As always, if you have any comments or suggestions for future issues of the REALTOR® Review, please feel free to email me by clicking here.

Barry Arnold, Executive Officer

 

Late yesterday, GBAR President Tommy Reid advised the Association Board of Directors that he will be resigning from his position as GBAR President in favor of becoming an FBI Agent in our area.  In a statement, Reid, a former New York City Police Officer, said, "Being GBAR President has been incredibly stressful, what with having to deal simultaneously with the Board of Directors, Committee Chairs, GBAR Members, politicians, the media and GBAR Staff, not to mention my own real estate business.  Frankly, chasing down our nation's enemies with the FBI will be much easier."

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In keeping with Association Bylaws, GBAR President-Elect Kay Graves will  step in as President for the balance of the year.

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For details on this breaking story, click here.

 

2015 GBAR Board of Directors Nominations:  Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Leader? 

 

Got Vision, Character, Trust, Flexibility, Courage, A Sense of Justice, Self-Control and Respect for Others?  Want to Have an Impact on How our Association is Managed?

Shirley Cundy Talks Up the Value of REALTORS

 

On March 29th and 30th, 11 GBAR REALTORS volunteered to staff the GBAR Booth at the Annual Home & Garden show at the Binghamton University Events Center.  GBAR participates in this well-attended Show each year in order demonstrate the importance and value of hiring a REALTOR to meet the public's home buying and selling needs.

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And, if asked by a visitor to our booth, each volunteer was permitted to  promote their own services as a REALTOR, and many of our volunteers generated business leads that will hopefully results in closed transactions. 

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Our thanks to Dawn Roessing, Diana Nogaret, Lorrie Roberts, Becky Jones, Shannon Hays, Shirley Cundy, Heather Wilcox, Andrea Fish, Rhonda Schulte, Pouya Goudarzi and Karen Cook for volunteering their time and energy to this event.

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Also hosting their booths at the show were several GBAR REALTOR and Affiliate Members, including Exit Realty Homeward Bound, VISIONS Federal Credit Union, Professional Home Inspection Service, Foam It Insulation and  Artic Bear Plumbing and Heating.  Great job, everyone!!

 

GBAR Members are well respected around the state for our proactive support for REALTOR® legislation that supports Homeowners and our Industry.   Here's one of the best ways to make your voice heard - get on the bus for Albany on June 10!  We'll meet with our State Senator and Assembly persons to let them know how we feel about current legislation and encourage them to support the REALTOR® Party Line!  Not to mention briefings from NYSAR Government Affairs experts, Continental Breakfast and Lunch.  AND ITS FREE for GBAR Members!!!

On March 24, President Obama signed into law the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.

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The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act repeals the Federal Emergency Management Agency's authority to increase premium rates when a property is sold. It also refunds the excessive premium to those who bought a property before FEMA warned them of the rate increase. The bill limits premium increases to 18 percent annually on newer properties and 25 percent for some older ones. The senate approved the bill on March 13, and the House of Representatives March 4.

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Our April GBAR Monthly Business Luncheon will be held Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at The Texas Roadhouse at 4399 Vestal Parkway East in Vestal.  The Luncheon, generously sponsored by Accredited Home Inspectors, will feature a Fair Housing Presentation by Randy Templeman.  Registration begins at 11:30 am, and the program and lunch will begin at 12:00 noon.

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This Luncheon requires a meal choice!  When registering, please be ready to indicate your choice of Sirloin Steak, BBQ Chicken, Grilled Chicken Salad, or a Large (Vegetarian) Salad.

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For a flyer and registration instructions, click here.

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We hope to see you there!

 

You won't want to miss this!  Our GBAR 2014 Agent's Day and Trade Show is booked for May 7, 2014 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, and our program is shaping up to be the best yet!

Our Trade Show Theme will be "Let's Do the Twist", meaning we've got to "twist" things up a bit to be successful in a very dynamic but exciting local real estate market.

Headlining the day will be nationally known speaker Terry Watson, who will be conducting a 3-CE Credit course.  Those of you who have had the opportunity to hear Terry before know that this Trade Show is one you'll not want to miss!  Agent registration for the show will begin soon.

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This year, you can register and pay for your tickets on-line!  Click here to visit the registration page on our GBAR Website.  You can purchase one or more tickets, and you can purchase tickets for both GBAR Association Members ($30) or for Non-Members (Including MLS Only Subscribers ($35)

And if you are a GBAR Affiliate, you'll want to sign up to be a vendor at the show!  This year, paid vendors will appear in issues of the REALTOR Review from January through early May, with links to their own website, making this a great promotional opportunity.  Gold, Silver and Bronze vendors will appear each, every other, and every third issue, respectively.  Vendor registration can be made NOW to maximize your exposure - click here for more information and the registration form.

