www.ndrealtors.com SOLD on North Dakota NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® North Dakota Association of REALTORS® www.ndrealtors.com 318 W. Apollo Ave Bismarck, ND 58503-1412 ND REALTOR ® Spring Issue June 2015 An interview with our President 1. What prompted you to go into the real estate business? When? 5. Where is your favorite vacation spot? I’ve been a contractor for most of my adult life and that led me to be interested in real estate. I considered going into real estate with my mother-in-law, Grace Bennett, 30 years ago, but the timing just wasn’t right. When I was looking at a different career direction 15 years ago, Grace and I talked, and I made the move. It was a great one. My kitchen. South Florida isn’t bad either. 6. What do you think are some of the major issues facing North Dakota REALTORS® or the North Dakota Association of REALTORS® in 2015 and into the future? Just as technology is our biggest growing asset, it is our greatest threat. Today there are browser networks that are working to become the nation’s largest home listing source and they aren’t interested in any REALTOR® exclusivity, which is in my opinion dangerous for buyers and sellers as it relates to things like consumer fraud. 2. Why did you get involved with the Association and what prompted you to seek leadership positions in the REALTOR® organization? It’s a function of the 3 legged stool analogy. You need to work on, in and for your business. I just naturally have always been involved working for the industry I was in, and that led to my involvement in the association. The leadership opportunities came out of that. It’s not that I consider that I have any special gifts, it’s just that I’m willing to share what I do have to offer. 3. What is something most people don’t know about you? Most people don’t know that for a short period of time I was a standup comedian and professional speaker. The fact that I’m a REALTOR® now might be an indicator of how successful I was. INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Greg Larson 2015 NDAR President 4. What changes have you noticed since you started in the real estate business? The biggest change is of course how technology has changed how we do our business and I think we’re just on the tip of the iceberg with that. I’ve noticed also that our incoming agents seem somewhat more removed from the association. I’m hoping that as they develop they will get more invested, since they will be inheriting what develops now in NAR, NDAR and the local associations. This and other issues like it really point to t he value of our trade association. Without the diligence of local boards, NDAR and NAR our industry could change in ways that could be very harmful to our ability to make a living and we wouldn’t know about it until it’s too late to do anything about it. 7. What advice would you give members who are consider ing getting involved in NDAR activities? Get started. Take small steps and look for what area most suits you. Interview continued to page 3 2015 National Committee Appointments . 5 Did You Know ....................................... 12 Chips from the Board............................6-9 REALTOR® Letter ................................ 16 Silence can be golden ............................. 10 REALTORS® at the Legislature .............. 18 www.ndrealtors.com 1 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® President’s Message North Dakota Association of REALTORS® 318 West Apollo Avenue Bismarck, ND 58503 701-355-1010 By Greg Larson , 2015 NDAR President 800-279-2361 So I was sitting down to convert my notes into this report, when Jill forwarded an article to me that was printed in the Bismarck Tribune. It was a tongue-incheek ar ticle complaining about the over enthusiastic words REALTORS® use to describe our listings. One of my favorites is “What it says: Pets welcome. What it means: slight rodent problem.” Funny, right? Fax 866-665-1011 info@ndrealtors.com www.ndrealtors.com 2015 Officers President: Greg Larson Then I got a little mad, then frustrated, and fi nally indignant. What a pile! A newspaper reporter for crying out loud is complaining about someone else stretching the truth to their advantage. What an oxymoron…or maybe just a moron. President Elect: Cindy Harvey I reread the article and noticed something important. This guy claimed to be an “expert” in all things real estate, yet he wasn’t talking about REALTORS® at all. He didn’t mention us once, nor did he mention Realtor.com or our Code of Ethics. What he did mention was Zillow, Trulia, Craig’s List, Homes HQ, Flex MLS and his hours of research (I think his hours of research sounds a lot like: “easy access to public transportation” What he meant was “the house is under a commuter train overpass). Vice President: Lyn Dwyer Here’s my takeaway. Saying you’re an expert and being an expert are two very different things. Let’s never forget that we ARE the voice of real estate and the sole advocates for the rights of property owners. And since that’s who we are, we should always take our REALTOR® pledge and Code of Ethics seriously. This was once again drilled home to me in Washington D.C. while we were there for the NAR Legislative Meetings. Past President: Vicki Roller Century 21 Morrison Realty 201 W Front Ave. Bismarck, ND 58504 701-223-6654 glarson@century21morrison.com Elite Real Estate 615 S. Broadway Minot, ND 58701 701-838-4040 cindyharveyrealtor@gmail.com Town & Country Realty 2521 S. University Dr. Fargo, ND 58103 701-293-3333 Lyn.m.dwyer@gmail.com Elite Real Estate 1501 N 12th St., Suite 7 Bismarck, ND 58501 701-220-3903 vickiroller@gmail.com Director at Large: RE/MAX Integrity Realty Our NDAR Vice President Lyn Dwyer was talking about how important the REALTOR’S® Pledge is to her and that she has it memorized. I said I did too…mostly. So when I got home I decided to recite it. I don’t have it anywhere near memorized, but I will by our June meetings. That’s just the preamble of how we should run our real estate business. Based on the low number of serious issues the Real Estate Commission has to deal with and the quality of the people I’ve gotten to know over the years in this industry, I’d say North Dakota REALTORS® have much of which to be proud. Lorrie Nantt President’s Message continued to page 3 2 669 12th St. W Dickinson, ND 58601 701-483-9851 lnantt@remax.net www.ndrealtors.com President’s Message continued from page 2 While in DC, the NAR Board of Directors approved a measure to move forward with an initiative to develop a program called the Commitment to Excellence. The drive to be the best at what we do is coming from the top down. From where I stand I’d say we’re also driving it from the bottom up. Well done North Dakota. all the support we can. Finally I want to let you know that I sit on the NAR Insurance Committee and am on the flood insurance work group. We are aware of how the new flood mapping is expanding who needs coverage as well as increasing rates. We’re planning out what to get done between now and 2017 when the authorization for the National Flood Insurance Program expires. There were many more things that came out of the Washington meetings that are remarkable, and Jill will highlight them in her report, so I don’t want to be repetitive. But I must say WAY TO GO DEWEY!!! Dewey Uhlir has been nominated and has had his name forwarded for election as the Region 8 Vice President. His election will be held at the national convention in San Diego. He’s got a competitor, so we need to give him Thanks for giving me the opportunity to serve you. I am a REALTOR® and I live by the CODE. Interview continued from page 1 Good volunteer committee members are the core of the association, so let that take you where you want to serve the association. Please know that it will help you in your overall business and you will get far more out of your involvement than you put into it. it many times, RPAC is how we get things done and if we don’t do it, someone else will do it to us. 8. What can you remember about your first real estate deal? I’m always very humbled to be able to be of service to my fellow REALTOR® members. It’s amazing how many very talented and gifted folks we have. Please take the opportunity to get active in your business. It’s worth every minute. 10. Other tidbits of information on President or what else would you like to tell NDAR members? My first transaction was helping a young widower with a 6-year-old son move out of his mother-in-law’s basement into a $7500.00 manufactured home. It’s still the one transaction that helps me stay centered. That was the biggest deal in his life. We’re still friends today two homes later. 