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ArcadiaREALTOR®The Official Publication of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®

VOL. 16, NO. 6WWW.THEAAR.COMJULY 2012

We Are the Architects of the American Dream

What is CEA and

Why Should REALTORS®

Care?

See page 8

See page11

Congratulations Gareth Dorn!

See page10

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Arcadia Association of REALTORS®601 South First Avenue

Arcadia, California 91006626.446.2115

626.446.4072 FAXwww.TheAAR.com

2012 ASSOCIATION OFFICERSRyan Asao {President}

Andy Bencosme {President-Elect}Mike Vachani {Vice-President}

Jill Nelson {Secretary/Treasurer}

2012 ASSOCIATION DIRECTORSMargaret Garemore

Jeanne KeatingJohn Lee

Paulina LeeGeorge MonteJoseph PacilioSylvia Ramos

Irene YamagataNick Zigic

2012 C.A.R. DIRECTORSRyan Asao

Andy BencosmeJeanne Keating

Paulina LeeGeorge MonteRichard StoneRandall Traw

Mike VachaniKelvin Wong

Nick Zigic

ARCADIA ASSOCIATION STAFF We are here to help you with your needs! Office Phone 626.446.2115

Robin Allen Ext. 307 Director of Finance / Office Manager Robin@TheAAR.com

Michael Beltran Ext. 302 IT Director / Webmaster Michael@TheAAR.com Brenda Faltes Ext. 304 Director of MLS Data Integrity, Supra & Social Media Brenda@TheAAR.com Stephanie Maertens Ext. 303 Director of Education, Publications & MLS Caravan Stephanie@TheAAR.com

Maria Roberts Ext. 305 Director of Membership & Professional Standards Maria@TheAAR.com Jane Shriver Ext. 301 Director of Association Services Jane@TheAAR.com

Andrew Cooper Ext. 308 Executive Vice President Andrew@TheAAR.com

{ Arcadia REALTOR® | July | Two Thousand and Twelve | Volume Sixteen | Number Seven}07.12

ArcadiaREALTOR®

July 2012

REGULAR FEATURES

4 Events Calendar

4 From the EVP’s Desk Andrew Cooper, Executive Vice President

5 Attorney Comments Dave Freeman, AAR Legal Counsel

6 Market Matters

10 Tech Talk “4 Networks Worth Knowing” Katherine Tarbox, N.A.R. REALTOR® Magazine

11 Affiliate Corner “What is CEA and Why Shoud REALTORS® Care?” Teresa Shaver, Contempo Escrow

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ON THE COVER8 We Are the Architects of the American Dream A recap of the recent National Association of REALTORS® business meetings in Washington D.C. and how you can help clients to achieve the American Dream.

10 Congratulations Gareth Dorn! The Arcadia Association wishes to congratulation Gareth Dorn who recently received the honor of REALTOR® Emeritus.

11 What is CEA and Why Should REALTORS® Care? A look at the California Escrow Association and what its purpose is in regards to REALTORS®.

ADDITIONAL CONTENTS3 Commercial / Investment Committee “Commercial Real Estate Education Summit” Please join us at our upcoming summit to learn all about important aspects of Commercial real estate.

4 Congratulations Maria! The Arcadia Association wishes to congratulate AAR Director of Membership, Maria Roberts on the birth of her son!

5 C.A.R. and N.A.R. Director Reports To view the reports, please visit www.TheAAR.com

7 AAR New Members The AAR welcomes its newest REALTOR® members.

9 In Memoriam The AAR wishes to pay tribute to several members who have recently passed away.

9 AAR Annual Membership Breakfast A recap of the recent annual membership breakfast and approval of the 2013 Slate of Officers and Directors.

9 All-StAARs Toastmasters Club The AAR Toastmasters club meets on the first and third Friday of every month in the AAR building.

11 AAR Hosts BPOR Certification Course A look at the recent certification course offered by the AAR. A total of 36 attendees are now on their way of becoming BPOR certified!

