LeFrancis is on the move...

 

November 28, 2011
Monday, November 28, began the 2012 Leadership Conference. The Leadership Team first met with Committee Liaisions on Monday night. This was a very special meeting; these members serve as Liaisons to one of every committee and every forum that the California Association of REALTORS (CAR) has. Tuesday morning the Leadership Team had the pleasure of meeting with every Executive Committee member, every Committee Chair, Vice Chair, and Issues Chair. LeFrancis felt it was a pleasure to conduct this meeting with the help of the Leadership Team and present their 2012 plan. Tuesday afternoon started their brainstorming session with the Strategic Planning and Finance (SPF) Committee.

It was a good meeting --- it was interesting, it stayed on track, and they got a lot accomplished. The meeting ended early Wednesday afternoon. The meetin was, held at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton and the facilities were very accomidating.

November 24, 2011
November 24th is LeFrancis Arnold's birthday and this year Turkey day aka Thanksgiving Day also happened to fall on November 24th. This only happens occasionally, I checked and it will happen again in the years 2016, 2022, 2033, 2039, 2044, 2050, 2061, 2067, 2072, etc. Anyway, when it does, he gets a big kick out of celebrating two special days together.

This year, LeFrancis spent his combo bird-day birthday at mother Evelyn Arnold's home in Seal Beach, California. LeFrancis said, "The food was absolutely wonderful just like every year when mom cooks".

Birthdays are special days and Thanksgiving is a time for sharing and spreading happiness. LeFrancis wishes each of you and your loved ones a very happy and special Thanksgiving Day filled with lots of love, good food, gratitude, thankfulness, sharing, and warmth.

LeFrancis' message to his mom on Turkey Day is, "I love you, mom!" and our message to LeFrancis on his bird-day birthday is, "we love you too, LeFrancis!"

November 17, 2011
LeFrancis first assignment as President of California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) was at an off-site meeting in Newport Beach with the CAR leaderships Team. The Balboa Bay Resort, on the Newport Beach Waterfront was a perfect location for a comfortable and productive meeting. The Leadership Team spent a lot of time on the leadership conference, goals for next year, and their strategies focused on helping our members to succeed in this turbulent market.

The meeting ended Saturday morning with dreams of an increasingly-improving environment. LeFrancis promises that, "... we (the Leadership Team) will do all that we can do to help our fellow REALTOR®".

November 11-14, 2011
LeFrancis began the last National Association of REALTORS® Directors Meeting for the year. The meetings were held at the Convention Center in the beautiful city of Anaheim near Disneyland. LeFrancis was there on assignment as California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) President-Elect, National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Director, and Diversity Committee member. He also had the pleasure of attending several meetings on behalf of the CAR Leadership Team.

On Saturday morning, LeFrancis was able to meet Congresswoman Maxine Waters, at the NAR Public Policy Committee meeting, where she pledged to help our cause and to protect the rights of home ownership. Saturday night, he attended the National Women's Council of REALTORS® Installation. Bobbie Nelson, from Santa Cruz, CA, was installed as the 2012 President.

Sunday night was another treat --- LeFrancis attended the REALTOR® Night Out Celebrity Concert where legendary superstar Diana Ross performed for about 5000 REALTORS® and their guests singing all of her hits. What a wonderful and momorable event! The concert was great; Diana looked great; and Diana sounded great!

At the conclusion of the NAR meetings, LeFrancis Arnold's term as 2012 CAR President began. Let's wish LeFrancis and his CAR Leadership Team well as they begin their new term in office.

November 6, 2011
On Sunday evening, LeFrancis attended the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) International Welcome Reception at Nelson's Restaurant on the grounds of Terranea --- L.A.'s Ocean Front Resort in Palos Verdes, CA. This reception starts the California Dreaming Tour (November 6-8), where NAR members from across the country get to network and look at properties in the South Bay area of Southern California. The event was sponsored by the South Bay Association of REALTORS® (SBAOR). What a spectacular view!

November 4-6, 2011
On Friday morning, LeFrancis started a 3-day training session, "Unleash the Power Within", with the world-renowned peak performance coach Anthony Robbins. LeFrancis said, "... the weekend event was utterly fantastic! What a treat! It was just what I needed going into the Presidency of the California Association of REALTORS®". LeFrancis said the event was just what the doctor ordered.

"There is always room in your life for thinking bigger, pushing limits and imagining the impossible." - Tony Robbins

November 3, 2011
LeFrancis left on a Wednesday evening flight for San Jose to attend a membership meeting on Thursday for the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) near Menlo Park, CA. Robert Hines, CAR's Deputy Chief Economist, gave an economic update for the Silicon Valley and surrounding areas. It was a well-attended event with lots of food at the reception. LeFrancis was the guest of SILVAR's President, Gene Lentz.

October 29, 2011
LeFrancis woke up early Saturday morning looking forward to a radio interview where he could provide information about the subject he knows best and loves dearly from his heart --- Real Estate. The interview was with fellow REALTOR® Don Scordino, who is the Real Estate talk show host on the "Welcome Home Radio" show. The program airs Saturdays on 940AM Live Talk Radio at 9:00 am Pacific Time. Also present on the air was Gerard Lozano, a local Government Affairs Director (GAD). The station broadcasts from Bakersfield to Sacramento.

On the air, LeFrancis enlightened the audience with information about: (1) the Short Sale process and what California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) is doing to help; (2) how CAR is the voice of Real Estate; (3) the new Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) recently signed into law; and (4) what CAR has done to promote homeownership and property rights for the benefits of our Real Estate clients. So pull up a chair ... get comfortable ... and listen to what LeFrancis has to say:

October 25, 2011
On Thursday, August 25, LeFrancis traveled to Lancaster to meet with the Greater Anelope Valley Association of REALTORS (GAVAR). His travel time took about an hour and a half --- driving from Inglewood to Lancaster by heading north on the 405, then north on the 5, and then further north on the 14 to Lancaster. As LeFrancis traveled, he said that he could really see Los Angeles was developing through the mountain passes almost to Palmdale. At the event, LeFrancis had the opportunity to meet with GAVAR members at a luncheon where he gave an update from both CAR and NAR about some of the issues that we are facing as an organization. LeFrancis ended by saying, "...I am very confident that the Real Estate industry will recover. Our job is to make sure that the proper changes in the laws are good for our industry and good for America because homeownership continues to be the American dream."

October 4-5, 2011
Tuesday night, October 4th, LeFrancis traveled to "Real Estate Ground Zero" --- Stockton, California --- for a Region 7 luncheon at the Country Club in beautiful Lodi, California. Located about 30 miles south of Sacramento and 90 miles east of San Francisco, the City of Lodi is a quaint community surrounded by nature and grape vineyards.

The Region 7 luncheon was actually held on Wednesday around noon after LeFrancis had already attended an early morning office meeting at Prudential California Realty. The office meeting and the luncheon were big successes. Discussions included a variety of topics and the challenges that Central Valley REALTORS® are encountering which include value and appraisal issues. What LeFrancis found most difficult to understand is how an appraiser can just totally disregard the cost replacement approach when determining value. LeFrancis feels we may need to have a conference with leadership from the Office of Real Estate Appraisers (OREA) to discuss practical approaches for determining appraisal values. LeFrancis said, "REALTORS® across the state and across the country have lots of work to do. I want to sleep tonight and catch up on my rest; we will start our work tomorrow!"

September 13-15, 2011
Early Tuesday morning, LeFrancis left Los Angeles and made his first trip ever to our 50th state, Hawaii. LeFrancis traveled with 12 other Directors for the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) to the “Aloha” state to attend the Hawaii 5.0 Real Estate Convention hosted by the Hawaii Association of REALTORS® at the Waikiki Beach Marriott, Honolulu. California, Hawaii, and Guam make up Region 13 of the National Association of REALTORS® and CAR's attendance at this convention was a great opportunity for sharing leadership experiences with the Hawaiian delegation. For LeFrancis, Waikiki Beach on the island of Honolulu was a wonderful place. He spent the first day walking and working out before going to the opening reception that evening. The second day entailed a busy schedule of business meetings which including several breakout sessions. The day ended with dinner and a show for the Major Donors. On Friday morning, LeFrancis made preparations to return home to Los Angeles. Per LeFrancis, “… Hawaii is filled with great experiences. It is also a great place for a convention because it is resort oriented as well as being an international city where people come to visit from all over the world.”

September 6, 2011
On Thursday morning, LeFrancis traveled to Arcadia to attend the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® (AAR) Pepster Luncheon meeting and be a guest speaker. The Pepster Luncheon is given by AAR's Local Government Relations (LGR) Committee which works on legislative issues that affect the Real Estate market and the Real Estate practicioner. The LGR has four Pepster Luncheons each year and they invite accredited speakers, politicians, and legislators to address the Pepsters on critical issues the REALTORS® face and possibly lobby their opinions.

September 4, 2011
LeFrancis' BLOG POST:   The Economy
Several things come into play in my thoughts as I reflect on many of the recent events surrounding my life, my business, and my family. My friend, the Congresswoman Maxine Waters, was recently on television encouraging President Obama to help create job opportunities in urban America because unemployment among African Americans is up to 40% in some urban areas. Maxine Waters also said that the Tea Party was disruptive; it was causing problems with the President and Congress in their ability to pass constructive legislation and it was the cause of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) dropping the US Government’s credit rating from AAA to AA+.

I can remember just recently when normal credit underwriting for a home loan required the ability to have reasonable credit and enough income to support the repayment of the loan; it also required a down payment and if the down payment was low you had to live in the home as your personal residence. I can remember doing this for 30+ years. It was not until the invention of creative mortgage products and the subsequent collapse of the markets that the economy became a problem. Had we never allowed the type of financing that came to play in the early 2000's, we would have never fallen off the cliff. We let Wall Street in the game, we let the hedge funds play, and we took away the good old days of qualified mortgages. We should have never allowed Pick-A–Pay Negative Amortization Loans without restrictions.

