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 James Liptak  Monday, November 16th, 2009 C.A.R. is rolling out new and newly revised standard forms today. These forms have been added to our large catalog of forms provided as a member benefit to help REALTORS® conduct their real estate business.
Most notable among the forms being released is a revised Disclosure Regarding Real Estate Agency Relationships (Form AD). The revised AD form aims at ending the confusion surrounding the form by allowing a buyer’s agent to use just one form for both the seller and buyer to sign. REALTORS® may now handle the delivery of the AD form in either of two ways:
- Alternative A: Agents may continue the existing practice of generating three AD forms in a typical transaction. The first AD form is generally signed by the listing agent and seller before entering into a listing agreement. Absent dual agency, the second AD form is generally signed by a buyer’s agent and buyer before writing an offer. The third AD form is generally signed by the buyer’s agent and seller. An AD form signed by the buyer’s agent and seller does not create an agency relationship between the buyer’s agent and seller because the AD form is merely an information sheet. The actual confirmation of agency is stated separately in paragraph 27C of the C.A.R. Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA).
- Alternative B: The procedure for Alternative B is stated in the explanation box at the bottom of the newly revised AD (revised 11/09). Agents will still prepare the first and second AD forms stated in Alternative A. The buyer’s agent, however, may now deliver to the seller the second AD form signed by the buyer’s agent and buyer. The seller may sign acknowledgement of receipt of that AD form on the signature line in the explanation box. No third AD form is needed under Alternative B.
Continue reading: Revised Agency Disclosure Statement and Other Forms Released
James Liptak Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Beginning Monday, Nov. 16, California REALTORS® can voluntarily upgrade to zipForm® 6. The new software provides access to features and functionality not currently available on WINForms Online® or WINForms® Desktop. zipForm® 6 is available in two versions, zipForm® 6 Professional Edition and zipForm® 6 Standard Edition. zipForm® 6 Professional Edition (formerly WINForms Online®) enables [...]
James Liptak Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Dear C.A.R. Member:
The past few weeks have been very favorable for home buyers, our profession, and the real estate industry. President Obama on Friday signed a bill extending and expanding the federal tax credit for home buyers through April 30, 2010, and on Oct. 30 signed a resolution extending the current limits for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA loans through the end of next year.
These successes were a teaching moment for us all on the impact we can make in Washington when we unite behind a common cause. We called for action, and you delivered. California REALTORS® placed nearly 25,000 calls or e-mails to their congressional representatives, urging them to extend and expand the home buyer tax credit. Passage of legislation critical to our profession also underscored the importance of being politically involved, at the local, state, and national levels. It’s why I’ve been personally involved in our Association’s advocacy efforts for many years, and why I back up my commitment with an annual contribution to the REALTOR® Action Fund.
Continue reading: November 2009 Message from C.A.R. President James Liptak
James Liptak Wednesday, October 28th, 2009
SAVING YOU TIME
It’s easy to share C.A.R. videos. C.A.R. videos are now available for you to download. Liven up your Web site or blog content with the latest industry insights covered in C.A.R. videos. Our videos feature everything from REALTOR® tips to housing market updates. Click here to visit the new C.A.R. video page for more information and download instructions. Check back often for new video content.
Need legal counsel on the weekend? Don’t worry–the C.A.R. Legal Hotline is open on Saturdays to help with your transaction-based legal questions. Members can call the C.A.R. Legal Hotline at (213) 739-8282 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturdays to speak live with a C.A.R. attorney. Calls are taken on a first-come, first-served basis to offer members free, confidential legal advice on a vast array of real-estate related topics, such as contract interpretation, arbitration, litigation, tax issues, commission disputes, disclosure requirements, fair housing issues, and laws governing homeowner’s associations. Click here to learn more.
Continue reading: Your Membership, Your Way
James Liptak Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Dear C.A.R. Member:
2009 has been a thought-provoking year for the real estate industry in California, both for REALTORS® and for our clients. In many instances, it has been a year without precedent. Like most of you, I’ve wondered what 2010 will bring. Many of my questions and concerns were addressed at the opening luncheon during CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO 2009. C.A.R. Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young deftly navigated her way through the Association’s official forecast for the 2010 housing market, putting today’s market into historical perspective and setting the stage for the future.
The upshot is that, statewide, we can expect the median home price to rise 3.3 percent to $280,000 in 2010, while sales will moderate to a more sustainable pace, posting a 2.3 percent decrease next year. 2010 should mark the beginning of a “new normal” for California’s housing market, and likely will feature a steady stream of sales driven by distressed properties in the low end of the market, coupled with moderate home-price appreciation.
Continue reading: October 2009 Message from C.A.R. President James Liptak
James Liptak Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009
SAVING YOU TIME
Our car.org calendar is your quick reference for upcoming events. We’ve made it easy to find out what’s happening in your area. The calendar, located on the bottom right of the car.org homepage, is your member resource for education course dates, industry events, and local association meetings. Simply click on the date of interest to view the list of upcoming events, along with more information and links for registration and/or sign up. You even can sort your search by type of event. Click here to see activities in your area.
