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LCBR BULLETIN BOARD |
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2015 BOARD DUES REMINDER - Members were sent an invoice via email in early October for their 2015 dues bill which is due January 1, 2015. If you didn't receive your bill or misplaced it you should contact the Board office immediately at 860-482-9816. Any member with dues not paid within thirty (30) days of the due date will be automatically suspended on February 1, 2015 and become subject to termination. Designated REALTORS® will be assessed Non-Member Licensee fees for every terminated agent affiliated with their firm. Though
our preferred method of payment is by electronic check through the
Intuit Payment Network system, which may be accessed by clicking on the
link located in the left hand bottom corner of the PDF invoice you
received as an attachment to an email sent from Marilyn, should you
prefer you may pay your invoice with Visa, MasterCard or electronic
check online through the Ecommerce section of NAR’s website at
click here. |
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2015 NAR MEMBERSHIP
CARDS - Members can download a
free NAR membership cardor order a plastic one for just $5.00.
The card card customized with name, designation and NRDS ID number, and
allows access to benefits like those offered through Hertz and .REALTOR,
the official 2015 membership card sponsors. |
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LEGISLATIVE NIGHT -
The Board would like to thank Torrington Savings Bank for sponsoring
hors d'oeurves, wine on the tables and chocolate heart shaped lollipops
to benefit the REALTORS® Have a Heart for Kids Program; we greatly
appreciate their continuous support! During our Annual Meeting we surprised Robin Leech of Robinson Leech Real Estate in Lakeville by presenting him with a REALTOR® Emeritus certificate and pin. Congratulations to Robin on achieving REALTOR® Emeritus status! Robin has been a REALTOR® member of Litchfield County Board of REALTORS for over 43 years. In addition, we would like to thank the following for donating a door prize to benefit the REALTORS® Have a Heart for Kids Program. Donated by: Village
Mortgage Donated by: Elyse
Harney Real Estate Donated by: Ellie
Peterson, REALTOR® Donated by: LCBR
Public Relations Committee Donated by: LCBR Public
Relations Committee Donated by: The Real
Estate Book |
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L to R: Gene Fercodini,
REALTOR®; Ted Murphy, CTR Treasurer; Senator Henri Martin |
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L to R: Tom Carey; Greg
Ugalde, HBRA of CT; Senator Clark Chapin; Steve Temkin, HBA of NW CT, Executive Officer |
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Representative Craig
Miner; Bob Riva, LCBR, President; Roselee Fanelli, LCBR Legislative & RPAC Committee Chair |
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| Representative Bill Simanski |
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L to R: Representative Jay
Case; Brenda Davis, HBA of CT, Staff; Nick Fanelli, REALTOR® |
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L to R:
Bill Savoia, REALTOR®; |
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| Representative John Piscopo |
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| L to R: Chris Stokes; Suzie Larson, CTR, State Director |
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L to R: Kim-Mai Mahon,
REALTOR®; Lori Wallace, REALTOR®; Senator Clark Chapin |
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| Henry Rozewski, HBRA of CT, Treasurer |
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L to R: Len Campbell; Mary
Campbell, REALTOR®; Larry Rabago, REALTOR® |
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L to R: Paulie Arena, LCBR,
Affiliate; Sue Holway, REALTOR®; Laurel Galloway, REALTOR®; Ileana Santore, REALTOR®; |
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| Amity Wolfe, LCBR, Legislative & RPAC Committee Co-Chair |
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| L to R: Michael Milo; David Hull |
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L to R: Linda Fercodini,
NAR Director from CTR; Gene Fercodini, CTR, Legislative/Polictical Affairs Committee |
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L to R: Joel Ralph; Mary
LeBlanc, REALTOR®; Kristine LeBlanc, REALTOR®; Sue O'Dell |
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L to R: Justin Girolimon;
Marco Merati, Affiliate; Marco Santore, REALTOR® |
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L to R: Representative
Craig Miner; Bobby D'Andrea, Esq.; Ted Murphy, CTR, Treausrer |
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| Jill Russell; Jessica Dziob; Jason Tuncy; Ashley McCarthy |
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L to R: Asher Pavel;
Priscilla Pavel, REALTOR®; Rick Meehan, REALTOR® |
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| Sue Vaill, REALTOR®; Jeff Zitnay |
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| Linda Fercodini, NAR Director from CTR |
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L to R: Steve Temkin, HBA
of CT, Executive Officer; Jennifer Good, REALTOR®; Robin Leech, REALTOR® Emeritus; Linda Fercodini, NAR Director from CTR; Jay de Marcken, REALTOR® |
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L to R: Jeff Geddes,
Public Relations Committee Member; Linda Hull, Public Relations Committee, Chair; Suzie Larson, CTR State Director |
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| Door Prize Table |
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L tor R: Sue O'Dell,
REALTOR®; Linda Hull, REALTOR®; Roselee Fanelli, Legislative & RPAC Committee Chair |
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Mary LeBlanc, REALTOR® |
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| Jeff Zitnay |
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| Kathy Briggs, Debra Maher, Karen Lopardo |
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L to R: Brian Piers,
Affiliate; Kim-Mai Mahon, REALTOR®; Gary Flood, REALTOR® |
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SPRING GRI & MRP
COURSES OFFERED - The Greater Waterbury Board of REALTORS is
hosting Series 1 of GRI at the GWBR office on March 30th, April 1st,
April 6th and April 8th. To learn more about GRI,
click here. To register for GRI-1,
click here.
