Contact-less merchandise pick up is available at SPAAR during office business hours. Due to Covid, the SPAAR building is closed to members through June 30, 2021. Email spaar@spaar.com or call (651) 776-6000 with any questions. |
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Call for Action to help Minnesota businesses |
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Small businesses across Minnesota have been struggling for the last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the federal CARES Act was passed, it established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to aid small businesses facing revenue loss during this time. If these loans were used for qualified expenses such as payroll, rent, employee benefits, etc., then the federal government would forgive the loan.
Send a message to your legislators urging them to conform to federal PPP tax loan forgiveness. It only takes 30 seconds. Simply click the links in this message, fill in your contact information (email, name & address) and hit submit.
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Housing Day at the Capitol: a virtual event in 2021 |
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Housing Day at the Capitol is back this year on March 15 from 9am-3:30 pm. Register for this year's virtual event by visiting https://www.housingdaymn.org/. SPAAR will be hosting an informational session on the format that will focus on questions to ask the legislators and general information.
This session will be held the week before Housing Day at the Capitol. If you are interested in attending the informational session or have other questions, contact SPAAR’s Government Affairs Directors, Simon Opatz or Becky Wegscheid.
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SPAAR adds more products to its online store |
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SPAAR now has 28 products available in its Realtor® store online for members' convenience. This continues to be the pilot period of SPAAR's new member service.
Members: please place your order by 10am Monday through Friday. Your order will be available for pick-up at SPAAR's Saint Paul location only (325 Roselawn Avenue East, St. Paul) between 2 and 4:30pm.
Questions, contact the Association office at (651) 776-6000.
Access SPAAR's online store here.
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Help the REALTORS® Charitable Foundation help our community |
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Join SPAAR's REALTORS® Charitable Foundation in collecting hand and feet warmers that will be donated to unsheltered members in our communities.
Hand and feet warmers will be collected through Monday, February 22, 2021.
Interested in helping out? Feel free to mail to or drop off these items at SPAAR: 325 Roselawn Avenue East, St. Paul, MN 55117
Questions? Call SPAAR at (651) 776-6000 or email spaar@spaar.com.
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Wanted: member feedback in regard to Tenant Protections ordinance |
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With the March 1, 2021, implementation, SPAAR is seeking more member feedback on how Saint Paul’s Tenant Protections ordinance is impacting the industry. If you are seeing changes or trends in the area, please take a few minutes to provide any input and comments here. |
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Minnesota Homeownership Center releases guide to non-interest bearing financing in Minnesota |
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The Minnesota Homeownership Center unveiled a new guide regarding Non-Interest-Bearing Financing in Minnesota. The guide can be accessed as a PDF here. Collecting details on this practice, which is a critical part of accessing homeownership for many faiths, is a milestone for the Center in its continuing work to educate the real estate industry on emerging topics that have an impact on the homeownership gap. It’s believed the guide is one of the first of its kind in Minnesota, if not the country as a whole.
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Introducing SPAAR's Key Communities Program |
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The SPAAR Key Communities Program's goal is to build strong ties with communities in SPAAR’s 12-county jurisdiction. The Government Affairs Committee, comprised of active Realtor® members, will select three communities each year representing SPAAR's Government Affairs Subcommittees in the Central, Northern and Southern regions. In 2021, SPAAR's Key Communities are Coon Rapids, Farmington and Oakdale.
This program will bring together local, state and national Realtor® programs and resources to enhance the partnership between Realtors® and local communities. SPAAR will establish a volunteer Local Political Coordinator (LPC) position in each community. LPCs will be the key resource for city staff and elected officials on matters related to real estate and the housing market.
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Weekly safety tips as provided by SPAAR and its members |
SPAARky says:
Preparation in extreme cold is a must to stay safe
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As Minnesotans continue to face the extreme cold temperatures, be prepared by planning ahead. Hypothermia (abnormally low body temperature) and frostbite are both dangerous conditions that can happen when a person is exposed to extremely cold temperatures. A person who has frostbite may not know they have it until someone else points it out because the frozen parts of their body are numb. Stay safe this winter by dressing properly for outdoors and traveling with proper weather gear, including an emergency kit, in your vehicle. Stay warm, stay safe!
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What is your #1 safety tip to share? |
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Please share your safety tip and provide your name and email by sending an email to Jennifer at jkovacich@spaar.com. Member safety tips will be shared in future issues of eNews. Thank you to all who have submitted one or more safety tips. Keep them coming! |
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Housing Market Statistics |
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Get up-to-date housing market information here. SPAAR provides four different types of reports so you can offer your clients the most accurate housing data available. Click below to see how the market is doing:
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Join SPAAR's Facebook group for members only |
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Check out the SPAAR Facebook page created specifically for members here.
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