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| Stay at Soaring Eagle and Earn Your CE MAR is pleased to announce that the 2007 Convention & Expo has already received approval for 38 continuing education credits. REALTORS® can join the largest convention in the state on September 26 – 28 at Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort in Mt. Pleasant and take care of their education requirements for an amazing value. Register by September 8 to receive early bird discounts. Here is important additional 2007 Convention news you need to know:
REGISTER TODAY at www.mirealtors.com 5 Real Estate Investments to Cash In On Some investors are becoming cautious of real estate because they have read too many frightening stories in the media, but Business Week magazine’s analysts continue to say that real estate is a key component of investment portfolios. In this week’s magazine they identify five ways that investors can currently benefit from real estate. 1. International real estate investment trusts. U.S. REITs are going through a bad patch, says Jay Hutchins, president of Comprehensive Planning Associates in Lebanon, N.H. Instead, he advises clients to buy foreign REITs or mutual funds that are focused on global real estate. 2. Cash investments in commercial space. Office buildings, retail properties, and apartment houses provide stable cash flows, says Michael Kuziw, vice president of asset management at Lenox Advisors in New York City. But such investments require a portfolio of at least $1 million. 3. Invest an IRA in real estate for the long haul. Entrust Northeast, in Verona, N.J., which administers self-directed retirement accounts, allows for a wide range of investments, including first and second mortgages. 4. Consider buying a vacation homes outside of the U.S. For example, consider a country like Panama or Costa Rica where the political situation is stable and prices are affordable. 5. Fractional homeownership. This is gaining popularity and is within the reach of people with moderate incomes. For instance, Private Quarters Club in Fernandina Beach, Fla., and Lake Geneva, Wis., sell access to a three-bedroom luxury villa for 21 days a year for $79,000, plus an annual fee of $4,000. Source: REALTOR® Magazine Online MAR Welcomes Doug Merriam as West Michigan Field Director As many of you may know, the MAR and its West Michigan REALTOR® members were saddened to see the departure of Kyle Olson, who has moved on to a new career opportunity. Kyle is now the Vice President of Strategy for Education Action Group, Inc., a non-profit that is working with school boards and their communities on financial issues facing their districts. Although Kyle has moved on, he will continue to be involved in REALTOR® issues on a smaller scale. He will be coordinating local government affairs for the West Michigan Lakeshore Association of REALTORS®, and will be a featured writer in upcoming MAR publications. The MAR wishes him all the best of luck in his new endeavor. The MAR is pleased to announce that Doug Merriam will serve as the new Field Director for West Michigan. Doug has been with the MAR since 2005. Prior to his new position, Doug was the Assistant to the Vice President of Public Policy. Armed with a background involving real estate policy issues on the state and local level, Doug has the knowledge and experience that will be a vital asset to the West Michigan associations and their members. Doug is finishing his Masters of Public Administration from Western Michigan University, and previously earned his BS degree from Oakland University. Prior to joining the MAR, Doug completed governmental affairs internships at The Sterling Corporation in Lansing and the DaimlerChrysler Corporation in Auburn Hills. Doug can be contacted via email at dmerriam@mirealtors.com. Prepackaged Sales Meetings: Focus on International Did you know that...
Are Your Riding the WEB 2.0 Wave? “Web 2.0 is a different kind of Internet as a result of ubiquitous broadband, cheap hardware and open-source software,” says Stefan Swanepoel, author of the annual Swanepoel Trends Report. The 159-page 2007 edition has just been published by RealSure and RIS Media. The report discusses in detail the growth of real estate as an information-based service industry and how brokers and agents were previously the exclusive holders of “home for sale” information. But today this has changed and with the advent of Web 2.0 the sharing of information and collaboration with others has become common place.
MAR Calendar of Events
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Michigan 48901-7925 Copyright © 2005 Michigan Association of REALTORS® |
