GHAR Weekly E-mail

ASSOCIATION NEWS

REAL ESTATE COMMISSION BEGINS CONTINUING EDUCATION AUDIT
The State Real Estate Commission will begin sending out Audit of Continuing Education letters the week of August 30 - September 3, 2010. The audit letters are for the reporting period June 1, 2008 - May 31, 2010.

If you receive a letter of audit, you will be required to return the letter of audit with your signature, date and email address along with original transcripts no later than 30 days from the date of your audit notice to the State Real Estate Commission.

If selected in the audit process and you took continuing education courses through the Greater Harrisburg REALTORS Institute (GHRI), or through the GHRI online provider, please contact Lisa Aaron, Director of Professional Development or Liann Migash, Professional Development Coordinator at (717)364-3205 to request your original continuing education transcripts.

If you did not take your continuing education courses through GHRI, you will be responsible to contact each individual educational provider where you completed continuing education courses to request transcripts. GHRI can only provide transcripts for continuing education courses completed at GHRI.

The State Real Estate Commission does not accept faxes or emails in satisfaction of the audit process. To satisfy the audit requirements, you must submit your original audit letter with an original signature plus original transcripts/certificates. Failure to provide satisfactory proof of compliance within 30 days of your audit letter may result in a referral to the legal office of the Department of State for prosecution.

SCREENING COMMITTEE REPORT - ABSENTEE VOTING BEGINS SEPTEMBER 9!
ELECTION TO BE HELD AT ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE FAIR – SEPTEMBER 16
The Screening Committee, composed of Chair Jerrod Paterson, Kay Hock, Fred Briggs, Michele Gould and Jim Holtzman, presents official notice to all Association members of the 2011 Slate of Officers and Directors. The election will take place Thursday, September 16, 2010 at the Radisson Penn Harris Hotel and Convention Center, Camp Hill, at the Annual Meeting and Trade Fair. The Annual Meeting and Trade Fair are free to REALTORS^® who register to attend by September 8 and vote.

The Ballot Box will be available for voting during the Trade Fair from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Voting closes promptly at 6:00 p.m. For those unable to vote on September 16, absentee voting will be available at the Association office on September 9, 10, 13, 14 and 15, from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

2011 Board of Directors Candidates
Director candidates are listed in alphabetical order by their last name.

Jim Gainer
Howard Hanna Real Estate

Dave Jones
RE/MAX Realty Associates

Aaron Piscioneri
Century 21 Piscioneri

Kathleen Shannon
Jack Gaughen REALTOR^®, ERA

Richard “Dick” Tucker
Jack Gaughen REALTOR^®, ERA

2011 Officers Nominated
PRESIDENT
Robert J. Hoobler
Exit Platinum Plus Realty
Bob will be elected to the office of President by acclamation.

VICE PRESIDENT
Marti S. Garrett
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
Marti will be elected to the office of Vice President by acclamation

SECRETARY/TREASURER
Michael Pion
Keller Williams of Central PA

2010 ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE FAIR - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16!
The GHAR Annual Meeting and Trade Fair will be held on Thursday, September 16 at the Radisson Penn Harris, Camp Hill from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. REALTOR^® Members are invited to cast your ballot for the Board of Directors and Officers, visit over 40 exhibitors from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., network, and enjoy free food and a cash bar. Entertainment, Door Prizes and Raffles will also be held during this exciting event. The Annual meeting will take place from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. and will conduct its annual business meeting, announce raffle winners, Election Results and much more.

Office Sign Up Sheets have been distributed to your Office Managers! We ask that offices use these forms and return them to the Association by September 8!

This event is FREE to registered REALTOR^® Members who vote!

If you would like to be an Exhibitor at the GHAR Annual Meeting and Trade Fair and you did not receive information in the mail you can contact Cindy at the Association office by calling (717) 364-3200.

TECHNOLOGY LUNCH AND LEARN, SEE NEW FEATURES OF PARAGON 5 – THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23!
Two additional Technology Lunch and Learns will be held at the GHAR Office on Thursday, September 23 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Registration begins at 10:45 a.m.) Cost is only $7.00 (Members) and $10.00 (Non-Members) lunch is included. The topic, “Paragon 5”: Learn and review all the changes recently updated on the Paragon System will be presented by Robbin Crossley of the Central Penn Multi-List, Inc.

