| Tips on Beating the Heat |
Weather forecasters are predicting the first triple-digit temperatures of the summer for our region this weekend (see graphic above).
The Spokane Regional Health District reminds us that hot weather can be more than just uncomfortable - it can pose a threat to people's health or even their lives.
To stay safe and healthy during hot weather, know the simple things people can do - like drinking plenty of water - to reduce the risk of sickness and death.
People should also watch for the signs of heat-related illness.
The Spokane Regional Health District offers tips for beating the heat which you can copy and paste in timely and relevant communication with your local clients.
See
Health District Offers Tips for Beating the Heat,
online here.
|
| Good Water |
The city of Spokane, this week, announced that its drinking water meets or exceeds all federal and state drinking water standards, as it has in previous recent years.
The region's drinking water comes from an enormous underground lake called the Spokane Valley - Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. The aquifer, discovered in 1895, is one of the most important natural resources in our region. It supplies drinking water to more than 500,000 people.
See the city's newly-issued water quality report,
online here.
|
| Legal Hotline Letters |
Washington REALTORS? Legal Hotline attorney
Annie Fitzsimmons offers the first episode of "Annie's Mailbag," a collection of member letters to our legal hotline with her answers.
See the seven-minute video online here:
|
| RPAC Speaks for You |
RPAC, the REALTORS? Political Action Committee, has raised over $45 million dollars to support pro-REALTOR? Party candidates running for Congress in the past decade.
The amount of money RPAC spends to support candidates makes it one of the top three trade association PACs in the nation.
REALTORS? are a key part of the American Dream: home ownership. But now, more than ever, REALTORS? are facing forces from many directions that threaten their profession. Property tax burdens, lack of available financing and difficulties in short sales transactions are only a few of the issues that somewhere, every day, REALTORS? confront when selling a home.
RPAC allows REALTORS? to make sure their concerns about these issues are heard and understood by public officials.
Learn more about RPAC and how you can be part of the movement,
online here.
 SAR member Terry Sullivan, Sullivan Realty Inc. (pictured at left), is one of our many local RPAC investors.
Terry was recently inducted into NAR's RPAC Hall of Fame for his lifetime commitment of investing in RPAC. He's one of ten REALTORS? from our state, and the only from Spokane, to be a current member of the RPAC Hall of Fame.
Terry shares two reasons why he feels RPAC is a good investment for his business:
#1 - I have become politically "awakened" and see the need and responsiveness to invest. I have invested in RPAC for over 25 years. At first, I did so because I was pressured into it. And I made a nominal investment. As an RPAC member, I began to see cause for an increased level of financial participation. A couple of adages come to mind : "If real estate is your profession, then politics should be your business," and "Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." So I stepped up to the $1000 level, then the $2500 level. This investment helps the REALTOR? Movement remain a political "player." By supporting REALTOR? Party candidates/legislators, we will have access to them and thereby an opportunity to influence their decisions on real estate-related legislation.
#2 - I want to "leave the REALTOR? campsite in better shape than when I entered it." I am grateful for the benefits our profession allows us to receive. It does not come with persistent political and regulatory challenges that we must deal with as an organization to protect our territory. This takes money. I feel compelled to pay-back for what our profession has done for me, as those who preceded us did - like my dad. It's what we MUST do as our part to preserve private property rights, equitable legislation, acceptable government regulation and the American Dream of home-ownership. I am proud to be a REALTOR? and am proud to be a REALTOR? PAC investor. You can quote me on that!
Make your contribution to RPAC today!
|
| Get the REALTOR? Action Center App |
Where will you be when you get the call for action?
The REALTOR? Action Center app contains a host of features to help you vote, act and invest on the go.
Get the REALTOR? Action Center mobile app,
online here.
Share word of the REALTOR? Action Center app with your colleagues around the office with the flyer pictured above,
online here.
We're all stronger when we're all actively supporting our profession!
|
| Lunch & Learn - RESPA-TILA |
You have probably heard of the changes that are coming to mortgage loan disclosures as a result of the Dodd-Frank RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act - TILA (Truth in Lending Act) Integrated Disclosure rule.
These changes go into effect on August 1, 2015 (deadline extension to October 3rd pending).