12 “Understanding the Impact of the Economy and the Stock Market on Real Estate” We are offering this course for FREE! Included are 3 DRE Consumer Service credits.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine3

411 E. Huntington Dr. Suite 101 B, Arcadia CA 91006 Phone: 626-446-2401 Fax: 626-446-2362

Ready for a Stress-Free Closing????

Let the Contempo Escrow Team show you how easy it can be!! Short Sales Bulk Sales ABC License Transfers Commercial Residential Refinance Mobile Homes Contempo Escrow’s educated, friendly and proficient team will provide the best escrow services available to you and your clients! Open your next escrow with us, and experience the

Contempo Difference!!

Amy Choy Escrow Officer

Teresa L. Shaver Certified Sr. Escrow Officer

The Arcadia Association of REALTORS®

Commercial Real Estate Education Summit Be Steps Ahead of Your Competition and Increase Your Earnings Today!

Make This Year Your Best Year Yet!

Friday, July 13, 2012 9:00 a.m.—3:30 p.m.

Registration Begins at 8:30 a.m.

This Education Summit will offer you a full day of essential knowledge to assist you in growing your real estate business and finishing out this year with success! Learn important strategies and concepts that are key to your success. In addition to the fantastic educational information, we will have many sponsors at the event who can

offer vital services to help you in your transactions. Join us for this fantastic event!

Registration Required: Your Paid Reservation will Reserve Your Seat Register online at www.TheAAR.com by clicking on the event title under

“Upcoming Events”.

Arcadia Association of REALTORS® 601 S. First Ave. Arcadia, CA 91006 Phone* 626.446.2115 Fax* 626.446.4072 www.TheAAR.com

Networking Mixer: 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Join us at the poolside area for a networking mixer with appetizers and hors d’ oeuvres following the Summit.

Doubletree Hotel 924 West Huntington Drive Monrovia, California 91016

(626) 531-9221

Session Schedule:

Session One: 9:15 a.m. to 10:10 a.m.

“Commercial Economic Forecast & Update”

Gary Schlossberg, Economist, Wells Fargo

Lunch: 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Session Four: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

“Developing a Prosperous Tenant Representation Practice”

Sam Foster, CCIM, N.A.R. Signature Series Speaker

Summit Registration Fee: $49 per person*

*Save $30 and register on or before July 6th

$79 per person (after Friday, July 6th

Gold Sponsor:

A Discount Room Block Has Been Reserved if You Wish to Stay the Night in the Area.

Reference the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® Group When Calling to

Receive the Discount. Ask to speak with Grace Balahadia.

Session Two: 10:15 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.

“Marketing and Business Development on Steroids”

Bill Ukropina, Coldwell Banker Commercial North County

Session Three: 11:25 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.

“Property Management”

Joseph DeCarlo, JD Property Management Inc.

Lunch Included Free Parking

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FROM THE EVP’S DESK

July is a significant month for a variety of reasons: some are enjoying a summer vacation with their family, the Games of the XXX Olympiad are going on and from a business standpoint it’s the beginning of the 2nd half of the year. That’s right – if

you aren’t pleased with the first 6 months, July represents the ultimate do-over opportunity. It’s the perfect time to make a behavioral or attitude change and to reassess your goals. You can choose to think, “Oh no, I can’t believe the year is half over already - where has it gone?” or you can opt for “This is exciting – I still have half the year to produce more sales!” When you think of it in that perspective, which thought process is more conducive to positive sales activity?

One of the easiest ways of igniting a behavioral change is to start attending educational classes – or attend more of them. As an Association, it’s our job to provide world-class events, education and career-building opportunities for our valued REALTOR® and Affiliate members.

As members of the AAR, it’s YOUR job to attend our world-class events, education and career-building opportunities. Year-to-date we’ve already offered 26 events– that’s more than one a week – to help you grow your business. How many have you attended?

