RIVER CITY REALTOR R E A LT O R ® T H E V O I C E F O R R E A L E S TAT E ™ I N T H E G R E AT E R ® L A C R O S S E A R E A DECEMBER 2014 • VOL. 36, NO. 3 MARK YOUR CALENDAR REALTOR® Government Date Set Mark your calendars for March 11, 2015. Join local and state Leadership as we meet in the Capitol with our Legislators to discuss important issues that are so vital to our business. More details will be posted in future issues of our Newsletter. MN Department of Commerce – Mandated 7.5 Hours Offered Attorney Brad Boyd, Instructor, will join us on February 19 to present 7.5 hours of Department of Commerce required MN CE. We will offer, “Financing Issues Module” and “MN Disclosure Module” for a total of 7.5 hours. The course offered in the a.m. will satisfy the 1-hour Broker Module Requirement. See enclosed flyer for all details. Please mark this date on your calendar and sign up today! INSIDE THIS ISSUE Association Executive Message. . . . . . . 2 Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 NAR Call to Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Security Check. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Members on the Move. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Tour Boundaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 RPAC Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Statistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Supra Hot Tip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Christmas Movie Trivia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Dates to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Fair Housing Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 RPAC Appreciation Breakfast. . . . . . . . 12 Christmas Gift Suggestions To your enemy, forgiveness. To your opponent, tolerance. To your friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example, To yourself, respect. - Author: Oren Arnold 2 Executive Report NAR Convention – New Orleans Style RIVER CITY REALTOR® by Kent Gabrielsen – President, and Char Glocke, Association Executive What an exciting and busy Convention in the Big Easy! It was an amazing conference offering over 400 exhibitors, outstanding educational sessions, and phenomenal speakers. In addition the agenda was filled with NAR Governance meetings. We spent the majority of time attending the multitude of governance meetings where we were updated on NAR policy changes and the happenings at NAR. The major focus was providing information and clarification on the Core Standards. It was a great opportunity to network with other Association Leaders and Association Executives from all over the Country. The NAR Board of Directors and Delegate Meeting took place on the last day of the convention. Below please find the Action Items from the NAR Board of Directors and Delegate Body Meetings: NAR Board of Directors approve recommendations to raise the bar on REALTOR® Professionalism: Approved the drafting of a proposed aspirational Code of Excellence to be brought to the board at a future meeting for approval. The goal is to raise the practice of real estate measurably through increased training in the competencies that consumer’s value. These competencies include the stewardship of property listing data, privacy and security of consumer information, advocacy of property rights, community involvement, and technology. • Changed the frequency of NAR’s Code of Ethics educational requirement from every four years to every two years, starting in 2016; add a biennial Code of Excellence education requirement; and mandate continual updating of the training. • Help its members strive to be proficient in data content and have efficient access to the broadest range of data available. • Develop an industry standard that would allow consumers to evaluate REALTORS® fairly and accurately. • RPAC fundraising revamp The board also approved broad changes to the association’s fundraising program for the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC). The changes include replacing the long-standing fair-share contribution system with a needs-based funding goal. Starting in 2015, National RPAC Distribution Trustees will set a two-year election cycle goal for review and endorsement by the National RPAC Fundraising Trustees and then for submission to the NAR Leadership Team, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors. With the change, the 70-30 percentage split between the states – continued on page 11 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] LARA Website www.larawebsite.com The River City Realtor® is published by the La Crosse Area REALTORS® Association 608-785-7744 • 866-425-7744 www.larawebsite.com EDITOR Char Glocke 785-7837 • [email