Monday, March 25, 2013

GTAR Weekly Facts – March 25, 2013

NOTICES:
THIS WEEK!
March 29: GTAR/NORES Office CLOSED
Our office will be closed Friday, March 29 in observance of Good Friday. Happy Easter!
April 3
Cloud CMA Demos at GTAR
Join us at GTAR for this special event and see why tens of thousands are using Cloud CMA to deliver high impact, eye catching reports with data right from your MLS! Cloud CMA is a proud product partner of GTAR, and is among the most exciting technology products for real estate in 2013. Cloud CMA uses your MLS data and blends it with community and lifestyle information from multiple data sources on the Internet to create custom MLS reports for buyers, sellers, and prospects. These live demos are FREE to GTAR members, and will cover the many aspects of creating a winning CMA, as well as awesome Buyer Tour Reports, Property Reports and flyers in seconds. Click Here to Register
February 2013 Home Sales Stats Now Available
Mark Your Calendars!
National Open House Weekend April 20-21. Look for details in the April GTAR World newsletter out April 1.

EDUCATION & EVENTS:
Thursday, April 4
REALTOR® Appreciation Day at UMAC!
Start your day with a very special CE class being taught by body language expert Patti Wood: Success Signals in Selling: Body Language and Sales Techniques, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.; OREC approved for 3 hour elective CE credit. Called “The Gold Standard of Body Language Experts” by the Washington Post, and credited in the New York Times with bringing body language to the national consciousness, Patti Wood is a true expert, and SO much fun!
Cost for GTAR members is only $25—but don’t wait to register—we expect this class to sell out! If you purchase a GTAR Class Pass, the cost is included (see details below.) After class, head over to the gymnasium for the annual free Trade Show brought to you by our wonderful affiliate members. Visit lots of booths filled with information and services, while enjoying free food, and as usual, there will be tons of door prizes given away during the show. The Trade Show is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (You do not have to attend class to attend the Trade Show!)
It’s Not Too Late to Buy a GTAR Class Pass
GTAR's Class Pass includes admission to the special REALTOR® Appreciation Day (RAD Conference) CE class with Patti Wood on Thursday, April 4, 2013, PLUS any and all regular GTAR CE classes offered during 2013 for only $75! For more information and to purchase your GTAR Class Pass, log on to tulsarealtors.com; from the Main Menu, click on the red Education bar, then click Register for Classes, and look for GTAR Class Pass.
April 10
Be Prepared! Listing and Buyer Presentations
Lori Morgan will be teaching Don't be Listless! The Listing Presentation, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and Working with Buyers: A Planned Approach, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Each class is OREC approved for 3 hours elective CE. For more information and to register, go to tulsarealtors.com. Class Pass Holders: Register by emailing education@tulsarealtors.com or calling 918-663-7500.
Are You in the Mood for Love? 
Experience Art in Tulsa at The Philbrook Museum May 23. Details coming soon!

