VanEd - Real Estate School News

New HUD Study Shows Why All Public Housing Should Be Smoke-Free

Last year, as part of our ongoing commitment, HUD announced a new rule that requires every public housing agency (PHA) in the United States to ensure their residents can live in a smoke-free environment.  This rule can help protect more than 910,000 households living in public housing, including more than 760,000 children and 500,000 elderly Americans.

The dangers of smoking are well documented.  According to the U.S. Surgeon General, smoking kills approximately 480,000 people each year.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also estimates that smoking inflicts nearly $153 million in annual damages upon PHAs in the form of health care costs, annual repairs to units where smoking has occurred, and preventable fires.

Now, a pioneering study from experts at HUD and the CDC paints an even clearer picture on the harmful health effects that smoking causes for people who live in public housing.

The paper, which is now available for free online, is the first to examine the prevalence and negative impact of cigarette smoking among adult residents of public housing.  Some of its key findings include:

• One-third of adults living in public housing surveyed between 2006 and 2012 identified themselves as cigarette smokers — approximately double the rate of smoking among all adults in the United States.

• Among adult residents in public housing, smokers were more likely than nonsmokers to suffer from conditions such as chronic lung disease, asthma, physical disabilities, and serious psychological distress.

• Adult smokers in public housing were more likely than nonsmokers to visit the emergency room and to miss time from work.

Fortunately, the study also highlights the opportunity for HUD and its partners to play an important role in addressing these challenges.

More than half of the HUD-assisted smokers who were surveyed expressed an interest in kicking their addiction.  And the paper notes that housing assistance programs can act as a crucial platform for improving quality of life for residents by connecting them with resources for quitting smoking, and by introducing steps that protect children and other vulnerable Americans from exposure to secondhand smoke.

This study is a powerful reminder of why efforts like our smoke-free housing rule are so important.  And I want to thank authors Veronica E. Helms, Brian A. King, and Peter J. Ashley for their outstanding efforts.

HUD is committed to working with PHAs and public health professionals across the nation to give every resident of public housing the chance to live in a home that’s safe from the dangers of tobacco smoke.  And in the years ahead, we’ll keep striving to help improve the health and wellbeing of every person we serve — one family, one neighborhood, and one community at a time.

Jon L. Gant is the Director of the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes.

First Quarter Wrap Up - Our favorite stories included new rules, Penquins and yeah, Zombies

In the first quarter of 2016 home price indicators showed some volatility but new construction permits increased. Market rates have risen only slightly while oil prices came up from near record lows.  Unemployment is holding and we wait for the Fed to make decisions about rate increases (or...not) in the coming months.

These stories were important and may have an effect on the real estate marketplace, but the stories below were the ones that our team paid attention to the most. See if you agree with out staff picks. 

 

Resales fall sharply in February - But New Home Sales Surge

U.S. home resales fell sharply in February in a potentially troubling sign for America's economy which has otherwise looked resilient to the global economic slowdown. NAR reported greater than a 7% decrease while home prices were still up more than 4% around the country.  Is this trouble for the economy on the whole or is this a normal winter slowdown? 

Perhaps - as Bloomberg noted that February New Home sales surged, especially in the Western part of the country. This conflicting piece of information may only signal a leveling of the playing field when it comes to the pricing of new and existing homes. We want a few more months of data before making any determination. 

View the full resale breakdown and story online at Reuters.

To read more and see the stats for the New Home sales in February, visit Bloomberg Online here. 

TREC Rules Take Effect

The Texas Real Estate Commission made many rule changes that took effect at the start of 2016. Among these was the requirement that all licensees in their first renewal cycle complete 8-hours of Legal CE as a part of their Salesperson Apprentice Education (SAE) requirement.  Did we say 8-hours? Yes. The Legal and Ethics requirement of 6-hours was changed to an 8-hour requirement consisting of two 4-hour Legal courses.  (Note that this may also have an affect on REALTORS looking to complete their NAR mandated Ethics requirements. Check with your local board to determine if you will now be required to complete and additional Ethics course moving forward.)

VanEd previously reported on the proposed changes on our site (click here) and we have now updated and made all of the courses available online to meet the new requirements. You can also click here to learn more about the new Legal I and Legal II courses required for all Texas Licensees (errr.... License Holders now. Sorry, just another rule change.)  

