Weekly Update on PGPCNPREALTORS.com
October 29th, 2009
To view archive editions, please click HERE.
Breaking News!
October General Membership Meeting – We have another fantastic general membership meeting this month on October 30th at 11:15am (please note the earlier time). We will be hearing from author and financing expert Jason Kotar on the topic Home Buyers and Mortgages as well as getting information about the new One Smart Mover program. Free lunch provided by Kevin Graham of Integrity Risk Management and drinks provided by After A Disaster. You do not want to miss this opportunity. Please RSVP by emailing Linda Pizarro (l.pizarro@comcast.net)...RSVP is required.
FAR’s FREE Webinar Series: Your State Association has put together an excellent series of FREE webinar with nationally recognized experts and timely topics. These short seminars are a perfect opportunity to take advantage of excellent information from the comfort and convenience of your home, office, or anywhere you have internet access. The following webinars are available: “Commercial Distressed Properties: Opportunities & Solutions” featuring Alex Charfen, the CEO of the Distressed Property Institute and from the 2009 Broker/Manager Profitability series, “Thriving in the Economic Storm” featuring Robin Crow. Please click on the class title for more information along with a link to register. Do not miss these unique FREE opportunities and get the most out of your membership!
Microsoft Office 2007 Classes – You asked for them and now they are available! Our very own Microsoft Certified Trainer Mary Tombs will be presenting classes on Microsoft Office 2007 on the following dates (each class will be held from 9am-12pm) Outlook – Nov 5th; PowerPoint – Nov 10th; Excel – Nov 12th Each of these classes is FREE for Education Passport Members and $15 for Non-Passport holders. Space is limited, so sign up today to reserve your seat. Email David-Logan@comcast.net to RSVP or with additional questions. **Please note that attendees must bring their own laptop with Office 2007 as the Association’s computer lab has Office 2003** If you do not have a laptop with Office 2007, but would still like to attend, please email David Logan to see if something can be arranged.
New Professional Development Opportunities – email David-Logan@comcast.net for questions or to sign up. All Courses are FREE to Education Passport Members. Do not miss these opportunities to obtain the knowledge and learn the skills which will increase your business and earn more money!
Oct 30th 1pm Homebuyers & Mortgages (4 Hours CE Credit): Information that every homebuyer needs to know about issues regarding financing a home in today’s market!
Nov 3rd 1pm Free e-PRO Workshop: Learn about the NAR designation that sets you apart as knowledgeable and ready to use technology to increase your business, sign up HERE.
Nov 10th 12pm FREE Short Sales, Foreclosure & Bankruptcy Seminar: Hear from attorney Mark Martella about how to navigate the process and know the right terminology. FREE LUNCH!
Dec 3rd 1pm How to Increase Repeat and Referral Business: Hear Nationally Recognized Real Estate Educator Richard Flint and learn how to keep the clients coming back & increase referrals!
IMAPP Improvements – Have you been keeping track of IMAPP improvements, updates, and features, including the IMAPP Desktop Widget? Make sure you check out the IMAPP Newsletter which is a great resource for this incredible MLS Tool. Click HERE to see this Quarter’s Edition.
This week’s drawing – Sponsored by adams homes
Click HERE to be entered in a drawing to win a $20 Gift Certificate to Carrabbas compliments of Adams Homes.
ADAMS HOMES is now building all brick homes. They have gotten so many requests for brick in recent years, they decided to launch this in their Sarasota and Charlotte Counties Division. Pricing starts at $124,900 for the total brick home which includes all four sides of their homes. All pricing includes the homesites also. Adams Homes can build in Deep Creek, Creekside in Punta Gorda, North Port, Port Charlotte, Rotonda and South Gulf Cove. For more information of a rendering of one of our brick homes, call 941-423-8703. Or visit our website their www.adamshomes.com.
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK!!
Karen Rolland, President
My fellow REALTORS® and Members,
There was a meeting today with our incoming FAR President, Wendell Davis, and leadership representatives from District 5 and District 13. It was a great meeting. We had some time to socialize and exchange ideas and experiences we have had with Short Sales and Foreclosures within our collective associations. Once Wendell arrived, we talked about the importance of defeating Amendment 4 and of responding to the Call For Actions we all receive from FAR about issues affecting our industry. The long and the short of it is that we are all in this together and the importance of working together is more important than ever. It doesn’t matter what office you are part of or what political party you belong to, we all share the same frustrations and the same RISKS. Vote for the REALTOR party and support your industry. Most importantly, be careful out there and don’t give legal advice…
As we come closer to the end of the year, I have had the same question asked of me a number of times and that is ‘So are you glad it (my Presidency) is almost over?’ Honestly, I have to say that I am not. I have really enjoyed being your President this year. Has it been a lot of work? Sure, but not that bad. The benefits have far outweighed the time required and I am happy to have had the opportunity. I have learned a lot, met a bunch of really great people (too many to mention!), have seen first-hand what a great association we have, and have had a lot of fun. Not that we are without any challenges…the budget has been one. Trying to provide the same or better level of service with less income in an economy where the basic cost of business has risen at a rate higher than the income level has been more of a challenge than I can even begin to describe! We are so lucky to have a dedicated staff; without their help, we would be in a different situation. There are so many associations that are struggling to survive and I am happy to report that we don’t fit in the desperation category.
I hope you are planning to attend the General Membership Meeting on Friday at 11:15 AM. If you have not yet voted, please be sure that you do by noon on Friday, the 30th. You may fax your vote in or drop it off at the Association office before the meeting. We have a great meeting planned with some legal and membership benefit updates and also a special presentation from Jason Kotar about mortgage loans. He will also be leading a seminar Friday afternoon from 1-5 for 4 CEU Credits. If you have the time, it will be worth it to stay.