MLS NOTES:
Effective April 1, Key Pricing will be as Follows
Display Key: $35.25; this is the basic quarterly user fee for all agents who have a key. Ekey Basic, $31.35; additional quarterly charge ($66.60 per quarter). Ekey Professional, $61.35; additional quarterly charge ($96.60 per quarter). These prices will be billed quarterly with your MLS quarterly user fee. User Fee and Display Key:  $110.25 quarterly; User Fee and Ekey Basic: $141.60 quarterly; User Fee and Ekey Professional: $171.60 quarterly.
Upcoming Computer Classes
Pre-registration is required; space is limited to 14 per class. For more information and to enroll: log on to tulsarealtors.com, click the red Education bar on the Member Services page, then click Register for Classes. All classes are held in the GTAR Computer Lab, unless otherwise indicated.
Fusion 1 (Hands-on): Tuesday, March 26, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Fusion 2 (Hands-on): Thursday, March 28, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
GOVERNMENT/LEGAL ISSUES:
April 10
REALTOR® Day at the Capitol
Presented by OAR: 1:30-4:00 p.m. at the State Capitol in OKC: Watch the legislature in action; personally thank your legislators; share your views on the bills on which they will be voting; enjoy an ice cream treat in the rotunda. Show the Political Power of Oklahoma REALTORS®! Bring some friends, and we'll see you at the Capitol! Register by April 3.  Click Here to Register
Possible FHA Loan Processing Delays from Sequester
FHA mortgage processing delays are possible due to the federal budget sequester that took effect March 1, FHA Commissioner Carol Galante says in a letter to lenders. The delays would result from likely furloughs of federal workers resulting from a roughly 5 percent cut in agency budgets. It is estimated that FHA workers could be furloughed for several days between now and the end of the federal fiscal year, September 30. The Rural Housing Loan program faces the same pressures. All VA programs are exempted from the automatic cuts.
Bill Eases 3 Percent QM Cap on Points, Fees
A NAR-supported bill to address a 3 percent cap on fees and points under the qualified mortgage (QM) rule has been reintroduced. NAR supports the "Consumer Mortgage Choice Act," H.R.1077 because it addresses concerns that a 3 percent cap on points and fees would make hundreds of thousands of borrowers ineligible for safe and affordable financing under the QM rule. Bill authors are Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) and David Scott (D-Ga.).
Do Budget Proposals Impact Real Estate?
House and Senate Budget Committees last week introduced their fiscal 2014 budget blueprints.  The Senate plan would seek to generate $1.2 trillion in savings, in part through possible tax changes. The House plan would seek a balanced budget in 10 years. Analysts from NAR Government Affairs look at the dueling plans in a 4-minute video.
INFORMATION TO USE:
Reminder: Good Neighbor Nominees Sought
REALTOR® Magazine is seeking nominees for its 14th annual Good Neighbor Awards. Five winners will be recognized at the 2013 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Francisco, and will receive travel expenses to attend the show and a $10,000 grant for their community cause. Entries must be received by May 20. More info and an entry form is online or contact Sara Geimer.
Free Consumer Content: Get-Ready-to-List Tips
The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic's REALTOR® Content Resource looks at getting your home ready to list
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION:
Comments on the following REALTOR® applicants should be submitted by REALTOR® members to the Membership Committee, c/o GTAR, PO Box 470603, Tulsa, OK 74147.
Firm Affiliates:
Equity Investment Plan, Inc., Designated Individual Hal Morris (First Publication)
SunWest Mortgage Company, Inc., Designated Individual Stephen Taylor (First Publication)

Monday, March 18, 2013

GTAR Weekly Facts – March 18, 2013

NOTICES:
March 26
2013 National Fair Housing Month Volunteer Reader Training
The Tulsa Area Fair Housing Partnership is looking for volunteer readers to spend one or two hours in elementary schools or community centers reading the Fair Housing Five to children in our community, and then facilitating a discussion with the children. We are replicating the TAFHP 2012 Reading Initiative because it was so absolutely successful! We are looking for at least two readers at each site so either bring a friend or we will pair you with another person based upon the times you are available. Please plan to attend this important Volunteer Reader Training. Training is 2:00-3:30 p.m., March 26 at Tulsa Metropolitan Urban League. Questions: Call Lyn Larson at 918-292-8915 or send an email to c.lyn.larson@hud.gov (Click Here for Details)

