Announcements

Dues are due January 1, 2006 Annual dues renewal invoices were e-mailed to members in early November. Second notices mail December 9. As members, you may pay the total amount due or the detailed charges by 01/01/06. If you choose to pay the detailed charges only, the balance of the 2006 dues will be invoiced in April. To pay your dues online, visit ColumbusRealtors.com and click on the "Pay dues online" button on the right side. You'll need your login ID (which is your real estate license number) and the password which is "cbr." The Tax Reform Act of 1993 made the portion of dues paid to organizations which is spent to lobby the state and federal government nondeductible for income tax purposes. For the year 2006, the nondeductible portion of OAR dues is $18; NAR dues is $14; and CBR is $0 as CBR does not lobby state and federal government. Contributions to the Central Ohio REALTORS® Political Action Committe (CORPAC) are not tax deductible. Apply for the Volunteer Service Award Did you serve on any CBR committees this year? Were you involved in any area association projects? Did you donate blood, contribute to CORPAC or volunteer for any community-oriented programs? If so, you may have already accumulated the 10 points needed to qualify for CBR's Volunteer Service Award. This award celebrates volunteerism! Everyone who qualifies will re-ceive an award and be recognized at CBR's Forecast Night on January 18, 2006. Members can only receive this award once. To apply, please complete the Volunteer Service Award application included as an insert in this issue of the magazine. Deadline: Friday, December 16.

CBR Election Results! Congratulations to the following members elected to the CBR Board of Directors. President-Elect -- Brad Bennett, HER Real Living Treasurer -- Greg Hrabcak, Group One Realty Secretary -- Gary Parsons, Cam Taylor Co. Ltd., REALTORS® 3-yr Directors Gary Francis, American Dream Realty Bob McCarthy, HER Real Living Bonnie Nyikes, RE/MAX Premier Choice Sara Walsh, HER Real Living Affiliate Director -- Kim McCutchen,ValMer Land Title Agency, LLC Commercial Section Election - Ballots and voting information for the Commercial Section positions will be mailed to Commercial Section members in mid December. Results will be posted on the web site and included in the January magazine. MLS Election - Ballots and voting information for election of new MLS Committee members were taken to the post office just before Thanksgiving. Deadline to return ballots was 5:00 p.m. December 12, 2005. Results will be posted on the web site and included in the January magazine. Candidates for the 26-100 listing category are Judy Minister and Bob Thomas. Candidates for the 101-500 listing category are Joe Armeni, Dave Arthur, Ben Calhoon, Mara Klopfer, Alex Macke, Wil Moloney, Gerry O'Neil, Bob Raglin, Kasey Welch and Lynne Wittman.

CBR 2005 Committee Selection

The Columbus Board of REALTORS® provides programs and services based on the member input received through its 30 committees. Would you like to get involved and serve your industry as well as yourself? Sign up for a 2006 committee. The 2006 Committee Registration is inserted in this magazine. Please complete the form and submit to CBR. Remember, in order to qualify for the CBR Million

Dollar Club, you must fulfill the service requirement - serving on a CBR committee (and meeting its attendance requirement) or serving as an officer in a real estate related organization.

HUD statements needed for Million Dollar Club award application

Leadership approved a recommendation from the Sales Advisory Committee to reinstate the requirement of submitting copies of HUD statements for award documentation. The requirement to submit a HUD statement was removed last year to help streamline the application process. However, it was determined that the HUD statement was needed for authenticity. Therefore, if you plan to apply for the 2006 Million Dollar Club, you'll have to submit a HUD statement for every qualifying transaction.

DSCC saved and more jobs coming?

Earlier this year a federally appointed BRAC Commission threatened to close the Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS) office located at DSCC. This jeopardized 2,000 jobs at the installation. After conducting an extensive review, the Commission chose not to close the DFAS Columbus location, but instead approved a series of recommendations that will cause DSCC to gain a substantial number of jobs.

New Resort, Second-Home Certification

To better serve the growing second-home and resort real estate sector, the NAR will offer a new certification for REALTORS® called the Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) beginning in January 2006. According to a 2005 NAR survey, more than 140,000 REALTORS® currently work in resort and second-home markets, a 30 percent increase from the previous year. For more info, visit www.Realtor.org/Resort.

Seminar on changes to Appraiser Education Requirements

The Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) adopted revisions to the Real Property Appraiser Qualifications which will be effective January 1, 2008.

In Ohio, there are no significant changes in experience requirements or the examination. However, there are significant changes in the education requirements.

To help current appraisers, appraiser assistants, potential applicants, and policy makers understand the changes, the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing is offering an Appraiser Qualifications Seminar on December 15, 2005 from 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. at the Vern Riffe Center - Capitol Theater, 77 S. High St, Columbus. The seminar is approved for 2.5 hours of CE. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

To register, visit www.com.state.oh.us/real, download and complete the application and fax to (614) 644-0588 or mail to Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing, 77 S. High Street, 20th floor, Columbus Oh 43215. Attn: Tammy Brown, Outreach Manager (614) 466-6297.

2008 Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria Table

Division switches to 3-year renewal system

Effective January 1, 2006, the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing will begin renewing real estate licenses for three-year periods. Further, license renewal will be at the same time your continuing education is due (on your birthday). But as everyone's CE is not due in the same year, the ODRE will be phasing in the 3-year license & education renewal cycle as follows:

If your CE is due in 2006... You will receive a 3 year renewal notice which is due at the same time your education is due (on your birthday)

If your CE is due in 2007... In 2006, you will receive a 1-year renewal notice. In 2007, you will receive a 3 year renewal notice which is due at the same time your education is due (on your birthday).

If your CE is due in 2008... In 2006, you will receive a 2-year renewal notice. In 2008, you will receive a 3 year renewal notice which is due at the same time your education is due (on your birthday).

License Renewal Fee: Sales Brokers

• 1 year renewal $ 39.00 $ 49.00
• 2 year renewal $78.00 $98.00
• 3 year renewal $117.00 $147.00

Special thanks

The Equal Opportunity Committee extends a special note of thanks to all who donated gifts and/or supported the board's Multi-Cultural Grant program by purchasing raffle tickets at Sales Associates Day. Through the raffle, the committee raised $943 for the grant program. The raffle was made possible by the generosity of the following contributors: Melissa Baker, National City Mortgage, Sally Collamore, Columbus Polarity Center, Sherrie Dennison-Marsh, Broadview Mortgage Co., Jerry Douglas, Genesis Termite & Pest, Claire Johnson, Mary Kay Consultant, Crystal Joseph, OneSource Mortgage, LLC, Dorothy Khorasani, Chicago Title, Chenessa Marbrey, Midwest Funding Group, Yolanda Porter, Carleton Realty, Inc., John Stamolis, Equitable Mortgage, Jacob Stout, Jacob Stout Collection Holiday Ornaments, Donna Van Densen, Real Estate Showcase, Lou Veal, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Mary Ann Ward, Homestead Mortgage, Jerome Witcher, Art Lee Realty, Inc., "Bev" Woodford, Woodford Contemporary Real Estate, and Becky Young, This Week Community Newspaper.

The Affordable Housing Committee thanks Coldwell Banker King Thompson, Shane Miller, Lifetime Mortgage, Inc., Trevor Peters, G.E. Peters, Inc., Bob Rowland, Esq., Access Title, Inc., Bill Sapsara, Independent Health Services, and Carol Wist, MTC Title Co., for donating prizes to giveaway at the Affordable Housing Committee booth on Sales Associates Day.