On this episode of REAL Smart, Maura and Cheryl are joined by Jack Cotton, CRS, a leading expert on luxury real estate and a REALTOR® in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Jack will be visiting the Georgia REALTORS® on September 9 at our Annual Conference to teach the Residential Real Estate Council's class, "Succeeding in the Luxury Home Market" and joined the podcast to discuss the luxury real estate market, the effects on luxury of the NAR lawsuit proposed settlement, client service, and "The Treehouse Feeling."

You can find out more about Jack (and see his video on "The Treehouse Feeling") on Jack's website, www.jackcottonrealtor.com.

You can sign up for the "Succeeding in the Luxury Home Market" class at GAR's Annual Conference on September 9, 2024, here (but hurry -- seats are selling quickly): https://garportal.ramcoams.net/Education/Registration/Details.aspx?cid=0b92deda-21f1-ee11-9e94-00155d23443a

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On this episode of REAL Smart, Maura and Cheryl dig into the new temporary rule change for VA-eligible borrowers, released from the Department of Veterans Affairs on June 11, 2024, which goes into effect August 10, 2024. What does this rule change mean for VA_eligible home buyers? What does it mean for agents? How will it change your process with your buyers? And is it really temporary? (The answer to this last one is YES.) Settle in for an in-depth discussion of how to prepare yourself to best prepare yourself and your VA buyers for success!

FOR YOUR REFERENCE:

VA Circular, dated June 11, 2024: https://www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/documents/circulars/26-24-14.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1-ND3de9u_CjfJ71ODjXkv4ijnJBwcR4NKXPT-Qwl7T_6TCjfpEvIgnBo_aem_WBttxhkO1mIVchUFCiGI-g

VA Lender Handbook - Chapter 8: Borrower Fees and Charges and the VA Funding Fee

https://benefits.va.gov/WARMS/docs/admin26/handbook/ChapterLendersHanbookChapter8.pdf

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WE'RE BACK! Maura and Cheryl are back with an exciting third season and lots to talk about. Kicking it off with an in-depth discussion of lead-based paint disclosure and the changes to the EPA's required form, as well as some strategy for how to follow the new requirements and how to make sure you're covering all your bases in real estate transactions involving properties built before 1978. Tune in and make sure you and your contracts are all compliant with the requirements and the new changes to the EPA's form.

A few resources we promised you in this episode:

• As always, Cheryl's smartstips.com website is one that you should have bookmarked for easy access and reference for all your contract-writing needs. Specifically for this episode, keep an eye out for the two NEW stips she has provided regarding the lead-based paint disclosure.
• The EPA's pages on Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards can be found here >> https://www.epa.gov/lead/real-estate-disclosures-about-potential-lead-hazards , INCLUDING their new form (updated April 24, 2024), which can be found here >> https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/selr_eng.pdf (Georgia REALTORS, you can find the new GAR version of this form in the contract forms that were revised and released on July 1, 2024)
• Additionally, did you know the EPA offers the "Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home" brochure in 11 languages other than English? You can find them here >> https://www.epa.gov/lead/protect-your-family-lead-your-home-real-estate-disclosure
• Full rule with definition of Agent >> https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/DOC_12347

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Back in December 2022, Maura and Cheryl brought you a disturbing episode on a new trend in Georgia (and several other states): companies preying on homeowners, offering small cash payouts in exchange for listing agreements (or options to list) for up to 40 years, creating liens on properties, and filing lawsuits demanding payouts when those properties change hands, even without their assistance in the sale or marketing of those homes. Thanks to REALTOR and Georgia State Representative Clint Crowe, this practice is now unlawful in Georgia, and other states are following suit. Join Maura and Cheryl as they discuss this new law and what it will now require for listing agreements and options to list to be lawful, as well as what is now required of real estate solicitations in the state.

40-Year Listing Agreements - December 2022 episode, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-smart-with-cheryl-king-and-maura-neill/id1649216459?i=1000590155875

Read the new law, here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Llyhb4TAp7HX_HxTnlC2QJ1WkwGpHsnr/view?usp=sharing

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It's that time of year! January 1 through (in most counties) April 1 is the time to file your Homestead Exemption for property taxes in Georgia! Join Maura and Cheryl as they talk through the basics of Homestead Exemption, how to file, how to create value-add reminders for your entire database of clients around this topic, and the all-important (and little known) Georgia Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Thanks for tuning in!

