REALTOR® News

Free Seminars on 4.0 Multiboard Contract May 25
Come and learn the major differences between the 3.0 and the 4.0 Multiboard Residential Contract. Attorney Attorney Ralph Schumann, of the LAW OFFICES OF RALPH J. SCHUMANN, will make a two-hour presentation on the 4.0 Contract. This seminar is FREE to all NSBAR members, but space is limited so register today by calling 847-480-7177. The LAW OFFICES OF RALPH J. SCHUMANN is a full-service law firm involved in residential and commercial real estate, estate planning, corporate and business law, employment discrimination matters, as well as trade secrets and general litigation. Ralph J. Schumann graduated with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1983, and is currently a Director of the Illinois Real Estate Lawyers Association and Chairman of the Real Estate Committee of the Northwest Suburban Bar Association.

Multiboard Contract 4.0
Any new Multiboard contract version 6.0 is not valid. The form you should be working on is final version is 4.0 (i.e. for the 4th revision).

Safety
Safety should always be a concern to those in the real estate profession. Please take the time to review these three pages -- they can save your life!
REALTOR SAFETY Rules: http://www.nsbar.org/RLTRgoldenrule.asp
REALTOR Safety Manual: http://www.nsbar.org/membersonly/Agent%20Safety%20Guidebook.pdf
Realtor Safety Week: http://www.realtor.org/MarkCom.nsf/pages/RSWHomepage?Opendocument

Steering Found in Almost 90 Percent of Fair Housing Tests
The National Fair Housing Alliance found widespread evidence of steering by real estate companies in markets it tested for its 2006 Fair Housing Trends report. NFHA has a contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to test companies that the agency's 2000 Housing Discrimination Study indicated might be engaging in discriminatory behavior. According to NFHA, its testers found evidence of steering in 87 percent of the tests conducted. For more info, CONTACT: Fred Underwood, 202/383-1132.

License Law and Disclosure
Pursuant to Section 10-10(b) of the Act, a licensee shall disclose, in writing, any compensation the licensee expects to receive or that he knows the licensee's sponsoring broker will receive, arising out of a referral to any person or entity whose services are related to the transaction, including any financial institution, insurance broker, mortgage broker, home inspector, or any other third party. The disclosure shall indicate the relationship between the licensee or the licensee's sponsoring broker and the referred person, or entity and any interest the licensee or the licensee's sponsoring broker may have in the referred person or entity. And: Sec. 10‑27. Disclosure of licensee status. Each licensee shall disclose, in writing, his or her status as a licensee to all parties in a transaction when the licensee is selling, leasing, or purchasing any interest, direct or indirect, in the real estate that is the subject of the transaction.

Agent Business Plan
Need to write a business plan but don't know where to start? Try this page! http://www.createaplan.com/

New in the NAR Library: eBooks
Several hundred electronic books and digital audio books are available for you to download through the NAR Virtual Library eBooks collection. Read or listen to popular real estate, business, sales and marketing, management, and personal growth titles at your computer, on your handheld device, from your Smartphone, or on the road. Sign in with your NRDS number, and download up to three eBooks at a time for a 21-day period. For more info, CONTACT: Mary Martinez, 312/329-8832.

Quiz: Do You Know Federal Do-Not-Fax Rules?
Do your marketing practices comply with the federal Junk Fax Prevention Act? If not, you could find yourself in legal trouble. Use an interactive quiz at REALTOR® Magazine Online that can help you understand how the law affects your business. To access the quiz, go to: http://www.realtor.org/rmoquiz2.nsf/FedFaxLawQuiz?OpenForm

Nominate Good Neighbors to Win $10,000 Grants
REALTOR® Magazine is seeking nominees for the seventh annual Good Neighbor Awards, which recognize REALTORS® who impact their communities through volunteer work. Five winners will be recognized at the 2006 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in New Orleans and will receive travel expenses to attend the show and a $10,000 grant for their community cause. Volunteer work includes affordable housing initiatives, youth mentoring, or homelessness prevention—anything that makes a community a better place to live. Entries must be received by May 26. For more info and an entry form, go to http://www.realtormag.com/rmodaily.NSF/pages/goodneighborhomepage. More info is also available in the April issue of REALTOR® Magazine.