Have a great week and hope to see you on Friday!
Education Corner
Oct 30th 1pm Homebuyers & Mortgages (4 Hours CE Credit): Information that every homebuyer needs to know about issues regarding financing a home in today’s market! Taught by author and finance expert Jason Kotar, Homes Buyers and Mortgages will provide up to date information that every homebuyer or homeowner needs to know about issues regarding financing a home in today’s market. This is information that you need to understand to better support the needs of your clients. FREE for Education Passport members, $15 for Non-Passport members.
Nov 3rd 1pm Free e-PRO Workshop: Learn about the NAR designation that sets you apart as knowledgeable and ready to use technology to increase your business, sign up HERE.
Nov 10th 12pm FREE Short Sales, Foreclosure & Bankruptcy Seminar: Hear from attorney Mark Martella about how to navigate the process and know the right terminology. FREE LUNCH! Email David Logan to RSVP for this important and timely seminar which will give you insight into the process of Short Sales, Foreclosures, and Bankruptcy from the perspective of an attorney who works on these issues on a regular basis. Click HERE for more details.
Dec 3rd 1pm How to Increase Repeat and Referral Business: Hear Nationally Recognized Real Estate Educator Richard Flint and learn how to keep the clients coming back & increase referrals! Free for Education Passport members, $15 for non-passport.
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
Where in the World Is…..
The following agents can now be found at…
Denyse Sneddon – Sun Realty
Allan Zolis – Allison James Estates and Homes
Donna Rehak – Casa Del Sol Realty
Heidi Pappas – Anderson and Associates
Frederick Dion – SouthEast Realty
Robert Denis – Bud Trayner Realty
Welcome new business partner
congratulations
On October 3, 2009 our very own Dennis Black was named "Appraiser of the Year" by the National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers. Feel free to send Dennis a congratulatory email by clicking HERE.
Market Watch
Fears of Commercial Collapse Unfounded? Despite fears of a looming crisis, at least one observer of the economy believes talk of a collapse in commercial real estate may be unfounded. Tuesday morning, John Augustine, the chief investment strategist for Fifth Third Private Bank, revealed his relatively bullish outlook for the economy and stock market for 2010. He spoke to a small group of Fifth Third bankers and guests at the Tampa Club in downtown Tampa. In the near future, some $400 billion to $600 billion of commercial real estate loans are set to mature, Augustine said. With so many banks reluctant to refinance loans lately, many are predicting commercial landowners to default en masse when they can’t get new financing. Augustine, who is based in Cincinnati, said that’s not a certainty, though. For now, the stock market seems to believe in the future of commercial real estate, he said. Click HERE for more details.
Congress Investigates Fraud in Homebuyer Tax Credit - The rush to implement a tax credit for first-time home buyers opened the program up to potential fraud by people who hadn’t bought a home or already owned one, Congress was told Thursday. J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, questioned the eligibility of some 100,000 claims out of the 1.5 million who have sought to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit incorporated in the economic stimulus package enacted last February. He said claimants include those who could possibly be illegal immigrants and that 580 people seeking $4 million from the first-time home buyer credit were under the age of 18. The youngest taxpayers receiving the credit were 4 years old, his office said. For the full article, click HERE.
Hurricane Ally sees bit of Lull - Although the Atlantic storm season has had some calm, experts say it’s not over yet. When a hurricane hits South Florida, the employees at Beach Ace Hardware, two blocks from the ocean in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, work until the sheriff’s department warns it is shutting the bridge that connects the beachfront town to the mainland. “Literally, within hours of the storm, that’s when we close the store,” general manager Ed Huss says. “Until then, we’re helping people get ready.” This year, Huss had plenty of hurricane supplies, but few takers. “Nobody thinks about a storm unless it’s here,” says Huss, who has lived in Florida for 35 years. “I don’t even worry about it until we see something coming. It’s just another part of life in Florida.” Residents of the country’s hurricane hot zone are experiencing their biggest break from serious storms in more than two decades as the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season winds down. Two hurricanes have formed since the season began June 1, the fewest since 1982, National Hurricane Center records show. Eight tropical storms grew strong enough to get names, the lowest number of such storms since 1997. Click HERE for the rest of the story.
Credit Dispute could bar Home Loans - Mortgage loan applicants with a credit dispute on their records may find it impossible to get a loan, even if they have a score above 800 and a large downpayment, consumer watchdogs warn. The problem stems from a Fannie Mae policy that requires lenders to hand-underwrite these loans, because that practice makes it harder for scammers to use the credit dispute law to hide bad credit experiences. Denying people who are good credit risks a loan is frequently an unintended consequence, says Christopher Cruise, a mortgage originator and a founder of Responsible Loan Officers. “There’s no question – when there are lots of other applications and business is good,” applications requiring extra time and research “just aren’t going to move.” The policy is “extremely unfair to honest consumers who are simply doing what they should – challenging misinformation,” says Evan Hendricks, whose newsletter Privacy Times outlined Fannie Mae’s policy in a recent report. Fannie Mae says it is reviewing the policy and may change it. Source: Washington Writers Group, Kenneth R. Harney (10/25/2009) © Copyright 2009 INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD (301) 215-4688
Real estate trivia
This Week’s Question
Question: Falling home prices have driven some real estate investors into the market to snap up good deals, including some of our favorite Hollywood celebrities. Do you know which young celebrity is amassing a pricy portfolio of upscale real estate investments?
Answer: Click HERE to see which famous young actor is working his “magic” with the New York real estate market.
Last Week’s Question
Question: Have you ever dreamed of living in a house-cave, or maybe have your home sit on top of a volcano? Do you know about some of the strangest houses for sale?
Answer: Click HERE to read and see photos of some of the most unusual houses for sale in the world.