Insight | January 2013

Insight A

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January 2013

C O N T E N T S

In Every Issue 2

President’s Message

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Events Calendar

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Editor’s Desk

Features 6

Cover Story Patrice Willetts of Wilmington is the right person at the right time to lead the NC Association of REALTORS® as its president in 2013. She’s able to walk the walk, talk the talk and gracefully handle any curve balls that are thrown her way.

12 Inside NC REALTORS® 22 End Notes 24 Closing Thoughts

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Five Minutes With …

Reynolds Shoaf of Byerly, Shoaf and Co. in Lexington is, not surprisingly, an amateur connoisseur of barbecue. He’s also a professional auctioneer and an accomplished REALTOR®.

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Tax Reform and the Transfer Tax The North Carolina General Assembly came back into session earlier this month, and changes at the state’s capitol are evident.

New legislation is on the horizon, and NCAR is present to protect your interests.

Departments 10 14 20

Guest Columnist NC RPAC The Forms Guy

P R E S I D E N T ’ S

M E S S A G E

By patrice willetts president

Our Association is Positioned to Move Forward I want to thank everyone that is taking the time to attend the Inaugural Meetings in Wilmington this year. I so hope you will enjoy the Port City. So many volunteers put in many hours to make sure your experience is the best it can be. Take some time to walk along the Riverwalk or take a horse-drawn carriage ride from the foot of Market Street.

The past few years for our Association have been very busy and very focused. With the dedicated staff that we enjoy and the dedicated volunteer members that we are so blessed to have, NCAR has weathered many storms. Over the years we pulled our team together, rolled up our sleeves, stepped into the arena and worked hard to make every situation better.

Because of all this hard work, NCAR is in a position to look forward. Our 2013 strategic planning session encouraged us to do just that: to look forward. To think about the “what if’s” of our industry. To seriously think about our membership – is it growing, declining or stabilizing? What is the value that we provide to our members, and how do we provide the best value with shrinking budgets? A very important aspect of what we stand for is highlighted in our advocacy in public policy and government affairs. We are now faced with the questions such as these: What if MID is removed? What if a tax on service is implemented in North Carolina? What if the real estate transfer tax that we worked so hard to defeat takes on a new name (a conveyance fee) and gains momentum? How are we going to position ourselves to protect and promote property rights and ownership? More than ever before, communication is critical. We need to have in place ways to communicate with not only our members but to the public, to public policy makers and local community leaders. NCAR is working on just that.

As we begin the new year, please let me stress to you how important each and every member’s voice is. Without your grassroots efforts and the feedback that you can provide from your local associations – whether large or small – our challenges are harder. Please find a place for yourself this year, and for the coming years, at the table that will deal with our issues.

Be a proponent for answers and solutions, and ask the open-ended questions that will lead to needed dialogue.

As president-elect last year, I enjoyed the opportunity to learn and to establish relationships that we can draw upon as we work together for our values. I want you to know that there are very dedicated people in place – from the local association level all the way up to NAR – that are ready, willing and very able to provide help, guidance and advice to ensure we stand firm in our beliefs.

As I look back on the leaders that have come before, I want to thank you all for your dedication to our industry. I realized the other day that if I took the themes of the three most recent NCAR presidents, I would have a great beginning to lead into the theme for this year.

“Together, Everyone Achieves More” as we “Focus on the Future” by keeping “REALTORS® in the Arena” in order to “Protect and Promote Private Property Rights.”

Lastly, as I have told a few already, be prepared for a wonderful announcement at the end of the Inaugural Gala, an announcement that I hope will make you very, very proud. And if you can’t make it to Wilmington, rest assured that we’ll communicate this news loudly and proudly in the coming weeks and months.

Sincerely,

Patrice Willetts

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I N SIGHT January 2 0 1 3

E V E N T S

C A L E N D A R

Key Dates in the Coming Months Jan. 22-25

Vision Quest/Inaugural Meetings

Wilmington

Jan. 29 BPO Course Raleigh Feb. 6 GRI 104: Tax Planning Greensboro Feb. 7

GRI 302: Real Estate Investing

Greensboro

Feb. 11 BPO Course Asheville Feb. 19

GRI 202: Business Ethics

Cary

Feb. 20

GRI 201: Business Planning

Cary

March 6

GRI 101: Residential Financing

Charlotte

March 7

GRI 102: Listing Strategies

Charlotte

March 15-19

Association Executives Institute

San Diego

March 25

GRI 303: Pricing Properties

Wilmington

March 26

GRI 103: From Contracts to Closings

Wilmington

April 11-13

NAR Region 4 Leadership Meeting

Lexington, Ky.

April 15

Professional Standards Program

New Bern

April 16

Professional Standards Program

Raleigh

April 17

Professional Standards Program

Hickory

April 22-24

NC REALTORS® Legislative Meetings

Raleigh

May 13-17

NAR Mid-Year Meetings

Washington

July 16 Real Estate Summit Cary July 21-24

Regional AE Conference

Asheville

Aug. 26-27

NAR Leadership Summit

Chicago

Sept. 14-17

NC REALTORS® Convention & Expo

Asheville

Nov. 6-11

NAR Conference & Expo

San Francisco

Visit www.ncrealtors.org for more information and the latest Events Calendar.

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E D I T O R ’ S

D E S K

By Kevin Brafford Editor

Financial Advice … With No Strings Attached?

There is one word in my job title – communications (as in director of communications and marketing) – that is about as broad in scope as a word can be. It’s bad in that such an all-encompassing title generates email inquiries from every vendor imaginable, solicitations that frequently test the patience and elasticity of my spam filters.

And yet it’s sometimes good for the same reason. A woman reached out to me a couple of months ago extolling the virtues of www.creditscore.net. Here is a portion of her initial email: “A while back I was doing preliminary research for a multipart guide on understanding different kinds of loans and came across a page on your website. The info was useful and helped further my research. Since then, I’ve published my resource on the Internet and, given your interest in the topic, would love to

share it with you. It’s a comprehensive guide that covers loan options and financial education at different stages of life – from being a student to preparing for retirement. Please let me know if you’re the right person to get in touch with to share the resource.”

I responded to her, of course, but with no promises, and then her email just sat in my inbox for weeks on end. (Know how after a while you just sort of forget about either reading or deleting an old email? Well, that’s me sometimes, and this was one of those times). So one day last week I re-opened her email, and it piqued my interest. Sure, she wanted to sell me (and now you, I assume) something, but who says we have to buy?

