GHAR Weekly E-mail

2011 REALTOR® DUES STATEMENTS - ACCOUNTS NOT PAID ARE NOW CONSIDERED LATE!
The 2011 dues are $346.00.

On January 27, Brokers were billed for dues and late fees that have not been paid. If dues and late fees are not paid by 9:00 a.m. on February 7, 2011, your broker’s membership may be suspended for non-payment of dues.

Please note the following dues payment policies:

Payment of dues is non-refundable.
Dues may be paid by cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, or American Express
The $35 NAR Public Awareness Assessment is required.
The $49.50 RPAC contribution is encouraged but voluntary.
RPAC contributions, in any amount, may be made when paying dues either by credit card, check or online through our website, www.ghar.info.
If paying by check or credit card, please mail to GHAR, P.O. Box 244, Elizabethtown, PA 17022-0244 - this is our bookkeeping service - please do not mail payment to the Association office.
You may pay online at www.ghar.info with VISA, MasterCard, or American Express. Go to Members Only section. Paying online is EASY; however, you must know your password to sign on to the Members Only section. Call the Association if you do not know your password.

PLEASE NOTE: Next year the dues bill will be sent electronically.

Questions regarding dues should be directed to Martha Cuneo at martha@ghar.info or Kathy Ludwig at kathy@ghar.info.

TAX STRATEGIES FOR THE REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL - FEBRUARY 2, 2011: INFORMATION SESSION
An Information Session you don't want to miss! Give yourself a raise - attend Tax Strategies for the Real Estate Professional! Join this educational seminar guaranteed to identify between $2,500 and $27,000 in NEW deductions that can be used right away to pocket thousands in tax savings. These deductions are presented in simple English that everyone can easily understand. Join Maury Scarborough of Bradford and Company to learn about the following: Stimulus Package Deductions that apply to 2010 and 2011 taxes; Actual expenses vs. IRS Method Mileage; Learn how a 105 Medical Plan can be turned into tax favored business expenses; Home office deduction; Entertainment strategies and double entertainment deductions; Help your accountant work more effectively on your behalf.

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 Tuesday, February 1 at 5:00 p.m. will be billed.

ATTEND THE GHAR MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION RECEPTION - MARCH 24, 2011!
ALOHA! All REALTOR^® and affiliate members of GHAR are invited to attend the luau themed Membership Appreciation Reception on Thursday, March 24 at the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Office on 424 N. Enola Drive. The reception will be from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Mix, mingle and enjoy free luau themed hors d’oeuvres and beverages. The reception is a great way to socialize and network with your fellow REALTORS^® and our affiliate members in a relaxed informal setting. Back by popular demand – the Association’s scrapbooks and photo albums will be available for viewing in the Cumberland Board Room. Members are encouraged to participate in the Best & Worst "Aloha Attire" Contest and the GHAR Foundation Silent Auction! Contact Sara Bradnick at the Association Office for Details!

The cost is free to members who register by March 14. Please register on your office sign-up sheet, online through the Members Only Section of the Web site, www.ghar.info or by calling (717) 364-3200. Please join us!

2011 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Thank you to all of our members who volunteer to serve the Association and the industry by serving on a committee - you do make a difference! If you are interested in serving on any Association or Foundation committees in 2011, please notify the Association as soon as possible. The Association is creating our 2011 committees. If you were an active member of a committee in 2010, you will be automatically assigned to serve on that committee again in 2011. If you were not an active member of the committee, you will be dropped from the committee. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Cuddeford or Kathy Ludwig at (717) 364-3200.

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.)

March 2, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. sponsored by A Plus Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
April 13, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. sponsored by Metro Bank

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

FEBRUARY ICI BREAKFAST & MARKETING EXCHANGE - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3
The February ICI Breakfast is sponsored by the Hershey Center for Applied Research. The breakfast will be held at the Hershey Center for Applied Research, Building #1, 1214 Research Blvd., Hummelstown. Linda Goldstein, Vice President & COO of the Capital Region Economic Development Corporation will be speaking on the topic: “The Benefits of Locating a Business in a Keystone Innovation Zone and other State and Federal Loan Programs.” 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, February 2. Register online at www.ghar.info or call (717) 364-3200. Commercial REALTORS^®: the deadline to submit PowerPoint slides for the ICI Listings Slideshow is Monday, January 31.

