Weekly E-Update           February 9, 2010

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Announcements/Events
MLS Updates
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ISC Corner
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Click here for a list of upcoming events

NEW Home Buyer Tax Credit – Free Marketing Materials You Can Use!
As you know, the home buyer tax credit has been extended until April 30th. You may have seen NAR’s commercial encouraging buyers to take advantage of the credit. NAR has a variety of free marketing materials for you to use including free web and email banners, flyers, ad’s and posters. Go to http://www.realtor.org/pac.nsf/pages/PACHome for more information.

NEW RESPA Sub-Committee Seeking Volunteers
The RESPA Sub-Committee is seeking volunteers. The Committee is charged with making the TAR membership aware of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. If you are interested in serving, contact Cheri at cheri@tucsonrealtors.org.

Updated Only FOUR Build Days Left before the Home Dedication! Sign Up Now
Help the TAR Habitat for Humanity Committee reach our goal of 1,300 volunteer hours by organizing a build day with your office or volunteering at the Habistore. Dates available are: Feb 25, Mar 11, Apr 8 & Apr 22.For more information, contact Christine Sanchez at 382-8776.

NEW TAR endorses Oro Valley Candidates. Click here for more information.

Monday Residential Green Building Rating Systems: Dive into the Details
Learn how to use the Regional Residential Green Building Rating System, LEED for Homes and the National Green Building Standard to design, build and sell energy efficient, water efficient healthy homes.
February 15 Materials and IEQ
All sessions will be held at TAR, 2445 N Tucson Blvd from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. For Questions, contact: Rich Franz-Ünder at rich.franz-under@pima.gov 520.740.6892 Click here for more information. Click here to Sign Up Now.

Next Thursday! Short Sales and Foreclosures Course, Thursday February 18th 8:30-5:00 with Instructor Hercel Spears
A great discount of only $50.00 for members!!! 6 hours of Legal CE. This course fulfills the main requirement for NAR’s SFR Certification. (Short Sales & Foreclosure Resource Certification). If you have taken this course before, this course will also fulfill the ABR elective for the ABR Designation. For further questions, please contact Dee Corona @ dee@tucsonrealtors.org or 327-4218. Sign up today!

Next Thursday! SAMLA – February 18 Luncheon, AZ State Treasurer, Dean Martin
Join SAMLA at the Manning House for their monthly luncheon meeting on February 18 and hear from guest speaker, Arizona State Treasurer, Dean Martin. TAR Members, attend the lunch at the SAMLA member price of $25! Click here for more information. To register, go to www.samlaonline.com.

Next Friday! Attention Brokers, You're Invited to hear from ADRE Commissioner, Judy Lowe
February 19th, 8:30 – 11:30 in the Boardroom.
ADRE Commissioner, Judy Lowe, will be in Tucson on Friday, February 19th to continue communication with respect to proposed legislation and changes and updates in the Department. Seating is Limited.  Please RSVP to Cheri at cheri@tucsonrealtors.org.
Save the Date for future meetings:  April 26 & May 24

Candidate Applications Being Accepted
Are you interested in serving your Association as a member of the TAR or AAR Board of Directors? Applications are being accepted for: TAR President-elect, TAR Vice President, TAR Treasurer, TAR REALTOR® Director, TAR Affiliate Director and AAR Director. Click here for the Candidate Application. Contact Cheri at cheri@tucsonrealtors.org  if you have questions about the upcoming election.

NEW Tax Strategies for the Real Estate Professional * Presented by Ron Reed * March 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.* Cost: FREE
Looking for a way to turn tax dollars back into your dollars? This seminar is specifically geared for the Real Estate Professional. This seminar is guaranteed to identify between $2,500 and $27,500 in NEW deductions that can be used right away to pocket thousands in tax savings. These deductions are based in tax LAW, but presented in simple English that all of us can easily understand. Save money and sign up today! Click here for more information.

TAR Member Mixer – Save the Date, March 4
Save the date for TAR’s first member mixer of the year on March 4 from 4pm to 7pm. Enjoy heavy appetizers on us, happy hour drink specials and mingle with your fellow members! The mixer will be held at Armitage Wine Lounge & Cafe, located at La Encantada on the lower level below Blanco. (2905 E. Skyline Drive). RSVP (by March 1) by clicking here.

NEW Save the Date! TAR’s Annual Membership Meeting – 3/22
Network with other Association members at the Annual Membership Meeting on March 22 from 2pm to 4pm here at TAR! Meet TAR’s new CEO, Philip Tedesco and get the latest scoop from your Association’s committee chairs. Also, hear from TAR Board of Director’s candidates (the election will be in April) and vote on bylaw amendments (amendments forthcoming). Register online by clicking here.

