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The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) last week hosted a delegation of International REALTOR® Members from the Philippine Chamber of Real Estate & Builders Association (CREBA). The IRMs were in town for the National Association of REALTORS® 2019 Conference & Expo in San Francisco.
NAR maintains formal relationships with 100 organized real estate associations around the world, giving REALTORS® confidence in working with professionals that abide by a Code of Ethics. These bilateral partnerships exist in 85 countries to help members establish business partnerships and referral opportunities. SILVAR is NAR’s Ambassador Association to the Philippines and CREBA is SILVAR’s partner association there.
Also attending the event at SILVAR were NAR Global Ambassador to the Philippines Vicky Silvano, Filipino American Real Estate Professional Association Silicon Valley (FAREPA SV) President Cheryl (CJ) Javier and FAREPA SV board directors, SILVAR President Alan Barbic, President-elect Mary Kay Groth, Global Business Chair Joanne Fraser and GBC planning committee members Mark Wong, Ketan Jashapara, Chika Mori, David Tonna, Mitra Lahidji and Lisa Wendl.
Read more and see photos here:
https://www.silvar.org/press-release-1901.htm
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® 8th Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute was held June 10-14. The CIPS Institute provides training in international business issues, including currency conversion, cultural awareness, legal and tax requirements, transaction principles of international real estate, and specifics about the real estate markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
After completing five courses and other requirements, REALTORS® earn the prestigious National Association of Realtors CIPS designation. There are about 3,250 CIPS designees in the U.S.
SILVAR has offered the CIPS Institute every year since 2012. Teaching this year’s classes was REALTOR® and broker associate Bobbi Decker, a NAR REBAC instructor.
“We had a very vital and enthusiastic group for this CIPS class at SILVAR this week. NAR is very eager to have its members up their professionalism, particularly in this global economy and changing market dynamics of the real estate industry,” said Decker.
The CIPS designation gives REALTORS® an edge over other agents when dealing with foreign clients. Decker noted that Silicon Valley is an epicenter for innovation. “Certified International Property Specialist is an essential designation for REALTORS® working in this melting pot that draws people from all over the world.”
According to NAR’s “2018 Profile of International Activity in U.S.Residential Real Estate,” foreign buyers purchased $121 billion of residential property from April 201 to March 2018. Five states accounted for 53 percent of total residential property purchases: Florida (19 percent), California (14 percent), Texas (9 percent), New York (five percent), and Arizona (five percent). The major foreign buyers were China ($30.4B), Canada ($10.5B), the United Kingdom ($7.3B), India ($7.2B), and Mexico ($4.2B).
The CIPS Institute had five sponsors this year. Anita Rodal, international liaison with AFEX (Associated Foreign Exchange) and president of SBPI Services, Inc., informed Realtors the exchange rate can fluctuate on a second by second basis, so the exchange rate on the internet is not be the actual exchange rate. She also explained how market volatility affects inter-bank currency exchange rates and how AFEX helps foreign buyers convert their money to dollars quickly and at a competitive rate.
Avery Bibbs, business development manager with First American Exchange Company, delivered a presentation on the 1031 exchange and tax updates for 2019. A 1031 exchange allows an investor to sell a property, reinvest the proceeds from the sale in a “like kind” property that is of equal or greater value and defer all capital gain taxes. Examples of “like-kind” property exchanges are a single-family rental house for a duplex, an apartment building for a retail center, land for an income producing vineyard, etc.
Michael Cobb, CEO of ECI Development, spoke on how local REALTORS® can help clients interested in purchasing property abroad. Cobb said in addition to investors buying property overseas, Americans are looking at retiring abroad. Their move overseas is driven by cost, having a higher quality of life for less money.
