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| THE REALTOR REPORT | FEBRUARY 3, 2010 |
| TOP STORY SUSTAINABILITY BROWN BAG NEXT TUESDAY, FEB. 9 ![]() What will your grandchildren use to power their homes? To fuel their cars? Find out when you come to our next Brown Bag Lunch at 11:30 a.m. February 9, "Plan for a Sustainable Energy Future." Davis Montgomery of Duke Energy will cover an array of topics, including energy efficiency, renewable energy and national energy policy, with time left over for a post-presentation Q&A. For more information, or to RSVP, contact Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org. |
HUD FHA QUESTIONS? COME TO OUR PANEL DISCUSSION NEXT THURSDAY, FEB. 11 Do you have HUD questions, but don’t know where to turn? Come to our FHA Forum on Thursday, Feb. 11 at 11:30 a.m.! We’ll have a group of experts including an appraiser, a mortgage specialist, an underwriter, a REALTOR ® specializing in HUD sales and a closing attorney. They'll address a wide range of FHA-related topics and take audience questions in this information-packed event. This is a Brown Bag, so bring your favorite lunch and we'll provide the drinks and desert. To RSVP, or for more information, contact Megan Tasman, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org. |
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SOCIAL MEDIA
SOCIAL NETWORKING 101 FRIDAY, FACEBOOK NEXT WEEK ![]() Did you miss out on the first set of Social Networking seminars? Don't worry -- round two starts Friday with our Social Networking 101. Join us on three consecutive Fridays in February starting with Social Networking 101 o February 5 at 11:30, followed by Facebook Lab at 9 a.m. on Feb. 12 and Linkedin Lab at 9 a.m. on Feb. 19. (Read more) |
RCSC BLOOD DRIVE
SAVE A LIFE FEB. 16 Once again, the GRRA is teaming with the American Red Cross to address critical blood shortages in our area. The RCSC Red Cross Blood Drive will be held February 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The REALTORS® Community Service Committee is asking all eligible donors to come give a pint to save a life. This an easy, cost-free way to make a difference — if your New Year’s Resolution was to give more to your community, this is a great way to get started. The Red Cross needs all types, so if you haven’t made your donation in a while, or if you’ve never donated before, come out! Contact Megan Tasman, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org for more information. |
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FEEDBACK
BROWN BAG SURVEY EXTENDED
We're still collecting your responses for our latest survey! The GRRA is always looking to improve its Brown Bag series and offer you opportunities to learn about topics that are relevant to you and your business. You can help us help you by taking this week's Brown Bag Lunch Survey. As always, your responses are anonymous and the survey takes less than a minute to complete. All our past surveys are archived on the GRRA Survey Results page, so go there any time to see how your responses matched up with your fellow REALTORS.
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THANK YOU GRRA RPAC RAISES 108 PERCENT OF GOAL IN 2009 Thanks to all who gave to RPAC in 2009 -- because of your vision, GRRA-RPAC was one of only two large boards, and one of only 18 in the entire state of NC, to make goal last year. We exceeded our goal of $21,630 and raised $23,365 to promote REALTOR causes in the legislature and support candidates who believe in private property rights. Our goal for 2010 is $19,365 -- that's a 'fair share' donation of only $30 per member. Contact Ray Burton (272-0767) or Kyle Hudson (272-0151) to speak at your company about the importance of investing in RPAC. If you'd like to make a donation, contact Barbara Gilliland, 854-5868 or bpgilliland@grra.org. Make all checks payable to RPAC. Let's do it again in '10! |
| © 2010 Greensboro Regional REALTORS Association |
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Association News
