free digest -...

RAMC loves our members so we’ve planned a very special

FREE appreciation event on:

February 10February 10thth from from 5:30 5:30 –– 7:00pm at 7:00pm at Tapas Latin Fusion,Tapas Latin Fusion, located at 1628 SE Federal Hwy in Stuart (formerly Sa‐kura). Proprietor Jonnie Wall, who also owns the Seminole Inn, has a fondness for Martin County and REAL‐TORS® so it’s going to be extra special!

Executive Chef David Rodri‐guez will be on site to welcome us as we mix and mingle. His resumé in‐cludes celebrity

clientèle such as his most recent position as personal chef to Emilio and Gloria Estefan, as well as the Execu‐tive Chef in their restaurant, Oriente, at the Costa d'Este Beach Resort in Vero Beach. He was on the culinary team that cooked for Julia Child’s 86th birthday and is also said to be a regular on the Food Network circuit where he has catered private parties for Rachel Ray.

Come and enjoy the delicious appetizers, mojitos and san‐gria that Chef David is mak‐ing especially for us! Your senses will be dazzled... The tapas will tantalize your taste buds, while your ears are enchanted by the live Span‐ish guitarists, and the rest of the ambiance will amaze you as you take in your sur‐

roundings! Tapas’ $1M build‐out, which we will be one of the first groups to preview, features a 500 sq. ft. cigar bar complete with an on‐site Ha‐vana cigar roller the night of our event, a large wine “cave” featuring Spanish wines, and other unique characteristics not found in other local ven‐ues.

Make sure you bring a busi‐ness card to leave with Chef David as there will also be a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate to Tapas Latin Fu‐sion for a future dining experi‐ence.

We are hoping for a GRAND turnout for this special GRAND OPENING just for us, so come out and enjoy a night of good food, good drink and good company.

RAMC’s First Social of 2011 A p

ublication for a

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February 2011

Chef David

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GRI 2 Essential Real Estate Techniques Surveys have shown that REALTORS® who have designations earn more than those who don’t, but it’s not always just about the money…it’s staying up‐to‐date with the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers.

The GRI courses will give you the tools and knowledge you need to provide superior service. All three GRI courses are scheduled each year within the Martin, St. Lucie and Jupiter boards.

GRI 2 will be held Feb. 28th – March 2nd and March 7–8 in St. Lucie. Call Florida Realtors to register at 1‐800‐669‐4327.

REGISTER BEFORE 2/18 AND SAVE $20

Look

Inside

F E A T U R E D S E M I N A R

Understanding Pesky Personalities

Learn how to be multi‐lingual by understanding personalities and their communication styles.

See page 9 for more information.

Register before February 11th and save $5!

www.RAMConline.org

Some of this issue’s highlights: Women’s Council of Realtors® 4

Realtor Safety 6

Education & Seminars 9

Got Ethics? 10

Taxes 11

Government Affairs 14

Trend Indicator 15

Affiliate Corner (Tips for Realtors®) 16

Spotlight on Leadership 17

More information can be found

inside on page 8.

http://www.ramconline.org/�

REALTOR® ASSOCIATION OF MARTIN COUNTY 43 SW Monterey Road Stuart, Florida 34994 Phone (772) 283‐1748 Fax (772) 288‐0215

E‐mail: RAofMC@martin‐realtors.org www.RAMConline.org

OFFICERS President

LINDA PRANGE, CRS [email protected] President‐Elect

MARTIN CARMODY [email protected]

Vice President TOM BAKER

[email protected] Secretary‐Treasurer

DEBRA DUVALL, CIPS, CRS, CRB [email protected]

DIRECTORS CHRISTY BEARSE, CPA [email protected]

RICK BOSCHEN, SRES [email protected]

DIANA BRUTON, AHWD,CRB,LTG,PMN [email protected]

KERI BURGESS [email protected]

JUDY BURKHARDT, GRI,CRS,CRB,SRES,ABR [email protected] BRENT GIFFORD, CRS, GRI [email protected] ELSIE LONG, ePro, TRC [email protected] BONNIE PETERS, CRB

[email protected] STAFF JOY LANE

Executive Vice President [email protected]

ELAINE ELWELL Member Services Coordinator

Membership, Awards, Dues, Realtor Store [email protected]

LANIE HAW Professional Services Coordinator

Education, Sponsorships [email protected]

JEREMEY BINGHAM Technology Coordinator

Communications, RAMConline.org, Supra [email protected]

MARISA MOLEIRO MLS Coordinator

MLS, Residential Marketing, RAMC Newsletter [email protected]

A Message from Our President

When I was installed October 1, I promised you a year of challenge and change. I have held true to that promise and it’s only February!

You’ve seen changes. From the addition of our wonderful new EVP Joy Lane, to GoodNews email blasts, email blasts fol‐

lowing each RAMC Board of Director meeting and incredible improvements in content, de‐sign, & format of Realtor Digest, we have made very positive changes. In fact this article and the one by Joy are new this month and are meant to keep you current with RAMC happen‐ings and benefits.

RPR (Realtors Property Resource) was an‐nounced in October and RAMC proudly is the only association in our area – in fact south of Tallahasee to Miami ‐‐ who will have this extra Realtor/RAMC benefit active soon. This is a major benefit of membership and many of you who have seen demonstrations at Florida Real‐tor events can help spread the word of the value of this Realtor‐only tool.

All 18 task forces and committees are up and running and doing incredible work for you. Thanks to all of you for sharing your time, en‐ergy and enthusiasm! Joy has the reins of RAMC and it’s running very well as she makes adjust‐ments to ensure the operation works even more efficiently. Joy's door is always open to you and she encourages you to drop in with any questions, concerns or compliments.

Have you noticed our Sunday real estate page

in The Stuart News has a new look? More sto‐ries, pictures and graphics should increase readership of your customers and give them a better idea of real estate issues and news as well as your value to them as a Realtor.

Listingbook is now available and even though there were some rough spots in the initial pres‐entation, it is an incredible tool for you and your customers. The detailed property informa‐tion, automated CMA reports, alerts of price changes and new listings are just a few of the highlights of this program.

Our strategic plan calls for many of our task forces to complete their work in Jan or Feb. While they will continue to work hard to meet the deadlines, some may have to be extended in order to complete their responsibilities and implement changes. We will keep you up to date on their progress.

Please be assured you and the services you require are most important. We are working very hard to be inclusive, share information, keep you current and be available. We want to provide you the programs, activities and tools that will make 2011 be one of your most suc‐cessful and profitable years.

I welcome your comments and will do all I can to make our Realtor family in Martin County the very best place to do business.

