We have big news, we mean B-I-G news!!!

HGTV’s “Houses Hunters” is coming to the Triangle and surrounding areas! Yep, the hit TV series is looking for REALTORS and prospective homebuyers who want to appear on the show!

The show is looking for fun and enthusiastic homebuyers and REALTORS within a 90-minute drive of Raleigh who expect to close within the next couple of months and have a great story to tell!

If you fit the above criteria, Jennifer Jordon, the show’s associate producer, wants to hear from you! You can reach Jennifer at 303-712-3135 or jjordon@highnoonentertainment.com

Want to know more about “House Hunters”? Tune in weeknights at 9 p.m. on HGTV or visit www.hgtv.com/HouseHunters.

'Free' Friday...

Did you know that NAR offers members 1,400 ebooks and 1,000 online journals for no additional cost? Just go to www.realtor.org/library, login and click on “Find Articles/Access ProQuest” to see the numerous titles you can read online, including
the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and Newsweek, all for FREE!

Pam Haire
Director of Leadership Development
phaire@ncrealtors.org

Homes4NC Auction Opens for Bidding Aug. 3

Greetings!

We are just days away from opening up bidding in the Homes4NC American Dream Auction at www.homes4ncauction.cmarket.com. Online bidding starts next Monday, August 3 and goes through September 24. This important fundraiser will culminate with the live event on Sept. 28 at the NC REALTORS Convention & Expo in Savannah, GA.

I want to thank the following associations that have already contributed funds or items for the auction and those who have made a commitment: Albemarle, Asheville, Brunswick, Burke County, Carteret County, Chapel Hill, Cleveland County, Charlotte, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Harnett, Neuse River, Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Wilmington. Your early support will really help us attract interest from potential sponsors and bidders. We will be accepting sponsorship funds and items right up to the day of the auction, so it's not too late to get in on all the action! Just visit http://www.homes4nc.org/09Auctioninfo.doc for a copy of the Auction Info form or send me your donation information via email at dgreene@ncrealtors.org.

Your association is the critical link to the success of our auction in more ways than one. We hope we can count on you to spread the word among members about the auction Web site by posting a link in a highly visible place on your association Web site and by including messages in your electronic newsletters. You'll find an icon that you can use on the "News & Events" page of our Web site, http://www.homes4nc.org/news.htm. Simply right-click on the "American Dream Auction" icon and save it on your computer by selecting "Save Picture As…" Possible messages to use along with the icon include:

1. Help provide housing opportunities that change lives! Participate in the Homes4NC American Dream Auction.
2. Help make the dream of homeownership a reality! Participate in the Homes4NC American Dream Auction.
   

Here is a longer message for an electronic newsletter:
Place a Bid, Make a Difference!
Help more North Carolina families find a safe and affordable place to call home by participating in the Homes4NC American Dream Auction at www.homes4ncauction.cmarket.com. Bid on a variety of great items including vacation getaways, golf, handcrafted artwork, the newest tech toys and more! Help yourself or someone you love to a great gift and make a difference for affordable housing at the same time.

Please give me a call if you need a separate file of the American Dream Auction icon or if I can provide any additional help.

Thanks so much for all your support!

Diane Greene
Director of Community Outreach
dgreene@ncrealtors.org

Food For Thought…

If you've been paying attention lately, you've probably noticed a decline in the number of ‘doom and gloom’ news stories relating to the housing market and a surprising number of positive ones instead. Just yesterday, the 'improved' housing market made the front page of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the USA Today. (Check the links out below!)

Among some of the news items coming out this week alone: Housing prices in May showed their first gain in three years, there is a much smaller inventory of homes for sale and we continue to see a rise in home sales.

All of this begs the question, is the market finally turning around? See for yourself!

New York Times article
USA Today article
Wall Street Journal article (We apologize, you must be a Wall Street Journal subscriber to access this news item)

Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

Take Advantage of your REALTOR® Partner Discounts!

AT&T wireless is offering exclusive discounts to NC REALTORS®. 10% Discount off monthly access charges, waived Activation Fee with a two year contract, and accessory discounts at any AT&T owned stores. To sign up for service, visit any AT&T Company Owned Retail location. Make sure to provide the following to get your discounts: Foundation Account Number (FAN) – 2017074. If you have questions, please email kmiller@ncrealtors.org.

