REMINDER: ALL FLYERS ARE INCLUDED IN THE WEEKLY BROKER FAX

Holiday Closing
The CAR officers will be closed on Monday, January 15, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Please have a happy and safe holiday weekend.

2006 Awards of Excellence Deadline A Week Away
Entry forms for the 2006 Awards of Excellence have been mailed to all brokers and office managers. Please note that the deadline for entries is Friday, January 19.  Entries received after that date will be ineligible. Please use the guidelines available online when applying for an award.

Awards of Excellence Breakfast
The annual Awards of Excellence Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, February 13, at 9 a.m. at the Stowaway Grand Hotel, 2100 Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, MD.  Please be sure to return your reservation flyer or register online if you plan on attending. It is FREE for those receiving an award certificate, but you must pre-register!

MAR Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, January 25, 2007, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.—Kent Manor Inn, Kent Island. You know that question that you have been yearning to ask MAR leadership? Here’s your opportunity to do so! Join your colleagues for an informal complimentary lunch and meet the MAR Leadership and staff to find out the answers to those questions. RSVP to info@coastalassociationofrealtors.org.

Braemar Towers Update
Please be advised that CAR Legal Counsel Al Monshower has ruled that in addition to providing a disclosure to buyers and sellers about the Braemar Towers Condominium Association’s responsibility to develop and implement an ongoing control plan for Legionella, all brokerage rental departments should also provide a written disclosure to all owners and tenants, vacationers, or guests. The same disclosure posted on ZipForms may be used, but change the signature line for the seller to owner and the signature line for buyer to tenant, vacationer, or guest. These Disclosure Forms should also be used for weekly rentals.

Roll Up Your Sleeves for Beach Blanket Blood Drive
The Ocean City Beach Blanket Blood Drive 2007 will take place January 31-February 1. Donors and volunteers are needed! Hours of operation for the Blood Drive are:

• January 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  • Shifts: 9:30 a.m. to Noon; Noon to 2 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m.; 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• February 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Shifts: 8:30 to 11 a.m.; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 1 to 3 p.m.; 3 to 5:30 p.m.

Anyone can sign up. We welcome friends and family to volunteer. To volunteer call Terry Testani at 443-523-2966.

		Make a Difference... Make Your 2007 RPAC Donation Today!   ...and help protect the real estate industry, your income, your home, and your clients’ properties as well. Help combat attempts to place a tax on REALTOR® commissions, taxes on your SUVs, rises in property taxes, and introduction of impact fees.   Click here for a pledge form

REALTOR® Change Form Revised
The REALTOR® change form has been revised. Please use this form for any office or agent changes. The form is available on our Web site in REALTOR® Resources. We ask that you please make copies for your offices.

Be Featured in REALTOR® Magazine’s ‘30 Under 30’
If you will be 29-years-old or younger on May 31, 2007, and would like the chance for national recognition, then click here to apply to be featured in REALTOR® Magazine’s "30 Under 30" for 2007. Applications are due by January 16.

New Bill Would Keep Banking Institutions Out of Real Estate
NAR is applauding the Community Choice in Real Estate Act, introduced last Thursday as the 110th Congress convened. The bill, introduced in the House, would define real estate management as a commercial matter and not a financial interest, ensuring that the separation of banking and commerce continues as defined in the past. Click here to read more.

Which Amenities Are Hottest In Today’s Market?
When selling a house, it’s the little things that matter. But what is going to catch the buyer’s attention? Are those spiral staircases, hardwood floors, and stainless-steel appliances going to attract the buyer, or turn them off? The answer isn’t always based on how it looks—practicality counts for a lot. Click here to read more.

What Does the National Post-Correction Market Look Like?
With the slow, but steady increase of existing-home sales in the last couple of months, the market appears to be recovering back to a more normal pace after the correction of the past year. Click here to read an article on what the more normalized market may look like in the coming months and what you can expect in the upcoming environment.