NAR on Health Care

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on May 15, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General | 5 Comments

The vast majority of Realtors are independent contractors. As such, they typically have to foot the (ridiculous) cost of health insurance on their own.

Ever priced health insurance?

Many (myself included) have wondered why the NAR doesn’t throw its political weight and 1.4ish million member strong organization into helping Realtors get affordable health care.

Well, apparently they are working on it. Sort of.

From the NAR’s “Speaking of Real Estate” blog comes this article — Taking Another Stab at Health Care.

These concerns are why I’ve always intently followed NAR’s efforts to get a small-business health plan bill through Congress. I hadn’t heard much about the initiative lately — at least not until I sat in on the Business Issues Committee meeting today at the NAR Midyear Meetings.

That’s where I heard that NAR has been keeping up the fight and has now played a key role in shaping the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, a bill introduced in Senate last month. (my emphasis)

A key role? What key role? What exactly is the NAR doing in this arena? This article tells us basically nothing — no specifics, nothing about what we the membership can do to help.

Maybe the NARs activities on health care are described somewhere else. But darned if I can find it.

Do we just sit back and wait for the NAR’s “key role” to produce something?

If I’ve missed the details, I’d love for someone to point them out. Working to secure affordable health care for its memberships should be a primary point of focus for the NAR. In my humble opinion….

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Jonathan Miller on NAR Spin

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on May 5, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - Forecasts | Leave a Comment

There truly are not enough superlatives in the lexicon to adequately describe Jonathan Miller’s Matrix blog. If you don’t read it, well, you’re nuts.

Jonathan is a chartologist. And he’s come up with a great one in his post:

NAR Spin Cycle Set To Permanent Press

Yeah, I know, it’s a couple of weeks old. I’ve been busy! But it’s a chart / post that will stand the test of time.

Go forth and absorb.

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Yun to the Slaughterhouse: Not this time…

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on April 30, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - Forecasts | 2 Comments

NAR Chief Economists are frequently blog fodder. I’ve done it, and almost every other real estate blogger that touches on national real estate news has done it. The bubble blogs regularly eviscerate NAR economists and forecasts.

It’s time to move past the previous NAR econ disaster David Lereah. He’s gone (thankfully) and Lawrence Yun has moved into the top spot.

And dare I say it, but Dr. Yun does seem to be coming out with a dose of reality regarding housing, and the piles of real estate statistics the NAR generates. One just has to read many of his “Economists Commentaries” to see he does inject reality into many of his musings on the state of the housing market.

The latest from Yun is in a USA Today article, “Experts, consumers share home market views”. (H/T to Jim Duncan via one of his clients)

In this article Yun states things like:

Consumers need to find out what is going on at the local level and not necessarily take national headline numbers as a point of reference. Sellers tend to be more stubborn in facing the reality of the market, so people who really need to sell need to come down on prices, given the high inventory and seller competition.

And:

2008 is a year of clean-up. Afterwards, better conditions.

It’s honest, real and I find it refreshing.

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Center for Realtor Technology Rolls Out “Realtor Confidential”

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on April 23, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General | 3 Comments

Those propeller heads (and I use that term with the utmost respect) at the Center for Realtor Technology have rolled out Realtor Confidential - a nifty video heavy website that promises to be chocked full of interesting real estate technology stuff.

From the “About” page:

About REALTOR® Confidential:

This new online video series, created by CRT, in conjunction with NAR’s Information Central and Public Affairs divisions, is designed to educate our membership about technology-related topics and investigate how NAR can best use Web-based technology to communicate with members.

In the first season, we follow 2007 NAR President Pat V. Combs, as she and her staff implement new technologies. The viewing audience will see what works for Pat and her staff, what doesn’t, and why — and apply many of those insights to their own businesses.

Throughout the season, the series also will include supplemental episodes that explore specific technology topics of interest to REALTORS®. Following the CRT mission, we will share the knowledge we gain in the production process with members and the real estate community.

New episodes will debut once each month, and we’ll be posting other great content along the way, so stay tuned!

Go ahead, give it a whirl!

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The Zebra Teaches History On Realtor Mag Blog

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on April 16, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General | 5 Comments

Daniel Rothamel, a man I consider a friend and one who is commonly referred to simply as “The Zebra” is penning a series of posts on Realtor Magazines blog, Speaking of Real Estate.

Daniel’s first post there is “Shouldn’t We All Know More REALTOR® History?” And of course in usual Zebra fashion, it is very well done.

Daniel tells the story of how this gig came about on his own blog, RealEstateZebra.com.

