Weekly Facts Blog – June 1, 2009

STARTING MONDAY, JUNE 1
GTAR/NORES will accept payments with American Express and Discover credit cards, in addition to Visa and MasterCard.

THIS WEEK!
Thursday, June 4
Emerging Issues in Real Estate Finance
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the GTAR Training Center with Jason Oelrich. 2008 was a year of unprecedented sweeping changes in the real estate finance industry, and the U.S. economy as a whole. Be prepared for a successful 2009 by attending this informative update on emerging issues related to FHA financing, Short Sale techniques and pitfalls, proposed changes to RESPA, new appraisal requirements, new mortgage product developments, and an outlook on interest rates for the coming year. OREC approved for 3 hours required HOT CE credit. For more information and to register online: Log on to tulsarealtors.com and click the red Education button on the main Member Services page.

Tuesday, June 9
Real Estate and the Fair Housing Act
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the GTAR Training Center with new instructor James Collins. OREC approved for 3 hours required FHR CE credit. (If you previously took this course at GTAR, course number FHR080, and are still in the same licensing period at the time of this offering, you cannot receive CE credit this time.) Register online at tulsarealtors.com – Log in and click the red Education button on the main page.

Wednesday, June 10
OREC Meeting in Tulsa – Earn Free Required HOT CE Credit
The next Oklahoma Real Estate Commission meeting will be in Tulsa at the Radisson Hotel (10918 E. 41st Street); 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Those not on the agenda and that do not participate in the meeting will qualify for required HOT CE credit. Don’t miss this special opportunity to observe how the complaint and penalty processes work in real life cases. No registration is required and there is no cost to attend. If you have any questions regarding this meeting, call OREC at (866) 521-3389.

Wednesday, June 17
Meth Madness: The New Epidemic
9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the GTAR Training Center with Bill Coye, owner of APEX BioClean. Thanks largely to the new “shake-and-bake” and “one-pot” cooking methods, there’s a new meth epidemic in town. And since meth labs are most often assembled in residential areas, including houses and apartment complexes, it is more important now than ever to not only be an alert neighbor but an alert real estate professional, and education is the key. Pending OREC approval for 3 hours required HOT CE credit. For more information and to register online: Log on to tulsarealtors.com and click the red Education button on the main Member Services page.

Upcoming Computer Classes at GTAR
Pre-registration is required. For more information or to enroll, log in to tulsarealtors.com and click the red Education Button on the main page. All classes are held in the GTAR Computer Lab.

MarketLinx 3–Prospect Gateway: Wednesday, June 3, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Realist Tax System: Thursday, June 4, 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
1004MC for Appraisers: Wednesday, June 10, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
WYQ: What’s Your Question?: Friday, June 19, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Publisher: Tuesday, June 23, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

THIS WEEK!
Monday, June 1
OAR’s REALTOR® Road Show
Join OAR President, GTAR’s own Mike Craddock for the REALTOR® Road Show coming to Tulsa Monday, June 1, 1:00 p.m. at Tulsa Technology Center in the Lemley Auditorium (on Memorial between 31st and 41st). Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the latest information on the Oklahoma real estate market along with a discussion on what OAR can do to help you and your business. There will be prizes and handouts. For more information, contact OAR at (800) 375-9944.

Tuesday, June 9
2009 Parade of Homes Kick Off Event – Builder REALTOR® Party
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Home Builders Association. Tulsa area builders and REALTORS® working together—telling the public “Tulsa. It’s Rock Solid.” One lucky REALTOR® will win a cruise for two. Please RSVP by fax no later than Friday, June 5. Click on the following link for an RSVP form: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/GTAR/RSVP-Builder-REALTOR-Party.pdf

Thursday, June 11
CIE - Xceligent Basics
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Open to all current CIE subscribers. Pre-registration is required. To enroll, log in to tulsarealtors.com and click the red Education Button on the main page. Class will be in the GTAR Computer Lab. If you have any questions, please contact Renae at renae@tulsarealtors.com or call 663-7500.

New Online CE Provider Coming in June
Starting in June, GTAR will have a new online CE provider: McKissock 100% Education. The new Virtual University will provide real estate licensees with a better variety of courses more pertinent to today’s market, AND will also offer CE courses for real estate appraisers; pre-licensing and license upgrade courses for appraisers will also be available. Anyone enrolled in an online course with GTAR’s current provider, 360Training.com (Virtual University) will be able to complete it but starting June 1 anyone wanting to take CE courses online will go through GTAR’s new provider, McKissock 100% Education. Look for more details in the June issue of the GTAR World newsletter.

Effective July 1
Change in NORES Billing
All NORES Participants and Users: Starting July 1, users will begin receiving a quarterly bill for NORES fees such as MLS, CIE, and key fees. Bills will be sent by email, so it is imperative that your contact information on file with GTAR/NORES, especially your email address, be current and accurate. For details on the billing change, refer to page 3 of the May GTAR World newsletter online now. An automatic charge option will be available—if you prefer this method of payment, click on the following link, complete the Payment Authorization form, and return it to GTAR: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/GTAR/GTAR-NORES-Payment-Authorization-Form.pdf

Only 133 Backpacks to Go!
Backpacks for Kids Update: Thanks to the generosity of our members, GTAR’s Community Relations Committee has raised $8,394.66—enough to provide 160 backpacks (one backpack costs $50). We need your support so that we can provide 300 deserving kids with backpacks filled with essentials to start school this August. The remaining $6,605.34 needs to be raised by July 1 to make this happen! All donations are tax deductible; please make checks payable to the GTAR Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 470603, Tulsa, OK 74146. For more information on Backpacks for Kids and a donation form, click here: http://ims.tulsarealtors.com/GTAR/09BackpacksforKids.pdf