Volume 17, Number 2

Having trouble viewing this email message?

View the message in your browser.

Connecticut Association of REALTORS®, Inc.
111 Founders Plaza
Suite 1101
East Hartford, CT 06108

Tel: 1-800-335-4862
Fax: 860-290-6615

http://www.ctrealtor.com/

Some links in this newsletter are only accessible to registered users of ctrealtor.com and require a username and password.

Have you lost your ctrealtor.com username or password? Retrieve it.

Sign up for Member's Only access (if you have never signed up for a ctrealtor.com username and password before.)

Have you changed your email address?

Update your email address with CAR.

Looking for a CAR Staff Directory?

See a full list of CAR departments and staff.

REALTORS® at the Capitol
For over 27 years, Connecticut REALTORS® have been coming together to meet with State Senators and Representatives to let them know our views on the issues that affect our business. April 5, 2012 at the State Capitol in Hartford REALTORS® are again asked to participate and show the legislators and our Governor that our views are important and we need to be heard.  Register now and speak out to help protect our industry.

This event is open to members of the Connecticut Association of REALTORS® only. There is no fee to attend. 

Visit this link to register today! 

Gates Scholarship Applications
Raymond F. Gates, Jr. Memorial Scholarship applications are NOW AVAILABLE! Children/step children of REALTORS®, REALTOR-ASSOCIATES®, local Board/Association staff or CAR staff members are eligible to apply. For more information and to download scholarship applications go here. Username and password are required. Applications not complete or received by the Friday, May 18 deadline will not be considered.  For more information, contact Brett Moody at 860-290-6601, ext. 308.

Last Chance to Register for the New England REALTORS® Conference!
2012 NAR Region 1 Vice President Doug Azarian invites all New England REALTORS® to the 2012 New England REALTORS® Conference being held at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on February 16-17, 2012.  This event promises to be a valuable experience which will include informative sessions with distinguished National Speakers including 2012 NAR President Moe Veissi, NAR General Counsel Laurie Janik and Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson.  Don’t miss out on this unique networking opportunity for all New England REALTORS®! For more information or to register, visit: http://www.nerc2012.com/ or contact Kara Morgan at the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® at kmorgan@marealtor.com or by calling (781) 839-5523. Deadline to register is Friday, February 10!  

Gates Scholarship Auction
It’s almost time for our second Raymond F. Gates, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Online Auction.  By switching to an online format, our efforts reach all of our 16,000+ members along with their families, friends and clients (remember, the auction is open to the public).  This year we are doubling our efforts with two exciting Online Auctions – one in the Spring and one in the Fall.  All proceeds from both events go directly to the Gates Scholarship Fund.  Any assistance you can provide, in donating an auction item or offering a monetary contribution, would be much appreciated.  Suggestions include gift certificates for gas, restaurants, hotel or bed & breakfast stays, ski packages, one of a kind items, sports tickets, golf passes, and electronics!  We anticipate that 2012 will bring a record number of applicants for scholarships.  Please join us by contributing to the Gates Scholarship Fund.  All donations made to the Gates Scholarship Fund, including monetary donations and donated items for the Gates Scholarship Auction, are tax deductible subject to applicable IRS limits. Go online to make a secure monetary donation or go here for the donation flyer.  If you have questions, contact Abby or 860-290-6601, ext. 317.

CAR'S Foreign Language Directory
Need assistance with a client who speaks a foreign language? Use CAR’s Foreign Language Directory to find a CT REALTOR® who can help! Visit here to check out the recently updated directory, now representing 55 different languages. If you or a member of your office speaks a foreign language and would like to be included in the next update, visit here and fill out the online form.

Visit the Programs/Events section of our website for a complete list of special programs and events offered by CAR.

ZipForm®
ZipForm® is a powerful, easy-to-use software program that auto-populates all forms. ZipForm® allows you to: increase productivity through a standardized forms process, offer leading-edge technology to your sales staff, present a professional image to your customers, streamline administrative tasks, instantly recall transaction information, e-mail transactions, and save time and money! ZipForm's® family of tech-savvy products have become the recognized industry standard for electronic real estate forms. For more details, click here.

UPS
CAR Members save up to 30% on shipping with UPS.  Your CAR membership entitles you to discounts on UPS domestic air, ground and international shipping every time you ship. Whether you send 50 shipments a month or two shipments a week, the savings add up. With UPS, even small businesses save big! For more details, click here. 

Health and Short-Term Disability Insurance
Your health and disability insurance needs are important and assessing those needs and options can be confusing!  CAR members can turn to the Garvin Group to explore coverage specific to their personal and family situations.  Whether you are seeking information on Individual Health Insurance or Short-Term Disability Insurance, it is important to feel confident that you are making informed decisions. To learn more about this important member benefit, e-mail Bgarvin@thegarvingroup.com or call 1-800-953-9332.

Rep. DeLauro Introduces the Regulation of Mortgage Servicing Act
Connecticut U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro held a press conference Monday, January 30, 2012 to announce legislation she has introduced to establish national standards for mortgage lenders and require them to improve their communication with struggling homeowners. DeLauro introduced the Regulation of Mortgage Servicing Act last week. Under the bill, mortgage servicers and lenders would have to create a single point of contact for borrowers. They'd also have to stop the process of foreclosing on a property while negotiating loan modifications, and allow third-party reviews of loan modifications. Read more...

