GTAR Weekly Facts – April 29, 2013

EDUCATION & EVENTS:

 

May 13-14

Broker in Charge Course

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. both days with instructor Ann Lloyd; lunch provided courtesy of one of GTAR affiliate members. OREC approved for 15 hours required BIC CE credit. Class size is limited to 15; there are currently three seats left. Cost is $90 for GTAR members. Register online at tulsarealtors.com. (Next BIC course is August 5-6)

CE Classes Available Online

GTAR is partnered with both McKissock Education and Barnes Real Estate School to offer you a variety of online continuing education classes to fulfill your OREC requirements. In addition to CE classes, McKissock offers a variety of classes for appraisers; Charles Barnes offers the 45 Hour Post License and 90 Hour Brokers License courses...AND, the 15 hour OREC required Broker in Charge course is now available online through Charles Barnes. So how does it work? Simply go to tulsarealtors.com, click on the logos for either school, and follow the instructions. Any and all classes you take through McKissock and Charles Barnes are reported directly to OREC.

May 23

Experience Art in Tulsa at The Philbrook Museum

Enjoy an evening of drinks and delicious food from Chef Franz Romer.  Enjoy two very special exhibits: Aphrodite and the Gods of Love along with The Hollywood Portraits of George Hurell. Thursday, May 23, 4:00-7:00 p.m., $15.00 per person.  Register online at tulsarealtors.com; from the Main Menu, click on the Member Resources tab, then click Events). Don’t miss this special evening!

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): Tuesday, April 30, 2:00-4:30 p.m.

Fusion 2 (Hands-on): Thursday, May 2, 2:00-4:30 p.m.

Fusion 3 (Hands-on): Tuesday, May 7, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

March 2013 Home Sales Stats Now Available

http://www.tulsarealtors.com/stats/

GOVERNMENT/LEGAL ISSUES:

Get Housing Data by Congressional District

NAR has a new online housing data tool, organized by congressional district, you can use when talking to your members of Congress. The data includes the number of housing units in your Congress' district, how many are occupied and how many are vacant, the median home value, the median housing cost for homes with a mortgage, the median household income, and the unemployment rate, among other things. The data is organized as an interactive map. First click the state then scroll down to the congressional districts. Access and share the link.

Thomas: Go Slow on FHA Changes

NAR President Gary Thomas in his latest video podcast says FHA is shoring up its reserves and it's too soon to know whether the agency will need to take a draw on Treasury funds in September, when the fiscal year ends. He also shares a point he made in his recent congressional testimony that it’s worth looking into whether FHA’s 30-year reserve requirement remains appropriate. 

Membership Marks Manual Updated

You can get an updated manual on using NAR's membership marks online. The manual can also be downloaded as a 42-page PDF document. 

INFORMATION TO USE:

Earth Day: Wooded Lots Important to Some Buyers

Almost a third of home buyers would be willing to pay more for a home on a wooded lot. That’s one of the facts NAR Research has pulled out of its recent Profile of Buyers' Home Feature Preferences in recognition of Earth Day, which was Monday, April 22. Access more earth-friendly home feature preference facts.

Free Consumer Content: Tips to Garden like a Pro

The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic's REALTOR^® Content Resource looks at tips to garden like a pro.

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^®:

Tabatha Farabough, Apartment Home Specialist (Second Publication)

Firm Affiliate:

Allegiance Title & Escrow, Designated Individual, Kiley Hill (First Publication)

Holiday American Mortgage, LLC, Designated Individual, Treak Tasker (Second Publication)

Waiver Request:

Michelle Epps, Chinowth & Cohen (First Publication)

GTAR Weekly Facts – April 22, 2013

NOTICES:

 

April 25

Find Application Presentation

You are invited to attend a presentation by Curt Beardsley, chief technology officer of realtor.com. Curt will be demonstrating realtor.com's new tool that can be made available to MLS users called Find— a professional data application that allows MLS users to access realtor.com data via a powerful, robust, and intuitive search engine. Click Here to view a six minute video demonstration of the Find Application. The presentation will be in the GTAR Training Center, Thursday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but please RSVP by emailing kdebolt@tulsarealtors.com or calling 918-663-7500.  