Here is a list of some of the vendors who have already signed up for the show.  Click on their names to visit their websites and see the products and services they have to offer you and your clients!

MatchingDonors.com is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding donors for people in need of organ transplants throughout the United States.    Joel Pratt, a REALTOR® out of Canton, Massachusetts, and winner of NAR's prestigious Good Neighbor Award, has dedicated himself to this cause, and has asked for our help.

Do you know anyone in need of an organ transplant?  MatchingDonors wants to know, so they can help deserving individuals find the donor they need.  Or, do you know of anyone willing to donate property to MatchingDonors?  REALTORS® who facilitate such transactions can earn a commission when the property is sold to fund MatchingDonors.

On Thursday, April 17 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Becky Jones of UPstate Training will be back at our GBAR Offices to conduct a 6 Hour, 6 NYS CE Credit Course from which everyone can benefit:  "How Do You Find Those Comps?".

 

Come learn what influences the property value, how old the comparable should be, what needs to be adjusted, and how this information can best serve your customers and clients.

 

For more information and to register, click here!

  

Registration for 2014 Designation and Certification courses that will be held in Binghamton are now open! Simply click on the links below for more information and registration instructions.

 

• GRI 401 - Get It Listed, Get It Sold - May 14-15
• GRI 408 - e-Pro Day 1 - June 18
• GRI 405 - Construction and Environmental Issues - September 17
• GRI 406 - Price It Right - September 19
• GRI 409 - Equal and Ethical Service - October 29-30

  

  

Ever want to pursue one of NAR's official designations or certifications, but just don't have the time or flexibility to attend classroom courses?  Problem Solved!

  

  

Click here to access NAR Designation Courses, including ABR®, CRS, ALC, CIPS, GREEN and SRES®.

  

Click here to access NAR Certification Courses, including

  

  

  

  

If you have any questions, contact Barry Arnold, Executive Officer at GBAR.

  

    

  

An exclusive, Members Only NYSAR Webinar was held on Thursday, December 5  with former IRS trainer, CPA, and tax attorney Sandy Botkin. The Webinar was a powerful presentation covering five strategies to save on your taxes and stay out of trouble with the IRS. 

If you missed this Webinar, which was well attended and highly praised, we have good news!!  You can view the Webinar at the NYSAR Website by clicking here.  Also, owing to the popularity of this program, NYSAR is considering running it again in the 1st Quarter of 2014.

Sandy Botkin is a CPA, tax attorney, and former IRS trainer. He has trained millions of small businesses and independent contractors how to get their taxes down to the legal limit. He is a bestselling author of Lower Your Taxes Big Time and other business books. Botkin is a frequent guest tax expert on NBC, ABC, Fox, and CNN.

 

Please note that all Lock Box Payments are due by today, April 1.  Lock Boxes for which payments have not be received by end of day April 1 will be de-activated on Monday, April 7.

If you have any questions, please contact Martha Tubaugh at the Association Office, either by clicking here to email, or by calling at 729-6285.

Thank you.

 

We are pleased to announce the multi-year extension of NAR's partnership with Lowe's Companies, Inc., under the REALTOR Benefits® Program. March 2014 will mark the 9-year anniversary of this successful program. The extension solidifies Lowe's position as the Association's exclusive home improvements provider, offering a free web-based marketing system created exclusively for members through the Lowe's Program for REALTORS®.

 

The popular Lowe's Program for REALTORS®, streamlined in 2013 for greater ease of use and speedier fulfillment, lets members send clients 10% discount eCoupons, for use at Lowe's and lowes.com. These personalized eCoupons include the agent's name and contact information and are available through the member-only Web site at LowesRealtorBenefits.com.

 

Additionally, Lowe's provides a unique NAR member benefit where REALTORS® receive a 5% discount on the online purchase of Lowe's gift cards through the member-only site, as well as a variety of exclusive short-term product discount offers and other special offers for members and their clients, plus exclusive savings for REALTORS® who frequently utilize the program.

 

For a full description of the program, click here.

 

There was a great discussion on the GBAR Private Facebook Page a while back on the new Status Codes, and in particular, K and P. The comments indicated that some additional explanation was warranted.

