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Broker Summit sessions approved for CE Remind your members that they still have time to register for this year’s Broker Summit taking place April 17 – 18 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, East Lansing. Make these reminders part of your membership meetings and newsletters. Bringing additional value to the event, three sessions have been approved for one hour of continuing education credit each: John Mayfield’s Make Technology Work for You, the Westrin, Anderson and Tickner legal panel and Jennifer Cummings’ Ultimate Broker Advantage session. Online registration will close Friday, April 13 however phone registrations will be taken on Monday, April 16 with on-site registration open at the event. 2% Tax on Services defeated in Senate, remains a threat in Last week Senate Bill 307, Governor Granholm’s 2% tax on services, was soundly defeated in the Michigan Senate. This major victory was made possible by REALTOR® members who contribute to RPAC and responded to our Call to Action. But our efforts are far from over. House Bill 4368 still looms in the House. Recent rhetoric out of the House suggests that revenue enhancements are still on the table for the 2007 and 2008 budgets. House Bill 4368 mirrors Senate Bill 307 in setting up the 2% tax on the service industry. While the bill hasn’t been up for a vote yet, this is the sole broad-based revenue enhancement bill that has been introduced. We must continue to be vigilant and let our State Representatives know how a 2% tax on services could devastate the real estate industry in Michigan. If you haven’t done so already, please contact your State Representative using the Call to Action link below: If you would like to contribute to RPAC now, please click here: Please make a note that you will need your NRDS# to contribute online. On March 15th, the MAR annual dues deadline, local associations from across Michigan submitted over $2.9 million in MAR dues. This represents 30,400 members, or a 10% drop from March 15, 2006 collections. Local associations also report a significant drop in new member activity, and therefore it is expected member counts will decline slightly during the second and third quarter of this year. For a member count by local association, log onto www.realtor.org/leadrshp.nsf/?OpenDatabase. MAR Upcoming Events - Budgets and key dates MAR Meetings Manager Jodie Cady has put together an overview of MAR’s key events, including dates and hotel rates. You will find this information handy for you and your Officers as you manage your calendars and budgets. 2007 Convention & Expo 2008 Achieve 2008 Professional Standards Workshops 2008 Broker Summit 2008 Convention & Expo 2009 Achieve
CEO Bill Martin welcomed local association executive officers on Friday March 23rd to a “CSI” themed On The MARk Meeting. Attendees were treated to lunch and crime-themed favors while listening to in-depth presentations on key public policy and industry issues. Association leaders from approximately 24 locals discussed the Senate defeat of Gov. Granholm’s 2% services tax proposal and speculated on what lies ahead. In addition, Public Policy Director Brad Ward reviewed the pop-up tax legislative proposal and its potential impact on the market. Rob Reid of the Threewide Corporation provided a 2007 Industry Update. Rob, who works with a number of local associations and MLS firms across the country, offered his perspective on how to successfully address today’s technology driven landscape based on what he has seen and his twenty years in the real estate industry. Martin’s On the MARk meetings are an important part of the dynamic relationship MAR shares with its local associations, a relationship upon which 30,000 REALTORS® can rely.
MAR Calendar of Events
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Michigan 48901-7925 Copyright © 2005 Michigan Association of REALTORS® |
