st augustine & st johns county bor forward january 2013 newsletter

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J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 3

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1

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 :

Officers & Directors 2

Calendar 3

REALTOR/Affiliate Spotlight

4

New Members 5

February Events in St Augustine

6-7

Builder Council News 8

Go Green 9

Tech Tip 10

Presidents Message 11

Installation / Festival of Trees 12-17

Affiliates 18-19

Committee Chair Updates 22-24

S.A.F.E Article 26

FR Mid-Winters Conference 27

Wally Conway 28

Monthly Statistics 29

Message from the Board 30

February Preview Staff Contact Information

32

Annual Christmas Breakfast 20-21

Advertisement 31

2003 Dues Grace Period 25

BOR PUBLIC WEBSITE: www.stjohnsrealtors.com

Happy New Year

B O R F O R W A R D

BOARD OF REALTORS® Roy Barnes Jr., PRESIDENT St. Augustine Realty (O) 8243331 / (F) 8252685/ (C ) 6691430 [email protected] Andrew Birchall, PRESIDENTELECT St. Augustine Realty (O) 8243331 / (F) 8252685/ (C ) 3923362 [email protected] Roberta Odom SECRETARY Re/Max 100 Realty (O) 4619500 (F) 4619501 (C ) 4660114 [email protected] Dianne Pittman – TREASURER Watson Realty (US1) O) 7978600 (F) 7978606 (C ) 5409644 [email protected]

DIRECTORS Rick McChesney (2)

Coldwell Banker Premier Properties (O) 4714204 (F) 4714216 (C ) 3474040

[email protected] John Taylor (2) Awesome Real Estate, Inc. (O ) 4290600 (F) 4290601 (C ) 6697967 [email protected] Bill Thew (2) Olde Carriage Realty (O) 8244500 (F) 8246866(C ) 3476736 [email protected] Gayle Logan (1) Watson Realty (A1A) (O) 4619066 (F) 4619925 (C) 6692778 [email protected] Judi Schuyler (1) Coldwell Banker Premier Properties (O) 4714204 (F) 4714216 (C ) 6690788 [email protected] Sean Hess (1) St. Augustine Team Realty (O) 8250099 (F) 5139264 (C ) 3868327 [email protected]

Chuck Pacetti , PASTPRESIDENT Homestar Pacetti Realty (O) 8270600 / (F) 8199907 / (C ) 6695000 [email protected] Dirk Schroeder , ExOfficio Century 21 St. Augustine Properties (O) 7976000 (F) 7977963/ (C ) 5402360 [email protected] Victor J. Raymos, Exofficio (O) 8298738 (F) 8239512 (C) 5052208683 [email protected]

MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC. Dirk Schroeder , PRESIDENT Century 21 St. Augustine Properties (O) 7976000 (F) 7977963/ (C ) 5402360 [email protected] Katherine Delaney , PRESIDENT ELECT Watson Realty (US1) (O) 7978600/ (F) 7978606/ (C ) 6692115 [email protected] Robert West – SECRETARY Coldwell Banker Premier Properties (O) 4714204 / (F) 4714216 / (C ) 8142006 [email protected] Ian Edmonson, P.A. TREASURER Edmonson & Associates Real Estate, Inc. (O) 8270722 (F) 6384746 (C) 3150997 [email protected]

DIRECTORS Ron Barry (2) St. Augustine Team Realty (O) 8250099 (F) 5139264 (C ) 5012424 [email protected] Paula Silberberg (2) Watson Realty (A1A) (O) 4619066 (F) 4619925 (C ) 6878803 [email protected] Gail Jones (1) St. Augustine Realty (O) 8243331 (F) 8252685 (C ) 5017444 [email protected] Daniel Lang (1) Sunshine Realty & Appraisal Services (O) 4719259 (F) 4613178 (C ) 5016867 [email protected]

Ann King (1) Prudential Network Realty (O) 4716906 (F) 4716907 (C) 8063865 [email protected] Andrew Birchall, PAST PRESIDENT St. Augustine Realty (O) 8243331 / (F) 8252685/ (C ) 3923362 [email protected] Roy Barnes Jr., ExOfficio St. Augustine Realty (O) 8243331 / (F) 8252685/ (C ) 6691430 [email protected] Victor J. Raymos, Exofficio (O) 8298738 (F) 8239512 (C) 5052208683 [email protected]

2013 ST. AUGUSTINE & ST. JOHNS COUNTY BOARD OF REALTORS®

AND MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE, INC.BOARD OFFICERS & DIRECTORS

V O L U M E 6 , I S S U E 1

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

• 1st—Closed New Years

Day • 7th— Education Committee

9am RPAC 12pm

• 9th—Affiliate Committee 9am • 10th— Commercial

Committee 8:30am Technology Committee 9:30am

• 11th—Board Orientation 9am

• 15th— MLS Training 1pm Finance Committee 12pm

• 16th-—Public Relations Committee 9:30am

• 18th—After the Contract 9am-4pm

• 21st Closed in Observance of Martin Luther King Jr Day

• 23rd—27th—FloridaRealtors Mod Winter Conference

• 29th— REALIST Training 1:30

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 New Years

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11

Amelia Earhart Day

12

13 14 15

16

17

18

19

20

21 CLOSED

22

23

24

25 26

27

Full Moon

28 29 30 31 28 29

January 2013

Birthstone: Topaz, Citrine Flower: Chrysanthemum

Astrological Signs: Scorpio: October 23 - November 21, Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

The difference between

who you are and who you want to be

is what you do.

