Five questions to ask when evaluating short sales

“Mortgage lenders across America are eager to avoid foreclosures, and short sales can be an attractive option for clients and real estate professionals alike,” writes Bill Ervin, the national sales director of real estate relationships for CitiMortgage Inc., in an article at RISMedia. “Ask the right questions and you’ll be well on your way to a successful short sale.”

Here are some questions Ervin points out are important for real estate professionals to consider when evaluating a potential short sale for a client.

1. Who owns the lien according to the servicer?

2. What documents are required? For example, the transaction always requires a Letter of Authorization (which is from the client authorizing the real estate professional to speak on their account); listing agreement; purchase contract; estimated/final HUD Settlement Statement; and 2nd Lien Approval Letter.

3. Do all of the parties agree on the property’s value?

4. Has the seller signed a short sale agreement?

5. What are the major challenges the client may face in this transaction? (For example, are there subordinate lien holders or will the client be able to secure financing in time?)

Source: “INFORMATION, INC.

4 Shortcuts for Your Android Phone

The New York Times recently featured a series of articles unlocking tricks and tips that will make your Android smartphone even smarter.

Unlike Apple’s iPhone, mobile phones that run Google’s Android operating system come in a large variety and features can vary somewhat. But there are some commonalities. Here are a few time-saving tricks you may be unaware that your Android can do:

‘Long press’ to access shortcuts: The New York Times considers the “long press” an important key to unlocking many time-saving secrets with Android phones. The long press is when instead of tapping a button or icon on the screen, you press and hold your finger on it for two seconds. This will then usually bring up a menu of options specific to the type of item and you may unlock quite a few features.

For example, long press the home key on your phone’s case, you’ll bring up a menu of your eight most recently used apps. Long press the search key (it appears as a magnifying glass) and a microphone icon will appear that says “Speak Now.” You can then use voice commands to tell your phone what to do, e.g. “Send text to John Smith, will be at the showing by 5” or “Navigate to the nearest gas station.”

Quickly access phone, text, and e-mail: While in your address book, tap the photo of the person instead of the person’s name. You’ll get a menu of icons to call, e-mail, text, or even send messages through Facebook or Twitter.

Type faster: When texting or e-mailing a message, press the spacebar twice and the Android automatically will insert one period and one space at the end of your sentence so you don’t have to fumble around for the period key.

Send to voicemail: Maybe you have a few callers you want to avoid or you’re going to a showing and don’t want to be disturbed. Make sure the caller is in your address book and then click on “Additional info” option there. At the bottom of these extra options, you’ll find “Send straight to voice mail?”

Learn more about some of your Android’s hidden features.

Source: “Four More Tips for Android Users,” The New York Times (June 27, 2011) and “Accelerate Android With Tips and Tricks,” The New York Times (June 22, 2011)

Realtor.com increases search power of Android app

Android users now have expanded functionality of the free Realtor.com Real Estate Android app: Move Inc. has added the Area Scout and “My Real Estate” tools.

Users also now have a new home screen that makes it easier and quicker to locate recent searches and saved listings, along with improved contact tools to enhance communications with agents.

Additionally, users of the Realtor.com Real Estate Android app can easily locate open houses within 20 miles of their location. Area Scout makes it easy for users to access neighborhood list prices and other listing information, and they can personalize their search experience with “My Real Estate.” The app also makes it possible for users to tap an e-mail address once to easily share listings with agents, friends, or family.

According to Errol Samuelson, president of Realtor.com, “By continually updating all of our apps so they deliver the power of Realtor.com anywhere and at any time, buyers and agents can remain better connected and more productive together.”

The free Realtor.com Real Estate Android app was first launched in November 2010, and is compatible with Android 2.01 and later versions. Realtor.com is operated by Move Inc. and is the official website of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).

Source: INFORMATION, INC.

