Talk TCAR

UAI Technology, Inc. Showcase

2012-02-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

UAI Technology, Inc. Showcase

Event Date: Wednesday, 2/22/2012

Event Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm

Join NAI Carolantic Realty, TCAR, and UAI Technology, Inc. for lunch and guest speaker Bob Geolas, President and CEO of RTP. Bob will discuss the Research Triangle Park and how RTP plans to move forward.

FREE for TCAR Members, $35 for Non-Members

Located at 68 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park.

Click here to register

The Polar Challange Golf Tournie

2012-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

The American Cancer Society is hosting The Polar Challenge Golf Tournament Fund Raiser on Saturday, February 25th at the Washington Duke / Duke University Golf Club.

The $150 entry fee per person ($600 per team) is tax deductible and it includes 2 tickets to the pre-tournament party at Chatham Hill Winery in Morrisville on Friday, February 24rd. They'll be beer, wine, BBQ and desserts . A silent auction is also planned.

Details are on the web site: www.thepolarchallenge.com

News from NAR Commercial

2012-01-27T05:22:00.000-08:00

NEWS
New Issue of Commercial Connections
Download your free NAR publication today – this edition’s features include a look at co-working spaces, the Dodd-Frank proposed rule, and NAR Research’s outlook on the commercial markets. Plus, read about and be inspired by those recognized with NAR’s National Commercial Award.

Link: http://www.realtor.org/commercial/rca_publications

THE SOURCE BLOG
Finding And Renting Shared Office Space – Monitoring The Trends In A Growing Market
Learn about five websites that promote listings for shared office space—incubator-style arrangements idealized for startups and membership-based rental models—which are on the rise in primary and secondary markets.

Link: http://blog.commercialsource.com/finding-and-renting-shared-office-space-monitoring-the-trends-in-a-growing-market/

RESEARCH
Banks Lay Groundwork for Commercial Comeback
A recent Federal Reserve Board survey of senior loan officers found that more than 13% of respondents noticed stronger commercial real estate demand in the fourth quarter, up from 1.8% a year earlier.

Link: http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2011/12/23/banks-lay-groundwork-for-commercial-comeback

EDUCATION
Social Media Webinar from REALTOR® University
REALTOR® University’s School of Professional Development and Continuing Education is excited to bring five of the top minds in real estate education for the Webinar Summit on January 31. During this powerful summit you will learn the most effective systems and strategies used to sharpen your Facebook marketing strategy, learn how to become the online expert and trusted advisor in your sphere of influence, discover the power of Google+, build a powerful referral network and leverage the power of Social Media to generate online business. The complete package for all five sessions is only $19.95! Register today and use the coupon code “RUWSF18” to save $5.00. View the full schedule and register today!

Link: http://www.learninglibrary.com/aspdotnetstorefront70/c-126-15-webinar-summit.aspx?affiliateId=10063

Nominations for Frontier Awards Due Jan 31

2012-01-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Nominations for the 2012 Frontier Awards are now being accepted. Presented by TCAR (www.TCAR.com), the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®, the awards honor top commercial real estate brokers for their outstanding service to the community, industry and the association. Individuals can nominate their favorite commercial real estate professional by downloading the form at www.TCAR.com. The deadline for submission is Jan. 31, 2012.

“The Frontier Awards highlight the accomplishments of TCAR members and their contributions to the community,” says Kerry Saunders, TCAR president. “These professional men and women are often the first point of contact for new companies considering locating in the region. They play a critical role in helping make the Triangle a better place to live and work. We look forward to recognizing and celebrating their accomplishments.”

Awards will be presented in nine categories:

Busy Broker Award
Community Foundation Award
Developer/Builder of the Year Award
Million Dollar Clubs
President’s Circle Award
REALTOR® of the Year Award
Rising Star Award
Trail Blazer Award
William P. Eyerman Award

Registration for the March 1, 2012 awards breakfast is open at http://tinyurl.com/2012TCARFrontier. Tickets are $35 each and full tables are $300. For additional event information, contact Jennifer Copersito at 919.228.2588 or jennc@tcar.com.

RDU & CLT Among Best U.S. Airports for Tech Travelers -

2012-01-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

PCWorld looked at the Best U.S. Airports for Tech Travelers and recognized Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Charlotte Douglas International Airport in several categories. For the 10 Best U.S. Airports for Wi-Fi, RDU ranked #1, followed by CLT at #2. RDU ranked #4 among the 10 Most Tech-Friendly Terminals. And RDU also ranked #10 among the 10 Best U.S. Airports for Cell Coverage.

2012 TCAR President NAI Carolantic Realty Named New Vice President

2012-01-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

NAI Carolantic Realty’s Chairman, Steve Stroud has named their long-time Director of Marketing, Kerry Saunders, as the Company’s new Vice President. “Kerry’s unique qualifications, combined with her dedication to excellence, her clear vision and her natural talent for organization and management, make her the natural choice as our Company’s Vice President,” said Stroud.

Since joining the Company in 1987, Ms. Saunders has helped steer NAI Carolantic to the top spot as the region’s leading commercial real estate enterprise. She has been the organizing force behind NAI Carolantic’s award winning Annual Triangle Commercial Real Estate Conference and the Company’s subsequent annual Triangle Real Estate Report publication.

A well respected member of the region’s commercial real estate community, Ms. Saunders has been the recipient of a number of awards and honors. In 2010, she received the William P. Eyerman Award from the Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors. The award is presented to an individual who has had a significant impact within the commercial real estate industry. In 2009, she received the Best Professional Commercial Real Estate Service Award, presented by Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women. In 1999, the Triangle Business Journal awarded Ms. Saunders their Women in Business Award. And also in 1999, she was presented the Woman of the Year Award at the Champion Awards sponsored by Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women. She is a charter member of TCREW and served two terms as President.

Ms. Saunders is currently serving as President of the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® (TCAR) which is one of 1,800 local associations of REALTORS® nationwide that comprise the National Association of REALTORS®. TCAR is the second largest commercial overlay board in North Carolina with 600 members and serves a 14-county area, including the Triangle, for real estate practitioners, appraisers, property managers, and other professionals allied with the real estate industry.

Ms. Saunders holds a BS in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Florida. Prior to joining NAI Carolantic, Ms. Saunders spent five years recruiting industry to a metropolitan area as the Assistant Manager of Economic Development at the city’s Chamber of Commerce.

How was Your Commercial Market in 2011 Q4?

2012-01-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

NAR is looking for information about your commercial market activity. Your responses help inform members and markets about the direction of commercial markets, sales, pricing, and leasing activity.

Please take a few moments to respond to the brief Commercial Real Estate Market Survey, covering 4th Quarter 2011 sales and leasing activity. The survey takes about 5 minutes. Your individual responses on these important issues will remain completely confidential.

Please go to http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22EDSTTDJSN by January 20, 2012. The results of this survey will be emailed to respondents in an advanced report before its official release.

If you have any questions, please contact NAR Research at (202) 383-1033

Unified Commercial Real Estate Finalizes $3.7M Wake Forest Deal

2012-01-12T05:47:00.000-08:00

Vijay Shah of Unified Commercial Real Estate, a Triangle-area commercial real estate brokerage, represented Heritage Realty of Chapel in their purchase of the Shoppes at Heritage in Wake Forest.

Shah, a Certified Commercial Investment Manager, negotiated the $3.7M transaction. The fully-leased, 22,000SF retail center in Wake Forest boasts a strong mix of tenants, such as Little Caesar’s, Da Vinci’s Pork Store, O’Dwyer’s Irish Pub, 101 Wine and Triangle Dry Cleaning. Several tenants recently signed renewals, underscoring the success of the Wake Forest retail center.

Heritage Realty of Chapel was seeking to invest in 100% leased incoming-producing asset in the Raleigh-Durham area. With twenty years of commercial real estate experience specializing in retail leasing and investment sales, Shah utilized Unified Commercial’s custom real estate database to connect Heritage Realty of Chapel with the properties that best fit their investment strategy.

About Unified Commercial Real EstateUnified Commercial Real Estate is based in Raleigh, NC. A full service real estate brokerage firm with a national scope, Unified Commercial focuses on single and multi-tenant retail, hotel and retail development, as well as leasing transactions. Real estate investments are more than just a rent roll and cap rates. Unified Commercial is a member of Retail Brokers Network, an invitation only network whose members specialize in retail real estate. www.uncre.com

TCAR Announces 2012 Board of Directors

2012-01-06T05:04:00.000-08:00

The Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®, announced its 2012 board of directors. The organization serves real estate practitioners, appraisers, property managers and other professionals within a 14-county area. TCAR is the second largest commercial overlay board in North Carolina with 600 members.

2012 board members include:

Executive Committee

Kerry Saunders, NAI Carolantic Realty, Inc., President
Joni Barnes, Dilweg Commercial Inc., President-Elect
Hunt Wyche, Commercial Associates, Treasurer
Shane Bull, NAI Carolantic Realty, Inc., Past President

Board Members

Christina Coffey, Hunter & Associates
Kathy Gigac, Colliers International
Justin Good, Cassidy Turley
Beth Harrelson, Professional Mortgage of NC
Bill Harwell, KW Commercial
Scott Hurst, CBC Advantage
John Linderman, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham
Bill White, White Oak Commercial
Matthew Winters, Grubb & Ellis|Thomas Linderman Graham

“For two decades, TCAR members have worked together to maintain high standards of professionalism in the industry,” says Kerry Saunders, TCAR president. “Our goal is to provide our members with superior resources and services through continued support of Tacquire, educational opportunities, and networking events. We look forward to working with our members to achieve this goal.”

TCAR provides resources that assist members in successfully managing and growing their businesses. Kim Brennan, executive officer, and Jennifer Copersito, executive assistant, work with members on daily operations as well as TCAR events. In 2010, the organization formed Tacquire, a commercial information exchange that brings in-depth research tools to its members. Tacquire tracks office, industrial, retail and specialty space available for lease across the Triangle region, as well as buildings and land being marketed for sale.

Broker Open House at Cap Trust Tower

2012-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

Regis is holding a a broker open house for the grand opening of Cap Trust Tower located at 4208 Six Forks Road, Suite 1000 in Raleigh on January 10th from 11:30-1:30.

The first twenty brokers to arrive will receive a $50 gift card. Also, the first twenty qualified leads that are received prior to the day of the open house will also receive a $50 gift card.

Make sure you bring your business card so that you can register to win one of two $250 gift cards.

RSVP to Tracy Craig at 919-931-1415 or email: tracy.craig@regus.com.

FROM THE NAR LEADERSHIP

2011-12-30T07:24:00.000-08:00

NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong: Our Commercial Priorities

With the new year upon us, I thought I'd use my podcast this month to examine what's in store for the commercial real estate industry in 2012. In the coming year, REALTORS® will be working on key issues such as easing the contraction in small-business lending, bridging an equity gap, and increasing bank liquidity. You can be sure that finding solutions to these issues is a priority for NAR and will go a long way toward setting the industry on a path for growth.

Listen to NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong's latest Commericial Podcast >

NAR Needs Your Feedback

2011-12-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

A message from Maurice “Moe” Veissi, 2012 NAR President:

This is just a reminder that NAR needs your feedback as soon as possible. REALTORS® play an important role in the public policy arena. Whether at the federal, state or local level, public policy not only affects the real estate business, but also the consumers we serve.

At the federal level, the National Association of REALTORS® is monitoring a number of public policy issues encompassing housing, real estate finance, tax and environmental policy that affect residential and commercial real estate.

As NAR prepares its 2012 Public Policy Agenda, we want to hear from you. The link below will take you to a survey that asks for your views regarding federal public policy issues.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22E47V5J5E6

We hope you will take a few minutes to give us your thoughts. With your help, we can make sure that our public policy resources are targeted appropriately on the issues that matter most to you and your clients.

To show our appreciation, you also will have an opportunity to enter a sweepstakes drawing for a $100 gift card before submitting your survey responses.

Please be assured that your individual responses will remain confidential - only summaries of survey results will be made available.

Thank you.

Maurice “Moe” Veissi
2012 NAR President

Dale Stinton, CAE, CPA, CMA, RCE
NAR CEO

Government Affairs Update

2011-12-06T05:39:00.000-08:00

NAR Comments on SEC Concept Release

NAR recently signed a letter with 12 real estate organizations regarding a request for public comment (Concept Release) from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the treatment of asset-backed issuers as well as mortgage real estate investment trusts (REITS) and other mortgage-related pools under the Investment Company Act of 1940. NAR is concerned that the Concept Release could signal impending regulatory burdens for mortgage REITs and would inhibit the prospect of a restart of non-agency mortgage securitization and negatively impact credit capacity for real estate. While the concept release does not propose any specific rules, it states that the SEC is reviewing various interpretive issues as to how Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 is and should be applied and requests input on those issues.
Read the Coalition Letter
Read the SEC Release

NAR, Other Organizations Support Community Businesses
NAR and a number of other organizations have sent a letter thanking Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) for introducing S. 1832, the Marketplace Fairness Act. The bill would help states and local governments collect much-needed revenue and level the playing field for community-based businesses by allowing states to enforce sales taxes on goods sold to their citizens from out of state. By putting catalogues and online retailers on an even playing field with local brick-and-mortar businesses, the bill will protect local jobs, promote community investment, and maintain local access to essential goods and services.

2011 Presidents` Letter - Update

2011-11-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

We write to you today on behalf of the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® and Tacquire to thank you for your ongoing support, and to update you on the many milestones we reached over the last year. The achievements outlined herein would not have been possible without your feedback and involvement.

TCAR: In early 2010, the TCAR Board of Directors met with both TCAR members and non-members to strategize and prioritize the coming year with the goal of narrowing our focus to best meet member needs. Through this meeting we developed a strategic plan that served as our guide in 2011 and beyond.

Among TCAR`s top priorities in 2011 was providing commercial educational opportunities through our mandatory and elective updates, as well as through our partnership with CCIM. We also provided multiple networking opportunities, with Property Showcases held throughout the year and the annual TCAR Golf Tournament held at Hasentree in the spring. On March 3, 2011, we recognized Smedes York (Realtor® of the Year) and many other Triangle brokers at TCAR`s annual Frontier Awards Breakfast, held at Carolina Country Club.

Early in the year, we aggressively opposed an unforeseen NAR dues increase on a local, state and national level. While the national board overwhelmingly approved the increase, our efforts were not wasted. We sent a clear message to both state and national representatives that such steep increases in dues are unacceptable and will be met with aggressive action, and that we expect to have direct input into how the funds allocated to our area are utilized on our members` behalf.

As we do each year, we also focused on giving back to our community. Through our participation in the 2011 Joint Event, we helped to raise $10,000 for The Boys and Girls Club. More than 400 people attended the event. We will wrap up the holiday season on December 6th with a Christmas Toy Drive benefitting the Salvation Army.

We will soon complete our first full year of marketing TCAR and Tacquire with the help of Articulon, a well established local marketing/public relations firm. In addition to fee-paid services, Articulon donated their time and expertise via an in-kind sponsorship. Through our proactive marketing and membership recruitment efforts, we have thus far exceeded sponsorship goals for the upcoming year, and TCAR membership has held steady at approximately 585. This is a noteworthy achievement given challenging economic and market conditions that would typically result in attrition of members and sponsors. We feel strongly that the addition of member benefits such as Tacquire and the recently launched National Haves and Wants program played a significant role in helping us to maintain membership levels and increase visibility for our sponsors.

As most of you know, our primary focus in 2010 and 2011 was the development of a new, research-supported Commercial Information Exchange known as Tacquire. Our charge was to develop an affordable, accurate, easy to use system for our members. With the help of many of you, that vision became a reality in September 2010. Tacquire made significant strides in its first full year of operations, including a substantial increase in the amount of data in the system, as well as the addition of numerous enhancements. A summary of Tacquire`s 2011 accomplishments to-date follows below.

Tacquire: Tacquire exceeded both membership and data entry goals in 2011. Just one year after launching, more than 11,400 properties and more than 6,600 listings had been entered into the system. Over 5,000 sales comparables were also added, with all sales from 2010 forward being researched and checked against the deed.

To facilitate research efforts and increase exposure for member listings, we actively sought partnership opportunities with local economic development agencies. To date, five agencies have joined Tacquire and are using the Tacquire Link feature as the exclusive property listing search engine on their web sites. They include Wake County Economic Development, Raleigh Economic Development, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Chapel Hill Economic Development and the Wake Forest Chamber of Commerce.

Through member feedback and weekly team calls with our CIE technology platform partner, eProperty Data, we combed the system, making adjustments and improvements as needed, and sought opportunities to roll out enhanced features at no additional cost to members. Examples include a new and improved generation of reports, including both property and analytic reports; FastFlyer, an automated flyer maker program; and a new iPad app to enhance mobile access for members. Investit Lite was launched to allow members to quickly and easily perform on-line cash flow projections and simple investment analysis, and a new Site Evaluator tool allows members to overlay logos for retail tenants onto aerials, print demographic and traffic count reports, and export imagery to Google Earth.

GIS information and parcel shape files were added for Moore, Hoke, Alamance, Guilford and Forsyth Counties, and an enhanced GIS Search Tool was incorporated into the system to streamline the search process.

And our work is far from done. Before the end of the year, tenant data from Dun & Bradstreet will be incorporated into the system, and new Office and Industrial Leasing Guides will be released to highlight broker listings and market share.

The support we have received from the Triangle commercial real estate community has been overwhelming, and Tacquire members are already seeing the benefits of a cooperative system. Requested enhancements have quickly been adopted, and listings are garnering scores of views per month, with the majority derived from the public side of the site.

In 2012, we look forward to working with our members and eProperty Data to introduce additional tools, including even more reporting options. Researcher Ron Dixon will continue not only to add new listings, but also to identify opportunities to enhance existing property and listing records with additional information, photographs, etc.

To conclude, we cannot thank current members and the broader commercial real estate industry enough for your support of both TCAR and Tacquire. Our long-term vision is to be the primary resource for commercial real estate information, not only for our local real estate community, but also for business owners seeking information on Triangle commercial real estate. In becoming the shepherds of our own information and our own future, we will all realize value through improved information, more streamlined research, and enhanced visibility. Our short-term success, which is dependent upon your support, can lead to even larger opportunities in the future, including our ultimate vision for a state-wide member owned system. The future is ours, if we choose it. We do, and we hope you will too. This is YOUR commercial association and YOUR commercial real estate information exchange.

Warmest Regards,

Shane Bull Board President, TCAR

Elizabeth Raiford Board President, Tacquire

Lease Rule Would Hit Profits

2011-11-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

NOVEMBER 16, 2011 The Wall Street Journal

Lease Rule Would Hit Profits

By EMILY CHASAN

Retailers, banks and airlines, which often use long-term leases to add to their locations or aircraft fleets, are pushing back against a proposed accounting rule that would act as a drag on their profits.

