GHAR Weekly E-mail

ELECTION RESULTS
Congratulations to the following individuals who were elected to serve on the GHAR Board of Directors in 2012:
    Marti Garrett, President
    Mike Pion, Vice President
    Aaron Piscioneri, Secretary/Treasurer
    Bernie Campanella, Director
    Jodi Diego, Director
    Dave Drobnock, Director
    Jessica Fleisher, Director
    Louise Freundel, Director
    Mo Humphreys, Director
    Judy Stover, Director

THANK YOU TO OUR TRADE FAIR EXHIBITORS
Event Sponsor:
Central Penn Multi-List, Inc.

Trade Fair Exhibitors:
A Plus Mortgage Solutions, Inc.
A’nS Company, Inc.
ASHI Central PA
Caldwell & Kearns, P.C.
Central PA Home Inspections, LLC
Central Penn Multi-List, Inc.
Complete Closing Services, LLC
Criterium-Yingst Engineers
Cutco Branding & Closing Gifts
Easy Street Insurance Services
Farm Credit
Fine Line Homes
First National Bank
Fulton Mortgage Company
George W. Weaver & Son, Inc.
H.B. McClure Company
Home Builders Association of Metro Harrisburg
Home Spec Inspections
Homechek, Inc.
Homewood Suites By Hilton-Harrisburg West
Institute of Real Estate Studies
McNaughton Homes
Members 1st Federal Credit Union
Metro Bank
Miche Bag
Mid Penn Bank
Orrstown Bank
PennLive.com
PennTerra Engineering
R.J. Fisher & Associates, Inc.
SeeMore Home Inspections/The Mitigator
SunTrust Mortgage
Superior Plus Energy Services
The Patriot-News
The Virtus Group
United One Resources
Vision Mortgage Capital
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

REALTORS^® TAKE TIME OUT - November 2
Join us for a casual and fun networking event at Leeds Restaurant & Lounge on Eisenhower Boulevard in Harrisburg on November 2 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Mix and mingle with fellow REALTORS^®while enjoying light hors d'oeuvres. Thanks to the sponsorship of Bank of America, Central Penn Multi-List Inc. and Fine Line Homes, this event is FREE to REALTORS^®. This event is only open to GHAR REALTORS^®. Please register by October 26 by calling 364-3200 or through the Members Only section of the website, www.ghar.info.

2011 HOLIDAY LUNCH AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS INSTALLATION - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9
The 2011 Holiday Lunch and Board Installation is scheduled for Friday, December 9 at the West Shore Country Club, Camp Hill. This year, awards will be presented for REALTOR^® of the Year, Affiliate of the Year, Professional Merit and Hall of Fame. Registration and cash bar begins at 11:00 a.m. with the program and lunch beginning at 11:30 a.m. Cost is $25 per person.

Members may register online at www.ghar.info through the Members Only section or by calling the Association office at (717) 364-3200 by noon on Tuesday, December 6. Please remember reservations not cancelled by noon on Tuesday, December 6 will be billed regardless of attendance. You may pay in advance or at the door.

Special thanks to The Central Penn Multi-List, Inc., George W. Weaver & Sons, Inc., Members 1^st Federal Credit Union, Orrstown Bank, The Patriot News Company, RSR REALTORS^®, and Sun Trust Mortgage, Inc. for sponsoring this event!

Donate to Project S.H.A.R.E.!
Please consider donating one or more non-perishable food items or personal care items to Project S.H.A.R.E. You may also write a check payable to Project S.H.A.R.E.

GHAR CELEBRATES REALTORS® REACH OUT 2011!
On Friday, October 21, GHAR members took part in a community service event to celebrate REALTORS^® Reach Out 2011. This event was part of a statewide campaign that showcases REALTORS^® and the contributions they make to their local communities. The statewide campaign was created by the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS^® and officially runs throughout the month of October.

To celebrate this campaign, GHAR partnered with Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area to do a block clean-up in the Camp Curtin area of Harrisburg. Volunteers cleaned up a community memorial garden, performed landscaping, and collected trash and debris from the streets surrounding the garden. Special thank you to all those who volunteered for this Work Day! Click here for more information on the GHAR website.