 

Why did we do this in the first place? The new K and P status codes were copied directly from the Syracuse Board. They are designed to allow sellers (not agents, but sellers) to determine whether they want back up offers or not, and to make that intention clear to our MLS Subscribers when searching for property matches for their customers.

Are K or P Mandatory? If a seller wants to leave their property on the market even though there is a contract, they can instruct their agent to code the property "K". They could even instruct their agent to keep it listed as active (A) if they wanted. The use of P or K is optional, just like using P was optional before the new codes were implemented. But yes, when searching on our MLS, you'll have to remember to choose A and K to get all properties accepting offers.

Will the public be able to see K properties on the public site? Yes, now on the public search side, both A (Active) and K (Under Contract - Take Back Up) properties will now show up, so you clients will not miss out on K properties when using our site.

Questions? Email Barry by clicking here.

Like everyone else, you're probably getting ready to file your 2013 Tax Return.  The Good News is that your GBAR Association Dues and MLS Fees are fully deductible as business expenses.  However, only a portion of NYSAR and NAR Dues are deductible.  For a guide to how much, click here.

 

 

It is important that you keep your contact information current with the Association.  And you can correct or update this information day or night without making a phone call.  If you change the information yourself at REALTOR.org,  GBAR, Supra and NYSAR are notified automatically.  Go to the REALTOR.org website and click on "My Account."  On the first visit you must register, but after that just entering your user name and password advances you to a page that will allow you to update your contact information and notify the Association Office.

 

 

Many Members have requested more information about Flood Elevation Certificates:  When do I need them? Why do we need them?  How do I get one?

Jim Rollo of Jim Rollo State Farm has provided us with a comprehensive document providing the answers to these questions, as well as a FAQ answer sheet for your use.

To review this document, click here.  If you have further questions, feel free to contact Jim at 754-3000, or email him by clicking here.

Please note that GBAR does have one Surveyor Affiliate Member - Raymond Hulbert of Hulbert Engineering & Land Surveying, PC.  Raymond can be reached at 723-0799.

Finally, to view NAR's Legal Guidance on Flood Insurance Disclosures, click here.

 

  

Got comments, questions or concerns?  Want to join a GBAR Committee?  Here's a full list of 2014 GBAR Board of Directors, Officers, Committee and Sub-Committee Chairs and Association Staff Members.  Just click on the name to send an email, or call the phone number listed.  We look forward to hearing from you!

2014 GBAR Board of Directors

 

Thomas Reid, President                                                    699-1013

Kay Graves, President Elect                                              760-3924

Patricia Kilts, Immediate Past President                       725-4082

Robert Farrell                                                                      760-5001

Roger Katchuk                                                                     759-1244

Rose Pelino                                                                           761-8073

Dawn Roessing                                                                    343-5982

Rachel Sbarra                                                                       341-2625

Michelle Shine                                                                     743-0454

Sandra Stebelton                                                                 768-2372

Karen Templeman                                                               727-7600

James Trevitt                                                                        727-4956

 

2014 GBAR Non-BOD Officers/Counsel

 

Diane White, Treasurer                                                     760-4774

Jon Sarra, HH&K, General Counsel                                231-6788

Barry Arnold, Secretary                                                     729-6285

 

2014 GBAR Committee/Sub-Committee Chairs 

 

Board Operations               Dale Tifft                               768-3793

Bylaws                                   Diane Kerth                          725-4026

Communications/PR         Jessica Dillenbeck               343-8486

   - Affiliate Council             Kent Sisco                             343-7293

   - Community Service       Sandra Stebelton                 768-2372

   - Membership                    Jessica Dillenbeck               343-8486 

   - Program & Banquet       Melissa Burish                     427-2626

Education                              Diana Nogaret                      725-4065

Finance                                  Diane White                         760-4774

Government Affairs            Thomas Reid                        699-1013

Grievance                              Sandra Guy                           760-4700

MLS                                        John Farrell                         760-0908

Nominating                          Patricia Kilts                         725-4082

Professional Standards      Diane Briggs-Angell            761-1953

REALTOR/Lawyer              Diane White                         760-4774

Staff Review                          Karen Templeman              727-7600

Strategic Planning               Kay Graves                            760-3924

Trade Show                           Dawn Roessing                     343-5982

 

GBAR Staff

 

Barry Arnold                        Executive Officer                729-6285

Alison Donnelly                   Membership/Admin          729-6285

Martha Tubaugh                 MLS/Finance                       729-6285

AnnaBelle Brewer               Committees                          729-6285