Kristin Miller
Marketing Specialist
kmiller@ncrealtors.org

Looking for an Extra Incentive to Get Down to Savannah?

Well, look no further! a la mode, inc.* is sponsoring a $20 MasterCard gift card for all members who sign up for convention before August 14th! Visit www.ncarconvention.org for further details regarding the special prices, classes, event information and how to register!

Kristin Miller
Marketing Specialist
kmiller@ncrealtors.org

Seller Financing and Mortgage Licensing

In this lending environment, seller financing as an option is more important than ever. And last week, North Carolina Association of REALTORS® staff was able to obtain an amendment to preserve the current exemption from mortgage licensing for seller financing.

This exemption was set to be repealed effective at the end of the month as a part of HB 1523 (S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act), introduced by Senator Dan Blue (D-Wake). This legislation conforms North Carolina’s mortgage licensing act to the Federal requirements that were enacted as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

The amendment extends the current exemption (i.e., sellers can finance up to 5 real estate transactions per year) until at least July 31, 2010, with an even longer exemption pending HUD’s determination of whether or not this exemption is compliant with federal law. Staff will continue to work with NAR and other state REALTOR® associations at the federal level to keep this option available for sellers and buyers.

Rick Zechini
Director of Government Affairs
rzechini@ncrealtors.org

Affordability, Affordability, Affordability….

With housing affordability being cited by most potential homeowners as the most important factor in determining whether or not to buy a home, it’s good news for the state’s housing industry that two of the three metro areas selected as the most affordable in the south were, not surprisingly, North Carolina metros!
Both the Durham-Chapel Hill area and Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord area led the way in terms of cost-of-living for the South Atlantic region. Factors such as unemployment, rate of violent crime, average salary for college graduates and cultural opportunities were all taken into account.

Source: NAR

Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

NC REALTOR to Serve on NAR Task Force

Sheila Pierce, commercial REALTOR® from Jacksonville and North Carolina Association of REALTORS® Legislative Committee Chairwoman, has been appointed to serve as the North Carolina representative on the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Natural Disaster Task Force.

At the direction of NAR CEO Dale Stinton, NAR will be hosting a series of meetings August 17-18 to develop recommendations to inform and educate NAR members nationwide about the lack of available and affordable property insurance in disaster prone areas. In addition, the Task Force will be asked to play a significant role in the development of NAR’s policy as it relates to natural disasters and insurance. Furthermore, task force members will also be called upon to help raise the profile of this important issue set among Members of Congress and encourage them to take action to address this critical issue.

Through the participation of dedicated members like Sheila Pierce, the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® will continue to remain actively involved at both the state and federal level in promoting the importance of developing comprehensive public policies to ensure that property owners have adequate access to affordable property insurance coverage.

On behalf of our REALTORS® across this great state, we want to thank Sheila for her service on this task force.

David McGowan, III
Political Specialist
dmcgowan@ncrealtors.org

For Your Friday, a Discount…

We all love a great deal, especially when it comes to education! When you have a spare moment either today or this weekend, check out NAR’s discounted online courses at REALTOR® University. This month's highlighted courses are: CIPS International Real Estate for Local Markets and Innovative Marketing Techniques for Buyer's Representatives. For a complete list of discounted courses, click here.

Chris Rhodes
Professional Development Director
crhodes@ncrealtors.org

2009 Regional AE Conference a Huge Success!

Over 100 Association Executives from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama attended the 2009 Regional AE Conference, which wrapped up Wednesday at the Pinehurst Resort. Topics included board orientation tools, leadership development & roles, legal updates and member retention presented from speakers such as Laurie Janik, Bob Harris, Mark Levin, Bob Golden and Dan Russell, to name a few. We appreciate the many local associations who donated door prizes; what a great variety and number of prizes we received! NC REALTORS® looks forward to next year’s Regional AE Conference to be hosted at a location in Georgia, yet to be determined.
Check out NC REALTORS Facebook Fan page for photos of the event!

Pam Haire
Director of Leadership Development
phaire@ncrealtors.org

For Those of You With Employees

The Federal minimum wages increases from $6.55 to $7.25 an hour effective July 24, 2009.

