1-2 Club for New Agents - May 1
If you have been a member of the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® for 0-2 years, we have planned a special FREE education program and social/networking hour just for you! Sponsored by Bankers Settlement Services - Capital Region, LLC, sessions include: Rookie of the Year...How I Did It with Roseann Annis and Mike Pion from 3:00-3:45 p.m. and What Do I Say Next with Donna Fleetwood from 3:45-4:30 p.m.

Registration is at 2:45 p.m. The cost is free, but you must register. If you do not attend and do not cancel your reservation by Tuesday, April 29 at 9:00 a.m., you will be charged a $5 fee. To register, call 364-3200, register on-line in the MEMBERS ONLY section of our website at www.GHAR.info, or e-mail: sara@ghar.info before April 29.

** Please note, that while this event is geared towards agents who have been in the business for just 0-2 years all agents are welcomed to attend!

ORIENTATION
Orientation is required for all new REALTOR^® members. You must meet this requirement within the first two offerings of applying for membership. Learn what it means to be a REALTOR^®, your obligation to abide by our Code of Ethics, and the many benefits and services that the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^®has to offer. A boxed meal is provided by the sponsor of the orientation.

Orientation will be held on the following dates and times:
April 24, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. sponsored by Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
June 13, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. sponsored by A n 'S Company, Inc.
(Registration begins at 10:45 a.m.)

Remember failure to attend orientation as required may result in paying an additional application fee.

REMINDER FROM THE PA TREASURY DEPARTMENT
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Treasury Department has asked GHAR to remind all our members that the deadline for filing unclaimed property reports is April 15, 2008. According to information provided by the Treasury Department, "unclaimed property is any financial asset left with a holder without activity or contact for a period of five years (with exceptions)." The Department's information also says that "state law requires that all financial institutions, government agencies or other businesses, organizations and entities, also known as holders, must file unclaimed property reports and turn over unclaimed property to the Treasury Department annually for the prior year. If, however, holders do not have any unclaimed property to report, they should file a none report by April 15 to be in compliance with the law. Currently, trusts, estates, sole proprietorships and organizations with 501 C(3) status are exempt from filing negative reports if they have no reportable unclaimed property." For more information on this issue, please contact the Association.

Registration Open for the ICI Happy Hour on Thursday, April 17!
On Thursday, April 17, the ICI Board of Directors will be hosting the spring 2008 ICI Happy Hour! The event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Dorado in Camp Hill. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, the event is FREE for all ICI members. Space is limited, however, and pre-registration is REQUIRED. The registration deadline is Friday, April 11. You can register online at www.ghar.info or call 364-3200.

To view a copy of the event flyer, click here. A special thank you to our event sponsors: BL Companies, First Industrial Realty Trust, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, Reager & Adler, PC, and Susquehanna Bank.

GREATER HARRISBURG REALTORS^® INSTITUTE

GHRI BI-WEEKLY EMAIL
To help decrease the size and scope of the weekly email, the Association has decided to send out a separate email highlighting upcoming classes held at the Greater Harrisburg REALTORS^® Institute. Look for the email to be sent out the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

CE DEADLINE - May 31, 2008
All licensees licensed prior to December 1, 2007, are required to take 14 hours of continuing education by May 31, 2008.

NAR QUADRENNIAL ETHICS DEADLINE - December 31, 2008
All REALTORS^® are required to take 2 1/2 hours of ethics training between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008. GHAR will be tracking that everyone meets the deadline. For more information on the quadrennial ethics deadline and which classes are approved, please see the GHRI Bi-Weekly Email or call the Association at 364-3200.

MINI GOLF TOURNAMENT!
Join us, Wednesday, May 21 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. for the annual Foundation Miniature Golf Tournament at Water Golf on City Island! Individuals may register for $30 each or teams of 5 persons for $150. Food and Beverages will be provided with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Best Team Scores, Best Dressed Team and much more! Space is limited to the first 120 people so register soon!

