Building Green, Building Smart: Good News for NVAR & You
“It’s a smart thing to do…,” comments Marlene Shade, Associate Principal with PSA Dewberry, the lead architect for NVAR’s new headquarters, who obviously is proud of NVAR’s decision to build a LEED-certified facility. NVAR is building green and in today’s business climate it’s economically and environmentally the ‘smart thing to do.’ It produces several cost-saving benefits, and those financial incentives can add up.
(Read More)
Title Insurance is Title Insurance — or is it?
For any Realtor® who has had to explain to a client that purchasing title insurance is not optional, it may be helpful to know a little bit about the product’s history and to understand the difference between insurable title and marketable title.(Read More)
We Are Starting to See the Light, But Has Recovery Dawned?
The national recession as measured by Gross Domestic Product was at its worst in the fourth quarter of 2008 and in the first quarter of 2009. However, several indications show that those two quarters may have represented the bottom of the recession and that the economy will begin growing again in 2009. The positive signs will be seen in increased consumer confidence and then consumer spending as growth begins. The jobs part of the economy will likely not see growth until 2010. The implementation and effectiveness of the stimulus packages will be important in how the economic conditions play out for the rest of 2009 and into 2010. (Read More)
Social Media: A Guide To Getting Logged On & Plugged In To Marketing In The New Millennium
A Realtor® might often be described as a “people person,” someone with a natural affinity for networking. Interacting over the Internet and through social media such as Facebook and Twitter may be a stretch for some real estate professionals who crave personal contact, but experts suggest that these technology tools are really just an extension of what Realtors® have always known how to do: build relationships. (Read More)
Ask NVAR
MRIS Intricacies: Net Sales Price Commissions Explained – PLUS – Beware of Potential CRESPA Violations
Question: I represent the buyer in a transaction. The preliminary HUD sheet indicates a lower amount of commission than what I had calculated based on the gross sales price of the house. I call the settlement agent who informs me that the commission is to be paid on the net sales price. I review the short listing in the MLS and find no indication that commission is to be paid on the net sales price. What is a net sales price? Where is it indicated on the MLS listing? (Read More)
NVAR Task Force Garners NAR Support
SmartGrowth Grant Funds Awarded to Association’s Green Group
One of Susan Mekenney’s first acts as 2009 NVAR Chairman of the Board was to establish a Green Task Force. She charged the group with educating members about environmental matters affecting the real estate industry and encouraging the adoption of eco-friendly measures consistent with NVAR policy and practices. (Read More)
Home at Last: Virginia Housing Development Authority Offers Financing Plus Much More
After stints as a nurse and a cattle farmer, Aileen Baker was seeking a new career in 2007. Switching jobs and communities in her early 50s was certainly hard. But she was determined.
“I went back to school to be a teacher,” she said. “I had to start at the bottom.” That was only one of her challenges. She also had to find a home. “I could not afford a house around here,” Baker said.
(Read More)