REALTOR® WEEKLY UPDATE
Weekly Update on PGPCNPREALTORS.com
September 17th, 2009
To view archive editions, please click HERE.
Breaking News!
GOLF TOURNAMENT DATE CHANGED – Did you miss the opportunity to sign up for the Golf Tournament? Would you rather play when the weather is cooler? The GOOD NEWS is that our Golf Tournament has been moved from September 12th to November 7th at Kingsway Country Club. The Association of REALTORS® 3rd Annual Golf Tournament to support our High School Scholarship Fund. This is a great opportunity to hit the links for a good cause and enjoy a day on one of Southwest Florida’s most beautiful courses. Please email David-Logan@comcast.net for more details. Team slots and sponsorship opportunities are still available.
Interested in GRI, how does HALF PRICE SOUND? Do not miss out on this LIMITED TIME OFFER, ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT! FAR is offering for a SHORT TIME only, the GRI 1 on-line for half price ($150 rather than $300). The Online format means that you have 90 days to complete the course, work at your own pace, attend from home, office, boat, poolside or anywhere you can get an internet connection. Course also counts for 11 Hours of CE Specialty Credit (everything except core law) OR 45 Sales Post-License credit. This is an amazing opportunity that should not be passed up! Also, our Association will be providing the opportunity for all on-line participants to engage in an on-line user group which will meet to discuss questions that you may have and hear from special guest speakers who will help combine the on-line content with real-world experience. Email David-Logan@comcast.net for details.
September General Membership Meeting – Mark your calendars for September 25th 12pm, our next General Membership Meeting here at the Association of REALTORS®. Come enjoy a Free Lunch from Wood Street Grill generously provided by Brian Chapman of State Farm Insurance and drinks by Patriot Self Storage. We will be given a demonstration of the brand new Blue Dasher program which will be an added available feature in the MLS, giving you the opportunity to take a virtual driving tour of our area and see a listing’s neighborhood before you drive out to see it in person. Also there will be some exciting information on new benefits provided by your Association. You do not want to miss this meeting. Due to the catered lunch an RSVP is required, email Linda Pizarro at l.pizarro@comcast.net today to reserve your seat.
Space is still available for today’s FREE BlackBerry/SmartPhone Advanced Class – Our next FREE BlackBerry/SmartPhone course will be offered on September 17th from 1-2:30pm courtesy of our local partners at Verizon Wireless Zone. This course will focus on phone applications and features and will be a great opportunity to learn how to maximize the use of your existing phone. Presenters will also have an assortment of phones on hand to demonstrate various features and will be glad to help you with individual problems and questions. If you are looking to purchase a smart phone in the future, this is a great opportunity to see an assortment of options before you purchase. Also, if you have a BlackBerry, our local Verizon Wireless Zone partners have developed an FREE App which will take you directly to MFR’s MLS site without having to open your web browser and type in the address. To get this FREE App, email Chris Pizzolato at chrispizzolato@yahoo.com
This week’s drawing – After a disaster, inc
Click HERE for a chance to win a $25 Gas Card, compliments of After A Disaster. A FLOOD...backed-up sewer… whatever the water disaster, all the victims want is to turn things around and get back to normal fast. But who to call? Who to trust to get the job done right? We have the expertise and experience to pump out the water, dry the property thoroughly and clean up the mess quickly and efficiently. We offer these advantages:
· FAST EMERGENCY RESPONSE
· POWERFUL DRYING EQUIPMENT
· EXPERT TREATMENT OF WATER-EXPOSED CONTENTS
· THOROUGH DRYING AND MOLD PREVENTION
Night or Day, 24 - Hour Service Call Robin or Kevin at 866-509-4561 or visit our website at www.aadisaster.com
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK!!
Karen Rolland, President
My fellow REALTORS® and Members,
What a great week this has been so far! I hope yours has been filled with customers, new business, and time with friends and family. Things are picking up, our community is getting some well deserved recognition, we have a new botanical garden in the works, new restaurants….hey it is all good. I hope you are making the most of the good news!
