Meet Laurie MacDonald, who was recently elected to serve as your 2024 PSAR President.

“Serving as President-elect in support of our 2023 President Jason Lopez, I’m looking forward to growing our association, serving our members, and continuing the good fight for property rights and homeownership,” said Laurie. “I’m a big believer in giving back, no matter how busy you are. 

Laurie is a fourth-generation San Diegan. “My great-great grandparents arrived in San Diego from Halifax, Nova Scotia, sometime in the 1890s and my great-grandmother was born here in 1909.”

Real estate is part of her family history. “My great-grandmother, the same one born in 1909, bought a house in the Normal Heights area by herself in 1939. She was a widow at the time, but a female buying a home without the assistance of a man was rare in those days,” said Laurie. “Later, my grandparents owned and operated a real estate office, called Kelly and Associates, for many years on Parkway Drive in La Mesa.”

Laurie grew up in La Mesa. She attended Murray Manor Elementary School, Parkway Middle School, and Helix High School.

During and after high school for 12 years she sold and designed swimming pools, hardscapes, and landscapes mostly in the new homes developments of San Diego.

In 2009, she opened her own bridal boutique in La Mesa, which led her to become involved and serve on the boards of the La Mesa Village Merchants Association and the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money to enhance the city’s parks and present community events such as Sundays at Six, a summer concert series. She is currently board president of the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation.

“I’m a helper at heart,” said Laurie. “I’ve been involved in my community and my kids’ schools. I live by a philosophy of giving back and serving my community.”

Laurie’s career in real estate began in September 2015. She served for several years on PSAR’s Government Affairs Committee and chaired PSAR’s YPN (Young Professional Network) group for two years. She has served on PSAR’s board of directors from 2020 to 2021.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today in real estate without my involvement in PSAR,” said Laurie. “Becoming an active volunteer with PSAR has propelled my career and helped me better serve my clients.”

Throughout her upcoming term as president, Laurie says she will continue to encourage PSAR members to get more involved with their association. “The best place to be in-the-know is at the table where decisions are made,” said Laurie. That’s because the more you know, the better you can serve your clients. Thanks to PSAR, the connections and relationships you make with other realtors and real estate professionals are simply invaluable.”

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PSAR's mission is to empower real estate professionals.

Since 1928, the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® has played a significant role in shaping the history, growth & development of the Real Estate industry in San Diego County.

Meet Valerie Gardner, who was recently elected to a two-year term (2023-2024) on the PSAR Board of Directors.

Valerie was born at Eglin Air Force Base located in the western Florida Panhandle. She is the middle child of seven in a family of four daughters and two brothers.

Valerie’s mom was a homemaker and her father served in the United States Air Force. Her father’s Air Force career took Valerie to live in Augsburg, Germany, for elementary school, Great Falls, Montana, for middle school, and Albany, Georgia, for high school.

In high school, Valerie excelled as an athlete and was a member of the school’s track team and women’s basketball team. “I received recognition for my abilities while in all these sports,” Valerie said.

After high school, Valerie attended Troy State University in Troy, Alabama, where she graduated with a bachelor’s of science degree. Her major was criminal justice and her minor was in business.

After college, Valerie joined the United States Navy and honorably served for nine years. She worked in the Navy as an electrician, repairing motors and controllers on submarines. “I lived on the ship and carried on with my fitness and received commendations for being the fittest female sailor on the ship,” said Valerie.

After her Navy career, Valerie worked in the insurance industry for 12 years. “I started working in the claims and worked my way up to branch claims manager,” she said.

According to Valerie, “I got into real estate because I had a goal to be self-employed before I turned 40, and I have not looked back.”

She began her real estate sales career in 2001 and was honored with the Rookie of the Year award in her first year.

“Over the course of my 20 years in real estate, I have learned that is my job to be an advocate for my clients,” said Valerie. “My job is to meet them where they are, to listen and deliver on their needs, and to keep them on course.”

Valerie’s approach to real estate is also her motivation for serving on the PSAR board of directors. A friend encouraged her to run for a seat on the board and she decided to submit her name for the board election.

