Insight | September - October 2007

insight HEALTH INSURANCE

CONVENTION UPDATE

NC ASSOCIATION

Professional Development 101 An Array of Educational Offerings Help You Get Ahead

SEPT/OCT 2007, VOL. 86 NO. 8

www.ncrealtors.org

OF REALTORS ®

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

By Danny Brock 2007 President, NC Association of REALTORS®

We’re Good, But We Can Be Better

J

ust about every successful organization that I know undergoes a formal self-evaluation at least every few years. It’s an opportunity to step back and assess what you’ve been doing and how you’ve been doing it.

The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® certainly is a successful organization that’s done and continues to do a lot of things well, thanks to a talented staff assembled by Tim Kent and a strong, dedicated group of volunteer leaders. For several years, we’ve taken advantage of the latter’s skills by having them serve on a Strategic Planning Committee, a group of about 30 individuals who would meet annually for a two-day retreat.

From that came the consensus that some things can be done better. And from that, then, a Program Audit Task Force was formed last year to examine our existing association-wide programs and offer suggestions to reduce costs and increase efficiency. Their findings were taken to the Executive Committee, which can act on recommendations as it sees fit.

A few changes already are in the works, and more will be forthcoming. Most notably, beginning in 2009, we will take a different approach – a smaller one, at that – to strategic planning in odd-numbered years. We’ll center our efforts on one or two specific issues, and we’ll do so through the use of focus groups. (In even-numbered years, we’ll continue the two-day retreat with 30 folks.)

Also, staff is working to consolidate our Vision Quest and Inaugural Meetings programs, which now take place within six weeks of each other in early December and mid-January. Both are effective and well attended, but it’s difficult for members to get away for overnight stays twice in such a short timeframe. This change wouldn’t take effect until December 2009 at the earliest.

Lastly, President-Elect Wendell Bullard and I will soon appoint a task force to reexamine the convention format and the inauguration ceremony. We expect the task force to have its work done by next spring.

One more thing: Thank you so much for the cards, flowers, phone calls and prayers I received when I was ill. I feel much better, and I am convinced that your efforts kept my spirits high and allowed Faye and me to remain positive.

Contact Us: NC REALTORS® staff can be reached Monday through Friday during regular business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-443-9956 or via email using the person’s first initial and last name@ncrealtors.org. (For example, Tim Kent’s email address is tkent@ncrealtors.org.) Our fax number is 336-299-7872.

Bill DePriest Chief Operating Officer Denise Daly Membership Records Coordinator/Bookkeeper

Amanda Johnson Accounting Assistant

Barbara Mathis Communications Specialist

Phyllis Lycan Accountant

Legislative Rick Zechini Director of Government Affairs

Communications Kevin Brafford Director of Communications

Pam Haire Director of Leadership Development

INSIGHT

Samantha Ashburn Web Site Coordinator

Loretta Moody Receptionist

Diane Greene Director of Community Outreach

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Sherry Harris Administrative Assistant

Donna Peterson Executive Assistant to the EVP

Nicole Garner Administrative Assistant/ Realfast Support

PRESIDENT Danny Brock, Wilmington PRESIDENT-ELECT Wendell Bullard, Raleigh TREASURER Sandra O’Connor, Greensboro IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Cindy Chandler, Charlotte REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS Tom Barton, New Bern, Region 1 Sandy Hurst, Jacksonville, Region 2 Grady Watkins, Holden Beach, Region 2 Ashley Barker, Greenville, Region 3 Fen Adcock, Durham, Region 4 Pam Hill, Southern Pines, Region 5 Lou Baldwin, Winston-Salem, Region 6 Sheila Rudisill, Lincolnton, Region 7 David Barnhardt, Charlotte, Region 8 John Byers, Charlotte, Region 8 Glenda Wilson, Lenoir, Region 8 Russell Wood, Asheville, Region 9 Parker Creech, Raleigh, Region 10 Tom Smith, Raleigh, Region 10 EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Tim Kent EDITOR Kevin Brafford ASSISTANT EDITOR Barbara Mathis ADVERTISING MANAGER Kristin Miller BUSINESS OFFICE N.C. Association of REALTORS® Inc. 4511 Weybridge Lane Greensboro, NC 27407 Phone: (336) 294-1415 Toll Free: (800) 443-9956 Fax: (336) 299-7872

Insight (USPS 017602) is published bi-monthly by the NCAR Management Corp., 4511 Weybridge Lane, Greensboro, NC 27407. Member subscriptions of $2.89 are covered by annual membership dues. Periodicals postage rates paid at Greensboro, NC. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Insight; 4511 Weybridge Lane Greensboro, NC 27407.

Danny R. Brock

Administrative Tim Kent Executive Vice President

Volume 86, Issue 7 NC Association of REALTORS® Inc. Chartered in 1921

Julie Woodson Director of Public Affairs

Sept/Oct 2007

David McGowan Political Specialist Mary Catherine Green RPAC Manager Emily Lynch Governmental Affairs Assistant

Marketing and Business Development Anne Shoemaker Director of Marketing and Business Development Katie Sopcik Assistant Director of Marketing and Business Development

Jennifer Robson Professional Development Assistant Legal Will Martin General Counsel

Kristin Miller Marketing Specialist

Monica Huckaby Legal Assistant

Professional Development Chris Rhodes Director of Professional Development

Events Mandy Lowe Events Director

Ellie Darling Professional Development Asstistant Director

Keri Epps Meeting Planner

Advertising of product or service does not imply endorsement, unless specifically stated.

For all the latest news and business tools, check out www.ncrealtors.org.

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Insight Sept/Oct 2007

IN EVERY ISSUE 2

President’s Letter

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Editor’s Desk

7

Events Calendar

8

Five Minutes With ...

10

Inside NC REALTORS®

22

Around the State

44

REALTOR® Partners

46

End Notes

48

Closing Thoughts

Cover Story

Deciphering the alphabet soup that is the various real estate professional development offerings isn't simple, but it’s been proven time and again that it’s well worth the investment to learn.

Features 16

Myrtle Beach, Here We Come More than 1,200 North Carolina REALTORS® are expected to descend upon the Grand Strand at what promises to be a memorable 2007 Convention & Expo.

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Single Women Rule: How to Target Those Gen X, Gen Y Buyers Guess who’s rapidly becoming the silent majority in the real estate marketplace? Here’s how to best locate and sell to this growing customer base.

Departments 24 26 34 36 42

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Government Affairs Money Matters Housing Opportunity The Forms Guy Realfast

EDITOR’S DESK

By Kevin Brafford Editor

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

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uring the past six weeks or so, our staff has received dozens of compliments about our new magazine. From the design to the concept to the name, praise has been unanimous.

But honesty compels me to confess: You’ve been thanking the wrong people. While we’ve signed off on the look and feel of Insight, the one person deserving of the accolades … well, her name is nowhere to be found in these pages.

Paige Happel Friddle likes it that way. When NCREEF was looking to develop a logo some 10 years ago, Paige was one of three graphics designers considered. “She blew them away with her presentation,” Chris Rhodes remembers. “She came in with a bunch of designs and ideas at the initial meeting that totally surprised everyone in that she already had an idea of what they wanted. It was a slam dunk.”

A few years later, the UNC-Greensboro graduate (she majored in marketing/management and minored in clothing and textiles) was added to our payroll as a

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creative consultant, and we’ve been the better for it since. The massive re-branding of the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® that has been unveiled during 2007 has been Paige’s handiwork. And while a clean, professional logo is the centerpiece, the amount of collateral material that required a new look – and thus her considerable time and energy – would boggle the mind.

I’ve been fortunate in more than 20 years of newspaper and magazine publishing to be surrounded by extremely talented people – photographers, designers and writers. The best are marked by two defining characteristics: they’re creatively brilliant and maddeningly quirky. They also typically are large on ego and short on patience. Paige is the rarest of combinations – brilliant and patient.

We aren’t Paige’s only client, but I’d like to think we’re her favorite. At least that’s my mindset when I ask her, ever so gently, if she “can do one more little favor” for us.

Bless her heart, she hasn’t once said no.

EVENTS CALENDAR

Key Dates in the Coming Months September 16-19 October 1-4 October 15-18 November 5-8 November 27-28 December 3-4 December 6-7 December 10-13 January 7-10 January 16-18 February 11-12 February 18-21 March 10-13

Myrtle Beach Sunset Beach Raleigh/Durham Asheville Greensboro Greensboro

2007 NC REALTORS® Convention & Expo GRI 100 GRI 200 GRI 100 RLI 2007-02 Transitional Land Vision Quest CRS 210 Building an Exceptional Customer Service Referral Business GRI 200 GRI 100 Inaugural Meetings Leadership Academy Retreat GRI 100 GRI 200

Greensboro Charlotte Greensboro Durham Greensboro Charlotte New Bern

2008 NCREEF Programs (Learn more about educational programs on page 28.)

January 7-10/ GRI 100/ Greensboro 101 Residential Financing 102 Creative Listing Strategies 103 From Contract to Closing 104 Ninja Selling

Instructor Don Cupit Wayne Poplin George Bell Zan Monroe

January 16-Spokesperson Training February 7-8/CRS 201/Greensboro

Gee Dunsten

February 18-21/ GRI 100/ Charlotte 101 Residential Financing 102 Creative Listing Strategies 103 From Contract to Closing 104 Ninja Selling

August 18-21/ GRI 200/ Greensboro 201 Construction 202 Tax Planning 203 Legal Issues 204 Real Estate Trends

Instructor Bill Bass Tom Lundstedt Bill Gallagher Buddy West

August 10-11/CRS 204

Don Cupit Wayne Poplin George Bell Zan Monroe

September 22-25/ GRI 300/ Wilmington 301 Pricing Properties 302 RE As An Investment 303 Property Management 304 Maximize Your Potential

Bill Gallagher Tom Lundstedt Bob Lawing Chuck Bode

October 7-8 CRB February 26-27 - SRES March 10-13/ GRI 200/ New Bern 201 Construction 202 Tax Planning 203 Legal Issues 204 Real Estate Trends

Bill Bass Tom Lundstedt George Bell Buddy West

October 20-23/ GRI 100/ RTP 101 Residential Financing 102 Creative Listing Strategies 103 From Contract to Closing 104 Ninja Selling

Don Cupit Wayne Poplin George Bell Zan Monroe

November 13-14/CRS 210/Greensboro March 20-21/CRS 202/Greensboro March 26-27 - Professional Standards April 2-3 - CRB April 14-17/ GRI 300/ Raleigh 301 Pricing Properties 302 RE As An Investment 303 Property Management 304 Maximize Your Potential April 21-22 - Professional Standards May 7-8 - RLI Land Development July TBD - Instructor Training

Mike Selvaggio

Bill Gallagher Tom Lundstedt Bob Lawing Chuck Bode

November 17-20/ GRI 200/ Asheville 201 Construction 202 Tax Planning 203 Legal Issues 204 Real Estate Trends

Bill Bass Tom Lundstedt Bill Gallagher Buddy West

December 8-11/ GRI 300/ Charlotte 301 Pricing Properties 302 RE As An Investment 303 Property Management 304 Maximize your Potential

Bill Gallagher Tom Lundstedt Bob Lawing Chuck Bode

Sept/Oct 2007

INSIGHT

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FIVE MINUTES WITH ...