9. How important is it for members to participate in North Dakota RPAC? And to be involved politicallylocal, state, and/or national? Provider of Quality Home Inspection Services “Looking Out For You” As cliché as it sounds, this is where the rubber meets the road. RPAC is the way we support our industry and those lawmakers who support us as well. If every agent in NDAR invested the minimum of $30.00 we could do wonders. This should be in every REALTOR®’s business plan just as marketing and tax withholding. I’ve said Darcy Herman Jamestown, ND firstchoice@daktel.com 3 ND License #98 Member, American Home Inspectors NDSociety Licenseof#98 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® OLD WEST COMPANIES, INC. RPAC Corner PO Box 9106 Rapid City, SD 57709-9106 We Service Contracts For Deed & Mortgages We Escrow Taxes & Insurance DOCUMENTS REMAIN IN SOUTH DAKOTA Ron’s Ranting Our Immediate Courteous Service is Recommended by REALTORS® - ATTORNEYS – BANKERS Ron Volk, Century 21 Morrison NDAR RPAC Trustee The power of “we” as compared to the power of “me” CALL 605-348-6505 for sample letter of transmittal and schedule of charges In my way of thinking, this is what PACs are all about. Usually, no one person can accomplish what a group of people can. It does not make any difference if it is an army, an economic group, farm rescue, labor groups, union groups, teachers or real estate professionals. One hand cannot do the work of two hands or hundreds of hands. A candidate for political office usually could not get elected by their efforts alone, thus a campaign committee or interest group. A PAC is usually connected very closely to the candidate-interest group goals and ideologies as they promote the same values of the PAC. In the case of REALTORS®, we strive among other things, to preserve the free enterprise system and the right to own real property. In doing this, we as a PAC, financially support candidates for public office that share the same values. COMMERCIAL SALES & LEASING Blake Krabseth 852-1156 “Years of experience . . . and like fine wine, improving with age.” 408 N. Bdwy. Minothomes.com KNOWLEDGE—INTEGRITY– EXPERIENCE 34 Y YEARS EARS OF OF S SERVICE ERVICE 38 RELOCATION SERVICES 201 W FRONT AVENUE BISMARCK, ND 58504 Shelly Lockard Relocation Director WWW.CENTURY21MORRISON.COM 701.223.6654 800.657.8089 4 SLOCKARD@CENTURY21MORRISON.COM www.ndrealtors.com 2015 National Committee Appointments Daryl Braham Board of Directors Jill Beck Board of Directors PS Interpretations and Procedures Advisory Member-at-Large RPAC Major Investor Council Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee AEC Chapter Formation Work Group Nancy Deichert Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee Joshua Boschee Housing Opportunity Committee Barbara Grande Professional Standards Comm. Broker Involvement Council Larry Louser REALTOR® Party Member Involvement Committee Dewey Uhlir Board of Directors State and Local Issues Policy Committee Scott Louser RPAC Participation Council Strategic Thinking Advisory Committee Professional Standards Committee RPAC Participation Council Marti Kaiser AEC REALTOR® Party Resources Work Group Mary Splichal Consumer Communications Committee Lyn Dwyer Business Issues Policy Committee Kevin Fisher RPAC Major Investor Council Vicki Roller Membership Policy & Board Jurisdiction Comm. David Lanpher Real Property Valuation Committee Arlene Volk Public Policy Coordinating Committee Cindy Harvey Risk Management Committee Greg Larson Board of Directors Land Use Property Rights and Environment Committee Insurance Committee 5 Jerry Youngberg Global Business and Alliances Committee Public Policy Coordinating Committee NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® Chips From The Board Badlands BOARD OF REALTORS® The housing market remains stable through the downturn of oil prices. President Shirley Dukart won the prestigious Claus Lembke Political Involvement Award this year and we are so proud to call her our own! The good news is, new businesses continue to locate in our area! The Executive Committee worked with Daryl Braham in February and we now have a great Strategic Plan. Once all of the information was gathered, the new Core Standards was completed and submitted. Barb Lupo, Association Executive Bismarck-Mandan BOARD OF REALTORS® Friday, April 17th was our annual charity fundraiser, Red & Black Night. This year it was a 50’s theme and almost everyone came decked-out, even our DJ participated as Elvis!! The charity was The Dickinson Back Pack Program and we raised $10,000.00! Bob Karn … oh, I mean “Danny” was our MC and kept everyone entertained while leading twist, limbo and hula hoop contests, as well as the auction. Joe Sheehan won the twist contest; Ninetta Wandler, the hula hoop contest and a tie for first in the Limbo contest with Sammy Tuhy and Marie Swensen. Mike and Alex Schwab won the costume contest. We had over 65 auction items donated by our amazing Affiliate Members, Real Estate Firms and individual Members. Great, giving people!! Cindy Deichert with Bianco Realty did the shopping with donations from their company to support the Backpack project. Here is a recap of Board activities since the last issue: A challenge was issued to Affi liate members to see who could bring the most food items for the United Way Backpack Program. The Realtors® won the challenge, but the kids are definitely the winners of this project! Following the food collection, members packed 525 bags with food to send home with children when school is dismissed on Friday. The day The Caravan CE Safety Class was well attended and there was another free CE class on HUD issues and changes, sponsored by two of our Affi liates, ND Guaranty & Title Company and Cornerstone Bank. Thank you to them! Our first sponsored REALTORS® vs Affi liates Blood Drive was held on May 1st. We gave 46 units for United Blood Services and the REALTORS® won by only 6!! Chips continued to page 7 6 www.ndrealtors.com Chips continued from page 6 An efficient set up of food items, along with volunteers to drop the items in the bags carried by another crew of volunteers made packing of 525 bags go by in no time. Karin Haskell and Amy Hullett stocked up on food with the $1600 in proceeds of a benefit rummage sale. PAF investors could win, gaming activities for RPAC/PAF investors and demos by the “Cloud Crowd”. after the packing, totes of food bags were delivered to the schools by REALTORS® and Affi liate members. In all, a total of nearly 26,000 single-serve food items were donated which provided food to children for five weekends. Over the past few months our association has been visible at Chamber meetings and events, Bismarck Mandan Development Association events, weekly Legislative Updates, NDAR’s Legislative Impact Day, area association executives meetings, the NDHFA housing conference, and Real Estate Commission meetings. The April lunch was again our Administrative Professionals recognition event. Our special guests received a “Jar of Sunshine” (a jar packed with yellow items like Butterfinger, lotion, candle, sunflower seed packs, and other items to fit the color scheme) and tied with a yellow ribbon and tag. Kostas Voutsas, our featured speaker, educated and entertained the group with his truthfully humorous take on diversity and generational differences. Nancy Deichert, Association Executive Fargo-Moorhead Area ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® We have submitted our online compliance information for the NAR Organizational (Core) Standards. The Cloud Crowd (our version of a technology committee) developed a plan to demo an app or tech tool at each membership event. They joined the Cinco de Mayo membership social with a “Synco de Mayo” area of the room for tech demos. The favorite appeared to be the RPR demo. A broker/designated REALTOR®/office manager meeting was held to cover a laundry list of topics. Another session is planned for early June. We invited the Bis-Man Home Builders to join us in holding a news conference early this year to talk about 2014 stats and projections for 2015. We were a sponsor of The Chamber’s “State of the Cities” event where both mayors provided community updates and projections. Spring is finally here and FM REALTORS® are busier than ever! The number of properties sold as of the end of April compared with the same time in 2014 is up 3%, number of properties under contract is up 5% and our average sale price is up 12% to $199,571. The number of properties on the market is relatively similar to last year’s numbers. Other community involvement included REALTOR® Ring Day in December, and Day of Caring is coming up in August. Members were involved in support of NDAR’s legislative efforts, some testified, some helped fi ll meeting rooms for hearings. The Government Affairs