protected] EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President Kent Gabrielsen 608-784-9930 [email protected] President Elect Chuck Olson 608-784-9930 [email protected] Secretary/Treasurer Dave Snyder 608-782-2300 [email protected] Past President Cindy Gerke-Edwards 608-784-2100 [email protected] LOCAL DIRECTORS Marv Leisso 608-783-6700 • [email protected] Donna Proudfit 608-386-7161 • [email protected] Jeff Pralle 608-797-5097 • [email protected] Kathy Johnson 608-792-9902 [email protected] Jim Orlikowski 608-779-3079 [email protected] Scott Ryan 608-792-4122 [email protected] Advertising rates for the River City Realtor ® are $6.00 per column inch payable in advance. All new advertising or changes in ads should be delivered to the Association Office, camera ready, by the 15th of the month prior to publications. Make checks payable to the La Crosse Area REALTORS® Association. Frequently Requested Phone Numbers: WRA Legal Hotline • 608-799-4468 DSPS • 608-266-5511 Zip Forms Support • 1-800-383-9805 Metro MLS Helpdesk • 1-800-490-3731 River City Realtor® Announcements 3 Member Updates Membership Letter Congratulations to Nate Trim on the birth of his daughter. Dad, mom and baby are doing well. As per Article 5, Section 3 (A) of the by-laws, you are hereby notified that the following people have submitted applications for the class of membership indicated: Security Check When disposing of old computers and portable storage devices, use wipe utility programs. They’re inexpensive and can provide better results by over writing the entire hard drive so that the files are no longer recoverable. Deleting files using the keyboard or mouse commands usually isn’t sufficient because the files may continue to exist on the computer’s hard drive and could be retrieved easily. NAR Call for Action: Urge Congress to Extend Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Tax Relief The income tax exemption on mortgage debt forgiven in a short sale or a workout for principal residences has been extended by the House of Representatives. The retroactive extension was passed by a vote of 378 yes to 46 no. The United States Senate has not voted on the measure. NAR needs your help to respond to the Calls To Action when you receive them. It is important that the Senate passes this bill as soon as possible. Violation of MLS Rules and Regulations to Loan Your Lockbox Key It is clearly a violation of the MLS Rules and Regulations to loan your key to another agent or any other person. Violation of this rule will result in a $250 fine with subsequent violations increasing by $250. Such violations may result in the loss of card privileges. It is the responsibility of each agent purchasing a key to maintain control of their key at all times. Need a REALTOR® Pin? If you have lost or misplaced your REALTOR® pin, stop by the Association Office and we will give you a replacement for free. Vol. 36 No. 3 • December 2014 REALTORS®: Nicole Bernard - Castle Realty, LLC Quinton Schaitel - Coulee Real Estate & Property Management LLC Andrea Ziegler - Gerrard-Hoeschler, Inc Mary Jo Wilbur - Keller Williams Realty Jeff Brezinka - Keller Williams Realty AFFILIATES: Kyle Christopherson - Associated Bank Should you have any comment in regard to the application of these individuals, submit them in writing prior to December 31, 2014 to the Association Office. It has been determined by the Membership Committee that the above applicant has applied for the appropriate class of membership. Chuck Olson, Secretary/Treasurer La Crosse Area REALTORS® Association L56799 4 Announcements How Well Do You Know The Realtor® Members on the Move Code of Ethics? Transfers: Duties to Clients and Customers: Article 8 Carl Friedel from Coldwell Banker River Valley, REALTORS to Gerrard-Hoeschler, Inc (Sparta) Melissa Schroeder from Castle Realty, LLC to Re/Max First Choice (Onalaska) Tracey Kuehl from Coldwell Banker River Valley, REALTORS to Castle Realty, LLC Brenda Fisher from US Bank to Altra Federal Credit Union Jennifer Schrader from Flagstar Bank to Altra Federal Credit Union REALTORS® shall keep in a special account in an appropriate financial institution, separated from their own funds, monies coming into their possession in trust for other persons, such as escrows, trust funds, clients’ monies, or other like items. Inactives: Wendy Banasik from The Title Company to inactive Joshua Benrud from Homestead Realty Inc. Wi #2 to inactive Lanora Mracek from Hoppens Realty, Inc. to inactive Kristie Tweed from Coldwell Banker River Valley, REALTORS to inactive Charles Frandsen from Castle Realty, LLC to inactive Bill O’Connor from Gerrard-Hoeschler, Inc to inactive Jill Graewin from Gerrard-Hoeschler, Inc