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REALTOR® members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® are receiving two member benefits updates for tablets. These benefits will enable them to serve their clients faster and more efficiently.
Authentisign2Go, the iPad-ready version of Authentisign, is now available to SILVAR REALTORS®. Members will see a screen message alerting them to the upgrade when they log in. This is not an app, so there is nothing to download. Authentisign2Go will automatically be displayed to members when you access Authentisign on your iPad.
An update to the Instanet Solutions HTML5 forms editor, now referred to as InstanetForms2Go or IF2go, which is another member benefit is coming soon. IF2Go is the PRDS forms editor that can run on tablets, PC or Mac computers. This new version will be released on October 1. Anyone using a PC with the Chrome browser, a MAC computer, a tablet or a smartphone will automatically be directed to IF2Go when they edit a form. There is no app, download or set-up required. IF2Go has many new updates, including a new look and feel, faster, crisper screen display as well as many new features. The added features now enable IF2go editor to provide virtually the same functionality users love in the “Classic” Adobe Reader based version of Instanet Forms.
The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has designated September as REALTOR® Safety Month. During this time the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® reminds members to stay safe year-round and share safety tips with their clients.
REALTORS® realize that sellers, too, face some dangers in allowing strangers into their homes or visiting other people’s properties. Here is some valuable advice to protect sellers against crime:
• Remember that strangers will be walking through your home during showings or open houses. Make sure you hide any valuables in a safe place. For security’s sake, remember to remove keys, credit cards, jewelry, crystal, furs and other valuables from the home or lock them away during showings. Also remove prescription drugs.
• DON’T leave personal information like mail or bills out in the open where anyone can see it. Be sure to lock down your computer and lock up your laptop and put away any other expensive, easy-to-pocket electronics, like iPods, before your showing.
• Do not to show your home by yourself. Not all agents, buyers and sellers are who they say they are. Predators come in all shapes and sizes. We tell our children not to talk to strangers. Do not to talk to other agents or buyers. Refer all inquiries to your agent.
• Sellers are responsible for their pets. If possible, animals should be removed during showings. Buyers and agents are sometimes attacked, and the owner will be held liable.
• At an open house, be alert to the pattern of visitors’ arrivals, especially near the end of showing hours. In some areas, a group of thieves will show up together near the end of the open house and, while a string of “potential buyers” distracts the agent or seller, the rest of the group walks through the house, stealing any valuables they come across.
• Finally, when your agent leaves your property, whether after an open house or a standard showing, your agent should make sure that all doors and windows are locked. Thieves commonly use open houses to scout for valuables and possible points of entry, then they return after the agent leaves.
• While your agent will take all of the above safety precautions, when you return home, it is always best to immediately verify that all doors are locked and all valuables accounted for.
This article is part of the National Association of REALTORS®’ REALTOR® Safety Resources Kit. Visit NAR’s REALTOR® Safety website at http://www.REALTOR.org/Safety
Nearly 100 members and guests participated in Monday’s 14th Annual Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament. The annual charity event held at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club, included the golf tournament, a cocktail reception and awards ceremony. The event is one of two fundraisers this year for the Foundation.
Special guests included California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) President Don Faught and C.A.R. President-elect Kevin Brown, who golfed in the tournament. A highlight of the event was a hole-in-one on Hole #6 by Alain Pinel REALTORS® Vice President and Regional Manager Jeff Barnett.
This year’s golf tournament top winner is Sereno Group’s team, with Justin DeSantis, Ed Graziani, Timothy Proschold, and Chris Ray. The Sereno Group team won first place for the third year in a row.
C.A.R. 2012 President LeFrancis Arnold
Arnold was a licensed real estate broker for 36 years and a member of organized real estate for the last 35 years. He served as president of the Los Angeles County Board of REALTORS® (LACBOR) in 2008, and was the first appointed large Board National Association of REALTORS® representative for the Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS® in 2006. He was first appointed C.A.R director in 1994 and was named REALTOR® of the Year by his local association in 1979 and 2008. Arnold served on numerous C.A.R. committees at the leadership level, including the Executive Committee, Strategic Planning and Finance, Housing Opportunity, Housing Affordability Fund, Real Estate Finance, Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity, and CREPAC. Active in his community, Arnold served as chairman of the Lynwood Economic Development Committee and was currently on the board of the Los Angeles County Boards of Real Estate.
A former defensive lineman for the Denver Broncos, Arnold followed his mother, Evelyn, into the real estate business in 1976. He became a broker the following year and a general contractor in 1979. Together, Arnold and his mother built Excellence Realty and All Communities Escrow Services, Inc. Most recently, Arnold was a candidate for the California State Assembly 62nd District seat.
Arnold is survived by his wife, Sheryl, and two sons, Jason and LeFrancis II, and two grandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Monday, September 9, 10 a.m. at Faithful Central Bible Church, 321 North Eucalyptus Avenue, Inglewood, CA., followed by a celebration of Arnold’s life at The Proud Bird Restaurant, 11022 Aviation Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the C.A.R. Scholarship Foundation or C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund. Mail checks payable to either fund to C.A.R., 525 S. Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90020, or to use a credit card, email scholarship@car.org and C.A.R. staff will assist you.
Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® says ... 