Volume 39, Issue 5 News & Views May 2016

40 Summer St. Fitchburg MA 01420 Ph. (978) 345-2531 Fax (978) 361-2262

www.ncmar.com

President’s Message

Susie’s email was hacked, Bob’s Facebook profile was copied, Chris didn’t send that link… In this technological age, we’re fortunate to get instant notification from leads, use mobile apps to find details on a home as we drive through a neighborhood and even submit an offer from the beach. Social media and the Cloud have brought us, our clients, family and friends closer than ever before whether we are next door or across the globe. Unfortunately, those conveniences don’t come without risk. Sharing of personal information via the internet provides opportunity for fraudsters to steal data for their own benefit. Accounts can be taken over, spoofed and held ransom. According to the FBI, e-mail compromise is a huge problem to the tune of a $2.4 billion issue and growing. Real estate is a target because of the volume of funds transacted. So, what can we do? While nothing is fool proof, there are measures we can take to protect ourselves and our clients. Look to see where emails are coming from and if reply to and send from addresses are different. Are there misspellings? Do domain names seem off? Update your anti-virus

software and routinely scan for viruses and malware. Pay attention to what you post on the web. Do you let everyone know that you’re on vacation and out of town? Check your privacy settings on social media. Be sure to alert your clients to use voice verification for any wire transfer requests. Use extra caution when dealing with foreign banks since many frauds use foreign accounts. If you or your clients do become victims of fraudulent transfers, make sure you report the fraud quickly. Recovery of funds decreases significantly after 3 days of wiring funds, so timely reporting is critical. With on-line scams increasingly prevalent, we need to be cautious not only in our in person activities but also our on-line presence. Be careful out there and in the Cloud. Now, between you and me, back to the beach I go.

Michelle

NCMAR Leadership

President Michelle Haggstrom Keller Williams Realty North Central. President Elect Locke Haman EXIT New Options Real Estate Treasurer Yasmin Loft Paula K. Aberman Associates Secretary Position Open Director Rick Cuddy Foster-Healey Real Estate Business Partner Director Katie Weldon Fidelity Bank Past President Thomas Ruble EXIT New Options Real Estate

Michelle Haggstrom 2016 NCMAR President

Premiere Sponsor

Page 2 News & Views www.ncmar.com May 2016

Notes from the MAR Legal Hotline Michael McDonagh, MAR General Counsel

Ashley Stolba, MAR Associate Counsel

Justin Davidson, MAR Legislative & Regulatory Counsel

.

Q. I have just listed a home that has solar panels on the roof. What are some things that I should know about the panels?

The first thing to do is to determine whether the panels are owned by the seller or if the seller is leasing them from the solar company. This will make a big difference in their value and any possible complications that may arise.

Q. My seller has told me that the panels are owned by the seller. What does this mean?

Since the panels are owned by the seller, they should be factored into the price of the home just as any other asset would be. It would be prudent to search for comparable homes with owned solar panels as well.

A solar renewable energy credit (SREC) also should be considered when valuing the asset. An SREC is created for every megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity produced by a solar generator. SRECs allow a seller with a solar array to use electricity that is produced by the panels and then separately sell the SREC to a utility company. Some solar owners use SREC brokers to handle the sale, so if you have a seller who is part of a ten year SREC Program they may consider selling their future credits through such a broker. If a seller does this, they would then value their solar panels based on the energy savings that they provide.

Buyers, on the other hand, should be asking sellers if they are part of an SREC program and whether the SRECs will be transferred with the panels. If they are, a buyer also would want to know what the average annual output of the panels has been so that they can properly value them.

Q. My seller has told me that the panels are leased. How does this change my analysis?

If the panels are leased, it can be a bit more complicated.

When representing a seller with leased solar panels, agents should recommend that the seller contact the leasing company right away to let them know that they are planning to sell the home. In fact, some solar companies have set up departments specifically to work on lease transfers. The solar company may reference a UCC-1 that has been recorded with the property. A UCC-1 acts as a lien against the solar equipment on the property and is used by the solar companies to protect their interest in the leased panels. These finds should be recorded at your local registry of deeds. It is important to know whether or not a UCC-1 has been recorded with the property because some lenders may have concerns that the UCC-1 will take priority over the mortgage in the event of a bankruptcy. Some companies will remove the UCC-1 filing and then replace it when the new mortgage is recorded.

In the end a seller has three options when dealing with leased solar panels: they can buy out the lease; transfer the lease to the new buyer; or attempt to transfer the panels to their new home, although this option may only be available in rare occasions.

Q. I am representing a buyer who is interested in buying a home with leased solar panels. How will this affect the sale?

For those REALTORS® representing buyers interested in a home with leased solar panels you want to remind your clients to factor the monthly lease cost when determining whether or not they can afford the home. The buyer’s lender is likely to consider this when making a determination on their loan. Also, buyers should review their credit scores because the solar leasing companies are going to ensure that the buyer can assume the costs of the lease before they approve a transfer.