Sincerely,

Linda Prange

Linda Prange

2011 RAMC President

National Association of REALTORS® 888‐874‐6500

Florida Association of REALTORS® 407‐438‐1400

Florida Legal Hotline 407‐438‐1409 or ask a question online Members can speak with an attorney on a range of topics including licensing, contracts and landlord/tenant matters for free. Florida Tech Helpline 407‐587‐1450 M‐F 9am‐8pm / Sat 9am‐5pm Free expert assistance and support for all your technical needs. DBPR 850‐487‐1395 www.MyFloridaLicense.com/dbpr (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation)

Support for Services MLXchange Help Desk (technical help) 888‐825‐5472 M‐F 8:30am‐8:30pm / Sat‐Sun 8:30am‐3pm

iMAPP Support 888‐462‐7701

ListHub Support 877‐847‐3394 (press 2)

ListingBook 866‐353‐3456

MLX Wireless (MostHome) 888‐935‐8746 http://ramc.mlxwireless.com

RealBiz 360 888‐732‐5249 (press 2)

Realtor.com 800‐878‐4166

ShowingTime 800‐379‐0057

Supra 877‐699‐6787

Important Phone Numbers and Web Sites

http://www.realtor.org�http://www.floridarealtors.org/�http://www.floridarealtors.org/LegalCenter/index.cfm�https://www.floridarealtors.org/LegalCenter/helpline/Member/Legal-Question-Form.cfm�http://www.technologyhelpline.com/�http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/�

New REALTOR® Members Laura Appel Coldwell Banker Judith Barbe Lifestyle Realty Group Geri Irelan Coldwell Banker Kevin McLaughlin Coldwell Banker Gary Pisano Premier Realty Group Sandy Pitchford (New SDR) Distinct Estates Peter Stanley Coldwell Banker Joaquin Velez Assist 2 Sell Plaza Realty Nicole Wingfield Prudential Florida Realty

Transfers John Cherveny Better Homes & Gardens‐ Laviano & Associates Judith Harte Real Estate of Florida Pat Jayne Century 21 IRP Realty Judy Palmer Century 21 IRP Realty Austin Pond RE/MAX Masterpiece Realty Debbie Sampson Century 21 IRP Realty Deborah Sahlberg Real Estate of Florida Joseph Stingone Coldwell Banker Devin Teal Welcome Home Realty International, LLC

New Offices #124 C‐21 Horizon Properties is now Coldwell Banker SDR: Geri Irelan #928 Sunflower Homes & Equestrian LLC 7004 SW Busch Street Palm City, FL 34990 (772) 283‐6582 Fax DR: Carol Barron‐Cross #929 Welcome Home Realty International LLC 1959 NE Jensen Beach Blvd. Jensen Beach, FL 34957 (772) 934‐9400 (772) 934‐9409 Fax DR: Todd Doss

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Agent Billboards for Supra Key Boxes. These are a perfect

place to put your business cards, etc. on your Supra Box

Member price: $11.00 per pack (5 in each pack)

MEMBER SERVICE CENTER

Congratulations!

...to Drew Pittman & Lauren Cornell who tied the knot on January 8th. We wish you all the best!!

~RAMC Staff

Condolences to Jean Drescher on her sister’s passing

Lose the Stress, Gain Success!

Dr. Lisa Grassam of Grassam Family Chiropractic was the keynote speaker at WCR’s Busi‐ness Resource Meeting held on January 13, 2011. She shared great advice to “Get Ready for a New You in 2011”. Dr. Grassam is a third generation chiroprac‐tor who works along side her husband Dr. John Grassam.

Dr. Grassam believes that health is a choice and should be the #1 priority in life as, if you have a healthy lifestyle everything else that is good can be accomplished. She spoke about the dangers of stress induced symptoms and enumerated ways to “Lose the Stress and Gain Success” including healthy eating, exercise, positive attitude and lots of hugs, compliments and laughter. She shared her very powerful personal daily affirmation which made us all feel better and generated a wave of applause! Dr. Gras‐sam is an active member of our community and gives freely of her time to educate people on the benefits of wellness care.

The next Chapter Luncheon will be February 10, 2011, 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at Piper’s Landing Country Club in Palm City. The new pricing is $18 members $20 non‐members. Reservations required!

Women’s Council of Realtors® Stuart-Martin Chapter

www.wcrmartin.com

Left to right: Chuck Geary (Sponsor), Susan Hutchinson, Donna

Cardinale, Jennifer Lopez, Dr. Lisa Grassam, Vic Miskanic, & Jim Bloomer

2011 PROGRAM SCHEDULE

FEBRUARY 10TH—LUNCH Know your Banking & Credit Card

Rules!

MARCH 10TH—BREAKFAST Appraisal Talk

MARCH 13TH—5PM‐8PM St. Patty’s Day Fundraiser at Lon‐

eStar

*APRIL 21ST—BREAKFAST 7 Habits of Highly Effective

People

*MAY 19TH—LUNCH Real Estate Investing for Me!

JUNE 1ST Place TBD

District III Forum

JUNE 13TH—BREAKFAST Meet Your Top Producers!

AUGUST 11TH—LUNCH Political Thoughts!

*SEPTEMBER 15TH—LUNCH International Culture!

OCTOBER 13TH—LUNCH Officer Elections & 4th Annual Purse

Auction

*NOVEMBER 17TH—BREAKFAST Chapter Awards

Martin County Property Appraiser

DECEMBER 15TH—LUNCH Holiday Celebration/Installation of

2012 Officers

RESERVATIONS HOTLINE: 772‐223‐7466

RESERVATIONS EMAIL: [email protected]

A reservation made is a reservation paid! All no‐shows will be billed!

SAVE THE DATE!!SAVE THE DATE!!

4th Annual “Erin Go Bragh” St. Paddy’s Day Bash & Vendor Fair

March 13, 2011 5pm - 8 pm LoneStar (Stuart Lanes)

Irish Dancers, Corn Beef and Cabbage, Green Beer, Prizes & Irish Auction!

If you would like to be a vendor or a sponsor, please contact Vic Miskanic, 561-352-1150 or [email protected]

Donna Cardinale, President-Elect 772-486-0864

[email protected]

Vic Miskanic,President 561-352-1150

[email protected]

Susan Hutchinson, V.P. of Membership 772-497-4091

[email protected]

Jim Bloomer, Treasurer 772-285-0234

[email protected]

Jennifer Lopez, Secretary 772-475-9738

[email protected]

http://www.wcrmartin.com/�mailto:[email protected]?subject=WCR%20Reservations�mailto:[email protected]�mailto:[email protected]�mailto:[email protected]�mailto:[email protected]�

Go Ahead… Take Advantage of Your Association “Maximize Realtor’s Profitability” is our

Association’s vision statement. As I was

reading it the other day, I began to think

about what’s in store for our members for

the next few months. Our vision state‐

ment drives the Association to host speak‐

ers and events, and to provide educational

opportunities to help our members suc‐

ceed in their chosen business. We only

wish more members would take advan‐

tage of these opportunities.

