St. Augustine BOR Forward November Newsletter

On behalf of your MLS Board, I

am happy to announce that the

MLS subscription fee of $45 for

the month December, 2010, will

be eliminated. This one-time

savings of $45 per member

represents a total savings of

$36,810 for the entire

membership. This one-time

savings is made possible by

conservative fiscal

oversight by your Board, the

Finance Committee, and the

staff. Your Board has in the past

year been able to reduce staff,

eliminate costs, and make more

efficient use of your dues dollars.

Yet, at the same time, the quality

and quantity of the services have

been increased.

As we enter 2011, we pledge to

continue to make efficient use of

your dues dollars and to give you

the high level of service and

valued product to help make you

more successful in your chosen

profession as a REALTOR®

Thank you,

Andrew

Andrew Birchall, President

St. Augustine & St. Johns

County

MULTIPLE LISTING

SERVICE,INC.

D E C E M B E R , 2 0 1 0 M L S S U B S C R I P T I O N F E E

ST

. A

UG

US

TI

NE

&

S

T.

JO

HN

S C

OU

NT

Y B

OA

RD

O

F

RE

AL

TO

RS

®

N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 11

B O R F O R W A R D

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

O F F I C E R S &

D I R E C T O R S 2

C A L E N D A R 3

R E A L T O R ® / A F F I L I A T E

S P O T L I G H T 4

N E W M E M B E R S 5

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

W C R 8

G O G R E E N 9

T E C H T I P 1 0

F A L L E V E N T S 1 1

F O R M S I M P L I C I T Y 1 2

M E D I A T I O N T R A I N I N G 1 3

O C T O B E R G E N E R A L

M E M B E R S H I P M E E T I N G

1 4

1 5

A F F I L I A T E T R A D E

S H O W

1 6

1 7

1 S T A N N U A L C H I L I

C O O K - O F F

18

19

F E S T I V A L O F T R E E S 2 0

2 0 1 1 A N N U A L D U E S 2 1

W A L L Y C O N W A Y 2 2

M O N T H L Y

S T A T I S T I C S

2 3

D E C E M B E R

P R E V I E W S T A F F

C O N T A C T I N F O

2 4

BOR PUBLIC WEBSITE: www.stjohnsrealtors.com

Thanksgiving Issue

B O R F O R W A R D

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

BOARD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS BOARD OF REALTORS® MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC.

Chuck Pacetti, PRESIDENT Andrew Birchall, PRESIDENT

Homestar Pacetti Realty St. Augustine Realty

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

[email protected] [email protected]

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

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

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


Bob Mays, TREASURER Gene Johnson – SECRETARY

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

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


Kea Blalock, SECRETARY Robert West, TREASURER

SaltWater Property Group Premier Properties

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


DIRECTORS DIRECTORS

Arnold DeLorenzo (1) Robert Lindsey (1)

Olde Carriage Realty Lighthouse Realty

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


Edward Paucek (1) Katherine Delaney (1)

Moses Creek Realty Watson Realty

(O) 794-7787 (C) 669-6422 (O) 797-8600 (F)797-8606 (C) 669-2115


Winston Burrell (1) Joe Hatin (1)

Coldwell Banker Devonshire Realty Saltwater Property Group

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


Dianne Pittman (2) Tom Scheirer (2)

Watson Realty -US 1 / 32086 Scheirer & Scheirer Realty

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


Gayle Logan (2) Ian Edmonson (2)

Watson Realty—A1A Edmonson & Associates Real Estate, Inc

(O) 461-9066 (F) 461-9925 (C) 669-2778 (O) 315-0997


Judi Schuyler (2) Michael DeLorenzo, PAST PRESIDENT

Premier Properties Olde Carriage Realty

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


Teresa Mercurio, PAST PRESIDENT Chuck Pacetti, EX-OFFICIO

Re/Max 100 Realty Homestar Pacetti Realty

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


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

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


mailto:[email protected]






















V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

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

1st—Education Committee

9am

10th—Affiliate Committee

9am

11th—CLOSED FOR

VETERANS DAY

16th—Finance Committee

12pm

MLS Training 1pm

17th—iCE Road Map to A

Successful Closing4CE

9am

Public Relations

Committee 9:30am

MLS Board 12pm

18th—Technology

Committee 9am

Board Meeting 3pm

19th—Installation/

Festival of Trees

11:30am

25th— 26th CLOSED FOR

THANKSGIVING

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

Daylight

Savings

Time

8

9 10

11

Veterans Day

12 13

14 15

16 17 18 19 20

21

22

23 24 25

Thanksgiving

Day

26 27

28

29 30

November2010

R E A L T O R ® S P O T L I G H T – I R E N E A R R I O L A

A F F I L I A T E S P O T L I G H T — S I G N S N O W

B O R F O R W A R D

Irene Arriola

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

A hermit in her personal life, Irene Arriola

has spent the past fourteen years in the

very public eye of general real estate.

Based out of some of the Oldest City’s most

interesting locations, she has come home to

the intersection of Flagler College’s front

door, the lawns of the Lightner Museum and

in the shadow of the Villa Zorayda.

