Rockford Area REALTORS
February 15/2016

realconnection
Your Internal News Broadcast                                                        
Hot Topic Series   
Tuesday, February 16
1:30 pm

On Tuesday, February 16, George Gaulrapp, External Affairs Manager, ComEd, will be the guest speaker of this month's Hot Topic session at the Association. The ICC is requiring that all current meters in homes be replaced with Smart Meters by the year 2019. Attend this "free" session and find out what this means for you. Go to https://raar.getlamps.net/ to register. 
HOT TOPIC
    

LIHEAP Funds Still Available
 
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is continuing to schedule appointments for those eligible residents in Winnebago and Boone Counties who need assistance with their energy bills. The program continues through May 31, 2016 or until funds are exhausted. Click here to read more.  


Alignment Rockford


The Rockford Area REALTORS has been an avid supporter of the work of Alignment Rockford since its inception 5 years ago. Listen to this video to find out why.


Let's Make a Deal for RPAC
Wednesday, March 23rd

Be sure to pick the right door at this year's Annual RPAC fundraiser...you could win big!! Silent Auction, raffle with chance to win a seat in the game show, lots of fun and great food at the Mauh Nah Tee See Country Club. 

Reflect on the victories of 2015 that RPAC helped accomplish. Get your early bird rate by registering at https://raar.getlamps.net/ today!


Top of Page
Academic Scholarships
Application Deadline- April 1st    

Applications for the Real Estate Foundation's (REEF) Academic scholarships must be submitted by April 1, 2016. These scholarships provide financial support to talented college students and real estate professionals. Learn more about what could be available to you or your family at www.ilreef.org

Top of Page
Are You Registered to Vote?

If you plan on voting in the March 15 Illinois primary election vote
you'll need to be registered to vote by February 16th. To see if you are registered click here, and if you are not click here to start the online registration process.

 
Is Your Drone Registered?
December Was Deadline

Did you miss the IAR December Legal Webinar? If you own a drone and do not have it registered yet, the Association encourages you to review it. IAR Attorney Betsy Urbance discusses the requirement for all Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to be registered, by December 2015, on the Federal Aviation Administration's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Registry. You are subject to civil and criminal charges if you do not. 

 

Changes in GRI Program 

Beginning July, 2016 the GRI program will no longer be divided into Course I, II and III, but instead all of the required 60 hours will be considered Undergrad GRI. There are a few opportunities for one to complete the "old" Course I (Broker Post License) and still have it applied toward the 60 hours that are needed to complete the Undergrad program. The 15-Hour Broker Post License Topics Home Study Course combined with the 15-Hour Broker Post License Applied Real Estate Practices Interactive course will satisfy 30 hours of the 60-hour requirement, but must be completed by April 30th.  Stay tuned to future communications for all the details of the new program format and how to complete the remaining 30 hours that are necessary.

Condo Bill Moves to the Senate
  
REALTORS applaud the House passage of Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (H.R. 3700). The bill now advances to the Senate and then to the President's desk for his signature. This bill, strongly supported by NAR, will put homeownership at reach for more families and will have a positive impact for Condo owners and Associations. Your Association will keep you posted on the progress of this bill. Read more about how this bill can positively impact your business. 
  

2016 Broker Renewal

See the attached FAQ regarding License Renewal for April 30, 2016. If this is your first renewal as a broker, the IAR Licensing & Training Center has a variety of course options available to help you complete your post-license education requirement. You may also reference the options available at your RAR Branch School of IAR. Purchase the Broker Post License 15-hour homestudy course today so you can be ready for two of the future "live" 7.5-hour Webinars. (Principles and Practices) 
   

Member Updates  
 
Brokers
Dropped
Brett Knueven, C-21 Affiliated
David Jakubauskas, American Dwellings
James Cebas, Own It Realty
Alisha Raudonis, Re/Max Property Source
Marilyn Franks, Gambino Realtors
Bob Christianson, Gambino Realtors

Affiliate
Name Change
Castle Bank (Formerly First National Bank)
IN THIS ISSUE
topofpage
Hot Topic Series: Smart Meters
LIHEAP Funds
Alignment Rockford
Let's Make a Deal-RPAC
Academic Scholarships
Are You Registered to Vote?
Is Your Drone Registered?
Changes in GRI Program
Condo Bill Moves to Senate
2016 Broker Renewal
Member Updates

UPCOMING EVENTS
 
***********
COMMITTEE MEETINGS 

February 22nd
RPAC Committee 1:30 pm

February 18
Board of Directions 9:00 am

March 3
Education Committee 10:00 am

March 7
YPN Council
10:00 am

March 10
C&I Committee
3:00 pm


EVENTS

February 11
Lesson's Learned
Nordlof Center
10:00am - 12:00 pm

February 12
CE-CORE1629 B
9:00 am - 12:00pm

February 12
CE- Ethics 1518
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

February 16
Hot Topic Series
1:30 - 2:30 pm

February 25
CORE1675A-Time for Check-up
9:00am - 12:00 pm

CE-Getting to Closing
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

March 8
CE- Ethics 1512
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

March 21
CE- Market Says: Pricing Primer
9:00 am - 12:00 pm

March 21
CE- Code of Ethics 1512: Good Business
1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

March 23
Let's Make a Deal
RPAC Fundraiser
Mauh Nah Tee See
5:00 - 9:00 pm

March 25
Association Closed at Noon
Good Friday

April 5
Capitol Conference
Springfield 
QUICK LINKS
QUICK LINKS
_______________

Legal Webinar Thursday,
February 18
Affiliated Businesses and Marketing Service Agreements




 





Join the Forces in Springfield!

Revitalization Downtown Rockford 2016
Revitalization Downtown Rockford 2016



Stay Up to Date with Community Exchanges



One Stop Safety Resource
______________
 
Houselogic   
Find out about local issues that affect you.

Pathways
Member Assistance Program
Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedInView our videos on YouTube
 

Rockford Area REALTORS®
6776 E. State Street
Rockford, IL 61106
(815)395-6776
www.rockfordarearealtors.org
The REALTOR Connection, e-mailed to members of the Rockford Area REALTORS®, features industry news, legal Q&A and
Association resources intended strictly for Association members. To change your e-mail address, send an e-mail or call us. We respect your right to privacy. The Rockford Area Realtors does not give your e-mail address to third parties.

To unsubscribe: By unsubscribing, you are directing the Association to discontinue all e-mail to your e-mail address. You will not receive any further correspondence from the Association via e-mail (including but not limited to: education course reminders, political communication such as calls to action, member service information, etc.) To unsubscribe, see below. 
815-395-6776 
www.rockfordarearealtors.org

Rockford Area Realtors | 6776 E. State Street | Rockford | IL | 61108