2014 Leadership of the DAOR

Executive Directors: Mireya Ruiz, President Jason Cierpiszewski, President-Elect Carrie Uva, Vice President Esther Lee, Treasurer Jeanette Baumann, Executive Vice President Directors: Mario Acevedo Michael Berdelis, Immediate Past President Maria Cibrian Sossi Gabriel Ericka Saenz Ruben Sarinana Vicki Spearman Miriam Villanueva

DAOR Chaplain: Ruben Sarinana

CAR State Directors: Mireya Ruiz, Carrie Uva & Jason Cierpiszewski

Affiliates In Action Committee Tom Ramirez, Chairperson

Awards Committee Larry Kooiman, Chairperson

Budget & Finance Committee Nubia Aguirre, Chairperson

DAOR YPN Laura Dominguez, Chairperson

Grievance Committee Dan Nevarez, Chairperson

LCRC Trustees John Lacey, Chairperson

Local Government Relations Sandra Carnett, Chairperson

Membership/MLS-Technology Committee Remoun Said, Chairperson

Nominating Committee Russell Skersick, Chairperson

Professional Standards Committee Bev Baumann, Chairperson

REALTOR Community Relations Committee Rowena Dominguez

Scholarship Committee Diane Sanchez

DAOR Staff

Jeanette Baumann, EVP - evp@DAOR.com

Customer Care Department Nelly Palma, mls@DAOR.com

CeCe Robles, education@DAOR.com Hilda Inzunza, cs@DAOR.com

Membership Department Julie Sartor, julies@DAOR.com

Fausto Navarro, communications@DAOR.com Susie Gonzales, cs@DAOR.com

T[\l_ of Cont_nts:

Downey Association of REALTORS 12073 Paramount Blvd - Downey, CA 90242

562 861-0915 - Fax 562 923-9995

www.DAOR.com

Monday - Friday 9am-5pm

Saturday 9am-1pm

24/7 text support :

Text DAOR to 55469 Volume 1– Issue 3

1-2 C[liforni[ Drought -

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1-2

CALIFORNIA

DROUGHT

California is currently facing one of the most severe droughts on record. In January 2014, Governor Jerry Brown declared a State of Emergency and suc-cessively directed all state agencies and officials to take appropriate actions to prepare for water shortages. Over a pe-riod of 119 years of recorded history, 2013 was the driest year on record. Ac-cording to the Department of Water Re-sources, California gets approximately

one-third of its water for use in cities and farms through runoff from snow-pack. On May 1, 2014, the Department of Water Resources released their final results of the Snow Survey for the year which stated that the statewide snow-pack's water content is at 18% of normal conditions. As of April 1, 2014, the California Department of Water Re-sources measured the statewide water content of the snowpack at only 32% of the average historical April 1 snowpack measurement. This is crucial because that is when the snowpack is normally

at its peak and begins to melt into

streams and reservoirs. Our state is at a critical juncture resulting from the drought. As a result of the ongoing drought, snowpack levels and water reservoirs are continually falling behind in average normal yearly rates. Many critics argue that the need for further investment in water storage and water infrastructure is even more critical now more than ever.

The Department of Water Resources have recently came out with a report that states that 2014 was one of the dri-est years on record. According to the Department of Water Resources, “The Water Year (October 1 – September 30)

is ending with less than 60 percent of average precipitation. And on Septem-ber 1, the state’s major reservoirs collec-tively held only 57 percent of average storage for the date, or about 36 percent of capacity.” This data should indicate that our state is still reeling from the ef-fects of the prolonged drought. It is also predicted that the El Nino weather pat-tern should hit California this winter, however, “meteorologists note that the phenomenon is not a reliable indicator of weather in California, especially not in the Northern Sierra watersheds that feed some of the state’s largest reser-voirs.” As meteorologists take special

interest, it is important for all Califor-nian’s to know and understand that we cannot solely rely on a good El Nino year to be our salvation from this drought. As noted above, meteorologists know that El Nino is not necessarily a predictable indicator of weather or pre-cipitation patterns, it is important for our communities to prepare for a prolonged drought for the foreseeable future.