to inactive NAR’s Information Central it’s for you 1-800 874 6500 New Office Addresses: Castle Realty LLC 505 King St, Suite #106 La Crosse, WI 54601 Broker: Al Iverson Bremer Bank 2570 Midwest Drive Onalaska, WI 54650 Affiliate: Eric Beach Access Commercial Real Estate, Inc. N3589 Peters Rd. La Crosse, WI 54601 Broker: Casey Weiss Mortgage rates are LOW! Call us or apply online. Agent Code Sorry to…Steven Zemlo for missing his Agent Code in last month’s newsletter! Call the Association Office if you find yours in this month’s issue and you will win a free dinner at the next General Membership Meeting! Tina Mueller (608) 779-8294 (608) 790-0442 Cell [email protected] merchantsbank.com/tmueller Member FDIC Subject to credit approval. Dawn Garms (608) 779-8222 [email protected] merchantsbank.com/dgarms 3140 Market Place • Onalaska, WI 54650 (608) 779-8200 • www.merchantsbank.com * River City Realtor® Member News Are You Our Facebook Friend? You can find our fan page anytime by logging to the official LARA website, www.larawebsite. com, and clicking on our Facebook link, searching for “La Crosse Area REALTORS Association” within Facebook’s search function, or entering the following address into your web browser: http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Crosse-WI/ La-Crosse-Area-REALTORSRAssociation/263652751459 Tour Information The deadline to submit tour information for listings already entered in flexMLS is Tuesday by 3:00 p.m. However, if it is a new listing, you must submit it by Tuesday by 9:15 a.m. to be included in the tour for that day. We accept tours by: • Phone at 785-7744 • Email to Ryan at mls@ larawebsite.com • Fax at 785-7742 My WRA at WRA.org As a WRA Member, you have the ability to track your education (if taken from WRA Instructors), WRA Committee involvement, WRA membership information, RPAC dollars contributed and much more. Check it out at www.wra.org. NAR’s Information Central it’s for you 1-800 874 6500 MLS Tour Boundaries The current dividing line between the North and the South Tour is I-90. Exceptions: • Holiday Heights and Mayfair Addition are North Tour • Burns, Bangor, Hamilton, and Monroe County are North Tour • Washington and Barre are South Tour • French Island is South Tour • Dakota and Dresbach are North Tour • La Crescent and Hokah North/South are South Tour Dividing Line is I-90 Legal Updates Available at WRA.org At www.wra.org you can search legal updates for the topic of your choice. This publication is emailed to all members on a monthly basis. Important information is covered in these updates. It’s a great resource and benefit of membership for you. President is Spokesperson for the Organization It is important in creating the best public impression of the Association that any statements regarding the activities of the Association or its public positions come from an official source in the Association. This allows for coordination and clarity in the Association’s message. Our policy is to have the Association President, or someone specifically designated by the President in particular situations, as the only spokesperson for the Association. Our Presidents have spokesperson training and an understanding of the entire Association and how its parts fit together. If you are contacted by anyone, including the media, for any report on the Association or its activities, refer them to the Association office and arrangements will be made to respond. Vol. 36 No. 3 • December 2014 5 6 RPAC Works for You Thanks for Helping Us Exceed Our Goal! Drumroll Please! We exceeded our RPAC goal! The final numbers are not in quite yet! But we do know that we exceeded our goal of $12,000. Thanks to everyone who contributed through Direct Givers listed in this article and also to everyone who included the RPAC amount when paying their dues. We did it! RPAC Contributors $100 - $499: Jeff Pralle Kent Gabrielsen Mike Pietrek Gretchen Whitt Brian Stephan Chad Niegelsen Jim Gull Danyel Zielke Char Glocke Kathy Johnson Gayle Dolle Wendy Pertzsch Josh Neumann Renee Heintz Eric Seeger Scott Ryan Alan Iverson Lisa Kind Harvey Bertrand Donna Proudfit RPAC Contributors $500 - $999 Sarah Hemker Dave Jones Peggy Lovejoy Dave Snyder Jillian Hugo Katy Wood Marty Kirchner Owen Berg Mary Jones Linda Nelson John Young Cathy Fox Dawn Levandoski Ryan Wessel Mary Scheel Roxanne Reynolds Anastasia Gentry Kayla Vess Dan Hoch Rick Hamilton Brian D. Benson Collected to date: $17,221 RPAC Contributors $1000+ Mike Richgels Chuck Olson Judy Gull Dan Stacey Nancy Gerrard Cindy Gerke-Edwards Jackie Gerke-Edwards Ryan Olson Every transaction has a life of it’s own. Handling the ordinary to the unexpected for over 135 years. The Title Company, Inc. | 