I am staying away from the politics of government; my concerns are the politics of Real Estate and I know that good Real Estate is good for the country. Real Estate is good for employment, it is good for urban and rural communities, and it is good for America! I encourage all of my friends to get involved --- express yourself, work on campaigns, get your friends to vote, and let the politicians know where you stand. We can build a stronger America because this is still the land of opportunity!

The National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) Chief Economist, Lawrence Yen, has indicated that we are in a modest recovery and everyone says that we need jobs to stimulate the economy. I guess we can all agree with that. Those of you that are working on a job --- think about teaming up with someone. Today is a great time to buy a house. Interest rates are at an all time low. Imagine buying a house today and paying that house off in, let’s say, 20 years. Think about how old you are. Why pay rent of $1,000 or $1,200 per month when you can buy a house and pay it off. What are you waiting for? While rent will continue to go up, your mortgage can basically stay the same for 30 years except for your taxes and insurance.

Do something today --- contact me about Real Estate or call your REALTOR® friend!

September 1, 2011
On Wednesday morning, LeFrancis was invited to attend the Los Angeles Job Fair presented by members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) that was held at the Crenshaw Christian Center on 79th and Vermont. Later that day, LeFrancis was asked to join several CBC members for a luncheon. The party included the Honorables Maxine Waters; Barbara Lee; Karen Bass; Laura Richards; Emanuel Cleaver (CBC Chairman); John Conyers, Jr; Andre Carson; and icon Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. What an honor and privilege for LeFrancis to be able to sit, listen, and have lunch with members of the United States Congress while they shared their thoughts about creating job opportunities in the urban centers. LeFrancis said, “This was truly a moment that I will treasure for my entire life.”

August 21-23, 2011
At 10:00 am Sunday morning, LeFrancis left Los Angeles International Airport for a meeting that night in Chicago, IL. It was the start of the National Association of REALTORS ® (NAR) Leadership Conference for the 2012 leadership teams.

Led by 2012 NAR President Moe Veissi with his “Leadership From the Heart” theme, the meetings started late Monday morning. There were a variety of speakers on varied topics. LeFrancis felt the main focus was on the survival of the Real Estate industry in its present form with Mortgage Interest Deductibility and the continued guarantee of mortgages in the primary and secondary markets. Many questions and concerns surfaced. Could the industry still support itself with attacks on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the concept of the Qualified Residential Mortgage (QRM) mandating a 20 percent down payment? What would the future hold for the Real Estate industry if reform took away the incentives to own real estate? Over a million REALTORS® in our trillion-dollar industry want to know who will support our industry? The sessions ended Monday with ESPN's Dick Vitale baby, “A Need for Motivation and Stimulation”.

Tuesday’s format was a little different ---Dale Stinson went over part of the NAR budget, Lawrence Yen gave an economic forecast, Richard Rosenthal spoke on the REALTOR® University, and Don Yeager. a great motivational speaker, finished the sessions.

August 18-20, 2011
LeFrancis spent Thursday traveling in Northern California heading to Eureka for a meeting with members of the Humboldt Association of REALTORS®. The event was held on Friday at the 115th Annual Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, located about 30 minutes south of central Eureka. This was LeFrancis' third trip to Eureka since he began his journey to become the President of the California Association of REALTORS®. Being an old-fashioned county fair, the racing started with two mule races and the pick-six winner would receive thirty thousand dollars. Before the horse racing, LeFrancis and the Humoldt AOR members enjoyed a wonderful luncheon, local wine, and great company. The day was overcast; a lot like San Francisco. On Saturday, LeFrancis headed back to Los Angeles and per LeFrancis, "The best weather seemed to be in Ukiah, nice and sunny!"

August 13-14, 2011
LeFrancis traveled south to attend Saturday's session of the very prestigious 2011 Housing Renaissance --- a gathering of about 50 of America's top professionals in Real Estate housing and related fields. This year's event, August 11-14, was held at the beautiful Grand Del Mar Hotel and Resort in San Diego, California. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss issues important to Housing Recovery.

Saturday morning's opening remarks on Secondary and Capital Markets was given by Ted Tozer, President, Ginnie Mae, US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This was followed by a "Working Session" to review issues and potential solutions for Capital Market Reengagement and Community Stabilization which was moderated by Jim Park, President, Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). After lunch, Gary Acosta, Founder, National Association of Housing Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), moderated, “Building Businesses to Meet Future Housing Demands” This event was an informative grass-roots discussion on what should be done about promoting job creation, Quality Mortgage (QM), Quality Residential Mortgage(QRM), as well as discssion about our United States Government's continued involvement in guaranteeing the secondary mortgage market --- the market for the sale of securities or bonds collateralized by the value of mortgage loans. A reception and dinner was the finale for the day highlighted by a presentation of Golf Tournament Awards.

The Grand Del Mar is serenely nestled within the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve and combines the old-world charm of a Mediterranean estate with modern-day luxuries of an elegant resort. Besides having a stunning natural beauty, amenities include: golfing, tennis, swimming, equestrian and hiking trails for early morning treks, plus irresistible dining at "Addison", Southern California's only Five-Star and Five-Diamond restaurant.

August 8-11, 2011
LeFrancis traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana on Monday to attend the National Association of Real Estate Broker’s (NAREB) 64th Annual Convention, August 5-10. Julius Cartwright was installed as their 27th President. The keynote speech at the Installation was delivered by Phil Bracken, Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Julius Cartwright ended the Installation with a motivational speech that really aroused the crowd. The convention was a big success. Attendees included a host of vendors and many supporters including NAR, The National Association of REALTORS®, who had representatives there to support their many Realtist friends.

August 4, 2011
LeFrancis left downtown Los Angeles and headed west towards the coast to attend the Malibu Association of REALTORS® annual Malibu Beach Party and Barbecue at the La Costa Beach Club on PCH. Fellow REALTORS® enjoyed a cool August evening on the beach in Malibu with friends and family. What a treat! Just like it has been every year, this year's live entertainment was spectacular, the food was great, and the walk on the beach was just what LeFrancis said he needed after a long day in meetings with the CAR Leadership Team and the Straregic Planning and Finance Committee (SPF). LeFrancis thanks the Malibu Association of REALTORS® for their hospitality.

August 2-4, 2011
On Tuesday, the Leadership Team spent the day with the CAR Photographer. What an experience. I believe you will all love the new Leadership Team photos. 2012 CAR President LeFrancis Arnold, 2012 President-Elect Don Faught, newly-elected 2012 Treasurer Chris Kutzkey, and Executive Vice President Joel Singer make up our 2012 CAR Leadership Team.

First thing Wednesday morning, the Leadership Team got right to business with the Strategic Planning and Finance (SPF) Committee. Their goal was to go over the 2012 proposed budget and specific augmentations for the new year. LeFrancis said, ”I take my hat off to the SPF Committee and our Treasurer Don Faught for a job well done." The final budget was approved without opposition.

LeFrancis plans to keep our organization pretty busy this year. We have working groups and task forces working hard to tackle critical issues which affect our daily business practices. LeFrancis will support those vehicles and add new ones as needed to help move this great organization to new heights.

July 29, 2011
LeFrancis' BLOG POST:  Short Sales 60 Days Later
My last blog on the Short Sale transaction was in mid May right after the NAR meetings in Washington, DC. Although the banks prefer a Short Sale transaction over a Foreclosure, there are still many hurdles required to complete a Short Sale transaction.

While in Washington, DC and in a subsequent conference call with the Department of the Treasury, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rejected the idea of increasing the amount that a negotiator could offer a second trust deed or junior lien holder on HAFA-approved Short Sales. On proprietary Short Sales, the bank may offer more to the junior lien holders --- more than the $6,000.00 maximum required under a HAFA Short Sale. The second trust deed or junior lien holder must agree with the bank's approved settlement offer for a Short Sale transaction to work.

One of the biggest problems while negotiating a Short Sale is the banks value and the true market value of the asset. The bank is trying to recover a percentage of the debt while they should be trying to recover a percentage of the value.

Please do not forget your MARS Disclosures once you discover you have a Short Sale. The Short Sale transaction may save your career so spend some time on understanding the process. The negotiator plays a very important roll in this process; they are not always right so be patient with them, submit your documentation, and know their system.

July 27, 2011
LeFrancis left Los Angeles and drove up the coast arriving at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square at 3:00 am for the 15th Annual Real Estate Connect® produced by Inman News.

LeFrancis found the conference to be invigorating --- a sort of youth conference connecting the Real Estate industry with technology trends of today and tomorrow. linkedin, facebook, google, and twitter is the new order of today; automation is fueling the Real Estate industry. The new agent is younger and the buyer is younger; the average age is dropping. New business models are questioning the need for "Brick & Mortar". LeFrancis, CAR leadership and other CAR members, spent two days listening to young professionals talk about the benefits of networking, using the internet, blogging, and communicating with friends and family. LeFrancis said he finds it very necessary to keep up with current trends and new business models. LeFrancis went on to say, "... one thing I notice about young people is that they can be a bit impatient; they want instant gratification --- they want things to happen now! But after 35 years as a REALTOR®, being impatient can be a good thing. I say, let's get it done and let's get it done now!"

July 21, 2011
LeFrancis continued this day's journey by heading up north to the Monterey Peninsula for the honor and privilege of attending the 2011 Governor's Cup --- an invitational golf tournament at The Inn At Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach. Combine a dramatic coastline nestled among the mystical forest and you get a resort with world-class accomodations that come with a rich history. Registration included two nights' accomodations at The Inn at Spanish Bay, two rounds of golf (split tees), two private receptions, tee prizes, and a host of relaxation and rejuvenating amenities like spa services, hiking, biking, cayaking, exercising, shopping and fine dining.

