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RED ALERT!

Gas Water Heater and Furnace Ban

On Wednesday, March 15, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Board of Directors will vote to ban natural gas water heaters in each of the Bay Area’s nine counties by 2027 and natural gas furnaces by 2029. CONTACT your local representatives to the BAAQMD NOW to voice your opposition!

The Bay Area Counties impacted by this ban are:  Marin, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, San Francisco, San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara.

This ban will impact homeowners, housing providers, and even tenants.  Not only is it expensive to replace gas appliances with electric versions, but in most cases, homeowner will have to upgrade their electrical service, electrical panel, and interior wiring.

These upgrades could cost a homeowner tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending upon the age of the home.

Some housing providers may not be able to afford this work and may have to sell their rental unit which harms tenants.  Furthermore, this proposed ban does not account for our seniors on a fixed income or those households who do not have the resources to pay for costly electrical upgrades.

All local Bay Area REALTOR® Associations understand how critical the environment is in our region’s quality of life.

There are better ways to protect the environment without putting homeowners and housing providers, and tenants at risk.  Financial incentives and grant programs for those homeowners wanting to convert to electric furnaces and water heaters is an alterative to an out-right ban on the sale and installation of these gas appliances.

Further information:

Regionally, two Potential Electrification Conversion Cost Studies have been conducted by the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® and the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS®. This will give you an idea of the costs that might be associated with conversion to all-electric. *Please note: electrical contractors interviewed for these studies cautioned that the costs they provided were those without a conversion mandate in place – anticipate significantly higher costs if a mandate is passed.

2023 Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® Installation

On Thursday, January 26, 2023, at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club, the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® (SCCAOR) installed its 2023 Officers and Board of Directors. 

 

 

Master of Ceremonies, and 2016 President of the California Association of REALTORS®, Ziggy Zicarelli of Style Realty, Inc. kicked off the event with inspirational speeches from Brian Crane, co-founder and CEO of Intero, and Gino Blefari, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and #4 in the 2022 rankings of the SP200 from T3 Sixty. The Santa Clara County REALTORS® Foundation, the charitable arm of SCCAOR, highlighted its Down Payment Assistance Program. SCCAOR also recognized many staff members celebrating their 5, 10, 15, and 20 year work anniversaries.

 

Awards were given to several of SCCAOR’s members, who devote so much of their time and energy to making SCCAOR a welcoming, dynamic, and dedicated organization. Award winners included:

 

Anna Truong Lopez, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage – 2022 Volunteer of the Year

Kevin Barrett, Chicago Title Company – 2022 Affiliate of the Year

Jenny Zhao, MaxReal – 2022 Government Affairs Champion of the Year

Kelly Hunt, Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno – 2022 Government Affairs Champion of the Year

Alma Moreno, SCCAOR Executive Assistant – 2022 Tracey Lee Excellence in Service Award

Doug Goss, Keller Williams Bay Area Estates – 2022 REALTOR® of the Year

Mickie Constantino, 1988 SCCAOR President – Byron Brawley Award

Jen Beehler, Elevate Group – 2022 President’s Choice Award

Barbara Lymberis, 2012 SCCAOR President – 2022 Commendation for Outstanding Service & Leadership

 

SCCAOR congratulates all of the 2022 award recipients and nominees, and thanks them for all of their contributions to the organization.

 

The 2023 Officers of the Board of Directors were installed: William Edward Chea as President, Michelle Perry, as President-Elect, Kraig Constantino, as Vice President, and Bill Rehbock as Treasurer & Secretary. The remaining Board of Directors include: Ryan Alter, Jen Beehler, Joe Brown, Lisa Faria, Terese Ferrara, Doug Goss, Gene Hunt, Kelly Hunt, Sandy Jamison, Karen Nelson, Rick Smith, Margo Sparks, Laura Welch, and Jenny Zhao.

 

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SupportTeacherHousing.org Ribbon Cutting

…creating a replicable and sustainable affordable housing model for teachers and the missing middle.

Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® CEO, Neil V. Collins, was on hand earlier this month to celebrate the opening of the first of its kind, below-market-rate housing development for Los Gatos teachers and school staff.  The project, organized by volunteers with SupportTeacherHousing.org, creates a replicable and sustainable affordable housing model for teachers and the missing middle.

 

Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian, the developers, and SupportTeacherHousing.org volunteers, cut the ribbon in early-November, for this exciting new project – a project designed for those who make too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing but not enough to live in the cities they work.

Teacher Housing Ribbon Cutting

Sarah Chaffin, SupportTeacherHousing.org Founder, shared, “SCCAOR helped popularize the idea of this pilot program before we even had a site.”  We are proud to lend our support as these kinds of projects help prove a model for future developments.  We need to bridge the “Missing Middle” and ensure that teachers, school staff, and other members of the workforce can live in the communities in which they serve.  Chaffin said of SCCAOR’s involvement that “with the help of local community members, you can get anything done.”

