Seniors, Young Adults Will Influence U.S. Housing Markets

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Statements of fact and opinion are the opinions of the authors and do not imply an endorsement on the part of the association, the "Mahoning Valley REALTOR®" or its editorial staff.

NAR is now accepting recommendations for committee service in 2013!

The online Committee Recommendation Database on REALTOR.org is now open and accepting recommendations! Please read the following important information regarding the Committee Recommendation Process:

Re-appointment to Committees & Continuing Terms

Committee members are NOT automatically considered for re-appointment! A member currently serving on a committee, whose term expires in 2012 MUST submit a recommendation via the Online Committee Recommendation Database if he/she would like to be considered for service in 2013.

Members who have a continuing term that expires in 2013 or 2014 do not need to submit a recommendation to remain on the committee; they will remain until the term expires.

Process for 2013 Committee Recommendation Process

The deadline for submitting committee recommendations is May 25, 2012. All recommendations must be submitted via the online database. If you would like OAR to also submit a request on your behalf, please let me know by May 15. If you decide you want to do this, please let me know what committee(s) you would like and what position you are seeking. Since NAR also requires us to write a couple of sentences describing why you should receive the appointment, please provide us with a brief description of why you want the position you are seeking.

Using the database, you can recommend yourself or another suitable candidate. When submitting a recommendation you are required to include relevant comments that highlight the candidate's skills and qualifications for the position. All comments are confidential.

We encourage you to seek recommendations from colleagues with whom you have worked closely, in particular members of state and national leadership.

Follow these steps to access the Committee Recommendation Database*:

1. Log-on to REALTOR.org

2. In the left-hand blue side bar click on "NAR Governance"
3. Beneath that, select "Committees"

4. In the center screen choose "Committee Recommendations for 2013– Reference Page"

5. Select "Submit a Committee Recommendation"

OR The link below may also be used to access the committee recommendation database directly on REALTOR.org.

http://gms.realtor.org/comrecords.nsf/ComSelMbrHome?ReadForm

Things to Consider when Submitting Recommendations

Each committee is different. Some are large, others small; some require more of a time commitment from its members; some require specific background to be considered for appointment. To determine which committee is right for you, please review the committee structure which lists each committee's purpose statement, composition (how many members), length of term members are expected to serve, and specific qualifications for consideration.

Please keep in mind that if appointed to a committee you will be expected to attend all of its meetings and serve the full length of your term. Furthermore, please keep in mind that forums are open to all members; so you need not recommend yourself for appointment to a forum unless you are seeking the position of chair or vice chair.

Individual committee structure* can be found by clicking “View Committee Information” on the committee recommendation homepage (link provided above).

*Note: This is the current (2012) committee structure. The 2013 committee structure will be approved at the Midyear Meetings in May, 2012.

Have You Completed/Updated Your Expertise Profile?

NAR's Expertise Profile Database was designed to provide all levels of the REALTOR® family (including the Local, State and National Associations) with key information about you and your professional experience. The information that you will provide in this profile will be used as a resource in a variety of ways, including identification of members with certain expertise to serve on committees, working groups, presidential advisory groups; also, to respond to surveys about association issues, products, services etc.

Individuals interested in serving on NAR's committees are encouraged to create and/or update their expertise profiles. However, they are NOT required. Please note: Completing an expertise profile is NOT the same as submitting a recommendation for yourself! If you wish to serve on a committee you still must submit a recommendation via the online Committee Recommendation Database on REALTOR.org.

Follow these steps to access the Expertise Profile page*:
1. Click “Enter Your Expertise Profile” on the committee recommendation homepage (link provided above) to submit (or update) your expertise profile.

*Members need to have a REALTOR.org login and password to access these databases.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Debbie Wedebrook
Executive Assistant to the CEO
614/225-6212 (direct)
Wedebrook@ohiorealtors.org

2012 President's Sales Club

The Ohio Association of REALTORS® web site now has all pertinent 2012 President's Sales Club information available. The deadline is July 21, 2012. Individual and Teams can apply.

