Mega Camp 2010 Promises to be a ground breaking event for agents who attend this year.  After speaking with agent after agent who have attended previous Mega Camps, it is clear that each year is better than the year before.  This is an absolute MUST ATTEND event for those who are committed to their success in the real estate industry.  Check this video out for a great overview of this year’s Mega Camp and be sure to register today!

This is a fantastic time of year, being at the half way point, to take an inventory of where we are and to see if we’re on track to accomplish the goals that we had set out to.  After taking this inventory, you can identify where your gaps are and with the right models and systems along with a positive culture and environment, you can get yourself on track to accomplishing what you truly want.

In today’s real estate landscape, it is imperative to have a grasp of the short sale industry. Too often, agents simply feel lost and overwhelmed when it comes to how to properly service short sales with their clients.  This feeling of overwhelm can lead to reduced sales and a great deal of stress.  At Keller Williams Realty East Valley, we have a great number of agents who have mastered the short sale process and one of them is Jill Rother.  Jill has decided to share her knowledge with agents at Keller Williams Realty East Valley and elsewhere on Friday’s at our market center.  Here is an overview of what was discussed at her most recent class.  Be sure to attend our future classes with Jill and you’ll begin to see your confidence and sales increase!

The Chair of our Technology Committee at KWEV and top agent, Ryan Melville just taught a class on how you can use Google in your daily real estate business to maximize your profits and streamline your systems.  Watch this video for an overview of what we covered and to gain valuable insights.

Lead Generation is the lifeblood of our businesses.  Without it, we simply won’t survive.  If we can create positive habits around the are of effective lead generation, we can experience a thriving real estate practice and re-gain control of our lives.  At Keller Williams Realty East Valley, we have a time each morning where our agents come together and practice their scripts and then launch into 2 solid hours of lead generation that we refer to as Power Hour from 9-11.  The agents who consistently participate in Power Hour experience dramatic increases in sales.  Join us each morning and experience the results for yourself!

Voters in 2008 passed by a margin of 77% to 22% a constitutional amendment to prohibit the state, county or city from charging a transfer fee on the sale of a home. Unfortunately, the ballot measure did not include a prohibition on private transfer fees. Now a new property transfer fee scheme has arisen in which a third-party company enters into an agreement with a developer to record a permanent covenant and lien on each home built. Subsequently, each time that home is sold – for as long as 99 years – a percentage of the sales price is diverted back to the developer and the third-party company. This happens even though the developer and third-party company don’t own the property and don’t pay any portion of the mortgage, remodeling costs or other improvement expenses. This is an abuse of the CC&Rs that are commonly recorded on residential property, an abuse that takes a home seller’s sales proceeds and provides nothing to the homeowner in return except increases in cost. This scheme is a risk-free effort for everyone – except the homeowner.

HB 2768 prohibits this third-party transfer fee scheme from continuing in our state. It has passed both the House and the Senate and awaits Governor Brewer’s signature into law.

New Rules for Contractors-Painters-Rehab Specialists-Trash-out Crews-Fix & Flippers

Beginning April 2010 contractors/owners performing work that disturbs lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must:
•               Be EPA certified, and
•               Follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.

To learn more about how you can meet these requirements contact the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424LEAD (5323) or visit www.epa.gov/lead and http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm

Information for Property Owners of Rental Housing, Child-Occupied Facilities
Property owners who renovate, repair, or prepare surfaces for painting in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must, before beginning work, provide tenants with a copy of EPA’s lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB). en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB). Owners of these rental properties must document compliance with this requirement — EPA’s sample pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 36K) may be used for this purpose.
After April 22, 2010, property owners who perform these projects in pre-1978 rental housing or space rented by child-care facilities must be certified and follow the lead-safe work practices required by EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Remodeling rule. To become certified, property owners must submit an application for firm certification (PDF) (9 pp, 642K) and fee payment to EPA. EPA will begin processing applications on October 22, 2009. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application.
Property owners who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in rental property should also:
·    Take training to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices.
·    Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning in April 2010.
·    Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you followed lead-safe work practices on the job. To make recordkeeping easier, you may use the sample recordkeeping checklist (PDF) (1 pg, 58K) that EPA has developed to help contractors comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that will take effect in April 2010.
·    Read about how to comply with EPA’s rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB) | en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).
·    Read about how to use lead-safe work practices in EPA’s Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting (PDF) (36 pp, 878K) | en español (PDF) (36 pp,
Information for Contractors
As a contractor, you play an important role in helping to prevent lead exposure. Ordinary renovation and maintenance activities can create dust that contains lead. By following the lead-safe work practices, you can prevent lead hazards.
Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities must, before beginning work, provide owners, tenants, and child-care facilities with a copy of EPA’s lead hazard information pamphlet Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.3MB) | en español (PDF) (20 pp, 3.2MB). Contractors must document compliance with this requirement EPA’s pre-renovation disclosure form (PDF) (1 pp, 36K) may be used for this purpose.
Understand that after April 22, 2010, federal law will require you to be certified and to use lead-safe work practices. To become certified, renovation contractors must submit an application and fee payment to EPA.
·    Application for firm certification (PDF) (9 pp, 642K)
Example application for a renovation firm (PDF) (2 pp, 299K)
Example combination application for a renovator and abatement firm (PDF) (2 pp, 211K)
EPA will begin processing applications on October 22, 2009. The Agency has up to 90 days after receiving a complete request for certification to approve or disapprove the application.
Contractors who perform renovation, repairs, and painting jobs should also:
·    Take training to learn how to perform lead-safe work practices.
Find a training provider that has been accredited by EPA to provide training for renovators under EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Program.
Please note that if you previously completed an eligible renovation training course you may take the 4-hour refresher course instead of the 8-hour initial course from an accredited training provider to become a certified renovator. Click here for a list of eligible courses.
·    Provide a copy of your EPA or state lead training certificate to your client.
·    Tell your client what lead-safe methods you will use to perform the job.
·    Learn the lead laws that apply to you regarding certification and lead-safe work practices beginning in April 2010.
·    Ask your client to share the results of any previously conducted lead tests.
·    Provide your client with references from at least three recent jobs involving homes built before 1978.
·    Keep records to demonstrate that you and your workers have been trained in lead-safe work practices and that you followed lead-safe work practices on the job. To make recordkeeping easier, you may use the sample recordkeeping checklist (PDF) (1 pg, 58K) that EPA has developed to help contractors comply with the renovation recordkeeping requirements that will take effect in April 2010.
·    Read about how to comply with EPA’s rule in the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide to Renovate Right (PDF) (34 pp, 2.5MB) | en español (PDF) (34 pp, 1.3MB).
·    Read about how to use lead-safe work practices in EPA’s Steps to Lead Safe Renovation, Repair and Painting (PDF) (36 pp, 878K) | en español (PDF) (36 pp,

Draft better BPOs. Learn about the new Short Sale Seller Advisory. Become a go-to source for real estate market statistics. View the latest Legal Hotline Q&As. And that’s just a start! Read the March issue now.

We at Keller Williams Realty are so much more than a real estate company. We believe in giving back to our communities and each year, as a company, we dedicate one day to give back. We call it RED Day where we Renew, Energize, and Donate in our community. This year, we have chosen The House of Refuge, a shelter for women and children who need a second chance in life. This video gives an overview of the project at hand. Please join us on May 13, 2010 for an amazing day of contribution!

Most goals worth having don’t sit right around the corner. Really Big Goals require focused effort over weeks, months, and sometimes years. I’m always asking myself the focusing question: “What is the one thing I should be doing such that everything else would be easier or even unnecessary?” It’s about always identifying my top priority because when you really identify your #1, everything else becomes a distraction. Finding that resolve is one thing; keeping it is challenge. Life happens. It happens every day. Hopefully, this video, Big Rocks, will serve as fun reminder to stay focused on what matters.

Big Rocks – Do Less and Succeed More