2011 april may realtor magazine

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 1

O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E B A K E R S F I E L D A S S O C I A T I O N O F R E A L T O R S ®

Who is Beth

Peerce?

Reaching your prospects with

dynamic mailings

Feeding the hungry with cans

& crops

INSIDE

FAIR HOUSING

IS FOR EVERYONE

Visit our new websiteCastleCookeHomes.com

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* Prices, amenities and square footage are subject to change without notice. See sales associate for full details on all offers. Offers may not be combined with any other offer. Down payments quoted are based upon buyer qualifying and obtaining School Facility Fee Down Payment Assistance Program (SFF). (e.g., home at 6316 Declaration Way in Liberty at Silver Creek may qualify for a down payment of $12.92.) Income and

qualification limits do apply. Financing must be provided through Castle & Cooke Mortgage, LLC to obtain special incentives. All information is subject to change without notice. CA DRE# 01254164.

3BAKERSFIELD REALTOR® MAGAZINE

CONTENTSBakersfield REALTOR® Magazine

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When success is slow,What can you do?

Reaching your prospectsWith dynamic mailings

Who is Beth Peerce?Dynamic leader

Social Media for REALTORS®

Dos and don’ts

Fair Housing is for everyoneEducating the community

Scholarship Trust FundCollege money

Member PhotosRecognize them?

Commercial InvestmentPrograms

Real Estate StatsJanuary & February

Artist’s CornerFeaturing Phyllis Oliver

Marketing your listingMLS makes labels

Movers & ShakersCanTree Committee

Activities & EventsApril & May

ON THE COVERStudents preparing for the Fair Housing Arts ContestPhoto - by Mike Lopez

Executive Editor - Linda Vernon, CEOEditor - Cheryl Huff, Director of CommunicationsDesigners - Cheryl Huff, Carol Duran

Bakersfield Association of REALTORS®

4800 Stockdale Highway, Suite 100Bakersfield, CA 93309P. 661-635-2300F. 661-635-2317www.bakersfieldrealtor.orgwww.bakersfieldrealtor.comfacebook.com/bakersfieldrealtor

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Vision with action can change the world

L E T T E R FROM THE PRESIDENT

Hello fellow REALTORS®! Twenty-five percent of 2011 is in the history books. Mind boggling, isn’t it? Though the membership of our Association has already experienced and participated in many events, both educational and social, there are many exciting happenings on our calendar for the near future.

The Cantree Committee has been working overtime raising funds for the hungry in our community. Chairperson Kristy Gannon organized her committee to actually pick the fruit in local orchards, which was donated to The Golden Empire Gleaners. Nearly 7,000 pounds of fruit was picked. Kudos to the entire committee for your efforts and commitment. Their next event is set for March 31st. Join us at Senor Pepe’s at 8450 Granite Falls Dr. from 5:30pm to 9:00pm, and support “Hunger is NO JOKE”. Cover charge is two cans of food or $2. Lots of fun, music and prizes are promised.

The Equal Opportunity committee has the annual Fair Housing Arts Contest underway. The theme this year is “Play Fair”. Open to all children, kindergarten through high school attending Kern County schools, this contest instills at an early age the importance of Fair Housing and home ownership. The winners and their families are treated to a fun-filled day with a carnival atmosphere. What the committee needs most are sponsorships. Please consider helping out this great cause.

Coming April 28th, 11:30am – 1pm is the Region 12 luncheon with Beth Peerce, our 2011 California Association of REALTORS® President. The luncheon will be held at the Doubletree Hotel. Tickets are on sale now for $30. Remember seating is limited and this luncheon is open to all Region 12 Associations, so make sure you have a seat. Our very own Jeanne Radsick is the 2011 Chair of Region 12. Let’s show our support to our state President and Association.

Thursday Brew has a new name and a new schedule. 1st Thursday Brew & Breakfast will now meet monthly, the 1st Thursday of each month, from 8:30am - 9:30am at the Association office. Your virtual tours can be submitted to Jamey at the Association office. Time is limited, so plan ahead. The March Brew was phenomenal with nearly 80 REALTORS® and Affiliates. The next 1st Thursday Brew & Breakfast is April 7th. Join the crowd and see what everyone is talking about.

In closing, try to keep a good balance in your life. Business, family, spiritual and giving back can all be intertwined to keep us on the right track.

Remember…Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world. START TODAY!


2011 LEADERSHIPPresidentAngie TrigueiroTitan Real Estate

President-ElectScott TobiasPrudential Tobias, REALTORS®

Vice PresidentTheresa OlsonRE/MAX Magic

Secretary/TreasurerDavid KnoebKarpe Real Estate Center

Immediate Past PresidentGail MaloufColdwell Banker Preferred, REALTORS®

Chief Executive OfficerLinda Vernon

2011 DIRECTORSLezlie ChaffinPremier Realty

Richard Forcillo Karpe Real Estate Center

Midge JimersonBoydstun Realty Co, Inc.

Wayland LouieRE/MAX Golden Empire

Robert MalkinWatson Realty ERA

Karen McKinzieMcKinzie Nielsen Real Estate

Bill RedmondWatson Realty ERA

Recognition of Outstanding ServiceOur Association continues to be served by the finest staff of professionals, committed to the success of our members. This year we celebrate the following staff members for their years of outstanding service and contributions to our Association

30 YEARS - Karen Huffman, Grievance & Professional Standards Administrator

14 YEARS - Jamey Lyster, Director of MLS Services, Manager of Technology & Computer Servcies

3 YEARS - Ginger Edwards, Bookeeper & Human Resources

3 YEARS - Jessie Kiser, Member Services Representative

The best way to predict your future is to create it!

Can you imagine getting up every morning, looking at yourself in the mirror and saying:

Today, I make the choice to be. . . mediocre. . .

Today I will set low goals and expectations for myself. . .

Today, I will do what everyone else does and just be a good follower. . .

Whoa!!!! Why bother? There’s a great saying . . . .GO BIG OR GO HOME! Now that’s the way to start your day!

While writing this letter, I’m sitting in the Dallas Fort Worth Airport awaiting my flight back to Bakersfield having just attended the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® AE Institute. Each year NAR provides Association Executives a first-rate opportunity for professional development as well as an occasion to learn about key issues and trends facing our industry. It is the single largest gathering of REALTOR® AE’s from

around the country. Each and every day of the Institute

was rocked by great speakers and educational classes challenging us to GO BIG AND BOLD, BREAKING THROUGH the challenges of the day and the complacency of mediocrity. While quite intense and sometimes being on the verge of information overload, the Institute never fails to

deliver on it’s objective to motivate, challenge, encourage and even provide some comic relief (something we could all use more of ) for those in attendance. The success of the Institute will be measured in the way we, as Association Executives, are able to motivate others (our staff and volunteers) to enhance our member’s success by utilizing the skills and tools gleaned to help our Association: n Become more significant to our members (the value we bring)n Become more relevant (being able to quantify our effectiveness)n Be different and a difference-maker (are we making a positive difference for our members and the community)n Provide more certainty (clarity and focus as to our purpose)

It’s our time to be WORLD CLASS! It’s time to GO BIG or GO HOME!

Join us as we step up to the challenge!

L E T T E R FROM THE CEO

When success is slow, what can you do?

BY JACK CANFIELD

Pop Quiz: Can success be sped up? Is there an antidote to slow outcomes despite arduous planning and actions taken? What’s the secret for seeing huge results right now?!

I get versions of these questions frequently from people who feel frustrated at sluggish progress in their success journey - despite all the know-how and principles they rigorously employ.

Let’s get one thing straight...When we admire someone’s success,

or even our own, we often focus on the end result and not so much on the effort (and time) that it took to get there. This can cultivate unrealistic expectations, especially the idea that overnight success can happen through careful strategy and an execution of sound advice.

The truth be told, success typically follows a series of little events and achievements that can seem to take an eternity, that include a few disappointments along the way, and that challenge everything about you to the core - your stamina, courage,

integrity, and even your willingness to keep going.

If you focus on what’s not working, guess what: You’re likely coming from a place of aggravation as your mind wraps around all that is wrong.

