A federal mortgage interest buy-down program would help spark the housing market, the National Association of Realtors® said in a letter sent today to James B. Lockhart, chairman of the Oversight Board of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. NAR seeks a 4.5 percent mortgage interest rate buy-down program financed through the U.S. Treasury Department’s Troubled Asset Relief Program.

In the letter to FHFA, NAR shared three potential implementation procedures for a federal buy-down plan:

• TARP would fund the payment of points at the individual level.
• The Federal Home Loan Banks would raise funds by selling below-market-rate bonds to the Treasury Department for them to make the 4.5 percent interest rates available to lenders.
• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would purchase mortgages at the 4.5 percent interest rate but pay lenders the market rate.

“The buy-down program would complement other initiatives and help stabilize, stimulate and revitalize the housing market,” said NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “We must address the foreclosure crisis and increase housing demand. Lower interest rates and foreclosure mitigation are two sides of the same coin. Together they represent the key ingredients to stabilizing the housing market and preserving communities and homeownership.”

NAR has calculated that a 1 percentage-point decrease in mortgage rates would result in an additional 500,000 home sales.

In addition to suggesting that TARP assets be used to buy-down mortgage interest rates, NAR has recommended other principles that would help create long-term stability by ensuring that safe and affordable mortgages are available throughout the nation:

• The higher loan limits passed in the economic stimulus bill earlier this year should be made permanent.
• The federal government should ensure sufficient capital to support mortgage lending in every type of market.
• The temporary $7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers should be extended to all home buyers and the repayment requirement eliminated.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Sometimes when you least expect them things happen in your life that are unexplained. Going through each day thinking of what has to be done what needs to be done and what will actually get done are all  different things. While driving through the hills of Wisconsin over the past few days and doing alot of soul searching I have come to the conclusion that the unexpected things that happen to you sometimes  are the most important . 

Going through each day the same way leads to trouble for most people. I do strongly believe that you have to look at things different every day in order not to drive yourself nuts

So today and every day from this point on in my life I am going to change how I look at things. I am going to try and make everything I do mean something to somebody I care about. I am going to smile more, speak to people that I do not know more, work harder, play harder, love more, listen more, and just  try and be a better man.

I guess  what I am trying to sell to myself  is I need to change alot of things in my life. Life is short and you really never know what comes to those who wait for things to change.

I am going to do the things that  make me happy and do  some things that make other people happy, I buried three friends in the last couple of months all who seemed healthy and were living life good when things changed over night for each of them.

2009 is going to be the best year of my life because I am going to make it that way. I am not going to stand on the side lines and watch the game being played without me.

For the second year in a row, Realtors^® report that exterior remodeling projects return the most money as a percentage of cost, as detailed in the 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report.

On a national level, wood deck additions and all types of siding replacements – upscale fiber cement, midrange vinyl, and upscale foam-backed vinyl – returned more than 80 percent of project costs upon resale. Of these, the most profitable project was upscale fiber cement siding, which recouped 86.7 percent of costs, followed by wood decks at 81.8 percent, midrange vinyl siding at 80.7 percent, and upscale foam-backed vinyl siding at 80.4 percent.

“Because today’s buyers have much more to choose from in the way of inventory, any home for sale must make a positive first impression,” said National Association of Realtors^® President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “As a trusted source for real estate information, Realtors^® understand what attracts and motivates their buyer clients, which is why the results of this year’s Cost vs. Value report underscore the importance of curb appeal in the buyer’s eye.”

The 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 30 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels and replacements in 79 markets across the country, expanding from 60 markets last year. Data are grouped into nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 11th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Hanley Wood, LLC, was completed in cooperation with REALTOR Magazine, as Realtors^® provided their insight into local markets and buyer home preferences within those markets.

In addition to wood decks and siding, window replacements and kitchen remodels also returned a relatively high percentage of remodeling costs on a national basis. All types of window replacements – upscale and midrange wood and upscale and midscale vinyl – returned more than 76 percent of costs. A major midrange kitchen remodel returned 76.0 percent of project costs, while a minor midrange kitchen remodel returned 79.5 percent of costs.

On a national level, bathroom remodels, while still a relatively good investment, do not return as high a percentage as in previous years. A midrange bathroom remodel was estimated to return 74.4 percent on resale, comparable to a midrange attic-to-bedroom conversion, at 73.6 percent of costs recouped, and a midrange basement remodel, at 72.7 percent of costs recouped.

