2008-2009 RELOCATION MAGAZINES ARE IN!
The Association has received copies of the 2008-2009 Relocating in Central Pennsylvania Guide. The guides are helpful to individuals and families that are relocating to this part of the state and cover Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York Counties. These guides showcase education, health care, sports and recreation, arts and entertainment, and are free to members of the Association. Stop by the Association to pick up several copies.

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: (Registration begins at 10:45 a.m.)
July 28, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. sponsored by Inspect-A-Home, Inc.
September 19, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. sponsored by Commerce Bank

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

1-2 CLUB FOR NEW AGENTS – SEPTEMBER 18
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 A’n S Company, Inc., sessions include: Sales Process Timeline with Dave Weaver from 3:00-3:45 p.m. and Legal Mishaps of New Agents with Doug Marsico from 3:45-4:30 p.m.

Registration is at 2:45 p.m. The cost is free, but you must register. Please remember that if you do not attend and do not cancel your reservation by Tuesday, September 16 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 September 16.

** 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!

"IT PAYS TO WORK WITH A REALTOR^®" BROCHURE AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS
GHAR recently purchased some "It Pays to Work with a REALTOR^®" brochures. Purchased from NAR, these brochures explain to consumers why it is important to use a REALTOR^® when buying or selling a home. Members can stop in the GHAR office and pick up a copy of a brochure - we have both English and Spanish-language versions. Or, members can order larger quantities of the brochure through the NAR Web site. Click here to view and/or order the brochure.

BROKERS AND MANAGERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CHECK LICENSE STATUS OF ALL OFFICE AGENTS
Brokers and managers are encouraged to check the Pennsylvania Real Estate Commission license verification page to ensure that all agents have renewed their licenses.

If an agent has not renewed their license, the broker should step in and handle the transaction to protect all parties! Practicing with an expired license is unlawful. GHAR is unsure how long the online renewal system will be open, but agents are encouraged to renew as soon as possible.

UPDATE ON LICENSE RENEWAL
There has been mention of a "grace period" for real estate licensees. This is not entirely correct, to clarify:
-Licensees may renew a license on-line through June 30, 2008; however, if a license was not renewed as of May 31, 2008, the licensee must cease practice until the license is renewed.
-The practice period has not been extended.
-To assist licensees who have not yet renewed, the Bureau is allowing on-line renewal to continue for an additional 30 days; however, if an inspector comes to an office within these 30 days any licensee who has not renewed may be cited for practicing on an expired license.
-If a license is renewed on-line the $5 late fee is being waived; however, if they renew by paper they will be required to pay the $5 late fee.
-After June 30, 2008, any licensees who did nor renew must reactivate which requires submission on a criminal background check as well as documentation evidencing completion of 14 hours of acceptable continuing education.

SIGN UP TO SPONSOR ICI REGIONAL CONFERENCE - OCTOBER 15, 2008
On Wednesday, October 15, the GHAR ICI Council will host the 2008 ICI Regional Conference at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center in Camp Hill. In conjunction with the Lancaster County Association of REALTORS^® (LCAR) and the REALTORS^® Association of the York and Adams Counties (RAYAC), the event will feature noted speakers from around the South Central Pennsylvania region, including Dr. G. Terry Madonna, Center for Politics and Public Affairs, Franklin & Marshall College, as the luncheon key-note speaker. Topics of other educational panels include Urban Revitalization and the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy, as well as a presentation by Ronald M. Lucas, Esq., attorney with Stevens & Lee in Harrisburg. The half-day program begins with a luncheon and ends with a cocktail reception. The ICI Regional Steering Committee is expecting attendance to be nearly 150 ICI members from GHAR, RAYAC, and LCAR.

We are searching for sponsors for the event. If you or your company are interested in sponsoring, please download and complete the sponsor sign-up sheet. Or, you can contact Sherri Pursel at the Association at 364-3200 or at sherri@ghar.info.