Construction was completed in November and tenants will move in before the close of the year.

To learn more about the project, visit www.supportteacherhousing.org.

REALTOR® Safety Month: Rural Safety Tips

Rural Safety Tips Banner

Rural Safety Tips

 

Safety involves humans, animals, weather, situations, and more. Below are safety points from land professionals on safety in the rural environment. Some of these suggestions are appropriate for real estate professionals in all areas of real estate.

 

Driving

  1. Don’t talk on the phone, write, and drive at the same time. Likewise, don’t drive, look at a map, or take photos while driving with your knee.
  2. Use DOT construction maps/road updates to save time and prevent ending up in an unfamiliar area, being in an area where one prefers not to be, or being on a road closed due to snow or other natural disasters.
  3. Always have car keys easily accessible and lock car doors. All equipment, briefcases, and other items should be placed in the trunk.
  4. Don’t crest a hill on a gravel road while on a cell phone in the middle of the road.
  5. Drive a vehicle that can handle rough terrain and mud.

 

Dogs

  1. When driving into a rural area, wait a bit before getting out of the car to give dogs plenty of time to come to the truck and adjust. Talk to them out of the window before departing the vehicle.
  2. Some might find comfort in carrying a weapon to protect themselves in case they encounter an extremely aggressive situation. This might happen in the woods or rural areas.
  3. When making an appointment to view a rural property, ask the owner if they have dogs, if the animals are friendly, and what their names are. Ask the owner to put the dogs in a barn, kennel, or other shelters if they believe the dogs are not friendly. Consider asking the owners to be on the premises when arriving at a property with dogs.

 

Snakes

  1. Wear boots and keep them available in your truck or vehicle to wear for protection.
  2. If a rock needs to be turned over, pick up the side facing away.
  3. Consider carrying a weapon, such as a firearm.

 

Personal Safety

  1. Use common sense and do not get close to animals who do not know you.
  2. Have a cell phone in hand with safety numbers plugged in for easy dialing.
  3. Attempt to obtain names, residence—city and state—cell number, office, home phone numbers, occupation, and make, model and color of vehicles for unknown prospective buyers or lessees land. Inform them in advance of the make, model and color of the practitioner’s vehicle.
  4. Share this information with someone you work with, including the property location and time of appointments.
  5. Always have your phone charged.
  6. Carrying a can of hornet spray is a good defense, easy to use, and very effective when sprayed in the face. Carry mace or a weapon.
  7. If it doesn’t feel right, get out of there!
  8. When going into a basement, let the client go downstairs first or let them go alone and stay on the main floor. Always leave yourself an exit strategy.
  9. If you feel uncomfortable in doing something — your intuition is an asset — don’t do it. Trust your instincts.
  10. Besides giving a colleague, friend, or partner a map, address, and owner’s name, have that person call you 10 minutes after you should have arrived for the appointment; have a code word that would signal a problem, but that wouldn’t give away that you are using the code if someone is listening.
  11. When working with strangers, have them walk in front of you.
  12. Know what some of the materials are to make meth and what they look like. If you see evidence of this type of material, leave and contact law enforcement.
  13. If a firearm is carried, make sure that lessons have been taken and the appropriate licenses have been applied for and granted. Only use when you know that your life is in danger.

Take safety seriously!

Article posted from NAR (www.nar.realtor/safety/rural-safety-tips) originally written by Terri Jensen, ALC Advanced, 2015 REALTORS® Land Institute National President

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4 ‘Danger Zones’ in Your Daily Work Routine

4 Danger Zones in Your Daily Work Routine

 

Crimes against real estate professionals have risen 300% since 2006, data shows. These business practices may make you most vulnerable.

Janet Rodriguez Judd is the 2022 chair of NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Advisory Committee.  She was also the first female police officer hired by her department in St. Louis County in the early 1980s. Judd shared the four danger zones that real estate professionals can encounter during the course of their business day and how to minimize the associated risk.

 

 

Danger Zone Number One: Your Vehicle

Real estate professionals are often distracted by their phones when exiting or walking to their cars. Criminals see that distraction as an opportunity to attack.

Safety Tips:

  1. Pay attention to your surroundings. Park in a well-lit area with people and other cars nearby, if possible.
  2. Pull through on parking spaces for a faster exit.
  3. Be alert between the hours of 8 p.m. and 2 a.m., which is when most carjackings occur.
  4. Keep your passenger doors locked when you enter your vehicle.

Judd advised real estate professionals to be aware of their surroundings and look for the “pink squirrel”—that is, anything that’s noticeably out of place. “If you see someone wearing a heavy coat in the summertime, that’s unusual,” Judd explained. “That coat could be hiding weapons.”

