REALTOR® WEEKLY UPDATE

Weekly Update on PGPCNPREALTORS.com

January 15th, 2009

To view archive editions, please click HERE.

Breaking News!

What is your Economic Future? – Don’t Miss "Wall Street, Washington, Real Estate and the Economy" – FREE - February 12^th 9am-11am - This timely and important seminar, sponsored by Stewart Title, will feature Nationally Recognized Speaker and Economist Dr. Ted Jones, Chief Economist of Stewart Title. Dr. Jones is the Director of Investor Relations for Stewart Information Services Corporation and Senior Vice President-Chief Economist for Stewart Title Guaranty Company.  He addresses the information needs of stockholders, conducts on-going research and supports economic and financial analysis for the company and its customers. Prior to joining Stewart he served as chief economist at Texas A&M University’s Real Estate Center, the nation’s largest publicly funded real estate research group.  Before that, he authored and taught the valuation and appraisal section of the Bachelor of Commerce in Valuation and Property Management at Lincoln College, University of Canterbury near Christchurch, New Zealand.  You do not want to miss this unique opportunity to hear from an internationally recognized real estate expert. Please RSVP to David-Logan@comcast.net to reserve a seat today!

2009 Social Events – The Association Business Partner Committee invites you to come join the Association's Members and Business Partners for a time of Networking Fun. Enjoy FREE APPETIZERS, DRAWINGS, DOOR PRIZES, and SOCIALIZING. Do not miss out on the opportunity to mingle with fellow REALTORS and Business Partners. Expand your social network and increase your business opportunities. January 27^th 5:30pm at Visani’s, please RSVP to David-Logan@comcast.net. Keep an eye out for a social event on the 4^th Tuesday of each month.

Last Week’s Winner!!

Maura Riou   - $25 gift card to Outback Steakhouse, please email or call (235-2265) to receive your prize compliments of Dawn Cash and Debbie Guzman of All Phase Insurance. All Phase Insurance would like to thank the local REALTOR® community for their support and is looking to provide you the best in local service for 2009. Remember, you can't win unless you enter and it only takes a few seconds. See below for this week's drawing compliments of Lambert & O'Neill, Inc, who doesn’t enjoy a FREE MEAL?

Weekly Update Drawing

Business Sponsor: Lambert & O'Neill, Inc - www.lambertandoneill.com

Please click HERE to be entered in a drawing to win a $25 Olive Garden Gift Card compliments of Lambert & O’Neill. Lambert & O'Neill is a local Builder/Remodeler, with years of experience in Residential and Commercial, New and Remodeling Construction.   They also specialize in Hurricane Shutter/Impact Window Protection, Mold Remediation with Clearance Certification, and Waterproofing for the aftermarket.  They are a Registered Certifying Agent and Members of the Florida Green Building Coalition, emphasizing the practice of energy conservation as they build their final product.  
Many of our Association Members are clients of Lambert & O'Neill both before and after Charley.  Lambert & O'Neill restored the PG/PC/NP Realtors Association, Inc. building and was the Contractor for the 2007 renovation of facilities on the building.  The company has placed strong emphasis on a need by our Realtors to prepare distressed and incomplete properties for the marketplace.  Uncompromising quality, on time delivery, and attention to detail in all their projects has earned them the successful reputation they enjoy. Visit them at www.lambertandoneill.com  or call toll free 877-463-1640.  No project is too small for their interest.

From the President’s Desk

Bill Dryburgh, President

REALTORS®,
If you missed yesterday’s General Membership then you missed a very important SNEAK PREVIEW. Mid Florida MLS has just entered into an agreement with www.realbiz360.com to provide unlimited virtual tours for only $5.00 per month!! This unbelievable member benefit could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year and is just one more way that our MLS is providing us world class service and helping us turn listings into closings. We also announced that Mid Florida’s new public website (which you saw first at our October meeting) is getting more than 1.5 MILLION hits per month. These hits represent prospective buyers who are seeing YOUR LISTINGS! As if this is not enough, we learned that very soon you will be able to access important demographic tracking data and see what kind of people are clicking on your individual listings. This will help you focus your marketing and narrow down your targets, again SAVING YOU MONEY. If you have not checked out these unbelievable new tools, try clicking on www.realbiz360.com to see a sample virtual tour or visit Mid Florida’s public website www.myfloridahomesmls.com to see how your MLS is working for you. Members also took advantage of the document shredding truck, shredding over 10,000 pounds of sensitive papers and we were one of the first associations in the State to hear about NAR’s newest REALTOR® Green Designation. Make sure you don’t miss any more General Membership Meetings, because you never know what may happen.

