REALTOR® WEEKLY UPDATE
Weekly Update on PGPCNPREALTORS.com
April 23rd, 2009
To view this newsletter online, please click HERE.
Breaking News!
Business Partner Happy Hour Social – Tonight at TGIFriday’s in Murdock. 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. RSVP to David-Logan@comcast.net. Click HERE for address and directions.
“Come as you Were” Dance Party – April 25th 7pm, Do not miss this unique social event presented by your Association’s Special Events Committee to be held at the Punta Gorda Women’s Club. Food, Cash Bar, Prizes, DJ, and a lot of fun. $10 per person $15 per couple. Tickets can be purchased at the Association office or by emailing the Special Events Committee chairperson Bob “Fig” Newton.
***NEW CLASS*** - “Short Sales” & “FHA Update” – Join 2 time NAR Speaker of the Year Tony Macaluso for these two 90 minute seminars on May 21st from 1pm – 4:15. You do not want to miss a chance to hear the latest on Short Sales and FHA Lending. This is a unique opportunity that you do not want to miss. Free to Education Passport members and $20 for Non-Passport Members.
Build Business Using the New Tax Credit: Free Webinar - Free webinar on building business around the first-time home buyer tax credit. A real estate pro who has conducted a consumer seminar on the credit will talk about marketing and the director of the H&R Block Tax Institute will talk about accounting issues. Click HERE for details and to sign up to attend. Course will be Tuesday, April 28, at 3 p.m.
Unlock the Power of Microsoft Office - Our very popular Microsoft Classes will resume in May. Class topics include “Email Marketing and Contact Management with Outlook”, “Upgrading your Presentation with PowerPoint”, and “Design and Marketing with Word and Publisher”. All classes are taught by our very own Microsoft certified instructor Mary Tombs. Visit our Education Calendar for dates and times or email David-Logan@comcast.net to RSVP or with any questions. All classes are “hand on” and space is limited. Classes are FREE to Education Passport Members and $15 for Non-Passport Members.
From the President’s Desk
Karen Rolland, President
My Fellow REALTORS®/Members,
If you did not get a chance to attend the REALTOR® Town Hall Meeting this morning, then you missed an opportunity to hear about the wonderful things going on in our community. We heard from Howard Kunik Punta Gorda City Manager, Roger Baltz Charlotte County Administrator, Frank Desguin Charlotte County Property Appraiser, Steven Crowell North Port City Manager, and Maryann Mize of Charlotte State Bank. It was refreshing to hear some honest local information, directly from the source. Our City and County leaders are working very hard and we appreciate their time and effort to keep us all informed. These leaders are always happy to hear from our members and I have included all of their email addresses below:
I hope that you are taking advantage of all of the educational and social events that are taking place at your Association. There is a Business Partner Happy Hour tonight at TGIFridays, the REALTOR® Safety class tomorrow, a fantastic Dance Party on Saturday and many more events in the weeks and months to come. If you have any questions about the events above, call the Association office at 941-629-0518 or email David-Logan@comcast.net Our speakers this morning gave us solid evidence that things are looking up for our area, so get out, have some fun and keep selling more property!
Education Corner
"Empowerment Techniques for the Changing Face of Crime" with nationally recognized safety expert Andrew Wooten - April 24th at 1:30pm - 3 Hours CE Credit. Don’t be a victim! This seminar is designed to teach you how to take a proactive approach to safety and to help keep you safe. The seminar is broken into eight modules and the topics covered include: Introduction to Safety; Safety at the Office; Safety at Property Showings, Safety at Open Houses, Personal Safety at Home, Safety; On the Road, Crime Awareness & Prevention and Identity Theft Awareness. RSVP to david-logan@comcast.net – class is FREE for Education Passport Members, $15.00 for non passport holders. Refreshments provided by Bob Myers of Home Watch Group of SWFL or email bob@homewatchgroupswfl.com.
International Seminar - Expand your Business into the Global Market Place – May 21st 9am 3 Hours CE Credit. Learn how the Win and Serve the growing numbers of International Clientele who want to Buy or Sell Property in Florida. Presented by Mr. Tony Macaluso, winner of the International Instructor of the Year Award; the only instructor to win this National Association of REALTORS® coveted award twice. Course is presented in conjunction with the Association’s International Committee. You do not want to miss the opportunity to hear from Tony about the opportunities for international sales. RSVP to David-Logan@comcast.net , course is free to Education Passport Members and $20.00 for Non-Passport Members.
***NEW CLASS*** Digital Photography – Hands On – June 17th 9am – 11am. Bring your own camera and learn hands on from professional photographer Anthony Barbacane. Class Topics Include: Camera Functions, Creating Your Images, What to photograph, Lighting, Transferring Your Images to Your PC, Printing and Uploading Your Images. Email David-Logan@comcast.net to reserve your space today. Only 5 seats remaining! Course is FREE to Passport Members and $10 for Non-Passport Members.