U.S. and international accounting-standards setters appear ready to reconsider the proposed rule, which has emerged as the most controversial piece of their effort to overhaul accounting rules for leases. The outcome could influence the length of commercial leases, how fast some companies grow and how much exposure they might have to the real-estate market.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's No. 1 retailer, and drugstore operators Walgreen Co. and CVS Caremark Corp. are among the big companies that could be hit hardest by the proposed rule, part of a long-term project by the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board and its overseas counterpart, the International Accounting Standards Board, to make balance sheets more accurately reflect a company's assets and liabilities.

The overhaul aims to address complaints that current accounting rules let companies leave investors in the dark about the size of their lease obligations. Many companies keep most of these obligations off their balance sheets, disclosing only a few details in financial footnotes.

Most American companies are resigned to the centerpiece of the overhaul: treating leases—or the right to use a piece of property or equipment—as a new kind of asset. This new asset would be offset on a company's balance sheet by a corresponding liability, the obligation to pay rent. The change would add a total of $1.7 trillion in current liabilities to corporate balance sheets world-wide, according to analyst estimates.

However, companies are at odds with the standards setters over how lease expenses should be recorded on their books. As the proposal stands, companies would have to use a method called front-loading, which effectively concentrates the cost of a lease into its early years. Currently, they can spread the average rental cost under a lease evenly over its lifetime, often as long as 20 or 25 years.

"The [FASB] staff is currently evaluating at what time we might bring [the front-loading] topic back to the board table," said Kristin Bauer, an FASB practice fellow who works on the lease-accounting project. That could happen as early as December at a joint meeting in London with the IASB.

Leases generally are more valuable to retailers in later years, after a location has built a following and is generating more cash. If forced to adopt front-loading, retailers argue, they would have to book higher costs for a new store before its sales have had a chance to take off.

If a retailer was expanding, signing new leases faster than its old ones expired, front-loading could take a heavy toll on profits.

Similarly, front-loading could weigh down profits for years at banks that have lots of retail branches. Airlines, which have razor-thin profit margins and use aircraft leases to hold down costs, also are worried about the impact on their bottom lines.

Based on companies' current disclosures about leases, Bill Bosco, a member of the IASB's working group on lease accounting, estimates that big retailers that use long-term leases, such as Walgreen, CVS, and Wal-Mart, would book higher lease expenses for eight to 15 years under the new proposal than they would using the current straight-line method.

Walgreen would be the most-affected of the three, with a 23% increase in lease expenses in the first year alone, said Mr. Bosco, who also works with the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.

A representative of Walgreen, which leases about 79% of its locations and typically signs 20- to 25-year leases, said the front-loading issue is the "most sensitive" area of the proposed changes for retailers, because the expensing method doesn't reflect the way leases work.

Walgreen wouldn't comment specifically on Mr. Bosco's estimate, but pointed to regulatory filings in which the company said the proposed changes would have a material impact on its financial statements.

Wal-Mart and CVS declined to comment.

In a December letter to the FASB, CVS said it leases 95% of its retail stores under long-term leases and has $26.9 billion in operating-lease commitments. It said it would need to hire additional finance personnel to handle the proposed rule's "onerous" requirements.

Nor do investors generally favor front-loading. "Many investors like the straight-line approach," said Janet Pegg, an accounting analyst at UBS AG in New York. "They feel it more accurately depicts cash flows."

Companies could potentially shorten the length of their leases in order to keep the overall cost down, and so minimize the expenses they record, said Bret Hardy, head of corporate finance for commercial-real-estate firm Colliers International.

But, if companies were to shorten leases, that would require more-frequent renewals, leaving them more exposed to swings in the real-estate market, according to Credit Suisse accounting analyst David Zion.

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page B5

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com

WebEx Presentation Discusses Commercial Broker Lien Law

2011-11-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

WebEx Presentation Discusses Commercial Broker Lien Law
NC’s Commercial Broker Lien Law is an important piece of legislation that was enacted during the 2011 legislative session. Through this WebEx presentation (held live on Oct. 31 but available for your information now), Cady Thomas, NCAR Director of Government Affairs, and Garth Dunklin, commercial legal counsel with Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman, P.A., discuss the bill and its implications for commercial brokers in North Carolina.
To hear and view the presentation, click here.
To view the Powerpoint only, click here.

$10 Buys a Rubber Duck and Feeds a Hungry Child for a Weekend!

2011-09-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Come to the Great American Tobacco Duck Race for some family fun while supporting the important work of the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle.

On Saturday, Oct. 1 from noon-5pm hundreds of individuals, families and companies will gather on the banks of the Ol’ Bull River at American Tobacco in Downtown Durham for the FOX 50 Family Fest and duck race.

There will be prizes at the individual and the corporate level. Prizes will be awarded for 1st through 3rd Place, and for Best Decorated Duck.

Buy individual ducks for $10 each.

Buy corporate ducks for $250 each.

Purchase ducks in advance at: http://foodshuttle.eventbrite.com/ or by calling 919-250-0043, or by visiting our website: www.foodshuttle.org

Video Series Recaps 2011 Legislative Session

2011-09-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

The 2011 legislative session covered many issues important to REALTORS® and the real estate industry.

A series of four videos has been developed to provide a recap of the most significant measures addressed. The first two videos have been featured in previous Government Affairs Updates. In video 3, Legislative Chairman Grady Watkins and NCAR Director of Government Affairs Cady Thomas discuss passage of the Commercial Broker Lien Law and its significance for commercial brokers. In video 4, Watkins and Thomas discuss legislation that was passed that impacts rental inspections and registrations.

Tacquire Database Now Available on Chapel Hill Economic Development Site

2011-09-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Provides Real-Time Commercial Property Listings

TCAR (www.TCAR.com), the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®, announces today the integration of its commercial real estate exchange portal, Tacquire, into the Town of Chapel Hill’s economic development website. Titled www.opentobusiness.biz, the site provides information for businesses considering calling Chapel Hill home. Tacquire’s portal provides visitors with real-time property and listing data.

“We’ve launched our new site to make it easier for prospective business owners to find supporting real estate information,” says Dwight Bassett, Town of Chapel Hill economic development officer. “Tacquire’s added capabilities will provide accurate and comprehensive listings at their fingertips.”

The Tacquire web portal tracks office, industrial, retail and specialty space available for lease across the Triangle region, as well as buildings and land being marketed for sale. The database is set up to be searchable by location, property type, price range and square footage. Results can be printed, converted to a PDF, or emailed.

“Having easily accessible, up-to-date information is a key to maintaining the growth of a community,” says Kim Brennan, TCAR executive officer. “We are proud to partner with the Town of Chapel on its new site and look forward to working with them as it progresses.”

This is the fourth partnership TCAR has entered in to this year. In addition to working with the Town of Chapel Hill, the organization has also integrated its Tacquire search database into the Raleigh Economic Development (www.raleigh4u.com), the Wake County Economic Development (www.raleigh-wake.org) and Downtown Raleigh Alliance (www.YouRHere.com) websites.

Commercial Real Estate Fundraiser Nets $10,000 Donation to Boys & Girls Clubs

2011-09-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

More than 400 Attend Sixth Annual Joint Networking Event

Joint Networking Event Attendees

RALEIGH, N.C. (September 13, 2011) ─ The Sixth Annual Joint Commercial Real Estate Networking Event was held on September 1, 2011. More than 400 guests enjoyed the evening’s festivities, including entertainment and raffle prizes. The fundraising event raised $10,000 to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs serving Wake County (www.wakebgc.org) programs.

“The commercial real estate community in our area is deeply committed to supporting Triangle charities,” says Kerry Saunders, marketing/research director for NAI Carolantic. “We are so thankful to the sponsors, hosts and attendees who made this year’s event so successful.”

The annual Triangle event has grown from the desire of commercial real estate organizations to join together to host a networking fundraiser to support the programs and services of area nonprofits. To date, $60,000 has been donated to local charities, including Hilltop Homes, Wake County Women’s Shelter, Pretty in Pink, Interact and the Inter – Faith Food Shuttle.

Dilweg Commercial (www.dilweg.com) served as gold sponsor, joining more than 45 organizations supporting the event. Nine trade organizations participated in the event, including:

African American Real Estate Professionals of North Carolina (AAREPNC)
Building Owners and Managers/Raleigh-Durham (BOMA)
Certified Commercial Investment Member/North Carolina Chapter (CCIM)
International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
Institute of Real Estate Management/Greater Raleigh-Durham (IREM)
National Association of Industrial and Office Properties/Research Triangle (NAIOP)
Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors (TCAR)
Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women (TCREW)
Triangle Area Office Building Association (TRAOBA)

About Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®:
The Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® (TCAR) is one of 1,800 local associations of REALTORS® nationwide that comprise the National Association of REALTORS®. TCAR is the second largest commercial overlay board in North Carolina with 600 members and is accredited through the REALTORS® Commercial Alliance. The association was established in 1995, but began as a committee of the residential board in 1977. TCAR currently serves a 14 county area, including the Triangle, for real estate practitioners, appraisers, property managers, and other professionals allied with the real estate industry. For more information, visit www.tcar.com.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs serving Wake County:
The Boys & Girls Clubs serving Wake County offers young people a range of fun and educational activities. The Boys & Girls Club’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Visit www.wakebgc.org for more information.

Last Chance to Register for the 6th Annual Joint Event!!!

2011-08-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Do you have the Fever??

….The Fever for the 6^th Annual Joint Networking Event!!

Now is the time to register for the 6th Annual Joint Commercial Real Estate Networking Event to mix and mingle with members from TCAR, TCREW, TRAOBA, BOMA, IREM, CCIM-NC, AAREPNC, IFMA and NAIOP. Proceeds from the event will go to Boys & Girls Clubs.

The event is Thursday, September 1st. Cost is only $15.00 which includes food and two drink tickets. What a deal!! Registration deadline has been extended to Monday August 29th, 2010.

Note: You must register on the TCAR website and pay your $15.00 via credit card in advance of the event deadline. Website is www.tcar.com. See instructions on the attached flier. We cannot take registrations the night of the event.

Lots of raffle items are starting to come in to include:

· $1,000 gift voucher for a trip to Vegas for two!

· $500 cash

· $500 gift certificate to the Apple Store, courtesy of TCAR & Tacquire

· $500 gift certificate to Best Buy, courtesy of TCREW

· $200 gift certificate to Crabtree Mall, courtesy of TCREW

· $200 cash, courtesy of TCREW

· $100 gift certificate to The Mint, courtesy of TCREW

· $100 gift certificate to Sullivans, courtesy of TRAOBA

· $100 VISA gift card, courtesy of BOMA

· $100 gift certificate, courtesy of Office Suites PLUS

· $100 value flower arrangement, courtesy of Ambius

· Kindle, courtesy of Colliers

· MORE TO COME!!

By the way, it’s not too late if you want to donate a raffle item. Just send me an email (ksaunders@naicarolantic.com). Minimum value of the donated item must be $100.

This was a great event last year and DJ Joe Bunn will be back to play your favorite 70’s disco tunes. Be sure to sign up as soon as possible!! AND don’t forget to wear any 70’s attire to get one free raffle ticket with the purchase of your first $10 raffle ticket. (Consider your old polyester leisure suit, platform shoes or that sequined disco shirt!)

Cindy Chandler Running for NAR/NCAR Board

2011-08-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Most of us know Cindy Chandler because she re writes the Mandatory Update and the BICAR with Garth Dunklin so that we have commercial example classes. Cindy will be running for a position on the NAR/NCAR Board of Directors. While you may not vote for Cindy, keep in mind her connection to the commercial industry. Below are the instructions for voting.

NC REALTORS^® members have the ability to vote for its elected leaders from any location with access to the Internet. As approved by the Board of Directors, the electronic method of voting will be the ONLY means by which eligible voters may vote in the annual election. Any active REALTOR® member and Association Executives are eligible to vote.

Online Polls will be open 24 hours a day from 12:00:01 am (EST) on Monday, August 29, 2011, to 11:59:59 pm (EST) on Thursday, September 1, 2011.

This year, changes have been made in the voting procedure in an effort to make the process more user friendly.

· Voters will go to NCAR’s website, www.ncrealtors.org and click the VOTE button which will be prominently displayed on the home page.

· After clicking the VOTE button you will be directed to the eBallot login page.

· To login you will need: 1) your email address (on file with your local board & NC REALTORS® as of August 5) and 2) your NRDS number.

If you do not know your NRDS number, contact us at either jennc@tcar.com or 228-2588.

Triangle Community Coalition Coffee Chat

2011-08-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

Don’t miss the next TCC “Coffee Chat with Knightdale’s Elected Officials and Staff.

The TCC put into action an initiative to encourage more contact between the business community and local government elected officials and senior staff members called “Coffee Chats” and the goal is to promote more consistent communication between TCC and the various local governments within TCC's geographic footprint.

Please join TCC for their next “Coffee Chat”, on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 9:00 AM and meet with Mayor Russell Killen, Town Mgr, Seth Lawless and Councilor James Roberson to have an informal exchange of ideas about general policy matters and economic development issues.

This “Chat” will take place in the meeting room in the second floor conference room at the Knightdale Town Hall located at 950 Steeple Square Court Knightdale NC

Space is limited, so please RSVP as soon as possible to charlenel@tricc.org. We will be providing coffee and a light breakfast for those who have sent in a RSVP by Monday, August 23, 20

Realfast Acquired by zipLogix

2011-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Realfast Acquired by zipLogix

Realfast, Inc., the Frisco, Colorado-based real estate forms company owned by the NC Association of REALTORS®’ for-profit Service Corporation since 2003, has been acquired by zipLogix of Fraser, Mich., creator of zipForm®, the official forms software of the National Association of REALTORS®.

While the sale closed today, all current NC REALTORS® members using Realfast should continue using the Realfast product through this transition period. No later than Oct. 1, 2011, N.C. REALTORS® members will be able to access the offered zipForm® products via a link on the NCAR website (www.ncrealtors.org).

“A top priority in this acquisition was ensuring that NC REALTORS® continue to receive free forms software as a member benefit,” says 2011 President Stephanie Walker. “We take great pride in the fact that zipLogix, the undisputed industry leader, was interested in acquiring Realfast. It’s evidence of the high regard that Realfast has had in the marketplace.”

Walt McDonald, chairman of the board for zipLogix, agrees. “The acquisition of Realfast will significantly contribute to our strength and momentum in the marketplace. We are extremely excited to offer incoming Realfast customers our flagship product, zipForm®, which is used by more real estate professionals than any other software in the business.”

Additional information, including a detailed Q&A, will be emailed to NC REALTORS® members next week. It also will be posted on our website and included in the Oct.-Dec. issue of Insight magazine.

“Realfast has been honored to serve the REALTOR® community for over 20 years,” says John Mayes, CEO of Realfast, Inc. “I am confident that with this transition to zipLogix, Realfast’s valued customers will continue to enjoy the best products and customer service in the industry.”

Buy a Cookie at Panera, Help a Kid

2011-08-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

This Friday please support the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle by buying a cookie at Panera! With your purchase, Panera will make a $2 donation to their BackPack Buddies Program! Do something sweet for hungry children while satisfying your own sweet tooth! Spread the word!

About Inter-FAith Food Shuttle

Each day there are thousands of people in our community who wake up hungry and have no means to satisfy this basic human need. Some have lost their jobs. Some hold two jobs. The challenges of daily survival for these individuals and their families are daunting and don't simply disappear. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle believes that hunger is unacceptable, and are doing something about it. It's called food rescue and they have been doing it since 1989.

MISSION

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle pioneers innovative, transformative solutions designed to end hunger in our community.

HISTORY

In 1989 two women, Jill Staton Bullard and Maxine Solomon, watched as good food was thrown into trashcans because "breakfast was over" at a fast food restaurant. They realized that restaurants and grocery stores all over the city were discarding foodstuffs that were close to their expiration time or date, but which were still edible and nutritious. They decided to do something to rescue good food before it was dumped. Jill and Maxine founded and incorporated as a North Carolina non-profit in November 1989 and became an IRS recognized 501c3 in 1992. They believed then, as they still do now, that good food should be feeding people and not filling landfills, particularly when our landfill space is limited and finite.

Every year they are able to rescue more nourishing food. In 1989, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle recovered just 750 pounds of food from 3 food donors. In the calendar year 2003, before moving into their new building, they recovered 4.2 million pounds of food from over 220 food donors. By the end of 2009 they recovered 6.2 million pounds of food and project to recover 6.7 million in 2011.

For more information on the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle go to http://www.foodshuttle.org

Be looking for information for the opportunity to work in the Inter-Faith Food Gardens with TCAR on Friday, October 14th. Registration to participate will be posted in the next week. Get signed up as soon as you can!

Town of Cary Considers Additional Fees for Multifamily Projects

2011-08-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Town of Cary is considering adding a recreational open space fee as part of their development fee basket. The proposal, which will be discussed at a public meeting on Monday, August 8 from 6-8 p.m. at the Herb Young Community Center on the Town Hall Campus in downtown Cary, would require developers of multi-family projects in the Town to pay a fee calculated on per unit basis at 1/45th per acre of the appraised land value.

While the Town staff embraces the fee as leveling the playing field with single family residential development in the Town, the structure of the fee would greatly disadvantage the developers of mixed use, the type of walkable developments for which Town leaders profess to strive. Notably, because the fee is based on the appraised value, higher quality multifamily and mixed use developments that utilize greater densities and include commercial uses would end up paying a significantly higher price tag for the fee.

Moreover, because the current code already requires open space dedication as part of the approval process, this additional fee may be double dipping by the Town. In the current economic climate, the Town may be better served to consider alternative options that do not penalize walkable mixed use projects.

Courtesy of K&L Gates Legal Insight

Raleigh Named Among Best Places for Business, Careers

2011-07-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

Raleigh was recently named among Forbes’ annual Best Places of Business list, a ranking that lists the cities with the most jobs and lower costs of doing business.

To find cities with the most jobs and lower costs of doing business, you’ll have to venture to the heartland, according to Forbes’ 13th annual Best Places of Business list. Eighty percent of the top 25 regions on Forbes’ list this year are from the center of the United States.

Forbes’ rankings evaluate 200 metro areas, factoring in job growth (past and projected), costs (business and living), income growth, projected economic growth, and educational attainment.

Demographer Bert Sperling says the heartland’s success is largely due to its “extractive industries,” such as oil, gas, and mining and record-high crop prices that have added jobs.

“These economies run in cycles, and these booms and busts are often decades in the making,” Sterling says.

Many of the cities topping the list also boast at least one strong university and strong entrepreneurial activity.

Here are the top six cities to make Forbes’ list:

Raleigh, N.C.
Des Moines, Iowa
Provo, Utah
Lexington, Ky.
Fort Collins, Colo.
Nashville, Tenn.

