By Laurie MacDonald

I am so appreciative of this year’s “Salute to Service” theme. I have many reasons why I’m an active volunteer with PSAR, and why you should be one too.

By volunteering at PSAR, I have learned new skills, developed new friendships and expanded my network. When you volunteer with PSAR, you are contributing to our real estate industry.

Volunteering means you will have a seat at the table. Our industry is going through many changes. The role our Association plays in our industry becomes even more critical.

Volunteering also means that my voice will be heard in helping to help to grow the Association. Volunteering gives me the opportunity to advocate for issues and concerns that I believe are right and are consistent with PSAR’s mission to empower REALTORS®. I always want to bring value to my clients and being in front and on top of the issues affecting our industry allows me to do that.  

I enjoy volunteering with PSAR because I’m a helper at heart. I enjoy serving and I think we were created to serve others, not just ourselves. We all have crazy schedules as real estate professionals and it can be hard to find the time to volunteer. But I enjoy supporting others.  And bringing out all their potential really brings out the best in me, too. 

We all want to make the world a better place. To me, the secret to living is giving. Life is all about creating meaning, and meaning never comes from what you get, it comes from what you give. Mark Twain said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

Volunteering also provides me a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Volunteering gives more happiness and good health.

I am a very social being. In life, the greatest highs and lows involve the highs and lows of relationships. Life is all about relationships. Life is not about achievements. It’s not about accomplishments. Rather, life is about relationships and a series of memories and experiences you have along the way. 

I hope you decide today to become more involved with PSAR. Don’t wait another day to join me and show a greater level of support for our Association and our industry. All of us at PSAR are here to cheer for you. You can do more than you think you can. It starts with you giving back by joining a committee, volunteering at an event and looking for opportunities to serve. Thanks in advance for your greater involvement and participation.

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Laurie MacDonald, a fourth-generation San Diegan, has worked in real estate since September 2015.  She grew up in La Mesa and graduated from Helix High School. Laurie traveled to 28 countries before turning 30 years of age. Her great-grandmother, born in 1906, bought a home by herself in Normal Heights in 1939, a rarity at that time for a female without the assistance of a man. Her grandparents operated a real estate office, called Kelly and Associates, for many years on Parkway Drive in La Mesa. Laurie is an original member of La Mesa Conversations, a civic-minded committee founded in 2015. She also has served on the board of the La Mesa Village Merchants Association. She is currently a member of the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation. She previously served on PSAR’s Government Affairs Committee and traveled to Sacramento for “Legislative Day.” She served as chair of PSAR’s YPN group in 2017 and 2018. Laurie was named East County Realtor of the Year at the PSAR Officers and Directors Installation Dinner held in 2018. She served as chair of PSAR’s Charity Committee in 2019. She was recently elected to serve on the PSAR board of directors in 2020.

More than 400 PSAR REALTORS®, affiliates, friends and family members converged on the Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine to enjoy a memorable PSAR Officers Installation Dinner on Nov. 2.

The Installation event celebrated the success of the REALTOR® community with leaders who are committed to serving the industry. The program featured the swearing in of the 2020 PSAR Board of Directors and Robert Cromer as 2020 PSAR President by U.S. Representative Juan Vargas.

Also recognized at the installation were recipients of special awards. These awards targeted three geographical areas in San Diego PSAR, including South, East and Central San Diego County. Recipients included:

-- Merrie Espina, Realtor of the Year, South
-- Julie Lupo, Realtor of the Year, East
-- Shonee Henry, Realtor of the Year, Central

-- Hector Zamaro, Broker of the Year, South
-- Jan Farley, Broker of the Year, East
-- Jason Lopez, Broker of the Year, Central

-- Rhonda Beathard, Affiliate of the Year, South
-- Raymundo Gill, Affiliate of the Year, East
-- Megan Oliva, Affiliate of the Year, Central

             ~ Downloadable Pictures  ~                      

In his message to the members, Cromer stated, “I am really excited about the upcoming year and having the opportunity to build on the success of our Board of Directors, the committees, the staff, and our current and past presidents. This truly could be a break-out year for PSAR. Although we have had almost double-digit growth in membership each of the last two years, there are going to be a lot of changes in the marketplace. We hope San Diego County REALTORS® will find comfort in our culture, our education and our support for REALTORS® and homeownership. We empower REALTORS® to be the best they can be!”