 

CREC/DRE Director Gives 2016 Update

In a webcast presented by the Colorado Association of REALTORS (CAR) Division Director Marcia Waters discussed the sunset review and upcoming rulemaking hearings taking place that affect real estate brokers in Colorado. Our key takeaway from the presentation was that the Director has an excellent handle on what is going on currently in the Colorado real estate marketplace.

We have posted the entire presentation online on the VanEd Newslog. 

 

Oregon is the most popular State

In January CNN Money reported that the number of people moving to Oregon has increased by 10% in the past six years. This is not surprising considering the number of new businesses has also increased providing new jobs, and housing prices have increased as well. A sign of housing popularity that is a direct result of new residents moving to popular areas.

Learn more online at CNN Money

 

Tech Tools to help your Business

How can you tell if a tech tool will be good for your business and which are just shiny new toys?  Inman tackled this question in February in an article we found to be right on point. The key challenge for most people is either integration or implementation. In other words, how long will it take to to get yourself up to speed on the tool, and then how long does it take you to put it into practice?

Take a look at this article for tips that may help you separate the good from the bad (or in the case from the shiny) online at Inman News.

 

Raising the Bar in Real Estate

We were happy to see another article on how real estate professionals can work to raise the bar every day. Increasing the reputation of everyone in the industry starts with each of us, and this second article from Inman News hit the mark with us in a number of ways.

You can find our favorite tip (Be Humble) and 9 others online at Inman News.

 

Can Government Housing also be Sleek?

In February Curbed reported on some government housing getting a new, stylish design. The fact that these are in Eastern Europe doesn't change our feelings much - these are much better designs and we hope more U.S. affordable housing might be created from older, out of date, properties.

Learn more at Curbed.com

 

Any Stories where Penguins get on a Treadmill? You Bet!

The Guardian posted on a study that shows that fat Penguins fall over more often than slim ones when they're put on a treadmill. With this information apparently not being scientifically proven up until this point, this study was critical.

(It also defines, clearly, the validity of my own less-than-scientific-survey of 1, in which I discovered that I am just like a penguin.)

Seriously though, you have got to watch the video associated with this story online at The Guardian. 

 

And, of course, Zombies and how they relate to Amazon

If you are developer who uses Lumberyard (tools to create video games) with Amazon's cloud services, you will be happy to know that the Acceptable Use language in the Terms of Service agreement do create an exemption to certain rules if the CDC certifies an outbreak that causes human corpses to reanimate and seek to consume living human flesh exist.

In other words, Zombies.

If there are zombies those developers can use Lumberyard with life critical systems. This is important: This does NOT mean that Video Games can keep you safe from Zombies. We had hoped otherwise, but, alas, no. We're still not safe.

We recommend reading the CNN Money Article linked into this Newser post before looking at the bottom for the link to the article on how to stay safe from Zombies. Because that's really all we were looking for in the first place.

Housing Quote of the Quarter

On March 25th U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) issued the following statement upon conclusion of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee hearing titled “The Future of Housing in America: Government Regulations and the High Cost of Housing.”

“The purpose of today’s hearing is simple: to examine the high cost of housing in America. Today, we heard testimony that 40 percent of rental costs are due to regulation. Rising costs and lack of availability paint a bleak picture for the future of workforce housing in America. Unfortunately, the stock of affordable market-rate housing is not plentiful for those seeking it. This subcommittee will continue to examine these issues and methods to lift Americans from poverty and ensure they don’t just have a place to live, but also a place to have a life.”

 - See more at: http://missouri.realestaterama.com/2016/03/25/luetkemeyer-subcommittee-examine-high-cost-of-housing-in-america-ID0924.html#sthash.BlHIsHjb.dpuf

 

 

We're sharing our favorite posts since June - Right after our Naps

Naps? Yes!  New studies affirm the power of napping at work, and as you read this we'll be doing our part to try to take advantage of this top-notch science! (If you could be so kind as to NOT tell our bosses... we don't think they would agree)

Productivity closely tied to rest and napping - Agbeat reported that Reaseachers from the University of California studies 39 volunteers and found that those who took a 90-minute nap in the afternoon performed better after the nap than the those who did not nap. They also performed better after the nap than before!  EVIDENCE! 

