The GRI program has been completely redesigned to meet the needs of today's real estate professional. Here are a few key points about the program:  

• 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 counts as 8 CE hours (3 hours law CE and 5 hours elective CE) so you get your annual requirements out of the way.
• 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

Upcoming GRI courses in the summer:
Wednesday, August 26 - LBAR - GRI 100: Ethics and Law - Ginny Lawson 
Thursday, August 27 - NKAR - GRI 300: Marketing - Mike Gooch 

The KAR Legal Hotline is designed for members (brokers and/or broker designees) to have direct access to a qualified attorney who can provide information on real estate law and related matters. Further, the program is intended to provide legal preventative maintenance to all KAR members and, through them, the public they serve. 

The KAR Legal Hotline is offered through the law offices of Vaughn & Smith, PLLC. It is not intended to replace your own legal counsel. It is intended to provide member brokers and/or their designee access to a qualified attorney who can provide information on real estate matters. This service is not a substitute for consultation with your own attorney. Read More

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

Want to share with KAR? If you have photos you would like share for KAR's Throwback Thursday, please send them to kar@kar.com or post to your own social media sites using #TBTKAR. We are looking for a look back in KAR's history.

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

   

REALTORS� across the country receive threatening demand letters and lawsuits alleging patent infringement based on the use of common business tools such as drop down menus or search alert functions on websites and the scanner function on a copier. These patent trolls buy vague patents and use them to turn everyday business practices into potential lawsuits.

H.R. 9 is scheduled for House floor consideration later this summer. Congress must pass this common-sense comprehensive patent litigation reform to protect Main Street businesses and REALTORS� from patent troll abuse. Respond Now

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: 

Louisville among first cities chosen for $42 million Bloomberg data initiative

Kentucky mortgage recording lawsuit favors banks after appeal

7 home improvements that increase resale value

What challenges will you encounter within 3-5 years? NAR's Strategic Thinking Advisory Committee considers threats to agents, brokers, associations, MLSs, and NAR in just-released Danger Report.

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.

Kings Island
KAR members can now save over 40% on tickets to Kings Island, a 364-acre amusement park located 24 miles northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio that has won Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Award for having the "Best Kids' Area" in the world for fourteen consecutive years (2001-2014).

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) first-time  Home Buyer Tax Credit, they can save up to $2,000* per year!

 

Along with the tax credit, KHC's has Down payment Assistance up to $6,000*. By using the Down payment Assistance Program, or DAP, borrowers are able to close on their new home with little, or no money, out of their pocket. For full details and terms, visit KHC's website (under Home Buyers). 

Build a successful online capture system today.
Do you have a well-built lead capture system on your real estate website ... and is it mobile friendly? Is the system leading to increased business? If not, it could be time to find new ways to encourage prospects to share their information with you, and for you to learn how to capitalize on that opportunity.

 

For some REALTORS�, building an online lead capture system for website prospects can be a painful experience. But with the advent of great digital content, capturing and responding to clients in real-time couldn't be easier.

 

Here are some practical tips that will help you create an attention grabbing offering for website prospects by tapping into the most powerful data platform available to members of the REALTOR� family, Realtors Property Resource� (RPR�). Read More

Check out all the dates for upcoming webinars (July, September and November) here.