As in last year’s report, the least profitable remodeling projects in terms of resale value were home office remodels, sunroom additions, and back-up power generators, returning only 54.4 percent, 56.6 percent, and 57.1 percent, respectively, of project costs.

Although most regions followed national trends, the regions that consistently were estimated to return a higher percentage of remodeling costs upon resale were the Pacific region of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington; the West South Central region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; the East South Central region of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee; and the South Atlantic region of the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The regions that generally returned the lowest percentage of costs were New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin), West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota), and Middle Atlantic (New York and Pennsylvania).

McMillan explained that the resale value of any given remodeling project depends on a variety of factors. “A home’s overall condition, availability and condition of surrounding properties, location, and regional economic climate are all factors that will influence the value of any remodeling project,” he said. “That’s why it’s important to consult with professionals like Realtors^® in your area when you want to enhance the value of your home. Realtors^® see hundreds, if not thousands, of homes every year with their buyer clients and can provide valuable insight into what projects and improvements will make a difference with buyers in your area.”

These are the colors that represent the different cancers. All you are asked to do is keep this post circulating. Even if it’s to one person. In memory of anyone you know that has been struck by cancer

Got to take a few pics of this red tail hawk down by the old Mississippi the other day. Not quite as crisp as I wanted by some good shots none the less. These photo’s were taken about 3-4 hundred feet away with the wind just a hummin

The most common and widespread hawk in North America, the Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of open country. It is frequently seen sitting on utility poles where it watches for rodents in the grass along the roadside.

Cool Facts

 
• The “Harlan’s Hawk” was once considered a separate species. It breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada, and winters on the southern Great Plains. This very dark form has a marbled white, brown, and gray tail instead of a red one. Many individuals intermediate between Harlan’s and more typical Red-tailed Hawks can be found.  
• The raspy cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is used in movies to represent any eagle or hawk anywhere in the world.  
• In the courtship display a pair of Red-tailed Hawks soars in wide circles at a great height. The male dives down in a steep drop, then shoots up again at nearly as steep an angle. He repeats this maneuver several times, then approaches the female from above. He extends his legs and touches or grasps her briefly. The pair may grab onto one other and may interlock their talons and spiral toward the ground. 

Description

• Size: 45-65 cm (18-26 in)
• Wingspan: 114-133 cm (45-52 in)
• Weight: 690-1460 g (24.36-51.54 ounces)

• Large hawk.
• Wings long and broad.
• Tail broad and red.
• Most commonly with pale chest and dark band across belly.

• Extremely variable in appearance with light and dark forms.
• Tail reddish on top, with dark band near end.
• Tail lighter red below; unbanded.
• Light forms: Head darkish brown. Throat dark or white. Chest white or with rusty streaks. Dark band of streaks across belly variable, from very dark to nearly absent. Dark patches at leading edge of wing, and dark trailing edge. Back dark brown with white mottling; white forming loose “V” on shoulders. May show pale eyestripe.
• Dark form: Dark brown all over. May be rufous on chest. Tail red on top. In flight, front of wings dark, flight feathers pale, with dark trailing edge.
• “Harlan’s Hawk” is a dark form without red on tail.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike; female larger.

Immature

Juvenile similar to adult, but more streaked, and has brown tail with several dark bars across it.

Similar Species

• Red-shouldered Hawk has a banded tail and is more uniformly colored. Red tail separates dark form from all other hawks.

Sound

Call a raspy, scraping, screamed “kree-eee-ar.”

»listen to songs of this species

With the new year approaching and the outlook for the 2009 season is still a little gloomy I sit at my desk everyday and try to think of ways to improve my personal outlook and and increase the amount of business that Ido. No matter where you are standing in the real estate food chain there are always new things to try and do. I am going to adopt a few… not alot of new goals… for the new season that will be upon us before we know it. Changing the way I look at things and go about things can not stay the same for another year.

One of the major changes that I plan on working very hard to implament  this coming year will becoming more responsible for my own reactions on things that do not go my way. It has become so easy to blame outside influnces for the things that did not happen for me the last couple of years. I have to take things more in perspective than ever . “Cowboy up” how they say and do not let things slip through the cracks of everyday life. Work harder at the things that I know and proven that work for me.