2011 Florida Realtors member profile

You’re a normal Realtor® in Florida if you have 11 years experience, a personal website and performed 10 transactions in 2010, according to the 2011 Member Profile report conducted by the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Research Division for Florida Realtors.

Business characteristics of Realtors in Florida

• 62% of Realtors in Florida were licensed as sales agents.
• 74% of members specialize in residential brokerage in Florida.
• The typical Realtor in Florida has 11 years experience.
• 60% of all Realtors in Florida reported having a website, one in 10 members reported having a real estate blog and four out of 10 use social media.
• The most commonly found information on websites, among commercial and residential Realtors, is the member’s own listings.
• 24% of Realtors in Florida have a certification for short sales and foreclosures.
• 74% of Realtors in Florida reported daily use of smartphones with wireless email and Internet capability.
• About three-quarters (73%) of Realtors in Florida are certain they will remain in the business for the next two years.

Business activity

• In 2010, the typical sales agent in Florida had 10 transactions.
• The typical Realtor worked 40 hours per week in 2010.
• The typical Realtor in Florida earned 17% of their business from past clients and customers.
• Realtors in Florida typically bought in four inquiries and 4% of their business from their website.

Income and expenses

• Percentage split-commission is the prevailing method for Realtor compensation.
• The median gross income of Realtors in 2010 in Florida was $29,400.
• The median business expenses fell to $3,440 in Florida.

Office and firm affiliations

• 43% of Florida’s Realtors are affiliated with an independent non-franchised company.
• The typical Realtor works at a firm that employs 20 agents and brokers.
• The median tenure for Realtors with their current firm is five years.
• More than three-quarters of brokers in Florida had some ownership interest in their firm with 60% having sole ownership of their firm.
• 75% of Realtors in Florida reported receiving no benefits through their firm.

Demographic characteristics of Realtors in Florida

• The typical Realtor in Florida is a 59-year-old white female who attended college and owns a home.
• 56% of Realtors in Florida are female.
• 74% of Realtors said that real estate was their only occupation; the number jumps to 81% for those with 16 or more years of experience.
• The median gross income of Realtor households in 2010 was $74,200 in Florida.
• 87% of Realtors in Florida own their primary residence.

The complete report is available online here.
Source: Florida Realtors®

IRS raises gas mileage tax deduction

In a rare midyear move, the Internal Revenue Service is increasing the tax deduction you can take for using personal vehicles for business.

On July 1, if you use your personal vehicle for business, you’ll be able to deduct 55 cents a mile from your taxable income. That marks a 4-cent increase from the beginning of this year.

While the IRS normally updates mileage rates once a year during the fall for the next calendar year, the tax agency decided to raise the gas mileage tax deduction earlier due to high gas prices. (The average gas price currently is $3.61 a gallon, which is up from $2.74 last year, according to AAA.)

“This year’s increased gas prices are having a major impact on individual Americans,” IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told USA Today. “The IRS is adjusting the standard mileage rates to better reflect the recent increase in gas prices. We are taking this step so the reimbursement rate will be fair to taxpayers.”

Source: INFORMATION, INC.

Hear it from the sellers

In-depth interviews with sellers conducted by Realtor Magazine show that those dissatisfied with the service provided by their real estate agents wish the practitioners had been more proactive in terms of communication.

These sellers wanted feedback on why their homes were sitting unsold, and they did not mind if the salesperson was pushy. In fact, sellers who felt they could have sold at a higher price wished their agents had been more aggressive during negotiations; and they respect honest advice when they might be setting the price too high.

When making a price recommendation, sellers want an agent with a proven track record and market experience, with satisfied sellers saying that their agents listed their homes for just under market value to boost traffic and received offers within a couple of weeks.

Agents who bend over backward to get a difficult sale done will be rewarded with repeat business and referrals.

Source:INFORMATION, INC.

Form Simplicity releases Ultimate Edition

Form Simplicity, an online forms management tool and free member benefit for Florida’s Realtors®, announced the launch of its Ultimate Edition package.