“My job will be to stand up for ethical and fair real estate business practices and protect private property rights, and protect the monetary investment made by our members and their clients.”

According to Valerie, “I come from a place of love and understanding and this is why I have been a successful REALTOR® in one of the toughest markets in the country to succeed. Now, I’m ready to give back to our industry and help PSAR and our members in any way that I can. My friendships with other PSAR members, as well as the great educational and networking opportunities, have been an important part of my real estate business. I encourage all of our members to expand their participation and get involved with our Association because, with PSAR, you can make a difference.”

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PSAR's mission is to empower real estate professionals.

Since 1928, the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® has played a significant role in shaping the history, growth & development of the Real Estate industry in San Diego County.

CSA San Diego County, Written by Monica Lopez

CSA San Diego County investigates hundreds of fair housing complaints annually. Not all complaints have intentional actions at their source. A certain number are the result of agents or landlords lacking proper training, in-depth knowledge of fair housing laws, or the use of rental documents that are out of date.

Fair Housing Training
Fair housing training is a critical element in reducing complaints. Housing providers should ensure that they and their employees understand their responsibilities under federal and state fair housing laws, and act on those responsibilities in their daily interactions with both applicants and residents.

An example of the need to stay current on fair housing laws training: 
Amy the apartment manager received training in fair housing laws in 2008 when she was first hired. Recently, she denied an applicant because their housing community, to her knowledge, does not accept Section 8 vouchers. Had Amy updated her training annually, she would have been made aware that the applicants receiving assistance from programs such as Section 8 are now protected under Source of Income laws.

Fair Housing Knowledge
In-depth knowledge of fair housing laws is essential as well. Limited fair housing education can result in wrongful actions and costly lawsuits.

An example of the need for in-depth knowledge of fair housing laws:
Sara the leasing agent was recently hired and was required to watch a 1-hour fair housing training video during orientation. The video covered very basic information regarding protected groups and prohibited actions, but do specifics on disability-related topics. Six months later, Sara encountered a complaint. She had informed an applicant with a disability that they could not rent a unit in her building because his assistance animal was on the "breed restricted" list. Sara was unaware of "reasonable accommodations" under California law.

Discriminatory Policies, Practices, and Procedures
CSA has experience in investigating errors that occur in rental applications, rental agreements, and house rules. A well-educated and currently trained individual should always review any of these documents before implementing them to ensure the contents comply with fair housing laws.

An example of the need for awareness of discriminatory practices:
A house rule that prohibits children from leaving their apartment unless accompanied by a parent. The Fair Housing Act prohibits rules that target any protected groups. Families with children may encounter issues with housing providers who maintain overly restrictive or targeted rules. Having a fair housing law-educated and trained individual review your rules prior to posting is always the best practice.

The solution to housing discrimination starts with you.  If you or your staff are in need of training, contact CSA.

327 Van Houten Avenue, El Cajon, CA 92020
www.c4sa.org
Phone: 619-444-5700
TTY: 800-735-2929

CSA San Diego County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose primary mission is the promotion of social justice and public welfare through programs, services, and advocacy against all forms of discrimination, including advocacy for the eradication of housing discrimination to assure equal housing opportunity for all individuals.

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Members of the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS^® (PSAR) made a powerful statement for property rights on behalf of housing providers while attending a recent Chula Vista City Council meeting where the subject of a new rent control ordinance was on the docket.

The City Council was considering an aggressive and overreaching ordinance that imposes additional regulations on housing providers. The controversial proposal, if passed, would negatively impact new housing creation by tightening restrictions on remodeling, owner move-ins and rental unit withdrawals, as well as expanding noticing and relocation assistance requirements.

Following over five hours of public comments, including testimony from many PSAR members, the City Council tabled a vote on the proposed ordinance, titled the “Residential Landlord and Tenant Provisions.” The Council stated that more data on the topic and potential language revisions are needed.

The actions taken by PSAR members were considered invaluable in the successful effort to prevent the Council from implementing an ordinance that would exacerbate the housing crisis. A revised version of the ordinance is expected to be considered by the City Council at a July 12 session.