In today’s world, water is among one of the most important natural resources on our planet. With water being such an important resource, it is crucial for every California resident to take the time and understand the crisis that our state is

facing. As a result of the ongoing drought, this year the California Leg-islature passed several pieces of leg-islation restricting water usage across the state. On September 16, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed three bills that would allow local agencies to tailor sustainable ground-water plans to their regional eco-nomic and environmental needs. The three bills signed by the Governor are - AB 1739 by Assem-bly Member Roger Dickinson (D-Sacramento) and Senate Bills 1168 and 1319 by Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) which create a frame-work for sustainable, local ground-water management for the first time in California history. The legislation allows local agencies to tailor sus-tainable groundwater plans to their regional economic and environ-mental needs. This legislation is the first in the state’s history that requires local water authorities to regulate how much water is being pumped out of their reservoirs. This

is the first of many laws that are de-signed and intended for local resi-dents and water boards to help preserve, keep track of, manage, control and dis-tribute water to the residents of Califor-nia. On top of the several Legislative Bills signed into law this year, Governor Brown signed a $687.4 million drought relief package. This legislation (SB 103) was designed to support drought relief efforts, including money for housing and food for workers directly impacted by the drought, bond funds for projects to help local communities more efficiently cap-

1.

ture and manage water and funding for securing emergency drinking water sup-plies for drought-impacted communi-ties. This drought relief package was only a small part of what the Governor and the Legislature have in plan for Cali-fornia. California Assembly Members and Senators worked across party lines to work on a long-term, sustainable water plan that would not only help preserve water current property rights, but help make long-term plans for drought man-agement. The California Legislature worked together to come up with a figure of a $7 billion water bond that will be on the ballot this November 4, 2014. This $7 billion bond (Prop. 1) will attempt to accomplish and help alleviate many of the drought problems affecting our state. Some of the major points that is included in Proposition 1 appropriating $2.7 billion for water storage projects, dams and reservoirs, $725 million for water recycling and advanced water treat-ment technology projects, $1.495 billion for competitive grants for multi-benefit ecosystem and watershed protection and restoration projects, $900 million for competitive grants, and loans for, projects to prevent or clean up the contamination of groundwater that serves as a source of drinking water, among other projects and programs. With the addition of an expan-sive water bond such as Proposition 1, critics argue that the state government is finally taking the issue of the drought seriously.

We all understand that the issues of the drought and water management are critical issues affecting our state. It is, however, crucial to understand the importance that the drought’s impact will have on govern-ance. The drought could have the potential to impede property rights, drive up water rates, and increase government control on restrictions on water distribu-tion. These issues particularly affect Los Angeles County resi-dents as we live in a semi-arid climate with residential and commercial water usage coming from multiple origin sources. Wa-ter districts in California are very impor-tant as they provide the public with safe and reliable water that meets all state and federal regulations. The Central Basin Water District serves a population of 2,000,000 people and includes the cities of,

Downey, Montebello, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Artesia and surrounding communi-ties. Our local water district, Central Basin Mu-nicipal Water, purchases much of its water from the Metropolitan Water District or MWD here in Southern California. Most of the water that is bought comes from Northern California. Once the water is received, Central Basin then turns around and sells the water wholesale to private companies, other cities, and different local utilities. In addition, Central Basin also supplies recycled and groundwater to the region for irrigation, commercial and industrial purposes. Due to the drought, Southern California residents are now much more aware of

the need to conserve water. As you look around the community, we see residents conserving water by watering their lawn less, no longer watering down their drive-ways, and washing their cars less. By implementing some of these simple changes, residents can save money on their water bills and help protect the envi-ronment. Over the next few years, if the

snowpack does not increase, residents all over Los Angeles County may face man-datory water restrictions on their use of fresh water. Public officials may ask residents to voluntarily conserve water by 15 to 25% over the next few years. Some of these steps may be to water your lawn fewer times each week, possibly buying plumbing equipment that conserves water, and covering your pool to slow-down evaporation. As we move into the fall and winter seasons the hope is that California will have a rainy year to help ease the serious drought conditions.

