GHAR Weekly E-mail

2011 ANNUAL MEETING AND TRADE FAIR - THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13
The GHAR Annual Meeting and Trade Fair will be held on Thursday, October 13 at the Radisson Penn Harris, in Camp Hill from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. REALTORS^® are invited to cast your ballot for the Board of Directors, 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 also will be held during this exciting event. The Annual Meeting will take place from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. During the business meeting, we will announce raffle winners, door prize winners and the election results. This event is FREE to registered REALTOR^® members who vote! Office Sign up Sheets are due to GHAR today, Friday, October 7.

ABSENTEE VOTING
For those unable to vote on October 13, absentee voting is now available at the Association office. Members can cast their absentee vote on October 7, 10, 11 and 12 at GHAR from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

REALTORS® REACH OUT 2011!
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, 2011. During this month, local REALTOR®associations across the state will take part in community outreach projects.

To celebrate this month, GHAR will be hosting a volunteer work day on Friday, October 21. Partnering with Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area, REALTORS® will be participating in a block clean-up in the Camp Curtin area in Harrisburg.

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 webpage on the GHAR website. For more information, or questions about these events please contact Sherri Pursel.

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.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL ICI SOCIAL EVENT - OCTOBER 20
Registration now is open for the 2011 fall ICI Social Event. This event will take place on Thursday, October 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Holiday Inn New Cumberland. This event is co-hosted by the GHAR ICI Council and the REALTORS^® Association of York & Adams Counties (RAYAC) Commercial, Industrial & Investment Council. The event is free to GHAR and RAYAC members; however, members must register as space is limited. Please register through the Members Only section, or by calling the Association at (717) 364-3200. Click here to view a copy of the event flyer.

Special thank you to our sponsors:
·        BL Companies
·        Colliers International
·        Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
·        Law Offices of Robert M. Walker, LLC
·        Reager & Adler, PC
·        Rhoads & Sinon LLP

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.

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
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.

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.

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 Help for REALTOR^® Flood Victims
PAR and the Realtor® Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Foundation have teamed up to provide some special grants to Realtors® who were affected by the recent floods. Any Realtor® who has had their personal residence or office affected is encouraged to complete the simple application by the October 14th deadline. Local Associations are encouraged to notify local members of this program as quickly as possible. After the deadline, a special task force will review applications and make grants as appropriate. Any local associations that wants to make a monetary contribution to this program, should contact PAR. Link to Application

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.

CALL-TO-ACTION! HARRISBURG CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER TWO HOUSING BILLS
On October 11, the Harrisburg City Council is scheduled to consider 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 a 60 miles radius of the City of Harrisburg 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.

Despite receiving both written and verbal suggested changes from GHAR, the City Council has NOT modified the language of either bill to address these specific concerns.

GHAR is encouraging members to attend the City Council meeting to voice your concern with the bills as proposed. The Council meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 11, at the Harrisburg City Government Center, 10 North Second Street, Harrisburg. If you would like talking points for this meeting, or if you need any additional information, please contact Sherri Pursel.

WEST HANOVER TOWNSHIP BOARD OF SUPERVISORS VACANCY
The West Hanover Township Board of Supervisors is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on its Board. The appointed person will fill a term through January 2014. Interested applicants must reside in the Township, and must have lived in the Township continuously for the past year. If you are a resident and are interested in applying to serve on the Board, please send a letter of interest and/or a resume to the attention of the Board of Supervisors, 7171 Allentown Blvd., Harrisburg, PA 17112, no later than 4:00 p.m., October 17, 2011. Please contact Sherri Pursel for more information.

MESSAGE FROM THE DAUPHIN COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT ON STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BMP REQUIREMENTS
Click here to read a short article from the Dauphin County Conservation District regarding Stormwater Management Best Management Practices (BMPs). Regulations on BMPs have changed recently, and these changes may impact homeowners and homebuyers. With the recent changes in regulations, homeowners could be held liable for failing to maintain BMPs that were installed when a property was developed. This short article will provide information on the recent changes and provide information that REALTORS^® can share with their clients.

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.

CONGRESS FAILS TO ACT ON EXTENDING FHA LOAN LIMITS
Congress has failed to extend the mortgage loan limits for FHA and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac backed loans. On October 1, these loan limits will drop from 125% of local area medium home price to 115%. Locally, this change will impact York and Lancaster Counties, while Cumberland, Dauphin, and Perry Counties will not see a change. 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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