Volume 2 • Issue 6 - February 2013From our President

F C B O R M o n t h l y N e w s l e t t e r

Gerry is the President ofThe Four Corners Board of

REALTORS® You can contact her at

970-565-8408

It is snowing again. That is great news for the snow pack estimates. That translates into good news for our housing market as well. Water in a time of drought is always welcome!

Our Membership meeting will be 21 Feb. 2013 at Shiloh’s. Our guest speaker will be Melissa Mat-thews from the Health Department to discuss septic issues pertinent to the home sales. Jeff Follis from CREN will also be in attendance to speak with us about recent CREN issues. Hope to see you there. Call Howard for a reservation.

Our membership numbers are in. We have 43 Primary members in our Board. That is less than a two percent reduction in our membership from last year. As the market picks up, let’s hope our membership does as well.

The Professional Development Committee met in Durango recently. Looks like there will be more CE and non-CE credit classes available. If you have a class you would like to take, share or even instruct let Terry McCabe or Carol Click know. We should never say, “I know enough”, learning is a lifetime opportu-nity. We will keep you posted on new classes as they become available. Make it a habit to check our Web Page regularly.

Spring is not far off!

Gerry Parker, President

Important Updates and Reminders!

Need to see what’s going on with the association?Don’t forget to go to your website for:

CLASSESSTATISTICSCALENDAR

NEWSLETTERSBoard of Director Contact Information

AFFILIATES

http://fourcornersboardofrealtors.com/

Top producers in the Real Estate profession agree that there is value in knowing the inventory and marketing list-ings for their buyers and sellers.

There are lots of excuses for not attending tours. “I have more important things to do.” “The weather is awful.” “I’ve been in the business for a long time and know the inventory.”

The fact is if you have not been through a listing recently, you don’t really know the inventory. The owners may have put in a new kitchen or bathroom. They may have upgraded green energy-efficient appliances or other energy savers. They may have made changes that would appeal to a different buyer. If you don’t go and see for yourself, you may be missing opportunities to bring qualified buyers to a home they would love.

Have you ever been to a home improvement store and asked an employee, “where are the …?” You know how frustrating it can be when the employee shrugs his or her shoulders. Most employers want that employee to know the inventory in order to provide the best service. Your broker expects no less from you.

Knowing the inventory is basic to the business, yet we only see a handful of REALTORS® at each of the market-ing meetings and tours. Take some time and assess the value of knowing the inventory to your pocketbook. You can see the areas, dates and Tour representatives for current tours on Paragon. Go to Search, Tours and Open House and enter the date (beginning and ending same date) and you will see all the homes listed for tour on that date.

Join the top producers at the next Marketing Meeting and tour.

Is there value in Marketing meetings and tours?

Howard G. Thomas, MPA, GRIAssociation ExecutiveFour Corners Board of REALTORS®925 S. Broadway, Suite 222 ~ Cortez, CO. 81321fourcornersboard@gmail.comwww.fourcornersboardofrealtors.comPhone: (970) 565-0112Fax: (970) 565-1777

The 2012-2013 Four Corners Board of REALTORS Board of Directors:

President/ Gerry Parker / 565-8408 / gparker@fone.net President-Elect/ Robin Rice / 565-8408 / robinrice@fone.net

Past President / Ken Williamson / 565-2000 / kwilliamson@remax.netSecretary/Treasurer / Bob Toles / 946-1194 / BobToles@yahoo.com

Director/ Brenda K. Baates / 565-2000 / beebates@live.comDirector/ Jo Ann Cauley / 565-8408 / joannc21@fone.netDirector/ Preston Dillon / 560-9144 / psdillon@rmi.net

Director/ Dawn Utrup / 570-3110 / dawn.utrup@gmail.comCAR Director/ Carol Click / 565-2000 / carolclick@remax.net

Association Office StaffAssociation Executive / Howard Thomas / 565-0112/ fourcornersboard@gmail.com

FCBOR CALENDAR OF EVENTS

1 2/19/2013 9:25 AMstaff

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa1 2

3 4 5 6 7 8 910 11 12 13 14 15 1617 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28 29 3031

March 2013Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1 2 3 4 5 67 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30

April 2013

March 2013

2/24

- 3

/1

Feb 24 25 26 27 28 Mar 1 2

3/3

- 8

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

3/10

- 1

5

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

3/17

- 2

2

17 18 19 20 21 22 2312:00pm 1:00pm

Chamber Luncheon (Shiloh's Restaurant)

9:00am 11:00am Boardof Directors Meeting (C-21 WestSlope)

