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REALTORS® Helping REALTORS® - Duluth Area Flood
Imagine what your life would be like tomorrow if your home, your car and all of your personal possessions were swept away in a flood. This is the nightmare some REALTORS® are facing in many parts of NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin.
YOU CAN HELP
MNAR is working in coordination with the Duluth Area Association of REALTORS® Foundation and is asking you for a contribution to assist your fellow REALTOR® members through this terrible situation. 100% of the money collected will be directed to Minnesota and Wisconsin REALTORS®. Your contribution will be used by a REALTOR® during this terrible time.
To make a contribution, please mail your check to:
Duluth Area Association of REALTORS® Foundation
4031 Grand Ave
Duluth, MN 55807
Or visit daar.com/Foundation.html.
Make checks payable to Duluth Area Association of REALTORS® Foundation.
If you have further questions, please contact Chris Galler at cgaller@mnrealtor.com.
 From the July 2012 MNAR RESOURCE:
I received a call from a Buyer who wanted to view one of my listings. After setting up an appointment to show them the home, I asked the Buyer if they were working with another agent. The Buyer responded that they had recently viewed a home with another agent and had written an offer on that property, however, their offer was not accepted by the Seller. I then inquired if the Buyer had signed a Buyer Representation agreement with the other agent. The Buyer stated that they had signed some documents when they wrote the offer but they were not provided with copies of the forms they signed. Subsequently, the Buyer received a call from the other agent who claimed that they had signed a Buyer Representation agreement for a six month period of time. The Buyer alleges that they were never told that they were committing to an agreement to work with that agent beyond the offer that they had written with them. Are the other Agent's actions towards these Buyers ethical?
Read the answer in the July 2012 RESOURCE at:
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/5be38aed#/5be38aed/12
 2012 Legislative Update Now Available
Your MNAR Lobbyists work diligently as your legislative watchdog tracking bills that affect you, your business and your clients.
This comprehensive summary of the 2012 Legislature's actions will get you up to speed on new legislation, as well as bills that were stopped.
View the 2012 Legislative Update at viewer.zmags.com/publication/10fa0be6.
MNAR Seeks Committee Candidates
All applications are due by August 31, 2012
Board of Directors: If you are interested in serving on the MNAR Board of Directors, you can be appointed through your Local REALTOR® Association. Our new fiscal year 2013 Board will be seated in October. Please Contact your Local Association President or call your Association Office to find out the local process for these appointments.
Executive Committee: This Committee acts in intervals between the Board meetings on personnel, strategic planning and other managerial issues and is subject to the control and direction of the Board. They meet approximately four times per year and all members of the Executive Committee automatically serve on the MNAR Board of Directors. In fiscal year 2013, there are openings from Regions 1, 3, 5 and 6. Appointments will be made by the Board of Directors at their October 17th meeting, with the term to commence immediately upon selection. Apply here.
Finance Committee: The main focus of this Committee is to set the yearly budget and oversee its implementation. This Committee helps determine what functions and programs will be funded for the next fiscal year. The budget established by this Committee, including the annual dues, is forwarded to the MNAR Board for final approval. Members interested in serving on this Committee must understand profit and loss statements and have financial knowledge or background. This Committee meets one time a year in early May. The slate of candidates will be forwarded to the Executive Committee for final selection. Apply here.
Forms Committee: The objective of the MNAR Forms Committee is to create and evaluate recommended forms for use by our REALTOR® membership. Appointments will be made from the applications received. Apply here.
In addition to its regular Committee, the Forms Committee is also seeking volunteers to serve on its Commercial Forms Sub Committee and Land Forms Sub Committee. Both Sub Committees will meet at least once during the year to review the Forms and make any necessary modifications. If you have experience in either of these areas, please apply!
Governmental Affairs Committee: This Committee monitors and recommends legislation and public policies affecting the real estate industry. They meet approximately five times per year. If your are interested in serving, please apply here.
Nominating Committee: Members of this Committee meet twice a year to approve candidates for the positions of President-Elect and Treasurer plus the MNAR representatives to the National Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors. The slate of candidates is forwarded to the MNAR Board for final selection to these positions. Apply here.
Professional Standards Committee: The objective of this Committee is to promote honesty, integrity, fairness and competence and to resolve controversies on the basis of informed judgment of one's peers. Applicants must be a REALTOR® member for a minimum of three years and will be required to attend an MNAR training program in December or January to serve on the Committee. Appointments will be made from the applications received. Apply here.
MNAR Seeking Candidates for the 2012 REALTOR® of the Year Award
The MNAR REALTOR® of the Year will be announced at the MNAR Leadership Reception in October. The winner will receive $1,000 to offset expenses to attend the NAR Convention in Orlando, where the National Association of REALTORS® will recognize our recipient along with REALTORS® of the Year from other states.
You can submit as many candidates as you feel are qualified. The MNAR Management Team may also submit candidates. The criterion for the MNAR REALTOR® of the Year heavily stresses State Association involvement over the last twelve months. Therefore, if you expect your nominee(s) to receive strong consideration for the MNAR REALTOR® of the Year, he/she should be able to document State Association Involvement.