500 2nd St. S., Suite 102 La Crosse, WI 54601 | www.TITLECO.com | 1-800-78-TITLE La Crosse 608-791-2000 | Eau Claire 715-838-2800 | Viroqua 608-637-3700 | Prairie du Chien 608-326-7330 River City Realtor® Information is supplied by seller and other third parties and has not been verified. Copyright © 2007 by Multiple Listing Service, Inc. See FBS copyright notice. La Crosse County Sold & Active Listings – November 2014 7 PRICE-CLASS/TYPE SOLD/ACTIVE RESIDENTIAL LISTINGS CURRENT ACTIVE LISTINGS 0-2 3 4+ TWO CONDO TOTAL SINGLECONDO BDRMSBDRMS BDRMS FAMILY CO-OP UNITS FAMILY CO-OP 29,999.99 and under 30,000 - 39,999.99 40,000 - 49,999.99 50,000 - 59,999.99 60,000 - 69,999.99 70,000 - 79,999.99 80,000 - 89,999.99 90,000 - 99,999.99 100,000 - 119,999.99 120,000 - 139,999.99 140,000 - 159,999.99 160,000 - 179,999.99 180,000 - 199,999.99 200,000 - 249,999.99 250,000 - 299,999.99 300,000 - 399,999.99 400,000 - 499,999.99 500,000 and over TOTALS AVERAGE MEDIAN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 1 0 1 1 1 0 3 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 5 0 2 0 2 0 4 32 1 6 7 0 0 0 1340 2 13 0 1 1 6 62 3 1 10 7 10 1947 1 0 5 1 0 1 7251 0 2 2 0 0 4 21 2 1 1 3 0 2 7486 1 4 1 0 0 6 38 4 0 1 5 0 0 6 40 2 0 0 00 0 0210 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 1 1136 20 7 4 78 441 30 133,559161,840 213,605 91,250 189,725 166,220 212,903 192,137 116,000 149,000 183,000 91,000 160,500 149,000 159,900 164,900 Unit Sales by Time on Market Unit Sales by Financing Type DAYS RESCONDO 1 - 30 31 - 6027 22 21 0 2 61 - 90 10 1 91 - 120 8 0 Adj Rate Mtg Assumable FHA Assumable VA Cash Conventional 15 Conventional 30 Federal VA FHA 15 121 or over 131 TOTAL SALES 74 4 TYPE Property Type Residential RESCONDO 1 0 0 9 3 50 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 FHA 30 Other Owner Fin Private State VA USDA Loan WHEDA TOTAL SALES TYPE Volume Median Sold Price RESCONDO 3 4 0 0 0 0 1 74 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 12,206,255148,900 Condo758,900160,500 All 12,965,155 149,000 Have You Looked for Your Agent Code in this Issue? If you find your number, call the A ssociation Office at 785-7744 to claim your free dinner at the next Association activity / meeting! Try these great marketing tools today! MLS Listing Internet Sites MLS Listings are presently on two websites. Check out your listings at the following sites: http://www.wihomes.com http://www.realtor.com Single Family / Condominium If you have any questions, call Char at 785-7837. Title Insurance • 1031 Exchange • Search & Hold • Lender and Cash Closing Servicing La Crosse, Trempealeau, Vernon and Monroe Counties 2850 Midwest Drive, Suite 103, Onalaska, WI 54650 Phone: 608-784-8888 Fax: 866-816-9620 E-mail: [email protected] Vol. 36 No. 3 • December 2014 Order online at: www.wisconsinfirstam.com 8 Supra Hot Tip Audio Tones Your DisplayKEY expires on a daily basis and is designed to automatically update during the night so it’s ready to access KeyBoxes the next morning. In a process called eSYNC, your DisplayKEY connects to the Supra network, exchanges information, and updates itself. When you turn on your DisplayKEY, the screen displays a message indicating your key’s update status. If you forget to place your DisplayKEY in the cradle and miss an automatic eSYNC during the night, you can perform a manual eSYNC at any time to update your key. Automatic eSYNC Your DisplayKEY is programmed to automatically perform an eSYNC at a designated time each night between midnight and 6 a.m. During the eSYNC process, your DisplayKEY uploads showing activity into KIM and updates itself for the following day. We recommend that you place your DisplayKEY in the cradle each night to ensure that your key is updated and fully charged the next morning. Manual eSYNC You can perform a manual eSYNC at any time to update your DisplayKEY and upload your showing activity into the KIM network. To perform a manual eSYNC, do the following: 1. Press Enter to turn on your DisplayKEY. 2. Scroll to the MANUAL ESYNC menu option and press Enter. 