R E A L T O R ® S P O T L I G H T – J E A N E T T E S M I T H W A T S O N R E A L T Y

A F F I L I A T E S P O T L I G H T — E S T A T E T I T L E C A R O L L A G A S S E

B O R F O R W A R D

“Carol A. Lagasse” and “Estate Title of St. Augustine” ‐ two names that bring confidence and comfort in knowing you and your customer will be taken care of in a personal and professional manner.

Carol has been in the title industry for over 30 years. She opened Estate Title in July 1983 and has been located at 71 Carrera Street since 1984.

Estate Title of St. Augustine is an active member of the St. Augustine/St. Johns County Board of Realtors, The Florida Land Title Association and the American Land Title Association. Your business and helping you give your customer all the information you can is extremely important to us so please give us a call. As always we are available for any questions you or your clients may have.

It is our greatest pleasure to see your clients leave our closing table with smiles on their faces. A smooth, professional closing is sure to bring you repeat business and our 29 years experience and rock solid reputation will help to ensure you’ll see your client again and again.

Services we provide:

RESIDENTIAL CLOSINGS

COMMERCIAL CLOSINGS

OWNER & ENCUMBRANCE SEARCHES

FORECLOSURE SEARCHES

ROAD VACATIONS

PLAT CERTIFICATIONS

EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS

FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE CLOSING NEEDS CHOOSE THE PROFESSIONALS WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH

CAROL A. LAGASSE

PRESIDENT

[email protected]

Jeanette Smith received her real state license in 1971. She is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®, the Florida Association of REALTORS®, St. Augustine and St. Johns County Board of REALTORS® and Northeast Florida Association of REALTORS®

Throughout her 41 years of real estate service, Jeanette has received many honors and awards including the Community Service Award in 1996, REALTOR® of the Year Award in 1997 and REALTOR® of the Year Award in 2010. She recently received an award from the University of Florida and a 20-year pin for her service as a Master Gardener.

Jeanette’s love for St. Augustine is reflected in her willingness to give back to her community. She serves as a St. Johns County Master Gardener, a volunteer at Flagler Hospital, a member of St. Augustine Beach City Beautification Committee and the St. Augustine Garden Club.

After growing up in Gainesville, raising four children and working as a REALTOR®

for 20 years, it was a difficult decision to relocate over to the St. Augustine area but it turned out to be very rewarding for her. Jeanette still attends the Florida football games. “It’s great to be a Florida Gator! Go Gators!”

For the last 20 years, Jeanette has been located at the St. Augustine office of Watson Realty Corp at 3505 US 1 South. Her email address is [email protected] and she can be reached at (904) 806-6000.

Jeanette Smith

Watson—US1 [email protected]


O C T O B E R N E W M E M B E R S

LACIE R. MOTLEY (NEW) SUNSET CAPITAL REALTY

Join Date 10/01/2012 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)

KEITH B. KELLEY DISTINCTIVE PROPERTIES

Join Date 10/05/2012 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) GIBES, ROXANNE R. (NEW) COLDWELL BANKER PREMIER PROP.


DAVID J. MUMMERY, SR (NEW) BRITE REAL ESATE PROFESSIONALS

Join Date 10/10/2012 (MLS only) DAVID J. MUMMERY, JR (NEW) BRITE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS

Join Date 10/10/2012 (MLS only)

JAVIER L. MAXEDON (NEW) BRITE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS

Join Date 10/10/2012 (MLS only)

JOHN E. HALLOW (NEW) BRITE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS

Join Date 10/10/2012 (MLS only) ALICIA J. ROCAWICH (NEW) NEW WORLD REALTY


WILLIAM DOUGLAS TURNER PRIME REAL ESTATE COMPANY

Join Date 10/17/2012 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) RYLAND WEBER RE/MAX 100 US 1 SO

Join Date 10/19/2012 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) ALISON M. SIMPSON (NEW) PRUDENTIAL NETWORK REALTY

Join Date 10/22/2012 (Primary BOR/Primary MLS) JONATHAN ERIK EKHOLM WATSON REALTY CORP. ST. AUG.

Join Date 10/22/2012 (NEW) (Primary BOR/Primary MLS)

RICHARD S. ZEISEL (NEW) WATSON REALTY –FLEMING ISLAND

Join Date 10/22/2012 (MLS Only) LINDA A. VENTURA (AFFILIATE) ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY

Join Date 10/23/2012 Affiliate

MARCIA CASTEGRO (AFFILIATE ALLSTATE INSURANCE COMPANY

Join Date 10/23/2012 Affiliate KELLY L. MCTAGGART PRUDENTIAL NETWORK REALTY

Join 10/24/2012 Primary BOR/Primary MLS

F E B R U A R Y E V E N T S I N S T . A U G U S T I N E

January 2013 February 2013

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

January 2013 January 2013 January 2013 January 2013 January 2013

Picasso Exhibit At St. Augustine Visitors Center

Hotel Ponce De Leon Carrere & Hastings Blueprint Exhibit

Big Red Art Show

The Cellar Upstairs Wine, Jazz & Blues

First Friday Art Walk In St. Augustine

Lost In Yonkers, By Neil Simon

Small Potatoes And Michael Smith In Concert

The Dark Of The Moon Tour After-hours Paranormal Tour

Ed Kowalczky Concert

1

Old City Farmer’s Market

Fort Matanzas Living History Day

St. Augustine Chocolate Tour

Sunset Celebration At Vilano Beach Town Center

Evening Nature Program At Anastasia State Park



Emma Concert Series: New York Chamber Soloists Orchestra With Violin Soloist Rachel Barton Pine

2

Big Game, Big Screen, Big Fun!

