PA STATE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION WEB SITE
The SREC has improved the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) portion of their Web site. When you go to the Department of State's Web site, you will now see a link directly to FAQ section, rather than having to first enter the Licensure Information page. Within the FAQ page is a list of question categories, each of which can be clicked to take you further down the page to the list of questions corresponding to that category. When you click on a question, you will be taken to a .pdf document that contains only that question and its answer. I believe this format will be much more user-friendly and it will be easier to access specific questions. Please note that the content of the questions and answers has not changed, only the way they are accessed and viewed. http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa/cwp/view.asp?a=1104&q=449298

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.)
June 10, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. sponsored by A n'S Company, Inc.
July 27, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. sponsored by SunTrust Mortgage, Inc.

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

INFORMATION SESSION - MAY 13: UNDERSTANDING/BUILDER AGENT PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL SALES
Join industry professionals as they answer your questions, and discuss Understanding/Builder Agent Partnerships For Successful Sales. Learn the building blocks to help you understand the Builder's construction systems, timeframes, and Buyer access rules. Help you buyers explore financing options for new construction. Inform yourself, and your Buyer of the processes and protections the Lien Law in Pennsylvania provides. The session will highlight: Fostering Good Relationships with Builders, Helping Your Buyer Understand the Builder, Lien Laws in New Home Construction, How Does New Home Construction Financing Really Work and Understanding Your Role as A Buyer Agent in New Construction.

The information session will be held in the GHAR classroom, Enola. Registration opens at 9:30 a.m. and the program starts at 10:00 a.m. Cost is $5.00 for members. Register online at www.ghar.info or call (717) 364-3200. Please remember reservations not canceled by Tuesday, May 12 at 5:00 p.m. will be billed.

INFORMATION SESSION - JUNE 3: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO LEARN AND NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FHA LOANS
Join FHA Liaison David McCarraher, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for an in-depth question and answer session covering all aspects of Federal Housing Administration insured loans. Obtain useful information to help educate your buyers and sellers on the advantages of FHA loans. The session will highlight the following: Why Choose a FHA-insured loan, What kind of insured loans does FHA offer, How Do FHA Loans Compare to Sub-Prime and Conventional Loans, FHA Maximum Mortgage Limits, FHA Calculations, FHA Borrower Characteristics and FHA Credit Requirements.

MANAGEMENT ISSUES COCKTAIL PARTY - JUNE 4
All brokers and managers are invited to attend this networking opportunity. This informal relaxed setting allows both residential and commercial brokers and managers the opportunity to socialize, meet each other and to catch up. The Cocktail Party will be held in the Hearth Room at the West Shore Country Club in Camp Hill from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Hearth Room has access to the Outdoor Courtyard. Cost is $20 and includes hors d'oeuvres and sodas. Cocktails may be purchased. The event is only open to managers and brokers of the Association. Brokers and managers may register by calling Cindy Cuddeford at (717) 364-3200 or by e-mailing her at cindy@ghar.info. Reservation deadline is Tuesday, June 2. Reservations made and not cancelled 48 hours in advance will be billed regardless of attendance.

JOIN US FOR THE ASSOCIATION PICNIC - JULY 18
Join us for the first ever Association-wide Picnic on Saturday, July 18, from 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at Serb Park in Harrisburg. Cost is $5.00 per adult with children 10 and under free! The Association will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken and pulled pork from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. Attendees with last names beginning with A-M are asked to bring a covered side dish/appetizer/salad/finger food; N-Z are asked to bring along a dessert! (Only 1 Dish per family is needed!) This event is "BYOB" so bring your own beer and alcoholic beverages. The Association will provide soda and water for all attendees.

Free face painting and a bounce house will be available for the kids from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Picnic tables are provided but lawn chairs are welcomed! Dance music and karaoke are being provided by DJ Joe Hertz from 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Volleyball, basketball and horseshoe areas are at the park so please bring along your sporting equipment!

While this event is Association-wide, all are welcome so bring your family, friends and neighbors. Registration forms can be downloaded at http://www.ghar.info/About_Us/Meetings_Events.htm. Deadline to register to attend is Wednesday, July 8!

Sponsorships are available for this great event! Please contact Sara Bloss, Member Services Manager, at (717) 364-3200 or e-mail her at Sara@ghar.info!

Sign up now for a Newsletter Sponsorship or House Cover Photo
The Association is now accepting reservations for the house cover photo and the sponsorship of the electronic newsletter. If you would like to showcase a home or development in the electronic newsletter or sponsor the newsletter as an advertiser, please contact Sara Bloss for more information at sara@ghar.info or (717) 364-3200.

ICI BREAKFAST - JUNE 4
The June ICI Breakfast is sponsored by PNC Bank. The breakfast will be held at 875 Poplar Church Road in Camp Hill. This breakfast will follow the new breakfast format with increased networking opportunities. Therefore, there will not be a speaker. Attendees are encouraged to bring marketing materials to the meeting and to utilize the Marketing Exchange Table. Registration is at 7:50 a.m. Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m. Reservations are required by noon on Wednesday, June 3. Register online at www.ghar.info or call (717) 364-3200.