Tucson REALTOR® Magazine – Jan/Feb Issue
In latest online issue of the Tucson REALTOR®, learn how to KEEP your New Year's Resolutions and read about what's on the horizon that may change the way you do business this year in the article "10 to Watch in 2010." View photos from the Installation Banquet and other TAR events. Click here to read it now! The next issue comes out March 15, 2010. View past issues of the Tucson REALTOR® Magazine at www.tucsonrealtors.org/magazine.html.

Save the Date! TAR Habitat for Humanity Committee Events
April 24, 2010 - 2nd Annual At Bat for Habitat Softball Tournament
October 22, 2010 - 5th Annual Golf Fundraiser

"Love to Save"
Love to Save is a promotion which offers you the opportunity to enjoy a 15% discount on any online CE course taken! Visit our catalog: http://theceshop.com/affiliate/tucsonrealtors, enter the promotional code upon checkout: LOVE Receive your 15% discount!This promotion expires February 28, 2010!

TAR Dues Billing
Important Dates to Remember:
January 11th, 2010: A $25 late fee has been assessed on all outstanding invoices.
January 31st, 2010: Any member who has not paid their invoice and late fees have been suspended from TAR and MLS
February 28th, 2010: Any member who has not paid their invoice, including late fees, by this date will be terminated from TAR and MLS.
In the event a member is terminated for non-payment of TAR dues, they are subject to a $300 TAR application fee, as well as the TAR fees due at the time of invoice.

Thank you for your membership with Tucson Association of REALTORS®! Click here to access your 2010 Dues Billing Invoice. You will be prompted to log in first using your agent ID and Password (same as MLS). You can still print your invoice, mail in or bring in your payment or you can pay online. If you did not receive your dues billing statement by email, please email Andrea Ballard at Andrea@tucsonrealtors.org. 

TAR Facility Rental
For business and social events in Tucson, the Tucson Association of REALTORS® has the perfect facility. Our building, centrally located at Tucson Blvd. and Grant Rd., offers upscale meeting and conference facilities at reasonable prices. Our spacious conference center and state-of-the-art computer training center are available for rental by both Association members and the public. For more information, contact Dannetta Watkins-Owens at 382-8790 or Dannetta@tucsonrealtors.org.

The GRI Scholarship Program
Help your agents get on the fast- track to success by encouraging them to submit an application for this scholarship. Click here for more information.

Marketing Sessions and Home Tours Join us!
Networking begins at 8am with the session kicking off at 8:30am. Click here for the tour schedule and for information on how to get your listing on a tour!

Click here for Industry Events of Interest and Community Opportunities.

Conference Center Events (not a TAR endorsed event)
FHA for REALTORS®
The Premiere Resource for C/E Credits presents FHA for REALTORS® on Tuesday, February 23 from 9-12pm at TAR.   In this class you will get a deeper understanding of the FHA process and obtain valuable information that will assist you while working with an FHA buyer.  To RSVP, call Dave Van Vuren at 520-529-9850 or dvanvuren@primeres.com.  Click here for more information.

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The MLS Board has voted to change MLS systems!
Our new MLS software will be FlexMLS from FBS Systems. This decision was not made in haste, and is the result of an extensive due diligence process. There is a lot of work to be done, but we expect the cutover to the new system to occur in May of 2010. We will begin updating on a weekly basis important information regarding the change, training, etc. Please read carefully the Weekly Update and any email or system communication posted.

Flexmls™ Update
In order to best ensure that the transition to Flexmls™ is as trouble free as possible, our conversion date is now scheduled for April 30th. Recognizing that there is a lot of activity in the marketplace due to the extension and expansion of the tax credit and the deadlines associated with that program, we chose to move the date. This change will allow for more training opportunities and a longer time to get acquainted with the system. We will now begin running both systems in parallel on March 1st, allowing two full months of ‘trial’ instead of one. This change also allows for a longer test period, meaning fewer issues and glitches when we make the cutover on April 30th. We will be revising the training schedule to accommodate the extra time available, and will publish that as soon as possible. Watch this space for continuing updates!

Quick Fixes for Common ActiveKEY Issues

Search San Carlos MLS!
San Carlos has turned on access for our members to their listing data. Go to http://tucson.interfacexpress.com Your Tucson MLS username and password work for San Carlos. Remember, access to this information is not intended to imply that you may sell real estate in Mexico; you must be licensed in the State of Sonora in order to practice real estate there. This is information may be helpful to you in servicing your clients, and may foster the development of referral networks.

Access To Nationwide Foreclosure Information!
The MLS agreement with RealtyTrac now allows Tucson MLS members to access foreclosure information for the entire country for a discounted rate of only $19.95 per month. This change also allows for use of more tools on the RealtyTrac website!! There is no minimum term required to sign up. The links to register for this service are located in the MLS under the ‘links’ tab, and there is also a button on the www.tucsonrealtors.org website.

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