The Department of Real Estate (DRE) is canceling real estate salesperson and broker license exams in all exam centers through May 31, 2020. This action is being taken to comply with state and local public health agencies ordering residents to shelter in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.
 
Examinees affected by these cancellations will be allowed to reschedule their canceled exam dates using DRE’s eLicensing system. Exam rescheduling fees will be waived for canceled exams.
 
Examinees with questions or concerns regarding canceled exams can contact DRE’s Licensing program at (877) 373-4542 or by email at Ask.DRELicensing@dre.ca.gov.

Some Q&A from the DRE website:

If my exam is canceled, how do I reschedule it?
All examinees can reschedule canceled exams using our eLicensing system for free. If you do not have an eLicensing account, you can easily create one on our website.

If the county I live in has issued a shelter in place order, can I reschedule my exam date?
Yes. If the city or county issues a shelter in place order, your exam will be canceled and an email notification will be sent to you. Be sure to check your spam or junk email folders. When an exam is canceled, examinees are placed in a "self-schedule" status on eLicensing, which allows them to reschedule for free.

My real estate license will be expiring soon. What is the best way for me to complete my renewal?
The secure eLicensing online system offers expedited processing of salesperson, broker, and officer license renewals any time or day of the week. eLicensing is easy to use, paperless and interactive. Licensees enter information needed for license renewal into eLicensing, including the course number and completion date of continuing education courses taken. If continuing education is required, then Continuing Education Requirements must be completely satisfied in order to renew through eLicensing. Acceptable methods of payment include VISA, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards or debit cards bearing a VISA or MasterCard logo.

Unfortunately, officers renewing after the license expiration date and all restricted licensees cannot use eLicensing. Those renewal applications must be submitted by mail to the Department of Real Estate, P.O. Box 137003, Sacramento, CA 95813-7003.

Remember, you may use eLicensing or submit your renewal application 90 days prior to your license expiration date. Your renewal is on-time if your eLicensing transaction is completed or your application is postmarked before midnight on your license expiration date. If you submit your renewal on-time, Business and Professions Code Section 10156.2 permits you to continue operating under your existing license after its expiration date unless notified otherwise by the DRE.

How do I complete continuing education for my license renewal when I have been ordered to shelter in place?
Licensees can take continuing education courses by various means, including by correspondence or distance learning. Correspondence courses include courses offered online or by mail. You can search here for a list of continuing education courses that are offered by correspondence.

Please remember that continuing education courses follow strict regulations with regards to the amount of time required to be spent on a course and spacing of the final exams. See Continuing Education Regulations (RE 312) for additional information.

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About Robert  |  Photos of Robert and Colleagues  |  Services  |  Share thoughts about Robert

The Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® (PSAR) has lost a dear friend, Past President, CAR Region 30 Vice Chair, and current board member. It’s with much grief and sadness to report that Robert Calloway has passed away at the tender age of 54. He was found at his home on Tuesday, May 5. The cause of death was determined to be heart disease.

The theme for Robert’s year as 2019 PSAR President was “Salute to Service.” He said in a February 2019 PSAR blog post, “I have learned that nothing is more refreshing than to serve and giveback, and by getting involved. It’s your attitude that is most important. There’s something very authentic in participating with the desire to help others: Nothing to prove; nothing to lose.

“PSAR’s mission is to empower our members. Our mission statement states: `We empower our members to flourish while being accountable to each other, our clients and our community.’ Our members are self-empowered to take control of their own destiny and careers.

“I encourage everyone to get involved by volunteering and serving in their community. Don’t just show-up, volunteer. Find your passions, utilize your strengths, be a participant, not just an observer, and you will get more out of life. You will develop your skills, advance your career and the experience will be rewarding to you both personally and professionally. While no one is capable of doing everything, everyone is capable of doing something.” 

Following the conclusion of his term, Robert said in a January 2020 PSAR blog post, “Thanks to all of you who participated and were dedicated to this theme. It was a year when our members definitely stepped up and served our Association by committing themselves to service and to our mission of Empowering Our Members.”