GREATER HARRISBURG REALTORS^® INSTITUTE

GHRI BI-WEEKLY E-MAIL
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

REQUIRED COURSE FOR NEW LICENSEES
If you were initially licensed on December 1, 2007 or later, to renew your license in May 2010 you will need to complete a required course for new licensees during the 2008-2010 renewal period. Many of the "approved for continuing education" credits for Pennsylvania licensees currently being offered will not fulfill this continuing education requirement. If you have any questions about continuing education requirements contact GHRI at (717) 364-3205.

PRE-LICENSING PACKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
Pre-licensing packets including the spring pre-licensing class schedule is now available! Offices interested in receiving packets for distribution may contact Liann at (717) 364-3205.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN - DONATE TODAY!
Since 1993, the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation has donated a total of over $530,000 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 2009 Capital Campaign goal is $15,000. To date the Capital Campaign has collected $5,095.60.

Thank you to the following Company and Offices who have contributed to the 2009 Capital Campaign:

Caldwell & Kearns
CAMPBELL Commercial Real Estate
Central Penn Appraisals, Inc.
Central Penn Multi-List, Inc.
Cody Financial Mortgage Services
Commerce Bank
For Sale By Owner Plus REALTORS^®
George L. Ebener and Associates
McNaughton Real Estate Group, Inc.
Mid Penn Bank
RE/MAX Realty Professionals
Szeles Real Estate Development

Contributions may be mailed to the GHAR Foundation, 424 N. Enola Drive, Suite 1, Enola, PA 17025 by May 15. If you have any questions on the Capital Campaign, please contact the Association at (717) 364-3200. Thank you for making our community better!

MINI GOLF TOURNAMENT - MAY 20
Join us, Wednesday, May 20 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 $20 each or teams of 5 persons for $100. Food and Beverages will be provided with prizes for Best Team Score, 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 (717) 364-3200 or email her at sara@ghar.info.

2009 FOUNDATION GOLF OUTING - JUNE 24
Mark your calendar for the Foundation Golf Outing which will be held on Wednesday, June 24 at Armitage Golf Club in Mechanicsburg. Sponsorship and player registration forms are available by calling the Association office at (717) 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.

The “Lease Price Sale” on SUPRA iBoxes has been extended through May 31, 2009. The lease price for an iBox will be $53.00 ($50.00 + tax). I would like to remind you of some of the benefits to using SUPRA iBoxes. The boxes are secure and can only be opened by agents with SUPRA Active Keys or eKeys.

An agent has the ability to assign their iBoxes to a particular Multi-List number in the Paragon system or by logging onto www.supraekey.com. You will then have the ability to obtain reports to see who has entered your property for any given time period. You can also receive an email when an agent has opened your iBox.

UPDATE ON CPML OPEN HOUSE WEB SITE
NEW! Open Houses on the website now appear on an interactive map. The home page of the web site shows all available open houses marked by a balloon. Click on the balloon and see the property information. Zoom-in, Zoom-out or change area of map you wish to view. Consumer can still enter search parameters and the map will show only the properties that belong to the search. The map will then display the 10 properties on each page.

We have added our affiliate members to the Open House site. Our affiliate members have the ability to add a link to their name; this will allow the consumer to learn more about their company. Do you use a particular home inspector, lender or pest control company? Encourage them to add their link to our site.

Are you advertising your open houses on the website? Are you advertising the Open House website on your websites? Consider adding the Open House website to your ads when you advertise the open house.

We are promoting the site with radio and newspaper ads; we need you to promote this site to your clients and potential clients through your web sites. It is important now that your Open House information we be entered into the Paragon system. You can find instructions on entering your open house data under MLS DOCS in the Paragon System.

REALTOR.COM UPDATE!
Realtor.com will soon be showing four photos with their free listings on their site. CPML will provide the first 4 photos of the 12 allowed in our system. If you have more than four photos in Paragon, you have the ability to rearrange them.

SUPRA SOLUTION FOR BLACKBERRY USERS
SUPRA has announced a solution for Blackberry users. CLICK HERE for information. Information is also available under MLS Docs.

PARAGON TRAINING SCHEDULE
Training classes have been scheduled on the following dates for the PARAGON system:
                           May 14, 2009
                           June 11, 2009
                           July 9, 2009

Basic class will be held at 9:00 a.m. 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 p.m. 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
(717) 761-8440 to reserve a time. Classes are held at the GHAR Office at 424 N. Enola Drive, Enola, PA 17025.

JOIN THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK!
Interested in networking with local professionals in Central PA? Then join the Young Professionals Network!
Email Adrienne Loughery at adrienne.loughery@verizon.net if you would like to join this social networking group.