Other questions and topics covered include:

Cross Browser and Operating System Compatibility including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome and Opera!
Fully operational on any MAC Operating systems.
Open multiple property searches, listing input/maintenance, CMA or Contacts.
New CMA Wizard!
Create your own agent webpage with Client Connect, in which clients can review the listing and be in direct contact with you!
Auto-complete features allow users to select data or criteria rather than continue to enter the information.

Reservations are required by September 20 (for the September 23 event). Space is limited. Register by calling the Association Office at (717) 364-3200 or online at www.ghar.info under Members Only!

Please note: Reservations made and not canceled by 5:00 p.m. Monday, September 20 (for the September 23 event) will be billed regardless of attendance. You may pay in advance or at the door. If you do not receive a confirmation, it is your responsibility to confirm your reservation by calling the Association Office at (717) 364-3200.

AWARD APPLICATIONS - DEADLINE TO APPLY IS OCTOBER 1
Award applications Hall of Fame, REALTOR^® of the Year, Professional Merit and Affiliate of the Year are now available and can be downloaded from the homepage of GHAR’s Web site, www.ghar.info. Please take the time to nominate a peer that you admire or complete the Professional Merit Award for yourself.

Hall of Fame – the Hall of Fame Award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the real estate industry locally, statewide or nationally.

REALTOR^® of the Year – the REALTOR^® of the Year is presented to a member who has made a variety of contributions to the Association, the community, and the real estate business and demonstrates the spirit of being a REALTOR^®.

Professional Merit – the Professional Merit Award recognizes REALTOR^® members that are active participants in the Association, further their professionalism through education and are active in their community.

Affiliate of the Year – the Affiliate of the Year honors an affiliate member who is supportive of the Association, the Foundation and their activities.

The Association will present the awards at the Holiday Lunch on Wednesday, December 1 at the West Shore Country Club. Watch for more details on the Holiday Lunch.

REALTORS^® REACH OUT 2010!
Registration is now open to participate in GHAR's community service event to celebrate REALTORS^® Reach Out. This month long celebration is a campaign that will showcase REALTORS^® and the contributions they make to their local communities and is being held October 1 – 31, 2010. During this month, local REALTOR^®associations across the state will take part in community outreach projects.

To celebrate this month, GHAR will be working with various local organizations to host a work day on Friday, October 22, 2010 beginning at 9:00 a.m. This work day will have volunteers helping complete home improvement projects, meal preparation and cooking for families in need, cleaning and organizing area organizations, and packing and delivering of care items to local shelters and individuals. GHAR is planning to work with the following organizations: Bethesda Mission (Harrisburg); Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland and Perry Counties (Carlisle); Downtown Daily Bread (Harrisburg); Ronald McDonald House (Hershey); and Safe Harbour (Carlisle).

In conjunction with celebrating REALTOR^® REACH OUT Month, GHAR also will be hosting a “Fill the House” item collection drive beginning Wednesday, September 1 through Wednesday, October 20. Items will then be delivered as part of the REALTORS^® Reach Out Work day on October 22. Click here to download the flyer with the list of needed items and additional details on this event.

If you are interested in volunteering for the work day, please download and complete the event flyer and sign-up form and return it to the Association. Click here to visit the REALTORS^® Reach Out Web page on the GHAR Web site. For more information, or questions about these events please contact Sherri Pursel or Sara Bradnick.

INFORMATION SESSION: OCTOBER 1: POLITICS AND TODAY'S REALTOR
Join a panel of political experts as they discuss politics and its impact on the real estate industry, as you as an agent. Learn about why "participating in the political process" is critical to your business. Hear perspectives from elected officials, and learn how you can get involved.

Panelists: The Honorable Glenn Grell (PA-87) PA House of Representatives; The Honorable Sue Helm (PA-104), PA House of Representatives; Aaron Piscioneri, Republican Committeeman, Cumberland County; Derenda Updegrave, Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS^®, Director of Government Affairs; Sherri Pursel, GHAR, Government Affairs Director. Moderator: Bernie Campanella, Chair of GHAR-PAC.