Among the PSAR members who spoke at the May 17 city council meeting: Pat Russiano, Mike Campbell, Mark Scott, Nikki Coppa, Rich D'Ascoli, Yvonne Cromer, Robert Cromer, Mitch Thompson, George Ching, Eric Sutton, Peter Carlseen, Sam Calvano, Lupe Soto, Earl Jentz, Myllissa McCann and Josh Morales.

Richard D’Ascoli, PSAR CEO, stated in his testimony, “Most housing providers and owners are good people and most renters are good people. This extreme ordinance will punish every homeowner who may want to rent out a home and every renter who can’t find a place to rent.”

D’Ascoli cited a city staff report that included information from the Legal Aid Society of San Diego. According to the data, “no-fault” eviction disputes involve fewer than .27 percent of the 33,000 rental homes in Chula Vista annually, pointing to a much smaller issue.

The number of evictions totaled 13 in March, three in February, and seven in January. “Shouldn’t we help those 13 households rather than impact 33,000 rental units?” D’Ascoli asked. “Most housing providers are good actors, it’s the few we need to address. Let’s focus on them and not punish the entire city.”

D’Ascoli identified the long-term ramifications of the proposed ordinance: “Rent control and similar market restrictions will discourage the creation, maintenance, and upgrade of rental housing stock. This ordinance will discourage additional rehab and negatively impact the low-income renters the provisions were intended to serve. This ordinance also will reduce the value of properties in Chula Vista, compared to similar properties in other cities. Prudent property owners will choose to buy or build in areas with less cost and regulatory risk.

“Chula Vista will stagnate as the incentive to replacing aging, smaller complexes with upgraded, more dense buildings will no longer exist. Owners of single-family rental homes will either sell to national real estate investment trusts or they will sell to new owner-occupants. Available rental stock will decrease. Prices for renters will increase because supply will continue to be highly restricted. Also worrisome is the provision that anyone who violates any part of this law could be charged with a crime and sent to jail for up to six months.”

Other speakers from PSAR made the following points:

-- Burdensome regulations will result in less available housing, not more. This ordinance adds to the regulatory burden.
-- Provisions in the ordinance meant to prevent harassment of tenants would deter property owners from dealing with nuisance tenants.
-- Added renovation regulations would deter owners from upgrading rental properties, thus hurting tenants and surrounding neighborhoods.
-- The ordinance would create new, vague “anti-harassment” rules regulating landlord-tenant interaction, expanded notification requirements of up to 365 days, and higher relocation payments.
-- Landlords would be required to offer evicted renters, even if those renters caused property damage, the first right of refusal to move back in after a renovation.
-- The state of California recently enacted protections for tenants with AB 1482. That law provides sufficient regulation of landlord-tenant relationships.

Coalition partners with PSAR on the proposed Chula Vista ordinance included the Southern California Rental Housing Association (SCRHA) and the San Diego Association of REALTORS® (SDAR).

More Articles and News Coverage

Renters, Landlords at Odds Over Proposed No-Fault Eviction Proposal - Mitch Thompson shows new appliances as part of remodeling efforts. KPBS-TV, 05/17/2022.

Chula Vista City Council Postpones Eviction Moratorium Protection Vote - No decision after more than five hours of public comments and postponement until July 12. KPBS-TV, 05/18/2022.

Chula Vista City Council Considers Controversial Tenant Protection Ordinance - PSAR board member Jason Lopez explains the proposal is a solution looking for a problem. KUSI-TV, 05/18/2022.

Chula Vista Considers Ordinance Strengthening Protections for Tenants - PSAR 2022 President Max Zaker and PSAR member Mitch Thompson tell NBC 7 how the proposal would actually hurt tenants. KNSD-TV NBC 7 San Diego, 05/16/2022.

Chula Vista Council Hears from Over 50 Speakers - The meeting lasted for hours as landlords say the proposed ordinance would force them to sell their properties. KGTV-TV 10News, 05/17/2022.

