President’s Message

  Thank you to all of you who participated in the Strategic Planning focus groups and sent in your completed surveys.  We're very pleased about all the great kudos regarding the Association staff, our web site, orientation, the office liaison program as well as the education and seminar offerings. 

  A huge quantity of information was gathered that will be sorted and used in developing the Strategic Plan for the coming years.  Your feedback will used to design new programs and enhance the services the Association provides so that you can be better prepared, educated and informed, to ensure that you, the REALTORS®, stay in the center of the transaction.

  Some of your ideas are already being implemented. To assist you with your REIL communications, we have added to the newsletter masthead and to the Association web site the RE Infolink Operations Committee and REIL Board of Directors representatives from Santa Cruz.

  The Office Liaison program will be expanded to include monthly updates by email from the Association to the liaisons to help keep everyone in their office updated.

  Everyone is welcome to attend the liaison meetings 3 times yearly at the Association office with the CAR Directors, fresh from the state meetings.  These terrific meetings are packed with the latest hot topics in proposed legislation, insurance, new laws, updates on consumer protection topics: structural pest, home inspection, mold, retrofits and what's going on across the state with REALTORS® and Associations.

  At our June 16 liaison meeting we have as a guest CAR President-Elect, Jim Hamilton. Jim is passionate about communications and is developing a model liaison program for association use throughout the state. We're excited about sharing ideas with him and making the program even more interesting and productive.

  June 4, 2003 is "Legislative Day" for REALTORS® in Sacramento.  The Santa Cruz Chapter of the Women's Council of REALTORS® is assisting the Association in marketing the event and getting members excited about a one-day bus trip for those who want to be part of the legislative process, see organized real estate in action, and have their voices heard. The day includes a morning political convention style general meeting with REALTORS® from the entire state, lunch and a march to the State Capitol to meet with our local legislators.  One thing is for sure, the bus trip will have plenty of food and fun!

  Our annual general membership meeting for the election of Officers and Directors is scheduled for June 11, 2003.  Association Counsel Lloyd Williams will give his annual legal update.  Mark your calendars and make your reservations early.  This event usually attracts many members.

  The Housing Foundation is coming together quickly. The By-Laws have been finished and sent off for legal review. We are beginning the process of interviewing members interested in serving on the charter Board of Trustees. We'd love to hear from if you are passionate about housing in Santa Cruz and would like to be a part of this new foundation. 

  I am personally extending an invitation to you to participate in some of the many exciting happenings around the Association.  It's a great opportunity to get to know your fellow REALTORS® and keep up to date on the continuing changes in our business.

Ronnie Trubek

2003 President

 

Inside

 - New REALTOR® Members

 - REALTORS® Making a Difference

 - Spring Fling A Huge Success

 - Baking Contest Results

 - Affiliate Member Spotlight

 - Insurance Availability

 - State Land Use Legislation

 - Mortgage Loan Apps Decrease

 - Median Price Up, Sales Down

 - New VOW Policy Introduced

 - Fair Housing Act Turns 35

 - March Existing Homes Sales

 - Bill Requires Mold Remediation Coverage

 - Credit Horror Stories Needed

 - SCAOR Calendar

 

2003 Spring Fling A Huge Success

   The 2003 spring barbecue was held at the Association on Wednesday, May 7th. Luckily, the weather held out for our event.

  A special treat this year was, “All About,” the Soquel High School Jazz Band, who performed throughout the event to the delight of all who attended.

  Bob DeAngelo, De Angelo Pest Control, and his crew did a superb job organizing and cooking the chicken, skirt steaks and sausages. The Board of Directors was on hand, serving members. 

   The year was a record-setting event with over 200 members in attendance. Special thanks to the Affiliate Committee and all our volunteers who made this year's Spring Fling such a fantastic event!