Bryan Jenkins
Chief Financial Officer
bjenkins@ncrealtors.org

This Just In…Existing-Home Sales Rise for Third Consecutive Month

Existing-home sales rose for the third consecutive month with inventory easing and home prices declining less sharply in June, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, is hopeful about the gain. “The increase in existing-home sales occurred in all major regions of the country,” he says. “We expect a gradual uptrend in sales to continue due to tax-credit incentives and historically high affordability conditions. Despite the rise in closed transactions, many REALTORS® are reporting lost sales as a result of new appraisal standards that went into effect May 1 of this year.”

Source: The National Association of REALTORS®

Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

Take Advantage of your REALTOR® Partner Discounts!

AT&T wireless is offering exclusive discounts to NC REALTORS®. 10% Discount off monthly access charges, waived Activation Fee with a two year contract, and accessory discounts at any AT&T owned stores. To sign up for service, visit any AT&T Company Owned Retail location. Make sure to provide the following to get your discounts: Foundation Account Number (FAN) – 2017074. If you have questions, please email kmiller@ncrealtors.org.

Kristin Miller
Marketing Specialist
kmiller@ncrealtors.org

Homeowners Insurance Bill Passes State House

The State House has approved legislation to help a state-run coastal homeowners insurance plan survive a catastrophic storm.

The N.C. Association of REALTORS® was successful in amending the bill by reducing the plan's deductible and removing a requirement that all properties in the plan carry flood insurance irrespective of whether the property is located in a flood hazard area.

The N.C. Association of REALTORS® will continue to work to address our members’ concerns as the bill moves through the Senate.

Rick Zechini
Director of Government Affairs
rzechini@ncrealtors.org

Major Changes in Store for Offer to Purchase & Contract (2-T) in 2010

The NC REALTORS® Forms Committee has been working closely with real estate lawyers representing the NC Bar Association over the course of the past year on exciting new modifications to the standard Offer to Purchase and Contract (2-T). The purpose of the modifications is to simplify the contract in ways that will help buyers, sellers and their agents avoid disputes that oftentimes plague real estate transactions, particularly repair disputes. The current plan is to finalize the new “Due Diligence Contract” this fall and obtain approval of the new form from the NC REALTORS® and the NC Bar Association next January. Following approval, an extensive, multi-pronged educational initiative will be launched so that NC REALTORS® members will have ample opportunities to receive training on the revised contract prior to its official roll-out in July, 2010.

Monica Huckaby, e-PRO
Legal Programs Coordinator
mhuckaby@ncrealtors.org

NC REALTORS® Hosts 2009 Regional Association Executive Conference in Pinehurst This Week

The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® is proud to host this year's Regional Association Executive Conference at the beautiful Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Check out some of the latest photos from the event on NC REALTORS®’ Facebook page today! If you’re not a fan of our page yet, click here!

A Friendly Reminder to First-Time Homebuyers: Hurry for $8,000 Tax Credit

It’s mid-July now and in order for first-time homebuyers to qualify for the government’s $8,000 gift in the form of a tax credit, they must close by December 1, less than five months away!
Buyers should ideally have a purchase contract signed by early October, so they have 45 to 60 days to arrange financing and safely close the deal.

Click here for a quick refresher on all the details of the $8,000 tax credit!

Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

Check Out NAR’s Latest Public Awareness Television Ad

The newest campaign ad, Housewarming, enlists the help of Uncle Sam to reinforce messages about the temporary $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers and buyers who haven’t owned a home in the past three years, and urges them to contact a REALTOR® and make their dreams of homeownership a reality!


Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

Monday’s Focus: Website “Must-Haves”

As you may well know, if you want to be competitive and effective in today's housing marketplace, you must build an effective website. If you want to build an effective website, you must include the following five components:

A Personal message-it's imperative that you feature a personally written home page that conveys to consumers they've found the right destination.
Targeted buttons-you should also include targeted buttons and sections dedicated to your area of specialization, also include links that deliver the consumer back to property search pages.
Browse feature-an even better option is to engage your visitors by allowing them to browse property listings while they're still visiting targeted pages.
Drip information- this allows a relationship to be built over a period of time and increases the odds of the lead being converted into a sale.
SEO insight-you should build your site with an eye on developing a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy down the line.

