Board of REALTORS April 2010 Newsletter

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A P R I L 2 0 1 0

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 4

B O R F O R W A R D

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

1

B O A R D O F

D I R E C T O R S 2

C A L E N D A R 3

R E A L T O R ® /

A F F I L I A T E

S P O T L I G H T

4

B O A R D N E W S 5

C O M M I T T E E N E W S 6 - 7

W C R N E W S 8

“ T E C H T I P ” 9

R E A L T O R ® / B U I L D E R

M I X E R 1 0

B U N N I E S & B L A N K E T S

D E L I V E R E D 1 1

G R E A T A M E R I C A N

R E A L T O R D A Y S 1 2

M A K E I T , B A K E I T ,

S E W I T , G R O W I T

A U C T I O N U P D A T E

1 3

W A L L Y C O N W A Y 1 4

M O N T H L Y S T A T S T I C S 1 5

M A Y P R E V I E W / S T A F F

C O N T A C T I N F O 1 8

BOR PUBLIC WEBSITE: www.stjohnsrealtors.com

Census Time is Now – Make Sure St. Johns County Counts!

Census forms have arrived in mailboxes. Be sure to fill it out and mail it back.

St. Augustine, FL – (March 30, 2010) – It is

time for St. Johns County to be counted as part

of the 2010 U.S Census. As of March 30, 2010,

St. Johns County has a 55 percent mail

participation rate, above both the national

average of 50 percent and the Florida average

of 48 percent, according to

www.census2010.gov.

While 55 percent is an exciting start, St. Johns

County still has 45 percent to go for a complete

count. Anyone who has not yet completed their

Census form is being asked to fill it out and

mail it back. The Census is St. Johns County’s

only chance to be counted for the next ten

years. A complete count helps secure

representation in state and federal government,

and helps St.Johns County receive its share of

more than $400 billion of federal funding during

the next decade.

If anyone needs assistance filling out the

Census form, please call 1-866-872-6868 (for

Spanish call 1-866-928-2010) or visit a

Questionnaire Assistance Center through April

18th. If someone needs to pick up a Census

form, including one in a different language, visit

either a Questionnaire Assistance Center or a

Be Counted Site.

A complete list of Questionnaire

Assistance Centers and Be Counted Sites

in St. Johns County are posted at

www.stjohnscounts.com/help.htm. Certain

portions of the population who did not receive

Census forms in the mail will be counted

through a special enumeration process by the

U.S. Census Bureau. This includes some

homes with P.O. Boxes, assisted living facilities

and nursing homes, as well as the homeless

population.

The St. Johns County Complete Count Com-

mittee, led by Commissioner Ken Bryan, is

assisting Census staff to reach hard-to-count

groups in St. Johns County. Neighborhood

“March to the Mailbox” blitzes are being

planned as a final participation push for

Hastings, West Augustine and Lincolnville on

April 10, in coordination with Census events

planned throughout the United States.

In May, Census takers will begin visiting house-

holds that did not return questionnaires.

For more information, visit

www.census2010.gov or

www.stjohnscounts.com.

Now is the time to be sure

St. Johns County Counts!


2010 ST. AUGUSTINE & ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS® AND MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC.

BOARD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

BOARD OF REALTORS® MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC.

Chuck Pacetti, PRESIDENT Andrew Birchall, PRESIDENT

Homestar Pacetti Realty St. Augustine Realty

(O) 827-0600 (F) 819-9907 (C) 669-5000 (O) 824-3331 (F) 825-2685 (C) 392-3362

[email protected] [email protected]

Roy Barnes, PRESIDENT-ELECT Dirk Schroeder, PRESIDENT-ELECT

St. Augustine Realty Century 21—St. Aug. Prop.

(O) 824-3331 (F) 825-2685 (C) 669-1430 (O) 797-6000 (F) 797-7963 (C) 540-2360


Bob Mays, TREASURER Gene Johnson – SECRETARY

Century 21—St. Aug. Prop Ocean Breeze Real Estate

(O) 797-6000 (F) 797-7963 (C) 501-4549 (O) 794-9697 (C) 710-1090


Kea Blalock, SECRETARY Robert West, TREASURER

SaltWater Property Group Premier Properties

(O) 829-2002 (F) 829-2029 (C) 814-2424 (O) 471-4204 (F) 471-4216 (C) 814-2006


DIRECTORS DIRECTORS

Arnold DeLorenzo (1) Robert Lindsey (1)

