The Voice for Real Estate™in the Youngstown Columbiana Area
February
2009 Newsletter Vol 10 Issue 02
It is the mission of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® to serve its members by protecting and enhancing
the members' rights and capabilities to conduct their real estate business and
increase their profit opportunities; by monitoring
compliance with professional
standards thus enabling members to serve the public in a
competent and ethical manner; by
expanding legislative influence
to promote and protect private property rights for the benefit of the real
estate marketplace.
MVR Editors: Tom Coppola
Leon Turek
Legal Counsel: Attorney Donald Leone
Officers:
Eric Caspary President
David Klacik
President-Elect
Joan Zarlenga Treasurer
Kathy Carroll Immediate Past President
Board of Directors: Sandi Bates
Paul Bevilacqua
John Burgan
Jim Grantz
Jennifer Hanigosky
Dawn Kuhn
Debbie Parisi
Dom Vechiarelli
Dave Walker
Bob Weily
CRIS Directors: Terri Hoon, Past President
Judy Whittenberger
Ray Knight
CRIS Alternates:
Funmi Olarewaju
Brenda Palmer
OAR
Directors: Sharyn Braunstein, CEO
Kathy Carroll
Eric Caspary
David Klacik
Tom Williams, OAR DVP
Joan Zarlenga
OAR Alternates: Betty Belding
Terri Hoon
Dawn Kuhn
Debbie Parisi
Carole A. Sharkey
Bob Weily
TheOfficial
Newsletter of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS®
President’s View by
Eric Caspary, President - Youngstown Columbiana Association of
REALTORS®
8
Reasons FSBOs Need You
1.
You can sell their house for more money. According to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® , the typical
FSBO sold their home for less than a salesperson-
assisted home.
This means that even if FSBOs pays a 6-percent commission, they
will realize more money.
2.
You understand how to complete the many contracts,
forms and disclosure statements required in a real
estate transaction. Giving FSBOs a list of the
forms needed to complete a transaction—lead paint disclosure statement, property condition
disclosure statement, purchase contract, legal description of the
property, contingency clause addendum—may intimidate them so
much that they decide to list with you. According to the NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, difficulty with paperwork was the
biggest problem FSBOs had in selling their own homes.
3.
You do this full-time. Often FSBOs don’t recognize how many hours a real estate
salesperson spends. Keep track of how many hours you work on each
home you list and sell and use this average to demonstrate to
FSBOs the amount of time they’ll have to take from their free
time to sell their home themselves.
4.
You have the market knowledge to price the home competitively.
FSBOs may know what one or two homes near them have sold for, but
they don’t have the access to the wide number of comps you do or
the market knowledge to adjust pricing. In some cases, a
competitive market analysis of their home is an effective tool to
demonstrate the professional value to FSBOs. However, don’t
discuss their listing price with them until you have a signed
agreement. According to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®,
setting the right price was the third most difficult problem FSBOs
had in selling their own homes.
5.
You can be objective, handle criticism of the house, and focus
on how well the homes suits a buyer. All owners have emotional attachments to their homes and will
emphasize the features they consider most desirable during a
showing. However, as a trained professional, you are more attuned
to the buyers’ needs and able to highlight the home’s features
that have the most appeal to each buyer.
6.
You can assess buyers’ ability to afford the property and
help them locate the best places to obtain financing. Often buyers, especially inexperienced ones, rely on the real
estate salesperson to help them obtain a mortgage. Explain to a
FSBO that you have experience in helping buyers locate a lender
and select 403790 between fixed, adjustable, or balloon mortgages. You
are also more experienced in prequalifying buyers so that they
will not make an offer on a home they cannot afford. Again, the
complexity of mortgage financing may convince the FSBO to hire an
expert... you.
7.
