July REALTORS® Report

KAAR Mission Statement

The purpose of the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS® is to unite and serve its members and to enhance the ability and opportunity of its members to conduct their business ethically, professionally, and successfully and to promote the preservation of the right to own, transfer and use real property.

 

 

NAR CODE OF ETHICS TRAINING REQUIREMENT

 

Don’t be caught on December 1st thinking, “Oh, my gosh!  I haven’t had my Code of Ethics training yet!”  By December 31, 2008, all of our members must have completed a 2.5 hour course in the Code of Ethics (not just business ethics) to renew membership in the REALTOR® organization.

 

This can be accomplished in four different ways:

 

·                    Coming to the KAAR four-hour offering on the Code;

·                    Completion of GRI 1 in 2005-2008;

·                    Taking the NAR online course (no associated CE); or

·                    Taking the course offered by that is listed on our website’s Education page.

 

There are no exceptions to this NAR-mandated requirement.  This has nothing to do with whether one is “grandfathered,” “exempt,” or has completed their continuing education for the TREC!!!  This is a requirement to remain a REALTOR® member.

 

You can check your education taken in 2005-2008 to see if you have had a course in the Code of Ethics by going to the TREC’s website and searching on your license number.

 

 

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

9:00 AM, Tuesday, July 8, 2008

  

All Members of the Association, who are interested in the August 7, 2008 Knox County and Tennessee Election are invited to the 9 AM, July 8, 2008 Meeting at the Board Offices.  J. Bucy, Director of Governmental Affairs, Tennessee Association of Realtors, will be our Speaker.

 

Also speaking will be several Candidates, including Ryan Haynes, State Legislature, Tom Baer, State Legislature, Ron Leadbetter, State Legislature, and Brad Anders, Knox County Commission.

 

We will be voting RPAC contribution recommendations.  Members wishing to invite a Candidate to this meeting or who wish to offer a recommendation for a RPAC contribution, please call Wallace McClure, (o) 693-3000, (m) 740-3005.

 

Please come early to this meeting in order to meet the Candidates, as they will leave before the formal portion of the meeting.

 

We should adjourn before 10:00 AM.

 

Wallace McClure

Chairman,  (o) 693-3000, (m) 740-3005

 

 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMMITTEE

 

Your Community Involvement Committee is hard at work planning various activities in which the KAAR and its membership can participate.  Keep checking the tab for Community Involvement on the http://kaarmls.com website so that you can participate in the activities!

 

We have the following activities coming up:

Safe Haven – Used Cell Phone Collections- June-August 2008

The Committee will be setting up collection points at the following locations to collect used cell phones during the summer months:  the KAAR Office, Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace Bearden, Farragut, Oak Ridge and West locations, all Hammontree Realty locations, Realty III in Blount County, Realty 1 Group or Crye-Leike Brown, REALTORS® in Crossville, and the Realty Center in Oak Ridge.  Any working or non-working cell phone and charger units will be accepted.  They use non-working cell parts to rebuild another used phone, and they match charger units to those other cell phones collected without chargers.  This not only helps individuals and families who have been in abusive relationships, but it also keeps the cell phones out of the landfills and that helps our environment. Please bring your old cell phones to one of the above locations and help the communities in which you live.

 

Second Harvest Food Bank – July 2008

We will be setting up barrels or boxes at several locations throughout the Association (definitely one at the KAAR Offices) during July to collect non-perishable food items for Second Harvest.  This is traditionally a very hard time of year for the organization because giving tends to go down in the summer months.  However, with gas and fuel prices rising, many families who have never used the service are turning to it for help in feeding their children.  Last year we contributed in excess of 1,600 pounds of food and also had some monetary donations.  For every $1 collected, Second Harvest can feed four people!

 

 

Leadership KAAR

The election of Officers will be during September and the election of Directors will be in October.  Watch the newsletters and web site for more information.  Candidates interested in running for an Association Office (Officer or Director), must meet the requirements in Article XI, Section 8, of the Association’s Bylaws to be a Candidate.

 “All candidates for Association Office shall have been a Member of the Association for a minimum of (2) two years; shall have served on (2) two committees of the Association; shall have completed the Candidate Orientation Course; shall make a commitment to attend all possible official functions of the Association; and be willing to represent the Association at civic community functions.”

The required Candidate Orientation Course will be held on either August 1st from 1:00–5:00 at the Association, or August 18th from 9:00–1:00 at the Association. Please let Helen know which of the times are going to be best for you!  If you have already attended this Course it is not necessary to take it again.   Please call Helen at (584-8647 Ext. 6) or e-mail her at Helen@kaarmls.com to make your reservation for this course.

 

TAR Committee Requests for 2009!

The 2009 Tennessee Association of REALTORS® Committee Request Form is now ONLINE for you to download!  If you would like to be considered for appointment to a committee (or task force, etc.) of the Tennessee Association of REALTORS in 2009, please download and submit the form linked below.

The deadline for 2009 committee requests is AUGUST 15!