Other NAR Commercial Stuff

2011-07-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

REALTORS® Federal Credit Union Offers
REALTORS® FCU’s Professional Development Line of Credit can lend you a hand to set you apart from the competition. Use it to pay for classes with REALTOR® University, meet state licensing requirements, pay conference expenses or even your annual dues. Joining REALTORS® FCU is easy – just open a new account with a $25 deposit. For details, visit REALTORS® Federal Credit Union online today!
LINK: https://www.realtorsfcu.org/personal/loans__credit/personal_loans__credit_lines/professional_development_line_of_credit.html

Get Connected to Land Experts in Real Estate
Do you conduct land transactions – or do you aspire to diversify your business and position yourself as a land specialist in your marketplace?
You’re invited to get acquainted with the REALTORS ® Land Institute, the premier organization for the best resources and networking in the land business. Simply submit your email address to hwilson@realtors.org and ask to be placed on the electronic newsletter list. You’ll receive a quarterly electronic newsletter to introduce you to the Institute and its members. Prefer snail mail? Send your mailing information to hwilson@realtors.org and request to be put on the mailing list.
LINK: http://www.rliland.com

Save $$$ on the CREW Network Convention
NAR has negotiated a tremendous registration savings for the 2011 CREW Network Convention, September 14-17th in Washington, D.C. NAR members get the CREW member rate by using the code nar2011. Learn more about the event and register today at the CREW Network website!
LINK: http://events.crewnetwork.org/2011convention/index.php

Latest Commercial Advocacy

2011-07-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Latest on NAR’s Commercial Advocacy Efforts
NAR recently sent a letter to Congress supporting the Common Sense Economic Recovery Act of 2011 – legislation that would direct federal banking agencies to treat current, non-delinquent, and amortizing loans as accrual loans instead of as non-accrual loans, creating more financing options when commercial real estate loans mature. To read more action NAR has taken to support you and your business, download the udpated Commercial Advocacy Timeline.
LINK: http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect/41ad8780478d376ab1eabbaa3b85ca9a/CRE_Advocacy_Timeline_Updated_7-6-11.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=41ad8780478d376ab1eabbaa3b85ca9a

Commercial News from NAR

2011-07-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

Free NAR Commercial Webinar: Tips for Preparing to Lease a Commercial Building
Download this free, 18 minute webinar to discover three critical components successful leasing agents use to develop a plan to efficiently and effectively lease a building. Features Signature Series Speaker Richard Muhlebach, CPM, CRE.
LINKS:
https://realtor-org-commercial.webex.com/realtor-org-commercial/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=EC&rID=55155047&rKey=40e681fb5c67442e
http://www.realtor.org/commercial/rca_signature_series/speaker_muhlebach

NEW! Register for Commercial Course with CE* at Annual in Anaheim
Register for Signature Series Speaker Richard Mulhlebach’s “Solving Difficult Leasing Issues” during the REALTORS® Conference & Expo! An excellent value, this $20 course may be eligible for 3 hours of continuing education (CE) credit. Registration for this course opens August 1st – reserve your seat in class this November!
*CE credit is currently pending several states approval - check the course page for latest update.
LINKS:
http://www.realtor.org/commercial/rca_signature_series/speaker_muhlebach
http://www.realtor.org/educsess.nsf/mainpagesnew/contedmainpage

New Blog Post at The Source: Are we headed for inflation or deflation?
REALTOR ® Signature Series Speaker, Rob Nahigian, FRICS, SIOR, CRE recently offered a projection of the commercial real estate market at a Charleston Trident Association of REALTORS® education event. Read Rob’s perspective as he explores what measures it will take to stabilize commercial real estate lending and why you need to think like an economist.
LINKS: http://www.realtor.org/commercial/rca_signature_series/speaker_nahigian
http://blog.commercialsource.com/are-we-headed-for-inflation-or-deflation/

TCAR Provides Commercial Property Listings for Downtown Raleigh Alliance

2011-07-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®, announces today a strategic partnership with the Downtown Raleigh Alliance (www.YouRHere.com). TCAR has integrated its commercial real estate exchange portal, Tacquire, into the DRA website to provide visitors with real-time commercial property and lease data.

Tacquire tracks office, industrial, retail and specialty space available for lease across the Triangle region, as well as buildings and land being marketed for sale. The database is set up to be searchable by location, property type, price range and square footage. To ensure accuracy, Tacquire has in-house researchers that regularly verify and update listings.

“TCAR and its members have played a pivotal role in the growth of the greater Raleigh area, and we are proud to partner with them,” says David Diaz, Downtown Raleigh Alliance president and CEO. “In using Tacquire’s database, we are able to provide potential investors with instant access to information on six million square feet of commercial office space in downtown Raleigh.”

With a population of more than 405,000, Raleigh is the second largest city in the Carolinas, and the fastest growing major city in the state. Formed in 1996, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance is the official nonprofit organization designated to manage and promote downtown Raleigh as a regional center of commerce, tourism and livability.

In addition to providing expanded research capabilities to potential business owners and investors, the partnership brings added exposure to Tacquire members. The Invest section of the YouRHere website, where the Tacquire database is located, averages 4,500 page views per month. This increases visibility for member listings.

About Downtown Raleigh Alliance:
The Downtown Raleigh Alliance is the official nonprofit organization designated to manage and promote downtown as a regional center of commerce, tourism, and livability. Through its dedicated board of directors and professional staff, the Alliance team provides a comprehensive array of programs designed to build on the strengths of the downtown business district. The programs are categorized into five main areas: Clean & Safe Ambassadors, Marketing & Events, Economic Development, City Plaza Management, and Membership and Advocacy. The Alliance was created in 1996 by a coalition of community advocates, corporate leaders, and government officials. Visit www.YouRHere.com for more information.

Sponsor Opportunities Still Available for Joint Event

2011-07-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

6th ANNUAL JOINT NETWORKING EVENT

IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER...(BEING HELD ON A THURSDAY),

AND YOU'RE INVITED!

It's that time of year again: 6th ANNUAL JOINT NETWORKING EVENT when commercial real estate organizations get together to have fun, network, win raffle items and give to a worthy cause. But to be successful, WE NEED YOUR HELP!

We would like for your company to be a sponsor for the event to be held on Thursday, September 1st. If you have participated in the past, you know that over 400 people attend the event each year. Benefits of your $500 sponsorship include: having your company name publicized in multiple email blasts to members of all of the commercial real estate groups (TCAR, TCREW, TRAOBA, BOMA, CCIM-NC, IFMA, AAREPNC, and NAIOP)...that's over 1,200 people! You'll also have a 6ft. table at the event for display, get two free tickets to the event; and essentially be contributing to a very worthy cause: Boys & Girls Clubs. (At past events, you may recall we have given $10,000 to each of the following organizations; Pretty in Pink, Hilltop Homes, InterFaith Food Shuttle and Interact. $5,000 was given to the Women's Center of Wake County at our first event.) For more information see flyer below.

Please let Jennifer or Kim know if you are interested in sposnorship. Remember the earlier you sign up, the more exposure you will have to all the industry professionals!

Special thanks to Dilweg Commercial for being our Gold Sponsor.

And here are the sponsors so far:

Thomas Judy Tucker

Trinity Partners

Tri Properties

Ambius

Wake County Economic Development

Wells Fargo

York Properties

Lincoln Harris

MG Capital

NAI Carolantic Realty, Inc.

Office Suites PLUS

Phillips Architecture

Piedmont Service Group

Progress Energy

Simplex Grinnell

Speedpro Imaging

Sunstates Security

Asphalt Enterprise

Bank of North Carolina

Bland Landscaping

Brickman Group

Cary Reconstruction Company

Colliers International

Creative Business Interiors

Drucker & Falk

GBM (Mid-Atlantic)

Gurkin Construction

Heery

Jani-King of Raleigh/Durham

Kilpatrick Townsend

KW Commercial

The Budd Group

Search Listings on Your iPad!

2011-07-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Point, Tap, Search, Zoom, Drag and Email.

All from the palm of your hand! Tacquire members now have access to an Ap for their iPads. You now have access to all available commercial properties on the market using the latest mapping technology.

Features:

• Email Listings to Clients

• Contact Information

• Save Starting Points for Quick Results

• Full Detail Display

Questions or want to schedule a demo for the Tacquire system? Call the office of TCAR and Tacquire at 919-228-2588 or email kimb@tcar.com.

The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® supports House Bill 174 (Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act)

2011-07-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

REALTOR® Position:The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® supports House Bill 174 (Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act) introduced by Representatives Darrell McCormick, Pryor Gibson, Leo Daughtry and Tom Murry because of the following:

· Commercial brokers specialize in income-producing properties, such as apartment and office buildings, retail stores and warehouses, shopping centers and industrial parks.

· Commercial real estate transactions are extremely involved and complicated processes which take a very long time to complete. Brokers invest a great deal of time, effort and upfront costs in securing properties for their clients.

· Commercial brokers add a great deal of value to property transactions as they must understand and explain why properties are good investments. Thus, they must understand various businesses needs, the marketplace and locations, planned or possible growth where the property is located, current income tax regulations and purchasing arrangements that give the buyer a greater return on investment. Commercial brokers may also assist investors in arranging financing.

· Commercial brokers are typically paid after all the work has been completed and the transaction has closed. HB 174 will protect a broker's ability to receive payment for their hard work by granting brokers the ability to file a lien upon commercial real estate in the amount that the broker is due under a written instrument with the owner, buyer or tenant (or their authorized agent).

· Lien attaches to the commercial real estate or interest when the broker files notice of the lien with the Clerk of Court if the lien is filed:

o prior to the actual conveyance or transfer of property when the broker represents the seller;

o within 90 days after the tenant takes possession of a leased property; or

o later in the tenancy of a lease situation if the broker was to be paid in installments based on renewals of the rental contract.

· HB 174 establishes procedural and substantive rights for all parties:

o Subordinates to mechanic's liens.

o Notice of a lien must be mailed to the owner of the commercial property by certified mail or return receipt requested, or a copy of the notice of the lien must be served in accordance with civil litigation proceedings.

o Unless the claim is based upon an option to purchase, the broker shall commence proceedings within 18 months after filing the notice of lien or the lien is extinguished.

o The broker shall acknowledge satisfaction or release of the lien in writing upon written demand of the owner within 30 days after the demand if the claim has been paid in full or if the lien claimant fails to institute a suit to enforce the lien.

o Any valid prior recorded liens or mortgages shall have priority over a commercial broker lien.

o The non-prevailing party is responsible for the costs of any proceeding brought to enforce a commercial broker lien, including reasonable attorneys' fees and prejudgment interest due.

Finally, HB 174 provides a mechanism for deals to close despite the filing of a notice of lien prior to conveyance. An escrow account or a surety bond can be established with the clerk of the superior court in an amount equal to 125% of the amount that is sufficient to release the claim of lien. Upon deposit, the broker must release the claim for the lien on the real estate in exchange for a lien on the escrowed/bonded funds.

Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act

Common Objections

Commercial Liens should be added to the mechanic's lien statute.

a) This would allow commercial liens to relate back which is unnecessary and more costly to insure.

2. 18 month window to bring suit is too long.

a) Commercial transactions take a very long time and there are reasons for delay (environmental, mortgage requirements, title issues) that justify a longer period

b) There is a "fish or cut bait" provision which allows the property owner to demand the suit be filed within 30 days or the lien is extinguished. Therefore, it can be shortened by the action of the parties.

c) There is no relation back in the legislation like in mechanic's liens therefore people could string out the transaction to avoid the lien.

d) Most states with lien laws allow for a 1-2 year window.

3. 125% escrow is too high.

a) The 125% is intended to act as a deterrent. Remember - a broker cannot file a lien without a written contract.

b) The first line of the remedy section would allow the parties to decide otherwise.

c) This is the same amount allowed for bonding mechanic's liens.

d) The legislation allows the prevailing party to be awarded attorneys fees and costs. This amount would be more than just the commission.

· Example: One lien foreclosure that went the whole distance for a commission of $62,000. When they obtained a judgment, the owner had to post a bond in order to appeal (i.e. no escrow). In reality, when the dust settled and all appeals were done, and the lien claimant's attorney claimed post judgment interest and attorney fees, the claim had reached $192,000, more than 300% of the original commission.

4. The number of filings will be too much for the clerks and registers to handle.

a) Given the number of recorded documents in all counties (deeds, mortgages, etc.,) we have no evidence the other 28 states have seen this as a problem.

b) Lien rights preclude lawsuits because threat heads of litigation by forcing the parties to pay or negotiate prior to that point.

5. The seller's duty to the agent will interfere with the buyer's rights and ability to complete the transaction.

a) When an owner breaches a contractual duty to his broker and requires that a notice of lien be filed, then: (i) the broker's filing a lien isn't a breach of a fiduciary duty, it is simply the broker exercising a contractual right and statutory remedy; (ii) this argument was NEVER raised by any other real estate commission; and (iii) no state with lien rights has requested changes to the law because of an increase in failed closings due to the filing a of a broker's lien. The escrow provision allows a seller to address a broker's claim that he will oppose, and still allow the deal to close.

b) The broker does not breach their duty to the client by enforcing their rights under the contract between them and the landowner.

Environmental Reform Signed by Governor

2011-07-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

After receiving overwhelming approval from the House and Senate, environmental reform bill H45: Accelerate Cleanup of Industrial Properties was signed by Gov. Bev Perdue. The legislation permits “risk-based remediation,” which provides site-specific cleanup standards that would expedite the reuse of valuable industrial sites while ensuring protection of public health and the environment. Existing law restricts redevelopment of these sites and prevents productive use of the land. Maintenance of North Carolina’s surface water and groundwater resources will become increasingly important to the continued economic vitality of the state in the future. Supporters of the law applaud the efforts to protect the public’s health and the environment, while allowing businesses to create jobs and grow the economy.

Session Adjourned

Both the House and Senate wrapped up session last Saturday, enacting the state budget two weeks before the start of the fiscal year, the earliest in over 30 years. Republican leaders believe that regulatory and tax changes, along with legal and workers’ compensation reform will give businesses more certainty needed to create jobs. "This has been a session of real accomplishment and a real change in direction for North Carolina, a direction that the people of North Carolina have long been looking for," said Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). With a surge of activity in the final week at the legislature, over 200 bills were sent to Gov. Perdue on Monday. She has 10 days after receiving a bill to decide whether to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without her signature. The full General Assembly is slated to reconvene on July 13 to review bills related to election law, appointments to various state boards and commissions, as well as conference reports not adopted upon adjournment. Bills that Gov. Perdue vetoed will also be on the agenda for review. Legislative and Congressional district maps are scheduled for consideration and debate later in the month.

CNBC: N.C. Among Best States for Business

2011-06-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

North Carolina was recently named the third best state for business by CNBC, following Virginia and Texas. The rankings were determined by measuring each state in 10 different categories. In those categories, N.C. ranked in the top five for workforce and infrastructure/transportation but the lowest for its economy. For more information on the criteria or to see how other states fared, follow the link below.
Click Here

Free NAR Commercial Webinar and Podcast

2011-06-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Impact of Natural Disasters on Commercial Real Estate

In the last year we’ve experienced several major natural disasters, most recently devastating tornadoes in America’s heartland and floods
in the south. These national and global events have profound implications for the upcoming regulatory environment in the United States.
Boston College Professor and Signature Series Speaker Frank Parker explores the effects on the economy, nuclear future, oil prices, wind tunnel and solar panel events,
water access threats, and carbon sequestration. Download this free 30 minute webinar at your convenience!
LINK: http://www.realtor.org/commercial/free_educational_webinars

Getting Paid Beyond the Transaction

Signature Series Speaker, Dr. Drew Stevens offers some great advice about how to adapt to the nuances of selling today in this 20 minute Commercial
Intelligence Briefing podcast. Cold calling is dead; endorsements and referrals is where it’s at. Differentiating yourself and adding value to the
relationship with your clients – not just a transaction – is key.
LINK: http://www.realtor.org/commercial/technology_and_intelligence_briefings_podcast

Commercial Broker Lien Bill & Credit Union Lending Bill

2011-06-23T10:36:00.000-07:00

Governor Perdue signed HB 174 (Commercial Broker Lien Act), sponsored by Reps Darrell McCormick (R-Iredell), Pryor Gibson (D-Anson), Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston) and Tom Murry (R-Wake), into law on June 17, which was a significant accomplishment for the NC Association of REALTORS®, as staff and REALTORS® have been working diligently on this issue since 1997. Ultimately, it passed the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously and then passed the Senate with only one “no” vote, a testament to the work that was put into this issue throughout the process and making sure that legislators understood the significance of this bill. This legislation will ensure that commercial brokers are paid the commission owed to them. For information on the bill, click on the HB174 link at the top.

NAR Supports Credit Union Lending Bill
The U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban affairs Committee held a hearing last week on credit union member business lending. NAR sent a letter in support of S. 509, the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2011 (Udall, D-CO), which would raise the cap on credit union member business lending. The letter focused on the beneficial effect this source of financing would have on commercial real estate and small businesses.

The current cap on credit union member business lending is 12.5 percent of a credit union's assets, but NAR seeks to raise that limit for well-capitalized credit unions. This would allow credit unions to fill in the commercial real estate financing gap, and help get capital to the struggling small businesses who occupy commercial buildings. NAR will continue to engage with Congress and other stakeholders to push for a raise of the business lending cap for credit unions. Read NAR's Letter to the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee

TCAR Partners with Triangle Economic Development Agencies

2011-06-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

TCAR (www.TCAR.com), announces the integration of its commercial real estate exchange portal, Tacquire, into the websites of two Triangle economic development agencies. Raleigh Economic Development (www.raleigh4you.com) and Wake County Economic Development (www.raleigh-wake.org) now provide website visitors with real-time property and lease data.

“In communicating with business owners that are considering relocation to the area, one of the first things they want to know is what space is available for lease or purchase,” says Jennifer Bosser, assistant executive director for Wake County Economic Development. “With the new capabilities added through Tacquire, accurate and comprehensive listings are available at a moment’s notice.”

Tacquire tracks office, industrial, retail and specialty space available for lease across the Triangle region, as well as buildings and land being marketed for sale. The database is set up to be searchable by location, property type, price range and square footage. To ensure accuracy, Tacquire utilizes researchers to verify and update listings on an ongoing basis.

“Providing the most up-to-date property data is imperative to sustaining growth in our area,” says Kim Brennan, TCAR executive officer. “It’s an honor to have earned the trust of these agencies, and we look forward to building upon these partnerships as the area continues to grow.”

Database improvements have expanded the property listing details to give more information to prospective businesses. These include providing area maps, demographics, a birds-eye view, and a printable flyer.

The new partnerships bring added benefits to Tacquire members as well. With more than 5,215 hits per month at the Raleigh and Wake Economic Development websites, member listings receive increased exposure. This has helped open doors to increased interaction with prospective business owners.