NEW CE SCHEDULE NOW AVAILABLE We’re happy to announce that the 2010 CE Schedule is now complete and uploaded to our website. Click here to view the schedule, or click here to download a registration form (PDF file). Don't wait until the last minute to complete your CE requirements! If you have any questions, please contact Megan Tasman, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org. PARTNERS UPDATE February Partner of the Month Take advantage of your REALTOR® Partner, Sears Commercial, during the month of February. You'll receive special pricing on the everyday products that make your house your home. Want that new 50 inch LCD TV? Or thinking of going green with a new Energy Star appliance? Click this link to find an Appliance Select Plus expert near you: http://www.searscommercial.com/ncar/ More Sears News… In today's marketplace you need to differentiate yourself to stay ahead of the pack. REALTOR® Partner, Sears Commercial, offers you Realty Home Advantage, the perfect program to keep you top of mind and help your customers save. Use this web tool to reach your clients through their print, direct mail, web or email campaigns. Click here to register today: http://realtyhomeadvantage.scmarketingtools.com/Important R-410A EPA Mandate Takes Effect January 1, 2010 By Robbie Rivardo, 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty Risk Management Specialist, Greensboro, NC
Starting January 1, 2010, a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandate will change the way your clients' home air conditioners are serviced and repaired. At that time, manufacturing HVAC equipment that primarily utilizes Freon® (also known as R-22 and HCFC-22) will be banned, and the nation will begin using products such as Puron® (also known as R-410A) as the standard refrigerant for air conditioners. This change will affect your buyers and sellers in many ways. Costs will increase A variety of factors will lead to increased costs:
Manufacturers' warranties may not provide full coverage Typical manufacturers' warranties only cover parts for one year, in most cases. Labor is a significant part of any repair. Each manufacturer may take a different position if an R-22 system cannot be repaired or parts are not available. System and appliance warranties/ service contracts typically exclude coverage resulting from government-mandated changes Most system and appliance home service contracts/warranties contain language that effectively excludes the additional costs resulting from this government-mandated change. Each home service contract may deal with this situation differently. Your Disclosure Responsibility Only a licensed real estate attorney in your area can answer that question. Most states have specific disclosure requirements that must be considered. You may want to:
2-10 HBW ResaleSM has taken proactive steps to address this change by upgrading our coverage to include R-410A covering costly upgrades, reducing your liability and eliminating risk to homeowners. Visit www.R410ASolutions.com to answer all your questions concerning the impact of this new government mandate to you and your clients or call 336 324 9389 to deliver real time answers to agents and homeowners. SOCIAL NETWORKING SERIES - FEB. DATES Did you miss out on the first set of Social Networking seminars? Don't worry -- round two starts Friday! The billing deadline of Dec. 31 has passed, but there's still time to make sure you get your MLS and CIE credits. As a reminder, billing includes a $160 credit for MLS and a $60 credit for CIE for current Primary and Secondary REALTOR member MLS & CIE participants. The extended payment option of $50 will be billed after Dec. 31 and will extend the due date to Feb. 15, 2010. MLS & CIE Credits expire on February 15, 2010. For more information, contact Sharon Gray at 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org.GOOD NEWS AT 2009 YEAR-END PRESS CONFERENCE The 2009 year-end housing report was released last Wednesday at a press conference at the GRRA. We received coverage from several local media outlets — here are a few highlights: Home sales in Greensboro end ‘09 on upswing (N&R) Greensboro Realtors Release 2009 Housing Numbers (WFMY/DigTriad.com) – with video Thanks to Dr. Don Jud, who led the press conference, and our friends in the local media for their interest. The full report can be found on the GRRA’s Market Information page.