Name:

Linda Vaitsas

Location:

Greensboro

Firm:

Allen Tate North Elm

Local Association:

Greensboro Regional REALTORS®

I’m originally from the Chicago area. I love the city. It’s very cold in the winter, but the summers are wonderful.

I met my husband, Ray, at one of Chicago’s inland beaches the summer before my freshman year at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, while he was attending the National School of Chiropractic in the city.

I graduated with a journalism degree and we were married the same year.

Katrina could happen, but we were very lucky for the five years we lived there.

My family and I settled in Greensboro when my husband was transferred while working for HoffmanLaRouche, a large pharmaceutical company, in the diagnostic division. He is retired now and also working as a REALTOR®, which is great because we can brainstorm together.

I had a wonderful upbringing. My father was a commerI didn’t plan on becoming a REALTOR®, and I believe cial artist. He did a lot of woodworking, as well as oil my mother is the reason I finally did. Through my paintings. My father died when I was mother I was able to see that in this young, so I didn’t get to know him as field, you really don’t have to sell. I’ve much as I would have liked to. My been a REALTOR® for 22 years now, mother was a REALTOR® and the one who really motivated me and I’m so glad I am because I love my throughout my childhood. I have one job, I love the people I work with, and I older brother who is still my best really can’t remember a bad client. friend. When we were younger, we People talk about these terror jobs, but I loved playing street baseball. We really can’t say I’ve ever had one. would go out in the streets and play ball after dinner with all the chilI am naturally a very shy person, dren in our neighborhood. We which only my best friends would know Linda’s passion is horseb ack riding. would always have so much fun. I about me. A lot of times, when I mention really had a wonderful childhood – being shy, my other friends just don’t I’m fortunate to have such special stories. believe me. I’ve learned over the years to compensate, and the only time you can really tell I’m Growing up, I really wanted to be a horseback rider, shy is when I am in a big group of people. I am much or even a rodeo rider. I started wanting to ride horses better one on one. Of course, once you have children, as soon as I could talk. When I was 12, I started taking you learn to go in and talk to teachers and defend them lessons. My mother would drive me an hour and a half – that’s when you’re able to forget about being shy. both ways to a stable where I could ride. I still ride horses all the time; it really is my passion. I am fortunate to I have a short attention span, and I’m very laid back. be able to ride right up from where I live. The greatest This drives my Type A, practical and very methodical part of it has been when clients bring their children to husband crazy sometimes. Usually, we really balance the office – they’re bored because all they do is look at each other. Being laid back has worked against me, houses all day. I try to plan at least one day for them because I was not a huge disciplinarian when my chilwhere the children can go to the barn and catch a ride. dren were growing up. They knew they could tell me anything, because they wouldn’t get in trouble.

My husband and I were never in any place for very long. I don’t think we ever lived in a house for more Twenty years from now, I’ll be on a beach somewhere. than five years before moving here. I was a stay-atMy husband and I are looking into eventually moving to home mom while living in New Orleans, and I loved it Costa Rica or just settling down at a nearby beach. We there. It was great, especially prior to the hurricane. It haven’t decided just where yet, but it’ll be somewhere seemed like everyone always thought something like that I can ride horses.

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INSIDE NC REALTORS®

Dream House Groundbreaking Held in Greensboro A Homes4NC Dream House groundbreaking was Guilford County Commissioner and NC Real Estate held August 14 in Greensboro at Holden Crossing, an Commission President Skip Alston, City Council Member effort made possible by Wade Jurney Homes, the Sandy Carmany, state Rep. Laura Wiley, GRRA President Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association (GRRA) Kevin Green, and Homes4NC Vice President John and the NC REALTORS® Housing Newman.

Opportunity Foundation.

“We’re excited to show what can As a Dream House builder, Wade be done when REALTORS®, builders, lenders and others in the private secJurney Homes will donate a portion tor come together to address the of the proceeds from the sale of the affordable housing crisis we face,” house to Homes4NC so that it can said Homes4NC President Norma improve affordable housing opportuHarless, who could not be present. nities across the state.

“Not only will the Dream House proWhen completed, the sales price vide affordable housing for one family for the Dream House will be in the in Greensboro, but the proceeds will $150,000 to $160,000 range, well be used to help families throughout below the average cost of a home in North Carolina with their housing the Triad. According to GRRA, the Dennis Miller, director of sales and marketing for Wade Jurney Homes, needs.” average-adjusted sales price of an Affordable housing is a key issue existing home in the city at the end of has two hands firmly on the shovel at a Dream House groundbreaking for North Carolinians and citizens the second quarter was $192,041. “I on August 14 in Greensboro. Also across the nation. According to the love being a home builder,” said 2006 “State of the Nation’s Housing” Jurney, who was approached with the pictured (from left): John Newman, Kevin Green, Sandy Carmany, Laura report issued by the Joint Center for idea from Angie Kent, a REALTOR® Wiley and Skip Alston. with Allen Tate. “Helping people to Housing Studies of Harvard University, achieve the American dream of homeone in three U.S. residents spends ownership is part of our mission statement and our more than 30 percent of his or her income on housing, overall way of doing business.” an amount that is considered unaffordable. One in Among those attending the groundbreaking were seven spends more than 50 percent.

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Shoemaker Graduates from Prestigious Program

Two Selected for NAR Leadership Academy

Anne Shoemaker, director of marketing and business development for the NC Association of REALTORS®, recently graduated from the Institute for Organization Management (IOM).

Institute, as it’s known, is a four-year, nonprofit leadership training program held annually for one week at Villanova University near Philadelphia. IOM recognition is awarded after completion of 96 hours of course instruction in association, chamber and nonprofit management. Institute focuses on enhancing participants’ organizational management skills while providing excellent networking resources.

In her role at NC REALTORS®, Shoemaker is primarily responsible for marketing the association to the public and developing and maintaining relationships with companies interested in sharing their products and services with the association's members.

Donna Harnett of Durham and Stephanie Walker of Kill Devil Hills were recently selected to participate in the inaugural class of the National Association of REALTORS® Leadership Academy.

The Leadership Academy is a nine-month, fivestate training and development program that is structured around national meetings and designed to groom future NAR leaders. Participants must make a financial and time commitment and are expected to complete a class project and various assigned readings.

Harnett and Walker are past graduates of the NC REALTORS® Leadership Academy. They were selected from a pool of qualified applicants nationwide. “We’re both proud and thrilled for Donna and Stephanie,” says association President Danny Brock. “And what an honor it is for two of our folks to be chosen for this inaugural class.”

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INSIDE NC REALTORS®

2007 Rising Star Award Winners Announced The NC Association of REALTORS® is one of the largest associations in the state, so being recognized as an exceptional REALTOR® is quite an honor.

That’s the case for the 2007 Rising Star Award winners, six recipients from around the state who have achieved acclaim despite having been in the business of real estate for five years or less.

They may be rookies by definition, but their resumes are proof that these REALTORS® know what it takes to be successful. By serving on multiple committees for their local, state and national associations as well as being active in the community, these people have earned their stripes: Amy Hedgecock, Keith Whitaker, Jeffrey Yetter, Wendy Butler, Amy Klingensmith and Mary Ann McCarthy.

Some of the achievements of each are noted below: Amy Hedgecock, High Point Regional Association of REALTORS®. With only two year’s experience as a REALTOR®, Hedgecock has exemplified leadership potential through her service as vice chair of her local board’s Property Management Council. She is a member of the Triad Women’s Council of REALTORS®, NC REALTORS®’ Property Management Division, Cultural Diversity Committee, Governmental Affairs Committee, and Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity Committee. She also serves as member-at-large to the Executive Committee for the High Point Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association.

Keith Whitaker, Burke County Board of REALTORS®.

Since beginning as a REALTOR® three years ago, Whitaker is already leading his association as president of the Burke County Board of REALTORS®.

Additionally, he has served on three other committees and served as president-elect for his local board for the 2006-2007 year.

Jeffrey R. Yetter, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association. In just two years, Yetter has continually shown his dedication and willingness to enhance the reputation of REALTORS® by actively pursuing educational and leadership opportunities offered through his association.

Wendy Butler, Winston-Salem Board of REALTORS®.

Since becoming a REALTOR® a little more than four years ago, Butler’s local board has noted her dedication to serving the community and local board through her service as a member of the Community Service Committee since 2003 and her current position as vice

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chair. She has chaired her local board’s Sponsorship Committee and served on the Social, Political Affairs, and Membership Development Committees and is involved in several community activities.

Amy Klingensmith, Greenville-Pitt Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR® since April 2004, Klingensmith has dedicated her time and energy to her local board, particularly in service to RPAC. She currently serves as RPAC chairman and has been influential in helping the group successfully reach its goal for the year.

Mary Ann McCarthy, GRI, CRS, Brunswick County Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR® for five years, McCarthy has served on the Strategic Planning Committee, Professional Standards Committee, and on the Board of Directors for her local board as well as in several other activities. She has pursued and received several educational designations.

Miller Joins NC REALTORS® Staff as Marketing Specialist Kristin Miller joined the NC Association of REALTORS®’ staff on July 23 as a marketing specialist. A native of Elon, N.C., Miller spent the previous two years as an administrative assistant at MarketLinx, a real estate information technology company based in Greensboro.

In her new role, Miller assists Director of Marketing and Business Development Anne Shoemaker and Assistant Director of Marketing and Business Development Katie Sopcik in soliciting non-dues revenue from third-party vendors. Specifically, Miller will sell advertising in Insight magazine and Kristin Miller manage the REALTOR® Partners Program.

Miller is a 2005 graduate of Appalachian State University, where she earned a bachelor of science in communications and public relations with a nonprofit concentration. “We’re excited to have Kristin be a part of our very capable marketing and business development team,” says Tim Kent, executive vice president. “In just a few short weeks, she’s already had a positive impact.”

Online Voting Expected to Draw Record Turnout at Polls Following record voter turnout last year, members of the NC Association of REALTORS® again will have the opportunity to elect their 2008 leaders from any location with access to the Internet.

As always, the election takes place in conjunction with the association’s annual Convention & Expo, which is set for Myrtle Beach, S.C. This year’s election will be held from noon to noon on September 15-18.

Your confidential login and password will be emailed to you on Monday, September 10. Please note that, for security reasons, this is not the same login and password that you use for the NC REALTORS® Web site or for forms. You should safeguard this login info and have it available when you are ready to vote.

Voting reminders (with login information included a second time) will be emailed once the polls open. If you do not receive your login info on September 10, please

check your spam filter. For security reasons, members of the NC REALTORS®’ staff will be unable to provide this information to you over the phone.

Online polls will be open 24 hours a day from noon to noon on the above-mentioned dates. Voting polls also will be available at the Convention & Expo during the following hours only:

Sunday, September 16 Monday, September 17 Tuesday, September 18

1 p.m.-5 p.m.

9 a.m.-5 p.m.

8:30 a.m.-noon

If voting at the convention, you still must have your dedicated login and password to vote. Staff cannot provide this information.

To vote online, visit https://eballot3.votenet.com/ncar/login.cfm or click on the appropriate link at www.ncrealtors.org. Make sure your voice is heard!