About Wake County Economic Development
Wake County Economic Development (WCED) is the lead economic development agency for Wake County. As such, WCED assists businesses with their relocation and expansion plans, and markets Wake County as one of the best places for business in the United States. WCED is a program of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit www.raleigh-wake.org.

About Raleigh Economic Development
The City of Raleigh Economic Development Program is a partnership between the City of Raleigh and the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce. The primary function of Raleigh Economic Development is to support job creation and capital investment in the city of Raleigh. This is accomplished by working with companies, site selection consultants, real estate professionals, and others to provide a wide range of information about the City of Raleigh. For more information, visit www.raleigh4u.com.

Lien Law on Senate Floor Today

2011-06-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

After having been quickly through the Senate Commerce Committee at the beginning of the week, Broker Lien Bill HB 174 has made it to the full Senate today for a vote.

This has all occurred very fast and so a call to action was difficult to get out in a timely manner. In the hopes of not having to wait yet another year and go through the process again, the bill has been moved quickly through the different stages.

Latest on Broker Lien Law

2011-06-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

Since 1997, the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® has been working diligently on a Broker Lien Law for our commercial members.

The latest version of the legislation, HB174, has just made it through the House with a vote of 107 to 11. No one spoke against the bill. Our membership has very much been involved in working hard to make this bill happen.

The next step is for it to be heard in the Senate next week. We'll keep you posted on further developments and if there is any further assistance required in order for this legislation to become law.

AT&T Discounts to NC REALTORS®

2011-06-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

Just another way to pay for your membership!

AT&T wireless is offering exclusive discounts to NC REALTORS®. Members can receive a 10% discount off of monthly access charges, waived Activation Fee with a two year contract, and accessory discounts at any AT&T owned stores. Now through June 30th, buy any 2 accessories and receive a third (non Apple brand), of equal of lesser value for FREE! To sign up for service, visit any AT&T Company Owned Retail location.

Make sure to provide the following to get your discounts: Foundation Account Number (FAN) - 2017074. If you have questions, please email cc8410@att.com.

A Message From Cindy Chandler re: Commercial Broker Lien Law

2011-06-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

This just came out and was hopefully received by your members.

For those members of yours who are in support of this legislation, please encourage them to respond to this Call For Action. It takes about 20 seconds.

I plan to ask how many Call for Action responses we got on this and if its low, then it will be difficult to defend this legislation. We need the participation of all of those who are in support. Remind them that its not "someone else's job" to respond.

I recognize that some of your developer members may not support this, which is fine. Those brokers who complain that they are hosed by landlords and sellers need to take action or shut up. From now on when they call me, complaining, I will ask them if they responded to this CFA and if not, I will terminate my conversation with them.

Because of the nature of my business this doesn't matter to me personally but I am supporting it as a commercial practitioner. There is broker lien law in about half of the states now, and this bill makes is difficult to have a frivolous suit.

Please go to for the Call to Action if you support this bill.

Cindy

Call For Action on Commercial Broker Lien Law

2011-06-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, HB 174 - Commercial Broker Lien Law - passed out of House Judiciary A. The bill passed after one question and only two comments allowed from the floor. The bar association spoke against and Cady Thomas, Director of Government Affairs for the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® spoke for the bill and then Rep. Grey Mills made the motion for a favorable report.

Next the bill goes to the House Floor. In anticipation of this vote and opposition by some of the lawyers, we have enacted a Call For Action. Please participate in this CFA and let your house member know you support the legislation. It's expected to be on the floor next week, so timing is critical.

Here is the link to the Commercial Broker Lien Law Call for Action:

http://www2.realtoractioncenter.com/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&id=1603

We are thankful to Rep. McCormick for his continued efforts on this bill and to Rep. Leo Daughtry, a co-sponsor of the legislation, who ran the bill today so Rep. McCormick could hold the committee he chairs.

Commercial Broker Lien Law

2011-05-30T15:05:00.000-07:00

HB 174 (Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act), sponsored by Reps. Darrell McCormick (R-Iredell), Pryor Gibson (D-Anson), Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston), and Tom Murry (R-Wake), was heard in the House Judiciary A Committee on Wednesday. The Committee was concerned with the priority of this lien and mechanic’s and materialmen’s liens. After discussions with the parties and the bill sponsor, a change was agreed upon, and the bill will be heard in the committee again next week.

PINPOINT PROPERTIES TO MERGE WITH THE DILWEG COMPANIES

2011-05-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Pinpoint Properties, a commercial real estate development company, announced on Monday that it would merge its operations with The Dilweg Companies. The Dilweg Companies is a diversified commercial real estate investment firm headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. The newly combined company will continue to operate under the name of The Dilweg Companies. The terms of the merger were not disclosed.

Pinpoint Properties, which specializes in developing retail, medical and flex office buildings, said it expected the deal to immediately add management strength and capabilities, creating a truly full-service real estate investment firm with a total portfolio value of +$300 million. Together, the companies will offer four major real estate investment services — Development, Asset Management, Property Management, and Leasing.

Bruce Knott, head of Pinpoint Properties, said the deal would “formalize a long standing partnership between the companies and provide a strong foundation for growth moving forward.” Mr. Knott will join the company as Chief Operating Officer. He brings +10 years of development expertise to The Dilweg Companies. Prior to establishing his real estate career, Mr. Knott held various management positions at IBM in Research Triangle Park including North American Materials Operations Manager, where he was responsible for procurement of $2 billion dollars of components to support IBM’s Personal Computer manufacturing. Mr. Knott also directly managed IBM’s Personal Computer manufacturing in Research Triangle Park, which produced 30% of the firm’s global PCs. He graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and later received his Masters in Business Administration from Duke University.

Joni Barnes will also be moving over from Pinpoint Properties to the new entity, where she will serve as a sales and leasing specialist with an emphasis on office condominium space, general brokerage and tenant representation. Ms. Barnes joined Pinpoint Properties as the Sales and Marketing Manager in February 2004. After a diverse professional career in the financial services sector, she entered the commercial real estate field in 2002 as an Acquisition Analyst with the Dilweg Companies. Ms. Barnes is an officer of the Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors (TCAR) Board of Directors as well as a committee member of Tacquire, TCAR’s commercial information exchange. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from The University of Akron, Ohio and is a licensed Real Estate Broker in North Carolina.

Anthony Dilweg, CEO of The Dilweg Companies, said, “We are thrilled about the merger with Pinpoint Properties. This transaction will broaden our real estate expertise and position us for solid growth in the future.”

The Dilweg Companies is a diversified commercial real estate investment firm founded in 1999 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina. To date, The Dilweg Companies has been involved in the development, acquisition, and sale of more than $500 million in asset value. The Company currently owns and operates properties throughout the Southeast from Newport News, Virginia to Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, and the coastal region of South Carolina. For more information, please call (919) 402-9100 or go to www.dilweg.com.

NAR Economist, Dr. Lawrence Yun, Speaks on CRE

2011-05-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

To a packed house at the NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings, NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun said you might not “feel the impact of the recovery — the hole was so deep, it might still feel like we’re in it.” During hisEconomic Issues & Commercial Business Trends presentation, Yun identified some bright spots — citing sales and leasing volumes for commercial real estate heading upward; but he continued to forecast some looming concerns and said financing remains a major stumbling block.

The commercial sector is expected to strengthen more over the next couple of years even as the end of commercial mortgage backed security (CMBS) activity is happening, but banks — particularly regional banks — are stepping in with portfolio loans. Interestingly, the big-four national banks — Wells Fargo, Citibank, Chase, and Bank of America — are in a far better position to make loans. They are not yet stepping up, but they are sitting on piles of money. “Because they’ve grown to the point where they’re too big to fail, they have a de facto implicit federal guarantee,” Yun said.

A big concern looming is inflation. It remains essentially low – about 2.9 percent – but inflation could rise and hit 5 percent by the end of the year and 6 percent in the early part of 2012, Yun predicted.

The top line on commercial sectors:

Multifamily housing has been the standout over the last year. Vacancies hit historically normal levels last year at about 5-6 percent with solid rental rate growth. Look for 4 percent higher rents nationally by the end of this year – and more in some first-tier markets.
Office market vacancy rates are expected to decline steadily, from
- 16.5 percent in the first quarter of this year to 16 percent at the end of the year. Rental rate increases could turn positive for the first time in a while, too, to maybe 5 percent from a negative 2 percent.
- The Industrial sector is expected to improve with vacancy rates projected to decline from 14.2 percent to about 12.9 percent at the end of the year and positive rental rate growth of about 2 percent this year.
- Retail continues to struggle, with consumers still retrenching in their spending. Vacancy rates are only expected to improve marginally, from about 13 percent to just slightly better by the end of the year. Even so, the sector might see some improvement in rental rate growth, moving from a negative 1 percent to 1 percent in positive territory by the end of the year.
For the latest Commercial Real Estate Outlook, go to:
http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2011/05/commercial_improving
Follow the NAR Economists’ Blog at:
http://economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org/

NAR’s Advocacy Efforts Benefit Commercial Practitioners

2011-05-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Advocacy efforts by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently won three key victories for commercial practitioners regarding lease accounting rules, refinancing commercial loans, and the repeal of the 1099 rule. For details on these victories, follow the link below for NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong’s latest podcast. Hear more.

TCAR Position on REALTOR® Party Political Survival Initiative

2011-04-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

After much discussion and consideration , the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS®, have decided as a group that we are unable to support the REALTOR® Party Political Survival Initiative. We believe any raise in the NAR portion of our dues is not acceptable due to the current economy and state of the real estate industry. It is also our position that an increase of almost 50% is excessive at any time, regardless of the political climate.

Past history of NAR dues increases have resulted in a loss of membership for our Association. We have approximately 550 members and believe we would experience a loss of no less than 15%, especially since 65 of our members are Institute Affiliates. We only receive $25 from this sector of our membership, and the financial implications would be substantial for our organization. As a local Association, we have been unable to increase our portion of the dues simply because the national and/or state associations continually raise their dues. In fact, TCAR has not increased dues since 2005.

Recently, TCAR has invested heavily in the startup of a Commercial Information Exchange Platform through e-Property Data, a company purchased by NAR. Fortunately, we are now having companies rejoin our association after years of seeing little use for their REALTOR® membership. This new dues increase would definitely create second thoughts for those returning companies and other larger firms as to whether to continue their membership. We believe this Initiative by NAR could have a profound impact on our bottom line.

As an alternative to this increase, we recommend consideration be given to using the $35 Image Campaign Assessment, (an increase that was originally only supposed to be for one year), to be funneled into the Political Survival Initiative. The $35 should be sufficient to accomplish the top goals of NAR until the economy substantially improves and more people are back to work.

REALTOR® Party Political Survival Initiative

2011-04-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

By now you have all heard about the proposed Realtor® Party Political Survival Initiative. Like you, we have received numerous questions and comments about the initiative during the past weeks, and as you know there has been a lot of discussion on the blogs and various social media outlets.

To help provide you with the latest information and answer many of the questions that have been raised, the Leadership Team is holding a LIVE virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, April 13th, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. central time. Cathy Whatley, 2003 NAR President and Chair of the Political Survival Presidential Advisory Group, will be joining us to share her insights and clarify the value of this initiative to members.

The town hall is open to ALL REALTORS®. To participate simply use the link below. You’ll be directed to a registration page. Once registered, you will receive an email with a link to view the Town Hall on April 13th.

We are encouraging informed debate on this initiative. To that end, I ask that you take some time to review the attached materials, which will help guide our discussion and the question and answer session on the 13th.

Download the updated Realtor® Party Political Survival Initiative materials

Thank you for all of your comments and questions. Many of you have contacted me personally. We appreciate the dialogue, and we are sharing all of the comments we receive.

We ask that you continue to leave your questions and feedback for us to review. Just go to the REALTOR® Action Center or email your questions to rppsi@realtor.org.

Thank you for engaging with us. We look forward to an informed discussion.

Sincerely,

Ron Phipps, ABR, CRS, GRI, GREEN, e-PRO
2011 President

National Association of REALTORS^®

TCAR & Tacquire Members to Have Access to Haves & Wants Database

2011-03-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon!

The Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors® and Tacquire are pleased to announce the launch of a new tool to serve the Triangle commercial real estate community!

Launching March 23, 2011 for TCAR and Tacquire Members

As an added benefit of membership (at no additional charge), TCAR and Tacquire members will have access to a new Haves & Wants database, accessible via www.tcar.com.

Effective March 23, 2011, TCAR Members will have the ability to post Haves & Wants and will receive compiled e-mail feeds on a daily or weekly basis. “Haves” encompass sale and/or leasing opportunities that are currently available, and “Wants” include specific criteria for sale and/or leasing options brokers and their clients are seeking. Personalized profiles will allow members to set preferences regarding which posts they receive, and how often, streamlining the communication process! Effective April 1, 2011 members will have the choice of posting to the local community and/or to eProperty Data’s national Haves & Wants database.

Tacquire Members will enjoy the same features listed above, with the additional benefit of having the ability to search the Haves & Wants database and to set up hot sheets to be immediately notified of Haves & Wants meeting their specified criteria.

Launching April 1, 2011 for All Commercial Real Estate Professionals and Stakeholders

At no charge, commercial real estate professionals and stakeholders who are not members of TCAR or Tacquire will have the ability to set up a profile via TCAR and to post Haves & Wants, as well as to receive a weekly e-mail feed allowing them to communicate with TCAR/Tacquire’s more than 500 members.

Stay tuned for additional information regarding this valuable new tool!

LinkedIn

Want to discuss commercial real estate trends, post job openings, announce commercial real estate events and fundraising opportunities while managing the frequency of the emails you receive? Visit the Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors® LinkedIn discussion page and join the conversation!

Smedes York: TCAR's Commercial Realtor® Of the Year

2011-03-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

On March 3rd, 2011 the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS® held it's annual Frontier Awards to celebrate the successes of the local commercial brokerage community of the past year. The final and most prestigious award is the Commercial REALTOR® of the Year and this year it given to Smedes York of York Properties.

To qualify for this award, nominees must represent the REALTORâ spirit. This means the recipient has the highest principles, dedication to the Code of Ethics of the Association and most importantly, has the principals of good real estate practice. This person must have served the association and have been a voice for commercial REALTORSâ on a local, state, and/or national platform. Also, the recipient must have business accomplishments in the industry that include good business conduct, service to clients, and creativity in marketing properties.

This year’s recipient has spent much of his career in real estate and construction but has served the community in a variety of ways. In the late 70s and early 80s, he served on the Raleigh City Council, was a Councilman, District E and served two terms as Mayor of the City of Raleigh, from 1979 through 1983.

Mr. York has served as the past chairman of the North Carolina Chamber, the N.C. State University Board of Trustees and the YMCA of the Triangle. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors for the Research Triangle Foundation, the North Carolina Amateur Sports and is a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute. As a ULI member, he was Chairman from 1989-1991 and has chaired many advisory service panel assignments including New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

He is in the Raleigh Hall of Fame, Needham Broughton Athletics Hall of Fame, Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame, Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Business Hall of Fame. He has received countess honors including the Watauga Medal from N. C. State University and the Distinguished Citizenship Award from the North Carolina Chamber.

Mr. York is pictured here with 2011 TCAR President Shane Bull receiving his award.

Local Commercial Realtor® First in State to Achieve National GreenValuation Specialist Designation

2011-03-04T11:34:00.001-08:00

TCAR member Peter T. Chenery, President and CEO of Realty World/Investment Marketing recently earned the National GreenValuation Specialist Designation from the Porter Institute in Seattle, Washington. Pete is the first Realtor® in North Carolina to receive this designation after completing an in-depth two day course focusing on the evaluation and appraisal of green real estate.

This designation signifies Pete’s continued commitment to promoting the principles of green building and sustainability practices. Pete is a member of the US Green Building Council and is active in the Triangle Chapter, serving on their Education Committee and heading up their local speakers bureau. Pete is also a NAR GREEN Certified Instructor and recently developed a green course for commercial Realtors® which has been approved and will be taught in the first quarter of 2011.

A Commercial Realtor for over twenty years, Pete has extensive experience in the real estate, property management, and development industries. Pete has served and continues to serve on many local, state, and national boards, and has presented to numerous organizations within the field. Pete is available for speaking engagements, presentations, seminars, classes, and consulting.

Commercial Broker Lien Law & New SBA Financing Program

2011-02-25T13:00:00.001-08:00

Commercial Broker Lien Law Introduced

Reps Darrell McCormick (R-), Pryor Gibson (D-Anson), Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston), and Tom Murry (R-Wake) have introduced HB 174 (Commercial Real Estate Broker Lien Act), http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2011/Bills/
House/PDF/H174v1.pdf, which will protect a broker’s ability to receive payment for their hard work by granting brokers the ability to file a lien upon commercial real estate in the amount that the broker is due under a written instrument with the owner, buyer or tenant (or their authorized agent). The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® has been working with Rep. McCormick, our Commercial Alliance and other stakeholders for several years and will continue to advocate for this legislation. We are hopeful the bill will be successful and provide an assurance to our commercial brokers they will be paid for their hard work.

SBA Announces New Commercial Real Estate Financing Program
On February 17, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will start accepting refinancing applications for commercial real estate mortgages maturing by the end of 2012. For the first time, small businesses will be allowed to refinance certain owner-occupied commercial real estate mortgages into long-term, fixed rate loans, under the existing SBA 504 program. The new refinance program provides an SBA loan up to 40 percent of the appraised property value with no less than 10 percent of the remaining amount to be contributed by the borrower. Last September, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010, which authorized this program through September 27, 2012. Due to the economic downturn and falling commercial real estate values, many small businesses have encountered difficulty refinancing their maturing mortgages. NAR believes this program will provide credit relief for property owners and help stabilize the commercial real estate and small business sectors.
Read more about the SBA's 504 Refinance Program.

2011 Frontier Awards: Celebrate the Successes of the Commercial Community

2011-02-24T13:09:00.000-08:00

The 2011 President's Frontier Awards, the annual awards ceremony that honors the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS deal makers and community leaders of the previous year, will be taking place on Thursday, March 3rd at the Carolina Country Club.

Registration, networking and breakfast begins at 7:30am and the program starts promptly at 8am. This year's speaker is John Forslund, the Carolina Hurricane's play by play analyst and national hockey broadcaster for Versus and NBC.

The awards include Million Dollar Club Awards, Induction into the Lifetime Million Dollar Club, the Trailblazer Awards, Rising Star, Busy Broker, William P Eyerman Award, Sale and Lease Transaction of the Year, Development of the Year Award, Community Leader, President's Circle and the Commercial REALTOR of the Year.

Tickets are $30 for both members and non members, while tables are $200. If you want to register please go to www.tcar.com or call the TCAR & Tacquire Office at 919-228-2588. Table registrations must be done through the office number. The Carolina Country Club is located at 2500 Glenwwod Ave. If there are any further questions, please feel free to contact us at the number above or email us jennc@tcar.com.