SAVE THE DATE: SPRING ICI SOCIAL EVENT SET FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20
Please save the date for the next ICI Social Event on Wednesday, April 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Fire House Restaurant in Harrisburg. Registration for this event will open in March. 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.

GREATER HARRISBURG REALTORS^® INSTITUTE

GHRI E-MAIL IS SENT THE SECOND AND FOURTH MONDAYS OF THE MONTH
To help decrease the size and scope of the weekly e-mail, the Association has decided to send out a separate e-mail highlighting upcoming classes held at the Greater Harrisburg REALTORS^® Institute.

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 spring. Watch for more details.

FOUNDATION COMEDY NIGHT! TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR BOTH SHOWS!
Join us and support the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation at the 2011 Comedy Night on Friday, February 25, 2011 featuring Wise Crackers Comedians! Show times include 7:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at Duke's Bar and Grille at 313 S. Front Street in Wormleysburg. Grab dinner at Duke's before your show and have a great night out!

Tickets are $20 each and are available at the Association Office. Hurry, seating is limited so please call today! All proceeds from this event go to the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation!

A Plus Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
Bank of America
CAMPBELL Commercial Real Estate
Central Penn Multi-List, Inc.
Fetrow Insurance Associates, LLC
Fulton Bank/Fulton Mortgage Company
Members 1st Federal Credit Union
RE/MAX Delta Group

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.

DATE CHANGE ON THE SUPRA iBOX EXCHANGE!!!
The SUPRA iBox exchange will take place on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 and Thursday, February 10, 2011 at the Penn Harris Radisson in Camp Hill. You will be exchanging your iBoxes for the new Bluetooth (BT) iBox. The BT iBox connects with Active Keys, infrared devices as well as Bluetooth enabled devices, without the use of an additional piece of hardware. Since the iPhone requires an authentication chip, it still requires the attachable device.

ALL AGENTS ARE REQUIRED TO EXCHANGE THEIR KEYBOXES. UPGRADING TO THE eKEY IS OPTIONAL.

You will be exchanging iBoxes based on the number of boxes assigned to you in our system. You will only receive the new iBoxes based on the number you return, up to the number that is assigned to you. If you are unsure the number of boxes you have, you can request this information by sending an e-mail to CPML@cpml.com. We will e-mail you the number of boxes you have as well as the serial numbers for them. There will be no cost to you for the exchange, the fee to lease additional BT iBoxes will be $99.00 + tax. ($104.94) You will NOT be able to lease these boxes at the exchange.

Watch for information to be delivered to your office or look on the home page of Paragon for this information.

ARE YOU USING P5????
You should be working as much as possible in P5. The link to P5 is on the homepage of Paragon 4. If you are using P5 and are having ANY issues, please e-mail me at rcossley@cpml.com so I can get them corrected. When P5 becomes live for all MLS's, I will notify you of the cutoff date for Paragon 4.

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.

PARAGON TRAINING SCHEDULE
Training classes have been scheduled on the following dates for the PARAGON system:
February 24, 2011
March 16, 2011

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 e-mails. 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 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.

PAR ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR PENNSYLVANIA BOARDS
PAR currently is taking applications for vacancies on several Pennsylvania Boards including the State Real Estate Commission, the Housing Alliance of PA, and the Federal Home Loan Bank. Members interested in serving on these Boards should apply to PAR. PAR then will select applicants to "recommend" to serve on these boards. Click here for a complete overview of the process and a list of Pennsylvania Boards. Click here to submit an application.

REALTORS^® FEDERAL CREDIT UNION - JOIN TODAY!
REALTORS^® Federal Credit Union is proud to be a REALTOR Benefits^® Program Partner! NAR has partnered with industry leaders to provide REALTORS^® with value-added offers and significant savings on products and services they use every day. Through unique understanding and real partnership, we guide members to securing their financial independence, while supporting NAR's mission and benefiting the greater community.

