“I think cash buyers affect two different parts of the market… a lot in the distressed market and then there are cash investors,” Brian Block with Virginia based Re/Max Allegiance said.

Block believes the cash investors make it easier to for home sales to surge, but affects competition for consumers. “This is having its push on first time home buyers, who think they can scoop up distressed homes but they can’t because for cash investors it’s easier,” Block said.

Click here for the entire article.

Not surprisingly, RE/MAX dominated the list. A breakdown of the national brands that made the list (20 companies were ranked):
RE/MAX: 6
Coldwell Banker: 1
Keller Williams: 1
Prudential: 1
Sotheby’s: 1
Century 21: 0

The top five:
Long & Foster
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
RE/MAX Allegiance
McEnearney
TTR Sotheby’s

Richmond (89%)
Fairfax (77%)
Burke (72%)
McLean (71%)
Ashburn (70%)
Reston (69%)
Georgetown (65%)
Capitol Hill (60%)

Congratulations to the offices listed above. See your broker if you are interested in participating and have yet to sign up. All of the money raised goes direct to your local CMN children’s hospital.

Brian Block, a real estate broker and a lawyer, who heads the RE/MAX offices in McLean and Arlington, said the 70 brokers he supervises are experiencing a “growing number of cash deals” for high end houses. “There is a lot of money in the D.C. area,” including two family incomes, executives of many of the private companies that are here to service government agencies, he said. Block said between his two offices he has some 60 to 70 houses in the million dollars plus range.

Some are older homes like at 2320 Tuckahoe St. in Arlington, which was built in1928 and is on the market for $1,195,000, others like a town home at 1402 Ingleside Ave., McLean priced at $959,000 were built in the 2000s.

Block said the 2011 season started slowly. He speculated that it was because of the weather and buyer uncertainty, but in April and May it has picked up speed. “I think it is going to be a good year.”

Along with loan business changing, the industry has changed. There were 14,000 agents in the Northern Virginia Real Estate Association in the mid-2000s, now there are 9,000, said Block. He said there were 40,000 agents in Virginia and now there are 28,000 registered.

“They are more professional as well,” he said. He has been a real estate broker for 10 years and before that practiced real estate law. “I learned where the problems occurred and now I try to avoid them.”

For the entire article click here.

RPAC Major Investors:
Golden R ($5000)
RE/MAX Allegiance

Sterling R ($1000)
Julia Avent (Arlington)
Robyn Burdett (Reston)
Susan Mekenney (Leesburg Pike)
John Meyer (Leesburg Pike)
Vicki Nellis (Burke)
Zinta Rodgers (Fairfax)

Pioneer Club (NVAR members for a minimum of 25 years):
Ali Ali (Arlington)
Penny Cornett (Georgetown)
Ray Gernhart (Leesburg Pike)
Clare Grana (Reston)
June LaMarca (Burke)

NVAR Leadership Institute Class of 2010
Brian Block (McLean)

2010 Leadership Team
Susan Mekenney – Nominating Cmte (Leesburg Pike)
Zinta Rodgers – RPAC Trustees (Fairfax)

2010 Officers
Susan Mekenney – Immediate Past Chairman (Leesburg Pike)

2010 Directors at Large
Julia Avent (Arlington)
Robyn Burdett (Reston)

2011 Directors at Large
Julia Avent (Arlington)
Robyn Burdett (Reston)

2011 Leadership Team
Zinta Rodgers – RPAC Trustees (Fairfax)

The Crystal Ball is the premier fundraising event in the Hampton Roads area where funds are raised for Muscular Dystrophy and ALS Research. Over the past 8 years, the Crystal Ball has raised over $1,500,000, which was delivered directly to the researchers working hard to find a cure. The Crystal Ball funds research for over 43 different types of neuromuscular diseases including ALS – Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Congratulations and thanks for all of your hard work Linda!

Diane Becker
Peggy Bouchard
Mary Burges
John Hall
Julie Hall
Marian Korpon
Diana Rodriguez

As of last week, over $39,000 was raised from this first-time event and they are still counting donations that have come in today!

This election allows for the continuation of four Allegiance members on the board (more than any other company), with Mike Minnery, Associate in Dale City retiring from the board later this year.

Thanks to all of our Associates who volunteer their time with local, state and national Realtor associations!