| 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.
2 for 1 Exchange of Mechanical Boxes Begins Monday
 The Suburban West REALTORS Association has announced a 2 for
1 exchange on all mechanical lockboxes for 1 iBox. Appointments are
needed to perform the exchange. Members can make their appointments
by either clicking
here, or by contacting Molly Logan at mlogan@suburbanwestrealtors.com
or at 610-560-4800.
The limit for the return is 20 mechanical boxes for 10 iBoxes
per person. There will be no exceptions. This 2 for 1 exchange will
end on March 20 at 5:00 p.m., so make your appointment early. To
view a flyer with the exchange information, please click
here.
Display Key Turnoff on March 10
 As indicated last week in the Weekly News Service, the black
Display Key keypads will be turned off at the close of business on
Monday, March 10. Members who still have the old keypads will need
to process their exchange before the end of business on March 10 to
ensure that they will have a working keypad.
Appointments are required to process your exchange. To make
an appointment, please click
here and once logged in, click on the Events Calendar. Or
call the Association to schedule an appointment over the phone at
610-560-4800.
HUD Releases New FHA, Conforming Loan Limits
 The US Department of Housing and Urban Development have
announced the new FHA and conforming loan limits for home prices.
This new plan is expected to assist an estimated 200,000 families
who are facing possible foreclosures on their homes. To read more
about the new loan limits, please click
here.
Professionalism Tip: Preventing Unauthorized Access and
Exposure
Access to a seller's home is a privilege. It comes with a
responsibility to respect and protect the seller and the seller's
family and home. REALTORS have an obligation to obtain a confirmed
appointment each and every time they wish to enter the Seller's
home. The use of lockboxes is not an invitation to enter the
home without an appointment. Additionally, when scheduling
appointments for inspections, remind buyers that this is not the
time to show off the home to interested friends and relatives.
Attendance should be limited to the buyers, the inspector and one or
both agents in the transaction.
Listing agents, please take all steps necessary to protect
the seller's home from unauthorized access. Here are some tips:
- Set up systems in your office to confirm the identity of real
estate agents seeking an appointment to show.
- Never allow unsupervised access to anyone who is not another
real estate agent (whose identity you have confirmed).
- If using electronic lockboxes, compare the appointment
schedule with the showing report from the lockbox. Take steps to
discourage showings without an appointment.
Abuse of the privilege of access to a seller's home violates
the trust that consumers put in REALTORS and exposes you to an
unprofessional reputation and a charge of violation of the Code of
Ethics and/or licensing law.
Save $50 on the Ecobroker Designation- Limited Time
Only
 Learn about the latest topics influencing the way your
clients buy and sell real estate. EcoBroker helps you stay current
with the growing green real estate market and the opportunities it
presents. EcoBroker's core curriculum offers innovative energy,
environmental, and green strategies and tools for real estate
professionals. Learn to reduce liabilities and increase buyer and
seller satisfaction. Create competitive advantages in the
marketplace and build business.
The EcoBroker Designation is a positive and profitable way to
differentiate yourself in today's real estate market. Becoming an
EcoBroker is a great opportunity for you to benefit your community
and the planet, while broadening your base of training and earning
more business. For 60 days starting March 1st you can enroll in the
EcoBroker Designation course for $345. A $50 savings on the current
tuition.
This course has been approved for 18 hours of continuing
education credits in Pennsylvania. More than enough to satisfy your
renewal requirements. This course is available exclusively online.
Click
here for information on the discount and
registration.
Commercial/ Investment Marketing Exchange Meeting on March
14
The C/I Marketing Exchange will next convene at the
Association's office in Malvern from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on
Friday, March 14. This month's presentation will be "Stormwater and
the Impact on Property Owners and Developers" by Patrick Considine,
P.G., President of Considine Associates. The meeting will also
feature an 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. Contact Steve
Farace at sfarace@suburbanwestrealtors.com
for more information.
Safety Tip A
year-long series of brief recommendations to promote REALTOR safety
in the office and out in the field.
Don't be trackable. Rather than use your personal cell
phone or home phone number- which can be "reverse searched" on the
Internet to find your home address- consider using a toll-free
number, which cannot be tracked. You can have calls to this number
automatically forwarded to any phone.
Employment Notices
Home Inspection company in Media is seeking Assistant
Manager for their office. People skills, telephone and computer
skills and a basic understanding of the real estate business a must.
Please send resume to HouseInspect, 601 N. Olive Street, Media, PA
19063.
Administrative Assistant needed for a busy real estate
office in Chadds Ford. Qualifications include computer skills and
professional demeanor. Real estate experience is preferred.
Interested candidates can fax their resume to 610-459-1514.
Memorial Notice
The Association is saddened to report the passing of one of
its longtime members, Frank McGourick on March 4. He was most
recently employed with Long & Foster in Media and was a member
of the Association since 1998. Friends are invited to attend his
funeral service on Saturday, March 8 at 11 a.m. at New London
Presbyterian Church in New London, PA on Route 896. Viewing will be
from 9:30 a.m.- 11 a.m. at the Church. Interment will be in the
Churchyard Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be
given to the Morgan McGuoirk Trust Fund C/O Sovereign Bank, 1751
Wilmington Pike, Glen Mills, PA 19342.
Reminder
An Accurate Portrayal of the Philadelphia-area Housing
Market- The most common complaint the Association has received
from members over the last number of months is how the real estate
market is being portrayed in the media. The Suburban West REALTORS
Association has made a priority to communicate with local newspapers
accurate information on the housing markets in Chester County,
Delaware County and the Main Line. By and large, there have been
fair assessments made in articles that have appeared in the Daily
Local and the Daily Times since the market has shifted. Recently,
the Philadelphia
Inquirer and Philadelphia
Magazine both featured prominent articles on the state of
the area's housing market.
To read more about the local housing market, please click
here.
Upcoming Events at the Association:
- March 8- Property
and Transaction Disclosures, Malvern, PA
- March 11- Insurance
and Consumer Protection at the Springfield Country Club,
Springfield, PA
- March 12- Mortgages-
What You Need to Know, Malvern, PA
- March 12- Tax
Benefits of Home Ownership, Malvern, PA
- March 14- Property
and Transaction Disclosures at Llanerch Country Club,
Havertown, PA Commercial/ Investment Exchange,
Malvern, PA
- March 17- Introduction
to e-PRO, Malvern, PA
- March 18- Title
Insurance for Real Estate Professionals at the Hilton Garden
Inn, Kennett Square, PA
- March 19- Agreement
of Sale, Malvern, PA
- March 20- Agency;
Definitions, Distinctions and Disclosures, Malvern, PA
- March 21- Association Office Closed
Important Phone Numbers & Websites
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