Some of the content, such as “The Basics Behind Loans and Credit Scores,” may seem rudimentary. And some of it (“Loans and Credit During the College Years”) likely won’t interest most of you. But some of the other links were surprisingly good and provided good reminders of sound financial advice.

And free advice, at least for now, at that. v

Contact Us: Members of the NC REALTORS® staff can be reached Monday through Friday during regular business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 336-294-1415 or via email using the person’s first initial and last name@ncrealtors.org. Our fax number is 336-299-7872.

Administrative Andrea Bushnell Executive Vice President 336-808-4220 Bryan Jenkins Chief Financial Officer 336-294-3112 Denise Daly Membership Records Coordinator/Bookkeeper 336-808-4223 Sherry Harris Administrative Assistant 336-808-4230 Amanda Lowe Accounting Assistant 336-217-1048

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Phyllis Lycan Accountant 336-808-4224 Donna Peterson Executive Assistant 336-808-4221

Communications & Marketing Kevin Brafford Director of Communications and Marketing 336-808-4225

Sarah Beth Coggin Partners Program Manager 336-217-1047

Samantha Ashburn Electronic Communications Manager 336-808-4226

Blair Wilburn Director of Business Development 336-808-4228

Barbara West Communications Specialist 336-808-4227 Professional Development Ellie Edwards Director of Professional Development 336-808-4231

Monica Huckaby Professional Development Coordinator 336-217-1051 Legislative Cady Thomas Director of Government Affairs 919-573-0996 David McGowan Director of Regulatory Affairs 919-573-0994 Julie Woodson Director of Political Communications 919-573-0992 Kristin Miller RPAC Manager 919-573-0995

Nicole Arnold Shared Local GAD 336-808-4237 Legal Will Martin General Counsel 336-808-4238 Kay Bailey Legal Assistant 336-808-4235 Events Mandy Lowe Events Director 336-808-4236 Keri Epps-Rashad Meeting Planner and EXPO Manager 336-217-1049

FIVE MINUTES WITH...

Thinking Outside the Box All of the Time I was born and raised in Lexington. I love the folks here. We’ve had our share of economic development struggles, but it’s a very tight-knit community. Plus, the proximity to Winston and Charlotte is great while still getting the Mayberry feel. It’s a very quaint town.

My wife, Katherine, and I grew up in the same neighborhood – we’ve known each other for a long time. When she was in school at Salem

College, she was working on a project to raise money for a family and approached me about being an auctioneer for a fundraiser. I helped out and we raised a lot of money. I like to think she was setting me up, you know, just looking for an excuse to approach me. The rest is history.

My company, Byerly, Shoaf & Co., is a family business. My stepfather’s

father started the company around 1945. Manly Byerly, my stepfather, is now deceased but was very involved in the community and the business.

He is the one who got me started in real estate and auctioneering. I started doing real estate and auction work fulltime in the summer of 1999. The majority of my time right now is spent on property management, particularly with the downturn in the real estate market.

NAME Reynolds Shoaf LOCATION Lexington FIRM Byerly, Shoaf & Co. LLC LOCAL ASSOCIATION Lexington-Davidson County Association of REALTORS®

Just playing in the backyard with my kids is about as much fun as anything else. I’ve got two young children, a daughter, Elizabeth who is six,

and an eight-year-old son, Holland. They’ve both gotten into golf so I love going out to the course and playing nine holes with them. It’s a treat because I taught them how to play. They’re kind of sports nuts so whatever they want to do, we do. That’s pretty much my life, which is a good thing.

I’m an amateur connoisseur of barbeque. A buddy of mine and I used to go around to all the barbeque places in Lexington and we’d rate the places. We would judge the barbeque, the service, the tea. We had a challenge to go around the whole county and go to all the different barbeque spots.

We didn’t make it to all the places but we came close. I don’t know if my heart was appreciating it, but I enjoyed it! I didn’t report my findings but I had a lot of fun telling people about it. Now that I think about it, I should have turned it in to the local paper.

My kids were all about Santa this year. Luckily, they didn’t wake us up too early on Christmas morning, but they do bug us for about a month prior to Christmas about their wish list and anything related to Santa Claus. It’s a lot of fun.

Reynolds with his family and new dog, Scout Reynolds with his wife, Katherine, and two children, Holland and Elizabeth

I’m a past president of my local board, and I just got re-elected to go back on the board as a director. I’m looking forward to getting involved again. I feel like a lot of good things have come from the downturn. You really get down to the lean and mean in the business. Unfortunately, you lose some colleagues along the way but it makes you tough and creative – you are thinking outside the box all of the time. v

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Walking the Walk Talking the Talk 2013 President Patrice Willetts Embodies All That’s Good

By Kevin Brafford

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atrice Willetts is an ideal fit as the NC Association of REALTORS®’ 2013 president, but it’s not for reasons based on politics, economics, logistics – or any other words that might end in “cs.” It’s because, in many ways, she’s the ideal REALTOR®, able to walk the walk, talk the talk and gracefully handle whatever curve balls are thrown her way in a rapidly changing profession, not to mention life in general. To wit … n

When she extols the benefits of living in the Wilmington area to an out-of-state client looking to relocate, she speaks from the heart: A native of Long Island, she chose to move to North Carolina nearly 30 years ago and has never considered living any where else.

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She’s undeterred by a marketplace that’s been, well, challenging for the past several years. “Everyone likes to make money, and those of us in the profession in the early to mid-2000s especially all benefitted,” she says. “But I do this because I enjoy helping others. If I can do something to make it better for someone else, bring it on.”

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She’s a problem solver to the nth degree. “I try to focus on the solution,” she says.

“And my opinion is that the quickest way you can get to a solution the better. In our family, DWI stands for ‘deal with it.’ And that’s what I do, whatever ‘it’ is.”

So when Willetts takes the gavel from Lou Baldwin on Jan. 24th in her beloved Port City and officially is installed as the state association’s 92nd president, she’ll do so with a perfect blend of excitement, anticipation, honor, confidence and humility. “NCAR has achieved great things in our past,” she says, “and I believe that great achievements are a part of our future. I’m proud to be in this leadership role.”

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hat Willetts is a successful leader is hardly news – it fits her MO. She grew up in the East Meadow area of Long Island, the only child of Harry and Gloria Heissner. “My mom was an only child, too, and my daughter’s an only child,” she says. “You can say we’re a group on ‘onlys’ who know just how much you can get away with by blaming the dog.”

