Posts belonging to Category NAR

Being a REALTOR® is very complicated…and ever-changing. Education and training is often put at the bottom of the To Do list, but with constant changes in our field, you might want to consider putting it back at the top. Take the time to learn and it will breathe new life into your role as a REALTOR® and could even make you more money.

Easy way to start? Get online and check out the classes TBR offers, go to the Tuesday Marketing meetings, attend a conference, buy a real estate book, or simply visit the NAR or Florida REALTORS® websites. If you spend 30 minutes on Facebook a day, commit to spending just 30 minutes a week on the newest ideas in real estate. Maybe you need some help with technology?  Call the TBR helpdesk at (850) 224-7713—it’s not just for MLS questions. Instead of a work lunch, take a TBR course together; you will have fun, learn, and get ideas that can make you money instead of costing you money. Take action to improve your value!  Wake up and commit to learning; you and your customers will be glad you did.

At a glance:

• TBR Tech Support Helpdesk, (850) 224-7713
• Florida REALTORS® Technology Helpline, (407) 587-1450
• Marketing meetings 9 a.m. Tuesdays at the TBR office
• Classes at TBR
• FR video learning: http://www.floridarealtors.org/MediaLibrary/index.cfm
• NAR library: http://www.realtor.org/library

Danielle Galvin
1^st Choice Real Estate Service
Member, Professional Development Committee

Over the past few months we have read in Florida REALTORS® publications advertisements featuring REALTORS® explaining why they give to RPAC. There have been some wonderful, informative, and profound testimonials. I found all the responses thought-provoking and, while I’ve been a contributor for many years, they made me want to be better.

Now I have a bigger question for you, Mr. and Mrs. REALTOR®, and I hope you will give it some sincere thought: Why haven’t you given? Please don’t tell me you don’t know what RPAC is. If you don’t know, call me and let’s talk; I promise I will never tell anyone that you are a REALTOR® who doesn’t know what RPAC is. If you dare not disclose that info to me, you can read about it online.

The Tallahassee Board of REALTORS® doubled its percentage of participants in RPAC last year. Thanks to all who participate, but it is 2013 and we need to kick it up a notch; we are working toward an all-time high goal of 50 percent participation. Florida REALTORS® has asked us to make it 37 percent… but Tallahassee doesn’t usually just do the minimum in anything, so let’s go for 50 percent.

Last year we had seven Sterling R members—those who gave at least $1,000 for the year. We also 99 who contributed $99 (part of the $99 Club), and three members who contributed $250 to $999. Did you know that many of our Board staff gave to RPAC in 2012, and have contributed again in 2013? What does that tell you about the importance of RPAC? Must be important, right?

The majority of contributors gave $15, and that is great because every time we collect at least $15 from a member, that increases our percentage goal. So come on, let’s get some $15 contributors on board! Many of you have given $5, $10, etc., this year. If you will please just add to the amount you have already given to make it $15, I can count you in the percentage and this will help.

The newly formed YPN Group has kicked off this year with a drive to help us make our percentage goal. Anyone that wants to be a part of the YPN, now sporting a new name—the Capitol Area YPN—is asked to complete an application, and must be an RPAC donor of at least $15.

Susan Gwynn, President of the Women’s Council of REALTORS® was so impressed with what she learned recently about RPAC that she has asked all her members to give $15 to RPAC. Thank you, WCR! And Lori Mattice, WCR member, is a new Sterling R contributor for 2013. Thanks Lori!

The RPAC Committee is asking each TBR member to contribute at least $15 to RPAC. And in keeping with our spirit of never doing the minimum, let’s increase $99 Club membership to 125 and Sterling R members to ten.

REALTORS® are involved; we do more than list and sell houses. We care about our communities, our state, and our country. Protecting private property rights is a big deal and your RPAC contributions help protect the private property rights of all, and helps insure you have the right to list and sell homes.