We promote these events with every conceivable communication tool available: standard emails, weekly eNewsletters to REALTORS® and Affiliates, Broker eBlasts, on our new and improved website, in our monthly printed magazine, at the weekly MLS Marketing Meetings, flyers in our office and lastly on now-ubiquitous social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN and YouTube. I believe the only thing we’re missing here is text messaging. FYI - we’re evaluating text messaging for possible implementation sometime down the road.

On behalf of the staff and 2012 Board of Directors of the AAR, we all wish you a prosperous and successful last half of 2012. We look forward to seeing you at one of our many events very soon.

Andrew CooperExecutive Vice-President

2 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - AAR Store Inventory 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - CRMLS Training at AAR

4 No MLS Caravan AAR Closed for Independence Day

5 9:30 a.m. - Commercial Committee Mtg. 11:00 a.m. - Commercial Marketing Mixer

6 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Toastmasters

10 11:00 a.m. - Tech Committee Mtg. 1:30 p.m. - CRMLS Operations Mtg.

11 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 8:45 a.m. - Affiliate Committee Mtg. 9:30 a.m. - MLS Committee Mtg. 9:30 a.m. - Events 4 Charity Committee Mtg. 3:30 p.m. - Equal Opportunity / Housing Affordability Committee Mtg.

12 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - “Point2 Syndication” Class @ AAR 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - YPN “Party for a Purpose II” @ Terra Bella in Pasadena

13 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Commercial Real Estate Education Summit @ Doubletree Hotel

16 10:00 a.m. - CRMLS Association Executives Mtg. 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - “The Top 10 Reasons REALTORS® Get Sued!” @ AAR

17 10:00 a.m. - Zipforms Training 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Gold Line Tour 1:00 p.m. - Education Committee Mtg.

18 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Public Relations Committee Mtg. 1:00 p.m. - Ethics Video 1:30 p.m. - Local Government Relations Committee Mtg. 3:00 p.m. - Global Business Alliance Committee Mtg.

19 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - Lunch & Learn Series “Mortgage” 1:30 p.m. - CRMLS Finance Mtg.

20 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Toastmasters

23 12:00 p.m. - CRMLS Board of Director’s Mtg.

24 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - “International Real Estate Resources Workshop” @ AAR 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Gold Line Tour 1:30 p.m. - Budget and Finance Committee Mtg.

27 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Young Professionals Network Committee Mtg.

26 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - “Motivating Buyer’s and Sellers” Class @ AAR - 3 DRE Credits

27 8:30 a.m. - AAR Board of Directors Mtg.

30 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - “All About Condos” Class @ AAR - 3 DRE Credits

July 2012

July Events Calendar

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The AAR’s Director of Membership, Maria Roberts and her husband, Chris, previously the AAR’s IT Specialist, welcomed a new baby boy into their family on May 30th. On behalf of the Board of Directors, the AAR staff and the entire AAR membership we wish to congratulate Maria and Chris on the arrival of Christopher Vito Roberts!

Congratulations Maria!

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AttorneyComments

By Dave Freeman, Association Counsel

June 2012

1. RECORD THE DOCUMENT – NOW!: A Deed or Trust Deed, which is signed, acknowledged by a Notary, delivered to the appropriate party, and accepted by that party, is a valid, enforceable Deed or Trust Deed. However, until it is recorded in the County Recorder’s office, this document give the holder no standing or authority against other parties who may get title to or a lien on that property. For example, in a recent case, in a divorce situation, the husband executed a Grant Deed to the soon-to-be ex-wife, had it acknowledged by a Notary and delivered the Deed to the soon-to-be ex-wife. However, she failed to record the document. Several years later, when she did attempt to record the document, it was found that the Notary seal was not clear, and the County Recorder would not record same. Then the search was on to find the Notary, and attempt to secure a new, clear seal on the document. Further, and even more importantly, if other parties had acquired judgments against the ex-husband and recorded same in the County Recorder’s office, or if the ex-husband gave a Grant Deed or Trust Deed (improperly) to other parties, those parties would have priority over the ex-wife. The date of recordation of the document in the County Recorder’s office is the date that gives priority in terms of liens and judgments. So, record the document immediately upon receipt thereof.