Lincolnville Farmers' Market

Big Red Art Show



3

Historic Tours Of Flagler College


4


Hotel Ponce De Leon Carrere & Hastings Blue-print Exhibit

Big Red Art Show

5

The Wednesday Mar-ket

Curator's Tour At The Lightner Museum


6



Leon Redbone Concert

7



Big Red Art Show




8

GTM Reserve Second Saturday Guided Trail Hike


Flight To Freedom Fort Mose



Out Of Africa Extrava-ganza And Auction



9

B O R F O R W A R D


Tour Of St. Augustine Houses Of Worship

Big Red Art Show

EMMA Concert Series: Thomas Pandolfi



10



11



Big Red Art Show

12

The Wednesday Market


13



Johnny Winter Con-cert

14

President's Day Weekend At World Golf Hall Of Fame



Big Red Art Show




15



A Day In Old Florida At Faver-Dykes State Park

Tolomato Cemetery Tours




16




Big Red Art Show


Women Of Ireland- National Tour


Carolina Chocolate Drops Concert

17




18



Big Red Art Show

19



20


21



Big Red Art Show



22


Walk On The Wild Side At Anastasia State Park

Living History Days At Fort Mose



Casa Monica Hotel Noche De Gala


23


Big Red Art Show


24


Sunset/Moonrise At St. Augustine Lighthouse

25


26


27

28

March 2013


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

B O R F O R W A R D

www.stjohnsbuilderscouncil.com

Leona Brown—Director 1535 SR 207, Ste 304

St. Augustine, FL 32086 (904)671-3875

Email: [email protected]

Dave Caputo—Chairman—Mercedes Premier Homes

Bill Lazar—1st Vice Chair—St. Johns Housing Partnership

Adam Roller—2nd Vice Chair—Inland Homes

BUILDERS AT LARGE

Michael Davis—A.D. Davis Construction

Jerry Dean—Mattamy Homes

Jeff Ferguson—Drees Homes

Dennis Ginder—Landon Homes

Sean Junker—Providence Homes

Ed Paucek—Blackstar Group

ASSOCIATES AT LARGE

Cheryl Brunk—St. Augustine Record

Tim Callum—Gator Door East

Henry DeWerth—USAHers

Aaron Kenney—Media Nation

Lynn Longley—Kirklyn Enterprises

Victor Raymos—St. Aug./SJC Board of Realtors

Seymoine Schmidt—FBC Mortgage

Greg Schuler—Climate Masters Heat & Air

Howard White—SJC Building Services

Holly Yelton—Wells Fargo Homes Mtg.

2012 Chairman,

Robert Marshall passes the

Gavel to 2013 Chairman

Dave Caputo


Green Tips for the New Year It's far from comprehensive, but here are some New Year's tips for lightening our footprint on our precious planet: * eat low on the food chain. Eating feedlot animals contributes to a cruel system, is unhealthy and extremely damaging environmentally. Improve your health by focusing on organic, locally‐grown plant‐based foods. This is the greatest impact you can make on the environment. A vegetarian requires 1/4 acre of land/ year, while a carnivore requires over an acre. * ditch your SUV and get an efficient vehicle. This is your 2nd greatest impact on the planet. Take public transportation, and bike and walk more. * make your home/ business energy efficient ‐ get an energy audit and add insulation, new windows and other measures that will lower your energy usage and bills. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents; wash clothes in cold water, buy efficient appliances, put a blanket around your water. http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/ * once your home or business is efficient, consider adding renewable energy. Put up solar panels or small wind, buy carbon offsets, or simply pay a few extra dollars/ month through your utility's renewable energy program. * reduce your waste and reuse/ recycle what's left. Buy fresh, bulk foods and grains instead of packaged products. Say no to paper and plastic by taking your own canvas bags to the supermarket. It's amazing how few people do this simple thing. Find ways to recycle almost all your waste ‐ look to buy products that can be recycled at the end of life. If it can't be recycled, find another product that can! There are choices in most every product decision ‐ eg, a coffee maker can be made from non‐recyclable plastics or recyclable steel. * switch to green cleaners, paints, sealers and use green materials when you renovate. You'll reduce packaging and toxics and improve your health by using simple products like vinegar for most of your cleaning needs. * get off the bottled water craze. The water isn't healthier but the bottles create a huge amount of waste. * turn your yard into a wildlife haven by planting natives that provide nectar and food for wildlife. Leave at least 10% "natural" with dead logs, trees, and without lawn to reserve a place for animals. Birds appreciate a water source like a bird bath. * buy green gifts, support green businesses with your purchases and donate, volunteer to your favorite environmental non‐profits.

Is your computer spying on you? Is your computer running considerably slower than usual? Is your computer displaying what seems like thousands of pop‐up ads? You are probably suffering from spyware/malware.

What is spyware/malware? Any software that covertly gathers user information or observes a computer user’s surfing habits without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising or nefarious purposes. Spyware and malware programs are typically bundled as a hidden component of free programs that are downloaded from the internet. Free gaming sites, music sharing programs, screen savers, etc., and that little program that creates a cute little smiley face for your emails generally have a spyware or malware component, and your acceptance of the license agreement of these programs authorizes the spyware to install on your machine.

Once installed, spyware/malware typically monitors user activity, such as surfing habits, types of searches, etc., and then transmits this information to the advertiser so that they can customize the types of ads that will now make your life miserable. Some spyware programs are malicious, and can gather information from your address books, record keystrokes typed on your keyboard, and even steal passwords and credit card numbers. Spyware and malware are similar to Trojan horse programs that users unwittingly install when they are installing something else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to download free games, music programs, or video streaming programs. Another way is to perform lots of searches on the internet using search engines, and randomly click on whatever comes back.

Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware/malware steals from the user by using the computer’s own memory resources and also by eating bandwidth as it “phones home”. Because spyware is using memory, the applications you want to use can crash or run very slowly.