 

Baking Contest Results

  The Annual Baking Contest took place during the Spring Fling.  All entries were submitted and judged prior to the barbecue. We had Rick Almaz, Executive Chef at Cafe Rio, and Beth Robideaux, Pastry Chef at Michael's on Main. All of the desserts submitted were mouth-watering and the selection of winners was an extremely difficult task for the judges.  The winners were:

Bar Cookies

1st   - Oatmeal Cake Bars, Harry Lake, New Horizons REALTORS®

2nd - Brownies, Donna Teale, Sherman & Boone Associates

3rd  - Raspberry Dream Bars, Renie Schober, Coldwell Banker Jackson & Mann

Cakes-Tortes

1st  - Apple Pecan Cake, Stephanie Western, Century 21 Showcase REALTORS®

2nd  - Vienesse Chocolate Cake, Linda Bartlett, Monterey Bay Properties

3rd - German Chocolate Cake, Gerrie Dyer, Century 21 Cheshire Realty

Pastry/Pie/Tart

1st  - Banana Cream Pudding Pie, Emily Ghio-Cato, SC Title

2nd - Peach Cobbler, Suzanne Yost, Bailey Properties

3rd - Coconut Pecan Pudding Pie, Emily Ghio-Cato, SC Title

Overall Winners

1st  - Pecan Cake, Stephanie Western, Century 21 Showcase REALTORS®

2nd - Vienesse Chocolate Cake, Linda Bartlett, Monterey Bay Properties

3rd  - Oatmeal Cake Bars, Harry Lake, New Horizons REALTORS®

Congratulations to all the winners and “Thank You" to all the participants for their baking efforts.

 

NEW REALTOR® MEMBERS

Craig Lockwood, Sherman & Boone Associates

Dana Markowitz, Coldwell Banker Jackson and Mann

Ray Schneider, Coldwell Banker Jackson and Mann

Jessica Randolph, Bay Realty

Jess Craig, David Lyng and Associates

Steve Johnson, Monterey Bay Properties

Roger Montgomery, Sand Castle Properties

David Barca, Zip Realty

Nicki Schumacher, Zip Realty

Michael Keller, Network Alliance Real Estate

Steve Crovo, Unique Homes and Land

Donald Navarini, Summit Properties

Dawn Roach, Bailey Properties

Yuliya Penniman, Bailey Properties

AFFILIATE MEMBERS

InterWest Insurance Services, Representative: Marlene Rianda

Tom Brown, Attorney at Law

Comments about an applicant’s admittance should be submitted in writing to the Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS®, 2525 Main St., Soquel, CA 95073.

 

REALTORS® MAKING A DIFFERENCE...

  We applaud Emily Maloney REALTOR®, for her volunteer efforts with Habitat for Humanity. Back from a trip to Belfast, Ireland, where she took part in a unique Habitat for Humanity, is attorney Emily Maloney. Thirteen volunteers from the U.S. joined Catholic and Protestant volunteers to build homes in an area blighted by poverty and violence. Sixteen homes are expected to be built. Besides her work on the project, Emily was also involved in fund-raising for it, pointing out that $50 will buy nails for one house, while a kitchen sink and worktop is $150 and plasterboard for one room is $35. If you’d like to help, you can call the local Habitat office at 685-0671 or Emily at 475-0435.

 

Affiliate Member Spotlight

InterWest Insurance Services, Inc.

Contacts: Marlene Rianda, CIC

595 Auto Center Drive #101

Watsonville, CA 95076

Phone: (831) 728-2247

Fax: (831) 722-9304

   Marlene Rianda, CIC, born and raised in San Benito County, is married with two children, a son 18 and a 9-year old daughter.  She is involved with 4-H, California High School Rodeo, and the Church Social Committee.  Marlene has 25+ years insurance experience, and holds the Certified Insurance Counselor Designation since 1987.

  Marlene is currently responsible for the operations of three of the ten InterWest Insurance offices.  Her local office is here in Santa Cruz County.

  Marlene is excited about the opportunity to serve the Real Estate Insurance needs in this area. She shares this passion with the entire team at InterWest Insurance.  InterWest stands above the rest with their desire to serve and creatively put together an insurance program that fits your needs.

 

Insurance Availability

  The ability of California homebuyers to get insurance on a new home purchase has become more and more difficult in the last few years.  There are 3 factors driving the problem:

1) Insurance carriers are claiming huge losses due to an inability to raise premium rates.

2) The Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) is reporting mere inquiries as a loss or claim. 

3) The fear generated by increasing mold and water damage claims.

  The following example shows how insurance companies relying on CLUE reports can harm homebuyers. "One California first-time home buyer was denied homeowners insurance after a CLUE report revealed that his brother had filed a water damage claim.  The home buyer had lived with his brother while saving for his home purchase and had listed his brother's address as his last (address) - that is how the insurance underwriter connected the claim to him." Inman News, (www.inman.com) January 23, 2003, Susan Romero.

