Go to www.scaor.com and see all the improvements, link through to online CE classes, find out how to contact your elected officials and much more.

If you have any spare or broken lockboxes, please return them to Gail at SCAOR or contact Gail@scaor.com.

If you need lockbox covers to protect them from the elements, SCAOR has plenty - for free. Just stop by SCAOR and pick some up.

Come to SCAOR April 8, 4 - 6 p.m.
for a FREE mixer
sponsored by the Rookies.

Enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and gain some tips too. Spring into action with a REALTORS^® survival kit.

RSVP to Gail@scaor.com.

FREE Webinar
Thursday, March 25 at 3 p.m. >>

High numbers of distressed listings can create challenges for homebuyers using the home buyer tax credit before it expires April 30. (Transactions in process by that date have until June 30 to close). This FREE webinar will explore ways to overcome some of the most common hurdles to closing short sales and REO transactions in the remaining months before expiration of the tax credit.

Principal presenter is noted distressed-sale speaker Scott Thompson of ServiceLink and Mortgage Resolution Services.

Register online >>

Tour the city or
see a Broadway musical.
Your choice!

Join us on a Trip to
New York December 8!

Limited Seats Available,
Departure: 6:30 a.m. SHARP!
Register by emailing Crystal@scaor.com
or faxing your form to the SCAOR office.

Click here for the flyer >>

Two forms have been added and are available at: www.delawarerealtor.com/docs and at www.scaorstore.com/members.

• Must Sell Addendum to the Agreement of Sale
• Seller Mortgage Information form

Both can be downloaded for use by DAR REALTOR^® members.

1. Homebuyers Tax Credit
   Promotional Letter
2. Homebuyers Tax Credit
   Comparison Chart
3. Getting It Sold

SCAOR Members! Take advantage of these and the hundreds of other NAR products and resources available FREE or AT-COST through NAR's Right Tools, Right Now initiative. A number of new offers and updates to existing products will be available to help members in the coming year so keep checking www.REALTOR.org/RightTools monthly.

Home buyers who purchase and close on a property listed on HomePath.com between January 28 and April 30, 2010, are being offered a 3.5% incentive from Fannie Mae. They can receive up to 3.5% of the final sales price for:

• Closing costs;
• The purchase of new Whirlpool^® appliances by Fannie Mae; or
• A mix of closing costs and appliances, at the buyer's discretion, up to the maximum 3.5%.

To be eligible for this incentive:

• Offers must be accepted on or after January 28, 2010;
• Property sales must close before May 1, 2010; and
• Buyers must be owner-occupants (investors are excluded).

The incentive reinforces Fannie Mae's commitment to stabilizing communities and assisting buyers. For more information about this incentive, visit www.HomePath.com and read the press release on fanniemae.com.

The Housing Opportunities Partners Committee Meets the first Tuesday of each month at 1 pm at SCAOR. Interested REALTORS^® with a passion for affordable housing are invited to contact Chair Betty Kasperski at betstepx@yahoo.com for more information on this important committee.

The Rookie Committee is continuing to collect shoeboxes filled with small items for the troops. They are also looking for new, energetic members. Meetings are monthly on the second Thursday, at 9:30 am at SCAOR office.

All are welcome.

SentriLock released their BlackBerry SmartCard Reader and Card Utility last Thursday, March 4. SentriLock users will now be able to renew their SentriCards^® using any BlackBerry phone and BlackBerry SmartCard Reader. Users can purchase a BlackBerry Smartcard Reader V2 directly from SentriLock for $199. The SentriLock BlackBerry Card Utility is free.

Purchase your BlackBerry Smartcard Reader, download the BlackBerry Card Utility, and view informative videos and other useful information at www.sentrilock.com/blackberry.
Videos are also available at www.youtube.com/sentrilock1.

March classes are SOLD OUT except for the Broker class on March 23. Sign up now for the remaining classes and don't come up short on CEs for the April 30 re-licensing deadline.

Click here for elective online classes, offered at The CE Shop.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW SHORT SALES RULES?
In early 2009, NAR urged the U.S. Treasury Department, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to improve the short sales process. On May 14, 2009, the Obama Administration announced a program outline to provide incentives and uniform procedures for short sales and deeds-in-lieu (DIL) of foreclosure under the Making Home Affordable Program. On November 30, 2009, the Obama Administration released guidelines and uniform forms for its Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Program.

The new HAFA provisions become effective on or before April 5, 2010.

• HAFA Consumer Information
  Brochure >>
• Short Sales Resources at realtor.org/shortsales >>
• February 19 Press Release >>

Full Listing of Delaware Planning
News & Meetings >>

February 26 Government Affairs Update from Delaware Association of REALTORS^® >>

How do you think the Professional Standards Panel ruled in last week's Case Study?
Below is the Hearing Panel's decision.

Case #16-15: Cooperating Broker's Compensation Specified on Deposit Receipt

The Hearing Panel's decision noted that REALTOR^® B was indeed entitled to negotiate with REALTOR^® A concerning subagency compensation but that such negotiation should be completed prior to the showing of the property by REALTOR^® B. The decision indicated that REALTOR^® B was entitled to show property listed by REALTOR^® A on the basis of the subagency agreement between them. If there was no agreement on the essential terms and conditions of such subagency, including compensation, there was no authority for Realtor B to show the property or to procure an offer to purchase.

The panel's decision further advised that it was improper for REALTOR^® B to follow a procedure of inserting the amount of subagency compensation to be paid by the listing broker on any document provided to a buyer or a seller, because this is properly a matter to be decided by the listing and cooperating brokers at the time the offer of subagency is offered and accepted; and that preconditioning an offer to purchase on the listing broker's acceptance of a subagency commission greater than he had offered was a practice inconsistent with respect for the agency of the listing broker.

REALTOR^® B was found in violation of Article 16.