gold
Borelli, Carmella, Prudential Landis Home Sale Services
Henn, Trishia, John Monaghan
Kock, Sue K., Century 21 Park Road
Lopez, Diego, Prudential Landis
Mehlman, Rodney, Century 21 Gold
Morales, Elvin, Century 21 Gold
Ortiz, Hector, Prudential Landis Homesale Services
Ottaviano, James, Prudential Landis Homesale Services
Rivera, Jimmy, Century 21 Gold
Rushing, Jeffrey, Stout Associates
Spiece, Brenda, Prudential Landis Homesale Services
Stern, Michael, Century 21 Gold
Swisher, Russell E., Jr, Stout Associates
Ulrich, Randy, ReMax of Reading
Wawrzyniak, Rhonda, Prudential Landis Homesale Services
Transfers/Reactivations of
REALTOR® Membership:
Banking The Way It Should Be.
WYOMISSING | READING | SINKING SPRING
MUHLENBERG | EXETER
REALTORS® Code of Ethics Training
-formerly known as the
Quadrennial Code of Ethics Training
Effective January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2004, and for
successive four (4) year periods thereafter, REALTORS® are
required to complete a 2 1/2 hour course on ethics. New members are also required to take a 2 1/2 hour orientation on ethics upon becoming REALTORS®.
To assist members and local association implementation, the
National Association of REALTORS® developed an online
ethics training courses for REALTOR® members.
This course has been modified to now include an option for
commercial specific content/case studies. These courses are
accessible at, http://www.Realtor.org/mempolweb.nsf/pages/onlineethicstraining and they meet the required learning
objectives and criteria provided for in Policy Statements 47
and 48, NAR Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual.
In addition to the online course via NAR, R-BAR is offering 3
FREE classes locally. See the weekly e-update for details.
Alleyne, Rickie, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Batista, Carlos, Century 21 Gold-Temple
Boisson, Michael, Exeter Realty
Bollinger, Bonnie, Sands & Company
Davis, Mabel, Keller Williams Realty Elite
DeLillo, Glenda, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Dennis, Joelle, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Dungan, Suzanne, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Dunsmore, Douglas, Keller Williams Realty Group
Fabian, Jonathan, Exit Diamond Realty
Golden, Cindy, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Gordon, Christine, Keller Williams Realty Group, Limerick
Jenkins, Ed, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Kobylarz, Deanna, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Krufka, Andrew, Century 21 Gold
McCouch, Thomas, Keller Williams Realty Group, Limerick
Parisi, Arlene, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
Raifsnider, Kim, Coldwell Banker Select Professionals
New Members/Affiliates/Firms:
Affiliates:
Home Builders Association of Berks County, Christian D. Malesic
Realtors:
Dana L. Riegel, ReMax of Reading
Landon C. Bernheiser, ReMax of Reading
John J. Bigos, Prudential Landis Home Sale Services
Jeffrey Ricketts, Century 21 Park Road
Wayne R. Moyer, Century 21 Park Road
Firms:
Long & Foster, Denise Frame
Property Lines - Page 10
RPAC Investors
Governor’s Club Membership ($500 - $999.99 Annual)
Conrad Vanino
$99 Club Membership ($99 - $249.00 Annual)
Joanne Baggott
Tom Bellairs
Brad Bentz
Alex Betances
Mike Chaknos
Pete Champagne
Denise Commings
Jeffrey Crosby
Kerry Engle
Bruce Faust
Venus Fioravanti
Jack Fry
KJ Fry
Doug Haring
Carel Harmsen
Darren Kostival
Gary Kubovcsak
Gary Lando
Diane Longacre
Phillip Macaronis
Dave Mattes
Mark Mohn
Jay Painter
Arlene Parisi
Fall is here!
Property Lines - Page 11
Patty Rapposelli
Sharon Rohrbach
John Schmoyer
Jeff Sicher
Gayle Sincavage
Kate Steffy
Ed Tobias
Vicki Venezia
Merlin Weaver
Matthew Wolf
Welcome
New R-BAR Members!
The Reading-Berks Association of REALTORS® welcomes the following
new members who recently completed Orientation and Induction on August 1,
2012. Congratulations and best of luck as a member of the R-BAR family!
Front Row:
Shannon Fowler, Sands & Co.
Kelly Arms, Prudential Landis
Vanessa Deskie, KW Realty Group, Limerick
Sue Lovell, KW Realty Group, Exeter
Dana Riegel, ReMax of Reading
Wayne Moyer, C21 Park Road
Jeffrey Sicher , 2012 R-BAR President
Back Row:
Jeff Ricketts, C21 Park Road
John Bigos, Prudential Landis
Alan Baxter, Prudential Landis
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Property Lines - Page 12
110
REALTOR® LifeAdventures
‘Sure wish that some of you would call or email and tell some of the adventures you’ve had!