Joining Robert on the PSAR board of directors for the 2020 calendar year beginning Jan. 1, 2020, will be Ditas Yamane as president-elect, Sam Calvano as secretary-treasurer and Robert Calloway as immediate past president. Other REALTOR® members also serving on the 2020 board will include: Mike Anderson, Yvonne Cromer, Carey Guthrie, Sean Hillier, Robert Kilbourne, Jason Lopez, Laurie MacDonald, Peter Mendiola, Norma Scantlin and Mike White. Also serving on the board will be Tony Santiago as an affiliate director.

PSAR is grateful to Shonee Henry, Dennis Ryan and Jan Farley, three PSAR board members whose terms will end December 31, 2019. Farley served as 2018 PSAR President.

In his farewell comments, Robert Calloway said, “Thank you for a wonderful year as PSAR’s 2019 President. PSAR was able to accomplish so many things this year. This was the year of service and our members definitely stepped up and served our Association by committing themselves to our mission of empowering our members. I encourage those members who are not serving on a committee to please take some time and visit a committee where you fit. Finally, I would like to thank the 2019 Officers and Directors for your selfless dedication and service to our Association, and a special thanks to the committee chairs for leading your committees and assisting with following the Association’s strategic plan. I want to welcome the 2020 Leadership Team and Directors and wish you well on your journey. Fair Winds and Following Seas!”

In his message to the members, PSAR CEO Richard D’Ascoli stated: “Even as these critics question the viability of REALTORS® and their associations, PSAR continues to flex its muscles and grow even stronger. We are committed to helping REALTORS® succeed. REALTORS® are thriving because our association is the glue that holds the industry together. Together, with our MLS and our State and National Associations, we provide a platform to support our members’ efforts to build homeownership opportunities.”

Special speakers at the Installation Dinner included Robert and Yvonne Cromer’s two daughters, Hannah and Haley, who spoke to the audience in Spanish. Haley graduated from the University of California Davis with a degree in Spanish. She is now working on her Masters at Grand Canyon University. Hannah is a freshman at Creighton University. Both are bilingual.

Also speaking was Jeny Parra, a Cromer family friend. Jeny’s parents and Yvonne’s parents were friends back before both girls were born. Jeny’s late husband Victor was a close friend of Robert. In 2018, Victor passed away from heat stroke during a hike in the Blue Sky Ranch area of Lakeside. He was 47. Victor worked for the San Diego Unified School District as a facilities and equipment supervisor. He was also the Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus fraternal council at Chula Vista’s St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. A $1,000 scholarship in Victor’s name was announced at the Installation Dinner.

San Diego County’s housing market saw lower home sales prices and fewer sales in September, 2019, according to a recent report from California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

The median sales price of an existing single-family home in San Diego County in September, 2019 was $636,750, making it a month-over-month drop of 2 percent from the $650,000 figure in August, 2019, and a minor slide of 0.5 percent in a year-over-year comparison to $640,000 posted in September, 2018.

Meanwhile, home sales in San Diego decreased 10.8 percent in September, 2019, compared to August, 2019, but rose 16.3 percent in a year-over-year comparison to September, 2018.

On a statewide basis in September, amid the most favorable mortgage rates in nearly three years, California’s housing market recorded a third consecutive year-over-year sales increase as month-over-month sales remained essentially flat.

September’s statewide sales total of 404,030 was down 0.5 percent from the 406,100 level in August and up 5.8 percent from home sales in September, 2018 from a revised 382,040. The year-over-year sales increase was the largest in two-and-a-half years. Year-to-date statewide home sales were down 3.1 percent in September.

September’s statewide median home price was $605,680, down 1.9 percent from the August figure of $617,410 and up 4.7 percent from September, 2018’s figure of $578,420. It marked the sixth straight month the median price remained above $600,000. The annual price gain was the largest in nearly a year.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 404,030 units in September, according to information collected from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2019 if sales maintained the September pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

“The housing market has been performing better so far in the second half of 2019, with both sales and prices up as mortgage rates remain near their three-year lows,” said C.A.R. President Jared Martin. “Additionally, pending sales have been on an upward trend with a near-10 percent increase over a year ago, making it the largest gain in three years. The solid improvement in pending sales suggests that the market may see more sales gains in the coming months.”“Despite having the largest annual gain in the last 30 months, sales remained just slightly above the 400,000 benchmark and have not shown meaningful growth in the last few years,” said C.A.R. Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “As such, while low mortgage rates have motivated buyers to enter the market in the short term, we should be mindful that economic uncertainties, supply constraints and low housing affordability could continue to hold demand back in the long run.” 

