BARRY AND SONIA HOWARD, Broker Associates
GRI, SRES, ABR
PORTRAIT OF A TEAM OF PROFESSIONAL REALTORS®

Barry and Sonia are Broker Associates with Prudential California Realty and have had the pleasure of living and working in Westlake Village, in the exceptional Conejo Valley, for over 20 years, They have a passion for continuously educating themselves to better serve their clients. They are patient, deliberate and thorough when it comes to explaining all aspects of the real estate transaction. The Howards feel their most important role in the buying and selling process is to carefully listen to the wants and needs of their clients and to provide their clients with whatever information and resources are necessary for their clients to make their best possible informed decisions, which will oftentimes influence not only their lives but generations to come. The Howards acknowledge and appreciate that having Prudential California Realty’s extensive support system behind them is a definite advantage for their clients.


 

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Barry and Sonia Howard
Broker Associates
Prudential California Realty
North Ranch/Westlake Village

Business: (805) 479-7555 or (805) 402-3848
Fax: (818) 879-2913
E-Mail: BarryandSonia@HowardsTeam.com


Why Choose a REALTOR® With a GRI designation?

Buying property is a complex and stressful task. In fact, it's often the biggest single investment you will make in your lifetime. At the same time, real estate transactions have become increasingly complicated.

New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform at an ever-increasing level of professionalism.

So it's more important than ever that you work with an agent who has a keen understanding of the real estate business. The GRI program has helped the best and the brightest in the industry achieve that level of understanding.

GRIs are:
Nationally recognized as top performers in the real estate industry
Professionally trained
Knowledgeable
Dedicated to bringing you quality service
A GRI can make a difference.

When you see the letters "GRI" after an agent's name, you can count on receiving the knowledge and guidance you need to make your transaction go smoothly. In short, you can count on getting the best service available from a real estate professional.

Don't you deserve the best?


The Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) symbol is the mark of a real estate professional who has made a commitment to providing a superior level of professional services by earning the GRI designation. REALTORS® with the GRI designation are highly trained in many areas of real estate to better serve and protect their clients.

GRI Designation Program
Developed for members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and offered through State REALTOR® Associations, the GRI
program includes 90 hours of coursework on various topics
such as marketing and servicing listed properties to real estate law.



Seniors Real Estate Specialist



Who Are the Seniors Real Estate Specialists?

Seniors Real Estate Specialists are REALTORS® qualified to meet the special needs and concerns of maturing Americans. A national program since 1998, The Senior Advantage Real Estate Council (SAREC) offers a specific designation, SRES, to identify those members who have successfully completed its educational program along with other prerequisites.

By earning the SRES designation, your REALTOR® has demonstrated necessary knowledge and expertise to counsel senior clients through major financial and lifestyle transitions involved in relocating, refinancing, or selling the family home. Your REALTOR® has received special training, gets regular updates, and is prepared to offer the options and information needed in making life changing decisions.

SAREC Vision Statement

SAREC is a community of REALTORS® and related professionals dedicated to serving the real estate needs of the senior consumer.

ABOUT SAREC

Tim Corliss was all about seniors -- and kindness.

A former Franciscan monk, who later left the order and spent 42 years in real estate, created the Senior Advantage Real Estate Council in 1997 to focus on the needs of buyers and sellers 50 years of age and older.

Corliss, a huge man with an irrepressible smile and relentless encouragement for others, passed away in January of 2002 after an 18-month battle with cancer. A past president of the 90,000-member California Association of REALTORS®, Corliss anticipated the senior niche long before the industry realized the net worth locked up in seniors' homes -- and the anxiety they experienced selling their long-time residences.

Now, Corliss' efforts are not only being recognized but they also are paying dividends for real estate professionals who choose to focus on older folks. In late 2002, the National Association of REALTORS® granted C.A.R. permission to endorse and confer the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation through its Senior Advantage Real Estate Council subsidiary.

Corliss and his wife, Jill, owned and operated SAREC from their home in Murphys in the heart of California's gold country southeast of Sacramento. The couple focused on providing agents with the specialized training and education materials needed for the SRES designation. After Tim died, Jill sold the assets of SAREC to Real Estate Business Services Inc., a subsidiary of the California Association of Realtors.

Tim Corliss knew that seniors were living longer and sought to provide a core service for that group. He encouraged real estate professionals to take the time to truly understand senior needs -- and to learn to ask the right questions at the right time and in the right tone of voice.

Corliss was right on -- the senior growth came faster than the industry imagined.

Tim Corliss' valuable wrinkle for consumers and real estate professionals is beginning to receive the national attention it deserves. Unfortunately, the terrific force behind the service is no longer with us.

Source: Tom Kelly, former real estate editor for THE SEATTLE TIMES, is a syndicated columnist and talk show host.

"Today's baby boomer is far from the typical real estate client," said Nathan Booth, senior advisor to SAREC. "Many from this generation are experiencing the unique situation of becoming caregivers to their parents while raising children and planning for their own retirement."

The baby boomer generation, born between 1947 and 1964, is the largest demographic group now contemplating its senior years, according to a report put out by the Senior Advantage Real Estate Council (SAREC). Those born in 1947 will be 57 this year, while the number of boomers and seniors will increase by 87 percent over the next 15 years. Last year, 41 percent of all home sellers were 55 years old or older. That number is expected to increase as more boomer homeowners become empty nesters, according to the aforementioned report.

"Intelligent real estate planning can be one of the most important issues impacting boomers' financial security," Booth said. "In addition to meeting their own real estate requirements, baby boomers also are in need of identifying a REALTOR® who can provide their parents with appropriate living options. For seniors who have not bought or sold a home in many years, the real estate transaction process can be overwhelming."

The report also revealed that there is a significant increase in the number of senior second-homebuyers. This trend is expected to continue with the boomer generation, as an increasing number hit their retirement years.

A national program since 1998, The Senior Advantage Real Estate Council offers a specific designation, Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), to identify those REALTORS® who have successfully completed its educational program along with other prerequisites. By earning the SRES designation, REALTORS® demonstrate knowledge and expertise to counsel senior clients and are prepared to offer the appropriate options in making life-changing decisions. One of the fastest-growing and most timely programs for REALTORS, the council now has more than 8,000 Senior Real Estate Specialists in all 50 states and Canada and adds hundreds of new members every month. SAREC's web site at http://www.seniorsrealestate.com provides seniors and their family members with access to SRES designees in their areas for assistance.
SAREC is owned by Real Estate Business Services, Inc. (REBS), a subsidiary of the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). REBS is the exclusive official supplier of premium incentive items for the National Association of REALTORS®.
The California Association of REALTORS® ( http://www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States, with more than 135,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.

How Can a Seniors Real Estate Specialist Help Me?

An SRES designee can help you make wise decisions about selling the family home, financing, buying rental property, or managing the capital gains and tax implications of owning real estate, among many other issues. Seniors Real Estate Specialists offer clients relevant information on current trends in senior real estate transactions, and can refer you to other professionals such as attorneys and C.P.A.s who also have specialty interest in senior clientele issues.

A national program since 1998, the council now has Seniors Real Estate Specialists in all 50 states and Canada and adds hundreds of new members every month.

SAREC members are not qualified to give legal or tax advice and SAREC does not guarantee the accuracy of its members information. All clients are strongly urged to contact a real estate attorney or certified public accountant to obtain legal or tax advice.