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www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 1
March 2017 2017
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Executive Committee:
President
Pam McColly
President-Elect
Patti Williamson
Vice President
Kelly Martin
Secretary
Judy Gysin
Treasurer
Sue Curths
Past President
Joni McClintock
Executive Officer
Kelly Barker
Directors:
Don Sturgeon
Chad Harvey
James Montgomery
Leanne Jordan
Ashleigh Armenakis
Craig Evans
Affiliate Director
Sam Cagle
Stayton/North Santiam Council Chair
Heidi Hazel
OAR President
George Grabenhorst
The Salem REALTOR® News
Pam McColly
SAR President
Hello SAR Members,
As we look at the economic forecast predicted for 2017 it has to put a smile on your face. They are predicting that Mortgage rates for a 30-year fixed will increase, but not over 4.6 percent by the end of 2017; that sounds pretty darn good. 2017 will remain a sellers’ market with some increase in inventory but overall still not enough to meet de-mand. Millennials and first time buyers will be the major of the 2017 housing market and they are predicting we will see substantial growth in the non-millennial first time buyers. In recent years, many of the first-time buyers have remained “on the fence”; but the likelihood of contin-ued interest rate increases, in connection with the tightening labor mar-ket will drive many of these buyers into homeownership.
Some markets continue to see home prices escalating well above income growth. This is unsustainable over the long term, so we expect that the rate of home price appreciation will soften in some areas. They are not predicting that prices will drop, but rather the rate of growth will begin to slow. DOM should increase some but as long as there are more buy-ers than homes available it won’t be by much.
REALTOR® Day at the Capitol April 12th is fast approaching. There will be no General Membership meeting that day but instead we are hoping for a large than average REALTORS® participation at the Capitol. If you have never been, you should defiantly come; see how our law makers are representing all of us and our profession. There is an hour educa-tion credit and you get a free lunch; hope to see you there.
Pam
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 2
Congratulations to this years’ award recipients
REALTOR® OF THE YEAR
Joni McClintock
Sundance Realty
ALLEN JONES MEMORIAL
Nate Levin
Nathan Levin Co.
AFFILIATE OF THE YEAR
Sue Wack
Umpqua Bank Home Lending
BILL FREY MEMORIAL
COMMERCIAL TRANSACTION OF THE YEAR
Stormwater Detention Facility, Stayton OR
Jennifer Martin
Mid-Valley Commercial Real Estate
PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Cindy Peck
AmeriTitle
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 3
Upcoming Meetings, Classes & Events April 4 Tues Government Affairs– Political Action
Committee Meeting
12:00-1:00
April 6 Thurs EDUCATION SEMINAR — LaRRC *9:00-12:00
April 7 Fri SAR Executive Committee Meeting 8:30-10:00
April 10 Mon SAR Board of Directors Meeting 8:30-10:00
April 11 Tues New Member Orientation 2:00-3:00
April 12 Wed *NO MEMBERSHIP MEETING*
REALTOR® Day at the Capitol
10:00-5:00
April 13 Thurs OAR Spring Governance Meetings
& REALTOR® of the Year Luncheon
8:00-5:00
April 13 Thurs SARCF Board of Directors Meeting
CANCELLED (due to OAR meetings)
9:00-10:00
April 19 Wed Special Events Committee Meeting 9:00-10:00
April 19 Wed Education Committee Meeting 12:00-1:00
April 21 Fri Principal Broker Forum 11:30-1:30
April 25 Tues Young Professionals Networking
Event
TBA
April 27 Thurs Membership Outreach & Public
Relations Committee Meeting
9:00-10:00
April 27 Thurs REALTOR®/Attorney Seminar 12:00-1:00
May 2 Tues Government Affairs– Political Action
Committee Meeting
12:00-1:00
May 4 Thurs Education Seminar 9:00-11:00
May 5 Fri SAR Executive Committee Meeting 8:30-10:00
May 8 Mon SAR Board of Directors Meeting 8:30-10:00
May 9 Tues New Member Orientation 2:00-3:00
EDUCATION SEMINAR
Sue Curths The LAW & RULE REQUIRED COURSE
(Required by OREA for license renewal)
3 hours Continuing Education
April 6th
9:00am - 12:00am
Scottish Rite Center 4090 Commercial St SE
Members: $15
Non-members: $30
If You Would Like To Register For
The Class, Email
Register & Pay Online:
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 4
SAR is proud to offer scholarships to Salem area residents finishing high school, who are dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and
the achievement of dreams, but may not have the means to make it possible.
Two $500 scholarships will be given in May each year
Applications and criteria are on our website www.SalemRealtors.com
Thank you to the members of our Membership Outreach & Public Relations Committee for putting this program in place!
