Welcome to ECBOR - CHIPS July 2003- Page 2

NAR NEWS

FREE MOVING SOLUTION, LATEST MEMBER BENEFIT

The REALTOR VIP Alliance Program welcomes The Move Advocate, an innovative new program to help consumers find and purchase moving services for their household goods. The service provides each customer with a dedicated moving counselor to answer questions, obtain competitive estimates, and monitor the move from beginning to end. This service saves time and money through volume-based contracts with rates and services not typically available to the general public. The Move Advocate works with the country's leading van lines including Bekins, Mayflower, Atlas, Wheaton, and others. NAR members and their customers can access The Move Advocate for free, which makes it a great marketing tool. For more info, call 800/825-1171, or visit http://www.moveadvocate.com.

COVAD COMMUNICATIONS OFFERS DISCOUNTS ON INTERNET ACCESS

Covad Communications, a leading national provider of high-speed, broadband Internet access to small and medium businesses, is a new partner in NAR's REALTOR VIP Alliance Program. Receive special discounts off monthly home-office service rates with Covad Communications or a special $50 rebate on Covad TeleSurfer PLUS residential service. Broadband allows you to receive property photographs, brochures, and contracts at up to 50 times faster than dial-up speeds. For more info or to sign up, call 800/555-0439 (mention NAR membership) or visit http://www.getCovad.com/NAR.

NAR OFFERS FACTS ABOUT MOLD TO HELP OWNERS, BUYERS, TENANTS

An informational guide created by the American Industrial Hygiene Association to help consumers understand the basics about mold is being offered for sale by the NAR. The Facts About Mold is a 12-page quick reference for real estate practitioners that helps answer questions from prospective homeowners and tenants about mold that practitioners should not attempt to answer on their own. The brochure includes information about mold and health, suggestions on how to prevent mold from growing in the home and tips on what to do if mold is discovered. The Facts About Mold is available in packages of five guides. For pricing info and to order, Go To: http://www.realtor.org/prodser.nsf/OpenProd?OpenForm&IN=141-30-LN or call Information Central at 800/874-6500.

NEW COLLECTION OF REAL ESTATE BOOKS

NAR is pleased to introduce the Real Estate Bookshelf, a special section on the new REALTOR.org Store that highlights products and publications not produced by NAR, but are of value to REALTORS. The Real Estate Bookshelf currently includes a variety of real estate related books, videos and manuals. Titles of interest include: The Real Estate Manager's Guide to Legal Cost Savings (Item 141-200-LN), Red Hot Rookie (Item 141-105-LN), and Principles of Real Estate Management (Item 141-101-LN). Bookshelf publications are listed at http://www.realtor.org/prodser.nsf/ProdResale.
Taken from Monthly INS Marketplace Report

The Indiana Association of REALTORS® official website, www.indianarealtors.com, is undergoing a major makeover.

One major change to the IAR site you will want to make note of is the Members Only login. Previously the site was open to the public as well as members with no restrictions. However, IAR has decided to move to a unique username and password for every active REALTOR® member. When you become a REALTOR® member, you are assigned a 9-digit number that identifies you at all three levels of membership (local, state and national). If you don't know your NRDS number, look at the mailing label on the cover of your Indiana REALTOR® magazine. Your NRDS number is printed above your name. It is also the same number you use to access NAR's website.

Your password is being assigned by the IAR and upon your first visit to the website you will need to register using your NRDS number and your current email address. Your password will then be emailed back to you. Once you login to the site, you will have the option of changing your password to one that is more easily remembered or you can leave it the way it is assigned.

For more information or help using the new website, contact Teresa Lott at (800) 284-0084 ext. 18, or at jlott@indianarealtors.com.
Reprinted from Indiana Realtor, May 2003

The 2003 RPAC Campaign is in full swing! Your personal RPAC contribution card, along with other related information, is being mailed to you very soon. The campaign committee is ready to go and they need your help. Please review the information being forwarded to you and send your contribution to the Board Office.

The Elkhart County Board is working closely with the state association to monitor and address the issues in the state health department proposed septic tank rule. The first of three public hearings took place on Tuesday, July 1, 2003 in Indianapolis. Realtor member Edie Gray donated her time to testify at the hearing regarding the adverse impact the rule would have on the housing market in Elkhart County. As reported by Don Schnoebelen of the Elkhart County Health Department, this rule would apply to approximately 66% of the septic permits issued in Elkhart County. The primary townships affected are Cleveland, Osolo, Washington, and York. The financial impact this rule is projected to have would add a minimum of $10,000.00 to the cost of a new home. This translates to approximately $2,851.00 a year in additional income required to qualify for the purchase of a new home.

The impact on existing homes is not clear. The rule does not specifically exempt the existing homes from the obligation to comply with the rule should the septic system fail. What we do know is the cost to replace the old system with the system required in the rule would be cost prohibitive and place a financial hardship on many homeowners.

The bottom line, according to industry experts, is the rule would not address the problems with nitrates in the soil. The rule would add to the cost of septic systems and translate into additional costs for homeowners. The complete rule is posted at www.in.gov/isdh. Select regulatory services, then sanitary engineering, then residential sewage disposal. Also refer to the letter sent out by the state home builders association posted in the May newsletter for suggestions on how to bring this rule to the attention of the necessary people.

The MLS is looking for volunteers to participate in structuring the rules required by NAR regarding Virtual Office Websites. The MLS must have the rules ready by January 1, 2004 to be in compliance. The MLS is also looking at forming a task force to review the option of forming a shared MLS system with South Bend. The MLS would like anyone interested to contact Julie at the MLS office at 875-3283 or President Janice Ruszkowski at 522-2822.

The Elkhart County Board of Realtors is looking to put together a forms task force to review some of the existing forms that we use in cooperation with the South Bend Board of Realtors. The Board also asked the President to put together a Home Owners Insurance task force to assess the impact of the Home Owners insurance in the local market and what can be done to assist members with this issue. Anyone interested should contact Julie at the Board office 875-3283 or Harrison Haynes, ECBOR President, at 295-6877.