Another thing I am going to focus on is becoming more alot more organized. I have done a much better job this past year of doing that but I know there still is alot of room for inprovement in that area for me. Keeping my desk cleaned off, answering my emails in a more timly fashion, remembering  the people that I say I am going to call or make contact with and yet I didn’t has got to stop. Just doing what I said that I would do will be a major gain for me in in the upcomong year. It is a step in becoming better at what I do.

One of the important things that I am going to change this year  I am going to call  it “getting myself into shape”.  This means both the mind and the body. I have to eat better, sleep more, change some bad habits, think better thoughts, be more positive than ever, play more raquet ball, shoot more trap, have coffee with my friends more often, go fishing more, read a few good books and the list goes on. All these thing will give me a chance to be a better person on the inside and out. Right now the “out” needs the most work. Really looking forward to this chore…. should be the funest goal of the year.

One last goal will be to increase my social networking skills and join more on-line communities within the realm of my business and personal likes. There are so many out there now it is amazing, Finding people that like to do and act the way I like to act are never ending .

These goals I have set for mysely are all doable for me it will just take an effort above what I have been giving but it a challenge that all people should do for themselves. 2009 beware “things are a changin”

We will be launching this foundation soon so keep looking for all the details. It is really going to be something.

My Friend Had Three Purple Hearts

Yesterday i sat in a church and listened to the words of  friends telling  stories of this man and what he had done in his short life. Age 63 seems so young to be taken from here after all the things that he did that were just plain right. What a loss for me. Ron “I loved ya man” ….I will miss you everyday.

Ron Kristofferson was a 22-year-old Marine in 1967 when he boarded a plane and left Vietnam, eventually bound for his Baxter home. He had been wounded in action and “was pretty well decorated,” but military officials advised him not to wear his ribbons for fear he might stir up a negative reaction.

“I came home bare-chested,” the Fairview Township (Cass County) resident recalled of his homecoming almost 40 years ago. “I melted into the populace.”

It was a different time and a different war. The nation was bitterly divided and the young man who would later serve a decade on the Baxter City Council, including a stint as mayor, sought to go unnoticed.

That desire to quietly blend in continued as he started college at what was then Brainerd Junior College and later at Bemidji State University, where Kristofferson earned a degree in social work. It was at BSU that a professor pulled him aside and complimented Kristofferson on his work but asked why the young man had difficulty looking people in the eye. Kristofferson said later that he wasn’t even aware he had been avoiding contact.

After seeing the horrors of war and watching friends die his pre-war friends seemed different. In his eyes, they were still young and concerned only about having fun.

Little things would bother Kristofferson. Military-style utility field jackets were the fashion for many young people in the United States then, even for people who didn’t know the first thing about the military.

“They were so young and childish,” he said.

Kristofferson spent his 21st and 22nd birthdays in Vietnam. He served in the infantry with the G/2nd Battalion 26th Marines and with the Fox/2nd Battalion 4th Marines from August 1966 to September 1967. He remembers a Marine named Rinaldi who was 24. Rinaldi was the “old man” of the squad.

A recipient of a Purple Heart, Kristofferson served as Military Order of the Purple Heart aide-de-camp when Bill Wroolie of Brainerd was national commander of that organization.

He said he still suffers residual effects from his injuries but declined to discuss his wounds or the incident that led to them.

“I don’t talk about it,” he said.

He said when he returned home from Vietnam he usually didn’t tell people he was a Vietnam veteran. He hasn’t even shared many war experiences with his own family and he said they’ve responded to his unspoken hints to “not go there.”

After college, Kristofferson worked for the state in the Brainerd area as a veterans employment representative and as a rehabilitation placement specialist for the disabled. He tried not to carry the problems he encountered at work home with him.

Post-traumatic stress disorder has affected many Vietnam veterans, Kristofferson said, sometimes not surfacing until they reach their 50s. He explains it to non-veterans by asking them to think of when they’ve been in an auto accident and how detailed their memories of that incident are. The effect of a continual series of stressful incidents can create something similar to a disturbing tape that plays in one’s mind, he said.

“In the back of your mind – you still have those feelings,” Kristofferson said. “Traumatic events are traumatic events.”

He recalled addressing a Brainerd High School class on the topic of the Vietnam War and temporarily breaking down, in part because the students he was addressing were a similar age to some of the young men he served with in Vietnam. Kristofferson composed himself and finished the presentation but hasn’t spoken to another class since then.