By Lorrayne Klahr
Some stories from a few years back...
This one from 1995, about Bob Wertz (then of Wertz Hoffman Parks). The story goes that Bob got locked in the second
floor bathroom at the Wertz Hoffman Parks office in Wyomissing Hills. Seems it was due to a faulty lock. No one actually missed Bob for quite a while. Finally someone heard him banging on the door. The lock failed to open, so Bob had
to climb out the window and down over the roof. Bill Parks, lovingly known as “Parky”, stood below in the yard, holding
Bob’s tie, and Mike Anderson held the ladder.
Another WHP story...this one about Craig Wagner. He was showing a property on a very cold day, and as he and his
customers stepped onto a second floor balcony, a breeze caused the door to slam shut and lock! The customers held the
downspout while Craig clambered down, jumped the last 12 feet, and went back inside to rescue his clients.
In an NAR magazine from around the same time was an article entitled, Memoirs of an Ex-Salesperson, by
Joe Darcy, II. Here are a few lines from his article:
“I was a salesperson in the eighties. Eight years and 143 sales later, I decided to do something less dangerous, less aggravating and less bizarre. I became a cop. No kidding. At least in that business the customer
is always wrong. Dealing with drunks, burglars and speeders is a piece of cake compared to dealing with
sellers who won’t part with their window air conditioner until 4 minutes before closing.”
Well, y’know – that article may be 17 years old, but it is not only still funny...but also truer now than it was then! Braving
the hazards of real estate can be daunting...just the simple act of telling sellers that the market value of their home is
20% less than what they paid in 2005...now THAT is dangerous! A police escort might be advised for those situations.
While we’re talking about cops, here’s an adventure that our dear friend, Diane DeTurck,
had many years ago. She was a new agent, having done social work previously (is there a
difference?)...”but I was still in my social work mode”, she said. Diane had a listing in
a questionable section of the city and had set up appointments to show that vacant property
to several different customers, none of whom she had ever met. Diane was a little scared,
she admitted, waiting there in her green raincoat. When the first customer showed up, Diane
handed him a highlight sheet and directed him to go inside. She decided to wait outside.
Good idea. Following that “showing”, the next scheduled customer arrived, and again Diane,
wearing her green raincoat, handed him the property data, directed him to go inside while she
waited outside. This was working pretty well until the cops showed up. Seems that the neighbor across the street had been watching the proceedings and determined that the woman in
the green raincoat had some drug deals going down. The police officer asked dear, innocent
Diane, standing there holding her highlight sheets...”Are you a REALTOR®?” and she assured him that she is a REALTOR. She concluded her story happily by saying that he did not
arrest her...but it was quite a memory.
Another cop story....this one involving a treasured REALTOR®, whom we all loved. Cheryl
Warczyglowa, early in her career, was showing homes in a suburban subdivision in the Temple
area, and it was evening. The house was vacant, the electric was turned off, and Cheryl and her three customers had
only one flashlight. They were in the house for quite a while. When the three began to exit through the front door, spotlights began shining on them from several directions. A deep voice said, “Come out with your hand up!” (Seriously.)
Cheryl decided that it would best to obey, and she soon found out that this was a drug bust, that the home had been
under surveillance and probably Cheryl was the first agent to show the place in a long while. “You know,” Cheryl told
me back then, “it is just one of those things that you remember.”
An email to all agents some months ago was asking for help in finding a rental. The agent wrote, “Anyone have a
rental under $1000 a month that will accept pets? Berks County, retired lady, her older daughter and her
22 year old son. They crate them when they are not home.” Brad Bentz replied, “What a great idea, crating
the kids when you are not home. I can get rid of my Velcro.”
The fall market is here. Well, look around carefully and you might catch a glimpse. At least
the interest rates are low. Good luck to all of you, and stay out of trouble with the cops. Till
next time – PLEASE consider telling us one of your adventures. There are surely hundreds of
you who have great stories to tell.
---Lorrayne
Property Lines - Page 13
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Property Lines - Page 14
Property Lines - Page 15
Advertising Do’s and Don’ts
by Dave Renninger
I want to make this clear; I am not a lawyer nor am I attempting to act as one. I teach a session at new member orientation entitled Advertising Do’s and Don’ts. In order to keep us all out of trouble I want to point out some violations I see of the Fair Housing Act or Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission Standards of Conduct and Practice in ads by more experienced REALTORS®.
Listings on Facebook are considered real estate ads by the commission and should follow the same rules. I called the PAR Legal Hotline
about this issue in August to be sure I was conveying the correct information. To paraphrase the advice given to me; if a REALTOR® posts a
property (usually a new listing or an open house), the agent must include the office name and phone number in that post. Often I see such a
post with the agent’s name and cell number.