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.

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.

PREF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Deadline July 31 for Pennsylvania REALTORS^® Education Foundation (PREF) Scholarships
Apply now for scholarships to be used toward designations or a broker license. The Pennsylvania REALTORS® Education Foundation (PREF) scholarships can be used for tuition to any designation or broker course offered by a REALTOR® association or its school and reimbursement of lodging and travel expenses, up to a maximum scholarship amount of $500. Scholarships must be used within one calendar year of the award date. The application deadline is July 31. For details on the PREF Scholarship program and to apply, visit www.parealtor.org.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN - DONATE TODAY!
Since 1993, the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation has donated a total of over $480,000 to housing and shelter related organizations in the greater Harrisburg area. To help raise the money, the Foundation holds various
fundraising events. In addition to these events the Foundation holds an annual Capital Campaign.

During the Capital Campaign, the Foundation asks each REALTOR^® to give a minimum contribution of $10. All funds go back to the communities in which we live. Our 2008 Capital Campaign goal is $20,000.

To date the Capital Campaign has collected $8,882.00! Thank you to the following companies and offices who have contributed to the Capital Campaign so far:

Brownstone Real Estate Company, Hershey
Campbell Commercial Real Estate Company
Central Penn Appraisals
Cody Financial Mortgage Services
Gateway Construction
George Ebener and Associates, Carlisle and Shippensburg
Grandon Real Estate
Homestead Group Inc., REALTOR^®
HouseMaster
J.F. McGraw
Jack Gaughen, REALTOR^® ERA, Dillsburg
John Glise, Inc, REALTOR^®, Camp Hill
Lawyers Realty LLC
NAI/CIR
PennLive.com
Prudential Homesale Services, Hershey
RE/MAX Realty Professionals
RVG Management & Development
Weichert REALTORS^® First Choice

Contributions may be mailed to the GHAR Foundation, 424 N. Enola Drive, Suite 1, Enola, PA 17025 by May 31st. If you have any questions on the Capital Campaign, please contact the Association at 717-364-3200. Thank you for making our community better!

2008 FOUNDATION GOLF OUTING - Sold Out!
Golfers remember registration begins at 11:00 a.m. with a shot gun start at 12 noon! Followed by dinner at the Caddy Shack! Any questions regarding the golf outing can be emailed to Sara Bloss at sara@ghar.info. Thank you to all of our donors and sponsors

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.

SAVE THE DATE! GHAR FOUNDATION WALK-A-THON!
Step by Step, REALTORS^® Sheltering the Community!

Save the Date for Saturday, September 13 for the GHAR Foundation Walk-A-Thon at Shank Park in Hershey!
All proceeds from the Walk-A-Thon will benefit shelter and housing related charities in the Central PA area. More information to follow including Sponsorship Opportunities, Door Prize Donations and Walker Registration coming soon!

NEW PARAGON FEATURE!
There is a new feature in Paragon. If an email is undeliverable, you will get an email from FNIS:
Mail Delivery Srvice[mailto:MAILER-DAEMON@fnismls.com] It is important that you read it. The email address is probably wrong or no longer in use. You will need to check with your clients.

PARAGON TRAINING SCHEDULE
Training classes have been scheduled on the following dates for the PARAGON system:
                             July 24
                            August 8
                            September 9
                            October 16

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 COMMITTEE OPPORTUNITIES
The deadline for submitting a request to serve on a 2009 PAR committee is August 15. The committee request form can be found at www.parealtor.org. More information will follow in the next Pennsylvania REALTOR^®!

REALTORS^® CONFERENCE AND EXPO - REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN – NOW is the time to make your plans and hotel reservations for the most important real estate event of the year! At the 2008 REALTORS^® Conference & Expo in Orlando, November 7-10, you'll find the right ideas and tools to go full speed ahead in growing your business. Now, more than ever, the Conference & Expo is your BEST INVESTMENT:

REGISTER NOW!
There's no better time than now to discover for yourself why 25,000 real estate professionals will make the REALTORS^® Conference & Expo a MUST ATTEND for those who want to succeed in any market.