April 3
Cloud CMA Demos at GTAR
Join us at GTAR for this special event and see why tens of thousands are using Cloud CMA to deliver high impact, eye catching reports with data right from your MLS! Cloud CMA is a proud product partner of GTAR, and is among the most exciting technology products for real estate in 2013. Cloud CMA uses your MLS data and blends it with community and lifestyle information from multiple data sources on the Internet to create custom MLS reports for buyers, sellers, and prospects. These live demos are FREE to GTAR members, and will cover the many aspects of creating a winning CMA, as well as awesome Buyer Tour Reports, Property Reports and flyers in seconds. Click Here to Register
On Sale Now!
All 2013 Real Estate Planners are now 25% off! Available in the GTAR Board Store.
EDUCATION & EVENTS:
Thursday, April 4
REALTOR® Appreciation Day at UMAC!
Start your day with a very special CE class being taught by body language expert Patti Wood: Success Signals in Selling: Body Language and Sales Techniques, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Called “The Gold Standard of Body Language Experts” by the Washington Post, and credited in the New York Times with bringing body language to the national consciousness, Patti Wood is a true expert.
Cost for GTAR members is only $25—but don’t wait to register—we expect this class to sell out! If you purchase a GTAR Class Pass, the cost is included (see details below.) After class, head over to the gymnasium for the annual free Trade Show brought to you by our wonderful affiliate members. Visit lots of booths filled with information and services, while enjoying free food, and as usual, there will be tons of door prizes given away during the show. The Trade Show is 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (You do not have to attend class to attend the Trade Show!)
It’s Not Too Late to Buy a GTAR Class Pass
GTAR's Class Pass includes admission to the special REALTOR® Appreciation Day (RAD Conference) CE class with Patti Wood on Thursday, April 4, 2013, PLUS any and all regular GTAR CE classes offered during 2013 for only $75! For more information and to purchase your GTAR Class Pass, log on to tulsarealtors.com; from the Main Menu, click on the red Education bar, then click Register for Classes, and look for GTAR Class Pass.
April 10
Lori Morgan will be teaching Don't be Listless! The Listing Presentation, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and Working with Buyers: A Planned Approach, 1:00-4:00 p.m. Each class is OREC approved for 3 hours elective CE. For more information and to register, go to tulsarealtors.com. Class Pass Holders: Register by emailing education@tulsarealtors.com or calling 918-663-7500.
MLS NOTES:
Upcoming Computer Classes
Pre-registration is required; space is limited to 14 per class. For more information and to enroll: log on to tulsarealtors.com, click the red Education bar on the Member Services page, then click Register for Classes. All classes are held in the GTAR Computer Lab, unless otherwise indicated.
Fusion 1 (Hands-on): Monday, March 18, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Fusion 2 (Hands-on): Wednesday, March 20, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
Fusion 3 (Hands-on): Thursday, March 21, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Fusion 1 (Hands-on): Tuesday, March 26, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Fusion 2 (Hands-on): Thursday, March 28, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
Get to TulsaRealtors.com Products and Services in a Flash!
Keep an eye out for our new and improved tulsarealtors.com login in screen. Soon you will be able to easily access all of your important tulsarealtors services with just the click of a button!  Get to Realist, Zipforms or Supra without logging into Tempo or Fusion, and much more. Watch the Weekly Facts and April newsletter for more updates and samples in the coming weeks.
Effective April 1, Key Pricing will be as Follows
Display Key: $35.25; this is the basic quarterly user fee for all agents who have a key. Ekey Basic, $31.35; additional quarterly charge ($66.60 per quarter). Ekey Professional, $61.35; additional quarterly charge ($96.60 per quarter). These prices will be billed quarterly with your MLS quarterly user fee. User Fee and Display Key:  $110.25 quarterly; User Fee and Ekey Basic: $141.60 quarterly; User Fee and Ekey Professional: $171.60 quarterly.
GOVERNMENT/LEGAL ISSUES:
Podcast: FAIR Housing and IDX Content
NAR General Counsel Laurie Janik in an 11-minute audio podcast addresses practitioners' potential liability under the Fair Housing Act for using IDX content on their websites.
Use Broad QM Standards for Securitized Loans
NAR wants federal banking regulators to apply the same underwriting standards in their recently released qualified mortgage (QM) rule to the upcoming qualified residential mortgage (QRM) rule. The QM rule sets standards for lenders to make loans to borrowers who can show the ability to repay them. Although NAR has some concerns with aspects of the rule, in general it supports the broad-based approach the standards take and wants to see the same standards applied to the QRM Rule, which, when it’s released, will apply to securitized loans. Under QRM, lenders are exempt from having to retain 5 percent of the securitized loans they make if the loans are underwritten to federal standards. Those standards should be the same as in QM, NAR said at a Capitol Hill briefing and in a letter it sent as part of a broad coalition.
April 10
REALTOR® Day at the Capitol
Presented by OAR: 1:30-4:00 p.m. at the State Capitol in OKC: Watch the legislature in action; personally thank your legislators; share your views on the bills on which they will be voting; enjoy an ice cream treat in the rotunda. Show the Political Power of Oklahoma REALTORS®! Bring some friends, and we'll see you at the Capitol! Register by April 3.  Click Here to Register
INFORMATION TO USE:
Free Consumer Content: Smart Spring Cleaning Tips
The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic's REALTOR® Content Resource looks at smart spring cleaning tips for home owners.
How Student Debt Affects Home Sales
Student loan debt is a growing problem and has major implications for future home sales, NAR Vice President Bill Brown says in a post on NAR's leadership blog, Voices of Real Estate. 
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE:
Sold Out!
The GTAR REALTORS® Commercial Alliance (RCA) would like to thank everyone who attended the 2013 Greater Tulsa Commercial Market Update on March 13 for helping make it the best attended GTAR commercial event in over 12 years—it was a full house at 180! All the presentations are available for viewing on http://www.tulsacommercialrealtors.com/.
Healthy Multifamily Demand Expected
Don't let FHA authority for multifamily loans shut down prematurely, NAR and other organizations say in a joint letter to lawmakers. The agency is seeing healthy demand from developers, especially on the refi side, and more demand is expected for new development in the months ahead.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION:
Comments on the following REALTOR® applicants should be submitted by REALTOR® members to the Membership Committee, c/o GTAR, PO Box 470603, Tulsa, OK 74147.
REALTOR®:
William Rich, David Rich Company (Second Publication)
Firm Affiliate:
Armstrong Relocation, designated individual, David Elliott (Second Publication)
Custom Services Heating & Air Conditioning, designated individual, JC Canfield (Second Publication)
Institute Affiliate:
Pamela Higgins, HPC, LLC (Second Publication)