Immediately after Vietnam, support for returning service personnel was virtually non-existent, according to Kristofferson. He said it felt as if he went straight from the jungles of Vietnam to Brainerd.

“The military didn’t do anything,” he said.

In contrast, he said, the military is doing a much better job of supporting service personnel and their families today. And he thinks the Iraq veterans will be better off in later years because of the military’s efforts.

“I think this is going to show well down the road,” he said.

Kristofferson didn’t participate in any of the homecoming ceremonies for the returning Iraq soldiers but followed the story through the media. He said the group ceremonies that soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 194th Armor took part in provided a degree of closure that wasn’t there when Vietnam soldiers returned home individually.

“I think they should also talk with any counselors that are available and maybe group activities,” he said.

Another distinction between the Vietnam veterans and the Iraq veterans was the presence of women near the battle lines. He noted that a woman technical sergeant in the U.S. Air Force was on the cover of one of his Purple Heart magazines. Kristofferson made up for the mostly male environment of his service days by marrying after he returned home and having two daughters. After a divorce, he remarried and had three daughters. Retired, he goes fishing when he can and now lives near the Pillsbury State Forest. He now serves as an at-large director on the Crow Wing Power Board.

There were those who did support the returning Vietnam military personnel, Kristofferson recalled. Heading to Camp Pendleton, Calif., in uniform, he flew on standby from Minneapolis to Los Angeles and was lucky enough to get a seat in first class. On that flight a woman struck up a conversation with him and offered to buy him lunch and give him a ride to the bus station.

He noticed the initials “AVB” on her carry-on luggage but it wasn’t until he overheard the comments of a flight attendant who commented on the woman’s discarded newspapers that he realized the name of his benefactor.

“‘Dear Abby’ sure is messy,” the flight attendant said.

The woman who had offered him lunch and a ride was advice columnist Abigail Van Buren.

Kristofferson’s public service in the military and on the Baxter City Council parallels that of his father, Oscar Kristofferson, an Ellis Island immigrant who came to the United States at 20. The elder Kristofferson, who died in 2003, was a longtime Baxter building inspector and served on the city council for 17 years.

Ron Kristofferson said he thought his father’s example of public service probably had something to do with his own willingness to serve his nation and his community.

“He was Norwegian, but he was an American,” Kristofferson said of his father. “He thought it was your civic duty (to be involved).”

Remodeling Projects With the Highest Returns
For the second year in a row, REALTORS® report that exterior remodeling projects return the most money as a percentage of cost, as detailed in the 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report.

On a national level, wood deck additions and all types of siding replacements–upscale fiber cement, midrange vinyl, and upscale foam-backed vinyl–returned more than 80 percent of project costs upon resale. Of these, the most profitable project was upscale fiber cement siding, which recouped 86.7 percent of costs, followed by wood decks at 81.8 percent, midrange vinyl siding at 80.7 percent, and upscale foam-backed vinyl siding at 80.4 percent.

The 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 30 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels and replacements in 79 markets across the country, expanding from 60 markets last year.

Projects With Highest, Lowest Returns

In addition to wood decks and siding, window replacements and kitchen remodels also returned a relatively high percentage of remodeling costs on a national basis.

All types of window replacements–upscale and midrange wood and upscale and midscale vinyl–returned more than 76 percent of costs. A major midrange kitchen remodel returned 76 percent of project costs, while a minor midrange kitchen remodel returned 79.5 percent of costs.

On a national level, bathroom remodels, while still a relatively good investment, do not return as high a percentage as in previous years. A midrange bathroom remodel was estimated to return 74.4 percent on resale, comparable to a midrange attic-to-bedroom conversion, at 73.6 percent of costs recouped, and a midrange basement remodel, at 72.7 percent of costs recouped.

As in last year’s report, the least profitable remodeling projects in terms of resale value were home office remodels, sunroom additions, and back-up power generators, returning only 54.4 percent, 56.6 percent, and 57.1 percent, respectively, of project costs.

Every year the Brainerd Lakes Chamber hosts the Business Expo and Holiday Extravaganza.  This is a first-class event that allows you to network and learn more about 60 area businesses while taking in the festive holiday decor and feasting on fabulous hors d’oeuvres.   This event will be held at Madden’s Townhall at Madden’s on Gull Lake on Thursday,  December 11th from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.   The Business Expo and Holiday Extravaganza is open to all Chamber members, their employees and guests.  Don’t forget to  bring your business cards for networking and credit card for bidding on the silent auction.   Hope to see you all there!

