Each year the Lake Havasu Association of REALTORS® sponsors the REALTOR® Olympics, a charity event where all proceeds are donated to the Havasu community. “REALTORS® have a great time while raising thousands of dollars for local non-profit organizations,” said Judy Haley, Public Relations Committee Chair for the Lake Havasu Association. “We got off to a slow start this year with the economic situation, but things seem to be running at full speed ahead now. Our bowling, Bunco and Murder Mystery Dinner events were great fun, and we’re looking forward Texas Hold’em, bingo, Frisbee golf and our golf tournament. Although this is a tough year for all, the community has been very supportive in helping make the REALTOR® Olympics a success.” For more information and event dates, please contact Ginger Thornton at 928-208-8315.
CAPTION:
Back Row L-R:Cynthia Purifoy, Jan Dietrich, Angie Saltzman; Second Row:Aaron Pfeifer, Walt Sosey, David Abels; Front Row L-R:Lloyd Purifoy, Ron Dietrich, Hilary Sosey, Roger Saltzman, Bonnie & Glenn Conroy

Senior Lock Box

The Affordable Housing Committee began the Secure Lockbox Program in 2006, with the installation of the first lockbox in Chandler. The Secure Lockbox Program is primarily for elderly residents who live alone, are physically challenged, or have a medical condition that may necessitate a call to 911 for assistance. SEVRAR administers the program and the local Police Departments individually assign lockboxes. Information, installation, and access attached to each lockbox is stored in the participating Police Department’s Computer Aided Dispatch Database, which allows for storage of confidential information and creates a systematic emergency response. The best part of the program is that it’s free to qualifying residents.

CAPTION:
Chris Bastian (previous SEVRAR Housing Opportunity Chairperson), Angela Romero (Shivka Realty), participating City of Chandler Resident, Officer Velma Anderjeski (Chandler Police Department), and Cheryl Patterson (AboutCare).

Habitat For Humanity
SEVRAR’s Housing Opportunity Committee is responsible for identifying and promoting opportunities that will increase the availability of housing for those residing in the Arizona area. In addition, this committee works to educate REALTORS® and the general public, as well as creating awareness regarding housing needs while striving to improve the REALTORS®’ image.

“SEVRAR, in conjunction with the Arizona Multiple Listing Service (ARMLS), has taken the lead in organizing and coordinating the efforts to build Habitat for Humanity homes for local families since 2005,” said Housing Opportunity Committee Chair Michael Hickson. “You don’t have to be a professional, master carpenter to volunteer to help,” stated Liz Echeverria, 2007 SEVRAR president. “Onsite, there is something for all of us to do. It’s wonderful to see what a difference we can make in the life of a hard-working family. To help them achieve the dream of home ownership.”

CAPTION:
Habitat familly - Leslie Miller and her children Erica (16), Alex (14), Andrew (14), Garrison (9)

Home From Work
The Home from Work program provides employers with the information and tools they need to offer employer-assisted housing (EAH) as a benefit to their employees, making it possible for their employees who need financial help buying a home. The EAH program provides qualified and approved employees a five year forgivable loan of up to $5000 toward the purchase of a home. SEVRAR offers a class for REALTORS® to promote EAH at the grassroots level. After completing the class, REALTORS® are ready to approach employers, advocate for EAH programs, and help employers put their programs in place.

“Not only can employers offer downpayment assistance, but they can start with a Lunch and Learn session, which offers the REALTOR® the opportunity to build a relationship as the trusted advisor in real estate matters for that company and its employees,” explained Duane Washkowiak, Home from Work Committee Chair. “This program is one of the few that allows for downpayment assistance, which has been eliminated in most other loan programs – learn how to use your sphere of influence to help grow your business.”

Housing opportunities are a moral and practical necessity in Southern Arizona, and REALTORS® are dedicated to increasing homeownership in our community.

Providing access to resources for affordable housing, ensuring REALTOR® advocacy for fair housing, attending to the needs of those who require housing and preparing members of our community for homeownership are important goals of the Tucson Association of REALTORS® (TAR).

The Housing Opportunity Committee is charged with meeting these goals, helping to ensure that Tucson will flourish with affordable housing and community development programs. “Our Housing Opportunity Committee has certainly accepted their charge and has demonstrated a passion for the housing issues in Pima County,” said Judy Lowe, committee chair. “We actually have three sub-groups within our committee working to achieve our vision. They are promoting homeownership seminars, educating our REALTOR® members as well as the public regarding fair housing, encouraging employers to implement an employee housing benefit based on the NAR Home From Work program, providing financial literacy presentations within our local schools, and participating physically and financially toward the building of a Habitat Home.”

