MEMBERS FIRST
NEWSLETTER
IN THIS ISSUE •
Annual Meeting
•
President’s Message
•
Member Renewals
•
RPAC Committee
•
Global Alliance Wine Down
•
Realtors Care Committee Food Drive
•
Osceola County Legislative Update
•
Building for Your Success
•
NAR Conference
•
Designation Courses
•
November Class Schedule
•
Affiliate Business Partners
NOVEMBER 2019
Join us for this special year-end business meeting. After hearing from our featured speakers, we will review the progress we’ve made in 2019 and recognize our current Board of Directors. The event concludes with a Happy Hour. The first 135 members to register before November 15 receive a free drink ticket. There will also be two raffle drawings - one for a Free Annual Membership and one for a Free Supra Lockbox. Register online at osceolarealtors.com or call us at 407-846-0117 to reserve your spot. We hope to see you there!
DANNY HERNANDEZ 2019 President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE As we approach the end of the year, our Association has not skipped a beat. In a few days, we are attending the National Association of RealtorsŽ (NAR) Conference in San Francisco. Our Association will be represented well at the conference, and we look forward to sharing some nuggets of wisdom with our membership upon our return. Within the past month, we moved to our new (temporary) office located at NeoCity (pictured below). We also received the Diamond Global Achievement Award, a prestigious award very few associations across the country receive. We still have plenty of events and activities before the year comes to a close. We look forward to seeing our members at these functions!
November 2019
As real estate professionals, we have so much to be thankful for. Please share some of the things for which you are most thankful. Tell your story at www.ThatsWhoWeR.realtor
Accepting Membership Renewals This November It’s almost renewal time! Later this month, we are accepting membership renewals for 2020. Renewing your membership with OSCAR will also renew your membership with the Florida Realtors (FR) and National Association of RealtorsŽ (NAR). As a member of this Association you will continue to receive benefits such as representation from the Realtor Political Action Committee (RPAC), vital information about industry issues and trends, and professional development classes. The deadline for renewals is Tuesday, December 31, 2019. We are offering a $100 education voucher to those who pay before Sunday, December 15. This voucher can be applied to any Association class taken during 2020.
TWIS LIZASUAIN
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER We will send out an email notifying members they can renew their membership online or over the phone. If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact us at 407-846-0117. Thank you for your membership!
RPAC Committee Thank you to our OSCAR members and staff! The RPAC committee is excited to share that we have reached and EXCEEDED our fundraising, participation, and Major Investor goals for 2019! We started the year with a hefty goal of $81,177 and 18 Major Investors. In mid-October, we reached $83,888 with 22 Major Investors and 103 Nifty 50 participants. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the hard work from the committee and staff to accomplish this goal. The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) continued to stress that changes were needed to ease restrictions for Federal Housing Adminstration (FHA) financing for condominiums to allow more TINA CAMPBELL affordable options for homebuyers. Through the efforts of the Realtor® RPAC COMMITTEE CHAIR Party, the release of the final rule on project approval on single-family condominiums insured by the FHA became effective October 15. A more extensive look at the FHA Condominium Rule Assessment can be viewed at: https://www.nar. realtor/condominiums/fha-condominium-rule-assessment. Work has begun in Tallahassee as we lead up to the start of the 2020 legislative session. Some of the pertinent issues committees discussed regarded the protection and preservation of our natural resources. Updates were provided to legislators on affordable housing, which included talks related to funding the State and Local Government Housing Trust Funds. Committees also discussed how to make “tiny homes” more accessible for Floridians, as the trend continues to grow throughout the country.
$81,177
Are you attending NAR in San Francisco? Below are some of the Major Investor events to consider while attending the conference: RPAC Major Investor Evening Saturday, November 9 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Location: USS Hornet - 707 W Hornet Ave, Alameda, CA Celebrity Concert featuring Pentatonix Sunday, November 10 9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m Location: Moscone West, Level 3 Ballroom It’s sure to be a great time! Thank you for supporting RPAC!
! r e d n i R em
November 30, 2019: Deadline for RPAC contributions
The Global Alliance Committee
Wine Down
Thank you to our OSCAR Members who joined us at the Global Alliance Committee Wine Down, sponsored by Hanover Lakes.
Sponsored by:
Hosted by:
2019 GLOBAL ALLIANCE AWARD Kelvis Melo GLOBAL ALLIANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR The Global Alliance Committee strives to provide education, tools and resources to our members in matters concerning the practice of global real estate. In the past year, we have sponsored an international inbound trade mission, an international outbound trade mission, an informative and educational global symposium, an educational global luncheon, and several other classes and events in furtherance of the Committee’s mission. Our efforts have contributed to the Global Alliance Committee becoming the largest committee at Osceola County Association of Realtors® (OSCAR) and our practices have earned OSCAR “The Platinum Global Achievement Award” from The National Association of Realtors® (NAR) for five consecutive years. During the month of September 2019, Global Alliance Committee members and OSCAR staff submitted the 2019 Global Achievement Award Application to NAR for review and consideration of “The Diamond Global Achievement Award”. This award is the highest honor which can be bestowed on an association. To put this into perspective, there were only six associations who were recipients of this award in the entire country in 2018. I am delighted to report we received notification we are a 2019 recipient of “The Diamond Award”. This is a tremendous honor and achievement for an association of our size. We will be receiving national recognition at the 2019 Realtors® Conference & Expo in San Francisco. All our members should be proud of this accomplishment in the national arena of Realtors® consisting of more than 1.4 million members. As we wind the year down and turn our focus to the holiday season, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly express my gratitude to the Global Alliance Committee members, our Chief Executive Officer Twis Lizasuain, OSCAR support staff and the Board of Directors for their support rendered throughout the year. It was an honor serving as your Global Alliance Committee Chair this year. I look forward to our continued growth in the coming year.