3. Place your DisplayKEY in the cradle. The cradle light turns green, indicating that the DisplayKEY and cradle are connected. When the cradle light turns red, the cradle is connected to KIM. CAUTION: Do not remove the DisplayKEY from the cradle when the cradle light is red! Christmas Movie Trivia What is the name of Rudolph’s dad? • Vixon • Dixon • Dasher • Donner Who wrote “The Nightmare Before Christmas”? • Alfred Hitchcock • Martin Scorsese • Steven Spellberg • Tim Burton What is the name of the rabbit in the magic hat in “Frosty the Snowman:” • Scut Farkus • Little Grinch • • Hocus Pocus Rabbit Claus What is the guardian angel of George Bailey named in “It’s a Wonderful Life” • Mike • Clarence • Robert • Jim What did Ralphie want for Christmas in “A Christmas Story”? • A Remote Controlled Car • A BB Gun • A Bow and Arrow • A PlayStation What is Scrooge’s first name? • Maxwell • Ebenezer • Bruce • Martin Why was the Grinch so nasty? Because he had a: • Broken Leg • Smalll Brain • Small Heart • Crooked Knee What city did “Miracle on 34th Street” take place in? • New Jersey • New Orleans • New York • Boston What did Clarence get for accomplishing his mission in “It’s a Wonderful Life”? • A Trumpet • Wings • A Halo • A Crown Two men broke in a house and had a LOT of trouble in which movie? • The Break In • Christmas Trouble • Home Alone • Two Men in a Santa Suit - Answers on page 12 River City Realtor® Dates to Remember December 1 2 3 SMTWT F S 123456 7 8 9 10111213 14151617181920 21222324252627 28293031 LARA Association Renewal Dues Due WI Video CE Course 1 9:00am – LARA Board Office WI Video CE Course 2, 1:00pm – LARA Board Office Open House Deadline 3 pm – North Tour 4 WI Video CE Course 3, 9:00am – LARA Board Office WI Video CE Course 4, 1:00pm – LARA Board Office 8 WI Video CE Course A, 9:00am – LARA Board Office WI Video CE Course D, 1:00pm – LARA Board Office January Happy New Years LARA Closed 7 Open House Deadline 3 pm South Tour 14 Open House Deadline 3 pm North Tour 19 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 21 Open House Deadline 3 pm South Tour 10 Open House Deadline 3 pm – South Tour 11 LARA ‘High Rollers Holiday Social’ Cedar Creek 5:00pm 28 Open House Deadline 3 pm North Tour 14 DSPS State License Renewal Deadline 17 31 Chinese New Year Open House Deadline 3 pm – North Tour Hannukah Begins 24 Christmas Eve – LARA Office closed at noon 25 Christmas Day – Board Office Closed Open House Sabbatical for 12/28 – No Tour 28 29 31 SMTWT F S 1 2 3 45678910 11121314151617 18192021222324 25262728293031 1 9 January is National Book Month * Reminder – No Open Houses today! (Open House Sabbatical) Open Houses for 1/4/2015 Deadline 3pm 12 Thank You for Renewing Your New Year’s Eve – LARA Office closed at noon No tour 2015 Membership. We are looking forward to another great year! Universal Human Rights Month Birthdays - December 1 1 2 2 3 5 8 9 10 11 Terry Bartels Matt Klug Owen Berg Sheryl Reedy Thomas Henchen Shane Peterson Travis Welch Leo Fronk Jason Teynor Dawn Faherty 11 11 11 13 15 19 21 21 23 23 Birthdays - January Kayla Vess Rance Haggerty Sue Pinski Chris Rinkenberger Michelle Ostern Fred Casper Alan Iverson Lance Dembraski Fran Lewis Bob Kowal Vol. 36 No. 3 • December 2014 23 23 24 25 27 27 29 29 30 31 Lori Ohland Kent Gabrielsen Brenda Fisher Michael Dougherty Angie Wilson Tim Berg Janet Butteris Amber Iverson Roger McDowell Dick Clements 1 2 3 5 6 6 8 9 10 10 Karla Frank John Sheppard Fran Noffke Stefanie Rud Cody Spears Doug Willer Debra Barker Stephanie Tidquist Dave Snyder William VaughnFavre 10 Michael Glassmaker 10 Kristi Fry 12 Michelle Grimm 13 Rich Grams 13 Corry Van Aelstyn 16 Marty Vinson 17 Terry Schmidt 19 Joshua Genz 19 Melissa Oates 19 Quinton Schaitel 21 23 23 27 28 29 29 29 30 Kory Scholze Julie Neitzel Richard Bryne James Gross Matt Rude Isaak Owen Melissa Schroeder Ashley Lacenski Lanora Mracek 10 Fair Housing Corner BUILDING A NATION OF NEIGHBORS “Can I wait for Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien to make an offer? Mr. and Mrs. Richardson just don’t seem to be the type to buy my home.” Key Points • A decision on an offer can be delayed until the seller concludes that all offers have been submitted. • Be sure to clearly and carefully explain to the seller that a delay could mean losing a sale and owing you a commission based on a full price offer. • Section 804(a) of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended by the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, states that it is unlawful to “refuse to sell or rent, after the making of a bona fide offer, a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. Areas of Liability • Never encourage a homebuyer to submit an offer because a seller is intending to discriminate against people who have already submitted an offer. • Present the same terms and conditions to all homebuyers. • Never show favoritism toward any homebuyer submitting offers. • If the seller delays decision and this leads to a “bidding war,” it is important that any minority be given the opportunity to meet or beat any other offer. Suggested Responses • “I don’t understand why you feel that Mr. and Mrs. Richardson are not the type you want to buy your home. They have made a good offer and are financially qualified. What type are you looking for?” • “I can respect your desire to