Code of Ethics Training Mandated by NAR

Posted by Joyce Evans on Oct 10, 2018 4:08:10 PM

 

furiousCode of Ethics Training REQUIRED BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST

NAR Requires that members must complete 2.5 hours of ethics training, meeting specific learning objectives every two years. 

All REALTORS with licenses expiring in 2019 or 2020 must complete the Code of Ethics training by December 31, 2018.  

 

Don't beat yourself up next year by forgetting to take care of this now! You have options today.

 

Code of Ethics Free Online

FREE ONLINE CODE OF ETHICS TRAINING: REGISTER HERE

 

Code of Ethics Live Free

FREE LIVE CLASSROOM ETHICS TRAINING

Chula Vista Sign up:  REGISTER HERE

or 

Sign up online at psar.org:  REGISTER HERE

 

PSAR's Chula Vista Service Centers Schedule:

Chula Vista
     Friday, January 11, 9:30A - 12:00A

REALTORS® are required to complete ethics training of not less than 2 hours, 30 min. of instructional time within a two-year cycle. The training must meet specific learning objectives and criteria established by the National Association of REALTORS®.

New members of local REALTOR® associations must complete similar training when they first join. A new member who has completed the New Member Code of Ethics Orientation shall not be required to complete additional ethics training until the next two-year cycle.

A REALTOR® who has completed the required ethics training within a two-year cycle in one association shall not be required to complete any further ethics training for that same training cycle if the REALTOR® becomes or is a member of another association. In addition, a member may take courses to satisfy this ethics training requirement through any association or outside training facility where the member can provide satisfactory documentation of completion.

IMPORTANT:  Starting in 2017, the NAR ethics requirement becomes biennial, and members will need to obtain ethics training during the reporting periods during which they are not renewing their California real estate licenses.

OPTION 1 (Free): Take the Ethics course online through the National Association of REALTORS here. Login Required.  The helpline number for the site is 800-874-6500.

NOTE: When you have successfully completed the online course, you will receive a confirmation by e-mail from www.realtor.org. Please forward the completion confirmation to PSAR at education@psar.org. Note that completion of this Ethics course will not meet the BRE license renewal requirement.

OPTION 2 (Free for Members):  Attend a Live Ethics Class at PSAR- Register here

Consequences for Not Completing the Mandated NAR Code of Ethics Requirement

If the mandated NAR Code of Ethics requirement is not completed by the deadline of December 31, 2018, PSAR, CAR and NAR memberships will be suspended on January 1, 2019.

In the event of a REALTOR® broker’s suspension of membership, the memberships of all REALTOR® agents under his or her office will also become suspended. Further, upon a broker’s termination of membership, the same will apply to his or her agents’ REALTOR® memberships.

If a REALTOR® agent’s membership is terminated, that agent’s broker will incur a Non-Member Special Dues Assessment in the amount of $740 for that agent’s failure to remain an active REALTOR® member licensed under a REALTOR®.

Once a terminated REALTOR® who is in default of meeting the mandated NAR Code of Ethics requirement has completed the course, he or she will qualify for reinstatement of membership. However, please note that reinstatement fees will apply.

For questions, please email support@psar.org.

Topics: Education

East County Housing Market Overview

Posted by Rick Griffin on Oct 5, 2018 5:16:21 PM

East County housing market

Here is the latest in the real estate market in the San Diego’s East County region in the following zip codes: 91901, 91905, 91906, 91916, 91917, 91931, 91934, 91935, 91941, 91942, 91945, 91948, 91962, 91963, 91977, 91978, 91980, 92004, 92019, 92020, 92021, 92036, 92040, 92066, 92070, 92086. The following statistics on housing market activity in the East County is from the HomeDex Housing Market Report for August 2018.