Nice work Daniel! (now that said, if you read NARWisdom, you would have known about the existence of the Realtor Magazine blog!  )

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More New Blogs and Whatnot

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on April 11, 2008 
Filed Under Realtor.com | 1 Comment

NAR announces new member-based email distribution service

“MARION, Iowa USA — The NAR is responding to member’s requests for better communication between the operations of the organization and the member body.  The NAR has started its response by establishing an electronic newsletter distribution service.

In an online statement today, NAR president Mark Bundick invites members to…”

Mark Bundick? Wait a second…

Oh! This is the National Association of Rocketry, not the National Association of Realtors. My bad! ;)

Silliness aside, I found another new “organizational” blog. This one from Realtor.com — Realtor.com Report.

Looks like it spooled up on March 24. Five posts in the first two days, but only two since March 25. A posting frequency rivaled only by this very blog (I’ll try to do better, I promise).

Speaking of Realtor.com, I just got off the phone with them after receiving a courtesy call. Seems when I left Century 21 and started my own brokerage, I somehow forgot about having listings on Realtor.com (perhaps because nothing has ever come from having listings there. But I digress).

After spending countless minutes trying to convince them I did not want to pay for: 1) enhanced listings; 2) banner ads on their site; 3) Featured Homes; 4) Company Showcase; 5) Featured Company status; or 6) a “print solution”, I managed to get the paperwork required to get our brokerages listings for “free”.

Fortunately the agreement is only 7 pages of single-spaced text.

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The NAR Claims to be Listening…

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on March 28, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General | 11 Comments

In a post on the NAR’s “President’s Report” blog, NAR president Dick Gaylord says they are listening.

I commented on that post on May 13. So did Jim Duncan.

Now I understand why they can’t respond to every comment. Really I do.

But can they respond to any comment?

There was a brief moment in time where it appeared that some of the NAR leadership was “getting it”. I was encouraged, as were others.

Let’s just say that encouragement is dwindling….

In his post, Mr. Gaylord says:

To all of the REALTORS® who are driving discussion in the blogosphere, I just want to say: “Keep up the great work and please participate in the discussion on this blog.” (my emphasis)

To have a “discussion” requires a minimum of two people. One can only talk to their self for so long before they move on to where someone will actually engage in the discussion.

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Why Join NAR?

Author: Jim Duncan

Posted on March 27, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General | 1 Comment

Jay Thompson asks in the comments at AG:

Other than MLS access, give me a compelling reason to join the NAR.

Well?
RPAC? Other lobbying efforts? Networking? Education?

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The NAR Credit Union?

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on March 24, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General | 4 Comments

From this article on Realtor.org, comes this:

In a controlled and phased manner, the REALTORS® Federal Credit Union plans to offer a full range of fairly priced products and services, with fewer fees, including:

Deposit and Financial Services

Loans

Other Amenities

Brochure here (that I don’t think I ever received).

I dunno. Seems like most Realtors out there already have a bank account. Maybe the focus could be on something a significant portion of Realtors don’t have. Say….. health care?

Hat tip to Roy McKenzie at PMZ Buzz.
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OOPS! One of the “30 Under 30″ Indicted for Mortgage Fraud

Author: Jay T. - The Editor

Posted on March 16, 2008 
Filed Under NAR - General | 16 Comments

And in one of the biggest “Oops…” in recent memory, one of NAR’s profiled “30 under 30″ appears to be in very serious trouble…

From the June 2007 Realtor Magazine, “30 Under 30 Class of 2007″ article:

Markets may be churning, but if these dynamic practitioners are any indication, opportunity is still knocking. Although they’re under 30, they already demonstrate grit, resilience, and sheer love of the game. These bright young professionals, chosen from more than 600 applicants, showed they have what it takes to open doors in any market.

In the article they profiled one Eve Mazzarella from Las Vegas.

Now this little nugget comes out on Friday from CNBC:

LAS VEGAS - A Las Vegas real estate broker and her husband are facing federal charges they made millions of dollars orchestrating a mortgage fraud scheme.

U.S. Attorney for Nevada Gregory Brower says Eve Mazzarella, 30, and her husband, Steven Grimm, 45, were indicted Wednesday on bank fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting charges.

Grimm was arrested Thursday in Las Vegas and is due to appear Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. Brower says Mazzarella is being sought.

If convicted, each could face decades in prison and millions of dollars in fines.

The government alleges Mazzarella and Grimm bought more than 200 properties at inflated values using limited liability companies and more than 400 straw buyers to make purchase offers.

The couple allegedly controlled transactions worth more than $100 million.

They allegedly defaulted on mortgage payments on many of the loans, causing at least 118 properties to be sold in foreclosure.

Oops….

Hat tip to Twist at HousingDoom, and “Tyrone” in the comments.

 

 

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