DNCQUICKCHECK PROGRAM AVAILABLE AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE
DNCQuickcheck, is the easy-to-use Do Not Call compliance solution for real estate professionals. If you call or e-mail prospects - referrals, expired listings, FSBOs - you need to complete protection against Do Not Contact laws. With DNCQuickcheck, you can take a proactive approach for your marketing campaigns. And only DNCQuickcheck includes everything you need in one quick, easy-to-use Internet-based service.

Get the protection you need now! Call PossibleNOW at (800) 585-4888 or (770) 255-1020 or visit www.dncquickcheck.com.

Are you a member of PAR? Use the discount code of sc0986pr to receive special rates for real estate professionals!

HAVE YOU VISITED JUST LISTED?
Just Listed is PAR's new blog, another member benefit for you. Log on and join in the discussion with authors including attorney Jim Goldsmith and his Legal Hotline team, economist Austin Jaffe and PAR staff.

CAMP HILL BOROUGH TO CONSIDER POINT OF SALE ORDINANCES AT MAY 13 MEETING
On May 13, the Camp Hill Borough Council will once again consider two ordinances that will mandate inspections at the point of sale. These two ordinances will required mandatory inspections of a property’s sewer lateral connection and sidewalks/curbing prior to the transfer of the property. If the results of these inspections show the property is not in compliance with Borough Codes, the property owner will be required to make repairs/replacements prior to the sale of the property. Over that last three months, GHAR has been working with Council to encourage them NOT to adopt these ordinances, and to consider alternative ways to address the Borough’s infrastructure needs. GHAR representatives once again will be attending the Council meeting on May 13 to voice our strong opposition to the ordinances. GHAR also is continuing to reach out to Borough residents and agents that list and sell in the Borough to explain the severe detrimental impacts of these ordinances on real estate transactions in the Borough. If you live in the Borough, or if you have a listing in the Borough, please consider attending the meeting on May 13 to voice your opposition to these two ordinances. Please watch for additional updates in future Weekly E-mails. For more information, including copies of the ordinances, please contact Sherri Pursel.

HARRISBURG CITY COUNCIL APPROVES EXPANDED KOZ
On April 29, the Harrisburg City Council approved an expanded version of a new “Keystone Opportunity Zone” in the City. On a 5-2 vote, the Council approved the zone to promote development in the midtown area. Properties in the zone would be exempt from paying state taxes for a period of 10 years. New or improved properties in the zone would be exempt from local taxes for a period of 10 years following the construction/improvements. The zone now must be approved by the state. Click here to read more about this decision from The Patriot-News.

PA SUPREME COURT RULES ALLEGHENY COUNTY MUST REASSESS
On April 29, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that Allegheny County must reassess all properties. However, the Court did not rule that the base-year assessment system (properties are taxed according to their value in a prior year and not at their current value), is unconstitutional. The base-year system is used by many other counties across the Commonwealth. The Court did indicate that counties should reassess if their property values have become inaccurate, or those counties would lose cases in court. Therefore, the Court did not overturn the base-year system entirely, but it did indicate that, over the passage of time, property values could become so skewed as to cause the base-year system to violate the constitution. Click here to read Chief Justice Castille’s opinion. Please contact Sherri Pursel for additional information.

UCC REVIEW AND ADVISORY COUNCIL VOTES TO INCLUDE SPRINKLER REQUIREMENTS IN 2009 UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE
On April 22, the Pennsylvania UCC Review and Advisory Council met in Harrisburg to discuss the 2009 update to the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (UCC). The UCC update being considered mandates the installation of sprinkler systems in one- and two-family new residential construction. The Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS^® joined with the Pennsylvania Builders Association and the Housing Alliance to ask the Council to recommend removing these sprinkler provisions from the final UCC update that will be adopted by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. PAR President-Elect Don Roth testified before the Council on behalf of PAR. After consideration and testimony from multiple groups opposing these provisions, the UCC Council voted to keep the sprinkler requirements in the 2009 UCC update. At this point, the UCC Advisory Council will continue its work on the 2009 update and make final recommendation to the Department of Labor and Industry. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sherri Pursel.

BROKERS/MANAGERS CAN REQUEST OFFICE’S RPAC CONTRIBUTIONS REPORT
Attention brokers and office managers: If you are interested in learning who in your office has invested in RPAC, GHAR can provide you a report listing all your agents and their contributions to RPAC. Please feel free to contact Sherri Pursel at the Association for this report.

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.

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU NEEDS REALTORS^®
Pennsylvania REALTORS® looking to supplement their incomes have a chance to make more than $13 an hour verifying addresses and collecting data for the 2010 census. The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting full- and part-time workers to work from home on their own schedules beginning in 2009. To qualify, workers must pass a 28-question basic skills test administered by the bureau. Call 1.866.861.2010 to schedule a test or visit census.gov.

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