VanEd Newslog

ENERGY STAR® Summit set for December 9th in Denver

The 2009 ENERGY STAR^® Summit is the fourth annual hosted by the Smart Energy Living Alliance^®. The event will be held December 9th, 2009 at the DoubleTree Hotel Denver at Stapleton. There will also be the first annual awards dinner following the event. The event will have four learning and education tracks running throughout the day that will focus on;

• Existing Home Performance
• New Homes
• Advanced Building Science
• Multifamily Housing

There will also be a pre-summit home tour and dinner on December 8th. This event will be a tour of a Platinum LEED Home (PLH) in Centennial, and will demonstrate that a holistic approach to building science using a clear roadmap and coordinated execution with ENERGY STAR^® programs provides a competitive advantage. 

Learn more by visiting http://summit.smartenergyliving.org/, or Register online today by Clicking Here

Congratulations to the 2009 Good Neighbor Awards Winners

At the General Session this past week at the NAR Conference, The 2009 Good Neighbor Awards winners were recognized. These REALTORS^® have made an extraordinary commitment to improving the quality of life in their communities through volunteer work.

REALTOR^® Magazine has sponsored the Good Neighbor Awards since their inception in 2000, and each of the past 10 years five winners receive $10,000 grants for their cause.

Visit http://www.realtor.org/GNA to read the stories of this years winners, and congratulations to each of the following 2009 winners (listed below) from all of us at VanEd.

Greg Adamson - Cindy Johnson - Helen Marotto - Regina Ragon - Samuel Thomas

Conference Live! keeps you up to date on what is happening at NAR in San Diego

Thousands of REALTORS will attend the NAR conference and expo in San Diego beginning this week and running through Monday November 16th, but many simply can’t make the Conference. To stay involved, try Conference Live! New from NAR.

Visit the Conference Live page for the latest news, pictures, educational session audio clips, blog reports, videos, tweets, and more related to the 2009 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. This online feature will give you a taste of the annual Conference if you can’t make it to San Diego.

Chart your winning course by following the conference on any of the following services;

   See all #nar09 references on Twitter.

  NAR 2009 Conference on Facebook

REALTOR® Magazine Online Daily News

Audio

As they become available, you can sample and purchase conference session audio recordings. Find out more >

 

Early registration open for NAR Resort & Second-Home Symposium

The 2010 NAR Resort & Second-Home Symposium will be held at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino on June 13-15, 2010. Held every 18 months, the symposium is a can’t-miss networking and educational event for REALTORS®.

REALTORS® attendees either already have their Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist (RSPS) certification or are attending the symposium to earn their certification. The symposium offers all attendees a variety of educational events, seminars, property tours and social gatherings.

Symposium attendees come from across the United States and North and worldwide to get the latest information on economic issues, learn about marketing trends and new products, discuss the process of marketing of luxury homes, and to connect with clients and other REALTORS®.

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to attend education sessions and networking events tailored for your business! Attendance at the NAR Symposium counts as one elective towards your Resort and Second-Home Property Specialists (RSPS) Certification. To view the RSPS Certification requirements, please visit www.realtors.org/resorts

Click Here for more information or to register online.

There's still time to register for NAR conference and expo in San Diego

Register now for the 2009 REALTORS® Conference and Expo! We encouraged to register soon for the best hotel options! The conference is slated to run from November 13th through the 16th and the Annual Governance meetings will run from the 11th through the 16th.

Worried about price? Visit the Conference web site to learn 5 ways NAR is working to keep costs and expenses down for this years attendees.

This years conference will include programs and opportunities to expand your business and increase your productivity. Registrants will also be able to hear Condoleezza Rice, Sugar Ray Leonard and Daniel Shapiro. Learn more at http://www.realtor.org/convention.nsf/.

Review the NAR Conference Hotel map and amenities and the NAR Governance Meeting Schedule to help you plan your trip and housing needs.

Q&A with Jennifer Allan - Do I really have to do an open house?

We asked author Jennifer Allan to answer questions based on her teaching and experience in the real estate industry. Jennifer is also a regular contributor to Realty Times and RE/MAX Times.

Question: "Everyone knows that open houses aren't likely to sell the house. Do I really have to do one?"

JA: I think so, sorry. For many reasons, not the least of which is that your seller expects you to and any attempt you make to talk him out of it will make you appear, um, lazy. Even if the seller agrees to your face that open houses are a waste of time, inside he's wondering if you're really as committed to getting his house sold as you say you are. Open houses are one of the most visible things we do as real estate agents and a very easy way to keep a seller happy. Conversely, refusing to do one is a very easy way to make a seller UNhappy!