Olde Carriage Realty Lighthouse Realty

(O) 824-4500 (F) 824-6866 (O) 471-3400 (F) 471-7574 (C) 669-6924


Edward Paucek (1) Katherine Delaney (1)

Moss Creek Realty Watson Realty

(O) 797-9511 (C) 669-6422 (O) 797-8600 (F)797-8606 (C) 669-2115


Winston Burrell (1) Joe Hatin (1)

Coldwell Banker Devonshire Realty SaltWater Property Group

(O) 826-0403 (F) 826-0040 (C) 669-6585 (O) 829-2002 (F) 829-2029 (C) 669-5099


Dianne Pittman (2) Tom Scheirer (2)

Watson Realty -US 1 / 32086 Scheirer & Scheirer Realty

(O) 797-8600 (F) 797-8606 (C) 540-9644 (O) 461-9557 (F) 471-7220


Gayle Logan (2) James Hays (2)

Watson Realty—A1A Sunshine Realty

(O) 461-9066 (F) 461-9925 (C) 669-2778 (O) 471-9259 (F) 461-3178 (C) 377-9766


Judi Schuyler (2) Michael DeLorenzo, PAST PRESIDENT

Premier Properties Olde Carriage Realty

(O) 471-4204 (F) 471-4216 (C) 669-0788 (O) 824-4500 (F) 824-6866


Teresa Mercurio, PAST PRESIDENT Chuck Pacetti, EX-OFFICIO

Re/Max 100 Realty Homestar Pacetti Realty

(O) 461-9500 (F) 461-9501 (C) 377-0974 (O) 827-0600 (F) 819-9907 (C) 669-5000


Victor J Raymos, EX-OFFICIO Victor J Raymos, EX-OFFICIO

(O) 829-8738 (F) 823-9512 (O) 829-8738 (F) 823-9512


mailto:[email protected]
























S C H E D U L E O F E V E N T S

1st– Dealing with Difficult

Disclosures 3CE

2nd– CLOSED/ Good Friday

5th—Education Committee

9am

6th-7th- Great American

Legislative Days

7th– RPAC Bus Trip

8th– Board Orientation 9am

9th– NEFAR Contract 9am

Transaction Desk-Int 1pm

13th—RPAC Committee

1:30pm

14th—Affiliate Committee

9am

15th—REALIST Training

20th— MLS Orientation 1pm

21st- Commercial

Committee 8:30am

22nd—MLS Board Meeting

12pm

BOARD Meeting 3pm

26th— Technology

Committee 9am

28th– Publicity Committee

9am

30th—Make it, Bake it, Sew

it, Grow it Auction 11:30am

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30

April 2010


R E A L T O R ® S P O T L I G H T

A F F I L I A T E S P O T L I G H T

Our Affiliate Member, Scott Legal Associates,

P.A., was originally formed in 1979, and its

senior attorney, Allen Scott, has been

practicing law in Northeast Florida since

1971, when Mr. Scott graduated from the

University of Florida Law School. In 1996,

after many years of practice in Jacksonville,

Mr. Scott and his wife of now

over thirty years, Janet (also his

legal assistant of over 30 years)

moved the law practice to St.

Augustine in order to enjoy a

better quality of life and raise

their children in a more attractive

and enjoyable environment.

Mr. Scott has been legal counsel

to the St. Augustine & St. Johns

County Board of Realtors and

MLS since 1998. He has focused his law

practice on resolution of all legal aspects of

real estate development, commercial,

residential (single family and condominium)

and industrial, including acquisition, zoning,

permitting, development, construction,

governmental regulation, sales, financing

and closings. He has represented various

individuals, associations, regulated

industries and developers before local,

state and federal courts, agencies and

authorities, and in all levels of state and

federal formal and informal

administrative proceedings and court

proceedings, including environmental law

disputes. He has been licensed to

practice in all courts of the State of

Florida, and in the United States District

Courts for the Northern, Middle and

Southern Districts of Florida, the Eleventh

and Fifth United States Courts of Appeal,

and the United States Tax Court.

Mr. Scott is currently engaged in the

general practice of law, but still

specializes in real estate and

commercial law.

