1. real estate
2. buying and selling homes

Greater Antelope Valley
Association of REALTORS®
1112 West Ave M4
Palmdale, CA 93551
A monthly publication
produced by the Greater
Antelope Valley Association
of REALTORS®
What’s Inside
PAGE 1
Save the date
Installation 2015
PAGE 2
President’s Message
PAGE 3
GAVAR Upcoming Events
PAGE 4
2015 Resolution :
Save for a House?
PAGE 5
GAVAR New Members
PAGE 6
SentriLock Tips and Tools
PAGE 7
GAVAR December New
Member/ Dues Date Reminder
A message from your
2015 GAVAR President
This is a year of change for the association! The change is happening now with a new lockbox system being implemented
the first weeks of January. This new system adds so much more flexibility to the lock box system and a simpler way to
obtain the key with still keeping control. I want to congratulate the members for embracing the change!
The other major change will be the new MLS system. With the official launch beginning the first week of March, it is our
goal to run parallel until March 30th. While both systems will be running during March, I strongly encourage you to jump
right in and start using the new system. I found it to be easier to navigate than our current system with a lot more power
and improved features. Numerous classes will be offered so everyone should have an opportunity to attend. FBS (our new
MLS vendor) will also be offering “train the trainer” classes if an individual office would like to send someone to be a
designated trainer for the office.
The winter C.A.R. Directors’ meetings will be held in Indian Wells the last week of January. GAVAR’s leadership holds
some key positions at C.A.R. - our membership is very well represented and your voice is being heard at the state level. If
having your voice heard is something you want to do in person, you may have that opportunity during the April C.A.R.
Directors’ meetings and Legislative Day in Sacramento. This is always a great day to get the REALTOR voice heard.
Another great way to get the REALTOR voice to be heard is to invest in the REALTOR Action Fund. As REALTORS, we are
advocates for private property rights. Please take the time to invest as every dollar counts - those who donate prior to the
end of February will be entered into a drawing that will take place at the March General Membership Meeting (full details
are available on the GAVAR website – www.gavar.org ).
I had the opportunity to attend the NAR meetings and convention in New Orleans in November – after much controversy
and many rewrites, the Board of Directors approved the drafting of a proposed aspirational Code of Excellence as a part of a
wide ranging set of recommendations to raise the bar on REALTOR professionalism. For an in depth look at the proposed
change, can you click on the following link: (http://www.realtor.org/articles/board-directs-nar-to-draft-member-code-ofexcellence ) The final language will be presented at the NAR meetings in Washington, D.C. in May.
Positive changes are happening to the market with year over year price increases and sharp decline in NODs and
foreclosures. The papers are saying it is more affordable to own vs. renting and the economy is better in general with Real
Estate leading the way!
Wishing you a blessed and prosperous 2015.
Greg Galli.
Antelope Valley
Upcoming Events
Saturday, January 17th
City Of Lancaster
Martin Luther King, JR. Day of Service
(661)723-6077 for more details
Friday, January 23rd
NAHREP Installation
Location: John P. Eliopulos Hellenic Center
43404 30th St West, Lancaster, CA 93536
6:00p.m.-9:00p.m.
Saturday, January 24th
City Of Palmdale- Season of Service Project
Desert Dazzle Illegal Dumping Cleanup
12yrs or older
Location: Ave R and 70th St East
GAVAR
Upcoming Events
Monday, January 14th – Friday, January 16th
Lockbox Exchange
Location: GAVAR Office
1112 West Ave M4, Palmdale, CA 93551
Hours: 9:00a.m.-12:00p.m.
1:30p.m.-3:30p.m.
Friday, January 16th
GAVAR Installation of Officers
Location: John P. Eliopulos Hellenic Center
43404 30th St West, Lancaster, CA 93536
6:00p.m.-10:00p.m.
Monday, January 19th
GAVAR Office Closed
Observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Wednesday, January 21st
Last Day to pay MLS dues without late fee
5:00p.m.
Friday, January 30th
Last Day to pay REALTOR dues without late fee.
5:00p.m.
Tuesday, February 17th
GAVAR New Member Orientation
Location: GAVAR Office
1112 West Ave M4, Palmdale, CA 93551
9:00a.m.-12:00p.m.-REALTOR Orientation
1:00p.m.-3:30p.m.-MLS Orientation
2015 Resolution: Save for a House?
Many people make New Year’s
Resolutions as the calendar flips
from December 31st to January
1st. Often times, at the top of
the list (along with trimming the
waist line) is saving money and
paying down debt. Many people
do so with a goal in mind – a
nice vacation, a new car, or even
a new home. Maybe this year
you are saving for your
downpayment for a new home,
or know someone who is.
There is a light at the end of the
tunnel for those saving. Eightyeight percent of recent home
buyers financed their home
purchase. The typical
downpayment was 10 percent
for all buyers, but six percent for
first-time home buyers and 13
percent for repeat home buyers.
The majority of home buyers
use savings as a downpayment
source—65 percent of all buyers
(81 percent of first-time buyers,
57 percent of repeat buyers).
