REALTOR® WEEKLY UPDATE

Weekly Update on PGPCNPREALTORS.com

June 4th, 2009

To Viewarchive editions, please click HERE.

Breaking News!

REALTOR® District Conference – June 19^th 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 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.

New CE Class “Providing Alternative Means of Financing” - 3 Hours CE Credit, June 12^th 9:30am-12:30pm. Allan Roth will discuss 401k, IRA-LLC, 1031 Exchange and 1031 Rescue options for financing. Allan teaches property owners and investors to leverage capital gains deferral tax strategies and techniques to invest in real estate. Learn about tax advantaged strategies which enable your clients to infuse capital from their retirement plans to purchase investment properties. For more information, click HERE. RSVP to David-Logan@comcast.net to reserve your space today. Class is FREE to Education Passport Members or $15 for non-passport members.

Professional Portraits – June 17^th 12-3pm. This is a product specifically tailored to the needs of Realtors at a discounted price ($59.95). This is NOT a mug shot. You will receive:

A PROFESSIONAL portrait session

A minimum of 10 digital images

One digitally re-touched image

Re-touched images is cropped and sized for your business cards, website and printed marketing materials

Re-touched image comes to you via e-mail within 48 hours of your selection

Full rights to use of images belong to YOU

Sample portraits can be viewed at: http://www.anthonybarbacane.com/index.php?pr=PhotoAlbum1

Appointments are limited. To schedule yours today, please call or e-mail Anthony today at: abarbacane@gmail.com or 941.224.1246. Session will be held at the Association Office 3320 Loveland Blvd in Port Charlotte.

Last week’s winner!!

Rick Lundgren, Sr- $25 Gas Card compliments of After A Disaster, Inc. Flooding caused by a natural disaster must be extracted, cleaned up and dried immediately to avoid and mitigate any significant water damage to your property. After A Disaster, Inc. has been formally trained and certified to do water extraction and clean up. We understand what needs to be done to efficiently remove water, promote evaporation and dehumidification conditions to possibly restore floors, carpets, walls and insulation to mitigate damage. If you have any question, please call Robin Lindecamp at 1-866-509-4561 or email Robin@aadisaster.com you can also visit us on the web at http://www.aadisaster.com.

Business sponsor: ADAMS HOMES

Click HERE and answer the following two questions for a chance to win a $20 Carrabba’s Gift Cardcompliments of Adams Homes (all answers can be found at www.adamshomes.com) 1. What year was Adams Homes Founded? 2. In how many states does Adams Homes operate? For over 18 years, Adams Homes has perfected the expertise of creating quality homes. Using the best materials and employing experienced professionals, Adams Homes strives to deliver the best value to the home buyer. Whether you are a first time homebuyer or an "empty nester, Adams Homes is committed to building communities that exceed the expectations of today's homebuyer. Call us today for your new home. Call Lori Ann Mertens at Creekside Model 941-575-1476, Jeff Russell at Deep Creek Model 941-235-1963, John Girdis at North Port/Port Charlotte Model 941- 613-2240. We LOVE Realtors - Always have always will!

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK!!

Karen Rolland, President

My Fellow REALTORS®/Members,

I really want to thank the members who have been so generous with their time and talent to work on projects at the Association and for the various organizations (like WCR) and committees affiliated with the Association. We are on track with our strategic plan and our budget for the year and it is not just a coincidence! It has been a team effort with the Association Staff, Leadership, and the great volunteers we are so lucky to have.

I hope you are all planning to attend our District Conference on June 19th. The speaker schedule is starting to fall together and we are in the process of finalizing the details. It will be a great day, so plan to attend, even if it can only be for part of the day! We have 50 vendors signed up for the Trade Expo and will also have representatives from NAR and FAR in attendance, including the entire leadership team of FAR and the candidates for 2010. Many are coming in the night before to attend Gallery Walk and take advantage of our new hotels so we are very excited about showing off our little corner of the world and bringing some business to town in an otherwise slow season for those businesses.

Business has picked up for most of us but summer does tend to be a little slower so why not take advantage of the great learning opportunities being offered by your association and MFR? Get that designation you have been meaning to earn or maybe even get a head start on your business plan for next year? Have a great week and happy selling!