Incorporating a passion for the arts with a

desire to be a civically minded citizen, Irene

serves as a director for the St Johns

Cultural Council, as an advisor for Old City

Life Magazine, chairs the City of St

Augustine’s Code Enforcement Adjustment

and Appeals Board as well as being the

Secretary for the St Johns Housing

Partnership.

Indulging in her love for the written word,

she exercises her poetic license through the

marketing of the homes she represents as

well as in the Downtown Neighbors column

she crafts bi-weekly for the St Augustine

Record.

One of Irene’s favorite words is

independent and she finds that need

fulfilled at the downtown office of

Saltwater Property Group. Working in

a collaborative effort provides the

vehicle she needs to be informed and

au courant in order to stay on top of

market conditions. Education is

another prized word and she takes

advantage of the many opportunities

offered by the industry to keep

learning and improving her practice.

Married to Bert Hodge (AKA

Lonesome Bert) for as long as she can

remember, they make their home on

Magnolia Avenue in North City

under a canopy of live oaks.

Irene Arriola

Irene Arriola

Broker/Associate, GRI, CDPE

[email protected]

904.669.0691

Brad and Alein Brown have owned and

operated “Signs Now” since 2000. In 2007

they expanded to their current location at 1711

Lakeside Ave. St. Augustine FL. Brad,

originally from Palatka Fl. and Alein, originally

from Kentucky have been married since 1989.

They have 3 wonderful children, one is a Jr. at

the University of Florida, another is a senior

and the third is a freshman at Pedro Menendez

high school.

At “Signs Now” you’ll be able to explore

exciting graphics ideas that will help your

business stand out from the rest. After

carefully listening to your specifications; our

professionals will develop effective solutions to

meet your requirements for corporate image,

communication qualities, and durability. Our

enhanced customer service team and an

ever-expanding range of innovative signage

products are available to enhance the visual

appeal of your business!

Want to make a statement? “Signs Now”

St Augustine can promote your business with

high-quality signage, banners and graphics to

help your business rise above the

competition. Our options include full-color

digital graphics, banners, dimensional signs/

letters, ADA/Way finding systems, tradeshow

exhibits/displays, Real Estate and construction,

illuminated and digital signage. With signs

from our company, your options are virtually

limitless!

To find out more about what we can do

for your Real Estate needs, please

contact “Signs Now” St Augustine

today.

Brad Brown

Signs Now

904-810-5838

[email protected]

Brad Brown


S E P T E M B E R N E W M E M B E R S

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

JAMES CLAYDON NEXTAGE PALMS REALTY

Join Date 9/1/10 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS)

MICHAEL LILLY RICHMOND AMERICAN HOMES OF FL

Join Date 9/7/10 (Secondary BOR/Secondary MLS)

BARBARA JONES DELTONA REALTY

Join Date 9/10/10 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)

LINDSEY MAGUIRE FORREST REALTY, INC.


DONALD DELLA SALA COASTAL REALTY


PETER CRICHTON GOLD ST. AUGUSTINE TEAM REALTY


SUZIE ADAMS THE REAL ESTATE BOOK

Join Date 9/23/10 (Affiliate Membership)

STEVE ADAMS THE REAL ESTATE BOOK


DAVID STEVENS HOPE CONSULTING OF AMERICA


LINDA RISKUS HOPE CONSULTING OF AMERICA


“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Sincere apologies to Christopher Glochau - Champion Home Inspectors, join date 8/26/2010

Who accidentally was left off of the October Newsletter’s New Member list.

R P A C

B O R F O R W A R D

Victor J. Raymos & Edward George Victor J. Raymos, Ed Paucek

& Mayor Joe Boles

Victor J. Raymos, Ed Paucek

& Undine Pawlowski

C R A W F O R D P A R K D O N A T I O N

M A R C U S W A L L Y

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

Victor J. Raymos, Chuck Pacetti, Andrew Birchall

Diane Quick & Bill Cook Victor J. Raymos, Andrew Birchall, Bill Cook

Chuck Pacetti & Diane Quick

“The difference

between the

impossible and

the possible lies

in a person's

determination.”

S T . J O H N S B U I L D E R S C O U N C I L

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

C O D E O F E T H I C S

Every REALTOR® is required to complete 2 1/2 hours of Code of Ethics training. REALTORS® who have completed this training as a requirement of membership in another association are not required to complete additional ethics training until the next four year cycle.

Failure to comply with this required ethics training is a violation of a membership duty for which the member’s primary association will suspend membership until the training is complete.

Leona Brown—Director

1789 Lakeside Avenue

St. Augustine, FL 32084

www.stjohnsbuilderscouncil.com

What this means for a REALTOR® who is suspended for not meeting the Ethics Training Requirement is that all the rights, privileges and services he/she is entitled to receive because he/she is a REALTOR® are suspended until he/she satisfies the training requirement. If he/she meets the requirement the next day, then his/her rights, privileges and services are restored the next day. While suspended, though, his/her ob-ligation to abide by the Code of Ethics continues, as does the obligation to pay dues.