Ocala Marion County Association of REALTORS® Becomes 15th Corporate Shareholder of Stellar MLS Stellar MLS announced that OMCAR is its newest multiple listing corporate shareholder. As the third-largest MLS in the country, Stellar MLS continues to expand its footprint helping real estate brokers and agents prosper with reliable and standardized data. With the welcoming ad of OMCAR as the organization’s 15th shareholder, Stellar MLS continues to fulfill its mission to help agents and brokers drive real estate market activity with best-in-class technology.
SUE VASQUEZ REALTORS® CARE COMMITTEE CHAIR It has been an incredible year, and we are now in the last quarter of 2019. The Realtors® Care Committee (RCC) has several events from now through the end of the year and we need YOU to get involved. We continue to deliver Meals on Wheels every Monday for the Osceola Council on Aging. Currently, we are collecting non-perishable food items at the Association and in the satellite classroom for the Osceola Countil on Aging Food Pantry through November 15. We recently participated in the KaBOOM! Playground build. This was a great event where we helped build an amazing playground for the kids. We’ve also helped support IDignity and Second Harvest Food Bank where we handed out food donations to the less fortunate. Later this month, the Angel Tree will be set up at the Association office to bring a Merry Christmas to foster kids in our community. As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved!
Osceola County Legislative Update
SEAN WHYARD GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COORDINATOR
Long-Awaited FHA Condo Rule went into effect October 15
Back in August of this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released the long-awaited final rule on project approval for single-family condominiums insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). For many years, NAR urged HUD to finalize changes to the previous rule that would ease restrictions on FHA financing for condominiums, thus enabling more first-time buyers, older adults, and low to moderate-income families to achieve the dream of homeownership. Highlights of the new rule include: • The return of single unit approval, also known as spot loans, for units in non-FHA approved properties • Increased certification period from two to three years, plus a six-month grace period to submit re-certification materials • Increased acceptable commercial space to 35 percent of total area • Reduced requirement for owner-occupancy percentage exceptions
Property Assessments Osceola County is working with the property appraiser’s office to come up with a resolution that the Board of Commissioners will consider regarding solid waste bills being assessed on properties that have auxiliary structures with nobody living in them. The property owner would sign an affidavit stating that nobody was living in the auxiliary structure to get a reduced assessment. Once this comes up to the Board of Commissioners, more details will be available.
Follow and stay connected with us on LinkedIn! Stay connected with us through LinkedIn as we continue to grow for your success. You can also join our professional group on LinkedIn to network with other Realtors® within the Associaton. Update your online resume with our new company listing to establish your expertise. Read the latest in real estate news, updates, tips and industry trends. Follow and stay connected with us at: www.linkedin.com/company/osceola-realtors
We’ve Moved!
We have some exciting news! The Association moved to a new (temporary) office to make way for our future home. Classes will continue to be held at the satellite classroom through the end of November. Stay tuned for updates as we’re building for your success!
During the month of November, the Center for REALTORÂŽ Development is offering a 20% off discount on all online NAR designation and certification courses! This offer is valid from November 1 through November 30.
NOVEMBER CALENDAR Vacant Land Contracts Revealed
REDEEM YOUR EDUCATION VOUCHERS BEFORE 12/31/19
11/5/2019
1:00 pm-4:00 pm
3CE
Course objectives: Define a contract, list three elements necessary for a contract to be enforceable, identify terms to be fulfilled for a valid contract, explain when a confidentiality agreement should be used, explain the reasons for using a Letter of Intent, name the common clauses in a Vacant Land Contract, develop a list of items to be included during a vacant land transaction during the due diligence period, determine length of time for due diligence, identify when to use a Vacant Land Disclosure
MLS Basic (Spanish)
11/6/2019
9:00 am-12:00 pm
0CE
This class introduces you to the Matrix MLS system and shows you how to use it for your business. Learn about: personalizing your settings in Matrix; exploring market areas; searching by criteria and location; and managing the emails your contacts receive from you. REGISTER: STELLARMLS.COM
MLS Compliance (Spanish)
11/6/2019
1:00 pm-2:15 pm
0CE
To ensure the integrity of listing information and to protect the cooperative nature of the MLS, rules and regulations are in place for how to enter listings and use MLS information. This class will walk you through the rules, to ensure the best possible MLS experience for all subscribers. REGISTER: STELLARMLS.COM
MLS Adding and Editing Listings (Spanish)
11/6/2019
2:30 pm-3:45 pm
0CE
This class shows you how to enter listings into the MLS. Topics include: types of listings; required paperwork for entering a listing; key fields on the listing entry form; adding photos and attachments; listing remarks; sending listings to various portals and websites; and making changes to a listing. REGISTER: STELLARMLS.COM
Property Management for the
11/7/2019
1:00 pm-4:00pm
3CE
Real Estate Practitioner (English) This course was designed primarily for the residential real estate sales associate. There are instances in most sales associate’s careers where they are asked to either manage or rent a home, apartment, or condominium unit. The material in this course will provide the basic knowledge of why a licensee is needed, what will be expected of them, the operation of a management office, the legal environment, and ideas on where they can obtain management clients and prospective tenants should they enjoy the management experience and choose to enhance that area of their business.