3/24

- 2

9

24 25 26 27 28 29 3012:00pm 1:00pm

Dolores Chambdr of Commrce

3/31

- 4

/5

31 Apr 1 2 3 4 5 6

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Opt in process 1

� CONFIDENTIAL – LPS MLS Solutions Client Use Only June 1, 2012

Opting back in to Paragon emailsThe CanSpam Act of Congress 2003 was a set of laws passed to help stem the spam emails that were being sent to everyone. One of those laws allowed recipients of business/advertisement related emails to “Opt Out” of receiving those emails. Real Estate Professionals sending emails to customers to advertise a listing for sale and to spend money on a property falls under the CanSpam Act guidelines. Therefore, for whatever reason, some customers may have opted out from receiving emails from an agent or from Paragon altogether.

This guide will take you through the process of helping a customer who has opted out of Paragon emails, to opt back in to receiving emails from the Paragon email system.

How do you know when a customer has opted out from receiving emails from you or from Paragon?

• When you try to email to an opted out recipient, Paragon will give you an error warning after you click Send.

Within that error box will be a section that states that a recipient has opted out of receiving emails. Paragon also gives a method that starts the process of allowing that recipient the ability to opt back in to receiving emails from Paragon. A link to that process is provided for you.

Graphical Statistical reports are NOW AVAILABLE. Go to Resources>Statistical Reporting. Once you open this a new tab will open. On the left hand side you will see “GRAPHS” as a new choice. See screen shot below. The graphs are limited by security level. Agents with level 4 can only run Agent reports, Brokers with level 5 can run Office reports and Brokers with level 6 can run firm reports. MLS level reports are currently limited to Level 7 or above. This tool is a great addition to our system and the tools we offer to the MLS Subscriber. Please take the chance to familiar yourself with these reports. As they are a great tool.

Opt in process 1

� CONFIDENTIAL – LPS MLS Solutions Client Use Only June 1, 2012

Opting back in to Paragon emailsThe CanSpam Act of Congress 2003 was a set of laws passed to help stem the spam emails that were being sent to everyone. One of those laws allowed recipients of business/advertisement related emails to “Opt Out” of receiving those emails. Real Estate Professionals sending emails to customers to advertise a listing for sale and to spend money on a property falls under the CanSpam Act guidelines. Therefore, for whatever reason, some customers may have opted out from receiving emails from an agent or from Paragon altogether.

This guide will take you through the process of helping a customer who has opted out of Paragon emails, to opt back in to receiving emails from the Paragon email system.

How do you know when a customer has opted out from receiving emails from you or from Paragon?

• When you try to email to an opted out recipient, Paragon will give you an error warning after you click Send.

Within that error box will be a section that states that a recipient has opted out of receiving emails. Paragon also gives a method that starts the process of allowing that recipient the ability to opt back in to receiving emails from Paragon. A link to that process is provided for you.

Exterior Replacement Projects Pro-vide Biggest Return on Investment for Homeowners, Say Realtors® Media Contact: Leanne Jernigan / 202-383-1290 / Email

WASHINGTON (January 29, 2013) – Homeowners looking for the most return on their investment when it comes to remodeling should consider exterior replacement projects. According to the 2013 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, Realtors® rated exterior projects among the most valuable home improvement projects.

“Realtors® know that curb appeal projects offer great bang for your buck, because a home’s exterior is the first thing po-tential buyers see,” said National Association of Realtors® President Gary Thomas, broker-owner of Evergreen Realty, in Villa Park, Calif. “Projects such as siding, window and door replacements can recoup more than 70% of their cost at resale. Realtors® know what home features are important to buyers in your area and can provide helpful insights when considering remodeling projects.”

Results of the report are summarized on NAR’s consumer website www.HouseLogic.com, which provides information on dozens of remodeling projects, from kitchens and baths to siding replacements, including the recouped value of the project based on a national average. According to the Cost vs. Value Report, Realtors® judged a steel entry door replacement as the project expected to return the most money, with an estimated 85.6% of costs recouped upon resale.The steel entry door replacement is the least expensive project in the report, costing little more than $1,100 on average. A majority of the top 10 most cost-effective projects nationally in terms of value recouped are exterior replacement projects; all of these are estimated to recoup more than 71% of costs.

Three different siding replacement projects landed in the top 10, including fiber cement siding, expected to return 79.3% of costs, vinyl siding, expected to return 72.9% of costs, and foam backed vinyl, expected to return 71.8% of costs. Two ad-ditional door replacements were also among the top exterior replacement projects. The midrange and upscale garage door replacement were both expected to return more than 75% of costs.