At 7:00 pm on Friday evening, Gov. Jerry Brown attended the Reception at the Links at Spanish Bay where he greeted many of his supporters. California Association of REALTORS®, through its CREPAC Trustees, made a generous donation to the Governor's Fund Raiser. Saturday morning, LeFrancis was up bright and early to attend a breakfast and panel discussion with democrat and republican leaders from the Assembly and Senate, followed by a spirited dialog on the budget and the ongoing financial crisis affecting our great State of California hosted by Gov. Brown. LeFrancis had two wonderful days in Pebble Beach meetings with State political figures and the Governor, actually talking government, talking issues, and trying to find solutions. Earlier this month, Gov. Brown signed the CAR-sponsored SB 458 into law extending the protections of SB 931. SB 458 is a Short Sale bill which protects sellers from deficiency judgments. The bill requires secondary lien holders to accept an agreed upon amount in a Short Sale and that amount is final and the lien holder cannot pursue a deficiency on the unpaid balance. . LeFrancis feels it is extremely important for the REALTORS® to be engaged in the political process. LeFrancis says, “Get involved today and Support the REALTOR® Party!”. LeFrancis further said, "What a week, what a month, what a year as your President-Elect for the California Association of REALTORSth".

July 21, 2011
On Thursday, July 21, LeFrancis started the day picking up his beautiful mother, Evelyn Arnold, at their Excellence Realty office in Lynwood. They had an appointment with Monica and other CAR staff members to view the facilities at the luxurius business hotel called the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Indian Wells, California. What a beautiful venue to host the 2012 Installation Dinner. LeFrancis left Indian Wells, dropped his mom off at the office, and headed up north to Pebble Beach for an opportunity to meet with Governor Jerry Brown.

July 11-12, 2011
On Monday, July 11th, 2011 LeFrancis traveled to Washington, DC for the NAR FPC fly in --- the REALTORS® Call For Action. Likewise, REALTORS® from around the country ascended on Washington, DC for the scheduled Tuesday meetings on Capital Hill with Congressional leaders and members of the Senate. The REALTOR® mission was clear; their job was to educate and convince our legislators that the issues that REALTORS® support are good for America; e.g., the importance of continuing the high-cost loan limits in high-cost states (FHA/GSE Loan Limits) and the importance of continuing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

On Tuesday, July 12, 2011, about 60 Federal Political Coordinators (FPCs) met with key party leaders and got support from both Republican and Democrat leaders on both the Financial Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee. LeFrancis personally met with three Congressional and Senate leaders. All three meetings were favorable which is important because failure to increase the loan limits could really impact California since it is a high-cost state.

While waiting for his ride to the airport, reporters from NBC news interviewed LeFrancis. He was asked about the economy and if he thought Congress could work together. LeFrancis replied, "...I believe the Congress and the President can and will work together. I believe in America and what America stands for. It is important for REALTORS® from across the country to stay engaged in politics and support local candidates that support what we as REALTORS® believe in. Everyone must get involved!" Contact your Congressional leader and member of the Senate today and urge their prompt action in support of Conforming Loan Limits and Flood Insurance reauthorization!

July 2, 2011
LeFrancis' BLOG POST:   Loan Mod or Short Sale?
Friends, I have been spending a lot of time on the Short Sale issue. I feel that some progress is being made in this arena; however, we have to keep up the pressure by really looking at our customer’s circumstances. Are they really a Loan Modification or are they really a Short Sale? Our job is to look out for the clients best interest and get the answers they want!

June 30, 2011 - July 1, 2011
LeFrancis says, "Being the President-Elect of the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) is no easy function." The 2012 officers met on Thursday and Friday (June 30th and July 1st, 2011) at CAR’s Los Angeles headquarters. They spent the entire two days working on CAR Leadership appointments. The talent pool is tremendous — a group of very successful and highly educated professionals across the State of California offering as volunteers to represent Policy Committees for our member organization.

There are four officers: 2012 CAR President LeFrancis Arnold, 2012 President-Elect Don Faught, newly-elected 2012 Treasurer Chris Kutzkey, and Executive Vice President Joel Singer. Per LeFrancis, "This year’s team chose leadership appointments with the organization in mind. We struggled with many appointments. Who would be the right person to lead? Who had earned the right? Staff input weighed-in heavily on the choice as well as recommendations from Past Presidents, Liaisons, and peers. We looked at the players from last year, 2011, and tried to be fair. Which Vice Chair should ascend to the Chair and why?"

LeFrancis further stated, "Our great State organization, CAR, must help lead the Real Estate industry back to prosperity. Since our member benefits help the REALTOR® stay at the center of the Real Estate transaction, we must continue to support REALTOR® politics and get involved. I fought hard for you, my REALTOR® friends, and I placed you in leadership wherever I could. CAR does have policy that requires you to be on a committee before you chair that committee or issue. My recommendation is for you to hang in there and help CAR develop policy issues." See LeFrancis' BLOG POST:  Get Involved - Help CAR Develop Policy Issues

June 29, 2011
LeFrancis' BLOG POST:  The Real Estate Industry Today, Tomorrow, Forever
The future of Real Estate seems fuzzy at times — networking, automation, social media, the internet; who will attempt to navigate this trillion dollar industry. It was about 30 years ago when real estate was local but neighborly, mostly. Century 21 had a substantial dominance in the residential real estate market. At one time, we owned five local franchises; the theme was national but neighborly and the offices were small in numbers averaging about 30 agents. Multiple listings were in a book that was delivered and about the time you got the book, most of the properties were sold by an agent in that office. I can remember going to present an offer to the seller at his home; there were ten agents with offers, all presenting their client’s offer to the seller. I haven’t done that in a while. We were in the beginning of a recession 30 years ago and interest rates began to rise. I was young with a young family; my second son Jason, now in the business, was not born yet. Time to get creative as interest rates began to rise. Over the next three years, interest rates would get to 18% for an FHA loan and even with prices low the market began to dry up and agents left the business. Loans were still assumable, for the most part, until congress threw REALTORS® under the bus and allowed banks to call most loans due on sale. I remember the All Inclusive Deed of Trust and the Contract of Sale that were both insurable by title insurance companies. I did my first development project around that time, got my Insurance Agent license, and my NASDAQ Broker license; I was already a licensed General Contractor.

The early 80′s brought new automation. Before cell phones, we had pagers. I remember stopping at a pay phone or waiting until I got back to the office to return or make phone calls. I remember our first computer, but before the computer we had a machine that would send us updates on listings. The computer was a Honeywell computer that had front and back office. The fax machine and the cell came soon after. The 80′s to me brought substantial innovation and automation, so I thought. Interest rates began reseeding around ’85 and the market began to improve. Agents began to come back into the business. the late 80′s brought more problems: a new recession, then another one by the mid 90′s, and one more by the mid 2000′s which was the worst one ever. I was told that we had one in the early 70′s while I was college. Things seem to keep repeating, including the advancement of new technology; there is a recession every few years and that seems to have been the case.

The survival of the real estate industry seems to rely on independent licensees and brokers working with organized real estate like the REALTOR® organization with over a million members, nationally. The REALTOR® organization is a three-way agreement between the State, National, and local Association of REALTOR®. By working together, we can fight for legislation that will allow us to stay in business. Is homeownership viable in today’s mobile economy? Is it important to protect the concept of homeownership? Should people buy homes as a long-term investment, pay for it, and enjoy the benefits it brings years later? I still believe that homeownership is one of the most valuable assets that a person can own. Please, let’s protect the true value of homeownership. The Mortgage Interest deduction must remain untouched, write your Congressperson today!

June 27, 2011
LeFrancis met with both the Executives and the regular Board of Directors for the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS). The company is making progress and should be able to manage through these trying times and, in fact, should allow this entity to prosper. The meeting was held at the newly-built Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS®' office in Glendora, California.

June 24, 2011
On Friday, LeFrancis Arnold went to a luncheon in South Orange County at the new Aliso Viejo Center in the beautiful hills of Aliso Viejo, California. One of the largest associations in both the State and the Nation, the Orange County Association of REALTORS® (OCAR), is both innovative and creative. They had five great speakers and the luncheon program began and ended on time. LeFrancis gave his report on the CAR-sponsored bills and the issues at the federal level that could affect our industry. In fact, the Federal FPC's are scheduled to go to Washington, DC in response to the expiration of the High Cost Loan Limits which would reduce loan limits from $729,750 to $625,000. This issue, for California, is extremely important and we will be fighting hard for the best results!

June 11-15, 2011
LeFrancis traveled up north to attend a 4-day CAR Leadership Team Retreat. Attendees included the new Treasurer-Elect Chris Kutzkey from Northern California, Treasurer Don Faught from the East Bay, President Beth Peerce, CAR Vice Presidents, and CAR’s Executive Vice President Joel Singer. Topics discussed included: CAR’s business, CAR'S finance, political awareness, REBS, and CAR’s 2012 Leadership Team. The retreat was held at the Silverado Resort and Spa which --- a wonderful blend of nature and luxury set in the heart of the beautiful world-famous Napa Valley. No trip to this region would be complete without a visit to at least one of the many Napa Valley wineries, so on Tuesday evening after the business agenda was completed, the team included wine-tasting in their itenerary.

June 1, 2011
On Wednesday, June 1st, LeFrancis met with Region 22 at the Quiet Cannon Restaurant in Montebello. Gov Hutchinson, CAR's Assistant General Counsel and Staff Vice President, was the guest speaker and he gave an informative legal update which included the Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) Disclosures. LeFrancis provided updates for CAR's political involvement in Washington, D.C. to protect the Real Estate industry.

May 25, 2011
LeFrancis' BLOG POST:  The Short Sale
In 2009, I wrote my first blog on short sales and it’s amazing how much the short sale transaction has changed. We had the most success with short sale transactions dealing with Wachovia Bank since we closed an escrow in about 60 days from offer to closing; alternatively, it took me a year to close a pretty easy Bank of America short sale — a short sale that had no seconds, only a Bank of America purchase money First T.D. Why did it take Bank of America one year to close a simple short sale? I still ask myself that question so it’s no wonder why Real Estate agents don’t want to touch this type of transaction.