The amount of education seminars offered

by RAMC is phenomenal for an Association

this size. It compares to an Association

with several thousand members. In Feb‐

ruary and March alone, we have a dy‐

namic lineup of speakers,

including: “Goal Setting”,

“Property Appraiser Up‐

date”, “Understanding

Pesky Personalities”, “So

you want to be a Broker”,

“Code of Ethics”, “Core

Law”, MLS training and

iMAPP training. I’m glad we offer great

events like this. The only thing that frus‐

trates me is that more members don’t

take advantage of these opportunities.

While we have over 800 members, gener‐

ally only a handful attends events – and

that’s with plenty of promotion. Yes, the

events help fulfill the vision for our organi‐

zation, but we would love to see more

members take advantage of what we have

to offer.

Why take advantages of these seminars?

A great agent is always striving to differen‐

tiate themselves from their competition

and the way to do that is through educa‐

tion. Education shows that an agent is

serious about serving clients. Statistics

prove that the more education you have,

the more money you can earn.

Education is a critical and necessary com‐ponent to any REALTOR’S® success. Show your clients that you’re committed to pro‐viding them with superior service and ideas, gain more knowledge by attending our seminars. Get involved with “your Association”. Go ahead, take advantage of us!

Is there an educational program or semi‐nar you would like to see at RAMC? Con‐tact me or let Lanie know so that we can look into it!

Sincerely,

]Éç _tÇx

Letter from the Executive Vice President

Benefit Of the Week

In January the Membership/Social Committee started featuring some of the many benefits available to you as members of RAMC, and this month we will continue to toot our horn with a few more! Check out February’s perks below:

WEEK 1—Free Services at RAMC – from 8:30am‐4:30pm Monday through Friday including, but not limited to: staff support for MLS, Supra, membership, education, and the website; notary service; send and receive faxes; local phone calls; copies; WIFI (see a staff member for password) and more!

WEEK 2—Free Tech Support – Call (407) 587‐1450, 9am‐8pm Mon‐Fri./Sat. 9am‐5pm. Trouble with technology? The personal tech support team can provide assistance via phone, online chat or email. Analysts remote into your computer and fix it while you relax. Download the new desktop widget at technologyhelpline.com.

WEEK 3—Free Legal Hotline – Advice and resources to keep you on the right side of the law. Call (407) 438‐1409 weekdays from 9am‐5pm. Have your Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) license number available or go to floridarealtors.org/legalcenter.

WEEK 4—Realtor Political Action Committee – Florida Realtors have a Powerful Political Presence. In Tallahassee and with the National Association of Realtors in Washington, they protect private property rights and your ability to conduct business in Florida. Call (850) 224‐1400

Joy Lane, E.V.P.

http://www.technologyhelpline.com�http://www.floridarealtors.org/LegalCenter/index.cfm�http://www.floridarealtors.org/LegalCenter/index.cfm�http://www.floridarealtors.org/LegalCenter/index.cfm�http://www.floridarealtors.org/LegalCenter/index.cfm�

REALTOR SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AWARENESS EMPOWERMENT

Make a commitment to safety ‐ go on line to www.REALTOR.org/Safety

D on’t Be a Target for Harassment or Stalking

Real estate professionals have been victims of harass‐ment or stalking behavior from clients and potential clients.

Harassment occurs when a person subjects another to alarm by conveying a telephonic or written threat to inflict seri‐ous physical injury on that person or to commit a felony involv‐ing that person or their property.

Stalking is when a person knowingly alarms or coerces another person or a member of that person’s family or house‐hold by engaging in REPEATED and UNWANTED contact with the other person.

Take these steps to avoid these unwanted behaviors:

If you are being harassed or stalked, report the offender to your employer and the police immediately.

All of your marketing materials should be polished and pro‐fessional. Don’t use alluring or provocative photography in advertising, on the Web or on your business cards. There are many documented cases of criminals actually circling photographs of their would‐be victims in newspaper adver‐tisements. These victims were targeted because of their appearance in the photograph.

Limit the amount of personal information you share. Con‐sider advertising without using your photograph, home phone number and/or home address in the newspaper or on business cards. Don’t use your full name with middle name or initial. Use your office address—or list no address at all. Giving out too much of the wrong information can make you a target.

Install caller I.D. on your telephone, which should automati‐cally reject calls from numbers that have been blocked. This will provide you with immediate information about the source of the call.

Be careful how much personal information you give verbally as well. Getting to know your client does not need to in‐clude personal information about your children, where you

live and who you live with.

All agents in your office should use only their first initial and last name on their "For Sale" signs to conceal gender and prevent anyone other than a personal acquaintance or cur‐rent client asking for you by name.

Meet weekly or monthly with co‐workers and other area brokers to discuss business and safety issues. Share any con‐cerns! If you are dealing with a suspicious customer, take extra precautions to avoid isolation or vulnerability. Discon‐tinue your services for that customer if necessary.

Maintain a file on past and present suspicious customers and homes.

Report harassing phone calls to your employer and to the police immediately.

It’s important to tell the caller “never call here again,” in order to meet the letter of the law regarding telephonic harassment.

(Sources: Washington Real Estate Safety Council; Louisiana REALTORS® Association; City of Mesa, AZ)

Visit NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Web site at www.REALTOR.org/Safety

This article is part of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL‐TORS®’ REALTOR® Safety Resources Kit.

Shannon Wood (left) and speaker, Andrew Wooten (right), at the “Maximizing

your Safety and the Safety of Your Clients” seminar on January 12th at RAMC. If

you missed this presentation, you were missing out on important safety infor‐

mation!! Check out Andrew’s website for safety tips and other info at

www.JustBeSafe.com

http://www.realtor.org/Safety�http://www.realtor.org/Safety�http://www.realtor.org/Safety�http://www.realtor.org/Safety�

Attention AFFILIATES:

YOUR AD HERE

This AD space could be yours! Contact RAMC’s Member Services Coordinator for information re-

garding advertising in the REALTOR Digest! Circulation to over 900 members!

Contact Elaine Elwell at 772-283-1748 or

[email protected]

Page 7

RAMC’s Lending Library has BRAND NEW Audio CDs + Books

by Zan Monroe

Zan Monroe is an inspirational speaker and author who is recognized as a leading authority in real estate sales, marketing, management and investing.

Books

“Stories of Uncle Adrian” A guidebook to Mastery in your Life

“My Favorite Quotes”

Audio CDs

“Stories of Uncle Adrian”

“How Money Works”

“The World’s Greatest Listing Presentation”

“Absorption Rate Pricing”

To check any of these new products out of our Lending Library, please see Member Services Coordinator, Elaine Elwell.