You may download the Committee Request Form — it’s a PDF — by clicking HERE

Are You a Rising Star?

 

We have a new award for our newer members that will encourage leadership, participation and professional development in the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS®.  The goal is to have members that are active and better educated about our Association and the real estate industry, resulting in a higher level of professionalism and improved service and cooperation between REALTORS® while promoting the REALTOR® image.

 

Recognition will be given to REALTORS® who began their real estate career and were approved for membership by the Board of Directors between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008.

 

The Rising Star Award winner, along with four Rising Star nominees, will be recognized at the Annual Installation and Awards Banquet.  One outstanding nominee will be named the Rising Star and will receive an award for his/her achievement.  The Rising Star Award winner will also receive paid registration for the Tennessee Association of REALTORS® Spring Conference.

 

Applicants must have been approved for membership between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2008 regardless of when they were licensed or made application to the Association.  They must be new to the business and not have practiced real estate prior to this.  Only one Rising Star Award will be given to an individual during their career.  Rising Star nominees who are recognized at the Installation and Awards Banquet are encouraged to re-apply.

 

Candidates will be judged on the following criteria:

·        Involvement in the local, state or national Associations including attendance at meetings, functions and conventions sponsored by REALTOR® Associations, Institutes, and Councils.

·        Ethics as demonstrated by their faithfulness to the principles of the Association of REALTORS® Bylaws and Code of Ethics, efforts to promote good real estate practices, and co-operation with fellow REALTORS®.

·        Education and designations earned or Candidate for Designations-  points will be earned for education classes taken, becoming a candidate for a designation and/or receiving a designation.

·        Community Service including participation in civic, service and community organizations of which candidate is a member.

·        Talents as a salesperson as demonstrated by their units sold and/or dollar  volume of sales.

·        Participation in Calls for Action and/or RPAC.

·        Testimonial letter from one client detailing outstanding professional services along with a letter of recommendation from the nominee’s Broker within the year the award is being pursued.

 

REQUIREMENTS: 

1.   No application fee required.

2.   Applicants may submit their own application or may be submitted by his/her Broker or fellow REALTOR.          

3.   Awards shall be for the calendar year.

4.   Deadline for submission will be the first working day of January of each year, no exceptions.

 

 

 

NAR Conference -  Destination Success:  Full Speed Ahead”

Orlando, Florida

November 5-10, 2008

 

Registration has already begun for the NAR Conference in Orlando!  Don’t miss the Early Bird registration rate of $300 by August 15th!  One transaction will more than cover your investment in your future by attending this event, plus you can typically write off many of the expenses.  Some of the great educational opportunities are designed to give you intensive experiences in new ideas and techniques to succeed in ANY market.

 

Lance Armstrong will be our keynote speaker for the General Session and they have reserved Universal Studios and Kool & the Gang for an evening, with an extra concert by Lionel Richie thrown into your registration.

 

Go to www.Realtor.org and click on the meetings and conference tab for more information and registration. There are still plenty of great hotel rooms available near the Convention Center!

 

Join us!

 

 

Smith-Sholar, Associates, PLLC

Real Estate Legal Tip of the Week

 

Tip #310  MANAGING BROKER'S SERIES

Telephone Answering Services

 

TREC RULE 1260-2-.04 permits "reasonable use" of a telephone answering service by a real estate broker.  Posting a license at a telephone answering service or conducting the major part of one's real estate business through a telephone answering service are not reasonable uses of such a service.

Having calls rerouted or messages taken by an answering service after normal business hours are reasonable uses of a telephone answering service.

 

Authored by attorney Molly Cripps.  E-mail us at info@smithsholar.com if you wish to read prior Tips of the Week click here http://www.smithsholar.com

To receive the Estate and Elder Law Tip of the Week, the Commercial Real Estate Legal Tip of the Week or our Intellectual Property Legal Tip of the Week email us at info@smithsholar.com Smith.Sholar.Associates.PLLC. - Real Estate Legal Knowledge at Work We Are Your Comfort Zone!

 

 

Energy Efficient Appliances: Save Money and

Build Your Real Estate Business

 

Everyone benefits from energy efficient appliances. Find out how your clients and you can identify the appliances that are tested to save energy and conserve other resources. Provide your sphere of contacts with reliable information by putting this link in a newsletter or e-mail:

http://www.EcoBroker.com/misc/ArticleView.aspx?ArticleID=13

 

Your clients will thank you.  This reliable green information is brought to you courtesy of the EcoBroker Certified(R) professional designation, currently offered by the Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS. Find out more at

http://www.EcoBroker.com/Director.aspx?code=KAAR100

 

 

 

Membership Notes

 

 

Our condolences go out to the family and friends of member Nickie Heidle who passed away in early June.  Her broker said that she “lived life largely” and that her colleagues always enjoyed working with her because of her intelligence and integrity.  She will be missed.

 

Condolences to John Griess and his family in the recent passing of John’s Dad, John Christian Griess, Jr.