Lisa Wendl, a loan officer with General Mortgage Capital Corp., provided information on loan requirements for foreign buyers. Wendl said because it is getting harder for Chinese living abroad to get money out of China, she has clients who have bought high-end properties in the Bay Area who are seeking to do cash-out refinancing in order to remain liquid. If the China government does not ease up on its restrictions on the outflow of money, Wendl anticipates some Chinese will be forced to sell their homes.
Amy Ku, Sandy Lee and Dean Chang represented the team of Winnie Ho, premier mortgage consultant with HSBC. Ku said a portfolio lending bank, HSBC is a one-stop shop designed to accommodate global clients. HSBC a number of programs that offer flexible terms to foreign buyers, like interest-only loans and family assisted programs for buyers who need help in qualifying for loans.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) 7th Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute took place last week with 15 students registered, including SILVAR CIPS designees who took some courses for audit. REALTORS® enrolled came from around the San Francisco Bay Area and as far as Sacramento.
Interestingly enough, among the full-time REALTORS® registered, only one student was born in the U.S. The other students were born in China, Taiwan, India, and the Philippines. The composition of this year’s class says everything about the cultural diversity in Silicon Valley, according to CIPS instructor David Wyant.
This was the seventh time Wyant and his wife and assistant Patsy, returned to Silicon Valley to teach the CIPS Institute at SILVAR. The Wyants travel all over the world teaching the global real estate courses and are able to share valuable insights with their students. Wyant was named International Instructor of the Year at the National Association of REALTORS® Conference and Expo in Chicago last November. He has received the same award twice before, in 2012 and 2009.
The CIPS Institute provides training in international business issues, including currency conversion, cultural awareness, legal and tax requirements, transaction principles of international real estate, and specifics about the real estate markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Wyant said global real estate opportunities are everywhere. People move to Silicon Valley from other countries and foreign-born individuals residing here move to new markets. People here may look to invest in property overseas.
“No matter which audience you cater to, the CIPS designation will provide you with the knowledge and tools to expand your business globally,” said Wyant.
Thank you to this year’s CIPS Sponsors of the Day: Darrell Monda with TourFactory; Kyle Chuang with Farmers’ Insurance; Anita Rodal, international liaison with AFEX (Associated Foreign Exchange) and president of SBPI Services, Inc.; and Kim Kim P Nguyen and Suzette Reboton, premier mortgage consultant and vice president and senior branch manager of HSBC Bank USA, Cupertino.
For the fifth straight year, the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) Global Business Council (GBC) has earned the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Platinum Award for Global Achievement. The platinum award is the highest distinction presented by NAR to an association for having demonstrated through its global business council exceptional commitment to building member awareness of global and multicultural business opportunities in their local markets.
SILVAR is the only association in Northern California to achieve platinum council status since the program’s inception in 2011. NAR stated SILVAR’s global council “has shown the highest level of service to its global members by consistently providing them with the tools they need to handle international real estate in addition to connecting your council to the global community in your area.”
Under the leadership of 2017 Global Business Council chair Tess Crescini, a broker with Heritage Homes & Investments, SILVAR GBC this year presented two programs on immigration and types of visas for foreign buyers and investors, the “Learning from Leaders” program in partnership with Silicon Valley YPN, and the “Learn to be a Leader” workshop. Both leadership programs were made possible in part by a NAR Diversity Initiative grant.
The GBC helped promote NAR’s At Home with Diversity certification course and SILVAR’s sixth Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute. The GBC also coordinated a visit to SILVAR by young professionals from Secovi, a Brazilian real estate organization. The trade mission included engineers, real estate attorneys, developers, property managers, economists and real estate agents.
SILVAR partners with other real estate associations throughout the year to promote awareness and education in global real estate. As NAR Ambassador Association to the Philippines, SILVAR partners with the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc., the largest real estate umbrella organization in that country. SILVAR member and past GBC chair Jennifer Tasto is NAR’s President Liaison to the Philippines.