Education Corner

June 18^th – BlackBerry Seminar – The afternoon of June 18^th our Association will be hosting a FREE training opportunity with representatives from BlackBerry, courtesy of our local Wireless Zone stores. This representative will be here to demonstrate the various phone models and teach you to use some of the most popular features. Keep an eye out for specific details and a time. Email David-Logan@comcast.net if you are interested in attending.

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.

Toastmasters International is an organization devoted to helping you “Become the Speaker and Leader You Want to Be”. A new club is in the process of forming which will meet right here at our Association. Come join us for our next meeting on Wednesday, April 15^th from 7:30am – 8:45am, there is no cost to attend the meeting and you are not obligated to join, come see what this is all about. You will have the opportunity to see what a meeting is like and discover how Toastmasters can help improve your communication and leadership skills as well as become a charter member of this important addition to the area’s professional community. Good communication skills are the keys to success in business and real estate! For more details or to RSVP for the meeting, please email David-Logan@comcast.net you can read more about Toastmasters on the web at www.toastmasters.org

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.

Visit the Education Calendar for full course offering and details.

Where in the World Is…..

The following agents can now be found at…

Sheila Mellen – Sun Realty

upcoming events

“Happy Hour” Social at Madison’s Bar and Grill in the Port Charlotte Town Center Mall – June 23rd 5:30pm. 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.netclick HERE for a map and details.

Market Watch

Court says no exclusive cable rights in apartments- Cable companies cannot have exclusive rights to provide service in apartment buildings that they wire, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The decision from the Court of Appeals in Washington upholds a Federal Communications Commission ruling that banned the exclusive agreements as anticompetitive. For the full story, click HERE.

Study: Florida to Continue Growing – Migration – the movement of people into and out of a geographic area – impacts a state’s economy and real estate market. Because birth and death rates are usually low and stable, migration often accounts for the largest changes in population growth, decline and redistribution. Migration patterns have a big impact on real estate professionals, and Florida has one of the greatest levels of domestic migration. Florida’s total population was 18.3 million in 2008, and, according to the Census Bureau estimates, will reach 19.3 million by July 2010, and approximately 23.4 million by 2020. The Census Bureau estimates a 79 percent increase in total population between 2000 and 2030, ranking Florida third highest in projected population growth. Read the full story HERE.

Foreclosed Homes a Problem in Hurricane Season- LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (AP) – Mike Manikchand points toward his neighbors – a half-dozen empty, foreclosed-upon homes, sitting on weed-strewn yards – and he wonders: What will happen if a hurricane slams into southwest Florida this year? His simple answer: “A lot of these places will get destroyed.” Unoccupied, these homes would be defenseless in a storm; there will be no one to put up shutters, batten down garage doors and otherwise secure homes. But that’s not all. Nearby homes and their residents would also be at risk from wind-propelled debris. For the full story click HERE.

E-market yourself to corral new clients - Buyers begin their home search on the Internet, and sellers check out associates' Web sites to see how their homes will be promoted. So, an effective e-marketing strategy can pay big dividends. That means starting with the basics of goal-setting and budgeting - but it also involves "packaging" your Web site correctly and creating "microsites" that target markets, according to Dan Gooder Richard, a leading Internet consultant. Learn more as Gooder Richard gives rookie Jeff Porter (photo) an e-marketing makeover in this Florida Realtor magazine article.

MLS TIP OF THE WEEK

Would you like to make sure your Key Pad is updated for use on Fort Myers & Englewood Lockboxes?

If so, please email FalynRyan@comcast.net with the following information:

Name
State License number
Key pad number
4 Digit pin code

Once this is processed, we can get the information to the Cooperating Associations.

Real Estate Trivia

This Week’s Question

Question: Many of our members and residence relocated to Florida from other parts of the Country and around the World. How much do you know about Florida and its history?

Answer: Click HERE to take a short quiz and see how much you know about The Great State of Florida.

Last Week’s Question

Question: Do you ever wonder how members of the public perceive the language you use to describe a listing? Phrases such as “Motivated Sellers”, “Old Charmer”, or “Desirable Neighborhood” have been given humorous colloquial definitions by a group of college students.

Answer: Click HERE to see a list of many popular real estate phrases along with their humorous definition.