eNews

October 17, 2018
Don't Miss These Upcoming Events
Last Chance to Become a PMAR HOWNW.COM™ Certified Specialist (HCS)
This class helps Realtors® address buyers' concerns about homeownership affordability and provides practical hands-on information about financing programs that may help financially challenged or first-time homebuyers in the Portland metro region. Join the HOWNW™ team October 25th and earn your HCS designation!

Have You Completed Your Ethics Requirement for the Current Cycle?
This is the last Ethics course offered by
PMAR for the 2017-2018 Ethics cycle. Your mandatory Code of Ethics training is due 12/31/18. Sign up now for the December 13th class to meet your education requirements in one day! You can see if you have satisfied your requirement for this cycle by logging on to  NAR.Realtor .


2018 PMAR Voters' Guide
Who serves in local elected offices can be critical to how our neighborhoods and communities function, and to how you conduct your business as a Realtor®. 
From December 2017 through September 2018, the PMAR PAC Trustees evaluated, considered and interviewed 45 candidates
for local and regional political office. Each candidate was critiqued as to their prior voting record (if applicable), how closely
they align with PMAR’s Governmental
Affairs Policies, and the structure and strength of their campaign including fundraising. PMAR PAC Trustees have provided a Voters’ Guide to assist you as
you fill out your ballot.

Vote YES for Affordable Housing
Measure 102 will allow Oregon to make smart investments in affordable housing, and Measure 104 ensures that any legislation that raises revenue by taxing homeowners requires a three-fifths majority vote. This includes fees or the elimination of tax exemptions, deductions or credits. In order to pass Ballot Measure 102 & 104, we need all Realtors® to do what they can to spread the word. This could be placing a sign in your yard or sharing posts on social media or donating to the campaign fund or simply being sure you vote YES on 102 and YES on 104. Regardless, we appreciate your help to support affordable home opportunities and Realtors® at the Capitol.

More Events
YPN University Webinar Series
PMAR YPN has just announced a 4-part webinar series focused around digital marketing that is open to all members! Take advantage of this low cost educational opportunity and learn about how you can better your business in four areas: branding, social media, web and video!  Click here to register >>
Masters Circle Speaker Series: Scott Stratten
Join the Masters Circle in welcoming Scott Stratten, President of UnMarketing, to Portland! This marketing industry innovator and best-selling author has transformed how big brands do business with radical insights on how to better engage with customers through social and viral marketing. If you are looking to improve your marketing, you won't want to miss his presentation on The Age of Disruption: Everything Has Changed and Nothing Is Different, where he will tackle the subjects of The Millennial Myth, Social Media Snake Oil, and The Digital Decision. Click here to register >>

Can You Buy a House in Portland With Lousy Credit?
Bad credit? No credit? No problem -- or so many of those catchy loan ads promise. But while you might be able to finance a used
car with less-than-stellar credit, getting approved for a home mortgage when you have credit scores dwelling deep in the
cellar can seem like an infinitely steeper climb. An Everest-level climb, in fact. Especially in Portland.

Millennials Prioritize Homebuying and Retiring Over Marriage
First comes the house and then maybe marriage or children, according to surveyed millennials detailed in Bank of America’s 2018 Homebuyer Insights Report, which was culled from 2,000 consumer responses. The survey finds that 23- to 40-year-olds value homeownership above nearly everything else: 72 percent call it a top priority compared to 50 percent who say getting married.

Emergency and Disaster Preparedness
Hurricane Michael sweeping through the Southeast has sparked the topic of safety in emergency situations. Oregon isn't expecting any tornados or hurricanes anytime soon, however it is common for us to experience some flooding and power outages during the fall and winter months. Having a plan of action for your family, animals and home in case of emergency is incredibly important. There is no better time to establish your emergency plans than now!

The Best Time to Buy a House May Be Fall After All
The best time to buy a house has long
been considered the spring and summer. Meanwhile, fall, their seasonal sibling,
often gets tossed to the leaf pile by
potential buyers who think autumn is just about haunted houses and turkey dinners rather than house hunting. The best month
to snag a deal when buying a home? October. This isn't just some random guess; it's based on RealtyTrac's analysis of more than 32 million home sales over 15 years.