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

VOL. 18, NO. 11WWW.THEAAR.COMNOVEMBER 2014

PROUDLY SERVING THE REALTORS® OF ARCADIA, BRADBURY, DUARTE, MONROVIA AND SIERRA MADRE

“Destination Los Angeles”See pages 8 & 9

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REGULAR FEATURES

4 Events Calendar

4 From the CEO’s Desk Andrew Cooper, Chief Executive Officer

5 Attorney Comments Dave Freeman, AAR Legal Counsel

6 Market Matters

10 Through the Lens A Look at What’s Happening Around the AAR

ARCADIA ASSOCIATION STAFF

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

Michael Beltran Ext. 302 IT Director / Webmaster Michael@TheAAR.com

Patricia Burns Ext. 303 Director of Communications & Education Patricia@TheAAR.com Brenda Faltes Ext. 304 Director of Membership & Professional Standards Brenda@TheAAR.com Jamie Hu Ext. 309 Director of MLS Data Violations Jamie.Hu@TheAAR.com

Jane Shriver Ext. 301 Director of Association Services Jane@TheAAR.com

Laura Thai Ext. 304 Director of Broker Compliance & Member Outreach Laura@TheAAR.com

Andrew Cooper Ext. 308 Chief Executive Officer Andrew@TheAAR.com

{ Arcadia REALTOR® | November | Two Thousand and Fourteen | Volume Eighteen | Number Eleven}11.14

ArcadiaREALTOR®

November 2014

Arcadia Association of REALTORS®601 South First Avenue

Arcadia, California 91006626.446.2115

626.446.4072 FAXwww.TheAAR.com

2014 ASSOCIATION OFFICERSMike Vachani {President}

Joe Pacilio {President-Elect}Roy Blume {Vice-President}

Sylvia Ramos {Secretary/Treasurer}

2014 ASSOCIATION DIRECTORSMicah Adams

Ryan AsaoAndy Bencosme

Kelvin ChangMargaret Garemore

John LeeMark Ramos

Dave ScarminachIrene Yamagata -Bermudez

2014 C.A.R. DIRECTORSRyan Asao

Andy BencosmeRoy Blume

Margaret GaremoreJoe Pacilio

Randall TrawMike VachaniKelvin Wong

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ON THE COVER8 & 9 Destination Los Angeles A short recap of the NAR & AAR International Real Estate Conference held at the Pasadena Convention Center

ADDITIONAL CONTENT3 AAR Hosts CIEA Courses The AAR recently offered a 2-Day Commercial Investment Education Alliance course. A total of 23 attendees are now on their way to becoming Commercial Real Estate Experts!

12 Nominations Now Open for REALTOR® and Affiliate of the Year Awards The AAR is now accepting nominations for these coveted awards. Nomination forms due no later than Friday, December 5, 2014.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

A.A.R. Wins N.A.R. Platinum Award!

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CIEA students, including Instructor, George Monte, MBA, IA, CRB, CIPS, TRC, AHWD(in no particular order): Kathy Andrews, Mario Askary, Kam Chan, Jui-Yu (Michelle) Chen, Nong Chen, Jyiyi (Jeannie) Chiu, Virginia Chiu-Wong, Ber K. Gan, Mimi Goldstone, Pierre Khabbaz, Timothy Komlos, Eric Lee, Sunyoung McDermott, Katty Nguyen, Jack Pang, Jesus Pulido, Alex She, Tony Shou, Michelle Zhuang and Jade Zong.

Commercial CIEACIEA classes are skill based training and education in Commercial Real Estate. They are ideal for anyone starting a career in Commercial Real Estate or for those who simply want to increase their knowledge and

understanding of Commercial and Investment Real Estate.

The N.A.R. Platinum Award is the highest award given by N.A.R. for Global Business Council Achievement. The award is given for having demonstrated exceptional commitment to building members’ awareness of the global and multicultural business opportunities in their local markets.

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FROM THE CEO’S DESKI’m Thankful I Can Give Thanks

As we rush through life, especially this time of year around the holidays, it’s all too easy to forget what and who we already have in our lives and not

appreciate them. As Realtors®, affiliates and independent business owners we are goal-oriented by nature and as such we tend to live in the future by constantly looking on the horizon for new business. This is perfectly natural because as entrepreneurs that’s what we’re supposed to do. However, we should realize that always looking to the future will oftentimes cause us to lose sight of where we are today including not being thankful for everything we already have.