Jeannette began her real estate career in 1984 handling REITs while working as a financial planner for a large international brokerage firm. In 1990 she transitioned to residential real estate hiring on with Prudential Network Realty in Ponte Vedra Beach, where she resided. She was named Rookie of the year for all 7 Prudential offices her first year. In 1994 Jeannette moved to ReMax Coastal, also in Ponte Vedra Beach, where she began specializing in the sales of Bed and Breakfasts and small inns during 1995. She travelled the state of Florida for consultations listings and showings while taking courses on inn keeping and CCIM. As the first real estate licensee to work in this niche market she became known as an expert in the sales of B&Bs. In 2000, after obtaining her Broker’s license, Jeannette opened her own firm, JM Properties. 2003 saw her realize one of her dreams by moving to St. Augustine with her dog, Miso. Since the 70’s Jeannette’s passion has always leaned towards “green” and energy efficiency. With the current national focus on energy efficiency and sustainability it was only natural for her to begin educating herself as a “go to” Broker in the “green” field. As the first Broker

north of Melbourne to obtain NAR’s green designation, Jeannette continued with courses to earn the EcoBroker certification. She is currently involved with FGBC and the North FL Chapter of USGBC. Her current goals are to work with the local North FL Associations in adding green features to the residential and commercial MLS systems.

Jeannette Moore

JM Properties

208 North Matanzas Boulevard

St. Augustine, FL. 32080

814-2600

[email protected]


BOARD NEWS

FEBRUARY 2010 CONSENSUS AGENDA

ANTHONY SANTILLI CASTLE APPRAISAL & CONSULT-

ING

Join Date 2/17/10 (MLS Only)

PAMELA GESSELL PARADISE TITLE OF ST.

AUGUSTINE

Join Date 2/24/10 (Affiliate Membership)

ADA HAGY GOOD FAITH REALTY, INC.

Join Date 2/24/10 (Primary BOR-Primary MLS)

VICTOR NAUMOV ACCESS E REALTY


MARTHA DICKERSON COLDWELL BANKER DEVON-

SHIRE

Join Date 3/1/10 (MLS Only)

GEORGE RICHARDI MATANZAS PROPERTIES


JOHN WHITSELL KELLER WILLIAMS ATLANTIC

Join Date 3/1/1 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS)

CHRIS CASTLE LIGHTHOUSE REALTY ASSOCIATES


MARY MERGEN FIRST COAST POOL SERVICE & RE-

PAIR


DAN SIARI BRITE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS


MARCELLA MATTHAEI SOUTHERN REALTY


LAKISHA WILSON GOOD FAITH REALTY, INC.


LYNNE STEPHENSON FLAMINGO TRAVEL


MELISSA MATTHEW MERCEDES HOMES REALTY

Join Date 3/10 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS)


A F F I L I A T E C O M M I T T E E N E W S

I am pleased to announce the Board of REALTORS® 2010 Public

Relations Committee. The Board of Directors has charged our

committee with the following mission:

“To develop and promote projects that enhance the image of the

REALTOR® organization, individual members, and the community

it serves. To work directly with the Chief Staff Executive in

promoting the Board of REALTORS® and the annual projects to

and for our community.”

The Committee is already working to promote such Board projects

as; The Affiliate Committee’s Bunnies & Blankets and the March

16th Mixer, The Education Committee’s April 30th Bake It, Sew It,

Grow It fund raiser and the Scholarship program, RPAC’s Great

American Realtors Day and the State Wide Open House to be held

April 11th & 10th.

The Committee is also working to promote REALTOR® and

Affiliate community activities such as Don’s Friends 5k Run/Walk

fund raiser with, Don’s stepfather, Jim Wauldron of Premier

Properties. Any activities that met the Committee’s guidelines and

mission will be approved and sent to the Board for final approval.

Please understand the other item of consideration is the

committee’s time. The Committee is made up entirely of Board

Member volunteers. If the Committee feels they can’t do the

project justice they will pass to ensure the integrity of the project is

maintained.

We tackled a major issue within the first couple of months this year

and are now pleased to announce that the record has agreed to

start printing our local stats.

If you have any projects you would like the committee to consider

please feel free to send that request to [email protected]. We

look forward to working with as many members as possible. Thank

you for being such an active part of our community,

now it’s time the community really knows all you do.

Sincerely,

P U B L I C R E L A T I O N S C O M M I T T E E N E W S

Hello from the Affiliate / REALTOR® Committee

Our first event of the year was a mixer on March 16 at Gypsy

Cab. It was a huge success over 100 members attended.

April 2, at 1:30 our committee and other volunteers will deliver

Bunnies and Blankets to the residents of the San Marco

nursing home. Refreshments will be served, please feel free to

join us.