Ultimate Edition is an integrated solution for Form Simplicity users that includes unlimited e-signing and unlimited transactional storage at a reasonable cost – $99 per year per user.

“In a time of tight budgets, Form Simplicity continues to deliver high value with affordable and effective solutions to help Realtors’ bottom lines,” says Joe Ballarino, president and COO of Real Estate Industry Solutions, a wholly owned business subsidiary of Florida Realtors.

Ultimate Edition’s unlimited e-signature package saves time and the costs associated with attaining paper signatures. The e-signing process is secure, encrypted and legally binding, which accelerates the process and closes deals faster. It also integrates the signature with the online transaction documents online, eliminating the need to store paper transactions.

Form Simplicity’s document storage is safe and secure, protected by multiple data backups and accessible to users anytime.

To find out more, go to the Form Simplicity home page and click “Upgrade” on the bottom menu bar.

Florida Realtors® members log into Form Simplicity using the same ID used for floridarealtors.org. New users can watch an overview video of the product on Form Simplicity’s homepage and are encouraged to register for a free webinar training class by clicking the Help tab within Form Simplicity.

Training classes last about one and half hours on:

June 23 – 2 to 3:30 p.m. EST
June 29 – 4 to 5:30 p.m. EST

Questions? E-mail Info@FormSimplicity.com. For technical support, call Florida Realtors Technology Helpline, a free member benefit, at (407) 587-1450.

Source: Florida Realtors®

Think Beyond '.com,' More Web Domains Coming

A governing body for the Internet’s naming system recently approved a plan to increase the number of top-level Internet addresses, which means current popular Web domains like “.com,” “.org,” and “.net” will get more competition.

ICANN (Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers) voted to allow the use of practically any word in any language. That opens up the opportunity to even use your name as a Web domain. For example, instead of “JohnSmith.com” for your Web site, you could now use “John.Smith” for your Web address.

“Today’s decision respects the rights of groups to create new top-level domains in any language or script,” said ICANN CEO Rod Beckstrom in a statement. “We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind.”

For those interested in getting a new top-level domain under the new rules, applications will be accepted starting Jan. 12, 2012.

Source: “Attention, Cyber-Squatters! ICANN Expands Web Domains,” Forbes (June 20, 2011)

5 New Social Media Management Platforms

A new class of social media management platforms for small businesses makes social media marketing — such as posting to Facebook and Twitter — much easier.

Review five of these platforms: Postling, Breeze Social, Roost, Sendible and Social Guides. Review will address the following points:

1. User-friendliness;
2. Social networks included;
3. Availability of analytics;
4. Unique features;
5. Perceived shortcomings;
6. Price.

Read More.....

3 Tips to Help Justify Your Commission to Clients

Research shows that 15 percent of sellers make decisions based on the agent's commission rate, and another 5 percent to 10 percent are willing to pay full commission to get the best service.

However, most buyers (75 percent to 80 percent) must be shown that the agent is worth the full commission, and once they understand the benefits, are willing to pay it. When sellers tell agents they make too much commission, agents have not shown the value of their services.

Real estate practitioners would be wise to create a "premium marketing plan" that details 15 or more strategies employed to help the seller fetch the highest price in the shortest amount of time, and if sellers do not see the benefits of the plan, they should offer to refer them to an agent offering limited services.

When sellers say they do not have the money to cover the commission, agents should show them a list of expired listings, most of which have lower commissions, and explain that they pay commissions only when the home sells and it is a moot point if the home languishes on the market.

Finally, if sellers point out that another agent has a lower commission rate, agents should ask them how well could they negotiate on their behalf if they cannot negotiate a full commission for themselves, using a question to remain in control of the negotiation and to help sellers come to their own conclusion.