Interested in being a sponsor or donating prizes? Contact Sara Bloss at the association by calling 364-3200 or email her at sara@ghar.info.

2008 Foundation Golf Outing
Mark your calendar for the Foundation Golf Outing which will be held on Wednesday, June 25 at Armitage Golf Club in Mechanicsburg. Sponsorship and player registration forms are available by calling the Association office at 364-3200 or visit http://www.ghar.info/About_Us/Meetings_Events.htm. Registration and lunch are at 11:00 a.m. Shotgun start is 12:00 p.m. Dinner, prizes and awards will occur at 5:00 p.m.

Sponsorship Opportunities are Available!
Eagle Sponsor - $2000
Birdie Sponsor - $1000
Par Sponsor - $500
Bogey Sponsor - $250

If you are interested in being a sponsor or donating a door/hole prize, please contact the Association at 717-364-3200.

Note: The official registration and financial information of the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Between March 25-27 CMPL held an exchange event to make your transition to the new lockbox key of your choice. If you did not attend during your designated time please call CPML TODAY to make your appointment.

To make the trade, you will need to bring:
Your photo ID and Your DisplayKEY, cradle, and power cord!

TRAINING FOR THE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL WITH DICK BETTS!
CPML is presenting 2 days of seminars on getting the most out of your Smart Phone. Classes will be held in the GHAR building, 424 N. Enola Dr, Enola. Call CPML at 761-8440 to register.

Thursday, April 17
9 am – 10:30               Everywhere is My Office
10:30 – Noon               Newest/Latest/Greatest Technology Out There
1 – 4 pm                       Real Estate Fundamentals
4 – 4:45 pm                  FREE e-PRO Workshop (with details of the on-line course and CE credit available)

Friday, April 18
9 am – noon                 Beyond Fundamentals
1 – 4 pm                      Smartphones for REALTORS^®

$25 for one class ~     $40 for 2        ~ $75 for all classes

PARAGON TRAINING SCHEDULE
Training classes have been scheduled on the following dates for the PARAGON system:
                            April 10
                            May 29
                            June 5

Basic class will be held at 9:00 am. The Basic Class covers simple searches, descriptions of terms used in the PARAGON system, introduction to input sheets, CPML input rules for paragon as well as system requirements. The Basic Class also provides a brief look at the financial program.

Advanced class will be held at 1:00 pm. The Advanced Class covers creating CMA's and using the Contact Manager to manage clients as well as send automatic emails.

You need only attend one day, but you may attend more than one class if you choose. Please call the CPML office at 761-8440 to reserve a time. Classes are held at the new GHAR office at 424 N. Enola Drive, Enola, PA 17025.

PAR Excellence Club Award
Are you a star in the field of real estate? Then PAR is looking for you! The PAR Excellence Club Award honors REALTORS^® who have shown a high standard of excellence through professional and community involvement, sale activity and education. Visit the PAR web site at www.parealtor.org to obtain an application form or call 1-800-555-3390 today for more information about the Club Award.

NAR Accepting Recommendations for 2009 Committees
The National Association of REALTORS^® is now accepting recommendations for committees in 2009. Using an online form on the NAR Web site, members can recommend themselves or other suitable candidates for up to three committees at a time. NAR has a wide variety of Committees - to learn more information, please visit the NAR Web site. After logging in, members can review each Committee's structure, purpose statement, composition (how many members), length of term you would be expected to serve, and specific qualifications for consideration. Please note that if you are appointed to a Committee, you are expected to attend all of its meetings and serve the full length of your term. Click here to visit the Web form on the NAR Web site (please note you will need to login using your NAR user name and password). The deadline for submitting a recommendation for a committee is May 27, 2008. For more information, please contact the Association.