It also shows that sleeping before learning improves your ability to process information - so students, feel free to join us......errr......not us, but others, and take a nap before finishing that course online!

Read this groundbreaking information at agbeat.com.

 

FTC Returns Money to Consumers in Mortgage Relief Scam

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 2,653 checks totaling more than $467,000 to consumers who lost money to a scheme that charged large up-front fees for mortgage relief services that were not provided. In winning a court action against Jackson, Crowder & Associates and Crowder Law Group, the FTC alleged false promises to modify consumers' mortgages.

Our Take? It's nice to see consumers who lost money in these scams actually being repaid for at least a part of their losses. Read the full FTC's refund program online here.

 

Texas Department of Housing v. Inclusive Communities Project

We all waited for the ruling in this case on Disparate Impact in Fair Housing. The case began in 2008, when the Inclusive Communities Project (or ICP) filed a lawsuit against the Texas state agency for the distribution of tax credits in a way that reinforces and increases racial segregation. Because landlords who receive the tax credits are required to accept affordable-housing vouchers from low-income tenants—many of whom come from minority communities—the allocation of those credits has an outsized impact on racial housing patterns. Courts at the district and circuit levels agreed with the ICP, concluding that Texas’ distribution of tax credits violated the Fair Housing Act because of its “disparate impact” on minorities.

On June 25, 2015, the Supreme Court, by a five-to-four margin, upheld the application of disparate impact under the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) in Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. While upholding the theory, the Court imposed significant limitations on its application in practice.

 

4 Tips for Getting Value from your Home Inspection

Most of the time articles on tips don't include much, but late in June Zillow's blog included at least one take-away that any prospective homebuyer can use. More importantly, any real estate professional can benefit from at least one tip in this quick read: Recommend creating a maintenance plan. 

Check out the article online by clicking here and let us know if this is something real estate professionals can share with their buyer-clients that would be a potentially major benefit to them post-closing.  

 

And from the "In Case You Missed It" pile - Integrated Mortgage Disclosures are coming!

After what can only be described as an interesting summer, this Fall we will finally see the implementation of the new Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure forms beginning October 3rd.  The new forms have been out for some time but now real estate professionals are diving in to learn more about the forms and the new rules that have the potential of affecting closings.

Check out our post on the rule and forms and consider taking a course on them as well.

http://www.vaned.com/blogposts/cfpb-finalizes-new-trid-effective-date-october-3-2015/

 

Giant Translucent Blob Found in the Ocean

It's obvious why this is newsworthy, and even more obvious how absolutely frightening giant ocean blobs are, but what got us watching this CNN video was the fact that there were divers willing to go up and touch what could be either space alien larvae or underwater zombie burial formations.

Either way, we watched. A little freaked out, but we watched.

 

April Showered us with great stories (so sorry about that!) - Here's our Favorites from this past month

This month while our Senior management was traveling to conferences near and far, there were still stories that caught the eye of our staff. Here's a brief recap of the stories we found interesting in April, including a post on the ARELLO Mid-Year meetings in San Diego, CAR Spring Meetings in Vail and the invention of the Slurpee. Think we missed a story? Let us know!

 

ARELLO Mid-Year Meetings

The annual mid-year meetings offer real estate regulators from across the country (and around the world) a chance to meet, plan and strategize on issues ranging from timeshares to property management rule and regulation enforcement. This year our own Burton Lee attended the meetings. While no major rule changes or operational meetings were made, we'll be watching for those to come forward at the annual meeting this fall. Educational standards may be discussed and changes could be implemented.

 

Colorado Association of REALTORS Spring Meetings

One day after the start of the ARELLO meetings, CAR Directors and engaged REALTORS met in Vail. Our Founder, Vann Hilty, who is a CAR Director was among the attendees. Our favorite part of the trip was
the selfi that he got caught taking in between sessions. (Or was in DURING the sessions.... hmmmmm?)

The meetings concluded with an increase in membership dues and a change to the Board voting structure that should benefit the entire membership over the long term.

 

Not the only shows in town! Instructor Development Was Omnipresent* this month as well!

If two conferences and sets of meetings the same week isn't enough, educators had two additional conferences this month. The annual RAPDD conference hosted in Wichita each year draws educators from all over the country. This even hosts more than a hundred educators and professional development directors from associations and boards across the country. With exceptional panels, classes, IDWs and the Speaker Showcase all on display, this event was a must attend for educators in real estate.