Decision Postponed on Controversial Renters' Protections - Quote from PSAR CEO Rich D'Ascoli: "...An ordinance that is overreaching..." KFMB-TV, CBS8, 05/18/2022.

There is a critical shortage of housing inventory. An excessive amount of red tape helped cause that shortage. Now, the City of Chula Vista is considering additional regulations on Housing Providers.

The proposed "Residential Landlord and Tenant Provisions" will impose the following:

• Regulations that make substantial remodels, owner move-ins, and withdrawal from the rental market more difficult by adding stricter noticing requirements and relocation assistance requirements.
• The creation of laws that allows for civil action and damages of $1,000-5,000 per violation per day.
• The criminalization of any violation of the ordinance and the creation of fines in the thousands of dollars.

Mayor Mary Salas requested the creation of this ordinance in response to calls from tenant and rent control advocates. Unfortunately, the unintended consequences of this ordinance would end up harming tenants as well.

The unintended consequences of this ordinance will include the following:

• The added difficulties of being a housing provider in Chula Vista will discourage the creation of much needed additional housing. This will hurt all of us, including those who would have a much harder time finding a place to rent. 
• The added difficulties of undertaking substantial renovations would deter owners from upgrading unsightly buildings. This hurts the tenants who would live there and the livability of the surrounding communities. 
• Provisions in the ordinance meant to prevent harassment of tenants would actually deter property owners from dealing with tenants who cause nuisances. This would hurt the tenants and all neighbors who live nearby and would have to deal with the nuisances.

It is well established that when you add regulation to something, you get less of it. We need more housing, not less. The State of California has recently enacted protections for tenants by enacting AB 1482. If there are problems for tenants, the City could focus on finding better ways to enforce existing laws, rather than adding more regulations that will negatively impact our already scarce housing supply.

Please send an eComment to the City stating your opposition to this misguided ordinance by clicking on the button below, and then clicking on the "Leave Comment" button:

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Not sure which Councilmember represents your neighborhood?  See below.

Questions remain about the City of San Diego’s pending ‘No-Fault Eviction' Moratorium.

On April 4th, after almost six hours of public testimony which included comments from PSAR volunteers and members, the city council passed the ‘No-Fault Eviction' Moratorium ordinance. The ordinance must come back for a second reading a month after the first reading and will go into effect 30 days after final approval.

Thanks to the efforts of PSAR and our colleagues, the original ordinance was amended to include an end date or sunset on September 30, 2022 (or 60 days after the end of the local emergency) whichever is sooner.  Realtors are wondering about how this ordinance will impact property owners who want to sell.

• No termination of tenancy is allowed for a substantial remodel unless mandated by the government or court order.
• Owners who wish to move into their homes or move in family members will have to serve a 90-day notice to terminate the tenancy. An immediate family member is limited to a parent, child, grandparent, and grandchild.

Property owners who wish to terminate a tenancy in order to withdraw units from the rental market, this includes selling a home, must provide a 6-month notice.

The ordinance is likely to receive final approval next month and it will cause unintended consequences. Additionally, some of the language is vague and confusing. Once the ordinance is finalized, PSAR will schedule legal counsel to brief our members on its impact. PSAR will continue to review the ordinance and is prepared to challenge it again at the second reading.

Before working with a client to terminate a tenancy, it is important to speak with your broker and legal counsel. This ordinance will put many owners in difficult positions.

A copy of the proposed ordinance may be found here.

This web page item #200 has links to the PowerPoint and backup information for a deeper dive.

The Board of Supervisors will meet on Wednesday, February 9th at 9 am to discuss the implementation of a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Policy which could end hopes that San Diego will meet the housing needs of its residents.  

Please urge the Board of Supervisors to keep housing a top priority in San Diego County.  

You can submit written comments by clicking here: submit comments.

This proposal is item 7 on the Agenda, if you would be willing to testify on this, you can sign up here:  Sign up to speak

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Recently, PSAR sent a three-page letter to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors expressing our opposition to the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) proposal.  See a copy of the letter by following this link.