Monday, March 11, 2013

GTAR Weekly Facts – March 11, 2013

NOTICES:
 
Keybox Reminder
Daylight Saving Time began Sunday, March 10. Keyboxes will now open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. To change the time settings using your EKey, Click Here for Instructions. If you are using a Display Key, the key box can be brought to GTAR for programming.
On Sale Now!
All 2013 Real Estate Planners are now 25% off! Available in the GTAR Board Store.
Scheduled Maintenance on TulsaRealtors.com
Maintenance will be Tuesday, March 19, 8:00-8:30 a.m.; then on Monday, March 25, 5:30-8:30 p.m. The tulsarealtors.com website will be down during this time.
April 3
Cloud CMA Demos at GTAR
Join us at GTAR for this special event and see why tens of thousands are using Cloud CMA to deliver high impact, eye catching reports with data right from your MLS! Cloud CMA is a proud product partner of GTAR, and is among the most exciting technology products for real estate in 2013. Cloud CMA uses your MLS data and blends it with community and lifestyle information from multiple data sources on the Internet to create custom MLS reports for buyers, sellers, and prospects. These live demos are FREE to GTAR members, and will cover the many aspects of creating a winning CMA, as well as awesome Buyer Tour Reports, Property Reports and flyers in seconds. Click Here to Register
 
