BCAR June 2011 Newsletter

Thanks to the Call for Action last week, along with your Hill visits during the Mid-Year Meeting, over 200 Members of Congress (both House and Senate) signed on to the letter to regulators regarding the Qualified Residential Mortgage rules! This is the regulation that everyone who qualifies for a residential mortgage must make a 20% down payment. This week and next, NAR will be running print ads in the Washington, DC area newspapers thanking those legislators that did sign on. To see a copy of the ad, please visit the REALTOR® Action Center:

http://www.realtoractioncenter.com/realtor-party/documents/ThankYou_-QRM-V2_RollCall_Final.pdf

Please note that Members of Congress are still signing on to the letter. The list is updating daily and our ad may change. If you haven’t already, please take a moment right away to contact your Member, if he or she is on this list, to say thank you for standing up for housing.

MORTGAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION

The number of cosponsors on H. Res. 25 (expressing the sense of Congress that the current Federal income tax deduction on interest paid on debt secured by a first or second home should not be further restricted) continues to go up! There are now 158 Members signed on. The updated list is available on Thomas: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:H.RES.25:@@@P

HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATIONS BILL

This week, a House subcommittee gave a favorable report to proposed legislation that would require homeowners association boards to approve of any foreclosure proceedings. HB 165 (Planned Community & Condo Act Amends), introduced by Reps. Jennifer Weiss (D-Wake), Bill McGee (R-Forsyth), Julia Howard (R-Iredell) and Beverly Earle ...

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NEW NEWSLETTER ITEMS THIS MONTH

Photo Album - Check out past events that you may have missed on our new online Photo Album! Click on the link above or VIEW PHOTO PAGE

Member White & Yellow Pages - Update monthly when newsletter published. VIEW/PRINT DIRECTORY

NEW BCAR Member Benefit!

Need help finding expert speakers on real estate related topics for your next meeting?

Watch Pete Frandano announce new program

Are you a BCAR Affiliate and want to be part of the Speakers Bureau? CLICK HERE

FREE TO BCAR MEMBERS - FREE TO AFFILIATES!

President's Message

Pete Frandano

This month I wanted to touch on a few wide-ranging but impactful items that relate to our industry and to our Association.

The Political Survival Initiative

Please note that more information will be forthcoming on this but our National Association of REALTORS® recently voted on a $40 dues increase (NAR). Following is an excerpt from the recently REALTOR® Magazine (June, 2011 edition):

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NAR’s Board of Directors at the Midyear Legislative Meetings in mid-May voted on the association’s REALTOR® Party Political Survival Initiative, which is intended to preserve REALTORS®’ voice on local, state, and national policy issues in today’s post–Citizens United environment. Citizens United was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case giving corporations the same political speech rights as individual citizens, effectively opening the door to unlimited corporate spending in political campaigns. RPPSI is projected to generate $195 million in funds and resources for 100 percent use in local, state, and national political campaigns to help REALTORS® compete with corporate dollars already flooding into campaigns at all levels.

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My original opinion on this was a hopeful "no dues increase" with the primary thought that this will be a negative thing for our membership. However, the more I learned from colleagues and during our Midyear Legislative Conference in Washington DC, this is a necessary step in order to help preserve our industry and our....

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Where Elegance Meets Versatility…

In the month of May 101 Stone Chimney Place had three weddings, the Brunswick Arts Council Miniature Masterpiece reception click here, Wells Fargo reception and the Brunswick County Bar Dinner.

BCAR Social and Affiliate Appreciation

Event was held Thursday, June 2^nd. The facilities committee and general membership committee should be commended for their hard work in planning, preparing and cleaning up after the event. The committee members are Danny Brock, Vince, Bacchi, Bonnie Black, Doug Bris Bois, Susan Giuffre, Tori Humphrey, Shirley Johnson, Deborah Lechtrecker, Larry McNeill, Bonnie Rotundo, Ben Styers and Brad Vanderburg. CLICK TO WATCH A SLIDE SHOW

The event sponsors were Bill Clark Homes, Sunset Beach

Condos, CertaPro Painters, Century 21 Brock & Associates, San Felipe Restaurant, and Tori Humphrey. All of the sponsors’ efforts provided us with a wonderful reception that all attendees enjoyed. Please make sure you thank them.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

In the month of June the banquet center will host 5 weddings! BCAR will also have several upcoming events. Please look out for the event posting.

Mark your calendars! The Facilities Committee is working with staff and will be holding its first Brunswick County Holiday Show on November 19 and 20. More information about this event will be announced shortly.

If you want to learn more about 101 Stone Chimney Place

contact Sabrena Reinhardt - Sabrena@bcarnc.com or 910.754.7050.

ONLINE SURVEYS & POLLS - Coming to your email soon!

The Association is going to start sending out some small surveys and polls on all kinds of topics. We need your help in taking the time to answer the questions honestly. We are going to keep the number of questions to a minimum, so it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to complete. All answers are anonymous we can't tell who said what - promise.

These surveys/polls are going to help the Association determine what products and services are working and where should our focus be for new services. Thank you in advance for completing these surveys and helping the BCAR Committees, BOD, and Association staff!

CE & FREE LUNCH - THANKS! Our last CE class was given an assist by Karen Throckmorton of Platinum Home Mortgage. Lunch sponsorship and great advice and tips were shared with all members in attendance. Once again, free lunch, great advice, & renew your license - all in one day! Can't beat that - even with a stick!!!!

910-471-4220 . KThrockmorton@EPMC.com . www.ephmc.com

AFFILIATE APPRECIATION NIGHT, JUNE 2 - AFFILIATES SPONSOR THEIR OWN PARTY!! BCAR Affiliates are so dedicated, they even help sponsor their own party. Sunset Beach Condos, & CertaPro Painters helped make this night a huge success.

Relief for Tornado Victims

REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF)

Since April, deadly tornadoes have ripped through Missouri, Alabama and many other states. Hundreds have lost their lives, thousands their homes. Your donation to RRF will directly help those who have lost so much.

Make a tax-deductible contribution online now!

The Association Office received an alert from a member about a possible scam. It was reported that there is a company, ABSREO, Inc. trying to do business locally. Please beware that they will ask for a credit card, and charge your card, before a contract is even signed. There are complaints about this company on RealTown and other websites.

Unless you have a recommendation, it is always a good idea to investigate a company before you sign up with them. Start by "googling" the name of the company and see what results come up! If it is a tech company, you can always check RETechnology for reviews!

CONTACT

INFORMATION CENTRAL

TEXT FROM MOBILE PHONE - text "AskNAR" to 66746

TWITTER - @askNAR send a public or private tweet

SKYPE - 2PM-4PM CST screen name is NarInfoCentral

INFO CENTRAL

• $1200 Bonus for Selling Freddie Mac REOs - must be listed on www.homesteps.com

• Commercial Markets Stabilizing

• Never Miss a Lead with NARs Newest Program Ifbyphone

• More Renters Qualify to Buy

• Positive Developments in Spring Housing Market

• How Home Buyers Have Changed - might be time to re-think marketing plans.....

• GET LEADS with REALTOR.com iPad App

• Top Legal Issues in Real Estate login to REALTOR.ORG required

• Q&A Impact of MARS Rule on Short Sales login to REALTOR.ORG required

• Webinar: Applying the UAD for Frannie & Freddie June 9 at 11AM

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