The Michigan Association of REALTORS® has a goal for its members: Give all Michigan residents the opportunity to realize the American dream of homeownership. This goal is a challenge to all REALTORS®, who are leaders in a culturally diverse real estate environment, to rise to new heights and provide creative and innovative solutions to diversify the real estate environment. To achieve this mission, MAR has a comprehensive strategy to break down barriers of homeownership.
The MAR has created a Fair Housing Resource center webpage that contains the most up-to-date information for REALTORS® about what MAR is doing to promote fair housing, as well as create a clearinghouse of resources for download by MAR members.
The MAR continues to work with members to ensure that affordable housing strategies are applied at the state and local levels of the association, as well as by individual companies and REALTORS®.
Please visit
Mirealtors.com for more information on Fair Housing resources, as well as a number of articles regarding this important topic. Also visit the
Right Tools. Right Now Web site on Mirealtors.com for free fair housing brochures and resources from NAR!
Would you like a chance to discuss short sales with representatives from Bank of America, ServiceLink the national lender platform for Fidelity National Financial, and NAR? Or get your most important legal questions answered, while earning continuing education with McClelland & Anderson?
The 2010 MAR Broker Summit is offering a variety of timely and useful knowledge sessions that Brokers, Managers and MAR members can benefit from attending. For only $119 this event can’t be missed by those looking to improve their business. Being held April 27 at the Inn at St. Johns in Plymouth the following classes are specifically tailored for today’s Michigan real estate industry.
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Short Sales Panel Discussion |
Jeff Lischer, NAR - Mark Stevens, Bank of America – Scott Thompson, ServiceLink and Moderator Brian Westrin, MAR
This session features an educational panel focused on the future of Short Sales in Michigan. Please join our panel of industry experts as they explore the evolution of the short sale process, the benefits and risks associated with a completed short sale, as well as the expected impact and outcome of the newly implemented federal guidelines under HAMP and HAFA.
Gail Anderson &
Greg McClellandAttendees will hear tips on educating their agents on everything from handling multiple properties to the foreclosure process. Brokers and Managers will learn how to address flipping properties, working with short sale companies, and submitting multiple offers in their office policies.
In addition, this special legal session covers Fair Housing and RESPA, and topics ranging from referral fees and settlement services, to discrimination and cases of online violations.
Visit the MAR Broker Summit Web site today to Register or Find out More!
The MARST administers two scholarship funds, the Russel A. Pointer and the Barney Harkins Scholarship and Educational Fund. Applicants are automatically considered for financial assistance from both funds.
The scholarships are intended for full time college students who have reached at least junior status and who intend to pursue a real estate-related career upon graduation. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 and are distributed over two semesters.
Completed application forms for consideration of the 2010-2011 academic school year must be submitted to the Michigan Association of REALTORS® by
July 1, 2010. The application form can be found on the
MAR Web site.
If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Bates at
abates@mirealtors.com. Tax-deductible contributions are also accepted by MARST.
Another helpful resource is
Publication 523, Selling Your Home. It explains the tax rules that apply when you sell your main home. It addresses how to compute the gain or loss on the sale, when a gain can be excluded from income and provides comprehensive examples of reporting the sale of a home.
Visit IRS.gov For the Latest Tax Season News
With the help of McClelland & Anderson, we are taking the most commonly asked questions from our legal hotline and putting them in E-news. We will be featuring a different question each issue.
QUESTION: I am representing Sellers in the sale of their house. They have received an offer that states that no earnest money will be provided. The Sellers accepted this offer. Is earnest money required as consideration on a contract for the sale of real estate?
ANSWER: NO. While an earnest money deposit is typically provided as a matter of custom (and is a good idea), it is not required in order for there to be a valid binding contract. The parties’ mutual promises contained in a purchase agreement constitute sufficient “consideration” to create a binding contract.
The National Association of REALTORS® has rolled out a new member benefit to give all REALTORS® preferred access to an electronic signature solution. In March, NAR partnered with Docusign to provide REALTORS® a discount of up to 20% on the service.
Docusign offers an intuitive, secure, and legally complaint solution for obtaining signature through the Internet, eliminating the need for traditional means of document transfer and signings.
Aside from the discounted rate, some of the other features of the partnership include REALTOR®-specific branding, easy –to-manage document security and access control, an online dashboard that enables REALTOR® to check activity on the files, and integration with mobile tools and zipForm.
Docusign works by placing individual files or forms into an envelope and gives the account holder the ability to grant access to different users by providing their clients’ e-mail addresses. Using drag-and-drop Sign Here tabs and data fields, the product offers guided signing for multiple recipients in multiple documents.
A clients’ e-signature includes a unique tracking code that creates an electronic audit trail enabling users to track the history of all documents-so it’s clear who signed which documents, as well as when and where they signed.
Additionally, Docusign tracks envelope activity in real time and generates reports of actions that have been taken on the envelope. The system can also send e-mail notifications to sign, reminders for those who are slow to respond, and provide read-only copies of the signed documents.
For more information on this new benefit, visit
Docusign.com/NAR.
Boost your purchasing power!
With competitive rates and three great cards to choose from,US Bank'sREALTOR® credit card provides MAR members a chance to advertise their profession and their REALTOR® status with every purchase, plus, earn great rewards.
Visa Platinum® Card
Select Rewards Visa® Platinum Card
Cash Rewards Visa® Platinum Card
Enjoy these benefits on all cards!