Source: "3 Ways to Justify Your Real Estate Commission," Inman News (06/16/11)

Fannie to Offer Practitioners $1,200 Bonus

Fannie Mae plans to offer a cash incentive of $1,200 to real estate practitioners who sell real-estate owned properties on behalf of the company to owner-occupants, confirmed a high-level staffer during a panel at the REO Expo conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

Fannie Mae already offers up to 3.5 percent off buyer closing cost per property. It also plans to introduce other programs for agents who pay to maintain real-estate owned properties.

Details about the incentive program are available on Fannie Mae's HomePath Web site.

Source: "Fannie Mae Offering REO Agents $1,200 Incentive," Housing Wire (06/14/11)

Banks Giving Agents Short Sale Leads?

Banks are becoming more open to providing real estate professionals with “warm leads” of willing borrowers for short sales in order to boost the number of successful workouts, according to a panel at HousingWire’s REO Expo in Fort Worth, Texas.

This is a "completely new phenomenon," Marie Chung, director of REO and Short Sale Services at Modern Realty, told conference attendees of this “top down” approach to short sales.

What’s changing: Instead of real estate brokers having to cold call defaulting borrowers to offer their short sale services, more banks and mortgage servicers are becoming more open to giving brokers information of borrowers willing to participate in a short sale. The lenders contact the borrowers first and then pass on information of those willing to cooperate in a short sale to real estate professionals, the panel said.

"Our short sale closings increased about 20 percent," Jaysen Greenleaf, director of client relations and business development at Phoenix Asset Management, told conference attendees about the change to banks giving them leads.

Source: “Short Sales Trending to ‘Top Down’ Approach,” HousingWire (June 13, 2011)

Agents Expand Marketing Approach to Lure Clients

A tougher real estate market has prompted more real estate pros to add to their skill sets to better aid and attract customers. A recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted a few of these expanded marketing approaches.

For example, more real estate pros are breaking into property management, helping sellers find renters instead of home owners for lingering properties.

Home-staging services are also increasing as more real estate pros devote more time to sprucing up for-sale properties to improve its chances of getting sold.

“The use of home staging has doubled in the last year and so has the number of people getting trained to become professional home stagers,” says Barb Schwartz, founder of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals in Brentwood, Calif. She says membership has doubled in the past two years.

Some real estate pros are getting training in staging to offer the service as an added perk to their clients or to learn how to work with stagers as part of their real estate team to get properties sold.

More real estate professionals are also highlighting downpayment assistance programs — such as lesser known federal and local programs — in the marketing of homes to lure more buyers. In Atlanta, for instance, nearly three dozen home-buying assistance programs are available, and not just for low-income buyers, says Rob Chrane, president and founder of Workforce Resources, which connects people to hard-to-find financial resources. A first-time buyer in Atlanta, for example, could be eligible for assistance on a home worth up to $300,000.

Source: “Tough Real Estate Market Inspires Creativity All Around,” Atlanta Journal-Constitution (June 10, 2011)

Apps point way to cheaper gas

With gas prices hovering near $4 a gallon, more drivers are turning to mobile tools to save a few bucks.

For years, penny pinchers have been able to look up nearby gas station prices on the Internet on sites such as GasBuddy.com. But in the last 12 months, a slew of new mobile apps have hit the market for bargain seekers who are already in their cars scouring for a nearby location.

The apps use the phone’s GPS to sort stations and update prices by seeking voluntary input from users (the most common source), voluntary data submission from gas station companies or credit card transactions.

Since the apps were released, a new wave of customers who never previously bothered using Internet options are clicking on their phones for savings, says Jason Toews, co-founder of GasBuddy.com.

“The community has exploded with (mobile apps),” he says, adding that the GasBuddy app has been downloaded 8 million times since it was released last year (including versions for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows 7). “It just makes sense. You can save 20 cents a gallon without having to drive 10 extra miles. And it really adds up.”

I tried several apps and found that their pricing information was mostly reliable. I found two non-branded stations nearby less than a mile from my office that were 10 cents per gallon cheaper than the big-brand stations that are closer. To my surprise, prices ranged widely $3.77 to $4.39 for regular gasoline at the stations within 4 miles of my office.