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 5
Mayor Chuck Bennett was guest speaker at the
March General Membership Meeting Great things are happening in Salem! Here are a few highlights the Mayor shared:
Land use permits are up by 25%
Unemployment is on a downward trend
The city is in a great financial position
The special election for city council, ward 6 is a critical vote with the current members being split, 4 to 4 on the issue of the third bridge
The cities near future, five to ten years, has been well planned for
Salem has a good relationship with the state; a large percentage of our residents work in state gov-ernment jobs
We enjoy one of the finest water supplies in the country; recent rate increases were necessary to enable updates; rate increases hadn’t been made correctly in past years
The downtown community is thriving—there are exciting new businesses, we enjoy three active the-atres; there are 600 new apartment units being built
Salem has 26 acres of parks with 21 miles of walking/biking trails—one of the premier park areas of the United States
41,000 jobs added recently
$20,000,000 Urban Renewal project on Portland Road has greatly improved the area
180 unit development project coming from Epping
A few concerns Salem is facing:
The transportation system doesn’t operate evenings or weekends—20% in NE don’t have vehicles; with citizens that work during these times, and with minimal grocery shopping in the area, this be-comes a problem for them
130,000 complaints regarding bad sidewalks—this is a substantial problem with no fiscal means to solve it; additionally pot holes caused by lots of rain are showing up as well
Third bridge—10-year 10,000 page environmental study is now completed; all requirements met;
this election is critical to moving forward with this project, which started in 1952!
Police Facility Bond Measure—city council passed one that is $20M less than the last one; to be on
ballot in May; look for separate Bond Measure in November for the improvements needed at the Li-
brary and City Hall
Homeless citizen program—the city is looking to the US Housing Authority for wisdom
State Street will see a revitalization soon (this information is not quoted, but is an interpretation; for the
most accurate information consult the cities website www.cityofsalem.net)
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 6
Government Affairs Committee Update
By Holly Sears, HDS Consulting
Police Facility Bond Measure back on Ballot for May Election
On February 27, the Salem City Council approved a bond measure to put before voters in May for a $61.8 million police facility, knocking over $20 million off the previous bond meas-ure that was rejected by voters in the November. Although the exact square footage of the new facility has not been de-termined, the new bond measure would assess 26 cents for every $1000 of a property’s assessed value, or $52 per year for a $200,000 house. The Salem Association of REALTORS® is in support of the new bond measure and SAR President, Pam McColly, testified before City Council on February 21 urging the Council to move forward on a new facility by placing a proposal on the May bal-lot. In the upcoming months, SAR will be turning to its members for their assis-tance in getting the bond measure passed. Please stay tuned for more details for how you can help!
Please Mark Your Calendar!
* REALTOR® Day at the Capitol - Wednesday, April 12 at the State Capi-tol – register online at oregonrealtors.org
* OAR Spring Governance Meetings – Thursday & Friday, April 13 & 14 at the Salem Conference Center – register online at www.oregonrealtors.org
* Willamette Valley Government Affairs Member Meeting – Tuesday, May 9th 11:30am at WVMLS, 3421 25th St. SE in Salem
For more information about any of the above issues or any government affairs related issue, please contact Willamette Valley Government Affairs Director, Hol-ly Sears, at [email protected] or (503) 931-0876.
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 7
MARCH REALTOR® SPOTLIGHT Presented by the Membership Outreach & Public Relations Committee
Name: Ray Beaty
What real estate company do you work for? Prudential for 14 years, then the last 4 1/2 with Paramount Real Estate Services.
How long have you been in RE: I’m just finishing my 20th year
Most embarrassing real estate experience: The first one to come to mind is tracking dog poop into a tenant’s home when I was showing a du-plex. Awkward, but it came from their front yard, so......
Why and how did you decide to choose real estate as a profession? I was encouraged by Bud and Hope Bulgin.
If you worked in another industry before joining real estate, tell us about your position: Owned and man-aged restaurants.
Do you have a specialty or niche within real estate? I work all facets of real estate including working with buyers and sellers.
Tell us a little bit about your family: Wife Sherri of nearly 36 years, 4 grown children, 3 1/2 grandchildren.
What are your motivations in real estate? To take great care of the clients that God sends to me.
Advice you might share with a brand new REALTOR®: When working with clients, care more about the per-son than the paycheck that they might represent.
Can you share how you ‘give back’ or volunteer within the community /organization and who it bene-fits? Done a fair amount of volunteering with America Red Cross, currently serve on the budget committee for Chemeketa Community College, served on the Board of Education at Chemeketa for about 11 years, taught a first time home buyer class at NEDCO, served on the Board at my church, am currently Board Chair for Mid Valley Youth for Christ, work with the high school kids at my church, do volunteer bus driving for our church, Young Life, etc., volunteer official for Upwards basketball.
How has being a member of SAR benefitted you and your business? Spending time with and learning from like-minded professionals is always a benefit! SAR education is good stuff, and Kelly and Nick understand that they are here to help us be more professional and successful!
Anything additional you’d like to share? Remember 2 Thessalonians 3:13 “And as for you, brothers and sis-ters, never tire of doing what is good" .
