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2009

REALTOR CALENDAR

This Calendar is in Word Format and available at

January, 2009

~ January 2009 ~
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 Holiday, ARA Closed / 2 / 3
4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 2009 Regular Legislative Session begins. / 10
11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 Submit names to ARA of those who sign checks, handle board money and rectify the bank statement. Form on ARA Web Site. / 16 / 17
18 / 19 MLK Holiday, ARA Closed / 20 / 21 ARA Executive Committee, 10:00 AM / 22 ARA Industry Coalition Meeting to be held at 10:00 AM in Little Rock. / 23 / 24
25 / 26 Last day to file health and retirement bills in the Legislature / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31

February, 2009

~ February 2009 ~
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 NAR Federal Political Coordinators meeting in WashingtonDC. February 1 – 3. / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
8 / 9 / 10 / 11Last day to file Constitutional Amendments in the Legislature / 12 / 13 / 14
15 / 16 Awards for Excellence are due at ARA. Electronic submissions to be processed first.
President’s Day, ARA Closed / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21
22 / 23 / 24 ARA Executive Committee, 2:00 PM / 25 February ARA Committee Meetings, Presidential Holiday Inn, LR, Feb. 24-25
ARA Legislative Reception at Clinton Library, LR / 26 ARA Executive Committee and Board of Directors Meetings, Presidential Holiday Inn, LR / 27 / 28

March, 2009

INVEST $25, $50 OR $100 IN ARPAC AND ARPAC II

& GET YOUR CASH BACK!!

Contribute $25, $50 or $100 to ARPAC and/or ARPACII and get your money back when you file your tax return for the 2007 tax year. Initiated Act 1 of 1996 provides that you will receive a $50 tax credit (not a tax deduction) on your Arkansas Income Tax Return if you contribute up to $50 to an approved pol i t i c a l a c t ion committee. A tax credit of $100 can be taken on a joint return. Give $25 to ARPAC and $25 to ARPACII and you get it back when you file your 2007 tax return.

While working to protect your right to do business as a REALTOR®, RPAC has saved the average REALTOR® $1,041 per year.

Here’s how:

Retained the Mortgage Interest Deduction, preventing real estate commissions from declining 26 percent, or $7,350 for the average REALTOR®.

• Enacted the $500,000 capital gains exclusion on the sale of a principal residence, which translates into a $755 boost in the average annual commission.

• Raised the FHA loan limit creating 175,000 additional homeowners, increasing the annual commission by $331.

• NAR sought and achieved penalty-free withdrawals of up to $10,000 from IRA’s used for a down payment or closing costs of a home, increasing the averageREALTOR® commission by $110 per year.

• Improved the deduction schedule for health insurance premiums paid the by the self-employed,which saved the average REALTOR® $75 in federal incometaxes in 2006. NAR is continuing to work on this issue with Congress to make these premiums 100 percent deductible which would save REALTORS® evenmore money in the future.

• Saved each REALTOR® an average of $420 per year on additional business-use home telephone charges.

• No sales tax in Arkansas on commissions saves the average REALTOR® about $900

• No state occupation tax in Arkansas saves the average REALTOR® about $100

• Real Estate Agents exempt from highly restrictive Arkansas telemarketing bill.

• Maintain the right of REALTORS® to remain Independent Contractors.

Benefits of Your Contribution to the Arkansas REALTORS® Political Action Committee

~ March 2009 ~
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 / 2Last day to file Appropriation Bills at the Legislature / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
8 / 9Last Day to file bills at the Legislature / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13Scheduled final day of the 2009 Legislative Session / 14
15 / 16 Members who contribute ($50 single person or $100 per joint return) have about 30 days to get their contribution back on their state return. See above / 17 / 18 ARA Executive Committee, 10:00 AM / 19 / 20 NAR Association Executives Institutes, March 20-24, Colorado Springs / 21
22 / 23 / . / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28
29 / 30 / 31 / Notes:

April, 2009

Accepting this standard astheir own, REALTORSpledge to observe its spiritin all of their activities and to conducttheir business in accordance with thetenets set forth below

Article1: When representing a buyer, seller,landlord, tenant, other client as anagent, REALTORpledge themselvesto protect and promote the interests oftheir client. This obligation to theclient is primary, but it does not relieveREALTORof their obligation totreat all parties honestly. When servinga buyer, seller, landlord, tenant or otherparty in a non-agency capacity.REALTORremain obligated to treatall parties honestly.

