Dulles Area Association of Realtors - Home

2009 Honor Society Inductees to be Honored

2010-03-10T20:16:14Z

DAAR is pleased to recognize the 2009 Honor Society Class. Come celebrate with them as they are inducted at a reception to be held on Wednesday, March 24th from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the DAAR office. Beer, wine, sodas, and hors d'oeuvres will be served. There is no charge to attend.

The 2009 Honor Society class includes:

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Ann Beck, Keller Williams Realty - Silver

Patricia Billheimer, Long & Foster Real Estate - Platinum

Bradley Boland - Jobin Realty of Reston - Platinum

Beckwith Bolle - Carter Braxton Real Estate - Platinum

Candice Bower - McEnearney Associates, Inc. - Platinum

Angie Bresnahan - Weichert Realtors - Silver

Jacqueline Campiti - Jack Lawlor Real Estate Co. - Silver

Marcy Cantatore - Weichert Realtors - Platinum

Rick Cockrill - Keller Williams Realty - Platinum

Edna Cross - Prudential Carruthers - Platinum

Tom Donegan - RE/MAX Premier - Platinum

Sandra Fletcher - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Platinum

Kelly Gaiten - Prudential Carruthers - Platinum

Tania Gonda - Weichert Realtors - Platinum

Lyn Hohenstein - Prudential Carruthers - Platinum

Julie Krone - Prudential Carruthers - Platinum

Sandy Loftis - Weichert Realtors - Platinum

Holly Loving - Prudential Carruthers - Platinum

Brenda MacEoin - ERA Teachers - Platinum

Melissa MacKimm - RE/MAX Select Properties Inc. - Platinum

Beverly O'Toole - Long & Foster Real Estate - Platinum

Sue Puelo - Prudential Carruthers - Platinum

Nicole Richards - Keller Williams Realty - Platinum

Jim Sonnhalter - Keller Williams Realty - Platinum

Linda Sonnhalter - Weichert Realtors - Platinum

Phyllis Stakem - RE/MAX Select Properties Inc. - Platinum

Dianne Street - Weichert Realtors - Silver

Prathap Valluri - IKON Realty - Platinum

Michael Wagner - Keller Williams Realty - Platinum

Holly Weatherwax - Momentum Realty - Platinum

Leslie Ann Wilson - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Silver

Jean Woods - BelleTerra Realtors - Platinum

And the 2009 REALTOR® of the Year is......

Now what fun would that be if we told you now. Come to the reception and find out. New this year, we will also be handing out awards for the agents who earned the most Education points, the most Industry Involvement points, and the most Community Service points.

Please join us in congratulating all the inductees on their hardwork and dedication. Click here to register for the reception. Please tell us you're coming, so we can be sure to have enough beer, wine, sodas, and hors d'oeuvres.

Loudoun County Offers New Rental Rehabilitation Program

2010-03-11T18:25:11Z

As part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), Loudoun County is offering a new Rental Rehabilitation Program (RRP), which provides for the rehabilitation of previously foreclosed homes in designated NSP neighborhoods. The purpose of the RRP is to rehabilitate substandard rental housing units and create affordable housing. ]]>
Eligibility Requirements:

-Projects must be located in the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) designated areas.
-Properties must be previously foreclosed units.
-Projects must be adequately maintained and operated within the prescribed rent levels after renovations. (Owners will be required to have a minimum of a 10% equity interest in the project as an incentive to maintain and operate units after rehabilitation.)
-Projects must be used primarily for residential rental purposes (51% of floor area-duplex 50%).
-Projects requiring permanent displacement will not be considered for participation.

Priority Projects:
-Projects containing units with substandard conditions that are occupied by very low income families before rehabilitation will be given priority.
-Projects with two or more bedrooms will be given priority.
-Projects that will be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with handicaps will be given priority.
-Projects that have one or more substandard conditions as defined by residential/building property code requirements will be given priority.

For more information about the program and application procedure, contact Antwaun Jackson, Department of Family Services, at 703-737-8213.

Special Meeting for DAAR Members: Limestone Overlay District -Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

2010-03-08T18:13:15Z

On Wednesday, February 17th, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted to enact the Limestone Overlay District which alters the way property owners use their land on over 14,000 areas north and south of Leesburg. Don't miss out on important information regarding how the new regulations affect land use and notices in deeds, site plans, tax and subdivision records.]]> registration is required.

10 Percent Member-Only Savings from Lowe's

2010-03-12T02:40:00Z

REALTOR Benefits® Program partner Lowe's is providing a 10 percent coupon to REALTORS® for purchase of in-stock lighting at participating stores. Your members can take advantage of the coupon by logging into their LowesRealtorBenefits.com account and printing it out. Offer ends June 15.

It's Getting Easier to Get a Jumbo Loan: Avg 30 year fixed = 5.79%

2010-03-10T20:26:00Z

The jumbo loan market is starting to thaw, making it easier for move-up buyers to borrow.

Rates on jumbo loans of more than $729,750 in highest-priced markets rose during the financial crisis and lending standards tightened to the point where borrowers couldn't refinance or get a new loan.
]]> In the last couple of weeks, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate jumbo fell to 5.79 percent, a five-year low, according to rate tracker Informa Research Services. Rates are even lower on hybrid adjustables.The availability of these loans suggests that banks are feeling more confident since Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration do not insure them.