According to Richard D’Ascoli, CEO, PSAR, the entire San Diego-area real estate industry has lost a true leader.

“I can honestly say that the overarching theme in Robert’s life was his commitment to service,” said D’Ascoli. “He lived a life of continuous and unrelenting service. In the Navy, he served our country, he retired and served the disabled veteran community by promoting VA benefits to those in need,  Then, he began serving his real estate profession as president of our association. At the same time, he was serving the faith community at his church. His life will be remembered as an example of service. We will miss him greatly.”

During his 2019 term as PSAR President, there were many highlights. Here are a few:

• 190 training classes, 23 unique events and 600 marketing sessions
• Expanded membership by 10 percent
• Expanded services by opening a third PSAR Service Center in Clairemont Mesa, 4340 Genesee Ave., Suite 203, San Diego, called the Central San Diego Service Center
• Launched a new weekly property marketing pitch meeting, called “City Pitch,” held at 9 a.m., every Tuesday morning, at the PSAR Central San Diego Service Center
• Expanded access to more technology and listing data by joining the California Regional Multiple Listing Service
•Added Glide 2.0 and SavvyCard as new member benefits
• Awarded $13,500 to four local nonprofits, including South Bay Community Services, Unity 4 Orphans, Meals on Wheels and San Ysidro Health Center, as a result of fundraising at two PSAR events, including the PSAR 2019 Realtor Games, held in June, and the PSAR 2019 Zombie Run-Walk, held in October
• Published a new Local Area Disclosures (LAD) publication covering San Diego County in partnership with the North San Diego County Association of REALTORS® (NSDCAR), the new LAD contains disclosure information relating to properties in the San Diego region
• Recognized at the El Cajon City Council for a grant that created a website featuring resources and information to assist homeless people in the East County;
• Assisted the City of San Diego in writing  the “Companion Unit Handbook,” a  helpful 38-page guide to help homeowners better navigate the process of constructing on their property a companion unit, also known as granny flats or accessory dwelling units (ADUs)
• Provided input to the La Mesa City Council, City of Chula Vista and San Diego County Board of Supervisors about ADUs in support of property owners and as a way to address the region’s housing supply and affordability crisis
• Promoted the CRMLS/Mexico MLS data-share as a presenter at the AMPI (Asociacion Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios) national convention (AMPI is Mexico’s counterpart to the National Association of REALTORS®)
•Solidified relationships with Baja Associations through meetings in Los Cabos and La Paz

Robert was especially proud of the recognition given for his efforts to help veterans with homeownership. In 2018, Robert was invited by Ernest J. Dronenburg, Jr., San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-Clerk, to serve as an advisor to the Assessor’s Office on providing property tax relief to disabled veterans.

Under Robert’s leadership, a number of homeownership initiatives were introduced that helped disabled military veterans achieve homeownership, stay in their homes and save money on their property taxes. As a result, the Assessor’s Office has assisted more than 10,000 local disabled veterans since 2018.   

Robert’s efforts to help veterans resulted in PSAR and the Assessor’s Office receiving a Golden Watchdog Award from the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. In addition, the California Board of Equalization (BOE), a state agency, also recognized Robert for his efforts to help veterans.

“Robert Calloway led a life of service,” said Dronenburg. “Starting in the Navy and ending as a super professional in the real estate industry serving as the 2019 President of the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors. He played an important role helping over 10,000 veterans in San Diego County as my advisor on tax breaks for disabled veterans. While he was recognized by the State of California for his leadership helping veterans and as the PSAR President, he will most be remembered as a joyful industry leader that made San Diego a better place to live.”  

Robert also enjoyed serving at Bayview Church in San Diego as a leader within the deacon ministry and a facilitator in Studies In Christian Living (SICL) Bible Study classes. According to Sherman Metcalf, Chairman of the Deacon Board at the church, Robert was an active member of Bayview for 14 years.