The St. Johns Builders Council would like to thank all those that

participated in their 2010 Charity Golf Tournament which was

held at Marsh Creek County Club on November 1st.

Congratulations to the winning team!

Brad Brown (Signs Now), Jack Ratkovic, Scott Benson & George Scheidker

(Saltwater Properties). Also pictured is Seymoine Schmidt

Checks were presented to the Veterans of

Foreign War & SJHP for Toby Hainesworth

Picture of color guard (above)

Bill Lazar & Leona Brown (below)

B O R F O R W A R D

BRATINI -

Thank you to all of the sponsors, models, artists, auction donors, attendees, and committee members who worked on this very special event. You helped raise funds

for our local WCR chapter’s education opportunities and to help Art Breakers care for their cancer patients.

See lots of great pictures on our website at wcrstaugustine.org

W C R

St Augustine Regional Chapter’s vision in the coming year is of leadership growth. We believe

effective leadership skills are absolutely necessary in adapting to changes in any market. Are you

a leader in your market niche? Are you a leader in your office? Are you a leader in your area of

expertise? Are you a leader in the art of negotiation? Are you a leader in your community? Do

you possess a leader’s ability to see opportunities rather than road blocks? Do you have the power

to take your business to the next level? Well, “Get on Board” with WCR as we build a leadership

program designed to develop skills for the future.

President

Patsy Wilson

Keller Williams Realty 904-501-9331

[email protected]

President Elect

John Whitesell

Keller Williams Realty 904-495-3973

[email protected]

Vice President of Membership

Ann King

Prudential Network Realty 904-806-3865

[email protected]

Treasurer

Greg Strump

SunSpections 904-495-5048

[email protected]

Secretary

Tony Bosco Watson Realty, Corp.

904-553-0240

[email protected]






Baby It's Cold Outside! As the seasons begin to change your family migrates indoors for the winter, a lot of energy can be wasted to keep your family and your home comfortable. Between 40 and 70% of all home energy is wasted, but we could save about half of that by buying efficient appliances and taking energy-saving measures.

The 10 Biggest Energy Users

And here are some inexpensive solutions to consider:

Cover your air conditioner: If you can’t remove your window unit, consider covering it both inside and out. Besides protecting your air-conditioning unit, these covers also help keep cold air from entering your home through the space around the air-conditioner, cutting heating costs.

Caulk it: Small spaces and gaps around windows and pipes and wires entering the home create create energy wasting drafts that can cut the efficiency of your heating system. Most caulking products cost under $10; rope caulk, one of the easiest types to apply, sells for about $4 for 40 or 50 feet.

Block drafts: Draft blockers are foam plates that fit behind light switches and electrical outlets to reduce drafts that enter through those spaces. You can get a packet of 10 for about $3 and they're easy to install with just a screwdriver.

Install heat reflectors: These are thin sheets that fit behind radiators, to reflect heat away from the wall and into the room, thereby maximizing each radiator’s efficiency.

Upgrade your thermostat: Changing your thermostat to a programmable one allows you to control the temperature in your home at different times of the day without you being home. Keep the heat off when you're out of the house and set it to turn back up before you get home. Some also have a second set of settings for weekends, when people usually spend more time at home. The thermostats range from $90 to $175, but can save 12% or more on your energy bill and pay for itself within three years.

Reflective Window Film: Place these thin, plastic sheets directly on the inside of window panes and glass doors. The film reflects inside heat back into your home, reducing the amount that is conducted outside through windows. The film costs about $10 a window and is easy to put on -- it adheres to the window directly, or with the help of water from a spray bottle.

Storm Window Kits: It can be expensive to have storm windows installed throughout your house, but there is a less-expensive alternative. Storm window kits consist of plastic film or sheets to cover the window. Attaching the plastic is done with tape or tacks. Prices range from about $3 to $10 per window.

Weatherstripping: Create a tight seal around all your windows to reduce heated and cooled air from escaping outside. Weatherstrips are plastic, foam, felt or rubber strips that fit around window and door frames with a self-adhesive backing. Prices vary, but average about $5 per window or door.

Need More Help? The Home Energy Saver allows you to enter information about your home and compute what specific changes would result in energy and enviromental savings.

www.homeenergysaver.lbl.gov

F A L L G R E E N T I P S

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

· Water

heaters · Refrigerators · Freezers

· Air

conditioners

· Ranges · Clothes washers · Clothes dryers · Dishwashers

· Portable heaters · Lights

http://www.homeenergysaver.lbl.gov/

http://www.homeenergysaver.lbl.gov/

Confused about Search Engine Optimization? I have heard a lot of

questions from agent such as ―how can I improve my search engine

rankings? What kind of keywords should I put in my anchor text?

What are back links and where do I get them? ―

The main elements to getting top search engines rankings from your

website are:

Content, Content and Content. They say Content is king, so be

sure to have good, well-written and unique content that will

focus on your primary keyword or keyword phrase.

