May 2024 - VOLUME 29 - NUMBER 5 | |
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Milwaukee Brewers Trip
Wednesday, May 15
All Day
American Family Field,
Milwaukee
Register Now
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Economics & Diversity
in Real Estate
Wednesday, May 22
9:00-10:00am
Keller Williams, Janesville
Register Now
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Mallards Game Fundraiser for RASCW Housing Foundation
Wednesday, June 12
5:00-9:00pm
Warner Park, Madison
Register Now
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Pride Month Education:
Allied Agent Training
Wednesday, June 26
9:30-10:30am
Stark Company Realtors, Madison
Register Now
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Sauk Columbia Chapter
Bags Tournament
Wednesday, June 26
11:30am-2:00pm
Balanced Rock Winery, Baraboo
Save the Date
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Cindy Strange
Memorial Golf Outing
Monday, July 15
All Day
Hawks Landing Golf Club,
Verona
Save the Date
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President's Video Message | | |
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Watch this short video for some association updates from your 2024 President, Ben Oblizajek, including information on the recent NAR lawsuit settlement and the RASCW CEO search. | |
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Recent Event Highlights
Affordable Housing Expo
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Thanks to everyone who came out for last month's Affordable Housing Expo. Attendees learned about vendors' services, including programs and benefits specifically in support of increasing access to homeownership. A special shout out to the RASCW Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee for organizing such a great event. | |
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April Professional Development & Membership Networking Events | |
April was a busy month at RASCW! Thanks to the Professional Development Committee for offering two valuable educational programs: the Legal Spotlight: NAR Lawsuit & Updates with WRA's Cori Lamont, and The Green Advantage: A Collaboration for Sustainable Housing Solutions panel. And thank you to the Membership Networking Committee for another fun Trivia Extravaganza event! | |
Sauk Columbia Chapter Home Inspector Panel | |
Thank you to everyone who attended last month's Sauk Columbia Chapter Home Inspector Panel, and a special shout out to our three panelists: Sam Considine, Willy Wayne, and Rich Reinart. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise to help REALTORS® help their clients through the entire homebuying process. | |
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Southwest Chapter Wine & Networking Happy Hour | |
Thanks to those who came out for last week's Southwest Chapter Wine & Networking Happy Hour at Botham Winery in Barneveld. It was a beautiful day for a winery tour, wine and charcuterie tasting, and networking. Stay tuned for information on more upcoming Southwest Chapter events! | |
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Now Accepting Applications for 2025 RASCW Board of Directors | |
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The REALTORS® Association of South Central Wisconsin (RASCW) is looking for forward thinking, industry aware members who bring diversity of thought and background to apply to serve on the Board of Directors for a three year term beginning on January 1, 2025.
Why Apply:
- Take part in guiding RASCW'S strategic vision and direction for the benefit of its members
- Help increase the value of RASCW to the South Central Wisconsin REALTOR® community
- Discuss current challenges and expand opportunities at RASCW and industry wide
- Grow your network and expertise while sharing ideas in a collaborative setting
Required Qualifications:
Must be a member in good standing of RASCW and be eligible to fill an open seat - those are:
- Three (3) REALTOR® positions - One (1) must be a Class II non Broker-owner*
* Class II firms are defined as having fewer than 40 REALTOR® Members.
* “Broker-owner” is defined as an individual who has an ownership interest in the firm represented, or the Association REALTOR® designee from that Broker-owner’s firm.
How to Apply:
Click here for a complete description of the Board of Directors role, and here for the online application. Please submit your completed online application by May 31, 2024, and feel free to reach out to Tanja Washburn (tanja@wisre.com) with any questions.
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Mallards Game Fundraiser Sponsorship Opportunity | |
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Join us for a fun summer evening with the Madison Mallards baseball team and to help raise money for the RASCW Housing Foundation, which works to increase affordable housing in our communities. All net proceeds will go to the Foundation! There are two attendance options:
Option 1 Reserved Table Sponsorship - $600: includes company recognition before and during event, a social media graphic for your use, and one reserved table and tickets* for six people. Deadline to purchase is May 24.
Option 2 Single Tickets - $50: includes what's listed below for one person*
*ALL TICKETS include admission to a reserved section in the Duck Blind, all-you-can-eat food, and bottomless beverages. Click here for the menu and photos of the Duck Blind.
