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  Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS�


November 12, 2012 :: IN THIS ISSUE

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Classes & Events
Tool Kit
taxUnderwater Homeowners Get Some Aid

Although there are still some snares and drawbacks for participants, one of the federal government's most important financial relief efforts for underwater homeowners started operation on November 1. Continue reading. 

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TriStar2012FirstQtr 


November association promo


holiday2013 Holiday Party and Board Installation    

The Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS� cordially invites you to its holiday party and installation of its 2013 Officers and Directors with Michael McGreevy as 2013 GCAAR President.

 

When and Where: Tuesday, December 4, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at The Fillmore Silver Spring. RSVP now.       

bod2013 GCAAR Board Elections    

Voting for the 2013 GCAAR Board elections will open Monday, November 19. Visit www.gcaar.com to review the 2013 ballot.       

rockvilleRockville Office Open Saturdays   

Reminder: Our Rockville office is open on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to provide service to our members.       

duesAvoid Late Fee - Submit Annual Dues Payment Now   

Your 2013 GCAAR Annual Dues invoice is posted online. The due date is Friday, November 30, 2012. As of December 1, 2012, all outstanding accounts will be assessed a $25 late fee. If full payment is not received by December 31, 2012, a $150 reinstatement fee will be assessed. At that time, membership privileges (including SentriLock services) will be suspended until full payment is received.  

 

Unlike MRIS, GCAAR does not keep credit card information on file; all payment account details must be submitted each billing cycle. You may submit payment online, by mail, by fax, or at any of our three locations. GCAAR does not accept payment over the phone.  

 

For billing inquiries, please contact our Accounting Department at 301.590.8781 or at membershiprecords@gcaar.com. Thank you for your continued support!      

saturdayTake Advantage of New Saturday Class in Rockville  

Maryland Fair Housing - 1.5 CEUs - MD required & DC elective. Early bird before 11/15/2012.  

 

When and Where: Saturday November 17, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at the GCAAR Rockville office. Register now.

macSentriCard Utility: Attention All Mac Users  

Due to a recent update from Apple related to how their OS-X handles Java, you may be experiencing issues when trying to run the New SentriCard Utility program version 3.1. Continue reading.   

talentShare Your Voice: GCAAR's Got Talent  

Calling all vocalists! If you are a GCAAR member who wants to share your voice, submit your video by November 18 to be considered for a live performance of "GCAAR's Got Talent" at this year's Holiday Party and Installation on Tuesday, December 4 at The Fillmore Silver Spring. Get the details.   

actionTell Congress to Extend the Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief  

View the video from National Association of REALTORS� President Moe Veissi about the importance of extending Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief, then tell Congress to keep the housing recovery on track

BRTMeetings on Montgomery County Bus Rapid Transit 

Planners are working on a bus rapid transit (BRT) network to improve accessibility and mobility throughout Montgomery County. BRT is similar to light rail, but runs on county roads. The Transit Corridor Functional Master Plan will recommend rights-of-way for individual transit corridors to accommodate bus lanes, queue jumpers to assist bus operations at intersections, and station locations for the proposed transit network.  

 

Community meetings will be held November 13, 14 and 15 from 6:30-9:00 p.m., where planners will unveil preliminary recommendations and seek input. View full schedule.

WCRFinancial Planning with WCR  

Join the Women's Council of REALTORS� (WCR) as they discuss Financial Planning in Current Market Conditions at the next WCR meeting on Wednesday, November 14.  

 

Where: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. at the Norbeck Country Club. RSVP to attend.

codeFulfill Your Code of Ethics Training Requirement  

All REALTORS� are required by the National Association of REALTORS� (NAR) to complete ethics training of no less than 2 hours, 30 minutes of instructional time within a four-year cycle. The current four-year cycle will end December 31, 2012.  

 

GCAAR will be reporting for its members directly to NAR. If you have completed the training over the past four years in one of our Code of Ethics classes, we have your record and will submit it to NAR. If you have taken the training elsewhere, please send us a copy of your certificate no later than Friday, December 14 to ensure it is reported to NAR.  

 

If you still need to take Code of Ethics training, GCAAR will be offering the class on the following dates:  

  • Thursday, November 29, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at GCAAR in Silver Spring
  • Monday, December 10, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. at GCAAR in Silver Spring  
  • Friday, December 14, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at MRIS in Rockville  
  • Thursday, December 20, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. at GCAAR in Silver Spring

Visit www.gcaar.com to register. If you have any questions, please contact us at education@gcaar.com.

insuranceTips for Savvy Home Buyers  

Besides information about the property's physical condition, details about its history can offset long-term headaches. Continue reading.

treeIncrease in Home Purchase and Rental Price Expectations May Support Home Sales 

Americans' positive housing sentiment continues steady climb, suggests solid footing for durable recovery. Read more.

fannieBaltimore: Lowest Third Quarter Foreclosure Rate Among Top 20 Metropolitan Markets  

The Baltimore-Towson region had the lowest foreclosure rate among the nation's top 20 metropolitan areas during the third quarter, according to RealtyTrac's Metropolitan Foreclosure Market Report. Read more.

lowLow Inventory Stifling Strong Area Housing Market 

The number of homes on the market in the Washington metropolitan area continues to fall to historic lows, and experts say this scarcity of supply is holding back what in most other respects is a strong housing market. Read more.

CEopportunitiesEarly Bird Deals & CE Opportunities

DC Fair Housing and Predatory Lending, Event Date: 11/14. Onsite registration available. 3 hours DC required. SuperPass Eligible  

 

DC Legislative Update, Event Date: 11/14. Onsite registration available. 3 hours DC required. SuperPass Eligible   

 

Environmental Issues, Event Date: 11/16. Early bird before 11/14. 3 hours elective MD & DC. SuperPass Eligible  

 

See complete November Calendar 

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Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS�
8757 Georgia Avenue, Suite 600 :: Silver Spring, MD 20910
301.590.2000 :: www.gcaar.com