Applications: Individual ... Teams

Transaction Forms: 60 transactions ... 140 transactions ... 220 transactions

3 Housing Trends Emerging This Spring

What can home buyers expect to face this selling season? An improving housing market has made it a different picture in many areas compared to recent years, housing experts say. A recent article at Bankrate.com notes some of the following trends taking shape in the housing market this spring: 

	●	Fierce competition. Housing affordability is at record highs, due to falling home values and mortgage rates hovering near record lows. More buyers are taking notice and jumping off the sidelines. And mixed with sinking inventories of homes listed for sale, the competition is getting more fierce. Investors are snapping up bargain prices, often in all-cash deals, which means greater competition for traditional home buyers too.
	●	More renters show desire to become home owners. Recent surveys have shown that buying a home nowadays is more affordable than renting. As such, more renters are finding home ownership more enticing. The signs are already starting to show: About 59.5 percent of tenants recently surveyed say they intend to renew their leases this year, which is the lowest rate since early 2009, according to a study by Kingsley Associates.
	●	Mortgages may be a little pricier. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration recently have raised their loan fees, which means home buyers can expect to pay a little more for their mortgage this spring. Buyers with smaller down payments can expect to pay more for FHA mortgage insurance premiums, which have risen to 1.75 percent of the loan total. Bankrate.com cites an example illustrating the higher fees: A borrower who takes out a $200,000 FHA loan will likely have to pay about $3,500 for mortgage insurance upfront. Prior to the increase taking effect, borrowers would pay about $2,000 for that same loan amount. Source: NAR

Low-ball Offers a Thing of the Past?

Last year, 10 percent of REALTORS® complained about receiving low-ball offers on listed homes--offers usually submitted by the buyer for 25 percent or more below the list price, according to an NAR survey. But that number has dropped drastically. 

According to a March '12 survey, of 4,500 agents and brokers, no REALTORS® complained about low-ball offers. The main problem nowadays: The sudden drop in inventory of for-sale homes has led to fewer homes available to sell.

For home buyers who still think they have a chance of hitting it lucky with a low-ball offer, they’re finding in many markets that their offers are more often being rejected or countered closer to the original asking price. The reason? Home are coming on the market more realistically priced. Source: NAR

Commission cracking down on sharing lockbox combinations
 
By Carl Horst

A surprising – perhaps even bordering on troubling – trend appears to have surfaced throughout Ohio.

Specifically, a number of real estate licensees have been disciplined in the past six months by the Ohio Real Estate Commission for providing buyers with lockbox combinations so that they could apparently tour the property unescorted.

“This is a big no-no on a variety of levels,” said Peg Ritenour, OAR’s vice president of legal services & administration. “Not only does common-sense dictate that an agent should never provide anyone with a lockbox combination, but clearly the Division considers this to be a misconduct in violation of Ohio license law. If you give your buyer access to a lockbox so they can view a home without you being there – you risk being subjected to penalties.”

The Division has punished recent violators with the following:
 

	●	Suspensions up to 10 days;
	●	Fines;
	●	A requirement to obtain additional continuing education.

“On top of the penalties that the Division has the authority to levy on you, providing a lockbox combination to a buyer also violates local MLS rules,” Ritenour added. “It doesn’t matter if the property is vacant or occupied…the rule of thumb must be to always be present at all showings and keep the numbers to a lockbox private in all instances!”  

Click here for Hoedown registration form

RPAC Committee Chairman Jerri Florio and Co-Chairman Carole A. Sharkey

YCAR Education Coordinator Rosemarie Horvath and CEO Debbie Schiffhauer

Betty Belding, Ginnie Jones, Ron Liptak, Carole A. Sharkey and Joan Zarlenga

OAR Director of Political Affairs Paul Glass

Click here for bring a Buddy registration form

Click for Golf Outing Registration form

www.mcsteen.com

Hello, I am Liz Dunlap, with McSteen & Associates-Engineering & Surveying. McSteen & Associates is a full service, second-generation family business that has been operating in the State of Ohio for over 40 years.

We are well positioned to provide a consistent and professional product to meet your survey needs within all 88 counties. McSteen & Associates provides the Mortgage Locations for the Real Estate industry.

We are the eyes for the Lender, Title Company and Buyer. We let them know what improvements have been done to the property and if there are any encroachments onto or off of the property.

I have worked for McSteen & Associates since 2001, and belong to a number of different Real Estate Boards. Why did I choose Sales? I guess you could say the owners of the company chose it for me. After working in the office for a year, Debbie and Terry (the owners) ask me if I would like to step into a sales role for McSteen & Associates. The rest is history.

I love Sales, I love Surveying and I love the Real Estate Industry... yes, even during these tough times.

I have been happily married for over 12 years to my wonderful husband Craig, and I have a 21 year old Stepdaughter. I come from a big Italian family. There were 144 of us at our 2010 family reunion in Colorado. Now that was fun!!!!

My husband and I are avid golfers, so when we are not working on our log cabin renovations, you can usually find us on a golf course. I love to cook, bake, BBQ you name it. I am at ease in a kitchen with a spatula in one hand and wooden spoon in the other. .