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.
Upcoming Events
“Happy Hour” Social – April 23th 5:30pm at TGI Friday’s in Port Charlotte. The Association’s Business Partner Committee invites you to come join the 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, have some wonderful food, expand your social network and increase your business opportunities. RSVP to David-Logan@comcast.net. Click HERE for address and directions.
Cinco de Mayo (that’s May 5th for those of us who do not speak Spanish). Stop by the Association headquarters for a couple “happy hours” of food, drink, and fun from 4pm – 6pm. Keep an eye out for more details.
Save the Date: JUNE 19th, 2009 – Please reserve Friday June 19th, 2009 for the Florida Association of REALTORS® District Conference and Trade Show which will be held at the Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center right here in PUNTA GORDA for the first time ever. This event will include FAR Districts 13 and 5, representing 11 local associations from Marco Island to Manatee County along with REALTORS® from around the State and Country. Keep an eye out for more details and do not miss the unbelievable opportunity right here in our back yard!
Where in the World Is…..
Kenneth Poirier – Sun Realty
Mary McIsaac – Century 21 Aztec
Jason Boehm – Re/Max Harbor
Women’s Council of REALTORS®
Meetings 1st Wednesday of each month 11:30am
We have so many fantastic speakers at our monthly luncheons each of whom brings something to our members that they can use in their everyday business. Our next regular luncheon will be Wednesday, May 6th with guest speaker Paul Lioon, chairman of the Florida Bankers Association’s Trust, Asset Management and Private Banking Division. Paul will be speaking on the benefits of Wills and Trusts. WCR will also be having a District V Forum in Fort Myers at Paseo on May 21st with national renowned speaker Steve Ornicki, luncheon, and trade show for only $25! Looking forward to seeing our members and affiliates attend. Finally, on May 14th-17th we have the National Association of REALTORS® Convention where our Chapter will be receiving the 2008 Gold Excellence Award from Women’s Council and attending many learning seminars and networking. Please contact Linda Mazner with any questions or to RSVP.
Market Watch
FLORIDA ANALYZES CHINESE DRYWALL - How can you tell if a listing has Chinese drywall? It's a simple question without a simple answer. The Florida Department of Health has a Web site section devoted to the problem, however, and it updates information as it comes in. Since it helps to understand what kind of damage tainted Chinese drywall can cause, one section, "Case Definition with Pictures," includes photos of mirrors, pictures, pipes and other household items impacted by the drywall. The Web site also explains how the state plans to deal with the problem and includes details on how to file a complaint. For more info, visit the site HERE.
Commercial Real Estate – Senior real estate executives believe commercial market conditions are getting better even though they eroded a bit in the second quarter, according to the latest Real Estate Roundtable Sentiment Survey. For the full story, click HERE.
International Real Estate - Panama City Realtor Hope Abbott's first trip to China gave her a new business niche working with the world's fastest-growing economy. Some Chinese investors wanted second homes, Abbott says, while others want property they can visit or for children who are attending an American university. For the full story, click HERE.
RECOVERY ON THE WAY? Housing Predictor - which monitors over 250 residential property markets nationwide - says Florida appears to be emerging from the realty slump before any other state, including California. The Sunshine State is seeing population growth, and single-family home and condominium sales have been on the rise for more than six months. Foreclosures and short sales presently account for approximately 67 percent of all sales and often are not included in real estate agents' tallies. Additionally, banks in many Florida housing markets are cranking out more home loans, and sellers finance almost 20 percent of all sales. Source: First
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MLS TIP OF THE WEEK
Saved Search Default Settings – Do you know how to access, change, and/or update the default search settings in MLXchange? For detailed instructions, click HERE. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Tombs at mgitzen@comcast.net.
MLS Webinars Available - Did you miss the RealBiz360 Webinar, you can view a recorded version by clicking HERE. Webinars are also available on VOW’s as well as MyFloridaHomesMLS.com public site. New and existing members are able to take the required MLS Basic and Entering & Updating courses online. This is an opportunity for existing members to refresh their MLS skills. All courses are free and available at MFR MLS UNIVERSITY by clicking HERE, more advanced MLS courses will be coming to webinar format in the future.
Real Estate Trivia
This Week’s Question
Question: A place name is used to identify a community, city, town, or location. Local place names would be areas such as Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, North Port, Murdock, Burt Store, Charlotte Harbor, etc. What is the longest place name in the United States, also can you name the longest place name in the world?
Answer: Lake Chaubunagungamaug in Massachusetts is the longest place name in the U.S. and the Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch is the longest place name in the world (yes those are real names).
Last Week’s Question
Question: April 14th and 15th, 2009 were the Great American REALTOR® Days in Tallahassee. Do you know what these days are for and why they should be important to you?
Answer: Click HERE to find out what FAR’s Legislative Team is working toward on your behalf. For more important legislative news, click HERE.