connections march 2013

Worcester Regional Association of REALTORS® www.wrar.org

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : President’s Message 1

Month-at-a-Glance 2

Awards Nomination Form 3

Membership News 4

Scholarship Rules 5

Volunteer Opportunites 6

CREST Classes 8-11

Member Bio Form 7

Local Market Update 12

Legal Corner 13

Government Affairs 14

Your Success is our Business!

Are YOU connected? Agents sometimes ask me, “What's the board doing for me?” This tells me that either they’re not tapped into our board or WRAR hasn’t done a good job letting them know about our member bene-fits. There are so many benefits and discounts and we’d love to come to your office meeting and tell you about them. They include a $160 discount for MLSPIN and FREE Online Forms ($120 value), but my two favorite are the Education and Advocacy Benefits. WRAR members get unlimited CEU classes every year at our real estate school, CREST. We encourage our members to take as many classes as desired to become as educated as possible. We run multiple classes on various topics every month in addition to designation classes and topical

classes such as social media, short sales, technology, etc. As a member of WRAR you are automatically a member of MAR and NAR. NAR is one of the larg-est trade associations in the country. They promote the REALTOR® Image and Advocate for Homeowners Rights. In short, they protect and promote your livelihood. Recent accomplish-ments and ongoing issues include: • Defeating a sales tax on your professional services (commissions) • Continue to defeat the multiple attempts to impose transfer taxes (sales tax) on home sales • Represented REALTOR® concerns on new smoke detector regulations and energy scoring • Stopped legislation to make real estate agents responsible for discovering structural

defects. • Stopped a movement to make real estate agents responsible for vacant homes they've

listed and in Worcester making homeowners responsible for noisy tenants • Developed, supported & extended the First-time Homebuyer Tax Credit • Maintaining the mortgage interest deduction • Prevented banks from entering the Real Estate Business Right now MAR, with help from NAR, is opposing the recent Massachusetts budget proposal to eliminate the MA state portion of the Capital Gains Exclusion on the sale of your primary resi-dence. That could cost a married couple selling their homes up to $26,250 in taxes. WOW, what’s all that worth? And its all being done because of you, your dues and RPAC donations. To borrow from what a great man once said, “Ask not what your board can do for you, ask what you can do for your board.” Now the Numbers - GOOD NEWS in our area CLOSED SALES are up 27.2% over last year, with Single Family homes up 23.5% and Condos up 46%. Inventory of all Properties is down 26.8%. This is putting upward pressure on prices and the Median price of Single Family homes is up 3.3%, Condos are up 27.2% and 7% for the whole market. Keep up the Good Work!

“May your blessings out number The shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you Wherever you go.”

~Irish Blessing

March 2013

Worcester Regional Association of REALTORS® www.wrar.org 2

March 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2

3 4 9-12 MLS Pin & Cloud CMA

5

6

7 2-4 Professional Development: Houselogic & Social Media

8 9:30—Membership Committee

9 9-5 RE Pre-License Sales Course

10 11

12 9-10 Government Affairs Comm. 2-5 CRS Top Producer Program

13 9-10 Finance Comm

10:30–12 BOD Mtg

3-9 New Member Orientation

14 10-12 RCMA

15 MLS Training: 9:30 Getting Started: Contact Management 1:00 Moving Forward: Listing Management

16 9-5 RE Pre-License Sales Course

17 HAPPY SAINT PATRICK’S DAY!

18 19 20 6-9 Worcester CDC Home Buying Seminar

21 2-4 Residential Mort-gage Lending & Credit Today

6-9 Worcester CDC Home Buying Seminar

22 23 9-5 RE Pre-License Sales Course

24 25

26 MLS Training: 9:30 Getting Started: Searching the System 1:00 Getting Started: Contact Management

27 8-8 CEU Classes

28

29 30 9-5 RE Pre-License Sales Course

31

Upcoming Events—Mark Your Calendars! April 2013: Fair Housing Month April 20-21: Nationwide REALTOR® Open House Weekend May 3: Deadline for Submissions for WRAR Scholarships June 4: REALTOR® day on Beacon Hill June 5: WRAR Awards Banquet <——-NEW DATE!

WRAR MONTH-AT-A-GLANCE


MEMBERSHIP

Welcome to our Newest Members

2013 President Rochelle Jonswold (1st row last on right)

welcomes our newest members at the February 6th Orientation.

WRAR Scholarships The WRAR Scholarship Application for children and grandchildren of WRAR REALTOR® and Affiliate Members is now available on our website under “Document Re-sources.”

Scholarships are a minimum of $500 and a com-mittee will review all applications and make deci-sions based on academic achievement, extracur-ricular activities, community service, work experi-ence and the student’s goals and personal accom-plishments. Deadline for submission is May 3, 2013.