If you missed it this year, the 2015 dates are already set for March 31st - April 2nd.

And just this past week TRETA, the Texas Real Estate Teachers Association, held their annual conference as well. Texas instructors were able to participate in IDWs (earning credit at the same time) and hear not only the newest information on instruction for real estate in Texas, but were also updated on new rules from Gwen Jackson from the Texas Real Estate Commission. (Hint: Massive changes have been made, even more critical changes coming next year... we'll be busy)

*Note: I've been seeking an opportunity to put "omnipresent" in a post for quite some time now.

 

The Invention of the Slurpee

Everything we ever wanted to know about the iconic brain-freeze inducing beverage in one article. You bet we're interested! How did the Slurpee come about? What IS the connection between a slurpee and an ICEE? How long has the slurpee been around? These questions and many others were answered in the following post;

http://priceonomics.com/the-invention-of-the-slurpee/?curator=MediaREDEF

 

EPA / Army Corps Redifine "Waters of the US"

Last week the EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers published the draft rule redefining “waters of the US” as used in the Clean Water Act for public comment.  The Federal Register notice and various other related documents may be found on this website page:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EPA-HQ-OW-2011-0880-0001

The comment period opened today, and it closes July 21, 2014 (90 days). This will be an opportunity for all stakeholders to actually have a say in which Waters are covered... and which are not.

 

 Top 10 Nerdiest States - via eStately

Possibly the most important story this past month came from a real estate firm who conducted the very important and only slightly semi-scientific research necessary to determine the nerdiest states in America.

As soon as we saw this we knew our home state would be on the list. (don't ask how we knew, we just knew)  And guess what - Top 10! Yay!  Now give me back my Charizard Card.

http://blog.estately.com/2014/04/the-nerdiest-states-in-america/

 

 

Our Favorite Stories from March: 2014 Housing predictions, key ruling for Property Managers and ... of course ... Zombies.

This month was filled with interesting stories. We've collected a few of our staff favorites and posted them here in brief.

Wind Energy - Twenty Six Senators urged the Senate Finance Committee leadership to Extend wind production tax credits. The credits support 80,000 American workers. A bipartisan coalition of 118 members of the U.S. House sent a similar request to the House Committee on Financial Services.  We were excited by three things in this announcement, including the support of a Green industry that creates jobs for people all over the country and the positive effect the wind industry has on real estate markets, but mostly we were impressed that the support was bipartisan. Really, when does that happen in Congress?

 

Housing in 2014 - Economist David Berson wrote the 3 things you need to know about housing in 2014 for Housingwire. We think his #3 item (Mortgage availability shouldn't worsen and may improve) is a bellweather statement. This leads him to state that is interest rates rise then refinance applications will fall, which should lead lenders to eae lending standards to the extent possible under the new QM rules. A boost in lending activity means a boost to home sales, and that would be good for all of us.

 

Vampires - Vampire Gravesites in Poland? Yep. As reported by Newsy, a vampire grave site seems to have been unearthed. Typically we're more concerned with zombies, but the finding of vampires also raises many questions for us. We have concerns.

 

This month's best Tech item - CNN published the map of underwater cables wiring the internet. The The Washington research firm Telegeography logged the map in its Submarine Cable Map. Find the article by clicking here. The gallery truly is facsinating - if you like tech as much as we do.

 

Key Court Ruling for Property Managers - The city of Farmers Branch, Texas, passed an ordinance requireing potential tenants to prove citizenship, creating the possibility that immigrants could no longer rent property within the city. The ordinance was immediately challenged in court and was never enacted. Earlier this month, Farmers Branch lost a long and expensive court battle when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case. The ruling says two things: First, for real estate professionals, you cannot demand proof of U.S. Citizenship in order to rent property to a prospective tenant. Second, some have suggested that this affirms that Immigration law is the responsibility of the Federal Government, not local municipalities.

The case may have ramifications on another case that is being litigated out of Fremont, Nebraska as well where the Court of Appeals has issued an opposite ruling on a similar ordinance. Read more about the Farmers Branch case in the Dallas News.