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE:
THIS WEEK!
March 13: 2013 Greater Tulsa Commercial Market Update
We’re almost at maximum capacity for this year’s Commercial Market Update, so if you plan to attend, don’t wait any longer to register! Event is 7:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. at the Tulsa Renaissance Hotel. Cost is $60. OREC approved for 3 hours required HOT CE credit. For more information and to register: Log on to tulsarealtors.com; from the Main Menu, click the red Education bar, then click Register for Classes.
EDUCATION & EVENTS:
Thursday, April 4
Plan Now to Attend GTAR’s Most Popular Annual Event!
REALTOR® Appreciation Day at UMAC! Start your day with a very special CE class being taught by body language expert Patti Wood: Success Signals in Selling: Body Language and Sales Techniques, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Called “The Gold Standard of Body Language Experts” by the Washington Post, and credited in the New York Times with bringing body language to the national consciousness, Patti Wood is a true expert. The author of eight books, including her recently released book, “SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma” Patti speaks to Fortune 500 companies, law enforcement, and other businesses. You can see her regularly on CNN, Fox News, and Fox Business Network, PBS, Good Morning America, The Discovery Channel, Dr. Drew, Bravo, and The History Channel. In the past few months, you may have seen her on Nancy Grace, Entertainment Tonight, Prime Time News, and The Talk. She is quoted in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Psychology Today, Bloomberg Business Week, Fortune, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, and People.
Pre-registration cost for GTAR members is only $25—but don’t wait to register—we expect this class to sell out! If you purchase a GTAR Class Pass, the cost is included (see details below.) After class, head over to the gymnasium for the annual free Trade Show brought to you by our wonderful affiliate members. Visit lots of booths filled with information and services, while enjoying free food, and as usual, there will be tons of door prizes given away during the show. (You do not have to attend class to attend the Trade Show!) (There is no cost to attend this special meeting.)
GTAR Class Pass—Your Ticket to Learn in 2013!
GTAR's Class Pass GTAR's Class includes admission to the special REALTOR® Appreciation Day (RAD Conference) CE class with Patti Wood on Thursday, April 4, 2013, PLUS any and all regular GTAR CE classes offered during 2013—starting in January—for only $75! For more information and to purchase your GTAR Class Pass, log on to tulsarealtors.com; from the Main Menu, click on the red Education bar, then click Register for Classes, and look for GTAR Class Pass.
MLS NOTES:
Upcoming Computer Classes
Pre-registration is required; space is limited to 14 per class. For more information and to enroll: log on to tulsarealtors.com, click the red Education bar on the Member Services page, then click Register for Classes. All classes are held in the GTAR Computer Lab, unless otherwise indicated.
Realist Tax System: Tuesday, March 12, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Fusion 1 (Hands-on): Monday, March 18, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Fusion 2 (Hands-on): Wednesday, March 20, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
Fusion 3 (Hands-on): Thursday, March 21, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Fusion 1 (Hands-on): Tuesday, March 26, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
Fusion 2 (Hands-on): Thursday, March 28, 9:00-11:30 a.m.
Get to TulsaRealtors.com Products and Services in a Flash!
Keep an eye out for our new and improved tulsarealtors.com login in screen. Soon you will be able to easily access all of your important tulsarealtors services with just the click of a button!  Get to Realist, Zipforms or Supra without logging into Tempo or Fusion, and much more. Watch the Weekly Facts and April newsletter for more updates and samples in the coming weeks.
Effective April 1, Key Pricing will be as Follows
Display Key: $35.25; this is the basic quarterly user fee for all agents who have a key. Ekey Basic, $31.35; additional quarterly charge ($66.60 per quarter). Ekey Professional, $61.35; additional quarterly charge ($96.60 per quarter). These prices will be billed quarterly with your MLS quarterly user fee. User Fee and Display Key:  $110.25 quarterly; User Fee and Ekey Basic: $141.60 quarterly; User Fee and Ekey Professional: $171.60 quarterly.
GOVERNMENT/LEGAL ISSUES:
April 10
REALTOR® Day at the Capitol
Presented by OAR: 1:30-4:00 p.m. at the State Capitol in OKC. Watch the legislature in action; personally thank your legislators; share your views on the bills on which they will be voting; enjoy an ice cream treat in the rotunda. Show the Political Power of Oklahoma REALTORS®! Bring some friends, and we'll see you at the Capitol! Register by April 3.  Click Here to Register
Will Sequester Affect FHA, RHA Loans?
The March 1 date for implementing federal budget cuts across the board arrived with no action to delay or forestall the cuts. Consequently, FHA acknowledged that "furlough days could impact endorsement/claim timeframes for FHA loans. The underlying insurance funds, funded by premiums, will not be affected by the sequester and… FHA loans will be supported." Any furloughs at the Department of Agriculture could also slow down final processing of Rural Housing Service loans. Learn more. Read previous sequester coverage from REALTOR® Magazine.
FHA Critical to Recovery, REALTORS® Testify
The housing market, and the broader economy by extension, would have been in much worse shape had FHA not stepped in with affordable mortgage credit when it did, said NAR President Gary Thomas in recent testimony before the Senate Banking Committee. Thomas also made a strong case for careful action by Congress as it decides what, if anything, it should do about recent pressure on FHA’s reserves. Learn more.
New Fannie Process Aims to Speed Short Sales
NAR President Gary Thomas met with Fannie Mae last week to talk short sales. After the meeting, Thomas sat down with Fannie Mae executive Jay Ryan to learn about the company’s new platform for speeding short-sale processing and to make it easier for real estate agents to escalate short-sale problems directly to Fannie staff. Access and share a four-minute video on the new short-sale escalation process.
INFORMATION TO USE:
Free Consumer Content: Great Tax Tips for Home Owners
The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic's REALTOR® Content Resource looks at great tax tips for home owners.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION:
Comments on the following REALTOR® applicants should be submitted by REALTOR® members to the Membership Committee, c/o GTAR, PO Box 470603, Tulsa, OK 74147.
REALTOR®:
William Rich, David Rich Company (First Publication)
Firm Affiliate:
Armstrong Relocation, designated individual, David Elliott (First Publication)
Custom Services Heating & Air Conditioning, designated individual, JC Canfield (First Publication)
Institute Affiliate:
Pamela Higgins, HPC, LLC (First Publication)



tulsarealtors.mobi