WRAR holds events throughout the year to fund-raise for our Scholarship Fund. Please continue to support this worthwhile endeavor!

For full Scholarship details see, the next page. For the application, please visit our Document Re-sources section at www.wrar.org.

New Members Vartoohi Burdick Keller Williams Realty Westborough Michael Duffy Keller Williams Realty North Leominster Danielle Forcier Quaboag Valley Real Estate Brookfield Rita Forrester Realty Executives Boston West Southborough Allen Greenman Coldwell Banker Res. Brokerage Shrewsbury Patrick Kennedy Nextage Welcom Realty Worcester Deborah Lindsay Exit Realty Partners Worcester Angela Mann Coldwell Banker Res. Brokerage Shrewsbury Paul Mendes CENTURY 21 Commonwealth Milford James Reinke Best Buy Realty Worcester Karina Robles ERA Key Realty Services Worcester Rebecca Selby ERA Key Realty Services Whitinsville Louis Sparanges RE/MAX Professional Associates Shrewsbury Robert Stratton CENTURY 21 Commonwealth Milford Suzanne Tolley Coldwell Banker Res. Brokerage Shrewsbury Beth Travis Coldwell Banker Res. Brokerage Shrewsbury James Vacarelo Century 21 DeNault Realty, Inc Leominster Ingrid Vincent ERA Key Realty Services Whitinsville Deborah Williams RE/MAX Professional Associates Shrewsbury

New Applicants James Carlson Jr. Next Move Realty Worcester Brendan Fullam Sullivan & Company Real Estate Brimfield Michael Madulka III Quinsigamond Realty Worcester Lisa Moore Exit Realty Partners Shrewsbury Michael Njuguna Quinsigamond Realty Worcester Deborah Pattow-Godbout Keller Williams Realty-Gr.Worc. Worcester Maury Ramirez Exit Realty Partners Worcester Micheal Seery Quaboag Valley Real Estate Brookfield Chelsea Taylor Keller Williams Realty-Gr.Worc. Worcester

New Offices

Khalid Naseem American Dream Realty Pros 190 Lake St., Shrewsbury

Marilyn Smith Marilyn L. Smith Real Estate Co. 21 Blossom Ct., Westboro

Reinstated Members Robin Stoddard ERA Key- Alliance Realty Charlton Christy Toppin Century 21 Toomey Lovett Spencer

Transfer Members Joanne D'Errico ERA Key Realty Services Westboro Linda Largey Century 21 Realty Team Leominster


WRAR SCHOLARSHIP


VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!

Please take a look at our new Committees Brochure to see our various committees and task forces. You can view the brochure online at www.wrar.org under our “Document Resources” section. It’s also available on the home page in magazine format as you scroll to the bottom.

What it all amounts to: WE NEED YOU—YES, YOU—TO MAKE OUR ASSOCIATION BETTER. We are only as good as our members. Please fill out the member bio on the next page and return it to us. We’re SURE we can use your expertise.

New WRAR Website

Which brings us to our next order of business. If you took the time to go to our website to find the “Committees Brochure,” you probably experienced some frustration. We are very aware that our website is not a user friendly experience. Due to software constraints, we are extremely limited in our ability to keep it current, attractive and vital.

So a REVAMP is in order. We’d like a small task force to get together immediately to begin working on suggestions - what we need / what we’d like / what we can’t live without / what we can do later. You don’t have to be a technology genius, but you do have to have above average experience as an active web surfer. If you have ability above and beyond that, all the better.

Please fill out the MEMBER BIO FORM on the following page and return it to us asap if you are able to help.

And thank you in advance for your time!

We’d Love Your Help!

The CAC is once again sponsoring the children at Sullivan Middle School in Worcester. This drive will run from March 1—April 1. PLEASE open your hearts and support us in this effort. The school has the largest popula-tion of homeless children in the city as well as the largest demographic of those below the poverty line. The school distributes food each week to those most in need by filling backpacks, which are returned each week for refilling.

We are collecting food for their pantry. We are concerned that the children will not have enough food for April vacation. We are collecting the following:

Food items may be dropped at the following offices for distribution in addition to the WRAR Headquarters in Auburn:

Coldwell Banker, Shrewsbury & Worcester ERA Key Realty Svcs., Worcester Janice Mitchell Real Estate, Holden Re/MAX Vision, Worcester

Ross Mortgage Company, Westboro

PLEASE HELP IN ANY WAY YOU CAN AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

Rice Pasta Sauce Ramon Noodles Cereal Peanut butter Jelly

Wish List Fresh eggs Sausage Hotdogs/rolls Hamburgers/rolls Ground burger American Cheese

Crackers Bread Canned goods (esp. corn & potatoes) Soups (with meat in them) Baby food (several students have young siblings at home

Community Action Committee


MEMBER BIO SHEET — Please complete & return to WRAR! REALTOR® Member / AFFILIATE Member Resume

Name Company Address City, State, Zip Contact info - email & telephone/cell How many years have you worked in the Real Estate field? If you had a career prior to Real Estate, in what industry/industries did you work?