Our committee’s job is to apply the special talents and resources

of REALTORS® AND REALTOR® Partners in support of

education, networking, community and other endeavors of the

Association.

Meetings are scheduled the 2nd Tuesday of every month @ 9am.

April 14th is the next one. Please feel free to attend one of our

meetings and see what we are about

Marlene Lagasse, Chair

[email protected]

Estate Title of St. Augustine 904-829-5674

E D U C A T I O N C O M M I T T E E N E W S

Your Education Committee has been busy getting ready for our

Annual Make It Bake It Sew It Grow It Luncheon coming up on

Friday April 23rd. This is the event of the year raising funds for

our 2010 St. Johns County REALTORS® Scholarship Program.

Our committee not only works on raising the money for the

Scholarships; we also have the great responsibility of awarding

the scholarships to worthy St. Johns County Seniors. All

applications were due to the board by March 31s.

The fun portion of what we do begins when we begin the process

of sorting through the many applications and essays from our

applicants.

It is a difficult decision to choose our scholarship award winners

from so many well deserving students. Their stories thru their

essays touch your heart and make you wish you could grant every-

one of them a scholarship to further their education. The process is

a difficult one; but the smiles on the recipients faces at their

schools award celebrations are priceless. Our committee meets

the first Monday of each month at the board office at 9:00 AM.

Come be part of the committee responsible for bringing you the

best educational events each and every year.

M. Dianne Pittman, Chair

[email protected]



C O M M E R C I A L C O M M I T T E E N E W S

T E C H N O L O G Y C O M M I T T E E N E W S

The Commercial Committee (Florida Commercial Real Estate Alliance) has changed the monthly meetings to the third Wednesday at 8:30 AM. The earlier time seemed better based on recommendations from committee members. With the decline in commercial real estate activity, committee participation has declined, but we would like to continue to provide a venue and opportunity for commercial practitioners within the St. Augustine and St. Johns County Board of REALTORS

® to gather for property exchange info as

well as the opportunity to discuss issues related to commercial real estate. Board members are encouraged

to register and use the NAR affiliated commercial real estate site www.CommercialSource.com to promote their commercial listings. The committee is also exploring ways to use our local Innovia based Commercial Information Exchange (CIE) to improve listing info between all board affiliated commercial practitioners. Please join us. The coffee is always fresh and hot.

Charles “Sonny” Shanks– Chair

[email protected]

The Technology Committee is especially active this year as

we research new technologies and services to help our

members.

Our committee recently reviewed and recommended to the

board to adopt the List Hub services. List Hub, for those

not familiar is a Listing Aggregator that works with our MLS

system basically automatically publishing your listings for

FREE on some of the biggest real estate websites, such as

Google Base, AOL real estate, Oodle, Trulia, Homescape,

and Edgeio among many others, thus assuring you that

your listings will reach a major audience. Look for that

service soon!

Currently we are working with the Board on a Member

Services Survey that will help us better understand your

technology needs and wants. For fun, we are exploring the

possibilities of a Tech Fair this Fall.

We welcome your fresh ideas and encourage you to join

our committee. You don’t have to be a GEEK to sign up!

We meet for an hour the 4th Monday of the month from

9am-10am. Feel free to contact me if you have any ques-

tions, call 904-591-9121.

Marjorie Taylor - Chair

[email protected]

R P A C C O M M I T T E E N E W S

Your REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) of The St Augustine & St Johns County Board of REALTORS® would like to welcome all REALTORS® & Affiliate members to join us on the 1st Tuesday of each month, at 1:30pm, for a 1 hour meeting.

This is a very exciting committee, which meets to discuss ways to fight to protect private property rights, working for lower property taxes and lower property and health insurance costs. RPAC ensures our ability to do business in St Johns County and the state of Florida.

I hope everyone is preparing to attend Great American REALTOR® Days on April 7th in Tallahassee. REALTOR® Days are a great opportunity to visit with your local legislator in the high energy political environment of Tallahassee. With

over a 1,000 REALTORS® on hand every year, it is a great opportunity to remind your legislator that FR is the biggest trade association in Florida, with many key legislative priorities that demand attention.

Florida REALTORS® legislative priorities for this year focus on promoting a healthy job market, stabilizing the insurance market, promoting smarter growth, defeating erroneous disclosures, advocating for affordable housing, holding the line on real estate taxes and fees, and supporting initiatives for a more fair and equitable property tax system.

With your help and the help of those around you will the REALTORS® reach their goals and continue to bring positive change to Florida and its people.