consider all offers, and I will try to get a firm offer from the O’Briens immediately. But the Richardsons’ offer is a good one, and I would hate to see you lose out by delaying. Also, If you reject a full price offer, you must still pay my commission. Is there a reason that you don’t consider the Richardsons to be the type to buy your home?” The seller could be charged with discrimination for avoiding offers from minorities. Actions to Take • Remind the seller immediately of the fair housing laws regardless of whether a sales associate or broker is used and any obligation set forth in the listing agreement. • Urge the seller to consider a good offer from a minority person in the same way that you would encourage consideration of a good offer from any other person. • Be sure you objectively and fairly present, explain, and evaluate all offers to a seller. FINANCING GENERATIONS OF HOMEOWNERS For more than 150 years, Associated Bank has focused on making good loans. Our responsible approach to lending reflects the values of our organization and the customers we serve in the La Crosse area. We’re strong and ready to lend. Kyle Christopherson 450 N. Holmen Dr. | 608-793-3824 | NMLS: 108866 David Jones 605 State St. | 608-793-3832 | NMLS: 523764 Jacob Martin 127 Sand Lake Rd. | 608-793-3836 | NMLS: 523832 *The Wisconsin’s #1 Mortgage Lender designation is based on information gathered from the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data compiled annually by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. The results of the data were obtained through RATA Comply, October 2014. • Loan products are offered by Associated Bank, N.A., Member FDIC and Associated Banc-Corp. Loans involve interest and other costs. Please ask about details. All mortgage programs are subject to credit approval and property evaluation. Property insurance and flood insurance, if applicable, will be required on all collateral. Equal Housing Lender. Equal Opportunity Lender. (12/14) 6960 River City Realtor® – continued from page 2 NAR Convention – New Orleans Style and national association is eliminated with the exception of the Major Investor program. The change also includes a single national RPAC fundraising goal for all associations, which can be reached with RPAC hard or soft dollar receipts. Hard dollar contributions go directly to candidates’ campaign efforts and are capped at $5,000 per election. Soft dollars go to efforts conducted separately from candidates’ campaigns and are unlimited. The revamp also includes a program for soliciting funds from MLSs for use in independent expenditure (IE) campaigns, with half going to federal campaigns and half to state campaigns. IEs are election advocacy efforts that are required to be conducted independently of (i.e., not in coordination with) candidates’ campaigns. Issue mobilization ‘skin in the game’ requirement State and local associations will have to put up some of their own funds under a “skin in the game” policy to receive NAR issues mobilization grant funds. The amount depends on the size of the grant request. The contribution can include funds from coalition partners and can also come in the form of nonfinancial resources such as staff and volunteer hours. The board also approved a change to the issues mobilization application form for local associations to require the state association to indicate its support or opposition to the application. Continued monitoring of student debt 11 resolving ethics complaints • Eliminate “rehearing” provisions • Expand authorized use of “remote” testimony, and provide guidance on ensuring its confidentiality • Limit the use of continuances of ethics hearings to certain specified instances • Require persons primarily responsible for administration of professional standards processes to complete administrator training every four years • Establish the responsibility of associations to offer ombudsman services to members, clients, and consumers, either directly or as part of a cooperative agreement • Establish a citation system and schedule of fines for optional adoption by local and state associations Online data competitiveness The board approved changes to help ensure MLS data is as accurate and timely as possible and that MLS participants can continue to compete with other online sources of property information. Among other things, the changes: • Increase the frequency of MLS data updates to no less than every 12 hours, down from every three days • Enable MLS participants to display IDX information from all MLS IDX feeds where they hold participatory rights, allowing consumers to execute a single property search • Permit the display of MLS sold data for IDX display where “sold” information is otherwise publicly accessible – continued on page 12 Student debt is an industry concern but the link between that debt and the ability to buy a home needs more research. The board set a policy that focuses on the continued monitoring of the issue along with support of legislative and regulatory efforts to promote education and disclosure requirements to help students. GRI program updated To help preserve the value of the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation, the board approved changes to the program’s curriculum and process. Among other things, members can take no more than five years to complete the coursework, members can substitute exam and experience for no more than half a state’s course requirements, and the accreditation process will be based on an online audit rather than a peer review. Professional standards processes improved To make the enforcement of professional standards more efficient, the board approved changes to the Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual, Professional Standards Policy Statement, and other professional standards documents, that accomplish the following: • Clarify the role of alternates in professional standards hearing panels • Shorten time frames and clarify guidelines for ethics enforcement administration • Establish a “fast track” administrative timeline for Vol. 36 No. 3 • December 2014 Looking for a lender that can deliver? Same day Preapprovals!! Close on Time!! Local Loan Officers that know the market!!! Rehab loans, Manufactured homes, LOW credit scores ZERO to Low Down‐payment loans FHA, VA, USDA Rural, WHEDA & Conventional Loan programs all available. Todd Cejka – (608)783‐0860 Jeff Thompson – (608)781‐0710 Call today to see how AMEC can help you close more sales faster!! American Mortgage & Equity Consultants 114 N 2nd Ave, Onalaska, WI NMLS Todd 251574 Jeff 256028 Branch 844359 Company 150953 12 RPAC Appreciation Breakfast RPAC Appreciation Breakfast In October, we held an RPAC Appreciation Breakfast to show appreciation for all our members who gave $100 and over to RPAC this year. It was truly a special event. Professor Joe Heim – UW La Crosse Political Science Department and Joe Murray – WRA Director of Political and Government Affairs were our speakers for the Breakfast. It was entertaining and informative. Plan on being a Direct Giver in 2015! NAR Convention – New Orleans Style (continued from page 11) .REALTOR, .Realestate, RPR It also heard reports on the success of the new .REALTOR top-level Internet domain, and NAR’s acquisition of the .realestate domain. Reports were also given on NAR’s property database company RPR, which has extensive data on 116 million parcels of property and has rolled out a mobile app, called RPR Mobile. Election changes After the meeting the NAR Delegate Body met to approve Constitutional changes to the way the association’s officers are elected. The changes set forth election procedures and replace the Nominating Committee with a Credentials and Campaign Rules Committee. The Delegate Body also approved clarification that the date of service requirement for REALTOR® Emeritus Status starts in 2015. Kent and I want to thank you so much for the opportunity to represent LARA at this NAR Convention. Answers to Movie Trivia: Donner Tim Burton Hocus Pocus Clarence A BB Gun Ebenezer Small Heart New York Wings Home Alone La Crosse Area REALTORS® Association 111 6th Street South, La Crosse, WI 54601 River City Realtor® REQUIRED FOR ALL MN LICENSEES February 19, 2015 7.5 Credit Hours ATTENTION MN LICENSEES ALL Residential Real Estate Licensees must complete the 7.5 hour CE Modules consisting of: Financial Issues Module: This course will help real estate licensees better understand trust account requirements and issues relating to the earnest money. Information will also be shared on the Mortgage Act and Practices (MAP) rule, the Real Estate Settlement and procedures Act (RESPA) and the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB). Financing topics to be covered include Contract for Deed sales and new FHA loan limitations (This Module Also Satisfies the 1-hour Broker Module Requirement). Learning Objectives: Real Estate salespersons and brokers to attend this course will learn rules for the deposit of earnest money, release of trust funds and record keeping requirements for trust accounts; Learn Mortgage Act and Practices (“MAP”) rules and the penalties for noncompliance; Review Predatory Lending activities; Be updated on dues and responsibilities imposed under RESPA rules and become informed on new financing issues and FHA loan limits in MN. MN Disclosure Module: This course will provide in depth details on numerous