You may even have negative thoughts like “I’m not good enough,” “It will never work,” or “Something must be wrong with me.”

What this mentally does is engender more of these counter-productive feelings. And given what we know about the Law of Attraction, you attract what you are feeling. So negative

Meet your goals by changing your focus to what’s working

Start each day with reflections on what you are grateful for in your life and with notes on what went right

experiences, people, and results will beget more negative experience, people, and results. There’s not much success in that.

The key is to focus on what is working.

To do so, I recommend two simple practices: journaling and meditation.

Maintaining a journal (I call it an Evidence Log, Results Journal, or Gratitude Journal) is a great way to steer your attention to the positive and continually renew your vision for yourself.

Start each day with reflections on what you are grateful for in your life (list them out!) and end each day with notes on what went right (again, write them down), however small they may seem.

Spend time each day in quiet contemplation, prayer or meditation.

Meditation can be a powerful tool for arriving at solutions to problems and shifting your attitude so you can attract success sooner rather than later. The magic of meditation is its ability to essentially shut down the outer layer of your judgmental, highly-critical brain and allow your unconscious mind to take over. This is where you enter a deeper state of inner peace and joy, tapping into a higher level of creativity that will help usher in the results you want. (Don’t know how to meditate? Lots of books and materials are available to guide you through this practice. It’s easier than you think. )

Let’s say you’re doing all these things, but you still aren’t happy with your results...

I’ll ask you then, are you taking real action?

You may be taking the actions you are used to taking. But if you keep doing what you’ve already done, then you’ll

keep getting what you’ve always gotten. It’s a matter of practicing some new behaviors. Shake things up a bit and see if you can take new actions or modify existing ones.

Remember the Rule of 5. Every day do five specific things that

take you toward your goal. Change up the five actions regularly and be open to feedback so you know when you’re off course.

Lastly, I want to remind you about patience.

It’s natural to underestimate how long a certain goal can take, especially a profound one. When I set a goal to become a millionaire, the year was 1983. How long did it take? Eleven years. It took time for Chicken Soup for the Soul to hit the bestseller lists. You could say our tenure on the New York Times list was more than a decade in the making. That’s a lot of patience for someone who initially wanted overnight success.

So, yes, patience is a virtue. But keep at it, and in no time, you’ll be only one week, or one day away from your ultimate success.

Remember... be grateful, reflect on what is working and continue to take action!

JACK CANFIELD is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar brand Chicken Soup for the Soul. The New York Times #1 best-selling book series has more than 200 titles in print and over 100 million copies sold in 41 languages. As an internationally recognized leader

in personal development and peak performance strategies, Jack has spent the last 35 years teaching millions of people how to up-level everything they do. His bestselling book, The Success Principles: How to Get From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be contains dozens of the most powerful secrets to success used by top achievers from all walks of life.

Personal Connections: Mailings are still an effective way to reach prospects. But as techniques and technologies have changed, there are new ways to make this old marketing method stand out.

BY CHRIS GILES

Real estate professionals have long understood how personalization in mailings

helps boost response. A well-crafted mail piece can help you develop new relationships and reinforce your connections with existing clients.

Over the past two years, however, new rules, ideas, and technologies have emerged that are changing the dynamics. If you want your mailings to have a greater impact, you need to constantly evaluate how your offerings compare to the other letters, postcards, and self-mailers that your prospects

receive in their mailboxes every day.Here are a few of the ways

practitioners are taking personalization — and results — to the next level.

BE LOCATION INTELLIGENTYou know the importance of location, especially when dealing with clients one on one. When it comes to promotional mailings, however, some feel that “close enough” is good enough. Real estate professionals may send out mailers that promote a sale on the other side of town — even though a more recent sale took place just around the corner from the prospective client.

In the past, the effort to update and customize each mailer would have been far too time-consuming. Today, however, there are software applications that provide what’s known as “location intelligence.” These smart tools assign “Geo Codes” (latitude and longitude coordinates) to every address, so you can set up a marketing program to select only properties within a specific distance or drive time from the mail recipient.

For even more impact, each postcard can include a personalized map that shows how close these sales are to the recipient’s own home — demonstrating that you have the experience and track record needed to succeed in today’s market.

SAY IT IN COLORRecent studies validate what many real estate pros have long known: People are more likely to open a mail piece with color text and graphics on the front. When sorting the mail, consumers place a great deal of importance on visual factors. In one recent survey, 69 percent of consumers indicated they

Reaching Your Prospects with Dynamic Mailings

Expanding personalization -- and results

would be more likely to open a mail piece with color text and graphics first compared to a plain white envelope without messaging. What this suggests is printing color promotional messages on the outside of envelopes can help you connect with more customers.

Of course, color comes at a cost. While the cost of color output has come down greatly in recent years, the type of printer you choose can impact your overall return on investment. Desktop addressing systems, for example, provide an advantage in that you can personalize text and graphics for each specific customer record, ensuring a clean, crisp address and relevant message. The leading low-cost, desktop addressing systems also allow for variable printing — using less ink — almost anywhere on your envelope or postcard.

When sending letters, many practitioners simply insert their communication into a preprinted envelope, add the address, and drop it in the mail. Those looking to customize their envelopes using color and personalized messages have found that they can save money by printing their logo and return address — along with a punchy color message — using their mailing system.

FOLLOW U.S.P.S. RULESThe U.S. Postal Service is under pressure to reduce costs and improve service delivery, and it’s constantly identifying ways to streamline mail delivery. For mailers, that means you need to stay on top of a host of new rules and requirements if you want your mail to be delivered at the lowest possible cost. As postage could represent as much as 70 percent of your cost, when you save money on postage you can really improve your

marketing return on investment.How you design your mail piece

will play an important role in determining whether you are eligible for automation-rate discounts on postage. Self-mailers, for example, must be tabbed properly to prevent an open edge from jamming Postal Service equipment. Standards for tabs and wafer seals are based on the weight of the paper stock and the location of the folded or bound edge.

Beginning in May, automation-rate mail must also include the new Intelligent Mail barcode. Plus, mailers must update and cleanse address lists by using a certified Move Update solution, which compares addresses against the National Change of Address database.

Of course, having an accurate name and address also goes a long way toward creating that personal, one-to-one experience. Be sure to also personalize the inside of your envelope, too. There is no reason your prospects should ever open a letter that starts “Dear neighbor…” when you obviously know their names.

THINK ‘HANDS-FREE’Whether you print and prepare mailings at your local office or send off lists to a centralized site where mail is produced, think about how you can automate and streamline the process. Today, many of the automation tools that help high-volume mailers save millions have been right-sized for small offices. Desktop inserters, address updates via the Web, easy-to-use tabbers, and multifunction devices that can handle mail from start to finish represent only a few of the ways you can save

time and increase your productivity.You can even take advantage of

mail services designed specifically for small offices. If you like, someone can pick up and presort your mail, which saves money on postage. Or for total convenience, you can simply upload your list and letter online and let a service company print, fold, insert, and mail your piece for you.

Getting ideas for your next mailing is easy: Simply look at the mail that comes to your home or office. What gets your attention? Do you see how some companies are adding color headlines and graphics to their envelopes? Check out how marketers use personalization to craft a more relevant message. Look at the name and address, see if it is correct, and how that makes you feel. Even take a look at the postage to see if they are paying retail or earning a discount.

Above all, consider how well you personalize an experience when you sit with customers face-to-face, then try to replicate that experience through the mail. With today’s technology, it can be easier than you think.

CHRIS GILES is Vice President of Solutions Marketing for U.S. mailing at Pitney Bowes Inc.

10 BAKERSFIELD REALTOR® MAGAZINE

Standards of Professionalism Insights from a case study - conflicting interests

CASE #11-11: REALTOR®’s Obligation to Disclose Present or Contemplated Interest (Adopted May, 1997. Revised November, 2000.)

Sally Smith was considering refinancing a property. John Doe, a lender, ordered an appraisal from REALTOR® Cathy Brown. The appraisal report was completed and later Sally Smith decided to sell the property instead of refinancing it.