“Robert Calloway was a devoted Christian and servant of the Lord,” said Metcalf. “Within the first year of membership at Bayview, Robert joined the Hospitality Ministry and had continued to serve faithfully in this capacity until his passing. In December 2014, Robert was ordained as a Deacon at Bayview where he dedicated his life to supporting the Senior Pastor who ministers to the congregation and community. Robert spent much of his time serving the church elders as well as a fellow Deacon who fell to a life-changing disability. Robert was the type of person whose presence enhanced whichever ministry he was a part of. He will be sorely missed.”

Robert Daniel Calloway III was born on Dec. 12, 1965 in Atlanta, Georgia.  He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 19. “I enjoyed traveling and the Navy sounded appealing,” he said. “But, I never expected to travel that much.”

His Naval career included 13 deployments on six different ships. One of his most memorable experiences was watching his ship sink an abandoned Italian destroyer. “We towed his ship to an area near the international boundary with Libya,” recalled Calloway. “Our purpose was to show our military might to Muammar Gadaffi. It was very exciting to watch the ship blow up. Muammar stayed pretty quiet after that.”

Calloway served in the Navy for 26 years, from June 1985 to June 2011, retiring as a Senior Chief Navy Counselor. He worked in human resources and counseling in 20 of his 26 years.

Robert met President George W. Bush aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. It was on May 1, 2003, when the President declared “Mission Accomplished” regarding the end of major combat operations in Iraq in a nationally televised address.

“The President was very friendly and grateful and thanked us for our service,” said Robert. “He was interested in our opinion and was a good listener about what we had to share. It was impressive to watch him land on the flight deck co-piloting the jet.”

Robert started selling real estate in 2008, while still in the Navy. He joined PSAR at the start of his real estate career and was elected to the PSAR board of directors in 2014.

Prior to serving as PSAR president, Robert served as the founding president of the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), San Diego chapter. The chapter was launched in July 2013 and he served as its president until October 2015. He also served for three years as VAREP’s Southern California State Director, overseeing the six chapters stretching from San Diego to Los Angeles. Headquartered in Corona, Calif., VAREP has more than 20,000 members nationwide, and more 60 chapters around the country, states its mission as to increase sustainable home ownership, financial-literacy education and economic opportunity for the active-duty and veteran communities.

“Robert was an earth angel,” said Andre Hobbs, a San Diego REALTOR®, close friend and VAREP member. Hobbs helped Robert establish the San Diego VAREP chapter in 2013. Today, Hobbs serves on the VAREP national board of directors as a member of the organization’s Affordable Housing Committee.

“What I mean by earth angel is someone who is born in human form and is beautiful and humble and shares with the world, generously and tirelessly, love, light and kindness of their hearts,” said Hobbs.

Robert is survived by a daughter Danielle Calloway of Cincinnati, Ohio, and two stepsons, Ernest Turner of Fife, Wash., Shalom Richards of Graham, Wash.

Robert also is survived by four sisters and a brother. The sisters include: Alicia Wimbish (Carl) of Ellenwood, Georgia; Valerie Seaborn (Kenneth) of Monroe, Georgia; Yolanda Williams (James) of Lithonia, Georgia; Darlene Williams (Boris) of Conyers, Georgia; brother Roderick Calloway (Carolyn) of Ellenwood, Georgia.
Robert was preceded in death by his father Robert D. Calloway Jr, mother Alicia “Yvonne” Calloway and a sister, Cheryl Williams.

Robert also is survived by seven grandchildren, as well as a longtime friend, Elizabeth Taylor of San Diego.

In one of his final written statements to PSAR members, Robert provided some positive encouragement during the coronavirus pandemic. Robert was one of several PSAR past presidents who was quoted in a PSAR blog post. Robert’s comment revealed his loving heart and concern for others. Here was Robert’s comment: “We will get through this tough time as we have done in the past. Continue to work with your past clients and update them on what’s happening in the real estate market. Also, please remain safe during the shelter in place, there is no amount of money that can replace you or a loved one.”

Due to the coronavirus restrictions, the Celebration of Life memorial service honoring Robert will be held at a later date. Once finalized, details will be shared with all PSAR members.  