The SAR has set up two Lunch & Learn events - one on Monday, June 29th, the other on Monday, July 27th - with Greg Britton from HomeStreet Bank to help you get ready for the changes.
Click on the dates below to see the event flyer for that days event.
NEXT WEEK!
Monday, June 29th
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
at your SAR
Monday, July 27th
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
at your SAR
|
| Webinar - RESPA-TILA |
Washington REALTORS? FREE Webinar
Thursday, July 9th,
10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued its final rule to integrate the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and Truth in Lending Act (TILA) disclosures and regulations.
The final rule integrates existing disclosures with new requirements from the Dodd-Frank Act to improve consumer understanding of the mortgage process, aid in comparison shopping, and help to prevent surprises at the closing table.
The new rule and changes go into effect on
August 1, 2015, and we want our members ready.
This informative 1.5 hour webinar is for Designated Brokers and Branch Managers to help them prepare their offices for the changes.
During this session we will discuss: new forms, new terms, new timing requirements, how to implement best practices now!
Register
online here now.
|
| Earn your CIPS Designation |
Spokane Association of REALTORS? members are invited to earn their CIPS Designation this summer Calgary!
The Canadian Real Estate Association and Calgary Real Estate Board will be hosting a Certified International Property Specialists (CIPS) Institute in Calgary, Alberta from July 6th through July 10th.
Learn more about this opportunity, online here.
|
| REALTOR? Broker Summits |
Two REALTOR? Broker Summits are coming to Seattle later this summer - August 17 & 18 and August 18 & 19. The second of these will feature a technology edge.
These summits are designed exclusively for designated broker, and broker owner members to come together and learn from presenters, panels and peer leaders in the industry offering fresh insights on current conditions while looking to the future of real estate.
Over two days you will gain valuable insights to make your brokerage and our industry more successful.
Read more about these events, online here.
|
| 2015 REALTOR? Education |
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Quality of Education
through SAR/WR Education Instructors
Here is the latest class listing of your SAR - offering the best live and local continuing real estate education classes for 2015.
Click on each class title,
underlined in blue, to bring up a flyer for that class - suitable for posting in your office.
Register for these classes
online here:
Please be in touch with
Debbie at the SAR if you have any questions about these classes or your license education requirements, by phone at
326-9222 or by
email.
|
|
|
Purchase & Sale Agreement
|
CLASS FULL!
Thursday, July 2 -
Statewide Purchase & Sale Agreement- with
Sabrina Jones Schroeder.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
at the SAR
7.5 clock hours
|
|
|
Linda Miller presents
The Code of Ethics for Real Estate Professionals
|
Thursday, July 9 -
The Code of Ethics for Real Estate Professionals - with
Linda Miller.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
at the SAR
4.0 clock hours
|
|
|
Sabrina Jones-Schroeder presents
Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate
|
Thursday, July 9 -
Current Issues in Washington Residential Real Estate - with
Sabrina Jones-Schroeder.
Registration: 1:!5 p.m.
Class: 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
at the SAR
3.0 clock hours
|
|
Cristi Zacherley presents
Mortgage Awareness for REALTORS?
|
Friday, July 10 -
Mortgage Awareness for REALTORS? - with
Cristi Zacherle.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
at the SAR
3.0 clock hours
|
|
|
Linda Miller presents
The Truth about Negotiating
|
Tuesday, July 21 -
The Truth about Negotiating - with
Linda Miller.
Registration: 8:15 a.m.
Class: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
at the SAR
3.0 clock hours
|
|
 |
|
SAR CALENDAR
Click on the image below to see the current SAR calendar
showing dates and times of classes, committees and events.
The offices of your SAR will be closed Friday, July 3rd,
to keep the Independence Day holiday.
|
| MLS Fees Due |
DEADLINE NEXT WEEK!
3rd Quarter MLS fees have been posted to the SAR member portal. They are due by
June 30th.
If you are set up for recurring payments they will be processed between the 8th and the 10th of June and you will receive an email when the payment has been processed.
Please email
Brenda at the SAR if you have a question about your fees or contact her by phone at
326-9222.