SILVAR GBC is one of a select few Platinum Councils in the country in 2017. Reaching the Platinum award level places SILVAR in the top 11 percent of councils operating nationwide. The prestigious award will be presented at the Nov. 3-6 NAR Conference & Expo in Chicago.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is offering its 6th Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute on September 11-15. National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2012 and 2009 International Instructor of the Year David Wyant will be returning to Cupertino to teach the CIPS courses.
Learn how to expand your global real estate business and earn the NAR CIPS designation. The CIPS Institute provides training in international business issues, including currency conversion, cultural awareness, legal and tax requirements, ownership and transaction principles of international real estate, and specifics about the real estate markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. See flyer with the class schedule below.
Cost for the entire CIPS Institute, which includes five courses, is $450 for the paperless option and $500 for the paper version, which includes a manual for each of the five courses. Regular price is $600. The CIPS Institute is open to both members and nonmembers. Members may enroll online at ims.silvar.org. Non-members may register by calling SILVAR at (408) 200-0100. Breakfast and lunch are provided and included in the cost.
If you are a CIPS designee, you can audit a course for $20 for paperless and $30 for the paper option. Cost also includes breakfast and lunch. There are always new developments taking place in real estate markets around the world. Every two to three years CIPS courses are revised with updated statistics and relevant information. The most recent courses updated are the Americas and International Real Estate (2017), Global Real Estate: Local Markets (May 2016) and Global Real Estate: Transactions Tools (May 2016).
Sponsorship opportunities are available again this year. If you would like to be a “CIPS Institute Sponsor of the Day” or for more information on the CIPS Institute, please contact SILVAR Public Affairs and Communications Director Rose Meily at (408) 200-0109 or email rmeily@silvar.org.
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® Global Business Council (SILVAR GBC) has been awarded the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) PLATINUM Global Achievement Program Award for 2016. This is the fourth year in a row that SILVAR has been honored with this recognition.
The platinum award is presented by NAR to an association for having demonstrated through its Global Business Council exceptional commitment to building members’ awareness of the global and multicultural business opportunities in their local markets. SILVAR’s global business council is one of a select few Platinum Councils in the country.
NAR commended the hard work of the SILVAR GBC this past year and the dedication SILVAR has contributed to raising members’ awareness of global business in our local market, noting, “Your council has shown the highest level of service to its global members by consistently providing them with the tools they need to handle international real estate. The services and resources your council works hard to provide are the benchmarks upon which the standards have been set. It has been a pleasure watching your council perform so highly in 2016 and I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store for you and your members!”
SILVAR GBC is chaired by Mark Wong, a REALTOR® with Alain Pinel REALTORS® Saratoga. This year the GBC presented programs on feng-sui, China, the EB-5 visa and an International REALTOR® Panel with REALTORS® from Japan, Iran, the United Kingdom and France. These programs were well-attended and oversubscribed.
In June, SILVAR conducted its fifth Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute with 2012 and 2009 NAR International Instructor David Wyant. The CIPS Institute had 17 students from the San Francisco Bay Area and Canada. Most of the students were SILVAR members. Nine students from the Institute earned their CIPS designation. At present, 52 SILVAR members are CIPS designees.
Additionally, as NAR’s Ambassador Association to the Philippines, SILVAR supports and maintains ties with the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Associations, Inc. (CREBA), SILVAR’s cooperating association in the Philippines. SILVAR member and past GBC chair Jennifer Tasto is the NAR President’s Liaison to the country.
SILVAR will be presented the platinum award at the November 4-7 NAR REALTORS®’ Conference & EXPO in Orlando.
Last chance to register or audit a class!
SILVAR’s 5th Certified International Property Specialist Institute (CIPS) is on June 20-24. If you would like to learn how to expand your global real estate business and earn the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) CIPS designation, enroll in the CIPS Institute. Classes start next week, so you need to register right away. Cost for the entire CIPS Institute, which includes five courses, is $450 for the paperless option $500 for the paper version, which includes a manual for each of the five courses for both members and nonmembers. Regular price is $600.
