Michigan Association of REALTORS®

Michigan REALTOR® Receives Good Neighbor Award

REALTOR® Patrick Moore, a sales associate with Rowling Real Estate Inc. in Port Huron, MI, is one of five individuals chosen by the National Association of REALTORS® to receive REALTOR® Magazine’s 2007 Good Neighbor Award. Moore won the award for providing clean water and medical care to thousands of poor villagers in Haiti.

Moore founded Harvest of Haiti in 2001 after he answered a simple request from a local pastor. “He asked me and my good friend Pat Kut to set up a medical clinic in Haiti. With my experience as a firefighter and emergency medical technician, and Pat’s experience as a doctor, we decided to do it,” recalls Moore.

Immediately, Moore was struck by the desperate poverty the people had to endure; no electricity or running water, harsh weather and no waste disposal systems.

“The people in the mountain villages of Haiti are living in the closest thing to hell that I’ve ever seen,” said Moore. “Most eat only one meal of rice a day. Food is so scarce that babies lick clay cakes—literally pottery clay mixed with sea salt. It helps take away the hunger pangs so the babies can sleep at night.”

“Once I saw how horrific the problems were, it was impossible for me to turn away,” said Moore. Since that first trip in February 2001, Moore has made 48 more journeys to several remote villages in the northwestern mountains of Haiti.

“No other missionaries go there, because it’s a 10- to 12-hour drive in blistering heat,” said Moore. “There are no real roads in Northern Haiti.”

In 2001 Harvest of Haiti raised $15,000 through private donations. Over time, donations have increased, and in 2006 the organization raised more than double that amount – a record $31,000.

Moore and the four other winners will receive a $10,000 grant for their charity, a $1,500 Lowe’s gift card and be profiled in the November issue of REALTOR® Magazine.

The Michigan Association of REALTORS® (MAR) has long held a position of opposing any tax on services as a means of solving the state budget deficit. Although the recently passed 6% service tax does not contain core REALTOR® services, many of the services to be taxed reach our members in some capacity. The MAR Board of Directors, along with the MAR Public Policy Committee voted in favor of joining forces with over 38 other business groups in an effort to repeal the recently-enacted service tax. The “Ax the Tax” Coalition formed to band together the business community in Michigan in an effort to repeal the job-killing service tax.

Members of the “Ax the Tax” Coalition are committed to working with the Legislature to repeal the sales tax on services before it goes into effect on Dec. 1, 2007. Should the Legislature fail to act, the coalition is making plans to gather petition signatures and take the repeal directly to the voters through a statewide ballot effort.

The coalition is kicking off their repeal efforts with a news conference this week at the Capitol. Be sure to check your email and our Web site at www.mirealtors.com for new updates on the service tax repeal efforts.

The Michigan Association of REALTORS® is making Aflac's accident and cancer insurance policies available for association members. Aflac offers a distinct type of protection. Unlike traditional health insurance, we pay you (unless otherwise assigned) not the doctor or hospital. You control the cash benefits and spend them as you like to help with financial challenges an accident or illness could have to your standard of living.

Over 40 million people worldwide have chosen Aflac because of our commitment to providing customers with the confidence that comes from knowing they have assistance in being prepared for whatever life may bring.

These insurance policies are offered to members of Michigan Association of REALTORS®.

If you are not a member, please visit Aflac.com for more information about our policies. If you have questions, please contact your Aflac agent Kenneth Bordua at 616.935.3560 or email him.

Spending on print advertising continues to rank high among real estate practitioners, though a growing number report that they are advertising at national Web sites, according to a report based on an August survey.

The report, prepared by consulting company Classified Intelligence LLC and real estate publishing company Realty Times, indicates that word of mouth and signs and billboards are the most effective sources of leads, and suggests that "agents and brokers don't see advertising in general as a very effective marketing tool." The Web-based survey, conducted in August, had 431 participants from Realty Times' audience of agents and brokers.

MAR recently completed a survey to this year’s Convention & Expo attendees. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate. Member feedback is very important to make MAR successful. The two winners of the $100 Best Buy gift cards are:

Please remember to mark your calendars to join MAR at its 2008 Convention & Expo, September 17-19 at the Marriott Detroit Renaissance Center.