Even with near record low mortgage rates, consumers still see challenges in the current housing market conditions. According to a monthly Google poll conducted by C.A.R. in October, 22 percent of respondents believe that it is a good time to buy now, slightly better than last year (21 percent), when interest rates were 100 basis points higher. More than half (52 percent) believe it is a good time to sell, an improvement from the prior month (46 percent) but below last year's 56 percent.

Other key points from the September, 2019 resale housing report included:

-- At the regional level, non-seasonally adjusted sales rose on an annual basis in all major regions, with Los Angeles County recording the largest yearly gain at 9.2 percent.

-- In the Southern California region, median home prices grew in every county except San Diego and Ventura. Riverside had the largest annual price gain of 5.8 percent in the region, followed by San Bernardino (5.0 percent), Los Angeles (4.5 percent), and Orange (0.6 percent). 

-- After 15 straight months of year-over-year increases, the number of active listings fell for the third straight month, dropping 11.8 percent from year ago. The decline was the largest since December, 2017.

-- The Unsold Inventory Index (UII), which is a ratio of inventory over sales, was 3.5 months in September, up from 3.2 in August and down from 4.2 months in September 2018. The index measures the number of months it would take to sell the supply of homes on the market at the current sales rate. -- Statewide, the median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home edged up to 24 days in September, 2019, compared with 23 days in August, 2019, 21 days in July, 2019 and 23 days in September, 2018.

-- In San Diego County, the median number of days a home remained unsold on the market stood at 18 days in September, 2019, compared with 17 days in August, 2019, 15 days in July, 2019, 13 days in June, 2019, 14 days in May, 2019, 17 days in April, 2019, 19 days in March 2019, 22 days in February, 2019 and 19 days in September, 2018.

-- The statewide sales-price-to-list-price ratio was 98.5 percent in September, 2019, unchanged from September, 2018. It was 98.7 percent in August, 2019 and 99.0 percent in July, 2019. Sales-to-list-price ratio is an indicator that reflects the negotiation power of home buyers and home sellers under current market conditions. The ratio is calculated by dividing the final sales price of a property by its last list price and is expressed as a percentage. A sales-to-list ratio with 100 percent or above suggests that the property sold for more than the list price, and a ratio below 100 percent indicates that the price sold below the asking price.

The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 3.61 percent in September, down from 4.63 percent in September, 2018, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate was an average of 3.38 percent, compared to 3.94 percent in September, 2018.

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

-- According to real estate tracker Core Logic, San Diego County home sales jumped 14.7 percent in September from the same time last year, which analysts largely attribute to a drop in mortgage rates. In the same month, home prices dipped slightly, said Core Logic. The median home price was $570,000 in September, down from $575,000 at the same time last year. It marks the second consecutive month of declining prices.

-- The latest S&P Case-Shiller report shows home prices were up 2.3 percent annually in the San Diego metropolitan area as of August. The gain was part of a continued reversal of fortunes for San Diego since mortgage interest rates started to drop. For months, the metro area was at the bottom of the 20-city index.

-- According to Redfin, 23.2 percent of San Diego property searches in the third quarter were by residents who live outside the area. It is a slightly smaller percentage than the 24.7 percent figure recorded in the third quarter of last year. San Diego was ranked as the ninth strongest inflow market overall. People from Los Angeles were most interested in relocating to San Diego. The top out of state origin for San Diego zip code searches came from Seattle.

-- Also according to Redfin, home bidding wars have fallen off a cliff from a year ago, both in San Diego County and the nation as a whole. In San Diego, just 16 percent of homebuying transactions faced competition in September, a drop of more than 24 percent from September, 2018. The rate experienced a 3.7 percent month-over-month drop. Nationally, just 11 percent of offers written faced a bidding war in September, down from 41 percent a year earlier.

-- San Diego homeowners are the second-most leveraged in the nation, trailing only Los Angeles, according to a new LendingTree report. San Diego has a leverage ratio of 3.64, a median mortgage amount of $455,000, and a median borrower income of $125,000. L.A. homeowners were the only ones more leveraged with a leverage ratio of 3.91, a median mortgage amount of $485,000, and a median borrower income of $124,000.

-- With increasing national defense spending and a growing number of homeported warships, the military now accounts for a full one-fifth of San Diego’s economy and its impact is growing.

