OAR Winter Conference Highlights

Lynda Long
OAR District #6 Vice President

With the president of the National Association of REALTORS®, Al Mansell, administering the oath of office to Jim West during the Ohio Association of REALTORS® Inaugural Banquet during the Winter Conference, the theme of "Service in All Directions" was apropos. The leaders of the state and national organization stood together, committed to providing Ohio's real estate professionals with the necessary tools to succeed in the marketplace today and tomorrow.

Nearly 500 REALTORS® from all corners of Ohio convened in Columbus for three days in early January to celebrate the installation of President West, thank immediate Past President Barbara Lach for her lasting contributions, tend to the business functions of the organization and get the year off to a fantastic start.

While the bulk of our attention and effort was devoted to matters involving Association operations, public policy initiatives, professional development and a host of related issues, there was ample opportunity to mix a little pleasure into the proceedings.

There are a number of Winter Conference highlights that I would like to share with you, including:

Ohio's REALTOR® community set new records in contributions to the REALTORS® Political Action Committee in 2004?with more money raised ($713,550) from more members than at any time in RPAC's storied history. Our success is directly attributable to our 50 Boards/Associations who raised funds for this vitally important cause. The following Boards were honored at the Board of Directors meeting for their overall excellence in their respective categories?Cincinnati Area, Akron Area, Youngstown Columbiana, Licking County, Belmont County and Scioto Valley. Additionally, the Columbus Board was honored for raising more than $129,000 during last year's campaign. The organization established a goal of $650,000 for the 2004 RPAC campaign.
Directors contributed $2,725 to the NAR REALTOR® Tsunami Relief Project, created to aid the victims of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami that devastated dozens of countries in Southeast Asia and resulted in hundreds of thousands of casualties. NAR is working with international partners in the affected area to help the victims rebuild.
2005 NAR Region 6 Vice President Steve Brown, Dayton, provided Directors with an update of pending issues facing the national organization.
Directors, the Executive Committee and NAR Directors from Ohio unanimously endorsed Steve Brown's candidacy for the NAR First Vice President position.
Directors approved policy changes for the endorsement/support of candidates seeking NAR office?for candidates from Ohio and from other states.
Attendees at the popular Lunchbox Economics session gained insights on market trends and a forecast of the 2005 real estate market from NAR economist Lawrence Yun.
The Business Technology Forum explored the "FUNdamentals of Computers," with speaker Amy Chorew of Matthew Ferrara Seminars. Another widely-attended session, the Local Government Forum, featured Detective John West of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office explaining the issue of "methamphetamine labs" in residential properties.
Directors requested that President West appoint a task force to study, research and make recommendations regarding the subject of minimum services for listings, a subject being studied and debated across the country.
The OAR Task Force on State Taxation convened and discussed possible scenarios facing Ohio as the state budget for 2005-2006 is being prepared and the likely impact on the real estate industry.
Congratulations to Charlotte Van Steyn of Columbus for being honored with OAR's Distinguished Service Award, which is presented to long-standing members who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the goals and purposes of the REALTOR® organization at all levels. Charlotte joins an elite group of only 19 other recipients of this prestigious award given by OAR.
The Nominating Committee presented its slate of candidates for the OAR Treasurer position and District Vice President positions from Districts 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, with terms beginning in January 2006. The slate will be voted on by the Board of Directors at the OAR Convention in September. The candidates (listed alphabetically) are:

OAR Treasurer: Patrick Brad Knapp, Warren County
District 1 Vice President: Lenny Lawrence, Stark County
District 3 Vice President: Kristine Burdick, Akron Area, & Sharon Hair, Ashland
District 5 Vice President: Jon Hall, Midwestern Ohio
District 7 Vice President: Penny Triplett, Tuscarawas County
District 9 Vice President: Dale Weisker, Cincinnati Area

Immediate Past President Barbara Lach presented the "President's Award" to Terry Hankner, Cincinnati, for her vision and leadership in spearheading the revision to Ohio's agency disclosure law that went into effect on Jan. 1.
On the legislative front, Directors agreed to support HB 512, which ensures that purchasers of real property are made aware of the availability of owner's title insurance. Additionally, staff has been directed to research the issue of community development assessments and explore potential revisions to the property condition disclosure form.
The Appraisal Committee recommended support of a statutory framework whereby any appraisal done in conjunction with a mortgage loan, including refinancing, would be completed by a licensed or certified appraiser. This would not apply to comparative analyses, broker price opinions, sheriff's sales or probate proceedings.
The Legal Action Committee agreed to update the Auction White Paper to reflect the changes contained in SB 209, which modifies several provisions of the auction license law and becomes effective this spring.