NAR JOINS HOUSE MEMBERS TO INTRODUCE SHOP LEGISLATION
On June 10, the National Association of REALTORS^® participated in a bipartisan press conference to introduce H.R. 6210, also known as the Small Business Health Options Program Act (SHOP). The legislation is a companion bill to S. 2795, the Senate’s version of SHOP. According to NAR, “the SHOP concept would offer tax incentives to encourage states to reform small group insurance markets and to make health insurance premiums more affordable for small businesses and the self-employed”. The legislation also “would develop a nationwide insurance small-business purchasing pool that would still be subject to state insurance regulation to protect those who choose to participate”. NAR was represented at the press conference by Jim Helsel, Treasurer of the national association and GHAR member. Click here for more information on the NAR Web site.

NAR SUBMITS COMMENTS ON PROPOSED RESPA RULE
On June 11, NAR sent a comment letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on its “Proposed Rule to Simplify and Improve the Process of Obtaining Mortgages and Reduce Consumer Settlement Costs”. As outlined in NAR’s weekly Washington Report, the comment letter states that the proposal:

NAR is urging HUD to rework the proposed rule. According to NAR, HUD now will review all the comments it has received on the proposed RESPA rule and then submit a proposed final rule to the Office of Management and Budget for Administration review later this summer. HUD has announced its intention to have a final RESPA rule published by November 1, 2008. The rule then would be implemented over a one-year period. Click here to read NAR’s comment letter on the NAR Web site. Click here to read the joint RESPA letter to HUD from NAR, CRL, ALTA. Click here to read Dr. Ann Schnare's Economic Analysis of HUD's Proposed RESPA Rule.

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION POSTS NEW RULES ON CAN-SPAM
The NAR Legal Affairs department has drafted an analysis of new rules from the Federal Trade Commission that clarify CAN-SPAM provisions concerning e-mail opt-outs and multiple advertisers, as well as additional issues. Click here to read the NAR Legal Affairs analysis on the NAR Web site.

COMPLETE CUMBERLAND COUNTY SMART GROWTH PARTNERSHIP ONLINE SURVEY!
Earlier this year, Cumberland County formed a public/private partnership of organizations to discuss planning and growth in the County. This partnership, called the Cumberland County Smart Growth Partnership, is made up of a wide variety of organizations, individuals, and agencies, including two representatives from GHAR. The group is tasked with examining planning and growth issues within Cumberland County and making recommendations to the County Commissioners. There is a specific emphasis placed on “smart growth” policies and planning. As part of the Partnership’s review process, the County has posted an online survey on the Planning Web site. The survey is very important so that the Partnership can get a sense of the thoughts and feelings of those who live and/or work in the County. GHAR is encouraging all members to take 5 minutes and complete the survey. Click here to go to the Cumberland County Planning Commission Web site to take the survey (on the page, click on “Click here to Take the Online Survey”). For more information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

NAR AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE COME TO AGREEMENT ON MLS POLICY
On May 27, the National Association of REALTORS^® announced that it had come to an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) concerning the DOJ’s lawsuit against NAR regarding how listings from multiple listing services are displayed on brokers’ virtual office Web sites. According to NAR, “the proposed final order validates NAR’s longstanding Internet Data Exchange (IDX) policy and strengthens the rule governing participation in multiple listing services”. The pending settlement also provides that NAR does not admit any liability. To read more about this issue, please visit the NAR Web site.

CHECK OUT PAR’S CAPITOL BRIEFS
For the latest information on state government issues, please check out PAR’s Capitol Briefs on the PAR Web site. This column is published during weeks the PA General Assembly is in session and consists of a recap of state government affairs information of interest to real estate professionals. Click here to read the latest PAR Capitol Briefs.

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.

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