What's Going On

MLXchange 4.3 Upgrade Complete; Additional Support Available
The upgrade to MLXchange 4.3 is complete. This upgrade is a significant enhancement that corrects some existing issues in the systems as well as provides many new features, including broker level Web site capabilities, improved IDX search features, customized reports stationery, and much more. Click here for a complete list of the new features. System requirements: Windows XP SP2 or higher, IE 6 or higher, 1024 x 768 resolution or higher and an Internet connection speed of 56K or higher. In addition, new Active X files will need to be installed after the upgrade. Between August 6 and 19, members will have access to additional MLXchange support through AnswerLink at (901) 818-2426 between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Housing Stimulus Legislation - First-Time Buyer Tax Credit
The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, legislation aimed at shoring up the housing market in the United States and offering current homeowners with troubled mortgages and potential homeowners with significant assistance, became law on July 30. Of most interest to people who do not own a home but have been thinking about it is a $7,500 tax credit to qualified first-time home buyers who purchase a home between April 9, 2008, and June 1, 2009. Download this Q&A document about the tax credit.

Shelby County General Election August 7
MAAR has been busy over the last month interviewing candidates running in the upcoming Shelby County election. The election will be held on Thursday, August 7. MAAR invited all candidates running for office to participate in the candidate interview process. Before voting, download the list of MAAR-recommended and RPAC-supported candidates. **As a note of clarification – on the August 7th election day, there are both a general election and a primary election being held. The general election includes the Assessor, Trustee, and Shelby County School Board races. The primary election includes Congressional races and TN Legislative races. In a primary election, you must vote according to political party; however, in the general election, you can vote for whomever you choose, regardless of the political party. This means that you can vote for one party in the primary and then vote for whomever you choose, regardless of party, in the general election.

2009-2010 Director Candidates Announced
The Nominating Committee has completed its work and is pleased to announced the following candidates for MAAR's Board of Directors for two-year terms beginning January 1, 2009:

Associate Director
Pennie Barclay (Prudential Collins-Maury) vs. Randy Jefferson (Hobson Co.)

Director
Steve Guinn (Highwoods Properties) vs. Ron Riley (In-Rel Management)
Willie Lyons (Lawrence Johnson) vs. R. Darnell Tate (ERA Legacy)
Betsy Kelly (Hobson Co.) vs. Denise Martin (Prudential Collins-Maury)
Michael Green (John Green & Co.) vs. Debbie Sowell (Revid Realty)

2009 Director/2010 Vice President
Nancy Carroll (Crye-Leike) vs. Lanny Foy (Crye-Leike)

Voting will take place on Thursday, September 4, at the Annual Meeting & Election, or by absentee ballot, which must be submitted in person or via mail delivery no later than noon Thursday, September 4. Candidate bios will appear in the September issue of MAAR This Month.

Wine Down for Habitat Kick-off Party Aug. 21
Join MAAR for an evening of friends, fun, and wine to benefit our 2008 Habitat for Humanity build. The events will be Thursday, August 21, at MAAR.

4:30 p.m. Wine Tasting $25 in advance; $30 at the door Tickets available at MAAR. 4:30 p.m. Wine Race $40 per team of four Download registration form. 5:30 p.m. Party & Silent Auction $5 Admission

The Habitat build starts on Friday, September 12 and continues every Saturday thereafter until October 25. We've also added two Thursday build dates this year. Check out the schedule and volunteer today!

NAR Quadrennial Ethics Requirement: Are You in Compliance?
The second NAR Quadrennial Ethics cycle will end on December 31, 2008. NAR requires that all REALTOR® and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® members complete a 2-1/2-hour ethics course once every four years. If you have not completed ethics training since January 1, 2005, you must do so prior to December 31, 2008. To see if you have met the requirement, click on the second link below.

If you have questions or need additional information, send an e-mail to quad.ethics@maar.org.

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