Online Newsletter for the Week Ending August 12, 2011

QUOTE:  “Scars indicate where we’ve been, not dictate where we are going.”  David Rossi, Criminal Minds

MARKET CENTER FACEBOOK FAN PAGE:  Here it is; fresh out of the wrapper.  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keller-Williams-Realty-Professionals/216460945070863?v=wall  PLEASE INDICATE YOU "LIKE" AND FOLLOW THE MARKET CENTER FAN PAGE.  Market Center activities and events will be posted on a daily basis.

FALL RETREAT, FREE, OPEN TO EVERYONE.  SIGN UP AND BRING A FRIEND:  Wednesday October 12 from 8:00 to 5:00.  Leadership Training with Shaun Rawls.  Break Out Sessions and Panels, eEdge, Listing & Buyer clinics, Lead Generation via Social Media, Short Sales, How to HUD, DISC, Best Practices for Assistants and others .  Vendor Exhibit Hall.  Afternoon session is for Masterminds including Leadership, Operations and Financials, Associate panels.  This day is free of charge.  Where?  Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, 64 South Water St., Mobile AL.  Seating is limited to only 325 registrants - sign up early if you would like to attend.  So far we have 14 signed up from the Market Center.  This will be a great opportunity to not only learn what others are doing that is working, you can also network for future business.

SCAM EMAIL:  A lot of agents have been receiving an email where the customer indicates he wants to pay cash for a $700,000 plus home and to send him a contract to make it happen.  This appears to be a scam although what he hopes to achieve with it I am not certain.  Usually in such scams the sender eventually asks for personal information usually involving the transfer of funds so beware of such emails.

UNEMPLOYMENT MAPS:  This is not a political statement, on the contrary, watch how the map changes over time and keep your eye on the Slidell Area of the map; this is actually pretty incredible.  http://www.latoyaegwuekwe.com/geographyofarecession.html

ON SMART CALLING:  10 Quick Brief Tips by Art Sobczak  https://bbp.infusionsoft.com/he/22751074/98dd0282a4b841f9654c856e63b004d1

BROKER BIT – TIMELINES ON AGREEMENTS TO PURCHASE:  The Louisiana Agreement to purchase has three areas that confirm the timeline of events.  The first is where the Designated Listing Agent signs the top of page one indicating that the Designated Listing Agent RECEIVED the Agreement including the Day, Date, and Time.  Then on page 6, the Designated Listing Agent again signs on line 328 indicating WHEN the Agreement was presented to the Sellers.  When the Designated Listing Agent returns the Agreement to the Buyer's Agent with the Seller's response, the Designated Buyer's Agent signs line 348 indicating WHEN the Agreement was presented BACK to the Buyers.  Someone reviewing the Agreements you are responsible for should be able to construct a timeline of events from the documents but when these spaces are left blank, reconstruction is impossible.  If you are working with another agent and  the agent fails to complete any of the required items, you should send the coop agent a request for the information to be completed and you should file your request with your paperwork on the transaction to demonstrate that you know the procedure but you cannot make someone else do what is required by the Real Estate Commission.  There is a FAX form in the Resource Room for this purpose.

NOTE FROM OUR JOPLIN, MO ADOPTED FAMILY:  “I want to let everyone know we spent our first night in our house Friday the 5th. It was wonderful I was so thankful to God to be home that I sat in the middle of living room and cried for an hour. I want to thank all of the KW Cares people for everything and your prayers. We still have a lot of outside work to do sure wish it would cool down.”

SOUND WAVES YOU CAN SEE.  This is an impressive video that has nothing to do with real estate.  http://www.wimp.com/supersonicflight/

MEGA AGENT CAMP, AUSTIN TX:  If you want to take your real estate career to new heights, attend Mega Agent Camp in Austin Texas September 20 and 21.  You can also attend Mega Technology Camp on September 19.  Go to www.kw.com and register today. 

HERE WE GO AGAIN; SPECIAL REPORT ON FLOOD INSURANCE

As a broker in the NAR Broker Involvement Program, we occasionally send along a short info piece we believe merits your attention on an issue of public policy important to your business. While not a Call for Action (no action needed from you on this message), this is a summary of what the impact will be on home sales should Congress fail to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program by September 30, 2011, less than eight weeks from now. As you will see in reading this short report, the impacts are not at all good. This analysis was put together by the NAR Research department.

Congress has left Washington for the remainder of this month, and not set to return to the Capitol until after Labor Day. The House of Representatives passed the flood insurance reauthorization in July. Sadly the Senate has not. NAR currently has a Call for Action on the flood insurance issue, and we have twice emailed members and agents (in your offices) asking them to tell the Senate to reauthorize the flood insurance program.

We thank you for all you have done thus far in your participating in the program, yet the fact remains that just over 8% of NAR members have sent a message on this important issue. We urge you, to pass along this fact sheet, and urge your agents to take action if they have not done so. And since many Senators will be in their home states at their offices, perhaps if you have a moment you can call them and leave the message that the Senate must reauthorize the program as soon as they return to Washington. Ask your Senator to support the reauthorization. Phone numbers for Senate local offices can be found on the web. Go to www.senate.gov, click on "State" and select your Senator(s) and then click on their website, and look for Contact Us. Usually they show the state office location and phone number to call.