As the REALTOR Turns
– Lockboxes
– December Meeting Information
– GLAR Holiday Socials
– December Newsletter
– Donations for Tax Purposes?
– MLS Secretary’s Luncheon
– MLS Classes
– NAR addresses ‘re-listing’ practice
– NAR Code of Ethics Requirement
– Christmas for Kids
– Education Registration Online

As the REALTOR Turns
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Member
Transfers: Dennis Wickham (Area Lakes Appraisal) to RE/MAX North Country Realty
Re-instate: MLS Only: Jeanene Ness & Linda Rice (Keller Williams Realty Integrity)

Licenses Sent to State:

No Longer a GLAR Member: Brian Wallin (Black Bear Real Estate); John Larson (Weichert REALTORS Tower Properties);

No Longer an MLS Only Member: Dennis Von Delinde (Riverside Realty); Sherry Christian (Edina Realty); James Schoonover and Tomy Hegland (Grimes Realty)

Brokers,
Remember that you MUST notify the GLAR if you have any new, transfered, or terminated agents within 10 calendar days.

Lockboxes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tis the season for us to have our lockboxes up and running. Sentrilock will be giving GLAR batteries, so if you need some batteries, let us know (no charge (unless postage) until the freebies lockboxes run out). Also, Sentrilock is giving GLAR some new generation lockboxes, so if you would like to try out the new lockboxes, please let staff know. The lockboxes should be available in a week or two.

Where not to put a lockbox: on gas meters – a spark may occur and then who knows what will happen.

December Meeting Information
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Monday, December 8: Special Events Committee Meeting – 9:00 am at the Association Office
Thursday, December 11: MLS Board of Directors Meeting at 8:30 am
Thursday, December 11: Leadership for All GLAR & MLS Board Members – 10:30 – 11:30
Thursday, December 11: GLAR Board of Directors Meeting at 11:30

GLAR Holiday Socials
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, December 4: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Cragun’s.

Thursday, December 18: 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm at Chase on the Lake in Walker.

Come and enjoy a complimentary Tom & Jerry and network with your Members.

December Newsletter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read what is happening, open the link to view the December “REALTOR Advisor” .

December Newsletter

Donations for Tax Purposes?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is near the end of the calendar year and you or someone you know may be in the position of needing to make some donations prior to December 31st. This is a great time to consider a memorial gift for someone special to Habitat for Humanity. Or a cash donation for tax purposes may be in order too. The GLAR Foundation is a great place to consider for such a gift. All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity and it will come from the GLAR Foundation which is very good public relations for REALTORS®. Please share this thought with anyone that may be in a position to do something and not have a firm plan already in mind. The checks may be made out to the GLAR Foundation and mailed directly to the Association office in Baxter.
Thanks for your time, Roger Danielson

MLS Secretary’s Luncheon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
All MLS Secretaries are invited to lunch on Friday, December 19th – details coming.

MLS Classes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, Dec 10: 9:00 am: Beginning Paragon Class
Wednesday, Dec 10: 1:00 pm: Advanced Paragon Class

Must have 10 registered to hold class.

Paragon Registration

NAR addresses ‘re-listing’ practice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ORLANDO — A white paper introduced during a National Association of Realtors conference seeks to clear up the murky issues associated with properties that are “re-listed” by Realtors.

The practice of re-listing for-sale homes — or temporarily pulling them off of the market and then reintroducing them as “new” listings — has been a controversial topic in the industry, and the white paper offers guidance for Realtors’ conduct while not mandating any new policies.

The paper notes that a “new listing” can have very different meanings for real estate professionals and consumers. Agents may refer to a home that they are working to sell as a “new listing” even if that home had previously been marketed by another agent but did not sell, for example, while consumers may view a new listing as a property that was offered for sale for the first time.

“In (a) broker’s mind, ‘listing’ means house and contract. But to buyers, ‘new listing’ likely suggests a house that’s just come onto the market,” the paper states. “That can result in confusion and misunderstanding. And confusion and misunderstanding can mean trouble.”

“Some multiple listing service participants have taken advantage of MLS rules and policies … to draw extra attention to properties listed with them,” the paper also notes, and listing brokers and agents sometimes re-list the same properties multiple times, causing those properties to appear as “new” listings over and over.

