Current e-Source
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May 2008 Table of Contents |
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Unlicensed Assistants |
Good Neighbor Awards |
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Unlicensed Assistants |
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Unlicensed Assistants MAY NOT:
Unlicensed Assistants MAY:
Brokers are responsible for the acts of their licensed salespersons and associate brokers and “shall not contract with an individual who is licensed to the broker so as to lose the authority to supervise the licensee.” (MCL 339.22325) It is therefore the broker’s responsibility to supervise all personnel acting under the scope of the broker’s authority. Brokers are advised to consider these issues when writing independent contracts with their salespersons and associate brokers. An attorney who is knowledgeable about employment discrimination and related employment laws should be consulted prior to drafting any independent contract section on this subject. Good research and preparation will avoid many of the problems addressed in this article. A complete guide to Personal Assistants is available from the Michigan Association of REALTORS®. |
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June Panel Discussion |
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Retrofitting for Energy Efficiency
Join us from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Big George’s ‘Green Roof’ for this panel discussion with expert Doug Selby of Meadowlark Builders. Topics include:
This is a FREE educational event for all AAABoR members, but you MUSTregister online (registration instructions) **Please print your receipt to ensure that your online registration was completed.** Memorial Day
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Self-Defense & Short Sales Recap |
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Self-Defense Workshop What’s Your Best Defense? To be aware of your surroundings and to keep a charged cell phone with you…, always. What to you do when you want to have a Plan B? A fun, learning experience was had by all who attended the self-defense workshop with Sensei Greg Gerber and his assistant Patricia Birchmeier. Sensei Greg teaches Martial Arts to people of all ages at the Dexter Karate Academy. The attendees learned some of their options should they ever find themselves in a threatening situation. The hands-on workshop was held at the Dakota building on March 20, 2008.
After introductions and the opportunity to voice some specific concerns were complete, it was time to jump in. Attendees were taught how to use an attacker’s momentum to divert the attack. They were given time to practice the demonstrated techniques on each other. Some of the techniques that Sensei demonstrated for attendees find their foundation in Martial Arts and some are as simple as stomping that special section of a foot the heel of your shoe. Although any shoe will work, a high-heel is especially useful in this situation. Or, a couple of fingers and a very small amount of pressure to just the right area of an attacker’s throat will cause him to gasp and can be a lifesaver for you. The class learned various ways to break free from someone who grabs your wrist or collar. They learned how devastating a punch to the correct area of the mid-section can be and how you can break free from someone who grabs you from behind.
Additional information about the Dexter Karate Academy can be found at: http://www.dexterkarateacademy.com and additional information about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital can be found at: http://www.stjude.org. Working Short Sales to Success The Short Sale class was well attended and provided attendees valuable information to better assist clients who find themselves in a difficult situation. Instructor Rick Conley brings over 20 years of active residential real estate sales experience. Rick Conley is the former Director of Education Services for the largest broker in Michigan in charge of Real Estate One Academy. Rick is currently President and owner of the Real Estate Education Professionals of Michigan, Inc.; REEP is approved by the State of Michigan and provides educational courses through-out the state. Attendees were given a complete 35-page book with information, forms, addendums, and all the steps necessary to allow them to impress people with their well-prepared package. They learned how to write sales contracts the right way, covering all aspects of the sale, including commission. Also included were the new Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and its positive effects on current market conditions. This class was approved to satisfactorily meet the 2-hour legal update that the State of Michigan requires each year. Special Thanks to Flagstar Bank for sponsoring
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The Modern Day Open House |
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New-age marketing (From NAR) A high-tech approach to open houses can increase your listing’s exposure to prospective buyers and make your efforts more successful.
Indeed, holding an open house is one of the most traditional strategies for getting buyers interested in a property. But without changing the way you view open houses, you risk missing out on Web-savvy consumers who head to their computers to do their first walk-through. Through the use of video, some practitioners offer “open house tours” that give consumers a true-to-life view of what it would feel like to walk through a home during an open house. But the best part is that it’s accessible anytime on the Web, so consumers can view the home tours at their leisure. With a few simple tools and some know-how, you can offer open house tours and set yourself apart from your tech-scared competitors. Here are five ways you can offer consumers open house tours 24/7 and 365 days a year. 1. Invest in a digital camera.