The application form can be found here. All entries must be submitted on the REALTOR® of the Year form. Deadline for applications is August 31, 2012.
Honoring Political Involvement
Ed Anderson Award Applications Due by August 31st
With all the time constraints placed upon us in today's busy world, finding time to become politically active in order to benefit your industry is very honorable. That was the genesis and inspiration behind the Ed Anderson Political Achievement Award. An award designed to honor Minnesota REALTORS® who have contributed time, knowledge and resources to the preservation of the real estate industry.
If you know of a Minnesota REALTOR® who is active in politics and works to better the industry through their involvement, please submit an application on their behalf so they can be considered for the 2012 Ed Anders Award. Nominate someone here.
Member Benefits Survey
At the Minnesota Association of REALTORS® we offer a variety of Member Benefits/Member Services. In an effort to review which services are useful to you and your business, we are asking you to participate in a five question survey. You will find the list of products/services we currently offer below. Take a look and then click on the link to take our quick survey!
- Pearl — Errors & Omissions
- Legal Hotline
- MNRealtorsDental.com
- AAA
- Liberty Mutual — Auto and Home Insurance
- MongoFax
- Long Term Care Insurance
- LeapFile
- Focus Financial — Financial Planning
- UPS Discounts
- Excel Energy Discount Ticket Offer
- T-Mobile
- Mutual of Omaha — Insurance/Financial
- Disability Insurance
Go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7PR9KNK to complete the survey. Thank you for your input!
REALTORS® Applaud Long-Term Re-Authorization of Flood Insurance Program
The National Association of REALTORS® applauds Congress for passing a five-year reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 was passed late last week as part of a transportation funding bill and signed into law by the president today. The legislation extends NFIP authority through September 30, 2017.
“As the nation’s leading advocate for homeownership and housing issues, we are pleased that Congress has approved a long-term reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program, which ensures access to affordable flood insurance for millions of home and business owners across the country,” said NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami. “REALTORS® have been advocating a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP for years. The 5-year reauthorization will end the uncertainty of NFIP stopgap extensions and shutdowns and will help bring stability to real estate markets.”
NAR has long supported the NFIP, which protects property owners in more than 21,000 communities where flood insurance is required for mortgages. More than 5.6 million property owners rely on the program against flood-related disasters, which claimed more lives and property than any other natural disaster in the U.S. over the past century. In fact, floods are the most common natural disaster in the country; since 1990 floods have been declared in every state, along rivers and anywhere rain falls or snow melts.
Without the NFIP, families and business owners across the U.S. would go without essential flood protection, since the private market cannot guarantee the availability or affordability of flood insurance. The NFIP also saves taxpayers money, since it serves as an alternative to expensive federally funded disaster relief for flood victims.
For some time now, Congress has been approving short-term extensions of the NFIP authority to issue flood insurance policies. Since September 2008 there have been more than 17 extensions, and authority has been allowed to expire two times, delaying or cancelling 1,300 real estate transactions each day of the lapse, according to NAR research. During the June 2010 lapse, NAR survey data estimates that more than 40,000 home sales were delayed or cancelled, which undermined home buyer and investor confidence.
“REALTORS® praise Congress for its bipartisan leadership on this issue and thank Reps. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), Judy Biggert (R-Ill.), Barney Frank (D-Mass.), and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.); as well as Sens. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and David Vitter (R-La.) for their efforts,” said Veissi. “Available and affordable flood insurance is essential to properly functioning real estate markets, and the certainty of a 5-year reauthorization will allow long-term real estate investments that are vital to the U.S. economic recovery.”
Keeping Current Matters
Join the MN-CRS Chapter as residential real estate expert Steve Harney helps you understand what's happening in the current real estate market, why it's happening and how to simply and effectively communicate that information to your clients. Steve will be teaching:
- How to get sellers in all price ranges to accurately price their homes to sell in today's market.
- How to get buyers off the fence and to the table, writing an offer.
- How to use current media headlines along with tried-and-true negotiation techniques to close more transactions.
Date: August 2, 2012
Time: 8:00am-9:00am Registration/Breakfast
9:00am-11:00am - Session
Location: Golden Valley Country Club, 7001 Golden Valley Rd
If you have any questions about the event or would like more information, please contact Peg Anderson at panderson@mnrealtor.com or (952) 912-2664.
Holy Bat Show! “Batman Live” is coming to the Xcel Energy Center this September. Discount tickets on select performances are now available when ordering at https://secure.xcelenergycenter.com/GT/default.asp?Group=Minne91580. Feel free to visit http://www.batmanlive.com/home.php for a quick video of the show.
 Free Expo Passes for You, Your Customers, Clients, Prospects, Family and Friends!
The Expo Guys are happy to supply you with plentiful "Admit 2 Free" EXPO Passes for you and your employees, friends and families. These passes allow them to attend our up-coming expos and seminars FREE of charge.
These FREE Passes are available in quantity, for as many as you request, while supplies last.
Download the order form, and fax back to (952) 929-9510.
Tickets for the following events are available:
HEALTHY LIFE EXPO:
October 20-21, 2012 @ Minneapolis Convention Center
For more information, visit www.MediaMaxEvents.com.
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