January 2016 Newsletter - Realtors Association of Northwestern

UPDATES
News and Current Events
“We are the trusted voice in real estate, united in providing value to the members and communities we serve.”
January 2016
RPAC Auction Scheduled
for February 25th, 2016
Mark your calendars for the first ever
RPAC Auction! Thursday, February
25th, at Horizons Banquet Hall &
Lounge. Join us for a fun filled evening with a live auctioneer! Support
RPAC and have fun doing it!
Mark your calendars for REALTOR®
& Government Day 2016 on March 2,
2016. Don’t miss this chance to gather with Wisconsin REALTORS® and
to meet with our Legislators to discuss important housing issues that
affect our pocketbook.
In this Addition
Christmas Party…………………….1
New Members……………………...2
NAR Safety Alert…………………...2
Education Opportunities…………..3
MLS Updates……………………....4
Addendums………………………...5
Licensing Questions………….…...6
Legislative Updates..……….……..7
Calendar Updates………………....8
RPAC Auction Info…………………............9
Auction Donation Form…………….......10
Winter Convention Registration……..11
We had about 140 people
who enjoyed “All Dolled Up”
Roaring 20’s RANWW Christmas Party on December 4, at
Horizons Lounge.
Thanks to Jenny Ebert and
her committee for an outstanding job organizing and
planning the event.
A Big THANK YOU to these generous sponsors as they made
the party possible. Please show your appreciation by making them your first business contact whenever possible!
All Title Services
American Realty Partner
Associate Title Co
Associated Bank
Bank Mutual
Bremer Bank
C & M Realty
Century 21 Metro
Charter Bank
Chippewa County Abstract
Chippewa Valley Home Inspections
Dunn County Title Services
Eau Claire Realty
Flagstar Bank
Hometown Title
Kleven Real Estate
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Legends Title
Merchants Bank
My Next Home
Peoples Bank
RCU
Re/Max
Real Estate Solutions
Scheppke Real Estate
Security Financial Bank
Silver Springs
Six Lakes Realty
The Title Company
US Bank
Vinopal Title
Wells Fargo
Woods and Water Realty
In accordance with our bylaws, notice is hereby given that the following individuals have applied for RANWW membership; written comment, which
shall be kept confidential, is invited.
RANWW Officers
Joe Germain - President
715-828-1113
joegermain8@gmail.com
Marty Tauger - President Elect
715-770-9181
taugers@gmail.com
Stacey McKinney - Treasurer
715-580-0126
stacey@mckinneyrealty.net
Tina Theisen - Imm Past President
715-379-7785
tinatheisen@remax.net
RANWW Directors
Mary Jo Bowe
715-456-2014
Paul Canfield
715-828-0819
John Flor
715-924-4806
Deborah Hanson
715-456-0499
Sue Hesketh
715-829-2507
Shannyn Pinkert
715-379-3574
Ben Rivard
715-205-1519
Aaron Tiry
715-835-2129
Terry Weld
715-456-8080
The purpose of this publication is
to inform Members of events, issues and accomplishments pertaining to the REALTORS® Association of Northwestern Wisconsin.
If you would like to submit information,
ideas or articles to this publication
please contact Brenda Barnhardt at;
brenda@ranww.org
Richard Barbour - Barbour Realtors®
Julie Freiburger - Coldwell Banker River Valley
Teresa Lyall - Andale Real Estate
Robert McGrane - Woods & Water/Bloomer
Danielle Miller - Coldwell Banker East/West
Paul Mirr - Ruder Ware, LLC
Clint Richardson - RCU~Chippewa Falls/Woodward Ave.
Laura Rosecrance - All Property, LLC
Jennifer Stachura - Edina Realty Chippewa Valley
Travis Tuma - Edina Realty Chippewa Valley
Angela Welch - Woods & Water/Eau Claire
Jacob Winter - Kleven Real Estate
Urgent Alert: Sophisticated Email Scams
Targeting the Real Estate Industry:
Criminals are hacking into the email accounts of real estate agents or
other persons involved in a real estate transaction and using information gained from the hack to dupe a party into a fraudulent wire
transfer. The hackers often send an email that appears to be from an
individual legitimately involved in the transaction, informing the recipient, often the buyer, that there has been a last minute change to the
wiring instructions. Following the new instructions, the recipient will
wire funds directly to the hacker’s account, which will be cleared out
in a matter of minutes. The money is almost always lost forever.