MORE RESOURCES:

Thomas & Brown, Attorneys at Law, information on homestead exemption by county: https://thomasandbrownlaw.com/resources/homestead-exemption/

Georgia Department of Revenue, filing a proeprty tax appeal: https://dor.georgia.gov/filing-property-tax-appeal

2015 - 2020 property tax appeal statistics: https://dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-appeal-statistics

Georgia Department of Revenue, information on Property Tax Homestead Exemptions: https://dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-homestead-exemptions

National Association of Counties list: https://www.naco.org/sites/default/files/documents/Property%20Taxes%20A%20Look%20at%20Exemptions,%20Tax%20Limits%20and%20Assessment%20Cycles.pdf

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Maura and Cheryl welcome their first-ever guest, Brian Krebs with Alcova Mortgage, to talk about WHY and HOW real estate agents should have a list of trusted mortgage loan originator partners. What's in it for the agent? What's in it for the lender? And most importantly, what are some things that Brian (and frankly, probably all lenders) wish real estate agents knew about a loan officer's job and how to better communicate with consumers/interested homebuyers before they reach out to lenders to begin the preapproval process.

Have a question for Brian? Here's how you can reach him!

Brian Krebs

Branch Partner, Alcova Mortgage

NMLS ID# 62941 

(404) 786-4513 C

[email protected]

ALCOVA.com/bkrebs

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1978. Every real estate agent knows the significance of this year -- the year after which lead was no longer used in the manufacture of paint in the US. We have federally mandated EPA lead-based paint exhibits attached to our contracts (for sale and for lease) for all properties that were built prior to 1978, and the fines for incorrectly executed lead paint exhibits are cost-prohibitive enough to encourage that they be used correctly. But what are we missing in educating our clients about lead-based paint...and what are the consequences if we don't? Cheryl and Maura discuss some important ways real estate agents can be better for our clients.

Here's some follow-up reading for you:

EPA Information on Lead-Based Paint: https://www.epa.gov/lead

HGTV’s Christina Hall Reveals Diagnosis; https://www.newsweek.com/what-mercury-lead-poisoning-hgtv-christina-hall-reveals-diagnosis-1769224?amp=1

HGTV's Chip and Joanna Gains Will Pay Fine Over Lead Paint Violations: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/07/us/chip-joanna-gaines-fixer-upper-lead-paint.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Cleveland, OH Lead Paint Ordinance Info: https://www.clevelandohio.gov/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/BuildingHousing/LeadCertification

Philadelphia, PA Lead Paint Ordinance Info: https://www.phila.gov/2019-10-22-rental-property-lead-certification-law/

Why Lead Paint Still Haunts Industrial Cities in the US: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-29/why-lead-paint-still-haunts-industrial-cities-in-the-u-s 

Settlement Reached in Lead Paint Death: http://archive.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2003/11/02/settlement_reached_in_lead_paint_death/ 

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HO HO HO! It's our BONUS episode on our Top 5 Favorite Hollywood Holiday Houses...er...Properties ! We had so much fun delving into the history of the properties that feature in our favorite holiday movies -- we hope you get some fun nuggets, too! Be sure to check out the links below for SO MUCH MORE info on these properties... And to quote Cheryl, "we hope that you spend the holidays with everyone that you want to, and in the place that you want to." Happy Holidays, y'all -- see you in the New Year!

Home Alone:

https://www.fancypantshomes.com/movie-homes/the-real-life-home-alone-house-then-and-now/#:~:text=If%20you're%20wondering%20where%20to%20find%20it%20in%20real,so%20please%20respect%20their%20privacy).

https://parade.com/1273571/kaigreen/home-alone-house/ 

REALTOR.com: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/671-Lincoln-Ave_Winnetka_IL_60093_M88320-53321 

Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/homes/671-Lincoln-Ave,-Winnetka,-IL-60093_rb/3360197_zpid/

A Christmas Story:

https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/

Zillow: https://www.zillow.com/homes/3159-W-11th-St-Cleveland,-OH-44109_rb/33338086_zpid/

Elf: http://onthesetofnewyork.com/elf.html 

National Lampoon Christmas Vacation:

https://houseandhistory.com/national-lampoons-christmas-vacation-house/ 

https://hookedonhouses.net/2009/12/20/griswold-house-national-lampoons-christmas-vacation/ 

Die Hard:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_Plaza_(Los_Angeles)

https://la.curbed.com/2019/12/13/21011651/die-hard-christmas-building-name

https://gizmodo.com/i-went-to-die-hards-nakatomi-plaza-and-not-a-single-hos-1828012587/amp

https://www.dirt.com/feature/nakatomi-plaza-die-hard-century-city-1203357697/amp/

Sound effects credit: “Sleigh Bells Ringing” by Mike Koenig, which can be found on SoundBible, here.

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