Florida REALTORS Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors Each year, Florida Realtors® sponsors its Scholarship/Essay Contest for High School Seniors. To enter, eligible students must write a 500‐word essay on "How Does a Realtor Pro‐fessional Benefit the Community?" This year, the first‐place winning entry in each of the state association's 13 Regional Districts receives a $1,000 scholarship; district winners will go on to compete for three $5,000 state‐level scholarship awards, for a total of $28,000 in scholarship funding from Florida Realtors.

The state association sends copies of its schol‐arship/essay contest ap‐plication kit and other materials to senior high schools' guidance offices throughout Florida. The materials also are avail‐able to download here:

[ Cover Form ] [ Essay Kit ] [ DVP List ] [ Poster ]

RPR is Launching This Month Keep your eyes peeled for an email which will inform you when RPR—the Realtor’s Property Resource—will be launching for RAMC members sometime around the middle of this month.

In December we announced that we would be the first and only Realtor® Association on the Treasure Coast to offer RPR to its members! Now, only a few short months later it will be ready for you to use.

WHAT IS RPR?

RPR is an NAR REALTOR® member benefit that is available at no charge.

RPR is 100 percent owned by you, directed by you, and operated for the benefit ofNAR and its REALTOR® mem‐bers. Only REALTORS® can access the information avail‐able in RPR.

RPR provides a detailed view of every parcel of property in the United States, including; public record and assess‐ment information, details of prior transactions and sales history, zoning, permits, mortgage and lien data, neighborhood demographics and schools.

And MORE… Download the Fact Sheets here.

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Advertising%20space%20in%20the%20RAMC%20Newsletter�http://www.media.floridarealtors.org/Scholarship%202011/scholarshp%20cover%20form.doc�http://www.media.floridarealtors.org/Scholarship%202011/Florida%20Realtors%20essay%202011%20kit.doc�http://www.media.floridarealtors.org/Scholarship%202011/2010-11%20DVP%20schools%20list.doc�http://www.media.floridarealtors.org/Scholarship%202011/Poster85x11.pdf�http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect/7058468043fd398b82c8eb34cafa6d66/Fact_Sheets_9-10.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=7058468043fd398b82c8eb34cafa6d66�

February 18, 2011

2/18/11 2/18/11

F E A T U R E D S EM I N A R Understanding Pesky Personalities Learn how to be multi‐lingual by under‐standing personalities and their commu‐nication styles

Date: Thursday, February 17th Time: 9am – 1:00pm Tuition: $20 by 2/11, $25 thereafter; $35 non‐member Instructor: Cynthia Krosky, CSP, LCSW

How can we build the future together if we struggle to communicate? Success in business and in personal relationships requires that we understand how to im‐prove our verbal and nonverbal skills. Peo‐ple in sales understand how vital it is to be able to read clients and to share informa‐tion in a manner that can be understood. This program will provide participants with an increased awareness of how personal‐

ity styles influence communication. Learn how to assess styles of customers, em‐ployees and families, and then be able to immediately alter communication styles to increase the person’s ability to hear the message and to understand the informa‐tion being given. Understanding these easy‐to‐use techniques not only improves communication, but increases confidence and decreases conflicts.

Upon completion of this course, partici‐pants should be able to:

Assess personality styles

Know how the most effective commu‐nicate methods to us

Understand their strengths, weaknesses, fears, and be‐haviors under stress

Use the best practices for working with different personality styles and much more

Seating is limited—REGISTER TODAY!

F E B R U A R Y B R E A K F A S T C L U B “Property Appraiser Update” Date: Friday, Feb. 11th Time: 9am – 10am Tuition: Free, but reserva‐ tions are required Instructor: Laurel Kelly

Property Appraiser Laurel Kelly returns for her annual update on Martin County! Topics to be discussed include, but are not limited to:

Introduction ‐ Fun Facts

History of ad valorem taxes

County Residential Sales Trends chart through 2010

County Taxable Value History through 2010

V I R T U A L C L A S S R O OM

Goal Setting Date: Wednesday, Feb 9th Time: 1pm – 4pm Tuition: $20 Instructor: Cynthia DeLuca

Most Realtors® know how important goals are, but how do you plan to reach them? Without tactical goals, you are being led by situations and events, rather than pro‐actively creating circumstances allowing you to hit your target. This course is de‐signed to help Realtors® truly understand what a goal is – how is it defined? What does it mean? It will then guide students towards calculating realistic yet optimistic goals for themselves. Finally, it will pre‐pare and motivate them to structure their day around their goals, which will allow them to prioritize and work smarter. This virtual classroom is a live webinar.

3 CEUs

How to register for an event online: 1. Log onto http://www.RAMConline.org

2. Click on Calendar

3. Click on Register for Events or View Calen‐dar

4. Click on the program

5. Click on the "Check Out" button on Event Registration page

6. Click on the "Check Out" button on Your Functions page; fill in credit card informa‐tion if there is a fee

7. Click on the "Check Out" button on Check‐Out Basket page. (Please click this button only once…be patient).

8. Confirmation and order # on the Purchase Detail page.

9. Verify registration: Under Register for

Events a will appear by the events you are registered for.

A B O U T T H E S P E A K E R

CYNTHIA KROSKY, CSP, LCSW has a proven track record for being a professional speaker. An expert on how people work together, she presents approx.

200 programs a year. Her diversity of knowl‐edge, experiences, and understanding of group dynamics enrich her ability to influence the

way people work together.

She uses her expertise to assist organizations in developing leadership and team skills so that they may discover ways to increase productivity. Her inter‐

active programs are engaging, fun, and provide the audience with practical easy to apply infor‐mation.

RAMC Members pay only $20 before Feb. 11th

Call 283‐1748 or register online

http://www.ramconline.org�http://www.RAMConline.org�http://www.ramconline.org/source/Members/cMemberRosterList.cfm?section=Register&ID=400003225�http://www.ramconline.org�

Got Ethics? A look at Article 11 of the Realtor® Code of Ethics

Case History

Client A engaged REALTOR® B, who was also a licensed appraiser, to appraise an apartment building. Client A indi‐cated that he planned to put the building on the market. When the appraisal was submitted, REALTOR® B solicited the listing of the building at the price he determined to be the most current market value as shown in his appraisal. Client A asked for time to think it over. Surprised at what he felt to be a low valuation in REALTOR® B’s appraisal, Client “A went to REALTOR® C, who was also a licensed appraiser, recounted his business relations with REAL‐TOR® B, and engaged REALTOR® C to make a second ap‐praisal of the building. REALTOR® C submitted his ap‐praisal, which was 25% higher than REALTOR® B’s valua‐tion. Client A listed the property for sale with REALTOR® C at his appraised value and the building was soon sold by REALTOR® at that price. REALTOR® C filed a complaint against REALTOR® B charging a violation of Article 11. REALTOR® C alleged that REALTOR® B had undertaken an appraisal outside his field of experience and competence. At the hearing, at which a written statement by Client A was entered into the record, all the facts above were established. Questioning revealed that REALTOR® B conducted very little appraisal work. He had never performed an appraisal on any property type other than a single‐family house; he had not obtained qualified assistance; and he had not ap‐prised Client A of his limited experience. The hearing panel concluded that REALTOR® B was in violation of Article 11 because he was not qualified without obtaining competent assistance or advising his client of his limited experience as an appraiser. REALTOR® B paid the automatic $500 fee and was fined an additional $1,500 be‐cause this was his second ethics violation.

