REALTOR® WEEKLY UPDATE
Weekly Update on PGPCNPREALTORS.com
May 7th, 2009
Breaking News!
Short Sale TIP from FAR – Have you been hearing conflicting information regarding the complex issue of Short Sales? The Florida Association of REALTORS® has put together a simple resource which addresses some of the most common questions and frequent misunderstandings. Click HERE to download the Tips and Tools for Successful Short Sale Transactions.
***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. Tony will also be doing a very unique International Seminar on the morning of May 21st, see “Education Corner” below for details.
Last Week’s Winner
Bonnie W. Jones has won a $25 Publix Gift Card compliments of After A Disaster, Inc. We are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and we will respond to your call within 1-2 hours. Our technicians and support staff are certified by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification). So, if a disaster happens, we can help you get your life back in order as soon as possible. If you are need of our services please call Robin Lindecamp or Kevin Koch at 866-509-4561 or email Robin@aadisaster.com
From the President’s Desk
Karen Rolland, President
My Fellow REALTORS®/Members,
Our Association is honored to be hosting the 2009 REALTOR® District Conference right here in Punta Gorda on June 19th. This event will be unique in many ways: This is the first time that Charlotte County has hosted a joint REALTOR® District Conference and will be a unique opportunity to show off our area to REALTORS® from all over the State of Florida. Also, this is the first time that that District 13 and District 5 have come together for one event, encompassing all 12 local Associations from Manatee County all the way down to Marco Island.
The event will run from 9am – 4:30pm and include keynote speaker Dr. Paul Bishop, NAR’s Managing Director of Real Estate Research; we will also be hearing from Cynthia Shelton, President of the Florida Association of REALTORS® and her husband Michael Shelton, President of the Florida Chapter of CCIM. Legislative updates provided by John Sebree, FAR’s Vice President of Public Policy and legal updates from Randy Schwartz, FAR’s General Legal Counsel. For the commercial realtors, there will be a Commercial Roundtable moderated by our very own Maryann Mize and featuring commercial real estate experts Cynthia and Michael Shelton. We will have a trade show featuring local, state, and national vendors as well as hands on technology and wireless communication options. Education classes and breakout sessions will address many of the hot topics of the day, including Chinese Drywall, technology, short sales, legislative issues and much more. YES, there will be Prizes and Giveaways, including a Netbook Mini-Laptop and a Blackberry Storm (courtesy of our local Wireless Zone stores) as well as much more. You can download the conference flyer and registration form by clicking HERE, we have also set up a new email address that you can use to get more information, DistrictConference@gmail.com. In honor of the year 2009 member registration is only $20.09 and trade show booths for our Business Partners are only $75.00. Please feel free to email or call the Association at 941-629-8261 with any questions.
Education Corner
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.
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.
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
May 14th 8–10am St. Andrews South Golf Club, picked as “Readers Choice” best Private Golf Club in Charlotte County, will be holding an Open House EXCLUSIVELY BEING OFFERED TO REALTORS and their customers to showcase our fine facility. Realtors, bring your buyers to our Realtor open house on Thursday, May 14th. We believe your homebuyers would enjoy the benefits of a Social or Golf membership. St. Andrews South is located right in the heart of PGI at 1901 Deborah Dr, call 639-5261 Ext. 3 to RSVP. On Saturday, May 16th 10:00am to 2:00pm we encourage the general public to come join the fun and have a chance to win a free Initiation Fee. The Open House will include the following, free golf clinic, free cook out, and tours of the golf course. As a special prize join on May 16th, and receive one month of free golf.
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…..
The following agents can now be found at…
William Nelson – Five Star Realty
Catherine Fisher – A Clear Choice Realty
Market Watch
Short Sales: When is an Offer “Accepted”? - With distressed properties, there can be confusion about when the offer is "accepted." The seller is still the legal owner of the property in most cases, and must be the first to accept an offer. Yet the lender also must approve or agree to the transaction, since it’s being asked to take less than what’s owed on the mortgage. When the seller accepts an offer under these conditions and a contract is formed, the offer is "accepted," though it has at least one unresolved contingency: the lender’s approval of the short sale. For a full analysis, click HERE.
Commercial Real Estate – Many experts warn that the commercial real estate market is likely to be the next crisis. Thousands of commercial mortgages valued at hundreds of billions of dollars are approaching a renewal date. By some estimates, two out of every three loans will no longer meet the original conditions and won't be able to refinance. For the full story, click HERE.
Using the iPhone? - A new iPhone application will allow users to stand in front of a house and see a local map that includes homes' details and Zillow.com estimates of each home's estimated value. Using built-in GPS technology, the map will follow the user as he drives or walks. For the full story, click HERE.
Flood Insurance - The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 - 30 days from now. Since flood insurance takes 30 days to become effective after a homeowner applies, today marks Floridians last chance to get flood insurance by the June 1 debut. For the full story, click HERE.
MLS TIP OF THE WEEK
How to Retrieve Showing Information from Supra E-Key? – Would you like to know who has been visiting your listings? What about adding or editing a lockbox? You can manage your inventory and view who has been visiting your listings all at one simple location. www.supraekey.com. Click HERE for detailed instructions on how to manage your lockboxes.
Real Estate Trivia
This Week’s Question
Question: Can you identify the most expensive or least expensive real estate markets in the World? What countries or cities have the highest rental yields or sales prices?
Answer: Click HERE to see what real estate prices are around the world (please note that prices are in US $/square meter, divide by 10 to get approximate price per square foot)
Last Week’s Question
Question: How much do you understand the language of technology? Do you think that Bluetooth is a new dental procedure? Take the following quiz to test your knowledge of tech jargon.
Answer: Click HERE to test your tech jargon.