Maybe the biggest issue with the short sale is the loan modification. For over a year, the banks allowed property owners to stay in their homes without making payments while the world watched in shock. Then came the HAMP and then the HAFA. If you are not aware of these Treasury Department recommendations, these volunteer programs have had very little success within the scheme of things. While in Washington D.C. the week of March 28-31, 2011 with CAR Leadership for the CAR “Officers’ Congressional Appointments” meetings, I had the opportunity to meet with members of Congress, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Treasury Department, the Federal Trade Commission, and HUD, I see why everyone is so confused and everyone has a different solution. In 2010 Fannie Mae closed about 190,000 REO’s and about 75,000 short sales. Since their losses were greater on the REO side, they admitted that the short sale is their preference because it saves the company money. If Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, CitiMortgage, Chase Bank and every mortgage banker can give you a DU or do a loan approval subject to an appraisal and close in 20 to 30 days, then why does it take so long to determine if a homeowner can qualify for a loan modification? There are very few mortgage principal write downs — generally only where fraud appears or special circumstances occur. After sitting in the Capitol Committee hearings on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in Washington DC and listening to Edward J. DeMarco, Acting Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, testify to the committee, I would be surprised if Fannie or Freddie start the process of principal write downs any time in the near future. Most loan modifications are not HAMP modifications and most short sales are not HAFA short sales, mainly because they are both volunteer programs offered by the Treasury Department. No wonder the program does not work. Each bank uses its own set of guidelines, using the HAMP and HAFA guidelines only as a model.

Currently, I have several short sale transactions in process and my newest agent is having a lot of success working short sale listings. Even though we are not doing loan modifications, now we need to worry about the new MARS rule, our disclosures, and our record keeping. What a life for the professional Real Estate agent!

May 25, 2011
LeFrancis met with CAR Executive Vice President Joel Singer for lunch in the Wilshire District. This lunchtime meeting was a great opportunity for LeFrancis and Joel to talk about the 2012 Leadership Team and to strategize the issues that would affect the Real Estate community and our members.

May 23, 2011
LeFrancis went to Pamona to meet with the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS) and it's Board of Directors in an Exective Session. The meeting was exciting and LeFrancis looks forward to the statewide MLS being successful.

May 7-13, 2011

NAR Mid-Year Legislative Conference and Trade Expo, Washington DC:

Sunday afternoon, immediately after LeFrancis' return home from CAR's Business Meetings and Legislative Day, in Sacramento, CA, he flew to Washington, DC so that he would be on time for an early morning meeting on Monday.

Monday morning's meeting was sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. REALTORS® from California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada were there. Chase Bank, Citi Bank, Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, One West Bank, Litton Financial, and American General Financial were also included. Three major mortgage insurance company's, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, and other major players in the Short Sale arena were also in attendance. This meeting was an attempt to put REALTORS® together with the major players, banks, mortgage insurance, and servicing companies for a dialog on the Short Sale process. The meeting was somewhat successful; it allowed for additional participation and involvement, assignments were given out, and a conference call is scheduled for sometimes in the near future.

The balance of the week was very busy. The NAR Directors meetings started Tuesday morning and ended Saturday afternoon. What a week for LeFrancis, CAR’s President-Elect! His responsibilities included meetings with large association presidents, Region 13 delegates, association presidents from across the country, members of the Congress and members of the Senate.

Tuesday was the first day of the directors meetings which continued on through Saturday

Wednesday's events included the California Capital Reception at 5 pm where LeFrancis and the California delegation met with Congressional members in a social environment with food and drinks.

Thursday & Friday was more directors meetings.

Saturday was the final day of the directors meetings and NAR President, Ron Phillips, did an excellent job running the Saturday morning NAR Directors meeting. The highpoint of the meeting was when the directors voted to increase NAR dues next year by $40.00 for REALTOR® Party Political Survival.

La Francis is very proud to be an NAR Director for the California Association of REALTORS® and even more proud to be 2011 CAR President-Elect. His earnest request, “Please --- let's continue to fight for the rights of homeownership, mortgage interest deductions, and the right to have 30-year fixed rate mortgages at the lowest cost possible with government-backed securities”.

May 4-7, 2011

CAR Business Meetings and Legislative Day, Sacramento, CA:
Per LeFrancis, "the meetings this week in Sacramento were the best meetings CAR has ever had".

Monday LeFrancis flew up north to attend the CAR Business meetings at the Sacramento Convention Center.  

Tuesday events included the Women's Council of REALTORS® meeting and luncheon, CREPAC Trustees meeting, and the Nominating Committee NAR Directors Selection Subcommittee meeting.

Wednesday was Legislative Day and LeFrancis and other CAR Directors and members visited the State Capitol as a group. This year had the largest number of CAR members to attend this "Legislative Day" event at the Capitol Building. Likewise, the Capital Reception held in the Sheraton Grand Hotel brought the largest number of legislators from the Capitol in the history of CAR's Capitol Reception --- 58 members. Per LeFrancis, "the meetings this week in Sacramento were the best meetings CAR has ever had!"

Thursday LeFrancis started his day at the CAR Association Presidents Breakfast with CAR President, Beth L. Peerce. This day also included the REALTOR Showcase of exhibits and the following four seminars at the Sacramento Convention Center --- (1) Social Media – What’s Working for Active REALTORS® and What Could Work for You!, presented by the C.A.R. Educational Advisory Committee; (2) How to Work Your Short Sale; (3) Tips From the Top: Finding Success in Today's Market; and (4) Practitioner Perspectives on the Short Sale. Additionally, there was a seminar luncheon: "Why Lenders Can't Lend: The Uncertain Future of Real Estate Finance" which was presented by Joel Singer, CEO and State Secretary of CAR.

Friday was another full day of meetings for LeFrancis plus he had to take some quiet time to reflect on and prepare for his Saturday morning speech.

Saturday morning brought the culmination of the meetings for LeFrancis when he walked down the isle of the 531st Session of CAR's Board of Directors meeting and was introduced as CAR's President for 2012. At the podeum, LeFrancis delivered an arousing speech where he thanked his mentor, the past-presidents who endorsed him, as well as all of the many people who supported and helped him to win his campaign. Because of this fine organization, LeFrancis feels humbled and truly honored to serve as CAR President 2012. What an exciting week for LeFrancis!

April 15-16, 2011
On Thursday, LeFrancis traveled to Pebble Beach representing CAR at the 14th Annual Speaker's Cup presented by AT&T. This fundraiser, for the Democratic Caucus Speaker of the California Assembly, John A. Perez, was held at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill & The Links at Spanish Bay resorts. The legendary Pebble Beach Resorts, located on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula between Pacific Grove and Carmel-By-The-Sea, feature four renowned golf courses and three acclaimed resorts nestled between the forrests and hills along the ocean accessible by the spectacular and scenic 17-Mile Drive. The stunning coastline includes Cypress Rock, Bird Rock and the Lone Cypress, which is one of the most photographed landmarks on the California coast. The fundraiser offered great amenities for the contributors, namely, 2-day resort accomodations, golf packages, spa treatments, commemorative gifts, lots of networking, rest, and relaxation. While there, LeFrancis took walks through the wilderness-like forrest setting along 17-mile drive and along the scenic trails of the beach enjoying the beautiful sights, the soothing sound of waves, and the refreshing sea air. This was a well-attended fund-raising event and fun was had by all!

April 12, 2011
On Tuesday morning, LeFrancis attended CAR's Annual Industry Leaders Briefing South from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm where he chaired the meeting. This event was held at the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE near the Staples Center/L.A. Convention Center/Nokia Theatre --- a world-class entertainment, sports, and dining epicenter. Many RE industry leaders were in attendance. Here's a recap --- Opening Remarks by Beth L. Peerce; Legal Update by June Barlow; Legislative Update by Alex Creel; Special Report by Art Carter (CEO MRMLS); Market Outlook/Research by Leslie Appleton-Young; and REBS Update by Joel Singer. There were also "Hot Issues with Dialog" on the Short Sale, Mortgage Interest Deduction, the future of Fanie Mae and Freddie Mac, Home Inspector Licensing, Supervision of Sales Associates, the Declaration of RE License and Tax Reporting (DLT), and the Renovator's Lead Safety Certification for SFR rentals constructed prior to 1978. A lot of information was shared and it was a wonderful and informative event. Industry Leaders Briefing North is scheduled for Thursday, April 14, 2011 at the Fairmont in San Jose.

March 28 -31, 2011
LeFrancis and members of CAR Leadership traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Officers' Congressional Appointments. Their schedule included briefings with NAR and staff members, as well as meetings with many Federal agencies including: Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and Fannie Mae. LeFrancis has been the Federal Political Consultant (FPC) for Maxine Waters, California 35th District Congresswoman, since 1994 and in that capacity, he met with her in her capitol hill office at the Rayburn House Office Building. LeFrancis felt the entire trip was very informative and eye-opening and meeting with the various Federal agencies gave him further insight to the problems associated with both the Short Sale and Loan Modification processes.

March 25-26, 2011
Since CAR is a donor, LeFrancis traveled toThe Lodge at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, near San Diego, for the 2011 Torrey Pines Pro Tem Cup fundraiser. This was the seventh year for the 2-day event which lures Democrat Senators;it was sponsored by the California Cable and Telecommunications Association. The Lodge at Torrey Pines is a diamond-rated resort situated on the cliffs above the gorgeous Torrey Pines State Beach and located at the 18th hole of the world-renowned Torrey Pines Golf Course. The fundraiser event included golfing with legislators, spa treatments, receptions, dinners, and commemorative gifts. While there, LeFrancis walked some of the Torrey Pines Hiking Trails where he enjoyed the wilderness-like paradise, the panoramic coastal scenery, wildflowers, and the rare Torrey Pine trees. This breathtaking setting is only one of the reasons why this resort is so special. The fundraiser was a big success!