Know your limits. Provide services only in areas of your expertise Article 11 of the NAR Code of Ethics cautions REALTORS® to not

attempt to provide a service for which they are not qualified. For

example, if a REALTOR® who works exclusively as a residential

broker and has no commercial experience is asked to market a

business property, the REALTOR® is obligated to disclose to the

client that he or she does not have the experience and expertise

necessary to provide the requested service.

In some cases, a prospective client might value the general abilities and integrity of a particular REALTOR®. That client might insist on using that REALTOR®’s services even though the REALTOR® has disclosed his or her lack of experience and competency in that area. In that case, the REALTOR® can undertake the assignment only if he or she fully discloses his or her lack of experience and the REALTOR® obtains assistance from someone competent in the field. The REALTOR® must tell the client who provided the assis‐tance and the degree to which that person contributed.

Disclose everything When preparing an opinion of property value or price, other

than in pursuit of a listing or to assist a purchaser in formulat‐

ing an offer, make sure to identify the property. Always in‐

clude the date prepared, the defined value of the property,

any limiting conditions, and statements of purpose and in‐

tended users. Disclose any present or contemplated interest,

including the possibility of representing the seller or buyer.

Provide the basis for the opinion, including applicable market

data, and if the opinion is not an appraisal, provide a state‐

ment to that effect.

If you are providing consulting services to clients that involve

advice or counsel for a fee (not a commission), be sure to pro‐

vide advice objectively. If you are providing brokerage or

transaction services in addition to consulting services, sepa‐

rate compensation can be made as long as you and your client

have a prior agreement, preferably in writing.

If your client asks you to perform an appraisal assignment for which you are not qualified, you must disclose your lack of experience and tell your client you will obtain assistance from a qualified appraiser. In the appraisal report be sure to iden‐

tify the individuals or firms that provided assistance.

Download a copy of the 2011 Code of Ethics on NAR’s website

http://www.realtor.org/mempolweb.nsf/pages/code�

Taxes It’s that time of year!

Morale of the story:

Remember Article 11 of the

Code of Ethics and know

your l imits

Do You Ever Collect Rents for an Owner? Starting in 2011, there is a new tax re‐quirement for landlords. All landlords who receive $600 or more in rent for the year must send a 1099 to all service providers that the landlord paid $600 or more dur‐ing the year, such as plumbers, carpenters, yard services, and repair people. Example: You have a house listed for sale. The owner has to move and asks if you will rent it for them. You agree upon a fee for services and start advertising! You find a renter who wants to “rent to own.” You call your seller and your seller says “Yes!” You take the buyer to an attorney who prepares the papers. You receive the rent money monthly, and disburse it to the seller. You are now a landlord. The buyer/tenant calls you to say the hot wa‐ter tank is leaking. You call the Seller. The seller asks if you will hire a plumber to replace the hot water heater. You say “sure” Mr. Seller, if you will send me an email authorizing me to pay the plumber from your monthly proceeds. Mr. Seller sends the email; you hire the plumber who replaces the hot water tank and eve‐ryone is happy. Seven months later, the renter is ready to close on the property. Closing goes smoothly, Mr. Seller receives his money and you receive your money. January 1 of next year comes and you be‐ing declaring your income. Your CPA dis‐covers you received a fee because you were a landlord and asks if you hired any vendors. You say “Yes” and provide infor‐mation to the CPA. The CPA asks, where is the plumbers W‐9? You ask: What is a W‐9? You finally get in touch with the plumber, get a W‐9 signed, the CPA sends the 1099 to the plumber, files your taxes and sends you a bill. When you get the bill your eyes get as big a saucer because the CPA’s fee is larger than in previous years because of the one rental transaction. You put the W‐9 into the sales file. Then the auditor from the Florida Real Estate Com‐mission knocks on your door and asks for your transaction files. She sees a W‐9 in

the file for the plumber and asks for a copy of your property management agree‐ment. You don’t have one… Moral of the story: Remember Article 11 from the Code of Ethics. Know your limits!

Who Really Benefits from The MID NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ Chief

Economist, Lawrence Yun sent the following

letter to the editor of The Washington Post in

response to the January 1, 2011 article, “Trim

the Excessive Tax Subsidy for Real Estate.”

“It’s a common misperception that the mortgage interest deduction (MID) bene‐fits primarily the wealthy, as argued in the Washington Post’s January 1 editorial, ‘Trim the Excessive Tax Subsidy for Real Estate.’

“In fact, the MID actually benefits primar‐ily middle‐ and lower income families. Sixty five percent of families who claim the MID earn less than $100,000 per year, and 91 percent who claim the benefit earn less than $200,000 per year. As a percentage of income, the biggest MID beneficiaries are younger middle‐class families.

“The MID helps many families become home owners by reducing the carrying costs of owning a home. The ability to deduct the interest paid on a mortgage can mean significant savings at tax time. For example, a family who bought a home last year with a $200,000, 30‐year, fixed‐rate mortgage, assuming an interest rate of 5 percent, could save nearly $3,500 in federal taxes when they file next year. That’s real money they can use to pay down other debts, save for their children’s college education, or put away for retire‐ment.

“It’s no wonder, then, that most Ameri‐cans support the MID. In fact, in a recent NAR survey by Harris Interactive of 3,000 home owners and renters, nearly three‐

fourths of home owners and two‐thirds of renters said the MID was extremely or very important to them.

“Unlike the very rich, much of whose wealth is tied to the stock market, the wealth of most middle‐class American families is connected to their home. Mil‐lions of these Americans bought their homes with the understanding that mort‐gage interest is tax‐deductible, and many of them have steadily paid down their mortgages to build equity in their home. Eliminating or reducing the MID would destroy part of this hard‐earned equity for

all home owners, independent of their tax filing status.

“Furthermore, we also need to be mindful that home owners already pay 80 percent to 90 percent of U.S. federal income tax, and this share could rise to 95 percent if the MID is eliminated. Proposals that would remove certain tax benefits in re‐turn for lower tax rates just may hold for one or two terms of Congress before the tax rates are changed again. Americans are not naïve; they understand the nature of Washington politics.