Get a web address created exclusively for REALTORS® and
use it to grow your professional business.
Only REALTORS® can claim a .REALTOR domain name. Sign-up to search and claim your domain today.
https://www.claim.realtor/
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 8
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Get connected to the REALTOR Party!
OREGON ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® LEGAL Q&A ARCHIVES
How Binding is the Buyer Broker Agreement? - Feb. 24, 2017
Q: My agent worked as a listing agent for a seller, successfully sold their home and was going to work to assist
these sellers with the purchase of a new home. The agent sent them a Buyer Broker Agreement to sign. Seller signed it for
a term of 180 days. Another agent from a different company (the seller knew this agent) knew they were looking for a par-
ticular type of property and contacted the seller after their home closed. Seller wants to write an offer with this other agent.
The seller began emailing my agent saying they are disappointed with the way my agent handled the sale of their home,
they haven't done anything for them in the way of a purchase, he signed the Buyer Broker Agreement while on vacation
and has never heard of a buyer signing such a document before. My agent informed the seller he would be happy to termi-
nate the agreement on the condition that he receive a referral fee from the other agent or the seller can pay his fee. The
seller said no chance. The new agent is demanding we release the seller and "do the right thing." Don't we have an en-
forceable contract?
A: Sometimes people think that enforcing contracts is about being "right." That is not the case. No doubt the
other brokerage used "do the right thing" to mean not start an ugly fight with a former client even if you have the legal
right to do so.
All of the "didn't do a good job," "didn't understand what I was signing" and so on are the former clients attempts to excuse
their non-performance of the Buyer Broker Agreement. They are either very intuitive or being coached because excuse for
nonperformance will be a real legal issue if they refuse to perform the Buyer Broker Agreement. Such agreements, because
they involve agency relationships, cannot be specifically enforced. In other words, you cannot demand that someone let
you represent them no matter what they sign. So, the agent has no say if the clients choose to cancel the agreement. That
means the only issues are whether their cancellation breached the contract and if so what if any actual damages were
caused. The breach issue is going to be about excuses like those already mentioned. Assuming a valid agreement and un-
excused performance, the issue becomes damages. Look at the agreement they signed to see if it contains a liquidated
damages clause for early termination. If there is no liquidated damages clause, your agent would have to show it was more
likely than not that but for the former client's actions they would have received a specific commission during the term of
the service agreement. That is a very fact driven inquiry. That means if the agent wants to pursue it, they should consult
with an attorney about the specific facts, including the claims made by the former client. That is why many agents when
faced with such behavior take the high road in order to avoid creating disgruntled former clients and a reputation among
other licensees for being litigious even though it rankles when you haven't done anything wrong and the clients are taking
advantage. Sometimes when the agent takes the high road, the former client and other agent will as well. Sometimes that
isn't enough and that's when people test their legal opinions by getting a lawyer and getting into the excuses and damages
issues.
For specific legal advice, contact a licensed attorney. The Oregon State Bar provides an attorney referral program. Or con-
sider joining the Oregon Association of REALTORS® Legal Hotline. For only $125 per person/per year, you have unlimited
access to qualified attorneys to answer your specific real estate legal questions. For more information, call 800-252-9115.
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 10
THE HOME OFFICE IS DISAPPEARING—WHAT’S TAKING
IT’S PLACE?
By Margaret Heidenry | Mar 22, 2017 REALTOR.COM
I work from home. Not a coffee shop, not a co-working space with free microbrew. I work in a dedicated, IRS-approved workspace with the requisite Ikea desk and drawer of supplies I never use (I mean, who staples anymore?). And yet, on the days when my husband telecommutes, he sprawls out on the living room couch, laptop perched on his stomach. And an informal poll of others who work from home shows they do so in all sorts of unconventional places, from kitchen tables to beds and any other nook or cranny so long as it’s not an actual office.
So what’s caused the traditional home office to disappear—and what’s taking its place?
How technology killed the home office
Recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 24% of employed people did some or all of their work at home. “But even with the move to more work-from-home situa-tions, few people seek a traditional study,” says Glenn S. Phillips of Lake Homes Realty.
Chalk this up to shrinking square footage (U.S. Census data show the median square footage of a single-family home fell 73 square feet this year) and the rise of open floor plans which blur defined spaces. Phillips also notes that in days of yore, people needed a whole lot of stuff to work: not only staplers, but also physical reference material, files, landline phones, and desktop computers hooked to modems to access the internet. Remember those days?
Now, all you need to work is a laptop and Wi-Fi, which can exist pretty much anywhere. So, it’s no wonder today’s WFH folks roam.
Another reason workers shun formal offices? Doors. People I interviewed described feeling “trapped,” “tucked away,” and “stuck” when in a home office.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE
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http://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/best-furniture-for-your-home-office/
www.SalemRealtors.com MARCH 2017, The Salem REALTOR® | Page 11
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