REALTORS® Property Resource (RPR) is expected to be a tremendous time- and cost-saving benefit for members, according to Jeff Young, RPR’s senior vice-president of operations.

“Research has shown that $30 million is spent annually purchasing public record and tax assessment data from third parties,” Young said. “RPR will be a single source for agents who sell in multiple areas and will allow them to compare the differences in the market.”

Young said there are 147 million parcels of property including vacant land, parking lots, commercial buildings and residential properties. “This is not a nationwide MLS. There’s no offer of compensation on RPR. We’re trying to create a depth of data for these properties whether or not it’s ever been for sale,” Young explained. “MLSs only have information about properties that are on sale or have sold so it’s a limited history of a property.”

While REALTORS® could obtain this information by extensive research of property records, online or in county court houses, NAR would like to provide this information for REALTORS® in one central location. “This information is better suited to be in one single place and ultimately consumers will benefit because REALTORS® will have access to this information,” Young said.

Currently the database is being built and RPR has collected about 92 percent of the nationwide data. RPR has a blog that allows REALTORS® to learn more. The RPR will be rolled out geographically throughout the country and all members are expected to have access to the data by the third quarter this year. Young said it’s expected that 100 percent of the data will be in place by the end of 2011.

MLSs and Commercial Information Exchanges (CIEs) are encouraged to participate in the RPR so the data will be all-inclusive. The RPR will also have tax records, mapping and school information.

“All real estate is local but the consumer doesn’t know anything about confined market areas,” Young said. “They move from one area of the country to another.”

PAR will use the grant money to interview a random sample of individuals who have recently experienced a foreclosure, as well as those still living in hard-hit neighborhoods, according to Jennifer Shockley, assistant director, PAR Government Affairs. “The results of this project will help our members and political leaders better understand the direct impact of foreclosures on individuals and position REALTORS® to become part of the solution by recommending affirmative steps for action to elected officials,” she said.

PAR’s Foreclosure Prevention and Response Grant is part of NAR’s Right Tools, Right Now program. More than 100 grants were awarded to local and state associations to help them develop coordinated plans of action to prevent foreclosures and respond to their adverse affects.

SGS is currently developing questions and is expected to have results of the survey by the end of June.  PAR will determine a course of action based on the data.

Tom Ferry

Marketing never stops, according to Tom Ferry, founder and CEO of TomFerry-your coach. “The key to marketing is making sure you’re driving traffic, getting it to the places you want to go and ultimately allowing it to generate money,” said Ferry, a trainer, motivator and personal coach for real estate professionals.  He added, “Now more than ever it’s about attracting buyers but you need a marketing strategy.”

Duration: 3:16

REALTORS® can get assistance from EasyStreet Insurance Services, a licensed insurance agency that was created especially for professionals who work in the real estate industry.

“We understand the challenges of the real estate professional and provide them the solutions for their insurance needs,” said Dan Reed, PAR’s director of insurance services.

EasyStreet Insurance Services is a service of the Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® and its for-profit subsidiary BSRE (Business Services for Real Estate).

Duration: 2:26

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Chandra Hall

Hall will present “The Good, the Bad, the Taxable and the Investor” during a three-and-a-half hour session each morning. The session will explain how REALTORS® who understand the numbers can provide buyers and sellers excellent service and opportunities in the profitable investment market. This course has been approved for 3.5 hours of PA real estate continuing education credit.

In the afternoons, her topic is “Systems Keep You Sane.” The program shows how taking advantage of the best systems can make a REALTOR’S® work day easier.

REALTORS® will also have an opportunity to visit with area vendors who will be exhibiting at each of the district conferences.

The conference is $59 for attendees. Register online or via fax at pref.biz.

Sponsored by PA REALTORS® Education Foundation (PREF), the conferences are scheduled for:

District 1: Tuesday, April 27
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre

District 5: Wednesday, April 28
Hoag’s Celebration Hall, State College

Districts 6 and 8: Thursday, April 29
Holiday Inn Washington-Meadow Lands, Washington

District 7: Friday, April 30
The Riverside Inn, Cambridge Springs

As a result, PAR and its for-profit subsidiary, Business Services for Real Estate (BSRE), formed EasyStreet Insurance Services. EasyStreet is a licensed insurance brokerage that works with leading providers such as Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Geisinger Health Plan, Capital BlueCross and United HealthCare. 