Members may enroll online at ims.silvar.org. Non-members and those who want the paperless option may register by calling SILVAR at (408) 200-0100. Breakfast and lunch are provided and included in the cost, thanks to our generous sponsors Darrell Monda of TourFactory; Larry Tringali of Property Inspection Service; Anita Rodal, international liaison with AFEX (Associated Foreign Exchange) and president of SBPI Services, Inc.; Janet Case, CEO of Proxio; and Suzette Reboton of HSBC.
If you are a CIPS designee, you can audit a course for $20 for paperless and $30 for the paper option. Cost also includes breakfast and lunch. There are always new developments taking place in real estate markets around the world. Every two to three years CIPS courses are revised with updated statistics and relevant information. The most recent courses updated are Global Real Estate: Local Markets (May 2016) and Global Real Estate: Transactions Tools (May 2016). Instructor David Wyant, who will be teaching the courses again this year, also regularly furnishes students with information on the latest developments in international real estate.
If you would like to audit a CIPS course, please contact SILVAR Public Affairs and Communications Director Rose Meily at (408) 200-0109 or email rmeily@silvar.org.
The CIPS Institute provides training in international business issues, including currency conversion, cultural awareness, legal and tax requirements, ownership and transaction principles of international real estate, and specifics about the real estate markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Members using Proxio, which is a SILVAR benefit, may find the CIPS courses very useful in advancing their global real estate business. See registration form and class schedule below.
CIPS SCHEDULE AND REGISTRATION FORM
$500 for paper option, $450 for paperless option through June!
If you haven’t had the opportunity to take the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute at the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®, now is a good time to do so. SILVAR is offering its 5th CIPS Institute on June 20-24 for all members and non-members at a discount price through June. The five-day CIPS Institute costs $500 for the paper version, which includes a manual for each of the five courses offered, and $450 for the paperless option. Regular price for the CIPS Institute is $600.
The CIPS Institute provides training in international business issues, including currency conversion, cultural awareness, legal and tax requirements, ownership and transaction principles of international real estate, and specifics about the real estate markets in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
The week-long CIPS Institute, taught by National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2012 and 2009 International Instructor David Wyant includes two required core courses and three elective courses. Students must pass a multiple-choice exam at the end of each course. Upon completing the CIPS Institute, REALTORS® will fulfill the classroom requirements needed to earn the NAR CIPS Designation.
Members may enroll online at ims.silvar.org. Non-members may register by calling SILVAR at (408) 200-0100. The discount price includes a continental breakfast and lunch provided by our sponsors Darrell Monda – TourFactory, Larry Tringali – Property Inspection Service and Anita Rodal – AFEX (Associated Foreign Exchange) and SBPI Services, Inc.
Limited sponsorships for the CIPS Institute are still available. Each sponsor is given the opportunity to speak about their product or service on an assigned day. For more information on the CIPS Institute and sponsorships, contact SILVAR Public Affairs & Communications Director Rose Meily at rmeily@silvar.org, or call (408) 200-0109.
“Doing Business in the Philippines,” hosted by the global business council of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® in November, attracted more than 40 association members and guests. The Philippines is Asia’s second fastest growing economy today and the business of real estate there is booming, according to Philippine-based real estate agents.
The program, moderated by National Association of REALTORS® President’s Liaison to the Philippines Jennifer Tasto, had as panelists International REALTOR® Members from the Philippines from the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc. (CREBA). CREBA is the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®’ cooperating real estate association. It is the largest real estate umbrella organization in that country. The delegation included Bernard Umali, Evangeline Yia, Arlene Posadas and Connie Castellano. Their presentations focused on buying and selling property, estate settlement, project selling, ownership of land and registering property in the Philippines.
The Filipino REALTORS® said Philippine real estate is one of the best businesses today. They said the country has an estimated population of 101 million people. Top buyers of Philippine property are early nesters due to the country’s young population, business process outsourcing workers, overseas Filipino workers and investors.