  Because the lack of homeowners' insurance can have a devastating affect on potential homeowners' ability to purchase a home, C.A.R. has set up an Insurance Availability Task Force to work on this issue.  The goals of the Task Force are to ensure simple inquiries do not count as a loss or claim on CLUE reports, and that rates stay affordable.

  On February 3, 2003 C.A.R. Leadership met with representatives of the Insurance Commissioner's office to discuss these concerns.  Mr. Garamendi is working on an advisory letter to address the issues raised during the meeting with the Task Force.  C.A.R. will update you when this letter is made public.

  For more information please contact Chris Miller, C.A.R. Member Mobilization Coordinator, at chrismm@car.org or 916-444-2045.

 

State Land Use and Environmental Legislation

During the 2003-04 session, state lawmakers are considering several land use and environmental bills of concern to C.A.R. The bills address such issues as CEQA, oak trees, agricultural land protection, water and land use, water quality, environmental law enforcement, native American sacred sites, coastal issues, “smart growth”, the subdivision map act, and fire safety. For complete details, please see:  http://www.car.org/index.php?id=MzE5MDY=

 

Save The Date - Annual Officer Elections and Legal Update with Lloyd Williams- Wednesday, June 11, 2003

 

Mortgage Loan Apps Decrease

  The Market Composite Index of mortgage loan applications, a measure of mortgage loan applications for purchases and refinancings, for the week ending April 25 decreased to 1,050.8 on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to 1,055.8 the previous week, according to the most recent survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association of America (MBA) released today. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased by 0.3% for the week ending April 25 but increased 87.7% compared to the same week a year earlier. At 68.4% of total applications, refinancing activity was unchanged for the week ending April 25 compared to the previous week. The share of ARM activity decreased to 14.3% for the week ending April 25 compared to 14.8% the previous week.

 

Median Price Up 15.3% in March, Sales Decline 3.2%, C.A.R. Reports

   LOS ANGELES (April 25) - The median price of an existing home in California in March increased 15.3 percent and sales decreased 3.2 % compared to the same period a year ago, the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) reported today. "The median price of a home in California has posted double-digit gains every month for the last 16 months and hit a new record of $352,780 in March," said C.A.R. President Toby Bradley. "While consumers remain concerned about the general direction of the economy, buying a home continues to be a safe haven for California families."  Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 567,610 in March at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations statewide. Statewide home resale activity decreased 3.2% from the 586,230 sales pace recorded in March 2002.

   "Year-to-date sales have declined 3.5% compared to last year's record sales pace, in line with our expectations," said C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young.  The statewide sales figure represents what the total number of homes sold during 2003 would be if sales maintained the March pace throughout the year.  It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales. The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during March 2003 was $352,780, a 15.3% increase over the revised $305,840 median for March 2002, C.A.R. reported. The March 2003 median price increased 7.8% compared to February 2003's revised $327,120 median price.

   Highlights of C.A.R.'s resale housing figures for March 2003:

* C.A.R.'s Unsold Inventory Index for existing, single-family detached homes in March 2003 was 2.8 months, compared to 2.1 months (revised) for the same period a year ago. The index indicates the number of months needed to deplete the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate.

* Thirty-year fixed mortgage interest rates averaged 5.75% during March 2003, down from 7.07% in March 2002, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. Adjustable mortgage interest rates averaged 3.76% in March 2003 compared to 5.09% in March 2002.

* The median number of days it took to sell a single-family home was 28 days in March 2003, unchanged from a revised 28 days for the same period a year ago. Regional MLS sales and price information is contained in the tables that accompany this press release. Regional sales data is not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. The MLS median price and sales data for detached homes is generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS* throughout the state. MLS median price and sales data for condominiums is based on a survey of more than 60 associations. The median price for both detached homes and condominiums represents closed escrow sales.