Barbara Goll, Chair [email protected]

http://www.commercialsource.com/

http://www.killerstartups.com/Site-Reviews/listhub-net-real-estate-listing



Women’s Council of REALTORS®

Congratulations St. Augustine Regional Chapter of Women’s Council of REALTORS®!

They have won “GOLD” again!

The Chapter Excellence Award is designed to recognize the organizational work of the local Women’s Council of REALTORS® chapters. It covers membership retention and recruitment, state and national or-ganizational event involvement, governance, leadership development, performance management areas, chapter effectiveness and membership value. The St. Augustine Regional Chapter has consistently met the required goals. The end result is an organization that presents value to its members.

Accolades must be given to the 2009 Board of Directors who worked diligently to qualify for this award. The board was Diane Vespucci - President, Christine Rich - President Elect, Marjorie Taylor - V.P. of Mem-bership, Monica Nunchuck – Treasurer, and Della Masters – Secretary.

They will be presented an award at the national gathering of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® ban-quet in Washington D.C. in May. You may view past awards in the display cabinet at the St. Augustine/St. Johns Board of REALTORS® office on Lakeside Avenue.

Women’s Council of REALTORS® is dedicated to increasing the professionalism of real estate practitioners in the real estate field. Membership is open to REALTORS® and affiliates of the real estate field. For mem-bership information please contact Tony Bosco, V.P. of Membership at (904) 553-0240. Or visit our web site www.wcrstaugustine.org

Christine Rich– President

WCR MONTHLY AGENT TO AGENT PROPERTY EXCHANGE

The St. Augustine Regional Chapter of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® presents the

Agent-to-Agent Property Exchange.

This is a wonderful opportunity for REALTORS® and Builder Sales Representatives to

help each other sell listings, find properties for buyers, and learn more about the listing

inventory. It is held monthly at the Board of REALTORS® on Lakeside Avenue from 8:30-

9:30am all while enjoying breakfast provided by a WCR sponsor. Our next meeting will be April

7th and sponsored by Pam Gesell with Paradise Title of St Augustine. You are welcome to join

us and bring a fellow REALTOR®. Please R.S.V.P. to Pasty Wilson at [email protected] or

calling 904-797-7442.

http://www.wcrstaugustine.org



TECNOLOGY COMMITTEE “TECH TIP”

As with many things, the First Step is the hardest step. This is not a

―Get Rich Quick‖ scheme and just like it took some time for you to

build your business; it will take some time to build your online

presence. Fortunately, there are many resources available to assist

REALTORS® with this daunting task. Listed below, are some of

the most popular FREE resources:

ActiveRain.com is an online community for individuals asso-

ciated with the real estate industry and provides

many benefits for all who participate.

Facebook.com is a social networking site that allows you to

connect with friends, family and potential customers.

(I highly recommend creating a ―Business Page‖).

LinkedIn.com is a social networking site best designed for

Professionals. It allows you to create and display your

online resume for all to see.

Twitter.com is a micro blogging site that enables you to share

information with others in 140 characters or less.

Onlywire.com is a service that allows you to spread your con-

tent to multiple social sites from one place at the touch of

a single button.

HomesForSaleInStAugustine.com is a local web site that al-

lows you to post your listings, create & manage a blog-

ging account and participate in Forums.

Many REALTORS® have made the decision to market

themselves online and they are reaping the rewards. If you

have not adopted this as part of your marketing strategy, it is

not too late. Commit to spending a few hours per week to

bolster your online presence. You will be amazed at how

easy it is to develop relationships and get your mes-

sage out to the masses.

Dave Hall

Listing Solutions

(904) 540-9962

The Perfect Online Marketing Mix

Have you heard about this crazy thing called the internet? It is an

amazing marketing venue and it provides REALTORS® with an

incredible platform to promote yourself and your services. There

are a lot of different statistics flying around about how many people

actually utilize the internet to search for REALTORS® and proper-

ties, but it is safe to say that at least 87% of home buyers use this

valuable tool to assist them with their search. This month’s ―Tech

Tip‖ will focus on the best way for REALTORS® to utilize this

valuable resource.

Create and post your Blogs. You should utilize keywords

and phrases that you want to rank on within the content of

your blogs. You should link keywords and phrases and

direct them to different pages on your web site. By doing

this, you are utilizing keywords, phrases and links to

direct people to your web site. When they get to your

web site, you can capture their information and convert

them to a lead. You can allow them to learn more about

you, earning you the right to ask for their business and

you can have a Call to Action on your pages, giving them

permission to make a decision to choose you. Blogs are

your hooks in the water.