The session will highlight: What is the Role of a REALTOR^® in the political process, How you can get involved in the political process, What are the Results of REALTORS^® participating in politics, How elected officials view REALTORS^® being involved in the political process, The impact of RPAC and grassroots efforts on the political landscape, Current issues of importance to the real estate industry and YOU as a REALTOR^®.

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 cancelled by Thursday, September 30 at 5:00 p.m. will be billed.

INFORMATION SESSION: OCTOBER 27: LAW AND ETHICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA
As REALTORS^® move more and more of their communications and marketing activities online in various formats, they still need to be legally and ethically complaint. Many members seem to believe that "the rules don't apply online," when in fact there are more rules that apply to online communications. Join Hank Lerner, Esq., as her reviews how certain laws, regulations, ethical provisions and MLS rules apply to the online activities of REALTORS^®, and what you can to do help protect yourself...and even your clients.

This session will help answer the following: Are your social media profiles compliant with state laws and the Code of Ethics, Can you advertise listings on Facebook, What could go wrong with online photos, Am I responsible for comments posted there by others, What responsibilities do you have to clients.

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 lunch is provided by the sponsor of the orientation.

Orientation will be held on the following dates and times: (Registration begins at 9:45 a.m.)

September 2, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. sponsored by A n'S Inspect
October 13, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. sponsored by EasyStreet Insurance Services

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

SAVE-THE-DATE: OCTOBER ICI BREAKFAST - OCTOBER 7
The October ICI Breakfast is sponsored by NAI CIR. Please watch for additional details in future Weekly E-mails. Commercial REALTORS^®: the deadline to submit PowerPoint slides for the ICI Listings Slideshow is Monday, October 4, at 4:00 p.m.

SAVE-THE-DATE: FALL ICI SOCIAL
Please save the date for the next ICI Social Event on Thursday, October 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the West Shore Country Club in Camp Hill. Registration for this event will open in September. We currently are looking for sponsors for the event. If you or your company is interested in sponsoring, please complete and submit the Sponsor Sign-up Form or contact Sherri Pursel.

GHAR HOSTING PAR CIE DEMO SESSION - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19
GHAR will be hosting a FREE demonstration session for the PAR Commercial Information Exchange. PAR CIE is a new online listing service designed specifically for commercial real estate professionals throughout Pennsylvania. Representatives will be on hand to demo the product and answer any of your questions. This session will show you how to enter your current listings, either as a guest or a member to better serve your clients, locally and nationally. The session will take place on Tuesday, October 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the Association. Click here to view a copy of the event flyer. Pre-registration is required. Please contact the Association at (717) 364-3200 to register, or register online through the Members Only section of the GHAR Web site.

GREATER HARRISBURG REALTORS^® INSTITUTE

GHRI BI-WEEKLY E-MAIL MOVES TO ONCE A MONTH IN THE SUMMER
To help decrease the size and scope of the weekly email, the Association has decided to send out a separate e-mail highlighting upcoming classes held at the Greater Harrisburg REALTORS^® Institute. During the summer months, the GHRI E-mail will only be sent once a month.

REQUIRED COURSE FOR NEW LICENSEES
GHRI will offer the General Module, Commercial Module and the Residential Module, the courses required for new licensees, again in the fall. Watch for more details.

Foundation news

GHAR FOUNDATION WALK! - REGISTER TODAY!
Step by Step, REALTORS^® Sheltering the Community!

Join the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation, Saturday October 16 in Camp Hill Borough for a Walk! Registration will begin at Help-U-Sell Detwiler Realty (2163 Market Street, Camp Hill) at 8:30 a.m. and the Walk will begin at 9:15 a.m. All proceeds from the Walk will benefit shelter and housing related charities in the Central Pennsylvania area. Walk as a team or as an individual! Registration is $10 per walker, plus a minimum of $25 in pledges. Walk T-Shirts will be given to all walkers registered by the deadline!