Sally Smith contacted Cathy Brown who listed the property. An offer was

made that was accepted by Sally Smith. At the loan application, the

prospective purchaser told the lender, John Doe, that a recent appraisal had

been done on the property for him. When the lender became aware that the listing broker was also the appraiser, the lender filed a complaint with the Board of REALTORS® alleging that REALTOR® Cathy Brown had not disclosed her “present or contemplated interest” in the property as required by Article 11, as interpreted by Standard

of Practice 11-1. The complaint was referred by the Grievance Committee for hearing before a panel of the Board’s Professional Standards Committee.

At the hearing, a written statement from Sally Smith, containing all the facts above, was entered into evidence. REALTOR® Cathy Brown stated that the appraisal had been completed in accordance with Standard of Practice 11-1 and it was only after Sally Smith decided to sell, rather than refinance, that there were any discussions about REALTOR® Cathy Brown representing the owner in the sale of the property.

REALTOR® Cathy Brown stated that the owner had been appreciative of the time that she had spent discussing the subject’s neighborhood and existing market conditions, and that the owner had decided that he wanted someone really knowledgeable to represent him in the sale of his property.

Because REALTOR® Cathy Brown’s disclosures regarding present and contemplated interests were true at the time they were made in connection with the appraisal, the Hearing Panel concluded that REALTOR® Cathy Brown was not in violation of Article 11.

* The names in this story are fictious and were used for ease of reading.

Ombudsman’s ReportOne hundred fourteen calls were received by our

Ombudsman during January and February, 2011.Forty-seven calls were complaints against agents

which were resolved, and disciplinary/arbitration packages were not requested by the complainant; five grievance/arbitration packages were mailed for issues

that could not be resolved. Fifty calls were received requesting information on real estate procedures; three calls requesting information on deposits; six calls were against a non-association member and referred to another agency and three calls were referred for Association mediation.

Joe Newton

A tree gift will enrich our community, our environment, and will:n Beautify Bakersfield

n Increase our property values

n Improve our air quality

n Connect us with our neighbors.n Revitalize distressed-look-ing properties.n Preserve the environment for future generations.

Call the Association office to order your tree!

661-635-2300www.bakersfieldrealtor.org (events tab)

®

KAYOLE BRADFORDThe Bakersfield [email protected]

FERMIN GALVANTri Kern Home Inspections661.327.0626fermin@ tri-kerninspections.com

MICHELE COOPERChevron Valley Credit [email protected]

SAM JABUKAJabuka Home [email protected]

BRET DIXONAmerican Home [email protected]

SHERYL GALLIONTicor Title CA of America [email protected]

FRANK ABBOTT, JR.Abbot [email protected]

MIKE GEORGEAgape [email protected]

CARLOS CHIQUINIDewey Termite & Pest [email protected]

KRISTY [email protected]

TERRI MAYSFirst American Title [email protected]

RAGHDA NAJDAWIChevron Valley Credit Union661.587.7250 [email protected]

BARBARA L. WELLSKarpe [email protected]

RON VEINERAbbys Photography661.342.4945rveiner@sbcglobal.netwww.abbysphotography.com

BAKERSFIELD ASSOCIATON OF REALTORS® AFFILIATES IN ACTION

SUSAN HENDRICKWells Fargo [email protected]

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BECOMING AN AFFILIATE IN ACTION, CONTACT CHERYL HUFF, 661-635-2305


Your 2011 CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® President is no stranger to organized real estate. A second-generation REALTOR®, whose lineage includes a real estate attorney father, a real estate developer brother, and a REALTOR® mother, Peerce knew at a young age that she would follow the family tradition. “I was 14. My mother couldn’t get to a showing, so she had me ride my bike to a new home. She gave me the keys, and I opened it up, and I showed the home. Don’t know if it was legal, but I did have a work permit! I knew then that real estate was probably something I would do, too.” And she has.

A REALTOR® since 1976, Peerce has been an active C.A.R. Director since 1982 and served as chair or vice chair of numerous C.A.R. committees. She is an Honorary Director for Life for C.A.R. and was selected REALTOR® of the Year from her local Southland Regional Association of REALTORS®. She is the broker-owner of Prime Time Properties in Studio City.

Q: What can members expect from your leadership style?

A: Basically, the same thing I’ve done for the past three years, which is try to

be there for them, to listen, and to learn from them. I think you need to hear a lot of ideas to get a good plan. That said, the ideas may be great, but sometimes just impossible to accomplish. Somewhere in there—after meshing and considering all ideas—is an opportunity for collaboration. I’m very big on a team effort. With our Leadership Team—President-Elect LeFrancis Arnold, Treasurer Don Faught, and Executive Vice President Joel Singer—I’m looking forward to a great year!

Q: What are your top goals as 2011 C.A.R. President?

A: My top goals always are to keep the REALTOR® at the center of the transaction and to help our members earn a living. Very

pragmatic goals.

Q: In the past you’ve said C.A.R. needs to be in the trenches with membership. What do you have in mind?

A: C.A.R. has made a tremendous start in trying to help members. I think our SWAT teams did what needed to be done in the very worst time

of this cycle. C.A.R. is

extremely

good about trying to get down to the members and to help them with whatever it is that they need, whether it be the time to change a form, or whether it be to tell our members how to do a foreclosure or short sale. Those are the kind of things that we need from our trade organization.

Q: What issues will dominate your term?

A: It will still be the market, the lenders, and the problems of getting loans. It’s not that people don’t want to buy, and it’s not that people don’t want to sell, it’s we can’t get loans. We can’t get REOs and short sales approved. The lenders have gone in the opposite direction to such a degree that they’ve hurt the market.

Q: What trends or market forces in the state should C.A.R. address?

A: E-signatures, keeping up with technology, and helping our members to integrate technology into their businesses. Today, there is a client expectation that an e-mail will be answered within a few hours. Whomever returns a consumer’s call first is the

Who Is Beth Peerce?This dynamic leader’s answers just might surprise you

Continued on page 17

Favorite tech tool?uMy BlackBerry® lives with me.

Who is your hero, and why?uActually, I have two: My dad, because he was probably the most honest, caring person I have ever met; and my husband, Larry, who is so even-keeledand loving that he keeps me grounded no matter what.

Favorite book?uLost Horizon by James Hilton.

What career path outside of real estate would you have chosen?uA business manager. I would have loved to have managed people’s careers in the entertainment industry.


L O R E M IPSUM

Part 2 of a Series

®

F acebook has more than 350 million active viewers, with 65 million of them

using mobile technology to visit the network. With about 50 percent of users logging in daily, more than 8 billion minutes are collectively spent on Facebook each day. The average user on Facebook has 130 friends, and the fastest-growing demographic of Facebook is those 35 years and older.

FACEBOOK-PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES1. DO Keep in mind that Facebook’s Terms of Service states, “You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain.” For commercial purposes, create a fan page rather than only a personal Facebook profile.

2. DO Treat your Facebook page as a conversation. Respond to all feedback whether positive, negative, or difficult.

3. DO Share your life and experiences. This is an opportunity to be social and share your interests.

4. DO Make personal connections

on social media sites. The sales will come later.

5. DON’T Go on to Facebook with a singular goal of selling.

6. DON’T Write only about real estate. This will only cause people to be put off.

7. DON’T Outright ask for business on Facebook. You can offer services if people are looking but don’t go over the top.

8. DON’T Force your conversations. If you aren’t interested, don’t fake it. People will know when you aren’t authentic.

9. DO Find groups and/or pages that your target market would be interested in, and become a fan of those pages.

10. DO Get personal. A good formula for real estate professionals on Facebook is: two parts personal and one part business.

11. DO Use content you find interesting. Don’t recreate the wheel with your posts. Link to interesting stories; try to post good and relevant content daily.

12. DO Comment on what others post on Facebook. Stay involved.

13. DO Become a fan of chapters

and/or organizations in your area. This will allow you to connect with people in your area.

14. DON’T Send out mass friend requests or ‘friend’ someone you don’t know. For everyone you do know and want to add as a friend, send a personal message with a bit of information about how they know you.