NCAR February PARTNER of the Month

2011-02-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

Fidelity Capital Management

Whether you are concerned about the Healthcare Reform or an increase with your current health insurance provider, Fidelity is here to help! As a 10 year REALTOR® Partner, Fidelity Capital Management has provided dental plans with group rates as well as medical insurance solutions for REALTORS® and agencies alike. They can help you understand your current policy, show unique ideas for savings, and explain how your policy might change due to recent healthcare reform law. If you work with them, it would be the same cost as going directly online, and you are helping out your local REALTOR® association! They represent only A-rated companies such as Blue Cross, United Healthcare, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, and Wellpath. Please give them a call at 919-876-9610 and let them give you a free analysis of your current situation. Also, be sure to take a look at their 2011 Humana dental plan at www.fcmrealtorbenefits.com.

NCAR REALTORS® Partner Program: A Benefit That Can Pay for Your Membership

2011-02-02T17:56:00.001-08:00

In today’s hectic business world, who has the time to research vendors or check out how to get more for your money? The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® has taken the guesswork out of this tedious task with the REALTOR® Partners Program. Click on the link and see the multiple vendors that offer you a chance to save money! Through this program, NCAR members receive special discounts on the products and services you use most. When you purchase products at a discount from the REALTOR® Partners, a portion of the revenue that is generated is then given back to your local association as a form of non-dues revenue. You can lower your expenses while supporting your local association!

Here are a couple of other examples of partnerships that NCAR has fostered to keep money in your wallet:

Furnitureland South - A One-stop, Furniture Shopping Destination

How many of you knew that the world’s largest home furnishings retail showplace is right here in North Carolina? With 1.3 million square feet of showroom display, this 40 year-old, family-owned business offers NCAR members and your clientele discounts of 40-50% off of retail on everything they sell, plus additional savings on merchandise featured in their new Outlet Center. As an exclusive opportunity and extra benefit just for you and your clientele, you will also receive a 5% rebate on your purchase that may be used towards the selection of any in-stock item on any subsequent order. For more information, please email ncarinquiry@furniturelandsouth.com or call 866-436-8042.

Personalized for your Business, Discounted for your Wallet

Recognition Express is the world’s leader and largest manufacturer of the highest quality personalized products available in the industry. With offices throughout the US, Canada and Western Europe they specialize in scratch resistant name badges; desk and wall name plates; framed interior sign solutions; glass, crystal, acrylic, walnut, cherry wood and simulated wood awards; as well as corporate jewelry and advertising specialty items. NCAR members will receive a 5% discount on products purchased from the NCAR catalog at http://ncaor.recognitionexpress.com.

Any additional question feel free to call the office at 919-228-2588 or email jenn@tcar.com

Give NAR Your Opinion

2010-12-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

You have an opportunity to give NAR your opinion about the important federal policy issues that will affect you and your clients in 2011.

If you’ve already responded, thank you.

At the federal level, the National Association of REALTORS® is monitoring a number of public policy issues encompassing housing, real estate finance, tax and environmental policy that impact residential and commercial real estate.

NAR hopes you will take a few minutes to give them your opinion about the importance of these policy issues for their 2011 public policy agenda.

The link below will take you to a survey that asks about your views.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BLQX7ZHB4/

With your help, NAR can make sure that their public policy resources are targeted appropriately on the issues that matter most to you and your clients.

To show our appreciation, you also will have an opportunity to enter a sweepstakes drawing for a $100 gift card before submitting your survey responses.

Please be assured that your individual responses will remain confidential - only summaries of survey results will be made available.

Thank you.

Ron Phipps, ABR®, CRS, GRI, GREEN, e-PRO®
2011 NAR President

Dale Stinton, CAE, CPA, CMA, RCE
NAR CEO

The Pros of NAR RPAC

2010-11-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

The National Association of REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC), supports pro-REALTOR® Congressional and Senate candidates from both political parties. Decisions on which candidates to support are made based on the level of support an elected official or candidate has for our REALTOR® Public Policy Advocacy Agenda. Local and State Associations make recommendations to the National RPAC Trustees using Real Estate Issues as the single most important factor for support of a candidate for election or re-election

· NAR is one of the most effective lobbying forces on Capitol Hill. The results from yesterday’s election have not diminished our ability to promote and protect the real estate industry.

· The New York Times, in the October 30, 2010 edition, singled out RPAC as “One of the few large outside spenders that has supported candidates from both parties…”

· Like most political action committees RPAC typically supports incumbent candidates with a strong level of support for our public policy agenda.

· RPAC has a long tradition of making our “friends” before we need them on Capitol Hill.

· Many Members of Congress come to Washington with a good understanding of real estate issues based on close relationships started on the local and state level.

· By cultivating these relationships over the long haul, NAR will not be scrambling to play “catch-up’ because the party in power changed.

· NAR has been well positioned during previous changes in Congress and will be again this time.

· We recognize that many REALTORS® will use non real estate criteria to evaluate candidates.

· NAR encourages political involvement by all members.

If you have detailed questions about specific candidates or the results of a specific race, please feel free to contact NAR's Managing Director of Political Programs, Scott Reiter at sreiter@realtors.org.

MIke Lipsey Coming to TCAR

2010-10-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

Systems for Success

Systems for Success is The Lipsey Company’s most comprehensive training program for the commercial real estate industry and will be in Cary October 28th at 111 Realtor Way from 8am to noon. Based on the successful DVD video training series of the same name, the program focuses on the key components of commercial real estate - selling, leasing, presenting, negotiation and closing - and provides the practitioner with a systematic approach to achieving lasting success in a highly competitive industry.

Topics include:

Beyond Needs Analysis: Partnering with your Clients
Developing, Implementing and Managing a Sales/Leasing Plan
Getting to and Selling to the Decision Maker
Real Estate Negotiation: Techniques of the Industry's Best
Best Practices for Tours and Presentations
Closing Techniques: Proven Closing Tactics for Brokers

In order to ensure that lessons taught are reinforced each day, Lipsey has developed a Systems for Success textbook which provides volumes of additional, useful and relevant information designed to help today's practitioner succeed. These, plus the DVD video series, are all invaluable additions to any training library and can be purchased by calling The Lipsey Company at 1-800-677-1002. For more information on Lipsey go to http://www.lipseyco.com/ .

If you take this class and the Mandatory Update on the same day, members get both for just $99! You must register before the 15th of October in order to get this deal. Regular price for members is $65 for Lipsey, $55 for the Mandatory Update. Non-members are $85 for Lipsey and $75 for Mandatory.

Go to the new http://www.tcar.com/ or contact the office at 919-228-2588 to register.

Joint Event: Great Prizes, Great Fun

2010-08-11T09:10:00.001-07:00

Working on your hat for the Mad Hatter Party coming up on September 1st??

Register now to attend the 5th Annual Commercial Real Estate Networking Event to mix and mingle with members from TCAR, TCREW, TRAOBA, BOMA, IREM, CCIM-NC, AAREPNC, IFMA and NAIOP. Proceeds from the event will go to Interact.

Everything you need to know is in the attached flier. The event is Wednesday, September 1st. Cost is only $15.00 which includes food and two drink tickets. What a deal!! Registration deadline is Wednesday, August 25th.

Note: You must register on the TCAR website and pay your $15.00 via credit card in advance of the event deadline. Website is www.tcar.com. Call the TCAR office at 919-228-2588 or email kimb@tcar.com if you have any questions or problems with registration We cannot take registrations the night of the event.

Lots of raffle items are starting to come in to include:
• $1,000 Disney gift card (Can be used to purchase your favorite Disney merchandise and entertainment for Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise or Disney stores.)
• Apple iPad
• Apple iPad, courtesy of TCAR & Tacquire
• Week at Myrtle Beach in ocean front, 3-bedroom condo, courtesy of General Building Management
• $500 gift certificate to Best Buy, courtesy of TCREW
• $300 gift certificate to Crabtree Mall, courtesy of TCREW
• $100 gift certificate for Moe’s Southwest Grill Catering, courtesy of Ralph Nelson
• $100 gift certificate to Ruth Chris Steak House, courtesy of Triangle CREW
• $100 gift certificate to Sullivans, courtesy of Triangle CREW
• $100 CASH, courtesy of BOMA
• $100 gift certificate to Best Buy, courtesy of Anthony & Co./Oncor International
• $100 gift certificate to the Museum Spa
• Signed Carolina Hurricanes hockey stick
• $100 value flower arrangement, courtesy of Ambius
• More to come!!

By the way, it’s not too late if you want to donate a raffle item. Just send me an email (ksaunders@naicarolantic.com). Minimum value of the donated item must be $100. (CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF SPONSORS ON THE ATTACHED FLIER!!!!!)

This was a great event last year and DJ Joe Bunn will be back to play your favorite tunes. Be sure to sign up as soon as possible!! AND don’t forget to wear a hat to get one free raffle ticket with the purchase of your first $10 raffle ticket. (After all, it is a Mad Hatter party!)

Cheers,
Kerry Saunders
NAI Carolantic Realty

New Commercial Book Club

2010-07-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Accredited Associations have the opportunity to promote the NEW book club to members before the official NAR Commercial launch!

Announcing the NAR Commercial Virtual Book Club! The first read in the new club features Bob Potter, an NAR Commercial Signature Series Speaker, and expert on third-level selling. In his book, Bob shares why you should stop competing on price and find out why clients will choose a winner – you! To participate –first, purchase the book, Selling Real Estate Services: Third Level Secrets of Top Producers at the REALTOR® store. Second, visit the book club launch on August 15 at http://go-to.realtor.org/r/3OS1G5/CM/ZCSK/XL/25KB5/CK/h for instructions on joining the book discussion and free pre-recorded webinars from the author. Finally, join Bob on Friday, September 10th at 1 p.m. CST for LIVE Q&A. Preview the first webinar now!
http://tinyurl.com/ThirdLevel

If you have any questions about NAR Commercial, any of their current programs or just about TCAR, give us a call at 919-228-2588 or email me at kimb@tcar.com .

NAR Comments on Proposed Commercial Lead Paint Rule

2010-07-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

On May 6, 2010, EPA issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) concerning the Renovation, Repair and Painting Program for Commercial and Public Buildings. The purpose of this ANPR was to solicit feedback and comments on a proposed program that would be similar to the one promulgated for homes, which aims to reduce children's exposure to lead dust during renovation activities. In this most recent ANPRM, EPA has requested comments on a variety of issues specific to the regulation of RRP activities in commercial and public buildings.

NAR, in coalition with several other impacted organizations, submitted comments on July 6, 2010 to express a variety of concerns regarding this proposed regulation. In the comments, the Coalition emphasized that EPA must consider the scope of its authority before proceeding with any regulations. The Toxic Substances Control Act limits the Agency's authority to promulgate regulations that govern RRP activities in commercial and public buildings. Among other things, EPA must complete a congressionally-mandated study of RRP activities in commercial and public buildings and the extent to which they create lead-based paint hazards before it can proceed with any regulations. In addition, EPA must consider a variety of factors in any rulemaking efforts related to RRP activities in commercial and public buildings. For example, the Agency should take into account the fact that RRP activities in commercial and public buildings may present very different patterns of exposure to lead-based paint hazards than the RRP activities in residential settings on which the Agency has previously focused.

In addition, EPA should take into consideration the very limited use of lead-based paint in commercial buildings since 1978. EPA must also consider the potential impacts that the imposition of regulatory requirements may have on other national priorities such as increasing energy efficiency. Indeed, the many questions concerning the extent to which RRP activities in commercial and public buildings actually present lead-based paint hazards and the potential consequences of any regulations strongly suggest that the Agency should continue to seek the input of key stakeholders such as the Coalition's members as this rulemaking proceeds. Visit NAR's Homepage on Lead-Based Paint.

REALTORS® DENTAL INSURANCE

2010-07-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

NEW! Announcing an exclusive member benefit available through NAR’s REALTOR Benefits® Program--
REALTORS® DENTAL INSURANCE

The Marketing and Business Development of NAR is pleased to announce an exciting new benefit available exclusively to NAR members and REALTOR® Association staff-- REALTORS® Dental Insurance (RDI). This benefit is offered through NAR's REALTOR Benefits® Program in partnership with Ameritas Insurance Company and SASid (Smart And Simple insurance development).

NAR understands the unique needs of its members who, as independent contractors and small business owners, often do not have access to quality and affordable health and welfare insurance. Following the successful launch of a limited medical insurance offering (RCHI), the Association has continued to work with experts in the insurance industry to develop unique offerings to meet this need. REALTORS® Dental Insurance has been custom-designed to offer affordable and valuable large group Dental insurance benefits to NAR members and their families nationwide. Plans provide coverage for preventive, basic, and major dental expenses with the dentist of your choice. There are 4 plans to choose from, and most plans include bonus benefits like orthodontia, cosmetic, dental rewards, and more. The plans are available today in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam and in every state except NH, where state law prohibits it, and NC, where the plan has been filed by the carrier and is pending approval by the state’s Department of Insurance. As soon as North Carolina has been approved, we'll let you know. In the mean time, check it out.
For more information click here

Latest INFO from NAR

2010-07-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

President's Podcast: What's Coming Up in Congress

Fresh off of victories in getting the tax credit closing deadline and flood insurance extended, NAR President Vicki Cox Golder outlines what major legislative issues are looming for the real estate industry. These include the financial reform bill, the 502 single-family rural housing loan guarantee program, and carried interest, which impacts commercial real estate. Listen to the podcast

Small Business Lending Bill Advances to Senate Floor

NAR is urging the Senate to OK legislation that would create a $30 billion small business loan fund. NAR also wants the bill to allow credit unions to increase loans to commercial real estate. Similar legislation has passed the house but Senate prospects are unclear. For more information, contact Vijay Yadlapati at 202-383-1090 or vyadlapati@realtors.org

Webinar: How REALTORS® FCU Can Help You

The REALTORS® Federal Credit Union (REALTORS® FCU), created by the National Association of REALTORS®, serves the unique financial needs of REALTORS® and Associations. Join Tom Glatt, President and CEO, to learn more about their competitive interest and dividend rates, which make it a perfect complement to your existing financial portfolio. In addition, REALTORS® FCU has a Partner Program designed to enhance the benefits you already provide to your members. Register for the webinar at 10 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, July 20, and for instructions on accessing the one-hour session.

New REALTORS(R) Land Institute Course

“Beyond Property Lines: What Real Estate Professionals Need to Know About Land” is a course for practitioners who are interested in jump-starting their knowledge about land. Land transactions are complex and require specialized knowledge—from survey methodology to mineral rights. Members can attend the premiere of this new half-day course on Nov. 3, 2010, at the NAR Conference & Expo in New Orleans. Keith Morris, Accredited Land Consultant with Farmers National Company, will serve as instructor.

Governor Perdue Signs Final State Budget into Law

2010-07-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Governor Perdue signed into law Wednesday (June 30th) the $19 billion final state budget package that passed the NC House and Senate this week. The House passed the budget with a vote of 66-50 and the Senate passed the budget with a vote of 28-15. This was the first time the General Assembly approved a budget on time, before the start of the state’s fiscal year (July 1st), since 2003.

Upon signing, Governor Perdue predicted that the state budget would create and/or retain 20,000 jobs over the next three years through a small-business tax credit and new transportation funding.

House and Senate Democrats who negotiated the final budget stated that this state budget closes an $800 million budget gap by reducing spending by more than 3 percent. Republicans argued, however, that the state budget spends too much during an economic recession and does not prepare for the potential $3 billion budget shortfall in 2011 when federal stimulus funds will run out and temporary tax increases passed last year are set to expire.

As previously reported, one of the final major provisions remaining for budget negotiators last week involved an anticipated $490 million from Congress for state Medicaid funding. Given the recent stall in Congress to pass the bill containing the state Medicaid funding, budget negotiators had to develop a contingency plan to close the Medicaid funding gap. The contingency plan contained in the final budget will take effect January 1, 2011 if necessary, giving Congress additional time to pass the bill supplying state Medicaid funds. If applied, the contingency plan would first take $30 million from the special fund to pay for disaster relief and $35 million in the lottery funds. After those funds are exhausted, the state would cut Medicaid provider rates by 1 percent, withhold up to $139 million in pension contributions and cut state government across the board by 1 percent, which would total $178 million.

With the budget completed it is likely that the legislative session will conclude next week. Many expect the General Assembly will adjourn by next Friday, July 9th.

NCAR Partner of the Month

2010-07-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Think BIG and save along the way! Your NCAR membership entitles you to discounts on UPS ground, air and international shipping every time you ship. Whether you send 50 shipments a month or two shipments a week, the savings add up. With UPS, even small businesses save big! Click here to sign up: www.savewithups.com/enroll/ and enter the promotional code: SER213!
Take advantage of the discounts and remember it is possible to pay for your membership if you take advantage of what NCAR offers to their members.

*Video*
Also, in 2007 the Partners Program released an interactive DVD-ROM to increase member awareness of the REALTOR® Partner Program. The DVD is now slightly dated as they have acquired and dropped partners since the release. However, NCAR is working to take parts of the DVD and use them on their social media sites and website. Check out the first clip: http://www.youtube.com/user/ncrealtors

Capital News Update

2010-06-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

Legislative Leaders Predict Final Budget Will Pass This Week!

House and Senate budget conferees continued to meet last week in joint conference committee, working out the differences between the House and Senate versions of state budget proposals, preparing a final package to present to the Governor by July 1st, the start of the state’s fiscal year.

House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman (D-Davidson) indicated last week that the final budget bill could be up for a Senate and House vote early this week. Senate leader Marc Basnight (D-Dare) followed this concurring, saying his goal was to adjourn this legislative session by July 2nd.

One of the major provisions remaining for negotiation among budget conferees involves the anticipated $490 million from Congress for state Medicaid funding. As mentioned, the budget proposals passed by both the House and Senate assumed that North Carolina would receive the pending $490 million from Congress for Medicaid funding, and it had appeared that the final compromise budget would do the same. The U.S. Senate, however, is stalled in its efforts to pass the bill containing this state Medicaid funding. In the last several weeks, the U.S. Senate has not had sufficient votes for the full package. This week, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled a substitute amendment after negotiations that would trim the Medicaid funding from $24.2 billion to $16.2 billion. Just last night (June 24th), the negotiated version also failed on the Senate floor. Senator Reid indicated that the measure is officially stalled.

Given what has been happening in Congress in regard to the Medicaid funding for states, Governor Bev Perdue called on legislative leaders last week to create a section of the budget that assumed North Carolina would not receive the federal Medicaid dollars, forcing budget negotiators to cut an additional $525 million from their proposed budget. While there has not been a clear indication as to where the cuts will occur, House Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Orange) stated this week that he expected state employee furloughs to be discussed among the options. Additionally, other cuts could possibly be set to take effect in January 2011, giving the state time to see if Congress eventually passes the Medicaid funding.

