Hello HARA & Prospective New Members:

In March we re-introduced our organization to address the growing number of market challenges that are impacting real estate professionals. The tightening of the credit markets in addition to other economic adversity’s have really burdened our industry unlike cycles past. However the demand for real estate services has grown as consumers look to their trusted advisors for creative solutions to their complicated real estate and financing needs.

The HARA Board of Directors have set forth an agenda for the year which focuses on providing resources and education to specifically address today’s current real estate needs. Our May speaker, Mr. Reggie Lal of Be the Smart Investor is a perfect example. Reggie is an experienced REO Broker who will leverage his knowledge with those who attend the May 13th luncheon. Reggie purchased 58 properties for his own investment portfolio in 2008 alone and hundreds in years prior. Mr. Lal will give you a hands on approach on how to get deals accepted and most importantly closed. How many times have you heard of a deal going into contract just to have it fall out in a few days? In today’s market you have to anticipate the intricacies and prepare in advance. You must learn to be ahead of the curve!

Come to a HARA luncheon and you will quickly understand the value of membership. At our April meeting we had an insightful discussion on loan modifications and social networking and its application to real estate. Many of the people in the room left the meeting and immediately put what they learned to use. The type of Q&A that takes place in a live setting with people who are active and closing deals in today’s environment is invaluable. You cannot put a price on this experience.

We have a series of exciting announcements to share beginning with our new web site www.haragroup.com. You can also find HARA on Facebook and soon to be on all social networking sites. Please go to one of these communication portals and participate in blogs and network with other like minded professionals. These resources will also provide you with up to date information on real estate related news, for example AB 33 (Nava), which passed the CA Assembly this week and proposes to eliminate the DRE? This is definitely a bill to watch closely.

Please sign up for the luncheon early, Reggie Lal has a great name in the market place and we know this program will sell out fast. If you have a colleague who needs to bring his or her knowledge up on REO’s, than this is a must attend event. Looking forward to seeing you at Maggiano’s on May 13th!

Wishing you continued success in your business,

Hilda Ramirez

President 2009

April Luncheon Speaker:

James Dwiggins – Chief Strategy Officer

Mr. Dwiggins was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where he attended college with a major in Business. In November 2006, Mr. Dwiggins joined Realty World Northern California, Inc. as Director of Technology & Strategy and in May of 2008, was promoted to Chief Strategy Officer. Mr. Dwiggins is responsible for implementation of new technologies, marketing and advertising that the company deploys to its offices and associates, as well as the strategic positioning of Realty World in the real estate industry.

Prior to joining Realty World, Mr. Dwiggins was Co-Founder and Vice President of Sales for VREO, Inc. from May 2002 to October 2006. VREO, Inc., developer of agent and enterprise level real estate applications for the web and biometric signature software for paperless transactions, is a well-recognized real estate software company and has won many awards for their innovative technologies.

Prior to VREO, Mr. Dwiggins co-founded USA Virtual Tours where he was Vice President of Sales and responsible for the company’s rapid growth. Throughout his career in the real estate sector, he has consulted with numerous top real estate companies in the United States and has been responsible for the development of many advanced technology solutions.

A recent evaluation of our industry and community needs has compelled us to reconvene as the Hispanic Association of REALTORS® and AFFILIATES under the “HARA model, Mission and Vision”.

We have gathered a group of very well experienced practitioners who bring knowledge in many areas ranging from brokerage, construction, development, ethics, lending, marketing and communications to outreach and government relations.

We will organize with our members to address the growing needs of the community and to work on efforts to help create and sustain home ownership. Our focus will be to provide essential training and programs to develop the Hispanic Real Estate Practitioner with a goal of improving consumer services. Promoting good business practices and adherence to the Code of Ethics will be among our top priorities.

We look forward to your membership and support in developing HARA and the programs desperately needed to fill the void in our community. Our greatest outcomes will arise from the dedication and service of our members!

In community spirit,

The Hispanic Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors