The CAR Foundation invites you to attend its second annual Autumn Wine Tasting on Thursday, September 15th at Anthony’s Ocean View in New Haven. Register online or contact Gina Ballard at extension 312 for more information.

CAR members receive a significant discount on tickets for select UConn Huskies football games. Tickets are only $16, but quantities are limited, so purchase yours today!  For more details, click here.

If you’re planning to take the GRI-3 or Appraisal-1 course this fall, register today.  Seats are filling up and time is running out!  GRI-3 starts Sept. 12 in West Hartford and Appraisal-1 starts Sept. 13 in North Haven.  Click here to register or for more information.

The GRI-2 Series is scheduled to begin on September 26 at the MFCAR Office, Westport.  Topics include: Short Sales & Foreclosures, Rentals: Rules of the Road, Appraised Property Value: Fact or Fiction, Intro to Commercial Property and Client Negotiating Strategies. Take advantage of this opportunity and earn 30 hours of broker pre-licensing elective credit and 9 CE credits good toward the 2012 license renewal.  Register by September 12 and save. Click here for more information.

Donate to the CAR Foundation every time you search the Internet or shop on-line. iGive donates about a penny with every qualified search. Start here before every Internet search and watch the pennies roll in!!  In addition, up to 26% of each purchase at any of the 900+ stores is donated automatically to the Foundation. As a special bonus, if you make a purchase through iGive within 45 days of joining, they'll donate an EXTRA $5 to the Foundation! With 914 stores in the iGive Mall, it's easy to find the things you need AND raise money for a good cause.  It's free, safe, and easy to join. Click here to download the iGive toolbar and start feeling good while helping a great cause today!

Last year, NAR President Ron Phipps held a “town hall forum” session that was one of the highlights of the CT REALTORS® Leadership Conference.  This year, Ron is back along with NAR General Counsel Laurie Janik (another crowd favorite!) to provide you with updates on what is happening on the National level affecting the real estate industry and, more importantly, to listen to/answer YOUR questions, comments and concerns.  Don’t miss this interactive opportunity to share with our National Leadership what matters to you!  Click here for registration information.

CAR Legal Department’s hottest fun feature, Quiz Question, continues. The prize is a $25 restaurant.com gift card! It’s easy to play! Just read the question, pick your answer, and submit it. Look for Q² in the Hotsheet every two weeks and at http://www.ctrealtor.com/ under “The Latest from CAR”. All correct answers go into a hat and the winner’s name is drawn. 

Margaret Laufer was the winner of last week’s quiz question.  

Here is the link for this week’s quiz.

Many CAR programs/events would not be possible without the continued support of our generous sponsors.  With this in mind, over the next couple of months we will continue putting a “spotlight” on some of our sponsors and hope that you will help us thank them for their support by taking a minute to check out the various products and services they have to offer.

McCue Mortgage has been a long-time sponsor and supporter of CAR and the real estate industry as a whole.  This year, they are once again sponsoring our Keynote Speaker, Terry Watson, during the Tenth Annual CT REALTORS® Leadership Conference. Founded in 1949, McCue Mortgage Company is a leading provider of mortgage lending services with a long history of helping home buyers at every level of the financing spectrum. McCue Mortgage is one of the largest mortgage lenders in Connecticut catering to the needs of all homebuyers, providing conventional, adjustable rate, FHA, VA, CHFA, and “jumbo” loans, while closing over $600 million in loans annually. They are recognized for their exceptional customer service. You can learn more about McCue Mortgage at http://www.mccuemortage.com/.

If you know a candidate running for office in your town who is supportive of the real estate industry, it is still not too late to recommend them for RPAC support. Click here for the REALTOR® Recommendation form online, or contact the CAR office and ask for the Recommendation form to be sent over to you.  But do not delay, all Recommendations must be received by the CAR office on or before Friday, September 16! For questions or assistance, please contact Holly Reed.

RPAC, the non-partisan REALTORS® Political Action Committee, has endorsed REALTOR® Henri Martin in his bid for Town Council in Bristol. The November election pits Mr. Martin, a Republican, against three other candidates for the seat in district 2, where only two candidates can win. RPAC has also endorsed REALTOR® Michael Tetreau in his bid for First Selectman of Fairfield. Mr. Tetreau, a Democrat who is currently acting First Selectman, will run for re-election in November against Republican Robert Bellitto, an attorney. RPAC urges REALTORS® and their families to support these candidates in their district with their votes, volunteer talent, and financial assistance. It is most important to get out and VOTE. Election Day is November 8.

To celebrate “RPAC Week” which ends September 30th, all REALTORS® who contribute their Fair Share RPAC contribution of $15 dollars or more between August 3 and September 30 will automatically be entered in a drawing to win an iPad. 

RPAC is dedicated to the preservation of private property rights through the support of pro-real estate candidates who understand and support REALTOR® issues. RPAC is your best insurance against poorly designed small business and real estate legislation, as well as legislative impediments to home ownership.

If your company receives a visit from your local RPAC team, please help them feel welcome, and contribute your fair share to RPAC. Contribute now using your personal check or credit card. Simply click here. (You will need your CAR website username and password to access the donation form.) 

Many local boards/associations are relying on this final two month push for 2011 RPAC in order to make their RPAC Goal. Statewide, Connecticut needs to raise its participation percentage for RPAC to 25%. Approximately 850 more REALTOR® contributions to RPAC will put us ahead of other states like California! For questions or assistance, please contact Holly Reed.

• It’s Not Too Late to Register for the Wine Tasting!
• Discount UConn Huskies Football Tickets 
• Time is Running Out
• GRI Course in Westport 
• A FREE Way to Give 
• Sign Up to Serve on a 2012 Committee
• A Conversation with Ron and Laurie
• Q²: Game On!
• Sponsor Spotlight: McCue Mortgage 
• REALTOR® Recommendations for Municipal Elections Being Accepted Now
• REALTORS® Back Martin in Bristol and Tetreau in Fairfield
• Want to Win an IPAD? 
• Hotsheet Legal Tip
• Real Estate News
• Member Benefits 

Signs

A real estate licensee must have the written consent of the owner or lessor of a property before installing a sign on that seller’s or lessor’s property. Furthermore, since both listing company and buyer’s company can claim to have sold a property, a buyer may consent to the buyer’s company installing its “sold” sign on the property once the buyer has become the owner.

Follow CAR’s Legal Department on Twitter at http://twitter.com/CTRealtorsLegal!

Pending Home Sales Slip in July but Up Strongly From One Year Ago

Pending home sales declined in July but remain well above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. All regions show monthly declines except for the West, which continues to show the highest level of sales contract activity. Read more here.

Source: NAR

For more interesting real estate news, please visit here. 

CAR members and their families are now eligible for a 10% discount off monthly charges for new and existing T-Mobile customers. Additional benefits include waived activation fees, FREE 2 day shipping and free and/or discount devices included with some promotions. For more details, click here.