Remember to always use caution when advising clients about solar panels. The Attorney General published the following helpful informational sheet on solar panels: http://www.mass.gov/ago/news-and-updates/press-releases/2016/advice-to-homeowners-considering-solar-panels.html. You can also call the MAR Legal Hotline at 1-800-370-LEGAL.

The MAR Legal Hotline

is available free of charge to all office principals and their designees who have completed the Hotline Authorization form. To

obtain a copy of the form, visit MAR’s website at www.maREALTOR.com or simply call the Hotline at 800-370-5342.The Hot-

line is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Page 3 News & Views www.ncmar.com May 2016

Good Neighbor Spotlight

Supra Deal

Laura McNamara of Laer Realty Partners is very involved in her community of Fitchburg. Lauren is currently in her sixth year serving as Chair of the Zoning Board in Fitchburg and has been on the Board for 13 years. Two recent projects that she has organized were the clean up of the stairs /gateway to the "Old FHS" now Longso Middle School and clean up around Putts Pond near Fitchburg State Elliott Field. Lauren has chaired Fitchburg Civic Days and chaired the Board of Trustees for the Wallace Civic Center & Planetarium and past Board member of the American Red Cross. She has co-chaired and played in Six Softball Marathons for different charities raising over $100,000 in donations for Brain Injured Children, A Child's Wish Come True, American Red

Cross - Hurricane Hugo, Wallace Civic Center, Wallace Planetari-um, Fitchburg Civic Days and Fitchburg Pop Warner. Lauren also was past President of Fitchburg Pop Warner and served for six years. Lauren is the mother of four wonderful children and has been married to her husband Chris for 33 years. When not working or renovating property in their spare time, Lauren enjoys time by the pool or at the lake with family and friends. NCMAR is very proud of you and your commitment to your community,

Please let us know of a member that is involved in their community. Send us a few details of their involvement so they can

be recognized for the involvement and for the organization or charity that they assist.

Lauren McNamara

Laer Realty Partners

Select your Key of Choice

Supra and MLS PIN are bringing you big savings for a limited time. Equip yourself with Supra keys and lockboxes before these deals run out on June 30th.

The DisplayKEY and ActiveKEY® are dedicated electronic lockbox keys, or choose the eKEY® app on a smartphone or tablet you already own.

The $50 key activation fee is waived through June 30th.

DisplayKEY $9.31/month + tax (billed annually) ActiveKEY $14.52/month + tax (billed annually)

eKEY Basic $14.52/month + tax eKEY Professional $27.34/month + tax

iBox $40, regularly $99

Free eKEY Fob

Sign up for eKEY service and receive a free eKEY Fob — a $58.39 value. The eKEY Fob works with the eKEY app to communicate with the iBox.

Where can you get your new key? Contact MLS PIN at 800-695-3000 or pick up at the NCMAR Office by appointment Tuesday to Thursday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

2016 Committee Chairs

Executive Committee

Michelle Haggstrom

Finance Committee Yasmin Loft

Government Affairs Committee

Tom Ruble

Member Services Committee Susan Wright

Technology Committee

Emma Weismann

Community Involvement Committee Denise Wortman

Communications Committee

Julie Paradise

Grievance Committee Gayle Sabol

Professional Standards Committee

Gary Bourque

Scholarship Trustees Christina Sargent

Ambassadors Judith Murphy

Awards & Recognition Workgroup

Michelle Haggstrom

Top Producer Workgroup Laura Shifrin

Young Professionals Network

Sarah Vincent

______________________________

MAR Directors Tom Ruble, Central Region RVP

Michelle Haggstrom William Foss

MAR Alternates

Locke Haman Judith Murphy

______________________________

MLS PIN Directors Rick Healey

Paula Savard

Page 4 News & Views www.ncmar.com May 2016

Kelly Kurtz EXIT New Options Real Estate Christopher Wilbur EXIT New Options Real Estate James Shadd Re/Max Property Promotions

Jack Vankann Paula K. Aberman Associates Katey Tata Foster-Healey Real Estate

MLS PIN offers free, hands-on training classes for our customers to learn the different levels of the Pinergy system. To register go to http://www.mlspin.com/schedule_registration.aspx If you have problems registering online, please call our Customer Service at (800) 695-3000, option 1, to register by phone. Registration is required to reserve your seat in each class. We recommend doing so in advance as seating is limited. All classes are free of charge for MLS PIN customers.

Welcome New REALTOR Members In accordance with Article V Section 1 NCMAR By-Laws notice is hereby given to all REALTOR members of the intention of the named individuals to become members of the Association. If any REALTOR member desires to make objection or comment concerning the named individuals, such objection or comment must be made in writing to the President within 10 days of this notice.

Training Videos are also available at www.mlspin.com/training_library.aspx

Take a look at all the videos made for you to get the most out of Pinergy.