If content is king, then links are queen. Build a network of quality

back links using your keyword phrase as the link. Remem-

ber, if there is no good, logical reason for that site to link to

you, you don’t want the link. You may just want to find out

how many people on the Web have linked to your home

page. To do this, go to Alta Vista and enter a search for:

link:http://mybacklink.com

Substitute your own home page address for

"mybacklink.com". Alta Vista will tell you how many sites link

to you and return the list so that you can find out which

sites link to you. (Note that the Alta Vista list provides only

those links to your site that they have currently indexed.)

Here are 12 tips that I have found from my research to help

improve your rankings:

1. Fresh content can help improve your rankings. Add new,

useful content to your pages on a regular basis. Content

freshness adds relevancy to your site in the eyes of the

search engines.

2. Search engines like unique content that is also quality con-

tent. There can be a difference between unique content and

quality content. Make sure your content is both.

3. If your site content doesn’t change often, your site needs a

blog because search spiders like fresh text. Blog at least

three times a week with good, fresh content to feed those

little crawlers.

4. When optimizing your blog posts, optimize your post title tag

independently from your blog title.

5. Focus on search phrases, not single keywords, and put your

location in your text (―our Palm Springs store‖ not ―our

store‖) to help you get found in local searches.

6. Search engines want natural language content. Don’t try to

stuff your text with keywords. It won’t work. Search engines

look at how many times a term is in your content and if it is

abnormally high, will count this against you rather than for

you.

7. Use keywords and keyword phrases appropriately in text

links, image ALT attributes and even your domain name.

8. Use the words ―image‖ or ―picture‖ in your photo ALT de-

scriptions and captions. A lot of searches are for a keyword

plus one of those words.

9. Give link love, Get link love. Don’t be stingy with linking out.

That will encourage others to link to you.

10. Be sure links to your site and within your site use your key-

word phrase. In other words, if your target is ―blue widgets‖

then link to ―blue widgets‖ instead of a ―Click here‖ link.

11. When link building, think quality, not quantity. One single,

good, authoritative link can do a lot more for you than a

dozen poor quality links, which can actually hurt you.

12. Not only should your links use keyword anchor text, but the

text around the links should also be related to your key-

words. In other words, surround the link with descriptive

text.

SEO is not a one-shot process, it takes continuous work. The search

landscape changes daily, so expect to work on your optimization

daily.

Marjorie Taylor

Broker-Associate,

Watson Realty Corp.

www.MarjorieTaylor.net

[email protected]

DIRECT 904-591-9121

T E C H N O L O G Y C O M M I T T E E ― T E C H T I P ‖ 1 2 E A S Y S E O T I P S

B O R F O R W A R D

http://marjorietaylor.net/

www.MarjorieTaylor.net


S T . A U G U S T I N E F A L L / T H A N K S G I V I N G E V E N T S

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

November 22

15th ANNUAL NIGHTS OF LIGHTS LIGHTING CEREMONY

Join in the opening ceremonies for the 15th Annual Nights of Lights in St. Augustine’s historic Plaza de la Constitucion. Named one of the American Bus Association’s 2007 Top 100

events in North America, Nights of Lights is a two-month long celebration of the Holiday Season. After a high-energy musical performance beginning at 4:30 p.m., the lighting ceremony

gets underway at 6:30 p.m. when a single flick of a switch will bathe the historic district in the soft glow of two million lights. For more information call 800.653.2489 or visit

www.nightsoflights.com.

November 22 – December 28

SANTA’S BIG RED CHRISTMAS TRAIN TOUR

Chug along on a festive special Nights of Lights tour aboard Santa's Big Red Train. Sing along with the holiday music and enjoy the millions of brilliant lights bedazzling St.

Augustine. Tours depart from 3 Cordova Street and Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, located at 19 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine from 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday

through December 28. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children. For more information, call 904.824.1606 or visit www.redtrains.com.

November 22

FREEDOM TRAIL TOURS

Embark on a narrated tour of St. Augustine’s Civil Rights Landmarks – Freedom Trail. Featuring the many St. Augustine sites and homes that played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights

movement of 1964, the tours take place at 10 a.m. and noon. Tours depart from Excelsior African American Cultural Museum, 102 M. L. King Avenue in St. Augustine. Donations of

$15 for adults and $7 for students will go toward sponsoring the 40th ACCORD’s efforts to erect a second set of Freedom Trail markers. For tickets and more information call

904.825.1194 or 904.823.9688 or visit www.accordfreedomtrail.org.

November 22

ZOO SNOOZE: GOBBLE, GOBBLE, SNOOZE

Ever wondered what the zoo is like at night? Come have an unforgettable experience with a late night tour of the St. Augustine Alligator Farm’s nocturnal beasties, then let the night-

time animal chorus sing you to sleep. This program is appropriate for children ages 7 to 12 years old and includes pizza, hands-on animal presentations, a twilight zoo tour, a craft,

nocturnal games, late night snack, continental breakfast and lots of fun! The fun begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 9 a.m. the next morning! The cost to participate is $50 for members, $60

for non- members. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information, call 904.824.3337 x 29 or visit www.alligatorfarm.com.