For more information about the drought and tips on how to conserve water, here are a few links to some websites that will assist you.

http://www.car.org/media/pdf/212404/

car_water_conservation_v3_final_042914_r1.pdf

http://water.ca.gov/

waterconditions/index.cfm

http://www.saveourh2o.org

http://ca.gov/drought/

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REZA FARAHAN

“Know Your Worth & Use It!”

Reza is a Top Producing REALTOR with Keller Williams West Hollywood office, and star of Shahs of

Sunset aired on the Bravo Chanel. Reza has been through so many obstacles and challenges in his life he has be-come a master in self-motivation and perseverance making him the perfect person to show you how to know your worth and use it to your maxi-mum potential. Reza was born in Tehran, Iran and raised in Beverly Hills. After seeing news reports of the suicides of teenagers who were bullied because they were gay, Reza joined the Bravo show, to help portray a positive image of both gay people and Middle Easterners. Reza is excited about telling you his story of challenges and success.

ERIK SWANSON “Habitude Warrior

Characteristics of a Top Producer”

As a Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Motivator, Coach, a Mentor and a Corporate Trainer, Mr. Swanson has been an influence and mentor to thousands throughout the years since his early start in the industry over 15 years ago. When Erik speaks, audiences are inspired, empow-ered, and entertained. His style combines step-by-step tactical teachings with humor and vivid story telling. Erik's energy, warmth and authentic nature engages each audience member and allows participants to not merely observe and listen, but rather they will enthu-siastically participate and be driven to action. He has developed his own unique and super rewarding system in which he calls "Secret Habitude Warrior" Training. Get ready to rock with Mr. Swanson!

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'Beverly Carter, You Left a Legacy' Heavy hearts weighed on the real estate com-munity Tuesday as condolences from practi-tioners around the country poured in for the loss of Arkansas real estate agent Beverly Carter, who was found dead days after going missing following a home showing in a rural area just outside of Little Rock. "My heart is broken for Beverly's family," reads one of dozens of comments left on a Facebook page in Carter's memory. "Just looking at her picture, her sweet eyes tell you she had a kind heart and loving spirit. I will be lifting you all up in prayer for strength, comfort, and peace." Carter's disappearance grabbed national head-lines when it sparked a massive search for her whereabouts that involved hundreds of volun-teers. The 49-year-old agent had been show-ing a vacant bank-owned property on Thurs-day in Scott, Ark., before she went missing. "As both a REALTOR® and an Arkan-san, I am saddened by this morning's news of Beverly Carter's untimely death," NAR 2014 President-Elect Chris Polychron said in a statement. "My heart goes out to her family, her friends, her co-workers, and everyone whose life Beverly touched in her 49 years with us. Working in real estate involves risk, and, un-fortunately, that risk takes many forms. As an industry, we collectively work very hard to promote safety awareness among our mem-bers. We are fully committed to educating REALTORS® about potential threats and providing them with resources to protect themselves. I urge all REALTORS® to honor Beverly Carter by keeping safe and looking out for each other." Arron Lewis, 33, a suspect in Carter's disap-pearance, was arrested on Monday. "Lewis

admitted ... to kidnapping Beverly Carter, but would not divulge her where-

abouts," the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office said at the time. Police say Lewis will be charged with capital murder. Investigators said shortly after Lewis was apprehended, they were able to obtain additional informa-tion that led them to Carter's body, which was found in a shallow grave. Carter had called her husband on Thursday to tell him the address of the home she was showing prior to the 5:30 p.m. appointment. She was to show two other properties that day but failed to make the other appointments. Her husband, Carl Carter, later reported his wife missing after not hearing from her for several hours. He also went to the address of the home she had provided him and found her brown Cadillac still parked outside with her purse inside. The door to the residence was left open, but she was not inside. Lewis, who was on parole for previous of-fenses, had been involved in a traffic accident Sunday. Police found his car on top of a con-crete culvert, and Lewis told police that a car

