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Brunswick County Association of REALTORS Association Insights Newsletter |
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As we enter March, temperatures are rising and according to our statistics so is our market. Brunswick County is one of only 2 counties that has shown an increase in year to date sales of existing homes compared to this time last year. Additionally, we are up 9% from the same period in 2007. Our average sales price has improved to over $311,000.00. The disappointing side of this is that we did not see any reports in the print media showing this positive news. We are working hard on changing this. I have asked Susan and Cynthia to assist me in compiling information that we can present in a press conference to the print media, local TV and radio. We will get the message out that “now is the time to purchase real estate in Brunswick County.” All of our committees are up to full speed and are working hard for all of you. We have a very aggressive agenda this year. It is exciting to see things start to gel. BCAR has been blessed over the years to have dedicated volunteers who step up and fill positions that are vital to our organization. The success of this association depends on volunteer dedication and commitment. 101 Stone Chimney Place, your new meeting facility, continues to be the talk of Brunswick County. We have already surpassed our projected reservations this year. I can't see into the future but I feel comfortable saying that we could double our revenue projections. The banquet facility is a tremendous success, one of which all of you should be proud. This is our building and the centerpiece of our organization. We heard nothing but praise and positive comments from everyone that attended our last membership luncheon. I encourage all of you to mark your calendars for our next General Membership Meeting on April 8th. There is another item of extreme importance to every one of us. We were informed of some new rule proposals pertaining to stormwater, setbacks and impervious surface coverage that will be presented to our legislators during their next session. These changes have the potential to be disastrous to our industry and also to our clients and property owners in Brunswick County. They would affect almost 90% of our county. I am asking Steve Candler to post these new rules on our web site. I encourage all of you to download and print these rules and share them with your clients and fellow REALTORS®. You can rest assured we are on top of this issue. Steve and I have been in constant contact with NCAR staff and the leadership from the other Associations affected (a total of 20 coastal counties). Because of issues like this your leadership has approved the formation of our own Issues Mobilization Committee. I have asked Steve to explain this committee’s responsibilities and how it will be used and funded in this newsletter. I do not have enough space here to go into all the details but feel free to email me and I will be glad to share our thoughts with you. I know the market has not been kind to a majority of our membership but I cannot think of a better reason to invest at least $15 - $20 in RPAC. Without your participation we would not have the funds available to address issues like this. It is not fair to ask a few to carry the weight for all. There could not be a more defining moment. I do not believe in crying wolf. Folks, it does not get any more serious than this. The people presenting these rules do not care if we sell another lot or home. They do not care about private property rights. They are driven and committed for their cause and if we do not match their commitment we lose. I will keep you informed as we move forward. I hope everyone has a prosperous 2nd quarter and look forward to seeing you April 8th at our general membership meeting. |
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President’s Message |
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Vol 1, Issue 2, March 2008 |
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Brunswick County Association of REALTORS® 101 Stone Chimney Road Supply, NC 28462 910-754-5700 |
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MLS News and Notes |
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Agent License # You can now easily obtain an Agent’s License Number! Within a listing you can click on the link for the listing agent or use an Agent Search… Map Books are coming!!!! The new BCAR Map books will be here any day. These are large, easy to read, street level atlases of Brunswick County. |
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Dear Polly: |
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Dear Polly: A neighbor (and dear friend of mine) asked me to list her house. Last year, during some heavy rains, her living room flooded. She replaced the carpeting and scrubbed the walls, so there is no evidence of flooding. She has asked me not to tell anyone as she does not want it to cause a problem with the home being shown. Is it ok for me to overlook this instance? |
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Legislative Update |
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2008 Local Elections: Three commissioner seats are up for re-election this year, May Moore, Tom Rabon and Bill Sue. All three voted to place the transfer tax on the ballot last year. Each of the incumbents will have opposition, in either the primary or the general election. If you have not registered to vote this year, the deadline is Friday April 11. |