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INSIDE NC REALTORS®

By Katie Sopcik Assistant Director of Marketing and Business Development

REALTOR® Partners Program Enhanced

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n estimated 28 percent of REALTORS® nationwide do not have any health insurance, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Lack of coverage is also a problem here at home in North Carolina. Health insurance is an important issue among our membership, so much so that finding relief for members was given priority in the 2007 NCAR Strategic Plan. Therefore, the REALTOR® Partners Committee formed a task force consisting of John Carroll, Jo Ann Doyle and Vernon Luffman to research health insurance on behalf of membership.

With the assistance of the task force and the REALTOR® Partners Committee, the Service Corporation Board of Directors recently added health insurance to the REALTOR® Partners Program. Three insurance options are now available, in fact, to help our members get the coverage you need.

The first insurance option is a guaranteed-issue limited benefit medical plan called “TransChoice” offered through our new REALTOR® Partner, Central Insurance Advisers. Guaranteed issue means that there are no health or age questions asked. The plan rates are the same for everyone, and coverage is provided without any deductibles, co-pays or networks.

Whether you work full time, part-time, seasonally or 1099, TransChoice is available to all members, staff and dependents.

Limited benefit medical plans offer the health insurance coverage many people need: doctor visits, X-ray and lab work, prescription drugs and limited hospitalization. The plan can serve as gap coverage for members who have high deductible insurance plans and want to reduce exposure to high claims. Although it is not a major medical plan, it can be important coverage for those who have no health insurance. Central Insurance Advisers is also able to offer other insurance options to complement the limited benefit plan and fulfill coverage needs. Mark your calendar – the open enrollment for all members began Sept. 1 and ends six weeks later on Oct. 15.

The second option is provided through current dental insurance partner Fidelity Capital Management.

Fidelity will now also offer Blue Advantage individual major medical health insurance to members. Members

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who sign up for Blue Advantage through Fidelity will benefit from having a broker working on your behalf.

Fidelity Capital Management offers the major medical plans you need with the personalized customer service of a small firm.

The third option is Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance for office groups and their employees. The Blue Cross/Blue Shield group plan through Fidelity Capital Management offers competitive prices and includes a convenient employee’s benefits intranet site. The intranet will be customized for your office and brings all insurance and benefit information to your employee fingertips. From dental, individual and group insurance, Fidelity Capital Management continues to provide customized solutions for NC REALTORS®’ insurance needs.

NC REALTOR® members can access more information regarding these health insurance options on the member intranet at www.ncrealtors.org. The REALTOR® Partners Program strives to offer helpful and cost saving benefits for members.

We hope these new program additions will help a large portion of our membership with the health coverage you need.

Call 919-876-9610 or visit the partner page on the NC Association of REALTORS® Web site at www.ncrealtors.org.

Call 877-925-1840 or visit www.transchoicencar.com

2007 CONVENTION & EXPO

Myrtle Beach, Here We Come!

2007 CONVENTION & EXPO PROMISES TO MAKE A SPLASH

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S PARTIES GO, THIS ONE’S GOING TO BE BIG. AN ESTIMATED 1,200 NORTH CAROLINA REALTORS® ARE EXPECTED TO CONVERGE

ON MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., TO FEAST AND FROLIC AT THE 2007 CONVENTION & EXPO THAT’S JUST A FEW DAYS AWAY.

If you haven’t registered, what are you waiting for?

You’re best advised to do it online by visiting www.ncarconvention.org or you can call the NC Association of REALTORS®’ office at 800-443-9956 for assistance.

You can also register via fax by using the form on Page 20. But here’s what you need to remember: No registrations will be accepted after Friday, September 7, so please act quickly.

“I can promise you that everyone will have a memorable experience and a great time,” says Danny Brock, who as 2007 NC REALTORS® president will serve as host for the proceedings on September 16-19. “I’ve spent my life in the Wilmington area, so Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand hold a special place in my heart.

“I’m not necessarily the best dancer, but I love to dance. I’m not necessarily the best speaker, but I love to talk. One thing I am pretty good at is having a great time, and I guarantee you that I’ll be on top of my game at our Convention & Expo.”

There’s something for everyone on the docket, ranging from a first-time attendee’s orientation and reception to the special-invitation Silver Service Luncheon that honors REALTOR® members of our association of 25 years or more. Your $195 registration fee covers all convention program activities, excluding the Tuesday afternoon golf tournament at historic Myrtlewood Golf Club.

More than 15 top-notch education sessions are in the offering, including those taught by Bill Gallagher and Zan Monroe, the highest-rated speakers from last year’s convention in Savannah. And you’ll be educated on at least two other fronts – from nationally acclaimed artist and speaker Erik Wahl (at Sunday’s Opening Session) and from Campbell Brown (Wednesday’s Closing Session), the much-in-demand TV newswoman who recently left NBC for CNN in a highly publicized move.

WWW.NCARCONVENTION.ORG

By Kevin Brafford

Want more entertainment? There’s the dance party on Monday night, featuring famed North Carolina band Liquid Pleasure, and the Tuesday afternoon pool party highlighted by a performance by The Embers, a legendary band that’s played to hundreds of thousands of adoring fans through the years.

And don’t miss the Expo, as more than 130 exhibitors showcase their products and services within the halls of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. From technology tools to prospecting software to closing gifts to jewelry, our Expo promises to have it all.

Of course, you’ll have some free time, and there is no shortage of things to do along the Grand Strand. A quick bit of research revealed that there are more than 100 festivals and events taking place in Myrtle Beach during 2007, ranging from the National Shag Dance Championship Finals (sorry kids, it was in March) to the fifth annual Oyster Festival on November 10. If you’re up to arriving at our convention a day early – on Saturday the 15th – you can take part in Beach Sweep 2007. The following day, there is what’s advertised as South Carolina’s Largest Garage Sale. (For details, visit www.GrandStrandEvents.com.)

Twice in the past five years, the Travel Channel has named Myrtle Beach one of America’s Best Beaches.

When Golf Digest magazine listed its picks for America’s Greatest Golf-Home Towns in June 2006, Myrtle Beach was No. 1 – a ranking based on number and quality of courses, playable days, cost of living, off-course diversions, home prices and other criteria.

With an average September air temperature of 84 degrees and a water temperature of 80 degrees, it’s a perfect time to play in or around the water. Farther inland, Broadway at the Beach features more than 100 specialty shops, restaurants and bars – and it’s where most REALTORS® likely will spend at least some of their Tuesday night.

“The 2007 Convention & Expo will not only be fun, but it’ll be extremely informative and educational,” says Brock. “You’ll be able to network with fellow members of our profession and pick up some ideas that will help you become more successful. You’ll make new friends and re-establish relationships with old friends. I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t been to our convention that wasn’t the better for it.”

SEPTEMBER 16-19, 2007

MYRTLE BEACH, SC

Bet you didn’t know... >> The first inhabitants of what would become the Myrtle Beach area were American Indians. Many geographical names can be attributed to these Indians, most notably the Waccamaw River and Winyah Bay.

>> The Intracoastal Waterway opened in 1936, the same year that Myrtle Beach State Park (South Carolina’s first state park) opened. Two years later, the city was incorporated; its motto is “First in Service.”

>> Pirates played a role in Myrtle Beach’s history, thanks to coves and inlets tucked along the coast that served as havens in the 1700s. One of the most feared was Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard.

>> The moniker “Grand Strand” was coined in 1949 by newspaper columnist Claude Dunnagan. The Grand Strand encompasses 60 miles of beaches and communities from the North Carolina/South Carolina border south to Georgetown.

>> Once called New Town, Myrtle Beach acquired its name in 1900 by way of a contest. Mrs. F.G. Burroughs, a member of a prominent family, chose the name because of the many wax myrtle shrubs growing along the coast. >> In 1927, the year Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs for the New York Yankees, Myrtle Beach’s first golf course opened. The Ocean Forest Club later was renamed Pine Lakes International Country Club. >> Another notable property was the grand Ocean Forest Hotel, which opened in 1930 as part of a luxurious resort called Arcady. The hotel was a center of high society in Myrtle Beach for decades. It was razed in 1974 to make way for new development.

>> After steady growth since the 1960s and a building boom in the 1990s, the number of Grand Strand golf courses peaked at 120 in 2003. Some have closed in the past four years and the land redeveloped. >> Speaking of development, it skyrocketed in a decadelong period beginning in 1986. That was the year The Carolina Opry, the area’s first major entertainment theater, opened. Three years later, Barefoot Landing opened along the Intracoastal Waterway (in North Myrtle Beach), and Broadway at the Beach opened in 1995. On a sad note, in 2006, after 58 years of operation, the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park closed.

(Source: Myrtle Beach Stay-And-Play Pocket Guide, 2007)

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20 07 CO N V E N T I O N AT A G L A N C E Below is a partial listing of meetings and events. For a complete Convention & Expo schedule, visit www.ncarconvention.org/schedule.cfm

Sunday, September 16 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Convention Registration Open – Sponsored by: Systems Engineering, Inc. Expo Open Cyber Café Open – Sponsored by: Lowe’s Home Improvement Welcoming Refreshments – Sponsored by: AT&T Voting Polls Open First Time Convention Attendees’ Welcoming Orientation Opening Session with Keynote Address by Erik Wahl Opening Evening Reception

Monday, September 17 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

9:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Early Bird Session – Zan Monroe – “Stories of Uncle Adrian” Convention Registration Open – Sponsored by: Systems Engineering, Inc. Voting Polls Open Early Session – Stefan Swanepoel – “Trends Changing the Future of the Real Estate Industry” Session Sponsor: Advanced Access Early Career REALTOR® Education Session – Zan Monroe – “Build a Real Estate Business for Life” General Education Session – Pat Zaby – “You’re Kidding...I Didn’t Know it Would do That!” Session Sponsor: Systems Engineering, Inc. General Education Session – Tim Kent & Rick Zechini – “Stop the Home Tax Campaign. What Happened, How and Why” Commercial Education Session – Cindy Chandler – “What Every Residential Agent Needs to Know About Commercial Real Estate” Expo Grand Opening & Lunch Expo Open Cyber Café Open – Sponsored by: Lowe’s Home Improvement General Education Session – Mike Selvaggio – “Point of Difference” Sponsor: Pearl Insurance General Education Session – Chris Bird – “Effective Money Management for Today’s REALTOR®” Association Executives Education Session – Stefan Swanepoel – “REALTOR® Association: Extinction or Evolution” Early Career REALTOR® Education Session – Pat Zaby – “Your Prospecting isn’t Working...Fix It!” General Education Session – Mike Selvaggio – “A Visit with the Script Doctor” General Education Session – Chris Bird – “Solid Investment & Retirement Strategies for REALTORS®” General Education Session – Frank Mears – “Good Ethics Equal Good Business” Appraisal Education Session – Mel Black – “Appraiser Liability” Dance Party featuring Liquid Pleasure – Sponsored by: Systems Engineering, Inc.

Tuesday, September 18 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Convention Registration Open – Sponsored by: Systems Engineering, Inc. Voting Polls Open Expo Open Cyber Café Open – Sponsored by: Lowe’s Home Improvement Bonnie Boyd – “Home From Work” – Sell More Houses with EAH Sponsored by: Homes4NC Early Career REALTOR® Education Session – Frank Mears – “Getting to Yes” General Education Session – Bill Gallagher – “Prospecting Techniques that Work” Golf Tournament – Myrtlewood Palmetto Pool Party featuring The Embers – Sponsored by: Sun Trust Mortgage Broadway at the Beach

Wednesday, September 19 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

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General Membership Meeting/Closing Session with Keynote Address by Campbell Brown

20 07 R EG I ST RAT I O N FO R M

SEPTEMBER 16-19, 2007

Use a separate form for each primary registrant. Spouse or guest may be listed on this form. Spouse or guest must be registered to attend any convention function. Registration rate is the same for member, spouse or guest. Please print.