You will use a combination of techniques and programs to keep your system clean. Start by using good security software, such as Norton 360, AVG Internet Security, Avira, ESET NOD32, etc. and keep it up‐to‐date. Most security programs come with some spyware protection built in, along with improved firewalls, pop‐up blockers, and filters that will keep your email free of spam. These programs usually do not cost much more than standard antivirus programs. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

If you do find that your computer starts running slowly, generating lots of pop‐ups, or your web browser seems to have be hijacked and is taking you to Madam Amanda’s home page, you will need to run spyware scans on your computer.

There are a number of good programs available to handle this task. MalwareBytes makes a good tool to perform periodic scans, and has a Pro version that will run resident to scan in the background. We recommend that you use several of these tools, because using these programs together eliminates more spyware than any one alone. Watch out for fake anti‐virus and malware removal tools. There are many of these around that are actually viruses themselves.

MalwareBytes http://www.malwarebytes.org

Hitman Pro http://www.surfright.nl (NOTE: that’s .nl not .com)

SuperAntiSpyware http://www.superantispyware.com

ComboFix http://www.combofix.org

Before running these scans on your computer, run the update function of each tool. This will download any program updates to deal with the latest types of attacks. After checking for updates, use the programs scan function. Each program will then list spyware that it finds on your computer, and allows you to choose which programs to remove. Remove all of them. There is no reason to keep any of them. You should also open Control Panel, Add‐Remove Programs and find any programs listed there that you know you did not install and uninstall them. These are usually spyware programs.

It is important to note that often if enough spyware programs are present on your system, you may find that scanning and removal is more difficult, as these programs often are stubborn and may interfere with the scanning and removal process. If this happens, boot your system in safe mode and try the scans again. If this still fails, take your computer to a qualified computer service center and let the pros handle it for you.

The best practice is still to avoid getting spyware on your system if you can. Try to stick with web sites that are tried and true. Avoid letting your nephew use your computer, no matter how much of a computer “expert” he claims to be. Never click on email when you don’t recognize the sender. A few simple things can help keep computing and surfing the net a joy.

ASK THE COMPUTER DOCTOR

Technology Committee “Tech Tip” HELP! MY COMPUTER IS SPYING ON ME! By: Jerry Ray

B O R F O R W A R D


P R E S I D E N T S M E S S A G E

Roy O. Barnes, Jr. 2012 President -

St. Augustine & St. Johns

County

Board of REALTORS

Dear Board of Realtors members:

Happy Holidays 2012! First a big CONGRATULATIONS to Realtor of the Year Andrew Birchall of St. Augustine Realty, Affiliate member of the Year Maria Gelinas of RMG Mortgage and Instructor of the Year Ron Barry of St. Augustine Team Realty. To our new Realtor Board of Directors members Diane Pittman of Watson Realty Corp as Treasurer, John Taylor of Awesome Real Estate as Director, Rick McChesney of Coldwell Banker Premier Properties as Director, and Berta Odom who has moved from Director position to Secretary. We thank Gene Johnson of Watson Realty Corp, Winston Burrell of Coldwell Banker Premier Properties and Edward Paucek of Moses Creek Realty for their service to the Board as outgoing Treasurer, Secretary and Director respectively. The MLS Board remains unchanged.

We all seem to be enjoying the increasing activity in the local real estate market for homes, condominiums, land and new building. Happily, the projection is for this to continue. As we wind up 2012 we should all be thinking of how we will do our business in 2013. On the Board of Realtors and Multiple Listing Service side, new and continuing directors and officers will be working to provide better member services to you. Please consider joining a committee at the Board or getting involved some other way with education or in some activity at the Board. As we move toward 2013 the challenge of keeping up with changes in technology becomes one of our biggest issues. But, continue to keep in mind proper professional standards and ethics are also very important. Now, as we come out of the past years of recession, we have the opportunity and burden of showing what the designation “Realtor” really means to the public, whom we serve. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in 2013! And the best of good fortune to you all. Roy Roy O. Barnes, Jr. 2012 President - St. Augustine & St. Johns County Board of REALTORS 2012 Florida REALTORS - Director

N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E

I N S T A L L A T I O N

Lunch Sponsored by: Jena Baker, Auctioneer and Proprietress of Great Expectations Auction Company and Catered by The Spot Cafe

Jena Baker addresses the audience

Victor J Raymos introduces the staff

from “The Spot Café”



Jena Baker, Diane Vespucci, Marlene Lagasse,

Rob West & Linda DeGrande Marjorie Taylor, Ron Barry & Della Masters Rick McChesney & Ted Smith

Colleen Ihrig & Berta Odom District Vice President-Millie Kanyar Lorie Zemlo & Beth Ruggeri

Bill Thew Michael DeLorenzo



Victor J Raymos, AE/CEO Roy O Barnes, Jr -Board President Roy Barnes presents Andrew Birchall with the

REALTOR of the Year plaque and Dirk Schroeder

Victor J Raymos presents Andrew Birchall with

the “Shark Bite Survivor” award

Dirk Schroeder– MLS Board President Dirk Schroeder presents Maria Gelinas with

the Affiliate of the Year plaque and Roy Barnes

Dirk Schroeder and Affiliate of the Year—

Maria Gelinas

Dirk Schroeder presents Ron Barry with the

Instructor of the Year plaque

Ron Barry & Roy O Barnes, Jr

Gene Johnson receives the Out Going Board

Treasurer plaque from Roy O Barnes, Jr.

Ed Paucek receives the Out Going Board

Director plaque from Roy O Barnes, Jr.

Winston Burrell receives the Out Going Board

Secretary plaque from Roy O Barnes, Jr.