Her mom’s side of the family was Italian, and her dad’s side German, and both had deep roots in eastern New York. “There was an old house on this property – it was in the middle of a potato farm – that my dad’s parents owned,” she recalls. “And it was loaded with termites. So my parents tore it down and built a two-bedroom, one-bath house on that foundation.”

Memories of her childhood are fond … and abundant. “My mom had a hand-pump well and a gas stove, and as the new homes were built in the neighborhood they all had electric stoves. Well, when the electricity would go out – and it happened more often back then – all of the neighbors would come to our house to get water and cook their meals. Our home was a gathering spot.”

Gloria Parangelo Heissner was a homemaker. Harry Henry Heissner was one of four children – three boys and one girl. All of the boys worked in a company that manufactured and installed sheet metal for the partitions in public restrooms. “He installed all of the sheet metal in bathrooms for the World’s Fair in 1963, which was sort of Patrice with Elizabeth Dole neat,” she says. “His territory was from Maine to Washington, D.C.” Their neighborhood in East Meadow was chock full of kids. “I grew up with 20 or so others who’d walk to the bus stop together. When we got older, my cousin and I would go into the city around Easter and Christmas. We’d take the Long Island Railroad by ourselves, and we’d go get a banana cream pie at the Automat and see the show at Radio City. This was the late 1960s and early 1970s, and you never were worried about your safety.”

If you know Willetts, then you won’t be surprised to learn that she began working part-time jobs when she turned 16. She first worked in a ladies’ clothing store, then as a “shampoo girl” and manicurist at a beauty salon.

During high school she also attended cosmetology school, doing so while working after school on Thursdays and Fridays, plus all day on Saturdays.

When she was 18, she bought her first new car, a Plymouth Satellite. “It was purple, and I specifically ordered that paint color,” she says. “I wanted purple because it was different – there were no others like it on the road. I always have been comfortable being different.

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fter graduating from high school, Willetts spent the next dozen years as a cosmetologist. It was a career path she expected to lengthen, even with an impending move somewhere south. “My parents were getting ready to retire, and they’d already bought a house in Florida. As their only child and being as close to them as I was, I knew I’d be

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going with them, at least to some degree.

“I decided on North Carolina since it was halfway between Florida and New York. Well, they liked it here, too, and they ended up getting a place not too far from mine (and selling their Florida home). And they still got what they mainly wanted, which was to get away from the New York winters.”

Charlene Efting opened new doors – literally and figuratively – for Willetts that year (1983). A REALTOR® at ReMax Realty 100 in Wilmington, Efting helped Willetts in her search for a home, engaged her in every stop of the process, and sold her – without necessarily trying – on the business. “I got interested, so I first started working in her office manning the phones,” Willetts says. “So I got to meet all of the agents, and I saw what fun they were having.” Within two years Willetts had gained her license, and ReMax Realty 100 had its newest agent.

Soon thereafter, Bob and Marilyn McKoy entered her life. They owned a family firm (a Red Carpet franchise at the time and now Network Real Estate), and Willetts and the McKoys immediately hit it off. “They have two kids, and those two and their spouses all worked in the company,” Willetts said.

“They treated me like family, and I was with them for nearly 25 years. It was a very gratifying experience. They strongly believed in giving back to the community. To give you an example, each year we would decorate a themed Christmas tree for Hospice, which everyone just loved.”

In 2010, Willetts joined Coastal Properties, where she currently serves as what she affectionately calls the firm’s “mother hen.” “We have 54 agents, and they’re a pleasure to work with.”

One can safely assume the feeling is mutual. Willetts possesses a keen sense of awareness, and she’s comfortable in the ebb and flow of a one-onone relationship. She’s also flexible and adaptable. “I started taking elocution classes in New York before I moved to Wilmington,” she says. “I wanted to soften the ‘Yankeeness,’ and I needed to learn how to speak Southern. I was a single girl in Wilmington, and I wanted to fit in.”

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en Willetts would say she’s fit in just fine. The two met at a shag dancing class, and he was the kind of guy who limited his “move” making to the dance floor. That impressed his soon-to-be betrothed. “He was a really nice guy, not a player,” she says. “He’s been my rock – we were married 25 years ago on Dec. 4 – and I tell him that there is a seat in heaven for him for having put At home with the Willetts: up with me for all of these years.”

Ken, Victoria and Patrice.

The couple has a daughter, Victoria, who’s a psychology major at UNC-Wilmington and as strong-willed in some respects as her mother. “She’s been a great daughter … she’s very grounded. She is my centering place, and she doesn’t pull any punches. And I love that about her.”

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Very few people were probably happier to welcome 2013 than Willetts.

She lost her mother to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in May (her father died in 2000), and she survived her own breast cancer scare and treatment – including two surgeries – in the late summer and early fall. “I’ve come through the fog, so to speak, but even with everything that’s happened, I have no complaints,” Willetts says. “When I was going through my own stuff, I drew on my mom’s strength.

She was really a great lady who lived to With Flash, one of the family’s do for others. That’s the approach I’ve two Arabian horses. tried to emulate.”

If you’re in attendance at the Inaugural Gala on Jan. 24, you’ll see Willetts subtly pay tribute to Gloria Heissner – through the dress she’ll adorn. “Victoria and I went to New York before Christmas. We were in Macy’s, and I was trying to come up with a way to have my mother’s presence. I wanted to find a different dress. I had tried on 17 dresses, then I tried on this particular one. When I saw myself in it, I immediately burst out in tears because it reminded me so much of my mother. Victoria said, ‘Mom, you have to get this dress.’ So I did.”

While Victoria is an only child, the Willetts’ family extends to two dogs (Abby, a lab, and Bella, a poodle) and two Arabian horses (Ramsey and Flash). “Victoria has had a passion for riding since she was a teenager,” Willetts says. “We bought Ramsey for her nine years ago; her goals for A’s on report cards all focused around that horse – riding lessons, a new coat for shows, boots, etc. Then she started with Flash, who had never been ridden before. I still drive my big old (Lincoln) Navigator because we have to be able to pull a horse trailer and also still look like a professional REALTOR®.

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here’s no confusion of the latter. Poised, polished and prepared, Willetts draws satisfaction from helping others. “When someone says, ‘thank you, I couldn’t have done this without you,’ or ‘thanks for educating me,’ that is what floats my boat.”

When Willetts does installations, she tells a story that demonstrates what she believes to be, from her vantage point, the “heart of a REALTOR®.” A woman came to her about to lose her home and was seeking counsel on alternate places to live. When Willetts reviewed her papers, she realized that the woman wasn’t very street savvy. “She had purchased her home in 1982 when interest rates were so very high,” Willetts says, “and she didn’t realize that she could refinance.”

