Jan 11, 2017 | Member Services |
“A great opportunity to network and hear the latest commercial updates” were the sentiments expressed by RAHB members who attended the RCN Networking Luncheon on December 2, 2016 at the historic Scottish Rite Club.
Following the buffet lunch, RAHB Regional Commercial Network Chair Paul Martindale welcomed the more than 50 attendees and provided the RCN year in review, highlighting the achievements of the committee and outlining what to look forward to for 2017.
RAHB CEO George O’Neill introduced featured speaker Jason Thorne, General Manager of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Hamilton, who delivered an informative presentation that covered downtown development, a West Harbour update, the LRT and BLAST network, grant programs, Open for Business and more. A copy of Jason’s presentation is available at http://rahb.ca/rcn/2016/120516RCNPresentation.pdf, or on the RCN page in REALTOR Link®.
Jan 11, 2017 | Member Services |
*Note: Member Appreciation Day DATE change
Popular open house items
Door hangers:
Open House
Let prospective buyers know they can come right in:
Side 1: “Open House Please Come In”
Side 2: “Open House Please Come In and Remove Your Shoes”
75¢ ea.*
Pets Inside
Can be put on front door or any interior door to let REALTORS® know where pets are: “Pets Inside Please Contact Listing Agent with Any Questions”
85¢ ea.*
Courtesy signs:
Please Remove Your Shoes
Next Showing in 5 Minutes (reverse) Next Showing in 15 Minutes
Corrugated plastic, upright teepee. Perfect in wet/snowy weather to protect your homeowner’s flooring.
$2.70 ea.*
Register
Tent card, reversible
$2.45 ea.*
Please Leave Your Card
4”w x 5”h, plastic, desk top
courtesy sign
$3.90 ea.*
Guest Register
Pad of 25 sheets
$1.15 ea.*
________________________________________________________________________
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
T.: 905.529.5979 F.: 905.529.7109 E.: [email protected]
* All applicable taxes are extra. Prices subject to change.
Jan 11, 2017 | Member Services |
Master LinkedIn Bootcamp – Amyn Chagan
Monday, January 16, 2017
9 a.m. – Noon
$79+HST Early Bird (prior to January 9, 2017)
or $99+HST Regular
Master Facebook Bootcamp – Amyn Chagan
Monday, January 16, 2017
1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
$79 +HST Early Bird (prior to January 9, 2017)
or $99+HST Regular
Investing for Success – Alex Gabrini
Monday, January 23, 2017
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Free
Assignments, Condos and Others – Lou Radomosky
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
$45+HST
Understanding Newer Homes – Andrew McCarthy
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
10 a.m. – Noon
Free
Designation Courses
SRS – Seller Representative Specialist – Gareth Jones
Tuesday and Wednesday, February 7 & 8, 2017
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
$325+HST
PSA – Price Strategy Advisor Certification NEW
– Gareth Jones
Thursday, February 9, 2017
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
$199+HST
All courses will be held in McCullough Room at the RAHB office (lower level). To register, or for more information, contact Angela at 905.529.8101 x233 or [email protected].
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
Held at RAHB – 505 York Blvd.
Lower Level room: C – Chambers M – McCullough
First floor room: T – Thompson P – Purnell
Computer
- New Member Computer Training Level 1
Thursday, December 8 – C, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, December 15 – C, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 21 – C, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, January 5 – C, 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, January 19 – C, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.Register with [email protected].
Board of Directors, Committee and Task Force Meetings
- Professional Standards
Monday, December 12 – T, 9:30 a.m.
- Awards
Monday, December 12 – T, 10 a.m.
- Past Presidents
Tuesday, December 13 – T, 3 p.m.
- Board of Directors
Thursday, December 15 – T, 10 a.m.
- Charity Auction
Thursday, December 15 – P, 1 p.m.
Professional Development
See page 11 of the REALinfo for a list of courses.
Upcoming Events
- Realty Shoppe Inventory Day
Wednesday, December 14 closed all day
- REALTOR® CONNECTIONS 2017
AGM, Conference and Trade Show
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Grand Olympia, Stoney Creek
Watch for further details
Office Closures
Friday, December 16, 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Monday, December 26 – Friday December 30
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
This month, instead of focusing on one member service, we’re going to look at what members have had to say about the services that are most valuable to them.
In a large member survey done in 2014, members identified RAHB’s five most valuable member services as:
- MLS® and technology
- Enforcement of rules/professional standards
- Professional development
- Communications to members
- Government relations
In a more recent survey performed by Kitestring Media on RAHB’s behalf, members said that RAHB’s most valuable services are:
- MLS®
- Statistics (both SIM and monthly stats reports)
- Professional development
- Realty Shoppe
- Communications (tied with …)
- Professional standards
- RAHB promotion through advertising
- REALTOR® CONNECTIONS AGM, Conference & Trade Show
- Membership/committee meetings
- Convenient payment plans (tied with …)
- Political action mandate
Other services that didn’t make the “top” list were REALTORS® 4Kids Charity Auction, Karan Barker Scholarships, AD&D insurance and meeting room rentals.
