Weekly Notices

Friday, May 29, 2015

Awaiting OK to Fly Drones

There will be a time when REALTORS� can legally fly an unmanned aerial system, or drone, around property listings to capture images for marketing purposes, but that time has not yet arrived, at least not completely.

That's according to Federal Aviation Administration officials speaking to REALTORS� during the When, Where and How can I Use My Drone session at the REALTORS� Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, last week.

Read the NAR news release online here.

Though the legal landscape will remain somewhat cloudy until the FAA issues its final rule making on drone use in commercial contexts (expected in 2016 or 2017), a panel discussion during the REALTORS� Legislative Meetings offered some guidance to help you decide whether pursuing an exemption makes sense for your business.

Read more in REALTOR� magazine, online here.

REALTORS'� 6-Month Outlook Improves

In April 2015, more REALTORS� were confident about the outlook for all property types in the next six months than they were in March and a year ago, according to the April 2015 REALTORS� Confidence Index Survey.

The April 2015 report is based on the responses of 2,012 REALTORS� about local market conditions in April.

Read more in the NAR Economists' Outlook blog, online here.

Give Luxury Service to All Your Clients

NEW!

Not every client may have a luxury property, but treating them as if they do can provide you with a strong referral base and take your business to the next level.

This new video from Washington REALTORS� has several quick tips to help you along the way.

See the four-minute video online here:

Give Luxury Service to All Your Clients

Tech Helpline

Your Washington REALTORS� membership comes with complimentary technical assistance via the Tech Helpline.

Have an issue with your mobile device, desktop computer, laptop computer, digital camera, printer - any piece of technology - Tech Helpline is at your service with talented, U.S.-based analysts.

Call any time: 866-610-8939

Email any time: support@techhelpline.com

Even if all of your tools are working fine, Tech Helpline offers a regular blog with technology updates, like this recent post about the Apple iPhone:

Apple has recently released a new update for their mobile devices that will improve performance, fix known bugs, and unveil a redesigned Emoji keyboard. This update improves performance for launching apps and how quickly they respond, messages, Wi-Fi, control center, Safari tabs, 3rd-party keyboards, keyboard shortcuts, and more. It will also fix known bugs for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections to prevent your connections from disconnecting, Enterprise apps, accessibility features, and messages.

Read more about this new Apple IOS 8.3 Update in the Tech Helpline blog, online here.

WR Legal Hotline

Your Washington REALTORS� membership comes with complimentary legal assistance via the Legal Hotline.

WR has compiled thousands of legal hotline questions (and answers) from members over the years into a legal library database so you can research real estate legal questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To visit that database, click here.

NOTE: You'll need your NRDS number and password to access the WR member portal.

If you don't find what you need in the database, contact the Legal Hotline Attorney directly:

Email: legalhotline@warealtor.org

Phone: 1-800-562-6027

Candidate School

Learn how you can make a difference in politics! NAR is offering its Candidate School in Spokane on Thursday, June 4th.

Learn why you should run for office, how to put together a campaign plan, how to raise money and how to make voter contacts.

See the event flyer (pictured above) online here.

Lunch & Learn - Auctions & Real Estate

Learn the good, the bad and the ugly in real estate sales by auction at your SAR:

Monday, June 8th
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
at your SAR

See the event flyer, pictured above, online here.

Lunch & Learn - Safety

Learn how to reduce opportunities that make you a target - from a retired deputy sheriff - at this valuable, new Lunch & Learn at your SAR:

Monday, June 15th
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
at your SAR

See the event flyer, pictured above, online here.

2015 REALTOR� Education

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Quality of Education

through SAR/WR Education Instructors

Here is the latest class listing of your SAR - offering the best live and local continuing real estate education classes for 2015.

Click on each class title, underlined in blue, to bring up a flyer for that class - suitable for posting in your office.

Register for these classes online here:

Please be in touch with Debbie at the SAR if you have any questions about these classes or your license education requirements, by phone at 326-9222 or by email.

How to Work with Difficult People
and Conflict Resolution

CHANGE THE DATE!

Thursday, June 12 - How to Work with Difficult People and Conflict Resolution - with Linda Miller.

Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
at the SAR

3.- clock hours

Fair Housing: R.E. Licensee Accountability

CHANGE THE DATE!