So Willetts put her listing paperwork away, did some math and realized that the woman could save $345 a month simply by refinancing. Ultimately, that’s what the woman did, and she lives there to this day. “Now, I could have listed her house and taken her money, but that wasn’t the right thing to do,” Willetts says. “Helping her was worth far more to me than any commission.”

Walking the walk. Talking the talk. That’s Patrice Willetts, your 2013 NCAR president. v

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G uest

C olumnist

By Jeff Shore shore consulting

Getting Buyers Off the Fence and Into a Home I’d like to make a slightly preposterous claim: If you know your clients well enough, they will show you how to sell them a home. I believe this because I’ve seen it work over and over again, all around the world.

I also suggest that one of the biggest problems salespeople face is having been taught an approach that centers on the product rather than on the prospect. All too often, the sales presentation is nothing more than a massive assault of features and benefits. It’s as if the salesperson is saying, “Open wide while I jam this down your throat. Then you can tell me if you like the taste.”

At the core of this issue is a lack of understanding about why our clients are standing in front of us in the first place. Sure, we want to know how to lure prospects off the fence, but shouldn’t we first want to know what got them on the fence in the first place?

Allow me to make a bold promise here: If you know your clients well enough, if you know why they are on the fence in the first place, they will literally show you how to sell them a home!

Dismantling the Critical Path If you’ve been in the real estate industry for any length of time, you’ve probably come across this “Critical Path” sales method: greet, qualify, demonstrate, close. It seems as if every sales guru in the real estate industry has a variation of the Critical Path method — one that’s guaranteed to make you a top producer.

If only it were that easy! I’m here to refute that method. I’m simply not a Critical Path guy ... never have been and never will be.

You see, your clients don’t operate in a vacuum. They can’t be fenced in by a method that doesn’t allow for one of the most important factors of selling: that you’re dealing with human beings who operate on emotion. The problem with the Critical Path method is that it’s both linear and overly simplistic. More important, it’s about how the seller wants to sell.

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Let’s talk instead about how the buyer wants to buy.

Why Do People Move?

As we think about creating a buyer-centered sales presentation, let me ask you an important question: What is the single most motivating factor in a home-buying decision?

Your instinctive answer is probably “finding the perfect home.”

Or perhaps you think it is convenience, good neighborhood, great location, or the alluring features and amenities a home has to offer. But that isn’t the question.

Again, the real question is, “What is the single most motivating factor in a home-buying decision?”

The fact is this: location, convenience, neighborhood, and even the features of a home are all things that might cause a client to buy one home over the other. But that’s not the single most motivating factor in a home-buying decision. It goes much deeper.

Do you know what that single most motivating factor is yet? In a word: Dissatisfaction.

That’s probably not what you expected to hear, but if you understand this as part of the homebuyer’s mindset, you will have a significant leg up on your competitors. You will learn things about your clients that most salespeople will never know.

And the sale will roll out right in front of you.

People don’t buy homes unless they are dissatisfied with their current living circumstances. There is something in their lives that isn’t working for them now and they need a fix. They need a solution to their problem. Your job is to give them one. And the only way you can do that is if you know — really know — where their dissatisfaction lies. And that’s an answer you’re going to have to earn.

The Dissatisfaction/Urgency Connection In the decision to move, there is no more powerful factor than dissatisfaction. But wait, it gets better! Not only does dissatisfaction prove to be a powerful motivator, dissatisfaction is also the driving force behind urgency. Just like the urgency experienced by a person who hasn’t eaten in days or a woman who uses the

men’s room because the line to the ladies’ room is too long, clients who are dissatisfied with their home have that same emotional thought pattern. They need to move and they needed to make it to happen yesterday.

So it can be said that the higher the degree of dissatisfaction the homebuyers have, the higher their urgency is. Conversely, the lower the dissatisfaction they have, the less urgency they will have to make a change, if at all.

If you can answer the call of their urgent pleas, you will be their hero.

The Power of Trust So, you’re probably thinking all you have to do is pinpoint your clients’ dissatisfaction and you’ll be home free. Sounds easy, right? Well, there’s just one little, itty, bitty, teensy problem.

perate, needy, or worse, failures.

Until they trust you, the dissatisfaction they feel is strictly personal, not something to be discussed with a REALTOR®. As far as you’re concerned, they’re happy to give you one of their standard lines such as “we’re looking for a home in a good school district for the kids” or “we just want to downsize.”

You see, trust is the key that unlocks the door to understanding their dissatisfaction. And dissatisfaction is the key that unlocks the door to urgency. And it all starts with understanding why your customer is on the fence to begin with.

Remember: the more deeply you understand your client, the easier it is gain their trust and grow your relationship. v

Your clients don’t come in wearing their dissatisfaction on their sleeves. I mean, it’s not like they just walk into your office with big scowls on their faces, lips twisted in disgust, and unload their problems on you. No, they don’t want you to know how dissatisfied they are because they don’t want to come off as des-

The author is a contemporary expert in new home sales and sales management who provides training and consulting expertise to companies large and small across North America. He has written four books, including his newest, The 4:2 Formula: Getting Buyers Off the Fence and Into a Home.

The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® Would Like to Thank Our Sponsors...

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INSIDE

NC

REALTORS

Downpayment Assistance Now Available To Clients of Workforce Housing Specialists Ever thought about becoming a Workforce Housing Specialist? Now, there is an exciting reason to do so: You can help your clients get downpayment assistance!

Effective December 2012, there is a Downpayment Assistance Program now available just for clients of Workforce Housing Specialists who meet certain requirements. Homes4NC, the NC Association of REALTORS®’ housing affordability foundation, is offering a $2,000 downpayment assistance grant for buyers that meet certain employment and income guidelines with other stipulations. The program is only available for clients of REALTORS® who are certified as Workforce Housing Specialists. The program focuses on those critical neighborhood workers – such as teachers, firefighters and nurses – who don’t earn enough to afford the average-priced home in the community they serve.

“Putting this downpayment assistance program in place

has been a big priority for the Homes4NC Board of Directors,” says Homes4NC president Jody Wainio. “As Workforce Housing Specialists, REALTORS® have been able to feel good about helping our neighborhood heroes to find resources in their communities. Now, we can offer direct financial resources to help them to achieve that dream of homeownership.”

Visit www.homes4nc.org to learn more about the Homes4NC Downpayment Assistance Program. During 2013, Homes4NC needs your help to continue its programs like this one. There are several ways that you can invest in your housing opportunity foundation: • You can donate online at www.homes4nc.org.