That was the conclusion of a recent economic report from the San Diego Military Advisory Council, which has tracked the military’s impact on the community since 2008. The report identified $28.1 billion in direct spending that supports 109,000 active duty personnel, 26,000 civilians and 7,000 reserves. The ripple effect on the local economy creates over 210,000 more jobs and a total impact of $51 billion.

-- A new report from CBRE Group ranks San Diego among the top 10 fastest-growing high-tech job markets in the U.S. The commercial real estate services firm’s annual Tech-30 report, which measures the industry's impact on office rents in the 30 leading technology markets in the U.S. and Canada, found that the local tech-job market has experienced a 19.7 percent growth rate in the last two years. The region also saw nearly 6,000 new high-tech jobs in 2017 and 2018, which accounted for more than three-quarters of all new office jobs. According to the report, San Diego now has more than 35,000 high-tech software and services jobs.

-- San Diego County’s jobless rate in September reached one of its lowest points in 20 years. San Diego County’s unemployment rate for September was 2.7 percent, down from 3.4 percent in August and below the 3.1 percent jobless figure from a year ago, according to the state Employment Development Dept. San Diego County added 30,600 jobs in a year, up from the 27,000 at the same time last year. The jobless rate for September was 3.5 percent for California and 3.3 percent for the nation.

-- The U.S. added more jobs than expected in October despite a 40-day General Motors strike and trade-war tensions. A stronger-than-expected jobs report for October pushed stocks higher this past Friday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the U.S. economy added 128,000 nonfarm payrolls last month, compared to estimates of 85,000. The healthy employment gains reassured investors amid uncertainty around the trade war between the US and China and talk of a looming economic slowdown. 

It will be an unforgettable experience that you don’t want to miss. PSAR will present its 2020 Officers and Directors Installation Dinner and Awards on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the classy and luxurious Viejas Resort & Casino, 500 Willows Road, Alpine.

Bigger and better than ever, this year’s Installation event is destined to be the biggest real estate event of the year, as we welcome the 2020 board of directors in this exclusive venue and celebrate success in the REALTOR® community with the top producers in the industry.

Don’t be late. Upon arrival, ask for directions to the Viejas Event Center, Oak Ballroom. With an adjoining outdoor terrace, the Oak Ballroom is the Grande Dame of the Viejas Event Center. It’s the ideal setting for large-scale special events.

Hors d’oeuvres service begins at 5:30 p.m. with beef skewers, crab cakes and coconut shrimp. In addition, appetizer stations include assorted veggie platters, cheese boards and charcuterie (an assortment of meats that are paired with different accompaniments, such as toast, fruit, cheese, and sauces).

Dinner service begins at 7 p.m. The menu is fabulous. Entree choices for the three-course meal include: Stuffed Chicken with spinach, fontina and pesto; Chianti Braised Short Ribs with shiitake red wine jus; Beef Wellington with roasted seasonable vegetables, spinach pesto.

This year’s Installation event will feature the swearing in of board members, including Robert Cromer as 2020 PSAR president. “I am really excited about the upcoming year, having the opportunity to build on the success of our PSAR staff, the Board of Directors, the committees and our current and past presidents,” said Cromer. “This truly could be a break-out year for PSAR. Although we have had almost double-digit growth in membership each of the last two years, there are going to be a lot of changes in the marketplace. We hope San Diego County REALTORS® will find comfort in our culture, our education and our support for REALTORS® and home ownership. We empower REALTORS® to be the best they can be!”

Additional highlights at the Installation will include the presentation of special awards, including Realtor of the Year, Affiliate of the Year and Broker of the Year. Three special awards will be presented according to geographical areas, including South, East and Central.

The Installation event also will include a photo booth, raffle prizes (a 60-inch Smart TV is one of the prizes), dancing, happy-hour drinks and $500 in “play” money, as well as plenty of networking with colleagues and industry peers. This will be your opportunity to reconnect with old friends and engage with new friends while raising your profile, expanding your influence, telling your story and generating referrals and more business.

Take note that your skill with the “play” money will mean more chances to win a raffle prize. Here’s the deal: After enjoying the blackjack, craps and roulette games with the “play” money, you can turn in every $100 in chips for an additional raffle ticket at the end of the night. Plus, attendees can purchase more “play” money that will benefit local community nonprofits. Every $20 donation will get you another $500 in “play” money. All money raised from the purchase of “play” money will be donated to the PSAR Charity Committee.