Be careful when you using human models in your real estate adverting. This paragraph is copied directly from the Fair Housing Advertising
Manual.
If models are used in display advertising campaigns, the models should be clearly definable as reasonably representing majority and minority
groups in the metropolitan area, both sexes, and, when appropriate, families with children. Models, if used,
should portray persons in an equal social setting and indicate to the general public that the housing is open
to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, and is not for the
exclusive use of one such group.
In a nutshell; be sure to show not only male green Martians but some female purple ones as well. And
throw in a blind Venusian for good measure from time to time.
Most everyone is aware that the office phone number in a real estate ad should be as large, if not larger,
than all other phone numbers in the ad. However, I sometimes see a violation when there is a toll free
number to call with codes to the properties in the ad. Often this phone number is very large at the top of
the ad and the office number is much smaller.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I am not a lawyer. If you have
a question regarding what you can or can’t do in your advertising, call the PAR
Legal Hotline at 1-800-727-5345 and speak to an attorney.
The FREE Open Houses Continue!!!
Please enter your open house information in TREND
by noon on Monday.
• Receive a FREE open house ad in the Buyers Real Estate Weekly
• Receive a FREE ad on OpenHousesInBerks.com
OR only $15.00 for an enhanced open house ad which will include
your logo and a description of the property
Call Dave Renninger at 610-375-2610 for more today!
Property Lines - Page 16
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Property Lines - Page 17
“Almost
the Last Word” by Brad Bentz
As I write this article I am watching the 2012 Summer Olympics, and I have to admit, I’m all in. I am fascinated
having the ability to watch all the events, from swimming to dressage. Of all the remarkable events and incredible
athletes, what has left the largest impression on me is the medal ceremony. I was watching a Judo gold medal
match which American Kayla Harrison defeated Great Britain’s Gemma Gibbons. After winning the match, Kayla
showed respect and acknowledged her opponent, then proceeded to do the “Lambeau Leap” into the arms of her
coach in the stands. As she stood on the podium during the medal ceremony, singing along to the National Anthem, tears streaming down her cheeks, it was a moment of triumph that transcended the world wide coverage of
the 30th Summer Olympiad, and I was a witness to greatness.
Myth holds the Olympics started as a religious ceremony in Southern Greece in a valley known as Olympia honoring
Zeus’ victory over his father for rule of the world. Over the years these ceremonies featured events for athletes
attempting to mimic the physical and mental strength of Zeus. This event became so important to this warlike
country that they would suspend wars and keep their warriors home until the completion of the ceremony. It soon
became a universal sign of peace and unity.
Over the years, the Olympics have come and gone, starting again in Athens, Greece in 1896. Like all local and
international events, many scandals and countries have attempted to rob the purity of these games for their own
political and personal advancement.
Even today there was a political divide over the taxation of the athletes for the “prizes” they receive in the Olympics. Regardless of your opinion or which side of the aisle you reside, the debate allowed each political pundit an
attempt to advance their political interests while degrading the image of their adversary. The rhetoric lasted days,
with each side casting aspersions at the other, using the Olympics as their stand.
It is so easy, in this day and age, to become jaded at the petty attempts to use our daily triumphs to advance in
the world of power, that we often lose sight of the ultimate goal. Daily news of new tax laws churn the political
arena to create fear in the public, and this election year will hold many attempts to smear the other half of the isle
creating yet a larger divide.
But there are times, when all the banter falls below, that we have the opportunity to be a witness of greatness. When
showing a home that we will eventually sell to our buyers, watch the children run from room to room picking out their future bedrooms, or watch the eyes of the parents envisioning throwing ball with their children in the back yard or sitting out
on a warm evening cooking hot dogs on their new grill. Observe the settlement of a newly married couple buying their very
first home, and watch their excitement as they achieve one of life’s great benchmarks.
As I watched Kayla standing on the medal platform with tears running down her cheeks, I am reminded that we, in
our ordinary lives, have a wonderful opportunity. In this great passion play of life when all the petty rhetoric gets
cast aside our benevolent triumph shines like the sun on a clear day, we have, if only for a moment, the opportunity
to witness greatness.
And if I ever lose my hands
Lose my plow, lose my land
If I ever lose my hands
Oh if,
I won’t have to work no more
And if I ever lose my eyes
If my colors all run dry
Yes if I ever lose my eyes
Oh if
I won’t have to cry no more
I’m being followed by a moon shadow
Moon shadow moon shadow
Leaping and hopping on a moon shadow
Moon shadow moon shadow
Yusuf Islam
Property Lines - Page 18