Upcoming Events

May 22 Affiliate Golf Tournament - Enjoy a round of golf at beautiful Thanksgiving Point in Lehi followed by a catered All-American lunch buffet. Contact Brooke to reserve your team for $75 per golfer ($85 the week of the tournament) or to pay for your $125 hole sponsorship. Strict dress code applies: no denim whatsoever, collared shirt (ladies included) must be worn. Login to your account and register for the event under Event Calendar, or download the PDF file and fax it in!

May 30 - June 14 Utah Valley Parade of Homes-The 28 homes entered in the Parade of Homes, range in price from entry-level to multi-million dollar homes. They are located throughout Utah County. Booth displays will be located in every one of the 28 homes, displaying building products, services and features you can learn about and use in your own home project. Homes are closed Sundays and Mondays. Tuesdays through Saturdays homes are open from noon - 9pm. Tickets $10 a person, 5 and younger are free.

June 6 Housing Summit - Held at the Provo Library in the Bullock Room, from 9am - 12:30pm. All UCAR members are invited to attend.

June 7 Habitat For Humanity - Habitat will be doing a build in Payson. Please contact Jechelle Secretan at 362-1412, for more information on how you can help.

June 11 UCAR//POWER Initiative Launch - UCAR will launch it's latest initiative at 9:30am at the Provo Eldred Center. All members are invited to the celebration.

June 18 UARHOF Owlz Game - Enjoy the baseball game against the Ogden Raptors, catered BBQ, auction, and prize drawings! Donated items include 3 Miley Cyrus tickets & a Nintendo Wii! Tickets are $20 for adults and $14 for children under 12 years of age. ( Tickets and meal are free for children aged three and under ) Festivities begin at 6:30pm. Login to your account and register for the event under Event Calendar or call the UCAR office.

GRI FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Earn the GRI Designation

What does GRI stand for?
Graduate, REALTOR® Institute.

Why should I earn the designation?
The data from the 2005 Member Survey show that REALTORS® without any NAR designation earned a median of $40,900 while those with a designation earned a median income of $82,900.

But it's about more than just the money. New technology, laws, procedures and the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers require real estate practitioners to perform with a higher level of professionalism. The course work required to earn the GRI designation will give you the tools and knowledge you need to provide your clients superior service.

What topics are covered in the GRI program?
Sales Process: Business development, sales & marketing, customer & client services and cultural diversity

Legal & Regulatory: Fair housing, brokerage relationships, contracts and environmental issues

Technology: Communications, general technology and real estate business technology

Professional Standards: NAR Code of Ethics & Standards, Arbitration and Mediation

How do I earn the designation?
The GRI program is offered through the UAR. You will need to complete 90 hours of education and successfully pass each course test. Contact the UCAR to get information on course schedules, location and tuition, etc.

Red Rock Retreat

The Washington County Board of REALTORS® would like to invite you to our 2008 RED ROCK RETREAT at the Dixie Convention Center on June 5th and 6th in picturesque St George!

This education retreat lets you meet all the ”CORE” course requirements of the Utah Division of Real Estate for this 2-year cycle. In addition, the “ETHICS” course required by NAR every 4 years (2005 –2008) is included.

We are delighted to announce our nationally known keynote speaker, Terry Watson, who will discuss “Avoiding Roadkill and the Top 10 Stupid Things REALTORS® Do”. Instructors, David Johnson and Curtis Bullock will enlighten you with “CORE” courses covering “Mortgage Loan Fraud”, an “Ethics Review of Article 16”, and “Introduction of Forms”.

Come play a round of golf, take in some area sights, and enhance your skills so you can thrive in this ever-changing market. You’ll enjoy learning in the resort atmosphere of Utah’s Dixie! Call 435-628-7374 for more information or to reserve a seat.

Govt. Affairs Committee Message - Scott Walters, Chair

This is a call to action... many of you have heard me relate the story of a mugging turned to murder in the 1960's in New York City.  The most shocking part of the murder is that it was witnessed by dozens of neighbors-none of whom went out to help, nor called the police.

All around us our fellow colleagues are being mugged.  Let me highlight a few of our comrades struggles.  We are in an upcoming battle with Provo City.  The City Council is proposing an ordinance restricting business people from functioning effectively if they are able to be elected to city council.  I have posted a few newspaper articles on this issue.

Also, Woodland Hills is proposing a very strict fencing ordinance that very well could be the last nail in the coffin for lot sales in that city.