 

March 3-4, 2011
LeFrancis traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the third annual conference of the Multi Cultural Alliance. The alliance came up with a five-point plan to assure that the housing market stayed open for homeownership for minorities in America. Members from NAHREP, AREAA, and NAREB converged on the Capitol to present their position on future policy that might affect the housing market. Their number one point calls for, "a balanced regulatory approach that will support and encourage sustainable homeownership for qualified and responsible consumers seeking to purchase a home". Point number two called for, "an increased diversity in the financial services arena and adequate oversight of minority business utiilization and senior management hires". Point number three calls for, "maintaining strong government support of the secondary market system that includes the broad network of primary lenders, government-supported securitization agencies, and FHA that collectively works to broaden credit availability for all communities at all times". Point number four calls for, "strong consumer protection oversight to restore consumer and market confidence in homeownership". Point number five calls for, "mandatory financial education for all first-time homebuyers that prepares them for the responsibilities, risks, and rights associated with homeownership". The Multi Cultural Alliance feel this five-point plan is necessary because facts show that African American and Hispanic buyers have been the most affected by both the recession and unemployment.

February 10, 2011
On Thursday, February 10th, LeFrancis stopped to celebrate the life and death of a beautiful friend, REALTOR® Jean Williams. The church where she served in Los Angeles was full. REALTORS® from across the city came and celebrated this great woman's life. Jean was recently elected President of the Southwest Los Angeles Association of REALTORS®. We will all miss Jean! SEE:  "Billboards First Black Female Editor Jean Williams Passes"

February 5, 2011
LeFrancis was honored as the Installing Officer for the Installation of the Montebello District Board of REALTORS®. Although J.J. Lopez had the honor of being the MC, LeFrancis had the honor of installing Diana Bustamonte as President. It was a wonderful event held at the Quiet Cannon restaurant. LeFrancis sends congratulations to all of Montebello's officers and directors!

February 4, 2011
On February 4th, LeFrancis participated in another Annual Installation of Officers and Directors --- this time, being one of the inducted directors himself. For 12 years LeFrancis has actively been involved with the Los Angeles County Board of Directors (LACBOR) as an officer or a director. LACBOR's primary function is to work with the County of Los Angeles' leadership of five Supervisors. LACBOR's charge is to help monitor and lobby issues that come out of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and from other County, City, and State officials. LeFrancis feels honored to serve with this group!

January 24-29, 2011
On Monday, January 24, LeFrancis had his first experience as President-Elect of the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) during CAR's Winter Directors Meetings.

The Leadership Team met on Tuesday and spent almost all day going over the week's schedule. LeFrancis said, "...President Beth L. Peerce did a great job preparing for the meetings and the Leadership Team meetings in December were well worth the time spent."

LeFrancis' first meeting was with the CREPAC Leadership where many issues that LeFrancis wanted to get envolved with were discussed. LeFrancis chaired the Regional Chairs Committee and met with the Committee Liaisons to prepare for the balance of the week's meetings. The committee Chairs, Vice Chairs, and Issues Chairs did a wonderful job. Several motions that were presented to the Executive Committee and the Directorate were passed and moved on to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) for action during NAR's May 2011 meetings in Washington, D.C.

Many of my LeFrancis' family members and friends came down for the Installation of Officers and Directors event which was held on Friday night, January 28 --- what a treat! Beth L. Peerce was Installed as President and LeFrancis Arnold was Installed as President-Elect along with other new Officers and Directors.

Although CAR's meetings ended late Saturday morning, LeFrancis lengthened his stay in San Diego so that he could install the Officers and Directors of the Southeast San Diego Association of REALTORS® on Saturday night. LeFrancis was absolutely honored to attend another REALTOR® event before returning home Sunday morning. Great job, LeFrancis!

January 6, 2011
On Tuesday, LeFrancis and local real estate professionals gathered for a fundraising breakfast at the Proud Bird Restaurant to honor and support Congresswoman Maxine Waters in her fight to clear her name with the Ethics Committee. The event was spearheaded by her long-time friend, REALTORS® Evelyn Arnold. A wide cross-section of real estate professionals attended, including Beverly Hills Greater Los Angeles Association of REALTORS®, Consolidatd Board of Realtists, Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS®, Southbay Association of REALTORS®, Southwest-Los Angeles Association of REALTORS®, and Los Angeles County Board of REALTORS®. The event was well attended.

January 3, 2011 On Monday, LeFrancis flew from Las Vegas to Sacramento, California to participate in Governor Jerry Brown's Inaugural. "Who's Who" in California politics was present at the Memorial Auditorium in midtown Sacramento to see Governor-elect Jerry Brown inaugurated as the 39th governor of California. Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakayue, of the California Supreme Court, swore in the new Governor who gave an address to the thousands of spectators gathered. It was a wonderful event! LeFrancis got the opportunity to attend the Governor's Reception and meet the Governor personally; Governor Brown was very grateful for CREPAC's contribution to the Democratic Party. LeFrancis said, "What a way to start off the year as President-Elect of the California Association of REALTORS®.

See: Governor Jerry Brown's Inaugural Address

December 18-31, 2010
It's the end of the year and LeFrancis took off a couple of weeks for Christmas, other year-end festivities, and New Year's Day to spend some quality time with his family and close friends. LeFrancis sends cheers, good wishes, and seasons greetings to all and he looks forward to everyone continueing to work together as a team in the new year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

December 17, 2010
LeFrancis was back in beautiful Fresno, California on Friday for the annual Installation of Officers and Directors of the Fresno Association of REALTORS®. LeFrancis said, "I've attended their installation the last three years and I've visited their association five times in the past 3 years and it's always a treat!

December 16, 2010
On Thursday, LeFrancis attended the Installation of Officers and Directors of the Inglewood Board of REALTORS® at the Radisson Hotel ner the Los Angles International Airport. Later that night, LeFrancis left the Los Angeles basin heading back to Fresno in Northern California.

December 15, 2010
LeFrancis traveled back to Los Angeles on Wednesday to attend CAR's Annual Christmas Party Luncheon with over 100 staff members. This event was held at the beautiful Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

December 14, 2010
While still up north, LeFrancis left San Francisco and traveled further north to the San Rafael Embassy Suites Hotel to attend the Installation of Officers and Directors of the Marin Association of REALTORS®.

December 13, 2010
LeFrancis started his week with a flight to San Francisco to visit with members of the New Democrats political club and attend their event at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel in downtown San Francisco.

December 11, 2010
On Saturday, LeFrancis traveled north again through Bakersfield and further north on to Highway 65 to the foot of California's Western Sierras to the Orange Belt Association of REALTORS® annual Installation of Offcers and Directors in Porterville.

December 9, 2010
The next day, Thursday, LeFrancis went to the beautiful West Hollywood Hotel for the annual Installation for the Greater Los Angeles Beverly Hills Association of REALTORS® and per LeFrancis, "Nobody does an installation like Bererly Hills"!

December 8, 2010
Wednesday, LeFrancis went to the Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS® annual Installation of Officers and Directors at the Via Verde Country Club overlooking the valley. What a treat!

December 2, 2010
LeFrancis traveled north to a beautiful Ventura County area for Janet Dorsey's installation luncheon as President for the Ventura County Association of REALTORS®. What a beautiful venue with mountainous surroundings. California is such a wonderful state!

December 1, 2010
LeFrancis attended CAR's Annual Leadership Meeting held at the Airport Hilton in Los Angeles. All the CAR "stars" came out which included the 2010 Leadership Team and NAR 2011 President-Elect, Moe Veissi.

November 25, 2010
Thanksgiving Day --- the yearly celebration for giving thanks! LeFrancis, his family, and some friends gathered at Mother Evelyn's home for a wonderful home-made Thanksgiving dinner prepared with lots of love and all the tasty trimmings.

November 24, 2010
On November 24th, LeFrancis rested as he celebrated his 58th birthday with his family. Happy Birthday, LeFrancis ... and may you celebrate many, many more!

November 17, 2010
On Wednesday morning, LeFrancis left to go to Marina Del Rey, California for a 4-day CAR Leadership Retreat at the beautiful Ritz Carlton. LeFrancis felt that a lot was accomplished while meeting in the comforts of such a beautiful venue.

November 12, 2010
While in Sacramento, LeFrancis traveled to and attended the Installation for the Northern Solano Association of REALTORS® where Judy Lopez was installed as President. The event was held at a beautiful golf course --- the Northern Solano Golf Course.

November 11, 2010
On November 11th, LeFrancis attended a special breakfast with the West San Gabriel Valley Association of REALTORS®. Both the President-Elect, Arthur Luna, and the association are very special to LeFrancis because they were one of the first to endorse his candidacy for CAR President. Later that day, LeFrancis flew to Sacramento.

November 2-8, 2010
LeFrancis traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana to attend his first NAR Annual Convention as CAR's President-Elect. At NARdiGras 2010, LeFrancis attended the various Directors Meetings, conference programs, and educational sessions. He also stopped by a plethora of booths at NAR's Trade EXPO. No trip to New Orleans is complete without a visit to the French Quarters and LeFrancis did just that --- he took a walk down Bourbon Street again for another glimps of the famous 13-block parcel.

October 30-31, 2010
On Friday, October 29, LeFrancis went to Palm Springs to support Rancho Southeast Assocation of REALTORS® Annual Leadership Retreet. This was a weekend event and Steve Goddard, a representative from CAR's Leadership Team, made numerous presentations at lunch, dinner, and breakfast.

October 21, 2010
LeFrancis drove up Interstate 5 to Fresno, California for a special luncheon with Fresno's Association of REALTORS® where he was honored and recognized as the newly-elected President-Elect for the California Association of REALTORS®(CAR). LeFrancis considered this event to be a real treat!

October 14-17, 2010
On Thursday, LeFrancis drove up the coast to the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, California for the California Legislative Black Caucus Charity Golf Tournament. This organization, chaired by 26th District Senator Curren D. Price, Jr, represents and advocates for the interests of African Americans throughout California and seeks to increase African American participation and representation in all levels of government.

