WEEKLY NEWS SERVICE
June 9, 2005

NEW INFORMATION

• Association Seeking Nominees For Board Of Directors— The Suburban West REALTORS Association requests that members who are interested in running for an open position on the Board of Directors or would like to nominate another member who they believe would be a good candidate notify the Association by June 15, 2005. The process of choosing nominees for the Board of Directors is extremely important to the organization as the Board members serve as spokesmen for the profession locally.  

It is the goal of the Association to attract the most qualified and desirable slate of candidates who each can devote the time and energy to effectively serve the membership. There are five positions on the Board that will be contested in this election, with the five candidates who garner the most votes being elected. The election for the Board begins in early September and culminates with the Annual Membership Meeting on October 21. Prior to and during the election, candidates are equally promoted by the Association through the Weekly News Service, the REALTOR News and on the Association’s website.

For more information on the process or to provide a name of a candidate, please contact Anne Marie Matteo at 610-560-4800 or email ammatteo@suburbanwestrealtors.com.

• RPAC Telethon Exceeds Goal — Last Friday, 19 members volunteered two hours of their time to assist in raising money for the REALTOR Political Action Committee. We are pleased to report that their efforts coupled with the generous contributions of 307 member contributors raised more than $37,000 on Friday alone. The goal for this year’s Annual RPAC Telethon day was $35,000. As of today (Thursday, June 9), the total contributions have risen to more than $40,000. These contributions will assist with both the REALTORS Legislative Alliance and Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS efforts to: oppose a transfer tax increase; enact legislation to allow for association health plans; oppose point of sale reassessment; maintain reasonable point of sale inspection requirements; keep banks out of real estate; and preserve mortgage interest deductions.

The Association is very appreciative of the contributions made by members as well as the following volunteers: Marice Bock, Dave Brant, Dominic Cardone, Shelby Charles, Jim Clarke, Jan Drury, Ken Enochs, Alan Fastman, Dennis Hallett, John Herreid, Brian Kane, Tish Maloney, Dyan Nelson Blass, Patricia Nicolas, Jim Ryal, Brian Slater, Mike Spillane, Dene Swartley, and Bud Tyson. To view pictures of the volunteers, please click here.

It’s not too late to contribute to RPAC as we accept contributions throughout the year.  Not only would your contribution go to furthering the legislative agenda of REALTORS, it also ensures that REALTORS opinions are heard locally, in Harrisburg and in Washington DC.  To contribute, please contact the Association’s office at 610-560-4800 or email Vinnie Pagnini at vpagnini@suburbanwestrealtors.com.

• Sewer and Water Authority in the Southwest Delaware County— Aston Township would like to remind REALTORS involved in transactions in the township and surrounding communities that the sewer authority and water authority are separate entities. Title companies are required to call for certification prior to settlement. The areas affected are those served by the Southwest Delaware County Municipal Authority, including but not limited to Aston, Brookhaven and parts of Chichester. For more information, contact township staff member Lynette Aster at 610-494-1335 ext. 14.

• Introduction To e-PRO Video Event— e-PRO is the only technology certification program recognized nationwide and endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS. e-PRO was built by REALTORS for REALTORS and will enhance your skills and abilities to help you succeed in this demanding high-tech marketplace. The “Introduction to e-PRO” event on Wednesday, June 15, 1:30 – 3:00, will help you decide if the online course is right for you. Attendance at this video demonstration entitles you to $30 off the regular course tuition of $359.00. To register click on http://ims.suburbanwestrealtors.com, Log in and click on Events Calendar or call 610-560-4800 to register by phone.

• Delaware County Bar Association Real Estate Practices Committee June 23, 2005— The committee will convene its popular breakfast meeting this month on Thursday, June 23rd at the Little Inn, Media, PA. This month’s topic is “Landlords Relief from Tenant’s Bankruptcy under Amendments to Bankruptcy Code” Speaker – Scott Waterman, Esquire. Cost for this event is $13.00 payable at the door. The fee covers the cost of breakfast and room expenses and will be charged to all attendees. Breakfast is served at 8:15 a.m., the session will begin at 8:45 a.m. Advance Reservation is required. Call Vince Mancini, Esquire at 610-566-8064 to reserve your spot.

• Register Your SUPRA Lockbox — As part of our continuing efforts to ensure that members are using all of the SUPRA resources to the fullest extent, we encourage you to register your assigned lockboxes on the SUPRA website. Registering lockboxes allows you to track who has been in your listings and when they accessed them. This is also a great tool when you are notifying your clients about the number of prospective buyers looking at their listing.

Registering the lockbox is easy. After leasing the box from the Association office, log on to www.supraekey.com. Click on “Log On to KIM” on the right, select the board name and log in with your keypad serial and PIN number. Under Keybox Inventory, click on “Add New Keybox” and enter the serial number and shackle code of the box. You can then view the settings and the keypad and lockbox activity reports. Information updates after the keypads receive updates. If you have any questions, please contact Andrea Bonacquisti Vaughn at 610-560-4800 or email avaughn@suburbanwestrealtors.com.

REMINDERS

• Commercial/Industrial Marketing Exchange Meeting on June 10 — The Commercial/Industrial Marketing Exchange will next convene at the Association’s office in Malvern from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, June 10.This month’s meeting will feature a presentation on “TIC’s” Tenants In Common from David L. Gilbert of Penn Realty Advisors, Inc. The meeting also provides an opportunity to network with upwards of 30 other members and discuss any “haves” and “wants” of your clients. 

The C/I Marketing Exchange meetings are open to all members of the Association. Thus, if you are actively involved in this unique area of the industry or want to get involved, please plan on attending the next meeting.Please contact Steve Farace at 610-560-4800 or email sfarace@suburbanwestrealtors.com if you have any questions or would like to be added to the C/I Marketing Exchange email list.

Delaware County Fair Housing Task Force Meeting on June 10 — The Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia is sponsoring an informative presentation on Issues Concerning Consumer Access To Traditional Banking Services on Friday, June 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This program at the Smedley Park Environmental Center on Baltimore Pike in Springfield is open to all members of the Association. If you have any questions or need additional information on the program, please contact Jim Berry or Rachel Wentworth at the Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia at 610-604-4411.

OTHER IMPORTANT NUMBERS:

• Suburban West REALTORS Association TECH HOTLINE:
  800-704-7240 (email: techhotline@att.net)
  (8:30 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday)
  
• PAR Legal Hot Line: 800-727-5345
  (9 a.m. to 10 am & 1 pm to 3 pm, Monday to Friday)
  
• Suburban West REALTORS Association:
  http://www.suburbanwestrealtors.com
  
• SUPRA Support: 877-699-6787 (8 am to 10 pm, Everyday)