Louisiana REALTORS® Resource - January 3, 2018
Amy P. Fennell • January 3, 2018
THINGS TO HELP YOUR SUCCESS IN 2018
#1 CYBER SECURITY & WIRE FRAUD ALERT FORM
According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cyber crime damages will cost the world $6 trillion annually by 2021. This represents the greatest transfer of economic wealth in history, risks the incentives for innovation and investment, and will be more profitable than the global trade of all major illegal drugs combined.
The real estate industry is experiencing the dangers and risks associated with cyber security and wire fraud at alarming rates. Reports of these incidents are not only occurring around the country, but in Louisiana. Louisiana REALTORS® has created a Cyber Security Resource
page and sample Wire Fraud Alert form to assist REALTORS® and their clients with preventative measures and warns of the dangers and signs in real estate transactions. Information will be added to the resource page as this develops and as more resources become available.
#2 NEW MEMBER SERVICE: TECHHELPLINE
A new member service, Tech Helpline, began on January 2, 2018. The service provides U.S. based tech support to help REALTOR® members troubleshoot and resolve challenges with office and personal tech devices.
"LR recognizes that experiencing downtime with technology could keep REALTOR® members from being able to service their clients and hinder their productivity. Staying true to our mission to provide optimum member resources, we sought out this great service that supports nearly 600,000 practitioners and understands the unique needs of the real estate industry," said Norman Morris, CEO.
#3 CODE OF ETHICS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
January 22-26 & 29-30 -February 6 & 7
The 4 hour Professional Standards Training: Code of Ethics
class is being offered throughout Louisiana! The class taught by an industry practitioner and national instructors discusses common situations REALTORS® face in which it is easy to break the Code of Ethics while trying to do the right thing. Examine each article and discuss how it applies to the real estate business and professionalism. Attendees will also get a good understanding of how the Code is enforced.
4 hours of Louisiana CE credit and satisfy the 2.5 hour Code of Ethics training requirement
established by the National Association of REALTORS®.
NO CHARGE TO ATTEND. REGISTRATION REQUIRED. SEATING IS LIMITED
February 20-21 |Metairie
The 2-day Seller Representative Specialist (SRS)
Designation Course provides comprehensive training and resources to help real estate professionals represent the interests of sellers in today’s marketplace.
Students learn to:
· Increase listings and grow their business
· Demonstrate and communicate their value package to seller clients
· Understand and apply the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
· Understand and comply with state license laws when representing sellers
· Understand and apply methods, tools, and techniques to provide the support and services that sellers want and need
8 hours Louisiana CE credit, SRS Designation credit, and GRI Designation credit
#4 Know the Issues & Protect Homeownership
#5 How Tax Reform Affects Your Taxes & Changes to Residential Property Disclosure
January 4, 2018 at 1:00 pm Central
Evan Liddiard of the National Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs and Peter Baker, a CPA with Business Planning Group, will host a Facebook Live
session on How Tax Reform Will Affect Your Taxes
and walk you through provisions in the tax bill passed by Congress that affect you as a real estate practitioner.
If you are looking for a way to better track your business expenses and do a better job keeping records for your taxes, take advantage of a free trial of the Taxbot
app.
Coming March 2018 - New Property Disclosure Form
Louisiana REALTORS® has been working with the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC) on some proposed changes to the Residential Property Disclosure form following a Louisiana court case. The revised form is being formatted and finalized and will be released for use in March 2018.
Be on the lookout for a full rundown on what led to the changes and what these changes mean for you and your clients!
Please join us in congratulating the Louisiana REALTORS® who have been appointed to NAR committees for 2027. A total of 26 Louisiana REALTORS® members and staff have been selected to serve on NAR committees for the upcoming year. Bill Boyd - Insurance Committee; Member: Regional Representative Luke Bullock - Broker Engagement Committee; Member: Government Affairs Director Donna Chandler - Membership Policy and Board Jurisdiction Committee; Member: At-Large Keary Coffin - Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee; Member: At-Large Tony Cornner - Housing Opportunities Committee; Member: State Representative Beth Cristina - Commercial Federal Policy Committee; Member: At-Large Deneka Desroches - Commitment to Excellence Committee; Member: At-Large Cindy Dyer - RPAC Participation Council; Member: State Representative David Favret - Meeting and Conference Committee; Member: Immediate Past Chair Jennifer Hebert - Professional Standards Committee; Member: At-Large Carole Horn - RPAC Trustees Federal Disbursement Committee; Member: Regional Representative Misty Ingersoll - Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee; Member: State Representative Angela Lavalais - AEC/Association IDEAS Advisory Board (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Support); Member: At-Large Trish Leleux - FPC Advisory Committee; Member: State Representative Marbury Little - Public Policy Coordinating Committee; Member: At-Large ; Consumer Advocacy Outreach Advisory Board; Member: Committee Representative Ginger Maulden - RPAC Major Investor Council; Member: State Representative Andrea McKey - Strategic Planning Committee; Member: At-Large David McKey - Insurance Committee; Member: At-Large Joe Mier - Real Property Valuation Committee; Member: At-Large Norman Morris - Meeting and Conference Committee; AEC Representative Danette O'Neal - Land Use Property Rights and Environment Committee; Member: Affiliate Representative Austin Polk - Business Issues Policy Committee; Member: At-Large Rhonda Reap-Curiel - Data Strategies Committee; Vice Chair Matt Ritchie - Finance Committee; Member: At-Large Erika Sluss - Membership Policy and Board Jurisdiction Committee; Member: State Representative Evelyn Wolford - Professional Standards Committee; Member: State Representative
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
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