2010 Joint Event Needs Sponsors

2010-06-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

It’s a MAD HATTER Party and you’re invited! It’s that time of year again: the 5th Annual Joint Networking Event when commercial real estate organizations get together to have fun, network, win raffle items and give to a worthy cause. But to be successful, we need your help!

We would like for your company to be a sponsor for the event to be held on Wednesday, September 1st. If you have participated in the past, you know that over 400 people attend the event each year. Benefits of your $500 sponsorship include: having your company name publicized in multiple email blasts to members of all of the commercial real estate groups (TCAR, TCREW, TRAOBA, BOMA, IREM, CCIM-NC, AAREPNC and NAIOP)…that’s over 1,200 people! You’ll also have a 6ft. table at the event for display, get two free tickets to the event; and essentially be contributing to a very worthy cause: Interact. (At past events, you may recall we have given $10,000 to each of the following organizations: Pretty in Pink, Hilltop Homes and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. $5,000 was given to the Women’s Center of Wake County at our first event.)

Please let me know if you are interested in sponsorship. Remember the earlier you sign up, the more exposure you will have to all the industry professionals! For the details contact Kim Brennan at kimb@tcar.com or call 919-228-2588.

Special thanks to Tri Properties for being our Gold Sponsor.

Cheers,
Kerry Saunders
On behalf of TCAR & TCREW

P.S. Two major raffle items: A $1,000 Disney gift certificate- good for any one of their parks, resorts, hotels, or stores; and an Apple iPad. More to come!!

RCA Info and Affiliate News

2010-06-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

PREVIEW OF COMING ATTRACTIONS
Listen to the current Technology and Intelligience interview as Jan Fiola, Business Development Director at Bedford Cost Segregation, shares her thoughts about current industry direction, her impressions from years in commercial development and her plans for 2010 as CREW Chicago’s president. http://go-to.realtor.org/r/XTDRUV/7ZKLQ/D4O3IF/HVZR9/QGUXD/KI/h

LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
Throughout the year, NAR works to keep commercial real estate issues before members of Congress. Almost 50% of these efforts pertain to commercial real estate. Click http://go-to.realtor.org/r/XTDRUV/7ZKLQ/D4O3IF/HVZR9/ZZOJN/KI/h to read an overview of the many issues addressed this year and the specific activities.

MEMBER EDUCATION
The newest free Commercial Webinar just posted. "Building Client Relationships with a Whole New Clientele" is being presented by Duke Kuehn, a well-known consultant who has helped commercial practitioners improve performance. Go to http://go-to.realtor.org/r/XTDRUV/7ZKLQ/D4O3IF/HVZR9/ZZOJ3/KI/h

AFFILIATE NEWS

CRE Launches New Library on Web Site
The Counselors of Real Estate launched the CRE Library, http://go-to.realtor.org/r/XTDRUV/7ZKLQ/D4O3IF/HVZR9/R81K9/KI/h to its Web site! It includes books and monographs, and features articles on real estate, finance or related business topics—all written by Counselors of Real Estate. Browse brief descriptions of the books and purchase a copy through a link to its publisher or Amazon.com. Recent articles from the CRE Real Estate Issues journal written by CRE members are also available on the site. “The CRE Library is one of the most important new features to enhance our organization in recent years,” said CRE President and CEO Mary Walker Fleischmann. “Through the library, we are able to showcase the thought leadership, expertise and diverse backgrounds of our membership through products of their own creation.”

IREM’s Fair & Effective Lease Administration Guide
Simplify the process of accurate and efficient lease administration; it’s critical to every building’s tenant relations program. When leases are poorly administered, properties can be robbed of some of their cash flow and value and tenants can lose trust in the landlord and the property manager. Lease Administration Simplified – A Real Estate Manager’s Guide to Fair and Effective Lease Administration, available from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM®). Authors Richard Muhlebach, CPM®, SCSM, and Alan Alexan provide lease administration basics that simplify the process for all commercial property types. Click on this link http://go-to.realtor.org/r/XTDRUV/7ZKLQ/D4O3IF/HVZR9/L1R7D/KI/h

New Taxes, New Tactics
The REALTORS® Land Institute can help you reduce the pain of new tax initiatives. Tune in to this webinar and hear top advisors Linda Goold, NAR Washington Representative; H. Quincy Long, President, Entrust Retirement Services; and James Miller, Attorney, VP of Investment Properties Exchange Services, who will share their knowledge on proposed health insurance taxes, treatment of capital gains, 1031 exchanges and much more. The seminar is on June 23 at noon-12:30 CT. For more information and to register go to http://go-to.realtor.org/r/XTDRUV/7ZKLQ/D4O3IF/HVZR9/EJYOM/KI/h or call Michele Cohen, Education Manager, 312.329.8837.

Land: What REALTORS® Need to Know
New REALTORS® Land Institute Program – Land: What REALTORS® Need to Know
Land transactions are complex, and require specialized knowledge – from survey methodology to mineral rights and a host of other issues. If you do land, you need to know the dirt. Article 11 of the NAR Code of Ethics explains that REALTORS® should not provide professional services concerning a type of property outside their field of competence — unless they either engage the assistance of a competent expert in that discipline, or fully disclose to their client that they do not possess particular expertise. Jumpstart your understanding of land, plan to attend this new program, Beyond Property Lines: What REALTORS® Need to Know about Land. It’s scheduled for Nov. 3, 2010 in conjunction with NAR’s Conference & Expo in New Orleans. Early bird registration is only $59. Call 1.800.44l.LAND (5263) for more information and to register.
All NAR Affiliates have numerous events and educational opportunities. To learn about current offerings, click: http://recentral.org/index.php?date=2009-09-01

5th Annual Joint Event: Sponsors Wanted

2010-06-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

TCAR Members!

It’s a MAD HATTER Party and you’re invited! It’s that time of year again: the 5th Annual Joint Networking Event when commercial real estate organizations get together to have fun, network, win raffle items and give to a worthy cause. But to be successful, we need your help!

We would like for your company to be a sponsor for the event to be held on Wednesday, September 1st from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Carlisle Place at Imperial Center, 4721 Emperor Blvd, Durham. If you have participated in the past, you know that over 400 people attend the event each year. Benefits of your $500 sponsorship include: having your company name publicized in multiple email blasts to members of all of the commercial real estate groups (TCAR, TCREW, TRAOBA, BOMA, CCIM-NC, AAREPNC, IREM and NAIOP)…that’s over 1,200 people! You’ll also have a 6ft. table at the event for display, get two free tickets to the event; and essentially be contributing to a very worthy cause: Interact. (At past events, you may recall we have given $10,000 to each of the following organizations: Pretty in Pink, Hilltop Homes and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. $5,000 was given to the Women’s Center of Wake County at our first event.)

Please let us know if you are interested in sponsorship by contacting Kim Brennan of TCAR at kimb@tcar.com or calling 228-2588. Remember the earlier you sign up, the more exposure you will have to all the industry professionals!

Registration is already up at http://www.tcar.com/ and is $15 a person.

Special thanks to Tri Properties for being our Gold Sponsor.

Cheers,
Kerry Saunders
TCAR Networking Committee Chair

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle Needs You: Hunger is Unacceptable

2010-06-07T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last year the 4th Annual Joint Event raised $10,000 and 600 pounds of food for the Inter-Fatih Food Shuttle. Like many non profits, they're needing to raise more money to help the increasing number of people in distress due to tough economic times.

91,000 children in the Greater Triangle are on the free or reduced school lunch program- 10,000 more than last year.

Family budgets and cupboards that are already stretched thin during turbulent economic times are now faced with the added pressure of providing wholesome nutritious food for their children three or more times a day- meals they used to eat at school.

Inter-Faith Food Shuttle can help provide wholesome nutritious food for these additional 10,000 children. The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle needs to raise $200,000 this summer- that’s just $20 per child! They can meet this need through:

• Mobile Markets with free deliveries to low income neighborhoods
• Summer Lunch Program in housing authority communities
• Community Gardens that offer fresh fruits and vegetables just steps from their door.

The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is on the front lines of this need and will work hard all through the hot summer because Hunger Is Unacceptable.
To donate go to https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2560 . For more information on the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle go to http://www.foodshuttle.org/

NCAR's June Partner of the Month

2010-06-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

If your unaware of this,your membership to the North Carolina Association of REALTORS gives you discounts through their REALTOR Partner Program. Seriously, if you took the time to look over the deals that you can get through the National and State Programs, your savings could end up paying for your membership.

This months featured vendor will have you rethinking 10%! AT&T wireless is offering exclusive discounts to NC REALTORS®. They're willing to give REALTORS a 10% discount off monthly access charges, will waive Activation Fee with a two year contract, and accessory discounts at any AT&T owned stores. To sign up for their service, visit any AT&T Company Owned Retail location. Make sure to provide the following to get your discounts: Foundation Account Number (FAN) - 2017074 and NCAR Verification Letter. If you have questions, or need a letter of verification please email kmiller@ncrealtors.org . You can also contact me at kimb@tcar.com or call the office at 919-228-2588 and I'll help you out in whatever way I can.

For more information on the REALTORS Partner Program and the REALTORS VIP program, please feel free to drop me a line at the information above. Thanks again for your membership.

So Many Apps, So Little Time

2010-06-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Dick Betts is a National Speaker specializing in Smartphone’s, Business Building Skills, Customer Relationship Management programs, Web Marketing, and Management Technology. I took a class from him while at the AE Institute and he frequently writes articles regarding the new technology available to REALTORS. Below is his latest article:

There’s an app for that! I am beginning to think I use those four words more then any other four words in my life. We are in the middle of an explosion of applications for Smartphones and no one person has the time to review them all. Take a few minutes and visit the iPhone or Droid apps store and you will be amazed at what’s out there to help with your business and life. Oh you need to go back tomorrow and look again iPhone is adding 559 apps a day not sure about the Droid and other platforms but I think it’s safe to say about a thousand per day.

Life has changed from how do I repeat an event on my Treo to I want to build a nuclear reactor is there an app for that? Folks the bar has been raised and we all have been a part of the change in the way we do business. I meet people when I am out speaking that I just stare in amazement at how much they are getting from their Smartphone.

With the changes and apps happening so fast we need a clearing house or a central point to wade through the apps and find what really helps us. I am not volunteering to look at each app but together we can find what apps are available to help us live our life and help us with our career.

Since 2008 I have hosted an online group dedicated to Smartphones which is free to join. I am proud to say I have some of the best people available who belong to the group and freely give their time and advice. Whether you want to join in and add your two cents or do like some and just read what others are saying join in!

I started a new thread in this group “Smartphone App Sharing” for agents to share what apps they are using and maybe ask for help finding an app. The more people participating the better for us all.

To view my outSmart Your Smartphone group, go to http://outSmartYourSmartphone.RealTown.com . Note that in order to participate in my outSmart Your Smartphone group, you must be a member of RealTown.com-- To Join (it’s free), go to http://www.RealTown.com/signup and complete the sign up form. If you are already a member, make sure you are logged in. Next, visit my group at http://outSmartYourSmartphone.RealTown.com and click the Join Group link just below the group description. Choose your subscription preferences and you are done. It’s that easy.

Commercial Vacancies

2010-05-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Commercial Vacancies to Peak Near Early 2011

Vacancy rates continue to rise in most commercial sectors and are not expected to level out in most markets until the end of this year or early 2011, NAR says. The bright spot is the multifamily sector, which can expect increased demand as the economy creates jobs and new households are formed, likely in the second half of this year. "The office, warehouse, and retail sectors continue to experience the delayed effects of the recession," says NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. "These sectors should see gradual improvement after jobs pick up and create additional demand for space, meaning a broader improvement in commercial real estate is likely in 2011."

A Message From Networking Chair, Kerry Saunders

2010-05-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

The time is fast approaching for our 5th Annual Joint Networking Event with the proceeds benefiting a local charity. You may recall, last year we were able to give The InterFaith Food Shuttle a check for $10,000 along with lots of canned goods.

This year, our event will be held on Wednesday, September 1st and we are looking at potential location options. The space would need to be approximately 10,000sf, fully air-conditioned, wide-open and centrally located with adequate parking. It does not need to be carpeted, etc. We had approximately 400+ commercial real estate related professionals from TCAR, TCREW, BOMA, IREM, CCIM, NAIOP, and AAREPNC attend last year at 3600 Glenwood Avenue with a theme of SHOW US YOUR SCHOOL SPIRIT. The committee members from each of the organizations have already started meeting to plan an even better event this year!

If you have an building owner interested in exposing his office or flex space to over 400 professionals and pay the Gold Sponsorship level of $5,000, please notify Kim Brennan with TCAR at kimb@tcar.com or Kerry Saunders with TCREW at ksaunders@naicarolantic.com. We will need to make a final decision within the next few weeks.

Thanks for your help!

Kind regards,
Kerry

NCAR Legislative Meetings

2010-05-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

2010 NCAR Legislative Meetings - June 7th through 9th

The 2010 North Carolina Association of REALTORS® Legislative Meetings will be held June 7-9 in Raleigh. This is an important opportunity for REALTORS® from across the state to provide a unified voice for the real estate industry in North Carolina. The Legislative Committee will meet on Tuesday, June 8th from 2 pm -3:30 pm and the Legislative Forum will be earlier in the day from 12:30 pm – 2 pm. The Legislative Reception, from 6 pm – 7:30 pm on Tuesday, will be at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and is a great opportunity to rub elbows with North Carolina legislators. Prior to the Museum Reception there will be a North Carolina REALTORS® Commercial Alliance mixer. Location and time will be announced at a later date so be looking for that information.

Of course, the highlight of both days is the REALTOR® Day on Wednesday as REALTORS® from across the state walk the halls of the General Assembly and visit with their legislators. This is an opportunity to discuss issues of importance to our industry with your elected officials and we welcome all that are interested to participate.

Please contact the TCAR office at 919-228-2588 if you have any questions.

New NCAR Member Discount, Community Service Workday

2010-05-10T10:09:00.001-07:00

Members of the NC Association of REALTORS® could receive a special discount on car insurance from REALTOR® Partner, Nationwide®. Nationwide offers a FREE insurance review for all NC REALTORS®. Take advantage of this opportunity to get a free quote to find out what other discounts you may be eligible for and are not receiving with Nationwide or your current carrier. Click here to learn more and receive a free quote, your discount will be automatically applied: www.ncrealtorsauto.com .
This is just another way you can save money to help pay for your membership. All you need is your NRDS number so give us a yell if you don't know what that is.

Those of you signed up for the Golf Tournament at River Ridge tomorrow, make sure you get your mulligan package at $25 or purchase additional raffle tickets for $10. We're raffling off an Apple i-Pad and a Barnes and Noble Nook. Registration and breakfast starts at 7:30 with a shot gun start at 9:00. All beverages, and lunch are also included in the day.

Registration is now online for the TCAR Community Service Workday scheduled for May 21st from 9-1 at the Raleigh Rescue Mission. Go to www.tcar.com for more information and to sign up. You can tweet us at tcarkim or call the office at 919-228-2588 if you want to volunteer that way as well.

Lastly, if you're interested in the CCIM designation, the CCIM Calculator Class is still taking registrations for their class on May 18th from 9am to noon. The class is being held at 111 Realtor Way in Cary. To register go to www.ncccim.org .

The 1031 Tax Free Exchanges Class

2010-05-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are trying to get those last courses in before the requirement with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission runs out, you might want to check out the residential boards schedule. On May 13th the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS, located at 111 Realtor Way in Cary, has a whole day of Continuing Education that may be of interest.

The first class is the Mandatory Update with Tom Mahlum from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Yes, it's a residential class but unless you're going to travel to see Cindy Chandler teach the commercial examples class, that's all that is left. We had our last commercial version back on April 1. Topics included in this class are Agency Disclosure Requirements, selected Property Management Issues, "Due Diligence" in residential transactions, licensing and education issues and North Carolina Real Estate agent safety.

The second class, the four hour elective course, may be of some interest to commercial brokers. It is the 1031 Tax Free Exchanges from 1:30 to 5:30 and is also being taught by Tom Mahlum. This course explores the history, evolution, rules and forms of the strategy used to defer tax liability until a later date. This class has tons of real-life examples and math calculations. Agents will learn the vocabulary and application of tax free exchanges so they are better able to answer client questions.

You can register online at www.rrar.com . You can also contact RRAR at 919-654-5400 or email CaraM@rrar.com with any questions you might have in regards to their continuing education classes.

May: Save the Dates

2010-05-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

There are several things going on this month so I thought I might throw out some dates for you to put into your calendar for this month.

First, on Tuesday May 11th is the 15th Annual Commercial Classic at River Ridge Golf Course in Raleigh. The cost is $65 per player with registration and breakfast starting at 7:30AM. You will have the option to spend some time at the driving range to practice your skills prior to tournament. Shotgun start is at 9:00AM.
There is a hole in one grand prize of $25,000, with three other hole in one prizes on the course. There also will be a Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive contest.
Afterwards, there will be a BBQ lunch and drinks will be provided throughout the day. You will have a chance to win great raffle prizes through the purchase of the Mulligan package and raffle tickets! Go to http://www.tcar.com/ or call the office at 919-228-2588 to register.
After you register, please call the number above or email Kim, kimb@tcar.com, with your handicap or average score.
Mulligans packages can be purchased for $25 prior to the event either online, by calling the office or on the tournament day.

The Triangle Community Coalition has a Luncheon Learn at 111 Realtor Way on Thursday May 13th called “You Know the Neuse…You Think You Know Jordan Lake…. Welcome to Falls Lake – The New Frontier in Watershed Protection.”
Water Quality, Land Development, and You: Why you should care about the future of Falls Lake. The State Environmental Management Commission is developing new rules to reduce nutrient loading from development and other sources within the Falls Lake Watershed.
The Commission is proposing far-reaching measures aimed at improving water quality in one of the region’s primary water supply watersheds. This program will provide insight into what owners and developers can do to influence the process and steps to take now to try to protect themselves from , or plan for, the impact of these changes.
Learn why everyone should be concerned about the outcome of this effort and the potential impacts to development, the environment, and regional politics.
Keynote speakers and panelists include:
 Steven Levitas, Kilpatrick Stockton LLP Partner
 Todd St. John, P.E./ LEED AP, Kimley-Horn and Associates Senior Environmental Engineer
 Frank Thomas - HBA of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties Director of Government Relations
You'll need to call TCC at 919-228-2599 to register at this point. The event is sponsored by Kimley-Horne and Associates.