For more photos of Robert and his PSAR Colleagues Click Here

Today, May 7th, Governor Newsom released updated industry guidance to begin reopening with modifications that reduce risk and establish a safer environment for workers and customers. This guidance includes, among other things, information pertaining to real estate transactions.  Use these guidelines to responsibly plan and reopen for business.

The California Department of Real Estate advises all licensees to review the newly posted "COVID-19 Industry Guidance for Real Estate Transactions" and "COVID-19 General Checklist for Real Estate Transactions" found in the links below.

The Resilience Roadmap is a plan for modifying the statewide stay at home order to gradually reopen. When modifications are advanced and the state’s six indicators show we’ve made enough progress, we can move to the next stage of the roadmap. We are now moving into Stage 2, where some lower-risk workplaces can gradually open with adaptations.

This Guidance for Real Estate Document  provides guidance for businesses operating in the real estate industry including sales and rentals of single-family, multi-family, apartment, commercial, and industrial properties to support a safe, clean environment for workers.

• Specific plan
• Physical distancing
• Cleaning and disinfecting protocols for workplaces

It also has topics for employee training and individual control measures and screening, 

The COVID-19 General Checklist for Real Estate Transactions
This checklist is intended to help people involved in real estate transactions implement their plan to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace and is supplemental to the Guidance for Real Estate Transactions. This checklist is a summary and contains shorthand for some parts of the guidance; familiarize yourself with the guidance before using this checklist.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to challenging and stressful times, full of ambiguity and uncertainty. The virus fallout has hit all business sectors to their respective cores - and our real estate industry is no exception.  And even while we are all in the middle of finding ways of conducting business and helping our clients, we are wondering what will be the long-term impact to our industry? What will “normal” be after the COVID-19 lock-down ends?

The answer is: It depends on your definition of “normal.” It’s likely we will see a different way of life in real estate. It’s unlikely that way of life will be exactly as it was pre-Covid-19. The stay-at-home mandate is now in its second month, and the dial is beginning to inch in the opposite direction. Some states are beginning to lift restrictions while others lay out roadmaps. Our economy’s reopening is coming, but “normal” is still a ways down the road.

Here are a few thoughts about the coronavirus impact on our real estate profession and our PSAR members.

-- The virus-driven economic shutdown hit the normally active spring home-buying season hard by limiting supply and dampening demand. Inventory, which already was tight, is now even tighter with fewer numbers of new listings. Many sellers pressed pause on putting their home on the market. Their hesitation to list is understandable given the dynamic economic outlook and the uncertainty it generates. Coronavirus fears also made many more buyers cautious fence-sitters.

-- Expect better times in 2020 Q3. Much of the economic disruption will continue throughout the second quarter. But I’m expecting that many potential sellers who hesitated due to anxiety will list their properties in the third quarter. I’m also expecting a more balanced market with fewer unrealistic sellers, over-pricing their homes and refusing to negotiate. Concern among our members is increasing tempered with a“this too shall pass” perspective.

-- Low mortgage rates will fuel demand and spur a quicker recovery in Q3. Rates will hover in the 3 percent range. Refinancing activity will remain constant as homeowners scramble to lock in record-low rates.

-- Open house activity will change going forward. Instead of group open-house gatherings, I see an increase in private showings of homes. Fewer open houses with smaller numbers to maintain social distancing will be scheduled. I’m proud to see how our PSAR members are exhibiting ingenuity and adapting open house strategies to meet head-on the Covid-19 reality. PSAR members are using video virtual showings and video tours on mobile devices, with disinfectant, masks and hand sanitizers available at in the entryway of every house shown. Some open house tips: Require all visitors to disinfect their hands upon entering the home, provide alcohol-based hand sanitizers at the entryway, as well as soap and disposable towels in bathrooms; before and after the open house, ask your client to clean and disinfect their home, especially commonly touched areas like doorknobs and faucet handles.

-- The coronavirus has been the catalyst of a greater reliance on technology by our industry. Overnight out industry, out of necessity, evolved from a a high-touch, in person process. I see more REALTORS® using technology, that has in fact existed for years, to finalize remote home closings and other steps of the transaction process. Technology is helping us find workarounds to navigate legal requirements and consumer anxiety.