Legal Hotline Call Tracking 2011
Have questions about your transaction? We’re here to help! As part of your REALTOR® member benefits, you may call the Legal Hotline Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to get the information you need to better understand your role and responsibilities in your transaction. The questions you ask the Legal Hotline are reflective of what is actually happening in the market. So, here are some facts about the questions we received in 2011: 

The Legal Hotline answered 3,259 calls. 

Tuesday was the day of the week in which the most calls (692) were received, then Monday with 679 calls, followed by Friday with 632, Wednesday with 629, and Thursday with 627. It was also noted that on perfect beach days we received fewer calls and on rainy and snowy days we received the most. We now know to be prepared for rainy/snowy Tuesdays. 

There are approximately 50 categories/topics of questions, ranging from advertising and appraisal through zoning. The top 10 categories in 2011 were:

• Landlord/Tenant was the number one question topic with 347 calls.
• Seller Agency came in second with 334 calls.
• Buyer Agency and Contracts tied for third with 177 calls each.
• Foreclosure/Short Sales produced 152 calls.
• Property Condition generated 148 calls.
• Licenses and Commission Collection tied with 131 calls.
• Arbitration/Ethics had 106 calls.
• Regulations had 104 calls.
• There was one question on interstate land sales.

Don’t be shy – give us a call at (860) 290-6601 or (800) 335-4862 and ask for the legal hotline.  

Residential Property Disclosure Form Revised
The CT Department of Consumer Protection has issued a revision to the Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report form. The revision includes new language concerning flood hazard zones, historic districts, information on leased items such as propane tanks, volatile organic compounds found in well water and a new question concerning land use restrictions that may not be easily discovered without a full title search. The form will be available on the CT Department of Consumer Protection’s website soon and is available on CAR’s website. Listing agents should begin using the new form if they have not already provided a Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report form to a potential seller. If a seller provided a Residential Property Condition Disclosure Report as part of a listing package, but has not yet provided the form to potential purchaser, the seller should be asked to provide disclosure using the new revised form. For further information, please contact CAR’s General Counsel Eugene Marconi at (860) 290-6601 or (800) 335-4862, or marconie@ctrealtor.com. 

Q²: Game On!
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 on CAR’s home page under “The Latest from CAR”. All correct answers go into a hat and the winner’s name is drawn.

Christopher L. Conti was the winner of last week’s quiz question.

Here is the link for this week’s quiz.

Visit the Legal section of our website for more information and resources.

Fannie Mae Predicts ‘Moderate Growth’ in 2012
The U.S. economy is projected to grow 2.3 percent for the year, according to Fannie Mae’s Economics & Mortgage Market Analysis Group.

Growth will be affected by “fiscal policy issues and political economic uncertainty,” according to Fannie Mae.

The upcoming presidential election, the healthcare debate, and the sovereign debt crisis in the euro zone are three wild cards causing concern for Americans. Read more here…

Source: Real Trends

Visit the Media/News section of our website for additional information and resources.

Appraisal-1 Starts Soon
CAR’s Spring semester begins in just a few weeks!  We’ll be kicking things off with Appraisal-1 on February 15 in Westport.  This is an excellent way to give your career a boost, learn residential appraisal formulas and how to evaluate competitive properties.  The course is approved for 30 hours of Broker Pre-licensing credit AND 6 hours of elective credit for license renewal. Click here for more information and to register. Reserve your spot today!   

Broker’s Pre-Licensing and CE Credit
Get on the bus!  Register for the GRI-1 series set to begin on February 27 at the Eastern CT Association office in Franklin. Topics include: Land Planning, Construction, Business Planning & Networking, CHFA Training.  This class is approved for 30-hours Broker Pre-Licensing plus you’ll receive 9 hours of State of CT CE credit. Go here for more information and to register online.

If you have any questions on either of these courses, contact Abby or 860-290-6601, ext. 317

Visit the Education section of our website for a complete list of course offerings, an education schedule, and more.

New Business Opportunities Highlighted At January Power Conference
From transit-oriented development to “learn here, live here” legislation, state and local leaders spotlighted opportunities for revitalizing Connecticut’s economy during CAR’s “Power of Political Involvement Seminar” held in North Haven last week. The event drew 74 attendees including both residential and commercial practitioners. The following five speakers (all supported by RPAC in their last elections) took part in the panel discussion:

Representative Buddy Altobello (D, Meriden)
Representative Fred Camillo (R, Greenwich)
Senator Toni Boucher (R, Wilton)
First Selectman Mike Tetreau (D, Fairfield)
Mayor John Rodolico (R, Ledyard)

They also told REALTORS® how they can make a difference by serving on local boards and commissions as well as by electing good candidates for public office. NAR Political Consultant Jane Saunders provided insight and training on “My Realtor Party”, how RPAC stands-out among the more than 4,000 political action committees in America, and fun ideas for soliciting contributions to RPAC. For more information, questions or concerns, please contact Holly Reed at the CAR office.

Visit the RPAC section of the website for additional information about how to invest in the real estate industry.