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MAR is excited to announce that Detroit television news personality Chuck Gaidica is set to emcee this year’s inaugural event at the Achieve Conference taking place on January 18-19 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dearborn.

Gaidica, a Chicago native, has worked as director of meteorology at WDIV Channel 4 in Detroit since 1987, and is a two-time Emmy Award winner.

His meteorology career began more than 25 years ago in Indiana, and he has since worked in Arkansas, Missouri, New York and Ohio before joining WDIV Detroit. Gaidica is also a member of many community groups, including the Education Freedom Fund, The Heritage Foundation, Congress Watchers Club and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

Over 150 real estate professionals have already registered for Achieve 2007, which will also feature nationally recognized speakers Roger Turcotte and Jeff Crilley. Turcotte is a well-known REALTOR® and co-author of the ten-course Leadership Training Series and Buyer Representation in Real Estate. Crilley is an Emmy-Award winning TV reporter from Dallas who specializes in teaching professionals how to generate better news coverage.

Online registration for Achieve is still open. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate in an exceptional leadership conference. To register or obtain more details on the event, visit the MAR Web site, www.mirealtors.com .

MAR currently has a block of rooms reserved at the Ritz Carlton at a special group rate. There are still rooms available, however, this offer expires Friday, January 5th. If you did not reserve your room under the group rate, you should call and have your rate adjusted to reflect the MAR discount. Reservations can be made by calling 800.241.3333.

Meet MAR's 2007 Leadership

The 2007 MAR officers are as follows: President, Furhad Waquad; President-Elect, Jeff Young; Treasurer, Dan Coffey; and CEO, Bill Martin.

President Waquad, GRI, CRS, ABR, CIPS, RLI, a REALTOR® since 1988, is a Real Estate One team member in Bloomfield Hills. He was awarded the MAR REALTOR® Active in Politics in 2002 and named REALTOR® of the Year in 2003 and is the only MAR member to ever be awarded both of these honors back to back. Waquad was also appointed by Gov. Engler to serve on the Michigan Commission on Asia in Schools, and is a member of the Metropolitan Consolidated Association of REALTORS®.

President-Elect Jeff Young, CRS, GRI, works with Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt Realty of Grand Haven. He was named MAR’s 2002 REALTOR® of the Year and has served on many local and state committees, and as a National Association of REALTORS® director. Jeff is also a member of the West Michigan Lakeshore Association of REALTORS® where he has served as president.

Treasurer Dan Coffey, ABR, ABRM, CRS, has been a REALTOR® in Michigan and Indiana since 1981, and principal broker of RE/MAX Harbor Country Real Estate in Union Pier since 1986. A member of the Southwestern Michigan Association of REALTORS®, Dan specializes in selling vacation and getaway homes and is active with advocacy work. Previously he was a ten-year member of the Union City School Board, and currently serves on the local planning commission.

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Michigan's New Leadership Scheduled to Attend Achieve Event

MAR is pleased to announce that Speaker of the House Andy Dillon (Redford Twp.) and Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (Rochester) as well as Attorney General Mike Cox are scheduled to attend the Inaugural Gala at this year’s Achieve event. The Inaugural will take place the evening of January 18th and the entire conference will run the January 18 – 19 at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn. To register for the event, or view more event details, visit the MAR Web site, www.mirealtors.com.

In a scam known as shotgunning, thieves are applying for multiple home loans simultaneously. When they get the money — sometimes millions — they take it and leave the country.

Authorities are blaming Eastern Europeans affiliated with what is known as the Russian Mafia. "It's the fraud of the year," says Paul Doman, director of Title Insurance Co.’s Lenders Advantage Equity Division. "They can pull in excess of a million dollars out of the home, enough so they can live a good life back wherever they came from."

First American and other title companies are trying to stop this and other schemes by forming a consortium in which applications for title searches are run through each other's systems. That way, multiple applications on the same property can be spotted before rather than after the fact.

MAR is pleased to announce that it will once again produce a series of Professional Standards workshops. This year’s workshops will take place at various locations around the state the week of February 26th.

MAR has received rave reviews from these valuable, interactive and intensive sessions. Once again, nationwide pro standards expert Bruce Adyt will conduct the sessions. Stay tuned to the MAR Web site, www.mirealtors.com, for additional information on these sessions as well as exact locations and times.