If you didn’t receive the email or don’t subscribe to the Early Bird News on Florida REALTOR®, you may not know about the recent Call to Action regarding the extension of the 1st Time Homebuyer Credit and proposed increase to $15K. PLEASE respond to this call to action. CLICK HERE TO RESPOND. It takes less than a minute and it will be great for not only our immediate area but for the country in helping to boost real estate activity. I know that we have seen a lot of negative publicity about the availability of the funds to our area but please keep in mind that we need to keep our industry moving. We may not feel the immediate relief, but if folks can sell their homes up north to first time buyers, it will free up funds for them to retire or move elsewhere, hopefully here. NAR and FAR have done wonderful things in getting legislation passed to help each of us make a living. Every time you ignore a call to action, you are putting a nail in your coffin as a REALTOR® so PLEASE pay attention to those notices and take a minute to respond and think about what you are doing to preserve your career in real estate. You have heard a lot about RPAC and many still believe it is just a political thing….it is political, but it is also an investment in your own future. If you haven’t invested in RPAC in the past because you just thought it was a political slush fund, please revisit the issue; RPAC is what keeps our careers safe. Without RPAC, banks would now be in the real estate sales business and not just for Bank Owned properties. Think about it and visit www.NAR.org to learn more about what RPAC has done for you in the past year. Times have been tough and money is scarce but if we don’t preserve our rights, we won’t have a job. Enough said!
Have a great week and stay positive. We are almost out of hurricane season (I am an eternal optimist), activity is picking up, and we have a great General Membership Meeting coming up next week! Hope to see you there!
Education Corner
FREE E-PRO SEMINAR: Tuesday, November 3rd 1pm – 2:30pm. The rules of business are changing, especially in the real estate industry. NAR’s e-PRO® Certification Program is designed to help REALTORS® thrive in the exciting and rewarding world of online real estate. The Program provides the insight needed for you to remain at the forefront of the online real estate industry. Learn: Options and requirements to Get Connected, Best practices for e-mail communication and online Marketing and How to create and maintain your Internet Marketing and Practices Plan. Don't miss this FREE e-PRO® Workshop with Certified e-PRO® Trainer Steven Seidenberg. At this workshop, he will give you a number of technology tips you can put to use right away to help differentiate yourself from the competition. Register Now! Seating is Limited! To register, simply visit http://ePROworkshop.InternetCrusade.com or call toll free 1-866-ePRONAR (1-866-377-6627). Attendees will also have the opportunity to take advantage of the $60 discount for enrolling into the online e-PRO® course. All existing e-PRO®s (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 (Certified Residential Specialist), ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), and CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist).
Market to the World on a Shoestring Budget: Come experience how you can reach out to the world on a shoestring budget with technology expert Barry Grooms. Topics include Web 2.0, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogging, Postlets, Listing Syndication, and Google for Grownups. October 22nd 9am – 12pm. Class is FREE to education passport members and $15.00 for non-passport members. RSVP to david-logan@comcast.net to register.
FREE Hands-On MLS Training! Courses include “Design Web Page & Capture Leads”, “iMapp: interactive tax and mailing labels”, “Tools: MongoFax, RatePlug, ShowingTime and MLX Wireless”, “Creating a Professional CMA”, and “MLXChange Advanced” and more. Classes are HANDS ON with laptops provided. Click HERE for class schedule, additional details and to reserve a seat, space is limited!