You know how to negotiate and overcome objections. Balancing offers and counteroffers, as well as handling many of
the contingencies that usually accompany real estate transactions,
can be frustrating or frightening for FSBOs. Compile statistics on
what percentage of the listing price you typically sell a home
for and use it to convince FSBOs of your value as a negotiator.
8.
You can get the transaction closed. Many FSBOs think that once the purchase agreement is
signed their
work is over. But you know better. Develop a list of the tasks
that must be completed before closing, including home inspection,
termite inspection, title insurance, building permits for
improvements, and so forth. Once again, sellers may decide they
need professional help once they see what it takes to get the deal
completed.
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.
Support
Your Affiliates Who Support Your Local
REALTOR® Association or It's Gonna Cost YOU!
The 99th Annual Installation of Officers and Directors of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® took place on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at Mr. Anthony's in Boardman.
The evening's honoree was 2008 President, Kathy Carroll, of Century 21 Prestige Realty Group. OAR District One
Vice-President Tom Williams conducted the installation of 2009
President Eric Caspary, President-Elect David Klacik and Treasurer Joan Zarlenga and Directors, Sandi Bates, Paul Bevilacqua, Jim Grantz, Dave Walker and Bob Weily.
Continuing to serve on the Board of Directors in 2009 are John Burgan, Dawn Kuhn, Debbie Parisi, Dom Vechiarelli and Affiliate Member, Jennifer Hanigosky.
Also, many thanks to the Installation Committee for all of their efforts in planning this wonderful event:
Chairman Donna Buzulenica, Gwen Bush, Terri Hoon, Jennifer Hanigosky, Kathy Carroll, Eric Caspary, Linda Blough, Georgia Evich and Candi
Helsel-Thomas.
2009
YCAR President Eric Caspary with sons,
Christopher Caspary (left) and Eric Caspary, Jr. (right)
The Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® recognizes and thanks those companies who so generously contributed to the 99th Annual Installation Dinner.
At the National Association of REALTORS® annual convention
this past November, the Professional Standards Committee adopted a clarifying amendment - effective January 1, 2009 - to Standard of Practice 1-15. The Standard requires listing brokers who have their seller clients' approval to disclose the existence of other offers to cooperating brokers and potential buyers if the cooperating broker or buyers inquire about whether there are other offers.
The Standard also requires brokers to disclose the source of existing offers when asked.
The amendment makes it clear that information regarding the source of other offers doesn't need to be volunteered but must be provided when buyers or cooperating brokers specifically request that information.
Standard of Practice 1-15: REALTORS®, in response to inquires from
buyers or cooperating brokers shall, with the sellers' approval, disclose the existence of offers on the property. Where disclosure is authorized, REALTORS® shall also disclose, if asked, whether offers were obtained by the licensee, another licensee in the listing firm, or by a cooperating
broker.
Please read the following tips to get the most out of your ActiveKEY’s battery and make
sure your ActiveKEY is ready to go whenever you need it.
The ActiveKEY does not need a cradle to update — it updates automatically through a cell signal — but the
ActiveKEY still needs to be plugged in to power to keep its battery charged.
•When you first receive your ActiveKEY, take it home and plug it in using the provided wall charger
overnight to give it a full charge.
•If the battery becomes completely drained, a full charge takes approximately 8 hours.
•When you turn on your ActiveKEY, the battery level in your key is displayed on the screen.
Keep an eye on the battery level when using your ActiveKEY and charge it when it gets low.
The ActiveKEY will give you a low battery warning and buzz tones when the battery gets low.
•An ActiveKEY with a full charge should work without having to charge it for about 3 days.
•You can conserve battery by turning the radio off in the
ActiveKEY. To turn the radio off, first press the On/Off button on the ActiveKEY to turn the key on.
Then press and hold the On/Off button for 10 seconds or until the key says RADIO IS TURNED OFF.
The next time you turn on your ActiveKEY, press 1 to turn the radio on.
Please note: With the radio in the ActiveKEY off, you 200-700-4520
will not receive messages or
showing notifications. For information about sending text showing alerts to your cell phone, please call
877-699-6787.