Recently we were unable to convince Lehi City to back down on a proposal that doubled Impact Fees.  Part of the problem was that we got involved way too late in the process.  We need help.  We need city council agendas in all cities so we can monitor potential issues critical to private property rights and Realtor interests.

The Government Affairs Committee meets the 1st Wednesday of every month at 10am at UCAR.

Please, if you have any issues you are aware of in your cities that affect us as Realtors and property owners--please call me ASAP at 801-361-4860

Provo City Items of Interest
ARTICLE 1
City officials with a conflict of interest would have to get out of the room and stay out
By Donald W. Meyers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:  05/06/2008 12:43:22 AM MDT

PROVO - If the Municipal Council has its way, city officials with a conflict of interest will need to do more than just get out of their seat when a vote is taking place. They will need to leave the room entirely, and not talk to any of their colleagues about the matter until the conflict is resolved. The rule is part of a revised ethics ordinance the council will consider at its meeting this evening.

"We need to be above reproach in what we do with ethics," Municipal Council Vice Chairman George Stewart said Monday. But some warn that the measure may make it more difficult to get people to serve in the community.

"This is a big step forward. I hope it's not over the line," said Municipal Councilman Steve Turley, who in the last election battled accusations of conflicts of interest.

Typically in Utah, an elected official does not even have to step aside during a discussion in which a conflict of interest arises. He or she merely has to declare the conflict and can still vote. The proposed ordinance was first presented to the council at its April 9 work meeting. That's when council attorney Neil Lindberg said the old ordinance only applied to members of the Municipal Council. It would not apply to any of the city's boards, and the member only had to just step off the dais and could remain in the room throughout the discussion. But the proposed ethics ordinance would tighten Provo's rules, making it the state's strongest, said Stewart.

"That is where I want us to be," Stewart said. "I don't know why anybody would settle for anywhere else along that continuum."\

While Turley agrees ethical conduct is important - he has recused himself from discussions on issues in which he had a passing interest - he said it would affect city boards severely since the expertise that qualifies people to serve on the board creates conflicts of interest. Stewart said the ordinance is crafted so that only direct conflicts of interest would trigger the rules - not an indirect one.
ARTICLE 2
Provo ethics ordinance needs study
By Donald W. Meyers
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:  05/08/2008 01:02:03 AM MDT

PROVO - It seems Provo's strong ethics ordinance wasn't ready for prime time. The Municipal Council sent the measure back for study after it was placed on the council's Tuesday agenda, Council Vice Chairman George Stewart said. He said the ordinance needs further fine-tuning.

Provo's current ethics ordinance requires council members to recuse themselves from discussions where they have conflicts of interest. The new ordinance would extend the rule to members of city boards, and require those with direct conflicts to leave the room completely and not discuss the matter with their colleagues - until the conflict has been resolved.

Stewart said Councilman Steve Turley had pointed out that the ordinance should have been on this week's study agenda and not submitted to a regular vote. Stewart said it will be on the May 20 study agenda for review.

Turley had earlier expressed concerns that if the rules are too strict it would hobble appointing some members to commissions. He and Planning Commission member Coy Porter noted that many people are appointed to boards because of expertise in the areas the board addresses and forcing them to leave the room would deprive the boards of their expertise.

CEO Message - Taylor Oldroyd

Two important things you offer to your customers as a business person/REALTOR® are information and service.

The information you provide to your clients plays an enormous role in your success. Getting information out…marketing…is critical to your success in this business.

The quality of the service you provide is also key to your success. The way you market…in other words the quality of your service…will let them know you take your profession serious. How you dress, how you conduct yourself, the language you use all play a role in your success. New technology, laws, procedures, the increasing sophistication of buyers and sellers, and the ups and downs of the market all require real estate practitioners to perform with a higher level of professionalism.

In today’s competitive business environment providing information to your clients isn’t enough. They need more than information and you need more than simple marketing skills; you need to offer these skills in a professional manner. And the key to both of these is continuing education and training.

This is where UCAR comes in. Providing cutting edge education is one of the main functions of UCAR. We offer the traditional courses that have come to set REALTORS ® apart. I’m talking GRI, CRS, etc. But now through UCAR University, we will take education to the next level. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Power and success will come through education and proper application of this knowledge.

At UCAR, we don’t necessarily want to change the world; we just want to make each of you successful in your profession. Coming this summer will be classes on many subjects; all designed to help you succeed. I know the market is tough. Now is the time to take hope, stay unified, invest in you, and get the POWER through education.

Please plan on coming to the UCAR//POWER launch on June 11 to learn more and get energized.