November 23

WASHINGTON OAKS KAYAK TOUR

Explore Longs Creek and the Matanzas Estuary nestled in 25,000 contiguous acres of preserved Florida habitat in one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet. Observe the

active fisheries during a very productive time of the year with regular dolphin sightings and beautiful birds. No experience required. The fee is $45 per person and the tour leaves from

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park at 9:00 and runs until 11 a.m. For more information, call 904.347.1565 or reserve online at www.RippleEffectEcotours.com.

November 28 – December 7

CLASSIC PATRICK SHOWSTOPPERS AT LIMELIGHT THEATRE

Come hear the classic sounds of some of the greatest Motown legends when Patrick Robinson brings his successful cabaret show back to the Limelight Theatre. Performances will be

held on Limelight’s Koger-Gamache Studio Theatre located at 11 Old Mission Avenue in St. Augustine. The show takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30p.m.,

and Sunday at 2 p.m., Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for seniors and $20 for students and military. For more information, call 904.825.1164 or visit www.limelight-theatre.org.

November 28 – January 31

HOLLY JOLLY TROLLEY TOUR

Enjoy the Nights of Lights from the cozy comfort of the Holly Jolly Trolley! Nightly tours feature festive caroling, hot apple cider and homemade cookies. Handcrafted by Santa’s elves,

the magical viewing glasses given to each guest will add even more sparkle to this amazing holiday light show. The trolley departs from the main Visitor Information Center in St.

Augustine. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12 --under 6 are free. For more information, call 904.829.3800 or www.trolleytours.com.

November 28-January 3

THE QUILTMAKER’S GIFT AT WINTER WONDERLAND

Experience the heartwarming play, The Quiltmaker’s Gift, while enjoying the St. Augustine Amphitheatre’s Winter Wonderland. Appropriate for all ages, this magical story illustrates

what is most important in life – perfect for the holidays! The 30-minute production takes the stage every Friday and Saturday night at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. through January

3. Tickets are $5 and are available the day of the show at the Amphitheatre or one hour before each show at the Veddy Theatre ticket booth near the skating rink. For more informa-

tion, go to www.veddytheatre.org or email [email protected].

November 29

ASHU SAXOPHONE & PIANO DUO

Get saxy at this musical performance by Ashu at the Flagler College Auditorium. Ashu’s saxophone repertoire ranges from original works by Ibert, Debussy, and Villa-Lobos to his own

arrangements of Piazzolla, Rachmaninov and Morricone, Ashu aims to bring the concert saxophone to a broader audience. Performance begins at 8 p.m. at the Flagler College Audito-

rium located on Granada Street in St. Augustine. Tickets are $22 per person. For more information, call 904.797.2800 or visit www.emmaconcerts.com.

November 29

UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT

Experience a favorite end-of-the-month event -- Uptown Saturday Night! From 5 to 9 p.m., the galleries, antique stores and unique shops between Ripley’s Museum and the Mission of

Nombre de Dios in St. Augustine’s Uptown San Marco Shopping District remain open during this special evening. Meet-the-artists, book signings, live music, refreshments and other

events contribute to the party-like atmosphere – plus, great food will be provided by the St. Augustine Independent Restaurant Association. The Mission of Nombre de Dios provides

FREE PARKING for the event. The event is sponsored by the San Marco Avenue Merchants Association. For more information, call 904.824.3152 or visit www.Getaway4Florida.com/

Uptown.

November 29 & 30

FALL ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL

Come enjoy one of St. Augustine’s favorite annual art events. See art created from lace to limestone and crayons to crystal. This juried art festival takes place at Francis Field behind

the St. Augustine Downtown Historic Parking Facility located on West Castillo Drive in St. Augustine. The festival is sponsored by the St. Augustine Art Association and takes place

from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is a $1 donation. For more information, call 904.824.2310 or visit www.staaa.org

http://www.nightsoflights.com/

http://www.redtrains.com/

http://www.accordfreedomtrail.org/

http://www.alligatorfarm.com/

http://www.rippleeffectecotours.com/

http://www.limelight-theatre.org/

http://www.trolleytours.com/

http://www.veddytheatre.org/


http://www.emmaconcerts.com/

http://www.getaway4florida.com/Uptown

http://www.getaway4florida.com/Uptown

http://www.staaa.org/

B O R F O R W A R D

Tips for Making the Move to Form Simplicity….Simple!

Florida Realtors currently provides two member options for forms services: Form Simplicity and TransactionDesk. Beginning Jan. 1, 2011, Form Simplicity will become the state association's exclusive members' form service.

1.) Make sure your computer is updated for Form Simplicity

2.) Start all your new transactions in Form Simplicity today!

3.) Brokers:

Send us your Brokerage-specific forms for upload into Form Simplicity. We can program them to auto-populate from your MLS and

synchronize with all of the forms in the library.

Set up your Brokerage-wide packages and clauses

Encourage your agents to begin using Form Simplicity for all new transactions

Sign-up to receive the free Broker beta upgrade if you haven’t already done so. With the Broker beta upgrade, you can designate team leaders, create accounts for your assistants, create sales teams and control which forms and files your agents may delete. Contact Daniela Rogic at [email protected] for more information.