* In a separate report covering more localized statistics generated by C.A.R. and DataQuick Information Systems, 92% or 370 of 402 California cities and communities showed an increase in their respective median home prices from a year ago. DataQuick statistics are based on county records data rather than MLS information. DataQuick Information Systems is a subsidiary of Vancouver-based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Note:  Large changes in local median home prices typically indicate both local home price appreciation, and often, large shifts in the composition of housing market activity. Some of the variations in median home prices may be exaggerated due to compositional changes in housing demand. The DataQuick tables listing median home prices in California cities and counties are accessible through C.A.R. Online at localized data collected by C.A.R. and DataQuick at http://www.car.org/index.php?id=MzE4OTc=

* Statewide, the 10 cities and communities with the highest median home prices in California during March 2003 were: Pacific Palisades, $1,187,500; Manhattan Beach, $937,500; Burlingame, $881,000; Malibu $865,000; Beverly Hills, $857,500; Orinda, $820,000; Coronado, $795,000; Laguna Beach, $795,000; Carmel, $742,500; Lafayette, $740,500.

* Statewide, the 10 cities and communities with the greatest median home price increases in March 2003 compared to the same period a year ago were: Yucaipa, 59.1%; Arroyo Grande, 54.7%; Lompoc, 46.7%; Upland, 41.6%; Benicia, 40.6%; Montclair, 38.6%; Patterson, 37.8%; El Monte, 36.5%; Castaic, 36.0%; Big Bear Lake, 35.7%.

 

New VOW Policy Introduced

Access the latest proposed Virtual Office Web Site policy (April 2003) along with VOW education resources at http://www.realtor.org/VOW . This new proposal differs from the proposal released in February 2003 in that the new proposal incorporates a selective opt-out right that permits listing brokers to make independent business decisions about whether they will consent to display of their listings on others' VOWs.  See the May 17 INS report for the results of the Board of Directors' vote on the VOW policy.  

 

March Existing-Home Sales Ease To More Sustainable Price

After surging to an unprecedented record at the beginning of the year, existing single-family home sales declined in March but remain strong, says NAR. Existing-home sales fell 5.6 percent from February to an annual rate of 5.53 million units in March.  The housing sector is expected to stay on a healthy track despite a weak economy because of low mortgage rates, said NAR President Cathy Whatley. For more info, Go To: http://www.realtor.org/PublicAffairsWeb.nsf/Pages/EHSMar03

 

Fair Housing Act Turns 35, Bias Persists

The Fair Housing Act, which turns 35 this month, outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, family status, age, marital status, and sexual orientation when renting or selling. More than 25,000 complaints were filed last year.

http://www.realtormag.com/RMODaily.nsf/All/D0B4F2712

 

Bill Requires Mold Remediation Coverage

The Nevada Real Estate Division is tracking and supporting two bills related to mold. The first, SB131, requires that any insurance company that provides homeowner insurance must cover mold remediation costs in its homeowner insurance policies. The second bill, SB132, would require that all mold inspectors be licensed, with oversight provided by the Division of Industrial Relations. http://www.realtormag.com/RMODaily.nsf/All/D0A50FCC3

 

Homebuyers’ Credit Horror Stories Needed

As you may know, C.A.R. is sponsoring AB 800 (Kehoe), the "Truth in Credit" Act, which will force creditors and credit collection companies to correct inaccurate information on consumers' credit reports or face statutory damages. We're asking that REALTORS® ask their clients about bad credit experiences when applying for a mortgage or other consumer loan, and forward their clients' stories to C.A.R.  E-mail Chris Miller at chrismm@car.org for additional information.

 

Graduate, REALTOR® Institute

GRI – 108 - Listing, Pricing, and Marketing Properties

Friday, June 13, 2003 at the Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS®

Please call 888/785-4800 for more information

 

Women’s Council of REALTORS®

Technology Efficiency and Effectiveness - Presented by Erik Lichtenstein, Office Depot

Erik will be conducting a “technology fair” style presentation with of products ranging from laptops to cameras to handheld electronic organizers.  This presentation has been hailed as “Awesome” and “Worth canceling anything that may be preventing you from attending” by Warren Winsness, Santa Clara Association of REALTORS®.

Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

$23/Members  $28/Nonmembers Westcoast Santa Cruz Hotel. R.S.V.P. to Jennifer Walker by Friday, May 16th wcrsantacruz@yahoo.com or 831/345-3675

 

City of Santa Cruz Water Conservation Office

For information about the new plumbing fixture regulations in the Santa Cruz City water service area, or to obtain forms, please contact: Francesca or Toby at 420-5230 or visit:

www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/wt/wtcon