Prizes will be awarded to the Top Fundraising Team and Top Individual Fundraiser with additional door prizes given away at the end of the walk!

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Walker Registration/Pledge Forms and Sponsorship Forms are available at http://www.ghar.info/About_Us/Meetings_Events.htm or by calling 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.

FREE WEBINAR TRAINING
Webinars have started for training on P5 (Paragon 5). For a short period of time the webinars will be held 3 times a week and twice a day. The topics will include:

P5 Essentials-Learn Navigation, Multi-Tasking, Inline Auto Complete. Customizing Searches, Emailing, Printing, Customizing Reports, Mailing Labels and Browsers.

Contact Manager and Client Connect - Learn Contact manager Wizard, Saving Searches to Client, Client Connect Customer View, Client Connect Set-up, Agent Notification.

CMA - Learn CMA Wizard, New Themes, CMA Setup and Navigation.

Listing Input - Learn Bulk Photo Upload, Inline Auto Complete, Features and Geo Coding

Preferences - Learn how to Upload Photos and Logos, Client Connect Preferences, E-card, Market Monitor Customization and CMA Customization.

For complete schedule and registration, please see link on home page in Paragon.

DICK BETTS RETURNS IN OCTOBER!
PLEASE NOTE: ALL CLASSES ARE “PENDING” Continuing Education (CE) Certification!
Monday, October 11^th
8:30 a.m. – Noon          Today’s Top Technology Trends
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.    Warp Speed Warrior-Arming REALTORS^® with Mobile Cloud

Tuesday, October 12^th
8:30 a.m. – Noon          Become a “HIT” and Become a “CLICK”
1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.         Realistic Contact and Time Management for the Real Estate Professional

To Register, Call: (717)761-8440 or email: rcrossley@cpml.com.
*Cancellation fee of $25 within 48 hours.

PARAGON TRAINING SCHEDULE
Training classes have been scheduled on the following dates for the PARAGON system:
September 9, 2010 October 10, 2010 November 18, 2010 December 9, 2010

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.

CPML OPEN HOUSE WEB SITE
Are you advertising your open houses on the web site? Are you advertising the Open House web site on your web sites? Consider adding the Open House web site to your ads when you advertise the open house. The consumers are using this web site; don’t let your Open House be missed because you are not on our site.

Open Houses on the Centralpennopenhouse.com web site 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. Consumers can still enter search parameters and the map will show only the properties that belong to the search. The map will then display the 8 properties on each page.

It is important now that your Open House information be entered into the Paragon system. You can find instructions on entering your open house data under MLS DOCS in the Paragon System. Open Houses entered into the Paragon system will appear on the web site in about 4 hours.

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.

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.

JOIN JUSTLISTED.COM TODAY!
PARJustListed.com from the PA Association of REALTORS^® has all the news you need to get your day started, with economic and industry news and weekly podcasts. This is such a great source of industry information and we hope you are taking advantage of it. If you haven’t registered for PARJustListed.com’s free daily e-news, visit the link below to register. Each weekday morning you will get updated real estate industry news in your inbox or mobile phone.

http://tinyurl.com/parjl-email

JOIN THE PAR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK (YPN)
We are looking for members who would like to join as Charter Members of the PA chapter of the Young Professionals Network! REALTOR^® Magazine launched the Young Professional Network in 2006 as a way to help the younger generation of REALTORS^® build a stronger link with the magazine and the real estate industry, in general. There is a lively blog, YPN website and social events that are designed to give its members the tools they need to advance their careers – and have fun in the process!

NAR approved Pennsylvania's Chapter on October 19, 2009. YPN is a member-driven organization that helps young real estate professionals excel in their careers by giving them the tools and encouragement to become involved in four core areas:

REALTOR^® Associations. Attend REALTOR^® conferences and pursue leadership roles with their local, state and national associations.
Real estate industry. Take an active role in policy discussions and advocacy issues; be informed about the latest industry news and trends.
Peers. Network and learn from one another by attending events, participating in online communication and seeking out mentoring opportunities.