4.) Verify that your membership records are correct for proper access to Form Simplicity

5.) Export your transactions from your current forms software vendor Download the ―Import Export Help Guide‖. (login required.)

6.) Help is just a phone call away

The Florida Realtors Technology Helpline team is ready to help you transition your archived transactions to Form Simplicity and make Form Simplicity an integral part of your business. Call 407.587.1450, Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Please have your membership information handy (either your FREC license number or NRDS number). Or you can access this free service via email for computer support questions or chat for live computer support.

Discover why thousands of Realtors trust and use Form Simplicity every day.

Unlimited faxing of forms through 2010.

Print forms without creating transactions.

Populate your forms with data from your association's MLS database.

Archive your transaction online - no more storage boxes needed.

Revise data on one form and the common fields on all other forms automatically update.

Develop standard forms packages for planned transactions.

Store forms, flyers and documents in one place.

Upload your customized files, documents and photos.

Forms updates are automatic.

Web based - no software to install.

Add clauses to a form with one mouse click.

Access technical support via phone, chat or e-mail.

Broker Features

Access your agent's transactions. Create brokerage-wide packages and clauses, Add your forms into the library, Control which forms are available to your agents



M E D I A T I O N T R A I N I N G

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

O C T O B E R G E N E R A L M E M B E R S H I P M E E T I N G

B O R F O R W A R D

Chuck Pacetti, Roy Barnes

& Marlene Lagasse

Victor J. Raymos & Andrew Birchall Andrew Birchall, Chuck Pacetti & Patti Fitzgerald Victor J. Raymos, Andrew Birchall & Chuck Pacetti

Andrew Birchall & Chuck Pacetti Andrew Birchall

Ed Paucek, Ron Barry, Andrew Birchall, Chuck Pacetti &

Bill Thew

Dirk Schroeder, Ken Bryan& Andrew Birchall Sheriff David Shoar

Chuck Pacetti & Patti Fitzgerald Andrew Birchall, Chuck Pacetti,

& David Shoar

Paula Silberberg, Gayle Logan, Rob West, Roy Barnes,

Dianne Pittman, Teresa Mercurio & Judi Schuyler

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

O C T O B E R G E N E R A L M E M B E R S H I P M E E T I N G

Chuck Pacetti, Attorney William D. Brinton w Rogers Towers &

Chris Hagan w Northeast Florida Builders Association Chuck Pacetti & Ed Paucek

Josh Silvis & Nancy Estevez

Ed Paucek, Ron Barry, Andrew Birchall, Chuck Pacetti, Bill Thew, Paula

Silberberg, Gayle Logan, Roy Barnes, Rob West & Judi Schuyler

Leona Brown, Beth Ruggeri &

Allison Barlow

Chuck Pacetti, Bill Thew, Paula Silberberg, Rob West,

Roy Barnes & Dianne Pittman

Chuck Pacetti & Patti Fitzgerald

It’s a full House!

A F F I L I A T E T R A D E S H O W

B O R F O R W A R D

Allison Barlow & Janine Rinderknecht

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Marlene Lagasse– Estate Title Mary Mergener—1st Coast Pool Service

Vickie Lake- 1st FL Insurance Karl Vierck– Alarion Bank

Christopher Glochau -

Champion Home Inspectors

Dave Hall & Marjorie Taylor- Listing Solutions

Dominic Mercurio-

Hasty’s Carpets

Cathy Pruitt & Stephen Jones

Herbie Wiles Insurance

John Valdes- John Valdes

& Associates, Inc.

Kaye, Jim & Jared Biby—Show Homes

Jim Marshall, Jim Euliss– Maronda Homes

Courtney & Suzanne Trefry–

Member Benefits

T R A D E S H O W

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

Vickie Rianda_ Island Title Jessica Glass & Holly Yelton—SunTrust

Ron Gelinas—BB&T

Claudia

Kiernan—

IPX 1031

Investment

Property

Barbara Collins, Stephen Collins

& Antoinette Bonafede– Land Title of America

Josh Silvis, Chris Dods

Matt Rocco & Hope Consulting

Joy Tomlinson, Bob Mays,

Victor J. Raymos & Andrew Birchall

Gene Johnson & Ron Gelinas

Wayne

Williamson,

Maria &

Nicholas

Gelinas

RMG Mortgage

Mary Mergener

Suzie Adams—The Real Estate Book

Bill Thew 1st Place

1 S T A N N U A L C H I L I C O O K O F F

B O R F O R W A R D

Greg Strump—2nd Place

Mary Mergener—3rd Place

I would like to thank all of the Committee Members that helped out and made the trade show and chili cook off a great success.

The chili cook-off and judging went without a hitch and I would like thank the following: Dianne Pittman of Watson

Realty handled all of the judging, certificates, paperwork, clean up and still had time to enter a Chili in the cook-off.

Ron Barry for room set up and handling the mic for the trade show and clean up.

Bill Crosby for room set up.

Vicky Lake collecting and setting the chafing dishes out, clean up and entering a Chili in the cook-off.