April 23

Celebrate Fair Housing Month

The Tulsa Area Fair Housing Partnership will  recognize the 45^th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act* by showing Part 3: The House We Live In, from the PBS Series, Race: The Power of An Illusion by the California News Reel, 7:00 p.m. at Living Arts (307 E. Brady Street). A panel discussion about the movie and Fair Housing will follow facilitated by Kelli McLoud-Schingen. (*The Fair Housing Act is Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.) For more information, call (918) 584-0001 or click here

April 25

Synergy N Tulsa – Catch the Net!

Learn more about several City of Tulsa Authorities, Boards and Commissions…Network with influential economic development authorities; Understand & participate in Tulsa’s economic resurgence; Special video highlighting the City of Tulsa’s Boards and Authorities projects; Complimentary admittance and continental breakfast. Thursday, April 25, 8:00-10:00 a.m. at the Arts & Humanities Hardesty Arts Center (101 E. Archer St.). RSVP to Tammy Fate, City of Tulsa Retail Marketing Coordinator: tfate@cityoftulsa.org. Click Here for Details

March 2013 Home Sales Stats Now Available

http://www.tulsarealtors.com/stats/

EDUCATION & EVENTS:

Upcoming CE Classes at GTAR

Don’t wait until the end of your three-year licensing period to start working on your CE hours. As CE classes are scheduled, information and registration will be available on tulsarealtors.com; from the main Member Services page, simply click the red Education bar. If you are a Class Pass Holder, please register for Class Pass eligible classes by emailing education@tulsarealtors.com or calling 918-663-7500.

THIS WEEK! April 24: FAIR is Not Just Another Four-letter Word, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Kathryn Jones; req. FHR CE (Class Pass Eligible)

May 13-14

Broker in Charge Course

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. both days with instructor Ann Lloyd; lunch provided courtesy of one of GTAR affiliate members. OREC approved for 15 hours required BIC CE credit. Class size is limited to 15. Cost is $90 for GTAR members. Register online at tulsarealtors.com.

May 23

Experience Art in Tulsa at The Philbrook Museum

Enjoy an evening of drinks and delicious food from Chef Franz Romer.  Enjoy two very special exhibits: Aphrodite and the Gods of Love along with The Hollywood Portraits of George Hurell. Thursday, May 23, 4:00-8:00 p.m., $15.00 per person.  Register online at tulsarealtors.com starting April 24 (from the Main Menu, click on the Member Resources tab, then click Events). Don’t miss this special evening!

Online Course Looks at Legal Aspects of Real Estate

An attorney walks you through laws governing real property rights and interest, as well as tax implications and environmental concerns in a REALTORS^® Land Institute no-travel "hybrid" online course open to all real estate professionals. Legal Aspects of Real Estate Online Course is May 6-31.

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): Tuesday, April 30, 2:00-4:30 p.m.

Fusion 2 (Hands-on): Thursday, May 2, 2:00-4:30 p.m.

Fusion 3 (Hands-on): Tuesday, May 7, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

                   

GOVERNMENT/LEGAL ISSUES:

New Flood Insurance Premiums Released

Access 2013 premium rates, including on second homes. NAR has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on a report to Congress regarding the affordability of these and other rate changes under the federal flood insurance reform law passed last year.

INFORMATION TO USE:

Agent-ratings.com Raises Faked Ratings Concerns

Another agent-rating site is raising concerns among real estate professionals. Agent-ratings.com appears to be assigning bad grades to real estate professionals while offering lifetime "A" ratings to those who pay a $99 fee. Read more Let NAR know if you’ve had experience with this site. Earlier, another ratings site that appeared to be soliciting fees in exchange for positive ratings was shut down.

Free Consumer Content: Ideas for Adding Value

The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic's REALTOR^® Content Resource looks at great ideas for saving money and adding value. 

Homebuyers Assistance Program 2013

Click Here to learn more about this program from the Community Action Resource & Development, Inc.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE:

Deadline: April 24

NAR Commercial Real Estate Lending Survey

Financing and credit availability have been major obstacles for the commercial sector over the past few years. NAR seeks your experience with the current commercial lending environment by completing this brief 2013 Commercial Real Estate Lending Survey by April 24

May 13-18

NAR Midyear is Just Around the Corner!

