Announcements

Fall 2003 MapMerge data disks now in

The Fall 2003 MapMerge data disks are now available. Current MapMerge subscribers can pick up their new data disks in MLS technical support. If you have any questions about MapMerge please contact Dena Lindsay, 614-475-4000 x281 or dlindsay@columbusrealtors.com.

Join a 2004 Committee!

By serving on a CBR committee, you get to have input on how your REALTOR® organization runs, what programs and services you get for your dues. Committee service also offers you opportunities to network with other real estate professionals. Serving on a committee takes an average of one hour per month. That’s a pretty good return on your investment. And remember...serving on a committee satisfies your industry requirement for the CBR $1, $5, $10 and $25 million dollar club. Click here for the 2004 Committee Registration form.

Help your client buy a home for less than $500 down!

Columbus Housing Partnership (CHP) has up to $340,000 to disburse to eligible individuals for down payment assistance toward home ownership. At CHP:

Help your clients receive $5,000 to $6,000 in down payment assistance for a home. This down payment assistance is forgiven after five or six years of ownership.
This property must be a primary residence.
This property must be located within designated areas.
Participants can obtain this assistance with as little as $500 of their own money.
Participants can learn about homeownership at CHP’s FREE home buyer education classes.

For more information about these down payment programs and eligible tax districts, call Columbus Housing Partnership at 221-8889, ext 156 or visit www.chpcolumbus.org.

November is REALTOR® Designation Month

Professional designations = higher income
Did you know that professional designations can significantly increase your income? According to the 2001 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile survey:

Sales agents holding professional designations have incomes that are $27,000 higher, while brokers with designations earn $18,900 more per year.
Thirty-three percent of REALTORS® have a professional designation, a slight increase (one percentage point) from the 1999 Profile.
The most frequently cited designations held by REALTORS® were GRI (Graduate, REALTORS® Institute) and CRS (Certified Residential Specialist, RMNI).

This November, celebrate REALTOR® Designation Awareness Month by taking time for your professional development!

Build your network
Sharpen your skills
Increase your knowledge
Increase your income

CBR Election

On November 12, CBR members will be mailed a ballot to cast their vote for one new Affiliate Director and four new REALTOR® Directors members who will begin their term on January 1, 2004. Your ballot must be returned in the envelopes provided AND only one ballot per envelope will be accepted. Ballots can be mailed or dropped off at the CBR, however, they must be received by Noon on Monday, November 24, 2003.

10 Points qualifies you for a 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 received an award and be recognized at CBR’s Forecast Night on January 22, 2003. 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 19.

Recent study indicates Interest rates are not the driving force for buyers

Apparently it isn’t interest rates, joblessness or economic uncertainty that’s driving the current housing market.

Only 4 percent of Americans who plan on buying a home in the next two years cite low mortgage rates as their biggest motivating factor, according to a survey “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” conducted for Lawyers.com (a LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Web site) by market researcher Harris Interactive.

The survey said 25 percent of home buyers are in the market for a new home because of a life change (retirement, relocation, a growing family, a shrinking family, etc.) as their primary motivation. Eighteen percent said they wanted a bigger house or more property; 16 percent were after a better investment; and 12 percent were tired of flushing their money down the rent market’s black hole.

Is the font on web pages too small to read?

Have you run across web pages that are difficult to read because the font is too small? Here’s how to remedy this:

Open Internet Explorer.
Click View, point to Text Size, then point to Largest
Click Largest from the list.

Some web sites, however, do not allow users to change the font sizes. Follow these steps to override the font settings on those pages:

Click Tools, then click Internet Options. The Internet Options box appears.
On the General Tab, click the Accessibility button.
Click to select Ignore fonts sizes specified on Web pages, then click OK.

Dues are due - Pay them in full, in part, or online

Annual dues renewal invoices were mailed in October. As members, you may pay the total amount due or the detailed charges by 01/01/04. If you choose to pay the detailed charges only, the balance of the 2004 dues will be invoiced in April.

If you current lease an electronic Keypad, your dues invoice includes the cost of leasing the new Keypad to take place during the conversion in January, 2004 . The lease fee increased from $85/year to $106/year.

Dues may now be paid online. From CBR’s web site home page, www.ColumbusRealtors.com, click on the ‘Pay Dues Online’ button on the right side of the page. You’ll need your login ID which is your file number and the password. Although we cannot print the password in this magazine, should you wish to use this service, please contact CBR and we’ll be happy to provide it.

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 2003, the nondeductible portion of OAR dues is $18 (18%); NAR dues is $13 (20%) 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.

Majority of Homebuyers Use the internet to Search for Homes

Nearly three out of four homebuyers now use the Internet as a tool when searching for a home, and those who use the Internet are more likely to use real estate professionals, according to a new survey by the National Association of REALTORS®. The Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, a survey taken every two years, is based on transactions during the first quarter of this year. It shows that 71 percent of homebuyers used the Internet in their search for a home during the first quarter of 2003, up from 41 percent during 2001.

Although most buyers surf the Web, only 11 percent first learned about the home they bought on the Internet, up from 8 percent in 2001. Forty-one percent first learned about their home from a real estate agent, while yard signs accounted for 16 percent; several categories accounted for 7 percent each: newspapers, builders, and a friend, neighbor or relative. The typical buyer walked through 10 homes, searched eight weeks to buy a home and moved 10 miles from their previous residence, while the typical seller placed a home on the market for five weeks and had lived in that home for six years.

The 2003 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers can be ordered by calling 800-874-6500. The cost is $50 for NAR members ($75 for non-members.)