In addition, they are
hosting a Military Relocation Certification (MRP) class on May 20, 2015
at the GWBR office. To learn more about MRP Certification
click here. To register for MRP Certification,
click here. |
| INSURANCE RED FLAGS LUNCH N' LEARN - The Board would to thank Founders Insurance Group for sponsoring an Insurance Red Flags Lunch N' Learn at no cost for our members. |
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| Insurance Red Flags Lunch N' Learn Class |
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Insurance Red Flags Lunch N' Learn Class |
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LITTLE BLUE BOOK: RULES
TO LIVE BY REALTORS® - The Little Blue Book offers advice on the
following: #1 Rule in Business; the #1 Rule in Real Estate; REALTORS and
Professionalism; Business Philosophies; Keys Do's & Don'ts; and much
more. This product is available as an e-product for $9.95 or in
physical packs of five for $19.95. REALTORS® can save 10% off on
the Little Blue Book by using the promo code 10lBBPP when ordering.
Purchase book... |
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DOCUSIGN TWO
MONTHS FREE - DocuSign can make 2015 the year you close more
real estate deals with a lot less stress. Sign up today and get 2 months
of DocuSign for REALTORS® Plus* free. *Offer expires January 30,
2015. Valid only for new customers.
Learn more... |
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HAFA
SHORT SALES COURSE - The Valley Association of REALTORS® is
co-sponsoring a HAFA Short Sales course with CT REALTORS® on Thursday,
April 16, 2015. This newly developed coure from NAR on HAFA (Home
Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives) provided in-depth coverage of the
U.S. Treasury, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac programs. Learn the
similarities and differences among the three HAFA programs and gain the
tools to assist your clients in processing short sales more efficiently.
Approved for 6 CE elective credits.
Learn more...
To register... |
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ZILLOW, LISTHUB TO END
LISTING AGREEMENTS - Zillow will not renew its contract with ListHub
which expires on April 7, 2015. Instead, Zillow is working on
getting feeds directly through Multiple Listing Services.
Learn more... 01.20.15 |
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THE FOLLOWING
EXCERPTS WERE PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®
JANUARY 14, 2015 INTERNAL NEWS SERVICE EMAIL NEWSLETTER.
01.20.15 SMALL EXTERIOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS OFFER THE BEST VALUE - Access the latest findings from the popular Cost vs. Value Survey, prepared by Remodeling Magazine based on insight of REALTORS from across the country. This year, small, exterior home improvement projects are said to offer the most value. 2015 BUSINESS PLANNING TIPS - Resolve to have your financial house in order in 2015. The Credit Union has step-by-step tips to help you develop your business planning strategy for the New Year. Read more... BROKERAGE PRESIDENT
TOUTS REALTOR.COM - Candace Adams, president of Berkshire Hathaway
HomeServices New England, talks about the value of realtor.com in
ensuring a professional presentation of sellers' listings in a
Q&A with RIS Media. |
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THE FOLLOWING
EXCERPTS WERE PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
JANUARY 15, 2015 WEEKLY REPORT EMAIL NEWSLETTER.