NAR ANNOUNCES NEW PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN To: All REALTORS® Re: NAR Update: 2010 Public Awareness Campaign Ads Dear Fellow REALTOR®, As we kick off a New Year, I want you to know that NAR is doing everything we can to reach consumers with information about the extended and expanded home buyer tax credit and to encourage buyers and sellers to contact a REALTOR®. Sincerely, THE FUTURE OF TRANSIT IN THE PIEDMONT TRIAD from PARTNC.org What will your work commute be like in 10 or 15 years? How much growth will the Piedmont Triad receive over the next 10 to 15 years? Will this region see 5 to 10% growth rates experienced in the Triangle and Charlotte metro area? Will there be alternatives to being stuck in traffic, wasting time and money? North Carolina’s population is projected to reach 12 million people in 2030, ranking it the 7th most populated state in the nation. A convenient and efficient transit system will go a long way towards easing the challenges future growth will bring to the Piedmont Triad. PART is thinking and planning for that future. Managing the benefits and challenges of growth is the single most important issue communities face. While we want to embrace benefits that accompany growth, we need to do so in a sustainable fashion and avoid being like “those other places.” According to the US Department of Energy highway vehicles were responsible for 80% of all transportation energy use in 2007. Of that 32.9% can be attributed to cars and only 0.4% to transit. To that end the PART Board has endorsed the development of a regional planning effort that includes a transit development plan and a strategic corridors analysis. When complete, this plan would provide a blueprint for next 10 to 15 years for the enhancement and development of transit services in the Triad. This is a regional effort that will benefit all transit systems in the region. As the region continues to address traffic congestion, air quality concerns and removing transportation barriers, the region must continue to develop an integrated, efficient transit system that provides access to jobs, services, educational opportunities and cultural activities.In August Governor Purdue signed into law the Congestion Relief and Intermodal Transportation Fund. This legislation will allow communities, through voter approval, to provide dedicated funding towards transit enhancement and development. The legislation requires the development of a transit and financial plan detailing how money raised through the fund would be used. The effort discussed here will satisfy that requirement. If you have any thoughts on what a regional transit system for the Triad would look like please email Mark E. Kirstner, Senior Transportation Planner with PART at markk@partnc.org. SAM'S CLUB OFFERS DEAL FOR REALTORSSam's Club has announced a special deal for NAR members who sign up for new memberships -- through Feb. 14, 2010, sign up for a new Sam's Club membership and get a complimentary $10 gift card! Click here to download the certificate, which includes instructions on how to redeem.NEW BLOG OFFERS HEALTH CARE REFORM INFO With so many voices in the current health care debate, it can be hard to follow the latest developments. Craft Insurance Center, a Greensboro-based insurance agency, has set up a blog to document the ongoing legislative happenings related to health reform. Find it at employerhealthreform.blogspot.com. FEDERAL SHORT SALE GUIDANCE RELEASED
Short sale procedures for loan servicers are standardized in guidelines released earlier this week under the federal government's Making Home Affordable loan modification initiative for troubled home owners. The guidelines create a path for a short-sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure for eligible borrowers for whom loan modification isn't a viable option. The guidelines provide $1,500 in federal funds to help borrowers relocate, $1,000 to help servicers offset their processing costs, and up to $1,000 to investors to secure release of subordinate liens. For each $3 an investor pays to secure the release of a lien, the investor receives $1 in assistance. The guidelines prohibit a reduction in agreed-upon commissions (if they're not more than 6 percent) and take effect April 5, 2010, but can be implemented by servicers at any time. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are expected to follow this release with their own rules based on these guidelines. Read an NAR summary. Read the entire guidelines. The guidelines will be covered as part of a Webinar next week, Today's Changing Short Sales Environment. For more contact Jeff Lischer, jlischer@realtors.org, 202/383-1117. FEDERAL $8,000 TAX CREDIT EXTENDED AND EXPANDED
Great news for REALTORS everywhere! The federal government has decided to extend the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit well into 2010. This could be big for you and your clients, so it's important that you read up on all the changes, including the all-new $6,500 credit for current homeowners looking to upgrade. NAR has set up an information page to educate all its members about these exciting changes, and you can find it by clicking here. ADD THE GRRA BLOG TO YOUR RSS FEED Greensboro City Council to Consider New Land Development Ordinance February 9th – Seven years after adopting the Connections 2025 Comprehensive Plan in May of 2003, the city is now poised to adopt a revamped Land Development Ordinance (LDO) designed to implement the policies in the Plan. For instance, one of the main goals of the revised standards is to better accommodate infill development while addressing issues with integrating it into existing neighborhoods. The revamp will also greatly improve the