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SMAR Weekly Update for the Week of August 19, 2009

8/20/2009

 

 
 
 SMAR Weekly Update
 
  Aug 19, 2009  
 
In this Issue
Training
Member Services
REALTORS® Store
 "Now in the REALTOR® Store"
Revolving Crystal Paperweight (lighted)
Open House Directional Signs w/ metal stand
Company Sign Post Business Card holder (customized with your company logo)
Outdoor Brochure Box
Take One/Leave One Stands
Qualifier Plus IIIx - Advanced Residential Finance Calculator
Info Pak
Saint Joseph Home Seller
A-Frame Signs $27.00
Promotional Flags $13.95

Payment may be made by Check, Visa, MasterCard or Cash.

Call Ronnie today at    1-888-340-8727, 301-870-2323 or 301-274-4406 for any questions.
Quick Links
 
 
2009-2010 Committees Forming
Committee Application Deadline: Friday, September 11, 2009
 
2009-2010 President Tim Wood welcomes all SMAR members to serve on at least one Committee in 2009-2010.  If you would like to serve on a SMAR Committee please click here to access the Committee Descriptions and volunteer form.  
 
Q.  If I am currently serving on a Committee and want to continue to serve on the same committee, do I need to sign up again?
 
A.  Yes.  Committee appointments are one-year in length - November 1st through October 31st. Each year the new SMAR president is responsible for making appointments to committees 
 
Q.  This will be my first time to volunteer for a committee.  How do I sign up?
 
A.  Whether you have served on a committee before or are volunteering for the first time, the procedure is the same.  Just click here to access the Committee Descriptions and volunteer form.
 
You may request a copy of the Committee Descriptions and volunteer form via email.  Send your request to information@smarweb.org.  If you are in the area, you may stop by the SMAR Office in Hughesville to pick up a copy of the Committee Descriptions and Volunteer Form.   
 
Membership Annual Renewal Fees
 
NEW - Obtain your invoice by either visiting www.smarmember.org (see below for instructions**) or see your Broker or Manager.
   
$199.00 (SMAR Renewal)
$194.00 (MAR Renewal)
$115.00 (NAR Renewal)
$35.00 (Late Fee added for dues not paid by July 31st)
$35.00 Suggested RPAC Investment *** ($109 suggested for Brokers/Managers)
$125.00 (SentriLock Renewal)
$703.00 Total due by August 31st
 
After August 31, Total amount due is $738.00
 
 
 
**NEW - Access your dues invoice online and even pay on line too!
 
Instructions:  
?If you have not activated your account, the process is easy.  Click here for instructions.
 
? If you have already activated your account on www.smarmember.org, simply
1. Log in to the site
2. Click Member Profile
3. Click View Unpaid Invoices under the Invoice options section
4. Click pay
5. You will be taken to a secured site where you may use either a VISA or MasterCard to pay your dues.  Once your payment has been posted at SMAR, you should see your dues invoice appear under paid invoices in your member profile area.
 
***Contributions to RPAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal Income tax purposes. Contributions to RPAC are voluntary and are used for political Purposes. You may refuse to contribute without affecting your membership rights.
70% of each contribution is used by Maryland RPAC to support state and local Candidates. 30% is sent to National RPAC to support federal candidates and is charged against your limits under 2 U.S.C. 441a.
This solicitation is intended for members of the Southern Maryland Association of REALTORS only.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed as solicitation of contributions from non-members.
For Contributions made by credit card:
You acknowledge that all credit card contributions are subject to the usual requirements of law applicable to RPAC contributions. The charge applied to the account as a result of the contribution must be paid with the personal funds of the individual(s) by whom the contribution is made.
Authority: Ron Bowers, Treasurer
 
Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) Not Mitigating Controversy
 NAR President Charles McMillan in an Aug. 4 letter
to the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency says the home valuation code of conduct  is not adequately dealing with controversy surrounding the appraisal process. "According to a survey of our members, 76 percent said the length of time to obtain a completed appraisal report increased after May 1," McMillan says. "More than one third have lost at least one sale because of a delay in the appraisal process. At the same time, respondents who identified themselves as appraisers said their time frame to submit an appraisal report has decreased and half of these respondents say this impacts the quality of the appraisal report. At the same time, the cost to the consumer is increasing." For more info contact Jerome Nagy, jnagy@realtors.org, 202/383-1233.
 
NAR Offers Free Webinar on Mastering Lease-to-Own Deals
Want to learn about the lease-to-own niche? Expand your business by working with households who are finding it tough to buy in today's economic climate. The transactions can provide a win for sellers who would otherwise have trouble attracting households to buy, and it provides a win for households who need a year or two to be financially ready to buy. A free Webinar by two specialists in the niche will look at the opportunities as well as the challenges of the niche. The Webinar is Thurs., August 27, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.  REALTOR® members can register at this link.
 
 
Do You Speak Another Language?  SMAR Wants to Know!
 
The National Association of REALTORS®' International Division is encouraging local associations to start tracking members who can speak another language other than English.   
 
If you speak another language besides English, please send an email to hannahsanders@smarweb.org with the following information:
1.      Your Name
2.      Office Name
3.      Any languages you speak besides English
 
Once that information is collected it can be used in the following ways:
  1. NAR uploads select member record data to the International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA) Web site (www.worldproperties.com).  At this site, all ICREA-affiliated agents (1 million+ worldwide, including all NAR members) can search for an agent for referral needs. 
  2. Soon, this same data will be available to consumers worldwide who are searching for an agent.
  3. Members will be able to search on www.realtor.org  in "Find a Realtor" to locate a member by a specific language.
  4. Languages from the National REALTOR® Database System (NRDS) are also displayed on the member's record on www.realtor.com where consumers search for REALTORS®.
 
New REALTOR® Store
 
SMAR has a newly expanded REALTOR® Store.  Still on the upper level of the REALTOR® Center in Hughesville - we've moved out of the corner closet into a larger space.  Store manager, Ronnie Miles invites you to check out the fully stocked REALTOR® Store soon!
 
© 2012 Southern Maryland Association Of Realtors® • 301-870-2323 • information@smarmember.org• 8440 Old Leonardtown Rd. • Suite 211• Hughesville, MD 20637
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