REALTOR® WEEKLY UPDATE
Weekly Update on PGPCNPREALTORS.com
May 21st, 2009
To view this newsletter online, please click HERE.
Breaking News!
REALTOR® District Conference – June 19th 2009 9am – 4:30pm. Featuring keynote speaker Dr. Paul Bishop, NAR’s Managing Director of Real Estate Research; Cynthia Shelton, President of the Florida Association of REALTORS® and 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. Commercial Roundtable moderated by our very own Maryann Mize and featuring commercial real estate experts Cynthia and Michael Shelton. 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. Prizes and Giveaways, including a Netbook Mini-Laptop and a Blackberry Storm (courtesy of our local Wireless Zone stores) as well as much more. Download the conference flyer and registration form by clicking HERE, or email DistrictConference@gmail.com for more information. Click HERE to pay online with PayPal. 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.
“Happy Hour” Social is Back in Punta Gorda! – May 26th 5:30pm at River City Grill. 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.
From the President’s Desk
Karen Rolland, President
My Fellow REALTORS®/Members,
In lieu of my normal letter this week you will be receiving, via a separate email, a summary of the meetings Cynthia Logan and I attended at the Mid Year Meetings in Washington D.C. last week. In our previous newsletter, I summarized what took place at the Real Estate Summit but the rest of the week, Cynthia and I spent our time trying to cover as many of the meetings as possible and we want to share that information with you. The overwhelming message was that we are nearing the end of the recession and that home prices are starting to stabilize in most parts of the country. From a technology standpoint, the key word was “Twitter”, and a close second was “Facebook”. If you haven’t checked either or both of them out, you may want to do so because it appears that the trend is heading that direction.
Be sure to mark your calendar for June 19, the joint District Conference of FAR Districts 5 and 13, for some great training and updates on legal issues important to Southwest Florida. Social networking is on the agenda as one of the workshops, among other great topics. It is only $20.09 (get it, 2009, $20.09?) and includes not only educational sessions but also an opportunity to meet FAR Leadership and the 2010 candidates for office, a super vendor expo, and FOOD. Breakfast and lunch will be provided as part of your registration. Register by June 1 and you will have a chance to win the latest in laptop technology, a NETBOOK PC! You can securely register via PayPal by going to the Association website at
On that note, please have a safe and happy Memorial Day and take time to thank our veterans and those who have sons, husbands, brothers who are currently serving our country. At the very least, please put up a prayer for them and fly your flag!
Education Corner
“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. Refreshments provided by Odette Embury of Calusa National Bank. You can email her at oembury@calusabank.com. There is still room available if you would like to attend, please RSVP to David-Logan@comcast.net.
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.
Where in the World Is…..
The following agents can now be found at…
Ed “Moe” Olson – Mapp Realty
Annie Rylke – Sandbill Realty Group
Welcome new members
Market Watch
Watch for Legal Traps with Distressed Sales - WASHINGTON – May 18, 2009 – Short sales and bank-owned properties represent one of the best opportunities to grow a real estate business today. Yet they can expose practitioners to legal liability if they’re not careful, legal experts said Wednesday at the 2009 Realtors® Midyear Legislative Meetings in Washington, D.C. Here are their tips for steering clear of trouble.For the full story, click HERE.
International Real Estate - According to recent research done for NAR, about 7.1 percent of potential overseas buyers surveyed would "definitely" or "possibly" consider a retirement location in the U.S. - which translates to a market of more than one million potential buyers. Experts say that Realtors with international clients should learn more about new visa categories that allow foreign nationals to gain U.S. residency. Read the full story HERE.
Mortgages at Risk if Insurance Ratings Lowered- The state’s property insurance troubles could imperil mortgages, and a pair of measures approved in the just-completed legislative session isn’t enough to solve the problem, according to industry and consumer groups. During a conference call Thursday, two weeks before the official start of hurricane season, representatives with the Florida Association of Insurance Agents and the Consumer Federation of the Southeast painted a bleak picture of the current property insurance market in the state and what might happen if a major storm hit. For more information, click HERE.
5 Ways to Increase Web traffic - As the Internet matures, a cutting-edge Web site is critical to business success. Errol Samuelson, president of Realtor.com, offered the following suggestions at NAR’s recent meetings:
1. Tailor your Web site. In a survey by Realtor.com, 80 percent of consumers said they prefer to work with a practitioner with a specialty, and a site should reflect that niche.
2. Make a call to action. Create banner ads that ask consumers to respond. A Realtor.com survey recently found that sale ads received the greatest response, such as: “Get my list of homes reduced by 10 – 30 percent.”
3. Help visitors understand the market. Especially when marketing to first-time buyers, Realtor.com found that consumers like reading about the current market and whether it is stabilizing. Buyers need assurance that this is the right time to buy.
4. Use social networking. Connect your Web site to Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Provide information that visitors can easily share with their online networks.
5. Get video. Web site visitors want to see properties in multimedia, including video. Affordable tech tools can help do this. The Flip video camera, for example, retails for about $100 and allows Realtors to easily capture and upload film.
Source: Realtor Magazine, Katie Tarbox
© 2009 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
REALTOR Benefits® - Lowe’s is pleased to announce new additions to the FREE Marketing tools available to NAR. Take advantage of personalized 10% off e-coupons that can be sent directly to your client’s inbox, absolutely free! Or choose to send out a Lowe’s 10% off direct mail coupon (now available in Spanish)! These and other great tools, including monthly e-newsletters featuring useful articles, tips and offers from Lowe’s are available to you at www.LowesRealtorBenefits.com.
Real Estate Trivia
This Week’s Question
Question: Are words like Twitter, Facebook, Blogosphere, and Delicious a foreign language to you? See how you can test your social media knowledge below.
Answer: Click HERE to take TMG’s Social Media Quiz
Last 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)