October 10-12, 2010
LeFrancis traveled to The Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for the Non-Profit Association of Hispanic-American Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) / Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) Real Estate and Marketing Conference on Sunday, October 10th. This gathering of multicultural real estate professionals and industry leaders drew practitioners who actively work with underserved markets. The conference featured 22 different sessions on topics including the state of the multicultural real estate markets as well as practitioner-focused workshops on foreclosures, short sales, REOs, appraisals, loan modifications and much, much more.

October 4-9, 2010
CAR Business Meetings, Anaheim, CA:
LeFrancis traveled to Anaheim for CAR's mid-year business meetings. He felt these meetings to be the best CAR meetings ever because of his dual role and dual responsibility as an elected CAR officer (as of June 12th) and as the Chairman of the Housing Committee. The meetings ended late Saturday morning and LeFrancis left Anaheim about 3:00 pm.

October 4, 2010
On Monday morning, LeFrancis and a small group of REALTORS® met with 52nd District Assemblymember Isadore Hall for breakfast at Coco's Restaurant in Compton, California to present him with a check from the California Real Estate Political Action Committee (CREPAC). CREPAC is the political fundraising PAC for the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR).

September 24-26, 2010
LeFrancis traveled to Del Mar in San Diego County on Thursday night to attend a three-day California Republican Party Fundraiser and Leadership Conference along with CAR Officers Steve Goddard and Beth Peerce. LeFrancis met Meg Whitman, several other candidates, and elected party officials who were there preparing for a large-scale effort in upcoming elections. CAR was recognized as a Sponsorship Level supportor for this fundraising event.

September 21, 2010
On Tuesday, LeFrancis flew to San Jose to meet with members of the CAR Leadership Team and other diversity groups from accross the State of California to discuss CAR policies. It was a very productive meeting with input from various minority-run organizations which included AREAA (Asian Real Estate Association of America), NAHREP (National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals), and NAREB (National Association of Real Estate Brokers).

September 17, 2010
LeFrancis flew from Washington D.C. to Eugene, Oregon to join other University of Oregon Alumni Association members for a home football game against Portland State University on September 18th at Autzen Stadium. LaMichael James rushed for 227 yards on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns while quarterback Darron Thomas completed four passing touchdowns with one interception and one fumble. Final score --- the Oregon Ducks defeated the Portland Vikings 69-0. LeFrancis is an alumnus of the University of Oregon and a former Oregon Duck foothball player. Go Ducks Go!

September 15, 2010
LeFrancis flew to Washington D.C. to attend the 40th Annual Congressional Black Caucus Leadership Conference held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This was a wonderful event and LeFrancis continued to network for organized Real Estate. N.A.R. is an Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) donor at this event.

September 14, 2010
LeFrancis attended a reception for Los Angeles County Deputy Assessor, John Noguez, at the Apartment Association, California Southern Cities office in Long Beach, California. John Noguez is running for the office of Los Angeles County Assessor in the November 2010 election.

August 22, 2010
The Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS® (RSAOR) hosted a "Meet and Greet your California Association of REALTORS® President-Elect 2011" for LeFrancis Arnold at the Rio Hondo Event Center in Downey, CA. The event was well-attended and included an introduction of LeFrancis, the attending dignitaries, a wonderful BBQ Buffet, an auction by auctioneer Malcolm Bennett who did an excellent job of bid-calling as he mezmerized the audience with his chant and charm, plus several raffles for great prizes and gifts. A great time was had by all!

August 22, 2010
On Sunday, LeFrancis, his son LeFrancis Jr, and his grandson, LeFrancis III attended the CAR Family Picnic at Dodger Stadium. Although the Los Angeles Dogers lost to the Cincinnati Reds, everyone had a great time --- plus, it was a wonderful event for the staff, the staff's family, LeFrancis, and LeFrancis' family to become acquainted.

July 29, 2010
Thursday evening, LeFrancis attended the Malibu Association of REALTORS® Annual Beach party for the second year in a row. As it was last year, LeFrancis had a wonderful time.

July 28, 2010
Wednesday, July 28th, was LeFrancis' first speaking engagement since he took office. He spoke before the Montebello District Board of REALTORS® and was immediately followed by speaker Real Estate Commissioner Jeff Davi.

July 27, 2010
Don Faught, Beth Peerce, and LeFrancis met at the Los Angeles CAR building to begin their CAR Committee Selection Process.

July 21, 2010
LeFrancis went to the Los Angeles CAR office on 6th and Virgil to attend the monthly Los Angeles County Board of REALTORS® (LACBOR) meeting.

July 20, 2010
LeFrancis attended a luncheon with the Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS® at the Rio Hondo Country Club in Downey, CA.

July 19, 2010
Don Faught, Beth Peerce, and LeFrancis met in San Diego at the beautiful Grand Hyatt Hotel where next year's Directors' meeting will be held in January 2011. This will also be the venue for C.A.R.'s Installation of Officers and Directors. Please --- do not miss this event!

July 6-8, 2010
LeFrancis was busy at work on three different CAR conference calls; specifically, the Leadership Team, then the Housing Committee, and finally with the Strategic, Planning and Finance Committee.

June 30, 2010
On Wednesday evening, LeFrancis attended the Pacific West Fundraiser at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. This was LeFrancis' first official event as a CAR Officer. Although the Angel's lost, the Pacific West Funraiser was a great success!

June 21-23, 2010
For the first time, LeFrancis met with the CAR Leadership Team at the beautiful Terranea Resort on the coast of Rancho Palos Verdes. It was a three-day event where LeFrancis and the Leadership Team met many of the CAR's staff leaders.

June 13, 2010
LEFRANCIS: "... I so appreciate all of my friends! It was a pleasure to win the position of President-Elect 2011 for the California Association of REALTORS®. To all my friends and supporters, ...Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!".

June 7-12, 2010
CAR Business Meetings, Sacramento, CA:

Monday LeFrancis traveled to Sacramento for CAR's spring business meetings scheduled for June 9-12, 2010 where he continued to campaign.

Tuesday To further strategize the campaign, LeFrancis met with his campaign committee.  

Wednesday Final preparations for the election were reviewed and set forth by LeFrancis and his campaign committee for.

Thursday On Thursday, June 10th, LeFrancis Arnold appeared before the nominating committee of the California Association of REALTORS® (CAR) where he was interviewed before 35 committee members and 35 alternates. LeFrancis stated, " ... it was one of the most exciting times I've ever experienced --- much like my first college football game where I participated as the starting strong-side guard against the number one Nebraska Cornhuskers". After about a one-hour interview and a three-hour wait, LeFrancis became the 107th President-Elect of the California Association of REALTORS®. Congratulations, LeFrancis!

Friday On June 11th, the California Association of REALTORS® celebrated LeFrancis' victory at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sacramento. LeFrancis gave his acceptance speech and it was a wonderful and exciting event!

Saturday On June 12th, the C.A.R. Directors approved LeFrancis as their President-Elect for 2011 and as their President for 2012.

June 4, 2010
LeFrancis spent the last three weeks meeting with as many Nominating Committee members as he could reach and he is excited about the prospect of the campaign coming to a conclusion next week!!! LeFrancis thanks his Campaign Committee as well as each and every one of you for your input, guidance, support and for taking the time to listen to what he had to say. Now, it's your turn and LeFrancis needs your help! Tell your friends and tell your Nominating Member that a vote for LeFrancis Arnold is a vote for Teamwork because Together … We Can!.

May 11-15, 2010
N.A.R. MidYear Meetings, Washington, D.C.:
Tuesday morning, LeFrancis flew to Washington, D.C. to attend the meetings.

Tuesday LeFrancis attended the Golden "R" Reception. This well-attended event was held at the National Museum of Women in the Arts located at 1250 New York N.W. in Washington D.C.

Wednesday was one of the busiest days of the week. The Legislative Briefing was presented that morning followed by meetings with Legislators from 11:30 am until 5:00 pm that evening. LeFrancis had the wonderful opportunity to meet and have some private time in the Housing and Financial Services Conference Room with Housing and Financial Services Chairman, Barney Frank while visiting with Congressman Emanual Clever, a member of that Committee. Later that evening, the California Caucus hosted a beautiful Reception at the Library of Congress. Several Congressional members attended the Reception. The top image includes Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard; the bottom image includes Congresswoman Laura Richardson.

Thursday LeFrancis attended the N.A.R. Treasurer Debate and he was very impressed with the quality of both candidates. Later that evening, he attended an N.A.R. Reception held at N.A.R.'s Headquarters. For those of you who have not seen it, the N.A.R. Headquarters was built as an environmentally "green" commercial structure . LeFrancis, whose been there many times, said, “... the views are breathtaking. The 12th floor provides a spectacular view of the Capital and one day you will have to go and see it!”

Friday On Friday, there were breakfast, lunch and dinner meetings. That afternoon, CAR held its usual California Caucus meeting. LeFrancis felt that CAR had very productive meetings in our Capital city.

Saturday was the Directors Meeting. LeFrancis began his travel back across the country to the Los Angeles area.

May 5, 2010
On Cinco de Mayo, LeFrancis spent most of the day with the West San Gabriel Valley Association of REALTORS® celebrating a day full of culture and delicious foods. The entertainment was wonderful. Congratulations for an exciting event!

May 4, 2010
LeFrancis spent most of the day visiting CAR staff members at 525 S. Vigil Avenue in Los Angeles. He was amazed at our Legal Department --- an entire floor of attorneys and attorney assistants. LeFrancis met many of the Legal Department personnel. While there, the Legal Department had a luncheon and LeFrancis was able to have lunch with Joel Singer. Later he had meetings with Rick Shumacher, Don Flynn, June Barlow, and Robert Kleinshenz. He was also able to meet with Accounting, Technological, and Administrative personnel. LeFrancis is preparing to be the best C.A.R. President that he can be.