-- iBuying, or automated home flipping without the expertise of a REALTOR®, certainly has been impacted by Covid-19. Algorithms that were built to snap-up real estate bargains and put cash offers on the table are being used less. The use of algorithms to evaluate and flip homes has been slowed considerably.

-- New home developers have also been hit hard because they normally depend on sales and marketing events that are now not allowed. Several new developments originally scheduled to launch in the spring will now be deferred until later this year, if not next. Private appointments and an increasing use of digital viewing options are now key aspects of new home marketing.

PSAR members will always be called upon to adapt to and leverage changing market realities and use their knowledge, negotiating skills and technology to treat all parties fairly, get deals done and keep the local economies strong. We will always find new ways to add value to our clients. Something good comes out of every crisis because we make changes that make us better, smarter and stronger. Tough times teach you so much, lessons you’ll use throughout your careers. We will get through this tough time as we have done in the past. I believe our industry is in a position to thrive when this is over. Our clients will need us more than ever, so hang in there!

By NAR mandate, CRMLS has implemented it's Clear Cooperation Policy.  This policy governs the public marketing of listings and their entry into the multiple listing service. Within one (1) business day of marketing a property to the public, the listing broker must submit the listing to the MLS for cooperation with other MLS participants.

After the Seller signs the contract, the Listing Broker has two (2) business days from the listing contract date to enter the listing into the MLS. Within one (1) business day of marketing the property, the Listing Broker must ensure that the listing is in the Coming Soon or Active status.  CRMLS will have a "Coming Soon" status by the end of May 2020.

To learn more about the policy and how it will be implemented, CRMLS General Counsel Ed Zorn recorded this Webinar.

To download the slide deck below follow this link.

CRMLS also has this web page dedicated to Clear Cooperation, BUT the advantages that CRMLS provides are not available now. PSAR will join SDMLS in getting the Coming Soon status at the end of May, the Registered status and Hold status that are part of CRMLS now will be delayed until our migration to the Upgraded Paragon system in August.  They are also currently available for PSAR users who subscribe to Matrix.

C.A.R. RED ALERT

A live virtual tour is different than a Matterport or a staged pre-recorded video.  A live virtual tour is a face to face presentation with potential buyers and or their selling agents.  These are a great way to keep buyers and sellers safe from COVID-19 while also presenting and answering questions about your listing live.  When virtual open houses are entered into Paragon, the tour feeds to syndication portals and online tools.  Check out the online marketing for this listing being presented by PSAR member (and YPN Chair)  Amber Tannehill.  For step by step instructions to set these up, follow the link at the bottom of the page called Learn How to Market Virtual Tours.

Your virtual open house will feed to Homesnap, Zillow and other online tools so home home shoppers and fellow agents can find your tour and interact with your listing safely from the confines of their own home.  Schedule your Virtual Tour on your favorite online video conferencing tools so potential buyers and selling agents can schedule a tour with you and discuss your listing live.

This is what the marketing looks like on a few of the common consumer portals.

REALTOR.com

Homesnap

Zillow

The following live web conferencing services Will work with Paragon:

 BlueJeans bluejeans.com

 Facebook Live facebook.com

 GoToMeeting gotomeeting.com

 GoToWebinar gotowebinar.com

 Google Hangouts hangouts.google.com

 Google Meet meet.google.com

 Join.me join.me

 Livestream livestream.com

 Periscope periscope.com

 Skype skype.com

 Microsoft Teams teams.microsoft.com

 Webex webex.com

 Whereby whereby.com

 YouTube Live youtube.com

 Zoho zoho.com

 Zoom zoom.us

Here is another link with more information about tours.

Home sales in March reflected the early impacts of the coronavirus on the housing market, according to the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). During the last two weeks of the month, Californians were under a stay-at-home order.

Statewide, home sales in March 2020 were down 11.5 percent, compared to February, and down 6.1 percent compared to March of last year. In March, closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in the state totaled 373,070 units, compared to 421,670 in February. The statewide month-to-month drop was the first double-digit loss in more than nine years and the largest since August 2007. Additionally, the year-over-year decline was the first in nine months and the largest decrease since March 2019.

