OAR Spring Conference Report

Lynda Long,
OAR District #6 Vice President

The housing market—nationally, statewide and here at home—continues to reach record levels of activity in sales and average price. Factor in a favorable interest rate environment and the launch of the traditional "spring home buying season," and the long-term outlook remains bright indeed.

This is the time of the year when the industry shakes off its winter doldrums and gets down to the business of making the American Dream of homeownership a reality.

The season of hard work is also applicable to the operations of the Ohio Association of REALTORS. We recently concluded our Spring Conference, held April 17-19 in Columbus, which attracted nearly 400 REALTORS from every corner of the Buckeye State to deliberate on the issues confronting our industry and the rights of private property owners. These folks took time away from their daily business and families to work for the betterment of our profession.

I must admit, however, that the meetings—which were held at the beautiful Easton Town Center market—also afforded the attendees an opportunity to experience a lot of fun as well, ranging from outstanding shopping to world-class dining.

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

· Attendees were provided with a comprehensive overview of the Ohio budget situation and the impact the current proposal will have on the industry and property owners throughout the state. REALTORS are concerned about two key provisions of the plan that passed the Ohio House and is now being debated by the Senate:

o The creation a new, 1-mill statewide transfer tax; and

o The immediate elimination of the 10 percent rollback on commercial property taxes.

The industry has launched an aggressive, grassroots campaign to combat Ohio's plan to tax the American Dream. Members are urged to visit www.ProtectingTheAmericanDream.com to learn more about the budget proposal and, with a few simple clicks, send a specially prepared, personalized letter to their Senator. If you've already made your voice heard...thank you! If you haven't...please take a few minutes to get involved in this critical effort.

· Charles McMillan, of Irving, TX, a candidate for the National Association of REALTORS First Vice President position—which would culminate with a term as President of the organization in 2009—was a special guest during our Conference. He was able to share insights, build upon relationships and gain insights on real estate in Ohio.

· Kelly Davids, the newly appointed superintendent of the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing, addressed the OAR Board of Directors stressing the "3 C's" of commitment, communication and collaboration.

· It was announced that Ohio's REALTOR community, which set new records in contributions to the REALTORS Political Action Committee in 2004, will be honored at the upcoming NAR Mid-Year Meetings for fundraising excellence. Members at the Spring Conference got the current year's campaign off to a rousing start with a party featuring music and fun.

· The industry agreed to support a measure, HB 42 that would grant non-profit organizations, such as OAR and our Local Boards/Associations, the ability to conduct business through electronic transmissions.

· OAR Directors agreed to establish an Association Executives scholarship designed to help a Local Board/Association executive attend the annual NAR Association Executives Institute.

· OAR agreed to develop a core outline for the ADA-Ohio Toolkit, which will help members gain a better understanding and access tools to work with persons who have disabilities.

· OAR agreed to oppose a measure dealing with appraisals on foreclosures and sheriff's sales. Valuations obtained from the county auditor's office are frequently out of date and not reflective of the property's true market value. An accurate valuation is a protection for both the lien holder and the property owner. Under the bill, only the lien holder is given the option of requesting and paying the cost of an appraisal.

· Directors were urged to consider getting involved in the National Association of REALTORS by serving on a Committee or Forum. OAR is eager to increase the number of members it has serving at the national level. Interested members are encouraged to contact OAR for assistance in applying for a position, prior to the late May deadline.

· It was noted that three OAR task forces—Minimum Services, Committee & Governance, and CEO Performance Review—will present reports at the upcoming Annual Convention.

· 2005 NAR Regional Vice President Steve Brown provided an overview of activities at the national level affecting the industry.

· In what has quickly become a "don't miss" event of any OAR meeting, the Business Technology Forum featured OAR's Lorie Garland addressing the "Can The Spam," "Do Not Call" and "Do Not Fax" regulations and their impact on real estate professionals.

· Hundreds of members attended a free continuing education session on "Customers: An Asset Worth Appreciating," featuring instructor Frank Serio of Bethany Beach, Delaware.

· The always-popular "Lunchbox Economics" session conducted by the Economic Issues & Trends and Affordable Housing Forums featured Marianne McCarty, of Broadview Mortgage, addressing the timely issue of Ohio's high mortgage default rate.

· The Legal Issues Forum featured a discussion on "RESPA: Prohibition on Kickbacks Steering, Joint Ventures, Preferred Provider Agreements and Title Company Choice," with Bill Heer of Title First Agency.

· The Professional Standards Forum offered attendees a panel discussion on "What Challenges My Agents Face Keep Me Awake At Night," featuring Terry Hankner, Bill Askin, Tom Early, Nancy Magnon and Len Partin.

· The Professional Development Forum addressed "Increasing Your Income & Risk Reduction with NAR Designations," with Jackie Leavenworth.

· The Equal Opportunity Diversity Forum featured "Servicing Emerging Markets," with David Dewey and Bob Lee of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

· The MLS Forum reviewed "Where in the World is Your MLS?," with panelists Jeff Fangman, Bart Westfall, Christopher Davis, Hoby Hanna and Carl DeMusz.

· The Local Government Forum addressed "Fiscal Problems Facing County Governments Due to Budget Cuts," with Larry Long of the County Commissioners Association.

As you can see, it was a highly productive Spring Conference. I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to represent your interests at OAR.

By the way...mark your calendar for Sept. 11-14 and make plans to attend the OAR Annual Convention in Columbus. You'll be glad you did!