| In This Issue: Monday, August 8, 2005 | |||||
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INDUSTRY NEWS AND EVENTS |
ANNUAL MEETING OFFERINGS ON COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE |
| The NAR annual meeting October 28-31 in San Francisco is rapidly approaching. Whether you are new to commercial real estate and seeking to expand your skills or a seasoned professional looking to broaden your knowledge base there are programs for every level of expertise. Those curious to learn more about commercial real estate will want to attend "What Every Residential Agent Needs to Know About Commercial Real Estate" presented by Cindy Chandler, CCIM, CRE, Chairman of the Commercial Leadership Forum on October 29 at 1:00pm. More seasoned members won’t want to miss "Real Estate Investment, The 1031 Exchange: The Investor and You" on October 31 at 9:00am. The class is available for CE credit and requires advance enrollment, lead by John Mangham and Rochelle Stone of Starker Services. To learn more about commercial focused programs at the annual meeting. CLICK HERE |
MAXIMIZE YOUR SOFTWARE INVESTMENT WITH NEW ZipForm® INTERACTIVE TRAINING CD |
| If you already have ZipForm®, the Official Forms Software of the NAR, are you making the most of the software? Maximize the returns on your software investment by purchasing the ZipForm Interactive Training CD. The new Interactive Training CD offers users a convenient, self-paced training solution to enhance your ability to use ZipForm. The Interactive Training CD covers both ZipFormDesktop and ZipFormOnline, and is packed with over 40 “movie” demos of separate processes and procedures. Also included are user guides and training manuals for both applications. Order the Interactive Training CD for only $19.95 (includes shipping and handling). For more information, CLICK HERE or call 866-MY FORMS (866-693-6767). Not all state and local form libraries are available. Check the website for availability. |
PUBLIC POLICY UPDATES |
NAR PROGRAM ASSISTS ASSOCIATIONS WITH EMINENT DOMAIN ISSUES |
| The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision on eminent domain is seen by many as a blow to private property rights. However, the decision empowers states to establish rules that localities must follow when exercising eminent domain powers. Some states have stricter standards than those reviewed by the Court in the Connecticut case. NAR's Customized State Smart Growth Legislation Program is available to state REALTOR® associations that would like to promote legislation to firm up state eminent domain laws. Under this program NAR will work with state associations to have the necessary legislation drafted and will pay half the cost. For more info, CLICK HERE LGoold@realtors.orgor CONTACT: Bob McNamara, 202/383-1268. |
HOUSE APPROVES SBHPs |
| On July 26, The House of Representatives approved H.R. 525, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, by a vote of 263-165. The legislation, which is one of NAR’s top priorities, will allow small businesses and self-employed workers to band together through a trade or professional association to negotiate lower health insurance costs for participants. The focus now turns toward the Senate where a companion bill, S. 406, is being considered. If you have not already done so, please go to the Action Center TAKE ACTION Page CLICK HERE. Or to write your Senators urging them to support the Small Business Health Fairness Act. Watch the Action Center for future action requests as the Senate begins to consider this legislation. |
IRS ANNOUNCES STEPPED-UP AUDITS OF S-CORPS |
| The IRS has announced that it will expand its audits of businesses organized as Subchapter S corporations. The number of S corps has increased more than ten-fold in recent years. Accordingly, the IRS intends to learn about the extent of noncompliance and underreporting of income by these types of entities. This project will choose 5000 1120S tax returns from 2003 and 2004 for this endeavor. The project is expected to commence in the late fall of this year. For more information contact Linda Goold at lgoold@realtors.org or 202-383-1083, or Jimmy Williams at jwilliams@realtors.org or 202-383-1234 |
RESEARCH, RESOURCES |
NEW RESEARCH RESOURCES AVAILABLE |
| There is a new resource available to members of NAR; The REALTORS® National Center for Real Estate Research (NCRER). The Center supports original, high-quality research that contributes to a greater understanding of the real estate industry. A monthly e-newsletter will keep you abreast of the latest research sponsored by NCRER, upcoming research in the pipeline and information about research grant opportunities. A project in the pipeline is "New Submarkets: Mapping Office Space in Edgeless Cities". This study uses GIS to identify the locations of Edgeless Cities in the 13 largest office markets in the U.S. to better understand the location of office space, which in turn, can identify areas of opportunity as well as stress within a metropolis. To learn more and sign up for the newsletter CLICK HERE. |
CURRENT RELEASES FROM THE NAR RESEARCH DEPARTMENT |
| Since the last edition of the Commercial Report the NAR Research department has released two studies of interest for commercial practitioners; the "Retail View" and the "Industrial View". The "Views" focus on each commercial sector in depth. According to the "Industrial View", the national market has been improving steadily over the past few months. CLICK HERE In the "Industrial View" you will also find the 2005 industrial year end forecast. The "Retail View" reports that Retail tops the list of properties with the greatest price appreciation. Download the "Retail View" from this page. |
AFFILIATE NEWS |
BOOM BUBBLE BUST - IREM REPORT ON ASIAN REAL ESTATE MARKET |
| Travel to the Far East reveals market differences, but leasing practices and concepts aren’t far off. Recently Charles Achilles, V.P. Legislation and Research Services from the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) was part of a tour to Asia hosted by Realcomm with the goal of visiting cutting edge real estate in five cities; Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. Read his report on the state of the market in Asia’s different real estate sectors, leasing operations and property manager responsibilities in the "Journal of Property Management". CLICK HERE. |
NEW SEMINAR OFFERS EXPERT ADVICE ON MANAGING MOLD |
| IREM and the REALTORS® Commercial Alliance (RCA) have partnered with the Department of Environmental Health at the University of Cincinnati Medical School to present "Managing Mold: Recognition, Remediation and Resolution," a one-day seminar that will show you how to protect the physical health of building occupants and the financial health of your properties. This seminar will be offered in three locations in September; Chicago, Orlando and Los Angeles. Space is limited. CLICK HERE |
Report compiled by Carolyn Schwaar, cschwaar@realtors.org, 312/329-8874. |
| QUESTIONS on this report? Visit the INS FAQ and online feedback area on REALTOR.org. CLICK HERE. |