Committee gathered for lunch at the Capitol. Dan VanWinkle of First Class Mortgage was awarded FMA AR’s Affiliate of the Year Award at our March General Membership Meeting. Dan ser ves on the The May membership social was held on “Cinco de Mayo” (May 5) and featured a taco bar, gift baskets that RPAC/ Chips continued to page 8 7 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® Chips continued from page 7 year pins as well as holding our annual election of officers at the Awards Banquet. For continuing education, we have Code of Ethics on July 22 at 9:00 at the Holiday Inn (3 hours CE ND/MN). See our website for more information or to register. Program Committee and on the Executive Committee of the 2016 Planning Committee and has been ver y active ser ving FMA A R over the years. One of the people who nominated Dan, had this to say, “He is 100% invested i n ou r a s s o c i at ion. He attends General Membership Meet i ngs a nd ser ves on Committees. He participates in all of our events and so much more. Dan is vocal, has great ideas and has the association’s best interest at heart. He is trustworthy, always willing to donate, support, cold call, etc. When Dan is involved you know things get done.” Congratulations Dan! FMAAR members also tied and donated 104 blankets to Project Linus at this event. Marti Kaiser, Executive Vice President Grand Forks Area Association of REALTORS® Please join FMA AR in supporting Dewey Uhlir for NAR Region 8 Regional Vice President for 2018. Dewey continues to be active at all levels of our associations and is a past recipient of FMAAR’s REALTOR® of the Year Award, Distinguished Service Award and the Jim Fay Award. Dewey understands local and state issues and has been consistently dedicated to strengthening the real estate industry and the professionalism of our members. The market in Grand Forks is very active. The only drawback is the lack of inventory but with the upcoming summer months things are shaping up pretty good. We have had 309 units sold as compared to 239 in 2014. Year to date sales volume is up by 20% compared to the same time frame of 2014. Average sold price has jumped from $181,000 in 2014 to 201,000 in 2015. FMAAR proudly launched the “I Love My REALTOR®” advertising campaign. TV commercials, radio, electronic billboard, print and online ads featuring clients of our members talking about the importance of using a REALTOR® have been playing in the Fargo – Moorhead area for the past several months. Check out our website, fmrealtor.com, to watch the TV commercial. FMAAR members also recently participated in the Stuff the Truck event to benefit the New Life Center Thrift Store and is currently a drop site for the Salvation Army’s Coats for Kids & Families. Locally the Grand Forks Area Association of REALTORS® committees are busy making plans for spring and summer events and public relation projects. Our annual golf tournament and sporting clay shoot will be held on June 18 at Valley Country Club in East Grand Forks. The Stars of 2015 Honors banquet will be on July19 at the Gorecki Alumni Center on the campus of the University of North Dakota. In April at our General Membership meeting we honored our wonderful Affi liate members. Our Affi liates are helpful, loyal and very generous to any request we make of them. FMAAR’s “What’s Brewin’ with RPAC” event is scheduled for June 16 at the Fargo Brewing Company. We are also looking forward to our annual Golf Outing on August 3 at The Meadows and our Awards Banquet on August 17 at The Ramada. We will be awarding the REALTOR® of the Year, the Jim Fay Award, the Distinguished Service Award, 25 The Grand Forks Area Association of REALTORS® is planning for the start of our “Yard of the Week” program. Yard of the Week starts in June and runs through August. Homes are nominated by the public and selected by our Public Relations Committee and this program has become very popular in the city. In August we are planning a Barbeque for all the residents of the Northland Rescue Mission, here in Grand Forks. Members of our Public Relations Committee will be cooking burgers and beans for the residents of the Mission. We do this every year and it is so successful that it is an annual event. Skip Greenberg Realtor/Broker, ABR, CRB, CRS, GRI Office:701-772-6641**800-884-5933 Cell: 701-739-6641*H 701-772-9323 sgreenberg@greenbergrealty.com 3651 S. Columbia Rd, Grand Forks, ND The Annual RPAC Raffle has started. Members have the opportunity to win an iPad and other wonderful prizes. This is our main fundraiser for RPAC for the year. John Colter, Association Executive 8 www.ndrealtors.com members in attendance. Our Public Relations Committee revamped the “Yard of the Month” program while working with the Minot Daily News to obtain a half page in the monthly Home Market Magazine which will help us with promotion, public knowledge and increased submissions through the publication of each six months winner. We encourage all members and friends to like and share the MBOR Yard of the Month page (Minot, North Dakota Yard of the Month) on Facebook. We also held the initial MLS Task Force meeting to review Minot MLS Rules and Regulations. Minot BOARD OF REALTORS® The April general membership meeting featured guest speakers from “Companions for Children,” providing information on what their services provide and what their mentor needs are. One of our affiliate members is featured in their video as a mentor volunteer and it was a great opportunity to hear her message. On April 9, Century 21-Action REALTORS® held a BBQ to support ALS. On April 21, NDAR Caravan training sessions, Real Estate Safe Practices and Technology, Social Media and Smartphone Safety with Tracey Hawkins, were held at the Grand Hotel. The Board of Directors and Committee Chairpersons met on April 27 for a Leadership Seminar by Daryl Braham to design the 2015 Strategic Plan for our Board. May began with 20 REALTOR® members and affi liates volunteering in “Operation Minot Clean Up” on May 1st and 2nd. Teams focused on various areas of the city to collect litter and make our city shine! Also on May 2, members turned out to support the United Way through “Bowlapalooza”. The following week, Century 21-Action REALTORS® and MBOR sponsored a Brat Cookout at Oak Park to raise additional funds for ALS. Thank you to everyone that participated. YOU make the difference! The 2015 March home sales for Minot are running neck and neck with March 2014. Within the city of Minot, single family homes sold Jan-March 2014 were 141, while 140 sold during the same period this year. When we include rural single family properties, Jan-March 2014, the total is 199 and 2015 total is 200. The average residential sales price Jan-March 2014 was $223,523 versus $222,039 in 2015. North Dakota Guaranty and Title’s Minot office hosted a session providing important information regarding RESPA changes at the Grand Hotel on May 13th. Those REALTOR® members in attendance were eligible to receive 3 CE hours. February featured the Board of REALTORS® lunch and meeting on the 19th with our guest speakers from the Minot Area Community Foundation. The Membership Committee Chairperson announced the implementation of “Cheeks in Seats,” a board competition to encourage monthly membership meeting attendance. The office with the highest quarterly attendance during these meetings will win a pizza party for their office. We have enjoyed a 50% increase in attendance since this initiative was announced which may be attributed to the contest or the great guest speaker lineup—we averaged 50 members per month in 2014 and Feb, Mar, April we have averaged 76 attendees. Additionally in February, many members attended the NDAR Legislative Impact Day and North Dakota Housing Conference in Bismarck. The Minot 6th Annual Walk for ALS was held May 16th through the cold and rain. There were about 200 participants with many of our MBOR members walking in honor of friends, family and coworkers that have been affected by ALS. Joyce Kuntz President, MBOR Direct: (701) 238-1797 In March our general membership meeting featured Kathy Feist and Ron Merritt with the Minot Area Parks and Recreation Department providing information on an upcoming Minot city vote regarding changes to our tax structure which would fund a new facility called Minot Aquatics and Recreation Center (MARC). The Technology Committee announced that they will begin monthly training on topics of interest and introduced new mobile apps to 9 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® Seller sued Broker, based on breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligent misrepresentation. The judge dismissed the breach of contract claim, pointing out that there was nothing in the listing agreement that