Tuesday, May 18th, NC-CCIM and TCAR are bringing the CCIM Financial Calculator Class to Raleigh. Class is from 9amto Noon and will be held at 111 Realtor Way in Cary with instructors Sam DiFranco, CCIM and Bo Winn,CCIM.
This course is designed to provide an understanding of financial analysis tools, concepts and calculations necessary for commercial real estate. It will prepare the student for the calculations used in the CCIM Intro course and beyond. Students will be provided with an invaluable excel workbook that they will retain. An introduction to the CCIM designation and the process to obtain it will be presented.
Cost is $25 to all residential/commercial REALTORS®, CCIM designees/candidates, and NCCCIM members. Register at: http://www.nc-ccim.org/ .
Students will need a Laptop loaded with A FULL VERSION (activated) of Microsoft Excel, a basic understanding of NOI, discounting,compounding, and general commercial real estate knowledge. Macs with the most recent version of Excel will NOT be able to run the financial calculator spreadsheet.

Lastly, TCAR is holding their first Community Service Day at the Raleigh Rescue Mission on Friday, May 21st. We will be sorting items at the warehouse and possibly helping with warehouse set-up, sanitizing dishes, chairs, etc., in the kitchen, washing walls and washing vehicles. Register at http://www.tcar.com/ . For more information on the Raleigh Rescue Mission go to http://www.raleighrescue.org/about-us .

Whew! We'll be pretty busy this month. Hope to see everyone there.

NAR Legislative Advocacy for Commercial Real Estate Issues

2010-04-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Below are Legislative Advocacy that has ben done for Commercial Real Estate by NAR over the past two months.

April 27, 2010
Monthly Commercial Update
NAR Treasurer Jim Helsel discussed the upcoming NAR Mid-Year Meetings. Commercial real estate will be one of the five main talking points Realtors will discuss with members of Congress on their visits to the Hill. NAR members will be asking for three specific points: (1) increase the cap on credit union business lending from 12.5 percent to 25 percent of total assets; (2) urge the Treasury and the Federal Reserve to encourage simple loan extensions for properties that can support their current debt; and (3) hold a congressional hearing very soon specifically on the problems plaguing commercial real estate.

April 21, 2010
NAR Testified on the National Flood Insurance Program
Moe Veissi, NAR 2010 First Vice President, testified at hearing titled "Legislative Proposals To Reform the National Flood Insurance Program" before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. NAR supports at minimum a five-year NFIP reauthorization to provide certainty to a recovering real estate market as well as to the millions of taxpayers and businesses that depend on the program for flood insurance.

April 21, 2010
NAR Provided Input on Several Pieces of Legislation
NAR submitted a letter to Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Spencer Bachus (R-AL) on several property insurance-related pieces of legislation to be marked-up. NAR stated its support for a comprehensive solution that ensures the availability and affordability of natural disaster, flood, and wind insurance for property owners.
A “mark-up” refers to the meeting of a Committee held to review the text of a bill before reporting it out.

April 12, 2010
Commercial Roundtable Meeting with U.S. Georgia Congressman David Scott
Members from the Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS® met with Rep. Scott to discuss liquidity issues facing the commercial real estate industry. Members provided anecdotal stories regarding the difficulty of obtaining new commercial loans as well as refinancing existing loans. Specifically, members discussed the challenge of refinancing commercial properties that are performing. Additionally, members presented a variety of ways that Congress can help jumpstart the commercial markets, which included: relaxing mark-to-market accounting rules, incentives for banks to make loans, and foreclosure mitigation. The Congressman was very attentive and grateful for the members’ input.

April 12, 2010
Commercial Roundtable Meeting with U.S. Texas Congressman Kevin Brady
Members from the Houston Association of REALTORS® attended a Roundtable meeting with Rep. Brady to discuss the ongoing problems in the commercial real estate industry. Also included in this meeting were representatives from the FDIC, Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the currency, and leaders in the banking & commercial real estate community. Rep. Brady and the federal regulatory agencies were very appreciative of the input from members.

March 30, 2010
Commercial Roundtable Meeting with U.S. Georgia Congressman Tom Price
Members from the Atlanta Board of REALTORS® and Atlanta Commercial Board of REALTORS® met with Rep. Price to discuss liquidity issues facing the commercial real estate industry. Members shared their stories regarding their difficulties in obtaining credit for capital as well as for refinancing of performing loans. Members also discussed the proposed tax treatment of carried interest as ordinary income, renewal of the 15-year depreciation schedule on leasehold improvements, and new FASB proposals to change to mark-to-market rules. Price was very appreciative of the information provided by commercial roundtable meeting attendees. Members from ICSC, NAIOP, and ACBR were also present during the meeting.

March 24, 2010
NAR Urged for an Extension of TALF in Letter to Lawmakers
As the Federal Reserve Board unwinds its emergency liquidity programs, NAR urged members of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services to continue to address the tremendous challenges facing the commercial mortgage market. Specifically, NAR encouraged the extension of the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) for legacy and newly issued commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) through the end of 2010.

March 17, 2010
NAR Opposed Medicare Hospital Insurance Premium
In a letter to Congress, NAR expressed its opposition to the proposal in the health care measure that would, for the first time, impose the Medicare Hospital Insurance premium in unearned income, including rents.

March 10, 2010
NAR Testified on Natural Disaster Insurance
Charles McMillan, NAR Immediate Past President, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity and Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Entities at hearing titled "Approaches To Mitigating and Managing Natural Catastrophe Risk: H.R. 2555, the Homeowners' Defense Act."

March 3, 2010
NAR Signed onto the Family Business Estate Tax Coalition (FBETC)
NAR cosigned letter to U.S. House /Senate leaders, urging passage of estate tax reform legislation. Also, urged raising cap on Credit Unions and asked U.S. House Reps to cosponsor H.R. 3380, “Promoting Lending to America’s Small Business Act of 2009.”

March 2, 2010
NAR Submitted Statement on Small Business Lending
Re: “Restoring Credit to Main Street: Proposals to Fix Small Business Borrowing and Lending Problems.” NAR asked Congress to improve lending through the various measures.

March, 2010
Commercial REALTORS® Continue to Set Up Roundtable Meetings With Lawmakers Addressed liquidity problems with Reps. Scott (D-GA), Price (R-NC), and Meeks (D-NY).

February 26, 2010
NAR Submitted Statement on Small Business and Commercial Real Estate Lending
Participated in joint hearing on “Small Business and Commercial Lending.” NAR presented a variety of policy measures to improve lending access for small businesses.

February 25, 2010
NAR Urged Financial Regulatory Reform in Letter to Senators Dodd & Shelby
The letter asked policymakers to ensure that reforms aimed at the securitized credit markets are customized and applied appropriately for commercial real estate finance that create liquidity, promote sound practices and transparency.

February 25, 2010
Fed Responds to Lawmakers’ Concern Regarding Commercial Real Estate Loan Workouts
The Federal Reserve (Fed) responded to a joint letter from 79 members of Congress, which urged the U.S. Treasury and Fed to take a more active role in commercial real estate credit markets. The Fed stated that the assessment of commercial real estate exposures is one of its “highest priorities.” The Fed also intends to continue to analyze commercial real estate markets as well as the effectiveness of its supervisory guidance. Furthermore, the Fed also believes its ongoing industry and examiner outreach will be critical as regulatory agencies and the industry work through challenging issues in the commercial real estate credit markets. NAR and Commercial REALTOR leaders worked with Congress on the letter to the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve and encouraging cosigners.

February 24, 2010
Commercial Real Estate Webinar
NAR hosted a webinar for all commercial affiliates, large commercial real estate firms, and real estate-related organizations. The purpose of the webinar was to update groups on NAR’s policy priorities and to receive input on additional possible solutions to the commercial liquidity crisis.

TCREW Champion Awards and Upcoming TCAR Events

2010-04-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

We hope you are planning to be among the 400+ attending the Triangle CREW Champion Awards luncheon on April 29th at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham. The TCREW Champion Awards is an annual program that honors leaders, deals and projects in the Triangle commercial real estate industry.

Also coming up is the 15th Annual TCAR Commercial Classic on Tuesday, May 11th. Again, this year's tournanment will be held at the River Ridge Golf Club, 3225 Auburn Knightdale Road, in Raleigh. Registration and breakfast begins at 7:30am with a shot gun start at 9:00. The Hole in One prize is $25,000 cash, with additional hole in one prizes that include an electronics package and airline tickets. Price is $65 a golfer and $25 for the mulligan package that includes two raffle tickets for the drawings during the barbecue lunch after the tournament. Go to http://www.tcar.com/ to register for both or call the office at 919-228-2588.

On Tuesday, May 18th, TCAR is partnering with the NC CCIM chapter to bring the Calculator class. Classes will be held at the residential board, 111 Realtor Way, in Cary. This course is designed to provide an understanding of financial analysis tools, concepts and calculations necessary for commercial real estate. It will prepare the student for the calculations used in the CCIM Intro course and beyond. Students will be provided with an excel workbook that they will retain. An introduction to the CCIM designation and the process to obtain it will be presented. Classes are $25 a person to all residential/commercial REALTORS®, CCIM designees/candidates, and NCCCIM members. Register at http://www.nc-ccim.org/ . Students will require a laptop loaded with A FULL VERSION (activated) of Microsoft Excel. You'll also need a basic understanding of NOI, discounting,compounding, and general commercial real estate knowledge. Macs with the most recent version of Excel will NOT be able to run the financial calculator spreadsheet.

Lastly, on Friday May 21st, TCAR will hold it's first Community Service Day with the Raleigh Rescue Mission from 9:00 to 1:00. We'll be sorting items at the warehouse and possibly helping with warehouse set-up, sanitizing dishes, chairs, etc., in the kitchen, washing walls and washing vehicles. The Raleigh Rescue Mission is located at 314 East Hargett Street in Raleigh. For more information on the Raleigh Rescue Mission go to http://www.raleighrescue.org/aboutus . Registration will be posted online at www.tcar.com this coming week. You can also tweet tcarkim or email kimb@tcar.com to register.

TCAR looks forward to seeing everyone at all the events. Thank you for your membership and keep checking the website, twitter, the blog or your email box for updates and more information.

NC REALTORS Government Affairs Update

2010-04-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

Legislative Commission on Global Climate Change

Last week’s meeting of the Commission on Global Climate Change centered on its final report to be submitted to the General Assembly before the start of the 2010 legislative session. The draft report is a lengthy combination of findings on climate and environmental matters which could affect North Carolina in the future. There are many findings in the draft which pertain to every aspect of the environment but one recommendation of note is to direct the General Assembly to study the policy of requiring disclosure of potential hazards to purchasers of coastal property. The Commission will hold its final meeting on May 5th and NCAR staff will be in attendance.

Finance Committees Discuss Corporate Tax IssuesBusiness taxes were the focus of the sixth meeting of the House and Senate Finance Committees, held this week in Raleigh. Presentations were given by several General Assembly staff members detailing the corporate income and franchise tax structures in North Carolina and how taxes and economic development are interrelated. Another staff member and Jason Jolley, a Senior Research Director with UNC’s Center for Competitive Economies, also presented information regarding North Carolina’s economic development incentives program and the use of business tax credits to promote economic development. Click here to access the meeting presentations. The final meeting will take place on April 28th and this discussion is expected to continue.

NAR Requests TALF Extension in Letter

2010-04-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Last week, the National Association of REALTORS submitted a letter before the House Financial Services Committee hearing on "Unwinding Emergency Federal Reserve Liquidity Programs and Implications for Economic Recovery." Specifically, NAR asked policymakers to extend the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) for legacy and new newly issued commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) through the end of 2010.

Last November, the first CMBS in over eighteen months was sold with the assistance from TALF. Additional loans are now in the program's pipeline. However, due to the long-term nature and complexity of putting together CMBS deals-often taking between six months and two years to complete - potential investors will be excluded from participation as a result of the March 31, 2010 and June 30, 2010, sunset dates for legacy and newly issued CMBS, respectively. Given additional time, TALF will continue to help thaw the nearly frozen private commercial mortgage markets.

TALF was created last year in an effort to thaw the frozen $900 billion CMBS market, which has been a significant source of funding for the commercial real estate industry in the past decade. Under the program, the Federal Reserve provides investors with low-cost loans to buy securities backed by commercial real estate debt. It is estimated that roughly a dozen more CMBS deals are in the works, with most investors hoping to tap into TALF.

From NAR: Commercial Real Estate Liquidity

2010-02-23T06:29:00.000-08:00

I received this email from NAR Government Affairs and thought it was important to pass along. I also think it is important that not only should our association send this letter, but commercial brokers as well. The letter is as follows:

" Several state associations have expressed concerns about commercial real estate liquidity. NAR shares these concerns and have drafted a letter for state and local associations to send to their members of Congress. Please use this letter as you see fit. The letter can be signed and should be on association (company) letter head. If you have any questions contact Megan Booth MBooth@realtors.org or Vijay Yadlapati VYadlapati@realtors.org ." The letter is as follows and a link will be provided at the bottom so that you might download it and send it off.

February 22, 2010

Dear Representative (Insert member of Congress. You can google that information)

A crisis is looming in the commercial real estate market. This will not just be a disaster for commercial real estate investors and property owners - but for the entire economy. Commercial real estate supports more than nine million jobs and generates billions of dollars in federal, state and local tax revenue. ( Company or your name) is very concerned about this growing problem, and believes that solutions are needed to avoid this potential crisis.

We support H.R. 3380, the "Promoting Lending to America's Small Businesses Act of 2009" introduced by Reps. Kanjorski (D-PA) and Royce (R-CA) that would increase the cap on credit union commercial lending to 25% of total assets. During previous crisis' consumers and businesses have relied on credit unions to fill in the gaps where banks cannot serve them. But today they are hampered by a lending cap of 12.25% of total assets.

We also believe there are a number of other proposals that are worthy of serious consideration. These include solutions to the equity gap which prevent properties with an otherwise performing loan from refinancing when the property has a value of less than the current debt. Improved cash flow for investors/owners of commercial real estate would help to fend off some of the challenges the market faces. The most effective means of improving cash flow on real property is to provide more generous depreciation allowances. We believe that some combination of accelerated depreciation (or shorter recovery periods) and passive loss relief would be significant investor incentives.

In addition, we urge an extension of the Troubled Asset Loan Facility (TALF). TALF assisted with the first issue of new commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) in more than 18 months just last November. TALF authority for legacy ( previously issued ) CMBS expires March 31st, 2010. The authority for new issues expires June 30th, 2010. TALF has played a valuable role in restoring investor confidence. We believe that TALF should be given additional time so that it may continue to jumpstart the private commercial mortgage markets.

There is no easy solution to the commercial liquidity crisis and there is no silver bullet to address all types of properties. However, doing nothing will certainly spell disaster. We urge Congress to look at all viable solutions and take immediate steps to address this serious problem that can impact every community in our nation.

Sincerely,

Now, to download this letter go to http://go-to.realtor.org/r/GKGA4R/B528B/S3Y2HC/CHCNF/NL9DE/LE/h/
Sign and send it to your Congressional Representative today

REALTORS Core Health Insurance Information

2010-02-05T07:35:00.000-08:00

Did you know that 30% of all NAR members are without health insurance? It's true according to a recent survey conducted by the Association. NAR has teamed up with SASid (Smart and Simple insurance development) and created the REALTORS Core Health Insurance (RCHI) program. The program not only features guaranteed coverage , but also offers affordable plan options and members have the freedom to choose their provider.

Here are the most frequently asked questions:

How can RCHI help?
RCHI provides opportunities to those who have struggled to gain coverage by providing guaranteed-acceptance and accessible medical insurance. It also makes existing coverage more affordable by allowing members to adjust their current deductible and supplementing it with an RCHI plan.

What is the difference between Major Medical and Limited Medical Insurance?
It is important to understand the difference between Major Medical (comprehensive coverage) and Limited Medical Insurance. Major Medical provides catastrophic coverage and high limits of coverage (typically $1 million or more). Limited Medical (RCHI) provides the guarantee of affordable insurance but limits its its coverage to everyday illnesses and accidents. In addition, the maximum benefits paid in each medical situation are capped.

What is a PPO and what doctors does it include?
A Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) is a network of doctors and hospitals that contract with an insurance company or employer to provide employees with services at competitive rates. Covered members and dependants can use any licensed medical provider. Those who attend a medical provider who is a part of the Beech Street Network will be available for additional savings. To check if a medical provider is part of a Beech Street Network, go to www.beechstreet.com .

Are medications covered?
All plans include a discount prescription drug card. Members can save up to 50% on generic brands and up to 15% on brand names.

When does coverage begin?
Coverage becomes effective the next day (12:01am) following the date the completed enrollment form is received and approved, or a specified date in the future, provided that full premium for the coverage has been received.

Who is eligible for the RCHI plans?
All NAR members, and their eligible dependants, can obtain a plan. the following are qualifying dependants:

their lawful spouse; and
their unmarried child or children who:

Reside in their home for more than six months a year
Chiefly relies on you for support and maintenance; and Who is under 19 years of age (the Limiting Age).

For a full list of FAQ's please visit www.RealtorsCoreHealthInsurance.com/AE and click on the top right of the screen.

Interface Carolina Conference

2010-02-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

On April 29th there will be a new, one day, real estate networking conference for North and South Carolina held at the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge in Charlotte. TCAR members will get a $75 discount off of the $175 fee.

Headline speaker will be Mark Vitner, Managing Director and Senior Economist for Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. His commentaries have been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Business Week. He was recently named one of 2009 North Carolina Power Players 50 most powerful people in business, by Business Leader Media.

Mr Vitner will discuss the overall state of the national economy in 2010 and how it will effect the local economies in North and South Carolina. He will look at each individual state and answer questions such as:

- What are the primary drivers behind each state's economy and how are these impacting the local commercial real estate market?
- What is the outlook for commercial construction in 2010?
- What is the projected job growth in our region this year?
- When should we really expect a full recovery?

Other topics include the current state of the market, office and multifamily markets, InterFace Up-Close-a converstaion with industry icons and the next big thing- what the region's economic drivers of tomorrow will be.

Go to www.interfaceconferencegroup.com to register and make sure you enter the TCAR promotional code: tcar100 in order to get your discount. If you need more information, contact Lindsey Marcec at 404-832-8262 or email lindsey@francepublications.com .

Frontier Awards Earlier This Year

2010-01-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

Every year TCAR celebrates the successes of it's brokers with the Annual President's Frontier Awards. Planning started back in November and we feel like we have a really exciting program set up.

First, we were tired of competing with the ACC Tournament and because we know how much everyone loves basketball in these parts, the date has been changed. We have decided to do the awards a bit earlier, Thursday, March 4th, to be exact.

We're always trying to find the best format for this particular awards and this year we have decided to do a buffet breakfast at the Carolina Country Club, 2500 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. You may not be on the golf course but you sure will be close to it. If you have never been to the Carolina Country Club, check out their site at http://www.carolinacc.net/ . Check in and breakfast start at 7:30am and the program will begin at around 8:00ish.