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.)
November 16 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. - sponsored by Mid Penn Bank

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

NOVEMBER ICI BREAKFAST - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3
The November ICI Breakfast is sponsored by High Associates Ltd. The breakfast will be held at Windsor Park Shopping Center (form VIP Fitness), 5210 Simpson Ferry Road, Mechanicsburg. Jack Messenger, from Dale Carnegie Training, will be speaking on the topic: “Swallowing the Future Without Getting Indigestion.” *PLEASE NOTE: Exhibit tables will be available for this breakfast. Any attendee interested in reserving table space should contact Sherri Pursel by October 28. The Marketing Exchange Table and the ICI Listing Slideshow will still be available to attendees. Registration is at 7:50 a.m. Breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m. Reservations are required by noon on Wednesday, November 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, October 31, at 4:00 p.m.

DECEMBER ICI HOLIDAY LUNCH - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1
The December ICI Holiday Lunch is sponsored by the Hershey Center for Applied Research. The Holiday Lunch will be held at the Hershey Center for Applied Research, 1214 Research Blvd., Hummelstown, PA 17036. This event will follow the networking format. We once again will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for the U.S. Marine Corp’s Toys for Tots Campaign. Please consider bringing a new, unwrapped toy to the lunch. Attendees also are encouraged to bring marketing materials to the meeting and to utilize the Marketing Exchange Table. Registration is at 11:45 a.m. The lunch begins at 12:00 noon. Reservations are required by noon on Wednesday, November 30. Register online at www.ghar.info or call (717) 364-3200. Commercial REALTORS^®: the deadline to submit PowerPoint slides for the ICI Listing Slideshow is Monday, November 28, at 4:00 p.m.

GREATER HARRISBURG REALTORS^® INSTITUTE
The Greater Harrisburg REALTORS^® Institute is offering several classes this fall. Don't wait to the last minute to earn your CE credits. For more information call (717) 364-3205.

REQUIRED COURSE FOR NEW LICENSEES
GHRI is offering the Residential Module on December 7. This course is required for new licensees. For more information call (717) 364-3205.

25th ANNUAL THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE DONATIONS DUE OCTOBER 28!
Important: Food Drive donations are due to the GHAR Office by: OCTOBER 28, 2011. Donations are being accepted via check, credit card, or online donation through Members Only. Members also may want to check with their offices to see how they are collecting donations.

This year, we are celebrating the Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation's 25^th Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Last year, we successfully helped 659 local families enjoy a Thanksgiving Day meal. This year the goal is to EXCEED THAT NUMBER with your help.

We’re simply asking for each REALTOR^® to make a suggested contribution of $25 for the 25^th year. The Foundation will do the rest! Through your generosity, each family will receive a turkey and a Giant Foods gift card for purchasing the remaining meal items.

Or, you can sponsor an entire family! The cost to sponsor one family with a turkey and Giant Foods gift card is $40. Please give what you can. Make checks payable to: The Greater Harrisburg Association of REALTORS^® Foundation

This year you can go to the GHAR website www.ghar.info and to “Members Only” to make your contribution to the Food Drive.

Keep in Mind the Closing Gifts! Please consider sponsoring an entire family. This year we will have 3 different amounts for the Closing Gift Note Cards - $10, $25 and $40 - to honor your client(s). It is as easy as 1, 2, 3 to participate!

All Food Drive donations are due to the GHAR Office - 424 N. Enola Drive, Suite 1, Enola 17025 - by OCTOBER 28, 2011 (or check with your office on how they are collecting). You also may make your contribution through the GHAR website at www.ghar.info.

PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
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.

PARAGON COMMUNITY SUPPORT
The feedback button at the top of your screen has been replaced by Community Support. This is an area moderated by LPS Solutions Staff as well as MLS staff. You can ask questions, share ideas, report problems and even give praise if there is something you really like in P5 or if somebody in LPS support was really great.

INCLUDE EXACT PROPERTY DIRECTIONS IN YOUR LISTINGS
Directions to a property are a very important part of your listing in the Paragon system. Please provide exact directions from a given point. Example: Starting at GHAR building, turn right on Enola Dr....... Telling an agent or consumer, if they receive the listing in an email to "Use MapQuest" is not acceptable. If you are unsure of directions, you can use MapQuest to find the directions.