•Consider a car charger: You can leave your ActiveKEY in your car plugged in to a car charger when
you’re not using it. Your ActiveKEY will be on hand and ready to go whenever you need it.
Note: Most vehicles only charge the ActiveKEY while the vehicle ignition is on. You can tell if your ActiveKEY is
charging when the display will reads CHARGING and shows the current battery level in the key.
•Use only the provided wall charger or optional car charger.
Using any other charger will void the warranty on your ActiveKEY and may damage your
ActiveKEY. Note: Connecting your ActiveKEY to your computer with the USB cable will not adequately charge your key.
Most computers do not pass enough charge through the USB cable to offset a cellular radio’s consumption.
•Temperature extremes can affect battery performance.
If the ActiveKEY is below 32° F or above 104° F, it will not charge.
During very cold or hot times of the year, bring your ActiveKEY in from
your car at night and between showings.
These professional courtesies are intended to be used by REALTORS® on a voluntary basis and
cannot form the basis for a professional standards complaint. This list is not all-inclusive and may be supplemented by local custom and practice.
Respect for Public
1.
Follow the "Golden Rule" - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2.
Respond promptly to inquiries and requests for information.
3.
Schedule appointments and showings as far in advance as possible.
4.
Call if you are delayed or must cancel an appointment or showing.
5.
If a prospective buyer decides not to view an occupied home, promptly explain the situation to the listing broker or occupant.
6.
Communicate with all parties in a timely fashion.
7.
When entering a property, ensure that unexpected situations, such as pets, are handled appropriately.
8.
Leave your business card if not prohibited by local rules.
9.
Never criticize property in the presence of the occupant.
10.
Inform occupants that you are leaving after showings.
11.
When showing an occupied home, always ring the doorbell or knock and announce yourself loudly before entering. Knock and announce yourself loudly before entering any closed room.
12.
Present a professional appearance at all times; dress appropriately and drive a clean car.
13.
If occupants are home during showings, ask their permission before using the telephone or bathroom.
14.
Encourage the clients of other brokers to direct questions to their agent or representative.
15.
Communicate clearly; don't use jargon or slang that may not be readily understood.
16.
Be aware of and respect cultural differences.
17.
Show courtesy and respect to everyone.
18.
Be aware of and meet all deadlines.
19.
Promise only what you can deliver and keep your promises.
20.
Identify your REALTOR® and professional status in contacts with the public.
21.
Do not tell people what you think. Tell them what you know.
Respect for Property
1.
Be responsible for everyone you allow to enter listed property.
2.
Never allow buyers to enter listed property unaccompanied.
3.
When showing property, keep all members of the group together.
4.
Never allow unaccompanied access to property without permission.
5.
Enter property only with permission even if you have a lockbox key or combination.
6.
When the occupant is absent, leave the property as you found it (lights, heating, cooling, drapes, etc.) If you think something is amiss (e.g. vandalism) contact the listing broker immediately.
7.
Be considerate of the seller's property. Do not allow anyone to eat, drink, smoke dispose of trash, use bathing or sleeping facilities or bring pets. Leave the house as you found it unless instructed otherwise.
8.
Use sidewalks; if weather is bad, take off shoes and boots inside property.
Respect for Peers
1.
Identify
your REALTOR® and professional status in all contacts
with other REALTORS®
2.
Respond
to other agents' calls, faxes and e-mails promptly and
courteously.
3.
Be
aware that large electronic files with attachments or
lengthy faxes may be a burden on recipients.
4.
Notify
the listing broker if there appears to be inaccurate
information on the listing.
5.
Share
important information about a property, including the
presence of pets, security systems and whether sellers
will be present during the showing.
6.
Show
courtesy, trust and respect to other real estate
professionals.
7.
Avoid
the inappropriate use of endearments or other
denigrating language.
