Recently, the Michigan Association of REALTORS® (MAR) has unveiled a new challenge to all local associations. The new challenge calls for 100% RPAC participation by all local association committee members. Contributions can be big or small, as long as everyone participates! Board and committee members can lead the way in conveying to their peers the importance of contributing to RPAC by striving to achieve this goal. This is a great opportunity to get more members involved in RPAC!
A new award will be given out at next year’s RPAC recognition luncheon to those local associations who have 100% RPAC participation by all committee and board members at the local level. This is a great way to start the year and to get others involved in legislative issues that have an affect on their business. If you have any questions about this new challenge, please do not hesitate to call the Michigan Association of REALTORS at 1-800-454-7842.
View 2010 RPAC Investors
The Michigan Association of REALTORS® recently launched a three-part short sale survey. Over 1,500 REALTORS® participated in the first part of the survey, offering their insights on the short sale process from the perspective of a seller. Part 2 concentrates on the expectations, frustrations, and rationale of a buyer and the many obstacles that may encumber the short sale purchase process. MAR’s continued hope for the survey is to gather and quantify insights that we can pass along to you, your colleagues and other industry members. Thank you for your continued promotion of MAR's efforts.
Please take a few moments to direct your members to part 2 of the MAR Short Sale Survey. Survey closes on Friday, February 19th. Add the link below to E-newsletters, Facebook Status Updates, Twitter, etc.
Take part 2 of the short sale survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/shortsales_part2
Cheryl Yost has joined the Saginaw Board of REALTORS® as their new Executive Vice President.
Cheryl brings with her 15 years of REALTOR® Association management experience; During her career she has worked for the Bay County REALTOR® Association and the Western Wayne Oakland County Association of REALTORS® in conjunction with the Detroit Area Commercial Board of REALTORS®.
Each year, NAR offers two unique opportunities for mediation training. These training sessions have garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback. Attendees have cited the program as some of the finest training sessions that NAR has to offer.
This year, the training seminars are being offered in Chicago, but attendance is limited to fifty participants in each session. During the initial registration period, only one representative from each state may register (after 2/28 open seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis).
The cost is $150, plus the cost of lodging. Participants are responsible for their own hotel reservations and travel costs. For your convenience, reduced rate accommodations are available at the Hotel InterContinental at 505 N. Michigan Avenue, directly across the street from the NAR offices at 430 N. Michigan Avenue, where the conference will be held.
As leaders of your association, this may be the seminar for you!! If you are interested in attending a 2010 session, please contact
Kathie Feldpausch by Thursday, February 25
th, 2010.
To view the application and necessary qualifications, please visit
NAR's Web site.
MAR would like to congratulate MAR Senior Vice President of Operations, Kathie Feldpausch on receiving her Certified Association Executive (CAE) Credential from the American Society of Association Executives. To earn the CAE credential, candidates must first submit an application satisfying professional experience and education requirements. In addition, Feldpausch participated in a rigorous study program offered by the Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) and successfully completed the CAE examination administered nationwide on December 4, 2009.
“The CAE is a mark of professional distinction, and reflects an individual’s thorough understanding of all aspects of association management,” said Bill Martin, RCE, Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Association of REALTORS. “Like the CAE program, many of our REALTOR® members recognize the value of a real estate designation. I applaud those who invest in enhancing their knowledge base within their industry.”
Please join MAR in congratulating Feldpausch on this prestigious credential. She joins current Michigan REALTOR® Association CAEs Rob Campau, MAR, Walt Baczkowski, MCAR, Nancy Merdzinski, Ann Arbor Area, Dale Smith, WWOCAR and Elaine West, Greater Lansing.
The Winter 2009 class of CAEs successfully completed the CAE examination administered nationwide on December 4, 2009. They will be honored along with the Summer 2010 class of CAEs during ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership’s 2010 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Los Angeles, August 21-24.
The CAE program has served to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance and designate those who demonstrate knowledge essential to the practice of association management. To earn the CAE credential, candidates must first submit an application satisfying professional experience and education requirements.
Successful applicants must next pass a challenging examination on all aspects of association management. Candidates undertake rigorous study sessions in preparation for the exam, and only those who are able to achieve the passing score earn the CAE credential. Once earned, the certification must be renewed every three years through additional studies and leadership activities.
Last year, MAR launched MongoFAX, a free tool for members of the Michigan Association of REALTORS
®. This handy program instantly faxes paper documents, such as disclosure packages, signed contracts, etc., directly to any e-mail address. All you need is an ordinary fax machine and MAR’s designated MongoFAX Cover Page.
You may have noticed, however, that the e-mail domain for sender and recipient is limited. Here is a simple work-around that will allow you to use MongoFAX to send documents to e-mail addresses that are longer than 23 characters.
When a user’s email address is too long, MongoFax can easily create an “e-mail fix” in their system to accommodate it. It is simply a shortened version of the email domain that the sender can type into the cover page while sending a MongoFAX.
By doing so, the MongoFax systems will automatically associate the shortened version with the full-length -mail, and route the documents accordingly. Also, if a non MongoFAX user’s (perhaps a recipient) email address is too long for the cover page, MongoFAX recommends sending the documents to yourself and then forwarding documents along with your confirmation from your own email account.
To utilize this work-around, please contact Kevin Ames at:
kames@mongonet.net and begin using Mongofax today.
Two new short sales forms have been added to the MAR forms database. The first form is Short Sale Addendum to Listing Contract and the second form is Short Sale Addendum to Buy and Sell Agreement.
The language for these forms, prompted by member inquiries, was developed by MAR legal counsel McClelland and Anderson. The forms are also available in the members only legal section on Mirealtors.com.
Any changes, adaptations or usage of the form language other than as developed by individual local associations, broker members, or multiple listing arecues should be reviewed by that entity's legal counsel.