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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
Beth L. Peerce Tuesday, January 11th, 2011
 Dear C.A.R. Member,
A new year, and with it, new beginnings and new opportunities. I’m looking forward to meeting the challenges that invariably present themselves as the new year gets underway.
One of the challenges I know many of you have been dealing with is working with short sale transactions, and I promised last month to keep you informed on C.A.R.’s efforts to address your concerns.
First, just last week I, and other C.A.R. officers, met with officials at Bank of America to ask for their commitment in streamlining and improving their short sale process. The bank has agreed to meet with our Distressed Properties task force in the very near future to discuss ways to ensure a smoother short sales process. We’ll also be meeting with the other major lenders over the next several weeks and will share any outcome with you.
Additionally, C.A.R. recently sent letters to officials at the U.S. Treasury Dept., Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency requesting immediate changes to the HAFA program and recommending solutions so the program can succeed. The letter attracted the attention of the banking trade American Banker, which ran an article last Thursday noting C.A.R.’s concerns about the dearth of HAFA short sale closures. The article is sure to be noticed by the lenders and servicers who greatly need to make immediate changes. Read the letter to industry regulators.
We will continue to remain vigilant in the area of short sales, so stay tuned for further updates.
Continue reading: C.A.R. Monthly Message January 2011
Daniel Allen Thursday, June 10th, 2010
The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and the Sacramento Association of REALTORS® present
zipForm® 6 Professional for DRE Credit
This course is Department of Real Estate (DRE) accredited for 3 hours of Continuing Education (CE) in Consumer Service.
The zipForm® 6 Professional course will teach you how to complete and deliver the electronic real estate form transactions quickly to your clients. This course is for members of the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTOR® and Certified Trainers to support the usage of its zipForm® 6 Professional electronic forms tool. zipForm® 6 is a member benefit for all CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTOR® members.
This course will cover how to:
- Create templates by saving all forms and desired data as a “model” transaction to reuse in future similar transactions.
- Print transactional forms for buyers, sellers, and their agents.
- Email transactions over the Internet to buyers, sellers, and their agents.
- Save and reuse clauses and phrases for future transactions with the Clause Editor.
- Access payment calculator and amortization schedule.
- Save, retrieve, and attach notes to forms.
- Export forms to Portable Document Format (PDF) contracts.
- Synchronize transactions between zipForm® 6 Professional and zipForm® 6 Standard.
- Use digital signatures.
- And much more…
EXTRA: Course price includes the electronic zipForm® Training Manual ($11.95 value).
(This publication will be provided to you at the course location on the day of the course.) |
Continue reading: zipForm(R) 6 Professional for DRE Credit. Enroll Now!
Fatima Sogueco Friday, May 28th, 2010
 Now Available… Foreclosure Prevention Library for zipForm® 6!
C.A.R. members who are current zipForm® 6 users can now access the new Foreclosure Prevention library, which was launched on May 26.
C.A.R.’s Foreclosure Prevention Library is an add-on library consisting of 10 short documents explaining how homeowners can avoid foreclosure and foreclosure scams. The library consists of the following titles:
- Proposition 8 – Property Tax Relief
- Tips for a Short Sale Seller
- Tips for a Short Sale Buyer
- Foreclosure or Short Sale
- Foreclosure Prevention Resources
- Short Sale Process
- Foreclosure Timeline
- Homeowner Liability After Foreclosure
- Avoiding Foreclosure Scams
- Alternatives to Foreclosure
Each disclosure form allows you to customize contact information and make these available to your clients who may be at risk of foreclosure or who are already going through the process. The library is designed to help you act as a resource to your clientele who may be experiencing this painful process, and in so doing, possibly help prevent foreclosures.
Continue reading: zipForm® Today – California Special Edition
Fatima Sogueco Friday, April 30th, 2010
Dear zipForm® 6 User:
During the recent forms update this month, the date fields on the signature lines on all forms were disabled. This was an oversight on our part. We are working diligently to restore this functionality and our expectation is that the date fields will be fully functional again by May 5. [...]
Steve Goddard Wednesday, March 17th, 2010
 Steve Goddard - 2010 C.A.R. President
Dear C.A.R. Member:
You’ve heard from me before about upgrading your WINForms® software to zipForm® 6, and nearly 100,000 of you have done so. Thanks! But if you haven’t, you must upgrade your WINForms® software by March 31 – WINForms® no longer will be available come April 1. March also is the month to renew your access to the software. If you upgraded to zipForm® 6 before March 1, you need to renew by logging in to your zipForm® account, where you’ll be prompted to “Renew Now.” For information on all things zipForm®, go to car.org and click on the “Learn More” link under the zipForm® 6 logo in Quick Links.
Also on the forms front, the final versions of C.A.R.’s new Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA), two related new forms, and one revised form now are available for you to preview at http://www.car.org/legal/standard-forms/rpa-study-group-input/. These forms, along with 16 additional revised forms, will be released April 28 in both zipForm® 6 and hard copy format.
C.A.R. is offering a variety of training opportunities related to the new RPA. REALTOR® S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics) events are being held throughout the state and incorporate RPA training with continuing education credits, as well as market and legal updates, and more; go to www.realtorswat.com for information on an event near you. Additional training specific to the new RPA also is available. Visit www.car.org/education/calendar/CourseScheduleQ1/ for classes being offered. Free training is available through Forms Tutor®, an online service that explains the standard forms clause-by-clause, with audio and text instructions. Please visit http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/ft/ for Forms Tutor® information, which will be updated on April 28 to reflect the new RPA and related forms associated with the release.
Continue reading: Your March Message from C.A.R. President Steve Goddard
Steve Goddard Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010
SAVING YOU TIME
We’ve enhanced our C.A.R. Member Legal Services to help you find answers to your legal questions as quickly as possible.
- Updated Legal Blog: The C.A.R. Legal Blog is a forum where you can have your legal questions answered by C.A.R. attorneys. Submit questions by clicking on the “Ask New Legal Question” link on the blog and submit your question as a comment. Answers to questions on the blog are provided in the comment section below the question. You even can submit follow-up questions or comments to the answers if desired. Click here to access the newly revised Legal Blog.
- C.A.R. Legal Webinars and Videos: We do our best to keep you informed about the legal issues that impact your business. In case you missed a recent legal webinar, or want to see what new legal videos we have to offer, click here.
- Automated Legal Hotline: E-mailing your legal questions is now even simpler! You can submit your Legal Hotline questions easily with our new automated Legal Hotline service. You no longer have to wait on hold–simply fill out the form and one of our attorneys will call you back to discuss your question in more detail.
Don’t spend your time searching for market trend statistics. We’ve put all the data in one place for you. Click here to find out what we learned from the 2009 housing market by reading our most recent TRENDS in California Real Estate newsletter. It’s free for members.
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IS IT TOO LATE FOR YOU…Did you wait too long to become
an REO listing agent? Not if you take action NOW. Millions of REOs
need listed & sold. Becoming an REO Agent is easier than you think.
Watch the FREE how to list REOs video now, grab your free book!
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Continue reading: Your Membership, Your Way – February 2009
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
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
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