Your RAHB membership provides numerous and diverse services. Which are most important to you?
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
As of Monday, December 5, 2016, when you visit GeoWarehouse through RAHB’s single sign on, Fusion or Matrix, you will land on the NEW version of GeoWarehouse. While GeoWarehouse will not be fully cutting over to the new version until January 2017, they are giving you the chance to become familiar with this new version well ahead of time. You will still be able to navigate to the more familiar version if you prefer, but you will always be landing on the new version when you visit the site.
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
Looking for zoning resources for properties in Hamilton and Burlington? Check out the following websites:
Hamilton Properties:
Hamilton Economic Development Zoning Lookup Tool
https://spatialsolutions.hamilton.ca/ZoningLookup/
**Tip: This new tool contains multiple information layers. You must type in “RD” instead of “road”, “ST” instead of “street”, etc. for the map to locate addresses.
City of Hamilton Mapping Site
http://map.hamilton.ca
Zoning Verifications
Contact the City of Hamilton at [email protected] or 905.546.2720.
Burlington Properties:
Zoning information & Map from City of Burlington
https://www.burlington.ca/en/zoning
Zoning Verifications
Contact the City of Burlington at 905.335.7642.
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
National Housing Day was November 22, 2016 and RAHB was a proud sponsor of two National Housing Day events in our community:
Halton National Housing Day
This informative session covered the issues and challenges of affordable housing in the Halton Region. The event featured a creative problem solving facilitation led by Sheridan College as part of a multi-year project being undertaken as part of a Social Science and Humanities Research Council Community Innovation Fund.
City of Hamilton National Housing Day
This year’s National Housing Day event from Hamilton’s Housing Services Division focused on bringing people together to participate in a facilitated discussion regarding how the City could develop balanced neighbourhoods in Hamilton. The event fostered an environment of common purpose and understanding between stakeholders in the housing sector. https://www.hamilton.ca/social-services/housing
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
Popular seasonal item SELLING OUT fast!
2017 Calendar magnets
Our #1 marketing product – perfect for mass marketing campaign, mailing
with Holiday cards, or handing out at open houses, even in the new year.
In full colour, on high quality paper and complete with envelope. Just add
your business card.
NEW Calendar with magnet – A Holiday Gift For You!
Only while quantities last – don’t miss out! Call or email TODAY.
Master Lock lockboxes – with weather covers to protect from rain and snow!
Members are reminded to be particularly vigilant in the use of their lockboxes.
The lockboxes are an important tool to your industry – practice the following measures at all times:
- When leaving a location where you have used the lockbox, insure the lockbox is locked again: spin the dial of the dial lockbox once it is shut, and re-key the number combination on the push button style to close.
- Never give out a combination to someone who you are not certain is a salesperson, particularly based on a request made via cell phone. If you are uncertain about the caller, call the salesperson back at the listing office for confirmation.
Members are reminded of “Rules and Regulations” Section 2 – MLS® Listings, Sub-section 2.17
Members shall ensure that lock boxes installed on each of their listings are set with a unique code for the security of their Seller’s property. Further, members shall change the lock box combinations, as required during the course of the listing to maintain reasonable security, and not use any preset manufacturer’s code.
Fines of $50 for the first offence and $200 for a second offence will be levied against members found to be in breach of this policy.
_____________________________________________________________
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
T.: 905.529.5979 F.: 905.529.7109 E.: [email protected]
* All applicable taxes are extra. Prices subject to change.
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
The following article was written and published by Mark Weisleder, in his newsletter dated October 29, 2016. Reprinted with permission.
Now that we have all the new mortgage rules, it is more important than ever before to include the financing condition in any offer or be otherwise prepared for the consequences.
1. Pre-approvals are no guarantee you will obtain your financing
Too many buyers are cavalier about submitting offers without a financing condition, especially during the pressure of a bidding war. You must understand that even with a pre-approval, the lender must be satisfied with its own appraisal. The foundation for most appraisals is what would a willing buyer pay a willing seller, WITHOUT pressure? In a bidding war, there is almost always pressure on the buyer. This is why the appraisal will likely be lower than what the buyer offered and the lender will offer you less money than you hoped for. The answer is always to have an extra 5-10% of the down payment in reserve to protect you. In a condominium purchase, if it is conditional upon review of a status certificate, use that time to also make sure your financing is in order.