Why buy real estate in the Philippines? They said the Philippine economy rebounded with a growth of 5.6 percent in the second quarter of 2015, defying a regional slowdown which has affected countries like China and Japan.
“Filipinos are among the most globally connected in the world,” said Tasto.
Tasto said over 10 percent of Filipinos (an estimated 10 million people) live outside the Philippines and work in over 150 countries. Overseas Filipino worker remittances are at a record high, posting $26.93 billion in 2014. Of this money, 60 percent is devoted to real estate investment.
The cost of real estate in the Philippines is much more affordable than in other Asian countries, along with the rate of return on investments, added Tasto. The panelists also indicated growth in business process outsourcing and tourism has spurred real estate sales.
The Filipino REALTORS® noted bank real estate loans hit $24.47 billion in 2014, fueled by sustained demand for new homes and office space. The migration rate in Manila also has made the country’s capital a favored location for residential condominiums.
SILVAR Executive Officer Paul Cardus, NAR Director Leannah Hunt, SILVAR President Chris Isaacson and President-elect Karen Trolan (seated) proudly show the NAR Platinum Award for Global Achievement they received on behalf of SILVAR’s Global Business Council at the NAR REALTOR® Conference & EXPO in San Diego this month.
SILVAR leadership with CREBA members and NAR manager of Global Business Development and Outreach Joe Schneider and NAR President’s Liaison to the Philippines Jennifer Tasto (both far left) celebrate their awards.
For the third year in a row, the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) has earned the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Platinum Award for Global Achievement. The platinum award is the highest distinction presented by NAR to an association for having demonstrated through its global business council exceptional commitment to building members’ awareness of the global and multicultural business opportunities in their local markets.
SILVAR, a professional trade organization representing over 4,500 REALTORS® and affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay, is the only association in Northern California to achieve platinum council status since the program’s inception in 2011. NAR stated SILVAR’s global council “demonstrated the utmost commitment to helping members capture their share of the global real estate market in the United States.” SILVAR leadership received the prestigious award at a special international dinner during the Nov. 13-16 NAR REALTORS® Conference and Expo in San Diego.
“We are honored to receive the National Association of REALTORS® prestigious platinum award for three years in a row. SILVAR is committed to continuing to provide our members with the proper tools that will help them expand and excel in their business here and abroad,” said SILVAR Executive Officer Paul Cardus.
Under the leadership of 2015 Global Business Council chair Mark Wong, a REALTOR® with Alain Pinel Realtors Saratoga, SILVAR’s global business council conducted a number of activities and education programs to raise members’ awareness of global business in their local market, including programs on China, Mexico, India and the Philippines, as part of its “Doing Business With” quarterly series. Also this year, SILVAR conducted its fourth Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Institute, attended by 31 REALTORS® from around the Bay Area, Southern California and Arizona. The CIPS Institute is a full-week program that includes courses analyzing the international business climate, including capital flow, currencies, government regulations and cultures and conducting real estate transactions with clients from Europe, Asia and the Americas.
SILVAR partners with other real estate associations throughout the year to promote awareness and education in global real estate, and continues its role as NAR Ambassador Association to the Philippines. The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc. (CREBA), SILVAR’s cooperating real estate association in the Philippines and the largest real estate umbrella organization that country, also was honored at the event. SILVAR member Jennifer Tasto is the NAR President’s Liaison to the Philippines.
SILVAR’s commitment to international real estate goes beyond members assisting foreign nationals buying property in Silicon Valley. As a membership benefit, SILVAR REALTOR® members have free access to Proxio, the global networking platform that connects them with real estate agents domestically and abroad and enables them to share their listings, including property developments here and abroad.
Among the 110 REALTOR® global councils operating nationwide, only 17 were named platinum councils. SILVAR is one of three REALTOR® associations that has been awarded the top award for three consecutive years.
Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® says ... 