required Broker to furnish tax advice. The judge also dismissed the claim of breach of fiduciary duty, concluding that the listing agreement language, disclaiming Broker’s status as a tax advisor, was sufficient to limit the Broker’s duties to Seller. A Legal Review By Casey Chapman However, the judge refused to dismiss the claim of negligent misrepresentation. The judge pointed to prior court decisions which said that a person can sue another person for incorrect statements, if the “injured” person reasonably relied on the incorrect statements. Seller argued to the judge that, because the Broker had worked him on the previous 1031 exchange, and because Broker held himself out as a practitioner experienced in commercial real property, Seller reasonably relied on Broker’s advice. In response, Broker argued to the judge that, because he was not a tax advisor, it was unreasonable for Seller to rely on his advice. Casey Chapman, Attorney at Law, NDAR Legal Council Silence can be golden A recent case in federal court on the East Coast reminds us that, if you give advice beyond your expertise, you could be asking for trouble. In this particular case, Seller owned commercial property and listed the property with Broker. Seller’s expressed desire was to reinvest the sales proceeds into replacement investment property. In other words, Seller wanted to create a 1031 exchange. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept of a 1031 exchange, a seller of investment property often can, within certain time lines, reinvest the sales proceeds into replacement investment property. By that method, a seller is able to defer recognition of taxable gain on the sale. The judge concluded that, where Broker held himself out as a real estate practitioner, experienced in these types of transactions, it could be reasonable for Seller to rely on Broker’s representations. As is often the case, this is not the end of the court proceedings. It simply means that, rather than having the claim dismissed before trial, Broker will need to proceed to court, probably in front of the jury, to defend himself. The lesson here is simple, and often repeated. You should never offer advice in areas beyond your expertise. Instead, those words, “I don’t know, so you should consult with an expert,” are the best advice you can give and the best protection you can have. Simply stated, if you said it, you may need to defend it. Ten years earlier, Broker had helped Seller purchase this same property, using a 1031 exchange on sales proceeds from Seller’s previously owned property. The listing agreement clearly stated that Broker was retained “solely as a real estate agent… and not as a tax advisor.” The listing agreement also said that, although Broker could provide real estate advice, Seller should seek “appropriate professional advice concerning… tax and insurance matters.” This time, Seller asked Broker whether he could do another 1031 exchange when he sold his property. Broker advised him that he could not; unfortunately, that advice was incorrect. Apparently, Seller accepted Broker’s advice at face value, did not consult with a tax advisor, and sold the property without utilizing a 1031 exchange. As a result, Seller paid over $75,000 in capital gains tax, which probably could have been deferred. 10 www.ndrealtors.com Printing & Publishing Business Cards • Letterheads Envelopes • Posters • Labels Invoices • Annuals • Directories • Newsletters • Books • and More WE WELCOME new advertisers to the Call today for a quote 1-800-658-3485 ND REALTOR® Contact Sarah at 1-800-658-3485 or email: bhgads@bhgnews.com 11 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® good faith from August 1 through the end of 2015. While everyone is working towards meeting these changes in the rule there are likely to be challenges during implementation that is to take effect August 1 and have a negative impact on consumers. This is a very busy time in home sales and we are hoping it can be delayed. We also visited with our three DC offices and expressed our concerns and it was met positively. Did You Know? By Jill Beck We also heard from Mike Huckabee who was also very enlightening and entertaining. NAR Government Affairs Senior Vice President Jerry Giovaniello and policy staff provided us with information, analysis and perspectives on NAR federal priority issues. NAR’s Chief Economist Lawrence Yun shared prospects for the economy and housing market for the second half of 2015. A representative from the National Homebuilders Association shared the stage and discussed issues affecting the supply of housing and the building industry’s perspective on the current market. Jill Beck, NDAR CEO As we just returned from the National Associations of REALTORS® Legislative Meetings in Washington DC, I thought it would be fitting to give you all an update. There were about 8,000 REALTORS® and guests in attendance and about 35 from NDAR. It was a very busy week from when the meetings started early Tuesday morning and ended by noon on Saturday with the conclusion of the Board of Directors meeting. Tuesday we heard from some great speakers and panels of speakers including Donna Brazile and Ed Gillespie on legislative priorities and the 24 hour news cycle. Following them was a session on “Closings are Changing: Countdown to August 1” on the rules, procedures and forms for residential real estate closings that go into effect on August 1 with Richard Cordray, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). It was a very informational session. Please note that NAR has sent a letter to congressional offices asking for a “grace period” for those seeking to comply in Members were also able to tour the NAR Building, walk through the trade expo, network, and attend committee meetings and forums. Staff from NDAR and local boards enjoyed a dinner out one night to network and in addition to the aforementioned activities also had training on several programs provided to us by NAR (databases and RPAC tracking programs). Thursday late morning we jumped on the metro to Capitol Hill and throughout the afternoon visited our three congressional offices. In addition to discussing the need to postpone the penalties for the RESPA/TILA to end of the year we also had talking points: areas of concern for private property rights not only for our consumers and clients but for ourselves as homeowners. MID - Mortgage Interest Deduction Financing difficulties NFIP - National Flood Insurance Program Commercial 1031 Exchange 12 Did You Know continued to page 13 www.ndrealtors.com Did You Know continued from page 12 Thank you to those who attended and participated and especially to our Federal Political Coordinators (FPCs) and our Government Affairs Director (GAD) Nancy Willis for keeping us on track. Senator Hoeven: Tate Cymbaluk, Williston Senator Heitkamp: Mary Splichal, Bismarck Representative Cramer: Greg Larson, Bismarck Friday afternoon was a series of leadership sessions for local leadership and AE’s to partake in and they had great reviews. The day ended with our Region 8 Caucus led by Regional Vice President, Jeff Nelson from South Dakota. There was a lot of information shared here including reports from realtor. com® on changes to enhance the role of the REALTOR® that had been unveiled earlier in the week. From realtor.com®: “As online real estate evolves, we must find new ways to deliver value to the tens of thousands of listing firms and their agents who provide us their hard earned listing data. To that end, we are pleased to announce several new features and tools, provided at no charge, designed to help listing firms and their agents grow their businesses.” Launching this week will be the ability to include on every realtor.com® listing an SEO-friendly hyperlink to the listing display page on the listing firm’s website. This new feature adds to the elevated visibility of listing firm and agent names directly under the photograph on each listing display, and full display of up to 36 photos, a marketing paragraph, agent contact information, showing details, open house dates and more. See more information on letter from realtor.com® elsewhere in this newsletter. To learn more about these new features and tools available to all listing firms and their agents and our ongoing industry commitment, please visit: realtor.com/industry® Also at this meeting on Friday we received more information on Project Upstream which is one of the biggest initiatives the REALTOR® organization has been involved in a long time. This information was shared and questions answered before the NAR Board of Directors meeting on Saturday morning. Below are the highlights from the NAR Board of Directors meeting: NAR Board Approves Nationwide Broker Data Entry