One good option is the new Flip Video camcorder. This small portable camcorder, which is small enough to throw in your briefcase or purse, can shoot up to 60 minutes of video. The camcorder has a built-in USB port to transfer your videos to your computer, where they are now ready for production with your movie editing software. With the Flip Video camcorder, it’s easy to record, transfer, edit, add a splash page for the introduction and ending of the video, narrate your open house, and then share it with consumers on the Internet. For those looking for high definition, the High Definition Handycam Camcorder HDR-CX7 is worth checking out. (Also visit “New Wide Angle Cameras See the Big Picture” to read more options.) 2. Get a YouTube Account Now that you are equipped with the right tools to produce your open house tours, you will need a place to promote and store them. Of course, you can use your Web site to upload your finished product, but the more appropriate place to host your videos would be Web sites like YouTube or Vimeo, another video-sharing Web site. What is great about hosting your open house tours on public Web sites like these is that you gain exposure to hundreds of thousands of viewers searching for homes in your ZIP code. 3. Consider a “GoToMeeting” for hosting open house tours.
In addition, Web sites like Mikogo (a free screen-sharing tool) allow you to talk on the phone with a potential buyer while simultaneously showcasing your listing through PowerPoint slides, photos, virtual tours, and more. As you describe the features of your listings, you can answer any questions consumers may have about your listing. It’s kind of like having your own weekly television show via the Internet where you promote your listings to those consumers participating. 4. Learn to link your videos to your Web site and e-mails. Once you’ve produced a new set of open house tours for consumers to view, you’ll need to link your videos to your Web site. But how? As noted earlier, Web sites like YouTube or Vimeo can expose your videos to thousands of viewers searching for homes in your ZIP code. Most of these sites also offer “free” hosting of your videos. 5. Be active, not passive with your open house tours.
Blog about your work, include links in your advertisements, promote your open house tours in letters and postcards, sign riders, and more. Take an active role in driving more consumers to view your high-tech efforts. With high-speed Internet connections becoming commonplace in many parts of the country, younger consumers entering the marketplace, and technology moving at a rapid pace every year, today’s modern-day open house will soon be the norm for the real estate industry. Does this mean the current traditional open house is no longer effective? Of course not. But now consumers who visit your open house during the day can go back later and see the home again through your open house tour online from the comforts of their own home before making a decision to purchase. Source: REALTOR.org |
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Good Neighbor Awards |
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(From NAR) The Good Neighbor Awards recognize REALTORS® who've made an extraordinary commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities through volunteer work. Five winners will receive $10,000 grants for their cause. Giving back Your work schedule is crazy and free time is hard to find — so why start volunteering now? Here are some reasons you might not have considered. There are lots of things we want to do and should do, yet never seem to find the time to actually do. Volunteering shouldn’t be one of those things. Why? Besides providing much-needed help to people or organizations that need it most, volunteering can open the door to new business opportunities, friends, skills, and appreciation for the everyday things you take for granted. Most of all, it can make you happy. “There’s no better feeling than knowing you had a hand in improving someone’s life,” says Brae Hanson of Barrington, Ill., and an avid volunteer. So before you say you don’t have the time or energy to take on a volunteering task, consider these seven reasons why you should start giving back now. Reason #1: It Will Boost Your Visibility (for Free) Volunteer to benefit your business? That doesn’t sound very altruistic. And while that probably shouldn’t be the primary reason to volunteer, it’s certainly a nice perk. Cappy MacPherson of Jacksonville, Fla., says volunteering is one of her best — and lowest cost — marketing tools. At every volunteer job, she wears T-shirts promoting previous volunteer events, along with a name tag that identifies her real estate business. The strategy acts as a conversation starter and gets her name circulating in the community. Since 2006 it’s landed her four buyers and generated leads for two potential listings. “These are six prospects I would never have had,” she says. “It’s a wonderful way to market without breaking the bank.” Reason #2: You’ll Sharpen Your Business Skills