8.
Do
not prospect at other REALTORS® open houses or
similar events.
9.
Return
keys promptly.
10.
Carefully
replace keys in the lockbox after showings.
11.
To
be successful in the business, mutual respect is
essential.
12.
Real
estate is a reputation business. What you do today may
effect your reputation and business for years to come.
As REALTORS® we all recognize the value of education. Therefore, when we have fulfilled our continuing education requirements, we eagerly pursue additional education to enhance our personal as well as our professional lives.
In this spirit, The Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® (YCAR) has established an endowment fund at Youngstown State University.
In 2009, YSU will award one (1) $1,000.00 scholarship then award one (1) $1,000.00 every year thereafter until the endowment fund is depleted.
Criteria for receiving a scholarship:
1. Applicant must be a REALTOR® member of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS®
or the spouse or child of a REALTOR® member of YCAR.
2. Applicant must be a high school graduate with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
3. Freshmen entering YSU and YSU upper class students can qualify on a non-discriminatory basis.
4. Applicant must apply to YSU in spring or summer for upcoming September classes.
Scholarship application deadline is April 25th annually. Applications are to be submitted to the office of The Youngstown Columbiana Association of REALTORS® located at 5405 Market Street in
Boardman 200-
800-1763.
All applications received at the association office by the April deadline will be submitted to the YSU Foundation and the Financial Aides offices will be responsible for selecting the scholarship recipient annually based on the criteria listed above, giving more weight to a student's financial need.
In order to relieve the financial strain of paying your annual REALTOR® dues on December 1st (during the holiday season), the Youngstown
Columbiana Association of REALTORS® will continue to offer a voluntary quarterly dues payment service in
2009.
The quarterly dues payment service is available for members who have already paid their
2009 dues and wish to begin paying ahead their 2010 dues.
How to Pay Your 2010 Dues Ahead...
By March 1, 2009 remit a payment of $120.50
By June 1, 2009 remit a payment of $120.50
By September 1, 2009 remit a payment of $120.50
Advance dues payments in amounts different than the quarterly payments outlined above will also be accepted. You will receive a
2010 dues invoice with any adjustments to your balance on November 1,
2009 with the remaining portion of your 2010 dues payment due by December 1,
2009.
If you choose to take advantage of this quarterly dues payment service,
however by December 1, 2009 you decide not to continue your REALTOR® membership for
2010, your entire 2010 advance dues payment will be refunded.
If you have any questions call Mary Ann Pallante at the association office at 330-788-7026.
As the Real Estate environment continues to evolve, we understand the importance of
providing quality training and development opportunities to our members. To this end,
we are proud to introduce a new partnership with The CE Shop, Inc. to provide CE
training in an easy to use on-line format. Through this partnership you can access high
quality online continuing education courses that are Ohio approved and 100%
accredited!
• Save time by completing your hours anytime from anywhere on YOUR schedule
• Save money by eliminating the need for travel
• Immediate access to your completion certificate for mailing to the Ohio Division
of Real Estate
• Next day reporting to the Ohio Division of Real Estate by The CE Shop, Inc. team
As an additional bonus, we are offering $10.00 off any training course offered through
our partnership, compliments of YCAR. Redeem by using the promotional code
“PAYTEN” at the time of enrollment.
Enroll online anytime on the phone by calling 1-888-827-0777
About The CE Shop, Inc.
The CE Shop, Inc. is a national provider on of real estate education serving licensees
from coast to coast with high quality, interactive online learning solutions.