Name*

Nickname

Spouse/Guest (If Registering)

Referred Member

Company Name Mailing Address City

State

Zip

Phone

Fax

E-mail Address

REALTOR®

Check:

Speaker

Board AE

First time attending convention

Guest/Spouse

Special Services: Do you have any needs that require special accommodations? Please identify:

*Upon receipt of your paid registration, we will post your name to a roster of convention attendees at our website, www.ncarconvention.org. If you do not wish for your name to be posted, please check here.

REGULAR 8/7-9/7 $195 $195 $195

Registration Fees Form & fees received by: Standard registration REALTOR® referral 1st time attendee

ONSITE 9/16-9/19 $210 $210 $210

DAILY* 9/16-9/19 $105 $105 $105

YOUR TOTAL $ $ $

NO Registrations will be accepted after Sept. 7, 2007. *Daily registration includes entire day’s activities, except for optional events. All meetings and events to be held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Payment (Must accompany registration)* Check (made payable to NCAR) Card number Signature

MYRTLE BEACH, SC Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel $159 per night Myrtle Beach Marriott Resort at Grande Dunes $159 per night The Breakers Resort Group rates starting at $129 YOU WILL RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION PACKAGE ONCE YOU REGISTER. HOTEL INFORMATION WILL BE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKAGE.

Mastercard

VISA Exp.

3 Digit Security Code

Print name as it appears on card

Policies: (1) All participants attending any event connected with the NCAR 2007 Convention & Expo must be registered for the meeting and have paid the registration fee. Liabilities insurance requires every attendee be registered.

(2) Transfer of registration is not allowed under any circumstance.

(3) Registrations will NOT be accepted by telephone.

Return your completed form by mail or fax, with a check or VISA/Mastercard number.

Fax or Mail this registration form to: North Carolina Association of REALTORS® 4511 Weybridge Ln. Greensboro, NC 27407 Fax: 336-299-7872 e-mail: ncar@ncrealtors.org

Questions: Call 800-443-9956 or visit www.ncarconvention.org For NCAR use only Reg.# Date Payment # Referring Staff

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AROUND THE STATE

California Incident Serves as Reminder to Be Careful “Local REALTOR® Attacked and Robbed on the Job” – that was the lead story in a local news broadcast in Sacramento in early June. It was sobering, but not necessarily surprising, news.

Every day, REALTORS® put themselves in positions where they can be victims of dangerous crimes.

That’s why five years ago NAR implemented an annual Safety Week promotion, which this year is September 9-15.

Arising from a need for REALTORS® to know how to protect themselves in dangerous situations, NAR is providing REALTORS® with a Safety Week Kit that will work to educate and bring awareness to the realities that face REALTORS® today. Unlike recent years, members will be offered an online safety course to be delivered through REALTOR® University as well as a revised and updated NAR safety video with tips on minimizing risk on the job, at home or on the road.

In addition to Safety Week, the NC Association of REALTORS® Real Estate Safety Council, along with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, will be issuing a new edition of the North Carolina Safety Guide in the coming months. This second edition of the popular guide will focus on REALTORS® in our state who have been put in harm’s way on the job.

Connie Corey, president of the NC REALTORS® Real Estate Safety Council, notes that the Safety Guide focuses primarily on REALTORS® being aware of their surroundings at open houses, when showing a home, and when dealing with clients in general. “Everyone’s intention is not to purchase a home,” Corey says. “It is important for REALTORS® to know how to protect themselves.”

For more information on the national initiative, visit www.REALTOR.org/Safety.

Alston Elected Chairman of Real Estate Commission Melvin L. “Skip” Alston of Greensboro has been elected chairman of the N.C. Real Estate Commission.

Marsha H. Jordan of Lincolnton has been elected vice chairman.

Alston is currently serving his fourth four-year term as a member of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners and has been a member of the N.C. Real Estate Commission since 2003.

Jordan entered the real estate industry in 1986 and is the owner of Apple Realty. She currently serves as president-elect of the North Carolina Real Estate Education Foundation (NCREEF). She also is a graduate of the REALTORS® Institute and is a Certified Residential Specialist.

McCook Named Region 4 RPAC Trustee Guy McCook, a longtime NC REALTORS® leader who is with Hasty Realty in Laurinburg, has been named to the 2008-09 RPAC Trustees Committee of the National Association of REALTORS®, announced Chairman Larry Edwards.

Other members of the RPAC staff at the national level include Chad Curry, Brooke Roth and Shannon Burke, each of whom will work closely with incoming NAR President Dick Gaylord.

Members of the RPAC staff report to Jerry Giovaniello, the national association’s chief lobbyist and senior vice president of government affairs. They also work closely with Walt Witek, vice president of government affairs and the head of NAR’s RPAC fundraising efforts.

Asheville REALTOR® Finalist for National Award Randall Barnett of The Buyers Agent in Asheville is one of 10 finalists for REALTOR® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Award. Of the 10 national finalists – chosen from a record 320 nominees – five will be selected and honored at the NAR Conference & Expo in Las Vegas on November 14.

Each of the five winners will receive a $10,000 grant for the charity of their designation, while the five

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honorable mentions will each receive $2,500 grants for their causes. This is the eighth year of the Good Neighbor Awards program, which recognizes outstanding REALTORS® who volunteer time and energy to improve the quality of life in their communities.

Of the nine other finalists, two are from the South: Tricia Carlisle-Northcutt of Grayton Beach, Fla., and MaliVai Washington of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

By Julie C. Woodson Director of Public Affairs

Issues Mobilization Funding Boosts Initiatives

B

etter city streets, neighborhood improvements and affordable housing are key components of any thriving community, including the booming city of Charlotte.

To help the city keep up with its pressing infrastructure needs, local leaders put Community Improvement Bonds on the ballot last year. And because it’s always looking for ways that the local REALTOR® community can step up and make a difference, the Charlotte Regional Association of REALTORS® (CRAR) was eager to educate local voters about the area’s significant needs and how bonds would help.

CRAR applied for and received funding from the NC REALTORS® Issues Mobilization Fund for its public education effort. Ultimately, because of the support of CRAR, the Charlotte Chamber and other business involvement, citizens overwhelmingly approved the bonds.

The NC REALTORS® Issues Mobilization Fund is a valuable tool for local associations seeking quick impact on public education efforts for a particular issue. Resources are requested through an application process and reviewed by a committee of volunteer leaders who consider the proposed project’s impact on homeownership in the local community and potential impact statewide.

“Each individual community has its own unique set of political issues,” says Elizabeth Barnhardt, CRAR government affairs director. “What goes on in Charlotte is different than what goes on at the coast and in the mountains. Issues Mobilization provides all of us access to funds that allow us to act and react to situations in our local communities.”

David McGowan, the political specialist for NC REALTORS® since 2005, works closely with Issues Mobilization efforts and is on the road frequently assisting with these grassroots projects. He has observed firsthand the significant impact its funding has had on local initiatives.

For example, Issues Mobilization resources were used by the Avery-Watauga Association of REALTORS® in 2005 to help finance an issue campaign targeted against a far-reaching development moratorium, plus a burdensome steep slope development ordinance.

“The campaign was extremely successful in educating members of the general public about the proposals from the Boone City Council as well as driving turnout to the public hearing,” McGowan says. “In a show of force, local REALTORS® were able to prevent implementation of the moratorium and were able to

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gain a seat at the table regarding the development of a steep slope ordinance.”

In yet another success story, the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® used Issues Mobilization funding to conduct a study and an issues advocacy campaign relating to development impact fees in the City of Raleigh. The study and campaign were both successful in persuading the Raleigh City Council to lower the proposed fee amount. Impact fees were already assessed in Raleigh, and this campaign was geared toward keeping them at a reasonable level.

Those successes and others are attributable, Barnhardt believes, to a true partnership between the state and local associations. “Each community is unique regarding the issues it faces before its local government,” she says. “Issues Mobilization funds allow each to have access to an ‘emergency fund’ level to help support REALTOR®-friendly issues or fight those issues detrimental to our industry.”

Funds are also used for statewide public education efforts, most recently the “Stop the Home Tax” campaign. Those efforts resulted in the General Assembly giving counties the authority to adopt only a .4 percent transfer tax – significantly less than the original 1 percent that had been discussed. REALTORS®’ efforts also defeated a statewide tax (the deed stamp tax increase) and ensured that the transfer tax is subject to a local referendum.

Further, the campaign heightened awareness of the REALTORS®’ focus on issues impacting homeowners and housing affordability, and reinforced the REALTORS’® powerful presence in the halls of the General Assembly.

In 2005 and again this year, the Issues Mobilization Committee funded public awareness initiatives to inform concerned citizens and parents about the Save our Summers (SOS) campaign. SOS was successful in persuading legislators to pass a bill that would require the start of public school to be later in the summer to maintain a more traditional school calendar for elementary and secondary schools. The objective is to preserve the summer months for outside-the-classroom childhood and family learning experiences.

So, whether it’s local public education projects or statewide initiatives, the NC REALTORS® Issues Mobilization Fund plays an active role in impacting issues at all levels. It’s a valuable resource, and one that local associations are encouraged to use. For more information, contact McGowan at 919-856-9155 or dmcgowan@ncrealtors.org.

MONEY MATTERS

By Brant Hinckley Sales Manager and Financial Services Professional MassMutual’s Hinrichs Flanagan Financial

Putting Your Retirement on Firm Footing “

R

etirement planning” has become a popular phrase in recent years – and rightfully so. Most certainly, everyone has their own specific expectations and dreams about retirement, but how does your current plan stack up against your longterm objectives?

Today, more than ever, planning for retirement is a necessity. Proper planning and follow-through can help you avoid shortfalls in meeting your income needs and help assure you of a smooth, secure transition from the world of work to the world of retirement.

Zeroing In on Change Planning ahead means setting goals and deciding how they will be met, within the framework of a changing financial picture. Many retirees find themselves torn between balancing a satisfying lifestyle with one that lacks many of the comforts that make life easier. In the absence of a solid financial foundation, you may be faced with some hard choices over the course of your retirement years. A successful financial strategy carried out faithfully will help soften many of them.

Unfortunately, time is a luxury only available to younger individuals. Therefore, as retirement approaches, there are some key points you should take into consideration in order to best position yourself for an enjoyable retirement: 1) Building Foundations. Certainly, younger individuals may be able to afford taking greater risk with more aggressive investments.

However, regardless of your age, you should always make a concerted effort to maximize contributions to your 401(k), Solo 401(k), IRA or other retirement savings vehicle. In addition, it may be more prudent to gradually shift your retirement assets to more conservative, income-producing investments as you approach retirement. An asset-preservation strategy may be especially difficult for those who begin retirement planning later in life. In such situations, it is particularly crucial for investments to align with personal risk tolerance.

2) The Longevity Game. The culture of retirement is changing. It’s not uncommon for someone to spend one-third of his or her lifetime in retirement.

