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Realtor Report

REALTOR Report - 7/15/2010

Glen Baity, 7/15/2010

THE REALTOR® REPORT

JULY 14, 2010

TOP STORY

LDO REVISIONS: FIND OUT WHAT THEY MEAN TO YOU AT OUR JULY 27 BROWN BAG

Have questions about Greensboro's new Land Development Ordinance? Get answers at our LDO Brown Bag Lunch on July 27 at 11:30 a.m.!

We're teaming with the Greensboro Builders Association to bring you this briefing for REALTORS, Builders and Remodelers that will cover everything you need to know about how to use the new ordinance. Learn about any changes that will affect your business!

Presentation by and Q&A with:

Dick Hails, Planning Director
Rawls Howard, Chief Zoning Officer
Steve Galanti, Planner

Bring your lunch and join us! Sign up online here, or contact Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org for more information.

2010 NCAR CONVENTION

GOING TO MYRTLE BEACH? PRE-REGISTER AND SAVE!

NCAR's 2010 Convention & Expo is happening September 19-21 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. -- if you're going, why not sign up today?

The Early Bird registration rate of $250 expires on July 31. If you sign up before that date, you'll save $45 off the standard pre-registration price, or $95 off the on-site registration fee!

GRRA currently has the second-most pre-registered members of all large boards in the state. Help us get to #1 when you pre-register today!

Sign up at the convention website by clicking here!

LINKS

Association News

Residential News

Commercial News

Upcoming Events

Member News

Wellness Update

Technology News

REALTOR PARTNERS

TAKE OUR NEW SURVEY TODAY

There's still time to take this week's GRRA Survey -- we want to know about how you use the REALTOR Partners Program.

Click here to take the survey!

As always, the survey takes less than a minute and your responses are confidential. And don't forget, all of our past surveys are archived on the GRRA Survey Results Page so you can compare your answers with your fellow REALTORS.

CALLING ALL REALTORS

GET A KID READY FOR SCHOOL NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Through mid-August, RCSC committee members will be collecting donations for the annual Get a Kid Ready for School fundraiser. As it does every year, this drive will help local students who can't afford school supplies have all the items they need on the first day of school.

Please remember RCSC is trying to get all of their donations in place as early as possible since there are no regular luncheons between now and August (there is no luncheon in July). You should start to see the familiar pencil boxes popping up in major offices. You can also find one at the GRRA's front desk.

Thank you for helping local students achieve to their fullest potential. If you have any questions please contact Megan Tasman at mmoore@grra.org.

Association News

REALTOR NIGHT WITH THE GREENSBORO GRASSHOPPERS AUGUST 10

REALTOR Night at the Ballpark is coming soon! Get a free "GRRA Swings for the Fences" T-shirt with every $7 advance ticket purchased for the 7:00 PM August 10, 2010 game between the Greensboro Grasshoppers and the Hickory Crawdads. Hurry -- quantities are limited, and shirts are issued on a first come, first-served basis. Buy your ticket at the GRRA front desk, and plan to wear the t-shirt to the game. Help promote the REALTOR brand, GRRA, your community, and the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

ARE YOU AN AGENT REPRESENTING A BUILDER?

As a reminder, the North Carolina Home Builders Association pushed through the following bill last session that allows Builders to defer property tax on unsold/unoccupied inventory for up to 5 years. Share this information with your builder colleagues!

(Triad Legislators Hugh Holliman and Harold Brubaker were primary bill sponsors, so if you use this you might want to thank them.)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2009
SESSION LAW 2009-308
HOUSE BILL 852
*H852-v-5*
AN ACT TO DEFER A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY TAX DUE ON REAL PROPERTY
HELD FOR SALE BY A BUILDER.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1. G.S. 105-273 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(3a) "Builder" means a taxpayer licensed as a general contractor under G.S. 87-1 and engaged in the business of buying real property, making improvements to it, and then reselling it."

SECTION 2. Article 12 of Chapter 105 of the General Statutes is amended by
adding a new section to read:

"§ 105-277.1D. Inventory property tax deferral.

(a) Classification. – A residence owned and constructed by a builder is designated a special class of property under Section 2(2) of Article V of the North Carolina Constitution and is taxable in accordance with this section. For purposes of this section, a "residence" is an improvement, other than remodeling, renovating, rehabilitating, or refinishing, by a builder to
real property that is intended to be sold and used as an individual's residence, that is unoccupied, and for which a certificate of occupancy authorized by law has been issued.