• Purchase a Homes4NC license plate at www.dmv. nc.state.nc.us.

• Become a Quality of Life member. If you donate a minimum $100 to both Homes4NC and NC RPAC, you will receive a pin that proudly displays your recognition as a Quality of Life member. v

Bromhal Appointed to Real Estate Commission Laura B. Bromhal has been appointed by former Gov. Beverly Perdue to the N.C. Real Estate Commission. The appointment was announced by Executive Director Miriam Baer.

A native of Roanoke Rapids and a graduate of Meredith College, Bromhal is a REALTOR® with Prudential York Simpson Underwood Realty in Raleigh, with whom she has been associated for more than 20 years.

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She is a past president of the Wake County Bar Auxiliary and is a sustaining member and past director of the Junior League of Raleigh.

The NC Real Estate Commission is responsible for the regulation of approximately 100,000 real estate firms and agents in the state. v

Laura B. Bromhal

Blog Cabin 2013 has Unique N.C. Flavor

During 2013, the home will be completely remodeled with input from viewers and then it will be given away. Visitors to the site – that can include you – get to vote on paint colors, hardware, cabinets, etc. “It is,” says Wilson, “a truly exciting project.”

John, a local fisherman, married Beulah Benton Styron from the nearby town of Stacy and the couple settled into the property’s one-room cabin with back detached cook’s shed. To accommodate a growing family of seven children, the couple expanded the home. As the children grew, the house was widened.

Beulah remained in the home until her Brenda Wilson passing. Her daughter, Fannie, then lived in the home with her brother, William. A full-sized kitchen was also added during the 1930s.

Called “Blog Cabin 2013,” the cedar shake, tongue-and-grove coastal cottage is located in the small community of Atlantic and is nestled on three acres of waterfront property. The property, originally owned by Uriah Robinson, was sold by his sons Mason and Uriah Robinson to their brother, John Bryan Robinson, in 1892 for a mere $50.

The home was willed to Fannie’s sister Nadine, who passed the home to her daughter, Evelyn Clyde Harris, the most recent owner of Blog Cabin 2013. During Evelyn’s stay in the home, she made many updates and improvements, including the construction of a 173-foot dock, which will be repaired as part of the home’s expansive renovation. v

Brenda Wilson of Keller Williams in New Bern had a unique sale late last year – a coastal cottage cabin to the DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com). And now “it” – the cabin – is the star of the network’s own reality show-type website.

The numbers tell the story.

15 Percent that home prices are forecasted to rise over the next three years, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

13 The number of years the average homebuyer plans to remain in their home before moving out, according to new research by the National Association of Home Builders.

3.8 In millions, the number of borrowers whose home loans at 10 major U.S. banks and mortgage companies were foreclosed on in 2009 and 2010 wo will receive some compensation in a timely manner, regulators say.

253 Percent that real estate-related searches on Google.com have grown over the past four years, according to a joint study from the National Association of REALTORS® and Google.

10.3 In billions, the amount of money Bank of America will pay Fannie Mae to deal with questionable home loans it sold to the government-backed mortgage financer during the housing bubble.

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P O L I T I C A L

A C T I O N

C O M M I T T E E

By KRISTIN MILLER RPAC MANAGER

Not Just a Seat at the Table, but a Voice Do you ever wonder who makes up the NC RPAC Trustees? What they do as a Trustee? Or maybe even why they do it? To begin the new fundraising year, take a moment to read a few reasons why your local RPAC Trustees invest and why they think you should, too.

As you can see to the right, the NC Association of REALTORS® and RPAC work throughout the year to make sure the legislative and regulatory climate helps to strengthen your business and promotes a stronger economy across the state.

If you’re looking for even more incentive, here it is: To help jumpstart the fundraising year, the RPAC Trustees have approved another technology raffle for 2013. The raffle will include all investments recorded up to March 31, 2013, for anyone that has invested $25 or more to RPAC. Yes, you read that correctly! Anyone who has already invested $25 or more after Oct. 18, 2012, will be entered. For each additional $25 investment, the member’s name will be entered again. (There is a max of 10 entries or $250.)

The grand prize this year is a 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display. With the help of local associations from around the state, we hope to have gift cards, cameras, iPods, iPads and much more. Members can enter the raffle online by logging in to the NCAR website at www.ncrealtors.org. You also can make a $25 investment to RPAC with check or cash by March 31.

A Special Treat in Wilmington!

If you’re attending the NCAR Inaugural Meetings, stop by the RPAC hospitality suite on the third floor of the Hilton Wilmington Riverside Hotel on Thursday, Jan. 24, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The room will be stocked with food and beverages, but that’s only the beginning. Students from the Miller-Motte Cosmetology School will be giving manicures and chair massages. This suite will be open to all 2012 RPAC major investors as a “thank you” and to anyone who makes a minimum $99 investment at the door. Make a minimum $100 investment and your name will be entered four times in the 2013 technology raffle!

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“To me, RPAC means standing tall and providing a strong voice for our industry, getting the message across on issues that affect not only our daily lives, but the opportunities of our clients as well.

Being asked and selected to serve as an RPAC Trustee has opened my eyes to the many opportunities we have to impact the future of our industry. I support RPAC because we are one for all and all for one. Collectively, we can accomplish more than just one individual speaking and the conversations statewide by REALTORS® combines and solidifies the message. Why should you support it?

Just look at our track record in 2012: 92 percent of the candidates who understood and supported real estate issues were elected to local, state and national offices. Our voice was heard on the matters of mortgage interest deduction, the homeowners insurance rate increase in North Carolina, calls for action by NAR and, last but not least, many local issues as well. If every NC REALTOR® would contribute only $25, there is no telling what effect NC RPAC could have, even more so than now. I challenge everyone to step up and support RPAC, because the possibilities are endless.

This is the best investment that can be made on a small scale for the real estate industry.”

– Wilson Sherrill, Brunswick County Association of REALTORS®, Region 2 RPAC Trustee “Nearly every facet of the real estate transaction and every vendor involved is regulated by someone – be it lenders, contractors, pest inspectors, attorneys, surveyors or appraisers. This means we need to have a credible voice at the table when regulators and legislators are considering changes to how things are done. RPAC serves that purpose. It is far and away the best investment I make in my real estate business each year. I know firsthand from my trips to Raleigh that when legislation and regulation affecting real estate is on the table, we not only have a seat there, but a voice. And when we speak, we are heard and listened to.”