had run him off the road, according to police reports. Witnesses, however, reported that Lewis was traveling at high speed prior to the crash. Paramedics had taken Lewis to the hospital and treated him for face injuries, but he was not arrested in connection with Carter's disappearance at that time. An arrest warrant was issued later Sunday. Police say there had been activity on Carter's cell phone after her disappearance, including text messages. CBS11 Arkansas reported that Carl received three mysterious texts from his wife's phone at about 1 a.m. Friday, which he says did not sound like her.

"All of a sudden I received three texts in a row," he told CBS11. "One said, 'Yes.'… Then she sent another text that said, 'My phone's low. The battery's down, and I'll call you whenever I get signal.' … And then, straight back-to-back, I received a text that said 'Oh, I'm out drinking with some friends.' … Beverly's not a drinker. … We just want our mom back, and my wife of 35 years. … I need her." Carter's death places an unfortunate emphasis on REALTOR® Safety Month, which occurs every September, and has prompted many practitioners to call for safer practices in the real estate occupation. "This is not a time for speculation of what she should've done, but a time of reminder for what we all need to be doing to assure safety in this industry," Brian Copeland, GRI, CIPS, of Village Real Estate Services in Nashville, Tenn., writes on Facebook. "Consumers, un-derstand when we are cautious and ask you to provide items you think are a waste of your time. REALTORS® have a value way be-yond a website or commission. REAL-TORS® create, study, and share safety proce-dures, and get to a safety class when they are offered at your association and brokerage. While Beverly's death has no purpose, let's try to honor her by being understanding con-sumers and smart REALTORS®. Now, God rest our sister."

Daily Real Estate News | Tuesday, September 30, 2014 Arkansas REALTORS are developing safety measures in wake of Carter’s death in hopes to take these standards nationwide.

•Real Estate's 6 Most Dangerous Everyday Situations •'Safety Lessons That Saved My Life...' •Open House Safety Tips •The Safety Talk You Need to Have With Clients

Please call DAOR if you would

like staff to conduct a

REALTOR Safety Outreach at

one of your office meeting. 5

DAOR 2015 Committees DAOR 2015 Committees DAOR 2015 Committees DAOR 2015 Committees are now Forming . Please are now Forming . Please are now Forming . Please are now Forming . Please

take a look at what take a look at what take a look at what take a look at what committees DAOR has, committees DAOR has, committees DAOR has, committees DAOR has,

and get involved. There is and get involved. There is and get involved. There is and get involved. There is no other profession that no other profession that no other profession that no other profession that volunteers, and helps volunteers, and helps volunteers, and helps volunteers, and helps

others like a REALTOR®. others like a REALTOR®. others like a REALTOR®. others like a REALTOR®. YPN - DAOR’s Young Profes-sional Network will schedule events to help members gain indus-try knowledge and networking opportunities. [Annual commit-ment = 3-4 committee meetings & 3-4 events to attend.] GRIEVANCE - The Grievance Committee meets to review filed complaints from other agents or the public, and determines what viola-tions were made. [Commitment = Training Class (online or live) and 6-9 meetings]

LGR -The Local Governmental Re-lations Committee will meet to discuss problems with community in regards to sign ordinances, pre-sale inspections, and community development. [Commitment = 3-4 meetings ] MEMBERSHIP - MLS/TECHNOLOGY - Any discussion pertaining changes to the Member-ship, its services, and technology through the MLS , this committee also makes suggestions to CRMLS, and may be testers for services. [Commitment = 3-4 meetings ] RCR - REALTOR® Community Relations Committee meets to schedule events and programs to celebrate homeownership and the community in which we work. [Commitment = the RCR commit-tee is the busiest committee of DAOR. There will be 4-5 meet-ings, small fundraisers (raffles) and events (like REALTOR® Commu-nity Week)]

SCHOLARSHIP - Scholarship Committee reads and chooses the receipts of the DAOR scholarship . Committee will also be involved in promoting real estate as a career to high school students. Commitment = 3-4 meetings, and 1-2 events.]