Looking to Improve your Public Speaking or Leadership Skills? - Come join us for our next meeting of Toastmasters International on Wednesday 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. The club is open to REALTORS® and Non-REALTORS®, so invite your friends, neighbors, or co-workers. You will have the opportunity to see what a meeting is like and discover how Toastmasters can help improve your communication and leadership skills and network with other professionals. Remember, 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
Attracting international buyers
Falling property prices in the US and a weaker dollar are attracting investors from Italy, which has largely escaped the housing bubble collapses other parts of Europe have experienced. Sorgente Group, which operates property investment funds, says it is trying to persuade Aegon, the Dutch insurer, to sell San Francisco’s Transamerica Pyramid, Valter Mainetti, chief executive of Sorgente, said. Sorgente, based in Rome, this year bought a 53 per cent stake in New York’s Flatiron building. Mr Mainetti said: “There are good opportunities in the US. Prices are falling”. But he said he was happy to wait, predicting that the dollar would fall further to $1.45 to the euro by the end of the year. Sorgente, which traces its origins to the 19th century, last month beat a Libyan sovereign wealth fund to buy the Galleria Sordi shopping mall in central Rome for €180m ($256m). But opportunities to buy historic and “trophy” properties in Rome or even new developments are limited. Click HERE for the rest of the story.
Where in the World Is…..
The following agents can now be found at…
Monroe Haltaman – Allison James Estates and Homes
Mike Federau - RE/MAX Anchor Realty
Curt Mellon - RE/MAX Anchor Realty
Greg Loomis - Anderson & Associates
Brad Bishop - Jill Brouwer Realty
Leann Croke - RE/MAX Anchor Realty
Evelyn Eckhardt - O’Connor Realty
Market Watch
IRS to Ease Commercial Mortgage Refinancing - The IRS issued new rules Tuesday designed to make it easier to refinance some commercial real estate loans in an effort to curb the number of defaults. The rules would allow commercial loans that are part of investment pools known as Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduits, or REMICs, to be refinanced without triggering tax penalties for investors. For the full story, click HERE.
Florida and Texas have Highest Closing Costs - Home prices may be falling in Florida, but buyers still have to fork over more cash than those in every state but one to close a deal, according to a study from Bankrate.com. Only Texas charges more in origination, title and closing costs than Florida, the study shows. Buyers of Florida homes are charged an average of $3,368. In Texas, it’s $3,655. The figures are based on a $200,000 mortgage. “Consumers need to keep a lookout for the standard fees when figuring out the true cost of their new home,” said Holden Lewis, senior reporter with Bankrate.com. “Even as the average closing costs go down across the nation, some of these surprise costs can make your new home deal more expensive than you initially thought.” Read the full story and find more information by clicking HERE.
Landlords Find Creative Ways to Fill Retail Spaces - Census Bureau data shows that the median size of a new single-family home in the United States shrank to 2,215 square feet in 2008 from 2,277 square feet the year before. The change represents the first decrease in median size in almost 14 years, as single-family housing had been growing larger on a consistent basis since 1991. “That’s reflective of the economy back then: the stock market, the egos, people trying to compete with their neighbors and people trying to keep up with the Joneses,” according to Cindy Ariosa, an executive for the Baltimore and Southern Pennsylvania division of Long & Foster. In recent years, however, the implosion in the residential property market has steered more buyers toward smaller homes. “When the economy is weak, unemployment is high, income gain is slower or nonexistent, people tend to focus on simpler things, less expensive things,” explains American Institute of Architects chief economist Kermit Baker. In addition, the sales market is being driven largely by first-time homebuyers, who lean toward townhouses and other smaller properties. Moreover, many of today’s consumers see smaller homes as a good fit with their environmental and ecological values. In response to the trend toward less space, nearly nine of 10 builders polled by the National Association of Home Builders are erecting smaller units. Source: Baltimore Sun (09/08/09) Cho, Hanah © Copyright 2009 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688
Real estate trivia
This Week’s Question
Question: Have you ever wondered where to find some really interesting pictures of real estate signs? What is the funniest, worst, or most interesting sign that you have ever seen?
Answer: click HERE to check out some very interesting real estate signs and advertisements.
Last Week’s Question
Question: You may know that the World’s Largest Homes are measured in hundreds of thousands of square feet, but do you know about the World’s Smallest Home? This quaint residence measures less than 100 square feet total and includes a built in desk and fireplace in the main room; a kitchen; wet bath; and a loft upstairs
Answer: click HERE to check out the pictures and details of this truly TINY home.