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Message From SVBR President Donna Roemmelt
Hello Fellow Realtors of the Southern Vermont Board!
Its hard to believe we are approaching midyear, business activity does seem, for the most part, to have picked up. Its my belief that the worst is behind us, though I think its going to be a very slow recovery. Inventories continue to be high, and buyers are still cautious and looking for value. This seems to be the trend throughout the state.
I attended a meeting in Montpelier with fellow presidents and leaders from around the state. There seems to be very different levels of activity depending upon the area. At the same time, there were some common issues shared throughout the state. Sales are down, supply still way out numbers demand. Generally, prices are down, especially at the higher end.
We have not seen a drop in membership despite these trends. However, most boards are seeing many Realtors having to supplement their income. In addition, we have seen an increase in complaints of dealings among members. Its important to maintain a level of professionalism, especially when times are tough. We are all in this together, and depend on cooperation and honest dealings.
The Race for a cure, on July 17 at Hildene, in Manchester Vt is fast approaching. I ask that you consider supporting this wonderful cause.
Please mark you calendar now for the annual Vermont Association of Realtor state conference that will be held in Stratton this year on September 14, 15 and 16. This has been held in Burlington in past years and we have been working hard to bring it to the southern area for some time. Please plan on attending and show your support to this effort. Its very informative of whats going on in our industry across the state, good networking opportunities and you can get all your CE credits completed for the next 2 years!
I know your all working hard, and I wish you all continued success and increase in business!
Donna Lizza Roemmelt
NNEREN Open House Feature
Have you noticed on the left hand side of the NNEREN Home Screen, you see the number of Open Houses. When you click on this, you'll see all scheduled open houses, whether public or broker.
The general public can see your public open houses when viewing www.NNEREN.com - this is one of the most visited pages on the NNEREN site. So start listing your Public and Broker Open Houses on NNEREN for more exposure.
To list an open house, go into Listing Maintenance, and see the section on Open Houses.
June Membership Meeting Cancelled
The June Membership meeting scheduled for Bennington has been cancelled. The next Member meeting will be in July. Keep an eye on the website and newsletter for further information.
FRAUD Warning - Be Extra Diligent
This is a very simplified version of the actual events, but rest assured, no one was harmed, and no money was lost.
A member has reported that a popular email scam has now hit us in the home purchasing market.
An Agent received a phone call from a potential out-of-town Buyer and everything seemed to be going smoothly with sending them homes to review and answering questions. The Buyer selected a home and wanted to make an offer on it.
The Agent wrote an offer with a reasonable contract deposit, and the Buyer sent the contract and a contract deposit check in via mail.
The contract deposit check was $65,000 more than the requested amount. The Buyer said they made a mistake, and asked the Agent to send the $65,000 back to them as soon as possible.
The Agent had already been suspicious and had been checking out the source of the deposit check, and through some Google searching, discovered that the check was probably a fake. When the request to return money was made, they knew it was fake.
The Agent did not send any money back to the Buyer, and the entire matter was turned over to the Police.
But let this be a lesson, when dealing with anyone via the internet and phone - be extra cautious, and most important, listed to your gut feelings - they are usually right.
CE Credit Education Calendar
19 Apr 2012 8:30 AM • Hermitage Inn, Wilmington
19 Jul 2012 8:30 AM • Hermitage Inn, Wilmington
18 Oct 2012 8:30 AM • Hermitage Inn, Wilmington
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