– Ray Burton, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association, Region 5 RPAC Trustee “I believe in RPAC. It is one of the few ways REALTORS® can invest in protecting private property rights and homeownership.

RPAC dollars ensure that our voice is heard and we are at the table when decisions that affect home ownership and the real estate industry are being made by our governing bodies.”

– Mary Edna Williams, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®, At-Large RPAC Trustee v

GOVERNMENT

AFFAIRS

By julie woodson director of political communications

Tax Reform and the Real Estate Transfer Tax The North Carolina General Assembly came back into session on Jan. 9, and changes at the state’s Capitol are evident. There is a new governor, and there are many new faces in both the House and Senate chambers.

Even before the legislature reconvened, the NC REALTORS® government affairs team was working to educate the newly elected leaders about how the real estate marketplace drives the state’s economy and why it’s important that the industry be supported, not harmed, with new legislation.

This education process has never been more important.

During this 2013 session, legislators will be tackling the monumental task of reforming our state’s tax code. They, like NCAR, want to make sure North Carolina is an attractive place to live and work for many years to come. While NC REALTORS® applaud their efforts to support business, it’s important to ensure there are no unintended consequences to their decisions to reform the state’s tax system.

While the plan that is circulating includes some interesting proposals, it also includes provisions that could harm the real estate marketplace and homeowners in North Carolina.

One such component is the Home Tax. The term being used is a “conveyance fee.” However, it is still a transfer tax on the sale of real property. This is the same tax that NCAR fought against in 2007 and was then defeated 24 times on 24 local ballots.

As you know, the housing industry is essential to our economy. Not only does the real estate industry account for more than 11 percent of the state’s gross domestic product, it also employs more than 496,000 people in North Carolina. Also, the N.C. Department of Revenue estimates that the total value of all taxable real property amounted to some $844 billion in the 2011-12 fiscal year.

There is also another proposal being discussed: a tax on services, which would directly impact real estate transactions.

This would have a profoundly harmful impact for the real estate market and for the consuming public. As demonstrated in numerous areas across the nation, increased regulatory and tax burdens not only lead to higher housing costs, but also to drastic deterioration in quality of life.

Recent news reports demonstrate that the real estate market is inching its way back to recovery. Home prices are slowly but steadily rising. We are seeing increases in equity, too. More houses are being sold, and housing is starting to get back on track.

As this slow recovery takes place, NC REALTORS®’ government affairs team will work with public policy makers in Raleigh to carefully rework the tax structure in a way that will not threaten the real estate industry and push our state back into a recession.

“We stand ready to work with lawmakers across North Carolina to develop a new tax code that will broaden the state’s tax base but does not increase the cost of housing or threaten the economic welfare of the real estate economy,” says NC REALTORS® 2013 President Patrice Willetts. “With 31,000 members, we reach into every city, town, and rural community across North Carolina. Together, North Carolina

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REALTORS® will stand for what’s right for our state, our economy and our future. We know we can work together with our new governor and legislature to accomplish the greatest good for our state, her people and our future generations.”

The NC Association of REALTORS® will be working closely with local REALTOR® associations, homeowners and other groups who would be impacted by the Home Tax and a tax on services to ensure that legislators understand the implications of these proposed changes.

While these tax issues are on the front burner this session, the NC REALTORS® government affairs team will be following many other legislative and regulatory issues that could potentially impact the real estate industry and homeowners. Stay tuned for information in the Government

Experienced

Affairs Update, on our website (www.ncrealtors.org) and on our social media sites to stay up to date as the issues are being discussed at the General Assembly. Also, mark your calendars for April 24. That’s the NC REALTORS® Legislative Day, and it’s imperative that there be a large group of REALTORS® in the halls of the General Assembly to discuss these and other important issues with their legislators.

“Now more than ever, it’s important for REALTORS® to make their voices heard,” Willetts said. “It’s important that our legislators hear from our 31,000 members who can tell them directly how proposed legislation can impact their businesses and the communities that they serve. This will be a year that we can make a real difference for our industry, for homeowners and for people who want to achieve the American dream of homeownership in North Carolina.” v

Martin & Gifford, PLLC is a law firm dedicated to serving the interests of real estate brokerage professionals across the State of North Carolina.

Knowledgeable Committed legal advocates

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Professional license defense – North Carolina Real Estate Commission

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Commercial and residential real estate litigation – fee disputes, defense of misrepresentation and other claims against real estate agents

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Representation of landlords and property managers in lease disputes and evictions

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Construction litigation

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Risk management guidance for firms and agents – development of specialized forms, policies and procedures

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Formation and licensing of real estate firms

www.martingiffordlaw.com 336.714.0333

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F O R M S

G U Y

By will martin general counsel

From This Standpoint, Do Gas and Oil Mix? Dear Forms Guy: We have a few questions about the new Oil and Gas Rights Disclosure that was added to the Offer to Purchase and Contract form last October. Are you the guy who can help? Sincerely, Moe, Larry and Curly

Dear Moe, Larry and Curly: I’ll do my best, guys. What are your questions? Sincerely, Forms Guy Moe: Our first question is, how are we supposed to handle this section of the form when we’re helping a buyer prepare an offer? Is it up to the agent working with the buyer to complete that section of the offer, or should it be left blank for the listing agent fill in the information?

Forms Guy: This year’s N.C. Real Estate Commission’s update materials provide that in general, as with other representations found in the “Seller Representations” section of the Contract (paragraph 7), the agent working with the buyer should complete the Oil and Gas Rights Disclosure to the best of his or her knowledge and ability. Alternatively, the agent working with the buyer might choose to leave the Oil and Gas Rights Disclosure blank and require the seller to complete it. However, this would result in a counteroffer since terms of buyer’s offer had been changed.

Larry: How are we, as buyer agents, supposed to get the information necessary to complete the Oil and Gas Rights Disclosure?

Forms Guy: If feasible, I suggest that you contact the listing agent to get the information. The update materials state that prudent listing agents should get the information from their seller clients prior to marketing the property, and further suggests that the information might be attached to the Residential Property and Owners’ Association Disclosure Statement. For your information, it is likely that the Exclusive Right to Sell Listing Agreement (form 101) will be amended to address oil and gas rights. Also, a field for such information may well be added by your local MLS, in which case you’ll be able to get the information there.

If you can’t get the information, I also think it would be appropriate for a buyer agent to check and initial the “No Representation” box in the first disclosure and the “No” boxes in the second and third disclosures, as these choices are, in my

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opinion, the choices that the seller will make in the great majority of cases. As pointed out in the Update Materials, it is up to the seller to review any seller representations completed by the buyer and correcting any that are inaccurate.

