Good day MAR members!
Queue up KC and the Sunshine Band…”Shake shake shake…”
We were all reminded yesterday morning that we indeed do live in earthquake country. “Honey…honey…honey…” “Yes, I know, it’s an earthquake…!” Having grown up in earthquake country, I instinctively leapt out of bed and stood in the doorway. Heather stayed in bed. The dog didn’t even lift her head off her bed…so I guess she grew up in earthquake country as well…”no biggie”.
In a strange way, these events make me feel alive…that the ground we walk on is alive right along with us.
I wasn’t around for the 5.0 Bolinas quake in 1999, I was working in the City in a high-rise and didn’t even feel it. My neighbors in Cascade Canyon told me it shook quite a bit! The last earthquake that rolled like this one, for me, was in June of 1992, with the 7.2 Landers earthquake, followed shortly after by the 6.5 Big Bear quake the same morning. I slept through the Landers quake which was at 5AM, but clearly remember the 8AM Big Bear quake…which had me in the front doorway of my duplex unit in Hermosa Beach, watching street signs and telephone poles shake. That one rolled for a long time, just like this one.
This is another good reminder to stock up on emergency supplies, and also to indulge our clients in their seismic retrofit discussions. We dodged the “big one” again this time, but it’s always lurking in the shadows. Be prepared!
Also this past week, it was with great sadness that on Friday I had to announce the passing of long-time MAR member and leader Karen Dahlin. As the emails poured in, so many of you shared your memories of Karen, and how she had been so influential as a mentor and leader in our community. Hers was a full life, giving back to her community and to her colleagues. A lifetime of service. A memorial service is planned for this Thursday, August 28th, at Keaton’s Redwood Chapel of Marin in Novato at 10:00am. Again, MAR offers its sincere condolences to Karen’s family and loved ones.
THE NEW FALL SEASON
One last summer holiday this weekend for Labor Day! I’m headed up to Portland for a “re-creation” of a party my fraternity used to throw annually…30 years ago. The Gangster Party. Did I go to school in Portland, you might ask? Well, no, it’s just that one of our fraternity brothers offered to host the party at a brewery he owns in Vancouver WA, and no one could think of a reason to not take him up on it. Still working on my costume; 30 years ago, “gangster” meant Al Capone/Untouchables prohibition-era gangster gear. Now we’ve got Al Pachino “Scarface” gangsters, Tupak and Dr Dre LA “gangsta rap” gangsters, Robert Duvall/Sean Penn “Colors” East LA gangsters. The list goes on and on. Enjoy the last bit of summer, with MAR’s busy Indian Summer home selling season right around the corner.
SEPTEMBER 9TH MAR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Once again, don’t forget that two weeks from tomorrow, on Tuesday September 9th, MAR will be hosting its next General Membership meeting at Embassy Suites. Networking starts at 11:30, and the main program starts at noon. Professor Robert Eyler will be our keynote speaker, giving an update on the North Bay and Marin economy and a forecast for the coming year. It’s always a useful and informative presentation, with info that you can use in your business today. We will also be having our annual election for the 2015 MAR leadership team and Board of Directors. Click HERE to register. I hope to see you there, and remember that these meetings tend to sell out early so sign up today!
ROSS VALLEY SEWER LATERAL POINT OF SALE UPDATE
MAR’s leadership has been pressing the Ross Valley Sanitary District for clarity and process in the wake of RVSD’s planned rollout of its sewer lateral point-of-sale inspection requirement. There are some very substantial grey areas, ambiguity and outright flaws in the ordinance. Originally scheduled for rollout on July 1, MAR was successful at pushing it back to September 1. Earlier this month, after we applied a lot of pressure for answers, RVSD General Manager Greg Norby assured us that he would recommend pushing the implementation back to the beginning…or even the end… of October. We kept up the pressure for answers, and continued to point out flaws in the process that needed addressing. Last week, Mr. Norby announced that he was going to recommend pushing back the implementation plan to January 1, 2015. This date needs to be voted on by the board this week, but it appears we now have a few more months to get this straightened out, and to advocate for some fundamental changes to flaws in the ordinance.
Meanwhile, it was announced last week that at the behest of Assemblyman Marc Levine, the State of California will be conducting an audit of RVSD’s finances. So I guess they have their hands full. Stay tuned!
AB1537 HOUSING DENSITY UPDATE
Speaking of Assemblyman Marc Levine, last week his bill AB1537 was approved by the legislature and now sits on Governor Jerry Brown’s desk for signature. In a nutshell the bill reduces the default density for new building projects in Marin from 30 units per acre to 20 units per acre, and correctly defines Marin as “suburban” rather than “metropolitan”. MAR has strongly supported this bill throughout the process. We got behind it early, and the MAR Board of Directors voted our support before most other groups here in Marin. MAR CEO Andy Fegley and I have both testified before committees in the state Assembly and Senate regarding MAR’s support. Now it’s up to the governor, and let’s all hope he signs the bill this week.
THE MAR ‘FLOOD INSURACE SUMMIT’ MEETING
As I mentioned last week, at the end of September, MAR along with JCP Natural Hazards Disclosures will be hosting a session on the ever-evolving subject of flood insurance and flood zones. Did you know that FEMA is poised to raise the “base flood elevation” throughout the county by one foot next year? A whole bunch of houses that are not currently in the flood zone will be in it after this change. We will be having a panel discussion with FEMA reps and insurance folks ready to provide clarity and answers. Many of you have shared your comments and frustrations about this crazy and dynamic part of our business, and I shared in some of that pain with one of my listings this summer. So mark your calendars for 9/30, and we will have more details soon. We’ve secured a big room at the Marin Country Club, so there should be room for everyone.
TWO MORE MEETINGS TO CONSIDER
I’d also like to lend MAR’s support to two of our fellow organizations and their meetings this month.
First of all, the Marin Womens Council of REALTORS® (WCR) will be hosting a lunch meeting next Tuesday, September 2nd, at the Club at McInnis. Guv Hutchinson of CAR’s legal group will be there to discuss recent legal updates and the new purchase agreement. Click HERE for more info.
Also, MAR member Jean Ludwick has asked me to share the info for the next meeting of the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers (CRB) meeting. It’s going to be on Tuesday September 16th at noon in Napa. The keynote speaker will be Brad Anderson, National Outreach Manager and Director of Zillow Academy. The topic will be “Getting the Biggest Bang for your Buck using Social Media”. Best of all, it’s FREE for CRB members, and Jean has assured me that all are welcome. Click HERE for more info.
That’s it for now!
I wish you a safe and prosperous week.
Blaine
Blaine Morris
2014 MAR President
