NAR Settlement and What it Means for You
The recent significant settlement by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has made national headlines and will have profound implications for buyers, sellers, and agents in the real estate market. This is a crucial update that you need to be aware of. One of the standout aspects of the settlement is the emphasis on written buyer's agreements. In many states, buyers have operated under informal arrangements with agents, but now, having a formal agreement in place has become indispensable. Virginia law has required real estate licensees to have a written buyer brokerage agreement with their clients since July 1, 2012. That means that most of you are already familiar with this. However, one critical difference will be the requirement of the agreement in place BEFORE you tour any home with your agent. Many buyers may not know they are responsible for compensating their agent. For decades, it has been common practice to pay the buyer's agent through cooperative compensation by the seller's broker. The new rules allow sellers to decide whether to offer any compensation to the buyer. This means that buyers may have to fully compensate their agent in some scenarios. In other cases, the seller will pay part of the buyer's agent compensation or, like it was in the past, pay all of it. It's essential to be aware of these changes to avoid any surprises during the transaction. The most significant shift for agents will be that we can no longer advertise on the MLS if and how much the buyer's agent gets paid. Agents might still communicate through other channels, like social media, personal websites, or a simple phone call. Realtors are required to show prospective buyers all available properties regardless of the compensation offered. Moving forward, clear communication with all parties involved in the transaction will be crucial, as will excellent negotiation skills. For a deeper dive, watch this video by Sharran Srivatsaa, president of REAL brokerage.
Wild Quinine
Welcome to GardenCities' nature-centric real estate blog! Today, we're taking a closer look at a truly remarkable Virginia native plant that I have come to love: Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium). This plant contributes to a healthier ecosystem and offers several compelling benefits for homeowners and nature lovers alike. Wild Quinine is a perennial that grows well in dry conditions and prefers full sun. It thrives in our local clay soils, and its remarkable drought tolerance means it can withstand even the harshest summer months without requiring constant watering. The plant is also remarkably resistant to deer and rabbits, two common garden pests that can wreak havoc on any landscape. Wild Quinine flowers grow in clusters and are white with a soft appearance. The stems are upright with large gray-green leaves. It is not particularly showy but looks lovely with Purple Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susan, or Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) acting like a filler in the flower bed. One of Wild Quinine's standout features is its ability to attract a wide variety of pollinators. The plant produces clusters of small, white flowers that bloom from late spring to early autumn, providing a feast for bees, flies, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Wild Quinine plays a crucial role in supporting our native bee population. It's frequented by sweat bees (Halictus, Lassioglossum, and Agapostemon), mining bees (Andrena), small carpenter bees (Ceratina), and yellow-faced bees (Hylaeus), among others. The perennial is furthermore a fly favorite, attracting soldier flies (Stratiomys and Odontomyia), Syprhid flies (Syrphidae), Tachnid flies (Tachnidae), and others. Far from the common housefly, these flies are both pollinators and predators. In their larval form, many of these flies are valuable pest-eating insects. Wild Quinine, also known as wild Feverfew, has been used to treat various ailments for centuries. During World War I, the US Army used Wild Quinine as a substitute for the bark of the Cinchona tree, which is the active ingredient of quinine used to treat malaria. In summary, Wild Quinine is a versatile and valuable addition to any garden or landscape. Its pollinator-attracting capabilities and resistance to drought, deer, and rabbits make it a must-have for those looking to create a sustainable and environmentally friendly outdoor space. If you consider adding this resilient native plant to your garden, it can be purchased here in seed form or small plugs. https://www.prairienursery.com/wild-quinine-parthenium-integrifolium.html Sources: https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/ https://www.xerces.org/blog/wild-quinine
Books I Read
This is an ever-expanding list of books I have read, listened to, or am still working on. I am open to your recommendations as well ;) Real Estate -The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller -The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller -Shift by Gary Keller -The ONE Thing by Gary Keller -Your First Home by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan -Financial Freedom with Real Estate Investing by Michael Blank -The Book on Flipping Houses by J Scott -Real Estate Rookie by Ashley Kehr -Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat by David M Greene Other Business Related Books -Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara -Door-to-Door Millionaire by Lenny Gray -Never Split the Difference by Chriss Voss -Exactly What to Say by Phil M Jones -The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod Mindset -The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown -The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg -Finish-Give Yourself the Gift of Done by Jon Acuff Money -The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey Some of my All-Time Favorite Novels and Short Stories -Anna Karenina by Lev Tolstoi -The Name of the Rose by Umberto Ecco -The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien -Decisive Moments in History by Stefan Zweig -The Chess Novel by Stefan Zweig -The Help by Kathryn Stockett -Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Ownes -The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker -Eleni by Nicolas Gage -The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian -The Island by Victoria Hislop -The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri Christian Books -Garden City by John Mark Comer -Praying like Monks, Living like Fools -The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Butterfield -Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels -An Arrow Pointing to Heaven by James Bryan Smith Biographies -God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew -Evidence Unseen by Darleen Deibler Rose -Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas -Mother Teresa by Kathryn Spink Gardening and Native Plants -Garden Cities of Tomorrow by Ebenezer Howard -Planting the Natural Garden by Piet Oudolf and Henk Gerritsen -Nature's Best Hope by Douglas W Tallamy -Pollinators of Native Plants by Heather Holm -Garden Revolution by Thomas Christopher -Planting in a Post-Wild World by Claudia West and Thomas Rainer -Living Roofs by Ashley Penn -Green Roof Plants by Edmund and Lucie Snodgrass Design -Your Space Made Simple by Ariel Magidson -The Interior Design Handbook by Frida Ramstedt
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