The RASCW Housing Foundation works to increase affordable housing across south central Wisconsin through their Home Start Program, which makes available to qualified applicants a no interest, deferred payment loan to use for the down payment and/or closing costs for the purchase of a home. Over 30+ years, the Foundation has awarded over 600 individual loans totaling more than $2 million - help us help the Housing Foundation continue their important work!
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HomeBase Member Portal Feature Tips
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Now that warmer temps are here, let’s take a minute and do some spring cleaning! If you haven’t already, create your HomeBase online member portal account here, and then log in. (A tip: if you try to do a password reset and don’t get anything, that means you haven't yet set up an account.) Once you are logged in, click here for some helpful features to check out and use moving forward. | |
RASCW Good Neighbor Award Recipient: Tiffany Shields | |
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RASCW knows community is everything to our members and that everyday acts of kindness are part of who they are. To shine the spotlight on our members’ commitment to service, we brought the NAR Good Neighbor Award local for a third year and recently announced this year's deserving nominees and recipients. Over the next few months we'll be highlighting here how each of the recipients are making a difference in their communities.
The first of our four recipients, Tiffany Shields, has been a compassionate advocate dedicated to suicide awareness, prevention, and recovery for more than 17 years. Prior to her real estate career she was a teacher, and in 2006 she experienced the loss of two students within two months due to suicide. Having never been exposed to resources or conversations connected to mental health and the prevention of suicide, the losses were hard to navigate. She was introduced to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention when they came to provide resources to staff and students affected by the tragedies, and before long, she was getting involved with community walks to honor these students and their families and to bring greater awareness to this issue.
Sadly, as the years passed, she continued to experience more student and loved-ones' deaths by suicide, and her investment in advocacy has only grown. She continues to do community walks and attend major events at the capitol, and has met with state representatives to advocate for legislation to support the 988-crisis hotline and available mental health resources. She has organized fundraisers and has become equally involved in the recovery community because she recognizes that addiction is connected to suicide. She also supports the Fitchburg Serenity Club, which offers 12-step meetings, retreats, and other opportunities for those in recovery. Thank you, Tiffany, for confronting difficult emotions and topics head-on in your efforts to make a positive impact on mental health issues and the support of individuals in their journey toward recovery.
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Through our Member Spotlight Series, RASCW highlights members and their personal stories to help members connect and empower others to successfully pursue a real estate career. If you'd like to be considered for one of our Member Spotlights, click here to complete the online form.
Our May Spotlight is Guy Lofts, a REALTOR® with Real Broker who has been in the industry for 31 years. Guy enjoys securing the best deal for a family as well as using his experience to help other agents sell more and find financial security. He recommends that those new to the industry be a "sponge for knowledge" and not settle for doing things how they've always been done - stay ahead of trends and explore other options. Click here for Guy's full spotlight!
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In Memoriam: Russ Hellenbrand | |
Our sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of RASCW member Russ Hellenbrand, of Waunakee, who passed away on April 6, 2024. Russ was passionate about sports and coaching, and genuinely enjoyed working with people as a real estate professional. He will be deeply missed by many. Click here to read Russ's full obituary. | |
In Memoriam: Mark O'Connell | |
Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of RASCW member Mark O'Connell, of Cottage Grove, who passed away on April 21, 2024. Mark enjoyed staying busy and meeting new people through work and volunteering, and will be missed greatly by his surviving family members and many others. Click here to read Mark's full obituary. | |
Home Buyers Round Table of Dane County | |
Are you working with buyers you think would benefit from learning more about the home buying process? Click here to read about the Home Buyers Round Table (HBRT), which provides expert information and resources to help individuals successfully navigate the Road to Home Ownership. Participation in one of their free Homebuyer Education Workshops also qualifies attendees for available Down Payment Assistance programs. Please reach out to HBRT with any questions! | |
April 2024 Membership Updates | Click Image Above for Larger View | |
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RASCW Involvement Opportunities
Click here to learn more about each of our committees. By joining a committee in the new year, your industry knowledge will increase, your networking skills and connections will grow, and you'll have the opportunity to make a real and positive impact on the local real estate community.
If you'd like more information about getting involved, please contact Erin Volland at erin@wisre.com.
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Click Above for Asking Lease Rates | |
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