Education Corner

Need your 14 Hour License Renewal including CORE LAW? - Our Association will be hosting the 14 Hour License Renewal course on February 26^th & 27th and August 26^th & 27^th this year. This 4 session course will meet your 14 hour license requirement including CORE LAW and QUADRENNIAL ETHICS. Course can be taken in full or each session al la carte. Classes will be FREE to anyone who signs up for the Education Passport with their dues. Non Passport holders will pay $15 per session or $60 for the entire 14 hour course. Please email David-Logan@comcast.net to reserve a space today. ***Remember that January 1^st 2009 begins a new Ethics Cycle, all 14 hour courses held at our Association will include the new required Ethics course, don’t wait until the last minute, get your ethics requirement out of the way***

FREE e-PRO SEMINAR March 10^th 1pm - Have you ever been interested in a REALTOR® designation, but had questions or just want more information? Here is the perfect chance for you to check out the details in a relaxed setting. Our Association will be hosting a free 90 minute e-PRO workshop led by Mike Barnett, Vice-President of Technology for InternetCrusade®, where you can learn about the e-PRO designation, ask questions, and learn everything you need to know to put you on the path to e-PRO success. The e-PRO Workshop is free to attendees and covers the benefits of taking the online e-PRO certification course. It will also cover many beneficial technology tips you can apply right away. e-PRO is the only online technology certification course offered by the National Association of REALTORS and it’s NAR's fastest growing certification course. This is a no-obligation free seminar. At the e-PRO Workshop, attendees will also receive a $25 gift certificate to be used for enrolling into the online e-PRO course. All existing e-PROs (and those currently enrolled in the course) who attend and bring a guest will receive an e-PRO pin ($25 value). e-PRO is recognized for elective credit in the designation requirements for CRS, ABR, and CIPS designations. This unique opportunity has limited seating, please click HERE to register today or call 866-377-6627.

Know your Contracts - Do you know what each paragraph in a sales contract means? "Your knowledge of the contract protects the buyers, the sellers and you," says Nancy J. Riley, a Realtor for more than 30 years, 2007 FAR president and a member of the state's Taxation & Budget Reform Commission. She says “If you're not clear about a contract, talk with your broker or take classes through your local association”. The next Contract Class is available locally on January 26^th, click HERE for details. Click HERE for more from Nancy Riley on video.

Making the most of your Mid-Florida Membership? Sign up for additional FREE training and unlock the tools to help you succeed! See the list of FREE Mid-Florida educational opportunities. Courses include “Design Web Page”, “iMapp: interactive tax and mailing labels”, “Tools: MongoFax, RatePlug, ShowingTime and MLX Wireless ”, “Creating a Professional CMA”, and “MLXChange Advanced”. Most classes are HANDS ON with laptops provided. This additional training is included in your Mid Florida membership, so do not miss out on these opportunities. Click HERE for class schedule, additional details and to reserve a seat. There are still spaces available for December classes; sign up soon seating is limited.

Nationally renowned “Mastering Real Estate Marketing and Technology Workshop” is coming to Sarasota - Learn why top producing agents across America are hailing the Workshop as “The best real estate seminar they’ve ever attended.” Max Pigman, National Speaker and Vice-President of REALTOR.com^® will condense a lifetime of no nonsense, high impact real estate knowledge into one of the most valuable 3 hours of your real estate career for FREE. Click HERE for details.

Visit the Education Calendar for full course offering and details.