COURSE SITE Date and Start Time

Pinergy’s Overview, Settings and Tools NCMAR 5/13/16 at 9:30 am

Pinergy’s Searching with Pinergy NCMAR 5/13/16 at 12:30 pm

Pinergy’s CMA and Market Reports NCMAR 6/20/16 at 9:30 am

Pinergy’s Listings Management NCMAR 6/20/16 at 1:00 pm

Page 5 News & Views www.ncmar.com May 2016

REMINDER: 2016 Is the Year to Complete Code of Ethics Training

All REALTORS® must complete 2 1/2 hours of Code of Ethics training between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2016 according to NAR policy. To help REALTORS® meet this obligation, we offer in person classes taught by Paula Savard at Fidelity Bank in Leominster on

* June 8th, 5:30-8 pm *September 14th, 10-12:30 Sign up by going to www.ncmar.com

Also available are online ethics courses for your convenience.

To find out more information and learn about these ethics training resources and information, go to http://www.REALTOR.org/COEtraining.

Upcoming Legislative Events—Save the Dates

Save the Date! Thursday, May 26th at 4:30 pm

Gardner Ale House

For an Information Sharing Meeting with

Mayor Mark Hawke and NCMAR members

Topics to be covered

Sharing real estate market data

Identifying condo and homebuyers

Promoting Gardner’s amenities and offerings

2016 Events

New business development

Downtown revitalization

The City’s future plans

And more

Don’t miss this informative

meeting with the Mayor!

Save the Date! Monday, May 23rd from 8 am to 10 am

Doubletree by Hilton, Leominster Cost $10

Legislative Breakfast Guest Speaker Mike McDonagh, MAR Legal Counsel and

Government Affairs director

Mayors, City Councilors, Town Managers, Selectman, State Legislators and NCMAR members will network and interact at the Legislative Breakfast hosted by the NCMAR Government Affairs Committee

Topics of Discussion will include

Land Use and Zoning

Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief

Copper and Scrap Metal Theft from homes

Energy Efficiency

Real Estate Market Data

Local Issues effecting Real Estate

And more…...

You must register for this event at www.ncmar.com

Ethics Training for REALTOR Members

Page 7 News & Views www.ncmar.com May 2016

NCMAR Relay for Life Team

REALTORS and Affiliates Building on Hope welcomes walkers for the evening of Friday, June 10th and

on Saturday June 11th at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner

Please join us for an hour, a morning, afternoon or day to honor those that have won the fight, are battling today and those we have lost.

Register at http://main.acsevents.org

Do you enjoy running or walking in a 5K Race? NCMAR would like to field a team of 15 for the

upcoming Great Futures 5K to benefit the Fitchburg/Leominster Boys and Girls Club.

The race is Saturday, June 18th

at the Boys and Girls Club Leominster.

To register contact Kathy at NCMAR kathylore@ncmar,com

North Central MA Associations of REALTORS®, Inc. 40 Summer St. Fitchburg MA 01420

Office Hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (978) 345-2531

NCMAR Staff

Association Executive Kathy Lore, RCE, ePro Ext .101 kathylore@ncmar.com Member Services Coordinator Justin Lore, ePro Ext. 102 justinlore@ncmar.com

You’re Invited to

NCMAR Night Out Connect and Engage at the

905 Merriam Ave, Leominster

Thursday, May 19th, 2016

5:30 to 8:30 pm

Join your fellow NCMAR members for a fun night out with plenty of networking, good conversation

and an enjoyable time for all attendees.

The Member Services Committee will offer a 50/50 cash raffle where you may purchase tickets for $5 Half the funds raised from this raffle will go to a

local charity.

Sponsored by Kathy Malone of Puroclean.

Upcoming Events

Newsletter

Deadline for submission for the next issue is the last day of the month. For information on Business Partner advertising, contact the Association Office.

News & Views is available online at www.ncmar.com and every issue is emailed to our members. Print copies of the News & Views are available to members upon request. The subscription is included in the yearly local dues.

Calendar of Events May

4th Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build

9th Scholarship Committee Meeting 9:30 am

10-13 May Mid Year Legislative Meetings Washington DC

13th MLS PIN Training 9:30 and 12:30

17th Finance Committee Meeting 10am

17th Government Affairs Committee Meeting 11 am

18th Member Services Committee Meeting 9:30 am

18th Communications Committee Meeting 10:30 am

18th Community Involvement Committee Meeting 11:30am

19th CE Class Due Diligence 10 am—noon

19th NCMAR Night Out t UNO’s 5:30 pm

23rd Legislative Breakfast 8:00 am at the Doubletree

24th Board of Directors Meeting 9 am

25th DotLoop Training 9:30 am and 1 pm

June

6th June Awards Banquet 5 pm Westminster Country Club

8th Member Services Committee Meeting 9:30 am

8th Quadrennial Ethics Class 5:30 -8 pm

10th Relay for Life Mount Wachusett Community College

14th Government Affairs Committee 10:00 am

15th Communications Committee Meeting 10 am

15th Community Involvement Committee 11 am

15h Title V CE Class 10—Noon

16th NCMAR Night Out—Bootlegger

20th MLS PIN—Pinergy Training 9:30 and 12:30

21st REALTOR Day on the Hill

28th Board of Directors 9 am