SAVING YOU MONEY
C.A.R. Member Advantage Program introduces new savings with the C.A.R. Private Print Shop. We’ve partnered with Printingforless.com to meet your printing needs. Designed with REALTORS® in mind, the C.A.R. Private Print Shop is your source for top quality marketing materials, including business cards, postcards, letterhead, and envelopes – all at a 10 percent savings. Printingforless.com has designed several theme options available. Ordering is simple and only takes a few minutes: Pick a theme, personalize with your photo, logo, and contact information, and enter your quantities. You’ll choose from professionally designed products that quickly can be customized to fit your business needs. Click here to get started.
Continue reading: Your Membership, Your Way
James Liptak Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Dear C.A.R. Member:
With Southern California wildfires in the news, now is an excellent time to review the legal implications of seasonal firestorms and how they might impact you and your clients. The Southern California wildfire season begins as early as mid-April in some regions, peaks in the fall months, and continues well into winter in many areas. We have recently updated our “Firestorms: Basic Real Estate Legal Issues Q&A” to make it easier for property owners and residents to prepare and find answers to important questions pertaining to wildfires and real estate. Whether you have suffered a loss, or have buyers who are in escrow, this information should prove helpful. You can access the Q&A here: http://www.car.org/legal/2009-qa/firestorms/.
I also hope you are taking advantage of our Market Response Center, a one-stop shop for SMART (Strategic Market Assistance & Response Tools) materials designed with you in mind. We’ve specifically created these tools to help you navigate today’s market and it’s our goal to continue to make things easier for you by providing information that helps you right now. Recently, we’ve added the C.A.R. Financing Guide for California Home Buyers to help keep your clients informed on the variety of financing options available. I encourage you to share this valuable guide with your clients. Check back often for the newest resources available to you and your clients at http://www.car.org/tools/smart.
Continue reading: September 2009 Message from C.A.R. President James Liptak
James Liptak Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
Dear C.A.R. Member:
As you may know, calREDDTM announced late yesterday that the Fresno Association of REALTORS® is putting its participation in the statewide Multiple Listing Service (MLS) on hold for now. Discussions with Fresno are ongoing, and our mutual goal is that disruptions to our members’ businesses are minimized. I wanted to take this opportunity to share some additional information and bring you up to date as we move forward.
calREDDTM launched Aug. 17 in Fresno, Madera, and Merced. As with most conversions of this scale, it was a bumpy launch. It created additional challenges for members who had to simultaneously learn the new system while running their day-to-day businesses. Constructive member feedback was critical during this process, and helped guide our efforts to quickly iron out issues as they occurred. We were hearing more and more from members how they valued the enhancements and features of the calREDDTM software. We also heard from members who were less than satisfied. We responded in all instances as quickly as possible. By yesterday — more than two weeks into the launch — most of the significant issues were resolved and calls to the calREDDTM customer support center were on the wane.
Continue reading: calREDD Update
James Liptak Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
SAVING YOU TIME
With our new My C.A.R. mobile application, the information you need is at your fingertips. The My C.A.R. mobile application is the first iPhone application for use by a REALTOR® association. Designed for the iPhone/iPod touch, with a companion version available for Blackberry® and other Web-enabled mobile devices, the My C.A.R. mobile application features: Inman News stories, market data for 21 California regions, current loan information, highlights from C.A.R.’s Market Matters newsletter, C.A.R. resources, license renewal and continuing education search functionalities, hot issue news alerts, and links to information that may be of interest to C.A.R. directors. Plus, it’s FREE for C.A.R. members to download directly from the Apple iTunes store. Click here for more information and download directions.
Wishing you had instant access to Your Membership, Your Way content? Your Membership, Your Way is now available via RSS feed. Now you can have this important news and information delivered to your inbox in real time. The feed is available at: www.car.org/media/rss/ymyw.xml. Simply follow the link and click “subscribe to this feed.”
Continue reading: Your Membership, Your Way
James Liptak Thursday, August 6th, 2009
Aug. 6, 2009
Dear C.A.R. Member,
We hope you enjoyed the first edition of Your Membership, Your Way, sent to your inbox July 21. This new monthly communication was created to bring C.A.R. member benefits, news, resources, and information directly to you so you can quickly access the tools you need to successfully navigate today’s market and better manage your personal and professional lives. I know from my own experience that it’s often difficult to keep track of all the resources available to us from our Association. It is my hope that Your Membership, Your Way will make it easier for you.
I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few timely discounts and programs that will help you in your business right now. As you know, regulations that recently went into effect require that a member’s DRE license number be on all first point-of-contact materials. I know many of us will have to reprint our business cards, property flyers, and other marketing materials to comply with the new requirements. That’s why we’ve partnered with PrintingForLess.com and negotiated a 25-percent discount to help defray your costs on marketing material reprints. This includes all business cards, stationery, advertising flyers, and other soliciting marketing materials that now must display your DRE license number. Members should visit http://www.printingforless.com/car and enter coupon code CAR25P at checkout. I hope you take advantage of this offer.
Continue reading: Your Monthly Message From C.A.R. President James Liptak
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