(b) Deferred Taxes. – A builder may defer the portion of tax imposed on real property that represents the increase in value of the property attributable solely to improvements resulting from the construction by the builder of a residence on the property. The difference between the taxes due under this section and the taxes that would have been payable in the absence of this section are a lien on the real property of the taxpayer as provided in G.S. 105-355(a). The difference in taxes for the fiscal years preceding the current tax year shall be carried forward in the records of the taxing unit or units as deferred taxes. The deferred taxes are due and payable in accordance with G.S. 105-277.1F when the property loses its eligibility for deferral because of the occurrence of a disqualifying event. A disqualifying event occurs at the earliest of (i) when the builder transfers the residence, (ii) when the residence is occupied by the builder or by someone other than the builder with the builder's consent, (iii) five years from the time the improved property was first subject to being listed for taxation by the builder,
or (iv) three years from the time the improved property first received the property tax benefit provided by this section. On or before September 1 of each year, the collector shall notify each builder to whom a tax deferral has previously been granted of the accumulated sum of deferred taxes and interest.

(c) Creditor Limitations. – A mortgagee or trustee that elects to pay any tax deferred by the builder subject to a mortgage or deed of trust does not acquire a right to foreclose as a result of the election. Except for requirements dictated by federal law or regulation, any provision in a
mortgage, deed of trust, or other agreement that prohibits the builder from deferring taxes on property under this section is void.

(d) Construction. – This section does not affect the attachment of a lien for personal property taxes against a tax-deferred residence.

(e) Application. – An application for property tax relief provided by this section should be filed during the regular listing period but may be filed after the regular listing period upon a showing of good cause by the applicant for failure to make a timely application, as determined and approved by the board of equalization and review or, if that board is not in session, by the
board of county commissioners. An untimely application approved under this subsection applies only to property taxes levied by the county or municipality in the calendar year in which the untimely application is filed. Decisions of the county board may be appealed to the Page 2 Session Law 2009-308 SL2009-0308

TAX CREDIT, FLOOD INSURANCE EXTENSIONS PASS CONGRESS

After a close brush with the deadline, Congress has passed an extension of the Homebuyer Tax Credit closing deadline, the Homebuyer Assistance and Improvement Act (H.R. 5623). The extension applies only to transactions that have ratified contracts in place as of April 30, 2010 that have not yet closed. The legislation is designed to create a seamless extension the new closing deadline for eligible transactions is now September 30, 2010. There is will be no gap between June 30 and the date the President signs the bill into law.

NAR worked closely with Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to enact this important legislation. Extending the Tax Credit Closing deadline will help provide additional stability to real estate markets across the nation.

For additional information on the extension visit www.realtor.org/government_affairs

Additionally, the United States Senate has passed the National Flood Insurance Program Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 5569) an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program until September 30, 2010. This will allow transactions to move forward. The bill is retroactive and covers the lapse period from June 1, 2010 to the date of enactment of the extension.

For more information on the flood insurance program visit www.realtor.org/government_affairs

CITY EXPANDS COVERAGE OF URBAN LOOP MAPPING TOOL

The City of Greensboro’s Department of Transportation (GDOT) has revised its interactive Urban Loop Mapping Tool to now include other major City- and state-planned roadway projects. The tool, now called Road Project Mapping Tool, can be accessed from the left column of the City’s website home page at www.greensboro-nc.gov.

The purpose of the new mapping tool is to provide easy Web access to major roadway project locations and design information. Simply click on the Road Project Mapping Tool link, enter an address within Guilford County, and see how close a property may be to a planned major roadway project.

GUILFORD TAX INFO SERVICE NOW LIVE

The Guilford County Tax Department has announced that the long-awaited overhaul of its Billing and Collections system will be unveiled to the public on July 6, 2010. Read about it here (.pdf file).

HELP LEGALIZE SIGNS IN OAK RIDGE

In the first meeting of TREBIC's Small Town Sign Legalization Task Force, Oak Ridge was designated the first priority. Oak Ridge is the only town that actually prohibits the signs, and they enforce heavily.

The Task Force is organizing a meeting of the Realtors AND BUILDERS most involved in that area to determine a consensus on how to move forward in this jurisdiction. The meeting will be held at the Allen Tate office in Oak Ridge (2215 Oak Ridge Road) on Tuesday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m. Please spread the word to agents and builders that regularly work in Oak Ridge. It is imperative that we have their input.

The next meeting for Small Town Sign Legalization Task Force is Wednesday, July 28 at 3:00 pm at GBA upstairs. Contact Judy Stalder at TREBIC (jstalder@trebic.org) if you would like to join the task force for

a) all meetings OR

b) to participate in discussions about a particular town or jurisdiction

Here is how you can help:

1) Email Judy Stalder at TREBIC (jstalder@trebic.org) if you know of any areas where enforcement of sign ordinances is occurring and/or causing problems

2) Think about the “mood” of staff and elected officials in your town. Are they friendly/sympathetic to builders and Realtors? Are they builders or Realtors themselves? Email information to Judy.