April 23, 2010
Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles AOR and the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles hosted a meeting for Assembly Speaker John A. Perez. Members from Southland Regional AOR, Rancho Southeast AOR, Pacific West AOR, Greater South Bay AOR, and the Southern California Apartment Associations were in attendance.

April 23, 2010
Later that evening, LeFrancis attended a fund raiser for the Senator Curren Price (26th District). The event was held at Carmines Italian Restaurant in Century City, CA. REALTORS® from Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles AOR, Inglewood AOR, Greater South Bay AOR, Rancho Southeast AOR, and Southwest AOR were in attendance.

April 20, 2010
On Tuesday, LeFrancis met with the Board of Directors and members of the Inglewood Association of REALTORS®. Their discussions included the upcoming LA County Tax Assessors Office and who they would be endorsing for the race.

April 16, 2010
LeFrancis continued his journey by driving further north and west to beautiful Eureka, CA to meet with members of Region 1. The drive to Eureka from Napa was extremely nice but the drive from Eureka to Redding, CA was breathing. Highway 299 was a wonderful experience! LeFrancis thanks Region 1 for meeting with him.

April 15, 2010
LeFrancis continued his travel up north to Napa, CA to attend an early evening dinner party at the Silverado Country Club with Region 4. CAR President Steve Goddard also attended this event. LeFrancis had a wonderful time with both new and old friends and thanks Region 4 for a beautiful dinner.

April 15, 2010
LeFrancis began this day's journey by stopping by to visit the Ventura County Coastal Association of REALTORS® in the morning. LeFrancis thanks VCCAR for their warm welcome.

April 13, 2010
LeFrancis went to the office of the Greater South Bay Association of REALTORS® to seek their Regional endorsement. After a two-hour in-depth interview of both candidates, both candidates were asked to leave. About an hour later, LeFrancis received a telephone call letting him know that he had won Region 21’s endorsement for President-Elect 2011 for the California Association of REALTORS®. Thank you Region 21 for your Regional endorsement.

April 12, 2010
LeFrancis traveled north to attend Region 3's luncheon in Nevada City. CAR President Steve Goddard, CAR President-Elect Beth L. Peerce, CAR Treasurer Don Faught, and the California Department of Real Estate Commissioner Jeff Davi also attended this wonderful event.

April 9, 2010
LeFrancis and and other CAR leaders met with State Senator Curren Price at his Los Angeles office as a Real Estate Advisory Council to advise the Senator on issues relevant to Housing. In addition to their discussion on Housing, the Senator shared other issues with them that he thought were important issues for the 26th District.

April 1, 2010
LeFrancis participated in a conference call with leaders of the Housing Committee on Thursday, April 1st. They discussed relevant information concerning current and proposed legislation that affects Homeowner Associations. The leaders of the Housing Committee are committed to working together to get the best results for homeowners.

March 31, 2010
LeFrancis went to Cocoa's Restaurant in Compton on Tuesday, the 31st, for a check presentation for Assemblyman Isodore Hall in his bid to become re-elected for the 51st Assembly District.

March 31, 2010
Later that day, LeFrancis joined members of PAC WEST and Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS® for a Check Presentation to Congresswoman Laura Richardson at her office in Long beach.

March 30, 2010
On Monday, LeFrancis participated with the interviews for State Assembly candidates / 50th Assembly District with his home Association, Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS®.

March 27, 2010
On Saturday morning, LeFrancis met with State Senator Curren Price (26th District) to present him with a check for his upcoming State Senate race. LeFrancis and other REALTORS® attended this check presentation at the Starbucks Ladera Center in Los Angeles.

March 26, 2010
Friday, the 26th, LeFrancis went to the Ayers Hotel to meet with Greater South Bay Association of REALTORS® and Greater Los Angeles Beverly Hills Association of REALTORS® to interview candidates for Assembly District 53.

March 26, 2010
Later that day, LeFrancis attended the Installation of Officers and Directors at the Courtyard Marriott in Culver City, for the Los Angeles Southwest Association of REALTORS®.

March 25, 2010
On Thursday, March 25th, LeFrancis visited with the Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS®. He again thanked them for their support and gave the Officers and Directors an update on his ongoing Campaign for President-Elect 2011.

March 19, 2010
On Friday, LeFrancis met with Leaders of CAR to discuss the proposed HAFA Program geared to assist homeowners with the short sale process. Hopefully, this agreement being released on April 5th, will allow REALTORS® across the Country to help speed up the process of helping people to either keep their home or sell their home using the short sale process and be relieved of the Mortgage debt.

March 18, 2010
LeFrancis attended Region 31's meeting on Thursday. Hot topics discussed: CalREDD, getting more members involved, appreciating CAR, and encouraging members to run for CAR offices. LeFrancis' focus is on meeting and engaging all our CAR members in meaningful dialogue. His promise to be a well-informed President-Elect and keep all of us working together for a brighter future! Together - We Can!

March 16-17, 2010
LeFrancis participated in CAR's Strategic Planning & Finance Committee meetings in San Jose, CA. The focus: Member Surveys and what our members need in services and products to thrive. The Mega Issues of  5 or 10 years ago have changed in today's environment! We need to be ever vigilant and stay ahead "of the curve!"

March 10, 2010
On Wednesday, LeFrancis attended Region 22's luncheon in Downey where CAR Attorney Neil Kalin went over the new changes to the (RPA) Residental Purchase Agreement. Members of Downey, Montebello and Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS® were in attendance.

March 2, 2010
As Chairman of CAR's Housing Committee, LeFrancis met with CAR's Leadership on Tuesday to discuss issues important to Commercial agents. The group agreed to support a policy that would allow Federal Credit Unions to lend up to 25% of their capital on commercial properties. This would be an increase from 12.5%. CAR has Congressional friends who are co-sponsors to achieve this change.

February 26-27, 2010
LeFrancis attended the NAR Policy Issues Conference in Beautiful San Diego on Friday and Saturday with numerous Major Donars!  The two-day event was filled with "REALTOR®-friendly" Legislators that understand our business. "REALTOR®-friendly" legislators addressed the importance of the REALTOR® Party and LeFrancis learned that the REALTOR® Party and REALTOR® Issues should be our number one priority. The "Top Ten" Policy issues facing NAR were discussed and many matched the identified issues on LeFrancis' web site.  LeFrancis spent some private time with the Conservative Utah Governor Gary R.Herbert, an ex-football player, discussing the value of Team Work ---  LeFrancis' Specialty!

February 25, 2010
On Thursday, February 25th, LeFrancis spent valuable time at the C.A.R. Los Angeles office with a focus group, discussing new product designs for new "REALTOR®-friendly" enhancements. Stay tuned!

February 23, 2010
LeFrancis attended Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS® monthly luncheon. The event was well attended. LeFrancis gave the Association an update on his campaign and then the event speaker,  Clem who is the Association CPA, gave an informative Tax update. LeFrancis so appreciates his "roots" and all of the outstanding encouragement he receives from his home-town colleagues! Thanks, RSAOR! 

February 11, 2010
On February 11th, LeFrancis traveled to beautiful Ojai to meet with the Ojai Association of REALTORS®.  The luncheon was well attended.  Members were there to discuss issues important to our industry plus they were able to meet CAR President-Elect candidate, LeFrancis.  Since LeFrancis is from a smaller Association and Region, he could easily "take to heart" their input.

February 11, 2010
Later that day, LeFrancis met with the Ventura Association of REALTORS®.  The meeting was well attended and, again, LeFrancis got to discuss critical issues that are very important to our industry. There was a lot of input from the membership and LeFrancis was able to help many members understand the many resources available from CAR and how powerful we are when we work ALL TOGETHER!  

February 1-6, 2010
CAR Business Meetings, Indian Wells, CA:
LeFrancis received eight regional Endorsements!

Monday he attended a reception for the Major PAF Contributors at the beautiful Indians Wells Golf Club. 

Tuesday he attended the WCR Installation of Officers and Directors where Barbara Safran was installed as WCR's 2010 President.  

Wednesday was one of the biggest days of LeFrancis’ life. He prepared for the Thursday Housing Committee meeting and LeFrancis delivered his first speech before the CAR Directors. LeFrancis said, “I felt like a Rock Star, delivering my special five-minute speech and answering questions”.  He visited 4 Regional Caucuses and later met for dinner with the Asian Caucus. The dinner was wonderful; what a treat for LeFrancis! 

                   

Thursday LeFrancis started his day by chairing an 8am meeting with CAR’s Housing Committee under the new CAR meeting structure. It was a great meeting and three new motions passed.  Next, LeFrancis hosted a TownHall Luncheon for his CAR President-Elect 2011 campaign moderated by 2008 NAR President, Dick Gaylord. Later that evening, LeFrancis submitted the Federal Motions to the Federal Committee and the State Motion to the Legislative Committee. All motions were approved. He visited 11 Regional Caucuses and received 3 endorsements:  Thanks Region 22, Region 08, and Region 07. 

Friday LeFrancis began this day with a 7am meeting with the Executive Committee who approved the three motions from the Housing Committee. He had lunch with Region 20, Commercial Investment, sponsored by The Desert Communities AOR. The Lunch was well attended and a big success. He returned from lunch just in time for the CAR Directors Meetings where he submitted the three motions to the body. The three motions carried without opposition. LeFrancis  visited 12 Regional Caucuses and received 5 new endorsements: Thanks Region 17, Region 12, Region 23, Region 16, and Region 28. 

 Saturday was the final day of the CAR Directors Meetings.

At the end of the Business Meetings, LeFrancis felt wonderful because his 2011 President-Elect Campaign is leading.  Yes, eight Regional Endorsements!   LeFrancis is grateful to many people and he sends a heartfelt thanks to all of you for your wonderful support. He said, “This is certainly a wonderful organization, and I bleed REALTOR® Blue”.

January 30, 2010
On Saturday, January 30^th, LeFrancis traveled to attend the Installation of Officers and Directors, in Pleasanton CA.  Pam Winterbauer was installed as the 2011 President  and  Past President, Bill Brown, was the installing Officer.