“For people who don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings to buy a home outright, tax benefits like the MID help them begin building their futures through home ownership. In a time when the middle class faces increased economic pressures, you can be sure that the Na‐tional Association of REALTORS® will re‐main actively engaged to ensure that hard‐working, home‐owning families continue to receive this important benefit.”

‐ NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun

“65% of families who claim the MID

earn less than $100,000 per year, and

91% who claim the benefit earn less

than $200,000 per year”

Read more about the MID on page 14

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/01/AR2011010102305.html�http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/01/AR2011010102305.html�http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/01/AR2011010102305.html�http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/01/AR2011010102305.html�

RPAC Capitol Club

RAMC President Linda Prange (right) presented Patrick Stracuzzi of RE/MAX of Stuart (left) with the Realtor® Political Action Committee (RPAC) Capitol Club plaque and pin. This recognition is given to Realtors® who have made a $250 donation to RPAC in a single year.

Graduates of the Realtor® Institute

Congratulations to Liz Elliott of Premier Realty Group (left) and Sharon Wernlund of Coldwell Banker (right), the most recent RAMC members to receive their GRI certification.

JANUARY PROGRAM SPONSORS

Jan. 4th—Marketing VIC MISKANIC

WCR

Jan. 18th—Marketing KAREN GILMORE

EAST COAST MORTGAGE LENDERS

Jan. 25th—Marketing ROCK & RITA FIORE

PREFERRED HOME WATCH & CONCIERGE

Jan. 10th—Short Sale Essentials KAREN GILMORE

EAST COAST MORTGAGE LENDERS

Jan 24th—Basic MLS RICHARD CUSHING TLC EXPERTS

Great Job!

Jennifer Atkisson‐Lovett Tom Baker Priscilla Baldwin Christie Bearse Stephen Bohner Rick Boschen Mary Easley Bradley Keri Burgess Judy Burkhardt Nancy Burnopp Ann Busbee Marty Carmody Chris Clifford Bill Dean Dave Derrenbacker Steve Dutcher Debra Duvall Dennis Fadden Brent Gifford Rick Hartman

Marlene Katz Jay Keegan Angie Laviano Vince Laviano Elsie Long Pat McGhee Janice Norman Steve Osburn Bonnie Peters Linda Prange Charles Ross Colleen Sample Julia Sansevere Andy Spears Patrick A. Stracuzzi Patrick S. Stracuzzi Devin Teal Jackie Thurlow‐Lippisch Mary Ann Villalva Debbie Wood

$99 Club

Price Reduced... RELOCATION GUIDES

100 for $100! Call Elaine to place your order

772‐283‐1748

MON T H L Y T I P

Importing Client Information into MLXchange MLXchange has a built‐in import feature that enables you to import client infor‐mation from other sources, such as Mi‐crosoft Outlook or Top Producer®. (Client information is also added auto‐matically whenever a prospect electroni‐cally inquires about a listing on your Agent Web Site.)

To import client information into MLXchange:

1. From the Client Manager page, se‐lect Import from the Action menu, then click the arrow button. The Client Import page opens:

2. In the Data Format section, select the option button that describes the application (and version) from which you want to import client informa‐tion:

Import Microsoft Outlook 2000 or later

Import Top Producer 6.0 or 6i Contacts

Import Top Producer 7i Con‐tacts

3. Select what you want MLXchange to do if the program already contains a

MLS Training Classes

BASIC MLS 3 CEUs Monday Feb. 28th 9am‐12:30pm Free, but registration is required Learn the MLS Rules and Regulations; get an overview of the MLXchange system; learn how to set up clients and perform basic client functions; Listings search; printing standard reports; Listing input and maintenance; adding photos and plotting listing on the map; and adding Open house information.

ADVANCED MLS 3 CEUs Monday Feb. 28th 1:30pm‐4:30pm Free, but registration is required Review listing search procedure; customiz‐ing search templates; customizing grid views; exporting information; Report Man‐ager and setting up custom report views; Agent Web Page setup and modification; conducting Statistical searches.

iMAPP Monday Feb. 14th 1pm‐3pm Free, but registration is required Trainer Tim Haines will not only show you how to conduct a public records lookup and perform basic tasks in IMAPP, he will also show you how to use this FREE program to enhance your marketing campaign and stand out from the crowd! If you haven't yet attended one of these training sessions, you are missing out!

Register at our website for these programs and any others offered by RAMC.

For MLXchange Tech Support or help with any

feature, call the Help Desk M‐F 8:30a‐8p/Sa‐Su

8:30a‐3p at:

1‐888‐825‐5472 record with the same name as one that is being imported:

Keep the client record — the new contact record will not be imported.

Overwrite the client record with the one being imported — exist‐ing client information in the MLXchange database will be replaced with the imported cli‐ent information.

Add a new client record (resulting in duplicate records) — both the existing and im‐ported client records are pre‐served, however, this may result in duplicate client records.

NOTE! You can also use the Client Man‐ager’s Merge feature to combine dupli‐cate client records.

4. Click Next. The Client Import page opens with onscreen instructions for the applica‐tion you chose in step #2.

5. If you are importing from:

Microsoft Outlook, the records from the Contacts folder in Out‐look’s Personal Folders will be imported. Go to step 6.

Top Producer, follow the on‐screen instructions to export your Top Producer contacts to a text file (.txt or .csv). Once the export file has been created and saved, click Next to open the last page of the Client Import wizard.

Click Browse to navigate to where you saved the Top Pro‐ducer export file, highlight it and click Open.

6. Click Import.

Listingbook If you attended the Listingbook Lift‐Off event in December and have had prob‐lems with your purchase, or just ques‐tions in general, here’s who to contact:

Technical Support: 1‐866‐353‐3456

Contracts, Packages/Purchases: Brian Daughtry (336) 389‐3209

http://www.ramconline.org�

Government Affairs REALTORS® Lend their Support to Mortgage Tax Deductions The findings of the recently concluded Congressional Debt Commission outlined a number of austerity measures that the government could take to reduce spend‐ing and debt at the Federal level. One of the most controversial suggestions that came out of the Commission’s findings was to discontinue the Federal tax deduc‐tion for interest paid on mortgages, in order to increase tax revenues. While all the Commission’s suggestions were non‐binding and have not been debated or even prepared as Bills as of now, the Na‐tional Association of Realtors® and a bi‐partisan group of House members are preparing to defend homeowner’s rights and preserve the highly popular and widely‐utilized mortgage tax deduction.

Last week in the US House of Representa‐tives, California Representative Gary Miller (R‐42), along with five original cosponsors introduced House Resolution 25. The reso‐lution expresses the "sense of the Con‐gress that the current Federal income tax deduction for interest paid on debt se‐cured by a first or second home should not be further restricted."Representative Miller has sent a "Dear Colleague" letter asking other Members of Congress to co‐sponsor the resolution. In addition, NAR has also sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives asking Members to co‐sponsor H.R. 25. The full text of that letter follows:

Dear Representative:

More than one million members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) remain steadfast in heir belief that eco‐nomic recovery depends in large measure on recovery in the housing market. Accord‐ingly, the single most important contribu‐tion Congress can make to that recovery is

to assure stability in the laws—particularly the tax rules—that undergird the housing economy.