Twitter home page, “Twitter is a free service for friends, family, and co-workers to communicate and stayconnected through the exchange of quick, frequent messages. People write short updates, often called “tweets” of 140 characters or fewer. These messages are posted to your profile or your blog, sent to your followers, and are searchable on Twitter search.”

TWITTER-PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES15. DO Use Twitter to stay informed about the latest market relevant information by following real estate newsmakers. Use Twitter as the pulse of what is going on in your area.


What you should and shouldn’t do when interacting on the world wide web

®

16. DO Engage your followers. Ask your followers to participate in conversation by posing questions and asking for advice.

17. DO Retweet interesting and/or valuable information. This is just as good as creating your own content online.

18. DO Keep it personal with a picture. Let people see who you are by personalizing your profile pictures. Many people will not follow someone without a picture and/or avatar.

19. DON’T Be passive. Twitter is constantly changing and moving. Stay attuned to what is going on and evolve with it.

20. DON’T Overdo the amount of your participation, or the amount of

selling you do in your Twitter posts. Keep your tweets

subtle and don’t over promote yourself or your business.

21. DON’T Overuse links on Twitter and constantly direct your followers

somewhere else.

22. DON’T Spend all your time on Twitter talking

about your open house and listings.

23. DO Follow people who have many followers and similar interests. If you want followers, you have to be a follower.

24. DO Provide an interesting teaser to any URL you use in a tweet so that it gives your followers a reason to click on the link.

25. DO Post pictures. Keep your followers engaged in what you are saying by adding pictures. Use a service like TwitPic <www.twitpic.com>.

26. DON’T Link alone. Don’t only use a URL as your tweet – describe the link you are posting.

LinkedIn “is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing150 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals.”

LINKEDIN-PRINCIPLES AND BEST PRACTICES27. DO Use LinkedIn as your networking site to ask for business

and ask for real estate referrals.

28. DO Use a professional picture for your avatar.

29. DO Lean more towards a professional/business side versus personal/casual on LinkedIn.

30. DO Set up your profile as your online resume. List what type of homes you sell, and how you can be of benefit to people.

31. DO Consider LinkedIn as your online resume. Focus on getting recommendations from past clients.

32. DO Ask your connections to help you make connections that might help your business grow.

33. DON’T Connect with people on LinkedIn that you don’t know.

34. DO Join groups such as chambers of commerce and local clubs in your area.

LINKEDIN-GETTING IT DONE34. DO Use your network to make referrals and ask for referrals in return.SOURCE: N.A.R.


Mike George “Exceeding Customer Satisfaction”

(661) 331-3900 [email protected]

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5001 California Ave Suite 220 Bakersfield, CA (661) 324-2427 www.agapemtgco.com

Licensed by the Department of Corporations under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act License #8171169 Branch NMLS #354349


THE REALTORS® MIDYEAR MEETINGS & TRADE EXPO is where N.A.R. members take an active role to ad-vance the real estate in-dustry, public policy, and the association. Join us in Washington, D.C., for special issues forums, committee meetings, leg-islative activities, and the industry trade show.

Capitol Hill Visits: May 11-12

Trade Expo: May 11-13Attendance is free for members, but REALTORS® must register to attend. Have your NRDS ID number handy to register.

NAR Board of Directors: May 14

TO REGISTER VISIT: www.realtor.org/ midyear.nsf

May 9-14 Advance your business, your industry and your association

person they’re going to deal with. I don’t think that some of our members are responsive enough to what’s happening today. We have to teach them about blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and other technologies and ways of communicating that didn’t exist 20 years ago, 15 years ago, and maybe even five years ago. That is what’s happening in the real estate industry. We have to face it and deal with it, or we’re not going to be in the real estate industry. The other issue is California’s cultural and social population has changed drastically. One of C.A.R.’s responsibilities will be to try to help members learn to deal with different cultures and different ways of doing business. I’d like to see a more

international presence, with our agents and brokers here in California working with international buyers.

Q: What are you optimistic about when you look at the real estate market?

A: I think we have reached bottom. There’s no question that there are going to be more REOs and more resets coming in 2011 and 2012, but I think California has started to climb up. People are feeling more secure about buying a home. We do have to worry about unemployment. That’s certainly the issue that’s going to drive the market in 2011. If we can get our unemployment figures down, our housing figures will go up substantially.

Q: How many down markets have you seen in your career?

A: I’ve been in the market since 1976, so this is at least my third. I truly believe that down markets, to a good REALTOR®, are almost an advantage. They weed out agents who are not as good. Look around—REALTORS® are making money in the real estate business. Watch them and see what they do. They’re good at it. If you’re good at what you do, I think you’ll be in the business for as long as you want to. Earning a living.

Q: You are known for closing quotes. Do you have one today?

A: My favorite is “If you don’t care whogets the credit, you can accomplishanything.” That’s my whole philosophyrolled up in one. I think it’s absolutelytrue. Listen to the people around you,and you can do anything. Source: C.A.R. Magazine, Nov/Dec 2010

BETH PEERCE, Continued from page 13

April is National Fair Housing Month. In April 1968, at the urging of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Congress passed the Federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, only one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. This year marks the 43rd anniversary of this powerful legislation.

The primary purpose of the Fair Housing Law of 1968 is to

protect the buyer/renter of a

dwelling from

seller/landlord discrimination. Its primary prohibition makes it unlawful to refuse to sell, rent to, or negotiate with any person because of that person’s inclusion in a protected class. The goal is a unitary housing market in which a person’s background (as opposed to financial resources) does not arbitrarily restrict access.

The Fair Housing Act requires owners of housing facilities to make reasonable exceptions in their policies and operations to afford people with disabilities equal housing opportunities. For example, a landlord with a “no pets” policy may be required to grant an exception to this rule and allow an individual who is blind to keep a guide dog in the residence. The Fair Housing Act also requires landlords to allow tenants with disabilities to make reasonable access related modifications to their private living space, as well as to common use spaces.

The Act further requires that new multifamily housing with four or more units be designed and built to allow access for persons with disabilities. Responsibilities the home seller, the home seeker, and the real estate professional all have rights and responsibilities under the law.

HOME SELLERAs a home seller or landlord, you have a responsibility and a requirement under the law not to discriminate in the sale, rental and financing of property on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. You cannot instruct

the licensed broker or salesperson acting as your agent to convey for you any limitations in the sale or rental because the real estate professional is also bound by law not to discriminate.

Under the law, a home seller or landlord cannot establish discriminatory terms or conditions in the purchase or rental; deny that housing is available, or advertise that the property is available only to persons of a certain race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

HOME SEEKER

You have the right to expect that housing will be available to you without discrimination or other limitations based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

This includes the right to expect: n Housing in your price range made available to you without discrimination n Equal professional service

Fair Housing is for EveryoneEducating clients, agents and the community

n The opportunity to consider a broad range of housing choices n No discriminatory limitations on communities or locations of housing n No discrimination in the financing, appraising, or insuring of housing n Reasonable accommodations in

rules, practices and procedures for persons with disabilities n Non-discriminatory terms and conditions for the sale, rental,

financing, or insuring of a dwelling

n To be free from harassment or

intimidation for exercising your fair housing rights.

Real Estate Professional Agents in a real estate transaction are prohibited by law from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. A request from the home seller or landlord to act in a discriminatory manner in the sale, lease or rental cannot legally be fulfilled by the real estate professional.

Years ago, the Bakersfield Association of REALTORS® wanted to educate children about the Fair Housing Act. Leaders of the organization came together to form an Equal

Opportunity Committee. By some accounts, the committee has been

around for at least twenty years. Members wanted to create something that children could relate to – the outcome was the Fair Housing Arts Contest.

Committee member, Midge Boydstun Jimerson speaks positively about her experiences with the Fair Housing Arts Contest and Equal Opportunity Committee. “The first year I served on this committee, I was amazed at the talent of some of the children and how creative they are. Some of the work we have seen has been amazing. So I really love to see what is submitted.

“I serve on the Equal Opportunity Committee because I find that it is very rewarding . . . to see how the children and their parents are involved and how the students are educated about fair housing. The information trickles up ... from the child to the parent.” “Depending on the age group....you see a lot of talent,

some more colorful than others. Art techniques between grades are different. Some are very touching, like those that show the planet earth and different people around the world in houses.