This year's speaker is David Glenn, radio personality, award winning editor and afternoon host of the North Carolina Sports Talk Network. He's supposed to have a "thinking mans approach" when he's talking about sports. We at TCAR sort of felt like it's that time of the year and let's have some fun with the whole ACC thing. For more information on David Glenn, check out these two sites www.accsports.com/about-us.php and www.ncsportstalk.com/NC-Sports-Talk-Network/Meet-David-Glenn.aspx. As we get closer, we'll announce his topic.

Nomination forms are already online and there isn't a whole lot of time to fill them out and get them in. Go to www.tcar.com/resources.cfm and about half way down the page are the awards. Keep in mind that this year we have lowered the requirements, given the current economic climate for commercial. And don't think that because you're with a smaller firm that you can't get an award, check out the Trailblazer Award, new as of last year. Nomination forms are due as of Saturday, February 6th but call us at the office if you can't get them in by then.

Lastly, and the best part of all, is we have lowered our prices. TCAR members pay $30 a person and tables are available for just $300! Non-members, contact the office and it's just $55. Online registration will go up this week, so reserve your space today. For those that would like to purchase tables, please contact me at 919-228-2588 or kimb@tcar.com .

We hope you're as excited as we are and I look forward to seeing everyone there. Send in those nominations today and good luck!

One of TCAR's Own Inducted in REALTORS Hall of Fame

2009-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Every year the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS (RRAR) inducts several of their members into the REALTORS Hall of Fame. On Thursday December 3rd, 2009, Carter Worthy of Carter Worthy Commercial and a past President of the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS (TCAR) was accepted into the REALTORS Hall of Fame because of her successful real estate career and her community service within the industry itself, the public and volunteer organizations.

Carter served on RRAR's board back in 1985 and chaired the American Home Committee, Long Range Planning Committee and the New Board Orientation Committee while there. Back then TCAR was a committee of the residential board and she served on the CLS board for four years, eventually becoming President back in 1992. During this time Carter was very much a part of bringing a commercial listing data base to the area with the use of a computer. In 1998 she was named REALTOR of the year by the Triangle Commercial Association of REALTORS.

Carter has been involved with the Junior League of Raleigh, the Wake Education Partnership, Habitat for Humanity and the YWCA of the Greater Triangle Area. She has been involved in public service, has run for public office and been active in business leadership for years.

In her acceptance speech she thanked the residential board humbly commenting that RRAR has given her far more than she has given to them.

While there were others inducted, I would also like to mention that Ray Larcher, Executive Vice President of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS for over 16 years, also was inducted on Thursday. He spent 13 years with the North Carolina Association of REALTORS as the Director of Education and the Director of member Services. Outside of being the AE for a 6000 member association, he is also the CEO for the Triangle MLS, regional multiple list Serv of over 8000 members. His involvement doesn't stop there because Ray has been very active on a state and national level by serving on numerous committees and task forces.

But here is the deal, while that is all impressive what has been important to us here at TCAR is he has always been a supporter of our group. In the humble beginnings of our committee, his association supplied a place to meet, personnel and an office to get our commercial group going. I always liken our move from the residential building two years ago as the parental unit finally kicking the 26 year old kid out of the basement after he had been living there after he graduated from college three years before. But even after our move, Ray Larcher has been very supportive of TCAR and for us that is just another one of the many reasons he deserves this award.

Triangle Community Coalition: 10 Years and Still Going Strong

2009-11-14T16:31:00.000-08:00

The Triangle Community Coalition began in 1999 when a handful of Wake County citizens held a meeting regarding forming a local organization with one simple goal: "to create a diverse, broad-based group that would advocate for balanced growth to educate elected officials, community leaders and citizens about the virtues of growth and the protection of property rights." TCC is celebrating 10 years and I thought I might share with you their accomplishments over the years. Thanks to Charlene Logan of TCC for the information that I have quoted here:

􀀹 The TCC helped raise awareness about---and eventually kill--- a massive downzoning for property owners in the critical area of the proposed Little River Reservoir. The TCC worked to educate the Wake County Commissioners, landowners and others that the downzoning was unnecessary. We sent hundreds of letters and made phone calls to property owners to generate opposition to the downzoning. As a result of our efforts, and at the direction of Sara Robertson, the TCC managed to derail the effort. In a unanimous vote, the Wake County Board of Commissioners rejected the original downzoning in the Little River Reservoir. The final outcome resulted in protecting the water quality of the reservoir and the rights and interests of nearby property
owners.

􀀹 The TCC continued to press for reforms in the development approval process throughout the Triangle. The cities of Raleigh, Durham and the Town of Morrisville have all addressed ways to improve the process. In Raleigh, our efforts led to the creation of a new citizens’ advisory committee solely devoted to finding ways to improve the process---the Development Services Advisory Committee. In Durham, in an effort to streamline the process, Durham officials are proposing a series of detailed changes, outlined in an amendment to its “Unified Development Ordinance” (UDO).

􀀹 The TCC Helped Save Money with Lower Fees in Cary. The TCC generated a detailed analysis of impact fees throughout the Triangle. This study was the key data point to help convince several Cary Town Council members to keep a fee increase from skyrocketing. In addition, we generated 300 emails to each council person in a 24 hour period before the final vote on the fee increase. The council voted to hold off the vote and acquire more input on amount of the increase before voting. In April, the Cary Town Council voted on a lower than proposed impact fee increase for water and sewer fees--- and decided not to vote on the transportation fee increase---saving homeowners and businesses money.

􀀹 The TCC continued to advocate via our Web site and blog---“Growth Matters”: The TCC has a powerful,comprehensive array of communication tools, including a blog that has over 30,000 hits. The TCC website visits have increased over 37% since last year and over 157% since the end of 2007.

􀀹 TCC had several opinion articles and letters to the editor published in News&Observer and other publications.

􀀹 TCC hosted its eighth Annual Political Pig Pickin’ to provide a forum for members to hear from candidates running in the Fall elections. We had over 150 attendees, including 50 political candidates for the races in Wake, Durham, Chatham, and Orange Counties.

􀀹 TCC held quarterly informative Lunch & Learn events, each drawing 100+ attendees to each event.Topics showcased throughout the years have been: Growth & Water Quality, Public Private Partnership to Build Schools, Smart Growth & Its Effects, Restorative Development, Building for Tomorrow: Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, How Growth Management Regulations Impact the Local Economy, A Tale of Two Cities: How Clarke County, Washington & Portland Oregon Manage Growth, Transit Oriented Development, NIMBYism: Addressing the Challenges Developers & Neighborhoods Face Together, Making Development Process Predictable, Planning & Land Use Laws Have Changed: What does it Mean for the Triangle, Growth,Development and You?, Growing Greener, Smart Growth, How Growth Management in the name of “Smart Growth” has Backfired, Public Private Partnership Legislation: Now we have it…What do We do With it?, The Downside of Development Moratoria, Property Rights and Environment and finally our “Dinner and Dialogues with Cary’s New Elected Leaders, a forum with Gubernatorial Candidate, Mayor Pat McCrory to speak on where he stands on issues that matter to the Triangle and a forum with “The Three Mayors” of Raleigh, Cary and Durham, who spoke candidly with our members about growth in the region.

􀀹 The TCC Board created In the Know Live! The purpose of the new forums is to outline, in person and in real-time, the most recent version of the online In the Know, keep members updated on what is happening with growth, politics and other relevant issues across the region. These events were well attended, well received, and tremendously popular with our members.

􀀹 The TCC Board created a web-based weekly newsletter known as “The Monitor” that track the meetings & proposed code changes of local governments across the region. Subscribers could download weekly reports on city council meeting, planning commission meetings and other issues from Raleigh to Chatham County and everything in between.

􀀹 Released Growth Issues & Attitudes Poll in 2007. Informed the public and media about the positives of balanced growth in the region; raised the visibility of the organization as a thought leader on growth issues.

􀀹 Hosted “Partnership in Politics” Golf Tournaments inviting local elected officials to play with our members. The two tournaments rose over $29,000. for the TCC’s issue fund.

􀀹 Launched an Issues Advocacy Campaign Around Fall Elections raising voter awareness about important growth-related issues; helped get out the vote in region. In early November of 2006, we called more than 25,000 voters with information on growth policies and where local candidates and leaders stood on those issues. In 2002 the Coalition was the first in North Carolina to tap a new method for registering voters. We currently have the ability to allow anyone in the region to use our website to register to vote.

􀀹 Hosted Candidate Campaign Schools to help educate future leaders about how to run successfulcampaigns for local office.

􀀹 Promoted solutions for building & financing new schools by advocating for and helped pass statewide legislation to provide public-private partnerships to build schools. Our white paper entitled, “Thinking Outside the Box,” caught the attention of school board elected leaders and legislator alike.

􀀹 Keeping Fees in Check. The organization successfully showed that Chatham County’s proposed school impact fee increase was unsupported based on the methodology to calculate the fee. This study has been useful in a dialogue with county leaders to keep the fees fair. In Durham, when the Durham Board of Commissioners proposed a school impact fee (without legislative authority), the TCC teamed up with other
members in a grassroots educational effort. While the commissioners voted in favor of the fee, the Durham Citizens for Responsible Growth had a significant impact on the process – generating hundreds of phone calls and emails to the commissioners to vote against the fee.

􀀹 Mobilization around Raleigh Greenway Issue by sending direct mail to 1000 property owners affected by the proposed issue and launched a call to action using the TCC legislative action center on our website.

􀀹 Response to Wake County Growth Management Strategy (GMS): The coalition played a vital rose in convincing the Wake County Commissioners to allow the public to have input on the document. As a result,the county agreed to host four regional public workshops on the GMS.

􀀹 Wake County Air Quality Task Force was formed and the Wake County Board of Commissioners asked the TCC to participate. Working with other leaders from the region, the TCC helped craft a series of Practical and reasonable recommendations for Wake County to consider.

􀀹 Raleigh Storm Water Task Force: The TCC worked with neighborhood representatives to help write the rules and regulations that were adopted by the Raleigh City Council to set up a storm water utility.

􀀹 I-540 Debate: When several of the region’s elected officials attempted to slow or stop completion of the outer loop, the Coalition took charge and played an instrumental role in speaking out in favor of I-540. Using our extensive grassroots network, we sent alerts, emails and armed our members with talking points to relay to the elected officials.

For more information about becoming a member of the TCC, please contact Charlene Logan at 228-2599 or charlenel@tricc.org or visit us on the web at http://www.tricc.org/ and http://www.growthmatters.org/ .

What's Next

2009-10-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

So it's hard to believe that we are almost at the end of 2009. If you're like most, it has been a tough year and most of us are planning to hunker down and get ready for next year. We here at TCAR are plugging along, though, and are getting ready to plan for next year.

There are a few things happening in the next few days days that I thought I would run by everyone. The Triangle Community Coalition is doing a lunch and learn tomorrow, Tuesday November 10th at 11:30 am on how Senate Bill 831 and House Bill 1490 Helps in Tough Times. The North Carolina General Assembly just passed sweeping legislation meant to preserve and extend development approvals. This legislation is an effort to give opportunity to developers and property owners during the economy's downturn. Key note speakers are Lisa Martin, Director of Government Affairs and Eric Braun of K&L Gates, LLP. While you can't register online at this late date, please feel free to show up at the door or give Charlene a call at 919-228-2599. It's $15 and that includes lunch.

On Thursday TCAR is doing their final Showcase of the year with the American Health Institute and Fitness Building on Thursday November 12th at 11:30 am. AIHF is located at 8300 Health Park in Raleigh and this month's topic is "Exploring Corporate Health through Executive Wellness". Speakers include Chris Mangum, President of AIHF Executive Health and Dr. Jay Stevens, Chief Medical Officer of AIHF Executive Health. Lunch is included and is free to all TCAR members, non-members are $35. You can still register online or you can call us 919-228-2588, tweet us at tcarkim or email me at kimb@tcar.com.

Also happening this week is the Urban Land Institute's "Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2010", featuring Keynote Speaker Stephen R. Blank . This takes place at the Renaissance Hotel , 4100 Main at North Hlls in Raleigh, with registration starting at 7:30am and the program running from 8:00 to 10:00 am. Pricing is from $15 to $60. Today is the deadline to register online at www.uli.org/register and there is a discount if you register today.

Lastly, on something completely unrelated, dues billing went out last month. If you have not received your bill or have any questions, please let me know.

That's it for now, let me know if you have any questions or if I can be of any help.

Latest RCA Information

2009-10-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Once a month, RCA puts out some information regarding what's new within the commercial REALTOR world. Here is the latest.

The Commercial Block at the NAR Conference and Expo: ( http://www.realtor.org/commercial/commercial_day .)
Commercial sessions and events are better than ever this year so encourage your members to join in – November 13-16. Commercial has a dedicated area on the exhibition floor where you can relax, get information and visit. There’s a fun interactive event with Nathan Sawaya, the artist who builds LEGO® sculptures. He’ll lead an interactive building project, so tell everyone to stop by Booth # 3025. It’s the center of all things Commercial.

This is BIG!
" At a 5% discount/35% marginal tax rate, if $100K in assets are reclassified from a 39 to a 5-year recovery period, net-present-value savings are about $16K. " This is the kind of information members will hear at the Cost Segregation session at the NAR Conference and Expo in November. Saving a client $16K can’t hurt! Despite these tough times, encourage your members to attend. Paul White, CCIM, CPM, presents “Cost Segregation: Improving Cash Flow/Deferring Taxes” on Nov. 15 from 1:30 till 5 p.m. Advanced C.E. enrollment is required.
Go to http://www.realtor.org/educsess.nsf/PagesLUNew/09confce04 .

PODCAST* RCA Chair Tells It Like It Is!
Bob Toothaker courageously accepted the RCA Committee Chair position in January, 2009 under unexpected circumstances, and you might say it’s been a whirlwind ever since. The unprecedented economic downturn has commercial practitioners hanging on and hoping the market improves soon. In a podcast this month, Bob recounts efforts that he, NAR and RCA have worked on to keep our industry’s key messages before policymakers and Congress. Listen to the impressive work and modest accomplishments that occurred this year and – importantly – what advocacy continues. Follow this link to see the podcast: http://www.realtor.org/commercial/toothaker_podcast

Commercial Professionals Have Interesting Profile
Did you know commercial members completed a median of eight transactions in 2008 with average sales of $2+ million and their median income was about $100K? Plus 52% of members work for a commercial-exclusive firm and 10% saw an increase in international transactions.

Don't forget that the Commercial Mandatory Update is this Wednesday October 28th at 1:00. Cindy Chandler will be the instructor for the four hour required course at the RRAR location at 111 Realtor Way in Cary. Make sure you register today.

Which Generation Are You?

2009-10-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Last year I served on a National NAR Committee that was charged with looking at ways to communicate with the up and coming Generation X and Ys. NAR has their conference coming up next month in San Diego and one of the topics is Generational Marketing and Negotiating.

They sent along some information regarding the different generations and their characteristics and I thought I would pass that on to you folks. Honestly, I was sort of surprised when I saw the generation I'm supposed to be. Partly, because I didn't realize I was that old, but mainly how spot on it was. So here they are, does it sound like you? And more importantly, how are you going to alter the way you communicate with the clients that fit into those generations?

G.I. Generation: Born Between 1900-1924

Moral Standards and Values
Make and Follow Rules
Civic Duty and Patriotism
Hard Work, Self Sacrifice
Loyalty
Work Together for Common Goals
Conform

Silents: 1925-1945

Value Authority/Expertise
Respects other's opinions
Want options/choices
Mediate/talk-it-out
Need Affirmation
Risk Averse/Decision Paralysis
Delayed Gratification
Now is Their Turn

Boomers: 1946-1964

Idealistic and Involved
Creative/Entrepreneurial
Self-Satisfied
Career-Focused Workaholics
Success=Personal Achievement
Risk Takers
Entitled to the Best
No Fear of Credit or Leverage
What's in it for Me?

Generation X: 1965-1981

Why Me?
Skeptical/Pragmatic
Distrustful/Confrontational
Little Brand or Employer Loyalty
Self Motivated/Involved
High Tech and High Touch
Family/Friends Before Job
Time vs Space

Millennials: 1982-2000

Very High Tech-Speed
Inclusive and Interracial
Collaborative
Can Do/Optimistic
Future Investment Planning
Financially Oriented
Impersonal, Lack of Social Skills
Pressured, Stressed
Impatient, Want It Now

It's Coming! Dues Billing

2009-10-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Who can believe that we are now approaching the middle of October and that the Holidays (Ugh!) are right around the corner. This time of the year also means dues billing for 2010 will be going out. Currently, we are scheduled to email your dues invoice on the 19th of October. Yes, it's a little earlier but we thought we would give you a little more time to get those dues in.

On the morning of Monday, October the 19th, I arrange to email your dues invoice through the company that runs are membership management system. There is a mass email blast that occurs and every ones' bill should arrive in their email box no later than that afternoon. PLEASE check your SPAM box. Many times my emails end up in your trash and you may want to arrange with your IT people to white list us. All of you folks that have admin people, make sure you print up the invoice and give it to the people that take care of that stuff. Institute Affiliates will get their invoice but they can make arrangements for their payment through their respective affiliate groups in the manner that they require.

Okay, with that said, let's talk about a couple of things. First, in theory this is due to us by the end of January. Now if by January, you think there is going to be an issue, please contact me at the office, 228-2588 or by email at kimb@tcar.com . The bottom line is we really don't want our members to fall by the wayside. So let us know what is going on.

Second, let's not be thinking that all of that money is coming to TCAR. We're not rolling in the dough here and we too have been hit by the current economic situation much in the same way as everyone else has. You're $426 pays for membership into 5 groups: TCAR, NCRCA, NCAR, NAR and RCA. If you don't know the acronyms, let me know, but that's a pretty decent deal. I could expound on the fact that even at a time when things have been pretty tough, TCAR has really gone above and beyond to create programming that has been worth that alone. I won't go into all the other things available to you through all the other associations but we have blogged about it in the past. Look up the benefits of membership on a previous blog.

Third, keep in mind how that money gets divided up. $181 goes to TCAR and pays for the office, staffing and what all we do. Pretty remarkable with 580+ members and you can do the math. $115 goes to NAR and RCA and the last $130 belongs to the state Association. Really when you break it down and learn about what all these group accomplish, you would realize it's a pretty good deal.

Lastly, there is that RPAC contribution that looks like we're sneaking it into your bill. I promise that is not our intention. The issue is the way the program is written and unfortunately, that is the only way it can be added. However, I would like for you to consider this as not a contribution but an investment in your business. Many people are confused with RPAC and to clarify, that money goes to cnadidates/people that are running for political offices whose ideas are in line with what the REALTOR Associations are. No, it does not go to anyone political party, typically at the end of the year, the PAC is pretty well split between the two major parties. No, the PAC is not giving a boatload of money to any one candidate. In fact the most a candidate can get from the monies collected by an association is $2500. In the end, this money elects people that protect your clients and your paycheck.

So be looking for that invoice, give me a yell if you have any questions and thank you for being a part of our membership!