To that end, we urge you to cosponsor H.Res.25, a bipartisan resolution offered by Rep. Gary Miller and five original bipar‐tisan cosponsors. It affirms the importance of the mortgage interest deduction (MID). The resolution expresses the sense of Con‐gress that the MID should not be cut back, but rather that current law should be re‐tained. To restrict current law in any way would undermine progress in the still‐fragile housing recovery.

The nation cannot emerge from its current economic distress unless and until the housing crisis has abated. Congress must do everything in its power to shore up con‐sumer confidence in housing by reaffirm‐ing its support for the tax benefits that support housing. The worth and value of the MID must be preserved.

People buy homes to satisfy many social, family and personal goals. The tax system facilitates achievement of those goals. The tax system supports homeownership by making it more affordable. Nonetheless, over the past year, some pundits have questioned the role of homeownership in American culture. Some have even gone so far as to say that the nation should reduce its commitment to homeownership.

Those pundits are wrong. No single invest‐ment contributes more to family wealth and community stability than the purchase of a home. Similarly, nearly every State in the Union—and a majority of Congres‐sional districts—has at least one commu‐nity where second homes are the founda‐tion of local economies. To change the tax benefits associated with any housing in‐vestments, particularly in today’s econ‐omy, would be devastating to communi‐ties across the Nation.

Please join Mr. Miller and your colleagues in sending a clear signal that you support a

strong and stable housing market and that you support the current MID rules. Please co‐sponsor H.Res. 25.

Sincerely,

Ron Phipps, ABR, CRS, GRI, GREEN, e‐PRO, SFR 2011 President, National Association of REALTORS®

The Realtor Association of Martin County and Florida Realtors® remain committed to educating consumers about the value and advantages of home ownership, and to opposing legislation that erodes that value in any way. To find out more about this and other efforts REALTORS® are un‐dertaking to preserve the value of your home, call a REALTOR® today.

iPhone App Launched to Support Mortgage Interest Deduction Efforts

In conjunction with its legislative cam‐paign to preserve the mortgage interest tax deduction, the National Association of Realtors recently launched a free applica‐tion for iPhones to help consumers and REALTORS® alike demonstrate the tax sav‐ings afforded to homeowners. The App is called “Mid Calc” and is available free of charge in the iTunes App Store. Use the buying power calculator to see how your housing dollars are optimized by the tax savings!

Price Range 0-2 3 4+ 10 Total Units

09 Total Units

2010 2009 Price Range 10 Total Units

09 Total Units

2010 2009

$5,000,000 0 0 0 0

Total Units 38 76 34 148 150 1,800 1,785 Total Units 54 72 780 882

Avg Price 107,374 227,239 383,028 232,252 210,085 484,286 535,166 Avg Price 141,419 220,426 253,877 271,147

Med Price 100,000 178,500 298,000 176,000 165,500 259,000 299,000 Med Price 75,750 160,000 179,900 195,000

Total Val 4,080,200 17,270,150 13,022,950 34,373,300 31,512,771 871,714,481 956,341,657 Total Val 7,636,650 15,870,671 198,024,269 239,151,271

Residential CondominiumSold by # of Bedrooms Inventories Sold Inventories

Type 2010 2009 2010 2009 Type 2010 2009Assum 0 0 12.16 11.90 Assum 0 0Cash 72 62 Cash 39 49Conv 49 60 Conv 13 21FHA 11 21 FHA 1 0VA 7 1 VA 0 1

Seller 6 2 2010 2009 Seller 0 0Other 3 4 14.44 12.25 Other 1 1

DOM 2010 2009 DOM 2010 20091-30 31 56 1-30 7 1531-60 18 21 31-60 2 461-90 13 13 61-90 7 791-120 18 13 91-120 5 5121+ 67 45 121+ 32 41

Solds by Financing Type Absorption Rate Solds by Financing TypeResidential Residential Condo

Residential Condo

Absorption RateCondo

Solds by Number of DOM Solds by Number of DOM

Absorption rate: indication of average length of DOM

To calculate the absorption rate, divide the number of lis tings in your market by the number of sales during that month. For

example, if your market had 300 home listings last month and 100 sales, the absorpt ion rate

is three months.

Based on MLS information from the Realtor Association of Martin County, Inc.

DECEMBER 2010

Calling All Affiliate Members!

Would you like to submit a tip for our REALTOR members? Would you like to sponsor a Marketing session or educational program? Sponsorship opportunities

are opening weekly .

Contact Lanie quickly to assure you have the opportunity to get in front of our members!

7722831748 or [email protected]

Tips and Information from our Affiliate Members

The state of Florida passed a new law requiring all home inspectors to be license, effective July 1, 2011. It is im‐portant to hire a qualified inspector and to help ‐ look for the professional affiliations with American Society of Home Inspectors or the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors. Also, ask if the inspector carries Errors & Omissions Insurance which will protect all parties.

Contributed by:

James Childre of National Property Inspections

In 2005 4% of all home loans were USDA Loans. In 2009 57% of all Loans were USDA Loans. This is partially due to the fact that there are fewer loan programs to choose from. Martin County is 100% approved for USDA (as long as the borrower(s) qualify for USDA Guidelines) 100% financing with No Private Mortgage Insurance.

Contributed by:

Karen Gilmore of East Coast Mortgage Lending

According to an article written by MBA Staff, REO’s are being moved at a faster rate when lenders perform re‐modeling on the distressed property. It is well‐known that these properties are headaches to the Lenders who now own them, so they are doing what is necessary to unburden themselves and their books.

Contributed by:

Michelle Spivey of Stewart Title Company

Still need reasons to advertise in magazines? 92% of all US adults read magazines! Magazines are highly targeted with no wasted circulation. Magazines excel at brand‐ing. Magazines drive web search traffic more effectively than any other medium! Magazines deliver the strongest return on investment compared to other types of adver‐tising!