One of the entries I remember depicted a person holding keys to their new home and showed the family in front.”

This year’s arts contest theme is titled “Play Fair.” Rules and guidelines have been mailed to over three hundred local school principals. All school age children are eligible to submit artwork.

Middle and high school students are especially encouraged to participate. In the past, this age group has been under - represented. To help with the education process, committee members created a lesson plan available for all teachers. The Fair Housing Arts Contest is designed to create community education for children, parents and teachers.

“There are just so many great entries. The kids amaze me with their interpretations of Fair Housing. It comes across well! It’s very rewarding to finish (the arts contest) it up with a carnival and awards ceremony and

to see all the happy kids

Continued on page 28

“I find that it is very

rewarding to see how the children and their parents are involved and how the students are

educated about fair

housing. The information

trickles up from the child

to the parent.” Midge

Boydstun Jimerson


Q U I ZNEW HVCC GUIDELINES

A N S W E R S1. Answer : False. The lender can select the appraiser, but, if it does, it must use staff who are separate from the lender’s loan production division. An exception to this restriction is made for small lenders and others for whom such a separation is difficult. In these cases, the lender must “clearly demonstrate that it has prudent safeguards to iso-late its collateral evaluation process from influence or interference from its loan production process,” according to the HVCC guidelines.

2. Answer: True. The guidelines say, “Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the lender (or any third party acting on behalf of the lender) from requesting that an appraiser (i) provide additional information or explanation about the basis for a valuation, or (ii) correct objective factual errors in an appraisal report.”

3. Answer: True. Nothing in HVCC prohibits a real estate professional from offering up information that an appraiser might have missed or from point-ing out errors.

4. Answer: False. The guidelines make clear mortgage brokers are not to select appraisers. In addition, NAR’s pamphlet on HVCC myths and facts , says mortgage brokers’ contact is limited to the appraisal management company that selected the appraiser, and that’s only if it gets permission from the lender.

5. Answer: True. But the other lender must show that it abides by the HVCC guidelines and has ap-plied those guidelines to the appraisal in question. If a mortgage broker was involved in the original loan, it must be clear that the mortgage broker didn’t select the appraiser. In practice, however, the portability issue is proving to be a problem in some cases because the original lender isn’t willing to provide a statement saying that the appraisal was in compliance with HVCC.

6. Answer: False. The underwriter can use the appraisal, but several safeguards must be met. Among them, it must be clear that the lender staff that commissioned the appraisal is independent of the lender’s production staff.

7. Answer: False. There is no language in the guidelines setting forth when a property valuation is required. As NAR’s myths and facts pamphlet puts it, “Nothing in the HVCC requires a lender to obtain a property valuation.”

8. Answer: False. The guidelines apply only to how appraisers are selected, not how the apprais-als themselves are conducted. “Nothing in this Code of Conduct shall be construed to … use any particular method for property valuation (such as an appraisal or automated valuation model) in connection with any mortgage loan or mortgage financing transaction.”

9 . Answer: False. Lenders or the appraisal management companies that represent them pay appraisers; borrowers do not pay appraisers.

10. Answer: False. It’s true that borrowers are entitled to receipt of the report no later than

three days prior to the closing, but meet-ing that timeframe is the responsibility of lenders, not appraisers.

Source: N.A.R.

Since it took effect May 1, 2009, the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) has generated significant commentary among real estate professionals, appraisers, and lenders—as well as plenty of uncertainty over exactly what the agreement does and does not allow. The HVCC is a set of guidelines to curb inaccurate appraisals developed by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and the two secondary mortgage market companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with support from their regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

In general, the guidelines seek to ensure an arm’s length relationship between the lender making a loan and the appraiser who assigns a value to the house. It also sets forth a process for addressing incidences in which appraisal misconduct is suspected. Test how much you know about the new appraisal guidelines.

1. Only a third-party appraisal management company (AMC) can select an appraiser. The lender itself cannot do so.A. TrueB. False 2. It’s OK for the lender to contact the appraiser with

additional information or point out potential errors.

A. TrueB. False

3. It’s OK for a real estate

professional, as a third-

party

independent contractor, to provide additional information to an appraiser or point out factual errors.A. TrueB. False 4. It’s OK for mortgage brokers to select appraisers.A. TrueB. False5. A lender can accept an appraisal report commissioned by another lender. A. TrueB. False6 . In underwriting a loan, the underwriter can’t use an appraisal if the appraiser was selected by the lender (or the appraisal management company that acts on the lender’s behalf).A. TrueB. False7 . Transactions that previously didn’t involve an appraisal now must include one. A. TrueB. False8 . Use of automated valuation models is strictly prohibited; all appraisals must be conducted by appraisers using onsite requirements outlined in the guidelines. A. TrueB. False9. Borrowers must pay appraisers directly. A. TrueB. False10. Appraisers are required to ensure borrowers are in receipt of the appraisal report no later than three days prior to the closing of the loan. A. TrueB. False

The Bakersfield Association of REALTORS® has been a long-time advocate of education not only for our members, but for their children and the youth of our community. In January of 1971, to proactively encourage and support the educational endeavors of students in Kern County, the Association formed a Scholarship Trust Fund with an initial amount of $4,000.

FUNDSDonations to the Scholarship Trust Fund can be made at anytime by an individual or organization. If you would like to support this great program, please contact us at 661-635-2300.

PURPOSEScholarships are available for qualified and worthy students from a Kern County high school, community college or university. Priority consideration is given to those who are pursuing a course of study in real estate or a related field at the college or graduate level. However, all

students who meet the qualifications are invited to apply.

GENERAL INFORMATIONScholarships are considered once a year. Deadline for applications each year is the first Thursday of May, however, applications may be submitted at any time and will be held for the next period of consideration. At the end of each school term, each recipient is invited to apply for consideration of scholarship renewal. Application deadline: Thursday May 5, 2011 at 3pm.

QUALIFICATIONSApplicants must be a graduate of a Kern County high school or a student/graduate of a Kern County community college or university. The applicant must be enrolled in a community college or university, at the time of application. Proof of enrollment must be provided.For complete scholarship information and application, please visit us www.bakersfieldrealtor.org

A day in the life of our members

Brian Tuttle Michele Cooper, Angie Trigueiro and Kristy Gannon Paul Andre & Terri Mays

Chereyl Nunn & Kayole Bradford Darrell Mohammad & Griselda Arambula Barry Zoeller, Linda Vernon, Bob Stein, Angie Trigueiro, Joe Drew

Rita Corson

Richard Forcillo

Fermin Galvin

Robin Ablin, David Segesman

Angie Trigueiro, Zack Schrivner

Amy Hudson, Dan Wheeler, Jo Rhodes

Shari & Mike George

Frank Abbot, Sam Jabaka

A day in the life of our members

Paul Andre & Terri Mays

Barry Zoeller, Linda Vernon, Bob Stein, Angie Trigueiro, Joe Drew

Lisa Belt & Kandie Miller Wayland Louie

Kayole Bradford, Jon Vaughn

Greg Giambo, Kathy Kotsiomitis

Shari & Mike George

Frank Abbot, Sam Jabaka

Kent Gradowitz, Mina Newman, Arlene Jones, Karen Chaney

Greg Hanvey

ss


Get ready for the 3rd Annual

May 20 & 21, 2010 Kern County Fair Ground

1142 South P Street Bakersfield, CA 93307

Free Concert Friday night featuring Mento Buru

Plan on having a lot of fun on Saturday from 11am-5pm! KCBS 4 meat competition (Chicken, Ribs, Pork, Brisket) CBBQA ToY (Team of the Year) Award for the best decorated team site Saturday the public can taste the team’s BBQ Live entertainment, amazing kid’s zone, food & vendors Much more to be announced!

Check out our website for additional information

www.bakobbq.com or call Mike George (661) 331-3900

See you there! Benefiting:

B A K E R S F I E L D A S S O C I A T I O N O F R E A L T O R S ®

Commercial Investment Group presents...

