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 The all new REALTOR.com Beta
 The new (beta format) REALTOR.com offers new technologies, more robust searches and consumer-friendly Web 2.0 features. More highlights include:
- Neighborhood information & school reports on your listings
- Four photos for each of your properties
- Listing details refreshed multiple times a day
- Home value comparisons
- For more details please read the Overview and Frequently Asked Questions
View the special message from 2008 NAR President Dick Gaylord and NAR Chief Executive Officer Dale Stinton and the New REALTOR.com Free Benefits Video.
Click here OR call 1-800-246-1901 for additional information and pricing on premium services.
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NAR, DOJ agree on MLS policy
NAR has reached a favorable settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, resolving the litigation between them over the display of listings from the MLS on brokers' virtual office Web (VOW) sites. The final order, to be filed with the federal district court, validates NAR's long-standing Internet data exchange (IDX) policy and strengthens the membership rules governing multiple listing services. Read more...
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Home inspector licensure bill receives first Senate hearing
 OAR is pleased to report that today the Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee conducted its first hearing on HB 257--Home Inspector Licensure. The bill's chief sponsor, Rep. Michelle Schneider of Cincinnati, did an excellent job in presenting sponsor's testimony. Committee chairman, Sen. Steve Stivers of Columbus, indicated he will do everything he can to facilitate passage of the bill in the Senate before the end of the current legislative term. The bill has already passed the House. The legislature adjourned last week and is not expected to go back into session until after the Nov. 4th General Election. The 127th General Assembly will end Dec. 31, 2008. Any legislation not passed before that date must be reintroduced in the 128th General Assembly.
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Are your clients on the fence in this changing market
NAR introduces the REALTOR Benefits brochure 'It Is a Great Time to Buy.' This brochure, sold in packages of 100, is an informative resource for REALTORS to share with consumers and offers information on: strength of the 2008 market, the 15-year high in seller inventory, near 40-year low in interest rates, increase in FHA loan availability, why homeownership is a valued investment and many links/Web site resources for buyers to learn more about what's happening in the market.
To order 'It Is a Great Time to Buy,' visit or call 1-800-874-6500 and select option '1.'
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What exactly is Generation Y looking for in a home?
RISMEDIA--Generation Y is growing up fast. The average age of a first-time home buyer is 26, three years younger than for Gen X or baby-boomer buyers. So what's up with that?
Sure, favorable rates and terms make buying a house easier for young people these days, but the trend may be most affected by the characteristics of this generation: they are tech-savvy. Generation Y can't remember life without a computer. This means they are consumers who research everything, including buying houses. Read more...
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Legal issues
Firm Can Represent Multiple Buyers...A brokerage didn't breach its duty to its client by representing multiple buyers competing for the same property, the Court of Appeals of New York ruled.
FSBO Web Site Doesn't Need License...The State's real estate brokerage licensing requirements did not apply to a FSBO Web site, the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire ruled.
No Fair Housing Immunity for Roommate Web Site...An apartment finding Web site that requires users to disclose their housing preferences wasn't protected by a federal statute from alleged violation of the federal Fair Housing Act, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled, partially reversing the trial court. It remanded the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.
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President's Sales Club applications, now online
The 2008 PSC applications are now online. Entries must be postmarked by July 21, to be accepted. Transactions claimed must have been closed between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. There are three application forms, 60, 140, 220 transactions respectively. Get rules and applications.
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On the lighter side
 Congratulations on your new home...Congratulations on your new home...A client bought a new home and the broker wanted to send flowers for the occasion. They arrived at the home and the owner read the card; it said "Rest in Peace."
The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist said. "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying, "Congratulations on your new home."
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Pitney Bowes can help following new USPS rates and rules
 The recent USPS rate increase and rule changes can affect how your business sends mail. REALTOR Benefits Program partner Pitney Bowes takes the guesswork out with the Pitney Bowes mailstationTM2 digital mailing system with its built-in scale, lets you weigh and calculate postage at the touch of a button. Take advantage of the 90-day free trial of the mailstationTM 2 digital mailing system and receive $50 in free postage coupons. After the trial you can rent the meter for only $18.99 a month for one year (plus the cost of postage and supplies).
To take advantage of this special offer to REALTORS, visit www.pbmailstation.com/nar or call 800-376-3093 and refer to order number 999991618.
Your membership in the Ohio Association of REALTORS allows you to take advantage of a number of member benefits. For questions about member offers and benefits contact Greg Stitz at stitz@ohiorealtors.org.
In addition, the National Association of REALTORS also provides its members many more benefits and offers.
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Tech Tips
A quick way to sort e-mail...
1. A quic k way to store e-mail you need to keep is to drag-and-drop an Outlook e-mail message onto the desktop or any folder.
2. It's best to sort your e-mail into at least a few different folders, to have some form of organization. If you make them subfolders of your Inbox, you can search through all your messages all at once.
3. If you're worried about forgetting to read messages that are automatically filed in folders, remember that Outlook 2003 folders that contain unread mail have a little bolded number after them in brackets such as (3) to indicate the number of messages in the folder that you haven't read. It's pretty easy to track so you will probably find this is sufficient an indicator that you won't forget to check the folders.
4. Can you have replies sent to a subfolder? Yes. You can write a rule to have messages sent to various folders upon receipt or on sending the message--whichever option suits you. Click on the Tools tab and select Rules and Alerts.
5. How Rules are applied to incoming e-mail in Outlook 2000 and 2007: If more than one rule applies to an incoming e-mail, the ruled placed in first place takes precedence, or both rules are applied.
Rename your pictures automatically with Windows XP...No one wants to go through the massive folder that contains your European vacation photos and rename them Europe_1.jpg, Europe_2.jpg, and so on  down the line. If you're running Windows XP on your computer, you don't have to do this. Simply apply this hack to quickly apply a meaningful label to every picture in the folder.
- First, open the folder and select View > Thumbnails.
- Click the last picture in the folder you want to rename, hold down the Shift key, and click the first picture; this will select them all.
- Right-click the first photo, and select Rename from the drop-down menu.
Windows XP will highlight the filename for the first photo, enabling you to give it a descriptive name. After you type in the name, click the white space outside of the photo and watch as Windows applies the name with a sequential number to each picture in the folder.
 E-how to do just about anything!...What would you like to do? The eHow database of over 100,000 articles can help you. It's the world's most popular place to find clear instructions on how to do just about everything ... http://www.ehow.com/.
Don't forget OAR's free Tech Hotline service...
866.478.TECH (8324) New EXPANDED hours of operation: M-F: 8 am - 8 pm ... S-S: 10 am - 4pm
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Education
Keep up on this ever-changing industry...This year's Updates, held in your area this June, will focus on recent court rulings, new laws that affect your business and more importantly, the economy. Plus you'll earn three hours of continuing education credit! Register today.
10-Hour post licensure course for new agents
OAR will offer the 10-hour Post Licensure course June 25-26 at OAR headquarters in Columbus. This course is required for all newly-licensed salespeople within the first year of licensure. Early-bird reqistration applies. No c.e. offered.
NEW from RECampus...
- Satisfy your entire 30 hour c.e. package
- 70 years of age or older: 9 hour c.e. package requirement
- 9 hour c.e. package fulfills core c.e. requirement ... Register today...
30 hours online...Take your real estate continuing education hours online. You can take 3, 6 or all 30 hours in any combination...Sign-up today...
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