Monday, April 30, 2012

GTAR Weekly Facts – April 30, 2012

NOTICES:                                                                             
May 2-9
Front Entrance Closed
The front entrance to the GTAR/NORES office will be closed May 2-9 due to repairs being made. Please use the back (north) entrance during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.
May 9
Young Professionals Network Event

Join us for an evening of hors d’oeuvres and drinks at The McGuire Mansion—Tulsa’s Designer Showcase Home, Wednesday, May 9, 5:00-7:00 p.m. (1132 E. 18th Street). This is a great opportunity to network with your peers and get a sneak peek of this beautiful home before it opens to the public. Because of our great sponsors this event is FREE! A special thank you to Crest Homes, Frisco Title, Cityscape Home Mortgage, and Bill Zumwalt, CPA for making this event possible! To RSVP, go to tulsarealtors.com; from the Main Menu, click on Member Resources tab, then GTAR Events. Deadline to RSVP is Friday, May 4! If you have any questions, call Jennifer Smith at 918-663-7500 or email jsmith@tulsarealtors.com.

June 28
Experience Art in Tulsa!

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This event was originally scheduled for May 3.) Discover one of Tulsa’s hidden gems at The Gilcrease Museum. Guided tours will begin at 3:00 p.m. Chef Geoffrey van Glabbeek will put together a special dinner buffet starting at 4:00 p.m.; cash bar will be available. Cost is $15 per person, and includes admission to the museum, dinner, and 10 free guest passes to the Museum—a $100 value! Not only will you enjoy an afternoon of art and delicious food, but you will receive guest passes to give to potential clients as a thank you. (You must attend the event to receive free guest passes.) Register online at tulsarealtors.com; from the Main Menu, click on Member Resources tab, then GTAR Events. Deadline to register is June 22! If you have any questions, please call Jennifer Smith at 918-663-7500 or email jsmith@tulsarealtors.com.

March 2012 Home Sales Stats are Now Available
Important Notice for All MLS Users: The Fusion MLS cut over will be delayed until further notice. 
The Fusion add/edit module, which allows the entry of listings into the MLS system, was not completed as needed and we were not comfortable with releasing it to our users. CoreLogic, our Fusion vendor, will continue working to develop the add/edit module which we expect to be complete in the near future. Once the module is complete and has been fully tested, the MLS cutover to Fusion will be rescheduled, and all users will be notified accordingly.  This is a great opportunity to take advantage of a little extra time to learn the new Fusion MLS system—and to attend more classes, if needed.
EDUCATION:
Are You a Broker Manager, Proprietor Broker or Branch Broker?
If you are, your OREC CE requirements have changed! If your license type is a Broker Manager (BM), Proprietor Broker (BP), or Branch Broker (BB), even if only for ONE day during that license term, AND your real estate license expires on or after June 30, 2012, then you are required to complete an approved 15-hour Broker in Charge (BIC) class PLUS an additional 6 hours of required subject matter in at least two core courses (BRA, PSC, FHR or HOT) prior to your license renewal. Whether you are a one-person office or a gazillion-person office, residential or commercialthis new requirement applies to you! GTAR’s next Broker in Charge class is May 15-16, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; cost is $90; class size is limited to 15. For more information and to register, go to tulsarealtors.com.
May 23
The New HUD Internet Training
Encore presentation: 1:00-4:00 p.m. Mary Berry will teach brokers and associates the new HUD procedures, and how to submit bids using the new HUD website: HUDHomeStore.com. OREC approved for 3 hours required HOT CE credit. For more information and to register, go to tulsarealtors.com.
Other May CE at GTAR
REALTOR® Ethics, May 10, 1:00 -4:00 p.m.; req. PSC CE; free but must register
CRS 210: Building an Exceptional Customer Referral Business
Presented by the Norman Board of REALTORS®. Early-bird price of $200 ends May 1, but will be honored for Tulsa until May 10, if you email your completed registration form directly to Andy Newman at andy@centennialrealtors.com. Price after May 10 will be $250. Class is June 6-7, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., at the J.D. McCarty Center in Norman, OK; instructor, Chuck Bode.  Click Here for registration form and full course details. (This is not a GTAR event.)
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE:
Good News for Tulsa Office and Industrial Markets
Xceligent is pleased to provide market reports for the Tulsa metropolitan area for OFFICE 1st Quarter 2012 and INDUSTRIAL1st Quarter 2012
NAR is Your Voice for Commercial Real Estate Issues
Recently, NAR signed two coalition letters, urging Senate Majority Leader Reid and Republican Leader McConnell to expand the Senate jobs legislation to include provisions aimed to enhance the flow of credit to the small business and commercial real estate sectors. Stay updated on how this and other advocacy efforts impact your business by reading NAR’s Commercial Real Estate Advocacy Timeline: http://bit.ly/CREadv
GOVERNMENT ISSUES/LEGAL:
NAR: Don’t Apply QRM Mistake to QM
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) risks making the same mistake with the upcoming Qualified Mortgage (QM) rule as regulators did in their proposed qualified residential mortgage (QRM) rule by setting QM's "ability to repay" standards too narrowly, NAR says in a coalition letter. The concern is that borrowers would have to put down too much money, and meet overly strict credit standards to meet the QM rule’s "ability to repay" standard. The proposed QRM rule, which received a lot of attention last year, sets underwriting standards for loans that would be included in mortgage-backed securities for sale to investors, while the QM rule creates a more general "ability to repay" standard. Press release.
Expanded RESPA/TILA Rule Process Needed
NAR and other groups told the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that the process for harmonizing RESPA and TILA needs to be expanded because the process represents a major regulatory effort that could impact earlier reforms to the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). TILA stands for the Truth in Lending Act, and the two have overlapping requirements.
INFORMATION TO USE:
Members Make Your Own REALTOR® Rally Poster
From NAR: Get in the spirit of the Rally to Protect the American Dream on May 17 at the Washington Monument by choosing one of four templates for making your own poster.
Nominate Good Neighbors by May 18
REALTOR® Magazine is seeking nominees for its 13th annual Good Neighbor Awards. Five winners will be recognized at the 2012 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Orlando, receive travel expenses to attend the show, and a $10,000 grant for their community cause. Winners are recognized for their volunteer work. Entries must be received by May 18. For an entry form, go to www.REALTOR.org/gna and click "For Media & AEs."
Free Consumer Content: Preparing Sellers for Low Bids
The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic’s REALTOR® Content Resource looks at preparing sellers for low-ball bids.
Access REALTOR.org on Any Device, Anywhere
The new REALTOR.org is built using responsive design technology to help members access the site on any device from anywhere. You can receive an electronic version of the popular 2011 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers as part of the MVP program by customizing your home page by April 30.
MEMBERSHIP 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.
REALTOR®:
Daniel Mays, A&D Property Management (Second Publication)


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