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Friday, April 15th & May 20th

APRIL PROGRAM

APPRAISING ISN’T AN EXACT SCIENCEHenchman of the Banks? Scumbags of the world? or . . . Just “Folks” like us . . . trying to figure out what the H#@! happened?

RANDY MERRIMAN, Senior Appraiser of Merriman, Hurst and Associates, YES . . . an Appraiser, will please explain to us “dirtballs” here on the ground, “Why”, “When” and “How” did our industry get so bent out of shape!

This is not just “any Appraiser”! RANDY was in ownership and worked many years with the Appraiser of the County . . . Mr. Jerry Fisher . . . who has touched and influenced, if not all, most of the best appraisers in this County!! RANDY’s reputation is second to none in his field . . . that’s Bakersfield. He has done work with every banker and developer in this City (don’t hold

that against him!), and many more beyond these borders!

8 AM, FRIDAY, APRIL 15th, 2011at the Association. Be informed by the “Best of the Best!” Appraising is not an exact science, but it is an interesting and needed one. Let’s find out more! Bring your questions . . . and answers!!

MAY PROGRAM

PREDICTING THE NEXT FAST GROWTH MARKETMR. SCOTT GARRISON.... formerly attached to Lightspeed net!... get it?... Lightspeed... Lights on!... but currently pulling a shift at STRIA.

The leading provider of document management services. Whatever the heck that is!!! As long as it isn’t another title company!!!

Another Ex-west Rotarian, past president of the Chamber of Commerce (Bakersfield) great supporter of the Police Activities League and all around good guy!!!

Let’s all hope it has something to do with the commercial real estate market and not the sale of wet suits in Hawaii! The West Coast! or Australia!

8 AM, FRIDAY, MAY 20th, 2011 at the Association.

We will be serving Coffee... Wheat Germ... and Juice!!

For the April and May programs, Phone: 635-2302 or email your reservations to [email protected]. Pitch Session to follow each program.


Monthly StatsActive, Pending and Sold - All Areas

JANUARY 2011

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Active Contingent &Pending

Sold

2011

2010

FEBRUARY 2011

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Active Contingent &Pending

Sold

2011

2010

All Areas All Areas

January 2011 2010% Year over

Year ChangeActive 2,574 1,852 39.0%Contingent & Pending 1,810 2,052 -11.8%Sold 643 555 15.9%Total Volume Closed 87,057,808 76,609,229 13.6%Median Sales Price * 117,000 125,000 -6.4%Average DOM * 62 43 44.2%

February 2011 2010% Year over

Year ChangeActive 2,505 1,940 29.1%Contingent & Pending 2,016 2,346 -14.1%Sold 527 558 -5.6%Total Volume Closed 67,623,798 80,212,125 -15.7%Median Sales Price * 120,000 128,000 -6.3%Average DOM * 59 47 25.5%

Bakersfield BakersfieldJanuary 2011 2010

% Year over Year Change

Sold 526 462 13.9%Total Volume Closed 74,783,822 65,910,343 13.5%Median Sales Price * 127,000 128,000 -0.8%Average DOM * 61 41 48.8%

February 2011 2010% Year over

Year ChangeSold 433 442 -2.0%Total Volume Closed 58,029,473 64,050,784 -9.4%Median Sales Price * 125,000 130,500 -4.2%Average DOM * 59 47 25.5%

Bakersfield uses the following Zip Codes: 93301, 93302, 93303, 93304, 93305, 93306, 93307, 93308, 93309, 93310, 93311, 93312, 93313, 93314. Statistics were run on March 14, 2011.


* Figures from Single Family Homes Only. Statistics were run on March 14, 2011.

2011 Compared to 2010 by MLS Area

Area 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 2010 2011 201010 44 47 $3,609,227 $4,098,742 $87,070 $87,207 65 47 93.66 98.5121 29 36 $1,326,870 $2,436,600 $46,674 $67,683 62 37 97.59 97.7722 37 33 $3,716,663 $3,042,750 $100,450 $92,205 55 36 94.42 101.823 2 3 $559,900 $543,800 $559,900 $181,267 42 26 89.6 101.131 58 50 $4,542,217 $4,260,500 $78,820 $85,210 52 53 99.2 99.232 108 78 $10,026,924 $7,770,075 $93,623 $101,602 51 49 97.3 98.1533 29 29 $3,848,046 $3,750,270 $132,691 $129,320 73 55 96.63 99.7634 15 16 $2,977,854 $4,122,635 $207,132 $257,665 111 115 94.85 94.3441 24 39 $1,977,622 $2,293,519 $84,897 $58,808 40 74 97.3 102.0542 29 41 $2,496,900 $3,501,050 $86,100 $85,391 58 27 98.06 99.8343 5 1 $603,700 $189,000 $120,740 $189,000 94 69 93.06 10051 158 155 $12,632,176 $13,523,239 $81,207 $89,331 47 40 96.68 100.7552 228 259 $29,774,682 $34,667,307 $137,333 $145,398 61 45 96.85 100.3253 117 125 $24,877,363 $28,336,973 $214,960 $232,567 74 43 96.86 98.0354 2 1 $340,000 $220,000 $170,000 $220,000 56 34 99.3 100.561 24 31 $4,122,150 $5,763,850 $171,756 $185,931 24 43 96.83 99.3562 155 165 $31,916,256 $37,617,653 $205,911 $227,986 55 47 97.94 98.7963 53 44 $14,177,650 $12,308,500 $267,503 $279,739 68 45 98.21 96.9564 2 4 $699,000 $648,000 $349,500 $162,000 60 55 100.36 98.4280 15 7 $1,966,800 $893,000 $158,391 $140,500 60 34 96.75 99.3781 2 1 $120,000 $132,000 $60,000 $132,000 297 110 96.77 102.3382 4 5 $308,500 $327,550 $77,125 $65,510 58 60 97.1 85.7783 4 11 $646,250 $1,535,000 $161,563 $148,700 88 40 85.75 99.291 38 31 $2,887,717 $2,953,547 $75,993 $95,276 54 43 95.85 100.4792 7 1 $2,299,000 $162,000 $328,429 $162,000 93 24 97.52 10093 1 0 $140,000 $0 $140,000 $0 237 0 100 094 2 1 $138,900 $265,000 $69,450 $265,000 20 342 94.62 103.9295 42 42 $4,124,250 $4,782,430 $98,196 $113,867 61 52 94.87 96.3996 28 46 $2,018,400 $7,610,745 $72,126 $165,451 64 45 94.52 101.0498 45 45 $5,471,150 $4,841,950 $121,581 $107,599 61 48 96.4 96.3699 71 69 $8,450,593 $8,946,344 $119,623 $131,301 58 58 90.77 96.4

Dollar Value Average Sold Price* % of List Price*# Sold DOM*


and families,” says returning committee member, Kym Plivelich. She says parents are appreciative of the Association’s program and often say “Thank you so much for doing this for our kids!”

REALTOR® FAIR HOUSING DECLARATION I agree to: n Provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin or sexual orientation of any prospective client, customer, or of the residents of any community. n Keep informed about fair housing law and practices, improving my clients’ and customers’ opportunities and my business. n Develop advertising that indicates

that everyone is welcome and no one is excluded - expanding my client’s and customer’s opportunities to see, buy, or lease property. n Inform my clients and customers about their rights and responsibilities under the fair housing laws by providing brochures

and other information. n Document my efforts to provide professional service, which will assist me in becoming a more responsive and successful REALTOR®. n Refuse to tolerate noncompliance. n Learn about those who are different from me, and celebrate those differences. n Take a positive approach to fair housing practices and aspire to follow the spirit as well as the letter of the law. n Develop and implement fair housing practices for my firm to carry out the spirit of this declaration.Sponsor the Arts Contest Today!

661-635-2300

Source: www.realtor.org/government_affairs

FAIR HOUSING, Continued from page 19

* Figures from Single Family Homes Only. Statistics were run on March 14, 2011.