However, in San Diego, home sales in March 2020 were a whopping 23.4 percent higher than in February, and down only 1.3 percent compared to March of last year.

Meanwhile, despite a dip in housing demand, March home prices were up from those in February. March’s statewide median home price was $612,440, up 5.6 percent from February ($579,770) and up 8.3 percent from March 2019 ($565,740). It was the first time in three months the median price surged past the $600,000 benchmark.

The median home price of $675,000 for San Diego in March was slightly higher than the $670,000 figure in February. The March 2020 figure was 8.2 percent higher than the$623,800 figure of March 2019.

March 2020 County Sales and Price Activity
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)

“The relatively moderate sales decrease that occurred in March is only a prelude to what we’ll see in April and May because sales were still modestly strong during the first two weeks of March before stay-in-place orders were implemented throughout the state,” said 2020 C.A.R. President Jeanne Radsick.,. “However, pending sales, which is a better reflection of the current market conditions and consumer concerns about the coronavirus, dropped nearly 25 percent and suggest the decline could extend beyond the next couple of months, depending on the duration of the pandemic and the lockdown.”

“While the median home price continued to record a strong gain in March, most, if not all, of the closed sales were negotiated in mid- to late-February prior to the COVID-19 outbreak,” said C.A.R. Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “Still, the fast deterioration of the economy, the steep decline of the financial market and record-setting job losses have not been factored into March's closed sales but will become obvious in coming months.”

Reflecting the dramatic change in market conditions, a monthly Google poll conducted by C.A.R. in early April found just one in four (26 percent) consumers said it is a good time to sell, down from 59 percent a month ago, and down from 48 percent a year ago. The market uncertainty has not curbed the optimism for homebuying as much. 28 percent of the consumers who responded to the poll believe that now is a good time to buy a home, up from last year’s 22 percent, when interest rates were 82 basis points higher.

C.A.R. reports that potential home sellers are holding off listing their properties as uncertainty remains over the future of the economy and market conditions. As the fast-moving coronavirus continues to dominate daily lives, many potential home sellers may delay selling their homes, which would lead to fewer new listings.

California’s supply of available housing decreased in March from the prior month. If delay their buying plans due to  concern about the pandemic impact on their finances, sales willdecline and trigger a jump in the Unsold Inventory Index in the short term. The Unsold Inventory Index dropped to 2.7 months in March, down from 3.6 months both in February and March 2019. It was the lowest inventory level in three months. (The index indicates the number of months it would take to sell the supply of homes on the market at the current rate of sales.)

Other key points from the March 2020 resale housing report include:

• At the regional level, all major regions experienced a sales decrease from last year, with the Bay Area dropping the most at 12.1 percent, followed by the Central Coast (-7.3 percent), the Central Valley (-6.4 percent), and Southern California (-0.3 percent).  Twenty-nine of the 51 counties tracked by C.A.R. experienced a year-over-year sales loss. 
  
  
• Median prices in all regions increased in March over last year, with the Central Valley leading at 7.7 percent, followed by the Bay Area (7.4 percent), Southern California (7.3 percent), and the Central Coast (7.0 percent).
  
  
• Forty-two of the 51 counties tracked by C.A.R. reported a year-over-year price gain in March.
  
  
• The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home fell significantly from a year ago, declining from 23 days in February 2020 and 25 days in March 2019 to only 15 days in March 2020.
  
  
• In San Diego County, the median number of days an existing, single-family home remained unsold on the market was 10 days in March 2020, which compares to 12 days in February 2020, 23 days in January 2020 and 19 days in March 2019.

March 2020 County Unsold Inventory and Days on Market
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)

• The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 3.45 percent in March, down from 4.27 percent in March 2019, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate averaged 3.16 percent, versus 3.83 percent in March 2019.

In other recent real estate and economic news, according to news reports:

• Online home searches declined in March with the arrival of the coronavirus, according to LendingTree. In January, people searching for “homes for sale” in San Diego County were up 25 percent year-over-year right before the coronavirus hit. By the end of March, the searches had dropped by 43 percent from the January peak.
  