The Home From Work Committee focuses on two main goals: setting up employer-assisted housing programs throughout Tucson and providing homeownership seminars for potential homebuyers. The HomeWords program offers hundreds of teachers and students the opportunity to learn what it takes to buy or rent a home through this newspaper-based educational program for Tucson schools sponsored by the Tucson Association of REALTORS®.

The Habitat for Humanity Committee focuses on fundraising for Habitat for Humanity Tucson. In 2006, the committee raised over $35,000 for the organization - almost enough to build half a house for a deserving Habitat family! This year, the committee is doubling its efforts to raise $75,000 and provide 1,200 volunteer hours - all the money and volunteer time needed to complete one house.

On April 3-5, TAR is sponsoring an event at the Tucson Convention Center to foster public awareness and understanding of the rights, opportunities and benefits available in today’s current market conditions. “Opening Doors – Keys to Homeownership” offers educational workshops on topics such as: Why is now a good time to buy? Having trouble selling your house? Foreclosure - before, during and after. Understanding your Credit. More information is available on the TAR website, www.tucsonrealtors.org.

To learn more about TAR’s Housing Opportunity programs, contact Annalisa Moreno, Education & Housing Opportunities Manager, at 520-382-8789 or annalisa@tucsonrealtors.org.

The Sedona/Verde Valley Association of REALTORS® (SVVAR) KnoxBoxes for Seniors program is dedicated to making sure seniors and those with medical disabilities are able to continue living at home. “The Knox Residential Lock Boxes allow responding fire departments quick access into a home when the resident is unable to unlock the door,” explains KnoxBox Program Coordinator Ann Ziller, a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Mabery in Cottonwood. “Otherwise, emergency responders may lose valuable time and damage doors or windows to gain access into the home.”

Access to the box is controlled by the Sedona Regional Communications Center Computer Aided Dispatch System (CAD). Should a client with a KnoxBox call 911 in an emergency, the CAD system is programmed to inform the dispatcher by way of a special window on the screen that a box is installed on the residence and what the medical condition is so that first responders can be prepared when they arrive. The cost to the homeowner is directly based upon their income on a sliding scale, with 85 percent of the boxes being provided by SVVAR at no cost as a community service.

Please contact Ann Ziller for further information, 928-282-5409.

The Prescott Area Association of REALTORS® (“PAAR”) has successfully supported more than 25 home builds in the Prescott area since 1991. PAAR Member Chuck Olsen was instrumental in assisting the Arizona Association of REALTORS® establish its 501(c) (3) Foundation because of all of the work PAAR does with their local Habitat office. 

PAAR holds an annual golf tournament which is heavily sponsored by their local brokers, lenders and title agencies. All monies raised, less expenses, are donated to the Prescott Area Habitat for Humanity. The donations average $15,000. Local REALTORS® also volunteer their valuable time and assets in getting the build done.

PAAR is a shining example of how much REALTORS® can achieve working with charities in their community.

In the past, the Arizona REALTORS® Housing Needs Foundation has challenged each of its 21 local associations to a Habitat Challenge. If a local association can raise $5,000 of its own contributions for a Habitat build, the Foundation matches that contribution. Past participating associations have been Prescott Area, Green Valley, Scottsdale Area, SEVRAR, Bullhead City/Mohave Valley and the Tucson Associations of REALTORS®.

The Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service has sponsored a number of Habitat builds as well as local real estate firms such as Coldwell Banker and Realty Executives.

Getting involved in your community’s Habitat for Humanity is easy and always welcomed. Visit their website for more information.

Send us your photos and press releases — our goal is to feature every local association in the AZR by the end of 2009. So far we’ve featured WEMAR and CABR in February, and the March issue features PAAR’s Habitat for Humanity program.

Do you already have a date set for your 2009 community outreach event? Please send it to Diane at AAR so we can reserve space in the closest issue.

By Diane Cole, AAR Director of Publications and Online Media

Send us your photos and press releases - our goal is to feature every local association in the AZR by the end of 2009. So far we’ve featured WEMAR and CABR in February, and the March issue features PAAR’s Habitat for Humanity program.

We need one more local to feature in the March issue. Send me an email by February 3 if you’d like to contribute something - deadline to submit photos and press releases is Friday, February 6. But let me know ASAP if you’re submitting something for March so I can reserve the space for you.

Do you already have a date set for your 2009 community outreach event?

Please send it to Diane at AAR, dianecole@aaronline.com, so we can reserve space in the closest issue.

Looking For Ideas?

For more ideas on what can be done in your community, contact Monica at AAR.