CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO 2009

Tech Tuesday: From Apps to zipForm ® 6

Smartphone apps, blogging basics, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, hands-on computer training. Your Association’s annual Tech Tuesday, to be held Oct. 6 in San Jose, will bring together an array of seminars and professional development opportunities.

This year’s Opening Session is a moderated REALTOR® panel discussion: “Text, Tweet, and Sell: A Dialogue on Tech’s Possibilities for Today’s Agents.” This session is followed by a robust lineup of handson computer classes, as well as seminars that focus on social media and online marketing. The featured Tech Tuesday Luncheon speaker is Bodine Balasco (pictured here), who has been named one of the Top 21 Speakers for the 21st Century. In his presentation, “Technology Tips & Techniques: Keep Clients and Deliver Results,” you’ll learn how to immediately develop strategy, energy, and follow-through for creating results that are important to you ... even in the face of challenging circumstances and limited resources.

The event, which precedes CALIFORNIA REALTOR ® EXPO, the state’s largest real estate trade show, draws thousands of California’s key franchise executives, top producers, and vendors every year for educational, networking, and professional development opportunities. Tech Tuesday and CALIFORNIA REALTOR ® EXPO 2009 will be held in San Jose Oct. 6-8, at the San Jose Convention Center. Tech Tuesday, a special pre-EXPO event, features a full day of comprehensive and hands-on training geared toward assisting today’s REALTOR ® . Tech Tuesday is held Oct. 6. Registration and an admission fee are required to attend Tech Tuesday; a separate registration is required for EXPO, but admittance is free. Registration for Tech Tuesday only through Oct. 5 is $85 for members and $175 for non-members; tickets for the Tech Tuesday Luncheon are $60 when purchased prior to EXPO; $65 on-site.

For more info > Visit www.realtorexpo.org to register

>> CalHFA is Back: The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) has announced a new mortgage option called Cal30, a fixedrate, 30-year loan. Cal30 combines the predictability of a fixed-interest rate with the affordability of up to 95 percent financing. For more information on CalHFA and its products, please visit www.calhfa.ca.gov.

>> Foreclosures in 21 Languages: RealtyTrac has partnered with Enormo, a global real estate search portal formerly known as Properazzi, to post information on U.S. foreclosure-related properties from 2,200 U.S. counties. The information will be available in 21 languages to paid subscribers.

>> FHA Ups Limits on Energy-efficient Mortgages: The FHA has increased the amounts that can be added to an FHA-insured mortgage to be used for energy-efficient improvements. The maximum amount of the mortgage that now can be allotted for energy improvements is the lesser of 5 percent of the value of the property or 115 percent of the median area price of a single-family home or 150 percent of the conforming Freddie Mac limit.

>> Ecommission Offers Short Sale Advance: eCommission has launched a program to help agents waiting—and waiting—for their short sales to be approved by the bank. eCommission will provide initial advances of $1,000, $2,000, and $3,000 to agents. To learn more, call (877) 882-4368 or visit www.ecommission.com.

>> SmartZip’s New Home Valuation Tool: Move over Zillow.com, here comes SmartZip, a new home valuation analytic that assesses California and Florida properties’ potential for growth and income. The site predicts a property’s projected 10-year return on investment, monthly cash flow, region’s potential for job growth, plus the usual barometers of desirability, schools, safety, and lifestyle ratings. Visit www.smartzip.com to learn more.

>> New Marketing Strategies EXIT and Coldwell: EXIT Realty Corp. recently launched a live Webinar series, with the first one targeting the public and, specifically, first-time buyers. See www.exitrealty.com/live_events . Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Greater Los Angeles launched CB View, a comprehensive multi-media real estate resource. The View, a full-color weekly magazine, appears in the weekend sections of newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times. The CB View program integrates an online version of the magazine (www.cbview.com), a Twitter profile at www.twitter.com/cbview , and a Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/cbview).

Association News

Face2Face ™ Video Conferencing Offers NAR Designations

C A.R. Education’s new video conferencing program, Face2Face™, will deliver dynamic, interactive training to REALTORS ® at up to four local associations in California simultaneously. The live presentation will be sent via a video feed to the local association in real time, enabling every member to see and hear the same thing at the same time, for the ultimate learning experience. Students can instantly respond and interact with the instructor through this approach.

A wide array of course topics will be offered, including NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® designations such as the Green designation, Seniors Real Estate Specialist ® (SRES ® ), and the Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR ® ) designation, along with C.A.R. Education courses such as Distressed Properties and its technology training series.

This new delivery method will facilitate reduced costs for C.A.R. members and allows many associations to increase their course offerings for members by reducing the minimum class size requirement. The California Department of Real Estate (DRE) has approved this program, and any course currently approved for live lecture will qualify for DRE credit when delivered through Face2Face™.

To offer Face2Face™ at your association, please contact Ana Montoya, manager of Distance Learning Programs, at anam@car.org or (213) 739-8214.

Customizable Green Tips Available

If you’re looking for an affordable way to share both your green sensibilities and REALTOR ® brand with your clients and farm, then “Green Living Tips” is the solution. This professionally designed four-page brochure is chock-full of tips that will save your clients money and improve their home’s energy efficiency. “Green Living Tips” is customizable, allowing you to add your contact info and logo. Available in quantities of 50 to 1,000 at a cost of $50 to $750, depending on the number ordered, “Green Living Tips” is printed on 100-percent postconsumer recycled fibers, using soy-based inks, by a Sustainable Green Printing Partnership and Forest Stewardship Council-certified printer. “Green Living Tips” can be ordered online at http://indieprinting.com/car/ . Quantities greater than 1,000 are available upon request.

2009 Survey of California Home Buyers

>> C.A.R.’s 2009 Survey of California Home Buyers is available for free download at
www. car.org/tools/smart/free . This annual survey of consumers contains insight into home buyers’ sensibilities and impressions of the home-buying experience.