System The NAR Board of Directors at its 2015 meeting May 16 in Washington, D.C., approved a partnership between NAR and its wholly owned subsidiary Realtors Property Resource® and another company, UpStream RE, LLC, to create a data entry and collection system for the brokerage community using the RPR® advanced Multi-list platform (AMP™). The system will give brokerages a single place to input their listing data for distribution on multiple platforms online, including Realtor.com, local MLSs, and broker websites. The initiative will be funded using NAR operating reserves over 36 months, at a net amount not to exceed $12 million. Prior to the vote on the data entry system, NAR CEO Dale Did You Know continued to page 14 Did You Know continued to page 14 13 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® Did You Know continued from page 13 Stinton described this latest initiative as an important strategic “pivot” for NAR and RPR® that helps brokers maintain control of their listing data while accomplishing long-sought technology objectives of real estate brokerage companies, MLSs, and associations by creating a single back-end entry point for all listing data that is then distributed to all the end-points identified by the broker. Commitment to Excellence In other actions, the Board adopted the REALTORS® Commitment to Excellence under which NAR members strive for excellence in a number of competencies, including the NAR Code of Ethics, the laws and regulations affecting real estate, and one’s advocacy efforts on behalf of strong real estate markets and healthy communities. The Commitment to Excellence also extends to the way REALTORS® interact with one another and with consumers and to the need to maintain one’s professional education. The Commitment also requires broker-owners and principals of real estate companies to maintain an environment that promotes excellent customer service, consistent with the new standards. To help oversee the Commitment, the Board created an advisory board comprised of nine members of the Professional Standards Committee. The board will develop systems to ensure the competencies remain relevant and to provide the tools to administer the Commitment. ‘Boomerang buyers’ The Board adopted a plan to support lending, counseling and other programs intended to help so-called boomerang buyers enter the home buying market with confidence and the resources to succeed. Boomerang buyers are households that lost their home during the Great Recession and are now considering entering the market again. Core Standards To help ensure new associations of REALTORS® are prepared to meet NAR’s Core Standards, the Board amended the member association application form to address their obligation to meet the standards. Associations are also required to sign a new Core Standards Certification. MLS policy The Board amended the MLS Policy Statement to ensure timely implementation of MLS changes by requiring their implementation by January 1 of the following year, and for associations and MLSs to implement them within 60 days of their effective date, unless the NAR Board of Directors allows a different timeline. In other changes, the Board passed provisions to allow MLS participants to augment IDX displays with property information from an outside source as long as the source is identified in immediate proximity to the data. The other changes help ensure that MLSs timely process requests for IDX data feeds and clarify the term “publicly accessible” sold information. The term, as it applies to IDX policy and model IDX MLS rules, refers to data available electronically or in hard copy to the public from city, county, state, and other government records. Professional Standards The Board made a number of changes to the NAR Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual to improve the arbitration process, among other things. They would: • Shift the burden of initiating litigation from the prevailing party to the non-prevailing party. The goal is to reduce instances of REALTORS® refusing to pay arbitration awards. The change also requires adoption of state association recommended arbitration award enforcement procedures that maximize enforcement and payment under state law. • Establish that complainants and hearing panels cannot bar each other from adding Articles of the Code of Ethics or respondents to a pending complaint before or during a hearing. • Establish that directors hearing an ethics appeal, if concerned with a substantial procedure will be required to refer the decision to the association’s professional standards committee for a new hearing and recommendation by a different hearing panel. • Provide guidance and shorter time frames for arbitration case administration. • Clarify that the citation process is confidential, and ensure consistency with Professional Standards Policy Statement #19, Confidentiality of determinations rendered in ethics and arbitration hearings, Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual. • Ensure consistency between the NAR Model Citation Policy and Sections 7 and 32, Notices, Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual, which provides that notice is deemed given, served, or fi led when handed to a party, mailed to a party, or sent to a party via email. These amendments also reference “transmission”, as email service of notices is strongly recommended in Sections 7 and 32, Notices, Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual. • Clarify that the ombudsman process is confidential, and ensure consistency with Professional Standards Policy Statement #19, Confidentiality of determinations rendered in ethics and arbitration hearings, Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual. • Ensure that parties concerned with interpretation of settlement agreements that include stipulations on withdrawal of pending ethics complaints must enforce the agreement in court rather than rely on associations to dismiss the complaint. • Require a shorter time frame for implementation of new and amended policies in order to ensure timely, efficient responses to changes in professional standards policy. 14 Did You Know continued to page 15 www.ndrealtors.com Did You Know continued from page 14 Advocacy grants The Texas and Missouri associations were given grants of $3 million and $500,000, respectively, to advocate for ballot measures prohibiting any future imposition of sales tax on real estate transactions. Patent trolls The Board approved $180,000 in legal assistance to help two real estate companies fight a patent troll’s effort to extract licensing fees from them for their use of certain online search technology. Other brokerages receiving a licensing demand letter are encouraged to let NAR know, Committee Chair Colleen Badagliacco on the committee’s recently released D.A.N.G.E.R. Report, which covers 50 issues that keep brokers, sales associates, associations, and MLSs up at night, including loss of listing data control, new regulations, and dilution of the REALTOR® brand by substandard performance. A big thank you to those local boards that sent your leadership and to those members who attend on their own and serve on NAR Committees. Elsewhere in this publication you can find the NAR committees we have members serving on. If you have ever wanted to attend a NAR meeting I highly recommend the May meetings in DC - they are fast paced and very informative and I highly recommend attending. 