Category: News

The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) Enforcement Division is now investigating and enforcing open house rules. According to the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.), real estate agents, and their broker, who do not follow Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Real Estate Guidance may be contacted by the DRE and informed of the rules. More violations after this initial contact may result in the DRE issuing a citation or referring the agent and broker to health department and law enforcement officials. Agents wanting to report someone who is not following the rules may contact the Department of Real Estate at 877.373.4542.

We’ve received reports that when submitting an offer through Disclosures.io, there is a technical glitch where buyer’s agents within a firm may have access to competing offers. This only happens if there is a Listing Agent Team, and one of them changes roles after approving access to the disclosure package to others. We are encouraging our Subscribers not to use the Offer section of D.io until this is resolved.

https://www.nar.realtor/political-advocacy/coronavirus-emergency-legislation-what-realtors-need-to-know

H.R. 6201 “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” is emergency legislation that covers family medical leave, paid sick leave, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance and unemployment benefits is making its way through Congress.  The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Advocacy Team worked with Congressional leaders to include help for self-employed professionals and other small business owners in the bill.  NAR says robust measures supporting those groups were included.

NAR reported this bill focuses on employment issues and they anticipate legislation targeting the overall economy to come later.

Read more information from NAR about HR 6201.

NAR prepared the following summary of each provision:

Family Medical Leave Expansion

  • Allows up to 12 weeks of certain virus-related family medical leave through the end of 2020
  • Covers employees at businesses with between 50-500 employees
  • Provides a refundable tax credit for eligible self-employed individuals equal to their qualified family leave equivalent
  • Provides employers with a refundable tax credit equal to certain family leave wages paid to employees

Paid Sick Leave Expansion

  • Allows two weeks of certain virus-related paid sick leave through the end of 2020.
  • Covers employees at businesses with fewer than 500 employees
  • Provides a refundable tax credit for eligible self-employed individuals equal to their qualified sick leave equivalent
  • Provides employers with a refundable tax credit equal to certain paid sick leave wages paid to employees

Medicare, Medicaid, Health Insurance and Unemployment Changes

  • Requires insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health programs to fully cover testing and related services for COVID-19, without cost-sharing
  • Increases funding to Medicaid to help cover uninsured populations
  • Provides additional funds for certain programs aiding elderly Americans
  • Increases funding for emergency transfers to state unemployment programs and increased flexibility for states to modify unemployment policies based on effects of COVID-19, such as waived work search requirements

Tax Credits

Refundable tax credits are considered especially generous since any amount above taxes due is paid in the form of a refund. The payroll tax credit provided to employers will provide cash to them relatively quickly as it is creditable against their portion of an employee’s Social Security tax liability, which is generally due monthly or semi-weekly. And since most self-employed persons are required to pay quarterly estimated tax payments, they will not have to wait until the end of the tax year to see the cash.

Many of the tax credits and benefits mentioned above have limits and/or qualifications, so we encourage you to explore NAR’s comprehensive briefing document for more details.

The California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) is promoting a new tax portability initiative and needs REALTORS® to help get it on the ballot.

The Protection and Fairness in Property Tax Act of 2020 will allow seniors and natural disaster victims to transfer their current property tax base assessment to another home anywhere in the state and generate new revenue for schools, cities and counties.

To request a petition packet and to learn more about gathering signatures to qualify the initiative for the November 2020 ballot, email petition@cargrassroots2020.com.

Fair Housing Video Now Free

Providing equal service to all is the basic tenet of federal fair housing law and part of NAR’s Code of Ethics. Following the troubling results of a newspaper’s fair housing investigation, NAR is making its latest fair housing training video available as a free download to all associations and members. Share it with your members, then watch nar.realtor for additional resources you can share with members to ensure their service is fair and legal.

On Tuesday, November 5th starting at 7:00 pm and ending at 11:00 pm, Supra will be conducting maintenance and services will be unavailable for short periods during this time.

How will Updates be Available?

  • SupraWEB
  • KIM Voice (888-968-4032)

What will NOT be Working?

  • SupraNET
  • SupraWEB (only available for update codes)
  • KIM Voice (only available for update codes)
  • Automated Phone Payments (IVR system)
  • ActiveKEY Automatic Updates
  • DisplayKEY eSYNCs
  • eKEY Syncs and Wireless Updating

What WILL be Working?

  • SupraWEB (update codes only)
  • KIM Voice (update codes only)

PG&E plans to proactively turn off power to many customers due to the fire danger created by expected high winds and low humidity.

The Bay East Member Centers (Pleasanton and Alameda) appear to be outside the planned shutdown areas.  However, we want to provide you with information you may need to continue doing business should we experience any outages.

Paragon MLS Login Options:

  • Via website:  www.bayeast.org and click on “Paragon/MLS”
  • Direct link to Paragon: here

MLS Mobile Apps:

  • Homesnap (for searching & limited editing):  Download the Homesnap Pro App for Apple & Android
  •  HomeSpotter (for searching):  Download the HomeSpotter App for Apple & Android
  •  RPR® Mobile (for searching):  Download the RPR® App for Apple & Android

zipForm® Login Options:

zipForm® Mobile App:

Apple (iOS) users can download zipForm® Mobile Companion from the Apple App Store. Android users can log into www.car.org on a mobile device and tap on Access zipForm® to launch zipForm® Mobile.