Utilize social networks to inform people of your blogs and

other blogs that you find interesting. This allows you to

start creating your “Expertise” in this field and generate

conversations with people. As you build relationships

through social networking, people become more

comfortable with you. They must feel comfortable with

you in order to do business with you. Social Networks are

hooks in the water too, but with YOUR personal ―bait.‖

Your Web Site is your online persona. With more and more

buyers searching online and sellers demanding bet-

ter results, you will have a difficult time competing with-

out a web site. This helps with ranking and at the end of

the day ranking is what is going to get you business. Your

web site is your store!

As with many things, the First Step is the hardest step. This is not a

―Get Rich Quick‖ scheme and just like it took some time for you to

build your business; it will take some time to build your online pres-

R E A L T O R ® / B U I L D E R M I X E R

Charles Ellis

Leona Brown, Bill Lazar &

Seymoine Schmidt

Manu & John Ruggeri and

Dennis Ginder (center)

Teresa Mercurio with updates

from the Board

Rick McChesney, Marjorie Taylor &

Carol Lagasse

Good Food!

―The Leprechaun‖ & company

Leona Brown & the

50-50 WINNER

Howard White, Bill Lazar &

Leona Brown—50-50 Drawing

Suzie Hancock, Ron Barry &

Raymond Gregory


It was standing room only at Gypsy Cab Company

during the Annual St. Johns County Builders

Association/REALTOR® Mixer. The Gypsy Cab fare was,

as always, abundant and delicious and many of the

attendees continued to enjoy networking well after the

meeting was over.


A N N U A L B U N N I E S & B L A N K E T S D R I V E D E L I V E R E D

Karl passing out the bunnies Vickie Rianda serving the sodas

Rick McChesney passing out the Bunnies Residents waiting on the Bunnies & Blankets Karl Vierck serving the Cheese Doodles

Victor J. Raymos, Vickie Rianda, Karl Vierck

& Rick McChesney

Rick McChesney passing out the Blankets

Vickie & Karl pouring the ―Spirits‖ Karl Vierck & Vickie Rianda

Victor J. Raymos, Rick McChesney, Vickie

Rianda and Karl Vierck delivered the

Bunnies & Blankets donations from the

Board to the residents of the San Marco

Rehabilitation Center .


G R E A T A M E R I C A N R E A L T O R D A Y S B U S T R I P A P R I L 7 T H

Lunch time at the Tallahas-

see Board of REALTORS®

―Bus Troop‖

Elsie & John Evans John Pack & John Evans

Rob & Donna McGee

Ed Paucek says ALL ABOARD!

Tour Guide Barbara Goll Mike DeLorenzo ―Bus Attire‖

Andrew DeLorenzo & Rob McGee

The 2010 Great American Realtor Days: April 6-7, 2010

–Tallahassee Or Bust!

The St Augustine and St Johns County Board of

REALTORS® are packing their bags and headed for

Tallahassee. They are ready to take the Capitol by

storm for the Great American Realtor Days!

This annual event brings our local board together

with real estate related professionals from across

Florida to speak with a collective voice to key

legislators. We work hard to uphold all that makes

our county great, and will be discussing issues ranging

from taxes to property rights and property use, as well as

other important issues in our market.

Access to state legislators is a crucial part of the political

process and vital to St Johns County. Your local

REALTORS® and real estate professionals are dedicated to

the prosperity of our area, and we would like to thank this

year’s trip sponsor, Lennar Homes. Josh Rogers is the local

Lennar Homes consultant, and we appreciate the

interest and investment his company has set forth in

our community.

The St Augustine and St Johns County Board of

REALTORS® look forward to representing St. John’s

County in Tallahassee in April.

Panhandle here we come!

Donna McGee & Leona Brown

Barb Goll At the Capitol Tallahassee State Capitol Building

Pictures from a previous

year’s trip

Let me drive the Bus!


M A K E I T , B A K E I T , S E W I T , G R O W I T A U C T I O N

Hello fellow associates, affiliates, friends and family members! Mark your calendars now for the 3rd

Annual MAKE IT, BAKE IT, SEW IT, GROW IT AUCTION! April 30th at 11:30 is when all the fun begins!

Lunch is sponsored by Keystone Title/Vickie Rianda and proves to be very tasty!