2016 membership statistics The association is budgeting for a membership of 1,080,000 members in 2016 and will keep its annual dues at $120. Realtor.com The Board heard a report from NAR Senior Vice President Bob Goldberg on the progress Realtor.com has made since the acquisition of its parent company, Move, Inc., by News Corp. “The management and ownership is committed to bringing Realtor.com back to number one,” he said. D.A.N.G.E.R. Report The Board also heard a report from Strategic Thinking 15 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® An Open Letter to Our Valued Brokerage Industry Partners May 13, 2015 Dear Brokerage Industry Partner: For nearly twenty years, realtor.com® has worked side-by-side with the industry to enhance the REALTOR® brand with consumers through the most accurate, comprehensive and up to date consumer home search experience, CNNVJGYJKNGGPUWTKPIVJCVVJGXCNWGRTQRQUKVKQPQHDTQMGTCIGƒTOUCPFVJGKTCIGPVUTGOCKPUHTQPVCPFEGPVGT with consumers. Guiding us during this period has been our unwavering adherence to a host of industry-friendly principles such as: Respecting the economic interests of the industry by not commingling FSBO listings with DTQMGTCIGƒTONKUVKPIU Not displaying value estimates on “for-sale” properties because the local real estate professional KUVJGDGUVRGTUQPVQFGVGTOKPGVJGXCNWGQHCNKUVGFRTQRGTV[CPF Displaying the online reputation of brokers and agents in a way that both meets consumers’ needs VQƒPFVJGũTKIJVŪRTQHGUUKQPCNYJKNGCNUQDGKPIFQPGKPCHCKTYC[HQTVJGKPFWUVT[ 7PNKMGQWTEQORGVKVQTUYGDGNKGXGVJGUGRTKPEKRNGUJGNRFGƒPGVJGU[ODKQVKETGNCVKQPUJKRYGJCXGYKVJVJG KPFWUVT[#UQPNKPGTGCNGUVCVGGXQNXGUYGOWUVƒPFPGYYC[UVQFGNKXGTXCNWGVQVJGVGPUQHVJQWUCPFUQHNKUVKPI ƒTOUCPFVJGKTCIGPVUYJQRTQXKFGWUVJGKTJCTFGCTPGFNKUVKPIFCVC6QVJCVGPFYGCTGRNGCUGFVQCPPQWPEG UGXGTCNPGYHGCVWTGUCPFVQQNURTQXKFGFCVPQEJCTIGFGUKIPGFVQJGNRNKUVKPIƒTOUCPFVJGKTCIGPVUITQY their businesses. Launching this week will be the ability to include on every realtor.com® listing an SEO-friendly hyperlink to the NKUVKPIFKURNC[RCIGQPVJGNKUVKPIƒTOŦUYGDUKVG6JKUPGYHGCVWTGCFFUVQVJGGNGXCVGFXKUKDKNKV[QHNKUVKPIƒTO and agent names directly under the photograph on each listing display, and full display of up to 36 photos, a marketing paragraph, agent contact information, showing details, open house dates and more. #FFKVKQPCNN[CNNNKUVKPIƒTOUCPFVJGKTCIGPVUYKNNPQYDGCDNGVQDGVVGTWPFGTUVCPFVJGGZRQUWTGQHVJGKT listings to the millions of transaction-ready home buyers on realtor.com® through a new listing dashboard that includes how often a particular listing has shown up in realtor.com® local search results, how often a listing JCUDGGPXKGYGFCPFJQYOCP[RQVGPVKCNJQOGDW[GTUJCXGKPSWKTGFCDQWVVJGNKUVKPI#PFƒPCNN[CNNNKUVKPIUQP realtor.com®YKNNKPENWFGVJGCRRNKECDNG/.5EQR[TKIJVKPHQTOCVKQPIKXKPIJQOGDW[GTUEQPƒFGPEGYJGP searching that the data is accurate and up to date. The MLS copyright feature will be live by the end of July and the listing dashboard by the end of August. 6QNGCTPOQTGCDQWVVJGUGPGYHGCVWTGUCPFVQQNUCXCKNCDNGVQCNNNKUVKPIƒTOUCPFVJGKTCIGPVUCPFQWT CIGPVUCPFQWT ongoing industry commitment, please visit: realtor.com/industry To our continued partnership and mutual success, THE REALTOR.COM® INDUSTRY TEAM Forward-Looking Statements This document contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities urities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 995. These statements are based on management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance as of the time the statements are made. Actual results may differ materially d from these expectations due to changes in global economic, business, competitive market and regulatory and other factors. More detailed tailed information about these CPFQVJGTHCEVQTUVJCVEQWNFCHHGEVHWVWTGTGUWNVUKUEQPVCKPGFKP0GYU%QTRŦUƒNKPIUYKVJVJG5GEWTKVKGUCPF'ZEJCPIG%QOOKUUKQP6JGũHQTYCTFNQQMKPIUVCVGOGPVUŪ JCPIG%QOOKUUKQP6JGũHQTYCTFNQQMKPIUVCVGOGPVUŪ JGũHQTYCTFNQQMKP included in this document are made only as of the date of this document and we do not have any obligation to publicly update any “forward-looking orward-looking sta statements” to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law. © 2015 Move Sales, Inc. All rights reserved. 9420CA 16 www.ndrealtors.com Calendar of Events Updated 05/18/15 2015 June 8 June 9 June 10-11 July 7-8 July 8 Aug 10-11 Sept 16-18 Oct 13 Oct 20-21 Oct TBA Nov 11-16 Nov 15 2016 Feb 16-17 Mar 11-14 May 9-14 Aug 22-23 Sept 14-16 Education: “ Professionalism in ActionCode of Ethics” and “Enforcing the Code And It’s Standards” Bismarck, ND Education: “ Enforcing the Code & It’s Standards” Fargo, ND NDAR Board & Committee Mtgs., Fargo, ND Broker Class (info pending) Fargo, ND Broker Class (info pending) Bismarck,ND NAR Leadership Summit, Chicago, IL REALTOR® Convention of the Dakotas, Watertown, SD Leadership Summit Bismarck, ND End of Year Education, Bismarck, ND NDAR Board & Committee Mtgs NAR Convention, San Diego, CA License renewal deadline Nov 2-7 ND Housing Conference AE Institute, San Antonio, TX NAR Midyear Mtgs, Washington, DC NAR Leadership Summit, Chicago, IL REALTOR® Convention of the Dakotas, Fargo, ND NAR Convention, Orlando, FL Feb 6-8 Feb 7-8 Mar 17-20 NDAR Meetings & Leg Impact Day ND Housing Conference AE Institute, Denver, CO 2017 17 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® ND REALTORS® Well Represented at the Legislature North Dakota REALTORS® are well represented in the ND House of Representatives by five REALTOR® members. Here are some of their observations from this 2015 64th Legislative Assembly. Rep. Thomas Beadle represents District 27 in Fargo – “The 64th Legislative Session was an interesting one. Falling commodity prices (both Ag and Oil) cast a shadow over the assembly as we worked out the budget for the state for the next biennium. We were able to utilize funds that had been set aside over the last few years to ensure that priorities were funded. This allowed us to pull from funds like the Strategic Investment Fund in order to afford the Surge Bill along with additional water and infrastructure projects that allocated billions of dollars across the state for much needed growth. We also invested in education spending, where early childhood through university system needs were funded at record levels! In addition, we were able to save for a rainy day and still provide tax relief back to individuals and property owners in the state! In terms REALTOR® legislators watching out for NDAR members at the Capitol are (L-R) Reps. Scott Louser, Joshua Boschee, Thomas Beadle, Thomas Kading and Ben Hanson. of property tax relief, your REALTOR® Legislators were able to help push through property tax relief in the form of $250 million in direct buy downs to property owners (12% reduction); $23 million appropriated to take over funding for county social services; $1.2 million expansion to the Homestead tax credit; $850 million in property tax relief by offsetting K12 school mills, and legislation that helped increase transparency and establish tax levy caps so that property owners can better know what to expect. In addition to these major spending projects, NDAR was very active during the session. I would like to thank Jill Beck, Nancy Willis, and Greg Larson along with our state and local boards for all of their hard work and diligence during Legislature continued to page 22 From the North Dakota Real Estate Commission For the 4th year in a row, ND awarded the President’s Cup from NAR! * Beginning this year – with the approval of the proposed Administrative Rules - the continuing education cycle will be from November 16th of each year to November 15th of the following year. * License renewals will be due on November 15th of each year. We have coordinated with RISC insurance and they will be mailing the E&O insurance forms to you late August or early September. * The new continuing education deadline will be here before you know it. Do not wait until the last minute! You will need to complete 9 hours of continuing education by November 15, 2015 to renew your license for 2016. 6 hours are elective and 3 hours of mandatory continuing education in personal safety. * Effective April 1, 2015 any applicant for licensure with the North Dakota Real Estate Commission or a licensee whose licensure is subject to investigation by the Commission shall be subject to a statewide and nationwide criminal history record check. This will extend the license application process an additional 2 to 3 weeks. NAR President Steve Brown (back right) presents the 2014 President’s Cup to Daryl Braham, NDAR National Director (back left), Jill Beck, NDAR CEO (front left) and Vicki Roller, NDAR 2014 President (front right). 18 www.ndrealtors.com Government Affairs Update By Nancy R. Willis, GAD 2015 Successful Legislative Session for NDAR Dur ing the 2015 Legislative Session, Nor th Dakota REALTORS® introduced one bill, supported nine bills and monitored 50 others. Seven of the bills passed, while two were defeated. Most of the legislation monitored also passed. HB 1141, the bill introduced by NDAR, clarified the small claims court venue when a dispute arises over disposition of earnest money or other money deposits resulting from a contract to purchase real property. Currently the dispute must be heard in the location where the property owner resides. The bill changes that to the location where the property is located or another location to which both parties agree. Other bills that passed included: • appropriations for the housing fi nance agency and the housing incentive fund; • appropriations for the state water commission and water projects, including for the city of Fargo diversion project and internal city diking to prevent future flooding; • allowing changes to the real estate licensure renewal date to be set by the Real Estate Commission through administrative rule rather than statute and making unlicensed activity a class B misdemeanor; • increasing abstracter fees; • removing a requirement that the ND Real Estate Appraiser Qualifications and Ethics Board must have reciprocity agreements with other states and allowing complaints that are never investigated to remain “allegations”; Signing of HB 1141 (Front l-r) Nancy R. Willis, Governor Jack Dalrymple and Casey Chapman. (Back l-r) Rep. Scott Louser, Rep. Thomas Kading, Rep. Diane Larson, Rep. Joshua Boschee, Greg Larson, Jill Beck, Rep. Thomas Beadle and Rep. Ben Hanson. The bills monitored were for the most part property tax and other tax bills, along with a few miscellaneous bills of interest to the real estate industry. For 2015-2015, taxpayers will see $274.2 million in property tax cuts and $123 million in individual and corporate tax reductions. NDAR 2015 Executive Committee • allowing closing agents at or prior to closing to accept cashier’s checks for loan funds with some parameters. The bills that failed were: • a bill that would have prevented county auditors from requiring platting and allowing the use of metes and bounds as legal descriptions when transferring a deed or contract for deed for property not to be used for development; • a bill that would have added sexual orientation as a protected class in employment relations, public accommodations, housing, state and local government services and credit transactions. 