  
• Demand for San Diego County homes declined by 27 percent in late March and early April, according to data from Steven Thomas of Reports on Housing. He said San Diego is still a seller’s market, especially on the low end of prices, and homes under $750,000 still make up more than half the sales in San Diego County.
  
  
• According to CoreLogic, the median home price in March in San Diego County was $590,000, about $5,000 shy of an all-time high reached last year. The data reflects transactions that began in late January and February, since 30-day escrows are typical. It wasn’t until March that coronavirus stay-at-home orders swept across the nation.
  
  
• The National Association of REALTORS® said the coronavirus has led a quarter of U.S. REALTORS® (NAR) to have at least one client put a contract on a home in April without physically seeing the property. The NAR also reported the median number of homes a family visited either in person or via computer declined from nine in 2019 to just three in 2020.
  
  
• Redfin said the government’s coronavirus stimulus checks of $1,200 per person will cover only 42 percent of rent in San Diego, where monthly rent payments average $1,668, and only 14 percent of a mortgage payment, which averages $2,573, including utilities. Nationwide, the stimulus checks will cover one month’s worth of housing expenses for three-quarters of U.S. renters and nearly 50 percent of homeowners.

The U.S. House passed legislation Thursday providing a fresh round of funding for coronavirus small-business relief programs championed by the NAR.

Watch Video

President Trump is expected to sign the measure, which will clear the way for lending to resume as early as Friday under two Small Business Administration programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program.

Under the agreement, the PPP will receive $310 billion in new cash, while the EIDL fund will receive an additional $60 billion. The bill sets aside $60 billion of the PPP funding for small and medium-sized community banks, which will provide extra help for self-employed individuals and small businesses that don’t have relationships with larger banks.

“The PPP and EIDL had tremendous demand. Although the rollout was rocky, this latest bill should provide enough funds for everyone who needs a loan to get it. REALTORS® still waiting should contact their lender again and keep trying,” says Shannon McGahn, senior vice president of advocacy for NAR. “We have a wealth of resources to help you through the process, including a new video just posted last night.”

Quick Guidance for REALTORS® on the PPP and EIDL

• If you’ve already applied for an EIDL: The SBA is processing applications already in their system on a first-come, first-served basis. You do not need to reapply.
• If you have not already applied for an EIDL: Check back at the SBA application page once the additional funding is signed into law. 
• If you’ve already applied for a PPP loan through an SBA lender but have not been approved yet: Check with your lender to see if they are maintaining a queue of applications during the lapse or if you will need to reapply when the renewed funding comes through.
• If you have not applied yet for a PPP loan through an SBA lender: Have the application form filled out and your documentation ready to provide to your lender. (For businesses with employees, have payroll documentation; for independent contractors, have your 2019 Form 1040, Schedule C, and 1099-MISC.) If you have an existing relationship with an SBA lender, you should go to that lender first once the program reopens, but be prepared to try multiple lenders, which you can find on the SBA site.

Also see:

• NAR's Coronavirus Topic
• Coronavirus: SBA CARES Act FAQ
• Keys to Getting SBA Assistance: Persistence and Patience (REALTOR® Magazine)
• Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
• Center for REALTOR® Financial Wellness

The CRMLS app, designed specifically for CRMLS users, has added a Virtual Open House feature. Keep your business moving during this uncertain time by hosting or attending open houses from your mobile device. 

CRMLS App features include:

• Seamless integration with CRMLS data including:

– Your listings
– Your saved searches
– Your full list of contacts
– Your carts
– The CRMLS agent roster

• HomeSpotter tool: just point your phone in the direction of a listing to find out listing info
• Edit your listing details on-the-go, including:

– List Price
– Agent Remarks
– Public Remarks

• Free download on Android and iOS
• Agent-branded apps to share with clients
• Supports Matterport 3D tours
• In-app messaging
• Search by schools or drive-time
• Mortgage payment calculations

The CRMLS app is available as a free download in iOS and Android for CRMLS users.

which works best for you – they’re all available at no additional cost.