NAR Dues Increase Proposed for
New Political Initiative |
 Last month, NAR launched the REALTOR® Party Political Survival Initiative. This initiative will help keep the REALTOR® organization among the most influential advocacy groups in America.
The inititive comes with a price tag: a NAR dues increase of $40 that will be voted on by the NAR Directors in May.
Be informed! Please go here for a great deal of information and ways to provide your comments to the three KCRAR NAR Directors.
More >> |
April is Fair Housing Month |
 April 2011 marks the 43rd anniversary of the 1968 landmark Fair Housing Act. Each year, REALTORS® recognize the significance of this event and reconfirm our commitment to upholding fair housing law, as well as our commitment to offering equal professional service to all in their search for a home.
Just in time for Fair Housing Month, NAR has updated the "Field Guide to Fair Housing." This Field Guide provides fair housing news and resources including brochures, videos and logos, as well as the new 2011 Fair Housing poster for display in your office.
More >> |
Housing Shortage on the Horizon? |
Mike Castleman, founder and CEO of MetroStudy, which tracks real-time data of the country's inventory of new homes, says a housing shortage is looming that will soon create a huge surge in demand for new homes. As such, now is the time to buy, he says.
In the 41 cities MetroStudy covers, 78,000 houses are either vacant and for sale, or under construction - that is less than a quarter of the new homes that fell in that category during the housing boom in 2006 and way below the level of a decade ago.
Read the full article from REALTOR® Magazine Online >> |
KAR Awards Task Force Seeks Nominations |
Each year, the Kansas Association of REALTORS® (KAR) honors members who go above and beyond with the following awards: REALTOR® of the Year, Salesperson of the Year, the Distinguished Service award and the Archie Award (in honor of the late Archie Lieben). These awards are given out in conjunction with the installation of KAR officers at the annual KAR Convention, to be held October 10-12, 2011.
The KAR Awards Task Force is accepting nominations for these awards until May 1, 2011. Go here for more information about the awards, including past recipients and nomination forms. |
Kansas City, Kansas selected as first Google Fiber Community |
 In March 2010, Google announced plans to select a city (or cities) to test its new ultrahigh speed internet. At up to 100 times faster than today's speediest connection, it will drastically improve the speeds of uploads, downloads, photo sharing, online videos, online conferencing and allow multiple users easier access.
Last week, Google selected Kansas City, Kansas as the first community to provide this service! The service, which will be offered beginning in 2012 pending approval by local officials, will be another tool to drive economic growth in the region, said Kansas Commerce Secretary Pat George.
As a REALTOR®, this news could help benefit your business! Home buyers and sellers use the internet extensively to search for online real estate information. Many of the business tools you use daily, when working for home buyers and sellers, are web-based. Your own website as well as access to the Heartland Multiple Listing Service, to continuing education and to our secure web-based lockbox system are some of your business basics that would be enhanced by ultrahigh speed internet.
Go here for more information on the Google Fiber initiative. |
REALTOR® Magazine seeks nominations for Good Neighbor Awards |
 REALTOR® Magazine is seeking nominations for the 12th annual Good Neighbor Awards, a program recognizing REALTORS® who've made an extraordinary commitment to community service.
Five winners will be announced in November in REALTOR® Magazine and at the 2011 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Anaheim. The winners will receive a $10,000 grant for their community cause, national publicity, travel expenses to the convention and a crystal trophy. Five honorable mentions will each receive $2,500 grants.
Good Neighbor Award entries must be received by May 20, 2011. For more details and an entry form, go here. For questions, contact Sara Geimer, Good Neighbor Awards Program Manager, at 312-329-8296 or sgeimer@realtors.org. |