3) Archdale, Trinity and Jamestown have ordinances that specifically allow off premise real estate signs. Let Judy know if you have experienced problems in these jurisdictions.

REALTOR PARTNER NEWS

July Partner of the Month

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!

2011 Committee Request Forms

If you would like to serve on the REALTOR® Partner Committee in 2011, please fill out the attached application or visit our website to submit a request online at www.ncrealtors.org.

TREBIC: ALL THINGS AIRPORT JULY 20TH

4:00-5:30 pm, Tuesday, July 20th

ALL THINGS AIRPORT!

3:30-4:00 Networking

4:00 PTIA Master Plan Briefing, Kevin Baker, Deputy Director PTIA

4:45 Heart of the Triad Briefing, Jeff Hatling, Kernersville Planning Director

5:15 Aerotropolis Land Supply Analysis Update, Marlene Sanford, Subcommittee Chair

At High Point Regional Association of Realtors

1830 Eastchester Drive, High Point 27265

Members of the following associations are invited to this area-wide event:

TREBIC

GRRA, HPRAR and WSRAR

GRCA, HPRCA and WSRCA

GBA and HBAWS

TAA and NAIOP

Parking is limited to 80 vehicles, so carpool if you can.

REALTOR.COM SITE REDESIGN ENTERS BETA TESTING PHASE

We want to bring you up-to-date on the new REALTOR.com® website redesign that is currently in beta testing. The new site enhancements make accessing all the rich data available on REALTOR.com® intuitive and better than ever! The millions of consumers who visit REALTOR.com® each month will be able to find properties, as well as companies and agents, faster and more easily.

The “new” REALTOR.com will have upgrades to the search functionality and mapping presentation for current properties for sale, and the user interface design has been updated with new coloring and a tab layout at the top of the page.

Key Features of the “new“ REALTOR.com – currently in “beta” release:

New “Find REALTORS®” and Free Member Profile Pages for ALL

ALL members will have the opportunity to have a Profile Page within the new Find REALTORS® search experience. All members will be able to:

upload their photo
include an “About Me” romance paragraph
identify designations/certifications
specify languages spoken, specializations
Interface with social networking links (Facebook®, LinkedIn®, Twitter®).
Provide listing metrics – which can be turned off/on by the agent

The following link includes a short video and downloadable instructions for your members on “how to” add or revise their profile:

Click here

Improved presentation of listing data and property information

The Listing Detail Pages are enhanced with more information -- including more prominently displayed Open House section, property tax and sales history, and better integration of neighborhood information
The New Map Search allows consumer to explore neighborhoods, find points of interest, and learn about home values all on an easy-to-read map.
Easier access to information that has been available on REALTOR.com for several years, such as the ability to more easily search recently sold properties and area sales statistics

New platform with improved speed and flexibility

In addition to the upgrades in the user experience, this release includes the launch of our new underlying system architecture and unified data base – bringing more technical flexibility to the site and faster search results for all users.

Users may choose to explore the Beta version of the new site now by clicking on the link at the top of the REALTOR.com^® home page. We anticipate that the new REALTOR.com^® experience will be fully released in Summer 2010.

Over One Million Downloads of REALTOR.COM^® iPHONE APP in Five Months

We are also pleased to announce that the REALTOR.com iPhone application has had over 1,300,000 downloads since it was launched in January 2010! The REALTOR.com® iPhone application is the most comprehensive real estate search on iPhone. Consumers can search based on GPS location, search nearby Open Houses, show listings on a map, and “one tap” call to the listing agent. The REALTOR.com® iPhone app can be downloaded from Apple iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/app/real-estate-search/id336698281 or visit our iPhone information page at www.realtor.com/iphone

EPA DELAYS LEAD PAINT ENFORCEMENT UNTIL OCTOBER

Big news in the world of lead-based paint: The Environmental Protection Agency this week announced it would delay enforcement of its new lead-based paint rules for contractors.

No action will be taken until October 1 against contractors who haven't yet fulfilled their training.

Read more about it at the GRRA Blog

NEWS FROM THE CITY OF GREENSBORO

ACCESS WATER BILL INFO ONLINE

The City of Greensboro is making it easier for customers to access information about their water bill with a new online service called WebConnect. WebConnect, which can be accessed at www.greensboro-nc.gov/onlineservices, is a secure way for customers to pay their water bill, make changes to their billing information, and review bill details such as water usage online. Customers can also use the service to sign-up for e-billing to receive water bills via e-mail.