Danger Zone Number Two: Your Office

The office may seem like a safe place, but predators could be watching to see when you’re left alone.

Safety Tips:

  1. Keep the front and back doors of your office locked, and make sure the doors have locks with keys—and not just levers.
  2. Have a lock on your personal office door. Coordinate with office management if you don’t have one.
  3. Keep your phone fully charged at all times.
  4. Know how to work the emergency sequence on your phone.
  5. Speak in a loud voice and be assertive if someone catches you by surprise.

Because criminals are looking for vulnerabilities, speaking and acting with authority could make an intruder back down, Judd said. “Create boundaries. Don’t appear weak or subservient.”

Danger Zone Number Three: Showing a Property

Predators have been known to target individual agents, learning about them through their social media presence and scheming to meet them alone. Maintaining control and adhering to your company’s established safety protocols can help weed out the bad apples.

Safety Tips:

  1. Ask clients to come to the office first. Those with criminal intent may refuse and become angry—signs that you’re dealing with a predator.
  2. Don’t park in the driveway. You can be blocked in.
  3. Always keep your keys and your phone on you. Don’t set them down on a table.
  4. Never turn your back on a prospect.
  5. Avoid spaces with no other exit, such as basements. They can be traps.

Judd observed that real estate professionals may also consider running background checks on prospective clients. However, she cautioned that if you run a background check on one prospect, then you should run them for all. “Otherwise, you could potentially create a fair housing violation,” she said.

Danger Zone Number Four: Conducting an Open House

Predators also can target an individual agent through open houses. If you notice that a prospective client has appeared at several of your open houses but hasn’t made any offers, that could be a red flag.

Safety Tips:

  1. Let prospects lead the way into individual rooms. You can stay by the door.
  2. Establish escape routes from every level of the house.
  3. Have a bell attached to the front door so you can hear when someone enters.
  4. Call a buddy or the office on a regular, timed basis.

The end of an open house is potentially the most dangerous time of the event. “People can hide in drapes, closets, showers,” Judd said. “Be sure to talk to someone on the phone while you are checking the house.”

 

Reproduced from REALTOR® Magazine

10 Tips for Holding a Safe Open House

Open houses can be a great sales tool—but hosting one also exposes you to numerous unfamiliar people for the first time. Take these steps to stay safe:

  1. If possible, always try to have at least one other person working with you at the open house.
  2. Check your cell phone’s strength and signal prior to the open house. Have emergency numbers programmed on speed dial.
  3. Upon entering a house for the first time, check all rooms and determine several “escape” routes. Make sure all deadbolt locks are unlocked to facilitate a faster escape.
  4. Make sure that if you were to escape by the back door, you could escape from the backyard. Frequently, high fences surround yards that contain swimming pools or hot tubs.
  5. Have all open house visitors sign in. Ask for full name, address, phone number and e-mail.
  6. When showing the house, always walk behind the prospect. Direct them; don’t lead them. Say, for example, “The kitchen is on your left,” and gesture for them to go ahead of you.
  7. Avoid attics, basements, and getting trapped in small rooms.
  8. Notify someone in your office, your answering service, a friend or a relative that you will be calling in every hour on the hour. And if you don’t call, they are to call you.
  9. Inform a neighbor that you will be showing the house and ask if he or she would keep an eye and ear open for anything out of the ordinary.
  10. Don’t assume that everyone has left the premises at the end of an open house. Check all of the rooms and the backyard prior to locking the doors. Be prepared to defend yourself, if necessary.

(Sources: Washington Real Estate Safety Council; City of Mesa, Arizona; Nevada County Board of REALTORS®; Georgia Real Estate Commission)

Safety Alert: Vandalism of Vacant Homes

SCCAOR Members have reported cases of vandalism to vacant homes on the market.
Be on alert and notify your sellers.

Members have alerted SCCAOR about recent acts of vandalism where vandals are breaking into homes on the market to hold parties in the vacant properties.  Notify your sellers of the potential threat and ask them to practice safety measures to secure their homes.

Visit www.sccaor.com/safety to access important safety resources.
September is REALTOR® Safety Month, but we practice safety year-round!

Check the SCCAOR calendar frequently for Safety Classes & Webinars.

In September, we will be partnering with NAR to bring you daily tips and best practices from the REALTOR® Safety Program to keep you safe.  The goal of the program is to empower you and help reduce the number of incidents in the industry.

We can accomplish this goal together!
Click below to follow our social channels and view daily safety postings.

2023 NOMINATING COMMITTEE SELECTIONS: SCCAOR OFFICER & DIRECTOR CANDIDATES

 

After conducting extensive interviews with potential candidates for the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors and Officers, our Nominating Committee has selected the following candidates to serve as the Association Leaders in 2023. 