Thank you!
|
| Hoopfest & Ironman this Weekend |
Much of downtown Spokane will be closed off this weekend for Hoopfest - the largest three-on-three basketball tournament in the world.
By the numbers, over 7,000 teams, 3,000 volunteers, 225,000 fans and 450 courts will populate 42 city blocks. Put another way, more than the equivalent of Spokane's entire population (210,000 people) will be downtown this weekend!
Beyond basketball, it is an outdoor festival with shopping, food and interactive entertainment.
Check out all things Hoopfest,
online here
.
Much of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, will also be closed this weekend for an Ironman triathlon.
The event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2 mile run, raced in that order and without a break. It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.
About 2,000 triathletes are expected to participate in the Coeur d'Alene event this year.
Check out all things Ironman, online here.
|
| Member 2 Member |
Inland Professional Title invites all SAR members and friends to a wine and cheese open house at its new location in Spokane Valley on
Friday, July 15th.
Stewart Title shares a warm welcome to all SAR members and friends to attend its grand opening celebration,
Thursday, July 9th, at its new home on Spokane's near north side, across the street from the Spokane Arena.
See the event flyer (pictured above),
online here.
|
| The Voice for Real Estate |
The typical REALTOR? completed 11 transactions last year, down from 12 transactions, and the number of REALTORS? using social media doubled since 2008.
These are among the stories in NAR's latest news video,
The Voice for Real Estate.
Other stories: contract signings hit their highest level in almost 10 years and an expert on federal closing rules says lenders will need to get the new closing disclosure in the mail to buyers a week before settlement. That suggests the August 1 changes to closing procedures
could pose challenges for practitioners and others at the closing table as they try to meet new timeframes.
See the five-minute video online here:
|
|
|
The Voice for Real Estate 24
|
|
| 2015 SAR Golf Tournament |
Registration is now open for the 2015 SAR Golf Tournament!
Space is limited so register now if you'd like to participate in this popular annual event.
Registration deadline is Tuesday, July 7th.
Event is Thursday, July 16th, at Downriver Golf Course.
See the event flyer (pictured above), online here.
|
| SAR Event Makes News |
The winner of the 2015 Spokane REALTORS? Open House event was reported in The Spokesman-Review this week.
This information was first shared with members here in the Weekly Notices last week but we thought you'd like to see how it was reported to the public in the daily newspaper.
For a view of the entire page which featured this item, click here.
|
| Market Activity Report - May |
The SAR Market Activity Report for
May is now online.
See the latest report - and archived reports -
online here.
See the May 2015 summary report (pictured above) online here.
See the 2015 year-to-date summary report (pictured above) online here.
|
| You Be The Judge - June |
Here is
You Be The Judge for
June
:
Case #16-7: REALTOR?'s Refusal to Disclose Nature and Current Status of Listing to Another REALTOR?.
Those who decide correctly will be entered in a drawing for a Starbucks coffee card!
Winner to be announced next month.
Congratulations
Graham Lang, Kestell Company, our May Starbucks card winner!
MAY ANSWER
The Hearing Panel concluded that REALTOR? B was in violation of Article 1; that he had been unfaithful in his obligations in not advising his client of his conclusion that the property was overpriced, based on the response to his initial sales efforts; and in withholding his best efforts to bring about a sale of the property in the interests of his client.
From case #1-5: Promotion of Client's Interests.
See the full text of last month's case,
online here.
|
| Member Roster Update |
Click here to view the latest
Roster Update - listing new and resigned members and companies.
Click here to view the latest list of
MLS Subscription Waivers approved by the SAR Board of Directors.
Send a message to Angie at the SAR with any changes.
|
| All-New REALTOR? Store |
NAR's REALTOR? Store has been completely redesigned with fast, single-step check-out, product ratings and reviews, and a dynamic responsive design.
Remember to enter your special member code - SAR - to save 5% on your order in the Team Store!
Visit the REALTOR? store,
online here.
|
| Suggestion Box |
| 
|
Presented by your Spokane Association of REALTORS? 
See what's NEW at
|
| 2015 Officers & Directors |
993-1003
SECRETARY:
Century 21 Beutler & Associates
323-2100
TREASURER:
|
|