PRICE CLASS STATISTICS - YTD - ALL AREAS

199,999 or Under 200,000 ‐ 249,999 250,000 ‐ 299,999 300,000 ‐ 449,999 450,000 ‐ 999,999 1,000,000 or Over

199,999 or Under 200,000 ‐ 249,999 250,000 ‐ 299,999 300,000 ‐ 449,999 450,000 ‐ 999,999 1,000,000 or Over

Price Class YTD 2011199,999 or

Under200,000 - 249,999

250,000 - 299,999

300,000 - 449,999

450,000 - 999,999

1,000,000 or Over

Active 1,693 192 93 135 88 15Contingent & Pending 1,901 142 76 85 22 3Sold 1,157 112 53 48 14 1Total Volume 116,564,843 24,760,560 14,415,585 17,111,947 7,581,050 1,008,750Median Sales Price * 104,000 220,000 273,900 352,500 495,575 1,008,750Average DOM * 70 63 70 70 75 90

A R T I S T ’ S CORNER

PHYLLIS OLIVER. The arts have been a part of Phyllis Oliver’s life since the age of nine when her grandmother, a renowned jeweler, became her first teacher and mentor. Phyllis attended the University of New Hampshire and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1963. A navy wife, she has lived in many places.

Living in the greater Seattle area for over twenty years, Phyllis had the privilege of studying with

filmmaker and painter, Ron Lucas. Due to the influence of her studies with

these two influentialteachers, color and design became

the focus of her work. Phyllis is proficient in Watercolor, Oils, and

Pastel. The lure of grandchildren induced her and her husband to retire to Bakersfield from Athens, Greece, where they lived for several years. While in Greece, Phyllis taught and traveled extensively and had a solo exhibition at the United States Embassy in Athens. Her work is included in collections

throughout the United States, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Australia, Kuwait, and Greece. Phyllis continues to exhibit in the Northwest, and presently exhibits at the Bakersfield Art Association Art Center and at Juliana’s Gallery, both in the Bakersfield Downtown Arts District. As a teacher, she has taught privately, in public schools, and for Seattle Pacific University. Phyllis is currently teaching at the Art Center.

PHYLLIS OLIVER

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Market your listing using MLSThe MLS is more powerful than people realize

The MLS makes mailing labels! Let’s say you have a listing and you want to send letters to the neighbors. The letters can be used for marketing in case any of the neighbors were thinking about selling their homes or to alert them to one of your open houses. Give the recipients your contact information and ask them to call you with any concerns.

You know the drill. But do you know how easy it would be to do this with our MLS? It is so easy, even a REALTOR® can do it. Let me tell you how.

Printing Labels from MLSn Search for the listing, using any search method you like: Standard, Listing #, Address Search, etc. When you have found your listing, click the top right button - “Interactive Map.” n “Street View shows the street names. On the right side, there is a menu which includes “Map Layers” and “Parcels.” Check the appropriate box. This will show the outlines of all the property parcels. n Your listing address will display a house icon. Hover your mouse over any of the parcels - owner names and addresses will display. Just below the “Parcel” check box, there is another box that will show what properties are already listed in the MLS.

They are marked with a yellow dot. When sending letters in an attempt to get new listings, please be sure to respect the agency relationships which already exist between agents and their clients. Agents should not send letters to homeowners who already have their home listed. n Hold down the control key and click on the addresses you want. Label sheets contain thirty labels per sheet. If you want to unselect an address, click on it again and it will toggle. Once an address is selected, the menu on the right shows two choices. Either choose “Clear All” (the selections) or “Print Labels.” The names and addresses will be listed below that. You can remove addresses by choosing “Remove Link.”

There is another method to print labels. This one may be even easier and would work best if all the addresses were on the same street. n Using the “Taxes” tab, put in the street name and a range of values above and below the address. If the addresses are on different streets, you can do multiple searches and add them to the “Tax Cart.” This tab works like the “Contact Cart” or the plain old “Cart.” Select your desired addresses and print the labels from there. You will need a check mark in each box. If you want

to send a letter to your own listing to show the sellers that you are

on the ball, check that address too.

n From the “Tax Cart,” there is an

options panel on the right. It gives you the option to either print the labels or export the addresses. If you have custom reports or labels set up, they will be in the drop down menus. The default choices are Avery 5160 Labels or the addresses in a .csv file. The csv stands for comma separated values and separates text with commas. You can open these files in Excel or other spreadsheet programs. If you are using Excel, you might need to indicate you are using the csv format.The address data files can also be used for mail merges or sent to a third party mail marketing company.

When I tested this process, I had a problem using a new computer that did not have Adobe Reader installed. The mailing labels would not display or print. Once I installed Adobe Reader, the problem was solved. Most computers will have Adobe Reader on them, but if not, go to Adobe and download the free reader. It will allow you to read documents in .pdf format. PDF stands for Portable Document Format and it allows any computer user to read any document sent in that format, as long as they have installed the free program. You don’t have to have MS Word or Word Perfect. Adobe Reader is used for Zipforms and the reports in MLS, so most REALTORS® already have it.

If all else fails, I strongly recommend that you call your children, grandchildren, nephews, or nieces to help you. Sometimes that is the best resource available. By Christopher Craddock, Miramar International Technology Committee Member

Find other helpful technology tips at www.bakersfieldrealtor.org.Select the menu header “Resources” then click

“Did You Know”?

TECH TIDBITS


We’ve launched our new Facebook game!

educational & entertainingPROVIDED BY THE BAKERSFIELD ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Invite

Member Care ReportA review of the past and a look at today

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 YTD*REALTOR® Brokers 385 332 320 304 279REALTOR® Agents 1,557 1,463 1,434 1,359 1226Total REALTORS® 1,942 1,795 1,754 1,663 1505

MLS Only Brokers 457 301 270 227 206MLS Only Agents 250 142 115 100 97Total MLS Only 707 443 385 327 303

*Members paid as of March 14, 2011.

“It’s fun to see how many answers I can get correct. I’m not always 100%, even after 34 years in the business. It has been fun getting to the mansion stage and having a large office - more, more, more! We need to create some competition between offices.”

Coldwell Banker Preferred, Realtors®

GAIL MALOUF

CANS AND CROPS

The Bakersfield Association of REALTORS® is full of community- minded people. Where there is a need, you will find members reaching out to make a difference. The fun-loving folks that serve on the CanTree Committee are some of them.

The committee has just one focus: feeding Kern County’s hungry. All of their activities center around raising money and gathering food to support the Golden Empire Gleaners. Members believe they are serving an important need in the community.

The Golden Empire Gleaners serve over 20,000 hungry people each month. People are referred to the Gleaners by local organizations such as schools, churches and government agencies. Most of the operations are run by a highly motivated group of community volunteers. The organiza-tion gives ninety cents of every dollar they collect to feed the hungry people in Kern County.

The organization serves a staggering number of people. These 2009 statistics reflect their community impact: Total

people served ‐ 210,000, Food distributed – 2 million

pounds.The CanTree Com-

mittee initially grew out of

an annual

Christmas can food drive. The rest is history. In 2010, the group raised $14,127, which included over 552 pounds of food. When it looked like they might fall short of their 2010 goal, members rallied and put together a holi-day 50/50 drawing. The drawing raised over $2,400 in one week.

Pam Fiorini, Executive Director of the Gleaners speaks highly of the CanTree Committee. “We are fortunate to have many business and community partners who support our mission to alleviate hunger in Kern County. Among the best are the enthusiastic and productive members of the Bakersfield Association of REALTORS® CanTree Committee. They do it all! They hold events to raise funds for us, volunteer at our events, collect food, encourage REALTORS® to enroll in the commission program and harvest fruit. They do all of this with giving hearts and huge smiles. How could we ask for anything more? It’s been a great partnership for 25 years!”

Efforts to reach their 2011 goal are off to a roaring start. CanTree members served as amateur farmers in February by donning sun hats, boots and gar-den gloves to pick over 6,000 pounds of citrus fruit from burgeoning trees. The group teamed up with Rick Keel, founder of Feed the Need. Rick sup-

plied ladders and much needed picking expertise. Committee member, Lisa Belt, even wore her farmer overalls.