Article 2: REALTORshall avoidexaggeration, misrepresentation, orconcealment of pertinent facts relating to the property or the transaction.REALTORshall not, however, beobligated to discover latent defects inthe property, to advise on mattersoutside the scope of their real estatelicense, or to disclose facts which areconfidential under the scope of agencyor non-agency relationships as definedby state law.

Article 3: REALTORshall cooperate withother brokers except whencooperation is not in the client’s bestinterest. The obligation to cooperatedoes not include the obligation toshare commissions, fees, or tootherwise compensate another broker.

Article 4: REALTORshall not acquire aninterest in or buy or present offersfrom themselves, any member of theirimmediate families, their firms or anymember thereof, or any entities inwhich they have any ownershipinterest, any real property withoutmaking their true position known tothe owner or the owner’s agent orbroker. In selling property they own,or in which they have any interest,REALTORshall reveal theirownership or interest in writing to thepurchaser or the purchaser’srepresentative.

Article 5: REALTORshall not undertake toprovide professional servicesconcerning a property or its valuewhere they have a present orcontemplated interest unless suchinterest is specifically disclosed to allaffected parties.

Article 6: REALTORshall not accept anycommission, rebate, or profit onexpenditures made for their client,without the client’s knowledge andconsent. When recommending real estateproducts or services (e.g.,homeowner’s insurance, warrantyprograms, mortgage financing, titleinsurance, etc.), REALTORshalldisclose to the client or customer towhom the recommendation is madeany financial benefits or fees, otherthan real estate referral fees, theREALTORor REALTOR’s firm

may receive as a direct result of suchrecommendation.

Article 7: In a transaction, REALTORshallnot accept compensation from morethan one party, even if permitted bylaw, without disclosure to all partiesand the informed consent of theREALTOR’s client or clients.

Article 8: REALTORshall keep in a specialaccount in an appropriate financialinstitution, separated from their ownfunds, monies coming into theirpossession in trust for other persons,such as escrows, trust funds, clients’monies, and other like items.

Article 9: REALTOR, for the protection of allparties, shall assure whenever possiblethat agreements shall be in writing,and shall be in clear andunderstandable language expressingthe specific terms, conditions,obligations and commitments of theparties. A copy of each agreementshall be furnished to each party upontheir signing or initialing.

Article 10: REALTORshall not deny equalprofessional services to any person forreasons of race, color, religion, sex,handicap, familial status, or nationalorigin. REALTORshall not beparties to any plan or agreement todiscriminate against a person orpersons on the basis of race, color,religion, sex, handicap, familial status,

or national origin.REALTOR, in their real estateemployment practices, shall notdiscriminate against any person orpersons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status,or national origin.

Article 11: The services which REALTORprovide to their clients and customersshall conform to the standards ofpractice and competence which arereasonably expected in the specificreal estate disciplines in which theyengage; specifically, residential realestate brokerage, real propertymanagement, commercial andindustrial real estate brokerage, realestate appraisal, real estate counseling,real estate syndication, real estateauction, and international real estate.REALTORshall not undertake to

provide specialized professionalservices concerning a type of propertyor service that is outside their field ofcompetence unless they engage theassistance of one who is competent onsuch types of property or service, orunless the facts are fully disclosed tothe client. Any persons engaged toprovide such assistance shall be soidentified to the client and theircontribution to the assignment shouldbe set forth.

Article 12: REALTORshall be honest andtruthful in their real estatecommunications and shall present atrue picture in their advertising,marketing, and other presentations. REALTORshall ensure that theirstatus as real estate professionals isreadily apparent in their advertising,marketing, and other representations,and that the recipients of all real estatecommunications are, or have been,notified that those communications

are from a real estate professional.

Article 13: REALTORshall not engage inactivities that constitute theunauthorized practice of law and shallrecommend that legal counsel beobtained when the interest of anyparty to the transaction requires it.Article 14

If charged with unethical practice orasked to present evidence or tocooperate in any other way, in anyprofessional standards proceeding orinvestigation, REALTORshallplace all pertinent facts before theproper tribunals of the Member Boardor affiliated institute, society, orcouncil in which membership is heldand shall take no action to disrupt orobstruct such processes.

Article 15: REALTORshall not knowingly orrecklessly make false or misleadingstatements about competitors, theirbusinesses, or their business practices.

Article 16: REALTORshall not engage in anypractice or take any actioninconsistent with the agency or otherexclusive relationship recognized bylaw that other REALTORhavewith clients.

