| 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.
Association Office Closed on Monday, January 21
 Please note that the Suburban West REALTORS Association
office will be closed on Monday, January 21 in observance of Martin
Luther King Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday, January 22 at 8
a.m. Members seeking assistance are encouraged to use the Suburban
West REALTORS Association website
or contact the staff on Tuesday.
Supra Conversion Dates and Preview Dates Scheduled
 As part of our ongoing efforts to make all members aware of
the forthcoming conversion to a new Supra electronic key system, we
are able to report that the Suburban West, Greater Philadelphia and
Lancaster Associations of REALTORS members will convert to the new
technology the week of February 11, 2008. It is important to note
that there will be no interruption of service during the exchange
process. The Bucks and Montgomery County Associations will convert
the week of February 18, 2008. Click
here for more information, including dates, times and
costs.
As was announced last week, all Suburban West members are
strongly encouraged to preview the new Supra system and to learn
more about the integrated technology that eliminates the need for
daily cradling and update codes.
The following six Preview Sessions are available to register
for:
- Wednesday, January 30 at either 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.,
or 1:00 p.m. at the Springfield Country Club in Springfield, PA
- Friday, February 1 at either 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., or
1:00 p.m. at the Suburban West REALTORS Association in Malvern, PA
For additional information and to register for one of the
preview dates, please click
here.
Professionalism Tip: Witnessed Signatures
 An often overlooked aspect of the Agreement of Sale is the
witnessing of the Buyer and Seller signatures. The dated signature
of each party must appear on the Agreement of Sale for the Agreement
to be valid and binding. The date is essential as it may be used to
ascertain the Execution Date. The Execution Date is used for all
time frames in the Agreement. No one would think about accepting an
Agreement of Sale without signatures, however, many times the
signatures are not witnessed. If signatures are not witnessed, the
Agreement is still valid but the authenticity of the signatures
could later be challenged leading to unnecessary delays and
potentially costly consequences. Protect your client by assuring
that signatures are properly witnessed. Anyone available at the time
of signing, including the licensee, can witness the signatures.
However, do not witness signatures unless you have actually
witnessed the actual signing. Brokers and office managers are
encouraged to develop policies or procedures for assuring that
licensees are taking care of this important, often overlooked
task.
This week's topic for a Professionalism Tip was given by
Donna Godfrey. She will receive a $35.00 education voucher from the
Association of REALTORS School. If you have a topic for the weekly
Professionalism Tip, please e- mail it to
Paula Tansey.
Is Your Marketing Plan Ready for 2008?
Early on into a new year, agents should be thinking about
what they would like to achieve in the next 12 months, as well as
how they plan on getting there. New technology and channels to
connect to prospective buyers are making it easier to get a listing
to a client and get them more motivated to purchase a home. REALTORS
should embrace the new technology and use it to their
advantage.
Generation Y thrives on podcasts, blogs, Myspace, e- mail and
text messaging. In order to connect with them and to keep them
interested, the information and the listings need to keep flowing.
They are a research-driven generation where the world is at their
fingertips, but sometimes they need a bit more direction and insight
from a professional to really find the home of their dreams. Agents
need to focus on ways that they can reach this generation through
technology, and now is as good a time as any to put your plan
together.
To view an article about how technology can benefit you and
your business, please click
here.
Get Connected in 2008 by Attending the next REALTOR Happy
Hour
 Join in the festivities and make a business connection with
fellow REALTORS and real estate service providers on Thursday,
February 7 at The
Newtown Grill (formerly Alberto's) in Newtown Square. Our
Happy Hour runs from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and features
complimentary appetizers and drink specials.
Additionally, you will have the opportunity to win door
prizes from a number of participating Affiliate Members, including:
- Reliable Home Inspection Service- Rossana Punzalan Winn
- Helpful Home Inspectors- Alan Fastman
- LandAmerica 1031 Exchange Services- Kristina Harshany
- Nicolas Building Inspection Services- Habib Nicolas
- Abundant Home Inspection Services- Simone Cartwright
- US Inspect- Tom Braune
- HomeFacts- Alan Weaver
To access a flyer for the event, please click
here.