REVENUE DEPARTMENT ISSUES NEW REALTY TRANSFER TAX REGULATIONS
Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued new regulations governing the collection of the Realty Transfer Tax. GHAR is working with PAR to identify the impact of these new regulations. GHAR will provide more information to brokers and agents in the following weeks. Click here to view a copy of the new regulations on the Pennsylvania Bulletin Web site. Click here to view a copy of the PA Department of Revenues Realty Transfer Tax Bulletin that contains example scenarios of when the RTT applies or does not apply. For more information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

DAUPHIN COUNTY TO CONSIDER “UNIFORM PARCEL iDENTIFIER ORDINANCE”
The Dauphin County Board of Commissioners intends to consider an Ordinance entitled the “Uniform Parcel Identifier Ordinance”. The proposed Ordinance would require the use of an uniform parcel identifier on submissions to the Dauphin County Recorder of Deeds and Assessment Appeals Office. Submissions include any conveyance of real estate, mortgage of real estate or release, right-of-way, easement, lease, subdivision plan or any other document affecting real estate in Dauphin County. Submissions to the County Offices would be required to include the uniform parcel identifier. For a copy of the proposed Ordinance, or for more information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

GOV. RENDELL’S BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES EXTENSION OF KOZ PROGRAM
In early February, Governor Ed Rendell presented is 2008-2009 budget proposal to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Included in that proposal was an extension of the Keystone Opportunity Zone (KOZ) program. Currently, the tax benefits associated with the KOZ program are set to run out in 2010. The budget proposal does not specifically state how long the extension would last. However, a report from the Central Penn Business Journal indicates that the Governor is working with his Cabinet and legislators to agree on a specific extension. The 2008-2009 budget must be approved by the General Assembly and the Governor by June 30, 2008. Please watch for more information on this issue, and please contact Sherri Pursel with any questions.

SWATARA TWP. CREATES PUMPING DISTRICTS FOR ON-LOT SEWAGE SYSTEMS
On April 9, the Swatara Township Board of Commissioners will consider an Ordinance creating “maintenance districts” for pumping of on-lot sewage disposal systems. Specifically, the proposed Ordinance would create three (3) separate maintenance districts, and it also specifies when systems must be pumped in each of the three districts. The Board intends to consider the Ordinance at its meeting on April 9, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Township Municipal Office. Please contact Sherri Pursel for more information.

CARROLL TWP. TO CONSIDER CHANGE TO SALDO
On April 14, the Carroll Township, York County, Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on a proposed change to the Township’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO). The proposed Ordinance would modify the Township’s traffic study requirements (Section 714) contained in the current SALDO. The Board intends to consider the Ordinance immediately following the public hearing. The hearing is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. at the Township Municipal Building, 555 Chestnut Grove Road, Dillsburg. For more information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

SIGN-UP to be a MUNICIPAL Political CONTACT!
GHAR is still searching for volunteers to be Municipal Political Contacts. As a Political Contact, GHAR will work with you when issues impacting REALTORS^® and the real estate industry arise in your municipality. GHAR’s goal is to identify REALTORS^® from each municipality in our tri-county area to be Political Contacts. We are still in need of contacts for the following municipalities:

If you are interested in participating in this vital program, please contact Sherri Pursel.

COURTESY ANNOUNCEMENTS

CUMBERLAND COUNTY HOMEBUYERS' COALITION BREAKFAST - April 9
REALTORS^® are invited to attend Cumberland County Homebuyers's Coalition 3rd Annual "Breakfast on Us" on Wednesday, April 9 at the Hotel Carlisle, 1700 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle.. Registration and breakfast is at 8:30 am and the program starts at 9:00 am. Learn more about programs that your buyers can really use such as FHA, PHFA and USDA. Get information on down payment and closing cost assistance grants. Hear from industry experts on the changing mortgage market. Receive a chance to win door prizes! Please RSVP to Deanna Wells no later than April 3 by email to dwells@mtb.com or by calling 717-213-3118.

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