As independent contractors, REALTORS® often have a difficult time finding a trusted source for their insurance needs. 

EasyStreet’s licensed insurance professionals are experienced, knowledgeable and qualified to guide you through many insurance matters. The staff at EasyStreet is interested and committed to understanding your personal or business needs.

“We’d like the chance to talk to you about your insurance needs,” said Dan Reed, PAR’s director of insurance services. “At EasyStreet, we’re not just interested in placing you with an insurance product.  We want to guide you in the right direction.”

Become a fan of EasyStreet Insurances Services on Facebook

A housing trust fund provides a dedicated source of revenue for the housing market, according to Liz Hersh, executive director of the Housing Alliance of PA. “Investing in housing helps the local economy as well as those individuals who can get a home that they can afford and sustain,” Hersh added. Pennsylvania stands to receive nearly $40 million in funding from the federal stimulus program. The PA Association of REALTORS® supports the Housing Alliance’s efforts to create a statewide housing trust fund. Currently, HB 60 is up for consideration in the state legislature. If enacted, Pennsylvania will join 38 other states that have created housing trust funds.

Duration: 2:50

REALTORS® and brokers are being encouraged to join the campaign to increase consumer awareness of the benefits of buying a home, to give sellers’ properties increased exposure and to spread the word about the expanded first-time homebuyers tax credit which ends April 30.

How is this weekend different than any other weekend in April? This is an opportunity for consumers to shop for a new home while:

• Affordability is good

• Mortgage interest rates are low (but expected to rise)

• Good supply of homes on the market

• The Expanded First-time Homebuyer’s Federal Tax Credit is still available. The contract has to be in place by April 30, 2010.

Additional information is available at parealtor.org.

“We’ve had some last-minute changes and we want to ensure the form is legally compliant and meets the needs of our members,” said Mike Barth, PAR’s standard forms specialist.

Electronic vendors have started to post the e-forms and all vendors are expected to have the new form online by March 1. The previous ASR is still acceptable to use for transactions.

A sample of the new form and the Guidelines for Preparation and Use (PAR login required) are available on PAR’s web site.

The revised Agreement of Sale incorporates some major changes: an expanded broker box; updated mortgage contingency paragraph and a new format for handling inspections. It also has a reduced default time for inspections of 10 days. In response to the new Real Estate Licensing Registration Act (RELRA) changes, the form incorporates a change in language to dictate what will happen to escrow monies in the event of a dispute.

The Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Form (PAR Form LPD) is being released with the Agreement of Sale and replaces the previous Lead Paint Addendum. The Oil, Gas and Mineral Rights Addendum (PAR Form OGM), which was developed to explain what surface and subsurface rights are included in the sale, is available now.

John Cognetti

BSRE was formed by PAR in 1999 primarily for the purpose of selling PAR Standard Forms. Over the past several years, BSRE has expanded to include additional product and service offerings designed to produce non-dues revenue for PAR. Recently, BSRE has expanded its business to include EasyStreet Insurance Services, a licensed brokerage offering professionals insurance coverage from well-respected companies.

The BSRE Board of Directors recently met to discuss how the board may be internally restructured and to address ways to better serve PAR members. The board also heard a report that EasyStreet Insurance Services is already managing more than $400,000 in annualized premiums, including PAR’s employee insurance plan.

“BSRE continues to explore services to provide resources REALTORS® need to do business,” said Henry Lerner, Esq., BSRE’s chief operating officer.

Other directors for 2010 include: Jules Falcone, Media; Bob Hay, Stroudsburg; Sally Heimbrook, Beaver; Frank Jacovini, Philadelphia; Ted Laskowski, Quakertown; Guy Matteo, Newtown Square; Michael McGee, West Chester; Patrice Merzanis, Lemoyne; Teresa Wygle, Meadville and Gary Yost, Wyomissing.