The DAOR is as strong as their The DAOR is as strong as their The DAOR is as strong as their The DAOR is as strong as their volunteers, leaders and staff. volunteers, leaders and staff. volunteers, leaders and staff. volunteers, leaders and staff.

Please email evp@DAOR.comPlease email evp@DAOR.comPlease email evp@DAOR.comPlease email evp@DAOR.com With your choice of With your choice of With your choice of With your choice of

committee(s) committee(s) committee(s) committee(s) ---- thank you !! thank you !! thank you !! thank you !!

Facts about California Volunteers

*25.1% of residents volunteer, rank-ing them 35th among the 50 states and Washington, DC. *31.9 volunteer hours per resident. *7.39 million volunteers. *938.0 million hours of service. *$20.8 billion of service contributed. *48.7% of residents donate to charity. *7.4% of residents participate in pub-lic meetings. *24.4% of residents over age 55 volunteer. 6

Do Not Adjust This Page….You are Seeing What You Think You Are!!

No matter what city you are conducting an open house in the safety of motorists is always imperative. In the photos on the left you can see that motorists would need to swerve over to avoid hitting these signs, causing an unsafe situation. Unfortunately, these are actual photos of sign placements and not staged for the purpose of this article. Please always think of the safety of motorists and pedes-trians first.

If you follow these rules, in ANY city, you should in most cases be safe from violating

any sign ordinance that city may have. • Signs up only for Broker Preview and Open

House, signs must be taken down immediately following the open house.

• No signs may be placed in the center medians of streets

• No signs may be attached to utility poles, sign poles, or trees

• No signs may be placed on sidewalks blocking pedestrian traffic

• No signs may block motorist visibility or route

• Avoid EXCESSIVE signage

To watch a video on sign ordinance—click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXXvOupjNjA&index=20&list=UUU58SFtIraO5H04nuWhw9kA

Last June, fourth graders from Downey schools participated in the Downey Association of REAL-TORS’ (DAOR) REALTOR Community Relations Poster Contest—theme of the contest was “What

Home & Family Means to Me” - Five winners were chosen, and four came from St Raymond School, including first place, which qualified the school to win $1000. (Each student, now in fifth grade won

$20 or $50 gift cards.)

In Picture: Students Hanna Campbell, second place; Sebastian Aceves, fourth place; first

Place Winner, Savannah Olmos; and Alexa Briones, fifth place.

(Third place winner, not in photo, is Isabella Cruz from Kirkwood Christian School.)

Back Row: Rowena Dominguez, Chairperson; DAOR President Mireya Ruiz;

DAOR President Elect, Jason Cierpiszewski; and St. Raymond's Principal Mark Nuno. 7

Did You Know…

that REALTORS can that REALTORS can that REALTORS can that REALTORS can

obtain educational obtain educational obtain educational obtain educational

designations to become designations to become designations to become designations to become

“niche” experts. There “niche” experts. There “niche” experts. There “niche” experts. There

are 26 Designations to are 26 Designations to are 26 Designations to are 26 Designations to

choose from…..choose from…..choose from…..choose from…..

California Association of REALTORS

Certified Transaction Coordinator (CTC) This certification is designed to enhance a real estate transaction coordinator's knowledge to achieve the highest level of success.

Generational Housing Specialist The GHS Designation course will teach you how to fully understand the generational shifts that have occurred on a recurring basis and that offer an explanation of the effects on the cur-rent five different generations that make up the real estate market today.

Graduate REALTOR Institute (GRI) The GRI designation is designed to enhance REALTORS knowledge of real estate market-ing skills that will set REALTORS apart from the competition.