real estate licensee disclosure requirement issues. Curriculum also includes the proper disclosures required by sellers, including property “as is” and the liability sellers can incur for non-compliance. Learning Objectives: Real Estate salespersons and brokers who attend this course will receive detailed information on real estate licensee disclosure requirements; review seller disclosure requirements including waiver conditions and cautions; Become informed on special disclosure requirements such as environmental, predatory offender and other disclosure considerations; Learn disclosure rules related to manufactured homes and Common Interest Communities. Date: Thursday, February 19, 2015 Instructor Bio: Schedule: 8:00—8:30 8:30—12:15 12:15—1:00 1:15—5:00 Place: Address: Cedar Creek 2600 Cedar Creek Lane Onalaska, WI 54650 Instructor: Brad Boyd (See Instructor Bio) Cost: $83.00 Brad Boyd received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Augustana College, in Sioux Falls, SD. After clerking for the Chief Judge of Juvenile Court, Brad developed his legal advising skills as an attorney in a small boutique law firm focusing on real estate, business and estate planning. During this time, Brad became a licensed real estate broker, and founded and successfully operated a flat-fee real estate brokerage. He subsequently opened his own law practice and in 2006 he merged his practice with Thomsen & Nybeck, PA. Registration, Rolls, & Coffee Financing Issues Module Lunch Served MN Disclosure Module Cost includes MN CE (7.5 hrs plus exam), Coffee, Assortment of Bagels and English Muffins & Lunch. $10 late fee if registering after Friday, February 13, 2015. No refunds or cancellations after Friday, February 13, 2015. Please be on time. Class begins promptly at 8:30a.m. Those arriving late will not be given CE credits. No exceptions. Brad currently serves as General Counsel for the Minnesota Association of REALTORS®, and is lead attorney for the MNAR Legal Hotline. Brad has also taught community education courses, served on the Minnesota Association of REALTORS® Forms and Governmental Affairs Committee as the Chair and on other various industry workgroups. Mail, Fax, or Bring form & check or credit card to: La Crosse Area REALTORS Association., 111 S. 6th St., La Crosse, WI 54601, Fax 608-785-7742 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Minnesota DOC 7.5 Hours CE Required Course 2015 NAME:_________________________________________________ FIRM NAME________________________________________ AMT. ENCLOSED: $_______________________________ Check #___________________________________ To pay by credit card, you must complete & sign below (We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover): Card#: ___ ___ ______ - ___ ___ ______ - ___ ___ ______ - ___ ___ ______ Exp: _____/_____ Street Address: __________________________________ Zip: _________________ Signature (required for charges): __________________________________________ [ ] SPECIAL SERVICES. CHECK HERE IF YOU REQUIRE SPECIAL SERVICES TO ATTEND & OR HAVE SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS. PLEASE ATTACH A DESCRIPTION OF NEEDS. LA CROSSE AREA REALTORS® ASSOCIATION 2014-2015 OFFICERS/DIRECTORS & COMMITTEES President President Elect Secretary/Treasurer Association Executive Kent Gabrielsen Chuck Olson Dave Snyder Char Glocke LOCAL DIRECTORS Kathy Johnson Jim Orlikowski Scott Ryan Marv Leisso Jeff Pralle Donna Proudfit Phone 783-7766 779-3079 781-5191 783-6700 783-7766 781-1100 PAST PRESIDENT Cindy Gerke-Edwards 784-2100 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Term Exp. 2015 2015 2015 2016 2016 2016 784-9930 784-9930 782-2300 785-7837 E-mail [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] EDUCATION COMMITTEE Judy Gull - Chairperson 608-781-7629 ORIENTATION COMMITTEE Roxanne Reynolds Ryan Olson EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE MARKETING COMMITTEE Katy Wood - Chairperson 608-304-0374 Susan Brooks Corry Van Aelstyn Amber Iverson Gretchen Whitt RECOGNITION COMMITTEE Marv Leisso - Chairperson 608-780-7634 Mike Pietrek Dave Snyder Mirella Huss FINANCIAL/INVESTMENT COMMITTEE Kent Gabrielsen - Chairperson 608-780-9520 Steve Lillestrand Dave Snyder Marv Leisso John Young Chad Niegelsen Chuck Olson Mike Pietrek Cindy Gerke-Edwards HOLIDAY SOCIAL COMMITTEE Kathy Johnson - Chairperson 608-792-9902 Dawn Garms Anastasia Gentry Amber Iverson Brenda Fisher Mary Pasch GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Mike Pietrek - Chairperson 608-386-8209 Donna Proudfit Josh Neumann Ryan Olson Jeff Pralle Katy Wood Rick Hamilton Kathy Johnson Eric Seeger Marty Holub Revised 12/14
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