  • The median sales price for a detached single-family home in East County reached $535,000 in August 2018, which was 5.4 percent higher than the $507,500 price in August 2017. The August 2018 monthly figure for detached homes is higher than the year-to-date median sales price of $522,000.
  •  For attached homes, the median home price in the East County was $330,000 in August 2018, which was 11.9 percent higher compared to the $295,000 price the same month a year ago. The August 2018 monthly figure for attached homes is higher than the year-to-date median sales price of $320,000.
  • The average number of days in August for an East County home on the market (the time between when a property is listed and an offer is accepted) was 31 days for detached homes and 17 days for attached homes. In August 2017, the numbers were 32 and 22 days, respectively.
  • Closed sales totaled 304 detached units in August 2018, which was a 24.9 percent year-over-year drop compared to the 405 units sold in August 2017. For attached home sales, closed sales totaled 103 in August, a 12 percent decline from August 2017’s total of 117. 
  • The percentage of original list price received for detached homes was 98.4 percent in August, a 0.3 percent change from 98.7 percent in August 2017. For attached homes, the percentage was 99.3 percent in August, a 0.4 percent difference from 99.7 percent in August 2017.
  • The number of new detached listings on the market in August totaled 672, a 21.7 percent increase from the 552 new listings in August 2017. For new attached listings, the total was 143 in August, a 9.2 percent increase from the 131 new listings in August 2017.
  • The year-to-date totals for detached listings was 6,285 through August, a 7.4 percent increase from 5,854 listings through August 2017; the year-to-date total for attached property listings was 1,663 through August, a 17.2 percent increase from the 1,491 listings through August 2017.
    According to HomeDex, the economy is under scrutiny, but certainly not deteriorating. While some housing experts are starting to look for recessionary signs such as fewer sales, dropping prices and even foreclosures, others are taking a more cautious and research-based approach to their predictions. Housing starts are performing admirably, prices are still inching upward, supply remains low and consumers are optimistic. A report from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) said that rising home prices, higher interest rates and increased building material costs have pressured housing affordability to a 10-year low. Nationally, median household income has risen 2.6 percent in the last 12 months, while home prices are up 6 percent.

Topics: Market Information

PSAR 2019 Officers and Board of Directors Installation Dinner

Posted by Joyce Evans on Oct 4, 2018 2:01:32 PM

SOLD OUT

Flyer_181109_2019 Installation Dinner Announcement Flyer

Topics: Events

California Home Sales Falter for 4th Straight Month

Posted by Rick Griffin on Sep 29, 2018 10:11:32 AM

CALIFORNIA HOME SALES FALTER

California’s housing market faltered in August for the fourth straight month as high home prices continue to take a toll on demand statewide, according to the latest report from the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

Home sales in San Diego County declined by 10.4 percent in August in a year-over-year comparison. Regionally, Southern California had the largest decline, with sales falling 8 percent in year-over-year. Orange and Los Angeles counties saw year-over-year declines of 10.4 percent and 8.9 percent, respectively.

In its August home sales and price report, C.A.R. said the statewide median home price edged higher $596,410, up 0.8 percent from $591,460 July 2018 and up 5.5 percent from a revised $565,320 in August 2017.

In San Diego County, C.A.R. reported that the median single-family housing price was $660,000 in August 2018, compared to $650,000 in July 2018. The August 2018 figure was 9.1 percent higher from the $605,000 registered in August 2017.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 399,600 units in August, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and multiple leasing services statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2018 if sales maintained the July pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

It was the first time in two years for single-family detached home sales to fall below the 400,000 sales benchmark. August’s sales figure was down 1.8 percent from the revised 406,920 level in July and down 6.6 percent compared with home sales in August 2017 of 427,630.

“Home sales activity remained on a downward trend for the fourth straight month as uncertainty about the housing market continues to mount,” said C.A.R. President Steve White. “Buyers are being cautious and reluctant to make a commitment as they are concerned that home prices may have peaked and instead are waiting until there’s more clarity in the market.”

“While home prices continued to rise modestly in August, the deceleration in price growth and the surge in housing supply suggest that a market shift is underway,” said C.A.R. Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “We are seeing active listings increasing and more price reductions in the market, and as such, the question remains, ‘How long will it take for the market to close the price expectation gap between buyers and sellers?’”

Other key points from C.A.R.’s August 2018 resale housing report included:

