Joomla! site syndication http://slar.org 2010-09-09T09:03:41+01:00 http://slar.org http://slar.org/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png text/html 2010-09-01T08:50:42+01:00 http://slar.org http://slar.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=120 Pursuant to the Bylaws of the St. Louis Association of REALTORS®, the annual election of Officers and Directors shall be held from Wednesday, September 1, 2010 through noon Monday, September 20, 2010.To vote, you will need your NRDS number. This information was emailed to you the morning of September 1, 2010. You may also call 314-576-0033 to request this information. You will be asked to verify the last four digits of your social security number for security purposes.Click Here To Vote (http://www.stlrealtors.com/vote) text/html 2010-09-03T12:17:51+01:00 http://slar.org http://slar.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124 Please join us as we “kick-off” a new year of leadership with our football themed post-election party. All members are welcome at what plans to be a fun event. The party lasts from 5 to 7 p.m. and will be held here at the Association offices at 12777 Olive Blvd. The cost to attend is free and the food will feature a variety of tailgating goodies as well as drinks. To register, click here (http://ims.stlrealtors.com/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=IMS PRGNAME=IMSMemberLoginCookie ARGUMENTS=-ASLAR SessionType=M ServiceName=REGV EventID=ELPRTY). text/html 2010-09-02T13:33:12+01:00 http://slar.org http://slar.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123 Thank you to those who have responded to the Transfer Tax Initiative Calls for Action. Per Sam Licklider of the Missouri Association of REALTORS®- “we've been asked to stop the calls for action at this time”. Be sure to watch your emails for further updates on this very important issue! text/html 2010-09-02T09:37:14+01:00 http://slar.org http://slar.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122 (Jefferson City, Mo.) – In a court victory for the rights of voters, Missourians will have an opportunity this fall to Vote “YES” to Stop Double Taxation. Cole County Circuit Judge Paul Wilson ruled Tuesday that the proposed state constitutional amendment barring transfer taxes on real estate received enough petition signatures from registered voters to appear on the Nov. 2 ballot. “There is no dispute that enough registered voters signed the initiative. The Vote ‘YES’ To Stop Double Taxation Committee showed conclusively in court that thousands of valid voter signatures were incorrectly thrown out by election authorities. We stood up for the rights of these voters to be counted, and the court has supported the rights of voters to be counted,” said attorney Chuck Hatfield, who represented the campaign committee during several days of hearings. The Vote “YES” To Stop Double Taxation Committee submitted tens of thousands of voter signatures on petitions to place the amendment on the ballot. However, the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office announced its conclusion that the proposal did not receive enough signatures of registered voters to qualify for the ballot. The committee’s own analysis showed validation rates around 80 percent across six of the nine congressional districts where signatures were gathered, and in some counties better than 90 percent. The committee also showed in court that thousands of valid voter signatures were thrown out by election authorities for an array of questionable reasons during their reviews of the petitions. The court victory means the Vote “YES” To Stop Double Taxation Committee will move ahead with a strong educational campaign for Missourians about the unfairness of transfer taxes. Transfer taxes on home sales are double taxation because Missourians already pay annual property taxes on real estate, often over many decades of ownership. Missouri is among just 13 states that do not impose a transfer tax on real estate sales, including all of Missouri’s neighboring states. As state, county and city revenues decline, politicians are tempted to impose new transfer taxes - just as Missouri citizens are struggling to make it. The proposed state constitutional amendment’s language is straightforward and simple: “Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to prevent the state, counties, and other political subdivisions from imposing any new tax, including a sales tax, on the sale or transfer of homes or any other real estate?” The proposed amendment is sponsored by the 21,000-member Missouri Association of REALTORS®, which wants to keep Missourians from being saddled with unfair double taxation that can destroy the American dream of home ownership. Learn more about the amendment at www.YesToSaveHomes.com text/html 2010-08-31T15:10:54+01:00 http://slar.org http://slar.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=119 It has been brought to the attention of the Contracts and Forms Committee that Paragraph 5 of the Residential Sale Contract is at times completed incorrectly by some members. The Contracts and Forms Committee has discussed this issue and decided to post the appropriate options to our membership. Please read the following for instructions to complete Paragraph 5 of the Residential and Special Sale Contracts. Filling in the blanks in Paragraph 5 of the Residential Special Sale Contract: Paragraph 5 of the residential sale contract establishes the closing and the time of possession of the transaction. Agents should keep the following in mind: The closing (defined in line 69) is the exchange of the seller's deed for the buyer's money-it is not complete until both parties have performed, and that performance may be at more than one location. Line 77 should be filled out with the date and the time on that date when possession and keys are to be delivered to the buyer. The time should not be on a day other than closing, and should not to be prior to the scheduled completion of closing requirements by both sides. It is permissible to put at closing in the blanks on line 77, because that time and date can be specifically determined by reference to other information in the contract. You should not fill in anything other than either the exact date and time or at closing. For example, using the phrase at funding, might end up being prior to closing (if the buyer closes first), and should not be used. You should also be sure that the time you fill in on line 77 is realistic based on when the parties plan to close, whether more than one title company is participating in the closing, and so on. Under line 78 the parties agree to facilitate the time of possession in their scheduling of the signing of documents.