VMT is a proposal that would slap new fees on housing development in car-centric communities. The fees would be calculated based on the additional “vehicle miles traveled.” Housing developments in rural or suburban areas would face fees that would disincentivize their construction.  Any homes that do get built would need to factor in those additional fees, pushing the dream of homeownership further beyond the reach of most aspiring buyers.  

Under the proposed VMT, to get approval for a project, a housing developer would have to show that their project would generate fewer vehicle miles traveled than the area’s average. 

PSAR’s letter to the Board of Supervisors states: “Homeownership is the bedrock of building strong communities and intergenerational wealth. REALTORS® know firsthand that buyers are moving to Riverside, Imperial Valley, and Mexico to own a property and build a future. They subsequently commute for hours on San Diego freeways, defeating the intent of the VMT policies.

“There are numerous economic and regulatory barriers that discourage developers from building both attached and detached “for-purchase” housing for all levels of income. If the County is forced to adopt a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) planning tool that is being considered with a regional planning focus, the cost of new housing in the unincorporated portions of our region will be increased significantly, adding to the current housing shortfall.

“This policy will severely restrict future generations from realizing the dream of homeownership and a better quality of life for themselves and generations to come.”

The letter also states that PSAR is supporting six recommendations from the Building Industry Association (BIA) of San Diego County. BIA’s recommendations include an Infill Area Option, VMT Mitigation Program Options, and a programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to analyze VMT impacts.

PSAR is opposing VMT implementation because of the potential impacts on historically disadvantaged communities who would find it harder to realize the dream of homeownership.

PSAR’s letter states: “Homeownership is an essential steppingstone for families to build wealth. By adding requirements that will make homeownership opportunities more expensive for working families to purchase, we will be removing a crucial steppingstone for those who have not already had an opportunity to purchase a home. We would essentially be closing the door behind those who have already been fortunate enough to purchase a home.

“Society has been making a lot of strides towards providing historically disadvantaged communities with opportunities that had previously been denied to them. We should not be halting that progress by limiting access to homeownership opportunities. The book `The Color of Law’ by Richard Rothstein provides a very detailed analysis of how unequal access to homeownership due to government policies directly resulted in economic harm that continues to hold back communities of color to this day. Considering the fact that communities of color in San Diego are still suffering from the multigenerational impacts of redlining and segregation, we should not be implementing policies that cement these impacts by stopping the creation of new opportunities for homeownership or confining new housing opportunities for lower-income residents to certain areas.”

At their Jan. 26 meeting, the Board of Supervisors received a report from county planners that laid out ways to implement VMT. The board directed the planners to return on Feb. 9 with additional details on VMT options.

Please urge the Board of Supervisors to keep housing a top priority in San Diego County.  

You can submit written comments by clicking here: submit comments.

This proposal is item 7 on the Agenda, if you would be willing to testify on this, you can sign up here:  Sign up to speak

PSAR is proud to announce that 15 PSAR members have been approved by the PSAR board of directors for recognition by the California Association of REALTORS^® (C.A.R.) as honorary members for life.

The 15 members include:

Congratulations to each esteemed member for your long-term commitment to professionalism and excellence in the real estate industry.

This latest 2021 group of new C.A.R. life members will receive a waiver of C.A.R. dues beginning in 2022. They will continue to receive a dues waiver for as long as they remain eligible for REALTOR^® membership or until retirement from the field.

Requirements to be honored as a C.A.R. life member include remaining as a C.A.R. member in good standing for a minimum of 25 years and attaining the age of 75.

Acceptance as honorary members for life also requires approval of the C.A.R. Membership Committee and the C.A.R. Board of Directors at one of its three annual membership meetings. Applications for the honorary member-for-life designation must be received in advance of the meetings in order for the dues waiver to be effective the following year. Applications will not be processed without the signature of the member’s local association executive.

Applications are available on the C.A.R.website and using THIS FORM

For additional information, send an email to hmfl@car.org.

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PSAR was recently honored for writing excellence by the San Diego Press Club,

PSAR received an award in the “In-House or Employee Publications” category for recent “Voice of Real Estate” stories, an ongoing series covering the latest real estate industry trends. 