January 27, 2010
LeFrancis met with Region 24 Directors on Wednesday to discuss with them his candidacy for CAR President-Elect for 2011. The Directors received his presentation very well and he looks forward to their support.

January 22, 2010
On Friday, he traveled to San Francisco to attend the  San Francisco AOR Installation of Officers and Directors.  John Lee was installed as President along with his other Offcers and Directors. CAR Past President Vince Malta served as the installing officer.

January 19, 2010
Met with Tom Kunz, President and CEO of the Century 21 Corporation, at a local Century 21 office --- the largest Century 21 in Southern, CA.

January 19, 2010
LeFrancis attended San Mateo County AOR's Installation Banquet. New 2010 President, Jennifer Tasto was installed, Sue Walsh was named REALTOR® of the year, and Affiliate Community Service and Community Service of the Year awards were presented. The dinner was held at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, CA.

January 15, 2010
On the evening of January 15th, LeFrancis went to Redondo Beach for the Greater Southbay AOR's Installation of Officers and Directors which was held at the Redondo Beach Historical Library. CAR President, Steve Goddard, installed  newly-elected 2010 President, Paul D. Clark.  Their event, "Evening at the Coconut Grove", included music and dancing to the Big Band sound.

January 16, 2010
On Saturday, LeFrancis journeyed south to attend the San Diego AOR's Annual Installation of Officers and Directors. Dick Gaylord installed Mark Marquez as the 2010 President and CAR Treasurer, Don Faught, installed the Officers and Directors. The event was held at San Diego's beautiful Hilton Beachfront Hotel.

January 14, 2010
LeFrancis traveled to beautiful San Jose, CA on Thursday to attend the Annual Installation of Officers and Directors for the Silicon Valley AOR. The event was held at the Fairmont Hotel where CAR President-Elect, Beth Summer Peerce installed Jeff Bell as 2010 President.

January 9, 2010
On Saturday, January 9th, LeFrancis traveled to Modesto, California to attend the Installation of Officers and Directors of the Central Valley AOR. Heidi Vento passed the gavel to 2010 President, Chuck Dukhari. CAR Past-President, Jim Liptak installed the President, Officers, and Directors.

December 18, 2009 Friday morning, LeFrancis traveled to Fresno AOR Installation of Officers Luncheon at Torninos Banquet Hall, in Fresno CA, where Jared Martin relinquished the gavel to the new 2010 president, long-time REALTOR® George Mees.

December 16, 2009
On Wednesday, LeFrancis attended the Inglewood BOR's Annual Banquet & Installation of Officers and Directors at the Radisson Los Angeles Airport Hotel where Frank Oti was installed as the President for 2010.  Steve Goddard installed the Officers and Directors.

December 15, 2009
LeFrancis attended the Rancho Southeast AOR's Annual Christmas Luncheon on Tuesday  from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Rio Hondo Event Center in Downey, CA.

December 11, 2009
On Friday evening, LeFrancis attended West San Gabriel Valley AOR's Installation of Officers Dinner at 6:00 pm to see Arthur Luna installed as 2010 President.

December 11, 2009
On Friday morning, LeFrancis was the Installing Officer for the Los Angeles Southwest Chapter of the Women's Council of REALTORS®.   Juanita Doucette was installed as the 2010 President.  The event was held at beautiful Shanghai Reds in Marina Del Rey, CA.

December 10,  2009
On Thursday, December 10th, LeFrancis attended the Malibu AOR's Installation of Officers and Directors dinner. Daniel Ross was installed as their new 2010 President. The event was held at Taverna Tony, Malibu's exciting Greek restaurant.

December 6, 2009
On Saturday, LeFrancis attended the Chinese American Real Estate Professionals Association's  Installation / Christmas Dinner in Arcadia, CA. The dinner was wonderful and Philip Hsu was installed as the new 2010 President.

November 30, 2009
LeFrancis met with members of the CAR Executive Committee, Regional Chairs and the leadership of the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee at the airport Hilton in Los Angeles,. He will serve as the 2010 Housing Committee Chair and SPF at-large committee member. 

November 24, 2009
LeFrancis celebrated his 57th birthday.  Happy Birthday, LeFrancis!

November 20, 2009
LeFrancis attended Rancho Southeast AOR 's Installation of Officers. This wonderful event was held on the historic ocean liner, the Queen Mary located in Long Beach, CA where Alex Torres was installed as 2010 President.  Attorney Gov Hutchinson, from CAR, gave Rancho Southeast members an update on new State of California regulations.

November 12-15, 2009
NAR REALTORS® Conference and Expo, San Diego, CA.:
Thursday, LeFrancis attended NAR's Installation of Officers where Vickie Cox Goldberg was installed as NAR President 2011at the San Diego Convention Center. 

Friday he attended an NAR committee meeting on Federal Housing Policy.  They discussed FHA and VA conditions plus other relevant issues important to the committee.   

Saturday he attended the Golden "R" Reception at the San Diego Marriot Hotel.  Sunday, he wound down the conference by attending Region 13's Caucus.

November 7, 2009
On Saturday, LeFrancis attended West San Gabriel Valley AOR's International Fair mixer. A variety of foods were prepared from all over the world and the dishes were wonderful.

October 6 - 10, 2009
CAR Business Meetings, San Jose, CA
LeFrancis was busy working and campaigning at the San Jose CAR Business Meetings. He was the first candidate to have a campaign booth at the CAR Trade Expo, he hosted a Champagne and Ice Cream social, and he visited 25 Regional Caucasus during the CAR Director's Meetings.

September 24-25, 2009
 LeFrancis traveled to Washington D.C. for 2 receptions at the Washington D.C. NAR building where he spoke with Congressional members about their support for the First-Time Homebuyers Tax Credit extension. He also attended other events, where he was again able to meet with Congressional members. Since all the members of Congress he met with were supportive, LeFrancis feels very confident that we will get the extension of this tax credit.

September 23, 2009
On September 23, 2009, LeFrancis met with the SPF Sub-Committee at the Los Angeles CAR building on 5th and Virgil.  The purpose of this sub-committee, chaired by Past President Bob Kulick, was to review CAR's investment policy. The meeting started about 9:30am and the CAR current policy was reviewed. The committee got a great start on the issue. LeFrancis was excused to leave after lunch in order to catch a 2:30 pm flight from Los Angeles to Washington D.C.

September 22, 2009
LeFrancis met with members of the CAR Executive Committee, Regional Chairs and the leadership of Strategic Planning and Finance Committee at the Sheraton Gateway in Los Angeles. The main purpose of the meeting was to review the budget presented by SPF on the Budget Augmentations approved for 2010. The meeting was chaired by President Jim Liptak and the budget was debated just like it is done in the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee meeting. All of the augmentations submitted by SPF were approved by the CAR Executive Committee.

August 20-21, 2009
On Thursday and Friday, August 20th and 21st, LeFrancis met with CAR's Strategic Planning and Finance Committee for two exciting days at the Marriott Hotel in Burbank, CA. The meeting was chaired by the current Treasurer, Beth Summer Peerce, and was attended by SPF Committee members. President Jim Liptak and President-Elect Steve Goddard were there for the entire meeting. The main topics evolved around the Annual Budget Augmentation for 2010. The budget was debated in its entirety, by the leadership and the members, and the meeting was effective.

August 12, 2009
On Wednesday, August 12, 2009, J.R. Rouse released the official facebook page for LeFrancis  Arnold's 2011 President-Elect Campaign for the California Association of REALTORS®.

CAR sent an email out to close to 900 Directors and Association Executives announcing LeFrancis' candidacy.  The response has been overwhelming.  REALTORS® from across the State are emailing us with their testimonials, asking us to add their names as supporters, and signing up to become a fan of LeFrancis on facebook.

August 10, 2009
On Monday, August 10, 2009, the campaign announced the official website release for LeFrancis  Arnold's 2011 President-Elect Campaign for the California Association of REALTORS®. You can submit a testimonial from the Testimonial page or add your name to the list on the Supporter page.

July 27, 2009
LeFrancis met with Region 17 Directors on Monday, July 27, 2009, in Beverly Hills, California to promote his campaign for CAR President-Elect 2011. Region 17 includes Beverly Hills/Greater Los Angeles, Malibu, and Los Angeles Southwest AORs. He would like to thank Regional Chair Pauline Knight and all of the Region 17 Directors for the invitation to speak at their meeting.

July 23, 2009
  LeFrancis attended the Annual Malibu AOR Beach Party at the beautiful Malibu Beach Club.  AE Susan Manner and President William Bowling were great hosts. The weather, about 70 degrees around 5:00 pm, was fabulous on a slightly-overcast day. What a beautiful summer day for a party.  Read newsletter article

July 9, 2009
LeFrancis left Los Angeles on Thursday, July 9th, at 6:00 am traveling north to beautiful Fresno, CA to meet with Region 12 representatives to discuss his candidacy for President-Elect 2011 for CAR and garner support for a regional endorsement. Many of his friends and supporters were there and he looks forward to getting their endorsement. Region 12 includes Bakersfield, Fresno, Kern River-Lake Isabella, Kings County, Madera, Orange Belt, Tehachapi Area, Tulare County, and Yosemite Gateway.

June 24, 2009
LeFrancis traveled to Bank of America headquarters, San Francisco, CA on Wednesday, June 24th, to meet with and discuss Foreclosure Prevention and Loss Mitigation initiatives relating to all B of A affiliates (Countrywide, Merrill Lynch, Wilshire, HLS, etc) with other members of California Reinvestment Coalition. He attended, on behalf of the Multicultural Real Estate Alliance as a BOD member, to specifically address issues on short sale approvals, the acceptance of REO offers, REO listings being given to offices within the community of the property, and loan modification approvals being done in a timely manner. Allen Jones (Loss Mitigation), Andrew Pleppler, and Al Arguello, all from Bank of America, attended the meeting.