Our own Terry Pacetti will be putting on a live auction, its fun, fast and full of laughs!!! We will also be

having a Silent and Chinese auction! If you don't know what they are, you MUST come just to see all the

fun.

We will have many things for any type of buyer! Come one, come ALL! Hope to see you there. This

event supports the High School Scholarship Fund for the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Board of

REALTORS®. This is the first year that we will be funding for 9 schools!!!

The EDUCATION COMMITTEE IS COUNTING ON YOUR PARTICIPATION! HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Teresa E. Mercurio

Broker-Owner

RE/MAX 100 Realty

1031 A1A Beach Blvd.

St. Augustine, FL 32080

www.buystaugustine.com

Make It, Bake It, Sew It, Grow It Live Auction

Sponsored by

Vickie Rianda/Keystone Title, LLC.

Back by Popular Demand

Auctioneer Terry Pacetti

of Home Star Pacetti Realty

Friday, April 30th, 2010

General Membership Meeting

11:30-2:00pm

All proceeds benefit the

St. Augustine & St. Johns County Board of

REALTORS®

2010 Education Scholarship Fund

http://www.buystaugustine.com


Building Better Buyers Seminars!

by Wally Conway, Host of The Home and Garden Show,

As this years buying season heats up, so does

the number of requests I get to participate with

Realtors at buyer’s seminars. I can easily say

that I’ve attended more agent-sponsored buyers

seminars than any homebuyer in America, and

likely more than most agents. That experience

combined with doing many seminars of my own

around the country, as well as radio and

television, makes me an expert by my estimate!

FREC even agreed that I am an expert on the

subject when they approved my course ―Building

Better Buyers Seminars‖ for 3 CEU credits for

real estate agents.

With that as a backdrop, it should be of interest

and value to you that I share some thoughts with

you as you prepare your own buyers seminars.

As an observer of hundreds if not thousands of

homebuyer seminars, I can honestly state that

most of them are TERRIBLE! Overall, these

events truly miss the point.

Before you start, the most important point you

should ponder is, ―what is the goal of a home

buyers seminar‖?

Give yourself an academic timeout to ponder that

one. If you cannot clearly articulate the goal of

the seminar, it is unlikely that you will properly

prepare, market, or present your seminar, let

alone sell any homes as a result of your seminar.

It is my opinion that the ―goal‖ of any homebuyer

seminar is to give potential homebuyers

confidence that they can become homeowners.

Most importantly, their confidence can only come

from you because as their real estate

professional, only you HOLD THE KEYS TO THEIR

DREAM!!! They must come away from your

seminar realizing that because they know YOU,

they will soon know the joy of homeownership,

and without you there is fear and financial loss.

While that goal may seem obvious, it is seldom

achieved. What typically happens is that the

audience of potential homebuyers goes into a

state of overload; their eyes completely glazed

over. Why?

Their eyes glaze over because the agent and a

parade of ―experts‖ try to explain the nuances of

EVERYTHING. Everything from agency, title flaws,

insurance, finance, and more – all in five minute

waves!

What ends up happening is they are either bored

to death or scared to death. Think about it –

neither of these emotions stimulates someone to

buy a home, especially from YOU!

I know you are trying to establish your expertise.

But this is not the way to go about the process. A

truly GREAT homebuyer’s seminar creates a

RELATIONSHIP that bonds you to their home

ownership dream.

Your seminar should be ALL ABOUT the home-

buyer. Their dreams, their fears, and their home.

The idea is to create a sense of trust and comfort.

They must come away from the seminar with the

peace of mind that with you, and ONLY you, they

can own a home.

The seminar is not to educate (i.e. overwhelm), but

slightly enlighten and totally excite. If you like this

approach, give it a try. If you’d like some help, just

ask; I’m only a phone call away!

HomePro Inspections is your go-to source for agent liability reduction and customer

peace of mind! Infrared technology separates the professionals from the pretenders in

the home inspection industry, and only HomePro utilizes infrared technology on every

exclusive 5 Star Inspection™ Package. Call for your 5 Star Inspection today – 904-268

-8211.

Have Wally Conway speak at your office or for your favorite group! Wally is a

speaker, writer, FREC instructor, host of HGTV’s ―House Detective‖, host of DIY

Network’s ―Finders Fixers‖, and host of The Home and Garden radio show on WOKV

AM 690 and 106.5 FM. And don’t forget to pick up Wally’s book, ―Secrets of the

Happy Home Inspector‖, available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. Book Wally

for your next speaking event today!

