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LCBR BULLETIN BOARD |
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BOARD OFFICE CLOSINGS
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Friday, March 6th the Board Office will be closed. Tuesday, March 10th we will be closed at 2:00 p.m. for staff training. Wednesday, March 11th we will open at 2 p.m. due to the evening Orientation Course. If you get the answering machine, please leave a message and or e-mail executiveofficer@litchfieldboard.com .
On
Friday the 6th if you have lock box or key issues please call Mid-State
Association of REALTORS® at (860) 793-9414 they will be happy to help
you. On Friday if you need MLS support please call the CTMLS support
line at 203 697-1006. Your patience and understanding is greatly
appreciated. Thank you! |
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CHFA LUNCH N' LEARN
- The CT Housing Finance Authority is presenting a "CHFA Programs &
What's New" Lunch N' Learn at NO COST to LCBR members on Wednesday,
March 11, 2015 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the Board office. The
topics covered include: Hear About What's New at CHFA; Learn About
CHFA's Affordable Homebuyer Mortgage Programs; Learn About the New
Rates/Points Structure to Give Homebuyers More Options; and Learn About
Recent Changes to Guidelines. Seating is limited to a first served
basis; registrations are required. To register,
click here. |
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CHANGES TO HUD-1
CLOSING PROCESS - Effective August 1, 2015 there will be
changes the HUD-1 closing process. The HUD-1 Settlement Form and
the Good Faith Estimate Form will be replaced with the Closing
Disclosure Form and the Loan Estimate Form. To learn about these
changes and others watch this National Association of REALTORS®
Government Affairs Update video. |
2015 REALTOR BENEFITS® PROGRAM CATALOG - Download a copy of
the REALTOR Benefits® Program 2015 Catalog.
Benefits Program
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LCBR SCHOLARSHIP
APPLICATION - TJ Zappulla, REALTOR® Scholarship Grant Applications
may now be submitted to be considered for the 2015 TJ Zappulla, REALTOR®
Scholarship Grant. The criteria, requirements and restrictions are
detailed in the Scholarship Application. The deadline for submission is
March 18, 2015. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact
the Board office 860-482-9816, we will be happy to assist you.
Application Packet |
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RAY GATES SCHOLARSHIP
APPLICATION - Raymond F. Gates, Jr. Memorial Scholarship
applications are NOW AVAILABLE! Children/step children of REALTORS®,
REALTOR-ASSOCIATES®, local Board/Association and CTR staff members are
eligible to apply. For information and application downloads
click here or go to
www.ctrealtor.com
and click on the “Programs & Events” tab (username and password are
required).
Scholarships will be
awarded again this year in two categories: Academic Excellence and
Scholastic Achievement. Students are only allowed to apply for one of
these two categories. |
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MATRIX MY LISTINGS
WIDGET - The My Listings Widget on the Home Page of Matrix is the
best place for the agent and/or broker to manage and view their listing
inventory. The widget gives you the opportunity to easily access
any of your listings. More importantly when accessing the listings
from My Listings you are able to select the listings(s) and edit right
from the inventory page. 02.12.15 |
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NERC CONFERENCE -
Currently our President Bob Riva and President-Elect Kim D'Andrea are in
Portsmouth New Hampshire at the New England REALTORS® Conference.
REALTOR® members throughout New England attend this annual conference.
02.12.15 |
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L to R:
Bob Riva, LCBR President; Linda Fercodini, NAR Director from CT; |
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L to R: Mike Feldman, CTR
President-Elect & NAR Director from CT; Kim D'Andrea, LCBR President-Elect; Felix DuVerger, GHAR President |
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SIGNUP FOR REALTOR®
PARTY MOBILE ALERTS- Signup today for REALTOR® Party Mobile Alerts
and enter to win a $250 Amazon Gift Card! REALTOR® Party Mobile
Alerts is the latest way for REALTORS® to stay informed via text message
when a call to action is launched, and it is a quick and easy way for
REALTORS to respond to the calls.
Signup Today... 02.11.15 |
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POLICY INTO PRACTICE
VIDEO SERIES - The National Association of REALTORS® Policy Into
Practice Video Series explains the key REALTOR® association policy in
three main areas: Membership, Professional Standards, and Multiple
Listings Services (MLSs).
Watch Videos 02.09.15 |
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PATENT TROLL DEMAND
LETTERS - Watch the National Association of REALTORS® new video that
outlines options available to an entity that received a demand letter
requesting payment of a licensing fee from a non-entity or "patent
troll".
Watch Video 02.09.15 |
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SAFETY FIRST - Just a reminder! If you receive calls to allow individuals access to a property for special purposes, i.e. repairs, winterize, things of that nature. Please be sure to verify the originality of the request that it is indeed from the owner or bank or loan company, FHA, etc. Perhaps ask for a copy of the work order from the bank, owner, or loan company before allowing such access. Always double check! Better SAFE than SORRY! 02.05.15
NAR’s REALTOR® SAFETY
PROGRAM TO EXPAND IN 2015 - REALTOR® safety is one resolution we can
all agree on. Educate yourself about the potential dangers REALTORS® can
face on the job with the resources available in the REALTOR® Safety
Program. From videos to safety app recommendations for your smartphone
to educational webinars, NAR is serious about your safety. There’s a lot
more in store for the REALTOR® Safety Program this year too. New
resources will be introduced throughout the year, including a new safety
course, safety tips, videos and more. Be sure to visit
www.realtor.org/Safety often so you don’t miss a thing. |
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FAIR
HOUSING CONFERENCE - The 36th Annual FHACT Fair Housing
Conference is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2015 from 8:30 AM to
3:30 PM at the Sheraton Hartford South Rocky Hill, CT. The
complete conference schedule and information regarding the registration
process will be available on their website (FairHousingAssociation-Ct.org)
the week of March 9. If you need further information on the
conference at this time, please contact: FHACT Chairperson Margaret Suib
at 203-854-7820,
MSuib@norwalkct.org. 02.05.15 |
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ZIPFORM UPDATES TO FORMS - CTR updated four of their forms and
created a new form the "Rental Lease Application". The CTR Library
in zipForms has been updated with the newest forms and any "transactions
packages" you have saved as templates should automatically update.
However, please be advised if you have any "transactions
packages" that were not saved as templates they will not automatically
update; you should update any of these packages yourself.
02.05.15 |
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NEW
LOW FLOW WATER TREATMENT REGULATION - The State of Connecticut has
imposed a new "Low Flow Treatment Wastewater" regulation that impacts
any new home, new or existing and business that has or needs water
treatment equipment. Unless the home or business is on municipal
sewers, then they would be required to install a L.F.W.T.W or "drywell"
for short. This regulation was created by DEEP and passed on to
the State Health Dept. to implement. To learn more read the
Fact Sheet for the General Permit for the Discharge of Low Flow
Water Treatment Wastewater. 02.05.15 |
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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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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. |
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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... |
| 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. |
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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
FEB20 to receive
20% off
your purchase when you enroll in any online CE course taken through
our online course catalog! This promotion expires February 28, 2015.
You must use
the following link to register for these courses,
click here to register.
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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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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 |
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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 |
Don't forget to
like and follow us on Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/litchfieldboard! |
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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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