Please check off the areas where you have special skills / education / experience in which you would be willing to make a short-term commitment to assist staff and/or committees: Please list any hobbies / interests you have which might be mutually beneficial to both you and the Association (for example – politics, gardening, fundraising, community service, etc.):

Would you be willing to assist us in some “Done in a Day” events such as Habitat for Humanity Build Day or Beautify the Board Day?

☐Yes please contact me at

☐No Please return via fax (508-832-6620) email ([email protected]), or mail to:

Worcester Regional Association of REALTORS® 492 Washington Street, Auburn, MA 01501

☐ Manufacturing/Assembly/Production ☐ Marketing ☐ Technology /Web Design / Tech-Savvy ☐ Leadership Positions (please list) _______________________________________

☐ Other (please list)______________________

______________________________________

☐Accounting / Finance ☐ Design ☐ Education/Major ☐ Engineering ☐ Event Planning ☐ HR or Staffing

With our new Strategic Plan in place, our Committees have been revamped for the coming year. Each committee now has a di-rective from the WRAR Board of Directors with clear goals and tasks. In most cases, it means there will be no more monthly meetings just to have a monthly meeting! Task forces will be formed to accomplish goals and we'll move on to the next one. Can you lend a hand? We are always looking for people with special skills to assist us in making WRAR a top-notch association. Your expertise and experience can help us to build a better business for all of our members. Service to your association is im-portant NOW and in the future towards your Lifetime membership requirements. We'd love for you to be involved!


All classes are held at the Worcester Regional Association of REALTORS® CREST School, 492 Washington Street, Auburn, MA 01501.. We also hold periodic classes at the Fidelity Bank Building, 478 Mechanic Street in Leominster. WRAR Members in good standing receive FREE LOCAL CEU’s! Tuition for non-members is $30 for each 2-hour CEU. You may register for classes online at www.CrestRealEstateSchool.com or by calling the WRAR office at 508-832-6600. Please note that during the winter months, we follow the local school system for opening. If they are closed, we are closed. During weekends, announcements will be made on WTAG. As always, use your best judgment.

CENTER FOR REAL ESTATE STUDIES & TRAINING

Upcoming CEU Courses for March

Auburn March 27 Instructor

Course Code Course Name

8:00 - 10:00 am Andy Consoli RE42R05 Property Management

10:00 - 12:00 pm Andy Consoli RE14R07 Architecture

12:00 - 2:00 pm Andy Consoli RE41R05 Real Estate Advertising Compliance and the Law

2:00 - 4:00 pm Bob Falter RE49R05 Dual Agency

4:00 - 6:00 pm Bob Falter RE09R07 Residential Rental - Landlord/Tenant Issues

6:00 - 8:00 pm Bob Falter RE39C05 Commonly Used Forms: Mandatory/Optional

Real Estate Pre-License Class Our next Pre-License class begins on Saturday, March 9, and runs each Saturday from 9:00 am—5:00 pm through April 6. Tuition is $325 and books are $50. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please have them call Lynne Walls at the Board at 508-832-6600.

New Foreclosure Rules; the Impact on Consumers and the Current Real Estate Market Keynote Speaker: Attorney General Martha Coakley Who best to talk about today’s lending & mortgage rules/guidelines and how they are affecting the consumer than Attorney General Martha Coakley, the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. First elected as Attorney General in 2006, Martha Coakley quickly confronted the challenge of addressing the economic crisis that gripped our country shortly there-after. Under her leadership, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office became a national leader in holding Wall Street accountable by bringing first-of-their-kind ac-tions against many investment giants. Overall, her office recovered more than $440 million for Massachusetts homeowners and taxpayers and helped keep more than 15,000 people in their homes. ADDITIONAL INFO All visitors must sign in at front desk and obtain a visitors pass. Please arrive early so we can give the school time to process all of the attendees. Thank you! Date: March 26, 2013 Time: 10:00am-12:30pm (10:00-10:30am – registration) Cost: $25 member and $35 non-member (Buffet Luncheon) Registration: Please register early as seating is limited via online payment to:

wcr-march-2013.eventbrite.com

Location: Worcester Technical High School, 1 Skyline Drive, Worcester


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT


LOCAL MARKET UPDATE


LEGAL CORNER

Michael McDonagh, MAR General Counsel, and Ashley Stolba, MAR Staff Attorney

MAR Legal Hotline

Q: How do I know if a septic system must be inspected?