Memorial Notice
The Association is saddened to inform the membership of the
passing of one of it's members. Janet McNally, a REALTOR member with
the Downingtown office of Century 21 Precision, passed away on
January 15th after a courageous battle with cancer. Janet had been
active in real estate since 1999. Relatives and friends are invited
to a Memorial Service on Saturday, January 19 at 5 p.m. at the
Calvary Fellowship Church, 95 West Devon Drive (corner of Rte 113
and Devon Drive), Downingtown, Pa. 19335. Visitation will be on
Saturday from 4:30 to 5 p.m. at the church. Interment will be
private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her name
to Calvary Fellowship Church Helps Ministry at the above
address.
Employment Notice
Prestigious Main Line home builder is seeking a Model Home
Receptionist/ Clerical Assistant. Excellent computer and people
skills are a must! Applicant must be able to work weekends.
Interested candidates may e-mail their resume to spalovitch@bentleyhomes.com.
Safety Tip A
year-long series of brief recommendations to promote REALTOR safety
in the office and out in the field.
Practice safety when shopping online. When shopping
online, check out a Web site before entering your credit card number
or other personal information. Enter this information on on secure
Web pages with addresses that start with "https" and have a closed
padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window. These are signs
that your information will be encrypted or scrambled, protecting it
from hackers.
Reminders
Mediation Training and Scholarship Available- The
Pennsylvania Realtors Institute will offer "Real Estate Mediation"
on March 13th and 14th, 2008 at the Harrisburg Hilton, Harrisburg,
PA. This two-day training will provide students with the basic
skills to become a successful real estate mediator. The course
tuition, $149.00 covers two days of class, all course materials,
lunch and snacks.
The scholarship can be used for tuition to the Pennsylvania
REALTORS Institute's "Real Estate Mediation" course, and
reimbursement of lodging and travel expenses (upon submission of
hotel bill or receipts) up to a maximum scholarship amount of $500.
To apply for the scholarship, submit a completed scholarship
application form to Paula Tansey no later than Thursday,
February 1, 2008. Applications may be mailed (100 Deerfield
Lane, Suite 240, Malvern, PA 19355) or faxed (610-560- 4801). The
scholarship recipient will be chosen by the Board of Directors or a
panel of directors. All applicants will be notified of the status of
their application in sufficient time to register for the class on
their own if they so desire.
2008 Chairman, Board of Directors Installed at Leadership
Symposium- Nearly 200 members gathered on January 10 at the
historic Valley Forge Military Academy for the Suburban West
REALTORS Association's Leadership Symposium & Luncheon. Those in
attendence witnessed the installation of the 200 Board of Directors
and the Association's new Chairman, Jim Ryal. The following is a
listing of our 2008 Leadership and Board: Chairman Jim Ryal;
Chairman-elect Terry Kirkwood; Secretary/Treasurer Tish Maloney;
Mark Barone; David Brant; Marie Griesser; Barbara Mastronardo; Paul
Mattus; John McFadden; Bill McFalls, Jr.; Andrew Wetzel; and Bill
Worthington, III.
The organization greatly appreciates the support of the
following companies who provided a generous financial contribution
as a sponsor: Prudential Fox & Roach REALTORS and The Trident
Group; USI Affinity Insurance Service; Brandywine Springfield
Waterproofing; LandAmerica 1031 Exchange Services, State Farm- J.
Scott Vasko Agency, and C.U. Settlement. Click
here to view pictures of the event.
Upcoming Events at the Association:
- January 21- Association Office Closed
- January 22- Property
and Transaction Disclosures, Malvern, PA
- January 25- Introduction
to Residential Property Management, Malvern, PA
- January 28- Mortgages-What
You Need to Know, Malvern, PA
- January 28- Investing
in Real Estate Using IRA and 401K Plans, Malvern, PA
- January 30- Supra
Conversion Preview, Malvern, PA
- January 31- Introduction
to e- PRO, Malvern, PA
- February 1- Supra
Conversion Preview, Springfield, PA
Important Phone Numbers & Websites
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