In the next two weeks, real estate professionals will be contending
with high transactional volumes during year-end closings. This is a
busy and hectic time for real estate professionals, and many millions
of dollars will be sent and received via wire before the end of the year.
This is exactly the environment in which online criminals seek to operate.
The National Association of REALTORS® urges its members and
state and local REALTOR® associations to be on high alert for
email and online fraud.
In May 2015, NAR issued an alert regarding a sophisticated email
wire fraud hitting the real estate industry. Since then, the incidents of
online scams targeting practitioners have continued to rise but the
advice is the same.
Bottom line: Do not let your guard down. Start from the assumption
that any email in your in-box could be a targeted attack from a criminal.
To read the entire alert click here
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TRID SUGGESTION
Sharpen your skills in 2016!
The RANWW/MLS office has received calls wondering if the MLS will
add data fields for agent license numbers and firm numbers—information
needed for TRID transactions. At this
time, there are no plans to add data
fields for a few reasons, most notably
that not all real estate licensees are
RANWW members, license numbers
issued by the State of Wisconsin may
change, and there’s hesitation to add
new data fields during an MLS conversion.
Take a course at NAR’s Center
for REALTOR® Development
they have many new courses
available and most are accessible online….meaning you never
have to leave your office! For
example the all new Safety First
Course: “Real Estate Safety Matters, Safe Business = Smart Business!
However, please feel free to use Agent
Remarks to note the Listing Agent’s
license and firm numbers to make
them easily available to other members, or create an in-house database
for your company’s use or to share
with other cooperating brokers.
Developed in partnership with NAR’s REALTOR® Safety Program, this online threehour course teaches real estate professionals how to limit risk and increase safety
for themselves and their clients. Students will learn how to assess potential risks
and develop safety protocols for client meetings, open houses, showings, online
interactions, and other business activities. The course will guide students through
strategies for data security, including protecting personal and electronic information for real estate professionals and the clients they serve. As a practical resource, this course offers easy-to-remember strategies for responding to threats
and attacks and when facing potentially dangerous situations.
To register for this course or other courses click here
There’s An App for That!
"For safety is not a gadget but a state of mind."
Dragon Dictation
Eleanor Everet
Do you spend a lot of time texting,
composing emails, and posting to social media sites for your real estate
business? If so, and you own an Apple
device (as of this writing the app is
not yet available for Android devices)
check out Dragon Dictation. This
app uses voice recognition to transcribe your words instantly into text
format. Speak into your device and
the words appear on your screen.
Speak your messages directly into
your social networking, email or text
apps; or dictate into Dragon Dictation and copy/paste your message
wherever you want it! To learn more
click here:
The Winter Convention at Lake of the Torches
January 26-28 is a great way to begin 2016! The
convention offers nationally known speakers, continuing education classes, technology workshops
plus networking opportunities.
Register by January 8 for a discounted registration
fee. See the registration form in this newsletter, or
go to wra.org for online registration and more information.
It’s Open Enrollment Season
Don’t miss the chance to review your current health insurance policy during
this time. Once Open Enrollment ends Jan 31, 2016, you won’t be able to enroll
in a health plan again until Nov 2016—unless you experience a
“qualifying life event” such as job loss, divorce, birth of a child,
relocation, etc.
NAR offers assistance in helping you select the right plan for you!
Check out your Realtor Benefits by clicking here
Source: WI Real Estate Magazine Nov 2015
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YOU ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO DISCLOSE YOUR REAL ESTATE LICENSE
NOTE: Please remember that you have a WI State Licensing Law obligation to disclose your professional status in the listing data’s public REMARKS in the MLS if you are the owner or have an
interest in a property you are offering for sale. The following Q&A appeared in the WRA Legal Hottips, Dec 14, 2015
QUESTION:
1) Does a selling agent have to disclose he or she is a buyer's agent at any time prior to submitting an offer and/or a second showing on a co-broke or is that rule no longer in place?
2) If the selling agent is a buyer's broker and the buyer he or she is representing is a close relative does the agent still need
to disclose the family relationship in the offer to purchase?