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Therefore, your retirement assets will need to last longer and be able to accommodate cost-of-living increases. Consider your retirement life span – if it is 20 to 30 years – that may indicate a need for some long-term growth investments to be included in your portfolio. And you may still find yourself in the workforce in some capacity, if you need greater income.

3) Main Street or Park Avenue? Some individuals are under the impression that they will be able to live the same type of lifestyle they enjoyed during their working years. It’s true – some will. However, it’s important to keep things in proper perspective. In reality, you may have to downscale living arrangements and unnecessary expenditures to ensure your retirement assets will be sufficient over a long period of time.

Regardless of how close you are to retirement, it is important to keep realistic goals and expectations.

Factors such as how much you have already accumulated, or how far financially you are from your objective, should play a key role in determining your course of action. A review with your financial professional can be a good first step to ensuring that you have chosen the best path to fulfill your retirement lifestyle.

Have a topic for a future column? Contact Brant Hinckley at bhinckley@finsvcs.com.

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Professional Development

By Bridget McCrea

W

hen Bob de Camara signed up to earn his Council of Residential Specialist (CRS) designation, he knew that he’d come away from the experience with a new credential to list after his name and a sharpened knowledge of the real estate industry. What this broker-owner of Prudential Mountain Properties in Boone didn’t realize was the sheer prowess of the marketing machine that he would soon become exposed to as a REALTOR®, and then later as the secretary of the North Carolina chapter of CRS (a position he currently holds).

“I made friends on a national level while I was sitting in those classrooms,” says de Camara, whose firm has two offices and 12 agents. He says, for example, that networking with other CRS members recently translated into the $600,000 sale of two condos. “And just last week I got a referral for a $1.5 million commercial listing, simply because my name appeared in the national CRS directory,” says de Camara. “If I do nothing else but list that property, the commission will pay for a lifetime membership for me – and my kids – in the CRS organization.” de Camara, who also holds the GRI, ePro, CRB and RRS designations, says the professional development that he’s invested in since getting into real estate in 1999 has also served as a valuable educational tool that can’t be obtained through reading or handson experience. “There’s simply no substitute for professional development in this industry,” says de Camara, who adds that his career would not have advanced to its current level without the additional education and credentials.

“My development progressed conventionally starting with the GRI and working through to the CRS, and to the ePro,” says de Camara, who is currently preparing to take the CCIM series for commercial REALTORS®.

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“Then as my company grew, I needed the skills to manage and lead the staff that we had, which then led to the CRB and, eventually, to the RRS for the resort industry.”

Knowing that many real estate professionals are reluctant to dedicate the time or money required to earn their designations for fear that the return on investment will be minimal or nil, de Camara says agents should first get their sales volume to a point where taking time off and investing the money in such goals is feasible. Once there, he says licensees who devote 10 percent of their time to honing those skills will receive the most out of their investment.

“The big question for agents is always, ‘How will I ever do this, and survive being away from my workflow for two to four days … not contributing to the cash flow?’ “ de Camara says.

“The thing is, you always manage to make it, and to come back stronger, more educated and ready to work even harder. You’ll be able to do more in less time, and raise your output ratio as a result.”

Professionalize Yourself Few would argue the fact that the real estate market has become increasingly competitive over the last few years. Not only are there more agents out there scouting around for

buyers and sellers, but there are also market issues to contend with as the entire nation swings back to a more normalized selling environment. No longer simply “taking orders” as they did during the market boom of the late-1990s and early2000s, real estate agents now have to differentiate themselves to get the listing or attract the buyer who is ready to purchase.

Having watched the North Carolina Association of REALTORS®’ membership increase from 16,000 in the early 1990s to more than 43,000 today, Chris Rhodes, director of professional development, says the need for continuing education and designations has increased significantly for agents who want to grow their businesses to their maximum potential. “Even though the market is not quite as strong as it has been in some areas, it hasn’t stopped the influx of new and younger agents into the business,” says Rhodes. “With that increase in membership comes an increased demand for postlicensing training.” (continued on page 30)

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Significant payoffs come for the time and money spent on professional development

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PD 101 Rhodes points to the GRI (Graduate REALTOR® Institute) as a good starting point for agents looking for solid professional development opportunities. Developed for members of the National Association of REALTORS® and offered through state associations, the GRI program comprises 90 hours of coursework on topics such as marketing and servicing listed properties and real estate law.

“The GRI is the first stop for a newly licensed agent,” says Rhodes, who adds that the program is geared to those who have been in the business for one to three years.” The coursework includes topics like selling a home, financing options, property management and other key issues. “It helps you hone your skills and become better at what you’ve already learned in the pre-licensing class, which, although quite effective, doesn’t prepare you for the things you’ll face in everyday real estate.” adds Ellie Darling, the association’s assistant director of professional development.

To earn their GRI designations, REALTORS® attend three different series of courses, each of which takes four days. The NC Association of REALTORS® rotates the GRI schedule (it’s held at various locations around

What the Initials Mean GRI - The Graduate REALTOR® Institute A commitment to a strong educational foundation www.ncrealtors.org/ncreef/GRI.pdf CRS - The Certified Residential Specialist Advanced training in listing and selling, plus production www.ncchaptercrs.com CRB - The Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager Brokerage and real estate business management specialization www.crb.com/requirements SRES - The Senior Real Estate Specialist A desire to serve and support maturing clients www.seniorsrealestate.com/sarec ABR - The Accredited Buyer Representative Excellence in buyer representation www.rebac.net/Home.aspx ALC - The Accredited Land Consultant A premier land-brokerage designation www.rliland.com

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the state) so that members have an gave her many of the “basic tools for opportunity to complete the program running a business” that she was seekat their own pace. Attendees have five ing at the time. years to complete the requirements, The GRI provided Rolfe with an although Darling says the agent who is added benefit: the confidence she willing to put the time into the travel needed to do a little real estate investand coursework can finish it in three to ing of her own. Today she owns five four months. single-family rental The next logical properties that are step is the CRS, says fully occupied withLeadership Academy Says Rhodes. The highest out ever having to ‘Designate in ’08 designation awarded have been adverto sales associates in tised or marketed.

The participants of the NC REALthe residential sales She’s since earned ® TORS Leadership Academy recognize field, the CRS desigher CRS, a designathe importance of professional development. Four members of the Class of nation is currently tion that she says 2007 chose this topic as their team held by more than helped her move to project and developed a catchy slogan: 39,000 licensees a new level within “Designate in ’08.” across the nation the industry.

Bob de Camara, Brooke Cashion, and recognizes “The GRI proKristina Farrell and Susan Lacy created a brochure and video to promote professional accomgram set the pace, professional development awareness, plishments in both while the CRS highlighting the many benefits of production and eduexpanded on the designations, including financial cation. To earn the theories and the advantages, referral opportunities and designation, agents ideas,” says Rolfe, access to valuable resources.

One idea suggested by the four must have a certain who takes every is future development of a dedicated number of sales continuing educaWeb site to provide detailed informaunder their belts, tion course availtion for real estate professionals interand attend a series able, including one ested in increasing their knowledge of classes. “If the GRI and income. recently that covis the master’s ered home septic degree of real systems. “I’m estate,” says Darling, passionate about “then the CRS is the doctoral degree.” adding knowledge both for my busiIn return for the money and time ness, and as a way to be a better agent it takes to earn the CRS, agents for my buyers.” become one of the 4 percent of Each of the designation programs licensees who make an average of offered by the state association are $160,000 annually, more than four actually managed by a group of deditimes as much as the $39,300 that the cated REALTORS® who serve on the ® board of directors of the North average REALTOR earns selling real estate. “Surveys show that agents who Carolina Real Estate Education have this and other designations earn Foundation (NCREEF), the educational more money,” Rhodes says. “It’s been arm of the NC Association of REALproven that if you have these designaTORS®. Rolfe is a current member of the NCREEF board, and her belief in tions, you are among the elite.” the importance of professional develAt Your Fingertips opment is typical of those who serve Licensed since 2003, Jane Rolfe, with her. broker at Century 21 The Realty Group Measuring the Benefits in Greenville, says she got involved To make sure his customers and with professional development right colleagues know just how much time out of the starting gate. She started and effort he’s put into professional with her ABR (Accredited Buyer development, de Camara displays all of Representative), which she was able to take in an online format that didn’t require travel or classroom time. She then moved to her GRI, and says it (continued on page 32)

Transitional Land Determine optimum use of property by learning the financial aspects that impact land in transition.

Land in transition is everywhere: agricultural land is being converted into recreational uses and urban brownfields into commercial and residential uses, just to name a few. This course helps land professionals analyze options and determine the optimum use of a property by learning about financial aspects; physical considerations; and governmental, legal and 3 economic factors that impact land in transition. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to package transitional land for sale and develop a plan that addresses market segmentation, seller counseling and property marketing.

Instructor: Course Administrator: Dates: Time: Class Fee: Location: For More Information Contact:

Cindy Chandler (Charlotte, NC) NC Association of REALTORS® November 27-28, 2007 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. $275 on or before November 13, 2007 $300 after November 13, 2007 NCAR Headquarters: Greensboro, NC Contact the NCAR Professional Development Department at 1-800-443-9956

The Transitional Land course counts as 20 credits towards the coveted ALC designation.

Cindy Chandler Instructor

Note: Real Estate License not required.

RLI COURSE REGISTRATION FORM The entire Registration Form must be completed. Please mail or fax the Registration Form along with your registration fee. Make checks payable and mail to: NCREEF, 4511 Weybridge Ln., Greensboro, NC 27407. Phone: 800-443-9956 Fax: 336-218-0463 Website address: www.ncrealtors.org NAME:

COMPANY:

REAL ESTATE LICENSE NUMBER:

CITY:

STATE:

ZIP:

PHONE:

FAX:

E-MAIL:

Please indicate preferred method of payment: Credit Card (VISA or MasterCard only)

Check for $

ADDRESS:

Make check payable to: NCREEF

ACCOUNT NAME:

3 DIGIT SECURITY CODE:

ACCOUNT NUMBER:

EXPIRATION DATE:

SIGNATURE:

TOTAL:

Please check here if you have a disability which will require services at this course, and attach a description of your needs.

PD 101 his credentials on his business cards, literature and online marketing materials. He also spreads the good word by mouth, since not everyone grasps the significance of the acronyms GRI or CRS. “We educate the public on the importance of working with people who believe in the importance of developing themselves and their professional skill sets,” says de Camara of his company.

“We make a pretty big deal of out of it.”

Rolfe, who is currently finishing up her ePro designation, says agents who are strapped for time should seek out online educational opportunities, even though such courses “lose the face-toface interaction with other attendees, and with the speakers and educators.”

Past that, she suggests seeking continuing education courses that are offered locally, particularly for newer agents who can’t yet justify the travel expenses or the time away from the office.

Rhodes encourages all agents who have a few years in the industry to aim for designations such as the GRI and CRS, but also suggests the SRES (for working with clients who are aged 55 and over), CRB (for brokers and office managers, and the ALC (for land brokerage). He says the latter is particularly attractive for agents who are coming into the industry with an interest in land brokerage and development.

Depending upon your exposure and attainment level, de Camara advises all licensees to “jump in with both feet to the GRI,” and then progress to higherlevel courses that either cover broad interests (such as the CRS) or specific niches (such as the SRES or ALC). “With the market as it is, and the level of competition growing, now is the time to get proactive about improving your skills,” says de Camara. “Get in there, get familiar with the opportunities and learn as much as you can.”

See the 2008 educational program schedule on page 7.

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A New Designation Offering from NCREEF The NC Real Estate Educational Foundation (NCREEF) is pleased to now offer its newest professional development opportunity – the online EcoBroker designation. Please note that this is not an NAR designation.

EcoBroker will help you stay current with the growing green real estate market and the opportunities it presents through a core curriculum that offers innovative energy, environmental and green strategies for real estate professionals. Learn to reduce liabilities and increase buyer and seller satisfaction while creating a competitive niche in the marketplace and building your business.

For more information or to register for this online program, log in to the members section of the NC REALTORS® Web site, and click on NCREEF/Education.

HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

by Diane Greene Director of Community Outreach

REALTORS® Charity Challenge Yields Above Par Results Thanks to more than 80 REALTORS®, sponsors and industry leaders, the inaugural REALTORS® Charity Challenge golf tournament in late June was an overwhelming success, raising $17,200 for Homes4NC, the housing opportunity foundation of the North Carolina Association of REALTORS®.

“The tournament more than met our expectations, particularly in that it was a first-year event,” said Danny Brock, the 2007 president of NC REALTORS®. “It was a beautiful day on an outstanding golf course – and for a great cause.”

Before beginning play at historic Starmount Forest Country Club in Greensboro, participants enjoyed a buffet lunch and the opportunity to network with housing professionals from across the state.

Woody Durham, the legendary radio play-by-play voice of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and honorary chairman of the event, kicked off the tournament with a special thanks for the work that REALTORS® do to help ensure that all citizens can realize the American Dream. “It’s an honor to be associated with such a worthy cause,” he said. “You folks are doing great things for those in need in our state.”

The Pinehurst/Southern Pines Association of REALTORS® team won the inaugural REALTORS® Charity Challenge. From left: Marcus Larose, Kay Beran, Scott Lincicome and Buddy Mackey.

From left: Woody Durham, Danny Brock and Tim Kent prior to teeing off.

Show Clients You Care With Homes4NC Contribution

When you enroll in the closing contribution program, Homes4NC will provide you with customized, high-quality certificates to present to your clients.

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Set yourself apart from the competition and show clients that you really care about your community by making a contribution to Homes4NC in their name. Some REALTORS® and housing industry partners have committed a certain amount for each of their closings; others make a contribution as a closing gift.

Either way, your clients will see that you are an ardent supporter of helping those less fortunate in your community achieve homeownership.

“Giving $5 per closing to Homes4NC is an easy way to support a worthwhile cause and show that you care about more than your commission check,” says NC REALTORS® President Danny Brock, whose company has contributed thousands of dollars from closings over the past three years. “When clients find out that you contributed on their behalf, you create more goodwill than any amount of advertising could ever buy you.”

Participating in the closing contribution program is a small gesture that makes a big impression on clients and prospective clients. And getting started is easy. Just visit the “Participation” section of www.Homes-4NC.org or contact Diane Greene at 800-443-9956 for more information and an enrollment form.

HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

Charlotte REALTORS® Give Away Home Homes4NC grants help to real people in communities throughout North Carolina – like Joyce Patton, a first-time homeowner in Charlotte. Patton, the mother of three, won a new home during the Home Giveaway celebration of the Charlotte Regional REALTOR® Association’s Housing CRRA President Dot Munson Opportunity Foundation. The foundation (left) presents Joyce Patton teams with a local builder and the Housing with the key to her new home.

Partnership to give a home away to a participant who successfully completes a homeownership counseling program. For the past three years, Homes4NC has supported these efforts through grants to the CRRA Foundation totaling $10,000.

Homes4NC would like to help more people like Patton, but we can’t do it without you. If your local REALTOR® association is supporting an organization that helps increase housing opportunities, let us double your efforts by providing a matching grant. Our next grant cycle ends Sept. 30. For more information, visit the “Grants” section of www.Homes4NC.org.

Celebrate Housing Heroes at Homes4NC Awards Luncheon Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Oct. 2 and make plans to join us for the premier housing awards program in North Carolina. That’s when REALTOR® leaders and other housing advocates will come together to honor the individuals and organizations who are creating the most innovative solutions to our state’s tough housing challenges.

The 2007 Homes4NC Affordable Housing Achievement Awards will be held that day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® office in Cary. This uplifting affair is your opportunity to network with prominent housing leaders while giving well-deserved recognition to those making a difference for affordable housing. For more information, visit www.Homes4NC.org.

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THE FORMS GUY

By Will Martin General Counsel

Builder’s Warranty at Root of Uneven Ground Dear Forms Guy: I represented a buyer who recently closed on a newly constructed home. She is very happy with the house, but can’t get the builder to come back to fix a few odds and ends. I told her that by law, there is a one-year builder’s warranty that requires him to fix the problems. She wants to send the builder a copy of the law, and I need you to tell me where I can find it.

Sincerely, Sharp Sallie Dear Sallie: I have some bad news for you. There is no such law. This is a common misunderstanding. A builder may offer a warranty but is not required to do so. Your buyer should review the sales and/or construction contract she entered into with the builder to see if it contains a warranty, and if it does, the extent of the warranty. If the parties used the Offer to Purchase and Contract (form 2-T) together with the New Construction Addendum (form 2A3-T), the items that need to be corrected would probably be covered.

Paragraph 8(a) of the Addendum contains a one-year limited warranty of construction which obligates the builder/seller to “… make all necessary repairs and corrections to the house, either interior or exterior, structural or nonstructural, that shall become necessary by reason of faulty construction, labor or materials or non-conformity of construction to the plans and specifications.”

Sallie: The builder insisted that we use his contract form. I told the buyer that it seemed awfully one-sided in favor of the builder, but she said that it wouldn’t be a problem because the two of them go to the same church. I have this bad feeling that the contract doesn’t contain any warranty. Is the buyer out of luck?

Forms Guy: The “odds and ends” that your buyer client wants the builder to fix may or may not be within the scope of the implied warranty of habitability. Under the warranty, the builder/seller warrants that the dwelling, together with all its fixtures, is sufficiently free from major structural defects, and is constructed in a workmanlike manner so as to meet the standard of workmanlike quality prevailing at the time and place of construction. The warranty is limited to latent defects – those not visible or apparent to a reasonable person upon inspection of a dwelling. It has been held by North Carolina courts to cover a variety of defects, including a defective air-conditioning system, a fireplace and chimney that didn’t draw properly, and a defectively constructed garage and driveway.

Sallie: I pulled the construction contract out of my buyer client’s file. It says that the builder disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied. Can the builder exclude the implied warranty of habitability?

Forms Guy: The implied warranty of habitability can be excluded by agreement between the parties. However, according to our courts, it must be done by clear, unambiguous language. A general disclaimer like the one in the construction contract your buyer entered into arguably does not constitute an effective disclaimer or waiver of the implied warranty. On the other hand, in one case, the court held that an express disclaimer of any implied warranty of habitability found in a 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty offered by the builder and accepted by the buyer did constitute an express waiver of the implied warranty.

Sallie: So what should I do now?

Forms Guy: Not necessarily. Although the law does not require a builder to give a warranty, North Carolina’s courts have recognized the existence of a so-called “implied warranty of habitability” that does arise by operation of law, provided that certain requirements are met. Generally, the requirements are: (1) there must be a contract for the sale of a recently completed dwelling or a dwelling then under construction; (2) the seller must be in the business of building such dwellings; and (3) the implied warranty is for only the benefit of the first buyer of the dwelling.

Sallie: Would this implied warranty cover the things my buyer wants fixed?

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Forms Guy: The nature and extent of your buyer client’s warranty rights is a potentially complicated matter. You should direct her to a lawyer for advice on what her legal rights are. In addition to potential warranty rights, she may have other claims against the builder, such as a claim for negligent construction, which is independent of any claim for breach of implied warranty.

Have a question or questions for the Forms Guy? Email Will Martin at wmartin@ncrealtors.org.

(Single) Women Rule: How to Target Those Gen X, Gen Y buyers GUESS WHAT, FOLKS? WOMEN ARE RAPIDLY BECOMING THE SILENT MAJORITY IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKETPLACE. WHILE EVERYONE PAYS ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF THE “TYPICAL FAMILY,” IT SEEMS THAT TOO FEW PEOPLE ARE ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF SINGLE FEMALE REAL ESTATE BUYERS AND SELLERS.

Which of the following groups buys more condominiums: married couples, single men or single women?

( )

The answer is single women. Not only are single women buying more condominiums, the National Association of REALTORS® reports that 22 percent of all home purchases are made by single women as opposed to only 9 percent for single males. In other words, single Gen X and Gen Y women are buying more than twice as much real estate as compared to Gen X and Gen Y men.

Single Gen X and Gen Y women are buying more than twice as much real estate as compared to Gen X and Gen Y men.

In the most recent four months ending in July, condominium sells supported the national statistics for Alec McAlister, a REALTOR® for Yost and Little in Greensboro. Single women outbought single men while almost doubling the number of condominiums bought by married couples. “I do think you are seeing more and more single women owning homes and condominiums,” he says. “They are working really hard and taking all the necessary steps to become a homeowner.” (continued on page 40)

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Generally speaking, Connie Corey, a REALTOR® for Prudential Properties in Greenville and past president of the state association, has seen a surge in both single men and women buying homes. “There is a trend where singles are purchasing homes a lot sooner, certainly more so than five years ago,” she says.

“Generation X and Y are getting married later, and many of them are more financially stable at an earlier age.”

What accounts for these differences? Is it that women are nesters and men are hunter-gatherers? Are women more practical, buying a house while their male counterparts opt for the big-screen television with surround sound?

McAlister attributes a great deal of the difference in homeowner rates between single women and men to the determination and organization that women demonstrate when purchasing a home in the first place. Corey notes that her single female clients tend to ask more questions and do more advance research before even beginning to shop for a home.

“Women tend to always be the planner; they want to know what is going to happen in the future,” Corey says. “Women are not relying on men nearly as much as they once did, so they are focusing on their own portfolio, retirement and investments.”

Consider these facts: >> According to the U.S. Census, 51 percent of all women in the United States live without a spouse. >> Women now account for 57 percent of all college graduates. >> Women continue to outpace men in terms of longevity. Women between the ages of 50 and 70 are not only inheriting their parents’ wealth, many have had their own careers where they have accumulated substantial sums of their own money. If they were mar-

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ried, they may also inherit (or obtain in a divorce settlement) part of what their husbands have accumulated as well. >> While women continue to be under-represented as CEOs in Fortune 500 companies, an increasing number of small businesses are now owned and operated by women. A substantial number of these women work from home.

REALTORS® looking for a good source of business in a slowing market could benefit from becoming a niche specialist who works with single women. To better serve this increasing segment of the market, home in on what different aspects of the single female market want.

Primary Residence or Investment?

While many older single females shy away from investment properties due to the property management issues, a substantial proportion of single Gen X and Gen Y females are putting their money into real estate investments. A primary challenge is that there are very few residential agents who specialize in two- to four-unit investment properties.

Becoming an expert on two- to four-unit investment properties has its advantages. First, assuming the owner will occupy one of the units, you can obtain a conventional loan. Second, many Gen X and Gen Y females prefer to rent and make their first real estate purchase an investment property. Once someone becomes an investor, the individual is more likely to buy additional properties as opposed to someone who only purchases a primary residence. Third, for your clients who have children heading off to college, it’s often more cost-effective for them to buy a condominium or small rental property rather than putting their daughter in a dorm or an apartment.

The Age Effect.

When a woman purchases a primary residence, her age may have a strong influence on the type of property she buys. For example, first-time Gen X and Gen Y buyers are more likely to buy a centrally located loft condominium in a major metropolitan area. The urban lifestyle is highly attractive to many single Gen X and Gen Y women.

In contrast, a boomer female may elect to purroom into her office is another great way to serve this chase a townhouse or condominium that is near her niche. children. Many women also prefer full-service condominium buildings, not only for secuWhere to Find Them?

Join the local chamber of commerce or a similar rity reasons, but for the extra help a organization. Become involved in raising doorman or concierge can provide. A REALTORS® looking money or other charitable activities. Look large proportion of them also love for Gen X and Gen Y women online, at to travel. Having a place that they for a good source church, or by engaging in sports activican lock up and not have to of business in a ties. The point is to meet them on their worry about maintenance is slowing market own turf and to offer a unique set of servanother draw for the full-serviceices customized to meet their specific building lifestyle. As these could benefit from needs. women age, they may elect to becoming a niche “When it comes to single women, it is move into a retirement community specialist. essential to be a good listener,” says where they can have the benefit of McAlister, the Greensboro REALTOR®. companionship and organized group “They need to be able to trust you.” activities.

( )

Home-based Business.

It’s also important to determine whether the woman works at home. If so, having a team of trustworthy professionals who can help her convert a bed-

(This article was reprinted with permission of Inman News.

Contributing was Barbara Mathis, communications specialist for the NC Association of REALTORS®.)

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

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Sept/Oct 2007

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41

REALFAST

By Barbara Sloan Realfast, Director of Sales & Marketing

Old Forms Can Be Used Until November 1

A

lthough the forms changes were effective July >> Follow the instructions to the right of “Your 1, the NC Association of REALTORS®’ Forms Registration Information.”

Use Policy allows permitted users a 60-day >> If you are a Windows Vista user, select the grace period to continue using an old version of a “Need to download the Windows Vista version?” for standard form following a modification of that form. instructions.

So, due to the extensive changes for 2007, you may continue using the old version of the forms under That’s all there is to it. Should you need any an elevated 120-day grace period – until November 1. assistance, please contact a Realfast customer service In addition, the association’s legal counsel strongly representative at 800-571recommends that you 0277. attend one of the forms training classes prior to Why aren’t the new using the new forms. forms available in The new NC REALRealfast Online?

TORS®’ forms have been added to the forms list in We made the decision Realfast 6, our standto focus our resources alone desktop product. toward our new state-of(See the Q&A below for the-art online and offline instructions on updating product, Realfast2Go, as your software to obtain opposed to updating the the new forms). Realfast forms in Realfast Online. will continue to make the The new product will old form versions availreplace Realfast Online, able in Realfast 6 until beginning November 1. If Jo Anne DePriest, Realfast’s Director of Education, November 1 as well. you are still using Realfast demonstrates Realfast2Go to John Wood at the RE/MAX The new NC REALOnline, you may continue Summer Conference in Denver, CO. TORS®’ forms are also in to use it for new transacthe process of being added tions only until November to our new online and offline product, Realfast2Go. 1. You may still access it after that date to complete The old form versions will continue to be included transactions initiated prior to November 1. there as well until November 1.

Since many of the forms in Realfast Online will become obsolete on November 1, it will be necessary How can I get the new NCAR forms updated in my to use an alternate means to complete your contract Realfast 6 software? forms at that time. We recommend using our new You may update your Realfast 6 software to online and offline product, Realfast2Go. obtain the new forms using the following simple steps:

>> Log in at www.ncrealtors.org. Your user name is the email address you have on record with your local board, the NC Association of REALTORS® and NAR. Your password is your NRDS ID number, which can be found above your name on the label of this issue of Insight. >> Select the Realfast logo on the right side of the page. >> Print your registration information at the bottom of the “Forms and Contracts” page.

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®

forms for real estate

2go

Have a question regarding Realfast?

Email Barbara Sloan at bsloan@realfast.com.

REALTOR® BENEFITS

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As a leading Fortune 500 company, we offer comprehensive, professional financial services to help you determine and reach your financial goals. Strategies are designed to help you maximize your wealth to achieve your goals. Both personal and business financial services are offered.

Discounts on Long Term Care Insurance; Disability Income Insurance; Comprehensive Financial Planning Fees; and Retirement Contribution Protection may be available for NC REALTORS® members and to select family members.

Just contact us by phone at toll free at 866-340-9915, or e-mail at ncar@financialhomebuilders.com, or by visiting our Partner page at www.financialhomebuilders.com/ncar.

Discounted auto insurance program. Benefits include rates not available to the general public; prompt, professional service by over 700 agents in NC; convenient monthly payment options; and 24-hr., no hassle claims service.

Special rates not available to the general public.

Call 800-382-0661 and reference media code #8756. Be sure to mention that you are a NC REALTORS® member.

Underwritten by United Concordia, this program offers two plan options, your choice of dentists and a vision plan at no extra cost. Plan is offered and managed by Fidelity Capital Management.

Group rates for dental coverage for individual members; vision discounts are free to dental plan enrollees.

Call 919-876-9610 or visit the Partner page on the NC Association of REALTORS® Web site at www.ncrealtors.org.

Fidelity Capital Management is pleased to offer Blue Advantage individual major medical insurance for members and BlueCross BlueShield Agency benefit plans.

Major medical plans you need with the benefit of a broker working on your behalf; broad range of plan options

Call 919-876-9610 or visit the partner page on the NC Association of REALTORS® Web site at www.ncrealtors.org.

As a sponsored Partner of NC Association of REALTORS® since 1994, Pearl offers association members access to comprehensive Errors & Omissions Insurance, underwritten by XL Insurance. We also offer members home warranty services through our partner American Home Shield (AHS).

NC Association of REALTORS®endorsed E&O provider.

For more information, contact a Pearl representative at 800-289-8170.

You may also visit our Web site at www.pearlins.com.

Limited benefit medical plans offer the health insurance coverage many people need; doctor visits, x-ray and lab work, prescription drugs and limited hospitalization.

Although the plan is not a major medical plan, it can serve as gap coverage for members who have high deductibles, or be important coverage for those with no health insurance.

Guaranteed acceptance regardless of health conditions or age; coverage provided without deductibles, co-pays or networks.

Call 877-925-1840 or visit www.transchoicencar.com

ADVANCED ACCESS is an industry leader in Website development, Web hosting, e-mail marketing and Internet marketing for real estate professionals, and has served the real estate industry since 1985 with more than 30,000 clients nationwide. ADVANCED ACCESS hosts IDX data feeds for approximately 100 Multiple Listing Services nationwide, totaling approximately 1.5 million listings.

NC REALTORS® members will receive discounts of up to 33 percent OFF retail prices on various packages available.

ADVANCED ACCESS can be reached by calling Sales Toll-Free 800-335-1563 or by visiting their Web site at www.AdvancedAccess.com.

Enjoy world class service for office supplies, furniture, technology products and copy and print services at pricing typically reserved for Fortune 1000 companies.

Receive an average of 10% off retail prices.

Simply sign up online to receive the discount. Visit the Partner page on the NC Association of REALTORS® Web site at www.ncrealtors.org.

NC REALTORS® members receive special discounts and services on wireless solutions.

10 percent discount on monthly service plans, up to 30 percent discount on accessories and free activation with a two year contract.

Stop by any company-owned AT&T/Cingular store to activate your account. Provide FAN 2017074 to receive the discount.

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For more information, contact the partner of your choice at the number or Web site given.

Be sure to identify yourself as a NC REALTORS® member to get the great discounts and quality service you deserve.

Visit www.ncrealtors.org or call Kristin Miller at 800-443-9956 for more program information.

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REALTOR® BENEFITS

Business & Technology

BENEFIT

DISCOUNT

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

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There are no enrollment fees or contracts to sign.

$1.50 off UPS Next Day Air® Letters, 10 percent off UPS Next Day Air® Package and UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.® Letter and Package, and 20 percent off UPS Worldwide ExpressSM Letter and Package

For additional discount information or to sign up, call 800-325-7000.

Established in 1981, Systel is the largest dealer of Ricoh and Panasonic office equipment in the state. Systel also offers commercial printing services such as brochures, business cards, letterhead, postcards, and more.

Significant savings on the purchase or lease of copiers, printers and fax machines.

Members also receive $0.25 color copies.

Call 800-849-5300 for more information or 336-808-COPY to contact a representative in your area or visit www.systeloa.com.

Carry the only MasterCard® with the NC Association of REALTORS® logo prominently displayed. When you make your next purchase, you might walk away with a listing or prospect simply by using your new NC Association of REALTORS® credit card.

Low introductory APR, no annual fee, priority customer service, and a year-end summary of charges.

Call 800-523-7666 and mention priority code GAAADW. Also, ask about the new World Points Reward program.

If you call FSBOs, expired listings or referrals, ensure compliance with the Do Not Call laws. Avoid fines as high as $11,000 per violation. For Broker /Owners or individual agents.

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Call 888-OUTSTAFF or visit www.outstaffing.com/ncar_index.com.

DeltaCom is a Southern-based premier provider of integrated telecommunications solutions. At DeltaCom, we believe in helping businesses save time and money by offering competitive pricing on local, long distance, data and internet services, all on one invoice.

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For a NO-OBLIGATION assessment of your existing local, long distance, data and internet service, simply call DeltaCom at 800-239-3000.

Realfast NC Association of REALTORS® Forms software contains all NC Association of REALTORS® and North Carolina Real Estate Commission forms.

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Download software free on NC Association of REALTORS® Web site at www.ncrealtors.org.

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Call Formulator sales at 800-499-9612 or our online store at www.formulator.com.

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END NOTES

Builders Oppose Pollution Controls on Construction Vehicles The National Association of Home Builders has filed a lawsuit against an air pollution control agency in California, saying the agency is illegally attempting to control “indirect” sources of air pollution, specifically, emissions from vehicles involved in home construction.

At the heart of issue is whether builders can be forced to hire consultants to tell them how much pollution their various construction vehicles are putting into the air, and then be fined $1,772 per home for emissions that cannot be mitigated.

N.C. Coast Facing Challenges of Growth Coastal Brunswick County has become the 14th fastest growing county in the country, and, while slowing, Carolina Beach issued more building permits in the past five years than during the previous two decades combined. Just to the north, the average selling price of homes in Wrightsville Beach has nearly tripled since 2001. A less obvious change, though one with potentially huge ramifications, is the rise in water levels.

Each year, the ocean off North Carolina rises about a tenth of an inch, experts say. Restricting development is one possible aid to the problems, though it would not be popular. It also could affect the coast’s economy, which is driven by tourism and construction.

Lenoir Woos Google Inc. With Major Incentives Lenoir has just about everything mighty Google Inc. wants cheap, abundant electricity; excess water capacity to keep the computers cool; and lots of inexpensive land. The digital titan, based in Mountain View, Calif., has been hunting for places to plant new server farms: vast, immaculate warehouses filled with row upon row of computers that allow Google to offer faster online searches and advertisements. North Carolinians agreed to a package of tax breaks, infrastructure upgrades, and other goodies valued at $212 million over 30 years, or more than $1 million for each of the 210 jobs Google said it eventually hoped to create in Lenoir.

Okracoke Island Named ‘America’s Best Beach’ The Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach on Ocracoke Island was named the number one beach on Dr. Beach’s top 10 beaches list for 2007. Dr. Beach is well known for his annual ranking of the top 10 beaches in America as well as a list of certified clean beaches.

The island, surrounded by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, is known for its clean water, sand and unspoiled natural beauty.

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Asheville Selected Best Southern Town Asheville was recently honored as Outside magazine’s choice of best Southern town. In each region of the country, it selected the best town with a population of fewer than 100,000 people and the best city with a population of more than 100,000 people (Atlanta was named the best city). Asheville has been named a top city to live in, work in or visit by a host of publications through the years, including Money Magazine, Southern Living and Forbes.

Diversity Scholarship Available for Vision Quest Are you interested in bringing more diversity to your local and state REALTOR® associations? If so, you’ll want to apply for a Diversity in Leadership Scholarship to attend the Vision Quest leadership program coming up Dec. 3-4 in Greensboro. Awarded by the NC REALTORS® Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity Committee, the scholarships will provide up to $250 in financial assistance to as many as five first-time attendees. Applicants should be REALTORS® who have not previously attended Vision Quest and who come from what they consider to be an underrepresented demographic group. The application deadline is October 12. Sign up for a scholarship today and watch your career soar! Visit the “Events & Calendar” section of www.ncrealtors.org for an application or contact Diane Greene at 800-4439956.

Home Sales Prices Being Kept Secret in Some States In a handful of states, home sale prices are not a matter of public record. In several others, you’ll have to extrapolate the sales price from the transfer tax the state collects on every ownership change. Thirty seven states now have full disclosure, and six states – Arkansas, Delaware, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Tennessee – offer only transfer-tax data.

Seven states are classified as nondisclosure states: Alaska, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and Utah. Missouri qualifies because parts of that state, including St. Louis and St. Charles counties, have passed full-disclosure ordinances Raleigh Named Top City To Sell A Home Forbes.com has named Raleigh the best city in the country for selling a home. Other top cities included San Francisco, California; Austin, Texas; San Antonio, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri. The ranking was based on several sales criteria, including data from Moody’s Economy.com and the National Association of REALTORS®.

END NOTES

State Adopts Guidelines for Subprime Loans North Carolina has adopted national regulatory guidance on subprime, adjustable-rate mortgage loans, the office of the state commissioner of banks recently confirmed. The Conference of State Bank Supervisors, the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators and the National Association of Consumer Credit Administrators developed the guidelines, which are meant to apply to lenders that aren’t regulated by federal agencies. The bank commissioner’s office says the adoption of the standards addresses practices that have led to foreclosures and mortgage fraud.

“2007 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences” Released Extra garage space with two or more spaces in their homes is just one of many features home buyers are looking for, according to the “2007 Profile of Buyers’ Home Feature Preferences,” recently released by the National Association of REALTORS®. The number of buyers expressing a desire for oversized garages

grew 16 percentage points since NAR’s last survey of buyer preferences in 2004. About 57 percent of home buyers surveyed now say they want an oversized garage. What’s more, among buyers who purchased homes without big garages, 56 percent said they would have paid more for an oversized garage, compared to only 6 percent in the 2004 survey. NAR’s latest home buyer preference survey asks buyers about the importance of 75 home features and room types.

Survey: NAR Members Differ with MLS Execs Support is growing for large-scale multiple listing service consolidation, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of REALTORS®’ Center for REALTOR® Technology. However, the ideal MLS size for members of the National Association of REALTORS® is statewide while MLS executives prefer market area or metropolitan area size. MLS data-sharing and consolidation have been a hot topic in the industry, with the National Association of REALTORS® and some state and local REALTOR® groups pursuing initiatives that may serve to shape the future of the nation’s MLS system.

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

By Tim Kent Executive Vice President

Local Referendums on Transfer Tax Coming Soon

U

nless you have been traveling all summer or just been incredibly busy, you probably already know the news.

Counties will have the option to put both a 1/4 cent sales tax and a .4 percent transfer tax on their ballots, but can only impose one. If the transfer tax is approved and implemented locally, the current .2 percent deed stamp tax would effectively be increased to .6 percent. On a $200,000 home, sellers currently have to pay $400 at closing. Under this proposed tax, the sellers would have to pay an additional $800.

Some counties may choose to pursue a 1/4 cent sales tax option. Other counties – especially those without a substantial retail base – may focus in on the transfer tax. Some counties may decide not to push for any new taxes at all. Ultimately, the local county commissioners will be responsible for deciding what goes on the local ballot – and when.

How Did This Get Through the Legislature?

In early 2007, there was a big change in the House leadership with a group of Triangle Democrats taking charge. Those leaders have been longtime vocal supporters of transfer taxes. Since late January, the NC Association of REALTORS® and our allies with the NC Home Builders Association have been lobbying against any kind of transfer tax. So how did the local tax option win favor? As Dan Kane of The News & Observer wrote on July 29: “The Senate, meanwhile, gave in on the House leaders’ Medicaid relief package, which includes language that gives counties the option to raise their sales taxes by a quarter-penny or increase their land transfer taxes from .2 percent to .6 percent if voters approve. (Governor) Easley had supported House leaders in their position, even though legislative leaders in both chambers said a land transfer tax option would never pass by itself.”

A handful of N.C. House Democrats, led by Speaker Joe Hackney, forced the transfer tax into the state’s $20 billion budget. Only three Democrats voted against the budget – Reps. Jimmy Love (Lee) and Lorene Coates (Rowan), along with Sen. John Snow (Cherokee). Only one Republican, Sen. Fletcher Hartsell (Cabarrus), voted in favor of the budget.

Sen. David Hoyle (Gaston) said his fellow Democrats underestimate the political damage they will take from Republicans. “They’ll kill you with it,” Hoyle said.

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Political Aftermath: How Did We Fare?

In the aftermath of the budget deal, some political pundits reached a speedy conclusion that the REALTORS® lost big during this session. Here, though, is some more mature analysis from Tom Campbell of the NC Spin TV program: “Realtors avoided a statewide 1 percent real estate transfer tax. It wasn’t even allowed in counties without passage of a referendum by voters in the county. The level of awareness of this tax was heightened to a point where its passage will be difficult to achieve in many, if not, all counties.”

That last sentence is crucial. Our most recent poll (July 24) indicates 77 percent of the N.C. public is opposed to a real estate transfer tax. Since the end of March, we have been educating the public about this issue through television, radio, newspaper, direct mail and our Web site at www.itsabadidea.org.

The original legislative proposal was to have a 1 percent statewide transfer tax. A statewide 1 percent tax would have had a fiscal year 2008 impact of about $700 million on N.C. property owners. Legis-lative Fiscal Research says that if all 100 counties were to adopt the .4 percent transfer tax (highly unlikely), the taxpayer impact would be $246 million for fiscal year 2008. The 1/4 cent sales tax (if adopted by all counties) would yield $247 million in fiscal year 2008.

The Impact Going Forward New legislation now allows counties to have the option of placing either a .4 percent transfer tax or a 1/4 cent sales tax on a local ballot for voter approval. The Fiscal Research department of the N.C. General Assembly has prepared comparative numbers to gauge the difference in revenue generated by the two proposed taxes.

County

FY 2008 .4% transfer tax

FY 2008 1/4 cent sales tax

Brunswick Buncombe Cabarrus Cumberland Durham Guilford Mecklenburg New Hanover Wake

$11,147,593 $7,855,478 $5,446,998 $4,693,363 $8,162,970 $10,794,147 $35,552,814 $10,384,340 $31,922,243

$2,957,953 $8,143,413 $5,172,945 $8,374,921 $9,189,038 $16,457,939 $35,658,237 $8,453,834 $28,078,376

The transfer tax battle was the major news story in Raleigh for several weeks in July. During the last month of the legislative session, supporters of the transfer tax (The Partnership for N.C.’s Future) aggressively attacked the NC Association of REALTORS® and loudly criticized the so-called “standard 6 percent REALTOR® commission.” The vast majority of our 44,000 members have been very supportive of our efforts to Stop the NC Home Tax. In a July 29 viewpoint column in the Charlotte Observer, Pat Riley, president of the Allen Tate Company, put it all in perspective: “Why then have we (REALTORS®) campaigned against the tax? Because we represent the constituents of the legislators who are being lobbied to impose it. The tax would make homes less affordable, and we’re the only organized group that can speak for the homeowners, who are not organized.”

Riley is right on. This issue is all about housing affordability, and REALTORS® are protecting the interests of North Carolina homeowners. It appears likely that there will be a number of county transfer tax referendums across the state beginning this fall. It’s equally likely that we will continue to be involved in voter education.

The battle, in fact, has just begun.

Supporting Our Cause Many of the state’s largest and most influential firms demonstrated their support of our campaign through the following statement: “As owners and principals of some of the largest real estate firms in North Carolina, we applaud the efforts of the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® in educating the public about the real estate transfer tax. This tax amounts to an assault on housing affordability and will price many N.C. citizens out of the housing market. A targeted tax on home sellers is an inappropriate way for government to fund services that benefit the entire community.”

Pat Riley & Allen Tate The Allen Tate Co., Charlotte

George Laney Laney Real Estate, Wilmington

Johnny Morisey & John Hawkins Fonville Morisey, Raleigh

Danny Brock Century 21 Brock, Wilmington

Neal Hanks Beverly-Hanks, Asheville

Jimmy Townsend Townsend Real Estate, Fayetteville

Eddie Yost Yost & Little, Greensboro

Don Walston Coldwell Banker Howard Perry & Walston, Raleigh

“A CRS designee’s income is more than four times higher than the median income ($38,000) of other REALTOR® sales associates.”

– 2005 NAR Survey

E

arn your CRS in 2007 – right here in North Carolina!

The North Carolina Real Estate Educational Foundation, sponsors of the first and finest REALTOR® Institute in the nation, will offer three courses in 2007.

Basic Registration Fee per course is $300. *Early Bird Registration Fee per course is $275.

Audit Fee: If you already hold the CRS designation, you may audit an NCREEF CRS course for $200. *Early bird refers to registration applications received in our office at least two weeks prior to the course.

On-site registration ($350) is allowed, but not encouraged, due to material and space availability. Telephone registrations are not allowed. Cancellation requests must be in writing to the Administrative Director and must be received in the NCREEF office three working days prior to the start of the course. Fee for cancellation is $50.

Technologies to Advance Your Business CRS 206

Building An Exceptional Customer Service Referral Business CRS 210

October 11-12, 2007

December 6-7 2007

Greensboro Grandover Resort Hotel Instructor: Pat Zaby, CRS, CCIM

Greensboro Grandover Resort Hotel Instructor: Franklin Serio, CRS, CRB

For a registration form, go to www.ncrealtors.org and click on Education & Events, or call 1-800-443-9956.

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