Contact:
Joe Croce

804-520-4496

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 15, 2014

Local delegation represents SVAR in Richmond, hears governor’s address

President John Brockwell, President-Elect David Patsel, Past-President Hank Duarte and Executive Director Joe Croce represented the Southside Virginia Association of REALTORS® in Richmond April 10 when Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe addressed the Virginia Association of REALTORS® Delegate Body.

The address came shortly after McAuliffe signed into law the VAR’s entire 2014 Legislative Agenda to the General Assembly. The specific provisions of the bills he signed into law will go into effect July 1. The bills include:

  • HB 331, which establishes the First Time Homeowners Savings Plans, allowing a contributor to deposit up to $50,000 principal into a banking or investment account with all earnings on that account be forever free of state taxes;
  • HB 273, which amends the Landlord-Tenant Act to allow more rental properties to fall under the Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act;
  • HB 900, which amends the POA/Condo Act to continue clarifying fees that are allowed, as opposed to not allowed, under Virginia law, among other things;
  • HB 208, which clarifies the language of the vested rights statute passed in 2008; and,
  • HB 302/HB259, which protects REALTORS® from being unjustly labeled as criminals if an attorney accuses a real estate licensee of criminal false advertising in a lawsuit.

During his comments to the VAR delegation, McAuliffe shared business-friendly projects that he has been working on since his inauguration and spoke optimistically of the state’s future and its real estate forecast, noting, “People need to be moving into Virginia.”

Said Croce on behalf of SVAR, “Our Delegate Body members were very pleased to hear our governor stress the importance of our industry to the Virginia economy and impressed that he has already signed the Virginia Association of REALTORS®-supported legislation into law.”

Added Brockwell, the SVAR president, “I was very encouraged by the governor’s words and have high hopes that our market will continue to improve.”

The Southside Virginia Association of REALTORS®, headquartered in Colonial Heights, is a professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence in real estate business practices and advocating on behalf of the interests of private property owners. Its members are also members of the 29,000-member Virginia Association of REALTORS® as well as the National Association of REALTORS®.

SVAR encompasses Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, Chester, Emporia and Ettrick, and Dinwiddie, Greensville, Prince George, Surry and Sussex counties and much of Chesterfield County.

The term REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is an active member of the National Association of REALTORS®. For more info on SVAR, go to

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The Southside Virginia Association of REALTORS® is a professional organization dedicated to promoting excellence in real estate business practices and advocating on behalf of the interests of private property owners. Its mission is to be the voice for real estate in Southside Virginia and enhance members' ability to be respected professionals. Through our educational and informational endeavors we foster career advancement, real estate best practices, and enforcement of the Code of Ethics promulgated by the National Association of REALTORS®. For more information, visit SVARealtors.com.

114 Maple Grove Avenue ~ Colonial Heights, VA 23834
804.520.4496 Office ~ 804.520.4625 Facsimile
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