Above: District Vice President-Millie Kanyar swears in the 2013

Board of Officers & Directors

Right: District Vice President-Millie Kanyar congratulates the

2013 Board Officers & Directors

From Left: Roy O Barnes-President, Ron Barry-director, Berta Odom– Secretary, Rick McChesney-director, Dianne Pittman-Treasurer,

Bill Thew-director, Judi Schuyler-director, John Taylor-director, Gayle Logan-director, Chuck Pacetti-Past President, Sean Hess-director

and Andrew Birchall-President Elect

B O R F O R W A R D


Right: District Vice President-Millie Kanyar

swears in the 2013 Board of Officers & Directors

From Left: Dirk Schroeder-MLS President, Ann King-Director, Ron Barry (not on MLS Board) Gail

Jones-director, Ian Edmonson– Treasurer, Paula Silberberg-director, Rob West– Secretary.

*Not pictured Kathy Delany– President Elect and Dan Lang– director*


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

B O R F O R W A R D

Robin Wilson Insurance


A N N U A L C H R I S T M A S B R E A K F A S T

Left:

Eddie Creamer-President &

CEO, Prosperity Bank

Right:

Victor J Raymos presents

Eddie Creamer a plaque

Dirk Schroeder, Maria Gelinas-Affiliate of the Year,

Andrew Birchall-Realtor of the Year

& Ron Barry-Instructor of the Year

Dale Mitchell & Sue Biesiada From the Sertoma Club


A N N U A L C H R I S T M A S B R E A K F A S T

Shirley Bennett & Rick McChesney Karen Peil, Vickie Rianda & Marlene Lagasse Craig Herzog & Ron Gelinas

Stephen Collins getting the crowd

ready for the sing-a-long

The “Old Enough to Know Better” band Berta Odom & Linda DeGrande

Steven Schuyler, Cathy Brown,

Eddie Creamer & Paul Dake John Pack, Pam Gessell, Barb Goll & Liane Stark

Christina Champion, Jenny Brown,

Dave Graubard & Craig Herzog


A F F I L I A T E C O M M I T T E E U P D A T E

Pat Kane Affiliate/Realtor Committee ViceChair

[email protected]

C O M M E R C I A L C O M M I T T E E U P D A T E

Vivian Browning Commercial Committee Chair

[email protected]

The commercial committee will meet at 8:30 am on December 5th at the Board office. All BOR members and affiliates are welcome. There will be a marketing session, so bring your listings and buyer requests. This year we have been working on getting our local commercial listings on the NAR Commercial Source listing site. Come be with us to learn more about this opportunity. The first Wednesday of the month at 8:30am at the Board office. Vivian Browning, Chairperson Broker/Owner Vilano Beach Town Center Realty, Inc. 115 Vilano Road. Suite A St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Dedicated to banding together and supporting St Johns County Realtors, the Affiliate & Realtor Committee has instituted a new Welcome Wagon Program. Don‘t worry, we’re still here to sponsor events and general meetings throughout the year…but we’re now presenting new Realtors with Welcome Wagon Bags (loaded with Affiliate “goodies” & information) at orientation. Additionally, we are re-introducing 2 different Affiliates each month on our updated bulletin board - so whether you’re a new or longtime board member, make sure you check it out each visit to the Board Office. The last few months have been quite busy for the Affiliate & Realtor Committee. In August, we stuffed 16 backpacks with supplies & donated them to St Augustine middle and high school kids. We threw a great “party at the pier” in September, sponsored an equally great trade show/chili cook off in October, and are busily making plans for 2013. Remember, this committee is for Affiliates AND Realtors - so come join the team. We meet at the Board Office at 0900 on the second Wednesday of each month.

Pat Kane Pop-A-Lock of St Augustine 904-940-0000 24hr dispatching


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

Ron Barry Education Committee Chair

[email protected]

T E C H N O L O G Y C O M M I T T E E U P D A T E

John Taylor Technology Committee Chair

[email protected]

The Education Committee would like to first start of by wishing you a Happy Holiday season and a healthy, successful 2013!

We would like to welcome Bill Glaeser to the committee. Every board member is welcome to attend any of our meetings and is encouraged to join us. We would all love to see you participate in the future. Our meetings are on the first Monday of each month at 9:00am at the Board office

On November 13th, Terry Pacetti conducted his Auction Method Training Program. It was a great success with over 30 participants. This class covered the first half of his program. The second half of the program with be scheduled at the board and announced soon.

Ron Barry and George Sphorer taught their Realtor Safety Seminar on November 19th. Important tips on how to stay safe during every aspect of real estate were covered. All Realtors are encouraged to attend the next offering of this course. Those who did attend spoke very highly of this new program.

Please be sure to attend the annual Prosperity Bank Christmas Breakfast on December 7th at 8:30 AM at the Casa Monica. We ask that you bring an unwrapped gift to be donated to a child. Remember to bring your ticket!

As a reminder, discount cards are still available at a discounted price of $5 each. The cards don’t expire until March 2013! All proceeds will go to our Scholarship Fund.

Happy Holidays from your Education Committee! We’re looking forward to a prosperous new year!

