|
 |
4/15/2005 |
NAR APPLAUDS INTRODUCTION OF JUNK FAX BILL |
 |
|
WASHINGTON (April 6, 2005) – The National Association of Realtors® congratulates U.S. Sens. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) for reintroducing legislation that would alleviate problems created by new do-not-fax rules for consumers and businesses alike. The Junk Fax Protection Act, S. 714, is similar to legislation that was approved by the House of Representatives and Senate last year before time ran out. Cosponsors include Sens. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and John Sununu (R-N.H.).
NAR strongly supports efforts to limit unsolicited faxes, including the creation of a new consumer right to "opt out" of receiving faxes even from those with whom the recipient has an established business relationship. However the association believes that the Federal Communications Commission went too far by requiring signed, written permission before sending faxes. NAR estimates that Realtors® would have been forced to create and store over 66 million permission forms to sustain the over 6 million home sales transactions that occurred last year.
“Unless Congress takes action soon, Realtors® will not be able to fax property listings to consumers who call and request such information without first getting written permission,” said NAR President Al Mansell, CEO of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Salt Lake City. “NAR calls on Congress to enact legislation that will eliminate junk faxes without creating costly regulations that burden legitimate businesses and hamper consumers’ ability to receive requested information in a timely manner.”
The FCC granted an extension, which expires June 30, 2005, to give Congress more time to complete consideration of do-not-fax legislation in response to a petition filed by NAR and state associations of Realtors. NAR is also a member of the Fax Ban Coalition, a broad-based group of over 600 businesses and trade organizations, whic |
|
|
4/11/2005 |
REALTORS® Required to Take Quadrennial Ethics Training |
|
|
CHICAGO (April 11, 2005)—For the first time in history, nearly all of the nation’s 1.1 million Realtors® have taken a refresher training course and passed an examination on the Realtor® Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. Realtors® must now take the ethics training at least once every four-year cycle to retain their membership.
The Code, which addresses relationships between Realtors® and their customers, clients, colleagues and the public, is constantly reviewed and amended to ensure it addresses changing business conditions.
To complete the required quadrennial ethics training takes at least two hours and thirty minutes of instructional time. Failure to complete the required periodic ethics training is considered a violation of a membership duty for which Realtor® membership is suspended until the required training is completed. Compliance with the quadrennial requirement is nearly universal, according to reports from the nation’s 1,600 Realtor® boards and associations. Few, if any, other professional organizations in the nation have put in place such rigorous ethics training requirements for their members.
“All Realtors® must know and comply with the Code. It sets Realtors® apart from other real estate licensees and assures clients and customers that we will go beyond what’s required by law to win their trust. We are committed to making the Code as effective as possible,” said Al Mansell, NAR president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Salt Lake City.
NAR adopted a strict Code of Ethics in 1913 with the “Golden Rule” as its theme. NAR became the second business group in the nation to follow the professions of medicine, law and engineering in the formation and enforcement of a code for its members. All Realtors® must subscribe to the Code when they join NAR, and Realtors® are subject to disciplinary action and sanctions if they violate the duties imposed by the Code. |
|
|
4/1/2005 |
MEDIAN HOME PRICE INCREASED 23.1 PERCENT |
|
|
California Association of Realtors REPORTS MEDIAN HOME PRICE INCREASED 23.1 PERCENT IN NOVEMBER
The median price of an existing, single-family detached home in California during November 2004 was $473,260, a 23.1 percent increase over the revised $384,470 median for November 2003, C.A.R. reported today. The November 2004 median price increased 2.9 percent compared with a revised $459,800 median price in October. "Sales hit an all-time high in November as consumers snapped up single-family homes at a record pace," said C.A.R. President Jim Hamilton. "The median price of a home in California continued its upward march, increasing by double-digits for the 36th month in a row to $473,260."
|
|
|
1/9/2005 |
NAR Creates REALTOR® Tsunami Relief Project |
|
|
In an open letter to the more than 1 million members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, 2005 NAR President Al Mansell this week announced the creation of the REALTOR® Tsunami Relief Project to aid the victims of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami that has devastated dozens of countries in Southeast Asia and resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties.
The national association kicked off the relief project with a $50,000 contribution, Mansell said, and he asked REALTORS® to contribute to relief for the victims as well.
"I have been overwhelmed by the news of the loss of life and devastation suffered by the victims of the terrible natural disaster in Southeast Asia," Mansell said in the letter. "The big question, which I have discussed at great length with the officers of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and many members of our REALTOR® family, is this: How can we help in a meaningful way?"
NAR is working with its international partners in Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore to determine the best avenues through which to direct donations to achieve the greatest positive impact for victims, Mansell said in the letter. The national association also is looking for ways to help members of the international REALTOR® family who have been impacted by this tragedy, he noted.
All administrative costs related to the relief project will be absorbed by NAR, Mansell said, so that 100 percent of all donations made by NAR members will go to directly to aid the victims. All contributions are tax deductible and can be made on a secure donation site powered by NAR's e-commerce system.
"Thank you as always for your great support," Mansell writes. "If you have already donated elsewhere, bless you and thank you for showing the REALTOR® spirit of support and help, both at home and to our international family."
|
|
|
1/3/2005 |
Real Estate Scam Stopped |
|
|
The California Department of Corporations has ordered a Florida firm to stop selling residential real estate with purported extraordinary returns to Californians.
The regulatory agency issued a desist-and-refrain order to Tropical Village Inc. of Orlando, Fla. The department accused Tropical Village of selling unqualified securities in the state. According to the department, the company offered to sell three-unit apartment buildings in Florida for $733,000 and in Georgia for $795,000. The advertisements in Money magazine and other publications promised returns of 29 percent to 35 percent on a 10 percent-down investment.
The small rental buildings would house seniors. On-site managers would free owners from day-to-day rental operations, according to the agency's order.
Tropical Village isn't registered to do business in California. A department spokeswoman says the agency based its order solely on the advertisement, and wasn't aware whether, or how many, Californians had responded to the ad campaign.
|
|
|