Giving to our profession is a practice in responsible giving; it is our responsibility. Talk this up at your committee meetings, social after-hours meetings with other agents, and at your office sales meetings. Agents, ask your broker if he gives; if he doesn’t, ask him why he doesn’t. You need to know who is supporting your business.

Lucretia Thomas
Chairman, RPAC Committee
Thomas Acquisition & Property Specialists

Just a reminder regarding NAR Compliance. NAR compliance requires that the Designated REALTOR® is responsible for the dues of all licensees affiliated or employed by him/her in all the brokerage offices within the jurisdiction of the Board. If a broker is found in non-compliance, the broker will be fined $500 per agent. My last audit found 54 offices in non-compliance. 

I am beginning the second round of auditing each office in TBR. Please login to DBPR and check that everyone licensed in your office in DBPR is also a current member of TBR or another board that you are a member of, and NAR and Florida REALTORS®.

Please also verify that their licenses are current/active. My last audit found many inactive and null/void licenses. Remember, not only is it a felony to practice real estate without a current/active license, but TBR and CATRS MLS  require that all licenses show as current/active in order to continue membership.

Since everyone will be paying their 2011 dues by January 31, 2011, this is a good time to verify on February 1 that everyone in your office has renewed their membership and are therefore current members of TBR. As a broker you can login to the TBR Member Login to view your office accounts receivable and see any outstanding dues invoices that have not been paid by agents in your office.

Jo-Anna

The following was taken from the National Association of REALTORS® and can be found at www.REALTOR.org.  It was prepared the first week of May, 2010:

E-mail chains have circulated among members and are generating a lot of confusion in the REALTOR® ranks.

“Homeowners Listen Up” E-mail

Claim: Pending legislation in the Senate would require an energy license or retrofit for home sales. This email is FALSE: There is no requirement in H.R. 2454, The American Clean Energy & Security Act, that home sellers obtain either a license or energy audit or make energy retrofits before they can sell their home. The legislation, earlier passed by the House, is pending in the Senate.

FACTS

Here are the two REAL provisions in the bill:

1. Section 202 (Building Retrofit Program) would offer matching grants for home improvements. State government would administer the program, which is voluntary and available to all property owners.
2. Section 204 (Building Energy Performance Labeling Program) would apply to new construction only and prohibit time-of-sale labeling. The original energy audit and MLS listing provisions were deleted as the result of NAR insistence; existing real estate was excluded from the bill’s requirements. NAR will work to ensure that these provisions are retained in the Senate version. We were also instrumental in eliminating time-of-sale energy efficiency requirements from the bill. Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.), and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) are pursuing bipartisan support for an alternative to the House bill, and NAR will monitor that progress to ensure residential and commercial real estate are not adversely impacted. A packet of facts and FAQs NAR created after the House bill was passed last summer is available at www.realtor.org/government_affairs.

More information on this issue and ALL National issues that affect real estate can be found at www.REALTOR.org.

e-ya later,

Steven

The Myth Busters are on the case! FACT: There is no such thing!

I have had members contacting me about this; to set your minds at ease, the information you are receiving is false. The following was taken from the National Association of REALTORS® and can be found at www.REALTOR.org. It was prepared the first week of May, 2010.

E-mail chains have circulated among members and are generating a lot of confusion in the REALTOR® ranks.

“National Real Estate Transfer Tax” E-mail

Claim: The health care bill contains a 4.0 percent “transfer tax” on homes sales.

An opinion piece in the Spokane, Wash., Spokesman-Review last month FALSELY reported that the health care bill contained a provision for a 4.0 percent “sales tax” or “transfer tax” on the sale of a home.

Facts

This e-mail was circulated far and wide, and is inaccurate. We responded to questions from the media and members and continue to do so. This week we got a boost from an unexpected third-party, the Portland (Ore.) Oregonian. The Oregonian did some old-fashioned fact-checking, and reached correct conclusions published Tuesday, April 27.