To begin using zipForm® Mobile:

  1. Log in to www.car.org on a mobile device and tap on Access zipForm® to launch zipForm® Mobile.
  2. Choose “A.R. Credentials” from the drop-down menu
  3. Enter your username and password used for www.car.org
  4. Click “Login“

Supra eKey Authorization Code:

Have you reinstalled the Supra app or updated your phone and need an authorization code to activate your eKey?  View step by step instructions here.

If PG&E shuts off power to our member centers you may not be able to call us, but you can reach us via “CHAT” from Paragon MLS:

  • Log into Paragon MLS
  • Click on the chat button in the middle of the page

Additional Support Phone Numbers:

  • C.A.R. zipForm®:  213.739.8227
  • Supra Support:  877.699.6787

You can also contact us via email at info@bayeast.org.  Our goal is to continue to provide you with the highest level of service, and our staff will make every effort to assist you in a timely manner.

UPDATE your Supra eKEY application with the most recent version available in the Apple App Store BEFORE updating your iPhone or iPad to the new iOS 13. Apple will release the new operating system (iOS 13) on Thursday, September 19 and you may not be able to access lockboxes if you use a previous version of the eKEY app with iOS 13.

Attention REALTORS® in Castro Valley, Hayward, Union City and Fremont! RED ALERT! Help stop AB 1482. If this bill passes it will ultimately restrict or even reduce the supply of rental housing.

Take action here

C.A.R. had reached an agreement with the sponsors and the bill’s author to make reasonable amendments to remove C.A.R.’s opposition. The consensus language would have promoted tenant protections and protected property ownership. However, because the consensus language was not incorporated into the bill, C.A.R. is opposing AB 1482.

Stop State-Wide Rent Caps in three steps:

1. Call your Senator to OPPOSE AB 1482. Call 1-855-215-0152 and enter your PIN number to be connected to your senator’s office to voice your opposition to AB 1482.

2. Call your Assembly Member to OPPOSE AB 1482 and enter your PIN number to be connected to your Assembly Member’s office to voice your opposition to the bill.Use this script for both calls: “Hi, this is (insert your name). I’m a REALTOR® from your district. Please ask the Assembly Member/Senator to Vote No on AB 1482. It discourages the building of rental housing.

3. Use Twitter to tell your legislators to vote NO! You can use this Tweet and attach the graphic below:
“As a local REALTOR® I encourage <<insert legislator’s Twitter handle>> to vote NO on #AB1482 because it discourages new rental #housing and won’t help more people find an affordable place to live.”

Download image here.

Issue Background:

Under current law, unless a local government has enacted rent control, there is no statewide cap on rent. Additionally, current law allows landlords to end a tenancy without cause when a lease expires.

As introduced, AB 1481 and AB 1482 – previously combined into one bill, AB 1482 – would have established a rent cap of 5% plus regional CPI, as well as “just cause” evictions after 6 months of tenancy, through 2030 on all rental properties; required relocation assistance up to 3 months when a tenant is evicted under specified conditions; and included insufficient vacancy decontrol language.

Per the C.A.R. agreement reached with the author and the sponsors, AB 1482 would have established a rent cap of 7% plus regional CPI, as well as “just cause” evictions after 12 months of tenancy, through 2023; limited relocation assistance to 1 month when a tenant is evicted under specified conditions; exempted single-family homes owned by a natural person, an LLC, or in a trust; and contained sufficient vacancy decontrol language. As proposed to be amended contrary to the C.A.R. agreement, the bill would revert back to its original rent cap of 5% plus regional CPI and last for a decade until 2030.

C.A.R. Opposes AB 1482 because:

  • AB 1482 negatively impacts small property owners. For example, the bill does not allow for “pass throughs” for substantial repairs, such as a broken HVAC system or leaky roof. A small property owner has no way to offset these repair costs and is unable to absorb such costs under such restrictive rent caps. As a result, small property owners may decide to their pull units off rental the market rather than be forced to limit rents to such a degree. Small property owners will also be discouraged from entering the rental market, leaving a greater concentration of ownership in the hands of large corporate entities.
  • AB 1482 discourages the creation of rental housing. Establishing restrictive rent caps and “just cause” eviction standards creates a disincentive for developers to build rental housing.
  • AB 1482 doesn’t address the core cause of the housing affordability crisis, which is the lack of supply. As other legislation designed to increase the housing supply languishes in the Legislature, AB 1482 not only doesn’t increase the supply, it discourages the provision of rental housing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Julie Tran, Government Affairs Field Representative California Association of REALTORS® at Juliet@car.org

We have been advised by Supra that Apple recently released operating system iOS 12.4 for iPhones and iPads. Some keyholders that use the eKEY Fob have experienced an issue with the eKEY app on iOS 12.4 making the Bluetooth connection between the fob and the eKEY app.

If you experience an issue with the eKEY app connecting to your fob, reset your eKEY Fob by powering it on then pressing the power button five (5) times within 10 seconds. The green light will flash quickly and the eKEY Fob will turn off when successfully reset.

If you have any questions, please call Supra Support line at 1-877-699-6787 or Bay East at 925-730-4060.