NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:                                       Contact: Heather Burke 562-243-5244

February 21, 2011                                                             or: Deb Shrider 714-990-6619

REALTOR^® OF THE YEAR LIKES TO RAISE THE ROOF!

The Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS^® (RSAOR) has announced that Heather Burke, GRI, ABR, SRES of Main Street REALTORS^® in Long Beach , was selected as the ‘2010 REALTOR^® of the Year’, the highest honor that the Association can bestow upon one of its members. Burke is being recognized for her outstanding contributions to the Association and in particular for her leadership and development of the ‘REALTORS^® for Roofs’ program.

‘REALTORS^® for Roofs’ is a RSAOR neighborhood revitalization program that provides free roofs to financially distressed City of Bellflower residents. “The American dream of homeownership is under attack from today’s economy. Financially distressed homeowners are often the reluctant origin of blighted neighborhoods because their homes have deferred maintenance,” noted Burke. “Their financial bind affects both the community, and the larger economy. The real estate trade-up market can’t grow if homeowners can’t afford to sell and move up, and blighted neighborhoods benefit no-one.”

The Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS^® is partnering with the City of Bellflower and local roofing companies to help homeowners replace their worn roof with a new one and hopes to eventually spearhead this program in other cities as well.

Homeowners interested qualifying as a candidate for this program can contact the Association at (562) 860-5656 for more information.

Burke serves on the 2011 Board of Directors at the Rancho Southeast Association of REALTORS^® and serves on the MLS Committee, the Membership & Education Committee and is a past chair and 2011 co-chair of the 2011 Housing Task Force. She is a member of the Southern California Multiple Listing (SoCalMLS) Steering & Technology Committee and she also attends the California Association of REALTORS^® meetings and serves as an active member (and 2005 Past Local Chapter President) of the Women's Council of REALTORS^® Long Beach/South Bay chapter. Burke recently completed training to become a Relocation Specialist and received her Short Sale Certification.

A busy REALTOR^® , Burke nonetheless finds time to spend with family, her dog Maggie, golf and her volunteer work at the Los Cerritos YMCA where she works hard fundraising for their "Kids to Camp" program. Burke and her husband are long time residents of Long Beach and also own a home in Palm Desert and they participate in charity events in the greater Long Beach and the Palm Desert area.

For information about the REALTOR^® of Year Award or the REALTORS^® for Roofs program contact Heather at 562-243-5244.