In addition, PSAR was honored in the “General Writing for Internal Publications” category for a series of profile stories about PSAR members.

It was the seventh consecutive year that PSAR has been recognized for writing excellence by the San Diego Press Club.  

The PSAR member profile stories have generated high readership levels and fostered closer bonds among PSAR colleagues. A frequent response to the stories among members who have worked together for years is, “I didn’t know that about you.”

It was the fourth consecutive year that PSAR has received a Press Club writing award for its “Voice of Real Estate” series.

The monthly Voice articles feature updates on local and statewide housing market conditions based on statistics from the California Association of REALTORS®, as well as other recent news about real estate and economic trends, cited from news reports.

The Voice articles also satisfy a core standard from the National Association of Realtors requiring real estate trade associations to provide realtor members with regularly scheduled information on the housing market, and real estate trends and issues.

The San Diego Press Club’s recent 48th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards drew over 1,100 entries, making it one of the largest journalism competitions in the nation. Judges were press club members in Alaska, California (San Francisco, Orange County), Florida, Louisiana(New Orleans), New York (Rochester), Ohio (Cleveland), and Wisconsin (Milwaukee)

The San Diego Press club presented over 500 awards in 130 categories and 10 divisions. Winners included reporters, writers, artists, photographers, videographers, corporate communicators, and public relations professionals. Top winners included The San Diego Union-Tribune with 42 awards in online, daily newspapers, and photography categories, Ranch and Coast Magazine with 22 awards in magazine and photography categories, and the San Diego Business Journal with 19 awards in non-daily newspaper categories.

The San Diego Press Club is one of the largest clubs of its kind in the nation with 400 members, all in the news communications field. The group offers professional growth activities and promotes integrity and high ethical standards in journalism.

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $47.4 million to fair housing non-profit organizations around the country.  At least two of the organizations are based in San Diego. In September these testing organizations received  $653,000 for the Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI).  According to HUD, these organizations will conduct intake and testing.  They will investigate and litigate fair housing complaints under the Fair Housing Act. According to the Department of Justice website:

"Testing refers to the use of individuals who – without any bona fide intent to rent or purchase housing, purchase a mortgage or vehicle loan, or patronize a place of public accommodation – pose as prospective renters, borrowers, or patrons for the purpose of gathering information. This information may indicate whether a provider is complying with federal civil rights laws. The primary focus of the Section's Fair Housing Testing Program has been to identify unlawful housing discrimination based on race, national origin, disability, or familial status in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The Section also has responsibilities to enforce Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the nation's public accommodations law; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibits discrimination in credit; and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which provides protections for military members as they enter active duty. The Fair Housing Testing Program also conducts testing under these statutes, as well as under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is enforced by the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division."

Agents must also understand that California has additional protected classes including Ancestory, CREED, Gender Identity, Medical Condition, Source of Income/Occupation, and "Other Arbitrary Discrimination."  The definition of a "Protected Class" is all-inclusive in California.  Agents need to be aware of their unconscious biases and be careful to treat everyone equally.

In March of 2021 HUD Published the 2021 civil penalty amounts for fair housing violations. Civil penalties may reach a maximum of $54,157 and respondents who had violated the Act two or more times in the previous 7 years could be fined a maximum of $108,315.

PSAR, NAR, and C.A.R. have been diligent and have provided fair housing resources for Realtors for many years. During the past two years following the Newsday Investigation called "Long Island Divided" the Associations doubled down the efforts.  PSAR has hosted or promoted at least eight opportunities this year for agents to better understand fair housing.  NAR also prepared a "gamified" training to help agents understand the law.  The game is called Fairhaven.  More information may be found here.

Testers may be reaching anonymously to agents and property managers in the field.  The best practice is to understand and obey the law.  PSAR agents are the most professional in California and the Nation. PSAR's staff and volunteer leaders are available to help our members with resources and training. This law is important and there is no room for error.

Watch this video to see how real estate agents treated undercover clients on Long Island.