Contributed by:

Henry Ontiveros of Homes and Land

Non‐Government Home Renovation Loans Available on Purchase Transactions

The “HomeStyle” Renovation* program allows borrowers to combine the purchase cost of the home with the cost to renovate or extensively remodel the property. This product is available for the conventional buyer, does not include any PMI**, and is not limited to any specific bank owned properties. Appraisals are completed “subject to repairs”, so you get the benefit of the improvements in the valuation. Loan amounts range from $50,000 to $417,000. *Some qualifications and restrictions apply; ** With an LTV at or under 80%

Contributed by:

Kevin Sargent of First Peoples Bank

Homeowners Insurance premiums can be reduced by thousands of dollars with wind mitigation credits. The State of Florida requires homeowners insurance compa‐nies to offer credits that reduce your premium based on features of the home that help to reduce the potential damage from the effects of wind. You must get a Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form completed by an approved inspector to determine your savings. Credits are available for a roof installed to the 2001 Florida Build‐ing Code, the roof deck attachment, the roof to wall at‐tachment with hurricane clips or straps, a Hip Roof, and openings with hurricane rated protection. The wind miti‐gation credits reduce your premium and carry forward each year for continued savings.

Contributed by:

Jeff & Nicole Mier of River Crest Insurance

For all RAMC Affiliate contact information, click here

http://www.ramconline.org/Scriptcontent/roster.cfm?Section=Offices&q=ai�

Christy Bearse, Director

Office: Fenton Lang Bruner & Associates

Title: Realtor

Years in real estate: 6

What is your real estate specialty/niche? Residential

Former career/profession: Finance Director at Mobile Medical Indus‐tries

What do you love most about being a Realtor®? I really enjoy helping others, so real estate was a natural fit

What was the last book you read: Deadlock by Iris Johansen

What is your favorite restaurant or food? Italian food and chocolate

Where were you born? Rhode Island

Have you ever lived abroad? No

Do you speak any foreign languages? No, English only

Favorite quote/words to live by Treat others the way you would like to be treated...with respect and kindness.

Favorite vacation spot Anywhere with family and friends

Hobby or favorite leisure activity Playing soccer

Do you have a hidden talent you’d like to share? Some of my dreams come true

If you could try anything knowing that you could not fail, what would you at‐tempt? President of the United States or Scientist (cure all kinds of diseases)

Marty Carmody, President‐Elect

Office: Premier Realty Group

Title: Sales Associate


What is your real estate specialty/niche? Residential and Commercial

Former career/profession: Golf Professional

What do you love most about being a Realtor®? Assisting clients with achieving their real estate goals either personally or profes‐sionally.

What was the last book you read: Iron Orchid by Stuart Woods

What is your favorite restaurant or food? I love the fish tacos at Riverwalk Café in Downtown Stuart

Where were you born? Manchester, Vermont but moved to Mar‐tin County in 1976

Have you ever lived abroad? Yes, in Puerto Rico for almost 5 years

Do you speak any foreign languages? Spanglish… I would love to take the time to learn correct Spanish.

Favorite quote/words to live by Tough times never last but tough people do.

Favorite vacation spot Anywhere in the Bahamas and Cape Cod

Hobby or favorite leisure activity Golf and spending time with my wife and two children

Do you have a hidden talent you’d like to share? I make a pretty mean BBQ sauce!!

If you could try anything knowing that you could not fail, what would you at‐tempt? Try to win The Masters!

Brent Gifford, Director

Office: Prudential Florida Realty, Stuart

Title: Sales Associate


What is your real estate specialty/niche? Residential/Martin County

Former career/profession: Owner & President of a large construction company

What do you love most about being a Realtor®? Working with so many interesting people—we are quite a bunch!

What was the last book you read: Pinheads & Patriots by Bill O’Reilly; currently reading Decision Points by George Bush

What is your favorite restaurant or food? Carmelina at the Commons in Hadley, MA

Where were you born? I’m a Jersey Boy—Long Branch, NJ

Have you ever lived abroad? No

Do you speak any foreign languages? No

Favorite quote/words to live by Live a good life, and in the end it’s not the years in the life but the life in the years ~Abraham Lincoln

Favorite vacation spot Eleuthera, Bahamas

Hobby or favorite leisure activity Doing anything with and spending time with my wife Robbin

Do you have a hidden talent you’d like to share? I’m an experienced chef—I feel at home in any commercial kitchen!

If you could try anything knowing that you could not fail, what would you attempt? Win the lottery and see how much good I could do; when I was younger playing in the NFL.

Spotlight Interviews with RAMC’s Leadership

Page 17

Home ‐ Condo ‐ Commercial Inspections Licensed Pest Control Operator “Termite” WDO Inspections Wind Mitigation Inspections

Call 772Call 772--285285--02340234 Email: [email protected]

www.FloridaHomeInspector.com Ask me about our FREE 3 hour CEU Course!

“Women’s Council of REALTORS® Affiliate of the Year”

1 8:30am Residential Marketing, Area 7, Map H

2 3 11am—Gov’t Affairs Committee

4

7 8 8:30am Residential Marketing, Area 7, Map I

9 1pm—”Goal Setting”

10 8:30am—BOD

11 9am—Breakfast Club, “Property Appraiser Update”

14 1pm– iMAPP/Public Records

Valentine’s Day

15 8:30am Residential Marketing, Area 8, Map G

16 17 9am—”Understanding Pesky Personalities”

18 9am—New Member Orienta‐tion

21

President’s Day

22 8:30am Residential Marketing, Area 14, Maps R & S

23 24 25

28 9am—Basic MLS 1:30pm—Advanced MLS

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

February

GRI 2 Held at RASL—Feb 28th thru March 2nd, and March 7th‐8th

Calling all Commercial Real Estate Brokers:

We are looking for articles from YOU to print in future issues of Realtor Digest. Some submission ideas are:

Articles of interest based on your experiences, educa‐tion, and/or research in the Commercial field.

Information concerning closed transactions in loca‐tions in the tri‐county area including sales, leases, ex‐changes, refinancing or any other related commercial ac‐tivity.

If you would like to contribute something, please contact Lanie at Lanie@martin‐realtors.org or Marisa at Ma‐risa@martin‐realtors.org for more information.

IT’S BACK! Florida’s statewide Open House weekend will take place on March 26th and 27th. Start spreading the news to your buyers and sellers! Download flyers, logos and other marketing tools here.

mailto:[email protected]�http://www.floridahomeinspector.com�mailto:[email protected]?subject=Commercial%20Real%20Estate%20Articles%20for%20Newsletter�mailto:[email protected]?subject=Commercial%20Real%20Estate%20Articles%20for%20Newsletter�mailto:[email protected]?subject=Commercial%20Real%20Estate%20Articles%20for%20Newsletter�mailto:[email protected]?subject=Commercial%20Real%20Estate%20Articles%20for%20Newsletter�mailto:[email protected]?subject=Commercial%20Real%20Estate%20Articles%20for%20Newsletter�http://www.floridarealtors.org/AboutFar/OpenHouse/index.cfm�

RAMC’s First Social of 2011A publication for and about our membersdigestFebruary 2011Some of this issue’s highlights:Page #Page #Page #Page #This article is part of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®’ REALTOR® Safety Resources Kit.Page #Page #Page #Page #Page #Page #Page #Page #Page #

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