According to the report, two interior remodeling projects in particular can recoup substantial value at resale. A minor kitchen remodel is ranked fifth and is expected to return 75.4% of costs. Nationally, the average cost for the project is just under $19,000.

The second interior remodeling project in the top 10 is the attic bedroom, which landed at number eight and tied with the vinyl siding replacement with 72.9% of costs recouped. With an average national cost of just under $48,000, the attic project adds a bedroom and bathroom within a home’s existing footprint. The improvement project projected to return the least is the home office remodel, estimated to recoup less than 44%.

The 2013 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 35 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels and replacements in 81 markets across the country. Data are grouped in nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 15th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Remodeling magazine publisher Hanley Wood, LLC, was completed in cooperation with NAR. Realtors® provided their insights into local markets and buyer home preferences within those markets. The 2013 national average cost-to-value ratio rose to 60.6%, ending a six-year decline. The ratio represents nearly a three-point improvement over 2011-2012. Lower construction costs are the principal factor in the upturn, especially when measured against stabilizing house values. In addition, the cost-to-value ratio improved nationally for every project in this year’s report and is higher than it was two years ago for both remodeling and replacement projects.

“A Realtor® is the best resource for helping homeowners decide what improvement projects will provide the most upon resale in their market,” said Thomas. “Each neighborhood is different, and the desirability and resale value of a particular

SB 13-041 Concerning the Protection of Water Storage Long-term Use, by Sen. Mary Hodge and Rep. Randy Fischer (D-Ft. Collins), passed the Agriculture, Natural Resources, & Energy Commit-tee this week. In June 2011 the Colorado Supreme Court issued its decision in Upper Yampa Wa-ter Conservancy District v. Wolfe. According to the holding in that case, to perfect a conditional water right that allows storage, an applicant must show both actual storage and actual beneficial use of a specific amount of water. Further, quantifiable evidence of actual beneficial use in excess of existing absolute decrees is required. This bill is intended to reverse the decision by clarifying that the term "beneficial use" includes the impoundment of water for firefighting or storage for any decreed purpose, and by further specifying that:

• A system with multiple water storage features may be granted an absolute water storage right without evidence of full utilization of all component water rights;

• A water storage right shall be made absolute for the volume that has been captured, pos-sessed, and controlled at the decreed storage structure; and

• A water right is not abandoned when the water is in long-term storage.

CAR has long advocated that the preservation of private ownership and the right to use water in Colorado, along with its conservation, storage, and wise management is necessary to preserve the quality of life of Colorado’s citizens. The LPC has taken the position of SUPPORT on this legis-lation, and we will continue to update you as this process moves forward.

CAR Supports Protection of Water Storage Rights

remodeling project varies depending on where you live. When making a home remodeling decision, resale value is just one factor that homeowners should take into consideration. Consult a Realtor® to make sure you are making the best decision.”Most regions followed the national trends; however the Pacific region, consisting of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, once again led the nation with an average cost-value ratio of 71.2 percent, due mainly to strong resale values. The next best performing regions were West South Central, South Atlantic, and East South Central. These regions attribute their high ranking to construction costs that were lowest in the country. While still remaining below the national average, most remaining regions showed strong improvement over last year. These are Mountain, New England, East North Central, Middle Atlantic, and West North Central.

To read the full project descriptions and access national and regional project data, visit www.costvsvalue.com “Cost vs. Value” is a registered trademark of Hanley Wood, LLC.

HouseLogic is a free source of information and tools from the National Association of Realtors® that helps homeowners make smart decisions and take responsible actions to maintain, protect, and enhance the value of their home. HouseLogic helps homeowners plan and organize their home projects and provides timely articles and news; home improvement advice and how-tos; and information about taxes, home finances, and insurance.

INTRODUCING QUARTERLY STATISTICS CAR’s Communications Committee has been working for the past couple of years on a way to provide as-sociations with consistent, uniformed state wide statistical information. CAR has recently partnered with a company called 10K Research (owned by the Minnesota Assn of REALTORS®) to provide an added level of statistical compilation to enhance our already robust quarterly and annual statistical information. This information is shared with both the membership and the press, and regional spokespersons have been selected as primary media contacts to add to the consistent message delivered when releasing statistical information in our area, region, and state.

• Local stats available/ will be published on DAAR website. • State/Regional Stats available on CAR Website • Regional spokesperson Don Ricedorff- undergone formal training from CAR on expectations and roles of being a spokesperson. • Data collected from CREN MLS • 90% MLS participation- most accurate reporting ever released • GREAT tools to use for clients! Use to compare us to other counties in the state