With a full schedule of Commercial meetings, your special Commercial Networking Reception, and Capitol Hill visits; don’t miss this opportunity to get involved with NAR and see the power of our collective voice in action. Check out the complete Commercial Schedule and registration info.

May 20-22

ICSC RECON

Over 30,000 attendees and 1000 exhibitors will be at the International Council of Shopping Center’s RECon Conference from May 20-22, making it the largest industry convention and an amazing opportunity for you to meet with developers, retailers, and other practitioners. NAR will once again have a booth, featuring complimentary meeting space for you to utilize—simply book a table in advance and we’ll see you there!

Lead-hazard Proposal has Research Gaps

EPA Needs to do more research before publishing lead-hazard rules on public and commercial building renovation, NAR says in a letter it signed with coalition partners. The agency first needs to utilize the best available science to determine whether or not lead paint renovation activities cause health hazards in commercial buildings. If EPA moves forward with a proposed rule, the agency will need to make a better distinction between renovation activities in commercial and residential buildings and more effectively differentiate between the wide variety of existing commercial buildings, rather than treat all commercial buildings as a "generic, monolithic grouping."

Got a social media strategy? Not sure where to start?

Listen to this Commercial Podcast, featuring Signature Series Speaker D. Scott Smith, CCIM and get some useful tips you can implement right away.

NAR Commercial Connections

The latest issue of NAR’s Commercial Connections is focused on how young professionals are finding success in the commercial industry, along with an overview of a new research publication available to you. Not receiving a mailed copy? Update your NRDS record to indicate “commercial” as one of your fields of business.

Legislative News

In this Commercial Podcast, NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong shares progress on lease accounting, as well as new legislation introduced in Congress to reauthorize terrorism risk insurance for commercial properties.

Healthcare Related Sector of Commercial RE Industry

NAR takes a look at two blog posts at the healthcare related sector of the commercial real estate industry, with insights from an April conference held in Chicago. While 2012 saw a drop in medical facility construction starts, the trend is strip mall spaces, office renovations, and all manner of off-campus medical facilities are going to form the demand nationally going forward.

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^®:

Tabatha Farabough, Apartment Home Specialist (First Publication)

Karen Tipton, Queen B Staging, LLC (Second Publication)

John Wilhite, United Country Prairie Creek Realty & Auction (Second Publication)

Firm Affiliate:

Holiday American Mortgage, LLC, Designated Individual, Treak Tasker (First Publication)

Waiver:

Kathleen Pittman, Preferred Home, REALTORS^® (Second Publication)

GTAR Weekly Facts – April 15, 2013

NOTICES:

April 20-21

Nationwide Open House Weekend

Get your open houses on tulsarealtors.com and be a part of the 2013 REALTOR^® Nationwide Open House Weekend, hosted by GTAR and the National Association of REALTORS^®, as well as, other local associations across the country, this Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21. The Nationwide Open House Weekend offers buyers a stress-free way to visit homes for sale in different neighborhoods where they might want to live. For sellers, the weekend provides a high-visibility effort to promote traffic and drive home sales. Forgot how to list an open house on tulsarealtors.com? Follow these instructions: Go to www.tulsarealtors.com; click NORES Member Login and log in to the site; at the Main Menu, click on Open House/View Webstats; select the property to add as an Open House; pick the date and time; click Save. Click Here to access promotional resources from NAR, including logos, flyers, fill-in-the-blank news releases, and media hooks.

Free Consumer Content: Planning Ideas for Nationwide Open House

The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic's REALTOR^® Content Resource looks at planning ideas for the Nationwide Open House.  

April 23

Celebrate Fair Housing Month

The Tulsa Area Fair Housing Partnership will  recognize the 45^th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act* by showing Part 3: The House We Live In, from the PBS Series, Race: The Power of An Illusion by the California News Reel, 7:00 p.m. at Living Arts (307 E. Brady Street). A panel discussion about the movie and Fair Housing will follow facilitated by Kelli McLoud-Schingen. (*The Fair Housing Act is Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968.) For more information, call (918) 584-0001 or click here

April 25

Synergy N Tulsa – Catch the Net!

