KAR invites nominations of members (and associations through the CSA) for the 2015 awards. These awards have been created to recognize members, through their commitment to the industry, who consistently demonstrate the practices that define the very meaning of the term "REALTOR�".    

 

REALTOR� of the Year Award (Word version)
Deadline: Monday, June 1, 2015 
 
Distinguished Service Award
Deadline: Friday, June 12, 2015

Good Neighbor Award
Deadline: Monday, June 1, 2015
 
Nat Sanders Education Award
Deadline: Saturday, August 15, 2015
 
REALTOR� Community Service Award
Deadline: Saturday, August 15, 2015 

Do you want the inside scoop on all things real estate in Kentucky? Then get in on the action. Keep up with what your association is doing in real-time - from legislative updates and technology to the newest business tools and member photos. "Like" here

New for 2015 - KAR is embarking on some new social media activities to boost member engagement on the sites. Look for the updates on Facebook and Twitter, including a Throwback Thursday (#TBTKAR) post where we will take a look back at KAR's history in photos every week. If you have photos you would like share, please send them to kar@kar.com or post to your own social media sites using #TBTKAR.

These stats represent the market conditions for the entire state of Kentucky. For a complete breakdown of housing stats, contact KAR at 800.264.2185.   

   

Join REALTORS� from around Kentucky as they gather at historic Keeneland Race Course to celebrate the pageantry and excitement of Thoroughbred horse racing. Support RPAC with your ticket purchase of $250 which includes a buffet, drinks, programs, reserved row parking and a ticket to the prestigious and private Keeneland Room. Reserve your seat and bring your non-REALTOR� guest for an additional $150 investment to RPAC. To register, email dharris@kar.com or visit the RPAC page. Read More  

As Kentucky continues to fight budget issues, KAR has taken a proactive approach to educating members, consumers and legislators on why home ownership is important to Kentucky. The focus begins on protecting crucial tax benefits for home ownership and keeping sales tax on services from being placed on the transfer of property. If you want to learn more, the KHM website includes information as well as a downloadable flyer. Read More

Nebraska federal court considers a California broker's argument that Nebraska's ("State") attempts to enforce its license law against her violated her First Amendment rights.

Leslie Rae Young ("Broker") is a licensed California real estate broker.  She operated a website that placed listings on "realtor.com" through a California multiple listing service and she also placed her listings on "forsalebyowner.com".  She lists herself as the client's representative on "realtor.com".  The Broker takes listings from jurisdictions where she is not licensed such as Nebraska, and had 30 listings with Nebraska residents. Read More 

The GRI program has been completely redesigned to meet the needs of today's real estate professional. Students will now be required to complete 72 hours (reduced from 96 hours) with the program offering one-day courses for the GRI 100 - 600 courses and more options to complete the elective requirements. Each course also counts as 3 hours law CE and 5 hours elective CE so you get your annual requirements out of the way. And don't worry, if you started the program in the last 5 years, you will not lose any of your completed GRI hours. KREEF has set equivalencies so you can match up your old GRI hours with the new program. If you have considered a designation in the past, the GRI program is the program for your future. Learn More and Register 

The 96 hour salesperson pre-license course is now completely online through the Kentucky Real Estate Education Foundation (KREEF) and is approved by the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC). The total cost of the program is $599, which is more affordable than most other providers, and includes all materials needed for the course including the textbook and other resources. Learn more about the program here.

For the latest headlines, click here or check out some of the most popular posts below: 

15 apps for your real estate business

Check out the NAR Generational Survey

Kentucky jobless rate at 5.5% in January, 0.2% below U.S. rate

With the recent news around the country of safety risks to agents, NAR has issued a report to help keep members out of trouble. The goal of the report is to measure and understand the scope of the problem, so that real estate professionals can develop the resources, programs, and technologies they need to keep themselves safe. Read More  

In the video series from NAR called The Voice for Real Estate, a bi-weekly roundup of news that affects the industry and your business, NAR explores many issues that members may find useful in their practice and with clients. Read More

GEICO
Contact GEICO for a free quote on insurance to see how much you could be saving. And don't forget to mention your KAR affiliation, you could qualify for an exclusive member savings opportunity.

UPS
KAR members can save up to 30% on UPS shipping. Members currently enrolled in the UPS Savings Program must re-enroll to take advantage of this new exclusive offer.

Showing Suite
Get feedback on your listings, improve communication with your sellers, and set yourself apart from your competition with HomeFeedback�.

Prescription Drug Card
As a member, you, your family & friends may be able to lower your prescription drug costs. Simply create and print your FREE Prescription Drug Card and receive savings of up to 75% (discounts average roughly 30%) at more than 54,000 national and regional pharmacies. This card can be used as your primary plan and/or it can be used on prescriptions not covered by your insurance plan.

Nationwide Insurance
Offering you a special insurance program that could save you up to $500 with special rates on your auto policy.

OfficeMax
OfficeMax provides KAR members with discounts on over 25,000 items, including free delivery with no minimum-sized order and access to its commercial catalog (unavailable to the general public), which features significant member discounts.

Read More

Wouldn't your clients love to have extra money every month? With the exclusive Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) Conventional No Mortgage Insurance Program (No MI), they can!

KHC's Conventional No MI program enables the borrower to have a lower monthly payment than a FHA program. This program allows eligible borrowers to go up to 97 percent of purchase price without having to pay upfront or monthly mortgage insurance. This could mean substantial savings over a year. Borrowers will have access to KHC Down Payment Assistance Programs, as well! For full details and terms, visit KHC's website (under Conventional No Mortgage Insurance Program).

Liberty Mutual Insurance is an exclusive partner of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS�. Through the REALTOR Benefits� Program, we have been the organization's preferred provider of home, auto and renters insurance for more than a decade. Now, through the Liberty Mutual Auto Insurance Referral Program™, we're giving you the opportunity to help your clients get the same exclusive auto insurance savings available to you. When you refer your clients to Liberty Mutual, they could save up to 10% on auto insurance. If they request and receive a completed auto insurance quote, you'll get a $40 referral bonus. It's that simple. Enroll now.