Curly: Why do you suggest that the “No Representation” box be checked instead of the “No” box in the first disclosure?

Wouldn’t it be better for the buyer if the “No” box were checked?

Forms Guy: Great question, Curly. Others might have a different opinion, but my thinking is that the seller almost never is going to know with any degree of certainty whether oil and gas rights were severed from the property by a previous owner, and is not likely to engage an attorney to conclusively determine that they have not been severed. That’s why I think it’s probable that the seller is going to select the “No Representation” option in most cases. If that’s correct, I think it would make sense for the buyer agent to choose the “No Representation” option over the “No” option when assisting the buyer in preparing the offer in order to avoid setting up a certain counteroffer situation. In addition, whether the seller chooses “No” or “No Representation,” if a title examination performed by the closing attorney reveals that oil and gas rights were in fact severed by a previous owner, the seller likely would be unable to comply with the obligation to deliver “good” title to the property according to paragraph 8(f) of the contract, and this likely would be a material breach of contract that would relieve the buyer of the obligation to complete the transaction and entitle the buyer to a refund of any Due Diligence Fee and Due Diligence costs according to paragraph 8(l).

Moe: If the seller doesn’t know whether oil and gas rights were severed by a previous owner and isn’t required to find out, what obligation does the listing agent have to discover whether there has been a severance of oil and gas rights?

Forms Guy: It is not up to either the listing agent or the buyer agent to conduct an independent investigation to determine whether oil and gas rights have been severed from the property. The severance of such rights affects the title to the property, and discovering and rendering opinions on matters affecting title to real property is outside the scope of a real

estate broker’s expertise and constitutes the practice of law.

A North Carolina real estate attorney should be engaged to determine whether such rights have been severed from the property. This determination typically would be a part of the title search performed by the closing attorney. Although the attorney could do the title search during the Due Diligence Period, it isn’t required under the terms of the Contract.

That’s because, as I just noted, one of the seller’s obligations is to deliver a general warranty deed for the property conveying fee simple marketable and insurable title free of encumbrances and defects. This obligation survives the end of the Due Diligence Period. If oil and gas rights (or other similar rights) have been severed from the property, the buyer should consult with the attorney about the potential consequences of proceeding with the transaction.

Larry: What if the listing agent or buyer agent had reason to suspect that oil and gas rights may have been severed from the property?

advise the seller that the listing agent will be under an obligation to disclose to prospective buyers the possibility that mineral rights have been severed from the title to the property.

Moe: I’ve got a better idea! If the seller won’t cooperate, I think the listing agent should squeeze the seller’s nose real hard with a pair of pliers and bop him over the head with a big mallet at the same time. That’ll get the seller’s attention!

Larry and Curly: Woo-woo-woo-woo!!

Forms Guy: I’ll just pretend as though I didn’t hear that. Good luck to you guys! v

Contact Will Martin at wmartin@ncrealtors.org if you have a question or a suggested topic of discussion for The Forms Guy

Forms Guy: Of course, if oil and gas rights (or other similar rights) have been severed from the title to a parcel of real property, it would be considered a material fact that a real estate broker would be required to disclose, but only if the broker knew or should have known about the severance.

Typically, a broker wouldn’t know or have reason to know.

However, a good example when a broker did have special knowledge was recently brought to our attention by an NCAR member. The broker happened to know that mineral rights had been severed from the title of at least one lot in an older subdivision in his marketplace. Why? Because the broker himself lived there and he knew that that the mineral rights had been retained by the developer when the broker’s own lot had first been conveyed!

Curly: What should the broker do in a situation like that?

Forms Guy: Suppose that broker becomes involved in listing or selling another lot in that same subdivision. He doesn’t know for sure that mineral rights have been severed from the title to the other lots in the subdivision, and, as I said previously, he wouldn’t be expected to do a search of the seller’s title to find out. If he’s taking a listing, we would suggest that he discuss the matter with the seller up front. If the seller doesn’t know whether rights have been severed from the title to the property, the seller might be encouraged to engage a real estate attorney to make that determination and to make an appropriate disclosure to prospective buyers. If the seller doesn’t want to do that, I think the listing agent should

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E N D

N O T E S

Inside the Industry – Beyond Murphy to Manteo 2012 a Record Year for Filming in N.C. Based on year-end projections, television and film production represented direct in-state spending of more than $376 million – more than a 70 percent increase from the previous record of $220 million, according to state film industry officials. The 2012 productions created more than 4,100 crew positions.

HOAs Turn the Tables, Foreclose on Banks Homeowners and condo associations are turning the tables in Florida and foreclosing on the banks that have failed to pay dues or other expenses on the properties that they’ve repossessed, CNNMoney reports. Banks are responsible for paying fees to homeowners’ associations after they foreclose on a home.

But some banks are failing to pay these fees, which result in the associations having to tighten up their budgets and hike the fees to other residents. As such, the homeowners associations are fighting back by placing liens on the repossessed homes until banks pay what they owe. If the banks don’t, the groups are foreclosing on them.

Bidding Wars Heat Up in Some Areas Tight inventories of for-sale homes are causing bidding wars on homes to turn “brutal,” the Orange County Register reports. For example, some homebuyers in Southern California say they’ve been up against 18 other buyers in bidding wars for a property. For some, the bidding wars are causing frustration as they’re forced to get competitive for the home they want and go up against cash buyers. The California Association of REALTORS® recently reported that nearly six in 10 homes were selling with multiple offers because of tight inventories. This trend is making the market particularly difficult for first-time homebuyers.

HUD Stops Selling to Land Bank in Cleveland The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced it will no longer be selling foreclosed homes to a land bank for $100 each because it believes the homes could get far more by selling them on the open market, The Plain Dealer reports. HUD’s National First Look Program was an effort to fight neighborhood blight in the city by allowing the Cuyahoga County Land Bank to acquire foreclosed properties and rehab or demolish them. The land bank, formed in 2009, had acquired about 850 properties and rehabbed about one-third of the homes. Brian Sullivan, HUD spokesman, says the housing

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market is recovering and HUD is likely able to recover more from its foreclosed homes than by selling them to land banks for such a low amount.