19 Left to Right: Jill Beck (CEO), Vicki Roller (Past President), Lorrie Nantt (Director-at-Large), Lyn Dwyer (Vice President), Cindy Harvey (President-Elect), Greg Larson (President). NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® North Dakota AssociaƟon of R½ãÊÙÝ® 2015 CommiƩee MeeƟngs June 10 & 11, 2015 Hilton Garden Inn 4351 17th Ave S, Fargo, ND 701-499-6000 TENTATIVE Tuesday, June 9, 2015 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, 2015 9:00 am - 10:30 am Execu ve Commi ee TBA Government Affairs Commi ee Rose Room 10 :00 am – 11:30 am Membership Services Commi ee Lily Room 11:30 am – 1:00 pm NDAR Lunch & Learn Join ND Indian Affairs Rose-Lily Rooms Commission Exec. Dir. Sco Davis and Juel Burne e III, Mgr. of 1st Tribal Lending. This discussion and Q & A will provide the audience with an opportunity to beƩer understand tribal housing challenges and to learn about potenƟal soluƟons. 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm RPAC Fundraising Commi ee Rose Room 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Nomina ng Commi ee Tulip Room 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Professional Development Commi ee Lily Room 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm Realtor.com Presenta on “Appy” Hour (NDAR Technology CommiƩee Rose Room Rose-Lily Rooms will cover useful apps for the Real Estate Business and open it up for others to share.) AppeƟzers sponsored by Realtor.com. Thursday, June 11, 2015 9:00 am Board of Directors Rose-Lily Room If you plan on attending the meetings and need assistance relating to a disability, please contact NDAR (800-279-2361) as soon as possible. **A block of single (king bed) rooms ($129.00/night) has been reserved for June 9th and 10th. Please call 701-499-6000 to make reservations under “ND Association of REALTORS® room block” by June 2nd ! 20 www.ndrealtors.com Dickinson REALTOR® Earns Political Involvement Award Shirley Dukart, Broker/REALTOR®, Home and Land Company, Dickinson, is the 2015 recipient of the “Claus Lembke Political Involvement Award.” This award recognizes REALTORS® who significantly contribute to the North Dakota Association of REALTORS® (NDAR) advocacy efforts through active participation in advocacy activities and political involvement in the public arena. Dukart served as a Dickinson City Commissioner for four years, is a past president of the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club and has been active in legislative district activities for 18 years. Dukart is a past state and local REALTOR® of the Year. She also has served as chair of the association’s REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) Fundraising Committee for seven years and as a member for 18 years; has served as a Government Affairs Committee member for 18 years, as chair of the association’s RPAC Trustee Committee and has actively supported advocacy efforts through prompt responses to national and state legislative Calls for Action and significant financial contributions to RPAC since 1996. This award was established in 2002 and named after its first recipient, Claus Lembke, former NDAR Executive Vice President and Government Affairs Director. The award was presented annually and more than one recipient was eligible until 2011 when it was changed to be awarded semiannually during legislative session years and to only one recipient. All NDAR REALTOR®, REALTOR®-Associate members or Association Executives are eligible. Nominations may be made by any ND REALTOR®. Award winners are selected by a committee of former award recipients, based on local, state and national advocacy activities and political action committee contributions. Tate Cymbaluk, 2014 recipient, presents Shirley Dukart, Dickinson, the 2015 Claus Lembke Political Involvement Award. Former recipients include: Tate Cymbaluk, Williston (2013); Rep. Scott Louser, Minot (2010); Rep. Louise “Weezie” Potter, Grand Forks (2009); Jack Kavaney, BismarckMandan (2008); Don Dietrich, Grand Forks (2007); Don Kilander, Fargo-Moorhead (2006); Sen. Judy Lee, FargoMoorhead; Larry Louser, Minot and Ron Volk, BismarckMandan (2005); Larry Youngberg, Grand Forks (2004); Joe Frenzel, Badlands (2003) and Claus Lembke, NDAR (2002). To advertise in the ND REALTOR® Contact Sarah at 1-800-658-3485 or email: bhgads@bhgnews.com 21 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® Legislature continued from page 18 this session!” (Tom is an agent with Keller Williams Roers Realty in Fargo) Rep. Joshua Boschee represents District 44 in Fargo – “Having completed my second legislative session, I have found even more respect for the legislative process. It’s hard to believe that in 78 days, a group of 141 legislators are able to hold hearings and act on over 900 pieces of legislation. However, it should come as no surprise though, that having REALTORS® serving in Bismarck plays an important role in getting this all done! As REALTORS®, we are used to bringing all the pieces together in a short period of time in hopes of having a positive outcome for those we serve and work with. Additionally, the support of the NDAR Government Affairs Committee and local members who reached out to legislators on issues of importance to their community and our profession was integral in passing much of the legislation supported by NDAR. The five REALTORS® that serve in Bismarck, and all of you, play an important role in shaping policy that enhances affordable housing opportunities, ensures fair taxation, promotes balanced landlord-tenant rights and responsibilities and encourages sound fiscal management to meet today’s needs as well as to save for the future. Keep up the great work in your community and let’s send more REALTORS® to Bismarck!” (Josh is an agent with Hatch Realty in Fargo) year-end statements for property owners. Successful passage of bills of interest to REALTORS® would include stiffer penalties for those practicing real estate without a license and changing the license application deadline via the ND Real Estate Commission (HB1074). Another would be the resolution of earnest money disputes to be held in the county where the property resides rather than the county where the defendant resides unless otherwise agreed to by both parties (HB1141). There was also a bill to help curb construction fraud in our state (SB2188). Finally, as the prime sponsor of HB1191 and HB1192, I am proud to announce passage of clarification of when landlords can require supporting documentation from a medical professional for animals and the circumstances under which pet deposits may or may not be applicable. If it was not for my time serving in leadership capacities in the REALTOR® organization, I do not believe I would have been elected to the Majority Caucus Chairmanship position. I look forward to working further with our REALTOR® family in the interim and continuing to serve our state at the national level while building credibility with legislative colleagues in North Dakota.” (Scott is broker/owner of Preferred Minot Real Estate in Minot) Rep. Ben Hanson represents District 16 in West Fargo -“I’ve had a great time in the 64th Legislative Assembly! It was my first time on the Industry, Business and Labor Committee and the Transportation Committee. If I didn’t know everything about insurance policies before, I feel like I just about might now! I also was honored to be elected Co-Chair of my Caucus.” (Ben is an agent with Archer Real Estate Services in Fargo) Rep. Tom Kading represents District 45 in Fargo – “The 2015 session was very interesting