Seymoine Schmidt for shopping and putting together the Baskets awarded to the winners of the Chili cook-off and

entering a Chili in the cook-off.

Janine Rinderknecht for entering a Chili in the cook-off

Rick Mcchesney for collecting the crackers and mapping the room out.

Vicki Rianda for entering a Chili and clean up.

Greg Strump for being the host of the chili area during the trade show, clean up and entering a Chili that won 2nd place.

My heartfelt thanks to all of the above member’s of the Board of Realtors. Remember them when doing business, as they give back

to your board.

Marlene Lagasse

Affiliate Chair

Estate Title of St. Augustine

1 S T A N N U A L C H I L I C O O K O F F

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

Seymoine Schmidt - FCB Mortgage Vickie Lake - First Florida Insurance Network

Dianne Pittman - Watson Realty Vicki Rianda - Short Sale Solutions

Ron Barry - St. Augustine Team Realty Janine Rinderknecht -Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Greg Strump - SunSpections Karl Vierck - Alarion bank

Rick McChesney - Watson Realty Bill Crosby - C-21 St. Augustine Properties

3 R D A N N U A L F E S T I V A L O F T R E E S

B O R F O R W A R D

2 0 1 1 A N N U A L D U E S

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

T H E P E R F E C T T I M E F O R N O H O M E I N S P E C T I O N ?

B Y W A L L Y C O N W A Y

B O R F O R W A R D

FREE In-Office

Presentations

Mold, Asbestos, Lead, Radon, Infrared Technol-

ogy, Wind, Chinese Drywall – what’s all the fuss

about?

Have Wally Conway show you how to reduce your

liability and increase sales!

Call HomePro today to learn how to protect your

―assets‖

904-268-8211

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

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

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

every exclusive 5 Star Inspection™ Package. Call for your 5 Star Inspection today –

904-268-8211.

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

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

―Finders Fixers‖, and host of The Home and Garden radio show on WOKV AM 690 and

106.5 FM. And don’t forget to pick up Wally’s book, ―Secrets of the Happy Home

Inspector‖, available at GoHomePro.com or Amazon.com. Book Wally for your next

speaking event today!

!So you’ve been working with a buyer for months, visiting

house after house. Finally! A decision is made! It’s a

foreclosure, so you put in the offer, and wait. And wait. One

day the offer is accepted! Since the deal is a foreclosure, it’s

obviously an ―as is‖ purchase, so your buyer asks if the home

inspection and WDO inspection are really necessary.

You think silently to your self – that would be nice, less to deal

with. No meeting the WDO inspector, no letting in the home

inspector.

So is this the perfect time NOT to do the proper inspections?

Of course not! Buying a home under ―normal‖ real estate

conditions is risky enough. There is a lot for your client to

consider. But when dealing with distressed properties, it’s

more important than ever to protect your buyer, which in turn

will protect you as the REALTOR.

Here are but a few reasons for all real estate professionals to

encourage their clients the have all the proper inspections,

even if the home is being purchased ―as is‖:

Now more than ever it’s a ―buyer beware‖ environment. As

a professional real estate agent, it’s important to

have your buyer’s best interest at the top of your

mind. Most distressed homes are sold under short

due diligence timeframes. Yet many of these

properties contain unpleasant surprises that may not

always be obvious, and can be very costly to repair.

Vacant homes have often been broken into and

vandalized. Fixtures, copper wires, heating and air

units, and other items may have been stolen – these

conditions can only be found when an inspector goes

into those places that most buyers will not venture

(crawlspaces and/or attics).

Many foreclosure homes are vandalized by their previous

owners out of frustration. Cement down the toilet,

electrical outlets disconnected, wires cut in the attic,

and booby traps are just a few of the things people

have done before leaving their home. Again, things

that can’t be discovered just by walking around – it

takes a professional inspector to find these things.

Even if the previous homeowners did not vandalize the

home, most do not have the financial strength to

properly maintain the home. Neglect and deferred

maintenance are common when the mortgage can’t

be paid. Even minor routine maintenance gets

ignored, which can cause systems in the home to age

prematurely, leading to costlier repairs and faster

replacements down the road.

Deferred maintenance often leads to moisture intrusion and

mold issues in vacant homes. Pest infestations are

common in distressed properties, from snakes to mice,

bats, bees, termites, and raccoons.

Back to our original question - since the deal is a foreclosure, it’s

obviously an ―as is‖ purchase, so are the home inspection and

WDO inspection really necessary expenses?

Absolutely! A thorough inspection process is essential to educate

the buyer about their new home, so they have a clear picture of the

situation. Don’t skimp on a cheap inspection service – only an

in-depth inspection can discover many of the issues often present

in a foreclosure; your buyer will get what they pay for! Ultimately,

the role of the inspector in a distressed property transaction is to

inform and teach the buyer about all the aspects of their new

home, so they can live happily in it for years to come.

Buyers who are encouraged by their REALTOR to conduct every

piece of due diligence possible will be happier with that REALTOR,

because they will have a greater knowledge and understanding of

the property’s condition. And that buyer will know that you have

their best interest at heart, making for a client for years to come!

