Economy, Affordability to Drive Home Sales Growth
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Despite the absence of the home buyer tax credit, 2011 will probably be better than last year for home sales thanks to economic growth and affordability conditions, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun says.
Read more from REALTOR® Magazine Online >
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Close deals faster with FREE KCRAR member benefit
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 KCRAR recognizes how busy our members are, and we strive to make business transactions easier, quicker and more efficient for you through such resources as forms and education. Now, accelerate your business instantly and close deals faster with a completely free KCRAR member benefit through MongoFAX®.
MongoFAX® empowers you to instantly fax paper-based documents (disclosure packages, signed contracts, etc.) directly to any e-mail address in the world. The only tools required are a fax machine and the official KCRAR MongoFAX® Cover Page. Learn more and start using MongoFAX® right now - visit www.kcrar.com/technology-services for more information.
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Young Buyers Want Game Room, Not Living Room
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With new-home sales down drastically the last few years, builders are scrambling to re-evaluate what buyers today want in new homes. Changing demographics and tighter lending standards are influencing buyers' purchasing decisions when home-shopping and changing their priorities, industry experts say.
"There is a lot of pressure today to retool," says Steve Brooks, CEO of Grand Homes. "We have to redesign houses and figure out what kind of product people would want to buy."
Read more from REALTOR® Magazine Online >
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Join KCRAR for our 4th Annual Community Shred event
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 Mark your calendar today for the fourth annual free Community Shredding event on Wednesday, May 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the KCRAR parking lot (11150 Overbrook Road, Leawood, KS 66211). You're invited to use this opportunity, hosted by KCRAR and Proshred, to clean out and dispose of documents in a secure, environmentally-conscious way.
The first three banker-sized boxes are free. Additional boxes will be accepted with a $5 tax-deductible donation to the KCRAR Foundation. The donations will help fund community service projects in the area.
NEW FOR 2011: SECURE E-Cycle Services - Various electronics will be recycled for free, and others will be accepted with a minimal fee. For a complete listing of the electronic recycling services we are providing, go here.
This FREE Community Shredding event is being provided by KCRAR and PROSHRED! For more information or questions please contact Cristalle Bozarth, KCRAR Community Outreach, Diversity & RPAC Manager, 913-266-5908 or cristalleb@kcrar.com.
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The impact of Dodd-Frank on real estate
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The financial reform bill passed last year has some significant implications for real estate, as it addresses qualified residential mortgages, RESPA, appraisals, and other issues.
Read more from REALTOR® Magazine Online >
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Join us at our next Free Friday Focus Workshops
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May 27 - Listing Foreclosures
10-11:30 a.m.
Here's a rare chance to learn about how to secure foreclosure listings. Come hear from some active local Brokers for a Q&A about this important topic, including how to list them and how to get them sold! These listings aren't your father's Oldsmobile, so you'd be wise to learn the scoop.
Lead instructor: Tameka Bryant, Owner/Broker The Real Estate House
June 24 - Financial Help for Green Upgrades
10-11:30 a.m.
Representatives from the Mid-America Regional Council and the Metropolitan Energy Center will cover the steps to energy efficiency - from diagnosing what improvements the home needs with an energy analysis to finding a certified contractor to perform the work - as well as the many financial resources to help your clients pay for the improvements. After this presentation, you'll be able to help your clients navigate the energy-efficient upgrade process. Get a little greener while you can.
Register for either of these workshops here.
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Does your marketing plan include open houses?
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The REALTOR® Nationwide Open House is coming up on the weekend of June 4-5, so if you have open houses that weekend you might want to be part of this national promotion. The event, which began on a local level a few years ago in the state of Washington, is a weekend when REALTORS® across the country are invited to hold open houses in their area.
Local associations are assisting by providing logos and links for REALTORS® in their area to use - in that way, the promotion has nationwide consistency. In addition, stop by the KCRAR offices to pick up some free balloons for use at your open houses that weekend. (While supplies last; limit of 10 per person.)
To tie into the national promotion, just add any of the logos found here to your open house webpages, fliers, ads and other promotional materials for the weekend of June 4-5. And at your open house, strike up a conversation about the importance of homeownership by giving your visitors a copy of the Homeownership Matters flier here.
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