 

Dateline: Las Vegas: A man went into the Excalibur hotel and in a failed attempt at burglery was "detained" (possibly "defeated") by the men in the cast of the Thunder Down Under male review. We tried to tweet this but couldn't think of any combination of hashtags that would be ...ya' know... oh, forget it. Just insert your own comment here.

 

Zombies can't get us here! - Turns out Estately was finally able to put some resources into one of the issues we think is most critical: Determining where we need to be when the zombie apocolypse begins. Their list of U.S. States Most and Least likely to survive a Zombie Apocolypse finally hit their blog. Turns out where we are is fairly safe (which we are grateful for) but there are a few states that need to do a better job preparing their citizens for the eventual ... or at least, concievable ... We're afraid of zombies. That is all.

 

Just in Time for Spring - In an article from Wired magazine we learned that the U.S. Mint will releae a 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin that will be unlike any other. In 2012 Congress passed an Act that gave birth to the coin, which will be domed (as in, roundish) to reflect a baseball on one side.  

 

Think we missed a great story this month? Let us know! Comment here or tweet it to us at http://vaned.com/twitter. 

 

For Students: A brief Introduction to Superfund enforcement

This post is presented to identify for our students who is responsible for determining the liability and cleanup enforcement under the Comprehensive Environment Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund Act of 1996. We will also define Potentially responsible parties.

Under the 1976 Toxic Substance Control Act, as well as as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was charged with regulating potentially hazardous chemicals. The same year the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) was passed that created liability for any party involved in creating a toxic waste site as regulated by the EPA.

These laws also created defenses that can be used to defend a land owner against actions. In this piece we will focus on the enforcement under the Act.

Taken in part from the EPA: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) provides a comprehensive group of authorities focused on one main goal: to address any release, or threatened release, of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants that could endanger human health and/or the environment. CERCLA's response provisions focus on the protection of human health and the environment. The statute also provides authority for assessment and restoration of natural resources that have been injured by a hazardous substance release or response.     

The Oil Pollution Act (OPA) was enacted in reaction to the Exxon Valdez oil spill and provides authority for oil pollution liability and compensation as well as for the Federal government to direct and manage oil spill cleanups. Similar to CERCLA,  OPA contains authorities to allow the assessment and restoration of natural resources that have been contaminated by the discharge, or threatened discharge, of oil.

Under CERCLA and OPA, the EPA shares with the U.S. Coast Guard the general responsibility for investigating and responding to contamination by hazardous substances or oil. The Coast Guard is primarily responsible for contamination involving the coastal zone including all U.S. waters subject to the tide, the Great Lakes, and deepwater ports. The EPA is primarily responsible for contamination on land and inland waters.

CERCLA provides EPA with comprehensive authority to respond to hazardous substance releases by initiating either response activities financed by the Hazardous Substance Superfund (Superfund) or enforcement actions to force responsible parties to pay for cleanups. Under the OPA, the EPA is also the lead agency in resonding to oil spills in inland waters. The EPA is required to initiate a removal action when there is a discharge, or substantial threat of discharge, of oil into inland waters "that may affect natural resources ...".

As defined in the Acts, and as further described in the Superfund And Small Waste Contributers pamphlet, "Potentially responsible parties" (PRPs) are individuals or companies who may be responsible for all of part of the contamination at a site. PRPs may include individuals, business, local, state or fedearl governmental agencies and other types of organizations. PRPs are classified in four ways;

1. a current owner or operator of the site
2. a former owner or operator of the site during the period of disposal
3. a party that arranged for the treatment, disposal, or transportation of hazardous substances to the site
4. a party that transported hazardous substances to a site you selected

If a party fits into any one of these descriptions they may be a PRP even if they were unaware that waste was disposed of at the site, or did not dispose of it themselves.

In other words, anyone involved with a site could be a PRP.

For those who contribute minimally to the waste on the site they may be eligible for a special type of settlement depending on on how much waste they contributed, the hazardous effects of the waste and if the settlement only involves a minor portion of the response costs at the site.

Those interested can learn more on the EPA website by reviewing the information publicly available: Natural Resources Damages: A Primer.

Have questions or comments?  Let us know! Send us an email at [email protected] 
And don't forget to follow the VanEd NewsLog, fan, like and link with us online!