Thursday, June 12 - Fair Housing: R.E. Licensee Accountability - with Linda Miller.

The SAR highly recommends this class.

Registration: 12:30 p.m.
Class: 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
at the SAR

3.5 clock hours

Friday, June 5 - Land and Acreage 200: Rural Property - with Jim Palmer, Jr.

BIGGER! BETTER! This is a new 7.5 hour Land and Acreage class. You may take it whether or not you've already taken the original 4.0 clock hour class. Lots of good information in this new class.

"At some point, every broker will have the opportunity to represent a client in a transaction that involves a well, septic system or acreage," Joe Garst, SAR immediate past president.

Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
at the SAR

7.5 clock hours

Purchase & Sale Agreement

Thursday, June 11 - Statewide Purchase & Sale Agreement - with Sabrina Jones-Schroeder.

This class is full. Please see below for a second offering.

Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
at the SAR

7.5 clock hours

Purchase & Sale Agreement

Thursday, July 2 - Statewide Purchase & Sale Agreement- with Sabrina Jones Schroeder.

Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
at the SAR

7.5 clock hours

SAR CALENDAR

Click on the image below to see the current SAR calendar

showing dates and times of classes, committees and events.

ArtFest

Historic Browne's Addition will play host to ArtFest this weekend (May 29-30-31) in Coeur d'Alene Park.

This 30th annual event offers three days of free music, free art watching, free people watching and free parking.

Dozens of local artisans will be offering sculptures, paintings, jewelry, photography, ceramics, fiber arts and packaged gourmet foods for sale.

A Make-it-Arts Kids Fair and Food Court are perennial favorites.

Visit the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture website for more information and music schedule, online here.

WCR - Update on Downtown

Find out what's new in downtown Spokane at the next lunch meeting of the Women's Council of REALTORS Spokane - Eastern Washington Chapter, Thursday, June 4th, at the WSU Extension office.

See the event flyer (pictured above), suitable for posting in your office, online here.

NOTE: This flyer has a list of WCR events through the rest of the year.

2015 SAR Golf Tournament

Registration is now open for the 2015 SAR Golf Tournament!

Space is limited so register now if you'd like to participate in this popular annual event.

Registration deadline is Tuesday, July 7th.

Event is Thursday, July 16th, at Downriver Golf Course.

See the event flyer (pictured above), online here.

Top-ten Features in Demand

May is National Moving Month. That means the busy season for the moving industry - and the real estate industry.

Unit sales in Spokane are up 23% over last year at this time.

What features make your home most salable to the current buyer?

Read 2014 SAR President Jack Kestell's guest column from Sunday's real estate section of The Spokesman-Review (pictured above), online here.

2015 SAR Christmas Party - Save the Date!

Download an electronic copy of this postcard (pictured above) online here.

ListHub Report for April

See the April ListHub report, online here.

Market Activity Report - April

The SAR Market Activity Report for April is now online.

See the latest report - and archived reports - online here.

See the April 2015 summary report (pictured above) online here.

See the 2015 year-to-date summary report (pictured above) online here.

You Be The Judge - May

Here is You Be The Judge for May:

Case #1-5: Promotion of Client's Interests

Read the case and submit your judgement online here.

Those who decide correctly will be entered in a drawing for a Starbucks coffee card!

Winner to be announced next month.

Congratulations Anne-Marie Ophus, Exit Real Estate Professionals, our April Starbucks card winner!

APRIL ANSWER
The Hearing Panel pointed out that brokers have no hesitation in advising clients that properties are overpriced when this is the case, and they are obligated to be equally candid in providing their best judgment to clients when properties being offered for sale are obviously underpriced.

The panel concluded that in view of the wide discrepancy between the owner's asking price and the property's market value, which REALTOR� B conceded was apparent to him, it was REALTOR� B's obligation as an agent to advise his client that the house was worth considerably more, especially since it was apparent that Client A had been away from the community for years and was out of touch with local values. The Hearing Panel found REALTOR� B in violation of Article 1.

Case #1-15: Obligation to Advise Client on Market Value

See the full text of last month's case, online here.

Member Roster Update

Click here to view the latest Roster Update - listing new and resigned members and companies.

Click here to view the latest list of MLS Subscription Waivers approved by the SAR Board of Directors.

Send a message to Angie at the SAR with any changes.

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