Caveat REALTOR®

What to do when agents leave firms to move to other firms. Jessica and Cate discuss licensing requirements, client contact and commission concerns.

The Federal Reserve has decided to raise interest rates again. Laura and Jon grab their green visors and set aside bad memories of college accounting classes as they discuss what this means for the housing market as mortgage rates will also rise.

The Federal Reserve has decided to raise interest rates again. Laura and Jon grab their green visors and set aside bad memories of college accounting classes and discuss what this means for the housing market as mortgage rates will also rise.

The Legal team opens up the Legal Hotline mailbag. Cate and Jon talk about some commonly-asked questions and provide our answers. Topics range from property management to teams, with a little of everything in between.

We sift through the Legal Hotline Grab Bag to celebrate 2019! Cate and Jon review their favorite questions of 2018 including topics from property management to teams, with a little of everything mixed in between.

We sift through the Legal Hotline Grab Bag to celebrate 2019! Cate and Jon review their favorite questions of 2018 including topics from property management to teams, with a little of everything mixed in between.

What are the requirements of the Federal Lead Based paint regulations? Jon and Laura explain and introduce the updates to the Lead Based Paint Disclosure Form. They take it to the legal hotline and show you how to limit your risk.

The Legal team discusses the best ways to help protect your clients when it comes to flood insurance. Jessica and Laura talk about flood insurance in general, as well as the ways in which it might be changing based on new federal legislation. They also discuss flood hazard areas and what your clients do and do not have to disclose. Finally, they answer a few Legal Hotline questions from you, our m...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team celebrates the holidays with an episode dedicated to the January 1 Standard Forms updates. Laura and Jessica talk about the 14 forms that will be updated and how those updates might affect your business practices. They also sneak in some quotes from holiday movie favorites as our gift to you!

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team discusses the 2019 updates to the Code of Ethics. Laura and Cate talk about the update to Standard of Practice 1-7, and what that update means for you as a real estate professional. They also answer some possibly made-up hotline questions regarding this update.

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team discusses what you need to do to be compliant with the laws effective January 1, 2019. Jon and Cate talk about the new laws that will go into effect on January 1, with an emphasis on the laws regulating teams. They touch on the new definition of a team and what you must do to register with DPOR, and they answer some of the many questions we’ve received...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team continues the discussion of how to best protect yourself in the digital age. Jessica and Jon discuss strong passwords, password managers, and two-factor authentication. They also provide tips to protect yourself from phishing and other email-based scams. Finally, they answer a few legal hotline questions and provide best practices for you to limit the r...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team discusses the differences between properties that are “coming soon” and pocket listings. Jon and Laura talk about how to protect yourself as a listing agent if your clients want to use one of these two options, and the risky nature of pocket listings. Finally, they share tips that can help you limit your risk and answer some Legal Hotline questions.

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team discusses two items that can be very important in your advertising: the REALTOR® Block R logo and the Equal Housing Opportunity Logo. Cate and Jessica discuss how the Block R logo can be used by REALTOR® members and how the Equal Housing logo can be advantageous if used correctly and consistently. Finally, they answer a few legal hotline questions about...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team talks about the DPOR regulations governing license renewal. Laura and Cate talk about both how soon a new agent can start practicing and how DPOR handles transfers between firms. They also discuss the delay in license lookup for an expired license and how that does not mean you can continue to practice. Finally, they answer some common legal hotline que...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team discusses how to use a notice of termination and a release, and how using one without the other can get you into hot water. Cate and Jon talk about the differences between the two documents and the situations in which you would want to use one or both. They also answer some legal hotline questions, including discussing how a new law can allow you to rel...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team gets spoooooky with stories of property management nightmares! Cate and Jon discuss unauthorized animals, disappearing tenants, and abandoned property. Tune in and listen…if you dare!

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team continues Property Management Month with a discussion of how to deal with defaulting tenants. Jon and Cate talk about the different ways in which tenants can default under a lease, and how the VRLTA allows you to handle those situations. They talk about failure to pay rent, unauthorized animals, and criminal activities on the property. Finally, they ans...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team continues our Property Management series with a look at tenant move out inspections. Cate and Jon talk about the notice requirements for tenant move out and how they affect your deadlines to conduct the move-out inspection. They discuss the benefit of using a move-out inspection form, and they tell you what you should do if you discover additional damag...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team continues Property Management Month by discussing the eviction process. Jon and Cate talk about what notice is required to tenants before beginning the eviction process, as well as the legal steps necessary to obtain a writ of possession. They also answer some legal hotline questions and discuss how property managers can limit their risk during the evic...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team begins property management month with a discussion of the tenant application process. Cate and Jon discuss application fees, who needs to sign the lease, and what you can (and cannot) ask as part of the application process. They also talk about Fair Housing issues that often come up in the tenant selection process. Finally, they discuss best practices t...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team takes everyone to school with Contracts 101. Jon and Laura discuss the basics of contract law, including how to accept an offer, the difference between unilateral and bilateral contracts, and whether an EMD is necessary to make a valid contract. They also answer some legal hotline questions, including whether you can write a contract with a settlement d...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS(R) legal team discusses issues surrounding radon. Cate and Jon talk about how radon gets into homes, how you test for it, and how you can cure high levels. They also answer some questions from the hotline, such as whether you need two separate companies to test, mitigate, and retest. Finally, they explain how you can limit your risk as a REALTOR when dealing with r...

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team discusses the recent Fair Housing complaint filed by HUD against Facebook. Laura and Erin talk about how to protect yourself while advertising on Facebook, as well as other platforms, if you want to use targeted advertising.

This week, the Virginia REALTORS® legal team talks about the disclosures you must make when you as a licensee are buying or selling a home. Cate and Erin discuss the requirements from both the Virginia Real Estate Board and the Code of Ethics. They also answer some legal hotline questions, including what to do if you’re a licensee in Virginia but are selling a property in another state.