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2010030301?OpenDocument

Join Listingbook at the Dulles Area Association of Realtors®

2010-03-12T20:46:32Z

A special opportunity for you to attend Listingbook 101 & Listingbook 201
... all in one class!

Listingbook 101: Getting Started with Listingbook
• Optimize productivity, increase client satisfaction & make more money
• Navigating Listingbook
• Understanding your FrontPage & Client Manager
• Giving ALL of your Buyers, Sellers & Prospects accounts
• Getting ALL of your clients to open & login to their accounts
• Communicating & collaborate using Property Notes, Favorites, Agent Picks & Messaging

]]> Listingbook 201: Creating Buyer Showing Packages and the CyberCMA™
• Creating Showing Packages
• Automatically archive showing history
• CyberCMA™ for unlisted & listed properties & archive
• Learning the functionality of the interactive CyberCMA™

Two opportunities To attend the Friday March 26th Listing book class

To register for the 11:00am - 12:30pm session Click Here

To register for the 1:30-3:00pm session Click Here

Earn the ABR Designation - March 18-19th at DAAR

2010-03-01T17:51:50Z

Are you interested in delivering the best in buyer representation services? DAAR is pleased to offer the Accredited Buyer's Representative (ARB®) designation from March 18-19th, 2010, 9:00-5:00 pm. The ABR® designation is the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation. This coveted designation is awarded by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC), an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS®, to real estate practitioners who meet the specified educational and practical experience criteria. Course cost of $299 includes materials. Sign-up on-line today!

Loudoun Market Watch: Blizzards and Low Inventory Dampen Sales

2010-03-12T18:06:22Z

Preliminary February results are in; the blizzards that bombarded Loudoun in February had a considerable negative impact on existing home sales activity. The blizzards were partially to blame for the total sales decline in February to 242 units from January's revised but still low total of 262 units (-7.6 percent month-over-month). ]]>
Pending sales declined about 3 percent from January, presumably due to the relative lack of inventory and the snow storms. While the preliminary month's supply of inventory exceeded five months for the first time since May 2009, it was still within in the parameters for a market in equilibrium (where there is enough supply to satisfy demand). This suggests that sales declined due to low inventory levels. For the second consecutive month, the total number of preliminary attached unit sales exceeded the total detached unit sales.

Other factors were at work though. The market was showing increasing stability and had several positive indicators in February. First and foremost, the preliminary median sales price reached $340,000, up a significant 5 percent compared to January. Prices have notably stabilized in Loudoun since the dark days of 2008; the median was $340,000 or more for seven of the last nine months. Likewise, sellers were pricing their homes to meet market demand; the preliminary average close price to original list price ratio reached 96.4 percent in February. That was the highest monthly ratio in the last four years. And, it has equaled or exceeded 95 percent for seven of the last eight months.

The preliminary average seller subsidy declined 30 percent from last February and remained essentially unchanged between January and February. Another indicator of a stable market was the average days on market - the figure declined to 51 days from 70 in January and posted the fifth time in six months that it was below 60 days.

As far as sales activity for distressed units was concerned and drilling down to the subdivision level, the Sterling Park neighborhood has accounted for 13 percent of the total distressed sales in Loudoun so far this year. Distressed active and pending listings in Ashburn Village, South Riding and Belmont represented 15 percent of the county total in February.

Click here for a copy of the latest Loudoun County Market Statistics report. For questions on DAAR's housing market statistics contact Rosemary deButts, 540/338-2212, .

Are you getting all the benefits of your Affiliate membership?

2010-03-09T21:18:33Z

Did you know that DAAR's website now offers links to your company's email and website addresses AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE? If you have not provided the email and web addresses you would like us to use for this purpose, you can get more out of your Affiliate membership.

Did you know that Affiliate members can put tri-fold brochures (and IMPs can leave 8.5x11" brochures) in the DAAR classroom AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE? If you have not provided us with these marketing materials, you can get more out of your Affiliate membership.

]]> Did you know that Affiliate members are welcome to attend the monthly Networking Matters cocktail parties for the same price as DAAR REALTOR® members? Or that you can bring one page of information on any topic you like (including your company info) to share with other attendees? If you are not attending the Networking Matters or bringing company information to share, you can get more out of your Affiliate membership.

Did you know that DAAR Affiliates have "first dibs" to sponsor DAAR Events? Some sponsorships are as inexpensive as the cost of providing lunch for event attendees. If you are not aware of the sponsorship opportunities or are not taking advantage of ones that make sense for your business, you can get more out of your Affiliate membership.

Did you know that all DAAR Affiliates are welcome to get involved with the Affiliate Committee and sponsor Affiliate events? Affiliate events are specifically designed to help the Affiliates who sponsor them build relationships with DAAR REALTOR® members. If you are not sponsoring the Affiliate events that make sense for your business, you can get more out of your Affiliate membership.

Finally, did you know DAAR's ALL NEW Integrated Marketing Partners (IMP) program is the best way to get your company out in front of DAAR members? If you are not familiar with the features and benefits of the 2010 IMP program, you can get more out of your Affiliate membership.

That's a lot of benefit for just $219/year or less.

Now, more than ever, you need to make sure every penny you spend on marketing works for you. We understand that you have a choice on where you spend your marketing dollars, and we appreciate that you've invested in a DAAR Affiliate membership. Now we'd like to help you get the best return on investment for those dues dollars. Call (703.579.0302) or email Alecia TODAY to schedule a time to talk about how you can get the most out of your membership.