LDO’s user-friendliness. The new code will be searchable and have hyperlinks, illustrations and more definitions, while the old LDO didn’t even have an index (strange but true.) At TREBIC’s insistence, a balanced Citizen Advisory Team was appointed in 2005 to work with the staff and consultants on the revamp. Several of our most experienced members were on it, and their opinion of the final product is that, while there are a few things in it that we don’t love, all in all it’s a much better ordinance and we look forward to seeing it adopted. Last fall we had all of our civil engineers review it as well and they came up with only about 25 problems – a very short list for a 540-page set of rules. City staff has agreed with us on all but a couple of those problems and changes are being made. At press-time, the main issue we are still debating is a proposal to promote street “connectivity.” The policy calls for a ratio of street “links” to “nodes (intersections).” The purpose is to ensure more connections between residential neighborhoods in order to give traffic more options for flow. Adams Farm is the “bad” example they want to avoid, with all the neighborhoods forced to use Adams Farm Parkway to get in and out of the area. However, connections to existing neighborhoods are one of the top 5 controversies during rezonings, and frequently those connections are prohibited by zoning conditions. Other barriers like topography, streams, lakes and adjacent development also frequently prohibit connections. In these cases the only way to meet the required ratio would be to eliminate cul-de-sacs in the new developments, thereby creating grid streets with lots of corner lots, few if any cul-de-sac lots and higher costs due to the increase in pavement required, all while not accomplishing the original goal of better traffic flow. Realtors know better than anyone how much buyers like cul-de-sacs and hate corner lots, so need I say more? Another item that is controversial in the community is the requirement for landscaping on individual single-family lots. The current proposal is that one tree must either be saved or planted on each lot, and that it must live for one year. Since all builders plant at least 1, usually 2 trees per lot voluntarily (with the exception of a very few affordable housing projects), this does seem to be a solution in search of a problem. But the “one-year” requirement sets the city up to be “tree police” when there might be higher priorities for scarce tax dollars. Much has been said about this revamp effectively rezoning the whole city. When the ordinance was last revamped in 1992 there were indeed wholesale changes to the zoning on some parcels. This time, however, that shouldn’t be the case. Zoning classifications have been modernized and renamed, and some minor changes to things like setbacks are proposed, but there is no intent to change the zoning of individual parcels, for instance, from office to commercial. The city sent letters to 110,000 properties that are affected, but if you got one you probably have no idea what it’s trying to tell you. Don’t feel bad, they weren’t very clear. Call the city at 373-CITY or go on line at http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/ to check your zoning just to make sure you’re not adversely affected. Staff is proposing a 6-month grace period during which property owners can get a free rezoning if a mapping mistake was made during this revamp. Council may decide to give an even longer grace period. Guilford/Greensboro/High Point Planning & Inspections Department Merger – A task force of 17 citizens appointed in April of 2009 has studied merger of Building and Planning Departments and water and sewer functions and issued their recommendations in January. First, the big question: Would a merger of departments result in Cost Savings? Not necessarily, after all, there will still be just as many rezonings and plans to review as there are now. If there is fat in any budget it can be cut with or without merger. There would likely be some savings, just probably not enough to be a deciding factor. But there is an opportunity to improve customer service, and that would result in cost savings in the private sector. Regardless of whether the departments are merged, several things are key to getting our cities and county ready to be competitive in a global economy: 1. Leadership (elected officials, managers and department directors) has to insist on a mission of “How can we make this happen and happen quickly?” customer service. 2. All joint review processes must be streamlined so that they do not take any longer than they would if only one jurisdiction was involved. 3. Create a Physical One-Stop-Shop by putting all County and Greensboro plan review personnel in one building. 4. Create a “virtual” one-stop-shop by migrating everyone to the same Software/GIS/review and approval and technology. 5. Reconcile City and County Future Land Use Plans in the cities’ future growth areas so everyone is singing from the same sheet of music. 6. The Greensboro/Guilford County joint review process for projects in the county that are getting city water and sewer is an utter failure and must be revised. It now takes a minimum of 2-3 months before a rezoning application can even be filed, and plans have to go through dual review by both the city and county. 