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 LeFrancis Arnold  Tuesday, December 20th, 2011  Dear Member,
I’m excited to begin my term as your 2012 President, but I first want to thank our outgoing C.A.R. President Beth L. Peerce for serving this organization so well over the past year. She helped keep you, the REALTOR®, at the center of the real estate transaction during this challenging time. Thank you Beth for your service to organized real estate!
Like Beth, I also am a second-generation REALTOR®. I followed my mother into the real estate business in 1976 and became a broker a year later. I have served as a C.A.R. director since 1994. I’m going to continue serving the organization this year by helping you get through the tough economic times and be successful in your business.
But I won’t be doing it alone. I’ll be joined by a very capable 2012 Leadership Team comprised of President-Elect Don Faught, Treasurer Chris Kutzkey, and C.A.R. Executive Vice President Joel Singer. I’m excited to serve with this incredible team.
As one of my first duties, I’m pleased to share with you the good news that the FHA loan limit was reinstated last month so that middle-class home buyers have access to affordable home financing. The higher loan limit expired on Oct. 1, 2011, when it was reduced to $625,500, but now has been restored to $729,750 for an additional two years, through Dec. 31, 2013. However, the higher loan limits for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans were not reinstated. C.A.R. and NAR both have long advocated for making higher loan limits permanent.
Continue reading: C.A.R. Monthly Message from President LeFrancis Arnold
Fatima Sogueco Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
 As part of the many benefits made available to members, C.A.R. offers its standard real estate forms in zipForm® 6, providing ease, convenience and a significant business tool for California REALTORS®. zipForm® 6 is the exclusive software of C.A.R.’s standard forms.
It has recently come to C.A.R.’s attention that some members may be attempting to modify the pre-printed text of C.A.R.’s standard forms or upload blank or modified versions of C.A.R.’s standard forms into other software programs for use in those programs. C.A.R’s standard forms are protected by U.S. copyright laws which expressly forbid the unauthorized reproduction of any portion of copyrighted material by any means, including electronic formats. Blank C.A.R. forms may not be printed from zipForm® 6, and any placement of C.A.R. standard forms in other software programs for use in those programs (other than a completed C.A.R. form in locked, .pdf format and saved in connection with a real estate transaction) infringes upon C.A.R.’s copyrights in its forms and is strictly prohibited. If a member needs to view a form that is not filled out, forms with the water mark “Sample” are available for printing from the zipForm® 6 software but are not to be used in transactions. Additionally, the removal or modification of pre-printed text in a C.A.R. form is a violation of C.A.R.’s copyrights in its forms and a breach of the zipForm® 6 End User License Agreement. Member placement of blank or modified C.A.R. standard forms in other software programs for use in those programs could result in substantial liability to the member for copyright infringement under federal law, as well as termination of the member’s zipForm® 6 account for violation of the End User License Agreement.
The C.A.R. copyright policy benefits our members in numerous ways. C.A.R. forms receive valuable protection under the C.A.R. User Protection Agreement. The C.A.R. User Protection Agreement will not apply, however, if the C.A.R. forms are used or modified in a way that violates C.A.R.’s copyrights in the forms. Additionally, proper use of C.A.R.’s standard forms in zipForm® 6 ensures that members are using the most current, up-to-date versions of the forms. Members can be confident that the C.A.R. standard forms in zipForm® 6 are reviewed in light of the latest changes in applicable law. C.A.R. standard forms in other software platforms may not be the most current version of the form and therefore may put you and your clients at risk. Finally, use of C.A.R. standard forms in zipForm® 6 helps to ensure that your membership dues do not subsidize the use of C.A.R. forms obtained from zipForm® 6 by individuals who have not purchased a license or otherwise are not entitled to such use.
Continue reading: Reminder About Proper Use of C.A.R.’s Standard Forms and zipForm® 6
Dave Tanner Monday, December 13th, 2010
 The only forms required to be used in place of the old version of the forms are the new TDS and MHTDS forms which must be used for all transactions closing after January 1, 2011. The reason this [...]
Steve Goddard Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
 Steve Goddard - 2010 C.A.R. President
Dear C.A.R. Member:
The C.A.R. Board of Directors meetings in Indian Wells concluded last weekend, and as always covered a lot of ground in a short period of time. More than 50 committee meetings during the week culminated in the official meetings of the full board on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.
Your board of directors is a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time and expertise to your state association and to our industry. If you’re not directly involved in your local association, or aren’t yet a volunteer at the state or national level, I encourage you to do so. It’s an opportunity to give voice to the issues important to you and your peers, and to directly impact your livelihood and the future of our industry. My involvement over the years has enriched both my professional and personal life.
