REMINDER: ALL FLYERS ARE INCLUDED IN THE WEEKLY BROKER FAX

HURRY—Final Days to Register for GRI 200 Series!
The GRI 200 Series has been scheduled for May 3, 4, 10, 11 & 17, and will be held at the association office.

Come one, come all to "Learn More, Earn More!" According to the 2005 National Association of REALTORS® Member Profile survey, REALTORS® with a designation earned a median income of $82,900 while members without a designation had a median income of $40,900.

Please refer to the Web site for specific dates and times, as well as to register. 

Now Accepting Nominations
The Coastal Association of REALTORS® is looking for suitable candidates for the following awards:

• Rookie of the Year
• REALTOR® of the Year
• MAR Community Service Award (goes to an individual)

Deadline to submit nominations is FRIDAY, MAY 18. Please submit names to cindyc@coastalassociationofrealtors.com.

Win A $50 Gas Card!
Every year, CAR members volunteer thousands of hours of their time to charitable causes. This year CAR will again be recognizing everyone who has contributed to his or her community in the summer issue of Currents. Now is your time to shine—tell us what you did for your favorite community, school, charity or non-profit organization by completing a survey.

• Complete an online survey

Everyone who completes the survey will be recognized and will entered into a drawing to win a $50 GAS CARD! And, any information will be used to help CAR win another MAR C.A.R.E. Award!

NAR Midyear Meetings & Trade Expo—Just Over a Month Away!
Once again this year, NAR’s Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo will be held in Washington, DC. The meetings are FREE and are scheduled for May 14-19 and registration for the event is now open online. Click for more information or to register today.

MAR Committee Sign-Up
The 2007-2008 Committee Volunteer Form is now online. If you are already on a MAR committee, you do not automatically retain your status—you MUST fill out a form for next year. The form has been changed somewhat, and submissions are only being accepted online. Deadline for submissions is May 21. Please do it ASAP to retain a seat on your selected committees. The direct link is http://www.mdrealtor.org/cvf2007.aspx.

Registration is Open!
For the MAR ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADESHOW September 10-12 in Ocean City. Register now for education classes & Fun Day Events. This year, online conference registration allows you to: Make any class changes online, purchase additional tickets, and receive an improved Registration Confirmation. COST: 3-day Registration—$175 now through May 15; $50 discount for Rookie REALTORS®. Once you have successfully entered your NRDS#, please review your contact information, and scroll down to “REGISTRATION TYPE” to choose the registration type that applies to you. Then continue registering. Register now!

PACs Challenged
Political candidates are discovering that they can raise funds online. Will this make political action committees (PACs) such as those supported by the real estate community obsolete? Columnist Peter G. Miller comments.

Weak Home Sales and Lower Consumer Confidence Allow Mortgage Rates to Drift Slightly Lower
Freddie Mac today released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) in which the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.16 percent with an average 0.5 point for the week ending April 26, down slightly from last week when it averaged 6.17 percent. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.58 percent. Full story>>>

Message From the President (reprinted from message sent earlier today)
Thank you to the many members who have e-mailed, called and faxed me in the past few days. Judging from these correspondences it is important that I communicate with the membership and also stop some misinformation/rumors that are floating around out there.

First and foremost, we have an incredible group of dedicated volunteers on your Board who are solely concerned about the best interests of our membership. Any upcoming "possible" changes weigh heavily on each and every Board member as we discuss and debate the future of our Board. We realize change is never easy and often times met with disapproval.

Secondly, we have an incredible MLS committee who have worked diligently throughout this arduous process. They also deserve your praise. Your Board respects their reccomendations and will keep that in mind during any decision making process.

Thirdly, it is important for each and every member to understand that as we go through various demos, proposals, etc., it is necessary to keep a degree of confidentiality. This is not meant to keep anything from the membership, but in fact in the best interest of those members so no one is disadvantaged by leaked information.

Let me be perfectly clear here... The current information that is out there is NOT correct. We have not signed a contract with any provider other than our current one. We will not sign a contract with another vendor unless it’s a "good fit." Our only goal is to provide our members with the best services available.

Remember, each of your Board members lives and works beside you on a daily basis. We are all personally just as affected by any changes that may occur and we take the responsibility bestowed upon us very seriously.

I will call for a General Membership Forum as soon as we have specific updates for the membership. In the meantime we appreciate your patience and support.

In the words of John F. Kennedy, "The New Frontier of which I speak is not a set of promises... it is a set of challenges. It sums up not what I intend to offer the American people, but what I intend to ask of them."


Sincerely,
Kevin L. White
2007 President
Coastal Association of REALTORS®