Where in the World is…

Women’s Council of REALTORS®

Meetings 1st Wednesday of each month 11:30am

Support WCR and have a chance to WIN IT BIG! Join us on a trip to the Seminole Casino on Saturday, January 31^st. Enjoy Blackjack, Live Poker, and Vegas Style Slots. $20 will get you a seat on the comfortable charter bus along with $5.00 in free play. Bus departs at 9am and returns at approximately 6:30pm. Please call Rose at 941-255-0377 for details or to sign up for this unique event. We look forward to seeing everyone at our next meeting at the Association headquarters on Wednesday, February 4^th at 11:30am. Please contact Linda Mazner with any questions or to RSVP.

Don’t miss the Caravan.

A Caravan is a great opportunity to showcase your listing, network with fellow Realtors®, get pricing opinions, and have a good time. No listing to show?…just come along for the ride!

Punta Gorda Caravan – 1st Thursday every month – 8:15am – Home Choice Real Estate - 6101 Duncan Rd. To have your listing included contact Mike no later than noon on the Tuesday prior to the caravan.

Port Charlotte Caravan – 3rd Thursday every month – 8:15am - PGPCNP Association Office. E-mail Karen Martin two days prior to the caravan date to have your listing included. Listings can also be faxed to Karen at 941-743-9023.

Market Watch

Fear you can’t qualify for loan? Worth a try - Qualifying for a mortgage is not as easy as it used to be. Still, mortgages are approved every day, even for homebuyers with less-than-sterling credit records. "If you have over a 580 [credit] score, you have a chance," says Marie Martin, a veteran broker with Mortgage Crafters in Brevard County. Read the full story HERE and do not forget to ask one of our local Business Partners who would love to help educate you about local lending rules and best practices.

Fannie Mae Bans Evictions of Renters - Mortgage finance company Fannie Mae said Tuesday it adopted a policy allowing renters to remain in their homes even if the landlord enters foreclosure. The new policy will also allow some residents to sign new leases while the property is up for sale. Read the full story HERE.

Is now the time to buy a house? The answer depends on many factors, but it's generally a resounding "yes" for first-time buyers. "I think that, if someone buys a home today and locks in a low-rate, long-term mortgage, they will be glad they did 10 years from now," says Chris Toadvine, a certified financial planner and president of the Financial Planning Association of Central Florida. For the full story click HERE

ONLINE SHOPPERS NEED YOU - Home shopping alone - without the help of a professional even when online - can become a huge handicap for home buyers. Here are four reasons:
1. Late information. Shoppers who limit themselves to only looking at real estate Web sites will overlook some very good properties, possibly one that is perfect for them, and they won't get up-to-the minute information.
2. Fake listings. Web operators sometimes try to collect page views with fake listings to pump up their advertising returns, and that wastes the time of real home shoppers. It's also frustrating for shoppers to find an interesting home that's not available.
3. Questionable information. Home value Web sites only go so far. Sites like Zillow.com and Cyberhomes.com put prices out there that may or may not be an accurate reflection of neighborhood or housing value. Working with a professional means the buyer gets the benefit of a broader range of knowledgeable resources.
4. Process help. Once a home shopper has found a property, working with a pro means they'll follow the right path to close the deal. For anyone except experienced investors, going it totally alone can be risky.
Source: US News & World Report, Matthew Badyk (01/07/09) © Copyright 2009 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688 

MLS TIP OF THE WEEK

Are You Listings Mapped Correctly? – Microsoft Virtual Earth TM generally does a good job of automatically geo-coding so that your listing will show up on the map, but it does not always know the exact location. This could pose an issue when fellow Realtors® use the polygon or the other mapping tools to do a very specific geographic search. A listing that is incorrectly mapped down the street or on the wrong side of the road could be left out in the search results, which could mean the loss of a potential buyer or comparable if using this tool for your CMA’s. Therefore, it is important that agents make sure that their listings are mapped properly. If you notice that your listing is in the wrong location, you can easily correct it. Please click HERE for detailed instructions on how to perform this very simple function directly from your MLS. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Gitzen

Please click HERE to visit Mid Florida’s website to view this month’s MLS News Headlines. This page is full of practical MLS tips which will help you to optimize your business and work smarter. Reading this page on a regular basis will keep you up-to-date on your MLS and help you get the most out of your Mid Florida Membership.

Real Estate Trivia

This Week’s Question

Last Week’s Question