 

Petition: Candidates for officers or directors, other than those candidates selected by the Nominating Committee, may be nominated by written petition on a form from SCCAOR. You may pick up the petition form at SCCAOR. The petition must be signed by 150 or more REALTOR® members in good standing and be delivered to the Chief Executive Officer at SCCAOR no later than noon on July 21.  If you have any questions, please contact Alma Moreno or Neil Collins at (408) 445-8500.

 

Officer Candidates selected by the Nominating Committee:

  • William Chea, President
  • Michelle Perry, President-Elect (2023 President-Elect – will automatically become 2024 President)
  • Kraig Constantino, Vice-President
  • William Rehbock, Secretary/Treasurer

 

Director Candidates selected by the Nominating Committee:

  • Joe Brown
  • Terese Ferrara
  • Laura Welch
  • Jen Beehler
  • Lisa Faria *
  • Margo Sparks – SCRA Representative**

 

The 2022 SCCAOR Nominating Committee was comprised of:

  • Sandy Jamison, Vice-Chairperson (Past President 2020)
  • Doug Goss, Vice-Chairperson (Past President 2021)
  • Gustavo Gonzalez, (Past President 2019)
  • Ryan Alter, (Current Board of Directors)
  • Carl San Miguel, (Past President 2000 & 2013)
  • Steve Hanleigh, (Past President 2002)
  • John Pinto, (Past President 1990)
  • Mike Bui (SCCAOR Member)
  • Shivangi Mishra (SCCAOR Member & DEI Chair)
  • Nancy Robinson (SCCAOR Member)
  • Hassan Sabbagh (SCCAOR Member)
  • Sondra Weber (SCCAOR Member)
  • Jennifer Rutherford, (SCCAOR Member)

 

* Per SCCAOR policy, the immediate Past President is given a three-year term.

**Per SCCAOR Bylaws, one director shall be designated by the South County REALTORS® Alliance to serve a one-year term from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.

June 7, 2022: Primary Elections

Download Slate Card

The results of the June 7th Primary Elections will dramatically shift the political direction of local politics for the following term and beyond.

The SCCAOR Local Candidate Recommendation Committee has been hard at work, investing time and energy interviewing candidates for San Jose Mayor, San Jose City Council, Santa Clara County Supervisor, and Santa Clara District Attorney. The 2022 SCCAOR-Endorsed candidates were selected as the best and most effective candidates that align with REALTOR® priorities and property rights.

On June 7th, please vote for the SCCAOR-Endorsed candidates!

Click HERE to find your vote center, a sample ballot, and other information from the Santa Clara Registrar of Voters.

– The Government Affairs Team @ SCCAOR

YOU can make a difference. Vote.

Questions? Email advocacy@sccaor.com

2022 Legislative Day AB 2710

On Wednesday, April 27th, over 2400 REALTORS® gathered for the 2022 California Association of REALTORS® Legislative Day in Sacramento, CA.

This year, AB 2710 was designated a “Red Hot Issue” by C.A.R. and all Legislative Day attendees appealed to their local lawmakers to oppose this legislation that would have stripped homeowners of their property rights.

SCCAOR is proud to announce that after a full day of legislator meetings, the author of AB 2710 decided to pull his bill from Committee, a great success for the REALTOR® Party of California.
If enacted, AB 2710 would prohibit rental property owners from offering their property for sale unless they first offered it to “qualified entities” such as nonprofit organizations and local governments. C.A.R. opposed the bill because it would have harmed small property owners in the following ways:
  1. It would interfere with the ability of property owners with urgent personal circumstances to sell quickly, making them wait several months before they could offer to anyone besides a “qualified entity”.
  2. It would reduce homeownership opportunities for working families by prohibiting properties from initially entering the open market.
  3. It would place undue financial hardship on rental property owners as they would be forced to continue paying their mortgage and other property expenses for months because they would be prohibited from selling on the open market while a “qualified entity” considers making an offer.
  4. It would expose small property owners to cumbersome procedures and to possibly costly and time-consuming lawsuits.

Throughout the day, REALTOR® associations hosted their state lawmakers for meetings on this topic to lobby against the measure and share how the bill would harm property rights, the real estate industry, and REALTOR® livelihoods. We at the Santa Clara County Association of  REALTORS®, in collaboration with SAMCAR and SILVAR, hosted Senator Dave Cortese, Senator Josh Becker, Assemblymember Alex Lee, and Assemblymember Evan Low.

SCCAOR extends a big thank you to all REALTORS® for participating in Virtual Legislative Day on March 2nd and the 2022 Legislative Day on April 27th. When we come together in size and strength, we can achieve positive results in support of private property rights.
#StrongerTogether