and informative for me. It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Fargo and District 45 this session. As a freshman legislator, I have had the opportunity to serve on the House Finance and Taxation Committee and the House Agriculture Committee. Both committees saw some tough issues and made some big decisions. It has been great seeing how the different perspectives have worked together to make some wellinformed decisions. After the session ends, I will be headed back to Fargo to continue operating Precision Property Management and my law firm of Kading & Wiebolt. I also want to give special thanks to the ND REALTORS® for all of their involvement and support this year!” Rep. Scott Louser represents District 5 in Minot – “The legislative session was different than many in the past considering the dramatic change in the budget forecasts leading into the organizational session in December through the end of session in April. I was proud to see that we were able to offer another session that included income tax relief, funding of critical infrastructure and other priorities as well as building a reserve for the future. I believe the twelve percent permanent property tax relief will be noticeable on 22 Let Us Help Your Clients Relocating to Fargo! Community & School Tours Guides to Social, Cultural & Recreational Activities School Information Home Purchasing Information Rental Information Community Statistics Gloria Palm Relocation Specialist 701.237.5031 | 1.800.288.7316 RelocationFargo.com www.ndrealtors.com Badlands Board 1st Look Inspection American Bank Center Angel Oak Funding, LLC BW Insurance NDAR Affiliate Members Choice Financial Group (Paid members as of 05/15/15) Consolidated Cornerstone Mortgage Please patronize these businesses when possible and thank them for their support of the REALTOR® Dacotah Bank Dakota Community Bank Bismarck Mandan Board Fargo Moorhead Area Association 20/20 Home Inspection A+ Nordic Home Inspection Jordahl Custom Homes, Inc Koziol Insurance & Appraisal Accent Kitchen & Bath Alerus Financial Lakeland Appraisal Service American Federal Bank Midcontinent Communications A-Team Inspections, LLC Mid America Inspection Services Avalon Event Center National Property Inspections Bank of the West Northern States Inspection Baymont Inn & Suites Northern Title Co. Dakota West Inpsection Service 3 Sons Homes Lady J's Catering Beutler Home Inspection Northwestern Bank Dickinson Press American Bank Center Border Appraisals Park Company Mortgage Don's Filters & Furnace America's Home Loans Mahlum Goodhart, PC Meridian Land Surveys Bell State Bank & Trust Pillar to Post Home Inspectors Ebeltoft Sickler Lawyers Baymont Inn Midcontinent Communications Bremer Bank Pinnacle Home Inspection ENG Lending BEK Communications ND Guaranty & Title Cambria Suites Professional Real Estate Consult Floor to Ceiling Carpet One Bis Man Development Assoc ND Guaranty & Title (Mandan) Capital Credit Union Radisson Hotel Fargo Gaffaney's Floral Bismarck Mandan Elks Lodge ND Housing Finance Agency Cass-Clay Appraisals, Inc Rainbow Internat'l Restoration Ramada Plaza & Suites Gate City Bank Bismarck Mandan Home Builders ND Real Estate Commission Cass County Abstract Howe & Howe Bismarck Title Company Northland Financial Cass County Director Ramsey National Bank Jon's Home Comforts, Inc Bismarck Tribune Plains Commerce Bank Loan Cass County Electric Rebuilding Together F-M Kirkwood Bank & Trust Kubik Bogner Ridl & Selinger Blackridge Bank BNC National Bank Prime Property Inspections, LLC Central Minnesota Credit Union Red River Home Inspectors Change is Good Regency Title, Inc. Kuntz Builders Inc. Choice Financial Group River Cites Home Inspection Mackoff Kellogg Law Firm Bremer Bank Capitol City Advertising Property Research, Inc. Quality Title Railway Credit Union City of Barnesville RTM Group ND Guaranty & Title Co. Capital Credit Union Ramada Hotel Bismarck City of Fargo Schwarz Appraisal Company Nodak Mutual Insurance Chapman & Chapman P.C. Ramkota Hotel City of Moorhead ServPro of Fargo-Moorhead Simple Website Creations Patriot Home Inspections Cornerstone Bank Reiten Television City of West Fargo Prairie Marketing Association Dakota Awards Rocky Gordon & Company Clay County Abstract Company Starion Financial Queen City Abstract & Title Dakota Community Bank & Trust Rubicon Mortgage Advisors Colin Solum, Appraiser Staybridge Suites Roughrider Electric eLending Now Security First Bank of ND Stark Development Corporation First Community Credit Union Starion Financial Cornerstone Bank Design Direction The Forum Publishing Co. The Real Estate Book Superior Insurance Agency, Inc TRN Abstract & Title First Dakota Title State Farm Insurance DJ Colter Agency, Inc Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Flash Printing Superior Insurance Agency DJ's Home Inspection, Inc The Title Company Western Coop Credit Union Gate City Bank US Bank Home Mortgage Eagle Appraisal Inc. Tinjum Appraisal Company Town & Country Credit Union Horizon Financial Bank Vue Credit Union Eid-Co Buildings, Inc. Allstate Insurance Minot Board Kary/Ressler Agency Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Fiebiger, Swanson, West Tri-State Inspection American Bank Center Insurance Plus Financial Business Systems TRN Abstract & Title Bremer Bank Kirkwood Bank & Trust First Class Mortgage Union State Bank First Community Credit Union First International Bank US Bank Home Mortgage First Mortgage Service, Inc Valley Home Inspection LLC City Assessors Office Wahpeton Breckenridge Board Central Home Inspections US Title & Closing Services Clean Tech American Federal Bank Koziol Appraisal Dacotah Bank eLending Now Bell State Bank & Trust Sandberg Law Office F-M Mortgage Corporation Valley Mortgage Border Appraisals Foto Art & Design Valley Premier Bank Elite Property Inspection Bremer Bank Stillwell Appraisal Smith, Strege & Fredericksen Gate City Bank Value It Farmers Insurance Latendresse Agency Farmers Union Insurance City of Wahpeton, Assessor TRN Abstract & Title Great North Insurance Service VISIONBank Mortgage & Loan Eagle Appraisal Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Harwood State Bank Vision Home Inspectors, LLC First International Bank Wilkin County Assissors Office Hilton Garden Inn Weber Home Inspections, LLC First Westen Bank Gate City Bank Innovative Abstract & Title Homeowners Financial Group Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Gate City Bank Grand International Inn Luther's Appraisal Service Grand Forks Area Association Homewood Suites by Hilton Western State Bank Heritage Homes Wold Johnson P.C. Midcontinent Cable 1st State Bank Reis Law Firm, PC Minot Guaranty & Escrow Alerus Financial Rent-A-Home Huss Appraisal, Inc. Insight Home Inspection ServPro Bank Forward Rubicon Mortgage Advisors, LLC Integrity 1st Insurance Town & Country Credit Union Blue Cross Blue Sheild Steamatic United Community Bank Bremer Bank United Valley Bank Dakota Appraisal & Consulting Wick Communications Citizens Community Credit Union US Bank First National Bank Williams County Abstract CornerStone Mortgage Vilandre's First International Bank Williams County Tax Director Bank Forward Farmers Union Insurance Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Gate City Bank First Choice Home Inspections First Class Mortgage Wintrus Mortgage Geiszler Appraisal First Community Credit Union Gate City Federal Savings Bank Forx Builders Frandsen Bank & Trust ND Guaranty & Title Jamestown/Stutsman Dev Corp Gate City Bank Roosevelt RE Co, LLC Jamestown Sun Grand Forks Abstract Schau Appraisals Stutsman County Abstract Grand Forks City Assessor Seitz Appraisal Services Grant H Shaft, PLLC TeSoro Appraisal Service Jamestown Board Unison Williston Board Hanson Appraisal Company In-Depth Inspections 23 NORTH DAKOTA REALTOR® 318 West Apollo Ave. Bismarck, ND 58503 701-355-1010 800-279-2361 info@ndrealtors.com RITA SCHUSTER REALTOR® CRS, GRI Res: 701-772-0027 Cellular: 701-739-0405 e-mail: rschuster@greenbergrealty.com http://www.greenbergrealty.com 1201 South Broadway, Minot, ND 58701 3651 South Columbia Rd • Grand Forks, ND 58201 Bus: 701-772-6641 • Toll Free: 1-800-884-5933 (701) 852-3757 Ext. 31 Office (800) 568-6671 Toll Free (701) 839-6514 Fax (701) 839-8709 Home (701) 240-3544 Cell E-Mail: julie@brokers12.com Website: www.brokers12.com Julie Albertson Broker/Owner, CRS, GRI North Dakota Real Estate Principles CE Credit Course Offerings L LO ARE ied if Ce r t • • • Online, enroll anytime! Course costs range from $60-$120. Courses qualify for CE credits for licensed agents. Approved by the North Dakota Real Estate Commission For information or to enroll: 1.800.CALL.UND24 realestate.UND.edu
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