In these cases, “While the listing contract is technically ‘new,’ ” each time “the relationship between the seller and the listing broker is ongoing and continuous, and the listed property — in the eyes of reasonable consumers — is certainly not ‘new’ to the market.”

The paper, presented during a Professional Standards Forum and accepted by a committee at NAR’s annual conference, reminds members that NAR’s Code of Ethics requires all members to be “honest and truthful in their real estate communications” and “present a true picture in their advertising, marketing and other representations.”

Realtors can refer to re-listed properties as “back on market,” “price reduced,” “reintroducing” or “recently re- listed,” the paper suggests, and MLSs can choose to adopt classifications other than “new” for the listings of properties and use database technologies to automatically prevent the same for-sale properties from being identified as “new.”

None of the recommendations are “intended to restrict vigorous, innovative or creative methods of drawing attention to clients’ property,” the paper also states, though “client advocacy and promotion of their property must be accomplished using methods that square with the Code (of Ethics).”

Courtsey of Inman News

NAR Code of Ethics Requirement
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAR has a requirement that all Members take a code of ethics class every four years. This four year period ends December 31st. NAR requires that local associations suspend services to those members who have not complied.

GLAR will have another code of ethics class December 17th at 9:00 am at the Association Office and NAR also has an online class (go to www.realtor.org, education).

Pre-registration is required.

Register for the class at the GLAR website.
Christmas for Kids
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The GLAR is asking every office to be a drop off point for Toys for Kids, Christmas for Kids, or the program that you have in your local communities. The Regional Reps will be contacting offices for more specific details. All toys will be picked up December 9 or 10th and brought to the GLAR office for a press conference December 11 at noon, then taken to YOUR local program for local distribution.

These members have not taken a Code of Ethics Class in the 4 year period according to the GLAR records. If you took the class from anyone other than GLAR or the online NAR class, you will need to send a copy of the certificate to GLAR. 1/01/05 – 12/31/08.

Cody Abbott, Susan Ackerman, Janna Aho, Judy Altrichter, Michele Astrup, Matt Balmer, Charles Beavers, Bradley Bethke, Rob Birkeland, Rick Boileau, Kista Brunkhorst, Scott Bruns, Roger Burshem, Joanie Carbone, Mike Christianson, Chris Close, Butch Cole, Kevin Cole, Mary Cole, Mike Cramer, Lisa Crist, Ed Davidge, Judy Dean, Dawn DeBoer, Trista Diem, Lisa Doerr, Jim Eisler, Joan Eklund, Dan Ellithorpe, Charles Emery, Steve Engelby, Kathleen Englund-Lopez, Lisa Erickson, Paula Fisher, Wally Gaertner, Amy Gitchell, David Goedker, Joe Gries, Linda Groen, Nate Grotzke, Greg Grover, Joan Grover, Donald Haller, Mary Jo Hamilton, Walter Hammond, William J Hansen, Bud Hanson, Candy Hart, Randy Hart, Janice Helmer, Paul Hertle, Kay Hill, Roland Hill, Audrey Hillbrand, Lowell Hillbrand, Dean Hoglund, Richard Howard, Craig Johnson, Mary Johnson, Sandy Knosalla, Robert Kochenderfer, Mark Koetke, Janet Kostick, Renee Kostick, Kevin Kruchten, Bruce Larson, Layne Lendtvedt, Rusty Lilyquist, Dan Lind, Jon Lovdahl, Donald Ludovissie, Jamie Magness, Sean McDonald, Charles McQuinn, Kevin Merten, Christina Miller, Thomas Mueller, Richard Munsch, Nancy Mustonen, Douglas Nelson, Thomas Nelson, Gustave Neuberger, Earl Norwood, Tara Oberfeld, Jason Orth, Joan Oseland, Matthew Oseland, Patrick Perrine, Spencer Peterson, Ken Ploetz, Greg Rakow, Dan Roach, Deloris Ruhl, Angela Sandelin, Debra Seibert, Dave Selisker, Craig Sheik, Ronald Skoby, Tony Sobania, Carla Sobotta, Richard Spears, Terri Trantina, Jonathan Trent, Haakon Vaadeland, Allen VanLandschoot, Roger Wagner, Dan Walberg, James Warta, Pam Wedner, Doug Wheeler, Dennis Wickham, Elizabeth Wille, Bonnie Witkop, William Witt, Mike Woodard, and Dave Zontelli.

This is a great way for Members to give back to their communities.