Daylight Saving Time is on March 14, 2021.
When local standard time is 2am, adjust clocks forward one hour.
SPAAR's Coon Rapids office will be closed March 15-16, 2021.
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.
|
|
In this issue of SPAAR's eNews:
- Housing Day at the Capitol is virtual this year. Register today!
- SPAAR's Online Store stocked with new products
- Introducing the latest SPAAR Hero: The Muske Community Support Foundation
- Plan ahead for a pasta dinner on April 8 and support SPAAR’s REALTORS® Charitable Foundation
- Deadline extended: SPAAR’s Key Communities Program seeks LPCs
- Scholarship opportunities for 2021 are now available
- Now open: NAR's 2022 Committee application process
- When inventory is low, competition and stress levels among buyers get high
- Let your creativity shine in honor of Fair Housing
- Be part of the digital food drive for Every Meal
- Heads up: Lonewolf maintenance on March 10
- Global business experience in real estate? Let us know!
- Weekly safety tips as provided by SPAAR and its members
- Housing Market Statistics
|
|
Housing Day at the Capitol is virtual this year. Register today! |
|
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 that will focus on questions to ask the legislators as well as general information this Thursday, March 11, at 1pm. Click the link to participate in this informational Zoom session: https://zoom.us/j/93150458400.
|
|
SPAAR's Online Store stocked with new products |
|
SPAAR's Online Store currently has 28 items available for members, and more items being added on a regular basis, including sign riders, PPE safety kits, Realtor® masks and feature sheet holders.
Members may place their order anytime prior to 10am, Monday through Friday, for same-day pick up between 2pm and 4:30pm from SPAAR's St. Paul location at 325 Roselawn Avenue East.
|
|
Introducing the latest SPAAR Hero: The Muske Community Support Foundation |
|
Originally referred to as “Beyond Excellence”, this volunteer program was developed when Realtors® out of the ERA Muske Real Estate Brokerage were looking for ways to give back to their community. Although the program began as a partnership, The Muske Community Support Foundation was later formalized as its own 501c3 and is currently run strictly by volunteers out of the Remax Synergy office in Forest Lake, with its mission statement: Giving financial support to our neighbors from each property we sell.
The Foundation raises about $30,000 per year, half from its Realtors® who donate a portion of their earned income, and half through an annual fundraiser. The money is used to support the communities in which the brokerage has offices including Forest Lake, North Branch, Lindstrom, Osceola, River Falls and New Brighton. Support comes in many forms, including school scholarships, food shelf donations and supporting other local charities such as the Amborella House and Lakes Life Care Center.
Dan Schultz, the current Vice President of the Foundation, added, “You know when you see a sign around town telling you about a family in need? We like to help them, too.” The Muske Community Support Foundation has given back more than $500,000 since 1995.
Congratulations to The Muske Community Support Foundation on being named SPAAR Hero for February 2021!
SPAAR Hero is a program of SPAAR’s Community Engagement Committee, sponsored by SPAAR’s REALTORS® Charitable Foundation. Members of SPAAR’s Communications Committee interview and write the SPAAR Hero articles. Thank you to Communications Committee member Chelsea Erickson who coordinated this interview and article. If you think someone should be named a SPAAR Hero, contact Joe McKinley at jmckinley@spaar.com.
|
|
Plan ahead for a pasta dinner on April 8 and support SPAAR’s REALTORS® Charitable Foundation |
|
SPAAR’s REALTORS® Charitable Foundation is hosting a spaghetti dinner drive-thru event on Thursday, April 8, between 3pm and 5pm.
SPAAR’s Affiliate Committee will be participating by coordinating a wine pull in conjunction with the spaghetti fundraiser.
A delicious dinner, wine and drive-thru ease, all for a great cause.
|
|
Deadline extended: SPAAR’s Key Communities Program seeks LPCs |
|
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. The LPC will advocate for policy initiatives that support a fundamentally sound and dynamic local real estate market, serving as the educator to their respective communities regarding vital issues in the industry.
|
|
Scholarship opportunities for 2021 are now available |
|
SPAAR’s REALTORS® Charitable Foundation in 2021 will award up to five $2,000 scholarships to the children or grandchildren of current SPAAR members who will enroll as new or continuing students in college or trade school.
|
|
Now open: NAR's 2022 Committee application process |
|
It's that time of year again! NAR's 2022 Committee Application Process is open now through May 7, 2021. NAR leaders are excited to see passionate members apply for and serve on the national committees. Please consider applying for a 2022 committee and encourage other members to do the same.
Below are some helpful resources for the 2022 process:
Questions? Call Member Support at (800) 874-6500.
|
|
When inventory is low, competition and stress levels among buyers get high |
|
Complaints are on the rise about properties that sell in Coming Soon status before going active. As long as there were no showings or open houses, a sight unseen offer does not violate the rules of Coming Soon status
A Coming Soon listing on NorthstarMLS is a property under contract but not yet ready to be shown. It is a short-term status (up to 21 days) to communicate that the property will soon be available for showings. No showings or open houses are allowed while in Coming Soon status although the listing may be marketed.
If a property is shown while in Coming Soon status, the property is disqualified from the status and a $1,000 fine is assessed to the listing agent.
For more information about Coming Soon status, see the NorthstarMLS website or call (651) 251-5456 between 8am and 5pm, Monday through Friday.
|
|
Let your creativity shine in honor of Fair Housing |
|
This year SPAAR is conducting a coloring contest focused on Fair Housing and it's open to everyone to participate. Please read the contest rules here and share with anyone who might enjoy putting their creativity to use in honor of Fair Housing Month in April, when contest winners will be announced.
SPAAR's Fair Housing Coloring Contest is being published in a select number of community papers within SPAAR's northern, central and southern jurisidictions that will reach more than 30,000 households as another way to spread the word about the importance of Fair Housing and equal housing opportunities for everyone.
|
|
Be part of the digital food drive for Every Meal |
|
Let’s come together while we stay apart. SPAAR supports Every Meal, which focuses on the food gaps when children aren’t able to receive free and reduced meal programs. Every Meal also provides weekend and other food gap programs serving more than 10,000 children across 300 schools.
Below are ways you can help:
Thank you. Your donation makes a difference!
|
|
Heads up: Lonewolf maintenance on March 10 |
|
As also shared by Minnesota Realtors®, LoneWolf will be performing scheduled maintenance on March 10, 2021, from 2-6am EST. During this time, you may not be able to access your TransactionDesk and Authentisign platforms.
|
|
Global business experience in real estate? Let us know! |
|
In your role as a Realtor®, have you been involved in business abroad? Do you have a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) Designation? Are you interested in learning more about the international real estate business?
SPAAR is looking to gain more insight into global business and if you answered “yes” to any of these questions above or, if you are interested in learning more, contact Becky Wegscheid, government affairs director, at bwegscheid@spaar.com
|
|
Weekly safety tips as provided by SPAAR and its members |
SPAARky says:
Shield your computer from e-mail viruses
|
Computer viruses can impair and seriously damage your computer. Viruses are often distributed via attachments in e-mail spam.
Never open an attachment from someone you don’t know, and, if you receive a strange or impersonal-sounding message from a familiar address, check with that person to make sure that they really sent it.
|
|
|
|
What is your #1 safety tip to share? |
|
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! |
|
Housing Market Statistics |
|
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:
|
|
Join SPAAR's Facebook group for members only |
|
Check out the SPAAR Facebook page created specifically for members here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