2. HOMEOWNERS

ASSOCIATION (HOA) REPAIRS: Frequently, the HOA and the homeowners (“Owner”) have disputes as to who is responsible to make repairs in a condominium. If the repair is required on an exclusive use common area, such as a patio area designated solely for that particular unit, that area will usually be required to be maintained by the Owner. A recent case involved a very expensive repair of a sewage pipe in the concrete slab beneath the property which had deteriorated and failed, causing sewage leakage into the units. The HOA claimed that the sewage lines connecting the individual units to the main line were the Owner’s individual responsibilities. The Court ruled that the HOA was responsible for the repairs, as they were in the concrete slab and therefore part of the common area to be maintained by the HOA. The HOA documents call for attorney fees and Court costs to the prevailing party, and in this case, the individual was successful in getting an award for their attorney fees and Court costs. It is always helpful to review the HOA documents thoroughly to determine who is responsible for what maintenance, but the law generally states that the areas within the walls of a unit are the Owner’s responsibility and the area from the walls of the unit out, up and down are the HOA’s responsibility.

3. LISTING AGREEMENT LANGUAGE/COMMISSIONS: There was recently an Appellate

Court case that had a very disturbing result concerning commissions in a very large sale. The C.A.R. listing forms state that a commission will be due the listing broker if that broker… “procures a buyer(s) who offers to acquire the Property on the above price and terms, or on any price and terms acceptable to Owner”. In the case in question, the listing price was $17 million and the broker brought in a full price offer, all cash, of $17 million during the listing period. The seller countered at $19.5 million, the deal fell through and the broker sued for their commission. The Court denied the commission, and the Appellate Court agreed, denying the commission! The Court stated that the words, “… or on any price and terms acceptable to Owner,” meant that the commission would not be due and payable unless and until a deal was consummated, or an offer was brought in that was acceptable to the Owner. The question became what the word “or” meant. This incredible ruling, affirmed by the Appellate Court confused and agitated many lawyers at the recent C.A.R. conference in Sacramento. C.A.R.’s Forms Committees is currently working on rewording the language. Until new language is inserted in the Listing Agreement, it might be beneficial to talk to your individual attorneys concerning useful language in the Listing Agreement, which will avoid the above-mentioned ruling’s disastrous effect.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine5

To view the C.A.R. and N.A.R. Director Reports, visit www.TheAAR.com and click on“NAR/CAR Director Reports” under the “Member Services” section.

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MarketMatters

Market Statistics for the San Gabriel ValleySingle Family Homes Condominiums SFR Only

City Zip Code

Sales of Single Family

HomesPrice Median SFR ($1,000)

Price % Chg from January

2011

Sales Count

Condos

Price Median Condo

($1,000)