iCE Topic: Success Series:
11/15/2019
9:00 am-12:00 pm
3CE
Time Management Better time management is one of the keys to help you meet both your own goals, and the goals of your company. This module aims to impart the skills you need in order to practice effective time management.
November
Calendar
MLS Basic
11/20/2019
9:00 am-12:00 pm
0CE
This class introduces you to the Matrix MLS system and shows you how to use it for your business. Learn about: personalizing your settings in Matrix; exploring market areas; searching by criteria and location; and managing the emails your contacts receive from you. REGISTER: STELLARMLS.COM
MLS Compliance 101
11/20/2019
1:00 pm-2:15 pm
0CE
To ensure the integrity of listing information and to protect the cooperative nature of the MLS, rules and regulations are in place for how to enter listings and use MLS information. This class will walk you through the rules, to ensure the best possible MLS experience for all subscribers. REGISTER: STELLARMLS.COM
MLS Adding and Editing Listings 11/20/2019
2:30 pm-3:45 pm
0CE
This class shows you how to enter listings into the MLS. Topics include: types of listings; required paperwork for entering a listing; key fields on the listing entry form; adding photos and attachments; listing remarks; sending listings to various portals and websites; and making changes to a listing. REGISTER: STELLARMLS.COM
IMPORTANT: REGISTERING FOR CLASS
Many of our classes, particularly CRP™ classes, fill quickly. We offer each CRP™ class two times during the year. Please check for the second date if the first date is full. Please enroll in any of the classes offered at the Association online on the Members Portal at www.osceolarealtors.com or by calling Membership Services. Due to construction near our office, we have moved our education classes to a Satellite Classroom located at 2262 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, Kissimmee, FL 34744 (only 0.5 miles down the road from our office) through the end of November. All other membership and committee activities will be held at our new (temporary) office on NeoCity Way. Our office hours will also remain the same. The amenities are limited at the temporary location and we may be unable to provide beverages, but you may bring your own.
Affiliate Business Community A Clear Choice Title & Escrow A.C.F. Home Inspections, Inc. Adames Pest Solutions, Inc. ANB Inspection Services, Inc. Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group A-Z Team Title, LLC Bay Equity Home Loans BPG Inspection, LLC Budget Professional Services Butler Mortgage Brightway Insurance Celebration Title Group Centennial Bank CenterState Bank of Florida, N.A. Chief Inspection Services Closer Look Inspections, Inc. Cross Country Mortgage Cunningham’s Inc. Double S Home Inspection Edward Lian Photography Esquire Home Inspection, LLC First American Title Freedom Mortgage Corporation Globe Home Protection Hamilton Group Funding Hanover Family Builders Headquarters Home Warranty of America Homebridge Financial Services, Inc. Housemaster Home Inspections Howell International Tax IFREC Real Estate Schools Inspect Central Florida Integrity First Title Land Title Professionals, LLC Law Office of Daniel Villazon Luis A Martin’s Home Inspections Maronda Homes Mattamy Homes Moneycorp, Inc. My Florida Mortgage Solutions New American Funding
Oliver Title Law Olympus Insurance Company Paramount Residential Mortgage Group, Inc. Patricia L. Daugherty, Atty. At Law Photography by Skip Stowers Pillar to Post Home Inspections Platinum Title of Central Florida Prodigal Homes Inspection & Consulting RBC Bank Reliable Building Inspections Roland H. Acosta & Associates, P.A. SBC–CPA Searl Home Inspections Smart International Title, LLC Solano Home Inspections Inc. Stewart Title Company SunTrust Mortgage The AlfaOmega Financial Group The Grove Resort & Water Park The Headquarters Building The Mortgage Firm TrustCo Bank Two Men and a Truck Uniform Cottage ValueCast, Inc. Varep Central Florida Chapter Wayne’s Home Inspections, LLC Widerman Malek PL Windsor at Celebration
WELCOME NEW AFFILIATES •
William Grove III - Closer Look Inspections
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Rayelynne Ketchum – Land Title Professionals, LLC
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Kim Lesch – Land Title Professionals, LLC
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William Putnam – Maronda Homes
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Holly Brito - Platinum Title of Central Florida
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Deborah Metzger - Platinum Title of Central Florida
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Ana Luisa Lantigua – SBC-CPA
Affiliate Business Community
Edward Lian Photography