01.20.15
SAVE 10% ON YOUR EDUCATION - Spend less to enhance your
education in 2015. You receive special 10-percent-off pricing on
ABR, BPOR, e-PRO, Green SFR, and SRES online courses through the REALTOR
Benefits Program. Begin learning and earning more now.
Learn more... FREE CONSUMER CONTENT: HOME STORAGE - The latest free content for your websites, blogs, social media pages, and print resources from HouseLogic's REALTOR Content Resource offers ides owners can use to unleash their home's storage potential. Start using it now. Learn more... MUST-KNOWS ON
FHFA BUY-BACK PLAN - A new Federal Housing Finance Agency policy
allows previously foreclosed home owners to buy back their homes.
But the switch may mot benefit every market. Here's what you
need to know.
Learn more... |
| INAUGURAL BALL - Our very own President-Elect Kim D'Andrea and her husband Attorney Robert D'Andrea attended Governor Dan Malloy's inaugural ball. Thanks to Kim and Robert for sharing the following pictures! |
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L to R: Robert D'Andrea,
Esq.; Kim D'Andrea, LCBR, President-Elect; Governor Dan Malloy |
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L to R: Robert D'Andrea,
Esq.; Kim D'Andrea, LCBR President-Elect |
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BROKER INVOLVEMENT
PROGRAM - The National Association of REALTORS wants Broker Owners
and their Managers to bring decision-making authority, strong
leadership, and your agents' voices to Congress. To learn more
about the Broker Involvement Program,
click here.
Watch Video 01.09.15 |
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NEWLY PASSED LAWS OF
THE 2014 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION - The CT Department of
Consumer Protection has published a list of newly passed laws of the
2014 General Assembly Session. Each law passed has a link to the
Public Act and some of them have a link to the OLR Summary as well.
New Laws... |
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EXPANDING HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES COURSE ONLINE - NAR's expanding
Housing Opportunities (EHO) course is now available online - and for
just $25 if you register before January 31st. That's more than 30
percent off the list price! Learn about developing partnerships with
housing counselors, nonprofit organizations, lenders, and governmental
agencies that will open avenues to affordability for your clients. Once
you register, you will have six months to complete this course.
Register Now 01.09.15 |
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PROCURING CLAUSE VIDEO
- Do you have questions about procuring clause? Watch the third
installment of NAR's Policy Into Practice Video Series which explains
the factors that arbitration hearing panels should consider when
reviewing monetary disputes.
Watch Video 01.07.15 |
| IRS MILEAGE RATES
GO UP JANUARY 1ST
- The standards IRS
mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup, or panel truck
are increasing for 2015, with the rate business miles rising from 56
cents to 57.5 cents per mile.
Details 12.29.14 |
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INSURANCE RED FLAGS -
LUNCH N' LEARN - Founders Insurance Group, Inc. is presenting a
Lunch N' Learn at no cost to members called Insurance Red Flags on
January 21, 2015 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Board office. Attend
this learn how to about things that make a house uninsurable,
understanding replacement cost, and ways to reduce your home
owners insurance! For more information,
click here. |
| 2014 FEDERAL TAX
RATES, PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS, AND STANDARD DEDUCTIONS - To learn about
the tax rates and related numbers you will need to prepare you 2014
income tax return, which is due by April 15, 2014,
click here. 12.19.14 |
| NON DEDUCTIBLE
BOARD DUES INFORMATION - As a reminder the portions of the 2014
REALTORS and non-member dues which are non deductible are as follows:
The non-deductable amount of CTR REALTOR Dues (and non-member sales assessments) is 33% of $165 ($55). The VOLUNTARY Issues Advocacy contribution is not deductable & separately stated on bills that have that option. The VOLUNTARY Gates Scholarship contribution is tax deductable. The
nondeductible amount of NAR REALTOR Dues (and non-member sales
assessments) is 42% of $120 ($50). The NAR Image Assessment fee of $35
is deductible. |
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.REALTOR domain purchases by U.S. members will include an optional free profile website from REALTOR.com that will integrate a member's social media content, listings, and client recommendations - in one convenient location.
The .REALTOR domain
positions REALTORS® with a competitive edge in the online real estate
space by enabling the opportunity for future innovation, for example, a
.REALTOR search engine, making it easier for consumers to locate
REALTORS® and real estate services. To find out more about the
.realtor domain visit
www.about.realtor. |
| PERSONAL FAX #
- It was brought to our attention that the field for the personal fax
number is not currently working in Martrix. It is expected to be
corrected around the holidays. If you have a personal fax number
that you want noted on your listings, please get us that number.