Benefits of Membership

Exclusive invitations to YPN events.
Stay abreast of industry happenings. Through the blog on the YPN national site members stay in the loop on hot issues. YPN also has special educational sessions at REALTOR^® conferences that address strategies for success in real estate. The PA chapter has a group on Facebook.
Get involved. Many people who are new to the industry want to get involved with their local, state or national association but either don’t know how to go about it or they find it too intimidating. YPN encourages members to explore leadership opportunities at all levels.

How to Become a Member
Contact Adrienne Loughery (E-mail | Facebook) or PAR staff liaison to YPN, Brenda Florida, if you are interested in being a member or if you have any questions.

JOIN THE REAL ESTATE CELEBRATION AT NARdiGRAS!
The 2010 REALTORS^® Conference & Expo is back in New Orleans (November 5-8) and you won’t want to miss this party. NAR has planned another great event for REALTORS^® and guests, including over 125 education sessions, the largest real estate expo, and lots of opportunities to expand your network. This year’s program highlights include: Mary Lou Retton, Earth Wind & Fire, Rich Karlgaard.

More Value for Your Money in 2010!
Now you can attend education sessions of your choice at the conference and download the rest of the programs at home for continued learning throughout the year. That’s double your registration value for nearly 100 sessions, and it’s a great way to make sure you don’t miss a thing. Just be sure to register for a full conference pass ($350 before August 15, $380 after August 15).Thanks to sponsor Bank of America for making this possible.

Come make the good times roll for your business at NARdiGras 2010, November 5-8. Registration is Now Open!

Visit: http://www.realtor.org/convention.nsf/

GHAR CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL RPAC CAMPAIGN!
In the month of August, GHAR ran a campaign for the REALTORS^® Political Action Committee, better known as RPAC. The theme of the campaign was “OUR PAC is YOUR PAC”. Over the course of 5 weeks, GHAR members pledged and contributed over $6,100 to RPAC! Thank you to all those members who invested in RPAC! Click here for more information on the GHAR Web site.

HARRISBURG HOSTING PUBLIC HEARING ON TWO HOUSING BILLS
On September 7, the Harrisburg City Building and Housing Committee will host a public hearing on two bills making changes to the City’s buyer notification inspection program and the rental licensing program. As proposed, Bill No. 13 of 2010 would make significant changes to the City’s rental licensing and inspection program. Among other requirements, the bill would mandate all rental units be inspected once every five years, and property owners not living or working in Cumberland, Dauphin, or Perry Counties would be required to designate an “agent” for their property. In general, GHAR opposes rental licensing and inspection programs, and we are especially concerned with the residency requirement in the Bill.

Bill No. 14 of 2010 would eliminate the buyer notification inspection for most property transfers in the City of Harrisburg. However, Bill No. 14 would require language to be added to an agreement of sale, and it would impose some liability on REALTORS^® - two parts of the Bill GHAR opposes.

GHAR has submitted suggested changes to the City. GHAR also will be attending the public hearing and making comments on both bills. The public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at the Harrisburg Boys & Girls Club, 1227 Berryhill Street, Harrisburg. Please watch for additional updates in future Weekly E-mails. If you would like additional information, or if you are interested in attending the public hearing, please contact Sherri Pursel.

NAR ASKED FHA TO KEEP SELLER CONCESSIONS AT 6 PERCENT
The National Association of REALTORS^® has asked the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) NOT to change its rules on seller concessions. Currently, FHA allows seller concessions of up to 6 percent. However, a new proposed rule would cap seller concessions at 3 percent. NAR President Vicki Cox Golder has sent a letter to FHA opposing this proposed change. According to Golder, "In states where closing costs are high our members report that seller concessions are often higher than 3 percent and are critical to allowing borrowers to purchase their home without depleting their savings.” Click here to read more about this issue on the NAR Web site.

FHA DELAYS CHANGES TO PREMIUMS
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has announced that it is delaying implementation of changes to mortgage insurance premiums to October 4. On this date, FHA's up-front mortgage insurance premium will drop to 100 basis points on all amortization terms and the annual mortgage insurance premium will increase 85-90 basis points on amortization terms greater than 15 years. The new changes were schedule to go into effect on September 7. Click here to read more about this issue on the NAR Web site.

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.

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