The most successful people in Real Estate use VanEd.  See what they say by clicking here.

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Become aware of Asbestos issues in older properties

As a new homeowner or potential seller, it is not likely that you are acquainted with the inner materials of a home. However, most buyers seek an updated home inspection before closing on a new property. It is important to reassure buyers that the home is safe and does not contain any potential health hazards. These inspections are critical to clearing hurdles down the road that may slow the sale of property.

One of the most common surprises new homeowners and sellers confront is asbestos in older structures. Indeed, asbestos containing materials (ACMs) are now banned for use in the United States but many older buildings still contain these products, which are generally safe, but homeowners should be aware of where they and when they become hazardous.

Asbestos was included in thousands of construction products and still exists in nearly 80% of homes built prior to 1978. Common asbestos materials include attic insulation, ceiling tiles, and pipe lining. Asbestos was particularly adept at insulation and prevention of temperature transfer and was used extensively until adverse health effects began to manifest in those who worked with the material frequently.

It is only when asbestos containing materials are compromised or very old that they become hazardous. Asbestos products under these conditions are rendered “friable.” Home inspection companies should be able to identify these circumstances and advise you on a course of action. When asbestos material is friable, asbestos fibers can be released into the air, potentially endangering those in the area.
Inhaled asbestos fibers lodge in the body’s inner tissue and have been conclusively linked to the rare cancer, mesothelioma in addition to many other respiratory disorders. There are few options for mesothelioma treatment or curative therapies for other conditions caused by sustained asbestos exposures. Homeowners need to be aware of potential hazards that may exist so they may be able to avoid potentially harmful effects of hazardous asbestos.

Again, most asbestos containing materials will not pose an immediate hazard and an informed buyer will not be turned off by their presence if they’re reassured of their safety by a professional opinion. These simple precautions can be taken to assure that both sides know that they and their families will be happy and healthy in their new home.

Information courtesty of the Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center - Online at http://www.maacenter.org. Learn more about Environmental Hazards Screening by taking the online course - available through VanEd. Click here for more information on this MRE course.

 

Have questions or comments?  Let us know! Send us an email at [email protected] 
And don't forget to follow the VanEd NewsLog, fan, like and link with us online!

The most successful people in Real Estate use VanEd.  See what they say by clicking here.

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Our favorite stories this week include angry chefs, green property valuation and low appraisals, sooo.... hold the blowfish?

Here are our favorite stories from this week, as reported by the VanEd staff, students and industry sources. It's probably no surprise that food, green building and a story about a low appraisal all made the list. We're diverse like that. :)

Did you know that Old Buildings can learn New Tricks? An article on the Sustainable Business Oregon website says yes. In her article, Caitlin Powell notes a study showing that by renovating an older warehouse (or potentially a mall?) and using 6 to 8 percent fewer resources than on demolition and new construction, contributions to climate change can be reduced by as much as 9 percent. Other stats are even more impressive.

Read more --> http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/columns/2012/04/old-buildings-can-learn-new-tricks.html?ed=2012-04-03&s=article_du&ana=e_sbo

 

You know it is still an interesting market when the Past President of the Appraisal Institute, a Tennessee Real Estate Broker, loses a deal over a low appraisal and then gets an article on CNN Money. Read the article and then decide: Are banks sending messages to appraisers to keep valuations low?  http://cnnmon.ie/HcdwZ7

Don't think the appraisers are just one sided, though. They're still working on Green features as they ask If Energy upgrades add value to existing homes? The appraisers discuss this in an Appriasal Scoop post.    http://bit.ly/GTtZOf

Appraisers also have to deal with the Uniform Collateral Data Portal® (UCDP®), a single portal for the electronic submission of appraisal data files to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae that facilitates the electronic collection of appraisal report data. Appraisal report forms for all conventional mortgages delivered to Freddie Mac on or after March 19, 2012, must be submitted to the UCDP. For more info visit http://www.freddiemac.com/sell/secmktg/uniform_collateral_data_portal.html. 

 

Ever ask what happens to all the hats that land on the ice after a hat-trick in hockey? We didn't until the Colorado Avalanche put the question to those who pick them up in this online video: http://video.avalanche.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=1027&id=103305 (and hey, now we know!) 