Meeting goals does not happen by accident. The CanTree Committee runs like a well-oiled machine. Chair Kristy Gannon and Vice Chair Kandie Miller are determined to beat their 2011 goal of $15,000. Members have several events planned including “Hunger Is No Joke” at Senor Pepe’s on March 31st from 5:30pm-9pm, “Hot August Nights” and Oktoberfest. The general public is encouraged to attend these events. Canned food and/or cash will gain you entrance. Members hope the 2011 Association golf tournament will

MOVERS & SHAKERS CANTREE COMMITTEE

Left to right Michele Cooper, President Angie Triguiero, Chair, Kristy Gannon


help meet the goal. Last year $6,772 in net proceeds were given to the Gleaners.

Members say they work hard but have a lot of fun representing the Bakersfield Association of REALTORS®. “It is very rewarding knowing that we can go out and make a difference,” says last year’s chair, Mike George.

The committee meets every month to fine-tune their fundraising strate-gies. They also make presentations to both REALTOR® and affiliate member offices. Members who earn commissions are encouraged to commit a part of ev-

ery commission check to the Gleaners. Kandie Miller talks about what the

group means to her. “CanTree is a com-mittee that I truly believe in. It helps the less fortunate in our community. I have served on the committee since 2006 - chair for one year and vice chair for three. As a committee, we have come such a long way over the past few years. We work together as a team with many ideas and new suggestions. I am proud to be a part of this committee and the BAR. Together we are making a difference.”

By Cheryl Huff

Magazine Multiple Issue Discount We offer a 5% discount off the totalcost when 5 consecutive, same size ads are purchased.

* Non-Member Advertising Rates Available

MAGAZINE

Member Advertising Rates

1/4 page $150

1/2 page $250

Full Page $350

Inside Front Cover $450

Inside Back Cover $450

Back Cover $550

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:PRICES RANGE FROM$75 - $2,500 PER ACTIVITYHigh Profile EventsConnections NewsletterEducational ClassesNetworking ActivitiesCommunity OutreachSpecial Events

START MARKETING AND PROMOTING your company today with the Bakersfield Association of REALTORS®. The Association has over 1,700 REALTOR® and Affiliate members. We offer many ways for you to actively communicate your company’s brand and marketing message directly to our members. Every week we host a variety of activities, classes, and events. Reach your target market in smart, effective and affordable ways. Please consider one of our many opportunities.

MAKE YOUR MOVE BY CALLING THE ASSOCIATION TODAY!

BAKERSFIELD ASSOCIATON OF REALTORS® ADVERTISING & SPONSORSHIPS

FOR YOUR PERSONAL MARKETING CONSULTATION, CONTACT: Cheryl Huff, Director of Communications, [email protected]


Feature Ad (2 week period) $200

Home Page(2 week period) $150

PUBLIC WEBSITE

REALTOR® WEBSITE


Home Page Ad $125/mo

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Your message on target

Call now 661-635-2305


C A L E N D A R APRIL & MAY

TUESDAY 4/5 Partnership Committee12pm – 1pmBrew Committee1:30pm – 2:30pm

WEDNESDAY 4/6Education Committee12pm – 1pmCantree Committee1pm - 2pmEducation Committee 2pm – 2:30pm

THURSDAY 4/7 1st Thursday Brew & Breakfast8:30am – 9:30amAffiliate Committee9:30am – 10:30am

FRIDAY 4/8 F2F Distressed Properties – Short Sales, Foreclosures & REO’s9am – 1pmCost: $45 members/$55 Non-membersReservations Required

TUESDAY 4/12 LGR/LCRC10:30am – 12pmSpeaker: Robert Snoddy, Regional Planner KCOGTopic: High Speed Rail Project

THURSDAY 4/14 REALTOR® Orientation10am – 3:30pmF2F RPA-CA Contract class9am – 1pmCost: $45 Members/$55 Non-membersReservations Required

FRIDAY 4/15 Commercial Investment ProgramSpeaker: Randy MerrimanTopic: Appraising Isn’t An Exact Science8am – 9am, RSVP

MONDAY 4/18 Association Budget & Long-Range Planning Meeting1:30pm - 3:30pm

TUESDAY 4/19 F2F SFR Certification8:30am – 4:30pmCost: $95 Members$105 Non-membersReservations Required

WEDNESDAY 4/20 REPERS LuncheonSpeaker: Stella Ling, CAR Senior Counsel. Topic: Legal Issues Facing REALTORS® with CAR Attorney11:30am – 1pm, Cost: $10 Reservations Required

THURSDAY 4/21 Membership Development/Orientation Committee 1:30pm - 2:30pmHAFA Certification Live9am - 3pmMembership Committee1:30pm

FRIDAY 4/22 Technology Committee 9am - 10am

TUESDAY 4/26 Association Board of Directors1:30pm – 3:30pmSTIR IT UP with the BARSponsored by Guild Mortgage5pm – 7pm5558 California Ave., Ste. 140Registration Required

THURSDAY 4/28 MLS Orientation10am – 3:30pmwith Brokerload Training at 1:30pm

Region 12 Lunch with C.A.R. President, Beth Peerce11am – 1:30pmCost: $30DoubletreeReservations Required

FRIDAY 4/29 F2F Risk Management8:30am – 11:30amCost: $35 Members/$45 Non-membersRegistration Required

TUESDAY 5/3 Partnership Committee12pm – 1pmBrew Committee1:30pm – 2:30pm

WEDNESDAY 5/4 Education Committee 12pm – 1pmCantree Committee 1pm - 2pm

THURSDAY 5/5 Scholarship Deadlinetoday by 5pm

1st Thursday Brew & Breakfast8:30am – 9:30amAffiliate Committee9:30am – 10:30am

MONDAY 5/9 REALTORS® Midyear Meetings & Trade Expo Capitol Hill Visits: May 11 - 12 Trade Expo: May 11 - 13

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THURSDAY 5/12 REALTOR® Orientation10am – 3:30pm

TUESDAY 5/17 Precision Ultrasound8am

WEDNESDAY 5/18 REPERS LuncheonSpeaker: Tamara SuminskiVice Chair, C.A.R. Young Professionals NetworkTopic: Young Professionals Network11:30am – 1:00pm, Cost: $10 Registration Required

THURSDAY 5/19Membership Development/Orientation Committee 1:30pm to 2:30pm

FRIDAY 5/20 Commercial Investment ProgramSpeaker: Scott Garrison, StriaTopic: Predicting the Next Fast Growth Market 8am – 9am, RSVP

MONDAY 5/23 GEMLS Budget & Long-Range Planning Meeting1:30pm - 3:30pm

THURSDAY 5/26 MLS Orientation 10am – 3:30pmwith Brokerload Training at 1:30pm

FRIDAY 5/27 Technology Committee 9am to 10am

MONDAY 5/30Memorial DayOffice Closed

TUESDAY 5/31 MLS Board of Directors1:30pm – 3:30pmBrew Committee1:30pm – 2:30pm

social networking n virtual property tours n property pitches1st Thursday Brew & Breakfast

APRIL 7th, May 5th & June 2nd

SAVE THE DATES

Proudly Sponsored by

Diana Canaday and Guild Mortgage

MARGARITAS n FOOD n FUNAn exclusive event for Bakersfield Association

of REALTOR® members & affiliates.

Tuesday, April 26th 5pm - 7pm

LOCATION:5558 California Ave., Suite 140

RSVP: 1. Go to www. bakersfieldrealtor.org. 2. Click the “Events” button and then “Register” on the drop down menu

Or call 661-635-2300

STIR IT UP WITH THE BAR

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Prsrt StdU.S. Postage

PAIDBakersfield, CA

Permit #70

WHEN: Thursday, April 28, 2011

TIME: 11:30am - 1pm

WHERE:The Doubletree Hotel3100 Camino Del Rio Court

TICKETS:Buy tickets online at www.bakersfieldrealtor.org (events tab) or 661-635-2300

Jeanne Radsick, Region 12 Chair

TICKETS

$30

H O S T E D B Y O U R A S S O C I A T I O N

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOWwith C.A.R. President

Beth Peerce

Connect with and learn from this dynamic leader!2011 Region 12 Luncheon

2011 april may realtor magazine

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