M O N T H L Y S T A T I S T I C S R E P O R T S T . A U G U S T I N E & S T . J O H N S C O U N T Y B O A R D O F R E A L T O R S

0 9 / 0 1 / 2 0 1 0 — 0 9 / 3 0 / 2 0 1 0

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

V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 1 1

Sep-10 Sep-09 % Change YTD 2010 YTD 2009 % Change

Residential YTD

New Listings 377 386 -2.33% 3763 2691 39.83%

Sold Listings 152 137 10.94% 1560 1301 19.90%

Vol. Sold Listings $30,567,643.00 $ 26,911,563.00 13.58% $313,851,779.00 $278,650,847.00 12.63%

Avg. Sell Price $ 201,102.91 $ 196,434.77 2.37% $ 201,187.04 $ 214,182.05 -6.06%

Avg. Day on Market 153 174 -11.93% 149 158 -5.80%

Lots and Land

New Listings 93 75 24.00% 887 658 34.80%

Sold Listings 11 15 -26.66% 125 88 42.04%

Vol. Sold Listings $ 808,400.00 $ 1,690,000.00 -52.16% $ 11,330,602.00 $ 12,127,477.00 -6.57%

Avg. Sell Price $ 73,490.91 $ 112,666.67 -34.77% $ 90,644.82 $ 137,812.24 -34.22%

Avg. Day on Market 107 200 -46.44% 160 221 -27.54%

Commercial/

Industrial

New Listings 17 18 -5.55% 114 94 21.27%

Sold Listings 3 2 50.00% 19 9 111.11%

Vol. Sold Listings $ 3,980,000.00 $ 680,000.00 485.29% $ 9,123,500.00 $ 2,959,200.00 208.30%

Avg. Day on Market 1 783 -99.82% 170 316 -46.19%

Multi-Family

New Listings 3 6 -50.00% 55 53 3.77%

Sold Listings 0 1 -100.00% 16 21 -23.80%

Vol. Sold Listings $ - $ 225,000.00 -100.00% $ 3,935,525.00 $ 4,910,701.00 -19.85%

Avg. Sell Price $ - $ 225,000.00 -100.00% $ 245,970.31 $ 233,842.90 5.18%

Avg. Day on Market 0 80 -100.00% 155 259 -40.23%

Total

New Listings 490 485 1.03% 4820 3496 37.87%

Sold Listings 166 155 7.09% 1720 1419 21.21%

Vol. Sold Listings $35,356,043.00 $ 29,506,563.00 19.82% $338,241,406.00 $298,648,225.00 13.25%

Avg. Sell Price $ 212,988.21 $ 190,364.92 11.88% $ 196,651.98 $ 210,463.87 -6.56%

Avg. Day on Market 147 184 -19.77% 150 165 -8.79%

Search Criteria

Date Range 09/01/2010, 09/30/2010

Board 2825

ALL INFORMATION DEEMED RELIABLE BUT NOT GUARANTEED

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

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

DECEMBER 2010 PREVIEW

1st COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE 8:30AM

2nd VACANT LAND CONTRACT 9:00AM

3rd FR/BAR CONTRACT 9:00AM

6th EDUCATION COMMITTEE 9:00AM

7th RPAC COMMITTEE 12:00PM

8th AFFILIATE COMMITTEE 9:00AM

9th BOARD ORIENTATION 9:00AM

10th CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST 8:30AM

13th TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE 9:00AM

14th FINANCE COMMITTEE 12:00PM

MLS TRAINING 1:00PM

15th PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE 9:30AM

LISTING AGREEMENT 9:00AM

MLS BOARD 12:00PM

16th BOARD MEETING 12:00PM

24th CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS

Main Office:

1789 Lakeside Ave.

St. Augustine, FL 32084

or

210 Office

140 Gateway Cir. Ste. 3

St Johns, FL 32259

Main Office

Phone: 904-829-8738

Fax: 904-823-9512

or

210 Office

Phone: 904-829-2704

Fax: 904-829-2706

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

Main Office Staff

Victor J. Raymos, RCE

[email protected]

Association Executive

Professional Standards

Sharon Lainhart

[email protected]

Membership and Finance

Lise Hays

[email protected]

Education /SUPRA

Membership/Newsletter/Website

Branch Office Staff

Carla King

[email protected]

MLS , Website updates

Just like the Board of REALTORS® is

your Board, this is YOUR newsletter! We

can’t do this without you!

FR Legal Hotline

407-438-1409

FR Tech Hotline

407-587-1450

If you have an event you would like to

mention in the Board newsletter or would

like to see something in the BOR

Forward, please contact Lise’ Hays at the

Board Office by calling 904-829-8738 or

by email at

[email protected]

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

/ R E A L T O R P A G E S . H T M L


mailto:[email protected]?subject=Membership%20/%20Finance%20Question%20



mailto:[email protected]?subject=newsletter%20article

St. Augustine BOR Forward November Newsletter

Documents

Transcript of St. Augustine BOR Forward November Newsletter