Weekly Facts Blog – January 4, 2010

If dues were not paid by January 1, 2010, your MLS services will be suspended and keys shut off TODAY, January 4.To reinstate will require a $40 reinstatement fee and new paperwork from the broker. Click Here for Required Paperwork

THIS WEEK!
Thursday, January 7:
What the 2010 RESPA Changes Mean to Me and My Business
The New RESPA changes became effective January 1, 2010. Think the changes won’t affect you as a real estate professional? Better think again! Attend the new course: What the 2010 RESPA Changes Mean to Me and My Business, with Attorney Monica Wittrock. There will be two sessions: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The morning class is almost full and the afternoon class is starting to fill, so don’t wait to register! Course will include a review of the new Good Faith Estimate and the new HUD-1 Settlement Statement; Compliance with Oklahoma State Law; Changes at the Closing Table, and more. OREC approved: 3 hours required HOT CE credit. Click Here for Course Details

Get Your Required CE Hours in January
Don’t wait until the end of your 3-year licensing period to get your CE hours! Take advantage of a slow month and knock out all 12 OREC required core CE hours; classes in all four categories (HOT, FHR, PSC, BRA) will be offered at GTAR in January. For details and online registration, log on to tulsarealtors.com; on the main Member Services page, click the red Education bar, then click Register for Classes. All classes are in the GTAR Training Center and cost $15 pre-registered or $20 the day of class, unless otherwise indicated.

Thursday, January 7: What the 2010 RESPA Changes Mean to Me and My Business (HOT)
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. with instructor Attorney Monica Wittrock. (See information above.)

Thursday, January 14: Fair Housing and Ethical Practices (FHR)
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. with Kathryn Jones.

Thursday, January 21: REALTOR® Ethics (PSC)
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. instructor TBA; this class is free but space is limited and pre-registration is required.

Monday, January 25: OK Broker Relationships (BRA)
1:00 – 4:00 p.m. with instructor Ann Lloyd.

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 bar on the main page. All classes are held in the GTAR Computer Lab.

MarketLinx 1: Tuesday, January 5, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
MarketLinx 2: Monday, January 11, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Computer Basics: Wednesday, January 13, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
MarketLinx 3 (Prospect Gateway): Friday, January 15, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
CIE-Xceligent: Tuesday, January 26, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

GTAR/NORES Inclement Weather Policy for Classes
We are entering that time of year when the weather does not always work in our favor; therefore, GTAR/NORES has established the following inclement weather policy for all education classes at GTAR (CE, Computer, New Member Orientation, etc.): If Tulsa Public Schools are closed the day of a scheduled class, the GTAR/NORES class is cancelled. It doesn’t matter if it’s a morning or afternoon class. Depending on the type of class being cancelled, the class will either be rescheduled for a future date or a full refund will be issued. Please be sure to check one of the local news channels the night before and/or morning of a scheduled class for school closings.

Notice: Supra Support
Effective December 31, 2009, when you contact Supra for support you will be able to enter your serial number and be automatically routed to the correct support representative; this means you will spend less time on the phone. If you have a Supra KEY, please turn the key over to locate the key serial number. If you have eKEY software on your smartphone or PDA, following are instructions on how to locate your serial number: Palm based eKey >> Open the eKEY application; the very first screen will state the key number and whether or not the key is updated. Windows Mobile based eKey >>Open the eKey Suite and select Options in the lower right hand corner of the screen and then choose “About.” Blackberry based eKey >> Open the eKey application, Press the Blackberry Menu Button (the one with the cluster of dots) and choose “About.”

TulsaRealtors.com Web-Email Upgrade
GTAR/NORES is finalizing plans for a TulsaRealtors.com Web E-Mail upgrade. This upgrade should address the Web-Email issues some users have been encountering, and will allow for a more stable email environment and less problems for the user when using TulsaRealtors Web-Email at http://mail.tulsarealtors.com. These changes will not affect users of mail clients such as Outlook or Outlook Express. This upgrade will be released the evening of January 6, 2010.

Friday, January 22
Annual REALTORS® Commercial Alliance Celebration
Recognizing the achievements of Commercial REALTOR® members within the profession and the community and honoring the 2009 Commercial REALTOR® of the Year (to be announced at the Celebration); cost is $50 per person. The banquet will be at The Silo at Redberry Farm; cocktails start at 6:00 p.m. and dinner is at 7:00 p.m. For more information and to make reservations online with a credit card, go to www.tulsarealtors.com; under Member Resources, click GTAR Events, then Annual RCA Celebration. Or, you can call 663-7500. (RSVP no later than January 25!)

Friday, February 5
2010 GTAR/NORES Installation & Awards Banquet
A Night to Remember! This year’s banquet is going to be at the DoubleTree Hotel Tulsa-Downtown; start with cocktails at 5:30 p.m. then enjoy a sit-down dinner and entertainment by the Jeff Shadley Band. Cost is $50 per person through January 25 and $60 per person after; absolutely no reservations will be accepted after February 1. For more information and to make reservations online with a credit card, go to www.tulsarealtors.com; under Member Resources, click GTAR Events, then 2010 Presidents’ Banquet. You can also print out the reservation form and fax it to 663-8815 or mail the form to us with a check or call 663-7500: Click Here for GTAR/NORES Banquet Reservation Form

Tuesday & Wednesday, February 23 & 24REO Specialist Certification9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the GTAR Training Center with Marlene Burkhart. In this two-day course you will learn how to become an REO listing agent, how to manage REO properties, how to work with the buyer purchasing an REO property, how to finance your REO property, and much more. Cost is $179. OREC approved for 12 hours of elective CE credit. Click on the following link for detailed course information and registration: REO Specialist Course Details

REALTOR® Applications
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.

Steven R. Ball, Legacy Real Estate, LLC. (Second Publication)