Ohio Division of Real Estate Provider: RECE.2007000670
1-888-827-0777 toll free info@theceshop.com http://www.theceshop.com/161.html
January
29 Brown Bag
Tracking REALTOR® Business
Expenses
2 Hours CE
Carolyne Toth
12:00 - 12:30 lunch
12:30 - 2:30 class
YCAR Office
40 registrants
February
5 Brown Bag Lunch
Michael Sciortino
Mahoning County Auditor
-Utilizing Auditor’s Site
-Your Home Your Value
12:00 -12:30 Lunch
12:30 - class
YCAR Office
40 registrants
February
13 Short Sales
3 Hours CE
Speaker: Atty. Pat Kearney
9 am to Noon - Metro Parks
90 registrants
February
27 VA Home Loans
“Free to YCAR Members”
3 Hours CE
Speaker: Mark Jamieson
Loan Officer
U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs
Location: Jewish Community Ctr.,
500 Gypsy Lane, Youngstown, OH
9 am to Noon
100 registrants
The Directors of the Association took the following actions during
the month of January 2009:
NOTE: Absence from three (3) regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Directors without
an excuse deemed valid by the Directors shall be construed as resignation from the Board of
Directors. You must call the Association office ahead of the scheduled meeting to request to be
excused.
In Attendance: President Elect Eric Caspary, Treasurer
Joan Zarlenga, Immediate Past President Kathy Carroll, Dom
Vechiarelli, Dawn Kuhn, Debbie Parisi, Bob Weily, John Burgan,
Sandi Bates, Paul Bevilacqua, Jim Grantz, Dave Walker
Excused: President-Elect Dave Klacik, Affiliate
Member Jennifer Hanigosky of Home Savings.
Approved the minutes of the December 11, 2008 Directors meeting as written.
Tabled the review of the association's Financial Statement for December 2008 until the
February Directors meeting as year-end closeout has not yet been completed.
Approved the Affiliate Council's "Toast To The Survivors" party to be held on March 5,
2009 at the Upstairs Lounge.
Approved the association's 2009 proposed budget as presented by the Budget and Finance
Committee.
Reported on the actions of the CRIS Directors at their December 17, 2008 meeting.
Reported the comments from both the Ohio and National Associations of REALTORS®
regarding the FICO scoring letter sent by this association.
Reported that Ohio's 127th General Assembly passed legislation which will serve to
implement the recommendation of OAR's Task Force on Earnest Money Release;
licensure of home inspectors legislation will be re-introduced at the next General
Assembly.
Approve the provisional REALTOR® membership on one applicant.
Approved to suspended those Affiliate Members who have not paid their 2009 dues.
Approved to terminate one agent for nonpayment of 2009 REALTOR® dues.
Read Thank You letter from Rev. David Sheared, Rescue Mission of
Mahoning Valley.
NOTE: All seminar registration
forms must be completed and signed by each individual attendee and
faxed, mailed or delivered to the YCAR office prior to the seminar.
Brownbag Lunch,
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Speaker: Mahoning County Auditor Michael Sciortino Noon to 12:30 Lunch
12:30 p.m. Meeting
YCAR Association office
Call Joanna Freiberg at 330-788-7026
to make your reservation now!
Wow! No one found their file number in the January 2009 issue of the Mahoning Valley REALTOR®.
Continuing our free dues contest in 2009, each monthly on-line issue of the MVR will continue to contain
three file numbers hidden in the articles.
If you find your
file number while reading your association's monthly REALTOR®
publication, call Joanna Freiberg at 330-788-7026 and your name will be placed in the "HAT" for the free dues drawing
(local portion $247) to be held on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 at
the Association office.
Now when you read the MVR Newsletter, not only do you reap the
benefits of increased knowledge of your profession and your
association, but you may also receive your 2010 YCAR local
membership dues free!
In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must call in your
found file number by the 15th of each publication month.
The following numbers are no longer eligible: Mary Delahunty #353986, Marc Hopton #446942, Thelma Parker #440693
REALTOR.ORG/realtormag
has created challenging but entertaining interactive quizzes
on hot topics that affect your business, from fair housing laws to office
organization.
Please read the following tips to get the most out of your ActiveKEY’s battery and make
sure your ActiveKEY is ready to go whenever you need it.