When customers log on to WebConnect, they will be able to choose what level of access they want─ premium, standard or landlord. Premium access requires customers to create an online account with a user name and password, and provides all billing information. Standard access doesn’t require customers to create an account and only provides bill balance and payment options. And, landlord access, which also doesn’t require customers to create an account, allows landlords to view bill balances on all their properties and make payments. It’s free to use all options, but a convenience fee of $1.95 will be charged when making online payments.

For more information about this new service, call 336-373-CITY (2489).

CITY CRIME DECLINES IN 1ST QUARTER

Crime rates for January to March of 2010 have declined compared to the same months last year, according to the Greensboro Police Department (GPD). Violent crime is down by 24 percent, property crime by 2 percent and homicides have dropped by 80 percent.

"We monitor crime trends regularly and have seen a steady reduction over the last year. Now, the challenge we face is driving those numbers even lower and stabilizing them at a lower level. That's a task we have to to have community involve in," said Police Chief Tim Bellamy.

Bellamy also links the decline in crime to the decline in the number of weapons seized as evidence. That number also decreased by 40 percent for the quarter compared to last year.

According to Assistant City Manager Michael Speedling, the crime data suggests police and residents are working together effectively. “A lot of factors affect crime and some of those are harder to impact than others. One thing I’m sure of is that we wouldn’t have such significant drops if we weren’t all working toward the same goal of creating a safer City.”

The Chief also cautions against interpreting downward trends as license to be less vigilant. “Crime trends generally follow a cyclical pattern and just as crime decreases for a variety of factors it may increase in the future if those factors aren’t in place,” Bellamy said.

GPD generates data based on reported offenses during the year. Occasionally,crimes are reported in one calendar year, but actually occurred in another and occasionally cases are unfounded and haven't occurred. For that reason, data that was presented in previous years may be slightly different than data generated with the most current information. Bellamy urges residents to use the crime reports as trend indicators rather than specific counts of criminal offenses.

GUILFORD METRO 9-1-1 AWARDED SECOND INTERNATIONAL ACCREDITATION

Guilford Metro 9-1-1 (GM 9-1-1) was recently awarded international accreditation as an Emergency Medical Dispatch Center of Excellence from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), a standard-setting organization that promotes safe and effective emergency dispatch services world-wide. This is the second accreditation GM 9-1-1 has received from IAED in less than four months; the first was for achieving the Emergency Fire Dispatch Center of Excellence accreditation.

GM 9-1-1 is now the 134th emergency communications center / 9-1-1 center in the entire world to be awarded this distinction, and becomes only the fifteenth emergency communications center in the world to hold dual accreditation in Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) and Emergency Fire Dispatch (EFD).

GM 9-1-1 received this accreditation due to its comprehensive implementation and compliance with the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS). MPDS is a comprehensive emergency medical dispatch system designed to provide responder and caller safety, maximize utilization of resources, prioritize responses, provide efficient delivery of pre-arrival instructions, and improve overall emergency medical customer service.

To receive this designation from IAED, GM 9-1-1 had to have proper 9-1-1 communications center management oversight and on-going quality improvement programs in place, and had to make sure its entire staff was in compliance with all MPDS practices.

GM 9-1-1 will be recognized as an Accredited Center of Excellence at the IAED conference later this month in Orlando, Fla.

FOR REALTOR EYES ONLY: EXCLUSIVE RATES FOR EXCLUSIVE REALTORS

NAR is pleased to present REALTORS Core Health Insurance (RCHI) - an affordable and guaranteed-acceptance limited medical insurance program designed exclusively for REALTORS, their eligible dependents, and REALTOR staff members under 65.

Members who will benefit from Realtors Core Health Insurance include those

who:

Cannot afford comprehensive health insurance
Have comprehensive health insurance with high deductibles or out-of-pocket costs, and who need affordable coverage for everyday healthcare
Have tried to get health insurance and have been turned down

Highlights of the RCHI program:

Guaranteed-acceptance- No medical questions/exams required
Low cost- Plans start as low as $70.69 per month
Freedom to choose any provide
Next day coverage (30 day waiting period for sickness)

Benefits Include: doctor office visits, wellness visits, emergency room benefits, surgery benefits, and more! For coverage information, no-obligation quotes, or to enroll, call a benefit specialist today at (877) CORE-PLAN, (877)267-3752, or visit www.RealtorsCoreHealthInsurance.com/AE

THE GRRA BLOG HAS MOVED!

