Weekly News Service
Providing the Latest Association and Local Real Estate
Information
The Weekly News
Service is an exclusive benefit available to members of the Suburban
West REALTORS Association. Featuring both Association news and local
real estate industry information, the Weekly News is a service meant
to benefit all members of the organization.
Office Closed on Monday, September 4
Please be advised that the Suburban West REALTORS Association
office will be closed on Monday, September 4 in observance of Labor
Day. Members requiring assistance from staff should contact the
office prior to 4 p.m. on Friday, September 1. The office will
reopen Tuesday, September 5 at 8:00 a.m. Remember that comprehensive
association information is always available on our website at www.suburbanwestrealtors.com.
Condominium Capital Improvement Fees
This week, the REALTORS Legislative Alliance (RLA)
investigated and helped to overturn a fee that would have an impact
on new condo buyers in the Hickory Hill Condo Association. It
recently came to the attention of the RLA that the condo association
voted to assess a Capital Contribution Fee in the amount of five
hundred dollars to be paid by the buyer at the time of settlement.
This would have been a non-refundable fee that would fund expected
major improvements infrastructure over the next few years, and any
units sold after September 1, 2006 will be affected. After a review
of this proposed fee and a discussion with the Condo Association,
RLA noted that this capital improvement fee was not in accordance
with the Uniform Condominium Act.
According to the Subsection
3302 which outlines the powers of unit owners’ associations
in the Uniform Condominium Act (68 Pa. C. S. 3101- 3414), any
capital improvement fee levied upon new condominium owners may not
exceed one-half of the general common expense annual assessment
collected from the units in the last fiscal year were.
RLA understands that this fee has since been withdrawn by the
Condo Association; however, REALTORS should be aware of the
provisions within the Uniform Condominium Act in order to protect
their buyer in situations such as this. Click
here to access the full text of the Condominium Act for future
reference.
The above is another example of the value of the REALTORS
Legislative Alliance and the influence they can have with
municipalities and housing/condo associations. If you are concerned
about a policy/ordinance/issue with a particular municipality or
organization, please don't hesitate to contact the RLA at
610-981-9000.
Begin Earning the ABR Designation in Springfield
Following up on our successful education programs in the
spring, the Association of REALTORS School is excited to bring
Designation courses to the Springfield Country Club beginning this
fall. Our first offering will be the two-day Accredited Buyer
Representative course on September 18 and 19 (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. each
day). In addition to a convenient location for great education,
attendees will receive complimentary continental breakfast and an
in-house lunch both days.
According to NAR's chief economist, higher interest rates may
have dampened sales but price softening is good news because it is
drawing out buyers who have been waiting on price stabilization. The
Accredited Buyer Representative course provides information on how
to gain buyer clients and provide effective service so that they are
satisfied.
The course prepares licensees for providing the kind of
service and fidelity to buyers that sellers have always enjoyed, and
to offer methods for building your buyer representation business. In
each Course Module, you will examine a different topic that together
creates a comprehensive guide to help you become an effective,
efficient— and profitable— buyer’s representative.
Attendees will receive required credit towards the ABR
designation. An additional elective course and 5 transactions must
also be completed to achieve the designation. Attendees also
receive: 1 PA Broker credit; 14 hours towards PA 06-08 Real Estate
license renewal; 12 hours towards DE Real Estate license renewal;
and 10 PA Continuing Legal Education Credits. To register, click
here or call 610-560-4900.
Commercial/Investment Marketing Exchange Meeting on September
8
C/I Marketing Exchange will next convene at the Association’s
office in Malvern from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, September 8.
The topic for this month’s meeting is "How Mural Arts Can Improve
Urban Blight" by Jane Golden, Founder and Director of the Mural Arts
Program of Philadelphia. In addition to the program the meeting will
feature a tremendous opportunity to network with upwards of 30 other
members interested in commercial/industrial/investment real estate
and discuss any “haves” and “wants” of your clients.
Please contact Steve Farace at
sfarace@suburbanwestrealtors.com or call at 610- 560- 4800 if you
have any questions or would like to be added to the C/I Marketing
Exchange email list.
Association Hosts Office Administrator Forum
On August 23, the Suburban West REALTORS Association hosted
an educational and motivational forum for office administrators of
our member offices. The program featured information on the
Association, TREND and time management skills so that they can be
even a greater resource to their colleagues. It was also a great
networking opportunity for office administrators throughout the
area. The Association would like to extend its appreciation to the
administrators who attended and to note that we look forward to
hosting future annual events. Click
here for pictures of the forum.
Affordable Home Showcase in Kennett Square
On September 23 and 24, local REALTORS and the Genesis
Foundation will be partnering to offer a Affordable Home Showcase at
the Hilton Garden Inn in Kennett Square. The event runs from 10:30
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on September 23 and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on
September 24 and will feature information on home buyer financing
and homebuyer classes. It is also an opportunity for REALTORS to
provide listings. Click
here for a flyer about the event.
Employment Notice
Small Real Estate office in West Chester, established over 40
years, dealing in commercial, residential, sales and property
management is seeking organized, detail oriented Administrative
Assistant proficient in MS Word, with a working knowledge of general
bookkeeping and QuickBooks. Flexible hours. Interested parties
should call Thomas Spackman at 610-692-2424 or fax resume
610-692-2718.
Reminders
Candidates Announced For 2007 Board of Directors
Election-The Suburban West REALTORS Association is pleased to
announce the slate of candidates for election to the 2007 Board of
Directors. The REALTOR candidates will be vying for 4 vacant spots
on the Board. The Association would like to extend its gratitude to
the member volunteers for agreeing to run. The organization would
also like to encourage all members to “virtually” meet the
candidates by clicking
here and to remind all members to cast their votes when the
ballots are mailed to all members in early October. Please contact
Vinnie Pagnini at vpagnini@suburbanwestrealtors.com
if you have any additional questions.
TREND classes are coming back to Malvern. On September
18, the Association will host CMA- Comps and Reports from 10 a.m. to
12 noon AND Top 10 Tips To Maximize the Effectiveness of TREND from
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Note that both of these courses are free of
charge and open to all REALTORS of the organization. To
register, click here. Once logged in, go to the Events Schedule
link to sign up.
Next Happy Hour Scheduled-- On September 20, the
Association will conduct its next Happy Hour at George'
s in Wayne. This has been one of the best locations for the
events and many members have come out to meet and greet fellow
members, enjoy complimentary appetizers and drink specials, and be
eligible to win great door prizes generously donated by Affiliate
Members. The event will run from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and for more
information, please
click here.
Payment/Registration Center To Be Out of Service--Due
to maintence of the site, the Payment/Registration service will be
unavailable on Sunday, September 3 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. We
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Important Phone Numbers & Websites