Read the analysis by FACTCHECK.ORG, SUMMARY:

THE CLAIM IS FALSE.

Let us sum up: The health bill included a provision that imposes a new 3.8 percent Medicare tax for some high-income households that have “net investment income.” Any revenue collected by the tax is dedicated to the Medicare hospital insurance program.

This new tax applies only to households with Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of more than $200,000 for individuals or more than $250,000 for married couples. Since capital gains are included in the definition of net investment income, an additional tax obligation might result from the sale of real property. Even if the AGI limits are met, the new tax would not be applied to capital gains that result from the sale of a home, since the existing home sale capital gains exclusion rule still applies – $250,000 (individual)/$500,000 (couple). So if the gain from the sale of the primary residence is below that amount, then NO Medicare tax will have to be paid on the gain. The new Medicare tax would apply only to a home sale gain realized in excess of the $250K/$500K that pushes the filer’s AGI over the $200K/$250K income limits.

Some other quick points:

• The new Medicare tax will take effect January 1, 2013.
• The legislation makes no changes to the mortgage interest deduction.

More information on this issue and ALL national issues that affect real estate can be found at www.REALTOR.org.

e-ya later,

Steven

I have just completed auditing each office in the Tallahassee Board of REALTORS® for NAR compliance. NAR compliance requires that the Designated REALTOR® is responsible for the dues of all licensees affiliated or employed by him/her in all the brokerage offices within the jurisdiction of the Board. If a broker is found in non-compliance, the broker will be fined $500 per agent.  I will begin to audit each office again in a few weeks.   

So…this is just a reminder to brokers to regularly login to the DBPR website https://www.myfloridalicense.com to check on all the people licensed in your office. Then, check to make sure that they are current members of the TBR or another board that you are a member of. Also, verify that their license is showing current and active in DBPR. If people join your office make sure that you add them to your record in DBPR online and then forward that information to the Board. If they are new members they need to set up an appointment to join TBR within 30 days of being added to your office. If they are transferring into your office, there is a $100 office transfer fee and they will need the permission of the broker they are leaving to take any listings with them. It is also a good idea on February 1 of each year to check to see that everyone in your office has paid their annual dues—and are therefore current members of TBR.

Please help me keep everyone in compliance with the NAR rules without issuing any fines! I enjoy the part of my job that helps people keep in compliance.  I don’t like the part of my job that issues fines for those in non-compliance.

Jo-Anna Dolloff, Membership Coordinator

Lucretia Thomas, Steve Lastowski, and I attended a leadership meeting for REALTOR® local and state associations from all around the country. Hot issues brought up during the meeting included:

• Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs)
• Recruiting association leaders for the future
• Professionalism and the Code of Ethics, encouraging well-trained professional real estate brokers and salespeople
• Increasing non-dues revenue
• Getting volunteers involved in your association

When you attend these meetings, you realize that we all share similar issues and opportunities in our associations, and it is a great opportunity to learn from others.  Another thing that continues to impress me is how our association’s members really step up and get things done. The Tallahassee Board of REALTORS® is a fantastic organization and I am very proud of all of the members and staff.

e-ya later,

Steven

I am in Washington, D.C. for the National Association of REALTORS®’ Mid-Year meeting. This conference is primarily dedicated to legislative activities of NAR.  The NAR legislative staff work year-round for REALTORS® and to protect private property rights; however, as the staff will tell you, there is no more effective lobbying than having the Congressmen’s constituents letting them know what life is like for them as they run their small business and help buyers, sellers, landlords, and renters in real estate.

This year, the primary legislative initiatives are:

• Expanding affordability and availability or property insurance; including the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
• Assuring the liquidity of the commercial mortgage market
• Strengthening FHA to allow for access to safe and affordable financing for responsible buyers
• GSE Reform

More information about these and other issues is available on www.REALTOR.org.

 e-ya later,

Steven