Visit the GRRAblog at its new home on Blogger.com! You can now find us at http://greensbororealtors.blogspot.com. It's a great place to catch up on REALTOR happenings at the local, state and national levels.

To make sure you don't miss anything, be sure to add us to your RSS feeds. If you don't know how to use RSS (which stands for Really Simple Syndication), check out this entry for a quick tutorial.

And don't forget, the GRRA is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Member News

If you have news you'd like to share with your fellow REALTORS, send it to Glen Baity, gbaity@grra.org or 854-5868.

Upcoming Events

July 27 - Greensboro LDO Brown Bag - 11:30 a.m. - RSVP to Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org.

July 29 - New REALTOR Orientation - Required for all new REALTORS - Contact Megan Tasman for more information, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org.

August 3 - GRRA Membership Luncheon - 11:30 a.m. - Come hear the candidates in the upcoming GRRA Elections speak - RSVP to Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org.

August 9 - Voting begins for GRRA Elections - 12 p.m.

August 10 - RCSC Blood Drive - 8:30 to 12:30 - Contact Megan Tasman for more information, 854-5868 or mmoore@grra.org.

August 12 - Triad MLS Brown Bag Lunch - 11:30 a.m. - MLS EVP Richard Renton joins us to talk about new features and field your MLS-related questions. RSVP online here.

August 10 - REALTOR Night at the Greensboro Grasshoppers - Contact Charles Hinerman, 854-5868 or chinerman@grra.org for more details.

August 17 - Transportation Improvement Program Brown Bag - 11:30 a.m. - GDOT's Craig McKinney returns to the GRRA to discuss the contents of the new draft TIP - RSVP to Sharon Gray, 854-5868 or sgray@grra.org.

August 19-20 - Get a Kid Ready for School Sorting and Distribution

August 24 - GRRA-RCA Joint Membership Luncheon - RSVP to Barbara Gilliland, 854-5868 or bpgilliland@grra.org

August 26 - Healthcare Reform Coffee Talk - 9 a.m. - Stan Park of Craft Insurance joins us to talk about the first changes from the healthcare reform bill, and what you can expect down the road. RSVP online here.

August 31 - LDO Information Session - 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. - Open to members of TREBIC, GRCA, GBA, NAIOP, TAA and HPRCA - Contact Glen Baity at 854-5868 or gbaity@grra.org for more information

September 1 - GRRA Annual Meeting

September 6 - GRRA Closed for Labor Day

Back to top

Wellness Update

MOSES CONE EVENTS

For a complete calendar of event and descriptions go to www.mosescone.com. To register for these classes, call 832-8000. You may call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Registration is required and classes are free, unless otherwise noted.

Technology News

Design flaw in iPhone 4, testers say
Did Apple make a lemon?

Free text messaging is possible
Is there a legitimate way to fight the obscenely high text messaging fees that phone companies charge?

Residential News

Campaign financing bill gains footing
A measure given tentative approval by the state Senate on Thursday won’t prevent a wave of corporate money from washing though state elections, but backers say it might help voters figure out exactly who is pushing for and against candidates.

Developers get creative to move upscale condos
Many Triad developers who planned and built upscale condominiums in downtown Winston-Salem and Greensboro when the residential market was hot several years ago are now reducing prices and offering thousands of dollars in incentives to sell off their remaining inventory.

UNCG, A&T to increase tuition

Students at UNCG and N.C. A&T will pay nearly $500 more in tuition for the 2010-11 school year under a plan approved Tuesday by the UNC Board of Governors.

As consumers slash debt, credit cards boost incentives
Credit card debt per borrower is falling, according to credit reporting firm TransUnion.

N.C. tax delinquents up, topping cost of state cuts
North Carolina's unpaid taxes total more than the $800 million shortfall that legislators had to balance in the state's new $19 billion budget.

H1N1 on its way back: Several things to make dealing with it easier now
The swine flu, or H1N1 virus, will be back in the Triad this fall, health-care officials warn.

Cram session ends legislative year
The 19-and-a-half-hour session completed the General Assembly’s work for the year and signaled the end of the legislative careers of three Guilford County lawmakers.

Rental inspections up for debate
City officials may reopen the debate about a controversial rental housing inspection program.

Macy's plans distribution center in GSO
Retail giant Macy’s will locate its new Southeast distribution center in Greensboro, a move that will create as many as 100 jobs near Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Panel backs rezoning to benefit data center
The proposed American Express data center cleared one of its first hurdles with the city Monday.

Texas teachers invest $500M in mall owner
Shopping mall owner General Growth Properties Inc., which is trying to emerge from bankruptcy protection, on Monday said it is getting a $500 million infusion from a Texas teachers' pension fund.