Price & Chg from January

2011

Median Home Price/

Sq. Ft.Alhambra 91801 9 $463 -8.8% 9 $355 8.2% $289Alhambra 91803 11 $370 -21.3% 2 $290 -25.2% $319Altadena 91001 32 $491 13.4% 1 $283 -84.6% $303Arcadia 91006 23 $848 6.3% 7 $594 -6.2% $417Arcadia 91007 22 $877 -1.8% 12 $392 -26.2% $428Azusa 91702 31 $244 -3.0% 14 $190 25.1% $195Duarte 91010 23 $300 -0.7% 7 $274 -2.3% $265El Monte 91731 4 $297 11.9% 4 $448 -0.9% $248El Monte 91732 8 $292 1.0% 7 $381 34.5% $235El Monte - South 91733 15 $280 -9.4% n/a n/a n/a $218Glendora 91740 22 $310 -1.6% 3 $275 52.8% $234Glendora 91741 12 $592 14.1% 2 $340 13.2% $263La Cañada Flintridge 91011 40 $1,200 20.0% n/a n/a n/a $499La Verne 91750 29 $397 -27.9% 4 $283 89.6% $231Monrovia 91016 28 $397 7.3% 7 $315 14.8% $304Pasadena 91101 1 $255 -49.0% 11 $343 -14.3% $265Pasadena 91103 18 $463 20.6% 3 $424 22.2% $329Pasadena 91104 29 $503 -12.8% 2 $233 62.6% $358Pasadena 91105 11 $869 -20.6% 9 $610 43.5% $472Pasadena 91106 8 $531 -43.1% 11 $360 1.4% $392Pasadena 91107 36 $565 -13.7% 8 $420 9.1% $376Rosemead 91770 15 $345 -4.1% 4 $254 3.0% $253San Gabriel 91775 13 $579 -8.5% 2 $681 88.1% $316San Gabriel 91776 9 $355 -23.8% 2 $384 -2.9% $354San Marino 91108 18 $1,515 8.2% n/a n/a n/a $593Sierra Madre 91024 15 $662 -17.3% 2 $370 -8.9% $392Temple City 91780 20 $599 21.0% 4 $373 -6.8% $368

Source: DQNews.com

May 2012

July 2012

7Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

(626) 831-8862www.morrisoninspects.com 7

AAR New MembersThe Arcadia Association of REALTORS® would like to formally welcome our newest REALTOR® members!

AAR new members with Membership Committee Vice Chairman, Cindy Shiao and Committee Chairman, Sylvia Ramos are (in no particular order): Dharshini Venkateswaran, Century 21 Earll, LTD.; Timothy Tan, Coldwell Banker George; Jing Chen, Coldwell Banker George Realty; Jack Chen, Coldwell Banker Dynasty Temple City; Joanna Wang, Coldwell Banker New Century; Eric Rosa, Coldwell Banker Arcadia; Stephen Kuns, Dilbeck Real Estate; Yukkwan Poon, Grankmark Realty Inc.; Stella Chen, IRN Realty; Pao-Hwa Wu, IRN Realty; Melissa Kim, Keller Williams West Foothills; Frank Tiet, Keller Williams West Foothills; Puchna Suos, Keystar Realty; Yao Tang, Kingstone, Inc.; Dan Li, Long Dragon Realty; Kevin Li, Long Dragon Realty; Hui Fen Wang, Long Dragon Realty; Jing Yang, Long Dragon Realty; Susan Yin, Long Dragon Realty; Jessica Louie, Pacific Integrated Capital; Grace Li, Real Estate Alliance and Kin Hang Tai, Zip Realty, Inc.

8July 2012

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We Are the Architects of the American Dream

This year the theme of the National Association of REALTORS® Midyear Meeting was Homeownership Matters. Our 2012 N.A.R. President Moe Veissi delivered a speech that inspired all of us to stand together and be a part of the solution to secure the future of homeownership! For the first time ever, our group joined over 15,000 REALTORS® in a REALTOR® RALLY to Protect the American Dream at the Washington Monument! Many inspirational leaders spoke throughout the morning delivering the same message to REALTORS® across the nation: “Every home we sell; we strengthen America” (go to http://tools.realtoractioncenter.com/virtualmap/ to view some of the videos from the N.A.R. REALTOR® Rally).

The Midyear Legislative Meetings represent a unique opportunity for REALTORS® to meet with their U.S. Senators and Representatives and communicate the issues critical to their business, community and the consumers they represent. This year the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® met with David Dreier, our U.S. Representative for California’s 26th Congressional District to express our views on the critical issues

Congress is currently facing as it relates to your business such as taxation, real estate finance, appraisal issues, property insurance, as well as short sale and bank owned property problems.

As the 2012 President of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®, I was honored to be a part of a N.A.R. Strategic Planning Session called “Rethink: The Future of Real Estate”. It was a special session brainstorming about the future of our industry. It was refreshing to hear the discussions in the room about where our industry may be headed. We spoke about ideas such as, “Big Data” and “It’s about working with the competition.” I also heard many discussions in the room regarding the need for younger and more diverse leadership at the AAR, C.A.R., and N.A.R. I hope this article inspires all REALTORS® to become involved with our Association and the future of home ownership (see me to find out more)! It’s about time we start really thinking strategically about our industry’s future and how we can make a difference in our communities!