Green Designation Complete three courses covering the green building principles and practices as well as regulatory issues. Learn the financial advantages of eco friendly, en-ergy efficient properties and how to market to the green consumer.

Paperless Pro Certification (PPC) The Paperless Pro Certification course teaches you why and how to established a paperless work-flow for your real estate business.

Property Management Certification (PMC) A program especially designed for REAL-TORS looking to establish and build a prop-erty management business.

Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) Des-ignation By earning this designation you demonstrate the knowledge and expertise to counsel older client through major financially lifestyle transition involved in relocating, financing or selling the family home.

National Association of REALTORS

Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) This designation is designed for real estate buyer agents who focus on working directly with buyer clients at every stage of the home buying process.

Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) The designation requires successful completion of a rigorous LANDU education program, a specific, high volume and experience level.

Certified Commercial Investment Member/ CCIM The Certified Commercial Investment Member designation is a commercial real estate's global standard for professional achievement, earned through an extensive curriculum of 200 classroom hours and pro-fessional experiential requirements.

Certified Property Managers (CPM) The CPM designation demonstrates expertise and integrity to employers, owners and investors.

Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) CRB designees are positioned to streamline operations, integrate new technol-ogy and apply new trends and business strate-gies.

Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) This designation will teach you how to earn nearly three times more income, transaction and gross sales than non-designee REALTORS.

Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) The Coun-selors of Real Estate is an international group of recognized professionals who provide sea-soned expert, objective advice on real prop-erty and land related matters. Only 1,100 practitioners throughout the world carry the CRE designation. Membership is by invitation only.

General Accredited Appraiser (GAA) For general appraisers, this designation is awarded to those who education and experience exceed state appraisal certification.

Graduate, REALTOR Institute REAL-TORS with GRI designation have in-depth training in legal and regulatory issues, tech-nology, professional standards and the sales process.

Performance Management Network (PMN) This designation focuses on negotiating strate-gies and tactics, networking and referrals and business planning and systems, personal per-formance management and leadership devel-opment.

Residential Accredited Appraiser (RAA) For residential appraisers, this designation is awarded to those who education and experi-ence exceed state appraisal certification.

Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) The Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation is the premier credential in seller representation.

Society of Industrial and Office REAL-TORS (SIOR) The SIOR designation is held by only the most knowledgeable, experienced, and successful commercial real estate broker-age specialists.

At Home With Diversity (AHWD)

This certification teaches you how to conduct your business with sensitivity to all client profiles and build a business plan to success-fully serve them.

Broker Price Opinion Resource (BPOR) The Broker Price Opinion Resource certifica-tion is specifically designed to help residential real estate agents and brokers enhance their skills in creating BPOs, reducing risk, and applying alternative valuation techniques.

ePro N.A.R.'s ePro Certification teaches you to use the cutting-edge technologies and digi-tal initiatives to link up with today's savy real estate consumer.

Military Relocation Professional (MRP) This certification focuses on education real estate professional about working with current and former service members to find housing solutions and take advantage of the military benefits and support.

Resort & Second Home Property Specialist (RSPS) This certification is designed for REALTORS who facilitate the buying, sell-ing, or management of properties for invest-ment, development, retirement or second homes in a resort, recreational and/or vacation destination are involved in this niche market.

Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource (SFR) The SFR certification teaches real estate pro-fessionals to work with distressed sellers and the finance, tax and legal professional who can help them, qualify sellers for short sales, develop a short sale package, negotiate with lenders, safeguard your commission, limit risk, and protect buyers.

CeCe Robles, Education & Member Specialist - DAOR “Please call me if you have

Any questions.”

8

Now You Know!!!

Hilda

cs@DAOR.com

562 861-0915

10

The Holidays are coming, Thanksgiving is right around the corner following Christmas and New Years. It's time to get ready for those offices, family and friend parties and gather-ings. We know our REALTORS® dress to impress and to make your outfit stand out even more plus promote your business here at the store we have gorgeous stunning look-ing pins for everyone's style.

Prices: vary