REALTORS^® FCU Now Offers:
·         Highly Competitive Interest & Dividend Rates
·         Traditional & Money Market Savings
·         Traditional, Roth & SEP Individual Retirement (IRA) Savings and Certificate Accounts
·         Free eChecking with MasterCard Debit Card
·         Surcharge-Free ATM Transactions at Thousands of CO-OP Network & CU24 Network ATMs
·         Your own Virtual Branch
        o        Remote Check Deposit, Online Bill Pay Online Statements, Electronic Statements, Alerts, Messaging and more
                    o        myMortgage Center
·         Personal Loans & Credit Lines
·         New & Used Vehicle, Boat & RV Loans
·         Home Loan Financing
·         Certificate Investments
·         Business Savings & Money Market Accounts

As a REALTORS^® Federal Credit Union member, you have access to our diverse portfolio of products and services. Our cooperative approach to financial services allows us to provide you with great rates and fewer fees. Eligible members include anyone who is a member of or works with the NAR as well as their immediate family or household members. You can become a member of REALTORS^® Federal Credit Union as early as your first day of membership or relevant affiliation with the National Association of REALTORS^® or any time afterward. Join today!

CUMBERLAND COUNTY SEEKING APPLICANTS FOR CITIZENS ASSESSMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
On January 20, the Cumberland County Commissioners approved the creation of a Citizens Assessment Advisory Committee. The Committee will be comprised of 9 to 11 citizens who own commercial, residential, industrial, agricultural, or undeveloped land in the county. The Committee is tasked with reviewing the County’s assessment process and making recommendations to the County Commissioners. Anyone who is interested in serving on the Committee should submit a letter of interest by mail at Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, 1 Courthouse Square, Room 200, Carlisle, PA 17013; or by e-mail at commissioners@ccpa.net. For more information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

CONTACT GHAR TO SCHEDULE A GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICE VISIT!
Is your office interested in a government affairs update during one of your sales meetings? Are you looking for more information about what is going on at the local, state, and national level? If so, please contact Sherri Pursel at the Association to schedule a Government Affairs Office Visit. Sherri will come to your office during one of your sales meetings and make a 15 to 20 minutes presentation about government affairs and the important issues facing REALTORS^® at all three levels of government. It is a great opportunity to learn more about legislative “hot topics” and what is happening in government affairs! Feel free to contact Sherri at sherri@ghar.info or by calling (717) 364-3200.

RESOLUTION INTRODUCED TO SUPPORT THE MORTGAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION
Earlier this month, Congressman Gary Miller (R-CA) and several members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced House Resolution 25, a resolution affirming the importance of the mortgage interest deduction and calling for it to remain the same. NAR strongly supports this resolution and has sent a letter to all members of the House of Representatives asking them to co-sponsor this resolution. Click here to read more about this issue on the NAR Web site.

CARLISLE BOROUGH FORMS RENTAL Housing TASK FORCE
On January 13, the Carlisle Borough Council appointed 9 members to a Rental Housing Task Force. This Task Force, made up of representatives of various stakeholders, has been charged with studying whether or not the Borough needs a rental licensing/inspection ordinance. The Task Force is expected to meet several times over the next six months, and it is to present its findings to the Borough Council by June 2011. Two REALTORS^® have been appointed to serve on the Task Force, and GHAR will be attending the meetings and providing input to the Borough. The first meeting of the Task Force is scheduled for Wednesday, February 2, at 7:00 p.m., at the Carlisle Borough Office, 53 West South Street, Carlisle. For more information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

PAXTON CREEK REMOVED FROM TMDL LIST!
In December, GHAR received notice that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed the Paxton Creek from its Total Maximum Daily Limits (TMDL) list. For the past several years, GHAR has participated in a coalition to oppose the Paxton Creek TMDL. If implemented, the TMDL would have had catastrophic impacts on the Paxton Creek watershed. Municipalities in the watershed include Lower Paxton Township, Susquehanna Township, and the City of Harrisburg. The TMDL would have effectively ended all development in these municipalities and would have increased costs for residents through higher sewer rates and taxes. GHAR joined with several organizations, spearheaded by the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg, to oppose this plan. The coalition worked through several channels to oppose the plan, including suing both DEP and EPA. Ultimately, the issue ended in a victory with Paxton Creek’s removal from the TMDL! Thank you to all those who worked hard on this critical issue! 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.

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