Using savings as a
downpayment source has
increased in prominence over
the last 14 years as buyers are
relying less frequently on the
proceeds from the sale of their
primary residence.
The payoff for home buyers is
worth it. Seventy-nine percent
of recent buyers believe their
home is a good financial
investment, and many believe
it is a better financial
investment then stocks. Aside
from the financial investment,
buyers were able to
successfully complete their
goal which was just to own a
home of their own.
Saving for a home can take time
for home buyers. Among recent
home buyers, 37 percent saved
for six months or less, 15
percent saved for six to 12
months, and 10 percent saved
for 12 to 18 months. Home
buyers often make sacrifices on
their path to homeownership.
72 percent cut spending on
luxury or non-essential items, 56
percent cut spending on
entertainment, and 45 percent
cut spending on clothes
Tips and Tools
•Always assign your REALTOR® lockbox to the listing. There are many benefits to assigning your lockbox to a listing. With
the box assigned, it will be much easier to locate the appropriate box on the website when looking at your list of
lockboxes. This will also allow the lockbox access report to show the assigned listing address
•Set up showing notifications. You can get a text message or email notifying you that there has been a showing at your
properties. And best of all you control when you receive them. Notifications can be received as they come available, or in a
comprehensive daily email.
•Always hang your REALTOR® lockbox vertically. Whether the box is on a door, a hand rail, or another location, you will
want to hang the box vertically. The box is designed to allow water to pass through, should it be exposed to rain. If the box
is laying on its side or back, it could gather water inside the box and become damaged or non-functional.
•Renew your card after assigning a lockbox to a listing, or making any customization changes. Your card is a messenger
between the lockbox and the website. To ensure that all information gets to the website, it is best to renew your card after
taking any actions at a lockbox. Renewing the card several times a day, or before the expiration date, will not hurt the card.
•Set up Card Expiration notifications. When you enable this setting, you will receive a message the day before your
SentriCard® expires. You can choose to receive the message as an email, a text message, or both!
Link your SentriCard® to your Mobile Phone. You can link your SentriCard® and mobile phone by calling
our support line at 1-877-736-8745. After linking your mobile phone number to your SentriCard® you
won’t be prompted to enter your SentriCard® serial number anymore when you call SentriLock’s
Customer Care Team. This allows for faster assistance when calling our automated line or live support.
If further assistance is needed, you can obtain free support from SentriLock in one of the following
ways:
•SentriLock Card Utility or REALTOR® Lockbox Web Site: The best way to reach SentriLock support is via
our support website. Click the Support button on the toolbar in the REALTOR® Lockbox Web Site or
SentriLock Card Utility. Click Add Ticket to send a message to SentriLock Support.
•E-mail: You can send e-mail to SentriLock support on your own or from the Tech Support Page.
•Telephone: If you prefer to contact SentriLock support via the telephone, call our toll free number:
• 1-877-736-8745. We are available 7 days a week from 8am – Midnight EST.
GAVAR December New Members
The following is a list of persons who applied for REALTOR® membership in
the month of December 2014 & were approved by the Board of Directors
pending fulfillment of all membership requirements
Autry, Derrick
Barton, Patricia
Breul, Debi
Cacciacarne, Amy
Ellis, John
Estrada, Francisca
Freire, Dennis
Gardner, Theresa
Gastelum, Zandra
Powell, Thomas
Shawmiou, Manipha
Stall, Michelle
White-Beebe, Laureen
Right 4 U Property Management
HomeBased Realty
JohnHart Corp.
Keller Williams Realty A.V.
Century 21 Yarrow & Associates
AV 5 Star Realty
Century 21 Yarrow & Associates
Keller Williams Realty Tehachapi
RE/MAX All-Pro
Realty Executives Platinum
Coldwell Banker –A Hartwig Company
HomeBased Realty
Keller Williams Realty A.V.
Next new member Orientation &
Rapattoni Training:
Tuesday, February 17th, 2015
GAVAR Reminder Board
MLS Dues Due
January 21st 2015 by 5:00 P.M.
REALTOR Dues Due
January 30th 2015 by
5:00P.M
2015 Board of Directors
President
President- Elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Immediate Past President
Greg Galli, CRS, GRI, SRES, e-PRO
Chuck Linn, SRES
Robin Gillins, GRI, SFR, SRES
Debi Seitz, CRS, GRI
Marvin McKinnon, CRS, GRI, SRES
Candy Havlock, SRES, SFR
Mike Watson
Ann Trussell, GRI, E-PRO, SFR
Pat Bruce
Yvonne Haynes, GRI
Fabian Terracciano, CRS, GRI
Michele Hunt, CRS, GRI, e-PRO, SFR
Rob Talbot
Association Staff
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Assistant
Administrative Assistant
MLS/Membership Admin
Government Affairs Director
Pamela Vose, RCE
Lori Williams
Susan McGuire
Nataly Garcia
Diane Carlton
Rapattoni MLS Tech Support
866-730-7114 Support ID:1576
SentriLock Support
877-433-6998
Support E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
1112 West Avenue M4
Palmdale, CA 93551
Phone: 661-726-9175
Fax: 661-726-9199
Website: www.gavar.org