ANSWER:
1) A buyer's agent is required to disclose buyer agency at the earlier of either first contact with the seller or listing broker,
at a showing or other negotiations. This obligation is stated in Wis. Admin. Code § REEB 24.07(8)(a)(2):
(8) Disclosure of agency. (a) General requirements. …
2. Licensees acting as agents of potential buyers of real estate that is used or intended to be used principally for one to 4
family residential purposes, who are negotiating directly with the seller or who are aware that the owner of the real estate
has granted a listing broker the exclusive right to sell, shall notify the seller or the listing broker, as applicable, of the licensee's buyer agency relationship at the earlier of all of the following:
a. The first contact with the seller or the listing broker where information regarding the seller or transaction is being exchanged.
b. A showing of the property.
c. Any other negotiation with the seller or the listing broker.
2) Licensees are required to obtain written consent when working with immediate family according to Wis. Admin. Code
§ REEB 24.05(2) and the § REEB 17.01 definition. The fact a licensee is a buyer's agent does not waive this obligation:
Wis. Admin. Code § REEB 17.01(3g) "Immediate family" means any of the following:
(a) Parents, stepparents, grandparents, foster parents, children, stepchildren, grandchildren, foster children, brothers
and their spouses, sisters and their spouses, of a licensee or a licensee's spouse.
(b) The spouse of a licensee.
(c) Aunts and uncles, sons-in law or daughters-in-law of a licensee or a licensee's spouse.
Wis. Admin. Code § REEB 24.05(2): "Disclosure of interest. A licensee acting as an agent in a real estate or business opportunity transaction may not act in the transaction on the licensee's own behalf, on behalf of the licensee's immediate
family or firm, or on behalf of any other organization or business entity in which the licensee has an interest without the
prior written consent of all parties to the transaction. For the purpose of this subsection, a licensee shall obtain the written consent in the offer to purchase, option, lease or other transaction contract."
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
For more information about disclosure obligations, see June 2012 Legal Update, "REEB 24 Regulatory Revisions," at www.wra.org/LU1206.
4
Which, oh Which Addenda Do I Use?
Standard Wisconsin real estate forms, required for use by Wisconsin real estate licensees and may
be used as well by unrepresented parties and attorneys are easily identified in the upper left corner
with the “WB” label. Although the forms cover many of the basic needs of a transaction, from time
to time the use of an Addenda may be needed. Following is a brief description of each:
Addendum A—radon testing, hazardous substances, underground storage tanks, insurance issues, zoning
or building restrictions, etc
Addendum B—well, water, septic for properties with wells or septic systems or are not served by municipal water supplies or sewer
systems
Addendum D—originally used for electronic consent which is now included in the Offer to Purchase
Addendum L and Addendum S—lead-based paint for the rental or sale of a property
Addendum Lead/Arsenic Pesticide—for properties where pesticides (ie: fruit orchards) may have been used for pest control
Addendum O—manages relationship between seller and buyer when the seller may remain on the property after closing or the
buyer occupies property prior to closing
Addendum W—for properties that contain or may contain wetlands
Addendum R—for the sale of residential rental properties regardless of number of units involved
Addendum TR—designed to facilitate TRID-covered transactions
Source: Excerpted from Nov 2015 Wisconsin Real Estate Magazine.
INACCURATE & PROHIBITED MLS DATA
We need your help! We’re seeing an increase of inaccurate and/or prohibited data entered into the MLS - no
doubt the result of more agents, new agents, agents beginning to enter and maintain their own listing data, and/or a
change of staff. The following three areas seem to be the most problematic:



Branded Virtual Tours
MLS Areas
Square Footage
Please see additional information on Page 5 for further explanations of the above definitions and policy/fine procedures for each. Feel free to copy and distribute.
For additional information see the following, available on http://ranww.org under MLS Resources.
MLS Rules & Regs: http://ranww.org/documents/resources/mls-rules-regs-2015_2.pdf
MLS Areas Defined: http://ranww.org/documents/resources/mls-areas-with-definitions_2.pdf
Square Footage Defined: http://ranww.org/documents/resources/sq-footage-revision.pdf
Listing Add/Edit Manual: http://ranww.org/documents/resources/listing-add-edit-manual-2015.pdf
5
Please copy and distribute to anyone who enters or maintain listing data in the MLS.