REALTORS^® PROPERTY RESOURCE (RPR)
CPML data is on RPR!!!! Do you know that Realtors Property Resources (RPR) lets you look at 147 million public property records in a single location? Did you know you can search for properties in your own MLS using value retention heat maps, flood maps and even school zones?

The web address is www.narrpr.com

RPR IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO REALTOR® MEMBERS, YOU WILL NEED YOUR NRDS NUMBER TO CREATE YOUR PROFILE!!!

PHOTO LABELS AND DESCRIPTIONS
Please look under MLS DOCS on the P5 system for documentation on adding labels and descriptions to your photos.

PARAGON TRAINING SCHEDULE
CPML is now offering four different classes on P5. You may come to any or all, and you may come as often as you feel is necessary. For new agents, the two Basic Classes are required.

Basic Classes:
An Overview of the P5 Home Page and User Preferences - 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. This class is an introduction to P5.

Search, Print and E-mail - 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Learn the three basic tools an agent needs. Search/Print/Email: How to customize and search by map, as well as multi-class searches. Now that you found your listings, view various reports, and you are ready to Print and/or Email.

Advanced Classes:
Contact Manager - 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Set up Client Connect Preferences, set up client, and learn what types of notifications are available for you and your clients.

CMAs - 3:30 p m - 5:00 p m. In this class, you will learn to set up CMA preferences, how to create and save a CMA.

Please call the CPML office at (717) 761-8440 to register for a class. Classes are held at the GHAR Office at 424 N. Enola Drive, Enola, PA 17025.

PARAGON 5 WEBINAR TRAINING
Webinars are available for P5. You have a choice of live or prerecorded webinars. The topics will include:

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

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.

SAVE ON THESE NAR MARKETING MATERIALS TODAY!
We wanted to inform you first about some exciting new offerings at the completely redesigned online store, (www.REALTOR.org/Store), for the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS^® (NAR). They’re offering the latest must have products to help you take advantage of the changing market. They’re also giving you 10% off your next purchase when you use promotional code GH2 at checkout.

The newly designed online store has everything you need to be a successful REALTOR^® from products on:

sales and marketing
commercial
investment
home buying and selling
technology
mortgages

Visit the site often, as it is constantly updated, with offerings based on member feedback and changes in the market. Included in this special offer are items printed using the new Print on Demand Program.

Help turn a “changing” market into a marketing opportunity by visiting www.REALTOR.org/Store and take advantage of your special 10% discount today when you use code GH2 at checkout.

HARRISBURG CITY COUNCIL APPROVES CHANGES TO BUYER NOTIFICATION AND RENTAL INSPECTION PROGRAMS
On October 11, the Harrisburg City Council approved two bills making changes to the City’s buyer notification inspection program and the rental licensing program. Bill No. 13 of 2010 makes significant changes to the City’s rental licensing and inspection program. Among other requirements, the bill mandates all rental units be inspected once every five years, and property owners not living or working in a 50 miles radius of the City of Harrisburg now are required to designate an “agent” for their property.

Bill No. 14 of 2010 eliminates the buyer notification inspection for most property transfers in the City of Harrisburg. However, Bill No. 14 does create a new “Zoning Certification” requirement for property transfer in the City, and it also require language to be added to an agreement of sale. Click here for a detailed summary about Bill No. 14 of 2010.

GHAR had some concerns with both bills, as drafted. Despite receiving both written and verbal suggested changes from GHAR, the City Council did NOT modified the language of either bill prior to final passage. These bills take effect immediately. For more information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

PARJUSTLISTED.COM: “REAL ESTATE TAX MYTH DEBUNKED”
Check out this posting on PARJustListed.com: “Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in March 2010, individuals and groups on all sides of the healthcare issue have been responding to various provisions included in the new law and regulations. Unfortunately, not all of the claims about the law have been accurate, making it difficult for those who really want to understand the changes.” Click here to continue reading this blog post on PARJustListed.com.

CONGRESS APPROVES TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM
NAR has announced that Congress has approved a temporary extension of the National Flood Insurance Program. The program was set to expire on September 30, 2011. However, Congress recently passed a temporary extension through November 18, 2011. NAR intends to continue working on a long-term reauthorization before the new November 18 deadline expires. Click here for more information on the NAR website.

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.

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.

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