Columbus Board of REALTORS®

The Grass is Greener Here!
In an effort to combat the negative national news regarding the housing market, CBR has created a web site which is populated with facts and information about the state of the housing market in central Ohio. Visit www.ColumbusHousingFacts.com to get the facts because...All real estate is local!

REALTOR® Care Day - June 5
The 4th annual REALTOR® Care Day on Thursday, June 5, 2008. In addition to the CBR main project, 14 area realty associations are coordinating local outreach projects in their communities. [More info]

Drop in interest rates spurred housing activity
It appears many buyers were waiting for the rates to drop as homes contracted for last month were up over the last three months as well as the year before. [More info]

New FHA Loan limits
(03-06-08) The newly published FHA conforming loan limits should have a significant impact on the housing market. The new FHA loan limits can be accessed online. To find the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac confirming loan limits, select 'Fannie/Freddie' in the Limit Type drop down menu.

Getting help for homeowners
National programs such as FHASecure, HOPE NOW, Project Lifeline and the Mortgage Relief Act will help homeonwers in trouble with their mortgages. Your March In Contract addresses these programs and much more. Read article

How will market changes impact property taxes?
If property values do decline, how much of a tax break would we see? Essentially none. Find out why in this article by Franklin County Auditor Joe Testa.

New form required for sales award applications
With the conversion to Tempo 5 MLS in February 2008, the burden of paperwork previously needed for the CBR million dollar club awards will be greatly reduced. However, until the conversion, a new form has been developed which must be used for transactions between November 1, 2007 and the time the system goes live. Form

Commercial Property Search
The Central Ohio Commercial Information Exchange (COCIE) is the hottest commercial tool to hit the market this decade. It combines the CBR, CCIIR and Xceligent information into one comprehensive property database. Click here to find out more.

CORPAC Auction
Join CORPAC at the 2008 Auction on May 22 at the Hyatt Regency. Click here to donate an auction item, order tickets and view the list of auction items.

Annual Award Winners!
Congratulations to the following who were honored at the CBR Awards Dinner on April 23.

Ted Oatts - Broker of the Year
Brian Kemp - Salesperson of the Year
Dave McKee - Affiliate of the Year
Betty Montgomery - Citizen of the Year
Lorri Molnar - Instructor of the Year

100 Acts of Kindness
In honor of CBR's 100th Anniversay, we will be recognizing members for their community service (acts of kindness). Those recognized will receive an honorary pin. Submit yourself or another. [More info/Nomination form]

More Tempo classes added
(4-17-08) More training classes were added in May. [Register for a class]

March 25 was deadline to add Military Status as Protected Class
Recent legislation added Military Status as a protected class (along with race, color, religion, sex, familial status, ancestry, disability, and national origin). This change must be reflected in all real estate related forms, contracts, posters and pamphlets which are required to include fair housing information by March 25. [More info]

Suspected rapist caught
The man suspected of attacking a Newbury Homes rep has been caught by police. [More info]

Short Sale? Be aware!
Buyer, sellers and REALTORS® should be aware of issues that can arise with a short sale. Click here to read revised article.

March In Contract available online
Articles address: what to watch out for with short sales; help for homeowners; how market changes impact property taxes; 100 years by Nancy Sharp; how the commercial market affects the residential housing market; OHFA Opportunity loans; protecting private property rights; and more. To read your articles online, click here.

New software for Windows Mobile eKey
Supra released a new version of the eKey software for the Windows Mobile operating system ths fall. This upgrade improves IR comminication, application responsiveness and nightly automatic eSYNCs. To download this new Windows Mobile version of eKey, click here and log in to KIMweb.

2007 best year ever for home buyers!
Home sales statistics for the year 2007 have been pulled and are now available. And it comes as no surprise to real estate professionals that, due to the high inventory, competitive home prices and low interest rates, 2007 was an excellent year for home buyers. [Read more]

All politics are local
Protecting the right to own what you have created, built, purchased or even been given as a gift is our job. Read this opinion article by CBR's CEO Larry Metzger.

Crime Alerts
Last update 3-13-08. More info.

2008 Award Winners!
Congratulations to the 2008 CBR award recipients who will be honored at the April 23 Awards Night. Make your reservation to attend.

Payment now required in advance for CBR computer class registration
Effective January 1, tuition for all computer classes (Tempo, Realist, Palm OS Treo, Tempo Wireless, PinPoint Mapping and PinPoint BOOT CAMP) will be collected by credit card at the time of the reservation (online, phone or in person reservation). The credit card payment secures the reservation and seat in the class. The student will not be considered registered for the class unless a credit card payment accompanies the reservation. Cancellation of the class must be received 24 hours prior to the class date in order for the student not to be charged. For the classes with continuing education credit, there is no charge if the student does not request CE. However, if the student does not cancel at least 24 hours in advance and does not attend the class, the student will be charged.

Committee Forums
CBR has added the ability for members to communicate with others on their committee through forums. [More info]

Compatible Devices
Smart phones and PDAs can now be used as your eKey or for the new Tempo Wireless - or both. Click here for Compatibility Device List

Do Not Call rules

Real estate agents who wish to cold call potential clients must check first to see if the phone number is on the 'Do Not Call' list. [More Info]

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