The call for Director and Officer candidates for the 2008 - 2009 HCAR Board of Directors is open through Friday, August 15, 2008.

There are eight 2008/2009 HCAR Board Positions open for nominations as follows:

• President-Elect (one-year term)
• Treasurer (two-year term)
• Secretary (one-year term)
• Director (5 positions will be open, two-year terms)

All Nominations Are Due August 15!
Click here for the nomination form!

The Board of Directors has appointed HCAR Secretary Mary Calder to the interim position of President-Elect to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Karol Hess. Bianca Smith has been appointed as the Interim Secretary and Michael Ball as interim Director to serve the remainder of the 2007/08 terms. We thank Karol for her tireless service to HCAR and the community.

See our full Board of Directors here.

President Bush just signed into law the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. This is a major victory for REALTORS^®, consumers, and our nation - and YOU helped make it happen!

Thanks to your advocacy, homebuyers will soon have access to more affordable financing, and first-time homebuyers (those who have not owned a home for three years) will receive a tax-credit to help them enter the market. For more details on all of the provisions in the new law, please see www.Realtor.org.

After managing association services for eight years, first at Executive House Management Services and then at HCAR, Becky Bushong has stepped down as our dynamic administrator.

The Board of Directors & staff thank Becky for her professional service, devotion, sense of humor and all she has given to assure the association's success.

We wish Becky all the best in her future endeavors.

 

SAVE BIG! Register for the 2008 REALTORS^® Conference & Expo
at early bird rates by this Friday, August 15!

Recharge for success and refuel with new ideas at the
2008 REALTORS^® Conference & Expo.

• 4 days of intensive training with Lance Armstrong, Joe Theismann & other top achievers who will share their success stories with you!
• Broker, sales agent, commercial, IT, International, entrepreneurial excellence,
customer service, property management - 200 programs to fit your needs!
• Over 700 exhibitors so you can shop, compare and save on the best fit for you.
• Sunday night at Universal Studios, with Kool & The Gang.
• Six hotels priced at $99 or less.
• Get All 4 Days of the Conference & Expo for Only $300 with Full Conference Registration during Early Bird Registration!

Speaker and workshop schedules, registration and expo information is all online at www.realtor.org!

Click here to register
See the Full Schedule Here
September 8 - 10 , 2008 in Ocean City, MD

Three full days of education, special speakers, industry trade expo, prize drawings, receptions and more!

Arrive in time for Sunday Night's
RPAC* SHARK ATTACK PARTY
September 7, 7 - 10 pm @ Castaways, 64th Street Bayfront

Featuring Maryland's RPAC Idol Grand Finale!
Come on all you Idol fans... CHEER on your local RPAC Idol winners! This year, HCAR and several other local Boards have staged outstanding RPAC Idol fundraisers. All finalists will compete at Sunday night's RPAC Idol Grand Finale! There's NO better night than the first night to kickoff YOUR Annual Conference EXPERIENCE!

Come witness the TALENT... share in the FANFARE...join in the FUN! You'll be hooked...Simon SAYS! Tickets are $20 at the door, which is a contribution to RPAC*. Please contact Kimberly Amos at MAR to reserve your tickets.

For more on the Conference, Click Here >>

The SentriLock system has a very convenient, secure feature for allowing one-day only property access to a contractor or other sales agent. With the proper precautions, the use of these lockbox features can be a valuable tool in conducting your business and in servicing your clients. Please refrain from indiscriminate use and distribution of the codes as indiscriminate use will transform your secure lockbox into an unsecure lockbox with security shortcomings.

Click here to read "Procedures for the Use of One Day Showing and Contractor Codes with SentriLock Boxes." These procedures can be easily found and bookmarked. Go to www.HCAR.org and click on REALTOR^® Resources from the left-hand menu (fourth main category).

HCAR.org has a few quick and easy tips to share from the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits to address your sign questions. Below are a few "main points" to posting a sign.

1. Directional signs may not exceed three square feet in area.
2. There may not be more than four signs on an approach route.
3. These signs may be placed in the County right-of-way between 4:00 PM on a Friday and Noon the following Monday.
4. The above time period is extended for 24 hours only on holiday weekends, to cover the holiday.

Read more tips and a letter on Open House signs from Robert J. Frances, Director of the Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits, and find a copy of "The Sign Code" online, also in the HCAR.org REALTOR^® Resources section.

Contrary to an email you may have received, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 now signed into law does NOT eliminate all downpayment assistance programs from eligibility for FHA insurance.

The legislation will only prohibit seller-funded down payment assistance or assistance from someone who financially benefits from the transaction, effective October 1, 2008. Other forms of assistance - such as family members, government-sponsored programs, or gifts from non-profits will still be permitted. The Housing Act also contains many reforms that are critical to housing markets, including FHA reform, GSE reform, a homebuyer tax credit, and permanent increases to the FHA and GSE loan limits. This new legislation will help millions of American families avoid foreclosure and help safely and affordability achieve the dream of homeownership.

View a complete summary of the issue >>

The National Association of REALTORS^®' Quadrennial Ethics Training membership requirement is coming due December 31, 2008. If you have not already obtained your ethics training for membership renewal, there's still time. A FREE non-credit online course is available. Click here to go there now. Please note the online course does NOT meet the Maryland ethics CE requirement for license renewal. The 3 CEU Real Estate Ethics Training courses offered by HCAR meet both the Maryland ethics CE course requirement and the NAR ethics training requirement.

If you have not yet contributed or if you wish to make another contribution, now is the time. Just use the link below, enter your user name and password, and contribute to RPAC* today.

Click here to contribute >>

You may also join the Sterling R or $99 Club on HCAR.org.

Contributions to RPAC are not deductible for federal income tax purposes - charitable or otherwise. Contributions to RPAC are voluntary and are used for political purposes. You may refuse to contribute without affecting your membership rights. 70% of each contribution is used by Maryland RPAC to support state and local candidates. 30% is sent to the National RPAC to support federal candidates and is charged against your limits under 2 U.S.C. 441a. This solicitation is intended for REALTORS^® and REALTOR^®-Affiliates only. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as solicitation of contributions for nonmembers.
Authority: Beverly Rasmussen, Treasurer