7. Establish Municipal Sphere of Influence (MSI) Areas for Greensboro and High Point’s near-future growth areas. In the MSI the County staff would enforce the city’s urban land development ordinances. This would eliminate dual review and also resolve issues of development character without the “regulation without representation” issues of official extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). The task force does recommend merger of Greensboro and Guilford County Planning and Inspections departments, and High Point too if they will, by the end of 2010. Given the right leadership, the improvements in the customer experience that come from having one phone number to call, one website to log on, one Director to appeal to could be significant. Such user-friendliness could especially be helpful to economic development clients - companies coming in from the outside who are not familiar with our systems. But there are several other departments that are involved in development review too, so ideally we’d merge all those plans into a single Development Services department. The current “consulting contract” relationship with small towns should continue unchanged because it is working well. Other key details: We shouldn’t merge the Planning Boards, Fee schedules or Ordinances – at least not in the beginning. Let both the County and City Managers hire and fire the department director, but for simplicity’s sake call it a “Guilford County” Department. If the elected officials decide to move forward, there are lots of details to be worked through, so there will be an implementation task force set up to handle the devilish details. But for now the decision to move forward or not is in the hands of the High Point and Greensboro City Councils and the Guilford County Commissioners. Marlene Sanford, President, msanford@trebic.org, 336-855-1453 GSO, 336-882-2049 HP If you have news you'd like to share with your fellow REALTORS, send it to Glen Baity, gbaity@grra.org or 854-5868. Upcoming Events February 5 - Social Networking 101 - For more information or to RSVP, contact Peter Johnston or Ashley Boykin, 854-5868. February 9 - Sustainable Energy Brown Bag - 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. - RSVP to Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org. February 11 - FHA Panel Discussion - Contact Megan Tasman, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org for more information. February 12 - Extended Pay Deadline February 15 - GRRA Closed for Presidents Day February 16 - RCSC Blood Drive - 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Come save a life! Contact Megan Tasman, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org for more information. February 18 - Realfast Brown Bag - 11:30 a.m. - RSVP to Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org. February 19 - Linkedin Lab - 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. - For more information or to RSVP, contact Peter Johnston or Ashley Boykin, 854-5868. February 25 - CE Day with George Bell - Mandatory Update and BICAR - 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Contact Megan Tasman, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org for more information. March 2 - GRRA Membership Luncheon - 11:30 a.m. - The Piedmont Triad Partnership will give a presentation on the state of the Aerotropolis - RSVP to Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org. March 3 - e-Pro Workshop - 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Take the first step toward your e-Pro designation with this free workshop! - Contact Megan Tasman, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org for more information. Back to top Wellness Update MOSES CONE EVENTS For a complete calendar of event and descriptions go to www.mosescone.com. To register for these classes, call 832-8000. You may call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Registration is required and classes are free, unless otherwise noted. Technology News Residential NewsBudget woes likely to delay bond projects If the last City Council stepped on the accelerator, the current crowd might be stepping on the brakes. Council approves project on N Elm Fourteen townhomes will be built along North Elm Street, after council members approved a controversial rezoning Tuesday night. County wants breakdown of schools budget Guilford County commissioners say they aren’t looking for places to cut the school district’s budget, but they want a closer accounting of its budget. North Carolina's ability to borrow is reaching limit, report says North Carolina state government has essentially exhausted its ability to borrow money for state buildings and roads if it wants to protect its top credit rating, according to a report released Tuesday by State Treasurer Janet Cowell. Foreclosure rate for area is below national average The Greensboro-High Point metro area ranked 123rd in the country in 2009 for foreclosure rates, according to RealtyTrac, which tracks such data. "Countless acts of heroism" The museum’s opening Monday, which celebrated the historic event, drew Gov. Bev Perdue and a host of politicians. Editorial: Greensboro's great day Monday was a day for reflecting on the past and looking forward. Triad home sales show improvement in 4Q, rising 15.5% Sales of new and existing homes in the Triad rose 15.5 percent in fourth quarter 2009, the first year-over-year increase in three years. Back to top Commercial News Heart of Triad plan gets consensus Greensboro economy still dragging, survey finds $400M still available for private projects Bankruptcy filings up more than 15.2% in Middle District The nation’s largest banks, including Winston-Salem-based BB&T, have rushed to pay off their loans through the Troubled Asset Recovery Program (TARP) as quickly as they could. Study shows progress in GSO's economic transition The move comes almost a year after the 1.1 million-square-foot mall’s parent company, Chicago-based General Growth Properties, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last spring. Economist: Up to half of construction firms won't survive |