FREE In-Office

Presentations

Mold, Asbestos, Lead, Ra-

don, Infrared Technology,

Wind, Chinese Drywall –

what’s all the fuss about?

Have Wally Conway show you

how to reduce your liability

and increase sales!

Call HomePro today to learn

how to protect your ―assets‖

904-268-8211


M O N T H L Y S T A S T I C S

Monthly Statistics Report 2/2010 – 2/2009

St. Augustine & St. Johns County Compiled on March 5, 2010

2/2010 2/2009 Percent

Change

YTD 2010 YTD 2009 Percent

Change

Residential

New Listings 317 309 2.59% 704 652 7.98%

Sold Listings 128 81 58.02% 212 151 40.4%

Volume Sold Listings $27,799,710 $17,206,445 61.57% $41,466,474 $30,812,940 34.57%

Average Sales Price $217,185 $212,425 2.24% $195,597 $204,059 -4.15%

Average Days on Market 154 176 -12.5% 148 158 -6.33%

Lots and Land

New Listings 110 86 27.91% 177 158 12.03%

Sold Listings 10 5 100% 21 12 75%

Volume Sold Listings $1,293,215 $1,156,500 11.82% $2,122,315 $2,158,980 -1.70%

Average Sale Price $129,322 $231,300 -44.09% $101,063 $179,915 -43.83%

Average Days on Market 282 139 102.88% 275 172 59.88%

Commercial / Industrial

New Listings 9 4 125% 19 16 18.75%

Sold Listings 1 0 N/A 3 0 N/A

Volume Sold Listings $105,000 0 N/A $507,500 0 N/A

Average Days on Market 264 0 N/A 205 0 N/A

Multi-Family

New Listings 3 3 0% 12 5 140%

Sold Listings 1 3 -66.67% 2 4 -50%

Volume Sold Listings $105,000 $770,000 -86.36% $256,000 $954,000 -73.17%


Average Days on Market 264 255 3.35% 155 246 -36.99%

Total

New Listings 439 402 9.2% 912 831 9.75%

Sold Listings 140 89 57.3% 238 167 42.51%

Volume Sold Listings $29,302,925 $19,132,945 53.15% $44,352,289 $33,925,920 30.73%


Average Days on Market 165 177 -6.78% 160 161 -0.62%

Local statistics provided courtesy of your St. Augustine & St. Johns County Multiple Listing Service

I M P O R T A N T I N F O R M A T I O N

Main Office:

1789 Lakeside Ave.

St. Augustine, FL 32084

or

210 Office

140 Gateway Cir. Ste. 3

St Johns, FL 32259

Main Office

Phone: 904-829-8738

Fax: 904-823-9512

or

210 Office

Phone: 904-829-2704

Fax: 904-829-2706

S T . A U G U S I N E & S T . J O H N S

C O U N T Y B O A R D O F R E A L T O R S

W W W . S T J O H N S R E A L T O R S . C O M / R E A L T O R P A G E S . H T M L

May 2010 PREVIEW

3rd Education Committee 9:00am

4th RPAC Committee 1:30pm

12th Affiliate Committee 9:00am

13th Listing Agreement Class 9:00am

14th FAR/BAR Contract Class 9:00am

18th MLS Orientation 1:00pm

19th Commercial Committee 8:30am

MLS Board Meeting 12pm

20th BOARD Meeting 3:00pm

21st Code of Ethics 3CE 9:00am

24th Technology Committee 9:00am

25th INNOVIA 2 1:30am

26th Public Relations Committee 9:00am

27th MLS Advantage 9:00am

28th Vacant Land Contract Class 9:00am

31st CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY ALL DAY

Main Office Staff

Victor J. Raymos

[email protected]

Association Executive

Professional Standards

Sharon Lainhart

[email protected]

Membership and Finance

Lise Hays

[email protected]

Education /SUPRA

Membership/Newsletter/Website

Branch Office Staff

Carla King

[email protected]

MLS , Website updates

Just like the Board of REALTORS® is your

Board, this is YOUR newsletter! We can’t

do this without you!

FR Legal Hotline

407-438-1409

FR Tech Hotline

407-587-1450

If you have an event you would like to

mention in the Board newsletter or would

like to see something in the BOR

Forward, please contact Carla King at the

Branch Office by calling 904-829-2704 or

by email at

[email protected]


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Board of REALTORS April 2010 Newsletter

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