 

And what is with the regulators in Tokyo? The deadly poisonous Blowfish can kill you with a look (ok, an eye....seriously, the eyes, heart, liver... all more deadly than cyanide!). And now food regulators are easing restrictions for those who want to cook these deadly delicacies. Seems to us tha loosening standards for chefs who specialize in blowfish seems like adding risk to an already "fishy" proposition. 

See what we mean in this Rueters article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/03/us-japan-blowfish-idUSBRE83202P20120403

These stories and many more were or are available on one of our social network sites listed below. Please join us there!

Be aware of asbestos issues in older properties

As a new homeowner or potential seller, it is not likely that you are acquainted with the inner materials of a home. However, most buyers seek an updated home inspection before closing on a new property. It is important to reassure buyers that the home is safe and does not contain any potential health hazards. These inspections are critical to clearing hurdles down the road that may slow the sale of property.

One of the most common surprises new homeowners and sellers confront is asbestos in older structures. Indeed, asbestos containing materials (ACMs) are now banned for use in the United States but many older buildings still contain these products, which are generally safe, but homeowners should be aware of where they and when they become hazardous.

Asbestos was included in thousands of construction products and still exists in nearly 80% of homes built prior to 1978. Common asbestos materials include attic insulation, ceiling tiles, and pipe lining. Asbestos was particularly adept at insulation and prevention of temperature transfer and was used extensively until adverse health effects began to manifest in those who worked with the material frequently.

It is only when asbestos containing materials are compromised or very old that they become hazardous. Asbestos products under these conditions are rendered “friable.” Home inspection companies should be able to identify these circumstances and advise you on a course of action. When asbestos material is friable, asbestos fibers can be released into the air, potentially endangering those in the area.
Inhaled asbestos fibers lodge in the body’s inner tissue and have been conclusively linked to the rare cancer, mesothelioma in addition to many other respiratory disorders. There are few options for mesothelioma treatment or curative therapies for other conditions caused by sustained asbestos exposures. Homeowners need to be aware of potential hazards that may exist so they may be able to avoid potentially harmful effects of hazardous asbestos.

Again, most asbestos containing materials will not pose an immediate hazard and an informed buyer will not be turned off by their presence if they’re reassured of their safety by a professional opinion. These simple precautions can be taken to assure that both sides know that they and their families will be happy and healthy in their new home.

Information courtesty of the Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center - Online at http://www.maacenter.org. Learn more about Environmental Hazards Screening by taking the online course - available through VanEd. Click here for more information on this MRE course.

Connect with us on one of our social network sites listed below!

What we're reading: Our favorite items from this past week include foreclosures, ray guns, card tricks, and philanthropy

Quote: Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.-Robert Frost, American Poet

 

The past week has been full of news from the world of real estate and finance, sure, but we found some of our staff caught up reading articles and posts on topics ranging from marketing to science fiction. Here are some of the items we found the most interesting from this past week.

 

Fannie Mae is preparing to open a pilot project that is designed to sell foreclosed properties to investors in hopes that the investors will turn them into rental properties. http://on.wsj.com/yEzBvB 

 

Not to be out done, Freddie Mac made moves to adopt a new way of valuing foreclosed properties. With any luck this one turns out to be a good step.  http://bit.ly/zOV7vF

 

 

Teller (yes, of Penn & Teller) Reveals His Secrets and discussed seven steps to.... well.... manipulating us! (18 months to create one trick! Amazing!) http://bit.ly/ymk0ew

 

How do we hush rowdy library patrons? We currently use the tried and true "shhhhh" method, but we all want a new Japanese SpeechJammer Ray Gun!  http://bit.ly/wN2b4B Yep. #shhh

 

In case you missed it, the Bowling To Teachers Grant Classroom Supply program is running at participating Kids Bowl Free centers.  Last week they delivered information to about 60 schools in Madison, WI to let teachers know about the program.  We'd love for you to let your kids teachers know about it too.  Tell them to visit www.BowlingToTeachers.com for all of the details.  

These folks are going to be giving away 80 - $250 Grants each month starting in March and ending in July.  That's 400 grants in total. We wanted to make certain to pass this information along in hopes that teachers around the country get a chance to participate!

 

 

 

The most successful people in real estate choose VanEd. To learn more about the family of courses offered by VanEd, visit us online at http://www.vaned.com.