Article 17: In the event of contractual disputes orspecific non-contractual disputes asdefined in Standard of Practice 17-4between REALTORS(principals)associated with different firms, arisingout of their relationship as

REALTORS, the REALTORSshallsubmit the dispute to arbitration inaccordance with the regulations oftheir Board or Boards rather thanlitigate the matter.In the event clients of REALTORSwish to arbitrate contractual disputesarising out of real estate transactions,REALTORSshall arbitrate thosedisputes in accordance with theregulations of their Board, providedthe clients agree to be bound by thedecision. The obligation to participate inarbitration contemplated by thisArticle includes the obligation ofREALTORS(principals) to causetheir firms to arbitrate and be boundby any award.

~ April 2009 ~
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 / 2 ARA Professional Standards Training at the ARABuilding, by invitation only. / 3 / 4
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
12 / 13 / 14 / 15 ARA Executive Committee, 10:00 AM
IRS Return Filing Day / 16 / 17 / 18
19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25
26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / Notes:

May 2009

LOCAL BOARD MINIMUM SERVICES CRITERIA

Have you checked on your Local Board’s Certification lately? You are required to be re-certified every three (3) years. Below is the criteria.

1. Elections and Meetings. The Board or Association must adopt Bylaws to govern its operation and elections, and membership or business meetings must be conducted in accordance with the Bylaws.

2. Dues Collection. The Board or Association must enforce the dues formula to assure that every licensee affiliated with a firm comprised of REALTOR principals is either a member or that the Designated REALTOR pays dues based on the number of non-member licensees affiliated with the firm.

3. Staff Services. The Board or Association must maintain or have access to staff services and legal counsel.

4. Communications Process. The Board or Association must provide some form of regular news bulletin or computer-based information service to communicate with its members.

5. Orientation. The Board or Association must maintain (or provide in cooperation with another Local Board) an orientation program to inform new members of the privileges and obligations of membership.

6. Educational Offerings. At least twice a year the Board or Association must provide or cosponsor educational offerings relevant to the real estate business. (This requirement could be met by actively promoting the availability of such courses offered by another Board or Association if such offerings are within a reasonable distance.)

7. Enforcement of the Code of Ethics. The Arkansas REALTORS® Association must maintain a viable professional standards process to enforce the REALTORS Code of Ethics and must provide arbitration as a member service. The Association must have a fully functioning professional standards committee with the administrative capacity to conduct the processes. All Local Boards within the State of Arkansas must be a signatory to the Statewide Professional Standards enforcement procedures.

Specifics on each of these seven criterion are contained in the “Minimum Services Criteria Certification Kit” available from the National Association of REALTORS, or from ARA.

As certification and recertification of a local board is required, the Executive Committee shall serve as the certifying body to approve or disapprove such process. ARA staff members shall support this activity.

Effective January, 2007, all Local Boards shall be required to file their certification electronically with NAR and file their Bylaws and MLS Bylaws via email directly to NAR. The Arkansas REALTORS® Association shall have the responsibility to certify once the local boards has complied with electronic filing and NAR’s approval of the Board Bylaws and MLS Bylaws, if they apply.

~ May 2009 ~
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 / 2
3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
10 / 11 NAR Mid-year Legislative Meetings, May 11 – 16, WashingtonDC. / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 2009 Good Neighbor Award applications due at ARA who will forward to NAR. / 16
17 / 18 / 19 / 20 ARA Executive Committee, 10:00 AM / 21 / 22 / 23
24 / 25 Memorial Day, ARA Closed / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30
31 / Notes:

June 2009

ARA Districts and Zone

District locations:

DISTRICT 1 -- (Contains ARA Zones 1, 2 and 3) Local Boards: Batesville, Blytheville, Cleburne County, Conway/Perry County, Faulkner County, Jonesboro, North Pulaski, Paragould, Searcy, Tri County, and Van Buren County.

DISTRICT 2 -- (Contains ARA Zones 4, 5 and 6) Local Boards: Bentonville-Bella Vista, EurekaSprings-CarrollCounty, Harrison District, Metro Area, North Central, and Rogers.

DISTRICT 3 -- (Contains ARA Zones 7, 8, and 9) Local Boards: Crawford County, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Johnson-Franklin Counties, Ozark, Malvern, Mena Area, and Russellville,

DISTRICT 4 -- (Contains ARA Zones 10, 11, and 12) Local Boards: Arkadelphia, Benton-Bryant, El Dorado, Forrest City, Little Rock, Magnolia, Phillips County, Pine Bluff, Southeast Arkansas, Texarkana, West Memphis.