Free Sessions! The Technology Committee sponsors technology user group sessions relevant to Realtors. These include: Ipad & Tablets, Iphone and Android phones, remote hook ups and any other user group our members wish in the technology area. We hope to increase our member utilization in the coming year. The Technology Committee is always looking for additional members. We are also constantly looking for technological subject areas. Our Board members desire additional information about and possibly a “how to do” instructional meeting. The Technology Committee meets the first Wednesday of the month at 9:30 am. For more information about the Committee, please attend one of our meetings or contact me at (904)669-7967. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


R P A C C O M M I T T E E U P D A T E

Ed Paucek

RPAC Committee Chair

[email protected]

Roberta :Berta” Odom

RPAC Committee Chair

[email protected]

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

Suzy Bagan Public Relations Committee Chair

[email protected]

The Public Relations Committee is continuing the question and answer section of the Record and is always looking for great questions/answers from our membership. These can be sent to [email protected] for review. As we begin our new year, we would like to thank Bill Thew for serving as Chairman of this com-mittee and Sean Hess for being our Vice Chairman. I am looking forward to chairing this committee and to expand our committee membership. Our purpose is to find ways to share what we do and how we work in the community and to find ways to give back to our community. We also are looking for ways to serve our membership thru working with other committees to become more excellent in our profession. Please contact me if you would like to join our committee.

As the year winds down we look back and think, “wow, where did it go!” Seems like we were just cranking up for the 2012 election and the work was intensive. Our committee hit all its goals and then some! They made it look easy and fun. Our members are awesome. Our Annual Main Valentine’s Fundraiser in February was a great way to start the year and the fundraising efforts of our committee lasted until we met our goal. We were happy to announce we were the 1st in our District to meet our RPAC Annual Funding Goal and one of the first four in the state to do so! Berta and I are very proud of the work our folks have done. Not to be out done, while making sure we kept you informed of how important the annual funding is, our Committee held full court on the election process. We nailed this election with our recommendations and our work was well received by the successful candidates we recommended for office. Your voice is heard on a local, state and federal level. We’ve got your back! Thru our committee’s efforts you know how much politics affects our industry and your livelihood. We want to thank all of you that have paid the full amount on your bill and supported RPAC. Without your help and support we could not do what we do. Please continue to invest in your future with full payment of your dues or any amounts ,$10, $15, etc will help push us to our goal faster. We intend to see 2013 be as rewarding and effective as this year. We ask that you continue your support and respond when asked to do so. We will be having special events, raffles and periodic updates on important issues affecting your profession. We also ask that you get involved with our RPAC committee. Get on board and see first hand the impact you can make and the satisfaction of making a difference. Our meetings are the first Monday of each month at 12:00pm at the Board office. Berta and I wish all of you a Healthy, Happy & Merry Christmas. We also ask you remember our military men and women that protect and serve so we may keep our freedom. May we all have the Spirit of Hanukkah which triumphs good over evil. As we bring in the New Year let’s all pledge to make it a better world for all of us.

“Your” Real Estate Political Action Committee (RPAC)

Your 2013 Board of REALTORS annual dues are due in the Board office for Primary and Reciprocal members (secondary). (Does not include MLS only members).

Grace period is thru January 14, 2013.

Late fees are as follows:

$50 late fee if paid after 1/14/2013

$100 late fee is paid after 1/31/2013

Membership will be terminated effective 2/4/2013 if payment is not received by that date ‐ $150 reinstatement application fee will be charged to any payments received on or after termination date of 2/4/2013.

Any questions please feel free to email [email protected] or call the board office at 829‐8738.

G R A C E P E R I O D F O R 2 0 1 3 A N N U A L B O A R D O F R E A L T O R S D U E S


B O R F O R W A R D

A N D R E W W O O T E N S . A . F . E A R T I C L E

Top Five Things for Vacant Property Safety and Top Five Things to Stay Safe in Parking Lots

The holidays are just around the corner and I’m sure we are all busy. But don’t let safety take a backseat. You must remain alert and ready for anything. Here are some great tips to keep you safe during this busy time.

Top Five Things for Vacant Property Safety

1. Take a buddy. There’s always safety in numbers. Visiting vacant properties with someone else just makes good sense. Look at your affiliate list and find home inspectors, alarm companies or home repair companies. These people would be happy to accompany you. 2. Stay connected. We realize that taking someone with you isn’t always possible, so when you must go alone, stay con-nected. Check in with your office or safety buddy when you arrive and then check in again every 15-30 minutes. 3. Walk the property first. Walk around the entire property before you enter. You should be looking for warning signs, like open windows, unlocked doors or extension cords running from the house to a neighbors’ house. 4. Chat with a safety buddy. As you walk the property, you should be on the phone with your office or safety buddy. If you don’t have anyone to talk to, pretend you do. But be sure to turn your ringer off! 5. Announce your intentions. Before you enter the house, knock loudly on the front door and windows. Say, “We are REAL-TORS and we are coming inside in five minutes.” Then go wait in your car for five minutes. You would be surprised how many times you will see people leave or go inside and find the back door open. Most squatters do not want to harm anyone; they are just looking for a place to stay, especially now that the weather is turning colder. Top Five Things to Stay Safe in Parking Lots

1. Park where it's well lit. Sure we all do this when it’s dark outside. But how about when it’s light outside? It may end up be-ing dark when you are ready to leave or the weather could change. Be prepared and always park near lights. 2. Parking spots to avoid. Never park next to walls or shrubbery. Also, never park next to a van, truck or SUV with dark tinted windows you cannot see through. Don’t park next to a van with a sliding side door. Avoid these areas and find another spot. 3. Be aware. Look at what’s going on in the parking lot before you park or get out of your car. If there are people loitering around leave that parking lot and find somewhere else to park. 4. Be prepared when walking through a parking lot. When walking into your destination or walking out towards your car, always have your keys, cell phone and pepper spray. If you see someone, make eye contact and say “Hello” or “Good after-noon.” Criminals want to have the element of surprise. If you acknowledge them, they can no longer surprise you. 5. Always use Andrew's Five Second Rule.

Take one second and look before you walk outside.

Take one second and look behind you as you walk to your car.

Take one second as you stop at red lights/stop signs.

Take one second before exiting your vehicle.

Take one second as you walk towards your destination.