While I wouldn’t drive more than half a mile out of my way to save $1.80 for a fill-up, the apps can help point out the stations near your home that consistently sell at lower prices than competitors. They’re also helpful on long car trips as you cruise along the highway. “Often you don’t have to go out of your way,” Toews says. “Instead of filling up in town A, you can go 10 miles farther and go to town B to save. Just wait an extra 10 minutes.”

Here’s what we found:

GasBuddy (free)

Overview: A mobile version of GasBuddy.com, it lists gas stations by distance and price. Relies on users to update prices. Encourages users to update by awarding points for each contribution. Points are entered into weekly drawing for free gas.

Pros: Generally accurate prices posted by heavy volume of users. Shows most recent time stamp for update. Gas station photos. Easy link to directions and map. Simple interface.

Cons: Inability to plan gas stops along trip route. Inability to filter listings by distance or price differential.

Takeaway: Simplest of the apps. Ideal option if you want a reliable, free app.

Fuel Finder ($2.99)

Overview: By licensing GasBuddy’s data, it lists gas stations based on price and distance. Has calculator to determine annual savings.

Pros: Generally accurate prices. Shows most recent time stamp for updates. Color-coded categories of pricing (high, medium, low). Ability to filter listings by distance and age of data. Additional station information, including extra services (car wash, ATM, food).

Cons: Inability to plan gas stops along trip route. Not free.

Takeaway: Solid app that delivers on its promises. Its cost may turn off those who are just looking for cheap gas nearby.

MyGasWars (99 cents)

Overview: A simple app that lists stations based on price data from GasPriceWatch.

Pros: Simple to use (looks only for one station that is either cheapest or nearest based on preference). Ability to filter based on distance, age of data, gas station brands.

Cons: Inaccurate prices. The nearest station’s price was off by more than 50 cents. App freezes and crashes occasionally.

Takeaway: Not recommended, because price data aren’t reliable.

Source: USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc., Roger Yu.

MARS forms update

Several new resources are available to assist Realtors who may be impacted by the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Mortgage Assistance Relief Services (MARS) regulations.

These materials are available at the MARS Info Center on Florida Realtors’ member website.

• Instructions for Short Sale Agreement Disclosure will assist Realtors who want to create their own disclosure form, and provides information on filling out the new MARS Short Sale Agreement Disclosure.

• MARS Short Sale Agreement Disclosure [MARS-SSAD-1] replaces the MARS Disclosure for Offer from Lender (Part I) [MARS-3(I)] and should be attached to the short sale lender’s offer before the offer is presented to the seller.

• MARS Consumer Specific Commercial Communication Disclosure [MARS-CSCCD-1 ]  replaces the MARS Disclosure for Consumer Specific Commercial Communication [MARS-2] and should be used at a listing presentation before any negotiations for a short sale listing agreement take place.

Both disclosure forms are available from Form Simplicity. Please note, too, that the MARS Disclosure for Offer from Lender (Part II) [MARS-3(II)] has been deleted from the MARS Info Center, as it applies to loan modifications and not short sales.

Questions? Please call Florida Realtors Legal Hotline at (407) 438-1409.

Source: Florida Realtors®

How’s your ‘blurb’ appeal?

You could be turning off buyers with your property descriptions. Here are some things to avoid, which will increase your “blurb appeal,” according to Bankrate.com:

• Avoid hyperbole and exaggeration. Don’t use “the best” to describe features in the home. You’ll make buyers skeptical and assume that you’re exaggerating.

• Don’t imply that the property is being flipped.

• Make sure the photos you include match your descriptions.

Research studies have supported the idea that the wording you use in property descriptions can greatly influence buyers and the sale of the home. For example, a University of Texas at San Antonio study found that descriptions that state facts about a home tend to be associated with increased selling prices.