“Willing is not enough; we must do”Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

Take control of the future of your business and “do”. I appreciate this opportunity to serve our membership as the 2012 President of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS®. I am proud to be a REALTOR® and I hope you are too! Join a committee… get involved… and I look forward to seeing you all in Washington D.C. for N.A.R. one day!

By Ryan Asao, AAR 2012 President

The entrace to the Trade Expo at theN.A.R. meetings.

(Continued on page 9)

The 2012 National Association of REALTORS®REALTOR® Rally.

AAR Governement Affiars Director, Chip Ahlswede displays the Region 13

sign at the REALTOR® Rally.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

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In MemoriamThe Arcadia Association of REALTORS® is saddened to announce the passing of several long-time members of the Association.

Donald Yost, Alma Smith Brokerage lost his battle with cancer on June 5, 2012. Donald was a member of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® for 12 years. He was also a veteran of the Vietnam War. Bill is survived by his wife, Linda, a son and three daughters and nine grandchildren.

Ben Parker, Dennis Miars Brokerage passed away on June 10, 2012. Ben was a member of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® for 33 years. Ben was a hard worker and is remembered for never saying a negative thing about anyone or anything. Ben is survived by his wife of 65 years, Bonnie, two daughters, five grandchildren and a great-grandson.

Bill Thompson, Coldwell Banker Arcadia Regional Office lost his battle with cancer on June 6, 2012. Bill was a lifetime member of the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® where he was active in activities for many years and was currently serving on the Arbitration Board. Bill has lived in Sierra Madre the past 26 years and was married to Anita, his wife and best friend, for 42 years.

We offer our most sincere respects to the families and friends of those who have passed.

AAR Annual Membership BreakfastOur recent Arcadia Association Annual Membership Breakfast at the Masonic Center was a huge hit with a full house! During the breakfast meeting, the 2013 Slate of Officers and Directors was approved by the membership. The delicious breakfast was served by our energetic Affiliate members under the direction of Dave Scarminach, Dilbeck Real Estate. Thank you so much to Dave and all of our generous Affiliate members who arrived extra early to help set up the festive atmosphere.

AAR Affiliates who helped to serve breakfast are (L to R): Brian Cosman, Dave Scarminach, Shelley Malicek, Terri Fabbri, Andrew Cooper, AAR Executive Vice President; Diane Balsamo, Maureen McCune and Jimmy Alam.

Attendees of the breakfast.

All-StAARs Toastmasters ClubWhen you join the AAR All-StAARs Toastmasters Club you’ll never know who you’ll meet.  Hall of Fame Jockey and the 2nd most winning jockey of all time, Laffit Pincay, Jr. is a proud member of our Toastmasters Club!  We meet on the First and Third Friday of every month from 12 noon to 1:30pm.  Meetings take place at the AAR Building.  July’s meetings are July 6th and 20th.  Visitors are welcome to check us out!   

(L to R): AAR 2012 President, Ryan Asao; Jockey, Laffit Pincay, Jr. and AAR Executive Vice President, Andrew Cooper, who are all Toastmaster members.

10July 2012

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Tech.TalkHere are some buzz-generating social media sites worth checking out:

Pinterest Find enticing images from the Web to “pin” on virtual pinboards. (You may need copyright permission.) For real estate: Share beautiful designs with clients. (www.pinterest.com)

Rapportive Know more about who’s e-mailing you with this browser plug in for Gmail. For real estate: Get instant intelligence on prospects. (www.rapportive.com)

Zaarly Need odd jobs done in a hurry? Through Zaarly, you list details of your job and what you are willing to pay.