We will then enter it into your personal record. Once the fix has been
implemented your personal fax will appear on your listings.
We want to thank all our
members for their patience and understanding as we find these "glitches"
and get them corrected. You're the BEST! |
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NEW CE SHOP CE COURSE - The CE Shop now offers a new continuing education CE Course called Did you Serve? Identifying Homebuying Advantages for Veterans course is now available in your course catalog!
ONLINE CE COURSES-
LCBR is partnered with The CE Shop to provide CE training in an easy to use
on-line format; you can access great online continuing education courses
that are state approved and 100% accredited! Additionally, once you
complete the course you can access your certificate instantly and The CE
Shop manages all reporting to the state. As an ADDED BONUS:
at checkout enter the promotional code JAN25 to receive
25% off
your purchase when you enroll in any online CE course taken through
our online course catalog! This promotion expires January 31, 2015.
You must use
the following link to register for these courses,
click here to register.
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NAR WEEKLY REPORT
- The following
items were provided courtesy of the National Association of REALTORS®
December 18, 2014
Weekly Report Email Newsletter.
GSE'S Detail Low
Down-Payment Program -
On
December 8, 2014, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac released details on new
mortgage product offerings that will provide access to qualified borrowers
able to put down at least 3%.
Read more... Prices Rebound; Still
Down from Peak:
The good
news is that home prices are rebounding.
Read More... |
PRINCIPALS & PRACTICES COURSES OFFERED - The Greater Waterbury Board of REALTORS®, Inc. Institute for Real Estate offers a 60 hour Principles and Practices of Real Estate course to qualify students for real estate licensing. Their P&P course is a continuous start program which allows new students to begin the course on any Tuesday (depending on availability). The class are held on Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6 to 9 PM. For more information, click here. The Greater
Bridgeport Board of REALTORS® offers a 60 hour Principles and
Practices. For more information,
click here. 09.09.14 |
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Don't forget to
like and follow us on Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/litchfieldboard! |
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LCBR & TENANTTRACKS - Have you taken advantage of the agreement
Litchfield County Board of REALTORS has with TenantTracks? They offer
exclusive historical and up-to-date eviction data from all 15
Connecticut Courts covering Summary Process cases including Bantam
Court. Other screening services typically provide eviction data from
just the 6 major Housing Courts in Connecticut leaving owners at risk.
All evictions in Litchfield County are conducted at the Bantam
Courthouse and their eviction records are not online or part of a
national database. Rental property owners are at risk of non-paying,
disruptive and/or destructive tenants moving around unchecked if people
are not screening renters through TenantTracks.
Recently TenantTracks has implemented
a new screening algorithm that allows the user to search for known
"Alias Names" and "Nicknames" against all our CT Civil, Eviction and
Criminal databases. To learn more about this feature,
click here. 11.04.14 |
REALTOR® SAFETY VIDEO - Learn about safety for REALTORS® in a video produced by Florida REALTORS®. Safety Video 11.04.14 NAR's Safety Resources Page - For a compete list of safety resources provided by the National Association of REALTORS®, click here. REALTOR® SAFETY WITH CLIENTS VIDEO - Watch this video for suggestions on steps you can take to stay safe with clients. 12.05.14 Creepy Phone Calls Put Mass. Agents on Edge - Police are warning real estate professionals in Massachusetts' South Coast region to be wary of suspicious phone calls. Read more... Safety Tip #21 -
Have your Excuse Ready
- Part of being prepared
to deal with a threatening situation is having “an out.” Prepare a
scenario in advance so that you can leave—or you can encourage someone
who makes you uncomfortable to leave. Examples: Your cell phone or pager
went off and you have to call your office, you left some important
information in your car, or another agent with buyers is on his way.
12.05.14 |
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MAKE OUR MARKS REMARKABLE
- Watch this video to learn why NAR protects the value of the REALTOR®
Trademark.
Video |
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ELECTRONIC KEY BOXES AVAILABLE AT THE BOARD OFFICE
ELECTRONIC KEY BOXES - We now have the ability to provide our members electronic Keys and Boxes. For information on obtaining an eKey which works on your smartphone, click here.
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