Elizabeth (LIZ) Dunlap
McSteen & Associates
C-440-488-8427
P-440-585-9800
F-440-585-9801
To order Mortgage Locations on line go to www.mcsteen.com or e-mail your requests to orders@mcsteen.com

Thanks go out to speaker Alec Hagerty for presenting his 3 hour CEU seminar “Fair Housing... It’s Not an Option! It’s the Law!” on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the association office.

The Green Team is once again providing an opportunity for collecting household hazardous material. On Saturday, May 12, The Household Hazardous Waste Collection will be held at the Canfield Fairgrounds from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm. The collection hours listed below are designated by last name:

The following HOUSEHOLD items will be accepted:

Thinners, Automotive Fluids, Pool Chemicals, Bleach, Antifreeze, Used Motor Oil, Solvents, Poisons, Aerosol Cans, Propane Cylinders, Photo Chemicals, Lighter Fluid, Adhesive/Glue, Wood Preservatives, Greases, Roof Coatings, Car Batteries, Household Cleaners, Pesticides, Varnish, Gasoline, Oil Based & Spray Paint* (5 gallon limit), Insecticides, Herbicides, Cylinder fluorescent bulbs**, Acids

*Latex paint will not be accepted. Dispose of Latex paint by hardening with sand or kitty litter and placing with regular household waste. 

For paint re-use opportunities, contact re:CREATE at 330-941-2238. 

**Please note that compact fluorescent light bulbs may be recycled at Home Depot. 

If you have any questions regarding this special collection, please contact the Green Team

Effective January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2012 and for successive 4 year periods thereafter, REALTORS® are required to complete training on the Code of Ethics of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®!

This means... by December 31, 2012 all members of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® must have completed an ethics course that satisfies NAR’s 2.5 hour required code of ethics course.

If you have taken an ethics course through YCAR between 2009-2012 it will be reflected in your NRDS membership record.

If you take this course through another association or entity, or have already taken this course, you need to send a copy of your course completion to the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® so your NRDS membership record can be so noted.

The association offers three Ethics classes in 2012:

Thursday, March 22nd at the YCAR Office.
Thursday, June 7th at the YCAR Office.
Thursday, October 25th at the YCAR Office.

If an existing REALTOR® member does not complete this ethics course by December 31, 2012, REALTOR® Membership will be suspended at the mandate of THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®!!

Call Rosemarie at 330-788-7026 to reserve a seat in an ethics course today!

 
The Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS®
 
Presents a 3-Hour Continuing Education Seminar
 
"Real Safe - Real Estate Personal Safety"
 
with speaker:

Security Expert Joseph DeRamo
Dean - School of Criminal Justicer

 

RESERVATION REQUIRED
Registration Form
Email Rosemarie@ycar.org or call 330-788-7026
 *NOTE: The Division of Real Estate now requires 60 minutes of uninterrupted instruction time, per each seminar hour. In order to continue to offer a traditional break midway, the seminar must go to 12:15 P.M.

 
The Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS®
 
Presents a 3-Hour Continuing Education Seminar
 
"Core Law"
 
with speaker:

Attorney Rick Mastriana
Commonwealth Suburban Title Agency  
 

MAKE PERSONAL CHECK PAYABLE TO RPAC
Checks made out to YCAR can not be forwarded to RPAC

RESERVATION REQUIRED
Registration Form
Email Rosemarie@ycar.org or call 330-788-7026
 *NOTE: The Division of Real Estate now requires 60 minutes of uninterrupted instruction time, per each seminar hour. In order to continue to offer a traditional break midway, the seminar must go to 12:15 P.M.

 
The Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS®
 
Presents a 3-Hour Continuing Education Seminar
 
"Ethics Codes and Canons"
 
with speaker:

Nancy Leirer
of
Andrew Leirer and Associates
Property Professionals of Northeast Ohio
 

RESERVATION REQUIRED
Registration Form
Email Rosemarie@ycar.org or call 330-788-7026
 *NOTE: The Division of Real Estate now requires 60 minutes of uninterrupted instruction time, per each seminar hour. In order to continue to offer a traditional break midway, the seminar must go to 12:15 P.M.

Click for Golf OHFA Homebuyer Programs registration form

Dawn Blakely, President Debbie Parisi, Andrea Smiesko and Traci Hardy

YCAR New Member Orientation Presenter/Trainer Paul Bevilacqua

Sheri DiBacco - Lakeside Realty

Traci Hardy - ProHelp Narducci Realty

Dawn Blakely - Northwood Realty Services