Also, a study by the University of Guelph in Ontario found that when listing’s ads incorporated words like “beautiful” – rather than “move-in condition” – the sale price was influenced by 5 percent or more, as much as $15,000 on a $300,000 house.

Also, researchers found that words that reflected “curb appeal” or the attractiveness of the home, such as good neighborhood or excellent upkeep, also were found to help the property sell faster than homes that were described as being a “good value.”

Source: INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD

Try low-cost marketing strategies

Real estate agents have several low-cost tools at their fingertips to help them maximize their marketing efforts and expand their reach.

They can position themselves as local experts by creating a free YouTube channel and posting videos about current market conditions; and they can create multiple Facebook pages targeting specific niches, populating them with information about the local market.

Additionally, agents can run free Craigslist ads to direct visitors to specific pages on their websites and include these leads in e-mail drip campaigns, or they can run low-cost 2x1 little classified ads in secondary markets to accomplish the same goal.

Finally, they should include calls to action on their business cards that direct people to their website as well as add their social media contact information to their business cards, e-mails, stationery and other marketing materials.

Source: INFORMATION, INC. Bethesda, MD

What's That '+1 Button' All Over the Internet?

Google recently launched the “+1 button” and you’ll spot it on a range of Web sites from YouTube and Blogger to the Washington Post and many others. Google added the +1 button to its search engine three months ago but is now making the “+1 button” available to other Web sites to add.

So what is it?

The button is similar to Facebook’s Like button. You click the +1 button when you think “this is pretty cool” or when you want to say “you should check this out” when viewing Web sites, according to Google.

The button gives you the ability to vote on Web sites and advertisements (the button can appear next to the headline of search ads), and the information is then used to tailor search results for you and your contacts.

For example, "with a single click you can recommend that raincoat, news article, or favorite sci-fi movie to friends, contacts, and the rest of the world,” writes Google software engineer Evan Gilbert in a blog post. “The next time your connections search, they could see your +1's directly in their search results, helping them find your recommendations when they're most useful."

You’ll need to be signed into your Google Account to see when friends and contacts have endorsed certain Web pages using the +1 button.

Google says it hopes the added button will help improve click-through rates for content and advertising and is encouraging Web site owners to add the button to their Web pages to get their search results to stand out more.

Source: “Google Rolls Out +1 Button for Web Sites,” TechSpot (June 1, 2011)

Are you using Google +1 Button?

The +1 button is shorthand for "this is pretty cool" or "you should check this out."

Click +1 to publicly give something your stamp of approval. Your +1's can help friends, contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search.

Try it Here

Black-and-white quick response codes are becoming hot

Are they black-and-white bathroom tiles? Newfangled bar codes? Postage stamps honoring artist M.C. Escher?

Thanks to increasingly prevalent smartphones, many marketers and organizations are convinced that the square symbols, known as QR, or quick response, codes, will capture the fancy of consumers curious about what’s behind those black-and-white boxes. Used in Europe and Japan for years, businesses and institutions in the U.S. are increasingly slapping the symbols on print advertisements, on the sides of buildings, even on trees.

For QR codes to work, owners of iPhones and other smart devices must download a QR-reading application, often available for free, if it’s not already built into the phone. When a QR-enabled phone is pointed at the shape, it locks onto a Web link to text, photos, coupons or videos.

A recent Jimmy Fallon TV performance with Stephen Colbert and Taylor Hicks featured a QR code in the background, linking to a Fallon video.

“Hey, you guys, you found it,” Fallon later said on his QR video link. “You tech-savvy nerds out there: You found the QR code.”

Other codes are more local in focus. A QR code recently found on the side of Chicago’s Palmer Printing building linked to a coupon for a $7.95 shrimp taco dinner at Flaco’s Tacos around the corner.

Jackie Paulus, WGN Radio marketing and digital innovation director, said it took her about five minutes to make a QR code for a Chicago Cubs event.

