February 2008

VOICES

President
Editor
Letters

DEPARTMENTS

Real Life
Hot Market
A small but thriving emirate wants your attention—and your clients’ investment dollars.

Cool Tools
Instant labels; help with your blog; customized gift cards.

Ethics
What makes a home’s history pertinent and thus disclosable to buyers?

Your NAR
Understanding today’s home buyers; discounted REBAC courses.

In Court
The content of MLS listings is copyrightable.

Market Pulse
Indexes of recent sales activity and projections for the next six months.

Economy
Higher FHA loan limits could push home sales higher.

Technology
Google takes on Microsoft’s Office juggernaut.

Fast Takes
Timely debt relief; FHA surge; savings woes.

Help Troubled Borrowers
Past clients might look to you for help modifying troubled subprime loans. Here’s what you need to know about the voluntary rate freeze

House Sense
REALTOR® magazine’s 17-page House & Home feature will help you answer a wide range of buyer and seller questions with up-to-date information about style, design, and upkeep.

Design Trends From modern to macabre, what’s hot.

The Elements of Good Design Help show a home’s potential.

Why Architecture Matters Judging the bones of a house.

Instant Architecture Expert Five timeless styles.

Maintenance Must-dos Upkeep is essential.

Remodeling Adviser Offer a healthy reality check.

Green: Easy Does It Simple ideas for eco-living.

Finding the Energy Leaks Help owners seal the gaps.

Staging Secrets Revealed Inexpensive ways to liven up listings.

Last Word
Nate Berkus, design advisor to Oprah Winfrey, wows Americans with his ability to transform ugly-duckling homes into swans.

ONLINE
Your Interactive Magazine REALTOR.org/realtormag

Slide Show: Hot Design Trends
Be the first to see emerging styles for inside and outside the home. Our interactive slide shows are brimming with ideas for sprucing up your listings.

Buyer’s Guide: Smarter Phones
The latest smart phones can do it all, with contact records available at your fingertips, built-in GPS to keep you on track, and even cameras to snap photos of your listings.

Video: Insider Look at an Energy Audit
You never know what secrets an energy audit will uncover. Take a behind-the-scenes look, and learn how to make energy efficiency part of your sales arsenal.

SALES COACH: 5 Listing Presentation Pitfalls
The pressure’s on! Get tips on how to avoid the most common mistakes that plague practitioners during listing presentations. Click Sales & Marketing

TECH WATCH: Gadgets Galore
Take a look at the new products set to hit stores this year, promising to make you more productive and better connected from wherever work, or life, takes you. Click Technology

QUIZ: Staging Savvy
You can perform simple home staging techniques once you understand the underlying principles. Take this quiz to learn the cardinal rules. Click Home & Design

EDITORS’ BLOG: Speaking of Real Estate
New! The magazine’s editors share stories as they’re developing, comment on hot topics in the business, and give you the opportunity to comment and provide input. Click News & Commentary

ARCHITECTURE COACH: Perks of Radiant Heating
Heating that emanates from the floor is a big perk for buyers in chilly climates. Find out how radiant heating works and why it’s becoming such a sought-after amenity. Click Home & Design

FEBRUARY POLL
Do your clients really care about green home features?
Go to REALTOR.org/realtormag to respond.

JANUARY POLL RESULTS
How do you think your business will fare in 2008 compared with 2007?
Better: 66% Worse: 15% About the Same: 19%
Results as of Jan. 3, based on 448 responses

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