Individual tickets to the PSAR 2020 Officers and Directors Installation Dinner and Awards start at $80 per person, or $300 for a group of four, which is a tremendous bargain. RSVPs can be made at https://dinner2020.eventbrite.com. If you would like to purchase tickets without the Eventbrite transaction fee, please feel free to call PSAR at 619-421-7811 and our friendly staff will be happy to take your payment over the phone.

Meanwhile, even as critics question the viability of REALTOR® associations, PSAR is continuing to flex our muscles and get stronger. Our membership total has doubled to more than 3,100 over the past seven years. We remain committed to our PSAR REALTOR® members and affiliates. Together, our PSAR REALTORS® are thriving because our association is the glue that holds the industry together and provides the fuel which powers our members for success.

Another positive factor that will help our members as we look ahead is PSAR’s partnership with the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS). This alliance with CRMLS meets our PSAR board’s criteria for a statewide MLS, including fully standardized MLS data that benefits our members. Universal access, uniform rules and enforcement and distribution are controlled by brokers.

The move to CRMLS has had a major impact on the ability of our PSAR REALTORS® to compete in today’s market. CRMLS has access to more San Diego County listings than any other MLS. Today, we are able to leverage CRMLS’ strength in numbers to improve technology and provide agents with better tools and more information than they have ever had before. The size of CRMLS also has put us in a position to negotiate with multi-billion dollar companies to protect both the brokerage community and the consumers we serve. PSAR provides CRMLS to any licensed broker even if they belong to another association.

In CRMLS, “Cloud Streams” is effective at sharing listings with clients through texting and an improved user search experience. Savvy Card is another new tool that is helping agents share their business card and listings through social media and online marketing. Cloud MLX provides a superior search experience. Agents who use Glide make available a consumer-friendly tool that helps sellers fill out their disclosures easily on multiple platforms. CRMLS negotiated a special deal with LionDesk so that agents can have access to a fully functional CRM at no additional cost. Remine takes MLS data and enhances it with consumer data to put marketing power in the hands of the REALTOR®. These new tools are powerful and, if used, can help our PSAR REALTORS® leverage their relationships to provide a superior client experience.

Factors that will help our members in the future include decisions made within the past few years that will continue to pay dividends. For example, our utility costs have dropped significantly with the addition of solar panels at our South County Service Center on Canarios Court in Chula Vista. We will have a similar structure completed in the East County before the end of 2020.

PSAR’s ownership interest in California Signs and Marketing, signed in 2014, has been a win-win for PSAR members when they do business with a company in which they are part-owner. REALTORS® receive superior service and fast turnaround. Plus the Association receives a percentage of the company’s revenues that help support PSAR programs and services, keeping our REALTORS® dues the lowest in San Diego County. Also, agents enjoy responsive customer service to you and your clients. Signage services for both residential and commercial properties include design, manufacturing, installation and delivery of yard signs, open house signs, banners, vehicle lettering, business cards, stationery, dimensional signs and sand blast signs. Cal Signs is a reliable vendor who will adapt as our industry changes.

Another outstanding decision that has worked out well is the 2012 merger of the El Cajon-based East San Diego County Association of Realtors and the Chula Vista-based PSAR. The California Secretary of State approved the merger between the two Realtor associations in August, 2012, followed by approval by the National Association of Realtors in September, 2012.

As we approach 2020, there is uncertainty about next year’s housing market due to affordability issues. With interest rates expected to remain at near three-year lows, buyers have more purchasing power than in years past, but they may be reluctant to get off the sidelines because of economic and market uncertainties. Additionally, an affordability crunch will cut into demand in some regions. These factors together may subdue sales growth next year. California’s housing market will also be challenged by changing migration patterns as buyers search for more affordable housing markets, particularly first-time buyers, who are the hardest hit, moving out of state.

However, as PSAR approaches 2020, we are healthy for a number of reasons. We empower REALTORS®. We remain a vibrant network of real estate professionals who work together to serve our communities. We offer outstanding professional growth and educational opportunities. We remain committed to a Code of Ethics because we understand how professionalism builds trust with our clients and each other. And we leverage the collective strength of REALTORS® around the state and country to empower our members with the very best technology in the industry. Simply put, we are better together.

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Richard D’Ascoli has served as PSAR’s CEO since 2011 after joining the Association as Government Affairs Director in 2006. He was born in Queens New York. served in the United States Air Force and Air National Guard. He earned a degree in business administration Fordham University in New York City and his Master’s Degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco.