OSCAR ReView - May 2010 issue

May 2010

WHY VOTE “NO” ON AMENDMENT 4?

Part Two – The Consequences

By Veronica Malolos Last month, I wrote to you concerning the real facts of Amendment 4 (the actual ballot language and publically filed statements) along with a link to an independent financial impact report.

Perhaps it was rather dry reading, but it was important. Now it’s time to address the constitutional and business reality of Amendment 4.

The grassroots group “Floridians for Smarter Growth”, organized by a diverse group of community leaders, has this to say:

members. If these are the consequences for St. Pete Beach, calculating the exponential impact in our own Central Florida footprint is both alarming and uncertain. In voting on Amendment 4, it has never been more important to know the facts and consider the consequences.

VOTE “NO” ON AMENDMENT 4!

According to the FSG statement entitled “Amendment 4: Bad for Hometowns, Worse for Democracy, “Amendment 4—a statewide ‘Vote on Everything’ initiative—is a grave threat to Florida’s future. This proposed re-write of the Florida Constitution will imperil Florida’s economy and unique quality-of-life. The amendment subverts a well-established and democratic planning process while threatening Florida’s prospects for economic recovery. With the ‘Vote on Everything’ amendment, citizens—not the representatives they elected—are forced to regularly decide hundreds of technical landuse planning issues at the ballot box”.

“The ‘Vote on Everything’ amendment has been a disaster in St. Pete Beach—the small Pinellas County town that adopted a local version of this proposal in 2006. Since then, residents have suffered through endless litigation and economic shutdown that has turned their small community into a battleground for out-of-town lawyers and special interest groups.”

Tim Weisheyer and Riva Alexander

St. Pete Beach was forced to raise property tax rates.

Their economy, hindered by an impossible growth management process, has suffered greatly. What’s more, when St. Pete Beach voters approved four progrowth changes to their comprehensive land use plan in 2008, Amendment 4 lawyers sued to overturn the results of the election. To date, the taxpayers of St. Pete Beach have shouldered over half-a-million dollars in legal fees tied to their local version of Amendment 4; they are still defending their vote in court. According to Ryan Houck, the Executive Director of Citizen’s for Lower Taxes and a Stronger Economy, “ the costs to St. Pete Beach—a small town of only 10,000 residents—would pale in comparison to the cost of imposing this measure upon every community in Florida.”

The St. Pete Beach community is considered a rather closed, isolated market without the fluid business parameters, competitive overlays, mobility and current bank-owned property ratio’s served by our

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May 2010

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May 2010

TECHNOLOGY OMMITTEE Update UPDATE TechnologyCCommittee Internet Running Slow? Maybe This Is The Problem.

Kemp Howland, GRI, SFR OSCAR Technology Committee Does your Internet connection seem slow to you? That is because it is!

The United States, once considered the leader in high-tech, has fallen to the bottom of the heap when it comes to keeping its citizens on the cutting edge of Information Technology (I.T.).

According to the Digital Journal, internet speed in Japan is 61 megabits per second, or nearly 30 times faster than the United States’ median broadband speed of 1.97 megabits per second.

The Communication Workers of America (CWA) are now advising the United States to improve speed or lose big in the world economy. Other countries that have a higher speed than the United States are South Korea (45 megabits), France (17 megabits), and Canada (7 megabits).

Unless you want to move to Japan, the only way we are going to see higher speeds from our Internet infrastructure is to demand it from our legislators. This problem was completely ignored during the last decade of the previous millennium, and the current administration, although more aware of the situation, has not taken the necessary steps to get us back on track.

We will never be able to take advantage of the available marketing technology (home sale videos, branding videos, etc.) until the Internet is able to deliver our message instantly.

We have to start asking our local, state, and national representatives a simple question or two: "Why not us? Why not now?"

The USA is far behind other industrialized nations in high-speed Internet access and will never catch up without quick action by public-policymakers, a report commissioned by the CWA warns.

CWA President Larry Cohen said, "We have pathetic speeds compared to the rest of the world.

People do not pay attention to the fact that the country that started the commercial Internet is falling woefully behind. I believe it is woeful to have such low speeds in the United States. While speed may not be a big issue now, the near future will demand it, with such things as research and entertainment industries requiring a speedy connection."

Here is how you and I, as REALTORS®, are affected by this deficit: A 10-megabyte file takes about 15 seconds to download with a 5-megabit connection.

Download time with a 545-kilobit connection, about the entry-level speed in many areas: almost 2.5 minutes. With 60 megabits, it takes about 0.16 seconds. With large movie files downloading this becomes especially painful, as downloading a 4.5 GB file at a 5 megabit connection (the United States’ "high speed" connection), it takes 15 minutes, where as the high-speed 60 megabit connection in Japan can download the file in a mere 1.25 seconds.

This makes it virtually impossible to download a one or two minute video about you, your company, or your listing in a reasonable amount of time.

People want instant access, but our current internet infrastructure keeps them waiting. This may be ok if they are simply looking for photos of their children or grandchildren. However, when they want information on one or more of our listings, they need as much data as possible in as little time as possible, and that is where it becomes a problem.

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May 2010

Public Policy Commitee The City of Kissimmee, Florida City of Kissimmee competes for ‘Google Fiber for Communities’.

The City of Kissimmee is requesting to be considered as a test site for Google’s new ultrahigh speed Internet service. Google is accepting applications from cities across the country with the intent to install fiber optic broadband networks that will deliver speeds of one gigabit per second to as many as 500,000 Americans.

To v i e w t h e v i d e o p r e s e n t a t i o n , v i s i t www.googleforkissimmee.com.

The City of Kissimmee reported decreases in robbery, aggravated assault, and motor vehicle theft. The number of major crimes in the City of Kissimmee increased 3.7 percent compared to 2008. The increase could be credited in a large part to a rise in burglary and larceny, which increased 17.5 percent and 4.1 percent, respectively, according to the statistics. Burglaries within the City of Kissimmee increased to 877 last year, slightly less than the 886 high reported in 2007. Larceny, or theft, in the city had a lower percentage increase – to 1,892. The most recent high in that category, by far the most prevalent category of crime throughout the county, came in 2003 with a reported 2,179 thefts.

While in the downtown area of the City of Kissimmee, you may wish to attend The Hispanic Business Initiative Fund, How to Start a Business, a Spanishlanguage workshop, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce, 1425 E. Vine St. Free; 407-428-5872 or visit www.hbiforlando.org.

The Villages of Poinciana Osceola County Commissioners, at their April 12 meeting, discussed The Southport Connector, a long-discussed roadway that would go from Cypress Parkway in Poinciana to the Florida’s Turnpike and to Canoe Creek Road near St. Cloud. The first segment would have an estimated $217 million price tag for construction alone. The 13-mile first segment generally would go through the area immediately south of Lake Tohopekaliga, and is within the area of the county covered by what is called the South Lake Toho Conceptual Master Plan. The second segment of the Southport Connector would extend from Canoe Creek Road eastward, north of Lake Gentry, south of and then east of Alligator Lake, east of Narcoossee to someday connect with State Road 528. Often referred to as the southern extension of State Road 417, this segment of the connector could cost from $640 million to $660 million to build, depending on the alignment.

Submitted by: Robert Loos, Broker Robert@EllisRealty.net 321-284-2560 Your Osceola: Public Policy Committee

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May 2010

A Nichol’s Worth of of Information A Nichol’s Worth Information

By Nick Nichols Carol K. Platt Association Executive ae@osceola-realtors.com Carol Harstad Communications Coordinator communications@osceola-realtors.com Bob St. Gordon Controller accounts@osceola-realtors.com Anneris Rivera Education / Member Services Representative memberservices@osceola-realtors.com Yessica Colon Member Services Representative membership@osceola-realtors.com

ASSOCIATION OFFICE 1105 Shady Lane Kissimmee, Florida 34744 www.osceolarealtors.org Email: communications@osceolarealtors.com 407.846.0117 • 407.846.0217 fax

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS In order to share the wealth of information contained in this newsletter in an efficient manner, please submit your articles via e-mail or fax by the 10th of the month. Please clearly indicate that submission is for the Osceola ReVIEW. Articles: communications@osceola-realtors.com Advertising: accounts@osceola-realtors.com For advertising inquiries please contact Bob St. Gordon at the Association Office. Your advertising defrays the cost of publishing. Thank you for your support.

The Osceola ReVIEW is published exclusively for the Association by Osceola Press Kissimmee, Florida 407.933.1820 • 407.933.1835 fax graphics@osceolapress.com Disclaimer: The Osceola ReVIEW is published for the members and affiliates of Osceola County Association of REALTORS®, Inc. by Osceola Press as a courtesy. Osceola Press nor the Association assume any responsibility for article content or advertising message as submitted for inclusion in the newsletter. Advertising and articles are not endorsed by the Association, nor is there any implied warranty by the Association or its staff.

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The following facts should be followed if you do not want to hear from the Florida Real Estate Commission and/or the REALTOR® Code of Ethics:

1. Q. Must a licensee disclose to the seller the fact that the prospective buyer is related to the licensee?

A. YES. Failure to disclose may result in the licensee being both civilly liable to the seller and subject to disciplinary action by FREC. 2. Q. Can a broker be disciplined for failing to disclose to the seller that the purchaser of property is an employee or an independent contractor associated with the broker?

A. YES. Given that the broker is either the listing or the participating broker, the rationale underlying the need to disclose as discussed above in 1-Q is applicable to an even greater extent where the purchaser is an employee or an independent contractor (agent) associated with the broker. Should the broker fail to fully inform and gain the consent of the seller, the seller may pursue any or all of the following remedies: (a.) rescind the transaction, (b.) forfeiture of commission and /or (c.) monetary damages.

Additionally, it should be noted that the Florida Real Estate Commission is empowered to discipline a licensee without a showing of actual damage to the seller.

DEARDear OSCAR Oscar Dear Oscar, I have been your friend for 20 some years, and you know that I am honest. The reason that I am writing you is to ask you what you think about this DBPR/FREC stuff. I had a real estate license for 15 years and I just got tired of sending my money every year for my license. So, I just didn’t get it one year and have not got another one. They do not seem to care because they have never said a word about all the contracts that I have closed. I never did like listing property, so I just work with buyers and if the Realtor asked about my license, I just sell another Realtor’s listing who seems to not care because they never even mention my license. If I need any contract forms or any information about new stuff that I need to know, I just call a Realtor and they were most of the time very nice and helped me out. It saved me a lot of money. Oscar… do you think that I am doing wrong?

Sly Slickone

Dear Sly, Well yes, I have known you for a long time Sly and hope that you stop right now working without a real estate license!! I hope that you like to work out and lift weights behind bars and have a 6 foot 8 inch tall… 320 pound ugly roommate.

Sly, even when you had a license you were kinda sneaky and I am sure that you did not even know for years that your license expired. Anyway my lost friend, Section 475.42 (1) (a), Florida Statutes was amended July 1, 2003 and now stipulates that a person who operates as a broker or sales associate without being the holder of a valid and current active license “commits a felony of the third degree.” A felony of the third degree can be punishable by a term of imprisonment up to 5 years. So my lost friend, I urge you to immediately get your license. If you are caught… you are gone.

Always your friend, Oscar

May 2010

AE P ERSPECTIVE AE Perspective Capitalizing on Member Benefits

By Carol K. Platt, CRB In my relatively short time with the Osceola County Association of REALTORS®, I have had the opportunity to play a part in building committees and watching members grow in their leadership and responsibilities. The potential for this association and the real estate industry as a whole is unlimited based on my initial observations. As your staff reaches out to each member to create a comprehensive database of membership skills and talents, please respond. It is hard for us to “sing your praises” within our community, state, and nationally without knowing more about you. We want to serve you better by knowing you more!

We also want you to know more about the benefits you receive through membership. Often I will hear, that a member was unaware of a service so, we will continue to communicate those benefits to help you better utilize your investment in us: 1. CE Credits – OSCAR plans CE Credited Courses to satisfy members’ state CE requirements every year – at no extra cost to members 2. Notary Service – no extra cost to members 3. Marketing Sessions – opportunities to network and influence cooperative transactions 4. Business Alliances – notifications of community and business events 5. Public Policy monitoring – issues that affect you and your client’s pocketbook are monitored nationally, statewide and within your local county and municipal governments and governmental entities 6. Statistical Data – information to assist each member in market and business strategy 7. OsceolaRealtors.org - Comprehensive Website Portal – a “one stop shop” providing links to constantly utilized industry sites – when we can save you time, we can also save you money!

8. Affiliate contacts – immediate access to member vendors with a track record of servicing the multiple needs within the real estate industry who are local and interested in your success Many years ago this association joined forces with other Central Florida associations to create one of the best multiple listing services in the nation, Mid-Florida REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. MFRMLS is a major member benefit, but we have more! We also seek more! Do not hesitate to contact us with service opportunities that you would like to have available for yourself and your fellow REALTORS®. That information will be forwarded on to your respective committee and executive leadership for consideration by your association.

I also want to share with you an underutilized benefit from NAR, the REALTORS® Federal Credit Union!

Check it out at: http://www.realtor.org/realtor_benefits/credit+union This is an opportunity that so many in leadership have requested for years and it is finally available, so use it!

NNew EW M EMBER Member W ELCOMETeam TEAM Welcome Welcome New Members

By Susan Graves One of the goals of the New Member Welcome Team is to provide our newest members with knowledge about their Association, its education opportunities, its benefits, and how the Association can help them grow their business and stay on top of current events in Real Estate.

The New Member Orientation takes place on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 10:00 am in the OSCAR building. You will hear from some of our Committee chairs, get some great contact information, and receive an informative orientation from our knowledgeable and dedicated staff. New affiliate members are welcome to attend as well, and it is a great opportunity to network.

This year, we are encouraging ALL our members to GET INVOLVED. The Tuesday morning marketing meetings are growing and always informative. Our President, Veronica Malolos, recently encouraged the membership to consider joining one of our committees (descriptions and a committee selection form can be found on our web site at http://OsceolaRealtors.org) and to attend our events.

Finally, remember – OSCAR is not just a building on Shady Lane – it is all of us working together to make this the best Association in Florida.

So again, I say WELCOME – Let’s get started!

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May 2010

2010 N ATIONAL SSOCIATION OF REALTORS® 2010 National AAssociation of REALTORS® Leadership Academy Participant

By Hope Andrews, GRI As I approach, my final academic session during the National Association of REALTORS® MidWinter Meetings in Washington, DC, I wanted to thank the Osceola County Association of REALTORS® for their support in recommending me to this program. Over the past year, I have attended four modules. At Session I: Exploring the First Rule of Leadership – Know Yourself, The Pacific Institute presented a course called “Excellence in Leadership” where I learned so much about the mental habits necessary for both personal and professional efficacy.

In Session 2: Best Practices and Lessons Learned, I was able to discuss NAR’s organizational structure and scope, as well as, “how to get things done” with past NAR Presidents. As many of you know, I value the advice of past presidents, both locally at OSCAR, and nationally. In Session 3: Realtor Smith Goes to Washington, not only did I get a full overview of NAR’s Community and Political Affairs Division, but I joined with fellow academy members in discussing federal policy matters critical to ourselves and our clients. This month Session 4 will focus on facing our industry challenges prior to graduation. I have truly enjoyed networking with fellow leadership to advance the cause of both OSCAR and Florida REALTOR® (FR) members.

However, an even greater goal for me is to make sure that all of my fellow REALTORS® right here at home are as involved in our NAR as they can be and want to be. May 24th, 2010 is the deadline for applications to participate in NAR Committees. After that, the nominating committee will select its participants for the 2011 governance year. As a Leadership Academy participant, I have been asked to nominate four members so, please let me know of your interest! A complete committee roster with duties and qualifications listed can be found at http://www.realtor.org/nar_governance .

Please, please update your expertise profile on www.Realtor.org because this is the information that will be utilized by the nominating committee in making those selections. It is also the information that the NAR uses to contact interested members when their area of expertise is needed for our industry. If any of our members have applied to participate in the 2011 NAR Leadership Academy, please contact me as well.

Leadership Class, I am proud to be a REALTOR® and to serve our members.

National Association of REALTORS® 2010 Leadership Academy

Front row, from left to right: Nancy Suvarnamani, ABR, CIPS, CRB; John Kretchmar; Hope Andrews, GRI; Kenney Hubble, GRI; Genette Falk; and Dwayne Carte, ABR, SRES. Middle row, from left to right: Jeremy Starr, CIPS, CRB, CRS; Cindy Marsh-Tichy, ABR, CRS, GRI, PMN, SRES, Green; Sandi Pfister, CRS, GRI; Annie Blatz, ABR, CIPS, CRB; Bonnie SmithAllen, ABR, CIPS, CRB, CRS, GRI; Patty Kelley, CRS; Melrose Forde, CRS, GRI, PMN; Hanne Sagalowsky, ABR, CIPS, CRS, SRES; Sherry Pullens; Cynthia Ragland, ABR, CRB, CRS, SRES; Todd Shipman, CIPS, GRI. Back row, from left to right: Jared Martin, CCIM, GRI; Dick Brogan, ABR, CRS, GRI; Stephen Antoni; Michael Indest, GRI, SRES; Patrice Willetts, ABR, SRES; Dwight Hale, ABR, ABRM, CRB, CRS, GRI, PMN, SRES; Kristen Greenlaw, ABR, GRI, SRES; Chris Nichols; Mark Palace, CIPS; Alvin Collins, CRS, GRI. The 2010 class consists of 27 people from 19 states: Alabama, California (3), Colorado, Delaware, Florida (3), Illinois (2), Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota (2), Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey (2), Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, and Washington.

If your schedule does not permit a physical involvement in our National Association, I would urge you to subscribe to our NAR e-newsletters and NAR Web Feeds that are just an easy click on our Realtor.org website. Along with my entire 2010 NAR

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May 2010

All classes will be held at the Association (unless noted otherwise) To register for any classes please visit the Association website www.osceolarealtors.org, click on “Member Login” link, enter your username and password and then click on the Education Calendar. If you have any questions, please call the Association at (407) 846-0117.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are registered and unable to attend, please call the Association to cancel within 24 hours of the class, or you will incur a $20 cancellation fee. If you are late for the class you will also incur a $20 late fee. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

MLS Training Classes There is one MLXchange Basic Training class held each month. This is a mandatory class for new members. Even if you have already taken this class, you are invited to attend as a refresher course at any time.

Completing an Effective S&P Contract Thursday, June 3, 2010 Time: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Instructor: Cynthia DeLuca Location: Association Classroom, 1105 Shady Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744 Description: Learn to complete a solid, binding contract. Common pitfalls are discussed with actual examples.

All aspects of the contract will be clearly demonstrated and discussed.

Cost: Free CE Credit: 4 CE Hours

Short Sales Thursday, May 20, 2010 Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Instructor: Marty Cohen Location: Association Classroom, 1105 Shady Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744

This interactive course will prepare you to be successful in the “Short Sale” arena and avoid many liabilities along the way. This course will teach you what every REALTOR® needs to know.

Description:

Cost: Free CE Credit: 4 CE Hours

No Non-Sense Brokerage Management Thursday, May 27, 2010 Times: 9:00 a.m. –1:00 p.m.

Instructor: Chuck Bonamer Location: Association Classroom, 1105 Shady Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744 Description: This comprehensive course delves into marketing, management liability, standards of practice, and an honorable exit for the non-producer. Each student will leave with a Florida Specific Policy Manual.

Cost: Free CE Credit: 4 CE Hours

May 2010

Property Management for the Real Estate Practitioner Thursday, June 17, 2010 Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Instructor: Marilyn “Charli” Phelps Location: Association Classroom, 1105 Shady Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744 Description: Basic knowledge of why you are needed, what will be expected of you, how to operate a management office, the legal environment and ideas on where to obtain prospective tenants.

Cost: Free CE Credit: 3 CE Hours

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Great American Senator Haridop olis and Tim Weishey er

速 OSCAR REALTORS R in front of the Big

All this for OSCAR

Tim Weisheyer an d Veronica Malolos

with Representative Soto isy Cid Da d an Tim Weisheyer

Representative Horner with Veronica Malolos and Kristi Bolin

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Tim and Pam Weisheyer at the Block Party

Dinner at the G

overnors Club

May 2010

REALTOR Days ®

to Representative So ar and Car rie Escob

Cid, Representative Soto, Daisy Nichols ck” “Ni liam Wil Cheryl Grieb,

Senator Dockery Discussing Bills

Red Carpet REALTORS

®:

(Kim Goodwin, Kristi Bolin, Angel Ortiz, Veronica Malolos, Ren ee Clark, Daisy Cid, William “Nick” Nichol s)

OSCAR i n Senato r Dockery ’ s Office

Senator Doc kery with OSCAR and LAR 11

May 2010

Advertising/Publications

Construction/Repair/Renovations

Osceola News Gazette

A Better Choice Pools

Paula Stark 108 Church St Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-846-7600 Fax: 407-846-8516 Email: pstark@osceolanewsgazette.com Website: www.aroundosceola.com

Michael Evans 3213 13th Street Saint Cloud, FL 34769 Office: 407-414-7379 Fax: 407-870-9978 Email: m_abcpools@yahoo.com Website: www.abetterchoicepools.com

Orlando Sentinel

Franks Air Conditioning Inc.

Laura Kohler 633 North Orange Avenue Orlando, Florida 32803 Office: 407-420-6126 Fax: 407-420-5201 Email: lkohler@orlandosentinel.com Website: www.orlandosentinel.com

Dean Bullock 800 Armstrong Blvd Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-870-7755 Fax: 407-846-1312 Email: dean@franksac.com Website: www.franksac.com

The Real Estate Book Tammy Birchler 2305 NewPoint Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Office: 407-702-4761 Fax: 407-581-1491 Email: tbirchler@treb.com Website: www.realestatebook.com

The Real Estate Book Doreen McGauvran 2305 NewPoint Parkway Lawrenceville, GA 30043 Office: 407-310-7443 Fax: 407-581-1491 Email: dmcgauvran@treb.com Website: www.realestatebook.com

Attorneys Charles P. Castellon, PA Law Firm Charles Castellon 12934 Deertrace Ave Suite A Orlando, FL 32837 Office: 407-851-0201 Fax: 407-847-5618 Email: ccastellon@centralflattorney.com

Law Office of Daniel Villazon Daniel Villazon, P.A. 1420 Celebration Blvd., Suite 200 Celebration, FL 34747 Office: 407-483-0041 Email: dvillazon@yahoo.com Website: frecattorney.com/

Engineering, Surveying, Planning Hanson, Walter & Associates, Inc. Diane Salisbury 400 Emmett St. Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-847-9433 Fax: 407-847-2499 Email: dsalisbury@hansonwalter.com

Entertainment Services Elegant Entertainment DJ Services Joe Marolis 7812 Fern Leaf Drive Orlando, FL 32836 Office: 407-414-6239 Email: joem15@earthlink.net Website: www.elegantentertainment.org

Financial Services and Institutions Equilliance Mortgage Nancy Knapp 4417 13th Street, Suite 101 Saint Cloud, FL 34769 Office: 321-624-1560 Fax: 407-957-6892 Email: nancy@nancyknapp.net

Farm Credit Regina Thomas P.O. Box 8009 Lakeland, FL 33802 Office: 863-682-4117 Fax: 863-688-9364 Email: rthomas@farmcreditcfl.com Website: farmcreditcfl.com/

MortgageOne Financial Services John Smoley 1637 E Vine St Ste D Kissimmee, FL 34744 Office: 407-870-9090 Fax: 407-870-2809 Email: john@m1fs.com Website: www.m1fs.com/

MortgageOne Financial Services Graham Aistrop 1637 E Vine St Ste D Kissimmee, FL 34744 Office: 407-870-9090 Fax: 407-870-2809 Email: graham@m1fs.com Website: www.m1fs.com/

Qubty Financial Group Sami D. Qubty 7680 Universal Blvd., Suite 405 Orlando, FL 0 Office: 407-370-3030 Fax: 407-370-2040 Email: squbty@qubtyfinancialgroup.com Website: www.qubtyfinancialgroup.com

Qubty Financial Group David Qubty 7680 Universal Blvd., Suite 405 Orlando, FL 0 Office: 407-370-3030 Fax: 407-370-2040 Email: squbty@qubtyfinancialgroup.com Website: www.qubtyfinancialgroup.com

Trustco Bank Walter Alvarez 1525 East Osceola Parkway Kissimmee, FL 34746 Office: 407-932-0398 Fax: 932-0719 Email: GC-573@TRUSTCOBANK.COM Website: trustcobank.com/

Home Builders - Developers DR Horton, Inc. Nelson Garcia 2520 T G Lee Boulevard Orlando, FL 32824 Office: 407-556-2100 Fax: 407-556-2106 Email: ndgarcia@drhorton.com Website: www.drhorton.com/

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May 2010

ICI Homes

Budget Services, Inc.

Allison Pope 3400 W. Osceola Parkway Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 321-219-0304 Fax: 407-943-1904 Email: apope@icihomes.com Website: www.icihomes.com/HomeBuilder/

Ed Hogan 3617 Crosley Ave. Saint Cloud, FL 34772 Office: 407-892-8811 Fax: 407-892-8516 Email: budgettermite@earthlink.net Website: www.budgetservicesfl.com

KB Home

Chief Inspection Services, Inc.

Elle Voorhees 9102 South Park Center Loop, #100 Orlando, FL 32819 Office: 407-587-3403 Fax: 407-587-2386 Email: elandry@kbhome.com Website: www.kbhome.com/

Jeff Clair P.O. Box 700937 Saint Cloud, FL 34770 Office: 407-383-7241 Fax: 407-891-7410 Email: jclair@chiefinspections.com Website: chiefinspections.com/

Maronda Homes Olga Ortega 955 Keller Rd., Suite 1500 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 Office: 407-846-4397 Fax: 407-846-4398 Email: oortega@maronda.com Website: maronda.com

Maronda Homes Inc Of Florida Jordan Keathley 955 Keller Rd., Suite 1500 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 Office: 407-475-9112 Fax: 407-475-9115 Email: keathley@maronda.com Website: maronda.com

Home Warranty 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty Tony Fletcher P.O. Box 701857 Saint Cloud, FL 34770 Office: 321-437-8765 Email: tonyf@cfl.rr.com Website: www.2-10.com

Inspection Services Amerispec Home Inspection Services Mike Woodard P.O. Box 233 Eagle Lake, FL 33839 Office: 863-401-3692 Fax: 863-294-7773 Email: mwoodard@amerispec.net

Envirotect Building & Termite Steve Rohal P.O. Box 450206 Kissimmee, FL 34746 Office: 407-460-4450 Email: reliablepest@cfl.rr.com

Wind Mitigation Inspections Randy Cooper 5 Wisconsin Ave Saint Cloud, FL 34769 Office: 407-892-9661 Fax: 407-892-9661 Email: compurvc@aol.com

Real Estate Schools/Education Giumenta School of Real Estate Ric Giumenta 4871 NW Palm Coast Pkwy#2 Palm Coast, FL 32137 Office: 386-246-3131 Fax: 386-246-3162 Email: ric@ricgiumenta.com

IFREC Real Estate Schools Robin Pickett 5029 Edgewater Dr Orlando, FL 32810 Office: 407-644-7277 Fax: 407-647-5227 Email: robin@ifrec.com Website: ifrec.com/

MCT Real Estate & Mortgage School Maria ThurdeKoos 4301 Vineland Road Suite E6 Orlando, FL 32811 Office: 407-236-0120 Email: mctschools@mctgroup.us Website: www.mctrealty.com/

Title/Escrow/Insurance Services A-Z Team Title, LLC Bernard S. Edwards 102 Park Place Blvd.

Kissimmee, FL 34743 Office: 407-932-0529 Fax: 407-932-1587 Email: bernie@azteamtitle.com Website: azteamtitle.com/

Allstate Insurance Kristy Bolin 2785 Wrights Rd., Suite 1113 Oviedo, FL 32765 Office: 407-657-5867 Fax: 407-657-5961 Email: bolininsurance@gmail.com

First American Title Cara Brown 1101 Miranda Lane, Suite 101 Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 321-624-4212 Fax: 866-621-6816 Email: carbrown@firstam.com Website: firstam.com/

First American Title Paul Peterzell 1101 Miranda Lane, Suite 101 Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-273-1955 Fax: 866-621-6816 Email: ppeterzell@firstam.com Website: firstam.com/

Health Insurance Store, Inc. Wes Fischer 1007 E. Vine Street Kissimmee, FL 34744 Office: 407-932-0023 Fax: 407-932-0068 Email: wes@4insurancestore.com Website: www.4insurancestore.com/

Mason Title & Escrow Company Shelly Kiker 1101 Miranda Lane Suite 122 Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 321-443-6901 Email: skiker@masontitle.com Website: www.masontitle.com/

Osceola Title Insurance Agency Marianne Conerly 109 North Beaumont Ave. Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-847-4077 Fax: 407-847-4393 Email: mc@osceolatitleins.com

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May 2010

Prominent Title Insurance Agency Betty M. Dobbie 827 Cypress Parkway Kissimmee, FL 34759 Office: 407-343-1560 Fax: 407-343-1561 Email: bdobbie@prominenttitle.com Website: www.prominenttitle.com

MEMBERSHIP CORNER Membership Corner MFRMLS Subscription Fees Due May 17!

By Yessica Colon

Real Estate Closing Solutions Heidi Foster 7575 Dr. Phillips Blvd #140 Orlando, FL 32819 Office: 407-615-8550 Fax: 407-615-8555 Email: hfoster@recsfl.com Website: recsfl.com/

Southeast Professional Title, Inc. Yaritza Logrono 2699 Lee Rd Ste 120 Winter Park, FL 32789 Office: 407-539-0781 Fax: 407-537-3416 Email: ylogrono@southeastprofessionaltitle.com Website: www.southeastprofessionaltitle.com

Stewart Approved Title, Inc. Becky Sheive 1201 Emmett St. Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-846-7477 Fax: 407-846-6573 Email: bsheive@stewart.com Website: www.stewart.com

Stewart Approved Title, Inc. Jolene Sheive 1201 Emmett St. Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-846-7477 Fax: 407-846-6573 Email: jsheive@stewart.com Website: www.stewart.com

Stewart Approved Title, Inc. Rayelynne Woeste 1401 Budinger Ave. Saint Cloud, FL 34769 Office: 407-957-9000 Fax: 407-957-8055 Email: rwoeste@stewart.com Website: www.stewart.com

Total Title Solutions Tina Johnson 8 Broadway St Ste 225 Kissimmee, FL 34741 Office: 407-847-0412 Fax: 407-847-0429 Email: tina@a1landtitle.com Website: www.totaltitlesolutionsinc.com

The MFRMLS billing cycle has changed this year to run from June through May. What does that mean to you? Your fees will be due one month earlier than in previous years. With the change in billing cycle, the due date this year will be Monday, May 17.

This change will allow for full payment of all fees, including late and reactivation fees, by the end of MFR's fiscal year (June 30th). That will make the due date this year (and in future years) on May 15th. However since the 15th falls on a weekend in 2010, the deadline has been extended to Monday, May 17, 2010 at 5:00 p.m.

The good news is, since you have already paid your fees through June of 2010, this year’s invoice will be for eleven months of service (July 2010 through May 2011). In April 2011, the billing will return to the new twelve-month cycle of June through May. You should have already received your E-Bill via e-mail in mid-April with a link to pay online. Even though this invoice will not be posted to your account until April, now is a good time to check your account on the MLS Online Payment Center at https://mdweb.marketlinx.com/mfr/ to be sure there are no outstanding balances. Should your E-Bill not reach you, MLS will be sending out a postcard reminder as well, once the invoices are posted.

The MFRMLS electronic billing and payment system helps keep our operating costs low, which lets them provide even more services and features for you. Online payment options are MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express, and NEW THIS YEAR, electronic checks on-line. If you have any questions or experience a technical issue, just call your MFR Administration Department at 407-218-8607, or 800-686-7451, Option 3.

Thank you!

Solar Energy Allsolar Service Company, Inc. David Bessette 1507 Damon Ave. Kissimmee, FL 34744 Office: 407-846-7830 Fax: 407-847-5013 Email: Dbessette1@cfl.rr.com Website: www.allsolarflorida.com

Web Design & Marketing Howland International, Inc. Kemp Howland 355 Falling Waters Drive Kissimmee, FL 34759 Office: 407-222-4847 Email: kemp.howland@gmail.com Website: www.seminaronsite.com

Stationary/Printing St. Cloud Stationers Bill Coughtry 423 13th Street Saint Cloud, FL 34769 Office: 407-892-1319 Fax: 407-891-0695 Email: scstationers@netzero.net Website: www.scstationers.com

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May 2010

15

May 2010

16

May 2010

Hispanic Network Update Hispanic Network Committee Committee Update

By Angel L. Ortiz, Jr.

Apreciados Miembros: Quisiera aprovechar esta oportunidad para presentarme formalmente, mi nombre es Angel L. Ortiz Jr., Chairman (Presidente) del Comité Hispano.

Por medio de la presente me dirijo a ustedes para informarles que ya fue efectuada nuestra primera reunión del comité, la misma fue llevada a cabo satisfactoriamente y en la cual tuve la grata oportunidad de ver nuevas caras y tengo la confianza de poder seguir viendo muchas más.

Nuestro más sincero interés es poder ayudar en todo aquello que nos sea posible; pero para continuar con nuestros esfuerzos necesitamos de su colaboración, mediante el aporte de ideas y sugerencias, por tal motivo hoy quiero cordialmente invitarles a nuestra próxima reunión que se llevara a cabo el día 11 de Mayo del 2010, a las 9:45AM en de la sede de OSCAR (Osceola County Association of REALTORS®).

En esta reunión tendremos la oportunidad de comunicarles los detalles de la primera reunión del año efectuada el pasado 29 de Abril. Así mismo les informaremos acerca de nuestras futuras reuniones que se llevarán a cabo a lo largo del año.

Dear Members: My name is Angel L. Ortiz, Jr. and I am the Chairman of the Hispanic Committee. I would like to inform all of you that our first committee meeting was a success. I had the chance of meeting new faces, and I am confident that I will meet many more.

It is in our best interest to help you any way possible. In order to do that, we strongly need your collaboration, ideas, and suggestions. I would like to extend an invitation to our next meeting, which will take place on May 11, 2010 at the Osceola County Association of REALTORS® at 9:45 am.

In this meeting, we will let you know the updates of our first event of the year, held on March 29, 2010. We will also provide you with information regarding future events and meetings through-out the year.

Thank you in advance for your participation in the Hispanic Network Committee.

Sincerely, Angel L. Ortiz, Jr.

Agradeciendo de antemano su participación en este Comité Hispano-Americano.

Se despide cordialmente, Angel L. Ortiz, Jr.

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May 2010

ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP President .....................Veronica Malolos President-Elect ..................Tim Weisheyer Vice President........................Renee Clark Treasurer.............................Gerald Kelley Secretary .............................Kim Goodwin Past President ........................Jose Alvarez Directors Andrey Bustamante Daisy Cid David Courtney David DeLoach Susan Graves

LEADERSHIP MEETINGS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING Wednesday, May 26, 2010, at 8:00 A.M. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Wednesday, May 26, 2010, at 9:00 A.M.

Kemp Howland Richard Knapp Angel Ortiz Denise Sacks

Legal Counsel ..................Danny Villazon

Real Knowledge Real Service Real Value

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May 2010

SUN.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SAT. 1

Monthly Planner

MEMORIAL DAY 2

3 Public Policy 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

4 MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am Affiliates Council Meeting 9:45 am - 10:45 am

9

10

Mothers Day

MLS Marketing Meeting 11 8:30 am - 9:30 am Hispanic Network Meeting 9:45 am - 10:45 am

5

Sam Tram 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

6

MLXchange Basic 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

7

8

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

MLS- Entering & Updating Listings 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

12 New Member Welcome 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

2nd Annual Kissimmee 13 Main Street Commercial Real Estate Showcase & Forum Starts at 3:30pm.

14

15

21

22

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

NAR Midyear Governance/Legislative Meetings & Expo - Washington, DC

May 2010

16

17

18 MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

23

24

25 MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

30

Memorial Day 31 Association Closed All Day

Property Management Committee Meeting 9:45 am - 10:45 am

MLS - Maximizing Your MFR Productivity Toolbox 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Knowledge Services Committee Meeting 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm

26 Executive Committee Meeting 8:00 am - 9:00 am Board of Directors 9:00 am - 10:30 am

7

8 MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

27

28

29

Anti-Trust Training 9:00 am - 11:00 am

No Non-Sense Brokerage Management 9:00 am - 1:00 pm OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

3

9

10

New Member Welcome 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Public Policy 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

13

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Completing an Effective S&P Contract 9:00 am -1:00 pm

MLS- Entering & Updating Listings 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

3 CE hrs- Run a Consumer Friendly Website 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

20

2 MLXchange Basic 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Day

Monthly Planner

Short Sales 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

1

Father’s 6

MLS - Design Web 19 Pages and Capture Leads 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

4

5

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

WCR Meeting 11 9:00 am - 11:00 am

12

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm FR AE Retreat

14

15 MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

iMAPP - Interactive Tax 16 and Mailing Labels (Spanish) 9:00 am - 12:00 pm MLS - Creating Custom Reports 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

17 Property Management for the Real Estate Practitioner 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

18

19

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

St. Cloud Chamber - After Hours 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

June 2010

20 Father’s Day

27

MLXchange Advanced 21 (Spanish) 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Maximizing Your MFP Productivity Toolbox (Spanish) 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

28

22

23

MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

29 MLS Marketing Meeting 8:30 am - 9:30 am

24

25

26

OSCAR Toastmasters Club 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

30 Executive Committee Meeting 8:00 am - 9:00 am Board of Directors 9:00 am - 10:30 am

19

May 2010

PRSRT STD. US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #3172 ORLANDO, FL

NEW AFFILIATE OFFICES Health Insurance Store, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wes Fischer 1007 E. Vine Street • Kissimmee, FL 34744 Office: 407-932-0023 • Fax: 407-932-0068 Email: wes@4insurancestore.com • http://4insurancestore.com/

Adache Real Estate, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Adache 3310 NE 33 street • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 Phone: 954-566-7400 • Fax: 954-566-7401 Benedetti Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fabricio Benedetti 253 Genoa Court • Kissimmee, FL 34758 Phone: 407-935-0722 • Fax: 407-935-0706 JAG Associates of Florida, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . Jeffery Goldmacher 4444 Cypress Mill Road • Kissimmee, FL 34741 Phone: 407-518-6664 • Fax: 407-518-6668 Real Estate Transactions, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Silvia Coltrane 9380 Collins Avenue, Suite 1 • Surfside, FL 33154 Phone: 305-672-0304 • Fax: 305-672-3444

Abel Peters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Homestead Realty Inc. Adam Adache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adache Real Estate, LLC Alcibiades Montesquieu . . . . . . . . . . . . Unlimited Sunshine Realty Alyson Kraverath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harmony Real Estate Co LLC Ashley Keith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Century 21 Premium Properties Brian Reid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harmony Real Estate Co LLC Claudia Heise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Osceola Properties Colleena Coleman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Remax Pioneer Deanna Benetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Century 21 Premium Properties Edivier Rivera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evista Resources Elisabeth Pierre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orlando Kissimmee Realty LLC Fabricio Benedetti. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benedetti Enterprises, Inc Felipe Londono . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rockrose Realty Gary Haughian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rockrose Realty Isa Barros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Century 21 - Sifonte's Golden Realty Inc. Jeffery Goldmacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAG Associates of Florida, LLC Joyce Eads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allen's Osceola Realty Julian Acosta. . . . . . . . . . . . . New Sunshine Professional Real Estate Maria Panos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Watson Realty Corp.

Maritza Nieves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sunstar Realty LLC Michael Goldberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lake Nona Harmony Homes LLC Miriam Ebanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unlimited Sunshine Realty Monise Clermont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Realty International Nickolas Nafpliotis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Realty International Nina Ramos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Remax Pioneer Priscila Iwakawa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida Specialty Homes Rebecca Myers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frontline Florida Realty, Inc. Reginald Hilton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Century 21 Premium Properties Richard Rossi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Direct Sell, Inc. Robert Kohuth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue Water Realty Investments, LLC Silvia Coltrane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Real Estate Transactions, Inc Simon Lopez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Florida Realty Results LLC Susana Martinez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orlando Kissimmee Realty LLC Tina Liotine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Towne Center Realty William Barrett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Century 21 Premium Properties Youliana Kazandjis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M & N Holloway

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May 2010