Others bid to get the job. For real estate: Find someone to put up those “Open House” signs fast. (www.zaarly.com)

Personal Social networks typically share the content you provide with third-party vendors. Personal, by contrast, is a private site that you build and manage access to. For real estate: Share data, pictures, and documents, or just keep information in the virtual cloud as a backup. (www.personal.com)

4 Networks Worth KnowingBy Katherine Tarbox, N.A.R. REALTOR® Magazine

Log onto: www.designescrowcorp.com

We have Spanish, Cantonese, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Mandarin speaking employees to assist you and your clients.

128 East Huntington DriveArcadia, CA 91006

626.445.6137

We are members of the:

arcadia association of realtors

California escrow association

escrow associates ofsan Gabriel Valley

american escrow association

National Notary association

Pasadena - foothill association of realtors

Specialize in:Bulks,

Short SalesCommercialShortpays

REO’sExchangesResidential

andLoans

esign Escrow is beginning our 20th year of doing business! Our staff of 6 escrow officers, a full time messenger and a supporting staff of 6, are

committed to the successful timely completion of your transaction.

“It’s our people that make the difference.”

Our team is expert in all aspects of conveyance including: Residentialand Commercial Real Estate Sales, Exchanges, Loans & Refinances,Business Opportunities & Probate Sales, Short Sales and R.E.O.’s .

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We offer Five Languages &Full time In House Messenger

standing (left to right): Yolanda Vidales, Julie Nguyen, Kai Wu, Jackie Ramos, Liem Ho, Janet Cerswell, Suzie Archuleta, Luly Goodman, Jojo Ongsitting (left to right): Terri Fabbri, Alexis Ostensen, Kay Gass, Shelley Malicek

Design Escrow, Inc.

Standing (left to right): Yolanda Vidales, Julie Nguyen, Kai Wu, Jackie Ramos, Liem Ho, Janet Cerswell, Suzie Archuleta, Luly Goodmand and Jojo OngSitting (left to right): Terri Fabbri, Alexis Ostensen, Kay Gass and Shelly Malicek

128 East Huntington DriveArcadia, CA 91006

626.445.6137

20 Years of Doing Business and Providing Great Service!

We are members of the: • Arcadia Association of REALTORS® • California Escrow Association • Escrow Associates of San Gabriel Valley

• Amercan Escrow Association • National Notary Association • Pasadena - Foothill Association of REALTORS®

Standing (left to right): Yolanda Vidales, Julie Nguyen, Kai Wu, Jackie Ramos, Liem Ho, Janet Cerswell, Suzie Archuleta, Luly Goodmand and Jojo Ong.Sitting (left to right): Terri Fabbri, Alexis Ostensen, Kay Gass and Shelly Malicek

128 East Huntington DriveArcadia, CA 91006

626.445.6137

Known for the integrity of our intent and quality of our actions, we have the confi dence to do what is required, the courage to move the process along to

successful completion, and the compassion to listen to needs of all parties involved.

Design Escrow, Inc.

CongratulationsGareth Dorn!

The AAR wishes to congratulate Gareth Dorn, Dilbeck Real Estate, who recently achieved the status of N.A.R. REALTOR® Emeritus. This prestigious honor is given to any person who has held membership with the National Association of REALTORS® for a cumulative period of 40+ years. A benefit of this award is that Gareth will no longer have to pay his National Association of REALTORS® annual dues starting in 2013. Thank you for your lasting and valuable contribution to the real estate profession and the local community. Congratulations Gareth!

1111Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

“What is CEA and Why Should REALTORS® Care?”By Teresa Shaver, Contempo Escrow

Affiliate Corner

The CEA – the California Escrow Association is a statewide organization of professional escrow practitioners dedicated to maintaining the highest standards in escrow through continuing education and legislative advocacy. CEA also provides the only certification program in the state for the escrow professional, with the Professional Designations of

Certified Escrow Technician (CET), Certified Escrow Officer (CEO), Certified Senior Escrow Officer (CSEO), and specialized designations in Business Opportunities (CBSS), Mobile Home Escrows (MHS) and Certified Escrow Instructor. (CEI)

When I first accidentally fell into escrow in the early 1990’s, I realized quickly that I had much to learn and that joining CEA and becoming involved in a local association of CEA was an essential component of getting the education and skills needed if I was going to excel in this industry and be someone that all parties involved in the transaction could count on and trust.