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


Treat Yourself to the Gift of Lower Electric Bills… by Wally Conway, Host of The Home and Garden Show, Saturdays 7 to 9 AM on WOKV AM690 and 106.5 FM, and President of HomePro Inspections

904-268-8211 WOKV AM690 and 106.5

B O R F O R W A R D

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!

HomePro Inspections is your best source for agent liability reduction and

client peace of mind! Your client’s one stop for: Environmental Testing (mold, radon, water, lead paint, meth lab); Wind Mitigation Evaluations, Chinese Drywall Assess-ments, Insurance Inspections, Energy Audits, Home Inspec-tions, Termite Reports, Construction Consultations, Infrared

Moisture Instruction Investigations, and More! 904-268-8211

GoHomePro.com

Cooler weather, finally! As a home inspector, for me it’s all about being able to hang out in attics for hours without dying of dehydration.

But around my own home, this time of year means it’s time to tweak and tune while the weather is nice in preparation for the really cold weather to come. Like you, I want to be comfortable but, I want my comfort to be cost effective. So, here’s what’s going on at Casa de Conway.

Got my semi-annual heat pump check-up scheduled. I’m a nut about changing my filters, so my air handler coils always look shiny clean, but I still get my favorite A/C guy out to clean and check everything! Even a slight undercharge of the refrigerant can have a significant negative impact on system performance. And an over charge is just as bad!

When you consider that in winter over 1/2 of your electric bill is heating, it’s pretty darn easy to recover the cost of a system clean and check up in a month or two. That’s a payback that gets my attention! And don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you got a new system in spring, that you don’t need maintenance this fall! Protect that investment and ensure long performance! Call your HVAC guy today and get it cleaned and checked.

If you really want your HVAC system to perform at its peak, don’t forget about the duct work. The mechanical parts of the heating and air system get all the attention, but if your ducts are leaking, you are really heating your attic and NOT your living space. On average, duct systems in Northeast Florida leak 28%. That means if you have a 4 ton heat pump, you are likely pumping 1 ton of hot air into your attic. The squirrels appreciate the heat, but it’s costing you a good $50 to $100 each month. I like squirrels, but not that much!

So, how do you know how much of your hard earned heating money is going into your attic? Easy, you have it measured! While it’s being measured, you also want to have the areas of leakage pinpointed so that they can be easily and cost effectively repaired. That makes it simpler and cheaper for your heating and air contractor to do the repairs.

A reminder about attic insulation. Really a question. What’s the sense of spending dollars to make heat if the heat is going to escape from a poorly insulated attic? I can’t tell you the number of homes that I inspect or audit, discover a brand new, super shiny and really expense heat pump, only to discover that the insulation in the attic is the original minimum allowable by law that the builder put in! And you should see the mess the cable guy makes of your insulation!

The recommendation from the Department of Energy, and supported by local utility companies, is an attic insulation value of R-38. The current building code requirement is R-30, if your home is more than 20 years old, it was R-19. So, what’s that mean to you? If you’ve got a brand new home, your attic insulation is 21% below the recommended level, and if your home’s 20 years old, it’s 50% below the recommended level! What do you figure that’s doing to your comfort factor, not to mention your electric bill?

You can see how few simple things add up to big savings! It’s chasing the little things at Casa de Conway that earned me a $66.24 electric bill last month! And that was running a pair of 11 year old heat pumps! They’re old, but they purr and they pump warm air to us through ducts that don’t leak (much)!

So do yourself a favor… really, give yourself a gift this holiday, a gift that keeps on giving. Schedule an energy audit from HomePro Inspections to show you how to enjoy cost effective comfort this winter. The air in your home can be cleaner, fresher and warmer without spending a fortune.


N O V E M B E R S T A T I S T I C S

Monthly Statistics Report

St Augustine & St Johns County

Compiled on December 11, 2012

Nov-12 Nov-11

Change from 11/1-30/11 - 11/1-

30/12 YTD 2012 YTD 2011 YTD 2011-12

Residential

New Listings 276 273 1.09% 3,720 3,609 3.07%

Sold Listings 189 172 9.88% 2,337 2,173 7.54%

Vol. Sold Listings $40,001,135.00 $35,736,879.00 11.93% $461,416,046.00 $424,739,446.00 8.63%

Avg. Sell Price $211,646.22 $207,772.55 1.86% $197,439.47 $195,462.24 1.01%

Avg. Day on Market 149 156 -4.09% 156 155 0.86%

Lots and Land

New Listings 48 59 -18.64% 759 807 -5.94%

Sold Listings 16 18 -11.11% 241 187 28.87%


Avg. Sell Price $147,218.75 $79,313.89 85.61% $97,673.07 $99,935.06 -2.26%

Avg. Day on Market 363 275 32.00% 286 230 24.13%

Commercial/Industrial

New Listings 7 8 -12.50% 145 156 -7.05%

Sold Listings 4 1 300% 26 30 -13.33%

Vol. Sold Listings $1,195,000.00 $175,000.00 582.85% $6,505,050.00 $7,275,586.00 -10.59%

Avg. Sell Price $298,750.00 $175,000.00 70.71% $250,194.23 $242,519.53 3.16%

Avg. Day on Market 261 113 131.19% 280 219 28.08%

Multi-Family

New Listings 10 8 25% 65 76 -14.47%

Sold Listings 2 2 0 31 34 -8.82%

Vol. Sold Listings $638,000.00 $239,000.00 166.94% $8,823,050.00 $6,651,800.00 32.64%

Avg. Sell Price $319,000.00 $119,500.00 166.94% $284,614.52 $195,641.18 45.47%

Avg. Day on Market 82 135 -39.40% 279 153 82.68%

Total

New Listings 341 348 -0.02% 4,689 4,648 0.87%

Sold Listings 211 193 9.32% 2,635 2,424 8.70%


Avg. Sell Price $209,429.55 $194,707.40 7.56% $189,860.86 $188,677.68 0.62%

Avg. Day on Market 167 166 0.36% 171 161 5.75%

Search Criteria

Date Start: 11/1/2012 Date End: 11/30/2012

ALL INFORMATION DEEMED RELIABLE BUT NOT GUARANTEED

B O R F O R W A R D

New Year Traditions

Baby New Year Tradition Tradition of using a baby to signify the New Year was started by ancient Greeks around 600 B.C. They would carry a baby around in a basket

to honor Dionysus, the God of Fertility and symbolize his annual rebirth.

