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Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Steve Goddard - 2010 C.A.R. President
Dear C.A.R. Member:
A new year, and with it, new beginnings and new opportunities. Like you, I’m looking forward to meeting the challenges that invariably present themselves as we get underway.
It’s heartening to see encouraging signs in both the general economy and the real estate market in California. As is often the case, California is ahead of the nation in market recovery. The state’s median home price increased year over year in November for the first time since August 2007, sales bottomed out more than two years ago, and the median home price reached its trough in February 2009. Going forward, we expect the statewide median home price to rise 3.3 percent to $280,000 this year, with a slight decrease in sales. While no one has an infallible crystal ball, it looks like the worst is behind us, and we can move forward with confidence that better days are ahead.
There’s exciting news to share on the statewide MLS front: calREDD™ on Monday officially launched at the Lake County Association of REALTORS®. We remain convinced that a true statewide MLS is in your best interests, and we will continue to work to that end. It’s a complicated process, but as calREDD™ Chairman Mike Silvas so succinctly stated, it’s always easy to criticize innovators who are shaking up the status quo. Following Monday’s successful launch in Lake County, calREDD™ now will focus on deployments at the Chico, Oroville, and Paradise associations later this month, with more to follow in March and April.
On the transactional front, drafts of proposed changes to the Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA) and three other related forms are available for you to review, with the forms scheduled for release in early April. We encourage you to share your comments – anything from formatting to more substantive suggestions are welcome The commenting period ends Jan. 15, so click here to review the respective forms and then e-mail your comments to carforms@car.org.
Building on last year’s successful event, C.A.R. and our media partner, the Los Angeles Times, will present the third annual Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair March 13 and 14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It’s another way we’re reaching consumers to let them know now is an ideal time to buy a home. The Southern California Home Buyer’s Fair features more than 50 educational “how-to” seminars and an exhibit hall designed to help consumers navigate today’s real estate market with confidence and peace of mind. We’ve developed a fact sheet you can share with your clients. Read all about the Fair at www.homebuyersfair.com.
In good times and bad, it’s important that we remain engaged and involved in the political process. Prior to 2008, California lawmakers were charged with drawing their own legislative districts. California voters changed all that when they authorized the creation of the Citizens Redistricting Commission in the November 2008 General Election. Now you can get involved in the process by applying to serve on this independent Commission that will draw district boundaries for the state Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization. The deadline to apply is Feb. 12; click here for more information.
Finally, if you have not done so, please make time to take advantage of your free upgrade to zipForm® 6. The new application features easy-to-use navigation that enables users to quickly move through documents and transactions. As an added bonus, members who upgrade to zipForm® 6 also will receive free access to ePUBS™ for zipForm® 6, which includes a digitized version of the Combined Hazards Book that you can e-mail to your clients in one file, along with the signature page and Earthquake Hazards Report in a separate file. This delivery method is eco-friendly, offering the buyer or seller an option to review the book on their monitor instead of printing all 78 pages. To download zipForm® 6, visit http://www.car.org/winforms/zipForm6/Instructions/. For more information on how to access the ePUBS™ zipForm® 6 library, visit http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/ePUBSZF6/ePUBSWebinars/.
Your Leadership Team is ramping up our outreach efforts this year. We hope to visit with as many of you as possible at your local association or place of business. But whatever the venue, whether in person or online, you have my best wishes as we begin our 2010 journey together.
Sincerely,
Steve Goddard
2010 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
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