  • The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 21 days in August 2018, compared to 18 days in July 2018 and 18 days in August 2017. Meanwhile, in San Diego County, the median number of days a home remained unsold on the market was 18 days in August 2018, compared to 14 days in both July 2018 and August 2017.
  •  Statewide active listings rose for the fifth consecutive month after 33 straight months of declines, increasing 17.2 percent from the previous year. August’s listings increase was the biggest in nearly four years. Much of the listings increase is attributable to lower-priced properties. The number of homes available for sale and priced below $750,000 grew more than twice as much as homes priced above that price level. With fewer homes being sold, statewide inventory is starting to climb. The unsold inventory index, which is a ratio of inventory over sales, rose again in August from 2.9 months from August 2017 to 3.3 months in August 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.
  • California condominium/townhome median price in August 2018 was $474,570, compared to $486,330 in July 2018 and $446,850 in August 2017.
  • The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rates averaged 4.55 percent in August, up from 3.88 percent in August 2017, according to Freddie Mac. The five-year, adjustable mortgage interest rate also increased in August to an average of 3.87 percent from 3.15 from August 2017.
In other recent real estate and economic news, according to news reports:
  • San Diego County home prices in July increased 6.2 percent in the past year year, faster than the nationwide average of 5.9 percent, but slower than other California cities, according to the most recent S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city index. In July, Las Vegas was the number-one metro area yet again with a 13.7 percent annual increase. It was followed by Seattle at 12.1 percent and San Francisco at 10.8 percent. The monthly change for local home prices from June to July 2018 was 0.0 percent, according to the report.
  • Realtor.com, operated by the National Association of REALTORS®, reports that the coastal cities of San Jose, Seattle and San Diego were the three markets with the biggest inventory jumps over last year, all posting increases of 28 percent or more. As a result, the increased inventory has led to an increase in price discounts. Realtor.com found that Seattle had an 8 percent increase in price discounts, San Jose had a 7 percent rise in price discounts, and the cities of San Diego, Riverside, Indianapolis, Riverside, and Los Angeles all had a 5 percent spike in price discounts from a year ago. Nearly 40 of the 45 largest markets saw an increase in the share of price discounts over last year.
  • LendingTree reports that San Diego is the second most difficult place in the U.S. to get into a home, behind only Los Angeles. San Francisco came in third. San Diego has an average leverage ratio of 3.62, or the ratio of mortgage cost to borrower's income. The region's leverage ratio is based on a median mortgage amount of $442,000, and a median borrower household income of $122,000. The study used Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data, which includes more than 7 million mortgages originated in 2017, to calculate the leverage rate of borrowers in the 50 largest cities in America. The median amount borrowed was divided by the median borrower income for all purchases in the HMDA database for 2017.
  • Foreclosures and delinquency rates have dipped to a 12-year low, according to CoreLogic. Measuring the number of homeowners who were late on their mortgage payments by more than 30 days, the monthly analysis found that only 4.3 percent of mortgages in June were delinquent nationwide, compared to 4.6 percent the year previous and the same 4.3 percent in March. While the downtick may seem small, the number of Americans failing to make payments on their homes has been falling steadily over the past decade. Neither the delinquency rate nor foreclosure rate has been this low since 2006.
  • WalletHub, a company that offers free credit scores and credit reports updated daily, compared 182 U.S. cities based on 65 key metrics, including movie costs, open hours of breweries and fitness centers per capita, and San Diego came in as the tenth most fun city in America. More specifically, San Diego came in at #10 in number of attractions, #9 in parkland acres per capita, #8 in festivals per capita and #1 for fitness centers per capita. Other categories in which the city scored well included: playgrounds per capita (#19), restaurants per capita (#16, dance clubs per capita (#11) and bar accessibility (#30). Overall, San Diego hosts more than 35 million visitors each year, with that number expected to increase by 3.5 percent in 2018, according to the San Diego Tourism Authority.
  • Near record-low unemployment in the San Diego metropolitan region continued in August, with the rate falling to 3.4 percent from 3.5 percent in July. The state Employment Development Department reported there were 1,529,800 employed in San Diego County in July and just 54,300 unemployed. The unemployment rate in San Diego was below the state level of 4.2 percent and the national level of 3.9 percent. Economists say that even with a strong economy, there will be some “frictional unemployment” due to workers changing jobs. The lowest unemployment rate in San Diego in recent years was 2.9 percent in December 1999, while the highest was 10.9 percent — more than one in 10 workers — in March 2010 during the Great Recession.
  • For the first time in at least 20 years, there are now more job openings than there are people looking for work. There are more jobs than people out of work, something the American economy has never experienced before. There are 6.7 million job openings and just 6.4 million available workers to fill them, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Topics: Market Information

Serious Safety for REALTORS®

Posted by Joyce Evans on Sep 20, 2018 2:59:23 PM

REALTOR Safety Class

Friday, September 28, 2018

9 AM - 10 AM
PSAR East County, 1150 Broadway, El Cajon, CA 92021

Agents, don’t set yourself up to be a victim of crime during an open house or a showing. Learn the strategies and techniques that will help keep you safe by retired Escondido Police Lieutenant and USMC Veteran Al Owens. Owens teaches safety tactics to businesses and individuals of all ages.

officer Al Owens

Lieutenant Owens will discuss these topics:

  • Situation awareness
  • Mental preparation
  • Overcoming fear
  • Communication
  • Legal self-defense options
  • Establishing procedures
  • Active shooter survival skills
  • Open house safety

COST FREE - RSVP Required - Seating is limited

REGISTER HERE

Topics: Education