For example, Hanson has perfected her marketing skills through 20-plus years of fundraising and promoting charities. Volunteering also has forced her to refine her time-management skills and has given her more financial know-how. Reason #3: It Doesn’t Require a Huge Time Commitment If you read the stories of the five Good Neighbor Award winners, you’ll be taken aback by how much time they devote to their causes. For a rookie volunteer, it can be downright intimidating. But such a large time commitment isn’t necessary. Start small by volunteering for a one-time event or scheduling just a couple hours per week. Check out volunteer opportunities in your ZIP code by searching on Web sites such as VolunteerMatch. Each listing includes the estimated time contribution required, so you can be choosey about which jobs you take on. Another option: Take a volunteer “vacation” to a developing nation or to a city in the United States to build a new school, restore the environment, or help on a medical mission. You can learn more about volunteer vacations at Web sites such as GlobeAware or CharityGuide.org. Or, volunteer from the comfort of your own home. Instead of watching an hour of TV at night, why not log in an hour of virtual help to an organization of your choice. Learn about virtual volunteer opportunities at ServiceLeader.org. Reason #4: Make Meaningful Community Connections Weekly Rotary Club meetings put Lisa L. Bass, of Brentwood, California, in touch with local businesspeople and city council representatives. Through in-person conversations and club projects, she built meaningful relationships in her community that could never have been made via e-mail or phone. Some recent Rotary activities have included donating dictionaries to local school kids and providing wheelchairs to people in Mexico. When fellow Rotary Club members have real estate needs, Bass is their go-to person. But she says the biggest benefit of volunteering is the pick-me-up she gets from doing good things. Reason #5: It's Time to Expand Your Professional Horizons At the same time, through his volunteer work with the San Diego Association of REALTORS®, including a post as president of the group, he uncovered a zeal for emerging real estate technologies. He used his newfound passion as a launching pad for the next chapter of his career.
“Volunteering really has paid me back,” Klein says. “I love being able to take a message to people that I believe is valuable and that will make differences in their lives. It’s very rewarding when people tell me my advice is valuable.” Reason #6: You’ll Appreciate What You Have Life seems tough when you don’t have an iPhone or you can’t afford to hit Starbucks every morning. But when you see firsthand how families live without heat, electricity, or indoor plumbing, you might feel a little better about your present situation. Sean Waters, of Boston, Mass., says he’s witnessed such living conditions for the first time during a “magical and enriching” volunteer vacation to Cuzco, Peru, earlier this year. There, he rehabbed an orphanage and taught children English and baseball. Despite lacking many comforts that Americans take for granted, Waters was amazed to see that Peruvians live happy lives with an intense love for and focus on family and friends. That realization sparked changes in Waters’ life when he returned home. He now makes more of an effort to spend quality time with his loved ones. “We work so hard, yet we’re lacking so much in terms of having time for each other,” says Waters. Reason #7: You’ll Feel So Good About It
Indeed, many volunteers cite a phenomenon commonly called, “helper’s high,” in which they gain feelings of exhilaration and energy from volunteering. MacPherson says she likens the feeling she gets from volunteering to the endorphin rush after a workout. “Happier people live longer, and happier people are going to sell more real estate than grumpy ones,” MacPherson says. Source: REALTOR.org |
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Affordable Housing Opportunities Recap |
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The Affordable Housing Opportunities Panel Discussion boasted over 40 members who came to hear more about the programs from Rhonda McGill and Andrea Plevek. They learned about the Pre-Purchase education available through the MSU Extension, the one-on-one home ownership counseling and financial management education available through Power Inc., and the Post-Purchase education available through the Habitat for Humanity.
They learned about the Washtenaw County home ownership assistance programs, the down payment assistance programs, and how to become a participating lender or REALTOR®. Your Web resource for WHEP is http://www.ewashtenaw.org/homeownership. This is where you’ll find all the information to serve your clients including:
The Community Housing Alternatives One final note: By now, everyone has read about the foreclosures that are plaguing the housing industry these days – Well, here’s a statistic for you: None of the approximately 300 families who’ve entered home ownership through WHEP, have found themselves in a foreclosure situation. Special Thanks to MidWest Financial Credit Union
Mother's Day
May 11, 2008 |
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New Members |
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New REALTOR® Members
REALTOR® Member Transfers
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Calendar |
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Check out what's happening this month. |
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