Our Arizona Association of REALTORS® General Counsel Michelle Lind sums up MARS in an easy to understand article on the AAR website. That article, titled Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (“MARS”) Rule Requirements for Short Sale Brokers, addresses 6 key guidelines which are:

– No Advance Fees
– Disclosures in Advertising
– Disclosure in Communications with Prospective Customers
– Disclosures when Presenting a Short Sale Offer from the Lender or Servicer
– Truth in Advertising Services
– Record Keeping and Monitoring Requirements

The article also contains valuable links to the FTC for even more information! And finally, a link to disclosure forms. We are grateful to Michelle and the Association to provide us with such valuable information!

Course Creators cutting edge “hands-on” social media certification course makes it fun, exciting and easy to learn the technology that will bring you more clients, more business and move you to the next level. This two day “bring your laptop and click along with us” format will have you accomplishing more in two days than you ever thought possible.

• Experience the power of YouTube, create your own channel and make and edit your own real estate videos
• Create facebook business accounts and learn how to integrate facebook into your business
• Expand your sphere of influence and network like a pro on Linkedin
• Include the power of blogging and lower your marketing expenses
• Uncover new sources of business and expand your marketing on Zillow and Trulia
• Increase your Google skills and learn new tools for managing the net

Complete with 200 page “How to Click” Playbook with Step by Step SuCCess Clicks!

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Course Creators is honored to offer this class throughout North Carolina in partnership with Superior School of Real Estate.

Do you know the typical questions that clients always ask in real estate transactions? Do you know how to answer them effectively? Do you want your client to tell others that you are a professional and an expert?

99% of the answers to questions clients ask are addressed in the contract. You just need to know where to find them and how to explain them. This is what you really need to know about the purchase contract because these are scripts and dialogues you will use every day.

When They Say…You Should Say…

Sponsored By: ABBA and Stewart Title and Trust

Held At: 3939 E. Broadway, Tucson, AZ

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM – Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Course Creators cutting edge “hands-on” social media certification course makes it fun, exciting and easy to learn the technology that will bring you more clients, more business and move you to the next level. This two day “bring your laptop and click along with us” format will have you accomplishing more in two days than you ever thought possible.

• Experience the power of YouTube, create your own channel and make and edit your own real estate videos
• Create facebook business accounts and learn how to integrate facebook into your business
• Expand your sphere of influence and network like a pro on Linkedin
• Include the power of blogging and lower your marketing expenses
• Uncover new sources of business and expand your marketing on Zillow and Trulia
• Increase your Google skills and learn new tools for managing the net

Complete with 200 page “How to Click” Playbook with Step by Step SuCCess Clicks!

To learn more and register for this groundbreaking course just click on the Superior Logo to the left!

Course Creators is honored to offer this class throughout North Carolina in partnership with Superior School of Real Estate.

Course Creators cutting edge “hands-on” social media certification course makes it fun, exciting and easy to learn the technology that will bring you more clients, more business and move you to the next level. This two day “bring your laptop  and click along with us” format will have you accomplishing more in two days than you ever thought possible.

• Experience the power of YouTube, create your own channel and make and edit your own real estate videos
• Create facebook business accounts and learn how to integrate facebook into your business
• Expand your sphere of influence and network like a pro on Linkedin
• Include the power of blogging and lower your marketing expenses
• Uncover new sources of business and expand your marketing on Zillow and Trulia
• Increase your Google skills and learn new tools for managing the net

Complete with 200 page “How to Click” Playbook with Step by Step SuCCess Clicks!

To bring this class to North Carolina, Course Creators has partnered with Superior School of Real Estate.

This class is being offered exclusively to Beverly Hanks agents in the Asheville area. Register by contacting:

Sharon Montague, Education & Training Director at Beverly-Hanks

Phone: (800) 868-8999
Alt:(828) 681-2066

Email: sharon@beverly-hanks.com

Do you know the typical questions that clients always ask in real estate transactions? Do you know how to answer them effectively? Do you want your client to tell others that you are a professional and an expert?

99% of the answers to questions clients ask are addressed in the contract. You just need to know where to find them and how to explain them. This is what you really need to know about the purchase contract because these are scripts and dialogues you will use every day.

When They Say…You Should Say…

Sponsored By: ABBA and Landmark Title

Held At: 6640 N. Oracle Rd., # 120, Tucson, AZ

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM – Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Do you know the typical questions that clients always ask in real estate transactions? Do you know how to answer them effectively? Do you want your client to tell others that you are a professional and an expert?

99% of the answers to questions clients ask are addressed in the contract. You just need to know where to find them and how to explain them. This is what you really need to know about the purchase contract because these are scripts and dialogues you will use every day.

When They Say…You Should Say…

Sponsored By: Prudential Foothills

Held At: Title Security – 6390 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson, AZ

10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Thursday, March 3, 2011

When it comes to your client purchasing a new home, you want to be certain that a lender will show them the money that will facilitate that purchase! Let’s go behind the scenes and get a better understanding of the lending industry as we know it  today, discover what happened to finance and why and what you can do about it.  Once we understand, then we will know how best to streamline our buyer’s real estate transaction to close of escrow!

Show Me The Money

Sponsored By: Landmark and Nova Home Loans

Held At: Nova Home Loans, 6245 E. Broadway, 5th Floor, Tucson, Arizona

1:00 PM to 4:00 PM – Wednesday, February 23, 2011

 

Buyers and sellers tell us precisely what we need to do in order to get them to hire us and be satisfied customers. That information is in the NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Use the power of those statistics to better understand today’s buyers and sellers and what we need to do to serve clients with ease and success.


Successful Marketing Reports

Sponsored By: Prudential Foothills (Open To The Public)

Held At: Title Security, 6390 E. Tanque Verde Rd, Tucson, AZ

10:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Thursday, February 3, 2011 

On Monday, January 31, 2011, Commissioner Lowe traveled to Tucson and delivered a presentation to update members on regulatory changes and new legislation affecting our industry. Commissioner Lowe shared lots of information including:

• New rules pertaining to education instructors and course approval
• Statistics on licensees in our industry
• Insights for completing the Broker Audit Declaration
• Short Sale & Third Party Negotiator Practices Affected by MARS

If you have not heard of MARS, you need to be aware of this important change in federal regulations. MARS stands for Mortgage Assistance Relief Services and is part of a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Rule that bans providers of mortgage foreclosure rescue and loan modification services from collecting fees until homeowners have a written offer from their lender or servicer that they decide is acceptable.You can read more about the rule directly on the Federal Trade Commission website. THE FINAL PROVISIONS OF THE RULE BECAME EFFECTIVE JANUARY 31, 2011!

The rule has large ramifications for short sale listing agents who are assisting homeowners with loan modifications. Commissioner Lowe made it very clear that this rule in conjunction with the opinions of the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE), the Arizona Department of Financial Services (DFI), and the Arizona Attorney General that:

1. Listing agents should not participate in loan modification with a lender on behalf of the homeowner unless the licensee has a loan originator license.

2. Licensees are precluded from collecting fees or charging additional amounts for loan modification services.

3. Entities acting as third party negotiators on short sale transactions must possess an Arizona Real Estate License.

The new FTC rule requires new disclosures and contains a number of prohibited claims which must be addressed in all advertising and marketing. Commissioner Lowe indicated that the Department of Real Estate is currently drafting some advisories and disclosures to help licensees deal with the new MARS provision. In the meantime, we encourage you to read the rule referenced above on the Federal Trade Commission website.

Some additional information regarding the impact of the Rule on real estate licensees can be found on the Real Solutions Network blog post.

Thank you Commissioner Lowe for the insight. We appreciate the attention and time you provided to update our industry regarding these important changes.