“QR codes are great, especially for print marketing materials, because it allows you to give supplemental information without inundating an ad with clutter,” Paulus said. “What’s also nice is that the links can go straight to a page with the information you’re looking for as opposed to generically referring people to WGNRadio.com, where you’ll then have to search, if it’s not displayed prominently.” WGN, like the Chicago Tribune, is owned by Tribune Co., which is a partner in McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

In April, Cook County’s Forest Preserve District added a QR code to its website and Facebook page for an upcoming program. The owner of such properties as the Brookfield Zoo and the Chicago Botanic Garden is planning to make QR codes even more prevalent.

“We’ll put them on business cards, on our website, on promotional pieces,” Steve Mayberry, a forest preserve spokesman said. “You won’t be able to go to an online presence or a point of contact where we won’t have a QR code.”

In the future, if visitors go to a park where a naturalist isn’t available to answer questions, the visitors can take a self-guided tour by pointing the QR code-enabled phone near the symbol and finding out, say, where the nearest shelters are or how many shelters are in a picnic grove, Mayberry said.

Just because a phone has linked into a QR code doesn’t mean the marketer will gain information on the user, said Stephen Burke, vice president of mobile for Resource Interactive, a Columbus, Ohio, digital marketing agency helping Fortune 500 clients integrate QR codes into numerous campaigns.

“Industry guidelines require brands or businesses to comply with tough opt-in guidelines to prevent any further engagement with the consumer if they don’t wish it,” Burke said. Consumers might be asked if they wish to receive emails in the future or if they’d like to hear from the company’s partners – “standard Web behavior,” Burke explained.

Burke said scanning a QR code can be a frustrating experience if the symbols aren’t displayed in a well-lighted spot, or if the code is too close to other graphics or text to allow the phone camera to lock into the symbols. Also, later-model smartphones tend to have an easier time scanning codes.

Despite some temperamental phones and codes, QR codes are hot.

The Chicago-based Public Library Association in April held its first QR-codes webinar, and more than 200 industry practitioners nationwide listened in. Now “we’re getting requests to do a second webinar, so demand seems to be running high,” said PLA Executive Director Barbara Macikas.

The first webinar’s impact was immediate: Two hours after it ended, the West Bloomfield Township Public Library in Michigan called to say it had added its first QR code, linking to an online newsletter signup, Macikas said.

John Schumacher, a librarian at Brook Forest Elementary School in Oak Brook, Ill., was recently named one of Library Journal’s 2011 Movers & Shakers, partly due to his use of technology. He has taught students, for example, to generate their own QR codes for free, on Kaywa and Delivr, linking to their book reviews and reading lists. Late last year, perhaps one student out of 60 might have known about QR codes. “Now the kids are seeing them everywhere,” Schumacher said.

But the QR code industry had better watch its back.

Bosch, a consumer products company, has begun using what are called MS tags – short for Microsoft tags – that work similarly to QR codes.

Bosch’s MS tag resembles a black-and-white polka-dot pattern. Or are they bullet holes on a white car? Or Dalmatians?

Source: Chicago Tribune. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Gov. signs two bills that impact real estate

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed two bills passed during the 2011 session of the Florida Legislature. One bans local governments from collecting business taxes from associates while the second helps licensees who handle short sales.

Business taxes

Sales associates who don’t currently pay a business tax (formerly known as occupational licenses taxes) will appreciate HB 311 by Kenneth Roberson (R-Port Charlotte).

Local governments that weren’t collecting business taxes from sales associates on Oct. 13, 2010, may not do so in the future. However, the change in law does not impact local governments that were collecting business taxes from sales associates on Oct. 13, 2010.

Mortgage licensing

SB 1316 by Sen. Nancy Detert (R-Venice) codifies into the Florida S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act the same language contained in a federal act. The law allows Florida real estate licensees to list and sell short sales without having to first obtain additional licensure under Chapter 494.

Source: Florida Realtors®