Eating 12 Grapes In Spain people eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight (one each time the clock chimes) on New Year’s Eve. This peculiar ritual origi‐

nated in the twentieth century when freak weather conditions resulted in an unseasonable bumper harvest of grapes. Not able to decide what to do about so many grapes at Christmas time, the King of Spain and the grape growers came up with the idea of the New Year ritual.

Eating Noodles Late on the evening of December 31, people of Japan would eat a bowl of buckwheat noodles called “toshikoshisoba” (“year‐crossing noo‐

dles”) and listen for the sound of the Buddhist temple bells, which were rung 108 times at midnight. The sound of these bells is said to purify the listeners of the 108 sins or evil passions that plague every human being.

White Clothes

In Brazil most people wear white clothes on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck and peace for the year that will follow.

Gifts in Shoes In Greece children leave their shoes by the fireside on New Year’s Day (also the Festival of Saint Basil in Greece) with the hope that Saint

Basil, who was famous for his kindness, will come and fill their shoes with gifts.

Carry a Suitcase In Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico, those with hopes of traveling in the New Year carry a suitcase around the house at midnight.

Some even carry it around the block to ensure traveling at greater distances.

Burn Crackers The people in China believe that there are evil spirits that roam the earth. So on New Year they burn crackers to scare the evil spirits. The

doors and windows of every home in china can be seen sealed with paper. This is to keep the evil demons out.

Q & A

Q) Should I burn scented candles prior to or during the showing of my home?

A) NO! The most important thing to do is make sure that there is a complete absence of smell (scent) in your home. Potential Buyers should be viewing your home’s features and should never be distracted by anything – even scent.

Q) How often should I replace the batteries in my smoke detectors?

A) Smoke detector batteries should be replaced at least once a year. People often change them when the clocks change in the spring or fall, but any time is fine. You should also change your batteries anytime your detector emits a low‐power warning. This usually sounds like a chirp that oc‐curs once a minute. If your smoke detector is more than 10 years old, you might need to replace the entire detector and not just the batteries.

Q) What is a Seer rating?

A) A S.E.E.R. (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating) is the rating and performance standards that have been developed by the U.S. government and equipment manufacturer’s to produce an energy consumption rating that is easy to understand by consumers. It has a universal formula and condi‐tioning that can be applied to all units and compensates for varying weather conditions. Basically, the lower the S.E.E.R. rating, the more energy (electricity) is required to produce the desired effect.

From the members and staff of

The St. Augustine & St. Johns County Board of Realtors®

May the New Year provide

you with all the best that life has to offer!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

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 ®

FEBRUARY 2013 PREVIEW

1st CODE OF ETHICS 3CE 9:00AM

4th EDUCATION COMMITTEE 9:00AM

RPAC COMMITTEE 12:00PM

6th COMMERCIAL COMMITTEE 8:30AM

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE 9:30AM

7th-8th SUCCESS SERIES 11CE 8:30AM

SUCCESS SERIES (CON’T) 8:30AM

8th CORE LAW 12:30PM

13th AFFILIATE COMMITTEE 9:00AM

NEFAR CONTRACT 1:00PM

15th GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING 8:30AM

18th CLOSED IN OBERSERVANCE OF PRESIDENTS DAY

19th MLS TRAINING 1:00PM

FINANCE COMMITTEE 12:00PM

20th MLS BOARD MEETING 12:00PM

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE 9:00AM

21st LISTING AGREEMENT 9:00AM

BOARD MEETING 12:00PM

22nd CRSP-12 CONTRACT 9:00AM

26th INNOVIA 2 TRAINING 1:30PM

Phone: 904-829-8738

Fax: 904-823-9512

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

Board Office Staff

Victor J. Raymos, RCE

[email protected]

Association Executive

Professional Standards

Sharon Lainhart

[email protected]

Membership and Finance

Lise Hays

[email protected]

MLS/Education /SUPRA/

Newsletter/Website/ Membership

Linda McNett

[email protected]

Membership/Website/SUPRA

/Committee Support/Education

Just like the Board of REALTORS® is your

Board, this is YOUR newsletter! We can’t

do this without you!

B O A R D W E B S I T E : S T J O H N S R E A L T O R S . C O M

1789 Lakeside Avenue

St. Augustine, FL. 32084

IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION

National Association

of REALTORS— www.realtor.org

1-800-874-6500

NAR Member

Benefits Program—

800-NAR-5233

www.REALTOR.org/RealtorBenefits

REALTOR.COM— 800-878-4166

INNOVIA (MLS) Support—

800-334-0831

FORMSimplicity— 407-587-1450

SUPRA Support—877-699-6787

FloridaRealtors–

www.floridarealtors.org

Tech Hotline—

407-587-1450

Legal Hotline—

407-438-1409

FR Event Registration—

800-669-4327

FR Orlando—407-438-1400

FR Tallahassee—850-224-1400

RPAC—850-224-1400

[email protected]

st augustine & st johns county bor forward january 2013 newsletter

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