Some may respond to that thought with something like, “But I don’t have an escrow” or “I don’t have a listing, so what do I have to be thankful for?” If you are reading this article the chances are extremely high you are STILL active in the real estate industry and by still being in business we have the ability TODAY to make positive business resolutions that will lead to a profitable future. Resolve to join networking groups to interact with more non-industry people, resolve to make lots of additional contacts to prospective buyers and sellers, and resolve to wildly expand your book of business/sphere of influence. The resolutions that we can make are endless and bountiful - we just need to make those resolutions and execute upon them. Despite our degree of success (remember, success is relative) we should be thankful that we are still in business to be able to make smart resolutions and in turn we should be thankful for those in our lives who have supported us in our lives as Realtors® and affiliates.

In closing, while we can’t be certain of our future we can better predict it by the smart resolutions we make right now (and by the resolutions we won’t make). And likewise if we learn to appreciate more of what we already have, we will find ourselves having more to appreciate.

On behalf of the staff and your 2014 Board of Directors, we truly are thankful to all our members for being a valuable part of the Arcadia Association of Realtors® and we wish you all a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday.

November 2014

Andrew CooperChief Executive Officer

M 1 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - CRMLS Smart Desk & Smart Site Overview

T 2 11:00 a.m. - Global Real Estate Committee Mtg. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - zipForm Plus Training

W 3 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Events 4 Charity Auxiliary Mtg. 1:30 p.m. - Local Governmental Relations Committee Mtg.

Th 4 9:30 a.m. - Commercial / Investment Committee Mtg. 11:00 a.m. - Commercial Education & Networking Session

F 5 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - AAR Speech Masters

M 8 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - CRMLS Training

T 9 11:00 a.m. - YPN Committee Mtg.

W 12 8:00 a.m. - AAR Holiday Breakfast 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 8:45 a.m. - Affiliate Committee Mtg.

M 15 8:30 a.m. - New Member Orientation

T 16 1:30 p.m. - Budget and Finance Committee Mtg. 2:00 p.m. - Education Committee Mtg.

W 17 8:30 a.m. - MLS Caravan 9:30 a.m. - Equal / Housing Opportunity & Public Relations Committee Mtg. 1:30 p.m. - Local Governmental Relations Committee Mtg.

F 19 10:00 a.m. - Board of Directors 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - AAR Speech Masters

W 24 No MLS Caravan AAR Building Closes at 1:00 p.m.

Th 25 AAR Closed for the Christmas Holiday

F 26 AAR Closed for the Christmas Holiday

W 31 No MLS Caravan AAR Building Closes at 1:00 p.m.

December Events

AttorneyComments

By Dave Freeman, Association Counsel

November 2014

The Appellate Court held recently that the arbitration clause in an employment agreement was unenforceable, where the employer knew the employee could neither read nor understand English. The important point here is: if you know the Buyer or Seller doesn’t understand English, use a document in his/her language and have someone who speaks the language explain it. The documents are available from CAR in each of the local languages.

1. NEW LAWS (Pilot Programs, to last for 3-3 ½ Years):

A. SQUATTERS: (Lancaster, Palmdale and Ukiah): In these cities there has been a great deal of empty, frequently new houses. People have taken advantage and moved in, trespassing. But, if they have been there for a while, the owner must generally go through the lengthy and costly eviction process. Under the new law, the owner can file a complaint with the

local law enforcement, who will then notify the squatters, who have 48 hours to demonstrate their right to occupy or receive an injunction, and, possibly be arrested.

B. DRUG ACTIVITY- TENANTS: (Sacramento, Oakland and Los Angeles City): As with many cities, the city can issue an order to the Landlord to get rid of tenants, who are dealing or handling large amounts of drugs. The new law allows the Landlord to notify the city that he/she is afraid to deal with the allegedly dangerous tenants, and the city can take over the eviction process.

C. GUNS - TENANTS: (Long Beach): Similar to 1.B, above, but where the charge is illegal gun possession or other gun allegations, where the Landlord is concerned with his/her safety, should he/she begin eviction.

2. ASSIGNMENT – PURCHASE AGREEMENT: The new RPA coming in November will state, at paragraph 26, that the Buyer cannot assign the right to purchase to someone else, without first getting the approval of the Seller. As you know, the Buyers frequently include, “or Assignee,” in the Agreement. This can create a conflict that can involve courts, attorneys, and much time and attorney fees. It is best to clarify any such question in the counter-offer, so that both parties are signing a document that is consistent.