Why should licensed real estate agents and brokers care about

CEA? Obviously, as members of CAR and the AAR, you realize the need for training and continuing education in this ever-changing real estate and lending industry. Do you not want your escrow professional, whether you designate the escrow company or not, to be as educated and qualified as possible? It’s not necessarily who will give you the cheapest escrow fee, but who will take care of the transaction and your client professionally and efficiently, maintaining the highest standards possible.

If your Escrow Officer of choice is not an active member of CEA, please ask this escrow officer, “Why not?” Encourage them to join us. You and your clients will benefit. If they do not see the need to be professionally educated in our industry, you can find a full list of CEA members at the CEA website: www.ceaescrow.org Brokers, if you have your own real estate escrow company under the Department of Real Estate, I implore you to get your escrow staff involved in CEA and send your staff to as many educational courses offered.

For more information on this topic, contact Teresa at (626) 446-2401 or email her at teresa@contempoescrow.com.

AAR Hosts BPOR Certification CourseThe Arcadia Association of REALTORS® had the honor and prestige of recently the National Association of REALTORS® Broker Price Opinion Resource (BPOR) Certification Course. Instructor Patricia de Santos offered her expertise and knowledge to each of the attendees. A total of 36 students joined together in determination to gain their BPOR Certifications and to learn all of the information required to produce a BPO order. We offer our congratulations to all the students who are now well on their way of obtaining their BPOR Certification!

Students with the course instructor are (in alphabetical order): Instructor, Patricia de Santos; Young Ahn, Mario Askary, Susan Aragon, Paul Cassatt, Karen de Mauricio, Janice DeNuto, Elizabeth Gallegos, Leslie Gores, Brettany Harrison, Diane Hatfield, Carrie Huang, Diane Johnson, Askari Khan, Irene Lin, Schola Liu, David MacReady, Kris Mathison, Monireh Moghadam, Citlally Morinico, Pushpa Nagaraj, Scott Oliver, Joe Pacilio, Sujatha Pai, Martin Parry, Auvin Sierra, Howard Simon, Steve Simona, Fariba Tabibian, Veronica Topete, Michelle Tsai, Dharshini Venkateswaran, Christine Wang, Davey Wong, Carles Yao, Patricia Yau and Jenny Zhu.

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www.DownstreamExchange.com

909 East Green Street, Pasadena CA 91106-2930

Phone: (800) 743-1031Fax: (626) 796-8222

C. Anthony Phillips, CPA President

We Provide A Complete Service To Successfully Accomplish Tax Deferred Exchanges

®

Pre-Exchange Tax Planning

Accommodation of Tax Deferred Exchange

Post Exchange Tax Planning

Call for your free Exchange Tax Analysis

Arcadia Association of REALTORS®601 South First AvenueArcadia, California 91006

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• Estate Planning• Trust Administration• Probate• Business Law• Commercial Transactions• Corporation, LLC & Partnership Formations• Business Contracts

Romy S. Rahmanian, Attorney

(626) 869-878737 E. Huntington Drive, Suite A • Arcadia, CA 91006

Call today for a free consultation

(626) 869-8787(626) 869-8787

romy@rahmanianlaw.com • www.RahmanianLaw.com

Dedicated to Providing High Quality Legal Services

(626) 869-8787

Call today for a free consultation

“Understanding the Impact of the Economy and the Stock Market

on Real Estate”THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 P.m.Check-in begins: 8:30 a.m.

AAR Building

3 DRE CONSUMER SERVICE CREDITSCost: FREE (with $10 refundable deposit)

Visit www.TheAAR.com for more details and to register