At the meetings, changes to the California Residential Purchase Agreement and Joint Escrow Instructions–most often referred to as the “RPA”–were approved by the board. The RPA is the standard form, produced by C.A.R., used in nearly every residential real estate transaction in the state. The RPA hasn’t been significantly modified since 2002, and the changes approved this past week followed nearly two years of effort by the RPA Study Group and the Standard Forms Advisory Committee, with over 1,000 comments from members helping inform the process.
Changes regarding the initial deposit; the notice to perform; FHA/VA loans; financing; the appraisal contingency; the wood pest inspection; home warranty coverage; and contingencies and cancellations; among others, were approved and will be incorporated in the revised form, scheduled for release April 28. For a complete timeline regarding the RPA release, visit http://www.car.org/legal/standard-forms/. Final Drafts will be posted Feb. 22. Classes will be held throughout the state and begin next month. Please click here for more details.
Continue reading: Your February Message from C.A.R. President Steve Goddard
Fatima Sogueco Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
 Get a jump on the zipForm® 6 renewal period (3/1/10 – 3/31/10) by upgrading today! If you haven’t upgraded to zipForm® 6 and downloaded your free ePUBS™ for zipForm® 6 library, now is a great time to ‘beat the crowds’. The expiration date for existing WINForms® and zipForm® 6 accounts is March 31, 2010. You will be prompted to renew starting March 1, 2010.
Your C.A.R. member benefit is available in two versions: zipForm® 6 Professional (formerly WINForms Online®) and zipForm® 6 Standard (formerly WINForms Desktop®). Members can upgrade to both zipForm® 6 Professional and zipForm® 6 Standard for free.
zipForm® 6 Professional enables you to automatically import existing transactions and work online from any computer. zipForm® 6 Standard allows you to import all previously saved transactions from WINForms® Desktop. Additionally, the new File Manager lets you sync all files between your computer and online storage instantly, ensuring that you always have the most recent contracts. Additional features include:
- Fill out a form – email and/or print – no need to create a transaction first
- Apply one or multiple templates at any time during the transaction
- Fast Fill provides the ability to enter data without the verbiage of the contract
- Drag and drop forms into transactions
- Right-click to Preview, Print and/or add form to transaction
- Platform Independent – runs on a PC or MAC
- Scroll through pages of forms
- Automatically saves the transaction (in the background) as you work
- Email selected pages or an entire transaction as single PDF or individual PDFs
- Search for documents alphabetically, numerically, categorized and/or using the “Search” feature.
Continue reading: Upgrade to zipForm 6® Before March 31st
Daniel Allen Monday, January 25th, 2010
Members have reported that certain investor buyers use a standard form “As-Is Contract for Sale and Purchase” which fraudulently purports to be approved by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.). This standard form agreement has been used by Greenhills Financial Investment, LLC, among others. C.A.R.’s Legal Department is vigilantly pursuing this matter, which includes [...]
Steve Goddard 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.
Continue reading: Your January Message from C.A.R. President Steve Goddard
Steve Goddard Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
REALTORS® and their clients who encounter unlawful or unprofessional conduct by an appraiser may file a confidential complaint with California’s Office of Real Estate Appraisers (OREA). Since implementation of the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) in May 2009, REALTORS® have reported many challenges and difficulties with appraisals, such as low appraisals, inexperienced appraisers, out-of-area appraisers unfamiliar with a local neighborhood, and problems with Appraisal Management Companies (AMCs). Appraisers are regulated by the OREA, and starting January 1, 2010, a new law directs the OREA to develop a registration process and other regulations to oversee AMCs as well.
A complaint of appraiser’s misconduct may be filed with the OREA. The complaint may be made confidentially, but proper prosecution may ultimately require the complainant’s testimony in a legal proceeding.
Continue reading: REALTORS® May File Confidential Appraiser Complaints
Steve Goddard Tuesday, November 24th, 2009
SAVING YOU TIME
From the day-to-day legal support you need to updates on new laws that affect your transactions – Legal online is your quick stop for answers. Here’s a snapshot of the legal news you need, now.
SAVING YOU MONEY
You’ve heard that the zipForm® 6 FREE upgrade is now available – so here’s what’s new. Get ready to enjoy the enhanced features and functionality of zipForm® 6. Available in two versions: zipForm® 6 Professional Edition (formerly WINForms Online®), allows users to log onto any computer to access the software; Zipform® 6 Standard Edition (formerly WINForms® Desktop), is an offline version of zipForm® 6, and saves all program files, settings, and transactions locally instead of online. Software installation is required to utilize the desktop version.
Continue reading: Your Membership, Your Way – November 2009
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