2. Lenders can change their mind right up until the day of closing
Even if you are approved after you sign your agreement, the lender can still change their minds based on anything which they may learn before they advance funds. There are usually many conditions attached to any loan approval, such as verification of income, down payment, employment. Make sure you work with your mortgage broker to satisfy all of these conditions and requirements as soon as possible in the process. The worst words a lawyer can hear from a lender on the day of closing is “The file is in underwriting”. This typically means that someone else is reviewing the entire file because issues have arisen. In some cases this can result in the entire loan being cancelled, right on the day of closing. In our firm, since we receive and send funds via wire transfer, we are fortunately able to complete deals even when lenders are late transferring funds to our trust account.
3. Always know the net amount you will receive from your lender
Every mortgage commitment is different. Some may contain up-front fees for arranging the loan, appraisals, CMHC fees and PST, interest to the interest adjustment date. All of these fees are deducted right off the top, before the balance is sent to your lawyer on the day of closing. The bottom line is you must know the exact amount that will be sent to your lawyer on closing, to make sure you have enough to make up the rest of the down payment, land transfer tax and legal fees. At our firm we remind clients to send us their mortgage instructions early in the process so that we can get them the net amount they will need to complete the transaction in a timely manner.
4. Get it in writing if buyer wants no finance condition in the Agreement
If the buyer does go ahead and tell you to put the offer in without a finance condition, get these instructions in writing. It is not enough to write the finance condition in the offer and then have the buyer strike it out and initial it. It is better to use a separate form. OREA has form 127 which makes it clear that the buyer is confirming to the buyer brokerage that they understand the risks in making an offer without conditions.
________________________________________________________
Mark Weisleder
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.RealEstateLawyers.ca
Direct Line:416.702.2499
Toll Free Tel:1.855.466.3801
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
RAHB Government Relations Committee representatives attended OREA’s Political Action Conference in Toronto (November 20-22) and met with area MPPs to discuss issues of importance to REALTORS® and homeowners.
The two issues under discussion were the land transfer rebate for first-time home buyers and the government’s proposed mandatory home energy audits.
- Ontario REALTORS® lent their support to the proposed increase in the land transfer rebate to first-time home buyers, from $2,000 to $4,000. While OREA originally hoped for a complete rebate for first-time home buyers, the doubling of the rebate is still good news.
- As part of Ontario’s Climate Change Action Plan, the government proposed the implementation of a Home Energy Rating & Disclosure (HER&D), which mandates “time of listing” energy audits for homes advertised on a “listing service”. The proposal would add another cost to the home selling process and put home owners of old or energy inefficient property at a disadvantage. In addition, it could cause an unfair burden on low-income home owners who may not be able to afford the improvements recommended by an audit.
OREA’s concerns are that the existing proposal would place an additional regulatory burden on REALTORS® and MLS® Systems, single family home owners would be unfairly targeted and the proposal lacks consumer protection from unregulated energy audit services.
Instead of the mandatory HER&D program, Ontario REALTORS® asked for a return to a program like the voluntary Energy Savings Program, which actually produced results, and regulation for the energy audit industry.
RAHB PAC representatives at Queen’s Park:
(l to r) RAHB staff Valerie Webster, Kathy Della-Nebbia (Royal LePage State Realty), Nicolas von Bredow (Royal LePage Macro Realty) and Nikola Bucalo (Coldwell Banker Community Professionals). Missing from the photo
is Lou Piriano (L. Piriano Real Estate Brokerage).
Dec 7, 2016 | Member Services |
Meet the Candidates Chili Cookoff – Chili Days!
On Monday, November 21, 2016, RAHB held its first-ever Chili Days – A Meet the Candidates Chili Cookoff! Nine RAHB members competed with their best chili recipes to see who would reign Chili Supreme. While all of the dishes were truly delicious, it was election candidate Scott Bouman, that took home the title with his En Nogada – Chili Con Carne recipe. Congratulations to all that participated, and we look forward to holding this spicy election lunch event again next year!
Chili Days Participants:
Bacher’s Beanarama
Donna Bacher, Royal LePage State Realty
(Winner!) En Nogada – Chili Con Carne
Scott Bouman, Ambitious Realty Advisors Inc.
(Election Candidate)
Fearless Fart-free Chili
Gloria Payton, L. Piriano Real Estate
Hunks of Burning Love
Andrew Robertson, Keller Williams Complete Realty
Jan’s Chili
Ann Forbes Arndt, Royal LePage Macro Realty
(Election Candidate)
Marg’s Marvelous Chili
Margaret Reid, Royal LePage State Realty
Sans Viande
Nancie Mleczko, Coldwell Banker Community Professionals
The Shift
Richard Weima, Right at Home Realty Inc.
(Election Candidate)
Wack Jacky’s 7 Bean Chili
Jack Loft, RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.
(Election Candidate)
“A great opportunity to network and hear the latest commercial updates” were the sentiments expressed by RAHB members who attended the RCN Networking Luncheon on December 2, 2016 at the historic Scottish Rite Club.