There is a new document for the purpose of effecting a valid Assignment, if the parties do agree: ASSIGNMENT OF AGREEMENT ADDENDUM (AOAA). Use it, when the parties agree to the assignment, but advise the first Buyer, who is assigning his rights to the second Buyer, that the first Buyer is not being released from liability by this agreement.

Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine5

You’ll Wonder How You Ever Lived Without These 9 Mobile Apps

We’re not going mobile anymore, we’ve gone mobile. And that’s a good thing! It means you can (and should) set up your business so you can manage it on the go. Doing so gives most clients exactly what they want: the ability to to do business anywhere at any time. Mobility makes life easier for your clients, but it can also make life easier for you. Here’s how:

Transform paper into PDFs

Too much paperwork is a major problem in real estate (and frankly, in life). Keeping it organized can be a major headache; heck, keeping it from getting lost in the bottom of an overstuffed briefcase is tough enough. Going paperless is the solution, but sometimes we find ourselves receiving important paperwork with a scanner miles away.

By Craig McClelland

(Continued on Page 11)

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MarketMatters

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

City Zip Code

Sales of Single Family

HomesPrice Median SFR ($1,000)

Price % Chg from Oct. 2013

Sales Count

Condos

Price Median Condo

($1,000)

Price & Chg from Oct. 2013

Median Home Price/

Sq. Ft.Alhambra 91801 7 $550 -6.8% 10 $414 4.7% $467Alhambra 91803 10 $473 -18.5% 2 $415 -0.6% $373Altadena 91001 39 $669 23.9% 2 $673 -19.0% $465Arcadia 91006 35 $1,245 28.7% 5 $679 -1.2% $512Arcadia 91007 12 $1,415 11.9% 14 $520 12.1% $652Azusa 91702 31 $355 3.2% 19 $318 39.8% $264Duarte 91010 13 $345 0.3% 2 $298 -10.5% $365El Monte 91731 6 $426 7.7% 1 $248 n/a $363El Monte 91732 10 $437 29.3% 10 $377 2.1% $300El Monte - South 91733 7 $410 -1.9% n/a n/a n/a $298Glendora 91740 16 $434 5.9% 10 $380 16.0% $347Glendora 91741 18 $500 -1.8% 2 $500 30.2% $365La Cañada Flintridge 91011 22 $1,295 9.9% 2 $793 n/a $598La Verne 91750 22 $585 19.3% 3 $183 -47.3% $310Monrovia 91016 28 $608 19.2% 8 $378 -26.0% $418Pasadena 91101 n/a n/a n/a 15 $480 -8.6% n/aPasadena 91103 8 $430 -30.6% 3 $525 -0.9% $360Pasadena 91104 30 $660 10.5% 1 $398 13.6% $463Pasadena 91105 11 $950 -6.4% 7 $655 4.0% $652Pasadena 91106 3 $498 -46.3% 14 $470 10.8% $457Pasadena 91107 22 $750 2.9% 7 $398 -17.6% $510Rosemead 91770 13 $438 -1.5% 3 $380 -8.4% $388San Gabriel 91775 18 $707 -1.8% 2 $301 n/a $483San Gabriel 91776 10 $685 40.3% 4 $329 -34.8% $352San Marino 91108 9 $1,625 -5.8% n/a n/a n/a $793Sierra Madre 91024 13 $808 -6.4% 2 $620 17.0% $479Temple City 91780 28 $692 6.4% 3 $640 -3.8% $410

Source: DQNews.com

October 2014

November 2014

7Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

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November 20148

Los AngelesDESTINATION

INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE

October 2, 2014 - Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, California

“Destination Los Angeles,” international real estate forum co-hosted by the National Association of REALTORS® and Arcadia Association of REALTORS® was held at the Pasadena Convention Center on October 2 and it was widely attended by REALTORS® from all over Southern California. The incredible lineup of speakers for the conference included: Jennifer Bonetto, Aaron Woodman, Mark Ivener, and Ronald Wong. Following the speakers was a rock star panel of mega-producer agents that included some of the top sellers both nationally and internationally; the panel was moderated by James Harris, star of the popular reality show “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” on Bravo TV. The panel hosted by Harris included agents Santiago Arana from Beverly Hills, Chris Cortazzo from Malibu , and Raju Chhabria from the South Bay. Thank you to all our valuable sponsors who made this event happen - their pictures are below!

9Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

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A Look at What’s Happening Around the AARthroughthe lens

10November 2014

Los Angeles County Boards of Real Estate (LACBOR)

2014CAR Expo

Lunch&

LearnHalloween Fright Day Breeder’s Cup 2014

11Arcadia REALTOR® Magazine

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So what do you do? My answer is to take a picture of each document as soon as I get it and scan it into my mobile device as a PDF. Here are three apps that can help you do that:

DocScan: With DocScan, you can crop and straighten your pictures, enhance your documents and group pages together for easy-to-use PDFs. All documents are shareable and exportable to Dropbox, Evernote and Google Docs. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.

Prizmo: Prizmo is cool because it lets you identify what kind of document you’re scanning - text, business card or image - and then groups them accordingly. It also has text-to-speech editing in 26 different languages. Cost: $9.99. Available for iOS.

Scanner Pro: Very highly rated by The New York Times, Scanner Pro also allows you to scan documents and easily share them. Using your built-in iOS camera, the app will recognize shadows and other visual defects and correct them. Cost: $6.99. Available for iOS and Android.

Upgrade your to-do list

Have you ever been that person driving down the road with your coffee cup on the roof of your car? We all have our disorganized moments, and it’s easy for them to become more frequent when we’re doing our job on the go, but, luckily, there’s a solution.

When it comes to keeping ourselves in control of our work, task management is essential. I’m a fan of the good old-fashioned to-do list. Keeping a running tally of everything you have to do within each transaction during the course of your day can help you stay on track. But, a list of tasks is just one more piece of paper to get in the way.

Next up on my to-do list: Make my list digital. These three apps can help:

Any.do: Use Any.do on your computer and on your phone to take advantage of seamless cloud sync, speech recognition, and time and location reminders. Stay tuned for the soon-to-come email and memo functions. Cost: Free. Available for iOS and Android.

Todoist: With Todoist you can share projects, assign tasks and collaborate with anyone else using the app. You can also track your productivity trends and access your tasks

even when you’re offline. Cost: Free. Available for iOS, Android and Windows.

Wunderlist: Wunderlist also lets you collaborate with family, friends or colleagues, and makes it easy to share and delegate tasks. You can attach photos, PDFs and projects to any task. Cost: Free. Available for iOS, Android and Windows.

Ensure clear communication

Don’t you hate feeling out of the loop? It drives me nuts. Especially when it comes to my business. The tough thing about real estate, though, is that you’re often waiting on pins and needles to get all of the information when it comes to a transaction. So, to eliminate those nail-biting moments, I make sure to stay on top of everything happening in my business. For me, that means ensuring clear communication amongst everyone in the company.

When it comes to transaction management and interoffice communication, these are the apps I turn to:

dotloop: The leading transaction management software, dotloop, is available through a mobile app with the ability to create loops, assign documents for signatures, and manage transaction progress. You can collaborate with anyone you add to a loop. Cost: Free. Available for iOS.

Tibbr: Tibbr is a social network for work. Post questions, updates or integrate with your other apps to collaborate on work. If you have a question for the team – don’t call or text them all. Just post it to Tibbr and start a conversation. Cost: Free. Available for iOS, Android and Windows.

Join.me: Start or join an online meeting no matter where you are with Join.me. You can share your screen, talk using VoIP, chat with participants at once, or individually and easily store files shared during a meeting. Cost: Free. Available for iOS, Android and Windows.

We’ve come a long way

We’ve come a long way since mobile phones were actually phones attached to our vehicles. We are a fully mobile nation, and as a result, real estate is heading towards being a fully mobile industry. It’s time to embrace the technology available to us and, trust me, once you find the mobile apps that fit your needs, you’ll wonder how you lived without them.

You’ll Wonder How You Ever Lived Without These 9 Mobile Apps(Continued from Page 5)

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

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

Romy S. Rahmanian, Attorney

(626) 869-878733 East Huntington Drive • Arcadia, CA 91006

Call today for a free consultation

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

romy@rahmanianlaw.com • www.RahmanianLaw.com

Dedicated to Providing High Quality Legal Services

(626) 869-8787

Call today for a free consultation

33 East Huntington Drive • Arcadia, CA 91006romy@rahmanianlaw.com • www.RahmanianLaw.com

The Arcadia Association of REALTORS® is now accepting nominations for the coveted REALTOR® and Affiliate of the Year Awards. Nomination forms are available at the AAR or on www.TheAAR.com. Nominations are due no later than Friday, December 5, 2014. For questions, please contact the

AAR at (626) 446-2115.

Nominations Now Open forREALTOR® and Affiliate

of the Year Awards