Learn more about several City of Tulsa Authorities, Boards and Commissions…Network with influential economic development authorities; Understand & participate in Tulsa’s economic resurgence; Special video highlighting the City of Tulsa’s Boards and Authorities projects; Complimentary admittance and continental breakfast. Thursday, April 25, 8:00-10:00 a.m. at the Arts & Humanities Hardesty Arts Center (101 E. Archer St.). RSVP to Tammy Fate, City of Tulsa Retail Marketing Coordinator: tfate@cityoftulsa.org. Click Here for Details

EDUCATION & EVENTS:

Upcoming CE Classes at GTAR

Don’t wait until the end of your three-year licensing period to start working on your CE hours. As CE classes are scheduled, information and registration will be available on tulsarealtors.com; from the main Member Services page, simply click the red Education bar. If you are a Class Pass Holder, please register for Class Pass eligible classes by emailing education@tulsarealtors.com or calling 918-663-7500.

April 18: REALTOR^® Ethics, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Kathryn Jones; req. PSC CE; no cost, but registration required

April 24: FAIR is Not Just Another Four-letter Word, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Kathryn Jones; req. FHR CE (Class Pass Eligible)

April 29: OK Broker Relationships, 1:00-4:00 p.m., Joyce Painter; req. BRA; no cost, but registration required (courtesy of OAR)

May 13-14

Broker in Charge Course

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. both days with instructor Ann Lloyd; lunch provided courtesy of one of GTAR affiliate members. OREC approved for 15 hours required BIC CE credit. Class size is limited to 15. Cost is $90 for GTAR members. Register online at tulsarealtors.com.

Save the Date!

Experience Art in Tulsa at The Philbrook Museum May 23. Details coming soon!

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 3 (Hands-on): Tuesday, April 16, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Realist Tax System: Wednesday, April 17, 2:00-4:00 p.m.

                   

GOVERNMENT/LEGAL ISSUES:

New Flood Insurance Premiums Released

Access revised premium rates, including on non-primary residences, and other changes stemming from federal flood insurance reform passed last year. NAR has been meeting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on the impact the new rates and premiums will have on property owners and property transactions.

Look at Mortgage Rules and Student Debt Together

The federal government must look at how recent and pending mortgage finance rules, including the upcoming qualified residential mortgage rule (QRM), will affect home ownership among young people facing growing student debt burdens, NAR says in a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which is looking at the availability of affordable student loan options.

Understand Tenants Rights in Foreclosures

Tenants living in a unit that's been foreclosed upon have rights under a 2009 law intended to protect them while the bank or other new owner of the property takes possession. Your members can get a better understanding of what rights tenants have in these situations in a 5-minute video with NAR Regulatory Affairs and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. 

FHA is Weathering the Storm, Thomas Testifies

Although FHA faces challenges, the agency has taken steps to mitigate risk and increase the solvency of the mortgage-insurance fund, NAR President Gary Thomas told lawmakers in a House subcommittee recently.  

INFORMATION TO USE:

Access Slide Show on Code of Ethics History

To help celebrate the centennial for NAR's Code of Ethics, REALTOR^® Doreen Roberts has created a video slideshow capturing the beginnings of the REALTOR^® organization and the NAR Code of Ethics. Watch and share this educational tool to get a fresh perspective on how REALTORS^® are held to a higher standard compared to other real estate professionals.

Fair Housing is Fundamental to NAR Code of Ethics

Article 10 of the REALTOR^® Code of Ethics, now in its centennial year, recognizes the principles of Fair Housing and seeks equal professional services for consumers and protects the dream of home ownership and diverse and thriving communities. Let your clients know that you pledge to uphold the honor, integrity, and professionalism of the Code during Fair Housing Month and throughout the year. 

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^®:

Karen Tipton, Queen B Staging, LLC (First Publication)

John Wilhite, United Country Prairie Creek Realty & Auction (First Publication)

Waiver:

Kathleen Pittman, Preferred Home, REALTORS^® (First Publication)