REMINDER: ALL FLYERS ARE INCLUDED IN THE WEEKLY BROKER FAX

General Membership Meeting Rescheduled
The General Membership Meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 17, 2008 from 10 a.m. to Noon at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City. An agenda will be announced in early January. Please encourage all CAR members in your office to attend and RSVP by clicking here.

Attention Board Members!
Board dues for 2008 have been mailed and are due by December 31, 2007. Please either submit your payment or notify us if you do not intend on renewing your membership. If you have not yet received a bill, please contact the Association Office at 410-641-4409.

Attention Brokers and Office Managers!
MLS bills for 1st quarter of 2008 have been mailed to each of the offices. Please contact the Association Office if you have not yet received your bill. Also, if there are any changes that need to be made to your bill, please indicate them by using our REALTOR® Change Form, and enclose them with your payment.

Start the Year Off Right
Advertise the the winter 2008 issue of Currents, CAR’s quarterly newsletter. Get your ad placed in the magazine and seen by more than 1,500 REALTORS® in the tri-county area. Great spots are selling quickly! DEADLINE: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21. Advertising rates are available by clicking here. The winter issue will arrive in member mailboxes in late January.

Community Service Update

• We would like to thank everyone for their holiday donations of stockings, monetary donations and canned goods. The representative for "Children By The Sea" was absolutely delighted. He couldn’t say "thank you" enough. The families who received their holiday feast were extremely grateful and wanted me to extend their heartfelt gratitude. Thanks for pulling together in a time that’s difficult for all of us. You’re the best!
• Also, thank you so very much for helping making the coat drive successful. Your donations were greatly appreciated. We will still be taking donations of cash, and canned & dried goods for Christmas.
• We still have some vacancies for manning the hot cocoa stand at the "Winterfest of Lights." Call Terry @ 443-523-2966 or Pat @ 443-497-2332 to volunteer.
• And a reminder about the Holiday Get-Together/Toy Drive to be held December 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Castaways in Ocean City. Admission is a minimum of $5.00 or a new, unwrapped toy. There will be food, music and discounted drink prices to enjoy. All are welcome! Bring a friend, ask your favorite loan person, settlement attorney or title person to join us—the more the merrier. We’re hoping to make this an annual event.
• We’re always looking for new Community Service Committee members with new ideas. Call Terry Testani @ 443- 523-2966 for details and the date of our next meeting.

IRS Announces 2008 Mileage Rates
The IRS this week issued the 2008 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of driving for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Beginning January 1, the standard mileage rates will be 50.5 cents per mile for business travel, up from 48.5 cents per mile for 2007. The new rate for driving for charitable purposes is 14 cents per mile.

Workforce Affordable Housing Seminar & Certification Classes Mark your calendars! The Workforce Affordable Housing Seminar and Certification Classes will be held January 10-11 at the CAR office. MAR will be providing the instructors for these classes. The classes will be all day sessions with CAR providing lunch. The first session on January 10 will be a class on “Credit Smart” and no CE credit will be awarded. The second session on January 11 will have the following three classes: State and Local Programs, Federal and National Housing Programs, and Bridging the Gap between Availability and Affordability. Each class will award 2 CE credits for a total of 6 CE credits. The classes are being offered free of charge, but after receiving certification you will be expected to be a member of a team that will provide workshops for the community to educate members of the community on programs that are available to help them get closer to their dream of homeownership. We will be providing workshops for the community in Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset Counties. If you are interested in receiving Workforce Affordable Housing Certification and joining our team, please click here to register to attend. What We Are Working On In conjunction with the Women’s Council of REALTORS®, the Education Committee is working on the CE/Seminar schedule for 2008. If you have any requests, please feel free to give Carl Ortman a call at 443-614-7756.

Builders, REALTORS® Blame Media For Severity of Slowdown
The National Association of REALTORS® isn’t the only real estate trade group to blame the national press for slowing housing sales. The National Association of Home Builders is joining the pity party with the lowest two-month reading of its sentiment index in its history. Full story >>

Is Your Business Ready For Winter?
As the months continue to fly by, soon we will be celebrating a new year. Is your business ready for a great 2008? Full story >>