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RPAC Report &
Legislative Updates
The history of REALTOR® and Government Day in Wisconsin originated in 1978. By this time having a REALTOR® and Government day at the state capitols was a common event for
most REALTOR® Associations around the country especially by the larger trade groups. Wisconsin’s REALTOR® and
Government day came in the wake of other Great Lake States creating similar events where they would have their members interact face-to-face with their legislatures rather than the same lobbyist occupying the corridors of their respective
capitol.
As the REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) entered its 8th year of existence, Bill Malkasian, the former governmental affairs director of the Wisconsin Realtors Association from 1975 to 1979 and Executive Director of
WRA from 1979 to 2011 recognized the success of this event in other states and brought the idea to Wisconsin; in conjunction with his counterparts he began planning the first R&G day. Malkasian and company brought in a speaker from
the East Coast to speak to the members on the value of political involvement at a cost of $500 which Malkasian recalls,
caused his boss to figuratively have a heart attack! The Chairman of the Governmental Affairs committee, Dave
Galecke from Stevens Point, Wisconsin sponsored the first REALTOR® and Government Day. With a speaker and
sponsor locked in, the very first REALTOR® and Government Day took place at Park Motor Inn in Madison, The mindset of the day was to have members talk directly to their elected officials on real estate issues while visiting the state
capitol. Concerning the members, the day had a twofold purpose: exposure to property issues and exposure to grass
roots lobbying directly with elected officials. Furthermore, to ensure a more successful turnout, the event was coupled
with WRA’s Board of Directors meeting. In the evening, the association hosted a reception for the legislatures at the
Park Hotel as this was a common practice among trade associations. The 1978 REALTOR® and Government Day was
an overall success with roughly 200 members in attendance and was the beginning of a successful annual event.
Joe Murray, WRA’s current Director of Political and Governmental Affairs, acknowledges the importance of the
fundamentally grassroots purpose of the day and the success that comes with the actual members both learning about
current property and real estate issues as well as advocating for the legislation they would like to see implemented and
could directly affect their careers. It is the one day that allows for a different voice, that of the REALTORS®, to express
their opinions concerning property legislation rather than the same lobbyists who are there the other 364 days. Mike
Theo, the current WRA President & CEO, further emphasizes the importance of the day for the REALTORS® to learn
about pending issues, listening to the keynote speakers, and most importantly to tell their story to the legislature. What
story does Theo speak of? He says these stories are of “how pending legislation will impact the real lives of REALTORS®, homeowners and property owners back home in the districts that the lawmakers represent”. While the WRA
employs an impressively educated and experienced team of legal and political experts that understand the legislative
process as well as the needs and wants of legislatures, there is a something missing. It is the story of REALTORS® and
how the legislation will have a practical impact on their lives. Simply put, REALTOR® and Government Day allows for
the REALTORS® to apply an emotional and real-life aspect to the monotonous legislation. Theo notices the impact of
the REALTORS® on the legislatures and who appreciate the efforts of the REALTORS® to make the trip to Madison
and tell those stories of how the proposed law will have an impact on real people. This year will be the 38 th Wisconsin
REALTOR® and Government Day and with your help we can continue our success with an even bigger presence with
more REALTORS® to discuss those pertinent issues that face our members today.
-Beau Krueger, Government Affair Intern
Special thanks to Bill Malkasian, Joe Murray, and Mike Theo for their historical assistance
March 2nd, 2016 REALTOR® and Government Day
Are you going? Come ride the bus with us and spend the day advocating
for your business! Busses will be stopping in Rice Lake & Eau Claire to
pick up members. Contact Bruce King for more information: bruce@ranww.org
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January 2016
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1st - Office Closed (New Year’s Day)
2nd - Pro Standards Training
8th - MLS Board Meeting (Rice Lake)
11th - RANWW Board Meeting
11th -New Member Orientation
12th - PR Committee at Reds in Chetek
25th - RANWW RPAC Auction
20th - Foundation Meeting
21st - 22nd WRA BOD Meeting
26th - 28th Winter Convention
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2nd - REALTOR® & Government Day
11th –Affiliate Round Table
4th –MLS Board Meeting
29th –MLS Board Meeting
7th -RANWW Board Meeting
25th -RANWW Office closes at noon
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