A. Generally, Title V requires all conventional septic

systems, cesspools, and innovative/alternative systems to be inspected upon transfer if the property is sold to new owners. There are several exemptions from this, including most transfers between family members. A list of exemptions can be found on the MassDEP website: www.mass .gov/dep/water/wastewater/septicsy.htm

Q: When must the Inspection occur? How long is an

inspection valid? A. For most property transfers, an inspection must

occur within two years prior to the time of trans-fer. If a system has been pumped annually since its inspection, and pumping records are availa-ble, the inspection is valid for three years. If an inspection was conducted within the two-year timeframe, the inspection will fulfill the require-ment for more than one transfer of title, and does not need be repeated within the two-year period.

Q: Who is responsible for having the septic

inspected? A . The property owner or facility operator is general-

ly responsible for obtaining an inspection of the system. Prior to the time of transfer of title, how-ever, the parties may contractually allocate re-sponsibility for the inspection provided that such inspection occurs within the specified timeframes. An inspection must be conducted by an approved system inspector. If an inspection is required, the System Inspector must record the inspection results on a state Department of Envi-ronmental Protection (DEP)-approved inspection form and submit the form, within 30 days of the

inspection, to the approving authority. Boards of Health are the approving authorities for most systems. The DEP is the approving authority for state and federal facilities. Also, for large and shared systems, the System Inspector and the owner must submit the inspection form to the DEP.

Tenant Fee Disclosure Q: I have always been a buyer’s agent but I am

now starting to represent tenants. Is there a mandatory agency disclosure form that I must provide to my tenant-clients?

A . No. The Mandatory Licensee-Consumer Rela-

tionship Disclosure is only required for buyer and seller clients. However, Massachusetts reg-ulations require brokers and salespersons en-gaged in rental brokerage to provide a written fee disclosure to the prospective tenant at the first personal meeting between the broker or salesperson and a prospective tenant.. The dis-closure must include: 1) whether the prospec-tive tenant will pay a fee for rental services; 2) the amount of the fee; 3) the manner and time when the fee is due to be paid; 4) whether or not the fee will be payable regardless if a tenan-cy is not created; 5) the signature of the broker or salesperson, including license number and date of notice; and 6) the signature of the pro-spective tenant, or notation of refusal to sign. Like the Mandatory Licensee-Consumer Rela-tionship Disclosure, the fee disclosure must be kept on file by the broker for three years and is subject to audit by the Board.

Title V


2013 Directors

& Staff Members President, Rochelle Jonswold

Pres. Elect, Dave Stead Vice President, Brad Roberts

Secretary, Kris Koliss Treasurer, Mary Gale

Past President, Diane DeCiccio

Jayne DiLiberto, Director Tony Economou, Director Sarah Gustafson, Director

Erica Hall, Director Lorraine Herbert, Director Judy Patterson, Director Judy Reynolds, Director

Mary Stolarczyk, Director Leslie Storrs, Director

Kathleen Cooper, Alternate Tracy Fiorelli, Alternate Gina Lewis, Alternate

Executive VP, Colleen Pappas

Membership Manager, Lisa Sprague

Programs & Events Coordinator,

Jacki D’Innocenzo Staff Accountant, Maura O’Connor

Administrative Assistant, Lynne Walls

WRAR office hours are 9:00 am—5:00 pm. For assistance with the MLS Lockbox system, please make an appointment with Lynne Walls at 508-832-6600.

Please LIKE our face-book page at https://www.facebook.com/WorcesterRegionalAssociationof-REALTORS. By doing so you will not only get up-to-the-minute infor-mation on everything going on at WRAR, but you will help us to increase our visibility while growing your own business network.

Realtors Property Resource (RPR) GOVERNMENT & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

It’s not too late to make your RPAC c o n t r i b u t i o n o f $ 1 5 . 0 0 f o r 2013 . Your contribution helps us work with our legislators to protect the real estate industry from changes that may have a negative effect on home ownership and the real estate market.

Many think that RPAC has nothing to do with them—if you’re a REALTOR®, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In conjunction with MAR we have halt-ed bills for Home Rental Tax, altered language in bills for short sales that would force agents to get a separate license to do short sales, and altered language in the BPO bill that would limit a REALTORS®’ role in providing home owners with a BPO.

These are just a few of our accom-plishments . Help keep us running strong and our voices heard in con-gress. Call Colleen at the Board and make your $15.00 fair share contribution today .

Save the Dates:

June 4—REALTOR® Day on the Hill

Fall 2013, TBA—Legislative Breakfast

connections march 2013

Documents