The Zone Directors must be licensed in the Zone for which they are running. Those Zones are listed below:

Zone 1: Batesville, Blytheville, Jonesboro, Paragould, and Tri-County
Zone 2: CleburneCounty, Conway/Perry County, FaulknerCounty, Searcy, Van Buren County
Zone 3: North Pulaski
Zone 4: Metro Area
Zone 5: Bentonville-Bella Vista, Rogers

Zone 6: Eureka Springs-Carroll County, Harrison District, North Central
Zone 7: Johnson-Franklin, Ozark, Russellville
Zone 8: Crawford County, Fort Smith
Zone 9: Hot Springs, Hot Springs Village, Malvern, Mena Area
Zone 10: Arkadelphia, El Dorado, Magnolia, Texarkana
Zone 11: Forrest City, Phillips County, Pine Bluff, Southeast Arkansas, West Memphis
Zone 12: Little Rock REALTORS® Association, Benton-Bryant Association of REALTORS®

~ June 2009 ~
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13
14 ARA Executive Committee, 2:00 PM, Eureka Best Western Inn of the Ozarks / 15 June ARA Committee Meetings, Eureka Best Western Inn of the Ozarks, June 15-16 / 16 ARA Executive Committee and BOD meetings, Eureka Best Western Inn of the Ozarks / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27
28 / 29 / 30 / Notes:

July, 2009

~ July 2009 ~
Sun / Mon / Tue / Wed / Thu / Fri / Sat
1 / 2 / 3 Celebrate 4th of July, ARA Closed / 4
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18
19 / 20 / 21 / 22 ARA Executive Committee, 10:00 AM / 23 / 24 / 25
26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / Notes:

August, 2009

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD (DSA)

Qualifying Criteria for Nomination -- Distinguished Service Award

The Committee will not consider nominations that do not meet the Criteria.

The following basic criteria will apply to members who are nominated for the Distinguished Service Award:

1. Have attained the age of 60 or have at least 25 years service in the Arkansas REALTORS® Association including leadership positions in the Member Board and the State Association.
2. Candidates must HAVE CONTRIBUTED outstanding service of the Association – local and state. Especially important will be activities at the state and/or local board in any and all areas of services to the members
3. Have been recognized as a local or regional leader whose performance of service and involvement in political and/or community activities is extraordinary.
4. Have not served as President of the Arkansas REALTORS Association nor having been selected as the state REALTOR of the Year and currently is an active member of this Association.

Please Note: The Distinguished Service award will not be awarded posthumously.

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) Committee will be made up of six members, all being past presidents of ARA. Each member will serve a three-year term and the Committee will be an official committee of ARA according to the bylaws. The Immediate Past President shall automatically be appointed to a 3 year term and serve as chairman for his/her year as Past President. The President shall nominate one additional member with a three-year term. In year one, the current President will appoint two members each for terms of two and three years and one member for a term of one year.

A reminder that a photograph of the candidate will be required if selected. The deadline for receipt of all forms is August 15th (postmark date).

An individual may be nominated more than once; however, a new form must be re-submitted each year a person is nominated. Information will not be carried over from one year to the next. Signatures of both the local Board/Association President and the State Association President are mandatory prior to the form being submitted to the committee. The DSA Selection Committee feels that "honor seeks the candidate; not the reverse." Therefore, politicking and campaigning are strongly discouraged.

SELECTION GUIDELINES - DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

• State Association and/or Member Boards may nominate candidates for the Distinguished Service Award. There can be more than one nominee per board/state; however, the Committee strongly encourages the local board to nominate only one person for the Distinguished Service Award.
• The Selection Committee will review all nomination forms that are submitted to it for consideration.
• The Selection Committee does not solicit or encourage use of supportive documents and materials (letters of recommendation, newspaper articles, news releases, etc.) with the candidate nomination form. All such materials will be discarded and not included with the nomination forms reviewed by the Selection Committee.
• Only nominations submitted on the official nomination form will be considered. Nominations that do not follow this exact format will be discarded.
• A current photograph of the candidate will be required if selected.
• The President of the local Board and the President of the State Association must sign all nominations.
• The Committee shall select no more than two nominees each year but has the option to select none or one nominee but not more than two annually.
• Nominations are not carried over from year to year. Nominees from the previous year will not be automatically reconsidered. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the DSA Selection Committee may, at its option, select up to two nominations to be carried over to the next year for consideration in its deliberations. These nominations must have been the 3rd and 4th ranking of the Committee in its deliberations. A new nomination form must be submitted for consideration each year.
• All DSA nomination forms submitted for consideration are kept strictly confidential. All materials submitted become the property of ARA and will not be returned. After the DSA Selection Committee determines the recipients, all materials are destroyed.
• The recipients will be honored with a plaque presentation at the Annual past President’s Luncheon at the Annual Convention each year.

There is no charge or application fee for nominating a DSA Candidate.