Source: National Association of REALTORS®

Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

Summary of NCAR’s 2009 Residential Forms Changes Now Available

Changes to NCAR’s residential forms were recently approved by the NCAR Executive Committee. The changes went into effect on July 1, 2009. A summary of the changes is available on the NCAR website at http://www.ncrealtors.org/. (Once you have logged into the N.C. REALTORS®’ extranet, click on ‘Forms & Contracts’ in the upper left hand corner, once there, scroll to the bottom of the page , under ‘Resources & Links’ click on “Forms: Summary of 2009 Changes to NCAR Residential Forms”).A printer friendly version of the summary can be found on the same page. You may click on the name of a form to view a marked-up “draft” copy of the form containing all of the changes to the form. “Clean” versions of the forms are currently available on the NCAR website and from NCAR’s approved forms software vendors.

For further information, contact the Legal Department at 1-800-443-9956.

Monica Huckaby, e-PRO
Legal Programs Coordinator
mhuckaby@ncrealtors.org

Candidate Biographies Now Available for N.C. REALTORS®’ 2010 Election

In anticipation of the September 2009 election, members can now access the Candidate Biographies by clicking on the following link:
http://www.ncrealtors.org/en/candidates.htm

Pam Haire
Director of Leadership Development
phaire@ncrealtors.org

When it Comes to the Real Estate Industry in N.C., Help Us Set the Record Straight

In an effort to dispel any mistruths and unsubstantiated facts about the housing market in North Carolina, NC REALTORS®’ July/August issue of 'For the Record,' a bi-monthly one-page document, is now available.

We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues and clients!

http://www.ncrealtors.org/uploads/FortheRecord7-09.pdf

Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

REALTOR® University Launches Video & Webinar Centers

The National Association of REALTORS® recently announced the launch of REALTOR® University’s new online Webinar and Video Centers with cutting-edge topics designed to help REALTORS® in today’s changing market. Launched in partnership with Realty Video USA, Broker Agent Speakers Bureau, Learning Library Inc. and NAR’s REALTOR® University.

The Webinar Center is launching with over 30 powerful webinars on topics from pricing to social media from leading industry trainers. The new Video Center is launching with 35 mini training videos, with a new video added every week. Visit today and try FREE video demos. Learn more at www.learninglibrary.com/ru/videos, and www.learninglibrary.com/ru/webinars.

Chris Rhodes
Director of Professional Development
crhodes@ncrealtors.org

On a Positive Note…

While sales figures may not yet reflect it, optimism in the real estate community has definitely increased when it comes to the housing market, according to a recent survey of member brokerage firms of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. The findings include:

• Over 63 percent of brokers indicated that the mood of consumers has improved since the beginning of 2009, which is also reflected in the outlook of sales associates.
• Market activity, including open house attendance, property showings, and Web site traffic, is much more favorable versus this time last year according to 68 percent of those surveyed.
• The vast majority of activity is in the first-time buyer market, with 84 percent noting that this segment's sales have increased the most, with 24 percent and 30 percent citing move-up buyers and investors, respectively, as also experiencing increased activity.
• Low prices are the greatest driver, with 72 percent noting this as a determining factor, and the first-time buyer tax credit and low interest rates were each also indicated by 63 percent of respondents.

Source: REAL Trends

Barbara West
Communications Specialist
bwest@ncrealtors.org

From all of us here at the N.C. Association of REALTORS®,

HAVE A HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

We’ll leave you with this amazing photo…

Last Call for Early-Bird rates at Convention!

'Savannah Chat’ from your 2009 Convention Chairs…

The early-bird deadline is here- be sure to sign up now for Convention! July 31st is the deadline to save money with the following special registration rates: Early Bird rate for all attendees, Invite a REALTOR® Referral Program, and 1st Time Convention attendee rate. Visit www.ncarconvention.org for further details regarding the special prices, event information and how to register.

We hope you join us in Savannah, September 27-29. Click here to take a look at who is already signed up to attend http://www.ncarconvention.org/look.cfm

Sincerely,
Kathy Carpenter & Deb Quaranta
Your 2009 Convention Chairs