Lot Shortages Leave Builders Scrambling As demand picks up, builders are facing lot shortages and the challenge of finding new lots to support increased building. “No one has developed land in six years,” Megan McGrath, MKM Partners home building analyst, told USA Today. Builders are now “running to catch up.” The shortages of lots are driving up prices. Ninety percent of builders nationwide are reporting a rise in lot prices, according to a survey by John Burns Real Estate Consulting. Two years ago, that percentage stood at 10 percent. In some areas, lot prices are soaring higher than in others. For example, lots are about 25 percent higher in parts of North Carolina, 30 percent higher in Phoenix, and 15 percent higher in Denver and Orange County, Calif.

Townhomes: A Growing Option Once More?

Townhouses are showing a strong comeback. For the third-consecutive quarter, the construction of townhomes — attached single-family housing — saw a sharp rise in total units and market share to a point that hasn’t been seen since 2008, the National Association of Home Builders reports. The construction of townhouses nearly doubled in the past year — rising from 12,000 starts in the third quarter of 2011 to 21,000 starts during the third quarter of 2012. The market share of townhouses makes up 12.1 percent of all single-family housing starts, up from 11.2 percent during the previous quarter of this year.

Millennials Gaining Housing Confidence The millennial generation has grown up during the years of the housing boom and ultimate bust. But the shakiness of the housing market over the years hasn’t deterred their will to buy. Ninety-three percent of millennials, aged 18 to 34, say they plan to buy a home at some point, according to Trulia’s 2012 American Dream Survey. Forty-three percent of the generation are already homeowners.

Survey: Nearly Half of U.S. Lives Paycheck to Paycheck Lenders and servicers may be interested in the results of a new NetCredit.com study, which show that 48 percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Some 44 per-

cent of poll respondents say they are simply trying to keep up with monthly mortgage payments or bills and avoid excessive debt or bankruptcy. “Living paycheck to paycheck puts many Americans dangerously close to their own personal fiscal cliff should they be hit with an emergency expense,” according to NetCredit’s Stephanie Klein.

Large Valuation Company Closes Down Evaluation Solutions LLC, a valuation company servicing every major metro area across the U.S., announced that it has shut down operations. Florida-based Evaluation Solutions, founded in 2005, boasted a field network of 30,000 brokers, appraisers, and other vendors. The company provided such services as automated valuations, broker price opinions, inspections, and appraisers for mortgage lenders, servicers, and investors. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation after losing a major client, Inman News reports.

California Dictated Lion’s Share of Settlement Homeowners in California have reaped almost half of the nearly $20 billion in funds released so far from this year’s

settlement with the country’s five largest mortgage servicers, American Banker reports. Last February, those mortgage servicers — Ally Financial Inc., Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Wells Fargo & Co. — were ordered to commit billions of dollars to settle allegations related to suspect lending practices. The settlement was designed to benefit homeowners across the country that have been affected by the housing crisis.

10 States to Boost Minimum Wage Nearly 1 million minimum-wage workers in 10 states received a pay boost at the start of this year. Workers in Rhode Island saw their paychecks grow the most – by an average of $510 a year for the average worker, according to the National Employment Law Project, a nonprofit advocacy group. The state enacted a law in June raising its minimum wage 35 cents to $7.75 an hour. In nine other states (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Vermont and Washington) the minimum wage jumped between 10 and 15 cents an hour, translating to an extra $190 to $410 per year on average, according to NELP. v

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C L O S I N G

T H O U G H T S

By ANDREA BUSHNELL EXECUTIVE VICE president

Wishing Good Health and Prosperity in 2013 Happy New Year to you! I am excited for all that 2013 will bring to our industry and to the real estate market. By all measures that I follow, it appears that a real estate industry recovery is indeed under way in North Carolina. However, we must be vigilant to ensure that nothing stalls or ends that recovery. The market is still fragile.

Before the holiday season started I sent to each of you a message about tax modernization in North Carolina. I have repeated that message below for anyone who may have missed my email.

As you may have heard, the North Carolina General Assembly is expected to take on the monumental task of reforming our tax code during the 2013 Legislative Session. Lawmakers, like NCAR, want to make sure North Carolina is an attractive place to live and work for many years to come. We applaud their efforts to support business; however, we want to ensure there are no unintended consequences to their decisions to reform the state’s tax system.

While the plan circulating includes attractive and intriguing proposals, it also includes things that could harm the real estate industry and the housing market in North Carolina. One such component is the Home Tax. The vernacular now being used is a “conveyance fee.” Don’t be fooled – it is still a transfer tax on the sale of real property! This is the same tax that we fought diligently and successfully in 2007, defeating it 24 times on 24 local ballots.

As you know, the housing industry is essential to our economy. Not only does the real estate industry account for more than 14 percent of the state’s gross domestic product, it employs more than 550,000 people in North Carolina, and directly and indirectly generates more than $13 billion in state and local tax revenue. Property owners already pay their fair share to keep our state afloat. Now, with the housing market in a slow recovery, is not the time to increase the costs associated with homeownership or property investment in North Carolina.

The 1 percent transfer tax outlined in the proposal attacks a key piece of the economic recovery and stability puzzle. The Home Tax, coupled with a tax on all services involved in the transfer of real property, could devastate the weakened market and thus hurt North Carolina’s economy. You can help prepare for this effort by joining, at no cost to you, the NC Homeowners Alliance (www.nchomeownersalliance.org/contactus.cfm). Please encourage your friends, family, colleagues and clients to join our grassroots network as well. Send them this URL or have them call us at 919-856-9155.

Finally, we look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming meetings. We’ll be in Wilmington next week, where on Thursday (Jan. 24) we’ll provide an in-person update at the Legislative Committee Meeting and Legislative Forum. Then, on April 24 in Raleigh, please make plans to join us for NCAR’s annual REALTOR® Legislative Day. Thank you for your attention to this important issue to the N.C. economy and our future. Please spread your concern in the coming days and weeks with key officials, homeowners and others as we do the same. Remember, the Home Tax is Still a Bad Idea. You will be hearing from NCAR often on this issue. We need you, and we will be calling on you for your assistance and action in the coming months. But most importantly, I wish you good health and prosperity in 2013.

Members: Be Aware of Potential Scam Sites The website www.Realtor-complaints. com may be attempting to inappropriately solicit money from sales associates whose names appear on the site. The phrasing of complaints is suspicious, and the site explains it will remove the complaint for $99 and “never post a complaint about you again.”

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A NC REALTOR® recently received this: “My daughter’s friend hired (you) a couple months ago. Her home sold very quickly, and I’m interested in hiring you to list our home as well. Would you mind sending me a couple references from past clients of yours? The only concern I have is this bad review I found on Realtor complaints (listing the above site). I look forward to hearing back from you.” v