Here are three other reasons to hold your listing open, at least once:

1. You can gather feedback from the public to share with your seller,
2. You'll become more familiar with your listing and might notice features (or challenges) you didn't see before,
3. You might sell the house. You never know - but it's not as if you holding an open house will HURT your chances of getting it sold!

So, yeah, I think you oughta do it. What's the worst thing that could happen?

Jennifer will be presenting "Selling to your Sphere of Influence" next week at the CAR Convention. Click here for information.

Guest Author Jennifer Allan has authored five books and multiple courses designed to teach agents her Sell with Soul philosophy that centers on four interrelated principles: Respect, Competence, Confidence and Enthusiasm.  The latest release of her book Sell with Soul is available in the VanEd bookstore. You can also visit her online at www.sellwithsoul.com.  

CAR convention and expo - REALTOR® World - October 19th - 20th

Scheduled for October 18th - 20th, 2009 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, the annual CAR convention and expo - REALTOR® World - includes FREE registration to both the CREC Annual update course and a New Colorado Contracts course. The two-day exhibit hall and more than 35 education sessions highlight the annual conference (pre-registration is a must!).

Attendees will also have a chance to win the $1000 grand prize sponsored by Metro Brokers at the Exhibit Hall Oktoberfest on Monday night! The annual association business meetings will follow the conference and expo on October 21st and 22nd.

VanEd is proud to be an exhibitor at this years CAR Conference and Expo, so make sure to stop by and see us! There are also affordable hotel options available. Check them out by clicking here, and we'll see you there!

Click Here to view the entire REALTOR® World Schedule - or Click Here to register online!

2009 Boulder Valley Real Estate Forecast coming in November

The Boulder Valley Real Estate Conference and Forecast is being held at the Millennium Harvest House Hotel Thursday, November 19th. The conference will consist of a four part program that will look at the real estate economy in Boulder County as well as the country on the whole.

Topics being covered will include current banking and credit issues, demand, and Green issues and how the growth of the Green industry will benefit the local economy. The schedule again includes an update on what to expect in the year ahead.

Van Education Center will be providing 4 hours of continuing education credit to those Real Estate professionals who attend the entire program. Registration for CE will take place on site. To register in advance to ensure your seat at the conference, Click Here or click the link below for more information.

http://www.fallrealestateconference.com/

Chart a winning course at the NAR Conference & Expo

Register now for the 2009 REALTORS® Conference and Expo! We encouraged to register soon for the best hotel options! The conference is slated to run from November 13th through the 16th and the Annual Governance meetings will run from the 11th through the 16th.

This years conference will include programs and opportunities to expand your business and increase your productivity. Registrants will also be able to hear Condoleezza Rice, Sugar Ray Leonard and Daniel Shapiro. Learn more at http://www.realtor.org/convention.nsf/.

Review the NAR Conference Hotel map and amenities and the NAR Governance Meeting Schedule to help you plan your trip and housing needs.

Valuation Expo 2009 - CE Credit for Appraisers in Iowa

Appraisers from Iowa attending the 2009 Valuation Expo in New Orleans can receive 7 hours of CE credit for the Valuation Visionaries keynote opening session as well as 7 hours for Regulatory Updates / Re-Engineering the Appraisal Process.

Valuation Visionaries (A502-109) involves the use of the latest technology and methods available to provide quality, reliable, dependable and security data for analysis. Each speaker has a unique focus in the industry. These speakers aren’t selling anything. These speakers are giving insight into the future of the appraisal industry. What are the upcoming challenges for appraisers and how will appraisers tackle them.

Re-Engineering the Appraisal Process (A502-108) looks at how the current economic environment has forced us to examine our processes, procedures and policies.  There has been a tremendous gap between what appraisers produce and what lenders need. Listen to the experts and get a peek into where we need to direct our focus to reshape the appraisal landscape.   How are appraisal leaders, appraisers, federal agencies, regulators and vendors working together to identify solutions to restoring integrity in collateral valuation. The Regulatory Updates portion will detail the specifics of new legislation both enacted and pending.  Presenters include a representative from the Appraisal Subcommittee, state appraisal board directors and a national legislative consultant.   The focus of this presentation is to show the effect of current and pending legislation on the industry.  How do these issues trickle down to the appraisers in each state. 

The Valuation Expo is hosted by our partners Appraisal Buzz. Certificates will be issued by VanEd.